Are You Holding Your Blogging
Tongue Too Much?

I do to a degree but I've also learned to stand my ground in some ways. Especially when family gets opinionated.

There is a balance you have to find when writing and how much of "you" you want add in your writing. Do I hold my tongue? To a degree and I try and leave my personal life out of it, but it's apart of me and what strives me to write. I just don't blab about other people's business and keep my focus on helping others.

Man this is what I struggle with most. I don't worry about our business because I don't use that as fodder for my blog but my family and friend issues is what makes me want to blab. I've been in trouble with friends for an innocent statement such as being stuck on a pontoon boat with friends with country music blaring for hours, which I hate, country music that is. You would not guess but that caused me some major problems, really! To be honest anything can set someone off somewhere. Might as well speak now or forever hold your peace! Great thoughts.

Sometimes I have to give an idea the "Would I Say It to Their Face" test. I have regular readers across the political spectrum. If I know that my opinion on a certain issue is just going to be insulting to them or push hot button issues for them, I may pass, unless I can figure out a dispassionate way to do it. I think that too many blogs are just about ranting and shock value. I have other venues for ranting or venting. I don't need to do it on my blog.

This goes double (triple?) when your personal brand is also a business that employs others. Still not entirely sure I should be out there blogging about sex, mental illness, my mom's end-of-life decision and politics. But then again, I've never been known for holding my tongue, so I guess it is my authentic personal brand. Great post, thank you for giving me courage!

I have to hold my tongue about what I'd like to write about most...work. Have to.

And it removes a LOT of material. And I hate that, but I don't know how I can and be safe, un dooced, as it were.

Yes I do hold my tongue. But then I started realizing that suffering in silence benefits no one. I generally work on being positive but I feel sometimes that my tribulations can be my testimony which can be helpful to someone else. And what better reason to blog than to reach and help others.

I do hold my blogging tongue from time to time. It's probably a good thing. Words live on a lot longer than some of my crazy, off-the-cuff, "first thought" comments. A more reasoned, on-second-thought voice is often the better choice.
-The Spinsterlicious Life

I wrote a post about this recently when I realized I was keeping quiet about all my failures hoping to one day be able to discuss my success. But it benefits me more to be honest about the entire journey. It's better for our souls, I think. Just to own up.

I stifle myself all the time when I write, and I am one of those "downer" posters anyway. Thank you for saying something we all think, and thank you for reminding me to do something I value highly...to be authentic.

Melissa: I love that you threw this idea out. Just yesterday, I had an internal conversation on whether "to, or not to" write a list of my least-liked Thanksgiving staple dishes. There are lots of ideas attached to it..the transformation of dietary pallets, the rituals attached to shoving spoonfuls of "crap-to-the-rimful of Eagle Brand or Campbell's cream-o-something soup." But I couldn't do it. My bigger point decided to become lost because I didn't want to appear hateful or ungrateful. So I stifled. ~ RDK