I titled this blog post, “Today we turn 3” because today is my 3 year Blogiversary, but really I think it feels more like a birthday party and you’re not too sure whether to be excited or a little sad. I am guessing this what parents feel like at every birthday party for their kids. I also consider this blog & community to be a “we”. Some of you knew me before this blog, others found me part way through, and some of you might be new here (welcome).

To say I am emotional, would be an understatement….. who knows if that’s from exhaustion, excitement, reflection, the beginning of the month or all things combined, but here we are.

I am writing this pretty early Monday morning, and I know the majority of my readers are still sleeping or just waking up. I am posting this Monday afternoon/evening, and am hoping to share with you something that may enlighten your week or give you a little inspiration to at least not curse every other sentence on this Monday. Personally, I love Monday’s….. I love the fresh start, the extra motivation quotes on social media, the hustle starting over, and the ability to take on a new week and make it mine. I didn’t always love Monday’s or really any day for the matter.

Looking back I would consider myself a little bit of a pessimist with an abundant amount of limiting beliefs. In 2016, I was fortunate enough to stumble onto “The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show” which I was really just listening to in hopes that it make my day pass faster at a job I hated, but it did so much than that, it changed the trajectory of my entire life because it opened me up to my own limiting thoughts.

2017 & 2018 were tough and transformational years for me. I launched my blog on February 1, 2018, with no actual plan in mind or any knowledge of how to run a blog. I was miserable at the time, broke af, and lost. I self-proclaimed that I was going to be blogger in late 2017 on Instagram (after a full on quarter life crisis) and decided that if I put it out into the universe that I would have to do it…. like any true procrastinator, I announced early, then did no work or content creating until the last minute. I also had 900 followers all of which I personally knew. (If you’re one of those followers that are still here, thanks for sticking around.)

I never really considered what it would be like to put myself out there to the world because I didn’t think anyone was paying attention & to be honest some days I still feel like that until I get a DM or text or email that remind me otherwise.

When I started this blog, I was hoping this would be the solution to my problems of being miserable, broke af, & lost….. looking back now, I wouldn’t call it a solution, but I would call it a starting place. By starting this blog, I took a deep dive into who I am, which really was just trying to find my voice. I read many books and listened to many podcasts working to try and work on myself (still do). I forced myself to be super “real” with myself and accept that my life wasn’t where I wanted it to be and I was the only person responsible for that…. not my parents, the government, where I went to school, my education, my lack of education, the Instagram algorithm, or any other BS I used to tell myself.

By starting this blog, I was able to begin making commitments to myself. By keeping a commitment to myself, I found myself become more confident & step even more into my voice.

I haven’t gotten rich off this blog. I have wanted to quit A LOT. I have received plenty of hate emails. I still can’t figure how to make links work all the time, but I have discovered so much about who I am, what I care about, the impact I want to make, and where I want my life to go.

The most important thing I want you to take away from this post is …. if you are wanting to do something and keep thinking about. it, stop thinking and start doing. You don’t have to be perfect to start, you just have to start and keep going.

XO,

Madison