Blogging is a funny thing. We often wonder where the line is drawn in sharing our lives. Some share everything, while others are much more guarded. It’s simply a matter of personal preference. You can visit any social media site and catch a glimpse of someone’s so-called perfect life. It’s easy to forget that just beyond that perfect square of a snapshot there is a messy room, a whiny child, and scenes that are unfiltered. There comes a freedom in sharing different aspects of our lives. Even more though, there are definite benefits to sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Sharing the Good
Hard Work Pays Off
We love a good ending. We love to cheer people on and root for our friends. You reached your goal? Let us applaud you and pat you on the back. It is so nice to see when hard work pays off. Share your accomplishments and be proud of all that you have done to get where you are.
Inspires and Motivates
So many people have visions of where they want to end up but rarely know how to take that first step. By sharing your successes or the positives in your life, others may be inspired to take that leap and try to reach their goals as well.
Sharing the Bad and the Ugly
Keep it Real
When I find a blogger that opens up and shares parts of their life I am drawn to them. In my mind they are someone that I can relate to. The playing field has been leveled and we see that we are all on the same page.
Courage
Sharing parts of your life takes courage. In sharing you are allowing others to see parts of you that are normally kept hidden. In this day and age, you are opening yourself up to criticism, as many people find it so easy to anonymously criticize from behind a keyboard and a screen. You will develop a thicker skin to some degree and you will learn that pleasing everyone is impossible.
Encouragement
Sometimes all it takes is one person to open up. One person bravely sharing their story may encourage others to share their experiences. It opens the door to discussion and you may find that you can learn so much from what others have gone through. When my daughter stepped forward to share her experience with anxiety I was so overwhelmed by not only the support she received but also by the number of people that stated they suffered from the same thing. Hearing what has worked for them and things we can try was a great benefit.
Support
Sometimes we have an image of someone and their reality is nothing like we picture. When we open up, it shows our vulnerabilities and lets people see a different side of us. Sometimes we are so used to having this strong front that it is refreshing to let our guards down and let others step up and support us.
As you can see, there are benefits of sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly; not only for ourselves but for our readers as well.
Now I’d like to introduce you to Alanna, the blogger behind Alanna and Company. Alanna lives in the D.C. area (yes, I am envious of that). Alanna blogs about a variety of topics; her love for D.C. and her dog, blogging tips, and beauty tips as well. Let’s get to know her a little better.
When I’m not blogging I love exploring my city, Washington D.C., I also like to spend a lot of time outside with my dog, Starla.
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Why I Love D.C.
I’ve used Alanna & Co as my social media handles for a long time. It started off as a play off of Tiffany & Co and it just stuck with me!
How much time it would take! I once timed how much time I put into blogging for one week! Jeez. It takes a lot if you’re really committed to it.
Wines, Cute Dog accessories (Starla may or may not have about five different colored collars…), Dirty Chai lattes.
You can follow Alanna on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
