Thursday Thought: I’m So Thankful for …
About three years ago, several friends mentioned that blogging was becoming popular on LinkedIn and told me I should consider writing a blog (I hadn’t even known what a blog was!). They nagged me until I finally agreed to try it, but I had no idea what to write about or if anyone would read what I wrote (who would care about American grammar?).
Nevertheless, I finally thought, what the heck. What’s the worst that can happen? No one will read my articles? No one will like my articles? (I hadn’t even thought of someone getting angry at me for anything I would write, but that’s a topic for another day.)
So I started with this article, which I wrote on December 4, 2014, and I bravely sent it out on LinkedIn, which was pretty much the only platform around at that time — or so it seemed.
Did it go viral? Are you kidding? I got maybe five likes. But we have to start somewhere.
Fast-forward to today. I am enormously thankful for all those readers who spurred me on, who liked what I wrote, who commented and shared, and who really made me feel like a legitimate writer.
Thanks to them, this is my 500th article, and it is coming out right before the U.S. Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 2017, which is tomorrow. Talk about timing!
And through these last three years, one person really stands out, because he was one of my first connections to read, like, and comment on my posts.
Then he did something remarkable: He invited me to join a small LI group he had formed. It was and still is made up of excellent writers from all genres (mostly business, but not all), with big hearts and a willingness to help each other learn how to navigate in today’s world of publishing online and in print.
They taught me how to position my posts, how to use titles to reach an audience, and how to use social media to expand my reach across multiple platforms.
So a huge THANK YOU goes to the group members and to John White, MBA, a true social media expert and even better — a true mensch — for opening doors I might never otherwise have found or gone through.
I look forward to next year, wondering how the publishing platforms will change — which might emerge and which might fade away — and wondering who I’ll have the privilege of meeting around the world thanks to the marvel of the Internet and the ability to reach people in its farthest corners thanks to blogging.
What are YOU grateful for as 2017 comes to an end? Who has helped YOU in your journey to be seen and heard?
As always, if this post helped you, please clap lots and lots to encourage more of the same and to share it with your connections. Share your story in the comments. Commenting is nearly as powerful as creating articles; just ask Deb Helfrich how well it has worked for her!
For more of my articles, visit my website: GrammarGoddess.com
