I was pleasantly surprised when I got the happy anniversary notification from wordpress.com a few days back. I was tempted to hurriedly make a post immediately but I paused for a few seconds to think and those few seconds grew into minutes…the minutes also gathered and became hours and the hours rolled into days…well the days added one to another and I am here today….still reflecting on my first anniversary as a blogger.
My reflections brought up the good and some not so good memories…luckily for me there was no sad or unpleasant memory (yay!!! 😀 ). If I am to summarize in seven or eight words what my experience has been I have this to say: “Without regrets, it has been an excellent experience”. However since I have more than eight words to summarize let me build on what I have squeezed into those eight words.
The inspiration to start blogging came to me not out of the blue but sort of built over a long period of conversation with me. I was encouraged by a few friends who believed in my budding writing skills a while back to start blogging but I declined…I felt I was not ready yet (maybe I was too scared to step out of my comfort zone, maybe I was afraid I would fail…so I held back 🙂 ). Well a year ago I took the bold step and spread my wings, took a leap of faith off the cliff and started flapping my wings to fly. I looked around and smiled…it felt good I looked up and smiled, it was beautiful…I looked down and was shocked at how far off the ground I was…I looked back and was alarmed…I had left my comfort zone behind…fear set in and I panicked and started falling down.
That was when God sent my first ‘blog angel’ to the rescue. In came Nuala, the Bluphoenixrebel…now I cannot say enough about her in a few lines..maybe a complete post will suffice 🙂 She gave me that support I needed to overcome that initial panic attack….she had the the time and patience to edit some of my early posts. She encouraged me by posting some of my pieces on her blog like this. That was the confidence boost I needed at that time…I felt the energy rush into my literary wings again and I flapped and flapped and flapped and gained heights again flying higher. She has a brilliant blog….make out time to have a look here…you won’t regret it I promise. 🙂
Through the months that followed up to make the 12 which gave me the anniversary badge, a few more angels came at appointed times to give me the push I needed to keep going. For want of time and space, I won’t mention them all today. My post on “literary angels and demons” will be dedicated to that and more. Watch this space 🙂
Looking back now, I really have no regret…I have had a wonderful experience. I am not yet the best writer I can be but I know I am enroute that destination. If I have one wish, I would say I wish I had written more often 🙂 I have a tight schedule and though my mind gets loaded with ideas almost always, finding time to pen them down is proving more challenging than I anticipated. One big lesson I have learnt is never to give up on a good cause…so I will keep writing, keep making time…keep putting in my best till I arrive at that place where I aim to be.
This post will be incomplete without due mention to all the guys who have taken time to visit, like or comment on this blog, you give me reason to write. Those who follow this blog…thank you, I keep trying hard not to fail you and to pay back your trust and believe in what I have to offer. You encourage me. Finally to the bloggers I follow, yes a huge source of my inspiration and believe comes from the encouragement and challenge I get from your talents and rich blogs (more on this in my literally angels and demons post).
Osisiye thank you for making sure I get a good laugh every time for free…but beyond the laughter I also gain from the lessons that are never ended coming from you. Lahmeet…I still call you my pastor…thank you and now I can say this thank you is a double portion so share some with drepayne my latest source of inspiration…
Now I am beginning to mention names…I got to stop…thank you everyone. One year down and yes, it has been great…Above all I thank God through whom all I do or say becomes a success. 365days and still counting…I am just doing the ‘blogging jog’…yet to start the sprint…this isn’t even the beginning. 🙂
Cheers
zealthinks 
[ Smiles ] A Happy First Blog Anniversary to you!
Thank you Renard 🙂
Aww this is a really sweet post, and not because I was mentioned in it, lol! 😀
I must say that your posts get more interesting with each addition! Your post is a true reminder that It’s only when we step out of our comfort zones that we know that we can be better than who we really are, and we are capable of doing far more than we expected we could.
Every anniversary is worth celebrating, and this blogaversary is no different – eat a cupcake for me will you? 😉
🙂 Thank you Bluephoenixrebel….I appreciate all the part you have actively and passively played in my story 🙂 And yeah you can bet….two cupcakes on your behalf 😉
Congrats on this milestone attained, yo do not know how many people have lived their lives better through your eyes…Wish you many more years of deliberate and conscious Influence. Keep it real.
Thank you so much sir 🙂