Begin Again

For the past year or so, I have shied away from sharing much in this space. One reason being that there is nothing really new and exciting happening in my life at the moment. The other reason is that I have been utterly miserable and there is only so much sharing of displeasure one can give without being seen as a total Debbie Downer.

But, I do miss blogging. I miss sharing the small and great things. I miss sharing photographs, thoughts, and music. I miss it all. I want to begin again-- this time, without the fear of sounding redundant, seeming like a downer, or even worrying that my syntax is not strong enough for it. I want to get back to blogging because it tracked personal growth. Blogging brought me joy... it brought me peace.

I am going to begin again.

Thoughts + May Highlights

I've been pretty quiet on the blog this week. I wanted to share what we did during Memorial Day weekend along with a couple other posts, but I thought it best to just remain quiet. (That's the good thing about blogging for fun. There is no real obligation to get a post up if you're not feeling up to it.)

A lot has been on my mind lately. Nothing in particular, just thoughts... questions. My mind is like that, you know. Curiosity strikes almost always and my mind proposes many question. I sit down and think of all the possible answers and allow the Holy Spirit to even reveal some answers to me. I really enjoy that quiet time.

Here, I am sharing some highlights from this month.
Enjoy and happy weekend! Stay cool!

 

On Spring and Other Things

 “It’s Spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.”

//Rainer Maria Rilke

Winter lasted for what felt like an eternity. Maybe because of the seemingly endless bouts of cold, rainy days. Or, because this has been my first winter spent outside of school in 6 years. Whatever it was, I’m glad it has ended and will be followed by a shifting in the air... budding flowers, warm sun, cool breeze and refreshing rain.

On another note: I was reading a post on blog evolution yesterday and this question was asked:  What do you do when you feel the direction of your blog and your voice changing? Do you just go with the flow or start all over? I personally believe that an evolution in our blogging voice should be embraced.  I’ll use myself as an example-- When I started this blog, my writings were a hodgepodge of different things that came to mind at the time. I was in my final weeks of undergrad and desired an outlet to voice opinions and share things not related to school. I wrote about anything from celebrity crushes to random things found in my childhood room at home. Since then, I've experienced moving to a new state, graduate school, engagement, hardships, graduating with a Master’s degree, marriage, and unemployment. Why would I want to give up on all of that because I have a ‘new voice’? It is more than likely that my new voice stemmed from all the wisdom I have gained through those experiences. So I believe it’s important to hold on to previous posts.

Now to be completely honest, when I look back on the complete and utter randomness of my blog posts throughout 2010, I wince a little and consider taking them down but keeping them there is all part of the fun. It’s nice seeing where I came from. How my thoughts and concerns changed and how much I have grown in just 3 years time. I enjoy reading those kinds of posts from other bloggers as well.

What do you think? If you feel your blog evolving or your voice changing, will you go with the flow or start fresh? 

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photo via

Bloggy Birthday (2 Years)

It slipped my mind on the exact date, but it was just 2 years ago that I started Beyond My Smile with this post. At the time, I just wanted an outlet in which to share my thoughts. Never did I think it would play such a role in my life and become one of my favorite hobbies. I have learned so much about myself and have grown as a person from just using this blog as a means of expressing my thoughts and documenting a few things in life. I even began using it as an educational/outreach platform for women facing/curious about breast cancer (something near and dear to my heart).

Thank you to the faithful readers who stuck around. I am also grateful for those who stop by almost randomly. I hope you found some guide to what you were looking for. Also, for the few friendships I have made through blogging, I am truly appreciative of your concerns, words of advice and well wishes. 

I had no clue where this blog would take me when I began, but it has taken me quite far. I share some extremely random posts sometimes. But other times, I share my heart.... my struggles. My hope is that someone finds strength through those posts. I also hope to continue documenting snippets of my life. Looking back on my previous posts, I can already see how much I have grown and evolved in just 2 years' time. As I make another transition in life, I look forward to seeing what the next year brings, what trials will be faced, and what lessons will be learned.

ツ

Stylish Blogger Award

I was recently rewarded the stylish blogger award by Marie from MerelyMarie. It's an honor to receive this blog award, so thanks Marie! 

The rules of the award are to:
• Thank & link back to the person that awarded you this award
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
• Contact these bloggers & tell them about the award

Here are 7 Things About Me, Jhan:

#7 I get antsy while listening to someone speak. I have some REAL talkers in my life (i.e. my mom, boyfriend, and high school bff)—Strange, because these people are the closest to me, yet we’re complete opposites when it comes to communicating. By antsy, I mean that if they begin going over my quota of talk overload, I have to find something to do. If I’m on the phone with my bf, then I’m either playing a game on my iTouch or browsing the internet. The same with my friend. If it’s my mom or some kind of elder giving counsel, I’ll start doodling or ripping at my nails if nothing more entertaining is at hand.

(You don't even want to know what kind of meeting I was in when I did this doodle, although you can probs tell by the notes.)

#6 I am a chain gum chewer. Yea, it’s kind of bad… well, it used to be. I wouldn’t say that I finished x-amount packs of gum per day (that’s just too much), but if the flavor gets old, I usually don’t hesitate to replace it with another piece. 

#5  I am really good at google searching. See this post. My sister often tells me that I am in the “wrong profession”.

#4 I can’t stand the heat. Yes, I was born on an island, but I’d take sunny 50 to low 60 degree weather any day!

#3 I enjoy rollerblading! I owned a pair of roller blades when I was younger and loved them to bits. Sadly, I’ve outgrown them and haven’t skated since. I intend on purchasing a pair and starting it up again, soon.

#2 I love dressing up.Whether it be to a formal event, or going to dinner with friends or my beau, I like putting myself together for that event. I haven't gotten to go out much recently, though.

#1 The past five years have been a wonderful transitioning and growing period for me. I have evolved much as a person and I have learned so much about myself, people, love, and Jesus. I am more confident, a bit more outspoken, and I have a completely different outlook everything in general. Life is good at this moment. 

Picture 1: 2006; Picture 2: 2010

 ( Sidenote: I used to avoid taking pics at all costs because of my exotropia. I've learned how to maneuver myself around it now by changing the angles of my head and body. This way, it is less noticeable and I can stop hiding from flashing cameras)

**I hate to be the one to stop the ball rolling in my court, but I don't really have any new new blogs that I follow. That does not mean that the one that I do follow are not stylish.. trust me, they are (most of them are independent fashion bloggers)!**

Fulfillment

Source

Many of my favorite bloggers are either down-sizing their blogs, changing the format to something more personal, or getting rid of it altogether. I guess they've realized that there is more to life than all the superficial things, like fashion and pretty pictures. Actually, the majority of them have made that statement.

When I really started getting into blogging, I wanted my blog to be just as popular as some of the independent fashion and lifestyle blogs that I subscribe to. I wanted tons of readers and a few sponsors. I quickly came to my senses as I realized that blogs like that require a LOT of work, including posting several times a week, and constantly vying for sponsorship. I couldn't do it. I am quite happy with my little blog. I've said this before in a post written about a month ago, but I am happy with the number of readers I get. I love that my blog is so personal. Although I have readers, I don't feel obligated to post insanely (unless I am compelled to do so) and I don't have to apologize for any absences/hiatus.

Personally, I believe that being a full time blogger would just take the fun out of my hobby, making into somewhat of a full time job.

What do you think? Should bloggers feel obligated to continually update their readers?