1 Year Anniversary in 5...4...3.... I have one word for you...

And I think that vulnerability is the cornerstone of confidence. Because you have to allow yourself to take the risk to be open, to live as a wholehearted person. When you can do that, you recognize that you’re really just like everybody else, and that gives you the confidence to be yourself, which is all you really need in life, to be more of yourself.

Oprah Winfrey

If you would’ve told me a year ago I would be blogging for cryptocurrencies and have dozens of friends over the world sharing in an online community, and that I would dedicate hundreds of hours over the year, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

 

But that’s just what I’ve done all year. What started as a 3 month experiment became something I can’t imagine my life without. In less than a week, we will celebrate our 1 year anniversary on Steem. We’ll each have taken a vow of silence by then, be without our phones, the internet, indeed not even communicating with each other – or anyone but a meditation teacher. All year long I’ve looked forward to this day and it’s humorous that I won’t be present (online, that is) to fully celebrate in person. Yet I wanted to say a few words, and tomorrow we may make a video conveying some of our thoughts.

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But first,

Thanks.

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Thank you for accepting us and seeing us. Thank you for celebrating us and for showing up day after day with insightful content & comments, intriguing questions, brilliant ideas and more.

 

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5 days!!

Writing is tough enough because it asks us to meet ourselves, which can be challenging in its own right, but then we take that a step further and dare to share that with others. As Oprah says, that is the beginning of confidence and that is something I have gained so much of this year, both in myself as a blogger, photographer and vlogger.

 

Growth

I remember the pieces I sent off on a whim because I was sharing large chunks of myself and that felt scary. I remember my first vlogs (that no one watched) and how I labored over their creation only to have little response. Yet, as we showed up day after day, connecting, communicating, daring to be ourselves and to share that with you, we have been blown away at the response we’ve gotten. This has been so fun, yes, but it has also been deeply meaningful.

 

Gift

Gratitude is a gift for the one who gives it, so please allow me to give you a huge heartfelt thanks. When we are growing up and asked at every turn what we want to be when we grow up, sometimes the responses people give us discourage us from daring to do our dreams. I have always wanted to be a writer, always wanted my thoughts to be received, and not only received but shared and resonated with.

 

Thank you, my community, thank you Steem friends, for resonating and providing a glorious mirror that I have learned from in so many respects.

 

I am looking forward to this refreshing time of meditation. It will be the first time I’ve taken any break from blogging this year. I’m both excited and feeling that hesitancy that comes up any time we are asked to change. I imagine I will have many thoughts flow through my head over the next few weeks (some of my best ideas come to me while I’m meditating) and I am open to new visions regarding my online presence and how I relate to this community.

Sometimes taking a break and stepping back can be the best thing for one's creativity.

 

That is certainly one thing that has really surprised me this year: the constant flow of creativity. I wouldn’t have been sure I was capable of writing, vlogging, photography nearly on the daily, yet a constant stream runs through these veins – and certainly living in an exciting homestead has something to do with all of the inspiration. Truly, we’ve just been sharing our lives with you.

 

Perhaps upon our return, we’ll be inspired to dig up some of our favorite posts from the year.

But what I want to leave you with today is deep gratitude for receiving us so well. It truly means the world to us that we’ve made such heartfelt, inspiring, awesome relationships. Steem is a bunch of amazing hearts and we are thankful to be a part of it!

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://www.ozarkmountainjewel.com/2018/12/04/1-year-anniversary-in-5-4-3-i-have-one-word-for-you/

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