Bewitching Benefits of the Blogosphere March 2, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Happiness, Life Balance, People.trackback
The crystal clear blogosphere opens up oft-shuttered windows . . . expanding horizons beyond our current confines.
We witness others reaching, dreaming, and pondering possibilities.
We pull up chairs and cheer them on as they pull up stakes and move forward, becoming more fully who they always intended to be.
And we ask, “if them, why not me?”
We reclaim our freedom, sign the requisite permission slip, grab the reins, and tackle long overdue changes.
We plant the garden. We write the book. We paint the picture. We let go of stuff that is suffocating us, causing us to stagnate or stall in our tracks.
We explore, embrace, and discover . . . expanding our comfort zones.
Sometimes, it takes only a few nips and tucks to fashion a life that is a more perfect fit. Other times, we must shed layers of old before donning the new.
Either way, once our life is no longer pinching at the waste, we breathe a sign of relief.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Getting Comfortable With Change (Janna T. Writes) * The RUC Has Landed (Dianne Gray) * A Troop of Monkeys . . . on iTunes * Sink or Swim (Water Witch’s Daughter) * Laser Light Show (52 Brand New) * A Great Title for a Murder Mystery (Global Mysteries) * Ordinary People (Colline’s Blog)
Spirit Lights The Way 
Hi Nancy blogging certainly broadened my horizons as I reached out to bloggers all over the world. The delights of gardening, cooking and writing blogs, or blogs just about life! Blogging buddies are the new penfriends of our youth as we follow their experiences both good and bad, regardless of religion, country or race. 🙂 More people should try blogging and less AD pills because they would also realise there are people in the world far worse off than themselves 😦
I expect that your garden inspires many readers to sow seeds of their own, PiP! 😀
I’m amazed by the connections I’ve made through blogging. People I never would have encountered otherwise who have helped me to think in new ways. People showing sides of themselves no one would ever see when they pass on the street. The blogosphere is a place to shatter stereotypes and circumvent assumptions.
Yes! We veer away from the safety of discussing the weather and into areas that are rarely broached over coffee at Starbucks. We feel freer to say what we mean and share what we’ve learned . . . inspiring others to do the same.
And each time someone “surprises” us, we become more open to the notion that stereotypes and assumptions are no way to live a rich and rewarding life.
You might enjoy this:
http://collinesblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/ordinary-people/
Blogging is certainly magical Nancy. It defies all logic.
It gives us an inspiring perspective on the diverse possibilities of life! 😀
A very wise post NR.
Thanks, Granny. Reading Janna’s post this morning and Dianne’s last night got me thinking about ALL the changes that cyber pals have made over the 3 years I’ve known them.
It fair boggles the mind.
Thanks for the mention. It is true. The blogosphere widens your world, introduces you to new ideas, and allows you to see the endless possibilities for your next adventure.
I enjoy your posts . . . it’s so wonderful to see you expanding not only your own horizons but also your children’s comfort zones.
Yes, blogging is liberating.
Reading inspirational tales encourages us to grow and dream and explore and create . . . and sail away from safe harbors.
Nancy I sort of find blogging to be a rollercoaster of emotions! 😀 No doubt though the people are the best!!!
Even without the connections we make, reading blogs (like reading books) opens our minds, hearts, and eyes to the infinite possibilities waiting to be explored.
I’ve learned so much since I started blogging, Nancy. I absolutely love it. I can spend hours laughing, crying, learning, and getting inspired – it’s a beautiful thing 😀
Thank you for posting this and thank you so much for the pingback 😉
It’s quite an engaging hobby . . . much easier than moving the RUC. 😀
Beautifully expressed Nancy. I never expected to be inspired by or to feel so close to bloggers whom I’ve never met. After my mother passed away I had more support from my blogging buddies than my co-workers!
It is rather amazing the connections we make and closeness we feel to cyber companions . . . even if we never meet them face to face.
Blogging has been a way to meet some really dear people. I am so glad to have discovered so many of the people I now follow.
Yes. They entertain, amuse, and inspire us to explore pursuits and possibilities ~ recipes, crafts, travel, hobbies.
I, with my fingers, tapping at the keyboard, am touching lives half-way around the globe…and I, reading posts of people from all walks of life, am touched by theirs. As I scroll down the comments on this post or on others, I see familiar names that I’ve met on other blogs…how lovely.:) Great post, Nancy…you always get to the heart of the matter!
Thanks, Vivian. Blogging is a great way to enjoy our “pen pals” all round the globe. And when we see them doing something new, it makes us a bit braver too.
Thank you for the pingback, Nancy. Appreciate it. Just a beautiful piece you’ve written – so meaningful.
It’s wonderful that you’ve started sharing your sketches with us. The one that I linked to is a favorite . . . Comrades in Arms. 😀
Ireland is a small country, but it has allowed me the opportunity to meet in person about 300 bloggers over the past seven years. Many more across the globe are now like family and we chat or video call on Skype. There are times I am unable to go out, due to health issues, on those days the world comes home to me, through my blog and my laptop.
Wow!!! Three hundred bloggers is mind boggling. I’ve met four (Jeanne, Pix, Robyn, and Renee) in a span of 3 years . . . and hope to meet more. Skype is a great way to “meet up” when we can’t sit down face to face.
So true! Through blogging, I’ve “met” many blog friends. It’s amazing how much you can learn about people you’ve never met! It’s also touching how much inspiration and encouragement is out there.
P.S. Thanks for the pingback to my latest post 🙂
Your post (and Dianne’s) inspired this post ~ stellar examples of how “easily” we realize our dreams once we decide to realize them. In less than two months, you’ve sold one home, bought another, and are readying to move. That’s B~I~G!
So glad that the boys are “on board” with the pending change.
Blogging has most certainly been quite liberating and very rewarding. To find the connections, to feel the love and support, to receive nourishment…bewitching indeed! 🙂 Thank you for this beautiful post! 🙂 Much Blessings, Namaste. ♥♥♥Nadine Marie♥♥♥
Thanks, Nadine. When we walk in lock-step with those around us, we forget about all the other possibilities we could choose to explore . . . and then the blogosphere reminds us! 😎
It continues to amaze and thrill me, the community that happens here in the Blogosphere. We become part of one another’s life, and as you say, cheer each other on, learn new ideas, new skills, new ways of looking at old problems. It’s actually quite magical.
It’s a great motivator for me . . . I see ALL that others do (even with kids in tow) and it lights a fire under my butt! 💡
Now, this is inspiring me to pick up from where I left off…Like you, I love the writing process, Nancy, but unlike you, I started something that I haven’t been consistent with. It’s always “someday… I’ll get back to blogging…” For now it dangles in Cyber Space like an orphaned child waiting for her Mom-Me to come back to nurture her…” How sad… On the contrary, your blog is consistently there for us. I always know, I can open an e-mail and find something refreshing to think about… Excuse me now while I go think about my orphaned child…;-) I’m glad one of us can keep up with it… Thank you, Nancy! ~
Well, you might not be blogging . . . but you’re not sitting on your hands either ~ I just visited your JOriginal Muse music site and enjoyed several of your recent recordings. Your voice is lovely.
Gosh, Thanks! Any requests? 🙂
I listened to “If” (Bread), “Time after Time” (Lauper), and a couple of Beatles tunes. All good. 😀
I agree, Nancy. It is a wonderful place.
It’s a beautiful day in cyber space . . . 😀
Nancy… so many aspects of blogging are so special….and you’re like an incubator/warming light for so many new (and old) bloggers as they start/continue along their way…We could use a “title” for that role…hmmm..gotta think more about that one! Thanks for all the you do…in writing, insights and encouraging!
Thank you, Kathy. What a lovely comment. Being an “incubator/warming light” makes sense to us Hatches! 😉
You certainly learn something new, most days if not everyday, through blogging Nancy! I’m very glad that I started!
Same here, Tom. I remember when I first heard about someone’s “blog,” the word sounded horrid ~ like a frog on a log in a bog shrouded in fog.
But I decided to investigate despite my misgivings about the verbiage. Glad I did. 😀
Writing online and connecting to people all over the world is a blessing that we have nowadays It’s a window to the world. I believe it contributes to our evolution as we get to see that we are all indeed connected; we all share the love, dreams, joy and sorrow that is part of being human.
Well put, Marie. It helps us to see the constant flow of life.
Absolutely so true, Nancy. I often shake my head and wonder how I ever got started on this path! And now that I have, I can’t imagine really walking away. It has been too rich. Someone asked me a good question the other day. If I could only write or only read posts, which would I do. That’s hard because of the reciprocal nature of conversation, but in truth, I’m much less about the ego of sharing myself, and so much more interested in what all my new friends are doing. If I happen to miss a day without any reading, I wonder what I’ve missed! 🙂 I loved the way you expressed it all so beautifully here today. Very, very nice!
“Writing vs. Reading” would be like “Sophie’s Choice.” Difficult.
Writing can, of course, be based on Ego’s desire to RECEIVE applause, accolades, acknowledgement, and approval, but it can also be based on the more altruistic desire to GIVE BACK and SHARE what we’ve learned about life with others.
If we only read, we lose the opportunity to reciprocate with our generous efforts to entertain, amuse, educate, inspire or motivate. 😀
The blogosphere is full of great people. OK, and a few weird ones. 😉 I agree with you, it’s a great way to connect, share advice, find support and gain new perspectives. I’ve sometimes felt stuck in a rut, not knowing where to start a huge project, and someone will chime in with their advice, which is obvious but something I didn’t think about!
Watching others reach for their dreams is so inspiring to me . . . it makes me want to do just a little bit more. 😀
And when we see others stumbling, it is up to us to give a virtual steadying arm!
What if they are just tripping over their own feet? 😉
I think we all pull each other forwards Nancy, each providing encouragement to the other. Sadly, some will fall by the wayside because of life outside and its issues. But I’ve found the encouragement from fellow bloggers keeps me on my toes and activly producing new posts – working together is an important part of exploring who we are 🙂
We definitely feed off one another.
Something you say prompts an intriguing thought in me which might in turn inspire someone else to switch their perspective a bit . . . to make things fit.