Happy birthday to me.
No more early 20’s for me. Today I’m 25 years old. They say that my brain should be fully developed by now – that I should be the person I’m likely going to be for the rest of my life.
I finally know who I am, what I’m not, what I value and what I don’t, who matters & who doesn’t, and what work I’m passionate about. Of course none of this happened overnight. I didn’t just turn 25 and everything became clear. No, but I do think that a lot of this discovery took place over the course of the past year.
What was different about this past year you might ask? Blogging. You see, it’s my blog’s birthday too (its first birthday)!
One year ago today I decided to make a serious change in my attitude towards work, life, and my career. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I had an inkling that blogging again would help.
I was so right. Blogging gave me a platform to hash out my thoughts in a productive manner (diaries and journals just don’t have the same effect), a place to network with like-minded peers (and mentors who asked a lot of good questions), and provided me with the accountability I needed to be successful.
Compare
Last year: I didn’t know how to network or really why it was even actually important. I had about ZERO writing samples of my true voice (college papers totally do not prepare you for the real world). I was stuck going to an 8-5 job Monday through Friday, stressed and dreading each morning I had to go into the office. I didn’t take care of my body very well (2009 was a year of never-ending illnesses, far too much caffeine & alcohol, and not enough exercise). I had a crappy resume and an even crappier idea of what I wanted to do if I didn’t want to stay in research. I was for the most part completely uninvolved in my community.
Today: I have an extensive network all over the country, especially in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area. I only work at the soul-sucking job half the time that I did last year. I lead and organize events for my community that draws about 200 people per event. I have pretty extensive experience in fields I knew nothing about a year ago: event planning, social media, and marketing. The New York Post wrote an article about me, my sister, and my blog. I can officially consider myself a freelance writer. I discovered my authentic vocation, one that I’m incredibly passionate about: event planning. I snatched an internship in social media marketing & events.
I’d say I’ve turned my life around more in the past year than I had in any other single year. Change came fast, but with welcome arms. All of this change was set in motion on my 24th birthday when I decided to start blogging. So, thank you blog, and happy birthday!
