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Practicing Gratitude | I’m Thankful for My Blog

Can’t believe this is already week 5 of joining the GRADitude 101 linkup. You can check out my last few posts on being grateful for who I am and for friendships, and also my struggles with practicing gratitude.

I didn’t mean to make the past few gratitude posts thematic, but this week I really wanted to share how much I am thankful for this blog. Despite my complaints, without it, I would not have connected with some amazing people, and I probably wouldn’t know what to do with myself on the day to day.

This past February, when we moved out to California, I began learning what it was like to have a supportive role as a wife. I have always had the alpha personality. I like to take the lead, and I’ve always been terrible at following. Even learning our choreographed wedding dance was difficult for me, because in dance, the guy leads the girl. Figures. Also, before moving, I ran my own photography business. Jacob had quit his corporate job to come alongside me and grow my business. He played the supportive role and has been always my number one fan. This year with the new opportunities presented from YouTube, we decided to move to LA and switch roles. It was now my turn to learn how to be his number one fan.

As glamorous and fun as it seems to take a hiatus from my business and have the free time to explore my hobbies, it’s been extremely challenging for me. Not working is both a blessing and a curse. I didn’t realize until this year how much value I put into my work and how I let what I do define me as a person. I spent the first few months in LA homesick and depressed. I missed my friends at home. Some days I did not want to get out of bed, because I felt like I lost my purpose. Plus, I felt like a total bum mooching off my husband. I couldn’t believe how much of my identity was rooted in my work. Even though theologically and in theory I didn’t believe it to be true, the reality of how it played out in my life was very different.

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Sometime during that period my blog was born. Well, maybe not born, but started to really come to life… out of sheer boredom and a need to feel like I was doing something with my life (I know I still need to deal with the identity issues). I started blogging twice a week, tuesdays on travel and thursdays on local adventures. Once I started posting regularly, I applied to the blogher network. I figured if I was putting so much time and energy into my blog, why not? That’s what other people seemed to do, and it seemed like it was the next logical step.

Then six months passed, and I didn’t hear anything back. Maybe I didn’t have enough readership or good enough content. I had no idea what they were looking for. But I kept blogging… because what else was I going to be doing with my time? Then in July, I got an email where they invited me to join their publishing network (you may have noticed the blogher banner ad on my side bar. hopefully, it’s not too much of an eyesore). I finally felt like I was doing something right and I felt accepted into the blogging world. Little did I know, it would only cover a cup of coffee or a small lunch at the end of the month. Whatever, that’s not the point. You might laugh, but those $5 has brought me so much joy that I can afford to pay for at least one meal. My own meal. :P

The blogging world is still so new to me. I’ve been learning a lot. Ultimately, though, I don’t think my goal is for my blog to blow up and for me to be a full time blogger. I think after this transitional period, I will most likely end up doing some form of photography again. But for now, it’s been my blog baby that I can nurture and grow.

I’m just thankful that…

  • It gives me something to do for the year.
  • Being part of the network forces me to post more regularly.
  • It’s an outlet to share my photos, random to-do lists, and plethora of hobbies I like to dabble in.
  • I got to connect with some amazing bloggers and we’re practicing gratitude together.
  • People actually take the time to read my blog and comment. Time is so valuable!

Every week I’ve been finding quotes I like and posting them to these gratitude posts. After seeing Dear Harper blog’s instagram inspiration, I started digging into my own instagrams (like the photo above), too! :) Hope she doesn’t mind me borrowing the idea. Let me know what you think! Also, my fave gratitude quote of the week is by John Ortberg:

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I’m realizing that when I complain, I’m thinking that I’m the center of the universe and that I’m having a hard time seeing outside myself. The funny thing is… the earth isn’t even the center of the universe. There’s a whole world outside of me. A whole universe, in fact.

Can you relate? What are some things you’re thankful for today? If you’re a blogger, what are some things you love about your blog?

See my other gratitude posts by clicking on the banner below:
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This Post Has 21 Comments

  1. Andrea Lui

    Hey neighbor! I’m glad you decided you like blogging and it’s not a chore anymore because I love your blog girl! Maybe someday you could start your photography biz here in LA again, that would be awesome!

    1. esther julee

      Thanks Andrea! Yeah.. I’ll have to think long and hard about that one. Starting from the bottom up again sounds pretty rough. What part of LA are you from? :)

      1. Andrea Lui

        True starting from scratch can be tough. An alternative is, if you like photography, is to start small and sell pictures on Etsy or some other site? I just started an etsy shop (www.etsy.com/ohjewelicious) about a month ago, and like blogging (also a newbie) it’s definitely a good dose of healthy challenge :)

        I’m actually a transplant from Hawaii but have been here for 8 years now, oh how time flies! I’m in Culver City, and you? Have an awesome weekend girl!

        1. esther julee

          I’ve been meaning to open up an etsy shop, but i haven’t gotten around to it. I live close to Studio City.

  2. Jennifer Chong

    definitely the way blogs connect us to other bloggers / friends :)

    1. esther julee

      i agree! i wish some people would get a little more personal. ;)

        1. Jennifer Chong

          maybe i can tell you – and you can write it for me! (the most challenging part!)

          1. esther julee

            haha i can try.. but i can’t promise it’s going to sound good!

  3. i enjoy each of your gratitude posts because i know you like to bicker.. =) jk. not really. =) that makes these posts all the more sweet.

    also love these quote graphics. =)

    1. esther julee

      haha! you’re not kidding! yes, i LOVE to bicker. especially between jacob and i! well, i’m glad that you like them & that every once in a while a nicer side of me comes out. hahaha

  4. Esther, I am almost in the same exact situation as you–moving to a new place to be the #1 fan on my husband’s team instead of vice versa and lo and behold, I turned to blogging :) What a coincidence! I am looking forward to seeing more of your lovely photographs. I think they are a perfect tie in to this lovely blog of yours :)

    1. esther julee

      I had no idea!! I’m so glad I’m not alone in this. It has been such a strange and difficult year switching places. Thanks for reading & commenting! :) We should definitely chat more about how to push through and be supportive.

      1. I definitely agree, Esther! I’m glad we’re in the same boat, difficult as it can be :)

  5. I think I forget to be grateful for my little blog. It feels weird to be grateful for something you created but you’re right, I should be.

    I think about the way it has allowed me to build upon my writing skills, share my images and art work, and make connections with people all over the world. It’s fabulous.

    I am also grateful that it gave me a space to actually practice my limited coding abilities. How brilliant is that?

    It’s true though, any money you make from blogging is brilliant, whenever I sell cards in my shop I feel a little buzz of self-satisfaction that someone likes my stuff enough to buy it!

    Thanks for sharing (and allowing me to share as well),

    Hannah
    http://www.thelemonhive.com

    1. esther julee

      I feel the same way. It’s weird saying that you love or you’re proud of something that you’ve created.. at least out loud. and I know this blog is nowhere near where I want it, but I’ve realized to appreciate it where it is. That’s so great that it gives you a reason to practice your coding. I took a CS class back in college and I played around with html before.. but I feel like everything has changed SO MUCH lately! I can hardly understand it now. Do you have an etsy shop? I’m about to check out your blog… right now!

      1. Everything does change. A year ago, I started learning it again. Before that, I hadn’t looked at coding since I was 15! That’s 11 years! So much had changed but not enough that it was drastic. I only play around with it and I definitely couldn’t build anything from scratch.

        Definitely check out ‘Don’t Fear The Internet’, it’s a free resource and is so exciting and fabulous.

        And, as for an Etsy shop, I do indeed have one: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LemonHive. Definitely check it out.

        I would love to code more and sell services but it’s scary. I wouldn’t even know where to start!

        Hannah

        P.S. I totally just stalked all your about us pages and I am a bit smitten with your blog now. I’m so glad I found you through the gratitude project today.

        1. esther julee

          i used to have fun with coding around that same time too.. 15-16. that’s too funny! i will have to check it out.. although i’m not sure how much i’m going to be doing in the future.

          so each handmade card is one of a kind? i keep telling myself to make an etsy store just for fun diy projects… and it’s been almost a year. booo.

          you should give it a try and just see how it turns out! :) you don’t have to commit to a full on business, but see if you even enjoy it! sometimes having clients can kill your love for a hobby, but you never know until you try!

          so glad we found each other. :) i just added you to my feedly.

          1. Hannah Taylor-Johnson

            One of a kind cards are hand painted/drawn etc. I don’t repeat them. They’re definitely one offs. That way, at least, they are really unique.

            I’m still out on whether I like Etsy stores but, once I put more effort into it, I might enjoy it. At the moment it’s on the back burner.

            What would you sell via etsy? I must know!

            :)

          2. esther julee

            I was thinking etsy… I don’t really know what my other options are yet! I’ll have to look into it when I’m ready to commit.

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