My dear friend at Towards Harmony tagged me in her post Blogging Highlights which requires that as a nominated blogger I list specific blog posts that I wrote over my blogging years that come under certain categories. Before I get to reliving and writing about the "good in me"/the best of Between Life's Doings from all my four year's of blogging let me just say, I am so pleased that she tagged me, thanks babe.
So, I have been blogging for over four years! I started out one day when I realized that I found my inner voice after months of graduate school, psychoanalysis, mindfulness, yoga,and living by myself. I started out so I could crystallize my voice, become more aware of myself and life around me. My readers were some of my closest friends and my parents. That's it. I was happy. I wrote because something within made me. Now though, after years of writing like that, I finally got more readers, thanks to Towards Harmony for showing how much more a blog can do. She showed me the way-with Indiblogger and by being such an avid blogger herself, and me, having the time I do now, with a year's break and all, got to writing more and meeting/reading more bloggers.
There are some rules for this game apparently, so when I do tag you read the rules and go on to write and tag but before that let me write about the categories in which a variety of my blog posts sit (because that's more interesting than the rules, see):
Category 1: Your most beautiful post: In the first year of blogging, I was writing a bit of fiction, and I wrote Taking home with me then. It was a fictional piece but it was at the same time very real viscerally ( for me). In the same category, written with love and clarity was the post on Letting Go.
Category 2: Your most popular post: My post about birthing Anika called Discovering miracles received the MOST readers of all time, so says Google Analytics.
Category 3: Your most controversial post: Hmm.. I don't know about this. I am not so sure I have a controversial post really. But I did get a sort of angry comment on this post Casteism does not exist in today's India. I wonder if that makes it controversial.You decide.
Category 4: My most helpful post: I think that my most popular post was the most helpful one because of the topic it dealt with. But I have a whole section on mental health, and spirituality that I would like to believe helps. Anyway, from the rankings it seems like Money Matters in marriage and The emotional side of getting pregnant: The Infertility Experience, which was a guest post at a friend and psychologist's blog and were helpful.
Category 5: A post whose success surprised you: In my first year of blogging, I was passionate about the world around me, how wonderful it was and how ridden with angst I was, that year there were several bombings in India and internationally too and The Great Indian Love got many of my friends and family to read it. I think the heart of what I talk about in it still rings true today.
Category 6: A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved: I often struggle with my feelings of separation and loneliness, at one such time writing Being a wild lavender really moved me from pain to joy and I would just like more people to read it.
Category 7: A post that I am most proud of: Ok, I am most proud of my Spiritual diet and my spiritual diaries. It helped me start a spiritual practice that helps me stay mindful and compassionate with myself and the people around me. I am so glad I did it.
So there! Now my turn to nominate/ tag bloggers that I love reading, I want to read "the good in you"/the best of your blog posts under the categories that will be mentioned in the rules below, first the tag:
1. Subho's Jejune Diet: Subho is a writer I have recently started following. He is one of the most versatile writers I know and has written some of my favorite posts like Occupy your true self-Reclaiming our humanness. I would love for him to pick some of his favorites for his readers.
2. My Baby Sleeping Guide: Is a wonderfully resourceful blog about getting your baby to sleep better. It is also about other things baby related. I've learnt so much from Rachel at MBSG and would love for her to give us her favorites.
3. The Domestic Yogi: This is a blog I have been following for over a year now, its all I aspire to be-mindful, compassionate and grounded. I hardly ever comment on her blog, I am glad this post came along, this is my chance to get to be a more appreciative person. As she puts it, her blog is about "one mom's struggles to serve her family, stay centered and honor a yogi-inspired lifestyle in her multi-faceted spiritual quest". I am hoping she would grace us with some of her best posts too.
4. Motherhood WTF? is a hilarious and honest writer I have ever come across. She is funny, real, loving and in touch with life as it comes. I would love for her to give her readers the best of Motherhood WTF.
5. Wellness Matters: A wonderful friend and a psychotherapist in Kolkata who loves to write about all things wellness. I would love for her to get back to writing more and here's a tag that will hopefully do that :-)
6. Just Random: Sinduja is a blogger I've recently started following.She has been blogging for a while as well. I would love to hear her highlights and read the best of Just Random before she shuts shop. Do indulge me, pretty please?
I do hope you enjoy doing it as much as I did. It really was a wonderful way for me to get in touch with everything I have written and see how I have grown from then to now.
Lastly, the rules for those who are nominated:
Enjoy!
So, I have been blogging for over four years! I started out one day when I realized that I found my inner voice after months of graduate school, psychoanalysis, mindfulness, yoga,and living by myself. I started out so I could crystallize my voice, become more aware of myself and life around me. My readers were some of my closest friends and my parents. That's it. I was happy. I wrote because something within made me. Now though, after years of writing like that, I finally got more readers, thanks to Towards Harmony for showing how much more a blog can do. She showed me the way-with Indiblogger and by being such an avid blogger herself, and me, having the time I do now, with a year's break and all, got to writing more and meeting/reading more bloggers.
There are some rules for this game apparently, so when I do tag you read the rules and go on to write and tag but before that let me write about the categories in which a variety of my blog posts sit (because that's more interesting than the rules, see):
Category 1: Your most beautiful post: In the first year of blogging, I was writing a bit of fiction, and I wrote Taking home with me then. It was a fictional piece but it was at the same time very real viscerally ( for me). In the same category, written with love and clarity was the post on Letting Go.
Category 2: Your most popular post: My post about birthing Anika called Discovering miracles received the MOST readers of all time, so says Google Analytics.
Category 3: Your most controversial post: Hmm.. I don't know about this. I am not so sure I have a controversial post really. But I did get a sort of angry comment on this post Casteism does not exist in today's India. I wonder if that makes it controversial.You decide.
Category 4: My most helpful post: I think that my most popular post was the most helpful one because of the topic it dealt with. But I have a whole section on mental health, and spirituality that I would like to believe helps. Anyway, from the rankings it seems like Money Matters in marriage and The emotional side of getting pregnant: The Infertility Experience, which was a guest post at a friend and psychologist's blog and were helpful.
Category 5: A post whose success surprised you: In my first year of blogging, I was passionate about the world around me, how wonderful it was and how ridden with angst I was, that year there were several bombings in India and internationally too and The Great Indian Love got many of my friends and family to read it. I think the heart of what I talk about in it still rings true today.
Category 6: A post you feel didn't get the attention it deserved: I often struggle with my feelings of separation and loneliness, at one such time writing Being a wild lavender really moved me from pain to joy and I would just like more people to read it.
Category 7: A post that I am most proud of: Ok, I am most proud of my Spiritual diet and my spiritual diaries. It helped me start a spiritual practice that helps me stay mindful and compassionate with myself and the people around me. I am so glad I did it.
So there! Now my turn to nominate/ tag bloggers that I love reading, I want to read "the good in you"/the best of your blog posts under the categories that will be mentioned in the rules below, first the tag:
1. Subho's Jejune Diet: Subho is a writer I have recently started following. He is one of the most versatile writers I know and has written some of my favorite posts like Occupy your true self-Reclaiming our humanness. I would love for him to pick some of his favorites for his readers.
2. My Baby Sleeping Guide: Is a wonderfully resourceful blog about getting your baby to sleep better. It is also about other things baby related. I've learnt so much from Rachel at MBSG and would love for her to give us her favorites.
3. The Domestic Yogi: This is a blog I have been following for over a year now, its all I aspire to be-mindful, compassionate and grounded. I hardly ever comment on her blog, I am glad this post came along, this is my chance to get to be a more appreciative person. As she puts it, her blog is about "one mom's struggles to serve her family, stay centered and honor a yogi-inspired lifestyle in her multi-faceted spiritual quest". I am hoping she would grace us with some of her best posts too.
4. Motherhood WTF? is a hilarious and honest writer I have ever come across. She is funny, real, loving and in touch with life as it comes. I would love for her to give her readers the best of Motherhood WTF.
5. Wellness Matters: A wonderful friend and a psychotherapist in Kolkata who loves to write about all things wellness. I would love for her to get back to writing more and here's a tag that will hopefully do that :-)
6. Just Random: Sinduja is a blogger I've recently started following.She has been blogging for a while as well. I would love to hear her highlights and read the best of Just Random before she shuts shop. Do indulge me, pretty please?
I do hope you enjoy doing it as much as I did. It really was a wonderful way for me to get in touch with everything I have written and see how I have grown from then to now.
Lastly, the rules for those who are nominated:
1) Blogger is nominated to take part
2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1
link for each category. The links are:
– Your most beautiful post
– Your most popular post
– Your most controversial post
– Your most helpful post
– A post whose success surprised you
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
– The post that you are most proud of
3) Blogger nominates up to 5 or more bloggers to take part.
4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another
5 more bloggers
Enjoy!
What a wonderful way to discover a treasure chest of old posts. In spite of your having a much better organized blog than most, many of the posts were new to me. And thanks a lot for your kind words about my writing. I am as flattered as embarrassed. Love the idea of the tag and look forward to getting down to it.
ReplyDeleteIsnt it? I am so glad for your blog Subho and looking forward to your tag/post.
Deletecoming up soon, better late than never.
Deletei very much enjoyed reading your post and learning more about you...it is interesting how we all got here in this blog world and then what we do once we are here!.....and how we are all connected...
ReplyDeletekeep blogging!!!!
Thanks momto8 for you kind words :-)
DeleteLovely A! Loved reading some of them again!
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed the tag, and Thank You for crediting me with the blog publicity thing.. but I don't think it was me. *bowing*
You are so versatile A, not only your way of writing but also the topics you write on! Love it!
thanks babe! I so love your presence in the blogging world you know! Glad for all the good influence you are on me :-)
DeleteReally don't know what to say Aarathi! Kinda overwhelmed. Given my ambiguous relationship with blogging and the constant guilt that I never give back as much to the community, this was a pleasant feel-good surprise. Thank you so much for the mention. You have no clue how much of the zest it has pumped in me to give batter to writing.
ReplyDeleteAs for the nomination, looks like I have to go back to my blog posts and do the sorting - now, this is something I have avoided since many posts are loaded with emotion and reading them again pull me back to that moment but since I am so happy now, I think it should act a sa good buffer! :)
Thanks again, Aarathi.
great! Now i cant wait to read your post on the best of just random:-)
DeleteOh Wow!!! I saw this just today and would need one entire Sunday to come back to this one and then go through all the last four years slowly :-)
ReplyDelete