I jumped on-board the newsletter train (and I still believe in blogging)

I’ve read a few places that blogs are on their way out. Say it ain’t so!

I suppose with the popularity of social media channels (instagram, snapchat, youtube, Facebook, twitter, etc…), people get their information + updates much more often and with less mess.

However, I dare say that blogging is leaving us. I do believe, however, that it is evolving. And, when I compare my blog (which is actually a website) now to my blog of 2011, I think that little ole belovelive has evolved quite a bit. And not really on purpose. It feels like it’s been quite natural. Especially since I haven’t really given that much thought to changing it.

In the beginning, this space was my online diary. A place where I could document my new life as an expat in Sweden, hoping to inspire others to take a leap of faith + make a change in their own lives (I quit my job, got divorced, sold everything, married a women and moved to Sweden).

Slowly, and organically, it became a place where my voice could be heard.  To send out my own special message of love, respect, peace, and enjoying life. And, this I did by writing about my own life, my own thoughts + struggles, my own search for making a difference in the world, and my own journey of discovering what it means to truly live life from your soul.

Then, one day, I stopped beating around the bush and began calling myself a writer. All of this was spurred on by the insane gift that others were giving me in the form of comments + questions… asking me to share more of my life, of my story, and my thoughts. The blogging community became my inspiration, which, in turn, taught me to accept that I actually do have something to say  – and that people are listening. In fact, I even took a year + a half off from working (an insane gift in and of itself) to work as a freelance columnist at a newspaper, honing my writing skills and discovering just how deep this passion was.

Before long, I realized that all of my professions (teacher, minister/pastor/preacher, and writer) were really just different forms of  the same thing. And, given, my professional experiences + educational background (as a teacher, minister/pastor, and freelance writer), it was only a matter of time before I used this space to try to inspire.

Upon moving back to Sweden 2 years ago, I found myself without a job + with all of the possibilities in the world in front of me. I knew that I could not go back to just “regular work”. I needed to combine all of my past experiences into one creative, flexible, inspiring way of life. I refused to simply go to work for the rest of my life. My work needed to be my passion + my way of life. There was no going back to just having a job.

But, that is easier said than done. And it requires patience + compromise. Unless you are independently wealthy (which I am not).

So, I looked for jobs (because you have to have an income) for almost a year. Found a little extra work at a photo boutique (photography is a HUGE interest/outlet of mine) and also enrolled in a life coaching certification course.

Life coaching was exactly what I saw as a great combination of all of my previous experiences: educating, ministering, guiding, writing. Of course, this didn’t pay the bills. This was me causing me to pay another bill. I kept job hunting at the same time and was finally was hired as a mentor (like a guidance counselor) at a high school. I refused to work as a teacher and/or as a minister. So, mentor, it was.

Fast forward to today and I have been working as a mentor for a year and have completed my life coaching course + am an internationally Certified Life Coach.

Now this is where the shit hits the fan. This is where stuff gets serious, people.

At this point, it’s all about doing my work as a mentor and as a life coach (pretty much one in the same). One at a school + one on my own. Amazingly (as you can read about in this post), I am able to begin to balance the two… thus beginning the next phase of creating the life that I want to live. Creative, passionate, self-directed. All the while, enjoying the process.

It hasn’t been easy or quick, these past two years, but I feel like I am on my way. Like for real.

Aaaaand, it’s all thanks to this blog.

So, no. Blogging, for me, isn’t going anywhere at all. It has simply evolved into a part of my business. My passion has become part of my work.

With the evolution, however, I have also been open to new things. Vlogging (video blogging – on YouTube) and photography (on Instagram) are two other mediums that I use.

And, suddenly, without even planning it, I have embraced newsletters!

I’ve pondered them before, but often wondered what the point was for a blogger. I mean, I’m just writing more and sending them out as an email – and that keeps traffic off of my blog, right? So it kind of seemed pointless and I had no idea what else I could come up with to write about. I was pouring everything into this blog.

But, I simply found myself exploring a newsletter site last week, and before I knew it, I was all signed up and promising myself (and you!) that I’d been pumping out a newsletter every week. WHAT?!

But, then I sat down on Saturday and began working on it all. And it just flowed. I suddenly had a whole year-plan and I knew that this was the next step for my blog/website/business.

So, without further ado, I’d like to personally invite you to join me + subscribe to my weekly newsletter: Follow Your Bliss!!

Click on the photo below, or simply click on the button in the pop up bar at the top of the page or in the widget in the right column. It’s that easy! And then, before you know it, I’ll appear in your inbox once a week with stories, photos, and tips on finding the magic + meaning in everyday life.

Nope. Blogging is not over. Not for me. It’s growing + expanding + inspiring me to become even better at what I do. 

I sure do hope that you’ll stick around to see what comes next!

xoxo. liz.