“Always be true to yourself,” my mother would say. “Don’t try to be something you’re not.” She was right when she imparted this advice. I have been reminded of this wise tip over the past few months.  It doesn’t feel right to try to squeeze yourself into a mold that isn’t yours. It simply doesn’t fit.

It doesn't feel right to try to squeeze yourself into a mold that isn't yours Click To Tweet

If you are new around here, I am a surfer. I originally started blogging because of surfing. I had been surfing for several years and I needed to mix things up. I was becoming complacent in my life and I needed to rediscover joy. So, I set a goal to surf every Wednesday for a year regardless of the conditions. I started blogging to document this quest and to express my views and observations. What started as a silly little intention turned into a huge commitment and an amazing mission that took on a life of it’s own.

While on this awesome journey a funny thing happened. Through blogging, I discovered I loved to write. Surfing helped me discover a new passion; writing.

After reaching that goal (YEP! I surfed 52 Wednesdays straight!) and completing the surf blog, I felt I had more to say.  So I started a new blog, One Salty Kiss, to continue my new-found love for expressing myself with ink on paper; with finger taps on a keyboard. My blogging experience set me on a new mission to uncover my passions and find simple ways to live a full life.

My vision for One Salty Kiss was to write about the human experience. My human experience. Your human experience. Laughter. Tears. Joys. Heartaches. Connections. What makes us tick. What excites us. I wanted One Salty Kiss to give myself and others an avenue to explore our passions. To step out of our comfort zone and do something a little scary. To challenge the labels we wrap ourselves in. To discover our dreams and get out there and chase (and hopefully catch) them.

Based on early feedback I received, I was on the right track. There were people out there who resonated with what I had to say.

But then something ironic happened. In the midst of me trying to figure out just what my dreams are, I got sucked into social media quicksand. “They”, the all-knowing faceless voices in cyberspace, say that in “internet land”, to get followers you have to do certain things. So I started trying to do them. I got on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and Google+. I became obsessed with growing my blog in as many ways as possible. I tailored my posts to try to be attractive to Google for search engine optimization. I tried to guess what people on each of my sites wanted to see. I spent time trying to find what was desirable to others. (Hint: how-tos, cooking, and crafts are extremely popular). I tried to find ways to fit myself into these boxes and be all things to all people.

You know what? As much as I love social media (except google+, not a fan) it didn’t work. I became consumed with giving what I though people on each platform wanted, instead of just giving them what is true and real. I became disconnected from the heart of One Salty Kiss. My heart.

At the end of the day-this took me away from who I was.  I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. And guess what? It felt crappy. You know why? Because it simply wasn’t me. It didn’t feel honest to be anything other than who I was meant to be.

I tried to make One Salty Kiss fit into what I thought others wanted.  I wasn’ t being true to myself.

Here is the point of my whole story…

What I was telling myself while I was denying my own fabulousness and trying to be something I’m not was:

“You’re not good enough the way you are.”

“You need to be something different.”

“People aren’t going to like what you have to say.”

“You have to change to be something people want.”

Why would I ever want to say that to myself?

I would never say that to my daughter or to a friend so why is it okay to say it to myself?

I realize this was a lesson I needed to be reminded.

From now on, I will make a conscious decision not to compromise who I am and what I have to say for followers, retweets, or likes. I want people to be here or on my other social media sites (which I do enjoy actually) because they have heard what is in my heart and they can relate with what I have to say. I want people to follow me on some platform or another because it impacts them in some way. Because it makes them smile. Or cry. Or feel.

I don’t wan’t to deceive people, pretending to be something I’m not.

So, never say never, but I’m pretty sure you won’t get any recipes on this blog. You won’t see crafts.

What you will get is me. All of me. The real me. Talking about life and love, dreams and passions and hopefully learning some things along the way. And if you find that what I have to say is valuable, I hope you will join me on this journey to be true to ourselves.

I refuse to try to be something I’m not. I refuse to send the message that the real me just isn’t good enough. I implore you to do the same.

Because we ARE enough.

You and I. We are simply fabulous.

Salty Kisses,

Karen