It occurred to me after I whipped off this mission post last week that maybe I needed to explain myself a little bit more. And back up a little bit. To the beginning.
I started this blog because I was feeling disconnected from myself and my life. I wanted to be more engaged. I wanted to rediscover my voice. I wanted to share my experiences hoping that you would connect to them too. I wanted to get comfortable writing and sharing and putting myself out there. I wanted to know that I’m not the only one.
I wanted to start a conversation about how we live and what we value and if we are honoring ourselves and our loved ones in the ways that we should.
Can we do better?
You see, I feel this backlash brewing. The mainstream messages and media geared toward women and mothers and wives and even families just don’t speak to me. They don’t feel real or relevant to what I experience on a day to day basis. We’ve let ourselves become over-scheduled and time-starved and anxiety-ridden and over-stimulated and passive-aggressive and super-competitive and who knows what else. But more than that, we’re connection-starved. We’re searching for that magical little thing that inspires us and makes us feel a little less alone and speaks our truth.
So now I’m trying to create the web site that I’ve been searching for – a place that feels relatable instead of unattainable. Think inspiration not aspiration. I’m done with the discussions of having it all and leaning in and glass ceilings and mommy wars. I’m tired of feeling like I’m not doing enough or the right things. I’m worn thin by how to’s. I do not want to DIY anything, make gluten free crackers five different ways, know how to style my skinny jeans, or read about celebrity childbirth. I’m tired of being spoon fed content in slideshow and top ten formats. I want something that I can connect to on an emotional level. That makes me think. That makes me question. That challenges me. That fills me up instead of emptying me out.
So I’m hoping that by sharing my real experiences with you, we can start to build that connection. And maybe that’s a good place to start. I’ll show up and do my thing and keep being real, and I also need a little help from you. And this is the hard part, because I don’t like to ask for help. And self-promotion makes me want to cover my eyes and pretend to disappear like I did when I was a kid. But if you’re willing, here are three things you can do for me:
1) Comment. If something that I post strikes a chord (whether you think we’re soul sisters or that I’m living on Mars), leave a comment. If you leave a comment, I will always comment back.
2) Share. If you think that what I post is interesting, please share it. You can email it to a friend. Mention it over coffee. Use Facebook, Twitter, whatever. My goal is to be get myself out there so that I can eventually contribute to other blogs and web sites. But I need your help to spread the word.
3) Make me a winner. Or at least try. I very humbly entered myself into a contest, because what do I have to lose really? It’s Babble.com’s Best 100 Bloggers of 2013, Reader’s Choice. The Babble editors will pick a reader’s nomination for each category. And it’s totally legit and only a little sad to nominate yourself. To help you can share my nomination via social media (go here and you pick your social media platform of choice) or comment on my nomination page (at the bottom) and I’ll be forever in your debt. You can say something like, “She promised me chocolate if I posted this on Facebook. And her blog seems real.” The only catch is you’ll have to collect your chocolate at my house on October 31 between 5:30 and 8:30pm. I’d love to see you.
If we’re not friends on Facebook, we should be. Or if you want to see me, but don’t want me to see you, you can go to my profile and Follow me and whatever I post will show up in your newsfeed. I’m also trying to decode the mysteries of Twitter and you can follow me @kalysullivan and I will follow you back. Same on Instagram.
Thanks for hanging in through this long post and for lending a hand. It feels really good to know you are out there cheering me on.
Thank you, Kaly. I love and appreciate your authenticity. It speaks to me in a number of different ways. A woman who keeps it real and has the deep courage to step out of what’s popular because its what’s best for the well being of herself and her family, is someone I want to know. Way to go, Kaly!
Thanks Beth. I am a non-conformist at heart. It’s fun being able to exercise that a little through this blog.
Kaly – I love your blog and I can certainly relate. In fact, I took this summer off just to ‘be’…. and ‘be in the moment’ with my family. With so much going on ALL the time, I don’t even have time to blow my nose let alone enjoy the moment. It was a wonderful break from reality. Of course, we packed every inch of every day with fun… but, it sure was nice to giggle with my girls.
ps – if you don’t understand pets… get one… and then you’ll understand 😉
Isn’t that what I told you about babies??!?!?! Remember when you couldn’t imagine being a mother??!?!? Doesn’t seem possible now I bet. I am so glad you took the summer off to just be. It is such a huge gift to be able to take that time. I am a huge fan of hitting the reset button – I mean, how many career changes/resets have I had?