What's on My Mind: Is Blogging Really Worth It?

Southern In-Law is my little place on the internet - but I also want it to be an honest space. Areal space. I want you to know that our life isn't all sunshine and daisies and cuddly puppies, in fact, no ones life is like that all the time. 

Too many blogs these days are fake. You're given the perfect glimpse into someone's life and you may even wish you had their life - but what you don't see is that they're just like you. We're all human, we all have flaws and insecurities - so why don't we turn to eachother when we need a helping hand? 

I'm starting this new "what's on my mind" series as a real, raw and honest series. It's literally going to be what's on my mind blurted out into a blog post - like a coffee date with your oldest friend - word vomit, if you will. But I'd like you to share what's on your mind too. Sometimes we just need to blurt it all out, to share, to let go, to seek help - so feel free to share what's on your mind too, whether it be in a comment or email or your own blog post (which I'd love to share with SIL readers too). 

There's always someone in the world feeling exactly like we are - regardless of how much we feel alone. We're all sisters and brothers and we're in this together. 

I'm going to start with something I feel that all bloggers deal with - is blogging really worth it? As much as I love Southern In-Law, I often have my doubts and insecurities about the blog and what I'm doing.

Sometimes I find myself feeling a little bit insecure, lost, sorry for myself, doubtful, under qualified, what have you - and I ask myself, Is it really worth it? 

Do people really care about what I have to say? Are Jesse and I as interesting as so-and-so? Do we bore people to death? Is anyone really reading? Are my photos good enough? Is the time I spend planning/cooking/testing/photographing/editing/emailing worth it? 

I'm not a blogger with a degree. I'm not a blogger with fancy awards. I'm not a blogger who earns hundreds. I'm not a blogger with a million and one social media followers. I'm not a blogger with a magazine column or a recipe book or a workout DVD. I'm not a blogger with a hundred comments on every post. 

But then I ask myself - why do these things even matter? Why do they count? Why do they make blogging worth it? 

And then I realise, they don't. 

This blog is worth it for me for so many reasons.... I'm a blogger who is so passionate about what she does. I'm a blogger who loves creating and sharing recipes. I'm a blogger who truly, wholeheartedly appreciates every single comment/message/email. I'm a blogger who feels immense pride when any of you let me know you try one of our recipes. I'm a blogger who happy dances everytime one of her recipes is featured anywhere. I'm a blogger who has met some of her closest friends through this very web page. I'm a blogger who has connected with others just like her and helped them to not feel so alone.

This blog makes my heart so happy and that is why it's worth it. 

Whilst I'd love for this to be my full time "job" and I'd love to thumb my way through my own cookbook, that's not my reality right now - but that doesn't mean I'm less passionate or appreciative. Who knows, one say that might be my reality. 

This blog is so worth it because of you and because of what you have helped me to achieve. We have so many readers who have become great friends, who cook our recipes every week and who we've helped to enjoy food and entertaining despite allergies - we don't need a hundred comments of millions of social media followers to know that this blog is worth it - and that this blog has helped to put a smile on some faces right around the world. 

It's the small things. 

One thankful email, one happy comment, a thank you, a photo of your recipe, a shared story, a recommendation, a mention - the seemingly small things that mean so incredibly much.  

These things have my heart overflowing with thankfulness and pride. 

I get self conscious, doubtful, down, lonely, insecure. I'm human. 

Sometimes I need to remind myself why I'm doing this, to fall back in love with what I'm doing and to remember that I'm worth it - and you are too. 

But tell me, what's on your mind right now?

If you're a blogger, what makes blogging worth it for you? 

If you're not a blogger, when's the last time you questioned the worth of something? What did you decide?