WW: The #1 Writing Lesson Learned

When Jennifer asked me to guest post on her website, I was stuck on what to write about. I’ve been a writer all my life and started blogging over 10 years ago. So, you can imagine how frustrated I felt. Except, I went back over my experiences with writing.

And the one thing I’ve learned about it is that your writing changes with you. I’ve cringed at my old college papers (yes, I still have those) and squirmed at the crap I wrote back then. Even looking back at some of my first blogposts on Blogger was enough to make me turn off my laptop. As you grow, shift and move forward, your writing will, too.

For me, blogging started out as a way to help others by sharing my stories. To make people laugh, to relate or feel understood. As I’ve had different opportunities, I found that while the topic I’m writing about has changed, my purpose hasn’t.

I’ve blogged about writing, mental health, wellness, parenting, therapy, etc. And every bit of writing I have done has been closely related to what I was going through in a particular moment in life.

Today I write about self-love, self-care and wellness. I share how people can love themselves better by practicing good self-care. My own experience colors my work as a coach and writer. I know what it is to feel stressed and stretched out like a tightly wound rubber band. What it’s like to feel so alone and misunderstood. To feel that even the smallest bit of time dedicated to my well-being is an affront to someone else’s.

Writing and coaching has been just one more way for me to reach out and show compassion in the way that I’ve been shown compassion. It’s my way of paying it forward. It’s a thank you to my first after-school counselor, Valerie, who showed me that I was special. Or Doc, the founder of that after-school program who showed me that I can help others and feel good inside about it. Or Alma, the first therapist I ever had who showed me that it was okay to love myself first. To heal and show myself compassion. It’s a thank you to all of the people who stepped in my path and made my journey a little better with each step.

My writing is an extension of that gratitude. And that gratitude has shifted to helping busy working moms de-stress without the guilt.

Wherever you are in your writing journey, remember where you start isn’t where you’re going to end up. You’ll grow, learn and get better. Keep at it. You can do it!

About the writer: Heiddi Zalamar helps busy working moms work through their stress without feeling guilty by embracing self-love, self-care, and the power of “no.” You can connect with her on her website, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more.