Finding my Voice Again

It is 2014 and I am posting a new blog for the first time in 3 months.  I have spent the last few months wanting to write and trying to write blogs–I have written and deleted countless blog entries–but nothing seemed right or important or even good.
I started blogging about a year after I finished graduate school–I missed writing.  I wrote extensively through college and graduate school–to the point where I needed a break after I graduated.  With time away, I found myself really missing that part of my life.  I wasn’t sure how to fulfill this need–I pondered writing the children’s book that I’d always wanted to and I thought about starting to journal again, but neither seemed overly fulfilling given the state of my life at the time.  I had been unemployed for about 6 months and was trying to decide if I would be crazy enough to start my own business or where I should go with my life as I continued to apply for jobs “in my field”.
I remember the moment  I decided to start blogging about dogs–I had a story to tell about Shayne and wanted some place to document it, where I could reference it again down the road.  It felt great to write down the story and once I started posting, I couldn’t stop.  I had stories to tell and information to share–even if no one was listening.  My second blog was a discussion that I wanted to have with an acquaintance who was defending her use of alpha-rolls, kicking/kneeing her dog, and other forceful and threatening methods for control.  Having a place to hash out that discussion helped me keep my cool.
Over the last 8 months or so, I’ve struggled with my voice for the blog.  Since it is now attached to a business, I have been trying to figure out how much “me” (Tena, as in Shayne and Rio’s mom) should be present in the blog v.s. how much “trainer” (Tena as the owner of Success Just Clicks) people want to read about.  Some of my favorite posts to write were my “So it’s hard living with a…” series that share the hilarity of living with Shayne and Rio.  Though many of my proudest posts are from my perspective as a trainer and an educator.  This dissonance created an unhappy stalemate in the blog writing department.
I’ve spent the last few weeks contemplating whether I wanted to start blogging regularly again and how to resurrect the blog in a way that would make me feel both professionally and personally fulfilled.  I love sharing my stories, sharing  experiences, and being a source of information for people but I needed to feel a more personal connection to my blogging again–all while keeping in mind this is connected to Success Just Clicks as a business.
I quickly knew that I didn’t want to quit blogging.  As much as the break has been enjoyable and I haven’t really missed my late-nights at the computer, I know that in time I would start missing it (and missing the interaction between friends and readers).  Things would, however, have to change a bit for me to feel connected to my blog on a personal level again.  As much as I like sharing information and my experiences, I also need a place to share my own struggles, silly stories, or ridiculous happenings in my world (with my ridiculous dogs).
The ins and outs of dog training and behavior will still be heavily featured on the blog–that certainly won’t be changing.  Behavior modification, body language, and dog-bite prevention will also be frequently discussed, as is currently the case.  I will be opening up a bit more about my experiences with the dogs, my struggles, my successes, and bringing myself (not as the business owner) into the equation.  I also want to spend some time sharing personal stories of the ridiculous things that happen in my world with these crazy dogs–who doesn’t want to hear about Rio’s insufferable teasing of Loki with high value chew items or Shayne’s taste for only the finest chocolates (never hershey kisses! Unless of course there are no other options).  Lastly, there will be the obligatory business posts about new classes, new events, and the occasional special.

I’m glad to be back  in the blogging world and I can’t wait to really dig in–on my terms.  I guess, I really have missed blogging!