Book Blogger Confessions #5

Welcome to the Book Blogger Confessions meme that I co-host with my blogger BFF Tiger from All Consuming Media!

We're here to "confess" and vent about topics that are unique to book bloggers. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions. Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers!

Check out the introductory post for more information.

If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either here or on Tiger’s blog. Once your post is up add your link to the linky list below.

This week's question -

Let's talk about a positive aspect of blogging! How has blogging influenced your real life in a positive way? (not related to books or reading) Have you learned to be organized or are you more social now for example?

Blogging has completely transformed me.

Two years ago I was an incredibly shy, phobic, yet opinionated person. I still am to an extent; however, the very nature of putting your opinion out there for the world to see invites interaction and pushes your boundaries.

I'm just going to list everything in a bullet point list to minimize rambling….

* I really am not a people person. Yet, through blogging, I have met people from across the globe that I now consider friends. Sure I've never met most of them in person but I think they have come to know me better in some ways than a few of my long time friends. I'm not sure if that is one of those sad sort of facts but I feel like I have broadened my horizons, learned about different cultures (of which I was previously quite ignorant) and made a few lifelong friends

*I was afraid to fly but I forced myself to get on that plane so I could go to BEA and now I travel several times a year even for non bookish events. (I still make it a road trip whenever I can though….let's not get too crazy).

*I have an office supply addiction! I know blogging is not really a business but if you could see my "office" you would surely think it was. From packing supplies to highlighters, post it notes & about 100 planners that will organize my life - I've got it all. This should probably be considered a bad thing but it makes me deliriously happy so I'm putting it on the positive list.

*I was never a great student when I was in school, but writing a post that conveys my thoughts in a concise manner and is (mostly) free of spelling and gramatical errors has been a learning process; as is writing correspondence with authors and publishers that don't just say OMG OMG OMG (which I still do on occasion lol). I'm also more organized since blogging and that has spilled over into my real life as well.

*I used to either like or dislike something without much thought. I now find myself "reviewing" everything and justifying my reasoning. This form of critical thinking is always a good thing IMO.

*TWITTER!

I signed up to Twitter for the blog and thought it was the Dumbest. Thing. Ever. You can take away my TV, you can even take away my computer (for a few days….maybe) but don't EVER take away my Twitter!

There are a lot of downsides to blogging but the upsides outweigh them in more ways than I can count. It's about finding balance.

Everyday a new challenge comes up with blogging. I may want to pull my hair out at that particular moment but I always learn something from the experience and I think blogging has made me a better person. I hope that didn't sound too weird and that you know what I mean with that statement.

Blogging is scary for a shy person like myself. I have to fight the urge to retreat into my bubble constantly but it's just what I needed to push me out of my comfort zone to experience life more fully.

Next topic: March 19th: Everyone LOVES that book! Why don't I? How do you handle being the one reviewer who doesn't like a book that's taking the blogosphere by storm? Do you write a review? Pretend you didn't read the book?