2 Years of Blogging

I wanted to share with you my first ever blog post! As I read it over, I am amazed at how far I have come and how much has changed in my life. I started this thinking that no one besides family would ever read it and now I have readers from all over the world and I have published a book and journal based on this blog.

Please enjoy a look back and next week I will share some insights into the future.

Post from March 11, 2015:

StartFragmentHi, my name is Jenn. Seven months ago I made a major decision that changed my life –especially the way I look at myself and the world around me. I realized I’d been living life from behind a collection of masks, hiding my true self and projecting what I wanted the world to see. We can’t be completely honest and open all the time; we all wear masks to some degree, but I’m facing the fact that mine have been so ingrained in me for so long that I don’t know if the real me is different from the masks I’ve worn. Through this blog I aim to figure out if I’ve merely settled for being the person I’ve portrayed to the world, or if there’s more to me, more to who I really am. I’m embarking on a journey of self re-discovery, one I would like to share with you.

So as I start this journey, I’m asking you to join me in thinking about our masks. Who or what has you putting them on? Are you wearing the mask of the perfect wife, mother, Christian? How about a mask of indifference, so that the hurts of the world don’t appear to penetrate? Are you wearing the “happy fat person” mask or the mask of the obedient daughter? Some other mask? What do your masks hide? What actions or emotions are you covering? Are you hiding things you should cover up, or do you need to take off the mask and let someone in? What are you afraid of? Maybe like me, a lot of your fears come from wanting to be loved and accepted. I lived to make sure I was indispensible to the people around me, so that I felt needed. Some of my masks hide the fear of being alone or not wanted, or not being good enough. The revelations will at times be scary, but this is also going to be a wonderful journey. Come shed some tears with me, but also laugh and grow with me as we discover who we are meant to be. There are blessings in store for us.