WHY I DECIDED TO BECOME A BLOGGER

Since my childhood, I have always been a reader and writer. I was fascinated by the many books in my grandfather’s library. He was an avid reader, and a teacher. I guess I got it from him. My story however is not one just about writing. It is an emotional rollercoaster which brought me to this day, sitting here, writing, telling you my story.

I was a happy-go-lucky little girl, singing in the corridors of our bungalow in Nairobi, Kenya, pretending to be a famous musical artist, painting and drawing, hiding under my covers with a flashlight reading late into the night, and watching western movies like my future depended on it. At the age of twelve however, a shift happened. I felt myself sink into isolation and life began to look pretty grim. At such a young age I did not understand why and where this was coming from. I just embraced it and became the proverbial teenager with a chip on her shoulder, refusing to join the family for fun events and opting to be alone instead, listening to melancholy music and ruminating over my thoughts. This seems like typical teenage behavior one would say, but I was to later find out that I was depressed. This went on for years, into my young adulthood, affecting every area of my life, especially my college education.

As a young adult, I decided to fight it, failing miserably, sometimes spiraling into suicidal thoughts and then swinging back into mania. I began to attend therapy sessions, beginning with cognitive therapy, which proved very helpful. I soon progressed into psychotherapy and a little medication was administered here and there. My doctors believed that I was not a clinical depressive, rather, a circumstantial one, as the cognitive therapy homework would help when I did it. See, in cognitive therapy, one learns new ways of thinking and a lifestyle which identifies and avoids triggers. The doctors concluded that my thought patterns and lifestyle had contributed to the long suffering depression, as opposed to a chemical imbalance. I was able to get off the medication and to simply follow my therapists guidance on directing my thoughts positively and changing a few things in my life. This may sound easy but it was not. It took years of practice. When I was strong enough to stand on my own, I began psychotherapy, which is different, in that the therapist only listens and rarely gives any feedback. I was able to navigate life and mental health on my own from there, surprising myself with my personal ability to problem solve. Now, years later, I can say that I have become the best mentally healthy version of myself and able to guide others on a path of finding their own mental peace.

How did all this lead me to blogging you may ask? Well, a couple of years ago, I decided to share my story on YouTube and to begin a series of videos about how to beat depression. In those videos, I used my own life experience and the methods that worked for me. I began to get feedback from people who were finding the videos helpful and, that is when I realized my calling. Recently, I began to think of other ways I could apply my talents into helping my fellow humans. It gives me joy to know that I am doing some good in the world. Blogging came in mind as I had written it on my to-do list several times but never got around to it. Being an author has always been my dream, but I did not know where to begin. Having that YouTube page helped me to realize what I want to write about. Now, it was a question of how to begin writing.

During the coronavirus pandemic, while we were all isolated in our homes due to the social distancing idea, I began to search for ways to make a living doing what I love to do. I felt that music was out of the question at the time because I did not have equipment, etc. I could write though. I have a laptop, and time. The universe must have heard my thoughts because somehow as I was browsing, I ran into Matt from 30 Day Blog Challenge and signed up, out of curiosity, only to find out that he meant serious business. First thing he asked me to do was to sign up with Bluehost and get a domain going. This would take money, but I felt it was time. A couple of weeks later I got my domain and began the program and have not turned back since. It was during my writing of my first few blog posts that I realized, it was not about money. I enjoy writing my thoughts down and knowing that someone else will read them, and it might help them in some way. Furthermore, like everything else, earning a living doing something takes time, and if it is something you do not love to do, you are more likely to give up.

This is how my lifestyle blog site yoginiqueen.com, was born. As a blogger, I get to share my story, insights, experiences, triumphs, and help people overcome their fears. As I grow in this life, as I slay my dragons, I get to go back and help those who are struggling with their dragons. I feel very blessed to have overcome depression and become a beacon of hope for those still stuck in that realm. There is no greater gift than this.

In addition to all of the above, we can have some fun too, as I share travel stories and guide those who wish to travel as well. Thank you for visiting my website and for reading my blog posts.