Good morning guys! We’ve made it to Friday! Although this week has flown by in the blink of an eye, it’s also been one of the busiest and most eventful few weeks I’ve had in a long time. I am looking forward to some serious me time this weekend.
I’m talking me, on the couch in my holey sweats drinking wine and watching TV with no regard for the outside world. Sometimes I just need that quietude, and I’m looking forward to it with a fervor. I don’t even know if wine will be involved since I don’t have any and I’m quite broke right now – but it’s a pleasant thought.
Anyways, I don’t really have a traditional food post for you this morning, but I do have an email from one of my dear real life friends/reader, Victoria, that I want to share.
I found it to be very uplifting, and I think you will too.
Good Morning Kacy Sue!
I’m sure you’ve had your green monster by now and are ready to take on the day. I was sitting here checking my e-mail and doing some surfing, when I had an epiphany. I don’t have a blog, so I figured this was better than nothing…
Thank you friend for being such an amazing an uplifting person. Because of you, I look forward to getting up every morning and seeing what new food you have created. Your blog updates are often the boost or laugh that I need on a hard day.
I am excited to see you excited about life and these newfound passions have discovered. Frankly, your enthusiasm for these passions has sparked my interest in blogging and reminded me of my own passion for food, cooking and baking.
I think I forgot who I was and what I enjoyed doing and began identifying myself with what I was doing at the time, rather that be a student or a fundraiser…
What a fascinating and exciting world blogging is, and it’s so fun to read about all the innovative things people are doing with food. But more importantly, how food has connected people and become a symbol of hope an dpeace. It brings tears to my eyes to read the recipes, because it makes me excited and I feel good knowing it is okay to be excited.
And to those who people who frown upon you for blogging, sharing your thoughts and finding a meaning to life… to those people in the “outside” world who just don’t “get it”, I feel sorry for them, for it’s their loss. It is our benefit as humans to dig deep and discover what it is that truly makes us happy. If we don’t, we will sadly live our lives in complacency and wake up one day wondering what it is we were donig all that time. To all the fellow bloggers, followers, etc… I applaud you for being and individual and holding your ground. I salute your savvy ways and dedication.
I feel fortunate to have found food blogs at this time because it shows me that food can be enjoyed, savored and loved for not only its physical ingredients and satisfaction, but because of what it represents to the individual – rather it be finding the high road or simply finding yourself.
How nice is that?! Of course I was thrilled to read these words from a true friend. Sometimes I forget how much having this blog means to me, but this reminded me of just how far I’ve come.
I will have been blogging for a year in May, and when I think back to how I was feeling about life at this exact time last year it’s startling. I remember feeling a complete lack of self-confidence. I remember feeling lost.
I’m not saying that blogging was the answer to all my problems, but I know that finally having something to “call my own” and an outlet for my thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams was immediately freeing. Blogging definitely gave me hope in a time when I had almost forgotten what hope was.
When Victoria wrote that we all have the “benefit” to dig deep and discover what it is that makes us truly happy, it was a light bulb moment. Sometimes I feel like I’m weird for being so into blogging, for traveling to another time zone to hang out with other people who blog, for taking pictures of my food and then talking about what I eat – for all of it.
But there is absolutely no reason for me to feel that way! When something makes you happy, there is never a reason to downplay it or feel silly about it. We only get one life, and whatever it is that makes that life more fulfilling and joyous should be celebrated! Why had I never thought of this before?
While I was at Fitbloggin, I was struck by how many people could relate to one thing I’ve always been a little ashamed of – how much more I cherish blogging than I do my “real” job. So many girls that I met felt the same way.
The world tells us that there are traditional roles and jobs that we should inhabit – journalist, doctor, lawyer, or whatever it is that we go to college to learn how to do. But what if those things don’t fulfill you and you’re just playing a part?
I definitely feel like I’m just going through the motions of adulthood with my day job. It’s a good job and I’m more or less appreciated for what I do, but it’s not where my heart is.
My heart is in blogging, in writing about things that make me happy – whether it be fitness, food, dating or Ellen Degeneres. My heart is in being the healthiest version of me that I can be. My heart is in my family and my friends.
My heart is not in my paycheck.
I can only hope that someday I can discover how to live in such a way that my heart is truly in every activity that I take on. Because life really is too short to not be fulfilled. Too short to just go through the motions.
I’m not sure I have the courage to get there quite yet. I’ve only just found my footing, but I know that I’ll get there someday. And until then, I have this blog, and every person that reads it, to keep me going.
Thank you so much Victoria, for making me see that more clearly.
Have a good Friday everyone!
aww what an UPLIFTING post! thats the sweetest email to recieve, I am sure that made your day!! i love blogging too and don’t know where I would be without it! I hope one day to meet all of my wonderful raders and other bloggesr that i follow
Awwww I LOVE this post! Even though I’m just getting ready to graduate (June! Ah!), I’m already dealing with some of the emotions you’ve expressed here. I want a job that I love with all my heart, and I wonder what it truly would be. And then I wonder if it’s really out there, and when I’ll find it— if I’m ever fortunate enough to do so.
Anyway, thank you so much for sharing this with us. I wish we could ALL get together and chill. Wine or no wine.
xo.K
What a spectacular comment to start off your weekend! I think that blogging/writing is simply another form of art. Whereas some people enjoy painting, sculpture or just reading in general, I think we kind of have our own art form/group with shared interests, desires and appetites. People often judge the things they don’t understand/share interest in, so I just let comments slide and take a look at who is saying things before I let them affect me.
As for work, honestly, I think that’s the case with most people. The reason we have hobbies–be it sports, family stuff, blogging, etc.–is that we need an outlet from the “real” work that pays the bills. If I could get paid to do what I love–truly love, not just go through the motions–I would be the happiest person around. However, right now, I have to pay the bills and go through the motions, with that outlet to look forward to at the end of the day! Great post
LOVE this post
You are so lucky to have such a fabulous, fabulous friend in your life!
that is the greatest letter. blogging is the best, i will agree with that whole-heartedly! great message you sent. lucky for me, about 2/3 of my heart is in my paycheck. the other 1/3 is just annoyed with my job. haha.
i cannot WAIT for lounging around this weekend, either! and i love that your middle name is sue
Wonderful post Kacy!
I get what you mean about blogging vs. your ‘real’ job.
I have learned about myself and felt more at peace with who I am since begining my own blog. You are partially to thank for getting me started writing my own-Thank you.
(And thank you for your comment on my yogurt!)
That is such an awesome email. I hope the same for you, too!! Oh, and me…I’m selfish.
Awesome post Kacy! It’s hard balancing blogging and my real job too. I wish someone would pay me to blog about stuff I love full time!
Love this! Such an incredible email…and although your heart isn’t in your current job, you have real life friends fully supporting your hobby and that is awesome.
Enjoy your weekend…couch and sweatpants sounds good to me
Your friend is just wonderful! And it’s so awesome that she “gets it”. I start talking about blogging and I think it goes over a lot of people’s heads…
Have a good weekend in your holey sweatpants. I’ll be doing the same over in my area of the world… and looking forward to it just the same!
I’ll toast a glass of wine to that!
Well said my friend
Blogging also saved me during a hard time in my life. I had just moved back to the US from Sweden and I felt so lost. I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. That is until I found the blogworld and started writing about something that made me feel good about myself and made me feel happy.
Happy Friday! xoxo
Thank you for the inspiring and powerful post.
I think a lot of us are in the same boat, going through the motions with our daily jobs, but not really ‘loving’ what we are doing. I think bloggers are unique in that they will push the limit, they won’t stop until they are truly content and doing what they want to do for a living.
I hope all of us, you, myself and your fellow readers will not settle. We’ll get there someday. But at the present time, I suppose we need to keep working in order to pay the bills!
That’s a great email! I’m totally with you, I love my blog so much more than my “real” job. The reason I started the blog in the first place was to have something I loved while working at a job I didn’t
What a great friend!! Her email made me smile. You are lucky to have such an amazing and supportive friend.
“I can only hope that someday I can discover how to live in such a way that my heart is truly in every activity that I take on. Because life really is too short to not be fulfilled. Too short to just go through the motions.” I have the same hope. I want to feel passionate about something, and hopefully can find it some day.
AMEN. i have been struggling with the exact same thing – i like my job, but i do not feel the passion for it that i do food + writing. we are programmed to think a job is just a job…and that is true. however, if we can fuse our true loves into a job that makes us light up with joy…why wouldn’t we strive for that?
what a lovely friend you have, and i can only imagine how lucky she is to have someone like you in her life. you are fabulous and wonderful – don’t you ever forget it.
love you girl!
amen to this
I so needed to read this, and you’re definitely NOT alone!! I love food, writing, blogging, so much more than my job and that makes it hard every day. But I have to remember that my job is NOT who I am. And I hope to one day merge the two. Until then, we just keep on keeping on 
this is an awesome post.
i honestly wish i could blog full-time…read and write full-time…right now i am taking interviews for my trained profession…and i cry and cry after each interview….i hate my career…my profession…its depressing and it sucks the life out of me….but i cannot “not” do it…others quit and do something even for less money…but when i have loans and debt out of my ears…its just impossible – i have to work at it and it wrenches my heart.
i have been wondering whether i ought to start a new blog that i am more proud of cuz i tend to be too personal and down in this blog – i wonder if it wuld be more productive for me to start with a new one that would be more confident and productive. but my life is kind of a mess now…so who knows…
in meantime, i just wish there were some way i could work at something TOLERABLE…or i would love love to go back to school again, etc…
things suck sometimes!
What a great letter. Perfectly said and completely true. I love it! I just recently started blogging and it’s helped me become a better person already!
Ok – I LOVE this post!! Thats such a nice email.
Im still pretty new to blogging, but Im in love with it. Its so nice to know there are other people who dont think Im crazy for throwing spinach into a smoothie, or bringing oatmeal for lunch (and being excited about it).
Such a nice and thoughtful letter—you’ve got a really great friend who loves to see you happy and grow. Can’t ask for anything better than that.
Such a great letter…such a good friend to have!
I definitely agree with your FitBloggin observation. I work a 9-5 job, but my heart is in blogging. It makes me so happy, has given me new goals and made me happier than I’ve been in a long time. Plus it’s great to connect with so many new friends who share my interests.
I love reading your blog and again, so glad to have met you at FitBloggin!!!
What a great post. I feel like most bloggers (including myself) have felt this way at least at some point. I’ll admit that sometimes it’s hard putting SO MUCH time and energy into blogging when I’m not getting a paycheck for it. But then I realize – wait a second – what am I thinking?! I didn’t start blogging to make money – I did it because I want to share my passion for health, continue living a healthy lifestyle, and relate to/meet others. I’ve gotten all of that and MORE from blogging, and it’s only been about 3 months
So I’ll just keep working my 9-5 job to make the cash money, and fulfill my passion in life through blogging 
Thank you for sharing- This is such a great post- and so true on so many levels.
Enjoy the bottle of wine (or two) this weekend- I know I’m doing to be doing the same tomorrow! xo
Umm this post just gave me chills! The letter from your friend was one of the most heartfelt & kindest things I have ever read in my life. I want to seriously print it out and show it to everyone I can, what a beautiful expression that she passed along to you
As for “going through the motions” I think that as an adult many of us can relate, that our true passions aren’t what pays the bills. But that’s what’s been ingrained in our minds – that we must work work work work work to pay pay pay pay pay… where does one find a balance & peace with it all? I think alot of it has to do with our mindset as a culture, as you better believe in other countries not many people spend 9 hours of their day in a cubicle, an hour commuting there, 4 hours stressing about the following day to come the night before once they get home :/. So I definitely can relate to your daily thoughts about this. I guess for now the peace is knowing that we are not alone? Have a beautiful weekend dear, I hope you get all the rest you deserve 
I’m so glad you fond you passion…and many people do not have their hearts in their paycheck-so don’t feel bad…it’s the nature of the beast, it’s life. The blog is one of your happy places, and it’s a wonderful thing.
How sweet!!!!!!!!!!!! What an amazing friend you have!! That is seriously like the nicest thing she could’ve said, wow! I hope she starts a blog!!
I was just having these same thoughts today, how much blogging has been a positive influence in my life. What a great post. Thanks
Great friend,great letter,great post! Bloggers like yourself got me going in my current journey and help keep me on the straight and narrow. Thank you!
Thanks for the great reminder, Victoria and Kacy!
It’s so hard to focus on the things we enjoy and what our passions are if we aren’t getting a paycheck for them. At the same time, that’s why they are our passions.. because someone doesn’t need to give us the incentive to pursue them! Regardless of how weird they are!!
Ooh Kacy you know I feel this post, like really FEEL it. Your friend is WONDERFUL. Her words are POWERFUL. I absolutely love it. I agree with what you and the other bloggers here have said, it is very hard sometimes to make a living off something you aren’t completely in love with. Just know that if you are persistent, your efforts will pay off. Your passion is clear through your blog and it’s going to get you where you dream of being
Have an awesome weekend – take advantage of all that “me” time!! xoxo
What an amazing email to receive!! That must have made your day
You can tell that your heart is in your blog!!!
fantastic post!
First, I want to point out just how important it is to have people like Victoria in your life. I made the decision in the past year to eliminate all negative relationships in my life. It’s been hard, but I am refusing to let people bring me down. I only want to be around those who will lift me up.
Secondly, remember you are only 24 years old. Your hard work will pay off in the long run. If you love to write, find a way to make that apart of your career in the long term. Maybe this blog is just the starting point. Work hard, be patient and good things will come!
Wonderful post! You’re right. My heart is not in my paycheck either. But my 9-to-5 work life is much more manageable because I have found this amazing food blogging community. Thank your for reminding me how important blogging is to me and how I should just focus on what makes me happy
WOW!!! I am so overwhelmed!!! Had no idea you were going to post it that soon and word-for-word at that. Thanks!! I didn’t realize how much it touched you!! You’re very welcome and I meant every word out there. I must admit that my heart is not in my paycheck either…maybe it should be because I work for a not-for-profit, but it’s not. Either way…I’m happy that your bloggers liked the e-mail and they are right, we are blessed to have each other!!
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