UNPOPULAR OPINION!

I read once, that a good content creator must be able to be vulnerable before their audience.

Well, what you are about to read is one of my many, yet most recent vulnerabilities.

*sigh!

Before then, let’s talk about a familiar enemy for a while; FAILURE!

This is something very common. It happens every now and again. Everyone has felt it at some point— you have, I have…we all have. Perhaps, it is your current state. Perhaps, it’s a phase you were in only a few months or days back.

How did you deal with it? (I’d really want to know though).

From what I know, it can be a recurring phase.

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Before launching into the deep, let’s see what the dictionary has to say on what failure is;

“It is a state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.”

“Termination of…ability; of an item to perform it’s required function (so, like a breakdown).”

(Yes, this is where you go back and read that again and then nod slowly.🤭)

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Sometimes, that feeling of failure comes in different (fancy) wrappings; different from the regular. Sometimes, it comes accompanied by a group of friends (things different, yet closely associated with it).

Sometimes, failure comes as a result of doing the right things in the wrong way.

Sometimes, it is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And other times, it is simply being in the wrong association, or listening to the right voices, but for the wrong counsel.

Yes, darling. But hold on, don’t get confused yet.

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Failure doesn’t have one pattern. It only has the same end result— that nagging, frustrating feeling of being unproductive.

It is that fear of starting again. That feeling of well, failure.

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About two weeks back, I started this blog. (Before you stone and crucify me, calm down and listen, err, read. Lol).

And everywhere I turned, there was this talk of ‘find your niche; and niche down some more’.

That’s still very brilliant advice, but here’s what I’m driving at

While trying to ‘narrow down’ as everyone said, I felt pressured.

In a bid to find my niche, I drowned, well, almost. Talk about drowning in shallow waters.🙄

I wondered and pondered, and soon, I began to only copy some people and their niches. While you may say I was still original; well, yes, to an extent, but I still lost my unique feel.

Two weeks is such a long time for a lot to happen.

Need I mention, I also got carried away by the whole ‘profitable niche’ saga. In that moment, I lost my message.

Sure, everyone wants to ‘blow’ in this life, but do that, while remaining where God has placed you.

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I read something from a blog, just yesterday morning. It resonates perfectly with how I felt, or didn’t feel about niches.

You may want to check it out, so… “7 Blog Niches that Get Good Traffic and Make Good Money.” By Paul Scrivens @https://obstacle.co>blog-niches

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Every writer (or creative), I believe, has a message; probably where the idea of *niching* came about.

My actual central message is from the Bible, Isaiah 61:1. It wasn’t some fancy Scripture I fell in love with, NO!

To bring about healing via words. If you read an article here, which causes a shift in your mind, and ultimately does good for your business, HEALING! And my overall aim here has been achieved.

Maybe this doesn’t have a niche, maybe it does; I don’t know, but you probably do.

Niche or not, I’m returning— unashamed— to my message.

If you have a particular niche to classify my blog, then please do help me out. You may call me a lifestyle blogger, and yet another might call me a faith blogger, you’re both right.

The experts may say it’s wrong, to not classify my blog, that is; but what matters is I know my message, and I know who my message is for.

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There’s a way I always define success personally, especially as a writer. But before that, know this;

I let every wind of “blogging-and-content-creation doctrine” pull the rug from underneath my feet. You know what happens then abi? Yes, a fall. A crash even. Thankfully, I hadn’t hit rock bottom yet. But I sure was heading there.

It doesn’t matter how many times I actually hit the bottom, I’d still pick myself up and begin all over again, UNASHAMED!

I can almost hear you scoff, “easier said than done.” That’s true, but I’m on a journey, and I can’t let that stop me.

I did mention in a previous post, most likely TOUR, that I’m not ‘there’ yet. The growth process does have falling as part of the equation; and indeed, this experience has quickly become my most amazing for the month.

Back to what I define success as;

I always say, I write with just one person in mind. If at the end of the day just one person gains from it, then that post was a success, and I do feel successful at the time.

You are however, not under any form of compulsion to buy into my ideas; it’s just an unpopular opinion from an unpopular opinion. Yeah, I’ve never really been a popular opinion myself, lol.

Since I took the time to tell my story in depth, we’d continue our talk on failure when next we meet.

(On this space, of course).

Writing indeed is the profession for introverts.😂

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And here I am; at the end of this blog post, with no creative idea for a title 🤔. In case I finally decide on something weird, know I thought, and thought hard.😂

On your way out, do leave a comment and SUBSCRIBE!

Sending Love and Light your way.

Cheers to steady growth,

Zoey.