The Great 8 Challenge + 8 Years of Blogging!

February 14 marks eight years since I wrote my first blog post on Positively Present! It’s been an amazing ride so far, and I can’t wait to see where things go from here. In celebration, I’m going to be sharing eight great things that have happened since that day I wrote my first post. But first, I wanted to challenge you to do something this week. Don’t worry — it’s easy, and it’ll actually feel really great!

THE GREAT 8 CHALLENGE

As I was writing this post in celebration of the past eight years and reflecting on how grateful I am to have this experience, I was reminded of my ultimate goal (as a writer and as a human): to somehow make the world a little bit better. I know I’m not alone in this. Most of us want to make the world better, but sometimes that task can feel daunting.

If I’ve learned one thing over the past eight years, it’s that little things can make a big difference. This week, I encourage you to give the Great 8 Challenge a try. It’s simple: all you have to do is give eight compliments. Yep, that’s it! If you see someone wearing something you like, tell him/her. If you read something that inspires you, email the author. If you you spot a post on Instagram you love, write a comment.

It might seem small, especially in a world where we need grand gestures of kindness and compassion, but a positive word has a ripple effect. After all, think about the last compliment you received. Didn’t it just feel so great to hear someone say something nice to you? And think about the last time you gave a compliment. That felt pretty great too, didn’t it? Those great feelings can multiply. A compliment might feel like a small thing, but it ultimately can have a great big impact.

This week, if you see something beautiful / inspiring / amazing / cool, say something. Aim for eight compliments, but go for more if you can!

POSITIVELY PRESENT’S GREAT 8

And, now, on to eight great things about Positively Present!

Now, this might seem like I’m tooting my own horn, writing about eight great things about my own blog, but here’s the thing: a blog is bigger than the person that writes it. As much as I use this platform as a tool to share my words and art, it’s been greatly influenced by the readers. When I’m writing, I’m thinking about you. In fact, when I’m living, I’m often thinking about you, imagining how I can turn my life into something more positive, more present, more self-loving to share with you. So, yes, there’s an element of horn-tooting here, but none of these things would have happened without your engagement, interest, and input.

Here are eight great things that’ve happened (and I’ve learned from) since February 14, 2009. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being with me and helping making these things happen. I hope that reading about them will inspire you, too!

1. PP GOT ME OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE.If you’ve been following since the beginning, you might recall how shy I was at first. It took me two months to even mention my first name! I’m not a shy person in real life (though I am incredibly introverted!), but online it took a lot of courage for me to come out of my little comfort zone and open about who I was. Since then, I’ve come a long way — sharing more personal information, opening up about tough topics, and connecting with readers in real life. I still struggle with venturing out of my comfort zone at times, but Positively Present continues to inspire me to try new things.
2. PP PROVED ALL THE HATERS WRONG.I don’t have a lot of haters, but there are some people in my life (and even a little voice in my own head) who didn’t think I could do what I’d always wanted to do — be an independent writer not answering to a boss or going into an office every day. Through the power of the internet, I’ve been able to make my ideal work scenario a reality. I used to spend nights crying about going into the office, and I remember one guy in particular saying something along the lines of, “That’s life. Get used to it.” Because of this site, I didn’t have to get used to living a life I hated.
3. PP MADE MY LIFE-LONG DREAM COME TRUE.Not only did Positively Present give me the opportunity to live a work life outside of the box, but it also provided a platform on which I was able to make my life-long dream come true: publishing a book! Not only did I write and publish a book, but so far I’ve written six of them! If you want to check them out, here they are: Stay Positive: Daily Reminders from Positively Present, The Positively Present Guide to Life, Living in the Moment, Gratitude, Compassion, and Forgiveness. Plus, I’m working on a new one right now and I’m SO excited to share it soon!
4. PP TAUGHT ME TO FAIL + BE OKAY WITH IT.As with any career path, I’ve had some major highs and lows. Because this isn’t a traditional job, it’s been a lot of trial and error (and it’s still a work-in-progress!). I’ve spent hours and hours on e-books that no one bought. I’ve poured my heart and soul into blog posts that few people read. I’ve spent money on ideas and products that never quite gave me a return on my investment. Working for myself is hard. There are lots of failures that, thinking about now, make me cringe a bit. But I’ve learned to bounce back, to be resilient, and to learn from the failures.
5. PP INSPIRED ME TO LEARN NEW THINGS.And, speaking of learning, one of the absolute greatest things that’s happened as a result of this blog is the opportunity and desire I had to explore graphic design. It was something that had always interested me, but I never thought I could do it since I hadn’t studied it in school. Because of Positively Present, I sought out online classes, spent countless hours learning, and now have my own little design business! If you want to work with me, check out DaniDiPirro.com for more info and my portfolio.
6. PP CONNECTED ME WITH AMAZING PEOPLE.One thing almost every blogger can agree on is that blogging is an amazing opportunity to connect with people around the world. Whether it’s someone from across the globe emailing me about a blog post I wrote or connecting in real life with people in my blogging industry, one of the most amazing things that’s happened as a result of Positively Present is that I’ve created meaningful connections with so many wonderful, creative, soulful, inspiring people. I will be forever grateful for everyone I’ve met as a result of this site.
7. PP HELPED ME BECOME MORE ME.One of the most thrilling aspects of running a site that is 100% my own is that it’s an on-going act of self-love and self-exploration. In sharing my words and work with you, I’m learning more about myself every day. Through Positively Present, I’ve been given a unique opportunity to help others improve their lives while also greatly improving my own. With every blog post, I learn something new. With every Instagram post, I discover a new kind of creativity. Every lesson learned is a gift I’ll be forever thankful for.
8. PP CHANGE HOW I SEE THE WORLD.Of course, most importantly, Positively Present has changed how I see every single aspect of my life. While, admittedly, I’m not positive and present every moment of every day, I strive for it constantly and I’m always asking myself, “What would I tell my readers?” This question is simple, but it’s had a profound impact on my life. It’s helped me enjoy and embrace life’s highs, and it’s helped me survive life’s lows. The work I do impacts my mind (and life!) every single day, and that’s certainly not something I expected when I started it eight years ago!

This site has changed me for the better in so many ways, and I’m thankful for it every single day. More than that, though, I’m thankful for YOU. Thank you for reading, for engaging, for being with me today and in the past. I know how many options there are when it comes to reading online content, and every moment you spend on this site is kind of a miracle. Thank you for being here, for reading this, and for taking the time to make your life a more positive, present place.

Now, get out there and spread that positivity with those eight great compliments! 🙂