I recently stumbled onto a blogging challenge posed last year by Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net. My total number of blog entries is little more than twice what his link challenge entails, so I initially thought I’d be an inappropriate candidate for participation. Because I’ve been wanting to energize my writing and to get reconnected with and become newly inspired by my blog, I deemed this exercise a perfect catalyst. Plus, self-promotion is not a dirty word, and I get to highlight another blogger I admire. Bonus! [Oh, how I love to find and claim the "bonus" in any situation. It’s a fun game -- I encourage you to play.] On to the matter at hand.

The Delighted Sage Blog’s "7 Link Challenge" Post

#1 - Your first post: Now Serving: An Ice Cold Glass of Shut-up Juice. The idea originated during a SARK workshop when I stretched out of my comfort zone, agreeing to create a blog and publish an entry within thirty days. Hitting the publish button on that post, thereby not allowing my inner perfectionist to talk me out of ever getting started was huge. I had little idea of what I was doing or where I was going, but I honored that commitment as a show of support to my creative dreams.

#2 - A post you enjoyed writing the most: I had fun writing How Does a Former Negativity Junkie Get a Delighted Life. It flowed out with a smooth easiness allowing for much less of the rewriting rigamarole I put most posts through. I do think I enjoyed my cheesy bank account analogy a little too much.

#3 - A post which had a great discusssion: My blog is a bit lacking in that  department, and I claim here and now that I would love to attract more discussion in the future. For the purposes of this challenge, I chose The Underappreciated Magic of Massage. The comments came from readers I’d never communicated with before and I appreciate the value they added to the topic. More…more…more of that, please.

#4 - A post on someone else’s blog you wish you’d written: I truly enjoy the gifts at Sonja Haller’s Soulful Writing Blog, where she adeptly offers up delectable phrases like "emotional hot potato" and "from ho-hum to hoo-ha". Her post Waiting to Relax is one I wish I’d written because she covers a relatable struggle and shares a feasible solution. Succinct, helpful and beautifully written...what more can you ask for in a blog entry?

#5 - Your most helpful post: Pruning My Deadwood: A Terrifying Proposition. It’s me being authentic…exposed…vulnerable…and blogging anyway. Sharing in a transparent and authentic manner can touch, inspire and heal. It’s happened for me as a reader many times and I aspire to pay it forward when I’m led to do so. This entry also highlighted an inner-child conversation which I know to be a valuable and illuminating endeavor.

#6 - A post with a title you’re proud of: I relish the emergence of blog entry titles. Sometimes the title shows up and I write the entry around it. Other times the entire post is written, and I wait for the title to stand up and introduce itself. My favorite is probably: Oh Crap! What if I’m a Dynamo and Not a Slacker?

#7 - A post you wish more people had read: Without question, I wish more people had read my recent post Who Cares That I Feel Like Crap? Not Me…Anymore. Many of us exist in chronic-illness-realities, chasing cures and being much too hard on ourselves. This subject matter feels timely and important.

And thus concludes my 7 Links Challenge entry. Twas a fun journey through the archives, and (to my delight) I am now jazzed to blog more… to share more… to create more -- BONUS!

Loving me,