17October 2014
Since it’s Friday, I thought I would bring a little fun to the blog. What’s more fun that a photo of a cute dog, right? However, Heidi is here to share something about blogging: the importance of having a driving purpose.
Every morning, I walk two miles with Heidi. Like all dogs, she has a purpose in life. Since I adopted her two years ago, her main purpose has been as a Zen practitioner, Yogi and dog food critic. Because dogs don’t talk, I know nothing of her life before she became a stray, then a rescue.
What we frequently forget about Poodles is that they were originally bred as bird dogs. The extreme haircut which they are known for was designed to protect their heart and lungs from the icy waters of lakes in Northern Europe when they swam out to retrieve ducks and geese. When Poodles came to American, they were classified as non-sporting, but in Canada and Europe, they are still popular as gun dogs because of their intelligence and stamina.
Though Heidi is only about twelve pounds, and spends most of her time napping, she was reminded of her true purpose about two weeks ago. On our morning walk, we encountered a dead crow on the sidewalk. I really try to keep Heidi way from dead wildlife, but as soon as she saw the dead bird, she was charging toward it. I steered her away and walked on by, but she was not to be thwarted. As I trudged on up the hill, she was dragged behind on her leash, barking furiously and straining to run back to the dead bird. I’m sure she imagined herself retrieving the bird and proudly dropping the fallen prize at my feet.
The bird was removed by a street crew, but for several days, Heidi would walk past the spot where she found the bird, nose to the ground, ready to spring into action as a retriever. Given the opportunity to fulfill her true purpose, she was filled with determination.
I’ve found that almost anything we do can be either drudgery or a source of pleasure, depending on how we approach it. Sadly, many business owners consider writing, whether a blog or any other type of communication, drudgery.
But imagine if your had a true purpose and direction for your efforts. What if blogging was transformed from that is supposed to be a good idea, into an activity that was directly related to your true purpose.
Does your blog have a purpose? Frankly, if not, there really is no point in doing it. While blogging can achieve many goals, you have to start with a defined purpose.
Here’s my challenge: take some time this weekend to think about why you are blogging.