Blogging Is Like Therapy, Without The Couch

Blogging is like therapy. No really, think about it. Don't see the similarities? Read on...

Every time your page views go up, someone new starts following your blog, or another blogger links to one of your posts, you feel validated, like it's all worth it. We link from our blogs to Twitter and other networking sites to connect with as many people as possible. In a way, our blog popularity is a way of saying, "Hey bullies and former cool kids, I am not a nobody, people care what I have to say."

Still not convinced with my comparison? Maybe blogging is more like group therapy. We write about the things that are going on in our lives, and fellow bloggers respond, often sharing their own experiences and offering advice. How great does it feel to write a post about something that's been bothering you? It's like a release. Isn't it comforting to read a post by someone else about something you've experienced? You know you're not alone.

I'm not saying that this similarity is good or bad, but we definitely have to be careful not to blur the line too much. I feel that there's a difference between a blog and a diary. There have been times when I've shared some pretty personal things on my blog, but there are also some things that I have never posted about and probably never will. A hot topic in the blogosphere recently has been authenticity, and some would say that I'm not representing myself authentically if there are things I don't include in my posts. But, I don't see it that way. When I share something personal, it's because I want to, and because I feel that my experience could help someone else who is in a similar situation. I only write these posts when I'm ready to share that part of my life. I don't ever want to post something that I later regret sharing with the world.

Blogging is like therapy, and it can serve as a great outlet to connect with people who understand us and what we're going through. Everyone makes their own decisions as far as what they will and won't write about on their blog. For some, there is a clear dividing line between the digital world and the real world. We may only be comfortable sharing certain things with the people who know us well, and that's okay. There are certain things that are too personal to share with the blogosphere. So, keep telling your stories, in as much detail as you want, but don't ditch the couch just yet.

Disclaimer: I am in no way encouraging people to stop going to therapy. Blogging may be like therapy, but it's definitely not the same.

Does Your Blog Portray the True You?

The interesting thing about the blogosphere is that most of us only know each other through the Web. Though we may eventually meet some of our "digital friends" at one point or another, most of what we know about them is from profiles, tweets and blog entries.

One of my favorite bloggers recently wrote a post about the relationship between personal branding and authenticity, and how we define ourselves on the Web. She says that we see other bloggers how they want us to see them, from how they portray themselves through their blog posts. We're not necessarily seeing the real deal. The question is, does your blog portray the true you?

Some of us are probably content with the amount of information we share with our readers, and how much we know about the authors of the blogs we read. But, do you ever wonder, who is this person whose blog I read everyday? I wonder what else we have in common besides blogging.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted 25 Things About Me, and got some great comments. So, if you want your readers to know that there's more to you than the topics you post about, share a little bit. If you can't think of 25 things about yourself like I did, I've done the work for you. Delete my answers from the questions below and post your own answers on your blog:

Are you on Twitter, Facebook, 20 Something Bloggers, Brazen Careerist, or other networking sites?
Yes, all of the above!

What do you do? Are you a student, do you work, or both?
I am the Marketing Assistant at CPX Interactive, an online ad network. My job is to find new and innovative ways to get our company's name out there using the Internet.

How many different states have you lived in, and which ones?
Including school, four: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Virginia.

iPhone, Crackberry, or good old cell phone?
Crackberry!

What do you do in your spare time besides blogging and social networking?
I don't have too much spare time right now since I'm in the process of moving, but I like to read, watch sports (especially football), shop, be outdoors, and spend time with friends and family.

What is your favorite post that you have written?
That's a tough one. Probably the post about my grandma, and why I support the Alzheimer's Association. It was really tough to write, but I'm so glad that I did.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
The Hills on MTV. I don't want to like it, but I just can't help it.

Explain the title of your blog and why you gave it that name.
Life Is Like a Box of Chocolates: a tribute to the wisdom of Forest Gump, and something that I really feel is true. You never know what life will send your way, so the best you can do is enjoy the good stuff and learn from the bad stuff.

Feel free to re-post this content, and add more questions if you like, just please link back here. You'll be surprised how much you can learn about others when you share a little bit of yourself.

The Amazing World of Electronics and Internet

I've been talking with a few of the execs here to learn more about their history, and how they ended up at CPX. It's so amazing to think about just how much the Internet has changed and developed in my lifetime. I know I sound like an old fogey, but think back to your teenage years or earlier...it's just crazy the advances that have been made.

It's interesting though how the younger generations tend to take this technology for granted. They can't imagine a world without Internet, Facebook, iPods, smartphones, and cell phones. Who knows what the future will hold? I just hope it doesn't get to the point where people don't have real conversations anymore. If you saw Wall-E, you know what I'm talking about. Yeah, technology is great, and without it, we would have a lot harder time keeping in touch with people who we don't see every day. With friends who are across the country and around the world right now, I'm so grateful for IM, e-mail, and web cams.

But, I don't ever want to get to the point where I'm so engrossed in my technological world that I forget about the importance of human contact. There is nothing like a face to face conversation or a hug from a friend. Every time I feel like I've been glued to the computer screen for too long, I just think about those people in Wall-E who sat in their chairs all day with their digital screen in their face, and didn't even know there were other people all around them. What a horrible tragedy it would be if that actually happened in our world.