Sharing The Admiration - Blogger Recognition Award

It was very nice and pretty cool to be nominated for this award from a fellow blogger, Leanne at CrestingThe Hill.  We have some common reasons for our blog beginnings.  We both started a new venture in our midlife years and have found inspiration and knowledge from others in this same blogosphere.

It’s my understanding, to graciously accept this Blogger Award; I need to follow a few simple guidelines.

1. The first being to thank the person who nominated you - Thank you Leanne for noticing my little blog corner of the world.  Truly appreciate it and glad we share a common journey. 

2. Give a brief story of how your blog started – Let me first say, I’ve never received or have been recognized for any kind of an award before.  However, I’ve never been one to put myself out there to really earn any kind of recognition.  Which, is probably what made me start blogging in the first place; it was because I finally realized that I had lacked doing something for me and if I wanted to accomplish something that mattered to me, then I needed to get a move on it. It was about becoming a better writer.  It was about putting my creative thoughts down on a page.  It was about expressing my quirky humor and hoping others would share in on the joy and laughter.  It was about sharing positivity, which our society seems to be short of these days.  It was about keeping it real.

My blog name was inspired, oddly enough, from a wrapper of a square of chocolate. If you don’t know this already, Dove chocolate squares comes with a fun little quote or saying inside their wrapper.  I was struggling with many changes at the time and as I unwrapped this one particular Dove Chocolate, its saying inside presented at a perfect time.  It said, “You're Right Where You’re Supposed To Be.”  Of course, its meaning meant much more to me and had a deeper connection than anyone else would understand, but it is the reason I settled on A Square Of Chocolate for my blog name.  Not to mention, I'm a Chocolate LOVER.  Yes, Chocolate and I go way back and we have a good bonding relationship.

3. Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers – The biggest thing I have learned – DON’T GIVE UP!  There were many times I thought about pulling the plug and discontinuing writing on my little lonesome blog.  In the beginning, no one read it, except my mom, and for the most part no one cared about it.  Truthfully, I had to go back to that chocolate wrapper moment and remember the reasons I started writing in the first place.  Stop comparing and just do what comes natural for YOU and keep it real.  It’s about self-fulfillment and learning about you.

I learned that building a blog and its audience is a very slow process.  Especially if you’re starting from scratch and know NOTHING about it.  Be kind to yourself and learn at your own pace.  Join blogging groups that fit your genre and niche.  Be a part of these communities and learn from the ones that have blazed that trail before you.  This is where I’ve learned the most valuable information.

If you have found your place in the blogging world and decided this is where you want to be, then research and Google like crazy.  Making a better blog is an ongoing process.  If you’re not tech savvy, then hopefully you can have someone help you.  This has been the most challenging part.  Again, Google your questions and you’ll get answers that are very helpful.

I'd like to share my admiration for some bloggers that I have learned from and like their "keeping it real" style. Therefore, I would like to nominate these bloggers for this recognition award:

Mara – Be Nice or Leave, Thanks

Kate – Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine

Laura – Coast of Illinois

Haralee – Haralee.com

Michelle – Rubber Shoes in Hell

Carolann – Sassy Townhouse Living

Laura Ann – Yellow House Days

*Don’t feel like you have to participate in this, I wanted to recognize the people that I have enjoyed reading and who want to spread inspiration and laughter, as well.  If you’d like to join in Here are the simple guidelines:

• ·  Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
•    Write a post to show your award and attach the award to the post.
•    Give a brief story of how your blog started.
•    Give a piece of advice or two to new bloggers.
•    Select some other blogs you want to give the award to.
•    Comment on each blog and let them know you have mentioned them provide a link to the award post you created.