Here are a few questions I ask myself before I hit "publish" on any blog post:
- Is it too personal? Will it make me feel exposed in some way? Why?
- Does it compromise my self-respect? How? To the best of my ability to judge, does it respect others?
- How recently have I blogged and how much have I been blogging recently? Why?
- Why do I want to blog this thing? -----> No self-deception or delusion allowed here. Whatever the real reason is, am I okay with it?
- What if I didn't blog this thing? What if I kept it to myself, or emailed a friend about it instead? Would that feel more peaceful and centering? Why?
For every blog post I hit "publish" on, there are probably two I delete. For every two paragraphs I leave in a blog post, there's probably one I delete. It doesn't feel like a waste of time to me, because in the writing and questioning, I organize my thoughts and learn about myself, which I dearly hope helps me move respectfully and responsibly through the world. The internet is a wonderful tool, but I think it's wondrousness is very tied up with its dangerousness. Even more than most of the tools at my disposal, I want to use it mindfully.
What questions do you ask yourself before clicking the magic button?
(Why?)
