And just like that…the Fitbloggin’ conference ends. It seems a little surreal that it has now come and gone. Before sharing a final recap of the conference, I hoped to pass along things I took away from the conference which I believe had the most value. You know, besides numerous bags of Popchips, many Larabars, box of Fiber One cereal, New Balance sneakers, workout clothes, food scale, and plethora of coupons for free food. 😉

Number One: Be yourself. I think every single panel discussion or conference session touched on the importance of simply being yourself as you blog. We all have such unique voices, experiences, insights, and strengths. We need to trust those and tap into those as our resources to accomplish anything as a blogger – no matter our blogging goals. You can’t reach an audience when you come across as fake or forced.

Number Two: It doesn’t hurt to ask…if you have a relationship. If you have a brand with whom you hope to work, would like to work with another blogger on something like a guest post, or hope to make a connection with other media, you must put yourself out there. Make certain you first build up relationships through blogs, Twitter, Facebook, community chats, or other platforms. Then, kindness and a previous relationship can go a long way in leading to a natural progression of other opportunities to join forces in the future. In blogging, we are a network. Go ahead and use it!

The nifty Poken we received to pass along each other’s social media with a simple tap.

Number Three: Links Matter. The discussion Matt from The No Meat Athlete did on SEO impressed me so much. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) can overwhelm many of us, myself included. He broke it down into a basic note – links matter. Below I listed a very few of the things he touched on. The Fitbloggin site has a full recap on his SEO tips.

• The anchor text (text that makes up the link) is vital. For example, link to the words “running songs” over “my post”.
• Have friends share links, tweets, etc to build up links to your site and SEO.
• Have a highly visible offline appearance in order to get people searching your blog.
• Focus the use of “keywords” in your title.
• Focus links around keywords early on in your posts and then use as appropriate.
• Most importantly - Make content awesome so people share it and link to it.

Number Four: It is not a competition. When chatting with the other bloggers in attendance, a common theme came up a lot in the beginning. Many of us felt a bit overwhelmed or nervous about meeting so many people. Would there be a certain level of judgment? Would there be any unwelcoming bloggers? I quickly learned that there is space for everyone at these conferences – no matter the size of your blog, your current level of fitness, or what you write about as your focus. The blogging world truly is a network where we share similar passions and interests. I felt that network in action this past weekend.

Number Five: Trampolines give a killer workout. Hey – we are discussing a fitness blogging conference! Out of all the loads of fitness activities from Friday morning, the trampoline class impressed me most. Dare I say even more than my beloved Cathe? Those things have my butt STILL sore! You would think bouncing around on something seemingly made for kids would come easy. Oh, no. I think this needs to become the new craze in gyms. Seriously. Thanks Jump Sport for the fun!

Well, I got a lot out of the conference and don’t want to skimp on passing these insights along to you all. So look for part two on this post later this afternoon!

• What’s a workout you’ve done that was surprisingly hard?
• Is it difficult for you to reach out and ask about certain things?

Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe that you have something to offer this world? Do you believe you have something to give to your family, friends, job, etc? If you think you don’t then you are sadly mistaken. Every person in this world, including you, plays some part. No one else has the same set of strengths, interests, and goals as you. The things that make you unique have the power to affect others. Those other people affected by you can then go forth to work in other peoples’ lives. It’s a never ending cycle that works its way back around to you and once again continues.

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The actions you take carry more weight than you might think. We must acknowledge that our actions have an impact. We should remember that the things we pursue have worth. We need to pursue those things which give us a sense of purpose, because that is exactly why those passions are placed in our hearts – they have a purpose. When we live life intentionally, we can do great things. We cannot know the reach of our lives.

Originally, I thought a life of purpose came through having a lot of control, power, and influence. I thought only great figures could really live a life of purpose. I didn’t think people simply going about their days could really make an impact. Then, I began to take a closer look.

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When I was teaching, my life had purpose to act as a positive role-model to my students and encourage an interest in learning by showing them not all classrooms were lectures and notes. As a wife, my life has purpose to support my husband’s interests and goals, as well as to work together for us each to become who God created us to be. As a mother, my life has great purpose. I am one of the biggest influences in Makenzie’s and Braedon’s lives. Even simply as a human being, I have purpose to be kind to others.

I don’t have to do these amazing, widespread works to have purpose. My purpose comes in simply living and sharing love with others. I do believe there are still great things out there for me to do. I feel my life has purpose to spread positive messages to others and I admittedly get anxious to know exactly what path that will take. I have to say though, simply knowing that my life has purpose now and in the future makes life feel that much sweeter. I don’t feel like I wander around lost in my life, just going through the motions. I really do strive to make the best of each day because I know just how meaningful I am. You are too. Don’t forget it!

What ways do you have purpose?