Hello, friends! I think it’s time we had a little heart to heart.

I mentioned earlier that I have not been feeling too well. Not only have I felt like my body is fighting off illness and that all I want to do is sleep for 24 hours straight, but I have also felt on the verge of an anxiety attack and like something isn’t quite right.

Yesterday afternoon, Peter & I seriously discussed me quitting the blog.

When I have a passion for something, I go all out. You may have noticed that. You may also have noticed that I have a lot of passions.

I have a passion for my faith.

I have a passion for my family.

I have a passion for a healthy lifestyle.

I have a passion for sharing my story and blogging.

Most of the time, I can give 100% to each of those things without hesitation. Most of the time, I can juggle the responsibilities that come with each seamlessly. Most of the time, I have no problem and manage it all with a smile on my face.

Then, I noticed something. I give and give and give to each of those passions. Nothing brings me down for awhile. But inevitably, I crash and burn.

Peter and I took a closer look at this cycle and, it appears, about once every 3-4 weeks I reach that threshold and go from one extreme to the other. From having it all sorted out to barely feeling like I can keep my head above water. The water being the tears that drop from my eyes at nary a moment’s notice.

Whenever I reach this point, I doubt myself as a mother. Whenever I reach this point, a lot of my healthy habits break down – either with stress eating or feeling too exhausted to workout. Whenever I reach this point, I get angry with myself and lose patience with others. This can not and will not go on.

A lot of topics in my devotional readings, study groups at church, and even just in my heart during prayer, have really forced me to wonder about my own passions.

When looking at my passions, it’s obvious that 3 of the 4 are non-negotiable parts of my life. That left me negotiating the blog.

After much thought, I can’t deny any of those passions of mine. They each bring something to my life which I cannot give up on. So, I won’t. Yes, I still plan to blog. I simply have to analyze where I spend my time on the work and adjust as necessary – likely a lot of the behind the scenes and side work associated with it.

But that isn’t even the main point of this post.

This post is NOT another reflection on my blogging habits or a plea for feedback on what to do. It is not asking for comments to assure me to keep blogging.

If anything, this post is a plea from me to you. A plea to take a close look at your life. Really take the time to consider your goals. Pay attention to how you spend your time. Determine if you ever feel you don’t have enough to give to the things that matter most. This post is not a plea for my benefit. It is a plea for yours. A plea to live the life that matches your values.

I have given you some background now into my current approach to my own blogging habits and the content that appears here on FFF. Now comes the time for the more in depth discussion. I hope you will join me, because I believe this could provide some good “food for thought” for each of us in the blogosphere. Ready? I know I am!

In my post from this morning, I posed a few questions related to what determines “quality content” and how we approach the content we put into our blogs. I want to share my thoughts on each of those now, and feel free to give yours to me straight in the comments at the end.

What is “quality content”?

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I think quality content is anything that comes across with heart behind it. Posting just to post isn’t quality content. However, I think a wide variety of subjects fit the description of “quality content”. A lot of harping has happened on the things bloggers choose to share.

In my opinion, posting about your breakfast and a small thought you had that morning can still be quality content if there is care in the crafting of the post and joy sparked by the feeling of heart behind the post. Sure, some topics hold more weight and importance than others, but I don’t think posts need to reach a certain level of “importance” before being worthy to appear on a blog – especially in a lifecasting blog. I find a lot of quality when a blog encompasses all aspects of the writer and what he/she wishes to share.

Is there such a thing as too much content?

I don’t think so…as long as it still has that quality of not “posting just to post”. Every person comes to blogs for different reasons. Like I said, I don’t expect everyone to read every post that I write…but that shouldn’t limit how much I feel like sharing because a fear of judgment on “posting too much”.

I don’t base my blogging habits on the belief every person will be interested in every single thing I have to say. I choose to write about the parts of my life and thoughts that inspire me to write. I write in a manner that I enjoy writing. If enough things spark my interest and get my fingers typing, I will blog. And whether that means I am sharing some deep, personal reflection or what I had for lunch that day, so be it. If I write with purpose and passion, I believe the quality can exist – whether posting once a week or three times a day.

How do you define the line between posting for yourself and making an enjoyable reading experience for your blog friends/readers?

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I want you all to experience FFF in a positive way. I hope for you to leave my space with an uplifting thought, a bit of reflection, a new idea, or even a simple smile. Different things bring those for different people.

Some people choose to read FFF for the workout ideas. Some people like the stories about day-to-day life. Some connect with the thoughts on body image and eating struggles. Some love to see pictures of the kids and hear about them. Some enjoy most everything. So, I will write about the many subjects I expressed in my earlier post. People who visit FFF can pick and choose what they wish to read and what they connect with most.

Sometimes that means deep thoughts, and sometimes that means the randomocity of my head. Remaining true to myself holds precedence in my blogging, but it also interests me to provide for you. I wish to give you a welcoming space with conversations via my posts for us to connect over. Remember – the connections matter most to me.

Final Thoughts

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So, when all is said and done, I think quality content boils down to two things. Staying true to your own interests and writing style. Write about what interests you – what you have the time and drive to post about. Write it well. Don’t feel the need to limit yourself, but don’t pressure yourself to write solely for the sake of churning out a post either. Then, also know your audience and be open to feedback. Don’t change who you are, but be aware of the blog friends who support you with their reading, comments, and friendship.

• How would you define quality content?