I’m about to do something I don’t do very often. I’m going to insert a little art, a little romanticism, a little raw passion, into this personal finance blog. I am currently “in the moment”, so let’s do this.
I just watched the movie La La Land. In my opinion, a wonderful movie. It had humor yet it was sad, it had great cinematography, choreography, acting, singing, music, plot twists, basically, it had everything. But this isn’t a film review blog, so I digress.
In the movie, as Emma Stone was auditioning for her final role, she sang a song. Part of the lyrics go:
Here’s to the ones
Who dream
Foolish as they may seem
Here’s to the hearts
That ache
Here’s to the mess
We make
So where am I going with this? What does this have to do with starting a blog? Let’s bring this full circle.
Blogging is Dreaming
Blogging, in my opinion, is dreaming. EVERYONE has something they are passionate about. Something we think about often, something we do daily, something we are obsessed with. A blog is nothing other than a way to project that dream into the world. It is a platform, it is a megaphone. If you have a dream, if you care passionately about something, if you want to share your passion, your obsession, your ideas, with the world. This is what starting a blog can do. It can bring you into people’s lives, into people’s hearts, into people’s homes as they sit on their computer, on their tablet, on their cell phone. Starting a blog can make you famous if that’s what you want; or it can make you famous in the circles you wish. You can be as elusive as you like, or as public as you like. It is one, big, giant, dream. If your dream is basketball, ballet, jazz piano, food. You can create a blog about any of these dreams. Write about basketball, write about ballet, write about jazz, write about food, write about anything. And as you write more and more, you gain a following. People listen to you; people start to care about what you have to say. You start to inspire people and motivate people. You gain access to places related to your dream, and if your blog becomes popular enough, you meet the people who are in your dreams. And if your dream is making lots of money, luckily for you, a blog has the potential to make that dream a reality as well.
If your blog doesn’t catch on? Who cares! Read the lyrics above, “Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem”. It’s what you are passionate about; so write! No matter how foolish it may seem. And you keep writing and your passion will shine through the words you type; you will eventually be successful. It takes time and persistence. But if you have dreams, and you want to make those dreams a reality; start a blog.
Starting a blog
You may find it crazy that it only took me 20 minutes to get my domain name, sign up with my hosting company, HostGator, and setup my WordPress blog. After that was done, I could have posted my first article within 10 minutes if I wanted to. Starting a blog really is that simple. You can click here if you are interested in getting your blog started.
Of course, if you want to get the WordPress blog looking nice and shiny, it will take a little time to figure out the theme you like. And it will also take time to write some articles, and to find some photos to use.
Cost
Starting a blog is so cheap there is no excuse not to. The cost to host a blog is a low as $5.95 per month. You can see below:
A discount for you compliments of Stock Street
Write this code down so you can use it when you are signing up for your blog with Hostgator.
Promo Code – STOCKSTREET2017
Here are the steps to get your domain name and start your blog:
Setup your domain
- Here is my affiliate link to sign up for HostGator: Click here to signup with HostGator and get your discount
- Choose your domain name
When you reach step 5 setting up your domain name, make sure to enter coupon code: STOCKSTREET2017
Installing WordPress
- When you completed your purchase, you should have received an email from HostGator with your cPanel username and password. cPanel is the portal you’ll use to manage your web hosting. The cPanel link is unique to you, so be sure to bookmark it for future reference.
- Log into cPanel and click on the Quick Install icon.
- Click the Install WordPress button and then complete the form accordingly.
- Next you will fill out the form to get your WordPress install started as can be seen in the image below:
- The Base Domain for your installation.
- The sub directory you would like the site to load from, if desired. You can leave this blank. Example: Should you wish your WordPress URL to be mydomain.com/site instead of just mydomain.com. Your site will always display this extension if you enter one.
- For Admin Email, enter an email address where you want the admin password emailed to. Make sure this is a working email address.
- For Blog Title, enter the name of the website. This is what will appear in the header as the name of your site.
- For Admin Username, enter your preferred user name.
- Your first name.
That’s it! You now have a blog!
Remember, a blog holds power, it can catapult your reputation, it can make your dreams a reality, and it can change your life if you do it right. Now that you have started your blog, just keep going and don’t stop until you have accomplished your dreams.
If you consistently write, over time, you will be successful.
Disclaimer – This article contains affiliate links. I receive a small sum of money if you use these links, but there is no additional expense to you.
