And my very first post!

I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember.  When I was a little girl (starting around age seven), I wrote short stories and letters.  In junior high and high school I wrote volumes of notes to my friends and line after line of bad angst-ridden poetry.  Then it was term papers and maybe a letter or two.  After college, I participated in writing groups from time to time, but I wrote more policies and contracts and carefully-crafted emails than anything else.

But you can’t call yourself a writer if you don’t write, can you?

So I decided to start blogging in the hopes that having a regular posting schedule and a theme to write about will be the impetus I need to reignite that passion.  Choosing blogging as an avenue for my writing appeals to me because it’s a social enterprise.  I’ve come to believe that everyone has an interesting story if you take the time to listen, and I hope that over time people will share their stories or allow me to share them here.

A Pragmatist’s Quest to Live a Values-Based Life

One Conscious Life (1CL) will be a blog about my quest to live a fulfilling, values-based life in a way that is personally sustainable.  It will document my efforts to reach my personal goals while raising productive citizens, being a loving wife, parent, friend and neighbor, being mindful of environmental and social issues, and serving my community….“living friendly.”

It’s about making conscious decisions about my health, my finances, my family, and my community and accepting personal responsibility for those decisions.

I believe that even small changes can have a positive impact and that a small improvement is better than no improvement.  I believe that doing things in moderation is the more pragmatic choice and certainly more sustainable over time.  Still, I always wonder if I could be doing more, if I’m fulfilling my obligations to my family, my community, the world…and myself.

The topics about which I’ll post will include frugal living, healthy eating/cooking, personal finance, eco-friendly living, and being of service.

You may be thinking, “Kelly, there are already thousands of blogs on each of those topics.”  I know!  I read quite a few of them (and each week I plan to share with you some of the posts I found particularly interesting).

I’m not an expert in any of those areas.  They are topics near and dear to my heart, things I’m passionate about.  1CL is just one woman’s story.  When you read it, I hope you will find useful information, things to think about, and a few minutes of entertainment.

And I hope that you will feel inspired to share a little bit about your story too….because everyone’s story is interesting.