defining success

This weekend, I hit 1,000 followers on Bloglovin, and it got me thinking about what it means to be a successful blog. Many people (including myself) generally look at numbers. We see that someone has thousands of followers, and we consider them successful. Or perhaps we see that someone makes a ton of money from their blog, and that right there defines their success. And it totally could be. If the reason that you blog is to make money, then gaining a substantial profit from your blog absolutely makes you successful.

But so many bloggers don't do it for the money. There are so many other, and dare I say more important, things that come from blogging. The friendships, opportunities, connections- it's all such a huge part of why I do this. I do make money, and I admit that the money I earn from blogging and designing really helps me out. But that's not why I blog. When I began blogging, I didn't even know it was possible to make a profit. I know so many other girls that do it solely because they love it, too. So, what, if not money, defines success?

For some, it can be based on followers. It can be based on the number of comments you get on your posts. You can base it on the number of shares you get. But personally, I think that a blog with 5,000 followers can be less successful than one with 100. I believe that success in the blog world depends on the impact you have.

I share my stories and experiences because I want to connect with others. I want to help others. Whether its something simply and silly like showing someone a new recipe, or sharing a funny story, to the bigger things like giving someone hope that their long distance relationship can be successful- that's why I do this. I've connected with so many amazing girls throughout my blogging experience, and I've had some girls really open up to me about their relationships. The fact that people i don't even know can confide in me and look to me for advice or to share their own experience truly means more to me than any statistic.

Sure, I'm celebrating hitting the 1,000 mark because I've worked hard to grow this blog. But that's not how I measure my success. Getting an email or a comment saying that you've given someone hope, inspired them, brightened their day, or helped them to believe in something- that's how you know you're a success.