This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
The Nirvana Sutra 
Many thanks indeed, dear Johan. That is so kind of you to take the time to write those much-appreciated words of support. You are right: the Buddha never said that we have no Self or that Nirvana is non-Self. He was clearly pointing out what is NOT the Self (the worldly skandhas) and urging us not to cling to things so transitory, as only that which is eternal – the Atman – can bring us lasting bliss. Thank you again for your kind words. Every best wish to you – from Tony.
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To Doctor Tony Page,
Boundless thank yous from me for presenting your research and findings regarding the Atman, the True Self, in Buddhism. You are a Godsend for having brought this forth to the world. I have been doing my own discovery following the same train of thought and found a few who have discovered that even the word Anatta was never used to say we have no soul or self that is permanent. Rather, it describes all the things (including the skandhas) that are not the self and are not permanent. Buddha never outright said, “You have no soul, no self and thus there is no point to pursuing the path, to working on your karma or living a moral life, because you do not exist in the long run.”
Johan L.
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