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Blogger Laurie Trueblood writes about blogging to find purpose after the Great Resignation. She explains how fantasy games such as Dungeons And Dragons inspire her, and connecting with nerd culture on The Table Read, “The Best entertainment magazine in the UK“.
Written by Laurie Trueblood
https://www.adventurestoauthenticity.com
If someone had told me a few years that blogging could change your life, I would have replied with an incredulous stare and walked away. And yet, that is exactly what happened.
Feeling Lost
During the pandemic, my corporate career went temporarily remote. Like so many others, my hour-plus commute went to mere seconds. And yet, for all the time savings, the workload had dramatically increased, and my work/life balance was non-existent.
I felt lost, burnt out. I started to question everything, including who I am. And terrified but knowing that this was not the life I wanted, I took the big leap and joined the Great Resignation.
With no job and feeling lost, I returned to an older pastime of journaling for the answers. Out of those muddled scribbled pages came the idea for a blog called Adventures to Authenticity. It would be my way to document my journey back to finding myself again. Creating that blog succeed in that, and so much more.
Embracing Your Inner Nerd
Though you’d never have guessed from my previous lifestyle of corporate suits and glass offices, I have always been a geek. Coming home and kicking off the heels, I’d unwind from the day’s stress in the fantasy realms of a video game.
Weekends would include a family game day of board games or Dungeons and Dragons. But come Monday morning, it was back to all business and no nerddom.
I searched out personal development topics and exercises that I could try for myself on my newly formed blog. But I wasn’t confined by my previous shell of a person, and I enjoyed pulling in my hobbies and interests. I started seeing multiple connections between the gaming and fantasy characters and real-life self-discovery.
But as I wrote for myself, others found that information resonated with their lives as well.
Choosing Adventure
As I found a clearer picture of who I am, so did the blog’s direction. Personal development is a journey to find oneself. We seek a purpose, a grand quest that will give us the life of adventure that makes life worth living.
And in my personal life, I added more adventure. I was trying new activities, exploring places, and meeting people as my true self. I share this experience with others on the blog and encourage them to create their own life of adventure in 100 Real Life Quest for Nerds, Geeks, Gamers, and Would-Be Adventurers.
Personal Development for Geeks
Adventures to Authenticity hosts a variety of topics on personal development from the geek’s point of view. Backed by research and psychology, posts cover various genres such as comics, fantasy literature, LARP, and gaming. But topics have a self-improvement theme. Past posts have included how the X-Men inspires self-confidence to the mental health benefits of reading fantasy stories.
As geeks, we share unique experiences. This commonality helps to tackle complex topics like anxiety and trust. One of the most popular posts is Stress Management Techniques for Geeks and Gamers. With techniques like “Going AFK” or “Rolling on a different skill,” these tips are specifically targeted to help gamers of video games and tabletop roleplaying games deal with stress and anxiety.
Though the blog also includes more light-hearted articles like Geeky Gift Guides and fun RPG gamification apps to add more adventure to the day-to-day.
Life is a Game
Seeing life as a game and ourselves as characters can help to break the barriers keeping us from living the lives we truly want. From real-life quests to looking at life’s challenges and obstacles as dungeons that we can solve and overcome, sometimes it’s seeing the same things in a new perspective that can make a difference.
Most gamers would never enter a boss fight without being at full health, yet many of us neglect our self-care and face our personal struggles tired and emotionally spent. Or we try to solve difficult problems on our own and yet see no issue with joining a party to tackle the dungeon in a game.
Real-Life Adventures
For others, it’s about dealing with the mundane. Reality feels dull and boring when compared to the fantastic fantasy realms of magic and mysteries. But while there are no dragons to slay and princesses to rescue, our real lives can still be an adventure.
Adventure means something different to everyone. For some, it might mean a trip through the wilderness, and another might be learning a language just for fun. But for many of us, myself included, “adventure” was the thing that I wanted but couldn’t really define.
But while we seek adventure, many of us hold ourselves back, afraid, unsure, or full of excuses. When taking a journey of self-discovery, our destinations become clear, and our self-talk changes from why we can’t do something to why didn’t we do this before.
Taking an adventure to find your authenticity is about finding the adventuring hero within and setting forth on your life’s quest.
Adventures To Authenticity
Since the modest start, the blog has evolved into a full site and now includes weekly quests for subscribers on gaming and self-discovery. Individualized assistance is available through life coaching to help nerds, geeks, and gamers level up in life. And new products are in development to help readers discover their purpose and main quest in life.
The view from my desk is now a green field and trees instead of a corporate plaza. Through blogging, I have found my personal quest and passion. And now I am proud to help others to do the same.
Blogging has helped me find my purpose, how it can help you find yours?
About Laurie Trueblood
Laurie Trueblood is a writer and life coach that enjoys fantasy, science, psychology, and everything nerdy. As the founder of Adventures to Authenticity, her mission is to help others level up and become the best versions of themselves.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdventurestoAuthenticity
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Adventures2Self
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventurestoauthenticity
Website: https://www.adventurestoauthenticity.com
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