I started this blog in 2019. It's almost 2025 now.

I started this blog back then because I wanted to share my thoughts about photography. I had a lot to say.

Because of reasons, I gave up on focusing on photography and shifted my attention to other things in my life.

It was also the time I read a ton, almost entirely non-fiction. And I learned so much, so I wanted to share what I learned. Indeed, I wrote many articles.

But as time passed, I had less and less to say. And my writing reflected on that.

However, it seems I have lost the plot.

Photography was done. Self-help? Done! What do I write about?

Definitely not about myself.

Many bloggers make the mistake of writing (a lot) about themselves, but the problem with this is that nobody cares.

People are looking for value.

They are the main character of their movie and they are on their own journey. They are looking for something or someone who can help them in their quest. When they encounter another "main character," they move on.

But when they meet a mentor or something useful for them or their family, they pay attention.

If you want to have an audience or sell a product/service, you absolutely need to offer value. Otherwise, people zone out.

Imagine you navigate to a homepage of a company's website and the first thing you read is its history, its vision, etc. Boring, next! In contrast, if you'd instead read how they offer a solution for the very problem you have? You pay attention.

Anyway, this was just an aside, let's get back to 2024 and the current state of affairs.

2024 has been the year I most likely wrote the least. It has also been - if not the worst - then definitely one of the worst years of my life.

You know the feeling when you think it can't get any worse, and then it does. And then it gets even worse, and then again, and again?

Well, it has been just like that.

At first I panicked a bit, but then it becomes funny in a way. Actually, something of a mix of sad-funny. You'll stop identifying with the current state and instead become an observer.

What I mean by all that is that usually, when a lot of "bad" things happen to people, they identify with it. They say things like "Why me?" or "Why does this always happen to me?", "What did I do to deserve this?" etc.

In contrast, when observing, you don't ask such silly questions and look at events from a third person's view. Instead of "Why me?", it's "Hmm, that's interesting, I wonder what's next".

This aligns with what many spiritual teachers say about being present: "You are not your thoughts". And therefore you can observe them.

I think it's a much healthier approach.

And to answer the question posed in the title, no, it's not it. It's just a rough patch for me (and for this blog).

Until next time! And happy holidays!

Kristjan.