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Way back, way, way back on July 17, 2010, I began my blog this way.

Today is my 50th.

My 50th blog.

I learned an interesting lesson over the next few days. I learned that many of my readers read only the first line of my blog.

This lesson came to me in the form of countless “Happy Birthday” greetings.

So, I’m going to try again.

Today is my 800th.

Blog.

Not birthday.

I never set out to write 800 blogs. On that day in August 2009, as I wrote my very first blog, my objective was to write nine more in the belief that writing 10 blogs would cure me permanently of a lifelong fear I had of writing.

For some inexplicable reason, the thought of writing anything filled me with dread, and I would seek any excuse not to write, even to the extreme of walking away from potential business clients rather than taking the time to write a proposal.

Fear of Writing

Along the journey to 800 blogs, I have published a book which, to my complete surprise, has sold over 50,000 copies, have completed a second book which I may publish at some indeterminate point in the future and I am forming the outline for a third book which, once completed, like my second book, may potentially also never see the light of day.

My fear of writing has long disappeared, and I have often debated the wisdom of continuing to write a blog each week. For slightly more than five years, I wrote a second blog each week and was easily able to talk myself out of continuing to do so because I never felt quite as attached to that second blog as I do to this one.

Not one week has past since August 2000 when I failed to publish at least one blog, even when I was hospitalized and my brain so fogged that I believe I invented a new language with the blog I wrote that day. To me, each successive week is like adding a new link to a chain and I know that having posted a weekly blog for more than 500 consecutive weeks, the thought of missing a week, and consequently breaking the chain, is anathema to me.

Links in a Chain

On several occasions I have written of the motivational and inspirational power of the ever-growing chain.

Metaphorically, there exists in our brain a small counter which increases in number by one each time a certain achievement is reached. For example, each consecutive week that includes three vigorous workouts at the gym may cause the counter to increase in number by one. Should a week go by with fewer than three workouts completed, the counter automatically resets to zero.

My first blog was written 504 weeks ago and I’m not yet ready to allow that counter to revert to zero which means, you, my loyal readers, will continue to receive my rantings each week for the foreseeable future.

This same fear of the counter resetting has helped me stay on track and achieve many of the goals I’ve set for myself and many of my clients with whom I have shared this story attribute their successes to the spiritual energy we all feel when faced with the thought of that little counter in our brains reading 00:00.

I have a few readers who have stayed with me from the very beginning. To you, and to all those others who give of their valuable time to read my blogs each week, I lack the vocabulary to accurately express how much I appreciate your support. Your comments, guidance, advice and suggestions have inspired me to keep writing, and while I cannot go so far as to say that my writing has improved over the years, my persistence is entirely the result of your encouragement.

I am grateful beyond words.

Thank you.

Till we read again.