Authenticity & 13 years of blogging!

When you hear the word authenticity, what comes to mind?

While contemplating what to write as I mark 13 years of blogging this month (I know, hard to believe, right?), this is the word that kept popping into my head.

Perhaps because above all else, being authentic has been a primary goal of mine since day one.

So, what does being authentic mean anyway? Is it just another one of those buzz words?

When you look around, there are various definitions, but words like reliable, genuine, trustworthy, and real are usually in there someplace.

Those work for me. I strive to be all those things.

Blogging about the reality of breast cancer; well, my reality anyway, is what I’ve always tried to do. It’s always been my hope that by keeping it real I can best encourage others in their cancer mazes.

For me, keeping it real means never sugarcoating anything about this horrendous disease. And, despite the rhetoric of pink ribbon culture, breast cancer remains a horrendous, too often, still deadly disease. And even if you’re “lucky” enough to be an early stager forever, it’s a life-altering diagnosis.

Breast cancer is NOT the good cancer, and it is not merely a bump in the road. At least not from my perch.

My tone, my messaging isn’t for everyone. I get that; I’m fine with that. There’s room for a lot of different voices and styles in Breast Cancer Land too.

A while back I came across a writing prompt that suggested writers ask themselves this question:

What are a few things you believe in — truly believe in — regarding your writing?

This is a good prompt for anybody, not just writers. I encourage you to give it some thought too. Thinking about your core values is always a good exercise from time to time.

So, regarding my writing, the image below highlights a few things I believe in:

Thinking about these things reminds me why I started this blog and why I’ve kept churning out articles for 13 years now. These beliefs ground me and give purpose to why I wrote Emerging and my other books too; heck to why I write, period. They pretty much represent why I do what I do.

As I mark 13 years of blogging, I’m ever so grateful to remain NED. I’m ever so grateful to have loyal readers like you. Hopefully, I’ve been able to offer a bit of light and support to others facing scary unknowns in Cancer Land — maybe even to you. With this privilege comes a sense of responsibility along with feelings of humility and gratitude.

Big changes are coming soon. I’m excited to share about them when the time is right.

For now, thank you for being out there following my ramblings. Some of you have been here since the very start — you know who you are. Whether you’re a long-time reader, a newbie, or somewhere in between, I appreciate each one of you.

As always, I see you. I hear you, and I care about what you have to say.

Here’s to another year of keeping it real!

One more thing…

To mark Nancy’s Point turning 13, I’ll be hosting a book giveaway soon (it’s not set up quite yet) on Instagram. If you’re on that platform, be sure to check it out for a chance to win a FREE copy of Emerging!

Heck yes, I want weekly updates from Nancy’s Point!

What are a couple of your core beliefs regarding work you do or have done?

What does being authentic mean to you?

What brought you to Nancy’s Point and what keeps you coming back?

What would you like to read more, or less, about?

I wrote about cancer language, cancer worry, survivor guilt, loss, pet grief, COVID-19, DIEP flap surgery, life as an introvert, aging, resiliency, and more in EMERGING. Available at Amazon and most other online booksellers. I hope you’ll consider reading it and then letting me know your thoughts.