A few days ago I was talking to a CEO about blogging, and whether or not she should start one of her own. She was still in two minds about it; unsure if doing so under the title ‘CEO’ required her to don a particular ‘hat’ or ‘role’ and stand for big CEO-type issues. Since I’ve never been one, I’m not sure what a CEO-type issue is, but I can understand her predicament. Sometimes our job titles require us to stand taller or be fiercer than we’d ever expected to be.

During that discussion she asked me what I stood for when I blog. I answered with my normal spiel; I started this blog (originally called “The Mama Minute”) after Mr 2 was born because I needed a creative outlet. I needed a reason to write because journaling just wasn’t cutting it anymore (or I simply wasn’t committed to journaling but a larger audience required me to be committed). I had learned a lot of information about parenting that I found myself wanting to share with others. This site was born from all of those things, so I guess they were legitimate answers.

And yet.

She got me thinking.

What do I stand for when I write here?

I was in a reflective mood that day. [Aside: It was probably because I was two days away from being hit with a virus that’s now making me feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. Ok, I exaggerate… but my throat is so croaky and I am so full of phlegm right now… not a pretty sight].

Her question has stayed with me for days. The thought floated in and out of my head through feverish naps and several doses of Panadol… so I figure it’s worth writing about.

What do I stand for?

It’s a big question, but if I really try to get to the very bottom of it:

I stand for strong, confident, resilient women and men who see the best in themselves and bring out the best in others.

The interwebs are full of people who put others down, but I want to be part of the pack who builds people up. I want to remind people (including myself) that there is wonder in the world, that there is a purpose to the small battles we fight in our homes and jobs every single day, and that it’s possible and worth it to thrive and not just survive.

I come across so many mums (and dads, friends, teens, adults) who lack confidence and go through the motions of their day high strung with worry or self doubt – usually both. They forget to take care of and stand up for themselves. But these people are amazing and even in their moments of weakness there is still something divine and perfect inside them. There is always something worth fighting for and someone worth loving.

I know this idea doesn’t sit well with everyone. It might be too much “rainbows and blue skies”.

But I don’t write for everyone.

I write for people who are looking for that bit of light.

People who need a moment of sanity in a world that’s full of chaos. A dose of love when there are so many people out there dishing out divisiveness and hate. A boost of confidence when the voice inside your head is telling you to give up. People who want to pay it forward instead of punching back.

I stand for those things because I want my son to grow up knowing that such a world and such people exist. And that the power to change the world for the good is in the hands of such people – not the naysayers and the pessimists. I want him to learn that love is always an option, and choosing it is always the best option.

I could teach him a lot of things in life, but I figure if I teach him that, I’ll be doing an ok job.

That’s what I stand for.

What about you? What do you stand for?