March of 2018 will mark the third anniversary of Makeup By Makena and after nearly three years of beauty blogging, I have learned so many priceless lessons, some of which I would be honored to share with you today…

1. Never compare myself to others. With so many beautiful blogs, captivating blog posts, and dedicated bloggers out there, I am the first to admit that it can be hard not to feel inferior. There is absolutely nothing wrong with admiring the talent and success of others, but that does not mean I have to question my own talent and success. Everyone deserves to be proud of their accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem and ultimately, the only person I should compete with is myself because for me, blogging is about empowerment, not degradation or opposition.
2. Never underestimate the importance of having purpose and goals. I believe that staying true to my values and character is a crucial aspect of blogging; working towards the fulfillment of my mission statement with deliberation and intentionality will guide each of my posts in the right direction. To all of my fellow bloggers, please never lose sight of the reason why you started and never forget your hopes for the future.
3. Always be Honest. There is absolutely no reason not to tell the truth about a beauty product and I am always completely honest and genuine because nothing is worth betraying your trust. Although I would continue blogging even if no one ever read my posts, I am aware that my blog would not be the same without my readers and because I want my content be as helpful as possible, I always convey my forthright thoughts on products I am reviewing.
4. I do not have to be perfect, no matter how much I would like to be. Although I am aware that a small part of me will never be completely satisfied with the lighting in my photos or the hook at the beginning of my posts, I have come to realize that as long as I try my hardest and am proud of the final product, I am good enough.
5. Everyone has the potential for creativity. I know this seems silly, but for the longest time, I thought that because I excel at and enjoy academics and expository writing rather than dancing or painting for example, I was not creative. However, blogging has taught me that by definition, creativity is unconventional and constructing a rose gold smokey eye, styling intricate flatlays, and writing about my most loved eyeshadows are all amazing ways that I express myself.
6. Pursue my passion no matter what. I started blogging because I love writing about what makeup I am loving and that will always remain true regardless of ever-changing statistics. I truly appreciate every single view, like, comment, and follow and even though I do have big dreams for my blog, it is important to do what I love and only produce content I am passionate about.
7. Work harder than I ever thought possible. No one can realize how much work blogging actually takes until they experience it firsthand and one of the qualities that I appreciate the most in an individual is a strong work ethic. I love the feeling of being able to know that I worked as hard as I could and then found the strength and passion to work even harder; as a result, I now have each of my blog posts.
8. Learning is never-ending. No matter how much I may know, I am always willing and able to learn more information and acquire new skills, and this ongoing process is one that makes me extremely happy. The fact that I can learn new things from my readers and other bloggers and in turn teach them new things is both comforting and inspiring.
9. Never stop evolving. I am constantly striving to improve myself and my website in every way possible. Whether I am perfecting the perfect shade of blush pink for my links, experimenting with my eyeliner, or falling in love with a new rhetorical device, I always try my best to challenge myself and be better than I was the day before. Mastering the art of reinvention can be difficult, but as long as my core values remain the same, the alterations I make to my blog will only be for the best.
10. I can care about people I have never met. Above all else, three years of blogging has taught me that I can care about people whom I have never met before. I can feel a deep sense of obligation to individuals whose names I do not know and I can hope that dreams of individuals whose faces I will probably never see will one day come true. So although I cannot guarantee that you will love a lipstick as much as I do, never for a moment doubt that a day does not go by without me loving and appreciating each and every one of you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for teaching me each of these lessons. I truly hope you found at least one of these meaningful for your own life. What has blogging taught you? I would absolutely love to know!

XOXO,
Makena

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