That’s right my lovelies. This little blog is now officially one year old. I’m so proud. My little baby is growing up. *Sniff*. You know, they (and by “they”, I mean the Grand Poobahs of blogging) say that the first year is the hardest. If you can make it through that first year without quitting, you’ve got a good chance of succeeding. Well, I’m happy to say that I never once thought of quitting this year. I loved my blog from the moment I launched it and I love it even more now. I guess that means I’m doing ok. Either that, or I’m delusional. I’ll ask the voices what they think.
Deliberate Blog – this is your life:
I started Deliberate Receiving in November 2010. While the site was dedicated to rather technical articles explaining how the Law of Attraction actually works, I wanted a less formal forum where I could explore how to apply the LOA in the real world, as well as a chance to actually interact with my readers. Deliberate Blog was born two months later.
Since then, I’ve managed to publish 154 posts (including this one), 28 articles, 25 audios, and 16 videos. I’ve made many new online friends, launched my online coaching practice, and most important of all, I’ve managed to attract the most awesome reader community ever. EVER. Yes, I’m gloating. You all are the best. Sometimes I can’t quite believe you’ve all gathered around to read my words, instead of secretly plotting to give me a wedgie. I write with my back to the wall, just in case. But seriously, I can’t express how much all of you mean to me and how grateful I am to each of you for stopping by here on a regular basis and reading my words. I’d love to reach out through cyberspace, come through your computer screen and just hug you. One of those smooshy hugs you used to get from your grannie, the kind that make you feel all warm and fuzzy and safe and full of love. Maybe you could put some clothes on before I do, though. Yes, I’m aware that many of you are surfing nekkid. It’s ok. Let’s just not let this get any more awkward than it has to be.
The tone of the blog has changed quite a bit since my first post. I started to add funny images (funny to me, anyway) and began infusing my posts with more and more of my quirky (yes quirky. NOT weird, damn it!) personality. In short, I found my “voice”, which, as it turns out, sounds exactly like I do in real life – a mixture of a loudmouthed, supercharged, bossy, giddy, smiley dork with the sense of humor of a 13 year old boy who just discovered boobs and can’t stop snickering. Go figure.
In honor of today’s celebration, I thought I’d revisit some of my favorite posts and images. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? For those of you who are more interested in the future, I highlighted my plan for this year in this post.
My Favorite Posts:
Being Authentic – My second post on the blog, but one that deals with one of the most important topics I talk about.
You’re Right! And So Are They – When you learn to allow other people their point of view, even when they disagree with you, you free yourself from having to justify yourself. Ever.
Why Children Blame Themselves – We form a lot of our limiting beliefs in childhood. This post explains how that happens.
How I Finally Made My Peace with Religion – This post describes a huge turning point in my life. I was finally able to make peace with the Jesus freaks.
Is Your Job or Life Choice Spiritual Enough? (Case Study) – This was the first case study I published. It turns out, people love case studies. How do you make peace with doing what you love when what you love involves beating up other people?
Helping Those Who Don’t Want To Be Helped – We all do this. We see someone in need and then we try to help them. But if they never asked us to, it never works out the way we want it to. This post talks about why we do that and how to stop it, already.
The Vibrational Ladder – How To Feel Better In 4 Simple Steps – This has become one of the most popular posts on the blog. It describes a technique that allows you to incrementally raise your vibration on any given subject. A must read.
How Can We Keep Our Family’s Vibration From Affecting Us? – The sewer pit metaphor. I can’t help it. I love it. *snicker*
The Painful Flipside Of Being Adopted – Case Study – An impromptu coaching session one night led to a major breakthrough for the client. His first words after getting his bearings back were “You have to publish this on your blog.” He was right.
Intuitive Eating – Best. Diet. Ever. – Nutrition plays a huge part in my life. This post describes the “diet” I adhere to.
What Yvonne The Cow Can Teach You About The Law Of Attraction – Probably my funniest post to date.
How my tree-huggery self made peace with traditional medicine – Another huge revelation on why being in favor of holistic medicine doesn’t mean that you have to hate normal doctors.
How A Leather Jacket Changed My Life – One of my most “personal” posts. Those are always the scariest, but also the most rewarding to write.
hello melody
how are you?
congratulations on the blog being one year and i must say i have always enjoyed the articles i’ve read here.
one thing is certain, you definitely put a lot of effort in your posts, is humorous and you try as much as possible to simplify issues.
you’ve certainly done well with 154 posts, 16 videos not forgetting your online coaching practice.
more power to your elbows.
i am sure this year would turn out to be more fulfilling.
congratulations again.
take care of yourself and enjoy the rest of the day
Hi Ayo!
Thank you so much for your wonderful words!
My one regret from last year is that I have not yet done a guest post for you. 🙁
It will happen, though!
Huge hugs to you!
Melody
Congratulations and happy birthday! I have tears of laughter streaming down down my face from those pics… I definitely need to come here and read more often 😀
Hey Tanja!
Welcome to Deliberate Receiving and thanks so much for the warm wishes. I started adding the funny pics more for my own amusement than anything (I just enjoy creating them). But you’re welcome to come by anytime and join in the laughter. 😉 Thanks for saying hi and hope to see you around some more.
Huge hugs,
Melody
Congratulations on your first blog year anniversary Melody. I met you not long ago and blogging myself about the law of attraction I am always interested in knowing people who believe in the same stuff I do.
I saw that you mentioned that someone had interviewed you about blogging and I am not surprise since you do have a great number of readers on your blog and lot of followers on Twitter and Facebook as well 🙂
Congratulations 🙂
Thanks so much Sylviane! That’s something I’m really proud of: the awesomeness of the people I’ve managed to attract to this blog. And yes, I take full credit, ha, ha. It gives me the warm and fuzzies every day. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Hot damn, did I miss the party? I know you have a tendency to run around in your birthday suit so I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it; but it appears I am a day late and a dollar short, huh? The story of my life………..
I’m right behind you; I think mine is Mar 4, I’ll have to double check.
Congratulations, you are doing great and looking forward to seeing more of you……doh…. not in that kind of way……….:).
Bill! Better late than never! 🙂
Jeez, you make it sound like I run around nekkid all the time. I most certainly do not. Not in the winter anyway… So no worries, you didn’t miss any nekkidness. Just the hoolah dancers. And the piñata.
Thank you so much for your kind words. Innuendo and all. 😉
Huge hugs!
Melody
Billy is bad……..but he can’t help it………..
Billy’s not as bad as he thinks he is. 😉
Hey Awesome Melody,
Congratulations once again and Happy Birthday baby deliberate. God Bless You & May All Your Dreams Come True.
Looking forward to be associated with you till the end, may be till I reach 85 😉
154 posts itself is a great achievement and the response what you are getting on your first birthday itself shows what a Fantastic person you are.
I am very grateful to you for coming in my life and helping me understand what LOA is and how to manifest what I want. From the 1st post to your new series, every post, audio, video, personal coaching etc is worth following. Your help in dealing with my kid and growing her perfectly is boon.
My wife & I love you, respect you & adore you.
Huge Hugs & Lots of Love,
Sameer:)
Hi Sameer!
Thank you so much for your wonderful and kind words! I’m all warm and fuzzy now! It’s been a wonderful year and I can’t wait to see how the Universe continues to surprise and delight me.
Huge hugs and much love to you, your wife and your beautiful little girl.
Melody
Huge congrats Melody!!! It looks like you’ve really “found” your online voice. I’ve struggled with that since I started my blog about a year ago as well. Seems like once we let our true selves out there, all kinds of awesome things happen and awesome people like you come into our lives.
May 2012 totally ROCK for you!!!
Hey Paige,
Thanks so much! I think the key truly is to be authentic – to have the courage to show the world who you are. And then, yes, the most awesome people start flooding in. So grateful to have connected with you, chica!
2012 is indeed going to be epic. Actually, it already is. Yay!
Huge hugs,
Melody
Happy Happy Birthday…DRB! I think I found you when you were only a few months old (talk about robbing the cradle… :)) I am so glad that I found your wonderful, encouraging, insightful, funny as hell, thoughtful and thought provoking blog. You have really enhanced my life. I too have grown with your blog. (I actually managed to shed a few pounds too…yeah me).
I look forward to another great year!
Squishy Hugs,
Kim
Hey Kim!!!
Yep, you were definitely one of the Original Fans, part of the Original Crew! Ha! You can brag about that when I’m famous. Or even if I’m not. 😉
And Yay!!!!! Congrats on the weight loss. Sorry I’m not quite done with the book. It’s coming. And it will be epic. But that baby has to be ready before I can birth it…
I feel so grateful to have attracted someone like you, my dear Kim!
High five, fist bump, jazz hands and a squishy hug (I’m competitive like that…)
Melody
Melody,
Happy 1st Birthday! I wish you many, many more too.
xoxo,
Angela
Thanks so much Angela!
I feel really privileged to have gotten to know you this year.
Huge hugs!
Melody
Happy one year blog birthday…..
I haven’t known you for long but I already am a fan of your blog and LOVE your energy.
I’m proud of you for doing such a bang up job this year. Love Fran
Hi Fran,
I feel the same way. It’s been so wonderful getting to know you and your blog over the last couple of weeks. Let’s see what we can accomplish next year! 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
Belated Happy Blogaversary Melody! Congratulations! And ohmygosh – I just saw my mug on your friends page = I’m so honored!
You do an AWESOME job Girlfriend! You’re my Go-To LOA person! 🙂
Now on to the second year!
Lori
Hey Lori,
Of course! I adore your blog and I love how we’ve connected this year. Actually, I think I’d better overhaul that page and add a bunch more people. That list is outdated and way too short. How awesome is that?? 🙂
Thanks so much for bringing me into your community, Lori. It’s meant a lot to me and still does. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Melody!!!!!
Happy one year to your blog!! Woohoo!!! I’m breaking out the cake and ice cream (or maybe the carrots and broccoli!)!!!
Ha, ha, Lance. How about sorbet and raw chocolate cake? Oooh, I so want that now!
Thanks so much for stopping by. I feel so lucky to have connected with you this year!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Congratulations Melody!
Thanks so much Todd!
Huge hugs,
Melody
Congratulation on making this far, from what i see, you must have a very hardworking year and you deserve what you got now. May success will keep coming to you this year and i hope that love for the blog remain forever in your heart.
Thanks so much Alex! Right now, the love is still going strong. The response to this post hasn’t hurt, either. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
heyyy mell….,
a huge congratulations to you …
i have been a consistent reader of your blog..
i can’t pick any favorite post because i love all of them 🙂
again congrats to you and best wishes for your future…
Hey Saurabh,
It’s been wonderful connecting with you this year. Thank you for all of your comments and mails and for letting me get to know you a bit better.
Huge hugs!
Melody
You are awesome and it was so fun going down memory lane with the posts and the recap of the pictures…laughing still and again
Thank you for all the hugs and sending right back at you… you do have a way with happy
Hi Patricia,
It’s been such a pleasure getting to know you this year! I truly feel that I’ve gained a friend. 🙂
Bommerang hugs,
Melody
Hi!
Happy B’day,
I have loved your blog for its variety & approach.
All i can do is to pray”MAY YOUR TRIBE INCREASE
& INCREASING THE JOY OF OUR LIFE”
WITH LOVE/BEST WISHES,
dilip
ps: pray continue to inspire your fans
Thanks for your prayers Dilip! What a wonderful thing to say!!
Huge hugs to you!
Melody
Happy Birthday to this charming, funny and wise one-year-old of yours and ours, Melody!
I really appreciate being attracted to it, not just because I am very much interested in the subject matter itself, but because of your natural and humorous approach to things.
I really like your sense of humor, which I think is similar to mine. Modesty is obviously another feature that we have in common 😉
Just keep inspiring, keep being wonderful!
Lots of hugs and kisses (totally innocent, I’m fully dressed)
Dessy
Hi Dessy,
Thank you so much for your kind and wonderful words. Modesty is overrated my friend. Understanding how great you are is not the same as thinking you’re better than others. So, let’s all be immodest! Wait… that may have come out wrong. 😉
Huge hugs (if you’re doing it right, even fully clothed kisses can be totally indecent, dahling. Ha!)
Melody
Congratulations, and Happy Birthday to the site. Keep blogging, it’s invaluable. I love your writing and your humour, and I look forward to connecting with you more over the coming year, until I can wish you another Happy Birthday!!
Massive birthday hugs xxxx
Thanks Sinead!
I’m so happy that you found your way here. I mean… that I attracted you here. With my zombie LOA gun. ZZZZZZZZZZZ. 😉
Huge hugs!
Melody
Zombie Guns…..wow, LOA encompasses EVERYTHING!! 😉
Hugs back at ya xx
Congrats! You’ve done yourself proud! Some pretty amazing photos! Haha!
Thanks Ken! I appreciate the nod, 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
Congrats Melody, looking forward to more, more, more of your writings 🙂
P.s. You regularly write about how much you appreciate your readers and what they mean to you but don’t forget (as if you would!) that this is a matching universe … we appreciate your work just as much! Yours is the ONLY blog I regularly read and make a point of reading each entry and there’s a ton of LOA blogs out there 🙂
Congrats again!
Wow Peter,
Thank you so much for your wonderful words! I’m truly honored to be your go-to LOA blog, lol. You’re so sweet to say that. *sniff*
Huge hugs!!
Melody
Congrats Melody,
Its alway great to read your blog , i so enjoy it. Happy birthday and Happy anniversary
and many more. Your blog has made a difference in my life and I am sure in many other
peoples lives as well.
Enjoy
Kathy
Thanks so much Kathy!! You’re such a sweetie!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Congratulations and best wishes to you — you’re absolutely great with providing hope and a positive outlook and, i love your cheeky style!
Guess you’re celebrating tonight, so let it rip and enjoy!
Hugs,
Brian
Thanks Brian! I and my cheeks thank you. 😉
Huge hugs,
Melody
Congratulations Melody!!! I am so happy I found this blog, and I am extremely happy to be here to see you start your DR Coaching. I think you are who I want to be when I grow up. 🙂 It must be an awesome feeling to reach out, help and make a difference in the lives of people you’ve never actually met….. Yeah, I want to be you when I grow up!
Cheryl! May I call you mini me? 😉
Not seriously, I refuse to grow up and become one of those serious people who hates their lives. That’s what people mean when they say “grow up”. They mean, “be serious.” Not gonna happen. Let’s not ever grow up. Let’s play instead.
Cake fight! Yay!
So glad to have connected with you, dear Cheryl. And yes, this is the best job in the world. I get to cyber-meet awesome people and have the great privilege of getting to be a part of their growth process. It’s just amazing.
Huge hugs to you my dear!
Melody
Melody- Congrats on your first year and Happy, Happy Anniversary. You are so right that getting through the first year is known to be the most difficult and the fact that you found your voice is soooooo great. I love that I found you and am really looking forward to continuing to read all your thoughts and wisdom.
Thanks so much Sibyl,
So glad to have connected with you, as well. That’s another great thing about blogging. You get to connect with so many cool people! Like you! 🙂
Hugs grandes!
Melody
Happy Birthday, Deliberate Receiving!!!!!
You’ve grown into such a beautiful young thang, in spite of your mother! Heheh…you know I’m teasing you, Melody….right? 😉
I’m looking forward to many, many more years of watching you grow and change the world, as only LOA can do!!
Now, scootch over and let me at that cake!!
AHAHAHAHA. Yeah… you’re totally banned. 😉
Interestingly enough, Mary Carol referred to my blog as my baby, and she’s the granny. I like that. I guess that makes you the crazy cousin? Everyone has one…
No shoving! There’s plenty of virtual cake for everyone. The baby kitty stayed up all night baking it. Cause I delegate like that.
Huge hugs!!
Melody
Congrat’s sis! You’re the best!
Thanks Tina! 🙂
Smooches!
Melody
You know what this means, don’t you? Melody, you DO know what this means…don’t you? Yes, that’s what it means. It’s time. Time for…the High-five. But not just any high-five. It’s time for the Five Of High, a consensual slapping of palms that is so awesome, so cool, so cosmic-blisteringly insane that it was invented by the only person who could conjure such a thing…our Lord and Messiah. He who guides us with His wisdom. He who flocks us into an organized group of sheep when we go astray like a group…of…urmm..sheep. Yes. Barney Stinson. (What up?)
Are you ready for your congratulatory Five Of High, Melody? Here we go. Palm raised high, gather the power of awesome from the cosmos, and KAPPOWWWW!!!
Wow. That felt legen…..*wait for it*……….dary!!
Keep the great stuff coming, Melody! 😀
I totally assume that you suited up before comment-high-fiving me. Of course you did. You know the gospel.
On this, the most special of occasions, I formally accept your awesome high five Sir Namealot.
*point at my eyes* *points at your eyes* *points at my eyes*
No matter what happens, we’ll always have this moment.
Huge hugs to you!
Melody
*tisk tisk tisk* Melody, Melody, Melody. I’m always suited-up. Always. Is there any other way to dress, being a Stinsonian and all?
There is NO other way to dress. Unless you’re a girl. In which case, acceptable alternative attire would be: Naked, anything else as long as we promise to get naked. The rules. I knows them.
Aah. I love being Stinsonian.
Hi Melody,
You’re very welcome! Your work has helped me get a lot of clarity on the law of attraction. To me this is a great gift. Understanding the law of attraction is changing my life in so many ways.
As far as blogging, I too am a writer/blogger and understand the courage and committment it takes to share your message even when it seems like no one maybe listening. However I know that when you have a message that you feel so passionate about you can’t help but share it. I’m glad you decided to do that.
Hugs to you too:-)
Many blessings and peace,
Neseret
Hi Melody,
Congratulations! You are an AWESOME example of a beautiful, strong, magnificent woman! I’m grateful to have come across your blog. Thank you for the wonderful work you do! Wishing you many more years to come!
Peace, Love & Gratitude,
Neseret
Wow Neseret! Thanks so much for your wonderful words! *blush*
I’m grateful that you came across the blog, too! Without people like you, I’d just be some weirdo screaming into the crowd. It’s a loss less weird when a few people actually gather around to listen… 😉
Huge hugs!
Melody
Congratulations, Melody! I am going to enjoy reading all your favorite posts. The Law of Attraction is pulling me in!
Thanks Vidya! Ha, ha. The law of attraction is attracting you. 🙂
Huge hugs!
Melody
congrats my dear – it’s a great website that can combine wisdom and humor!
Riley
Thanks Riley. It’s a great mind that can appreciate both! Ha!
Huge hugs!
Melody
Congratulations! And to think, YOU’ve attracted all this, and all of us!
Hugs and love,
Mary Carol
Thanks Mary Carol! I know right? *pats herself on back*
I totally deserve all of you, he, he.
Huge squishy hugs!
Melody