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	<title>WIRL Project &#187; What It&#8217;s Really Like</title>
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	<description>What It&#039;s Really Like.</description>
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		<title>The Question That Made Me Realize My Stress Was Hurting My Husband. A Lot.</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-question-that-made-me-realize-my-stress-was-hurting-my-husband-a-lot/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/the-question-that-made-me-realize-my-stress-was-hurting-my-husband-a-lot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2015 08:30:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Diana Kerr]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Love/Relationships]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[busyness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Husband]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=8503</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Last year I came across a blog post that encouraged me to ask a question, just one question, of my spouse. The couple who wrote the article said it did wonders in their marriage, so I tried it. I asked Kyle, “What do you need from me?” I fully expected him to answer something related to him, to his love languages, something like, “I need more encouragement and support from you regarding my job” or “I need more quality time with you.” His answer broke my heart. “I need you to be less stressed.” Remember the post I wrote last April? There are no April goals this month? I wrote that post in the midst of a really stressful, icky season of life. I was nearly killing myself trying to do everything and be everything, and it was taking a major toll on my health. To start with, I had horrible insomnia. I would wake up most nights at 2 or 3 a.m., my mind racing and heart beating fast, and never fall back sleep. I was also having mild anxiety attacks at work. I actually sought out counseling, because the girl with the “I can fix anything” mentality was at a loss for how to make the anxiety go away. Normally, I was pretty good at juggling an overloaded schedule and the stress that went with it. This was pretty out of control. In the midst of all the madness, I was so focused on myself and the craziness I’d allowed into my life. I didn’t realize the toll my stress was taking on Kyle. Kyle was literally experiencing trouble breathing when he was around me. My stress and anxiety was partly to blame for the weird, deep breaths I noticed he had been taking. It was a strange new habit that he couldn’t control. Kyle’s answer to my question, “What do you need from me?” shouldn’t have surprised me, but it totally did. His answer changed so much. It turned my problem from one in which I felt like a victim to stress into a problem in which I realized that, through my stress and busyness, I was actually victimizing and hurting the man I love most. Kyle and I decided to take a week off of work and head on a road trip to our favorite part of the country, the South. I shut off the rest of the world for a week. I’m getting emotional typing this as I think about what a difference that trip made. That trip was a game changer. I became myself again. I was the fun, happy, goofy Diana that Kyle loved and missed so much. I missed her, too. On the way home, we resolved to not let that Diana go away again. Life was not magically transformed when we got home, but that change in mindset has been absolutely huge in dealing with my stress and busyness since then. I’m not perfect, and I definitely still freak out sometimes, but the improvement is very noticeable. (I’m also happy to say Kyle is back to breathing normally.) What do you think your man would say if you asked him this question? Maybe he would say something similar. Even if he didn’t answer the way Kyle did, I bet most men would agree that they’d love for their girlfriends/fiancées/ wives to be less stressed out. I think that’s a powerful motivation for us as women, to not only guard ourselves from unhealthy amounts of stress, but to guard our marriages and relationships from that as well. Wanna know my main goal related to stress and my marriage? My goal is not to never ever have stress or ever feel overwhelmed again. That’s not realistic. Plus, stress is actually not always as bad for us as we think. My goal with my stress is to keep it at a level that I can be authentic with Kyle about my feelings without overwhelming him. If I am way too stressed out to be able to accomplish that goal, it means I have to either 1) hide how I’m truly feeling from Kyle in order to protect him or 2) let it out and be okay with causing him anxiety. I’m not okay with either of those options, so I’m working to avoid them. Girl, I believe God wants to use your life in a meaningful way. I believe he has plans for you, and specifically plans for how your marriage or relationship will produce fruit by serving others and pointing others to him. Don’t allow stress and busyness to hurt that plan. Get intentional about how you spend your days. Most of all, pray for God’s strength and peace and that it would permeate you and your marriage. I’ve got your back, and God does, too!]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like &#8211; The Story Behind WIRL Project</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-the-story-behind-wirl-project/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-the-story-behind-wirl-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 07:30:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Assuring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Baby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Billion Dollars]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CORE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Famous Podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Instagram]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[More]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Motherhood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Selfies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Struggle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[T.v. Williams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=7969</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had the privilege of being invited by T.v. Williams to be on his Famous Podcast a few weeks ago. I recently shared Part 1 of the show featuring a few stories about me and my personal life. Today I&#8217;m talking more about my professional life and how I was inspired to create the WIRL Project platform. In this particular portion of the show (Part 2) I am talking about: My son Mason (a quick blurb) My career as a teacher and how I always felt compelled to do something &#8220;more&#8221;.  How my Father pushed me to follow my heart, even in his last days How I ever got started blogging in the first place How T.v. called WIRL Project the next &#8220;Billion Dollar Company&#8221;! (Hint: He compared it to Instagram!)  Why I believe that people are all alike at our core How you can get involved and start sharing your stories on the WIRL Project platform &#160; As I said with Part 1, was very honest and real in this podcast and I&#8217;m looking forward to sharing the other parts with you in the future. I love the idea of podcasting because not everyone has time to sit down and read everyday, plus you get to actually see the show in action! I also love podcasts because they&#8217;re something you can play on your phone while you are driving or cleaning your kitchen or while you have a few minutes to sit on the couch and relax. The video link is below, let me know what you think! &#160; &#160; Thanks for watching and thank you T.v. for having me on the Famous Podcast! &#160; &#160; &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like to CHOOSE to Work Rather Than HAVE To.</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-choose-to-work-rather-than-have-to/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-choose-to-work-rather-than-have-to/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Jul 2015 07:30:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kristin Cogan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dream job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home based business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MLB WIFE]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[residual income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rodan + fields]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Skincare]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=7713</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was inspired to write this WIRL after reading about Jacquelyn Frazier. Jacquelyn Frazier is a social media maven, a mom, and the wife of Cincinnati Reds standout Todd Frazier. Todd just so happens to be this years MLB home run derby champion. He also made $3.75 million this past year and will make $8.25 million next year. So to say that Jacquelyn doesn&#8217;t have to work might be an understatement. But she CHOOSES to run her own business with Rodan + Fields. I too have chosen to partner with the doctors of Proactiv Solution while they take over the anti-aging skincare market. And even though I am FAR from Jacquelyn&#8217;s financial situation, I didn&#8217;t start my business necessarily for the income. I know a lot of people who start their business to have more income and time freedom. But for me, I honestly started for fun. A lot of my girlfriends were doing great at it and I saw them one after another retire from their corporate careers because of Rodan + Fields. And they were having FUN doing so! As a stay-at-home mom, I was missing a sense of self accomplishment and self fulfillment that I had when I was working full time. But I certainly didn&#8217;t want to go back to working for someone else. So now, just like Jacquelyn, I CHOOSE to work on my own terms and on my own time, when I CHOOSE! I feel so blessed that I was introduced to this business so I never HAVE to work. Never before have I been apart of something so inspiring, uplifting and encouraging. The passion I have for my &#8220;work&#8221; is eye opening. And when you find something you love, you will never WORK a day in your life. And I get to tell everyone I know about it in the hopes that this business can be a blessing for them as well! &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like to Be a Flight Attendant</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-be-a-flight-attendant/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-be-a-flight-attendant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Jun 2015 18:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Flight Attendant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Being a flight attendant comes with some major perks: For one, you get to travel the world. But the job isn’t without its own challenges, too. Those of us in more grounded offices get to go home everyday; if your office has wings, though, you might be away from your home on nights you’d rather be in your own bed. So what wins out: Homesickness, or love of travel? Turns out that’s just one of the questions that comes up when you get ready to start a life in the sky. We got together with Glenn and Curtis, two flight attendants (and partners—they met on the job!) at the same major airline with a combined total of 37 years experience, to find out what the lifestyle of a professional flight attendant is like, from being a newbie to a pro in the business. 1. It’s not just a career. Glenn: “It’s a career, but it’s also a lifestyle. We have friends all over the world. We’re professional travelers. I’ve been based in London and Hong Kong, as well as San Francisco, where we both are now. You get used to living out of a suitcase, and bringing your little toiletry kit with you everywhere. You have your set of routines, depending on whether the flight is domestic or international, what the weather is like in the place you’re going, things like that. But you adapt to it, too. At home we have this big bag with a bunch of little bags inside, all stuffed with different currencies.” &#160; For the rest of this confessional written by Sarah Purkrabek of Afar, visit the link below. *Photo and excerpt source: Afar.com]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Twin Boys: What It Was REALLY Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/twin-boys-what-it-was-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/twin-boys-what-it-was-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2015 11:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest WIRL]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Babies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boob]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Breastfed]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Breastfeeding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twin Babies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twin Boys]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Twins]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6806</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have identical twin sons, Tai &#38; Jay, now all grown up in their 20&#8217;s, but it really does seem like yesterday they were those cute little men running around amusing each other and us! So twins are on both sides of the family and the story says twins should skip a generation, but not in my case. It&#8217;s funny because in my family – I was the youngest of 4 girls, and my 3 sisters each had a baby the year before I had twins, and 2 of those babies were born one month apart, so we used to call them our twinnies &#8211; until the real twins arrived…. My boys were my first babies, born full term for twins, 38 weeks and were 5 pounds 5 ounces and 5 pounds 15 ounces – so little, but a good weight for twins. I won’t bore you with the details, but it was natural and all over in 2 hours and 40 mins from when I was induced to when I was holding the second bub. I had a bet with one of the nurses that I would be done by 12 noon and the second baby was born at 12:03 pm, but I had to stop mid birth as he was the breach baby and had his arm up over his head and could have broken his collarbone if born that way. So the Dr. made me stop to move his arm down before I could start again – so I won on a technicality! As they were my first babies, I hadn’t experienced the shifting and moving and growing and changing in my body before, but it was pretty dramatic. I assume it is like that the 1st pregnancy for every female. Two things I learned, seriously moisturize your stomach to avoid or minimize stretch-marks and make sure if you are going to breastfeed, to literally toughen your nipples up so they can cope with feeding babies all the time. I used Lanolin and it worked really well and was cheap and you could get it anywhere – but I’m sure there are more ‘modern’ versions that do the same thing – I also found topless sunbaking worked well (in the privacy of my backyard ☺ ). I learnt very quickly that when it came to feeding them (I breastfed) it was better for me to wake them both up to feed at the same time so at night I could actually get some sleep. Initially one would wake up, I would change and feed him then put him down and jump back in bad to get some sleep, then the other would wake up this would happen all night– so to save my sanity I started waking them both up and feeding at the same time – I was a much nicer person when I got a bit of sleep! I used an elbow cushion to support my arms when feeding them, when little they were facing into each other (toes touching), and as they grew I turned them out so their feet were under my arms, not one kicking the other in the head! With single bubs you are meant to swap boobs each feed, but as there are two, I swapped daily as one did eat a bit more than the other – I didn’t want to walk around lopsided. My husband is Fijian and I spent 5.5 months of my pregnancy in Fiji and we had a traditional basket woven for when the twins arrived – I figured they had spent soo much time together in my belly it would be traumatic to separate them after birth, so they slept in the same basket until they grew out of that at approximately 3 months, then I put them in a single bed with cushions around so they couldn’t fall out. Due to the size difference, when born they looked pretty different, very easy to know who was who. But as they grew, about when they were toddling around they had gorgeous ringlets/mini afro hair and they were about the same height and weight. It became very tricky working out which was which – I knew (most of the time), but others couldn’t tell. Looking at photos now I struggle to work it out! I used to dress them in very similar clothes, but different colors and that is usually the way I tell them apart now to be honest. They were very cheeky at that toddler age, they used to run in opposite directions and I had to assess the risk and run after one then turn around to catch the other – funny when in safe surroundings, but something I think they instinctually know to do, so be warned! A strange thing we worked out with our boys is that if one injured himself, within either a couple of hours or days, the other one injured himself too – it still happens now and they are in their 20&#8217;s. We don’t know why and have discussed it with them and they didn’t realise, but yet it still happens. When they were babies, they had their own language – babies seem to understand each other in general, but other babies couldn’t understand our two, thankfully they grew out of that pretty quickly as I knew other twins that didn’t for years. Tai &#38; Jay have a very strong connection, but are very different people – have been since they started school, but the connection still is strong. They argue like cat and dog, but will defend each other if someone outside the family says anything – and I like that! My doctor had already told me that it was highly likely I would continue to have twins or possibly more, so when I was pregnant the second time I was terrified I was having triplets &#8211; I have two hands and a set of boobs, but 3 babies at once – oh noooo. So when I found out I was only having one I was a little disappointed, as strange as that sounds. Turns out baby No. 3 and 4 have such huge personalities it is like having the extra people in the house anyway! In my opinion, twins are awesome. When they are babies you just need to be super organized and have a good routine and for me, things went smoothly, thankfully. And when they are a bit older and interactive – they have a permanent playmate, so you can actually get some stuff done while they are playing together. Through school I ensured they were in separate classes so they didn’t depend on each other, but they knew they had support if needed, especially in the first year of schooling. I felt it was important to have that support, but not be too dependent on each other. In the early days of twins you do need support, especially while working out your routine, so ask for help as most people are totally fascinated by twins, and that makes shopping sometimes very long due to all the lovely comments you will receive. Remember, keep calm &#8211; like all babies they can smell the fear on you, it’s just double trouble with twins. So, if you are a new twin mum or a soon to be mum of twins – congratulations! All Mums are super special, words cannot express the feeling of bringing a baby into the world, but having Twins, well I think we are extra special. All the best. &#160; Join the conversation! Easily contribute your story here. &#160; About the Author… This WIRL was contributed by Fiona McGrath-Volau.  &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Caitlyn Jenner: What You&#8217;re REALLY Thinking&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/caitlyn-jenner-what-youre-really-thinking/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/caitlyn-jenner-what-youre-really-thinking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2015 08:30:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Athlete]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beauty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caitlyn Jenner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Man]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[support]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transgender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vanity Fair]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Woman]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yes, I said it, Caitlyn Jenner. The former Bruce Jenner has finally physically transitioned and let &#8220;her&#8221; out of the closet making her debut on Vanity Fair magazine earlier this week. Good for him! or her? Right? Or not? Hmmm? Let&#8217;s be real&#8230;we ALL have something to say about this&#8230;EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. US. Even if you say you &#8220;don&#8217;t care&#8221;, there must be a reason why you don&#8217;t care, because EVERYONE else seems to. So, let&#8217;s &#8220;talk&#8221;. I&#8217;ve complied a few Caitlyn Jenner quotes from around the web. Let&#8217;s have this conversation in true WIRL fashion and talk about what we&#8217;re REALLY thinking. You may agree with comment 1, but strongly disagree with comment 5&#8230;let us know how you feel! Remember, no hate language is allowed according to WIRL Code, but, open, honest, genuine thoughts and feelings are, so be thoughtful of your words and WIRL from the heart.  Here&#8217;s how this will work: Read the following 5 comments and watch the video clip that (light heartedly) sheds some light on this subject. Then, in the comment box below, tell us what you think. Pretend this platform is your best friend and say what you would say to that person. Got it? Okay, here we go! Quote 1: “I’m sorry, it’s hard to be ‘proud’ of someone who has had the financial means to achieve unrealistic goals for girls like us”. &#8211; Lilith Gütler (TheGuardian.com) Quote 2: “This is something that has been part of her life — the secret of her life — and now she’s free. God bless you, honey. God bless you.” - Whoopie Goldberg (TheWrap.com) Quote 3: &#8220;Caitlyn, when you were a man, we could talk about your athleticism, business acumen, but now you&#8217;re a woman, and your looks are really the only thing we care about.&#8221; &#8211; Jon Stewart (Mic.com) Quote 4: &#8220;Elective surgery isn&#8217;t courage or bravery&#8230;&#8221; - Kristin @KristinH1998 (Twitter.com) Quote 5: &#8220;I’m totally supportive of people staying true to themselves and finding true happiness in whatever way they can. There are just more things that we as a nation and as a planet should be talking about and working on.&#8221; - Connor Cruise (Hollywoodlife.com) Video Clip: Jon Stewart (Mic.com) The Daily Show Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive &#160; &#160; So, how do you feel? Which comment or segment of the video caught your attention? Let us know below! Be real and tell us how you REALLY feel&#8230; &#160; *Image source: Vanity Fair]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Confession: What Blogging is REALLY Like</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/confession-what-blogging-is-really-like/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/confession-what-blogging-is-really-like/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2015 14:30:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Sara Brennan]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Technology/Web]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work/Money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alexa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Analytics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Link Parties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pageviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Statistics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Traffic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Blogging]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6155</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I started blogging a little over a year ago. In this time I&#8217;ve learned SO MUCH about the blogging world and I must confess, it&#8217;s not really what it appears to be.  I&#8217;ve wanted to share what I&#8217;m about to say for a long time now, but I was nervous about how others would respond&#8230;.especially since many of the reasons I started WIRL Project stem from many of these blogging secrets that many people don&#8217;t know about. I am by not necessarily a &#8220;blogging expert&#8221;, but I am an expert at sharing my thoughts and stories, so you can take or leave whatever I say. I think a lot of people will agree and be glad I shared this. Oh and if you agree or disagree, go ahead and comment below. I&#8217;m going to break this down into two parts for you, so I&#8217;m not all over the place&#8230; Part 1: What Non-Bloggers Should Know About Blogging 1.  Pageviews Matter, A LOT! Giving a blogger a click or a &#8220;pageview&#8221; is SUPER VALUABLE to them! Here are some facts about why pageviews matter (I will elaborate below): • Much of blogging is based on statistics. • Pageviews show us that other people actually care and like what we&#8217;re doing. • The length of time you stay on a site matters too! • This can get tricky&#8230; but pageviews can actually = $$$$ for the blogger! There are websites that rank blogs based on traffic (Alexa). When you are looking to set goals for your blog or to even monetize the site (AKA: make money), you will be forced to really understand your statistics and analytics. There are terms such as &#8220;bounce rate&#8221; and &#8220;session duration&#8221; which summarize how long people stay on your site or how much they &#8220;click around&#8221; before they leave. Side Note: One reason I created WIRL Project was to help bloggers to have a platform to share their work, grow their audience, and get more page views in an organic, authentic way. So, basically, if you want to show your support to a blogger or website, you should actually visit their site and spend some time taking a look at what they&#8217;ve put together. It&#8217;s super easy for you, super helpful for them and it&#8217;s FREE! 2.  We LOVE When You Comment and Share Our Posts Have you ever heard of something going &#8220;viral&#8221;? This can only happen when people love what we create and decide to &#8220;share&#8221; it with others! Most viral posts have hundreds of comments and thousands of shares. If you like something we&#8217;ve done, let us know! Even the smallest little comment means SO much to us and can set the tone for other&#8217;s to comment as well! 3.  Blogging is A LOT of Work No blogger really wants to admit this to anyone because it may sound like we&#8217;re complaining, ranting, bragging, etc. but, it really is a lot of work. To make our site look aesthetically pleasing and function properly it takes a lot of time and effort. I HATED that I had to learn about things such as plugins, widgets, and coding!! (Which is why I eventually created WIRL Project, so people could blog without all this hassle!) Then, you have to choose a niche, write great content, find an audience, and get traffic to your site from search engines or blogging communities. And you thought we just sat there and wrote all day&#8230;didn&#8217;t you. 4. Affiliate and Sponsored Posts Can Be a Load of Crap! Some people are going to be really pissed at me for saying that, but I don&#8217;t care. For those who don&#8217;t know, affiliate and sponsored posts are when a company or business pays or gives the blogger money or free stuff in exchange for them to talk about or review their products. Bloggers are supposed to disclose that they&#8217;re doing this type of post, and most of them do, so watch for this and let it be somewhat of a red flag because the blogger is basically the Sales Rep in this situation. So, if you&#8217;re looking for unbiased thought, story, or review, stay away from these kinds of posts. Let&#8217;s be honest, who is going to say something negative about a company who is paying them to promote them? It&#8217;s like the ultimate biting the hand that feeds you. (WIRL Project does not allow sponsored/affiliate WIRLS &#8211; we keep our content REAL!) 5. Some Bloggers Do Make a Nice Profit From Their Site&#8230;Most Don&#8217;t Remember how earlier I talked about pageviews and clicks and how important they are to bloggers? This is even more important to those who have pay-per-view or pay-per-click ads on their site. As a reader, you may resent the fact that you clicking on something can be putting money in someone ELSE&#8217;S pocket. It kinda makes you feel a little duped, but try not to feel this way. More than 80% of the time, bloggers who make any kind of money are just bringing in enough to stay afloat. Blogging does cost a bit of money out of pocket (domain name, hosting, web design, graphic design, etc.) so a few little clicks can be really helpful to keep the blog going! Remember: Pageviews = Traffic = Success in the blogging world!  &#160; There are a few other things I&#8217;d like to shed light on, but they may not make sense to those who do not blog. Feel free to continue reading for to hear my thoughts and the rants about the bloggy/web world. Part 2: Comments and Frustrations That Only Bloggers Will Understand 1. Link Parties I have NEVER understood the value nor have I really found any kind of long-term relationship with other bloggers in doing these. The whole concept is a little crazy to me! So, let&#8217;s get this striaght&#8230; A blogger is &#8220;hosting&#8221; a WEEKLY linky party and hundreds of people are going to go to THEIR site and &#8220;linking up&#8221; EVERY WEEK. Then, you&#8217;re supposed to &#8220;hop&#8221; around the link party and connect with the people who left their link. Seriously? It doesn&#8217;t take a rocket scientist to realize that the ONLY person truly benefitting from this linky party B.S. is the HOST(S)!!! Very few people actually visit any of the links on the site; they usually just &#8220;link and leave&#8221; (similar to the &#8220;dine and dash&#8221;) and don&#8217;t pay any attention (or pay it forward) to the other links that were shared. And then, to top it all off, everyone does it all over again next week!!! WHAT. THE. F? Sure, maybe you&#8217;ll get featured next week if you try again, but guess what&#8230;the host of the &#8220;linky party&#8221; is laughing as all 438 of you visit their site again next week and &#8220;link up&#8221; again. Are they giving you that kind of traffic in return? Doubt it. It&#8217;s all basically a scam, unless you find a really genuine, dedicated community to &#8220;link up&#8221; with &#8211; it&#8217;s basically waste of your freaking time! Whew, glad I got that off my chest! Moving on&#8230; 2. The Facebook Groups I am in a few Facebook Blogging groups that are really great in supporting me and WIRL Project. We share, pin, tweet, stumble, WIRL, support, and do all kinds of things to help each other out. But there are some Facebook groups that I have been in (and quickly left) because they&#8217;re SO ANNOYING! Sometimes I feel compelled to leave rude comment such as, You know you&#8217;re a blogger right? Not the President of the blogging world. Yes, you are the Admin of this super annoying Facebook group, but you&#8217;re ego, ridiculous rules, and obnoxious posts are down right stupid. Stop with the insanity! But, when I&#8217;m feeling compelled to do this, I choose to leave the group instead. 3. The Smoke and Mirrors (and SEO) As I said before, I have a few groups and communities I belong to and I really enjoy the people I&#8217;ve met and support I get from them. However, the blog world is a lot of smoke and mirrors &#8211; this is the reality. A &#8220;like&#8221; isn&#8217;t really a genuine &#8220;like&#8221;, because we&#8217;ve actually asked our blogging friends and communities to &#8220;like&#8221; our posts for us. BUT, we do this a lot of the time because our friends and family who don&#8217;t blog (see above), don&#8217;t understand the value of the traffic, &#8220;liking&#8221;, sharing, etc. so we need SOMEONE to help us out with it&#8230;so we turn to other bloggers who are facing the same thing. I want to express the reality of this because there are times when I see a blog with 12,000 Facebook &#8220;likes&#8221;, but their content sucks and they rarely post. This is a sign that this person is great at &#8220;buying&#8221; their &#8220;likes&#8221; and that people don&#8217;t really organically enjoy the site/content. For those of us who really work hard to boost our traffic and increase our stats, the whole smoke and mirrors thing can be frustrating. Check the &#8220;Alexa&#8221; rank of a site if things aren&#8217;t adding up&#8230;you&#8217;ll usually learn more of the truth from a third party site. And the SEO&#8230;don&#8217;t even get me started! Gearing your blog up for search engine optimization (SEO) is about as fun as poking yourself in the eye with a blunt probe! Just as you figure it out, search engines and social media sites change their algorithms and you have to basically start all over again. Do yourself a favor and outsource this hassle to someone (if you can afford it), or at least get someone to teach you the best way to manage SEO for your site. And keep in mind, a Google search may not be something that really drives traffic to your site anyway. It may be better to ditch the whole SEO crapshoot and focus on social media instead? Take a look at your analytics and make the best call based on your situation. 4. The Rewards Blogging is a lot of work (I&#8217;ll say that at least one more time before I&#8217;m done), but it is SO rewarding. The positive comments, shares, and support you get from family, friends, and fans is so humbling&#8230;people actually like what I have to say? Wow! Getting to know other bloggers and writing and sharing your inner thoughts and expertise with the goal of helping yourself and others is awesome. Hearing how you impacted someone&#8217;s life in a positive way because of something you suggested, advised, shared, or taught is the absolute BEST feeling. And though those moments may not come as often as we&#8217;d like, they definitely do occur and remind us why we started doing this in the first place, right? 5. Blogging Is a TON of Work I said this before and I&#8217;ll say it again &#8211; blogging is very time consuming and can be frustrating. I&#8217;m saying this from blogger-to-blogger because I feel your pain. Between taking and editing photos, writing great posts, posting on social media, being active in blogging communities, graphic and web design &#8211; it&#8217;s a lot for one person to handle. Not to mention, we have other responsibilities such as, being a parent, partner, spouse, caregiver, etc. and it can be really hard to balance your domestic life and your blogging life. If you&#8217;re anything like me, you&#8217;ll tell your spouse that you&#8217;ll be up to bed in 10 minutes, and it ends up being at least 45&#8230;somehow time moves at a different pace in blog world, don&#8217;t you think? Anyway, when it comes to choosing your blog vs your family, I hope you ALWAYS (or at least most of the time) choose your blog  family. The emails, updates, posts, and whatever else can always wait. But, sometimes putting your blog first means a break for you &#8211; and your sanity is what keeps your family together. Find the right mix and balance for your life, but do know that it IS alright to periodically take some time for yourself and your blog and tell your family you need some space (especially if you&#8217;re an introvert!). &#160; I wanted to share these thoughts with you because I think that a lot of people will be able to relate to what I&#8217;ve said. I also think it&#8217;s important for those who don&#8217;t blog to understand why we send emails and ask for shares. If blog outsiders know and understand a little bit of the blog world, maybe they will be more inclined to help us because they know that their efforts are actually really valuable. Hopefully this is the case. Fingers crossed! I also wanted to share this because I felt a lot of these frustrations within my first month of blogging, which is why I eventually went on to create WIRL Project. My vision for WIRL Project has always been that it would be a place or a platform where real people could read and share stories about life and what it&#8217;s really like (WIRL) in a casual, conversational way. I hated all the EXTRA WORK that came along with blogging &#8211; I just wanted a place to write and starting a blog meant SO much more than just writing. With WIRL Project, I want bloggers and non-bloggers alike to have a place to share their story without the extra hassle of setting up, paying for, and managing their own entire website. I wanted a place where the smoke and mirrors didn&#8217;t exist so much and we focused our efforts on the reason we started blogging in the first place &#8211; to share our thoughts, confessions, and stories about life. If you like and support the things I&#8217;ve said, I would highly recommend you Request to Join the WIRL Project Community. We are growing rapidly, gaining the attention of some industry leaders, and our content reaches thousands on a regular basis! We do this in the most organic, genuine way possible and hope you appreciate that. If you agree or disagree with the things I&#8217;ve said, I&#8217;d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. I guess we&#8217;ll see who was paying attention. Hint: I mentioned that I LOVE comments and shares (wink, wink).]]></description>
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		<title>WIRL Challenge Wednesday: What Is It REALLY Like to Be or Have a Twin?</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/wirl-challenge-wednesday-what-is-it-really-like-to-be-or-have-a-twin/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/wirl-challenge-wednesday-what-is-it-really-like-to-be-or-have-a-twin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2015 05:23:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Twin]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6519</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What Is It REALLY Like to Be or Have a Twin? Prompt: We want to hear from Twins! Tell us what being or having a twin is REALLY like! We&#8217;re looking for insider views and perspectives. If you are a twin, know anyone who is, or are a parent of a twin, we NEED to hear from you!!! All stories are relevant&#8230;let us know what it&#8217;s really like! Due 6/01 5:00 EST Use the Category &#8220;WIRL Challenge&#8221; and Tag &#8220;WIRL Twin&#8221;. You may contribute as a member, guest, or anonymously. &#160; Thoughts to consider when writing your WIRL: Are you identical or fraternal twins? What is your relationship with your twin really like? Are you super close? Do argue a lot? Do you feel that you have a special bond that is unlike other siblings? Have you ever wished you were not a twin? When? Why? Identical twins: Do you secretly hate that someone looks just like you? Or have you ever pulled any pranks? Most twins seem like they&#8217;re best friends with each other and constantly together. Why is this? Did you enjoy being in the same class as your twin in school? What are some benefits or drawbacks of having a twin? Do you hope to have twins yourself someday? Is there a crazy &#8220;twin&#8221; story you could share? Has being a twin ever brought you any unique opportunities? Such as a Double Mint commercial? &#160; Contact Help@WIRLproject.com if you have any questions. ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>WIRL Workout at WIRL Project</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/wirl-workout-at-wirl-project/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/wirl-workout-at-wirl-project/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2015 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL Challenge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL workout]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work out]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Workout]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6307</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today at WIRL Project you will hear from several individuals who were interested in sharing their stories and confessions when asked &#8220;What Does Working Out REALLY Mean To You&#8221;. We want to hear from you too! To contribute your story or confession, use the Contribute a WIRL form here and use the tag &#8220;WIRL Workout&#8221; in your post and on social media. To search all of the &#8220;WIRL Workout&#8221; contributions, input &#8220;WIRL Workout&#8221; into the search box or click here. WIRL Project and all of our writers are looking forward to sharing our contributed stories with you today! We&#8217;d also love to hear your comments, stories, and thoughts about working out! Follow us on Facebook for all updates throughout the day!]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>What It&#8217;s Really Like To Go Through Chemo Therapy</title>
		<link>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-go-through-chemo-therapy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.wirlproject.com/what-its-really-like-to-go-through-chemo-therapy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2015 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WIRL Project]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Health/Fitness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life/Leisure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Battle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cancer Treatment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chemo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chemo Therapy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diagnosis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Treatment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[What It's Really Like]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WIRL]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wirlproject.com/?p=6088</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Finding out you have cancer would bring a whirlwind of thoughts, feelings, and emotions to your mind and body. Then, the reality sets in and you&#8217;re faced with the treatment options. How are you going to beat this beast? The emotional and physical strength it must take to get through such a thing must be incredible. WIRL Project wants to shed light on this subject because there are so many stories. Stories of hope, strength, and fear. Educational stories, I&#8217;ve-been-there-too stories, painful stories, stories of loss, and stories of hope. Unfortunately, we ALL know someone who&#8217;s been diagnosed with cancer; it&#8217;s hard for everyone. We mainly hear about the sad stories, but so many people find strength and put up an amazing fight. They show us courage, hope, faith, and triumph as they rise above the awful disease. And we&#8217;re not just talking about the patients. Sometimes, being the caregiver of a cancer patient can be just as daunting on the mind and soul, especially because they are asked to be so strong all the time. WIRL Project is asking you to contribute stories and confessions about cancer and what it was really like. We want to hear from caregivers, patients, doctors, therapists, friends, etc. and how cancer has affected or changed your life. To easily share as a guest, click here. Today, we are sharing a story of what it&#8217;s really like to go through chemotherapy. Actress, Krysta Rodriguez, just finished several months of treatment and was willing to let us in and share what it was really like. Here is an excerpt from the story: &#8220;&#8230;but by the time I walked into the treatment center for my first round, my resolve had reach Hulk-like proportions. I practically kicked down the door chanting, &#8220;What do we want? Chemo! When do we want it? NOW!&#8221; My body needed me to step up and I had to answer the call. If that meant going through a little slice of hell, then so be it. That assuredness lessened as the treatments went on. Once you&#8217;ve experienced the side effects, it&#8217;s hard to psyche yourself into returning to the scene of the crime. I would find myself getting sad or anxious in the days leading up to another dose. I think my body just knew what was in store and wasn&#8217;t ready. But for me, mental strength was key, and I would allow these moments to happen but not dwell on them.&#8221; Click the link below to read the whole story from Cosmopolitan.com and share YOUR story at WIRL Project today. You never know how sharing your experience could impact someone else&#8217;s life. *Image and excerpt from Cosmopolitan.com &#160;]]></description>
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