A Look Back at 2013: Thank You Too, Ms. Patty Laurel-Filart

One of the most memorable moments of 2013 was when famous blogger Patty Laurel-Filart visited our Bloggers' Hub back in November. She was one of the rare speakers that our school invited that I actually recognized, and definitely one of the most fun to be with. Not only is she known across the blogging universe, but she is also famous for her modeling career (I see her Watson's ad everywhere), her former job as an MTV VJ, and her famous lineage (her ancestor is former president Jose P. Laurel), so I was definitely looking forward to this club meeting.

In her talk, "Blog Loving 101", she helped all of us club members in creating our blog persona, formulating what our blogs should be about, and the pros & cons of a blog, while she shares many hilarious stories of her life. She gave us many tips, but these are the ones I took to heart:

1. You can't please everybody. 

Just like making a movie or a book, there are people who love our stories and there are some who are not interested. The lack of pageviews or negative comments should not faze a blogger's interests.

2. Think about what you post.

We shouldn't give away personal data that can be used against us. Also, we must not post something that we would take back later. Posting smart and positive things, being ourselves and having fun are good, but we should always keep caution.

3. There are many opportunities in being a blogger.

Making posts can help us discover something new about ourselves. Our blog can serve as a voice in society, since it could reach hundreds of people. Maybe, we can be future agents of change.

4. Be your own EIC.

We can post anything we want, as long as it's appropriate. We can use our own words and language. Humor can easily be expressed. Run-on sentences, however, are a big no-no.

5. Be inspired by the Bible.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." - Ephesians 4:29

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24

"Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips." - Proverbs 27:2

Later that month, she made a blog post thanking us for a great time in meeting us. Thank you too, Mrs. Filart, for being an inspiration to me, and for your encouraging words to be a better writer!

(Pictures courtesy of Mrs. Filart's blog)