You keep my literary bar high. Knowing you are reading this holds me to the highest standards of which I am capable. It causes me to pour over a post and tweak and edit for days before I click “Publish”.

Mark Twain, now said to be the world’s first blogger, had the luxury to not have to worry about the bar, perhaps because he set it. In his autobiography, according to Gary Kamiya’s blog he says:

“That text, when I am done with it – if I ever get done with it, and I don’t seem to get done with any text – but it doesn’t matter, I am not interested in getting done with anything, I am only interested in talking aloud and wandering around as much as I want to, regardless of results to the future reader.”

I love that as a blogger I am somehow, miraculously treading in Mark Twain’s footsteps. It’s a privilege and it’s also a challenge, not only to write well, but to provide fresh and interesting topics. For me, this too raises the bar.

What raises the bar for you? What holds you to standards to which you aspire?

photo credit: Scott Ray