The first article I wrote for this site went live on February 22, 2016. 8 years ago. Since then I’ve published 1,379 more articles, well technically more as I’ve taken down many, on helping men live the best lives possible. And it’s been an interesting ride. I’ve learned a ton over the past eight years and have grown tremendously as a person. I would not even recognize the Charles I was if I were to meet him today.
I have changed my mind on many things, gone back and forth on many ways of living, and have expanded my perspective on a great many things. Not to sound trite but blogging has been a great journey of self-discovery and learning. And now I feel it’s about time to bring it all to an end.
My life is pulling me in many different directions right now and there are things that I must prioritize. This website has been a labor of love and as I’ve said many times is not set up to make money. I have no interest in setting it up in such a way and have been fine with the format it has. The nominal 9.99 a month put there so whomever reads it will be that much more likely to take action on what they learn.
What I’ve Learned On The Journey
I feel there are a lot of lost and hurting people, especially men, especially boys, out there right now. Men and boys that are calling out for leaders to guide them back to right living and a right path. There have been both positive and negative reactions to the way that the world has changed and men’s place in it.
I’ve seen good advice on how to deal with the changing world and how not to deal with it. And I’ll be the first to admit that I did not always give the best advice myself. But I learned, I grew, and I changed. I found that many people with extreme opinions are simply hurting people, lost people, frightened people. And that does not mean that they do not do damage or should not be addressed.
Simply that you can learn a lot by a widening of your perspective. Now I feel most of what I write goes to healing people and getting them back to where they need to be. All the while learning and healing myself. I hope that this site has been useful to you, that my words have had an impact on your life.
The only reason this site has continued for so long is because of the emails that I get, stating that the site has been instrumental in changing their life and helping them. I want to continue to do this but will continue on an in person basis in my own community. I think that the men’s self-improvement community has grown a lot, but also devolved in some ways.
And here’s what I do know.
Those that seek, shall find. And to those that knock, the door shall be opened.
So never stop seeking after that which you want to find and never stop knocking on doors. Because they will eventually be opened.
What Happens Going Forward
I am not sure exactly when I will be shutting the site down. Who knows I have come to this road before and chosen to continue. I do know this. Before the site is shut down I will stop charging for it for around a month or so. A month of free access and then the site will go down. But again nothing is concrete right now.
I will provide more updates as the journey continues and let you know whatever the final decision will be. Right now though I think this will be it. Closer to the end of the year it will be the end of Charles Sledge the website. Though Charles Sledge the man still has many things that he wants to accomplish. I don’t know if I’ll leave my books up on Amazon or not.
There are many decisions to be made and a great many things going on in my life right now. Time will tell and hopefully show me the wisdom of what the best way forward will be.
A Sincere Thanks
But more than anything I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being on this journey with me through all its ups and downs. I want to thank you for valuing my knowledge, asking me great questions, and returning here to learn more and more. Without you I could not have done this as long I did and I could not have learned so much from this journey.
So from the bottom of my heart I wanted to thank you. I wanted to thank you for investing in me, for coming to this site, and for the many conversations that we had. It means the world to me.
I hope that my words have helped you as your words have helped me.
I wish you the very best that life has to offer.
Sincerely,
-Charles Sledge
