I am a big believer in writing, teaching, self-expression and creativity. These values have defined much of who I am today and I can’t see living my life any other way. It explains why I do the things the way I do. And it also explains the reason behind the profession I’m in.

Currently as an English writing composition teacher, I’m in a position where I can mostly utilize all my talents to help students effectively reach their goals. So naturally, I am continuously drawn to discover and share new ways for constant improvement in writing and personal development, not just for my students, but for myself as well.

In my ongoing research to fulfill this cause, I found WordPress.

Truth be told, I am no stranger to blogging and content management systems. My experience with using these types of platforms can go back to the days of Xanga actually. Myspace, Blogger and Tumblr were also unique experiences at different times in my life, yet none to them proved to stand the test of time.

There was always something missing and I felt no sense of purpose or meaning as to why I was using these platforms in the first place.

That brings us back to WordPress. The name always popped up in search results as a popular option for blogging, so I have always known about it. But that was the extent of what I knew it as–nothing more.

It wasn’t until maybe around this time last year that I finally read into the company and software a little bit more deeply. It was then that I found out what WordPress is really all about.

What caught my eye more than all the features and benefits of using WordPress was its mission.

“Democratize publishing.”

These two words resonated with me almost instantly. I wanted to know more.

Matt Mullenweg, founder & CEO of Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com), said this in an interview:

“First and foremost, the mission of WordPress is to democratize publishing. We want to provide equality of opportunity for anyone in the world, regardless of what language they speak, what country they live in, or how much money they have, to have a voice online, to be able to publish.” –Matt Mullenweg (source)

The clarity of my sense of purpose came to light after reading those words.

Commitment to a greater cause; opportunities to help other people grow and develop; environments where I can readily express compassion and feel a sense of community; continued self-improvement along with the development of a deep self-understanding–these are my values. This is who I am. It’s what I believe. And this is what I see in WordPress.

I knew right then and there, WordPress is where I see my future. I believe WordPress is where I can grow to my fullest potential–a place where I can maximize my efforts in helping others, in addition to pursuing the causes I believe in. WordPress is more than just a blogging tool. More than just a publishing platform. More than just software.

WordPress is a symbol that stands for a greater cause—one which aims to make the world a better place.

The tagline found on Automattic’s website displayed:
Want to make the web a better place for more than a billion people each month?

You can bet your bottom dollar I want to be a part of that!