Blogging is good for you, or so we think. My first post in 2005 laid the groundwork for what drives me today- a passion for meaningful work. The power of blogging is undeniable (think: Blog Action Day) and sites like the Huffington Postare now home to one of our favorite authors, David Allen. Here are five surprising facts about blogging that are now emerging more strongly than ever before.

Blogging is good for your health. An Australia university found that those who blogged for two months regularly felt more connected and purposeful than those who hadn't. With sites like MySpace, Facebook and various social networking connectors (i.e. Digg), it's easier than ever for startup bloggers to gain vocal power.

There are 175,000 new blogs born every day. A lot of people have a lot to say and while that's a good thing, it also makes specialty blogs (like The Daily Saint) more valuable than ever before.

One blog is born every half second. With English as the most popular language of choice, followed closely by Japanese, there are more ways than ever before to publish to your blog. Twitter widgets are gaining popularity (2000 new accounts per day) and you can even post to your blog via Jott.

The Blogosphere is spinning new tails. Apparently political bloggers have driven this movement of new venues and niche markets that cater to the politically savvy among us. I would add technologists and to a much smaller degree, productivity-minded folks.

Blogging will soon slow down and go mainstream. As Seth Godin points out, there is a growing tragedy of the commons when it comes to blogs. More readers read different blogs, making it easier to leave yours. The answer: specialization. My response has been to forge The Daily Saint as within the productivity niche, but with a totally unique spiritual twist.

The Spiritual Twist
Blogging can be helpful in getting thoughts out of your head and onto "paper". As long as you don't become obsessed with your traffic, RSS subscriptions and what the other guy is doing, I think it is a tremendous opportunity and vehicle. Looking at blogging as a stewardship is also a good idea. You are there to serve, not just broadcast whatever is in your head.

What's your motivation for blogging?

*photo by Kristina B