Why do you want to blog? This is the first question you need to ask yourself before you start a blog. Answering this question right from the start will enable you to set it up in the best way for you to reach your goals, whatever they may be.
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As bloggers and writers we all face it eventually, the blank computer screen or paper.
We have heard from many of our readers that having some resources to help with overcoming writing block would be helpful.
As part of our ongoing quest to encourage bloggers, writers, and anyone else who is passionate about sharing their Christian message, we have a brand new resource available, and it's FREE!
This resource will help you brainstorm devotion topics in those times when you just seem to be coming up dry. We hope you enjoy it and it is a blessing to you. Please let us know in the comments what you think and if you would like more resources like this.
For the next four days this resource will be available here for download. After that time, the first page will be available in our "freebies" area and the entire resource will be available for free (along with other free resources) in our members area which you can access by signing up using the form below. Once you submit the form you will receive a password.
Today is Haiku Poetry Day. In honor of Haiku Poetry Day, Faithful Bloggers issued a group writing project challenge to write Christian Haiku, 22 people accepted that challenge. (You can read about the challenge here).
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry which originated in the 16th century. It is a pattern of 3 lines of poetry. The three lines contain specific numbers of syllables, the first line has 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables and the third line has 5 syllables.
I'm sure you will agree as you read the submissions, they are all beautiful, each in it's own way.
It was enjoyable for me to read them because they were so varied in the emotions which they conveyed. They ranged from one author using big words which expressed the unfathomableness of God, words like; indispensable and inexplicable all the way to another author using Batman in hers, I love that.
I love that our Christian faith can be expressed in that variety of ways because, that's just what living a life of Christian faith is actually like, deep and serious at times, lighthearted and friendly at others.
One day God is my sustainer, my strength when my heart is breaking, another day He's providing fresh joy in the morning and laughter on the wind.
Thank you to all those who contributed, your submissions were beautiful. You all seriously rocked the Haiku.
If you would like to download a copy of the Christian Haiku there is a link at the bottom of this post. After you read through them, we'd love if you would share your thoughts in the comments, it would be a blessing to those who contributed.
Here is the link if you would like to download a copy of the PDF of the Christian Haiku.
Faithful Bloggers exists to help Christian blog and website owners get the word out regarding their ministry or business. We have a directory to help with that purpose, we recently announced a new benefit to those who are listed in the directory; the Directory Participant Spotlight. Those who are in the directory are welcome to submit a request to be spotlighted. We have had many submissions and chose the first spotlight randomly from the submissions using the random number generator.
We are proud to announce our first spotlight and ask that you stop by their website and support their work, tell them we sent you. Here's a bit about them, in their own words.
It’s no secret that most women like to talk. And what’s wrong with that? Life as a Christian can get complicated, and sometimes, you just have to talk stuff out. Or digress, as we call it. Whether it’s mulling over the church’s aversion to a healthy discussion of sex, detailing how culture has corrupted the biblical meaning of judgment, giving advice on how to talk to a grieving friend, or just listing our favorite fictional couples, Damsels Digress has been an online forum where young Christian women express themselves since 2014. We strive for honesty, because if we’re never honest about where we are then we’ll never understand what we must do to grow. We hope our digressions will challenge both you and us to live a life dedicated to becoming more like Christ in our speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.
In addition to reading our blog, you can watch us digress on:
If you are listed in our directory and would like an opportunity to be spotlighted, you can fill out the form for the Directory Participant Spotlight.
It has been a while since Faithful Bloggers hosted a group writing project so we thought it was about time for one.
Why Christian Haiku? Well, Monday April 17th is Haiku Poetry Day. In honor of that, we are seeking writing submission which are Haiku but are also Christian in content.
We will be compiling all the submission of Christian Haiku into a downloadable book (PDF) which you can share with your readers.
This PDF will be hosted on Faithful Bloggers for download but if you are a contributing writer, you are also welcome to make this available on your own site (for free only, this can not be charged for). The purpose of this book is to share the Word of God in a manner which is a bit different than you may have done in the past. Having something on your site for your readers to download creates increased engagement. This is a good opportunity for you to have something for them to download at minimal work on your end. It's also a good opportunity to stretch yourself and your writing.
If you are asking, "What exactly is Haiku?" well, we're glad you asked.
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry which originated in the 16th century. It is a pattern of 3 lines of poetry (that's all, not so hard right?). The three lines contain specific numbers of syllables, the first line has 5 syllables, the second 7 syllables and the third line has 5 syllables. Here is an example from
Tom DiFrancesca III of http://www.4u-lord.com
Immeasurable
Like snowflakes falling quickly
God's grace pouring down
There are many examples of Haiku available online if you need more examples. If you would like more Christian examples, there are some links at the bottom of this post.
How to submit for the Christian Haiku Group Writing Project:
Send an email to admin(at)faithfulbloggers.com.
The subject line must read: "Haiku Submission".
You are welcome to submit up to 10 Haiku.
If you want us to include a link to your website in the PDF, you must include it in the email submission. If it is not in the email, it will not be in the PDF.
All submissions will include the name of the author unless it is specified in the email that you wish to remain anonymous.
The deadline for submission is Wednesday April 12th at 10:00a.m.
If you want us to include a link to your website in the PDF, you must include it in the email submission. If it is not in the email, it will not be in the PDF.
We reserve the right to refuse any submission we feel are innappropriate for our readers.
By submitting to the Group Writing Project you are giving permission for your submission to be distributed free of charge here on Faithful Bloggers as well as on other contributors websites.
We will turn all submissions into a PDF and will send an email on Friday April 14th for you to access the PDF so you can promote it on International Haiku Poetry Day (April 17th).
So get busy writing those Haiku, we can't wait to read them.
UPDATE: The Haiku PDF Download can be found here
LINKS TO CHRISTIAN HAIKU:
This week is Consider Christianity Week. It's a perfect time to write a post for your blog discussing your testimony, or the powerful impact a relationship with Christ can have in the life of a Christian. Why not share about the freedom and forgiveness which can only be found in Christ.
I created this graphic (image) for Consider Christianity Week. You are welcome to take it and use it if you are writing about Consider Christianity Week (not sell it). I intentionally left off the www.faithfulbloggers.com text which I normally add across the bottom so you can use it for your own blog post if you desire and you are even welcome to add your website text at the bottom.
If you do write about Consider Christianity Week, please leave a link to the post in the comments.
We will be spotlighting in a post here on the site, people (and their websites) who are listed in the Faithful Bloggers directory.
This will be an added benefit to you if you are listed in our directory. Now, not only will you have the benefit of links to your site from your directory listing but you will have the opportunity to also have a post about you and your site with additional links.
We have been busy going through the directory and making sure all the links are working and that everything is current.
If you would like to be chosen to be spotlighted, you will have to apply using the form below. We will choose who to spotlight at random from those who apply to be spotlighted. There will be no regular set schedule for the frequency of the "Directory Participant Spotlights", they will be posted when we feel it's time for another one.
Your spotlight post can be either written by you or by us. In your spotlight post you will have opportunity to tell us about yourself and your website. If you have a product you would like featured, we can do that as well.
Requirements to be spotlighted:
If you are listed in the directory and would like to be "spotlighted" fill out this form to apply. Once the form is received, we will add you to the pool of those who are wanting to be spotlighted. If chosen, you will be notified via email and we can then begin the process of getting your post put together for publication. If you are not chosen, your name will remain in the pool for future spotlights.
With the end of March comes the end of the first quarter of 2017. The end of a quarter is the perfect time to evaluate how the year is going so far.
Imagine having a healthy work / life balance and not feeling overwhelmed by all you have to accomplish in life.
Write a Yearly Plan is a workbook, along with other materials which will walk you through the process of planning out your year and setting goals. Many successful people the world over regularly go through the process of planning. This is what one well known author has to say about planning.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”
— Alan Lakein
At one point, I said, "enough is enough" and then, over a ten year period of trial and error, I developed 'Write a Yearly Plan'. This is the exact same planning process which my husband, myself, and now many other people use to put their ideas, thoughts, and dreams into action. This is the exact same planning process I have used every year for the last ten years to grow a company into having over $1,000,000 in revenue.
That’s ok! Up until this past September I was a homeschooling mom (for 20+ years). I used this same planning process for
I also used it to set goals for how many times a month I wanted to take one of the kids out for lunch and other small, but important things like that.'Write a Yearly Plan' will meet you wherever you are in life and guide you to set plans in those areas.
It doesn’t matter if what you want to do with your life involves starting a business, blogging, working in a ministry, homeschooling your kids, or anything else, you’ll have a plan. You will also have committed your year to the Lord. I have used many different versions of yearly planning material and I have yet to see one which approaches planning from that starting place. I believe this is of utmost importance in the life of a believer. This is how you create a healthy work/life balance.
To access 'Write a Yearly Plan' go here: https://faithful-bloggers.teachable.com/p/write-a-yearly-plan
With the end of March comes the end of the first quarter of 2017. It's time to evaluate how your first quarter has been. Are you happy with the direction your year is taking?
As I sit down to do my quarterly review as I do each and every quarter of the year I ask myself the above question as well as: Am I on track for the plan I set? If I am, what adjustments might be necessary? If I'm not, do I need to adjust the plan or adjust the actions in order to get back on track?
Planning and reviewing are excellent practices to put into place in your life. Planning and reviewing help you to:
If you've ever wondered how some people can accomplish so much in their life and yet you seem to remain stuck, they are probably using the practice of planning. Planning is purposeful. It is purposefully putting a plan on paper and creating steps to help you accomplish your goals.
With the end of this quarter I want to encourage you to consider how your year is going and if you haven't written a plan for the year, go ahead and write one. The end of the quarter is the perfect time. Writing a yearly plan can taken place any time during a year, not only at the beginning. Next Tuesday we will be launching a new product called "Write a Yearly Plan", it is a faith based yearly planning tool. It will only be available for a limited time. This is the exact planning tool I use to write my yearly plan.
In addition, if you'd like to join us, we will be talking about planning and our individual progress on the Facebook page.
So, I encourage you to get busy either conducting your review or writing your plan. If you need a resource to help you accomplish that, watch for the release of "Write a Yearly Plan" on Tuesday.
Last week I wrote a post called "Why You Need A Blog Post Planner". Today I'm going to tell you about the second tool you need for publishing a blog post, it's the 'blog post checklist'. As I mentioned in the other post, a planner is your tool for planning your post, but the checklist is used to make sure you included everything in your post prior to publishing. It also helps to ensure you complete all the tasks you need to complete as you publish your post. The checklist helps you to remember all the things like, adding meta tags or descriptions to photos, publishing to social media, resizing photos for quicker load times, etc.
Both the planner and the checklist are tools you can use in your blog planning. Watch for our planning tool called 'Write a Yearly Plan' to be released soon which can help you in planning all areas of your life including your blogging ministry or business.
Watch the video for more information on blog post checklists. Fill out the form below to join the list and download the checklist.
If you missed the post on the blog post planner go here: 'Why You Need a Blog Post Planner'
A Blog Post Checklist helps you remember to include in your blog post all the things which are necessary to make your post engaging as well as for it to rank well for SEO. It also help you to remember all the task you need to complete before you publish your blog post.
When you submit the form below, you will receive a password to access our member area where you will find the blog post checklist and other helpful resources.
But a blog post planner is only a part of a larger system. With just the planner the same thing happens. You sit at your desk, you take out your blog post planner, you begin to plan a blog post aaannd…nothing. You are blank. So, I want to show you how I use a blog post planner.
Read MoreNOTE: I am not being paid by Squarespace or Wordpress for this post.
(UPDATE March 2018: As I expected when I wrote this post, I received some nasty emails from Wordpress diehards. Seriously people? I clearly state in this blog post that Wordpress is a good platform, I clearly state that it is the RIGHT choice for some people, just not for me and maybe not for others. Why people have a need to verbally thrash someone who has a difference of opinion I will never understand. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another...and that's ok folks! Hey, if you love Wordpress, you can still come over for tea.)
There have been lots of exciting things going on behind the scenes here at Faithful Bloggers. We've been planning and prepping but in addition to all that, we've been super busy with moving. By moving, I don't mean an actual physical move, I'm talking about a move from one web platform to another. We moved from Wordpress to Squarespace. I have moved (physically) a great big number of times and although a physical move has it's challenges, a web platform move has it's own unique set of challenges, none of which are any fun at all. As you all have read, Faithful Bloggers changed ownership. At the time of purchase, Faithful Bloggers, Faithful Devotions, and The Faithful Bloggers Directory were all on Wordpress. I wanted to make that work, really I did. But I just couldn't. I know I'm probably about to get a bunch of you upset with me, but before all you Wordpress diehards get all hot under the collar, hear me out and read this entire post, because I really do believe Wordpress has a place, just not for me. And I think it may possibly not be the best choice for many other people, depending upon what they are looking for. You also should know, this was not my first experience with Wordpress, I've been there before.
I know there are about a bazillion websites on Wordpress, I know it's a great platform, but it is not the only platform, and it's not the platform for me. I believe it really depends on what you are looking for whether Wordpress is the place for you to call home. Below is a run down of the pros and cons of the two platforms, so if you are just starting out, you'll be able to make an informed decision. And if you are dealing with any frustrations with either platform, you'll have an idea of what the other offers. Please note: Any time I mention Wordpress, I'm talking about a self hosted wordpress site.
Basically it boils down to the fact that I want to write, blog, and create great products, not work on a website. Squarespace allows me the luxury of doing just that. Let me explain further. Here's a few of the reasons I moved:
Squarespace has an incredibly clean, clutter free interface. It's also easy to use. Like any sort of software it does have a learning curve, but it's click and drag format is generally user friendly. Also, if you are just starting out, you should know that there will be a learning curve on either platform, but I feel it's fair say, you will have a longer learning curve on Wordpress.
This video will show you some of the design flexibilities available to you in the Squarespace templates without having to know code.
A brief overview of how to insert things like images, videos, code, etc. into a Squarespace blog post. And yes, if you listen closely, that's my dog snoring on my lap in the background.
I mentioned earlier that the move was not easy, but don't let that scare you. If you have a straight forward blog with minimal things which would make a move challenging such as signup forms, etc., then if you decide to move to Squarespace it will be relatively easy and straight forward. The things on the Faithful Bloggers site which made it difficult were things like the forms, and the directory and a few other challenges like that.
If you are the code loving, website fidgeting type I would recommend Worpress for your platform. To go along with Worpress I would recommend MomWebs.com for hosting (their tech support is very quick to respond). I also recommend AWeber or Convertkit for your mailing list.
However, if you are the, "I just want to write and blog and not monkey with the backend" type, I recommend Squarespace, and for your mailing list, I recommend Mailchimp or Convertkit.
The blog survey we sent out last week proved to be even more informative to us than we had hoped. The results gave us invaluable insight as to what our fellow bloggers are thirsting for. As a result, going forward, we will have more direction and be able to help you in more specific areas and with more intentionality.
Among other things, the survey showed us that many of you are struggling to balance your work/life/blogging schedules. It seems, finding time to blog can be a frustration rather than an enjoyable part of your routine. Blogging should be something you look forward to...not a burden. See my last post to read more on this topic "Blogging For Ministry or Business - Be Yourself".
With that in mind, keep an eye out during the next few weeks for resources geared towards helping you plan and schedule your time so that your everyday routine is approached with more intention and a clearer mind.
In return for your help with our blog survey, we promised a gift card to a random participant. The winner is Lou Ann Keiser. Congratulations Lou Ann!!! Lou Ann blogs at https://intheway-lk.blogspot.com. Here's what she has to say,
"My blog, “In the Way” explores many themes from a biblical viewpoint. I'm a pastor's wife, mother of two, grandma, teacher, author, and blogger. I live in a quaint little village in the beautiful Basque region of northern Spain"
Be sure to stop by "In The Way" to say hello and offer up some congratulations.
Thank you all for your help. We look forward to putting the survey results to good use.
Our recent survey showed that the largest percentage of our subscribers are blogging for ministry purposes or to share testimony. This, among other things, stood out to me and I want to thank those who took the time to participate. The survey results have been immensely helpful to us in getting to know you all. Because we have to contact and confirm the winner, the winner will be announced sometime next week. I'm sure you can agree, it's incredibly exciting to think about all that work being done for the Kingdom.
In the survey, many of you expressed feelings of "overwhelm" from trying to maintain balance in your life or from trying to keep a consistent blogging schedule "like the experts say you should".
I get it, I really do. I've been there. Why do we pressure ourselves like that? Why do we compare what the Lord wants to do through us with what He is doing in the lives of other people? We think "I should be doing this or that because they are", when, in reality, what we should be doing is what the Lord leads us to do. God has a plan for your life which is completely different than the plan He has for the life of the "experts". I know and understand that there are guidelines for best blogging practice to increase traffic whether blogging for ministry or business. However, if you are experiencing feelings of "overwhelm", it might be time to get back on your knees and give the whole thing back to God till you have clarity.
Let me tell you a little story. A number of years ago the Lord laid a ministry on my heart. He told me to do some prep work, writing and such. When I completed that portion, I felt it was time to move forward with it. So I attempted to. I experienced one road block after another, along with all those feelings of "overwhelm", just like some of you expressed. I eventually gave it back to the Lord and He told me to wait. It hasn't been easy, the waiting. At times my flesh has wanted to move it forward. But I waited. Recently a number of things changed in my life and I found my schedule opening up some. I asked the Lord for guidance in moving forward and He said "now".
Around this same time, I saw that Faithful Bloggers was up for sale. My husband and I felt it fit well within the plans the Lord was showing me, so I contacted Tishia (the prior owner). I have to tell you God is not only an amazing connector of people, but when you wait for His "now", those feelings of overwhelm are greatly reduced. There have definitely been frustrations (glitches with the transfer of ownership, etc.), but I can beyond a shadow of a doubt see the Lord at work.
I'm telling you this to encourage you in your blogging ministry or business, but that's the point, it's YOUR blogging journey, no one else's. Maybe the expert you're reading says you should be posting daily, or 3 times a week but after prayer God tells you 1 time, then 1 time it should be. Don't try to be someone else, be who God created you to be. You are incredible, unique and have your own story to tell the world. It's your story, tell it in your own way. Be yourself. If God can part water, heal the lame, and drive out the powers of darkness, then He can certainly use your once a week posting schedule to do mighty things.
When the timing is right to move your project forward, you can find many resources here at Faithful Bloggers to help guide you and teach techniques for driving traffic, or increasing followers, etc. These materials are meant to assist you in your Kingdom work. We hope you find them useful on your journey.
Where are you on your blogging journey, clarity or overwhelm? How is the Lord directing you today?
Happy blogging.
Shelley
Wow, it's been a whirlwind of a week. As most of you have heard The Faithful Bloggers Family of Websites is under new ownership. It has taken a tremendous amount of work to get the ownership transferred. Over 63 emails have gone back and forth between Tishia, myself and the hosting company in one week. And that number doesn't even include the emails to other places such as Aweber, and other places that had to be involved. There have been many details to work through and we are not quite done yet. We're excited about moving forward. Here's a peak at some of the things you will see in the near future:
Stay tuned for all that and more as we move forward. Don't miss out on the updates, sign up (over on the right) to receive our emails.
I can't thank you all enough for your prayers, support and patience during this transition. We have received numerous warm welcomes in our email and we thank you for each and every one. If you sent Tishia an email wishing her well as she heads in new direction, please know she did receive it. Let's all cover her in prayer for her new adventures.
What have you been up to this week on your blogging journey?
Welcome to 2017!
I'm excited to see what this year and God has in store for me. Last year was a pretty good year, minus a few bad things. In the past, I would always be one of those people that couldn't wait for a year to end if anything bad happened and looked forward to a new year with only good things to happen...of course that's not how life works - it's never always just 'good' things that happen.
Each year is and will probably continue to be full of ups and downs. But now I have a different perspective and it makes going into a new year even more exciting because I know that no matter what comes my way, I CHOOSE my attitude and how I react to every situation - good and bad. (Sadly, it took me quite awhile to 'grow up' and realize this!)
Here we go, bring it 2017!
Hot, humid, sticky...and impatient! That's how I was feeling (hot, sticky & impatient) one recent sunny Northern Michigan summer afternoon. Let me back up a little and explain.
All I wanted was a Diet Coke, but not just any Diet Coke - it had to be a fountain pop (call me crazy but there is a difference in taste between a fountain drink and a canned/bottled one!). And in my small town there's two options - the gas station or McDonald's.
Thinking it would be quick (and well easy - no getting out of the car, going in, etc.) I opted to go through the drive through at McDonald's. The line up of cars to order was a bit long and I could have chose to drive away but I didn't. Instead I got stuck in the line of traffic and found myself getting hotter and more impatient and irritable as the time ticked by.
Once I made it to the window to pay, I was irritated that it had taken so long. I wanted to pay, be grumpy and get on my way. But something happened that immediately convicted me of my poor attitude. The girl at the window was grinning from ear to ear and bubbling with excitement as she shared the news - the person in front of you paid for your order.
And she got even more excited and more animated as I handed her cash to pay for the person behind me. She went on to tell me the story:
It started several cars ago - a person paid for the car behind them and told me to tell them to have a great day and to pay it forward. And they did and so did the next person and the next person and the next person and so on. You are now making the person behind you car #7 that has had the pay it forward experience!
It gave me goose bumps and a huge attitude adjustment. And good grief - why was I choosing to be irritated and impatient when I made the decision to stay in the line in the first place (knowing it was long and not moving very quickly!).
I'll never know how many pay it forward experiences there were that day but I still get goose bumps thinking about it. And now every time I go for my Diet Coke - don't judge ;-) - I continue to pay it forward.
[tweetthis display_mode="box"]Isn't it time to be more like Jesus & love those around us regardless of race, religion, & more? [/tweetthis]
Since that day I've been thinking about all the things going on around me (the horrible acts of violence, racism, and more) and how we all need to see and be a part of more kindness. Maybe we can't change the horrific things going on in the world, but we can still make a positive impact around us...one small act at a time!
That small act of kindness at McDonald's did me in - I can't stop thinking about it and how I just want to show others around me love, kindness, and that they matter. So I decided to create a 7 day challenge for myself and got so excited about it that it made sense to invite others to participate too!
We don't have to do some over the top large gesture to impact the lives of those around us. In fact, sometimes it's the little things (like smiling at some one, holding a door open, etc.) that mean the most. So this challenge is all about doing small random acts of kindness.
Why 7 days?
I chose 7 days because in the grand scheme of things, committing to do something every day for just 7 days isn't that big of a deal! Everybody can find time to commit to a seven day challenge.
Ready to be a part of the action to? Simply enter your name and email address below and for the next 7 days you'll receive an email from me that will give you a suggested act to do for that day. (remember - I'm just giving you suggestions, you're more than welcome to create your kindness acts!)
JUST ENTER YOUR NAME & EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW:
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//forms.aweber.com/form/25/1916542125.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, "script", "aweber-wjs-4w3653iz8"));
Can't wait to hear all about your experiences over the course of the 7 day challenge!
This is a guest post from Kelly McCausey of Solo Smarts.
"I wrote this article years ago and stumbled on it while cleaning out some folders on my computer. I couldn't help but think about how my own issues with Misery/Mastery Attitudes have impacted my growth as a Blogger & Podcaster. I hope it blesses you :)" - Kelly
Someone with a Misery Attitude has a poisoned perspective on life. They find the negative in everything. They live under a cloud and even when the sun shines they are looking for the next sign of rain. Misery loves company but company rarely wants anything to do with Misery.
Someone with a Mastery Attitude has a heavenly perspective on life. They have mastered their emotions and choose daily to live life with a positive outlook. The mature Christian sees the hand of God in all events and he knows that God will work all things out for good in their lives.
So do you have a Misery Attitude or a Mastery Attitude? [tweetthis]Do you have a Misery Attitude or a Mastery Attitude? Guest post from @kellymccausey via @FaithfulBloggrs[/tweetthis]
Misery claims: ‘I can’t help it, everything is going wrong in my life. How can I pretend to be happy when I’m so miserable?’ ‘I just don’t have what it takes to be fake – when I’m down, everyone knows it.’ ‘I’m not negative – it’s just that nothing ever goes right in my life. If I had Perfect Patty’s life, then I’d be happy.’
Misery, has it ever occurred to you that everyone has troubles? Would it amaze you to know that the Perfect Patty has problems that she is facing too? She doesn’t wear it on her sleeve for the whole world to see – but if you took a moment to ask her, she might tell you and even thank you for your concern.
But Misery doesn’t ask. Misery is too busy worrying about herself.
We all know someone with a Misery Attitude – maybe we’re even realizing right this minute that we do. That’s ok, tonight, we’re going to find out that we don’t have to keep holding on to that Misery Attitude any longer.
Misery blames everyone and everything for their problems.
Things can contribute to your attitude – but what you allow to come across in your language, your facial expressions and your physical stance is entirely within your control. To claim anything to the contrary is to say that you cannot control yourself.
As normal functioning adults, we can control our ‘state’.
[tweetthis]As a Christian, you can't blame anyone or anything for your attitude.[/tweetthis]
Small children can’t control themselves. They feel something and it shows up on their faces and usually blurts out of their mouth. As children grow up and are taught, they gain control of their state. They learn that they can feel something and not saying anything about it if it is not appropriate or useful to do so.
Of course, not everyone gets the parenting and teaching that they need about this and they make it all the way to adulthood without ever having really developed impulse control. If you’ve ever had to spend any amount of time with one of these ‘spoiled’ adults, you know it’s not very pleasant. Watching a two year old throwing a temper tantrum can be amusing. Watching a twenty year old in the midst of a temper fit is just ridiculous.
Good impulse control means that you can feel angry and not yell at someone. It means that you can feel hurt and not have to hurt someone else. It means that you can feel worry and not fret verbally. It means that you can feel jealous and not try to sabotage someone’s success.
Someone with low or no impulse control is like a red bulb thermometer. The red goes up and the red goes down – and their attitude goes with it.
So the first key to a better attitude is to accept responsibility for YOUR attitude. If you can accept that YOU and you alone are in control of your attitude, you can then begin to change it.
Good things and bad things happen to everyone. No one lives a charmed life, so why would anyone think that they can blame their bad attitude on circumstances? Attitude isn’t a matter of circumstance. It’s a matter of how you’re thinking about those circumstances.
[tweetthis]As a Christian are you taking responsibility for your own thought life? If you're doing this, you're NOT! [/tweetthis]
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 Paul wrote, "For although we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
It’s time for a reality check. No one is in perfect control of their attitude every minute of every day. Life can toss you some curve balls and it’s normal to feel like you’ve been knocked off center for a season when you’re in a crisis. When tragedy strikes, your maturity in Christ will determine how quickly you regain control of your state.
Years ago when I became a home owner for the first time, finances were always tight. It seemed to me that I was always taking one step forward and two steps back. I rarely had any money in the bank but I had a good couple of months and it looked like I would be able to buy a few things that we needed.
Then a bazaar wind storm blew through my neighborhood and pushed two large trees over towards my house – close enough to be scary – but not close enough to do any damage. I felt relieved and called my insurance company to see how I could get the trees removed.
The insurance man came over and took photographs. He gave me some unexpected bad news. Because the trees were not touching the house – they weren’t a covered expense.
I said ‘Are you crazy? The roots are all torn up – they could fall at any time!’
He said yes, they could and because of that I had to do something about them right away. If they fall within 48 hours of the storm, the insurance will pay – but after the 49th hour – if they fall, the insurance would not only not pay for the trees – but they would not pay for the damage to the house because at that point, it would be negligence on my part.
I was stunned but there was no point arguing with them. I called for bids to have the trees removed. The lowest bid? $1000.00. I just about fainted.
There went all my money. It was just awful. And let me tell you – I had a bad attitude about it. I was angry with the tree company, angry with the insurance company, angry with the wind and even angry with God. He let it happen after all.
I said ‘That’s it! That’s just the way things are. You never get ahead in life. You work hard, you make money and something happens to take it away from you.’ This was my attitude for quite a long time. I spouted negativity just about every chance I got.
I not only resented the $1000.00, I resented the loss of shade and the big ugly stump they left behind.
It’s too bad that I didn’t choose to look at it differently. I should have been praising God that the trees didn’t fall on my house and ruin my bedroom. I should have been grateful that there were only two trees – instead of five or six of them that could have fallen.
It would have all been a matter of perspective.
I could tell you a dozen stories about difficult situations I've faced in growing my blog and building my business. Failed projects, disappointing promotions, lack luster reactions to something I was so proud of!
Fortunately, I've had more successful projects, profitable promotions and great reactions to my content.
Truth is, if I didn't foster a Mastery Attitude, I wouldn't have survived the failures to enjoy the successes.
A Misery Attitude can be silent but deadly. Do you know this woman? She walks into a room with the weight of the world on her shoulders, face downcast, looking like she’s about to cry. Everyone in the room sees and responds to her sadness.
You might think, but she’s obviously in need of some comfort. Yes – she is. But what if this is how she walks into every room? Every time you see her? It’s one thing if someone is clinically depressed – they need to seek medical attention. It’s another thing if they’re chronically needy.
Some have become addicted to the sympathy of others. They like having someone pat them on the back and tell them that they’re strong and brave to bear up under the trials of life. They enjoy the attention. And maybe there is a lot going on in their life – but they’re not helping themselves to wallow in it all the time.
Here’s is a powerful quote I found: “Praise is more spontaneous when things go right, but it is more precious when things go wrong.”
[tweetthis]“Praise is more spontaneous when things go right, but it is more precious when things go wrong.”[/tweetthis]
We all admire a special someone in our life who has been through heartache and tragedy yet never broke under the weight of it. I have a good friend who all the while that her husband was seriously ill – would always ask about me and my life before she would spend a minute talking about her concerns.
Philippians 2:4 says “Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.”
I believe she discovered the truth of those words and made it a daily practice to always care about others. It helped her to maintain perspective and not fall into pit of depression. It helped her to choose a Mastery Attitude.
A better attitude starts with choosing to be more optimistic about life.
Optimism has to be practiced to be done well and feel genuine. If you’ve been a lifelong pessimist, when you first try to practice optimism, you may feel ridiculous saying things like ‘I know God will work this too out for good in my life.’
It does feel awkward at first when we begin to confess the promises of God over our life instead of whining and complaining all the time.
[tweetthis]I’d rather feel silly standing on the Word of God than feel comfortable on the sinking sand of circumstance.[/tweetthis]
But you know what – I’d rather feel silly standing on the Word of God than feel comfortable on the sinking sand of circumstance.
Psalm 56:3 says: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” You could change that up just a little bit and say ‘When I feel SILLY as all get out, I will trust in You Lord!”
Changing your attitude and choosing to adopt a more positive outlook on life will have a strong impact in many areas of your life – some that you might not even expect right now.
First of all, if you’re used to complaining all the time – like I used to be. You might find it’s hard to make conversation. Think about it! I used to burn up five or six hours a week on the telephone with my best friend. I was complaining about my husband, my son, my mother, my other friends, the telephone company, the lady at the bank… you name it! I could rant for a half hour about the smallest inconvenience.
When God started dealing with me about my negative attitude – I had to give up all the ranting and raving. And you know what? I found I didn’t have much to talk about without it.
Good grief! My poor friend! I went from five hours on the phone to maybe a half hour total. I just didn’t have anything to say! The good news is that she was going through the same transformation so she understood what was happening.
I had to relearn how to have a conversation without having to fuss and bother about something.
I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m saying I’m totally cured – because I can relapse if I am not careful. A good complaining session feels real good to the flesh, but we are supposed to exercise control over our flesh!
Changing your attitude will take more than just changing what you talk about and trying to control your emotional state. You are going to have to start consuming more positive input on a daily basis.
This starts with the time you spend with God in prayer and in reading His Word. If you’ve been living life in a bad attitude for 30 or 50 years – you’re not going to be able to make a change on your own. You need God! You need to saturate yourself in Him.
Start your day with Praise & Worship music. Fill your heart with the Word and make it a goal to memorize some key scriptures.
When you face personal failures, it is easy to fall back into Misery. But even in failure you can choose to have a Mastery Attitude.
When you fail, put it into perspective. You couldn’t have failed if you didn’t at least try and it is always better to try than to do nothing!
Kelly McCausey is a Blogger, Podcaster & Solopreneur Business Coach.
NOTE FROM TISHIA: I wanted to mention, from a personal experience, how awesome Kelly is as a coach. I've coached with her over the years and without her help, ideas, support and the ability to tell me when an idea stinks I wouldn't be where I am today as both a blogger and business owner. If you're stuck and need help with taking the next step in blogging or building your online business, I highly recommend you connect with Kelly.
How many times have you found some great blogs, bookmarked them and had every intention of going back to the site 'one of these days'...only to never end up getting back to it? It happens to me all the time. I've said it over and over (and I'll keep saying it!) - man I wish they had an email list (mailing list) I could sign up for. Had those sites had a mailing list, I could have opted-in and be reminded of them when they sent an email - and go back to their site to consume the great content I tried to remember to go back to. Keep this in mind - for me and the vast majority of people that stumble across your blog and think we want to re-visit the site some day, will never make it back. And that's not very promising if you want to grow a loyal following/readership.
This is why it's so important to have an email list and get them on it! There are many different email marketing software options to choose from (Mad Mimi, MailChimp, Get Response, just to name a few) but I have used (since 2007) and always recommend Aweber.
Once you have people on your email list you can stay in front of them (in other words they won't forget you....as long as you email on a regular basis but that's a different post in itself) and get them back to your site. When you write a blog post, share a bit of it in an email and invite them to click through to go read the entire post on your site.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Share some of your social media posts and profiles with your list and invite them to connect with you there. This is another way to help you grow your reach, build your relationship with your community and interact with them personally.
As you begin to build relationship with your community and mail regularly, they'll get to know you better. This leads to them knowing, liking and trusting you. Once you've built that know, like and trust factor you can make offers to them (either your own products/services or affiliate offers) and they'll be more likely to take you up on those recommendations.
I've had several people ask me about how they can monetize a blog post. While it can be done (product/service recommendations, product reviews, affiliate offers, etc.) While I'm not against that and do encourage it sometimes, I always tell people the best way to do this (earn money blogging) is by building that list and making offers to them. You can do it ethically and without spamming people or sounding like a used car salesman. Share relevant, helpful information and then invite them to learn more or implement (something you shared - a tip or strategy) it with a product you're recommending.
Let’s recap why it’s so important to your blogging success that you focus on building an email list first.
If you would like to learn more about list building, check out Skill Building Intensive: Starting Your Own Mailing List where you'll get step-by-step video walkthroughs of setting up a list using Aweber & Mad Mimi.
In writing this post I'm making a major assumption - you're blogging and want to make money with it. If you’re putting in the work, doing the research, and growing the audience, chances are you’d like to get paid for your hard work. It can be done by monetizing your blog. Here are three ways you can start earning:
This is probably one of the quickest and easiest ways to start making money with your blog. There's a couple different options when it comes to making product recommendations:
Depending on where you're located, Amazon's affiliate program is one you should check out. Unfortunately their program isn't available to residents in some states. It's an easy way to promote things as an affiliate. We're all consumers using some sort of electronic gadget, household gadget, reading books, etc. Those things can be found on Amazon, your affiliate link grabbed and added to a blog post - easy peasy.
For example let's say you're a health blogger and are following a new exercise regimen. You could find products on Amazon you're using (the exercise DVD, weights, etc.) and include your affiliate link to them in the post. A Christian blogger could link to a devotional book, Bible, etc. - things people would need to study the Bible or do a Bible Study. The possibilities are limitless - write book reviews and link to the books on Amazon, if you're using a new tech gadget write a review about it, you get the point.
I don't generally work with brands but from time to time I have. For example, many years ago on a weight loss blog I owned I was being contacted regularly by brands wanting to give me free things in exchange for an honest review. One time I got a fancy, expensive bathing suit from a company that specialized in plus size women's bathing suits. I decided to take them up on their offer and enjoyed the bathing suit and writing my review about it. Here at Faithful Bloggers I was recently contacted by a pretty large brand about partnering with them in promoting their stuff but for the most part, it's authors wanting me to review their books.
In my opinion, the best place to start if you're interested in working with a brand(s) is social media. Find them, connect with them, and start interacting. There are also sites out there that will connect bloggers and brands. They will often pay you to write a blog post that mentions one of their products. Don’t be surprised to work for free products or low pay in the beginning though.
It takes time to build a relationship and show the marketing person that you have the reach to influence a group of people. And of course as your audience grows, you can expect to get paid better to be a brand ambassador.
I've been blogging and running my Virtual Assistant business since 2006 and the most important asset (and continues to be!) has been my lists. I'll never stop talking about the importance of having a mailing list. It's been a way to build my relationship with my readers, share my expertise, get them back to my blogs, and of course make offers to them.
Keep your emails helpful with some recommendations thrown in and you'll do well. I always like to include a little personal blurb at the start of messages that gives my readers a chance to connect with me on a more personal level. For example, here at Faithful Bloggers one of the most important events that has been going on in my life since April 2015 is my now five year old nephew Braylan fighting leukemia. I've rallied prayer warriors from all over the world by taking the time to be open and share personally from the heart what's going on in some of my mailings.
An important note to keep in mind - you can't just set up a list and be done. It's important to continue taking action to build that list on a regular basis and then even more important than that - stay in touch with them on a regular basis!
These are just three of the many different ways you can monetize your blog. I chose them because they're pretty simple, quick and fairly easy to get started with.
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