Blogging

A Sunday Confession – I have an Attitude Problem

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 20 Comments

I have an attitude problem. How’s that for a Sunday morning confession?

No, I don’t have the bitchy attitude, although my husband might disagree and I’m not being haughty or arrogant.

Nope, the attitude problem I have, believe it or not, is one of discouragement and lack of faith. Not, the Faith, that’s another subject. Lack of faith in my ability to write.

My muse has left me high and dry, and the 40,000-word novel I’ve struggled with is taunting me each time I open the file. Prompts I used to enjoy doing are drawing a blank. It’s as if the words and thoughts in my brain have gone on vacation without me. An invite would’ve been nice.

I had the entire house to myself yesterday, and writing was on the agenda, but the ghost of my mother appeared. I ended up reorganizing my cabinets and scrubbing the surfaces clean till they sparkled. Yeah, those cabinets just had to be cleaned, three days before my housekeeper is due.

By the time I finished, the day was more than half gone, I was exhausted and had screwed up a knee. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the evening recuperating, bingeing on the Hallmark channel, and getting weepy over stupid stuff.

The truth is I didn’t want to write yesterday. And being a bit obsessive about my house, I welcomed the ghost of my mother. She’s the one I blame for that little personality trait. We learned early on; a clean house is a Southern woman’s obligation and an excuse to get out of anything.

Yep, right now, I have a piss-poor attitude about writing. And, to make matters worse, I’ve committed myself to the A-Z Blogging Challenge in April. Oh no, with my brain on vacation, I’m not feeling any pressure.

April is looming, and I needed to get out of this slump.

Self-help books of all kinds have always been a go-to resource for me. Over the years, I’ve saved encouraging and funny quotes for times just like these. So, this morning I searched out the old file out to get inspired. The first sheet I pulled from the folder had me wondering, but I persevered.
IMG_1314Really?

Then I discovered two of my all time favorites.  A quote about Attitude, by Rev. Charles Swindoll and Faith (author unknown).

You can find the entire quote from Attitude by clicking on the link but here is an excerpt.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life…
It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill…
The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude.” Charles Swindoll

I encourage you to read the entire quote. It will give you an attitude adjustment. And as far as faith, well at some point we all have to believe.

Faith
When we walk to the edge of the light we have
And take that step into the darkness of the unknown;
We must believe that one of two things will happen  –
There will be something solid for us to stand on
Or,  God will teach us to fly!

I’ve always liked the idea of wings. What about you? Do you ever have doubts? I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Advice to New Bloggers – 10 Things to Make Your Blog Great

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 5 Comments
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DAILY PROMPT: Key Takeaway – Give your newer sisters and brothers-in-WordPress one piece of advice based on your experiences blogging.

So many blogs travel the internet highway; it’s a wonder we don’t see more of them crash and burns. Some blogs do fall by the wayside or just fail to take off, but with planning and preparation, your blog can be successful from the very start.

I started my blog on eBlogger in 2009 and transferred to WordPress two years later. It has been an eventful journey. During the process I discovered, as with many things, I’d taken the hard road.

My advice to new bloggers is this: Blogging has a learning curve. Be patient and prepared to stay on it for as long as it takes. I’m still learning something new every day, but If I had the chance to start over, I’d begin with these 10 things.

10 Things to Make Your Blog Great

  1. Start with the support section of WordPress and read everything you can about how to start and maintain a blog.
  2. Utilize the tutorials offered.
  3. Check out the how-to posts on blogging (including the FAQ‘s).
  4. Check out WordPress Reader to find favorite topics and recommended blogging sites. Make notes and reach out to them with questions.
  5. Decide what your blog will be about. Is it a catchall, a writing site, or will it cover a particular niche?
  6. Learn as much as you can about analytics, keywords, and search engine optimization (SEO).
  7. Check out the Course Blogging 101 for Beginners. An excellent course offered by the WordPress Daily Post.
  8. Understand and respect blogging etiquette.
  9. Check out the many wonder resources on starting a blog from the video library of YouTube.
  10. Then make a scheduled plan. Do you plan to blog when you feel like it, once a week, daily, or monthly? Whatever you decide, stick to it.

Blogging is a fun enterprise and for some a source of income. However, blogging is time-consuming and hard work. Before you start writing the first post, be sure you understand what you’re getting into. The WordPress library of support is the best place to begin making your blog great.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilagood, and Contently.

Look Fear in the Face and Kick

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 18 Comments

Sink or Swim

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You’ve heard the adage, sink or swim. It’s a phrase often shared when one is facing something difficult, be it a choice, future, task, or survival. When we find ourselves with little recourse in life, sometimes all we have left is to take a leap of faith.

Sink or swim is a simple, to the point, and powerful statement. It offers only two choices – success or failure. It’s also an affirmation of what each of us is capable of doing.

I left home before the age of eighteen under difficult circumstances, moved to the city, thirty minutes from my home, and rented a one-room apartment. My apartment, situated on the top floor, consisted of a bedroom, unheated kitchen (unless you counted the oven) and a shared bathroom across the hall in an old, rundown house. Located in a “bad” section of town it was, thankfully, close to city transportation.

At seventeen, in school with only a part-time job, I was on my own, and anything after that was my doing. I could either wither under the pressure, let fear paralyze me, or soar under the wings of freedom. I could either sink or swim. I chose the latter.

I learned about public transportation, memorized the bus schedule, and discovered the power underneath my legs. If the bus didn’t go in my direction, my legs did. I penny-pinched and learned the value of a dollar. I studied hard, made friends, and fought back the fear of unchartered territory with determination and confidence I didn’t feel until much later.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.”

Two years later, I would graduate nursing school, marry, and begin a family. To this day, it was one of the greatest experiences of my life and left memories that still bring a smile to my face. At seventeen, I looked fear in the face and I kicked.

“Faith is believing that one of two things will happen. That there will be something solid for you to stand on or that you will be taught to fly.” Unknown

 

The Cow Pasture’s 2015 Review

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 13 Comments

Thanks to WordPress.com for preparing this 2015 annual report for the Cow Pasture. It has been a year of growth, in spite of life and health getting in the way. I am proud of my accomplishments and hope I brought something to your table, be it a story or information.

To all my readers, Thank you, and, particularly, those who take the time to comment and interact. Feedback is the lifeblood of the blogging community. I encourage each of you when you read something helpful, inspirational, or thought-provoking- speak up, say something, comment and even debate. Communication, after all, is what brings us together.

Here’s to an even bigger and better year for all of us.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,900 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.