A website that can help you stay sane

I have recently come across this website called "Plugin ID" which is written by a young guy (geez, I'm getting old...) (he's about 19) but his site is FULL of wisdom.

You can find his site here. I've linked to a post that talks about figuring out "who you really are," which is a very important part of staying sane, don't you think?

This writer is very much "wise beyond his years," and he deserves a spot on anyone's feedreader who is working on improving themselves. No, I don't know him. But check his work out, I daresay you will be glad that you did!

Mary, Please

In one place that I used to live, people would often say "Mary, Please..." as an exasperated expression of disbelief and/or annoyance.

For example... (even if your name is Beth) the conversation might go "You make $275,000 a year?? 'Mary, Please.' I KNOW that's not true...,"

I was just idly wondering if anyone besides me had heard that, and if so, what they attributed it to.

I reckon expressing disbelief and/or mild discontent at someone can help with Sanity. :)

Make it a fabulous day/weekend. You have the power to do so, you really do.

New Bloggie!

I am working on a new version of Manic Meltdown... I will continue to update this site for a while, but eventually this one will begin to be updated less and less. I'm excited!

More tips on staying sane, our insane world, and so on, to come!

Five Ways to Keep Yourself Centered in Gratitude

It’s ever so easy—particularly when times are tough as they are for lots of us economically right now— to focus on what’s wrong or what’s missing in one’s life. Personally, I’m getting daily reminders of that in my life since my recent job loss and a freaking snowstorm that has kept me so housebound that I’ve not yet even been able to apply for unemployment (!) (You can’t do it online in this crazy state I live in…) …but I’ve been walking this mortal coil long enough to know that what we pay attention to in our lives grows and gets bigger.

I don’t want fear or loss or any other negative thing to get bigger in my life.

So I choose to focus on gratitude, uplifting things, etc. and so forth. The rough facts though are that some hours/days/weeks it’s a struggle, no matter how positive I try to be…. The thing is, that’s just part of the human condition. I feel so sorry for the people I work with on occasion who get mired in that fear etc. and stay there… without seeing that there are *always* choices.

It can be a struggle for all/any of us… so hopefully to help, not just me but any potential (theoretical?) readers out there, in no particular order, here are some tips to help those who might be teetering—like me.

1.) Focus on the basics. Even the basic basics. Sometimes in very dire moments this is really hard. I saw a gut wrenching posting on another blog where a parent had written in “How in the world could she be "positive" when she had children and was worried about them/feeding them/etc.??” That’s a tough one, but what you do is you break it down. Do you have a roof over your children’s head for tonight? Do you have food for them for their next meal (and yours?) Do you have friends you can count on or family? Is your health good? Many, many people on this planet cannot say yes to any of those things. Getting clear on the things you do have to be grateful for—even the basic basics such as “I am not at this moment in the hospital” or “nobody is likely to be shooting at me if I step outside my home” (e.g. those in Iraq or Afghanistan…) counts for a lot. Think on those things.

2.) Think about what you are—or should be—grateful for and make a list of those things. For instance, in my case, I am a cancer survivor now five years out (and hence, considered "cured") That’s huge. I AM grateful, when I stop to think about it. More grateful than there are words to use about it. But now that some time has passed and I’m “safe” it’s far too easy to take that for granted. The thing is I was/am very lucky. You are too, in some ways. No matter what. Figure out what those ways are and what you are grateful for. Make a list.

3.) Focus on people, not things, and certainly not money. I have a wonderful husband, a great family, great mom, thoughtful friends and clients. If I spend my time and energy on how I can make THEIR lives better (or even your life better, gentle reader) then I am not moaning about or mired in my fears. Money fades away and if I dropped dead tomorrow, it’s not the money I made or didn’t make that would have mattered. Same is true for you too. Money comes and goes.

4.) Think about your assets…your inner assets. We all have some. Particularly when we’re scared, it’s easy to think that we’re not good at anything and have nothing to offer. It doesn’t matter who you are, nothing could be farther from the truth. I can write but I can’t add, and I’m physically uncoordinated. My neighbor might only have an eighth grade education but she can cook circles around me. Everyone has something to bring to the table. Consider what you have and focus on (and be grateful for) those things. They mean a lot!

5.) Get help if you need it. It’s out there. American culture such as it is has a huge undercurrent of the (sadly mistaken) idea that we all can and should pull ourselves “up by our own bootstraps.” First of all, I don’t know anyone who even has bootstraps, and second of all—we are all in this world and life together, and that is for a reason. If you don’t know who to turn to, know that there are LOTS of good-hearted strangers out here in the world who care about you just because you are a fellow human. Trust that. reach out. Know that if you are allowing someone to help you, you are giving THEM a blessing. Many communities have a service called 211. (like 411.) to help people find community services. Reach out. Whatever you need, it’s out there. And if you’re in a position to help someone, do. Even if it’s just a kind word or commenting on their blog. (hint, hint.)

The reason why to do all this? It helps your life, and the lives of those around you. Plus it feels much better than feeling terrified, and you are much more likely to get something done!

Earning Money Online 101

Well I've been casting about for more guidance about how to earn money online with my skillset and what I'm reading is pretty clear. I can sum it up in one word.

PATIENCE.

Too bad I was born without very much.

For example, I'm a writer among various other things, and I'm branching out to sell some stuff I've written to content purchasers, e.g. Triond.

Triond supposedly pays better than a lot of the content guys (such as Associated Content and so on.) but just like AC, it all depends on how many pageviews your content generates.

Just like blogging.

And how does one generate more pageviews? Far as I can tell, it's done with a combination of things that seem to have been lost in our modern society to a degree.... patience and perserverence. Oh yeah, and hard work.

I'm not averse to hard work, and neither is the ever-fabulous Mr. Sanity, and due to the global marketplace and our global economy, we are now competing with people in so-called "developing nations" who are happy to work for $1 to, say, write an article of a thousand words.

(I put quotations around the "developing nations" bit because I think this one is still developing, too.... here in the good ole USA...but once again, I digress...)

Anyway... my job as a blogger is to add value to your life. If I can' t do that, in one way or another, then this is a waste of everyone's time and effort.

So, accordingly, if you landed here because you are looking for ways to make money on line, I'm going to send you on to some places where you can do so. But in all cases, just like me, you're going to almost certainly have some patience.

Here's the list. I'm afraid I didn't link to them, but the info should be here for you to just cut and paste into your browser address bar. If you're not quite sure what that means, than you may need to scale down your expectations for making money online (with all due respect!)

Ebay.com
AssociatedContent.com
Bonanzle.com
squidoo.com
Suite101.com (They only accept certain writers. This may be a good thing...but on the other hand they behave as though there is no interest or market in first person voice written articles. Hullo... that's why there's ten bazillion blogs out there on the internet!)

Well, there will be more where that came from. In the event you're feeling particularly charitable, have a look at my first TrionD offerings, it's about Health Care in the US and how the UK managed to offer health care to all their citizens...

It's located here


Thanks!

It Can Be Done...and We Can Do It!

Although there is some hope that the tide is turning somewhat in the ole USA toward a more caring culture toward each other... it seems that in these times it's really important to remember that there is a great deal that each of us can do on our own toward meeting our needs. We don't have to wait to be rescued... we can get moving, and make a difference in our own lives.


That is not to say that we should not expect help, from our neighbors or from the government when it is needed (after all, governments are about more than just collecting taxes and invading other countries, theoretically) or that every element of every situation we find ourselves in is our own fault.

Ayn Rand was wrong, for the most part, but that's a whole bunch of other posts, and I digress.

My point is that frightened or not, it's critical for all of us to believe in ourselves, to have hope and positive expectations that no matter what we are facing, that we have the ability to make a difference, we are not helpless, lost sheep.

If you find yourself having trouble bringing up that positive attitude--reach out. Talk to others, talk to someone you trust.

Then get moving. Do something, anything. That movement, in and of itself, will help you to feel better.

Downsized? Looking to make a little money?

Unfortunately there's about a billion of us out here in the same boat.

However, I have found this gig where I will make at least a LITTLE money, and if YOU check it out and make some money too.... then, heck, we all win.

They seem to be on the up and up (though not suprisingly, the pay is not stellar...) but what it IS is for real. They use an escrow service (to protect both buyer and seller!) The bulk of the jobs are for programmers, but if you're a writer like me... there's a lot of THAT available too. Click on the link below, and happy working!

http://getafreelancer.com/affiliates/Lancewrite/

Note: this service is one of many, and is a global marketplace; you'll be competing with folks who are happy to write a polished 500 word article for a dollar. Still, if you're new in the game, it's good to start somewhere... and who knows, working at "getafreelancer" may lead to longer term gigs if you satisfy your buyers....

it is not, however, guaranteed to produce sanity.