Time to Move On.
Hey there, my fellow WA Members!
No, no, no...I don't mean time to move on that way!
I'm not going anywhere...
Let me explain...and, before I get any further let me warn you...
This is just to get it out there and get it off my chest...
It's been weighing me down for far too long.
So, I understand if you don't want to read it...it's not exactly about affiliate marketing, keywords or anything like that.
Maybe, it'll help a few of you to let the things go that are holding you back ...whether it's fear, depression, grief, etc.
Warning....It is a realllly long read!
But, if you have the time, feel free to read it...might want to grab a coffee or a snack while you're at it...
It's been ages since I've written a blog here, but I've been here all along...
And, whether you know it or not, you, my friends...
have helped me get through the toughest times of my life over the past couple years!
The year 2014 was the start of it all, and it took much of last year to even get somewhat back to normal...well, that's if I've ever been what you call normal.
You see, the year 2014 started out bad with my hubby losing his job of almost 15 years. It wasn't easy, but we got through it...just had to figure out the best way to use the money we did make and cut some things we didn't need.
Since I only work part-time at my regular job, I was able to work extra hours to help pay our bills. But, working 12 hour shifts meant less time to work on my goals for my websites...I'd try and get something done every day, but I was absolutely exhausted when I'd get home.
Anyways, that wasn't the worst thing that year...
I know, you might think this silly, those of you who aren't "dog" people...
In February 2014, our oldest dog, Pepper, a 12-year-old a husky/lab mix we'd had since a pup started getting lumps everywhere. She started eating less, but she always had her tail wagging. She was still her happy self. After noticing these first few lumps we brought her to the vet.
This wasn't the first time either. About a year before, she had lumps, which the veterinarian was able to surgically remove. He thought he got them all...she was healthy and happy for that year or so, jumping around like a puppy!
This time was different...the vet didn't think it would do any good to do surgery again, it was cancerous and moving fast. So, we could either choose to let it run its course or put her to sleep. Since she was still eating and being her happy self, we decided to let her be and enjoy what time was left with her.
It was a very short time. A few weeks later, she had a seizure one day, and never really got out of it...she was dazed and tipsy like a drunken sailor, but would still manage to go outside with us on her own four legs. But, she refused to eat or drink anymore.
Over the next couple days, we could see our time with our beloved Pepper was at the end. She was suffering. It was time to let her go...she knew it, we knew it.
So, we said our goodbyes and took her for one last car ride...
It was a hard time to get through to say the least. We still miss our gentle, happy Pepper, but...
Life wasn't done throwing lemons at us yet...
Oh no, it gets worse....much worse...it was just building up to throw the worst one for last...
Maybe the saying I've heard my family tell "bad things always comes in threes" is true...
The day after Easter, my mom called me to say she feels sick and needs to go to a doctor...she felt like it's hard to breath. The day before, during Easter dinner she didn't look all that good, but of course she insisted "I'm fine!"
Ooooh, Such a....Stubborn Finlander! Too stubborn to admit she wasn't feeling good...now, I know where that bullheadedness comes from!
Now, for my mom to ask for help is unusual...even at the age of 76. And, for her to actually want to go to the doctors?
Ha! That was never...but she was asking, so I knew it wasn't good.
Once there, the doctors ran a few tests and found what they thought was the culprit...pneumonia. So, they gave her antibiotics and since her lungs were already so filled with fluid, drained her lungs.
Feeling a lot better already, we went home later that day. Everything seemed okay for about a week or so, then it started all over again...she started feeling like she couldn't breath right again.
The doctors did some more tests, drained her lungs again, and this time put her on oxygen. Still showing up as pneumonia according to the tests...
It was and it wasn't...
The pneumonia wasn't the only thing making her sick as we later found out...finally after going back and forth with the doctors, it was discovered that she had lung cancer. But, there was still hope in removing it with surgery the doctors said...
First, they wanted her to get stronger before the surgery...
Well, my mom did NOT want to stay at the hospital. So, they finally sent us home til she recovered from the pneumonia. A home health nurse came every so often to check up on her and they also set up oxygen in my parent's home. We knew that was what she'd want, to be home. And, I sure don't blame her...I wouldn't have had it any other way either if it was me. So, I'd go check on her and my 80-year-old dad every morning before work at 3 a.m. or just go there when I didn't have to work at some point in the early morning hours.
She was still getting around okay at the time. My dad was there too, watching over her like a mother hen and helping with as much as he could. But, it gave me peace of mind to see how she was doing each morning. My older brother would be arriving home in a few hours to be with them during the day and my hubby often checked in on them too.
This went on til the end of May when things took a turn for the worse, and she had to go back to the hospital again. The doctors were hoping they could still get her into surgery, but they needed a few days to get her sodium levels up...if not, they didn't think she'd survive it.
Well, the surgery never happened, it was already too late...the swiftly moving cancer had spread into both lungs. Each breath became a struggle as the days went on.
We spent a week in the hospital with her. Only going home long enough to shower, let the dogs out, and a couple hours nap. Through it all, she remained strong in spirit...still kidding around with the doctors and nurses. She was always a happy, strong-willed woman that loved to make people smile.
My mom knew her time here was done...she'd be going to a better place. She even said so...which was so hard to hear. It broke our hearts into itsy-bitsy pieces...
But, in our hearts, we all knew it too. It was so hard to see her life fade away, day by agonizing day. She silently slipped away from us all as I sat holding her hand on June 3, 2014...she was gone from our world, but not our hearts.
Afterwards, I just felt numb...I think that's the only way I made it through the funeral, without becoming a hysterical, sobbing mess. I believe now, it was God's way of getting me through...that's what I believe and if you don't, then that's okay.
Anyways, if you're still with me thank you! Just a little more to go...oh, and no more sad stuff...promise!
Throughout all this time, I'd check in here at WA whenever I had a chance, maybe attempt working on my site a bit. I read so many blogs here that touched my heart and kept me going, but I remained silent. I just couldn't seem to get the words together.
So, I'd like to say...
...for inspiring me and lifting me up when I was down...
But, now, I've realized it's time to move on, it's gone on far too long.
I'm moving on to the niche I should've done in the first place.
Choosing the Wrong Niche?
No, choosing the niche you feel comfortable doing at that point in your life is never wrong or a failure. Even if you aren't "successful" with it, you've gained something...experience!
You've tried it out and realized, you really want something else for your life...it's a bit easier the next time around since you've actually done it before.
Now, I'm not saying if you don't make money with it, to give up and throw in the towel...the money isn't what I'm talking about.
Say Whaaaat???? It's not about the money?
This niche I'm talking about, my first one...it does make some money every month.
So, no...I'm not throwing away all that hard work! I'm not that crazy...and, I do enjoy it still.
But, the point is...
When I first started out here, I chose a niche that I love, but it's not one that I want to "be." It's not what I want to become known for...
So, think about that...
What do you want to be known for?
I've always known what I'd love more than anything to do...but, was always too afraid to share it until now...
Life is too short to be afraid of what others think about you or what you do. So why not do what you love? They're going to think what they want anyways...
What others think does not matter to you...it will only affect you if you let it...
Okay, so what is my new niche already?
Ever since I could pick up a pencil, I've loved to draw and later on, oil painting. But, I never shared it with others. Only my closest family and friends knew.
Why? Why didn't I just do this in first place?
Fear...plain and simple.
The fear of failure, rejection, being made fun of, etc. Now, I just don't care...what anyone thinks. If they don't like it that's okay, they don't have to look at it then.
After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...right?
I enjoy doing artwork...the process of creating something.... that's what matters to me, not what someone else might say or think about it.
Why waste your life away worrying about what others think? Worrying about the "what ifs" all the time?
If you enjoy doing something, then do it!
Chances are there are others out there that are passionate about the same thing as you.
You just have to find them. Connect with them. Find what troubles them and help them solve their problems.
Never be afraid to be who you are...
Be the person you want to be.
What's the worst that can happen? So, someone doesn't like what you do or say...
Let it be their problem, not yours...
If you're passionate about something and put in the work towards your goals, help others within that niche...eventually the money will find you.
At least that's what I believe...
Now, if I can only figure out what problems can be solved with artwork, lol.
BTW, any thoughts on that? I'd appreciate any ideas you might want to share...
What do you think? Should choosing a niche be based solely on how much money you could make? Or, Should it be something you love doing?
If you've read all this... A sincere and heartfelt... Thank You, my friend!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Recent Comments
57
Hi Sherry,
First let me give you my condolences for what you've been through. Your story is sad and inspiring, I know all to well what you've
been through. Been there done that but I don't want to get into that.
I am an artist and have been a successful professional artist for over 40 years. However the last 10 or so years have been slow and that's what brings here, hoping to generate extra income.
I am new to this but I have done much research on how you can write a website on art. Rather than get into details, I will give 2 artist affiliate websites which has been helping me a lot.
http://www.art-is-fun.com/
http://guidetooilpainting.com/oilPaintingBeginners.html
There are many more just type in anything about art. You can teach painting, talk about art, explain about materials and the different techniques etc.
Hope this helps and I wish you the best.
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thank you for the condolences and for reading. I hadn't written anything here for so long, and haven't even been commenting like I used to here, I figured I'd let you all know and get it out of my system.
I also wanted to let people know how inspiring and caring everyone is at WA...people like yourself and so many others here willing to help out.
Anyways, it's good to know the inside scoop! I didn't realize it's been slowing down the past 10 years, but I do see tons of artwork all over on the internet, which means a lot of competition, but then again we have something most others don't...WA!
I'll have to check these sites out for sure! I don't think I've come across these. I did join a site called Fine Art America a while ago, not sure if you've ever heard of it or not.
You can use it to sell your artwork (even photos) as fine art prints and some other items like tote bags, phone cases, etc. for whatever price you want...well, it explains it better there. It's free to use or I believe there's an upgraded version too.
I'm thinking now that you've mentioned it, being an affiliate of art related products would be the best route to go for the time being, and a way of earning passive income once things get rolling...which means more time for art.
Thank you so much for the tips, they're definitely helpful!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
You're very welcome and thank you Sherry.
I'm glad I could help in some way and probably we can help each other along the way since we will have basically the same niche.
I have heard of that site and I think I will check that out, thanks!
I'm on one now called Artfinder.com. They are also free and just take a commission when you sell something. I have sold a couple on there but like you said, the competition is heavy and many of those artists practically give their paintings away, I don't get it.
My work sells at a fairly high price and have been for many years so I can't come down. I still have to rely mainly on the galleries. I guess you're right that we have WA, it's just that I don't know how long it will take to generate an income from it. I still have a long way to go on my website.
Did you do the picture on your profile?
Best to you,
Gary:)
Hi Gary,
That sounds like a great idea actually since we have the same niche...I started out my art site already, it's listed in my profile, but still have a loooong way to go yet too...need to do some tweaking yet with the buttons there and a lot more content.
Feel free to check it out if you want though...and, I can check your site out too if you want, just send a PM. Yeah, it'd be cool to brainstorm ideas and help each other out.
I believe I've seen Artfinder when on the internet, but haven't checked them out yet. Great to hear you've been selling some artwork through them. I believe Fine Art America doesn't take a commission, only the base price of the product it's printed on...if I remember correctly that is. I haven't sold anything there yet so, I'm not positive.
I sure don't get it either...it takes a lot of time for some paintings, plus the materials themselves aren't exactly cheap! I guess maybe these artists are just starting out and any money is good even if they're taking a loss in it.
Oh, and the picture on my profile isn't one I've done...actually I just thought it fit so well with my username, at the time I joined here. I've had the same profile pic here since I started...at that time I guess I wasn't ready to share too much, especially my artwork. I really should change it to one I've done sometime soon.
Thanks for sharing another helpful tip btw! I'll have to check them out too.
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Awww, thank you for the prayers, they mean a lot! It had been a rough year, but we're finally getting back to somewhat normal a day at a time.
Sherry, I agree! With everything you shared. More on that later, but for now, thanks for sharing.
Hi Swangirl,
Glad you think so too. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Best wishes :) ~Sherry
hi Sherry,
I am so sorry to hear what you had to go through. I lost my father to cancer a long time ago but my mother has a lung condition COPD and gets bad bronchitis every year. She is almost 90 so that is kind of scarey. Also I totally understand how it feels to lose a beloved dog. My dogs are like my kids and I love them too. I'm glad to hear that things have gotten better and you are able to move on. For niches to me it is most important that i love my subject matter but it seems like people many times have several niches I don't know if they have them at the same time or if it's sequential but there are a lot of people in WA tha have several different websites. I started with the bootcamp so my first wa site will be an affiliate site for WA. But I also have a website that is an e-comerce site selling Dog products. I want to specialize it more into dog health products. I'm doing too many things at once.
Welcome back to WA!
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
Sorry to hear you lost your father to cancer. I hope your mother is doing good and pray she will be healthy. I totally understand...the older they get, the more we worry about them. My dad is getting up there in age too and I worry all the time...he's getting a bit unsteady at times.
I too, have a few websites now, including the one I recently started. My first one is my dog site, which I still enjoy, so although I'm not going to focus too much on it now, I'm still going to keep working on it whenever I have extra time. I think it's much easier to focus on one at a time myself.
Thank you for the kind comment! Best wishes to you and your mom :) ~Sherry
Hey Sherry I am sorry about your mom. I lost my dad from cancer years ago so I know the feeling of losing a parent and I am troubled that my mom will soon be next. Sh too has pleural effusion. It's back for the third time. They drained it the first time with steroids, then fine needle aspiration and now they are going to do another fine needle aspiration and the same tests over to re-evaluate the last sitrep. Anyway ...
About that niche'. Kyle says target your passion. That's awesome advice for two reasons.
1) If you're passionate about something it isn't going to seem like work to write top quality original content.
2) You can make money in any niche' even if it's only with Adsense. But usually there is a product or service somewhere that will align with your niches needs and wants.
OR
YOU CAN GO FOR THE MONEY!
If you do go where the money is (if your niche' isn't a big goldmine) just make sure it is something you are extremely interested in so you won't resent the time you'll need to invest in doing research to become an expert in a niche you currently have no clue about.
Hey Profithog,
Oh, man...sorry to hear about your dad. I hope your mom gets better, it's a hard thing to go through for both of you. My mom had so many of the fine needle aspirations done that I lost count...but, it helped so she could breathe better.
I worry about my dad, but so far he's still doing okay. I guess the roles become reversed as our parents age.
Yep, I think I'll try the one that's my passion...may as well, since it's something I already do anyway, but I don't get paid for it...at least not yet.
Thanks for the wise advice and I'll be sending prayers for you and your family. Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Thank you for the kind words and a big thank you for the prayers. I'll return the favor. God is AWESOME and always answers. I could tell you some cool stories that simply do NOT have any other explaination. Anyway ...
It is amazing how long the loss of a parent sticks with you. My dad died while I was in the Marine Corps. That was a really long time ago but it I still miss him. And ...
Yes, roles reverse because just as my mom cared for me as a kid I am now returning the favor. It saddens me to see her this way. She used to be so young, vibrant and full of life.
About your niche' ...
Like I said you can usually always find products. Amazon is a gold mine and they offer some really fine products that are usually less than one can find in stores and they ship for free when the order is over $35. They don't pay much 4% to sometimes 10% but if you move enough product it all works out.
I've got one sight that deals with a health issue and people ask me how I do certain things and even though the site is NOT a cooking site, cooking foods is a part of dealing with the issue and one question keeps popping up so I decided to do a review on top quality cookware!
LOL, me a guy who is barely able to be called a cook doing reviews on cookware and selling pots and pans LOL I find that incredibly funny.
So I am sure you will find something that works well for you and your niche.'.
Yes, I agree...He is awesome...and thank you!
I think that was the hardest too, going through seeing her like that...she was always full of life even as she got older.
Reminds me of when she tried showing my daughter how to jump rope, lol. It actually wasn't too many years before this...didn't go over too well though...well, she went over, and onto the floor with a bang, but at least she didn't get hurt.
Now that is something to think about...you've got the wheels turning! I'll have to check them out on what kinds of products they have for artwork and such.
Hey, why not...if people kept asking, may as well do that review on cookware...cook or not, lol. Thanks again :)
It's all about doing what you enjoy. The money will come later (or not at all) but you'll have fun doing it.
Hey Marion,
I agree with that. Yes, either way at least it'll be fun and not feel like just another "Job."
Thanks for the wise words!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Hi Sherry
Nice to hear from you after a long time but now we know why.
I don't think niches should be just about about making money.
I really do believe if your niche is helping people, the money would eventually find you. Stick to your passion, my opinion.
Kav
Hi Kav,
Great to hear from you too...it's great to be back. I never left, but I just had to pull myself together first. That's my thought exactly...stick to your passion!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on it, Kav!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Hey Sherry,
Been a while since we last chat. I was wondering what's going on. If you need any help brainstorming a new niche, just send me a PM ya.
You have been through a lot. So have I.
Hey Cathy,
It's been a long time. I was just wondering where you've been after all this time...you're still here! Awesome!
Brainstorming sounds great...I'll definitely take you up on that sometime soon....feel free to send me a PM too if you need help or just wanna chat for a bit.
Thank you Cathy!
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
See more comments
Hi Sherry, my heart goes out to you. I lost my mom and my sister very suddenly within 6 days of each other in 2009 and then our beloved 13 year old cat Sasha saw the New Year in with us on 1 Jan 2010 and then died later that day. Do what you love and have fun while doing it. I am sure you will find some way of making it work. Take care, hugs, Jude :)
Hi JudeP,
Oh, nooo....that must have been devastating to lose both your mom and sister within 6 days....and then your cat too on New Years. I don't know how you got through it. My heart goes out to you too!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts here Jude and yes, I'll have fun at it! Take care and hugs back.
Best wishes :) ~Sherry
Jude, I don't know how you would cope with this. I guess you just have too... My community buried a 4 yr old girl yesterday, such a shock for her parents, siblings etc... I know death is part of life but it is hard. Sending you blessings. Olive
Thank you for taking the time to comment Olive, I appreciate it :)