I Got My 1st E-pinions check today! The Mercedes is on its way!
Sep 29 '00
And I am one excited little E-pinioner! I ordered it in Midnight Blue~
When I opened that nice check today, I was delighted, and pardon the psycho-babble, really felt "validated". Then I started kicking myself; I LOVE to write, and in 9 months I have not taken the fun and emotional rewards of writing, getting read, and now, of course, being paid for it all, seriously enough. I would be kidding myself to say that the money isn't at all relevant.
I've had some things published in years' past when I worked full time, but all in my field, working with the Courts and the Social Work/Criminology arena. Today I have an opportunity to get some of those same good feelings again from writing - and even some decent extra money.
I became scattered with how I chose to spend my time on-line. I do post on two other message boards,and still write reports part-time. E-mail, of course, is a miracle for someone who grew up with an Electric IBM or Smith-Corona and carbon paper working as a secretary at GM, and all through college.
I truly believe this little machine has opened my world up in ways I wouldn't have believed 6 years ago. So I've learned an important lesson today. Epinions is my favorite site on the web. There is nothing to compare with it. It's the first place I go to in the morning, and the last at night. But I DO want to write more, and by golly, I'm gonna! There are just too many positives I experience every time I hit that "submit" button. The act of writing something itself - there's a certain joy I have always found in that.
"Why, oh why", has been my lament this afternoon, "did I not have a bit more focused motivation, to write more Epinions"? It's easier to just read all of your reviews, that's why. Putting effort into a well-written Epinion sometimes really can feel like work - it takes two hours sometimes. But the irony is, of course, that I also DO LOVE to write. I found this site in January, started writing, have been fortunate to get mostly HR's, but I've written just 18-count'em-18 Epinions since then!!! Boy, is my face red...
MY LESSON
Prioritize. Do more of what makes me feel good, and less of what doesn't. Seems I heard that in an est seminar a few hundred years ago. But it's true.
CONCLUSION - Especially to Newcomers
You may very well find yourself doing what I've done at first, and it IS recommended for a while. Read others' Opinions. Get familiar with the lay of the land. Understand how the writers that get read compose and contribute their thoughts here. Don't wait for 10 months though, to decide to start writing more often yourself!
Suggestion --- Keep on reading and rating - a lot, at first. It's the lifeblood of the site. But please, remember --- we all love reading others' writings too. Find a balance you're comfortable with, and attempt to stay with it. I think I almost have an obligation to not only myself, but the concept of this site, to contribute through writing, as well as through reading/rating.
I have no great aspirations to become an advisor, nor have a WOT in the triple digits. (Hey, who knows??? :-)) But today, I was reminded, from a check that, in and of itself, isn't going to change my life, that my writing DOES have value. Even monetary value again, since I don't work full-time anymore. I think I probably tucked that aspect of this site away in my mind. The easier-softer way is just to relax and read. It's fun; I can become mesmerized when I discover another wonderful writer, and want to read everything they wrote. And there goes another 2-3 hours.
I know that writing Epinions, and of course, doing anything we enjoy and get paid for, is that "bliss" Wayne Dyer talks about in so many of his books. I do believe that we can do what feels good, AND get paid for it, and that does change our lives, each to varying degrees.
No, not to buy a Mercedes..... I'm happy with my Nissan, thank you. But to remind me that part of the enjoyment of Epinions.com is sharing some of my own thoughts on a REGULAR basis. I do, writing comments after reading other's reviews - probably several times a day. Perhaps I'll start there; maybe for every 10 comments, consider what I can write about that week. There, that's the ticket!!
Whoops, I didn't mean to say "ticket!"
Marty
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Epinions.com ID:
fiona32
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Member: Marty Lentz
Location: Michigan
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 57 members
About Me:
Former Alcohol-Drug Abuse/Family Therapist, divorced, live in W. Michigan - love grandchildren and Gateway!!
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