How Do You Keep Your Feet On The Ground?

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I was pleasantly surprised yesterday to see the response to my first blog in some time. Part of me wondered if the blogging community had moved on and I’d been left on the platform, bags packed but nowhere to go. But no, not at all. I received some great responses from blogging friends old and new. It was great to talk to new folk and re-connect with some old stalwarts who I’ve been engaging with for years.

I felt valued and, as a writer, that’s a very important feeling to have. It’s easy to feel anonymous and ignored on social media. I’m fortunate to have a sizeable following but I still have days where I ask myself why I bothered. You put your heart and soul into your work but there are thousands of others out there doing the same thing. How do you catch the eye of a new reader when the market is so congested?

Between my 9-5 job and writing I’m often worn out at the end of the day. And with very little to show for it. I’m not querying at the moment but I’m about to submit a third manuscript to my publisher as well as juggling several other writing projects. It’s feast or famine when it comes to writing and thankfully, at present, the creative juices are beginning to trickle again. The good days are often few and far between when trying to carve an online niche in the jungle of creative writing.

What I, or any other writer out there, mustn’t do, however, is get so tied up in my old inner universe that I neglect the here and now. Yes, that can be replying promptly to encouraging comments from fellow bloggers but, more importantly, it’s finding time for the people who matter. Our family and friends, people who have supported us since Day 1. It’s pretty hypocritical to complain about being ignored when you are doing all the ignoring.

So, I’ll put it out there, fellow bloggers, authors, and creative types. Do you devote enough time to living in the present? Or do your daydreams take over and drag you off to newly formed worlds and characters? Who are the people who keep you tethered to the ground when your natural inclination is to drift away? Please leave your comments and let’s get a conversation going. Together we can change for the better.

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

48 thoughts on “How Do You Keep Your Feet On The Ground?”

  1. I have not spent enough time here in the blogosphere lately. Like you, the busyness of my life, has kept me away from it. At the end of last year and the beginning of this I really thought writing was going to become my life and the center of my financial support. That was not to be. A call to the work of ministry sidelined those plans. Now it is about learning to live a new balance between writing and ministry. I feel at times I am obtaining that new balalnce and then at others…abject failure. Oh by the by I really liked your book.

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      1. The interesting part is when you are out in public and having a discussion with your characters. The ones that no one else can see. With blue tooth head sets it isn’t so bad, you could pretend to be on the phone, but without one, you just appear a bit odd.

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  5. I have definitely not been living in the present. It causes extreme anxiety. I work from home (editing business and my writing) but I also have three cats, three dogs, a husband and a big house to take care of that I hate. I haven’t been blogging as much as I should…or even writing! This was a really good read. I definitely needed it.

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  6. Before I remarried, my blog and the people who come around it were a surprisingly large portion of my social circle. As a committed introvert, that was fine with me. Now I do struggle sometimes to balance real life with virtual life. But the people in virtual life are plenty real!

    I get up early to write, before I go off to work. I mostly write in my blog, but do have some other projects I move forward slowly in that time as well. If I didn’t love this stuff so much, I’d sleep later.

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  7. Mine is my husband, Cliff, and my granddaughter, Rosalee. At times it’s easy to get so wrapped up in between work and writing to lose track of time to spend with them. They make sure I take the time out for them because they remind me, hey, I am here.??

    Thank you, Karen Carnahan Author http://www.KarenCarnahan.com

    ________________________________

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  8. Good topic. I am often a victim of BSO (bright shiny objects), they grab my attention and off I go. When I’m into a new topic it is 110% of my attention – how I got into blogging. Fortunately, my wife grabs my ear and brings me back to reality. I also can give credit to the 3 cats, 2.5 dogs, and the garden as welcome distractions.

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  9. Wonderful post! What’s keeping me grounded is anticipation. My family is going through so much right now. My father will have a new pacemaker and lead placed, our area has made national news due to the Delta variant, crowded popular areas are filled with those who leave behind litter and some not thoughtful to others (we all are human), and a deadline I’m trying to reach with my own learning and my first kid’s book. Things seem desperate at times. I’m struggling with the little social media I use. We are such a “me, me, me” world and it’s depressing. So I cling to hope and faith. I don’t stress if I don’t arrive in this space as often as I’d like. I’m having to be physically, emotionally, and spiritually strong for those around me. So I meditate, breathe deep, keep smiling, show gratitude, and watch shows from my childhood that take me back to simpler times. I’m glad your job is going so great!!! I’m proud for you!! Stay blessed and healthy my friend!

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  10. I understand. More than any social media, blog community always feels different. As a student, it’s exhausting to keep up with everything but I love talking with some amazing people here.

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  11. I’m kind of the opposite. I tend to get stuck in the ground and need someone to push me, loosen me up, so I can see a different perspective and go other places in my mind, heart and soul. Centering Prayer is one way, and having a group to practice centering prayer with ensures I do it. Getting out in nature is another. A friend who calls and asks me to go walk gets me out of the house and out of my rut. (Welcome back, by the way.)

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  12. Pingback: How Do You Keep Your Feet On The Ground? This blog post is certainly worth sharing. – susiesopinions

  14. My sister keeps me grounded. She’s the one who always finds the silver lining in everything. I go to her when I need to vent.

    I’ve recently found out I have a syrinx…which is a fluid build up in my spine. I’m most likely facing surgery to drain it. Combined with all my other health issues, I’m reaching a point where enough is enough, you know? Actually, enough has been enough for quite some time now.

    I’m back to working on my book. Once again I had ended up growing restless when I didn’t see results and stopped writing. But I’m starting up again. And when I need to remember the present, lol, I call my sister. 🙂

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  15. Interesting that I would read this after a pretty hardcore and my first counseling session in a very long time. One of our focal points was my tendency to live in the “What could have been” rather than being present for the present. It’s a struggle when what once was was definitely a brighter time than my current reality – or was it??? Needless to say, I appreciate the community of deeper thinkers I find here.
    Thank you for filling my present with worthy thoughts.

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  16. I often have to remind myself not to get my validation from people—how many likes, etc. Because the crowd is fickle and I predictable.

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  17. I was glad to see your post! I noticed you hadn’t posted a while. I’ve had the same struggle with my day job lately. Very busy and then I’m too drained mentally/physically at the end of the day to write. Finding balance is a daily chore and not always possible to achieve.

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  18. I’ve taken a few months off blogging because of life and family commitments. Plus it’s hard to feel energised and positive when things are so bleak and I don’t want it to bleed too much in my writing. You’re one of the first blog posts I’ve read and engaged with! It’s nice to read about your thoughts on balancing blog land and real life.

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  19. This is a very good question. I have many story ideas and often follow the threads far enough to flesh them out into something I could write. Very much living in the present in this ideas and beginning of draft phrase. BUT! It is about this time I can become disheartened, not because I don’t think I can do it, but because I don’t know how to take any of these stories and share it in an effective way with people.

    I’m still writing though. Always writing. And conversations with people like yourself really help me hold onto the, sometimes fraying, strands and keep going!

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