How My Blog Made Me Rich and Famous - THE LAUNCH

I know.  That title. Audacious.  Crazy.   Arrogant, even.  

What is she thinking????

Here’s what I am thinking:  

1.   I find myself in the most amazing country that inspires me every single day. 
2.  In the past year and a half,  much to my surprise, I learned that I love to write.  Really love it.
3.  As of February, I have been very ungainfully unemployed.  
4.  For many years I have admired the hell out of people who had the courage and gumption to figure out how to make a living at what they love to do. 
5. In the Chinese lunar cycle, it is the Year of the Water Dragon.  It is a year where you are supposed to do big, bold, courageous things.   It is supposed to be hard.  If you can hang on while that dragon gives you the ride of your life, the rewards follow.  It only comes around every 60 years.  I did the maths*. I only get one.  

 

When you add all those things up there is only one place to land.   The land of rich and famous through writing.

So, you ask, does Caroline really think she can become rich and famous by writing?  And I ask, do I even want to become rich and famous?  I don’t know.   I don't know.  I don't know.  But setting my sights at How My Blog Helped Me Make a Little Money to Contribute to Household Expenses seemed a little lame and not water dragonish at all.  

So, with this post, I’m just putting it out there.  I’m jumping off the cliff.   I’m letting you know my intention is to figure out how to make money by writing.  If you know me at all, this is incredibly uncharacteristic.  It speaks of a self-confidence I don’t actually possess.  It speaks of a belief in myself that every day I must work hard to get back to, and most days I don't get there.   In fact, I am so wracked with doubts about the whole enterprise that it has taken me weeks to write this and then another few to actually post it. 

But what is spurring me to make it public is the fear that these very same doubts will push me to set my sights low, or, worse, to not try at all.   So by putting it out there, first, I am saying to myself, “Self, now all these people know.  You better take some action to make it happen or you’ll be mightily embarrassed.”    Nothing like fear of shame as a motivator.  (Please note that I am giving myself permission to fail, but not permission not to try.)

And second, I am hoping that by going public like this I will have your support.   My plan is to keep a journal of sorts about my journey to write my way to wealth and fame.  I’ll post these journal entries as blogs in a series called How My Blog Made Me Rich and Famous.  I don’t know what form they’ll take or if they’ll be at all interesting.  But I’d like to invite you on my journey.  I’ll be so happy if you come along.   

* My sister pointed out my typo "s" on the end of math.  Only it isn't a typo - that is what these crazy South Africans call it.  But not so crazy really, because it is after all a nickname for mathematics - which you'll note ends in an "s".