Sonia Marsh - Gutsy Living

Life's too short to play it safe

Jumping into Gutsy Living

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Today is a special day for me. I am launching my new author website and WordPress blog for Gutsy Living.
To say that I’m a little nervous about this change makes me sound “Un-Gutsy” but it’s the truth. As some of my blogger friends know, I made it one of my goals for 2011 and after several months of researching and pondering about the investment and the need to take the plunge, I finally decided that I could not do it alone, but would hire a professional to help me.
I met Kirsten Wright at a local Bloggers meeting about two months ago. We sat down and after she handed me her business card, I said, “You know, I’ve been wanting to change from blogger to WordPress and have noticed how every professional blogger seems to use “Thesis.” Kirsten listened to me and started giving me a long explanation on how WordPress was definitely the way to go and how as an author, I needed to think about an author website as well. My initial thought was, “She seems to know a lot, she also talks a lot, and she’s mentioning a custom made website and blog, when all I want is Thesis. This is probably to get me to spend more money than I want to.”
After about twenty minutes, Kirsten could tell that I was getting a little overwhelmed with all the information about custom coding, etc., and she left to chat with some of the other bloggers. I sat there in a daze, and suddenly realized that I was all alone and most of the bloggers were much younger than me and knew one another.
I got up, headed to the table with appetizers and could not find anyone else alone to talk to, or a place to sit. That’s when Kirsten noticed me and said, “Come join us.” It was her act of kindness that made me look at her as a caring, young woman, rather than simply as someone trying to get my business.
Later that evening, I checked out her website, and was impressed with the ease of navigation on her site. I watched her videos and realized that she is an expert on social media, has been interviewed on local TV, and is a writer for OC Metro magazine. She offers free videos on her site to help people like myself learn more about how to use Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging tips and so much more.
The following day I called her to discuss the vision I had for my blog theme. We met at Starbucks and Kirsten pulled out some stock footage of tropical beaches as backgrounds for my website as well as fonts for logos. We connected and she understood the creative side that I was looking for as well as the coding side. “Sonia, you’re an author with an upcoming book. We need to focus on that aspect first.” I agreed with her as I have read how agents and publishers want aspiring authors to have a professional website prior to publication.
It’s now been six weeks since I started working with Kirsten and I am so happy with my new site. Several of my friends who used blogger and switched  to WordPress had major headaches transferring content and photos over. Don’t ask me how, but Kirsten said, “No problem,” one of her favorite phrases. I would love to hear what you think about my new Gutsy Living website.
I asked Kirsten if she would offer an incentive to those who might be looking for a new blog theme or an author website and she is offering a 10% coupon to anyone who contacts her through my new site. If you’re interested, I think she’s fabulous.

I wish to thank all of you who already subscribe to my blog through the RSS feed, you will still receive updates. If you were subscribed through Google Connect, please click here to subscribe to my new site.

Launching my new website tomorrow

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What a day!

I am LATE in writing my Thursday post.

Today I wrote my first post on my new Gutsy Living WordPress blog and Kirsten Wright, who has been developing my custom website showed up at my house to launch my new site this morning.

So why isn’t it up and running as planned?

Blame my web-hosting company. Yes, after Kirsten was on the phone with some kind man from India for about one hour, the final outcome was, “It will take about 24 hours to fix the problem.”

So there you have it.

If all goes according to plan, please come back tomorrow. I am very excited about launching my new Gutsy Living site.

Here’s a quick peek at the theme on my FaceBook page which I hope you “Like.”

Thanks for understanding.
See you tomorrow.

Photo credit Comland-Design

Which do you fear most? Success or failure?

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We’ve all heard about the fear of failure and the fear of success, this is not a new topic, however, what about outside pressures?

If you’re a writer hoping to become a published author, or you’d like to start your own business, you’ve probably been through the following scenario. You share your plans with others, then feel like a failure when things take longer than expected while you’re in the process of accomplishing your goals.

I’m here to say, “Don’t.” “Don’t allow pressure from anyone, especially parents, close friends, a spouse or even your kids make you feel like a failure because you’re still in the process of following your dreams.”

You will always find those who say, “That will never work,” followed by “I told you so,” when things aren’t proceeding as planned, but that’s exactly when you need to step up to the challenge and keep going. Please don’t allow negative comments to influence your desire to follow through with your goals.

I listened to the video above where Dr. Regina Dugan, director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), speaks about how fear of failure can limit success. DARPA is the agency that gave us the GPS and the Internet, as well as other now-everyday technologies. Dr. Dugan says they encourage their researchers to fail because you cannot have a big success without failures, and you cannot fear failure in order to have a big success. (Dr. Dugan talks about failure, success and risk taking at the 3:20 mark.)

You can find more in this article by Russell Bishop, “Is the Fear of Failure Holding you Back.”

Here’s to your success from me.

I hope you’ll keep pushing through all the challenges to succeed with your dreams and not allow other voices, not even your own, to stop you.

Here’s my life list, what’s yours?

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10 items on Sonia’s life list

Starting today, we are sharing 10 items on our life list, which according to Karen Walrond is all about creating our own adventure. How do we do that? By “Injecting cool stuff as well as the more mundane stuff,”  Karen says. The idea came from Mighty Girl who was sponsored by Intel and Verizon to make her life list. Check her list out on her blog if you want ideas. (I wonder how we could get ours sponsored?) just a thought.

I listened to Karen Walrond speak at the WDS conference in Portland, a few days ago. Her topic was something that we can all relate to: “The Beauty of Different.” I became enthusiastic about what she said that people want to “fit in,” yet they love people who are different. I never thought of that before, but it’s so true.

As a photographer, Karen loves to capture people’s faces and in her video below, you’ll understand what she means when she says, “The reason we love different so much is that we find it beautiful.” Talk about different, Karen is a former engineer and a current yet (non-practicing attorney) a photographer, author and was born in Trinidad and Tobago, yet grew up in Houston. She states all her life she was trying to fit in until she discovered that people actually love different.

 

10 things on Sonia’s life list

1). Take a Spanish immersion class. Live with a family in Panama for three months to become fluent.
2). Host a party with friends to share and discuss the 10 most important things on your life list.
3). Join a bike club that is non-competitive and friendly.
4). Teach English abroad through CELTA program.
5). Write a second book about, Being Gutsy over 50.
6). Make presentations on Gutsy Living in the U.S and abroad.
7). Visit Australia with the goal of perhaps living there for a while.
8). Volunteer in Kenya or Tanzania with children.
9). Build a community of baby-boomer adventure-seekers who share an enthusiasm for life.
10). Explore new places and keep learning and growing.

Please share your life list if you want to participate. If you don’t have one, you can still participate by commenting. This post will be up until Monday June 20th, so you have time. Remember you’ll have 100 items on your own list, so these don’t have to be the most important.

Just think about what you’d like to do, however big or small. Doesn’t matter.

My Gutsy local TV interview without preparation

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Sonia Marsh on The Write Now Show

Back in April, I wrote a post about my first local TV interview. Several of you asked me if I was going to post it, and after a slight delay, and some editing, here it is if you’d like to see it. Now I realize I need media training and preparation. (I had no idea of the questions I would be asked ahead of time.)

Sonia Marsh on “The Write Now” show, Laguna Woods, California, April 2011

Now talking about videos, Marla Miller, (author, blogger at Marketing the Muse, RN, Query letter expert and coach) started a wonderful concept for women over 45 called, “Women over 45 speak.” She is asking  women over 45 to submit a video and a bio to her about “anything you want for 3 minutes. You can promote:

  • yourself
  • your business
  • your cause
  • even your grandkids if you want.

What I love about Marla, is her Gutsy attitude about women and aging. She says society expects women as they age to disappear, to go quietly, or to chase the anti-aging cream. You can listen to her video on this topic and learn more about submitting your own three-minute video.

Remember the post about: “Are you stuck in a rut, make a life list?” where I suggested you make a life list? Well Rob-bear, and others thought it would be a good idea if we shared for example, ten items on our life list, and I think that’s a brilliant idea.
I hope you share 10 items on your Life List on Thursday June 16th, so we can compare. I shall share mine.


Are you ready to make a 3-minute video? What would you like to talk about?

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