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How To Work Through Adversity – Tips For The Successful Blogger

This post was most recently updated on June 6th, 2017

How To Work Through Adversity - Tips For The Successful BloggerBefore you can learn How To Work Through Adversity to become a Successful Blogger, you need to define what type of adversity is blocking you.

You can be confronted with adversity ranging from every bloggers’s struggle with writer’s block to a total breakdown from some deep grief.

To be a successful blogger, you will need to work through adversity.

Not just now and then.

And not just when you first start blogging.

Because the truth is that you will continually be confronted with situations that threaten to derail your dreams of success.

But they won’t always be the same adversities.

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Just as you get past one or two, a third and fourth will appear.

And just as you slip past a few minor obstacles, some major threat to your peace of mind and ability to move forward may rear it’s head.

The Nature of Adversity

What is the nature of the adversity that challenges you today?

Here are some adverse situations that I’d consider ordinary obstacles that stalk most bloggers…

  • writing high quality articles
  • developing a sufficient volume of content
  • drawing steady traffic
  • getting enough social shares
  • pulling excellent guest writers
  • finding enough time in the day to adequate market your blog posts

But not all obstacles are that straight forward.

Here are some far more serious situations that I’ve actually seen bloggers beset by…

  • serious illness
  • caretaking someone with crippling or terminal illness
  • long-term unemployment
  • chronic pain
  • divorce and/or raging child custody battles
  • homelessness of self or loved one
  • debilitating hunger
  • death of a spouse or child
  • substance abuse

In “3 Steps to Move through Adversity” Lee Colan suggests that you must accept the fact that adversity is inevitable.

To move past any particular adversity, you need to be grateful for it insofar as it compels you to improve yourself.

Life-Altering Adversity

You can’t just wait for adversity to disappear.

And, you can’t always overcome it by learning more, working harder or buying some new glitzy software.

I think that self-improvement works wonderfully for the more manageable forms of adversity like not getting enough traffic to your blog, or failing in your bid to attract quality guest writers.

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But it’s pretty difficult to just “grit and bear it” if your adult child is living in the streets while addicted to opioids, or you are trying desperately to care for your aging mom as she suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

So you really need to take some time to consider your unique situation.

  • Is the adversity that you face temporary, like maybe you just moved and you’re struggling to get back in the groove?
  • Is it manageable, like if you need to increase productivity to three blog posts a week instead of one?
  • Is it something you have no hope of overcoming, like a loved one’s terminal illness?
  • Or is it something you have no direct power to control, like your spouse’s alcoholism?

Build Your Internal Strength To Work Through Adversity

Once you’ve identified the adversities you are facing, you can begin to view them in contrast to your mission as a successful blogger, and the larger purpose of your life.

This can give you the necessary motivation to work through them.

How To Work Through Adversity - Tips For The Successful Blogger

The above quote is cited in Goodreads: “Quotes About Strength Through Adversity”

Motivation, of course, will not be enough.

You need to have the internal strength to actually move forward when it can seem like an impossible undertaking.

This comes with discipline.

It comes with the ability to bounce back from the depths of despair; from your failures of the past.

This is the ability to be resilient.

Resilience

The fact is, that you can’t control circumstances, but you can decide how to respond to them.

Here are some excellent tips from Emotionally Resilient Living that shed some light on how to build your capacity to manage adversity.

How To Work Through Adversity - Tips For The Successful BloggerYou see, you can’t just “work through adversity” if you haven’t built some foundation for doing so.

This foundation is based largely on your self-esteem and sense of willingness to do whatever it takes to move forward.

Know that the most important tools you need to work through adversity are faith, hope and trust.

And these are the intangible things that will help get you through the dark nights of despair when all other things fail.

This is what Germany Kent is talking about when she says to “embrace… your divine purpose.”

You Need To Be Flexible

Sometimes you are forced to change the way you do things.

You might even need to alter your belief system, philosophy or ideology.

Adversity has a way of leveling the playing field and making us all equal as human beings.

It makes us equally frail, for sure.

But we are also equally capable of discovering the faith and strength to endure all adversity.

That’s because we have much more control over our lives than we know, even when we are afraid to take the next step forward.

That control, that next step forward… is a matter of choosing what direction we will take when adversity strikes.

Flexibility to change our direction, and make new choices is a key to working through adversity.

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Mike Maddock notes that “choice is the enemy of fear” in his interesting Forbes article on “Three Ways Great Leaders Handle Great Adversity.”

Once you have determined the course to follow, you then need to have to courage to start moving forward.

Now, I say “courage” because, truly…

when you are beset by great adversity, your natural response is to curl up and do nothing.

Resist this.

Inaction only leads to further despair.

In times like these, faith, hope and trust, alone, can inspire you to take action.

And it doesn’t take great action, just action.

Because any action can start things moving in the right direction.

Saint Francis of Assisi famously said…

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

(Francis of Assisi quoted in Larry Kim’s article on Inc: 19 Short Inspiration Quotes For Overcoming Adversity).

Truly, in order to work through adversity, you must be flexible enough to create new pathways.

And you must be courageous enough to start walking along those pathways.

Not Even The Successful Blogger Can Avoid Adversity

No matter how serious or trivial your adverse circumstances are, you know there will always be adversity in blogging.

Even if you overcome all the adversity, though, and have a top pro blog, life itself will have its own challenges.

Things like sickness and disability… either yours or for loved ones… can’t always be avoided.

Death, of course, can never be overcome.

I’ve always taught that to be a successful blogger, you should never have “Plan B.”

That’s because people with a “Plan B” will too quickly quit when things get tough.

Having no “Plan B” means persevering against all odds, and never giving up.

But life can certainly deliver adversities that force you into adopting a “Plan B,” even if you never contemplated one.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg talks about how personal grief led her to a new understanding of what it takes to achieve your dreams when faced with a sudden life shattering loss.

Her Facebook essay was converted into a best selling book, Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy.

That book is reviewed in an excellent article by Backchannel… Sheryl Sandberg’s Accidental Revolution (excerpt follows)…

How To Work Through Adversity - Tips For The Successful Blogger

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How To Work Through Adversity – Tips For The Successful Blogger

To be a successful blogger, you need to learn how to work through adversity.

That doesn’t just mean writing better blog posts.

It can also mean dealing with the devastating circumstances that affect all human beings.

Sometimes, it can even involve coping with grief that will permanently redefine your life.

But even though you will face situations may feel hopeless, it never is.

You must learn to rely upon your personal strength to work through adversity.

Your faith, friends and family will always be the cornerstones of this strength.

Never be too busy blogging to neglect those people and things that mean so much more than success.

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What kind of adversity have you faced while working to make your blog a success?

Over the years, I’ve worked with so many bloggers, with so many remarkable personal stories about the battles they’ve had to fight in life and in business.

Now, I’d like to hear yours.

-Donna

Donna Merrill
Donna is a well known blogger and creator of "Blogging Magic" - an intensive guide to blogging. "Blogging Magic" is for beginners who are trying to figure out how to bring their blogs to life with tons of visits, comments and social media interaction. It's even for advanced bloggers looking to reach new levels of authority and engagement with their audience.

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64 Responses to How To Work Through Adversity – Tips For The Successful Blogger

  1. Nancy Bryant November 16, 2017 at 12:46 am #

    Adversity creates opportunity. I’ve been struggling with family and my own health issues. True enough that in order to fight adversity we have to be able to cope and be flexible and with that came an idea of working at home. I get to look after my family and I get to stay healthy. Not only bloggers can relate to this but everybody, great share, Donna!

  2. Rehmat Ullah August 2, 2017 at 8:39 pm #

    Once again great sharing,
    Keep it up, Donna.

    Thanks

  3. John Marc Ramirez June 14, 2017 at 5:20 am #

    Hi Donna, I have learned so much from your tips on how to become a successful blogger. My favorite line from the blog post is “To be a successful blogger, you need to learn how to work through adversity.”

    Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  4. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    June 6, 2017 at 10:20 am #

    Hi Ben,

    I do like your take on this subject whereby you believe that there is no such thing as adversity but only opportunity. And yes, that is true.

    When people are putting too much energy on things they need to get through, it can either change their mindset to give in to it or take that opportunity to make them stronger.

    Thanks for your amazing comment!

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  5. Ben
    Twitter:
    May 25, 2017 at 5:05 pm #

    Hi Donna. I agree with a lot of what you said about resilience, the need to be flexible, and dedication to your plan (no plan B). Actually, that reminds me of a quote I saw on Facebook this morning:

    Don’t start a business unless it’s an obsession, something you love. If you have an exit strategy it’s not an obsession. – Mark Cuban

    I disagree with the whole adversity thing though. I don’t believe in adversity and I won’t spend my day waiting for or expecting bad things to happen (self-fulfilling prophecies). Nothing that happens is either good nor bad until you define it as such. I believe everything is an opportunity to clarify your decision about what you want to do.

    For example, I had an 8mm kidney stone lodged in my ureter a few months back. I could have chosen to see it as a bad thing because it completely blocked my ureter (8mm object in a 3mm opening is less than ideal) and if left untreated could have created a kidney infection, dialysis, and possibly death.

    Instead, I had it taken care of (of course!) and made changes to make sure that I don’t make any more stones. Those changes clarified my vision for my business and completely laid out how to take it there.

    There is no adversity. Only opportunity.
    Ben recently posted..How to Make Time to ReadMy Profile

  6. Atish Ranjan
    Twitter:
    May 25, 2017 at 4:22 pm #

    Hello Donna,

    You chose a great topic to discuss. Not only bloggers but adversities are there in everyone’s life as we are human beings, and we have to deal with them anyhow to continue our work and manage our life well.

    You cannot remove all the adversities from your life because you fix one, and second will be waiting for you, you need to learn to handle them well, and work well.

    Great Write up, Donna.
    Atish Ranjan recently posted..KeepVid Video Downloader to Solve All your Downloading ProblemsMy Profile

  7. Abhilash PS May 25, 2017 at 9:55 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I’m a brand new Blogger, want to be a successful one this time. Last time I got lazy & that didn’t help me, now I’m with a new blog. Thank You for your tips. Hope I’ll make things right this time.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 10:08 am #

      Hi Abhilash,

      Welcome to my blog. And also welcome to the blogging world. We all get lazy at times and usually it is because we are not inspired to write and get our stuff out there.

      Wishing you success on your new blog.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  8. Venu Tanneru
    Twitter:
    May 22, 2017 at 3:06 am #

    Great article, Donna. You really described various adversities beautifully. Adversity is really important in any field, not just blogging. Building up resilience is the main thing most people fail to do. Take action. “Inaction leads to further despair” I really like these words. Ever give up and write content that you will feel proud of when you think about it ten years later. Don’t write mediocre stuff.

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 10:01 am #

      Hi Veenu,

      Welcome to my blog.

      Indeed overcoming adversity is a part of life no matter what field we are in.

      No matter what road we are on in life, adversity will be a part of it and we do need to build up our resilience and take action to overcome it.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  9. Richard Seaton
    Twitter:
    May 20, 2017 at 4:32 am #

    Hi Donna

    This is a huge post with so much to consider. I was particularly drawn to the section ‘serious situations that I’ve actually seen bloggers beset by…’ because, of course, these are exactly the topics people will want to read about, and therefore awesome post topics to blog about.

    Any overcome adversity is precisely the subject for the next post.

    I remember once having a particularly dismal week online, and deciding I would shut down the internet permanently and go off and become a gardener or a shepherd instead.

    So I wrote a final post entitled “The Day I Quit”. Of course, it garnered many more great likes and comments than anything I had written for weeks, with the result that my positive energy was completely restored without me even noticing. In fact I was so busy replying to the comments that I forgot my own troubles entirely. (another benefit from blogging)

    You also wrote about being sometimes forced to alter the way you do things. Of course, there is no other way to move forward by default other than this. Nothing is guaranteed to delight and inspire a true ‘dyed-in-the-wool blogger’ more than the next surprise life-altering event. It starts to be something we look forward to rather than something we dread.

    I couldn’t agree more. Surely us bloggers thrive on adversity?

    This post really is one to bookmark and refer back to. I have a folder called ‘2017 Blogs to Follow’ and it just went in at the top… Thanks you Richard

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:59 am #

      Hi Richard,

      Firstly I want to thank you for that blog you wrote and I appeared in it.

      When it comes to adversity a blogger needs to push through it or quit. I seen so many amazing bloggers throw in the towel because of one thing or another.

      Bloggers need to be steadfast to keep on writing and strive to meet their goals set for themselves. Adversity in one way or another will come and we all need to be prepared for that.

      Thanks for your enlightening comment.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  10. Mitch Mitchell
    Twitter:
    May 19, 2017 at 10:12 pm #

    I’m not gonna lie; my bit of adversity is holding me back lately. I’m finding writing to be a chore most of the time and that’s never been me. It’s not that I have writer’s block because I have the topics; it’s that I can’t get my focus going these days. Sigh…
    Mitch Mitchell recently posted..I’m Never Going To Be Neil Patel And I’m Good With ThatMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:54 am #

      Hi Mitch,

      Aha…loosing focus is probably the number one in the blogging circle. We write so much and have to balance our lives too. It can be distracting. I know. If you ever seen those blogs I have on my desktop that never made it you would laugh.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  11. Theodore Nwangene May 19, 2017 at 5:05 pm #

    You wrote this one for, Donna, right?

    I have suffered from most of the adversities you mentioned above and I have just recently overcame a strong illness…I had Malaria Parasite, took two pints of drips, and several injections and sedatives.

    It was tough. It was painful. It was sad and somewhat gloomy but I overcame these challenges anyways…I don’t know how but reading though what you had to share I think these things were responsible, especially being resilient and facing my challenges head on and having strong faith, hope and trust in the power of the supreme being.

    Thanks for sharing this post here ma’am. It was definitely helpful!

    Theo

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:37 am #

      Hi Theodore,

      My gosh that is a very strong illness you had to go through. When it comes to things like this, I do believe that having strong faith is so helpful.
      I believe that we can’t do things alone without faith.

      Thank God you are better!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  12. Cori Ramos
    Twitter:
    May 19, 2017 at 12:02 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    Wow, it feels like you were talking to me. Sometimes I feel like I’m the posterchild of someone having to work through adversity. Lord knows I’ve had my share the past couple of years since I became my mom’s primary caregiver.

    At first, I used to get stressed to the max. I’d lose sleep, cry and feel like I’d never get over. But I did just as you suggested here – I was flexible and I adjusted. If I had to work nights or weekends to work on my blog and business then so be it. When I got to mom’s I’ll take my laptop and while she naps I’ll log on.

    Like you said, adversity will always be there – it’s how we deal with it that matters.

    Thanks for sharing this! No doubt I’m passing this on. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

    Cori
    Cori Ramos recently posted..How To Use Social Media To Grow Your Online BusinessMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:27 am #

      Hi Cori,

      Being a care-taker takes so much out of you. Having to deal with parents who are ill is difficult to do at first. We do need that flexibility in order to keep going in the face of adversity. Taking your laptop with you while your mom napped is one thing that you have done to create time for yourself.
      It’s not easy!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  13. Praveen Rajarao
    Twitter:
    May 17, 2017 at 3:51 pm #

    Hello Donna,
    Another wonderful post and good tips to build our resilience and fight adverse situations in our lives. You have covered most of the adverse problems one may face during our blogging lives. Mine is mostly “time allocation” and I find it hard to keep up with the growing work pressure sometimes. I have written some articles on the same and how we can overcome it. It is easier said than done. Being “flexible’ with my time and dedicating the right amount of time to each activity does help.
    Praveen Rajarao recently posted..Top 10 Women Bloggers To Follow in the USAMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:24 am #

      Hi Praveen,

      Thank you for illustrating the Time we do or do not have. So many bloggers and/or marketers have either full time jobs or are still in school. Time is one of those things that can either make us or break us. Indeed, one must be “flexible” when it comes to that.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  14. Elise Cohen Ho
    Twitter:
    May 16, 2017 at 2:39 pm #

    This is yet another wonderful Donna Merrill post. I always enjoy your writing pieces. They are chock full of great advice.
    Elise Cohen Ho recently posted..Tip Tuesday Link Party Week 3My Profile

  15. Lisa Sicard
    Twitter:
    May 16, 2017 at 1:14 pm #

    Hi Donna, wow, what a post. Adversity took me away from my blog several times. Tomorrow will be 3 years that my mom passed from cancer. It was a 5 month battle where I saw her decline each day and I learned how fragole we humans are.
    I had been divorced from an alcoholic and met my husband around the same time.
    I only blogged about monthly at that point and then had to take care of dad. Luckily he’s done well going on 90 this Saturday. He is the most resilient person I know after losing his own dad when he was 9.
    I think your advice here can be used for anyone not just bloggers.
    Thanks for the quotes, love them!
    Take care Donna.
    Lisa Sicard recently posted..LinkedIn Marketing: Drive Traffic to Your Blog Using LinkedIn PulseMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      June 6, 2017 at 9:21 am #

      Wow Lisa,

      Talk about adversity….your mom’s 5 month battle with cancer kind of closed your entire world to her needs. I know the feeling because of my father-in-law a few years ago with several months in hospice at home. I couldn’t even think about my blog and had to force myself to create time needed.

      Indeed, life is a fragile thing. But we all have to go through something like that now and then. It is up to us to bounce back.
      I see you bounced back so well.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..What Bloggers Can Do To Stand Out In A CrowdMy Profile

  16. Gaurav Kumar
    Twitter:
    May 16, 2017 at 12:55 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    This is a quite influential guide to learn how to work through adversity. Flexible and resilience are the points that every blogger should take seriously and work not just for quality but also understand how to market his/her own blog.

    Thanks for sharing 🙂
    Gaurav Kumar recently posted..Set Your Own Rules and Get Rid of the Stress Factors from WorkMy Profile

  17. Anand May 16, 2017 at 4:45 am #

    Reading all these comments shows me that everyone has their own adversities to deal with. Gives me strength to deal with mine. Thank you, Donna, for the heartfelt post. Once again, well worth the read.
    Anand recently posted..GetSiteControl Callback Widget Alternatives for WordPress BlogsMy Profile

  18. Sherman Smith May 15, 2017 at 7:16 pm #

    Hey Donna,

    This was a great change in your usual topics.

    Sometimes we need this change and focus on what is inevitable in our lives and that is adversity.

    This may be easy for me to say, but adversity gives you direction to question your life, the path that you’re currently taking, and why you haven’t taken other paths.

    Right before my grandmother past 2 years ago, I got the feeling from her that she was proud of the fact that I’ve taken on the challenges in my life. It’s almost as if I got more respect from her and she’s taken pride in that. From that point on, I believe that she felt that her work was done here, especially with her daughter (my mom) and son. They’ve achieved what they’ve wanted and now are on their path until it’s time for them to transitioned.

    So yes, there are going to be those challenges in our lives, but I believe those challenges or so-to-spead “vibrational messages” letting all of us know there it’s time to learn, adjust and change to stay in balance with ourselves. This is what makes us human!

    Great topic Donna! Hopefully you write more topics like this one!
    Sherman Smith recently posted..Boost Organic Traffic Through Keyword Placement And Analytic ToolsMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 16, 2017 at 8:47 am #

      Hi Sherman,

      I love what you have written: “adversity gives you direction to question your life, the path that you’re currently taking, and why you haven’t taken other paths.” Brilliant and thank you!

      I am sure your grandmother felt like her job was well done and you are at peace with her going to a better place. I see the same thing with some of my family elders. The ones that know gratefulness and are more spiritually enlightened. While others don’t “get it” at all.

      Those vibrational messages are oh so important for us to acknowledge. If we don’t we have to repeat a lesson over and over again.

      Thanks for your input here.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  19. Mark
    Twitter:
    May 15, 2017 at 6:33 pm #

    Thank you for always sharing some extremely timely advice Donna!

    No matter what the specific topic and or subject matter is.

    You always seem to be able to boil things down to the most important,
    basic core elements!

    And make your subject(s) extremely practical and therefore,
    not overly complicated to grasp and benefit from!

    And this excellent, and extremely truthful post, is certainly no
    exception Coach! Thanks!
    Mark recently posted..Who Says Small Marketing Budgets Mean Your Small Business Can’t Make Big Money?My Profile

  20. Hassaan Khan
    Twitter:
    May 15, 2017 at 4:21 pm #

    Hi, Donna!

    I don’t know why but this blog post made me feel better. Your words have the power and empathy.

    The challenges are inevitable. I’d say from the blogging career standpoint. It’s true that we can’t control what’s coming our way, but we can certainly get prepared that how we’re going to respond to that.

    I think the resilience comes from other human beings; you talked about the loved ones; I’d add the people we look up to and truly care about us.

    Gary Vaynerchuk talks about the self-awareness in his videos. It helped me figure out what my strength is.

    Thank you!
    Hassaan Khan recently posted..30 Things That Will Make You A Successful FreelancerMy Profile

  21. Sue Bride
    Twitter:
    May 14, 2017 at 2:10 pm #

    What stands out for me here is how those blogging obstacles you mention are nothing compared to major life obstacles. We are also in control of our blogging and can take action to improve the situation. What is common to both is that worrying doesn’t help but affects us physically and emotionally.

    I agree with what Maxwell says “resilience and perseverance generally come from experience with overcoming adversity.” but when something completely new comes along to challenge us it’s just natural for us to first react with sadness and grief and sometimes guilt. Resilience doesn’t mean we stop having feelings. So that good old cry would have done you good, Donna, and helped you think more clearly again.

    It’s awful to think of someone you love being at rock bottom. It was only for a short time for your daughter, Donna, and it made her get help. Before that she must have been living full time at close to rock bottom. Now you can look forward to a more positive and healthy, future for her.
    Sue Bride recently posted..4 Tips for Silencing Your Inner Blogging CriticMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 15, 2017 at 1:58 pm #

      Hi Sue,

      Oh those life obstacles! It sure put an impact on my DMO. But it had to and I didn’t worry about it because I knew I needed time to deal with the current issue of my daughter. It seemed she was hanging on by a thread, but I had to be strong and not catch her as she was falling. That is the hardest thing a parent has to do. That tough love I had to give to help push her to recovery was intense.

      But now, as things are leveling out, I feel delighted but also must have in my mind that this can be either temporary or a change in her life forever. Which ever way it goes, I know I have no control over that part. So, I am taking care of me and have been going to ALANON every week to deal with my own emotions.

      Thanks so much!

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  22. Kathryn Maclean
    Twitter:
    May 14, 2017 at 1:46 pm #

    Hi Donna,
    One of your best articles, but I think it came at a cost to you.
    “You will need to work through adversities. -You will continually be confronted with
    situations that threaten to derail your dreams of success.”

    I looked up adversity
    a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune showing courage in the face of adversity -merriam-webster dictionary

    A wonderful article as are all of your articles, but I got this ominous feeling of foreboding
    as I read it. Something was not right with you.

    I have also faced many life altering adversities, some to terrible to even mention here but one was the detox of a loved one which did derail me at the time. But as you say “having faith and strength” we moved on and he eventually even became a drug and alcohol counselor. Something I never could have seen could happen, but it did.

    Have faith and strength. I know a grief consultant and a Drug and Alcohol counselor if you would like some help. Adversities in life will come and go. Have faith.
    Kathryn Maclean recently posted..Blog Marketing About Your BusinessMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 15, 2017 at 1:53 pm #

      Hi Kathryn,

      Aha..you can read between the lines that I am going through such adversity at this time. Indeed, it is with my daughter. Now, thank God, she is in a recovery institution. She is getting the best counseling there is and is working at changing her life. Crossing fingers that it will “stick” and going through an emotional ride at this time.

      I had to write about adversity because this situation knocked me for a loop. But holding on to my own responsibilities and doing my daily tasks (taking longer these days lol) helps me face adversity.

      I do have faith and am learning how to deal with this situation. Along the way I’ve met many wonderful people. I guess everything happens for a reason doesn’t it?

      But you know me, no matter how tough the going gets, I do persist even if it is in a smaller way that my usual.

      -Donna

      P.S. Thank you so much for your concern.
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  23. Chris DeeWaard
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 10:24 pm #

    Hi Donna.

    Love the post.

    Boy, do I know about adversity from finding out, over the last 14 months, about my heart being in atrial fibrillation to having stage 3 chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea. Those things along with finding out my sore right hip was due to severe wear and tear in the joint, arthritis and a congenital defect, really weighed down on me. Now, to top it all off, my mom and I are being evicted from our apartment of 35 years. We leave Friday for North Carolina.

    Needless to say, I have had a lot to deal with. My serious situations have definitely caused some adverse situations, blogging wise. I have felt like, “What else can go wrong?” and “Why me?”

    I’m not putting full blame for why I’m not succeeding with my blog on these problems, I’ve screwed myself before I even knew about them, but they couldn’t have come at a worse time.

    I’m hoping that when I get settled down south that things will turn around for me. Scratch that, I expect thing to turn around when I get settled. I’m not going to play the victim of my problems anymore.

    I’ve already begun the process by starting to focus more on straight blogging on my blog than with affiliate marketing, which I really didn’t have the passion for when I started my blog. I think I can narrow it down even more within the blogging niche, like blog commenting or traffic generation, etc. At least I’m now headed in the right direction.

    As you can see, my blog commenting has come a long way. Thanks Donna and Ryan Biddulph for your inspiration in this area. I digress.

    Anyway, thanks for the great and inspiring post.

    Have a great upcoming week…….Chris
    Chris DeeWaard recently posted..Internet Marketing Versus Having a High IQMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 15, 2017 at 1:08 pm #

      Hi Chris,

      Talk about adversity…you my friend are facing so much all at once. From your health to moving. Those are huge stressors in life and it will take time to overcome it.

      I would say to focus on your health issues one at a time and get some blogging buddies to help you out by doing guest posting to keep your blog alive. Even if it is one or two blogs per month….it will help.

      Sorry to hear about your health. When it rains it pours doesn’t it? I have some myself and working on my health takes time. Noting serious, but can be if I don’t take care. This means going to the gym (errrgh) every day to work on my cardio and hip pain. Taking time out to cook every meal and so on.

      I think we all have something going on in our lives and the trick is to balance our time. Easier said than done Hugh? But I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers my friend.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

      • Chris DeeWaard
        Twitter:
        May 15, 2017 at 3:24 pm #

        Hi Donna.

        Thanks. I’ll be fine. My cardiologist says that with meds, I can live with the a fib for a long time. At some point, I will have hip replacements. In the mean time, I’m going to lose weight, which will help the heart with the exercising I’ll be doing. That may help with the sleep apnea.

        If you are looking to lose weight or just getting better physically with exercise, check out Dr. Al Sears on YouTube. He has a program called P.A.C.E.

        Also, that’s a good idea with regard to using guest bloggers, if I need to stay away from blogging for any extended periods of time. I’ll keep it in mind.

        Thanks for the thoughts.

        Talk soon………Chris

        • Donna Merrill
          Twitter:
          May 15, 2017 at 4:00 pm #

          Hey Chris,

          Exercise is so important. Although I have to do a lot of self talk to get myself to the gym, I do go do my cardio there. I too had a hip scare but lucky for me it was only a muscle. Now I’m in physical therapy for that one. Better that than living on pain pills.

          Indeed keep in mind doing those guest posts if you can’t be around for a while.

          -Donna
          Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  24. Joy Healey
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 4:03 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    I have been struggling with the declining health of my parents. This led to Mum’s death and then my Dad’s grief, followed by a bad fall that left him hospitalised for several weeks.

    Because I’m a part-time blogger, my main income comes from my offline businesses and I was crazy busy in those – which is good, income-wise, but meant the blogging really suffered.

    The last three months have been a struggle, but just this week two of my biggest offline business challenges were finally overcome. My Dad has improved after his fall, so I’ll hopefully be able to commit more time to my online businesses as soon as I’ve caught up on my offline back-log.

    One way I coped blogging was by accepting guest posts. Another was to have a store of draft posts I could wheel out when time was just too pressing.

    I have a post planned about something else I did to ease the stress.

    Joy – Blogging After Dark
    Joy Healey recently posted..Handling Challenges With Oww Or Wow BrainMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 15, 2017 at 12:27 pm #

      Hi Joy,

      You sure have your hands full. Bad enough you had to mourn your Mother, but then your father had that bad fall. It can be so overwhelming whenever we deal with high emotions like that.

      It does take so much out of you. But we have to “pick our poison” so to say. As a part time blogger, indeed it will take it’s toll. But as long as you explain to your visitors and clients what is going on, your blog and business attached to it won’t suffer.

      We are all human and these times happen. Glad you had people guest posting for you. It really helps.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  25. Chery Schmidt
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 1:51 pm #

    Hello Donna! This year has been a doozy for me my friend and tomorrow will be a tough one as it will be my 1st Mothers Day without my Mom! And just as you have stated above the fact is and remains that we cannot control our circumstances, but YES we can decide how to respond to them. Life Happens! Great Share! Thank YOU! Chery :))
    Chery Schmidt recently posted..10 Awesome Tips To Help You Get Followers On InstagramMy Profile

  26. Maxwell Ivey
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 9:45 am #

    Hi Donna; Yes, I know its been a long time since my last comment or message to you. I’m working on being more proactive as I recover from the loss of my great friend and mentor Miss Penny the wonder dog. But even before that I think THe Blind Blogger and an ex carnival owner knows a bit about adversity. I’ve learned that accepting what you can’t control right now is a good start. I’ve learned that making a list of what you have to be grateful for from the experience really helps. It works even better if you get out paper an pen to do this. I’ve also learned that resilience and perseverance generally come from experience with overcoming adversity. So, if this is your first experience with real adversity then be kind to yourself and how you are handling it or not handling it. I think you did a great service by letting people know that you never get to a point where you are free of adversity, life challenges, or the opportunity to grow from them. There are too many experts online giving the impression that fear and adversity go away. They also give the impression that you can do all of this by yourself without physical or at least emotional support. You wrote a great post. I just wish there were more personal experiences of yours in it. I like a little more story with my lessons. Thanks for sharing these important tools with the world. We need more responsible bloggers yourself writing posts like this. Take care, Max
    Maxwell Ivey recently posted..The Blind BLoger loses his mindfulness coach Miss PennyMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 13, 2017 at 3:50 pm #

      Hi Max,

      It is great to have you here on my blog again. I read your post about Penny and it is so sad. My heart goes out to you.

      Your sage advice here is so true … “I’ve learned that accepting what you can’t control right now is a good start.” That is a life lesson we all need.

      I too am a fan of writing things down on a paper of the things I am grateful for. Having that mindset brings peace to our soul.

      Thanks for dropping by,

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  27. Sharon T McLaughlin MD FACS
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 9:08 am #

    As always, you provide great information and tips which I will have to share.
    Sharon T McLaughlin MD FACS recently posted..Benefits of GardeningMy Profile

  28. Marquita Herald
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 8:40 am #

    Thanks for referencing ERL in your post Donna! This is surely an inspiring post and it reminded me of one of my favorite quotations, “Adversity creates the opportunity to dip deep into the reservoirs of our very being, to rise to levels of confidence, strength, and resolve that otherwise we may have never known we possessed.”
    Marquita Herald recently posted..Unmasking the Emotional Manipulators Among UsMy Profile

  29. Ravi Roshan Jaiswal
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 7:46 am #

    Hi Donna Mam,
    Very nice to meet you. 🙂

    Starting a work or business sometimes very easy but working on it continuously in every situation is very tough. It needs a guide to struggle from the difficulties and defeat it. And the guide to be a successful it beautifully explained in your post and reading this post was very interesting to me as usual. Sometimes to fight from the difficulties requires only one inspiration or motivation and you know how to vanquish this. Work through the adversity is possible by everyone but the tip you have provided here for blogger to work through adversity is really very impressive.

    Thanks for the awesome article sharing. 🙂
    – Ravi.
    Ravi Roshan Jaiswal recently posted..13 Content Marketing Strategies Suitable For Even the Smallest BudgetMy Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 13, 2017 at 3:22 pm #

      Hi Ravi,

      Thanks so much for your kind words.

      Adversity will always be there in our lives because we are only human. It is how we deal with it that counts. Sometimes we can pull ourselves out of a funk by just doing one small task. (I’m a fan of that one) Do something where there is a beginning, middle and end. It works for me when I’m faced with adversity of any kind.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  30. Ryan Biddulph
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 6:04 am #

    Donna,

    Bingo. This is something we sometimes forget. That all bloggers are human beings.

    Monna, love ya. Thanks for your love, for your support, for all of it. You are raising higher and higher. I see it and feel it. And this, too, shall pass.

    Since I am back home in NJ I visited my mom is hospice. She has been ravaged by Alzheimer’s for the past 5 years, to the point where on the best days,she moves a little and looks out into space, and other days, she is a vegetable. Little life force, just a little beyond death.

    For a woman who was so passionate, fiery, quite insane at times LOL, and full of life, and energy, seeing her degrade over time, then violentally, ripped out my fear and caused a sense of grieving and sadness I had never known. Even during the days when I contemplated suicide many decades ago, I had not know this sadness.

    But now, since I faced the adversity and its feelings that rose up and welled up within me, since I faced the nightmare and the emotions, I became more fearless in other areas of my life. I see my mom, and although grateful she is still here (body-wise, at least) I see all my fears and worries about blogging and life and how worthless those fears are, how pity, how silly, because I too will either be on the death bed or hopefully, I’ll pass in my sleep 😉

    Really though, staring at prolonged, brutal, vicious suffering and death up close and personal inspired me to be as fearless as ever. And to keep diving directly into those fears I see, whether it be guest posting or reaching out to high rolling bloggers or fearing that, even with my blessed success, that I still may be wasting time doing what I am doing…..I feel those fears and do it anyway.

    It’s the only way I know. Especially after facing such adversity with seeing my mom the way she is now, and has been for the past half decade.

    Nothing teaches you how to REALLY live life when you are forced to face the death of a loved one. Especially when that dying process lasts not weeks, or months, but years.

    Fabulous post Donna. I loved it. Because this is the stuff that tests our mettle. Those offline, deeper forms of trial,of adversity, that is where the rubber meets the road and where if, we embrace our fears and feel the terrors and still move toward our dreams, this is where the magic really kicks in.

    Heading off to the Upper West Side for a 10 day house sit among the stars. Should be fun!

    Ryan
    Ryan Biddulph recently posted..How to Land Guest Posts on Authority Blogs (Amazon eBook)My Profile

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 13, 2017 at 2:58 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      Wow what a great share! So sorry about your mom. I know how heart breaking it is to face that kind of adversity.

      But so true, it does make us stronger when we face it eyeball to eyeball. Then, we let our emotions out and suddenly feel better.

      I wrote this piece because I have faced adversity lately with my daughter. I’m not a sissy cryer, but I cried a river over her and her addiction. My heart felt like there was a spear going through it. But a few days later I picked myself up and started doing things for me.

      The stronger I got, the better mother I could be in this situation. It is a natural reaction to protect your child, but when you cannot it is a terrible road to be on.

      But as of this writing, she is in a 30 day program only because she hit bottom, and mommy wasn’t there to give her money or house her. She was homeless for a few weeks and every time I went to bed or ate, the guilt washed over me. But I had to fight it.

      Long story short: When we put adversity into perspective, we do have control over it. It is up to us to make the choice for the best possible way we can persist in life.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  31. Susan Velez
    Twitter:
    May 13, 2017 at 4:47 am #

    Hi Donna,

    I have been blessed enough to not have to deal with adversity while starting this blog, however, this doesn’t mean that I haven’t had adversity in my life.

    If I had to say my biggest issue right now is the right amount of time on my blog while continuing to freelance for my clients.

    I am working on moving away from freelancing and working full-time on my blog. So I am not able to work full-time on my blog. So learning how to be flexible has been a huge thing for me.

    When I first started my blog, I felt like I needed to be everywhere. After trying to do that, at the end of the day, I felt like I didn’t accomplish anything.

    Now I am just focusing on being 1-2 places and doing those things everyday. It takes time to get into the groove of what actually works for your blog, but I think I am finally getting into the groove.

    Thanks for sharing these tips with us, I know that they will help anyone who is dealing with any adversities while running a blog.

    Have a great day 🙂

    Susan

    • Donna Merrill
      Twitter:
      May 13, 2017 at 2:50 pm #

      Hi Susan,

      It certainly takes time to get into our own groove! When freelancing for clients, it is difficult to find the time to work on your own blog. Believe me…been there and done that one lol.

      It is great that you are focusing on being in one or two places everyday. We just can’t be everywhere all the time. We are only human.

      -Donna
      Donna Merrill recently posted..25 Tips Guaranteed To Easily Increase Your Blog TrafficMy Profile

  32. Donna Merrill
    Twitter:
    May 12, 2017 at 8:30 pm #

    Hi Monna,

    Welcome back to full time online 🙂

    Try real hard to focus on ONE thing. I always say it because it’s always the most important part of being a successful blogger.

    Sound’s like you’re getting some good guidance (Ryan knows his stuff for sure).

    But, hey, adversity is real and you’ve got to keep your faith ever strong and your hope real. When you do, you can begin to trust and believe.

    -Donna
    Donna Merrill recently posted..A Killer Three Post Content Strategy To Drive Traffic To Your BlogMy Profile

  33. Monna Ellithorpe
    Twitter:
    May 12, 2017 at 6:21 pm #

    Hi Donna,

    It kind of sounds like you wrote this just for me but I know many others have adversities that they are working through too.

    I’ve waited for so long to come back online full time and now that I’m here, I still am not really sure what I’m here to do.

    I have my writing but my affiliate marketer side of me says I need to stay with that in order to make money, so I’ve spread myself too thin again and I’m all over the place.

    I’ve been studying, following and reading everything that Ryan Biddulph does. I’m not able to purchase his course so I’m buying his books as I can and almost to the point of dumping everything I’ve done over the past many years and blog about writing.

    So here I sit, confused as ever.

    I just wanted to say, I’m not sure what you are going through but I do send you my thoughts and prayers and love.

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