Books Archives - Page 2 of 2 by Mark Murnahan

“I Want My Life Back!” Roars the Crowd

In the mad dash to seek a sense of security in 2009, It seems that “I want my life back” is a pretty common sentiment. This has been a very challenging year for many people. This is not to say that challenges did not exist before, but the troubles people have faced in the past year changed the world. It is a very different landscape today, from a year ago.

When you find yourself frustrated and wanting your life back in place the way it was, you may be looking in the wrong direction. I want to encourage you with some of what I have learned. I think this may help you to feel better, and I know it can help somebody close to you.

Just so that you do not take this as some guy on a pedestal speaking about things he does not know, I will tell you that I lost more since 2008 than most people. My corporation took some big hits, and I cut my own salary to zero in order to keep other people working, I gave up my hobbies, and I sat down to write three books that would each have a benefit to my readers.

Something I found in my work was that a completely different outlook was necessary. Things would not be the same as before just because I worked harder. Believe me, I have tried, and more work is not all that it is cracked up to be unless it is the right work. Simply working harder is not the answer. It takes a different approach and a new look at the world.

It seems that I find a lot of people trying hard to keep their chin up and hold a happy face, but then when you dig a bit deeper, there is despair in their life. For some it is right there on their sleeve, and for others it is closely guarded, but a sense of fear and despair is there for many people. Some are afraid that their life will never be as good as it once was, and some are afraid because of the challenges they have seen in others’ lives.

If you find yourself looking back at a life you once had, or at the positivity you once held, you are looking at a life that was forged on a completely different set of facts. The world holds a different landscape, and in order to see the best future, it is important to take a fresh inventory of life today.

If you can relate to this, or know somebody who can, please find the time to review my newly released book, “Living in the Storm“. I believe it can provide much help for looking forward and creating more joy and inspiration than ever before.

Create Something Different: Create a Cheering Section

“Create something different” were the words that came to me when I thought to myself “I should really update my blog today.” Then I started to wonder if every great idea that could ever be written about social media has already been written somewhere on a blog.

I unsubscribed from a lot of blogs today, because so many of them just started to look the same. I started to question how many blog posts about the iPhone the world really needs. Whenever there is a hot new craze or breaking news article, bloggers rush to their keyboards and bang out another “brilliant” article hoping that theirs will be the one that becomes a real hit. If they get it retweeted, Stumbled, and dugg enough to reach the front page of Digg, their job is complete. They grew their audience massively, but too many will overlook the question of whether the audience will stick with them.

When I unsubscribed from some pretty good blogs, I realized that I was simply not the fan they needed. They had never created that spark in me that made me a loyal enough fan to be sure I always saw every word they wrote. It was kind of the same old thing just regurgitated in a different way. What was missing was not just creativity, but rather a connection. The ones I felt connected with and that made me feel a part of the relationship remain on my list, and I am their fan.

A Flash in the Pan Mentality

It is easy to take a flash in the pan mentality and see that little glimmer of gold in your prospecting pan when something you do becomes popular. I do not have a problem with that, at all, but I think that it can be too easy to forget the importance of a core cheering section. Creating your cheering section of people who cheer you on, take the initiative to comment on your blog, click to receive your updates by RSS, Twitter, email, or any of the many other methods, and will stick with you over time is far more important. This is your cheering section!

A strong cheering section has been a basis for success from the very beginning. I mean everybody’s success, and everybody’s beginning. From the time a child first attempts to ride a bicycle, it is their core cheering section that helps them to keep trying until they get it right. In the instance of blogging, it is really not so different. It only takes a small number of really loyal friends/fans to create a massive cheering section that keeps you moving forward.

Creating a cheering section has been a huge message in my work as a writer for a long time. In my last two books, I wrote of the importance of relationships. I must really believe it, or otherwise I would stop writing about it. Here is a snippet from each:

From my book, “Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends” in a chapter titled “Social Networking Takes Dedication” I wrote: “The people mentioned here and many more are among the very important relations I have met using social networking. I communicate with these people regularly online, on the telephone, and in person. They are all parts of a very important network of people whom I can count on to be friends and to have something nice to say about me, with or without prompting.”

These are the people who will spread your work to others and expand your cheering section. They should not be overlooked!

In my new book, “Living in the Storm” I expanded a lot on the importance of that cheering section, and how to create good will in others. Here is a paragraph from the book: “There are many unknown aspirations of those around you. Knowing the motivations of others and finding out how you can help is a great way to rally them. It will make you feel good to do it. It will also often prompt people to wonder about your goals. They may or may not already know what you want in life. Share these things with friends, and build a support network. The best way to begin is by giving to others and becoming one of those altruistic people you admire. Even if you are already doing it, do it more.”

If you wonder how this may apply to social media and blogging, it is simple. Listen to your readers and know what they want. Respond to them, interact with them, and give them what they want. Once you develop your core cheering section, they will often give you what you seek in return. Yes, it is true, giving is the best step toward receiving. I hope that I am able to give you what you want, and a whole lot of it!

Living in the Storm is Complete!

We can surely each recall moments of relief that we feel when an important chapter in our life is completed. The sense of accomplishment is refreshing. I am excited to share one of those moments with you, and I hope you can sense my enthusiasm.

Only moments ago, I submitted my latest book for print. This is not just any book to me. I believe with every bit of me that this book can help others to feel more joy and inspiration in their lives. I have shared some very important lessons that often came to me with great difficulty and sacrifice.

This book is a huge departure from my technical writing of the past two decades. “Living in the Storm” uncovers many lessons of life, people, and creating joy from each step in the journey of our lives.

I sincerely hope that you will take a moment to read the cover below to find a distilled version of what this book offers. We have each heard that we should not judge a book by its cover, but I am asking you to do so. I will sincerely appreciate it if you will express your opinion as a comment to this blog post.

I really want to hear you, so please take a moment to read this cover and tell me your opinion here on my blog.

Living in The Storm – My latest book!

I am very excited to announce the upcoming release of my new book titled “Living in the Storm”. It is off to the proofreaders now, and I expect to have it in production within the next couple weeks. In the meantime, I would like to share the book’s introduction. I will provide much more information soon, including the launch of livinginthestorm.com within the next week. I hope that you will enjoy it. To those wondering why I have not published as many blog posts during the past couple weeks, here is my answer.

Introduction:

Many moments of joy and inspiration go unnoticed and are overshadowed by the storm that makes up our lives. Recognizing those joys and creating moments of joy and inspiration for others can create a perfect break in the clouds. It may even create the extended break that you have been seeking all along.

Each day of our lives, we receive influences from those around us. We often make our decisions based on their caution, their defeats, and their status quo. Breaking away and creating your own new beam of sunshine between the clouds is not as hard or as frightening once you can feel confident making your own decisions, and creating your own view of what is realistic. Then it is possible to turn the influence around in a positive way.

It may seem easy to trudge through a whole lifetime saying “I could have”, “I should have”, or “Maybe when the time is right”. Unless you already live your wildest dreams, you give yourself reasons that it just did not work out for you. Maybe family got in the way, you did not have enough money, or other short-term issues just stretched out longer than you hoped.

It is time to stop that right now! Let’s make a pact. If you will agree to be honest, I will agree to be honest. I am not asking for your honesty to me, but rather to yourself. Level with yourself, and if you can agree that you have let yourself and others down, make this pact with me, and take the care to try a different approach. Deal?

Alright then, today, while the storm is still in full force, you have made a step toward living in the storm, and not just surviving the storm to enjoy life between moments of doubt and confusion.

In the course of this book, I ask that you will draw parallels to your life and use things you know but may be afraid to admit, or may have long forgotten. I will also ask you to perform some tasks that I believe will help you with clearing some of the clouds. In the end, I intend for you to be more influential than influenced, and to share your success with others rather than accept others’ defeats as your own.

Twitter Username Selection: What’s in a Twitter Name?

Twitter username selection may not be my most interesting blog post, but the stories behind them may be. I want to keep this short, because what I am really after is your input. I wish to use some of this information in the release of the book, Twitter for Business: Twitter for Friends. I want to know if there is a story behind the Twitter username name you selected, so please share your story, and I will tell you mine.

I am @murnahan

My Twitter username does not have a particularly unique story, as it is simply my surname, @murnahan, which has become a personal brand. My wife is @pegmu, which is her first name and part of her last. Her name is Peggy Murnahan, so @pegmu fit and sounded cute. When her name was chosen, length was a consideration in the selection. When I helped a friend choose his username, I suggested keeping it short, due to the limitation of 140 characters on Twitter. He really got it right with @uj1. His name is Uday Jadhav. I don’t think he could have done a lot better to keep it short and sweet.

How did you choose your Twitter username?

Did you consider length when choosing your Twitter username? Did you use a name that carried over from another service such as Google, Yahoo, Digg, etcetera?

It is your turn to share. Tell your story, and give your username. Be sure that you enter the URL for your Twitter profile (example: http://twitter.com/username), because you never know who you may meet.