SOS! Why is it so hard to ask for help? (shared from fitambitiousblonde.com)

Tags

anxiety, Loneliness, Mental health, Mind, Motivation

We have all been through a lot this past year and a half. There have been a lot of unknowns. A lot of isolation. A lot of wondering what is going to happen next. I think we have all had new challenges to face and obstacles to overcome and in turn days where we have […]

SOS! Why is it so hard to ask for help?

Hi Everybody, I read this really great post the other day on fitambitiousblonde.com about the importance of reaching out for help when it’s needed – and overcoming stigma when doing so. It’s so important to be there to listen to somebody going through any kind of hardship.

The website is a place of encouragement for anybody wanting to turn their life around. Check it out ☺️

Has Banksy done a new kind of street art installation in my town?…

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art, Banksy, Blogging community, Photography, Street Art, urban photography

…or are the local council trying to save money on streetlighting?

Adventure Photo Story: Northern Ireland Mountain Weekend

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Adventure, blogging, Coast, Friends, Hiking, Motivation, Mourne Mountains, Northern Ireland, Travel, Walking

Northern Ireland is a spectacular place. Outside of Belfast, there’s lush green countryside, rolling hills and breathtaking coast. The recent visit I did with my friends was to the Mourne Mountains where we took on the highest peak, Slieve Donard, at 850 metres.

On a bright and clear Saturday morning we headed out of Belfast passing through remote villages and deep green countryside. After about an hour’s drive we arrived at the seaside town of Newcastle – not to be confused with the city by the same name in the North-East of England – then began our journey from the car park.

We trekked up a rocky path that cut through open grassland with rich vegetation. A boulder-strewn river wound its way alongside us and provided a natural water slide for a number of day trippers in wetsuits. Soon, we were about halfway up when the path steepened and the mountains grew in stature.

And that meant one thing…

…My fear of heights kicked in!

On previous mountain explorations nerves had always gotten the better of me. But I was determined for this not to be the case this time. My friends took it in turns to drop back and motivate me to keep going as I tailed off the pace.

As we approached the Mourne Wall – which runs the entire length of the range – we noted the jet black surfaces that occasionally appeared in the side of the mountains. The tin huts dotted to the side of the track confirmed this had once been an area for slate mining.

Around a final corner, and then the final ascent to Slieve Donard presented itself: three hundred metres or so of awesome steepness! We met a man who said it would take us no more than thirty minutes. Secretly, I knew that would mean an hour for me.

Previously, I’d have taken on such a feat by stopping every so often, shutting my eyes and re-centering myself before taking on the next stretch. I’d repeat this as often as I needed. This time I had a few new tactics to battle the heights: I’d count fifty steps then stop for a bit; I’d zigzag up the mountainside instead of going straight up as it was less strenuous on my legs; and instead of melting down as before, I’d deliberately soak in the countryside to absorb it’s calming beauty. Plus, I made full use of the wall by holding onto it to help me climb as I went – making use of whatever is available is important to getting the job done. And my mates did a cracking job of keeping me going with banter and words of encouragement.

My mates waited for me thirty metres from the peak, so that we arrived together. The clouds suddenly formed around us like a thousand misty ghosts come to greet us. We took a few photos, then hastened our exit as conditions became more dense.

The descent was the most enjoyable I’ve had on a mountain. The first section required careful navigation down rock steps. At times my mind went into a vortex where the greens and the greys swirled and merged into one. Once this tricky part was completed, we trod a well used path, skipping over streams and through boggy sections. Before entering the forest path that led back into the town, I took in my surroundings: the powder blue sky had now reappeared; the mountains formed a horseshoe valley that towered over us, cascading waterfalls giving this place a more majestic quality; the chattering river snaking its way down the emerald hillsides. And all this abundant beauty overlooking the town and the Irish Sea below.

Heaven is a place on Earth!

And so was this afterwards…

Thanks for dropping by and reading this. Please feel free to leave a comment – they’re always appreciated. I hope you all have a great weekend filled with adventure 😊

Back Again! Self-Publishing Update And Other Stuff

Tags

Adventure, Author, blogging, Blogging community, Book, book marketing, Creativity, Self-publishing

Hi Everybody,

I hope you’re keeping well in your part of the world. It’s a good couple of months since I was last here. I’m so sorry for the delay. I’ve been focusing on a few projects that had taken me longer due to my level of dyspraxia only making it possible to take on one project at a time. This can hamper in sticking to other tasks (like putting up regular posts) but these last couple of months have helped me to work at a possible solution around this.

I’ll come to that solution at the end of this post. Suffice to say here that it means that I should be posting up more regularly, and able to focus on all the wonderful blog posts that I enjoy reading more.

NEW PROJECTS

Website

My new author website is up and running now. I’ve got to make a few edits to the text and replace some of the stock photos still, but I’m reallly happy with it. I’ve struggled to merge this blog with the website, but I’ve got a good friend looking into this problem now. So, hopefully it’s just a matter of time before it’s sorted.

Please feel free to have a peak at it: http://www.waynemullane.com

It’s been a real education in learning how to get a domain name and build a website. I really felt out of my depth at times. But when all is done, I can appreciate that I had some good people to teach me and I’ve gained lot more knowledge.

Social Media

I’ve found the likes of Facebook and Twitter a minefield. Thankfully, I’ve been able to hire some very reasonably priced freelancers on Fiverr to help me to get my author accounts on social media going. It’s now focusing on putting out good quality posts that’s the next challenge. I’m learning all the time, and it’s good for me as it’s helping me to connect as well as grow as a person.

I’ve included my social media handles in the ‘About Me’ section of this site.

Marketing

This has been really tough. Normally, I’m the kind of person who’s happy to sit in front of the keyboard and write away for hours on end. But writing a self-published book has so many other aspects that take up time. Plus, I’m quite shy by nature, so having to promote my book to magazine editors and other groups (even via email or telephone) can play havoc with my brain as I think endlessly about the right things to say.

I’ve had a few magazine editors say that they’d kindly promote the book. Such things do give you a boost as there’s a constant stream of people to contact including podcasts, charities, social media groups, libraries…the list keeps growing. Pitching a book can mean that you’ll get rejections or no replies. This means sending two or three rounds of emails. So, for the ones that do reply and do offer you an outlet for promotion, it makes the whole experience so worthwhile.

What’s Next?

As well as continually working on the things above, I’ve got a week long book blogger tour coming up in the middle part of October. I’ll do a separate post or two about that nearer the time.

I mentioned at the top of this post that I had a new strategy to commit to doing more posts and following other bloggers here more regularly. One thing I’m going to do is write a few posts in advance, spending a day here or there just dedicated to this blog. Dedicating whole chunks of time to this is better for my dyspraxia as it means I’m still focusing on just the one thing.

I’m at a level now with developing my website and social media skills that makes dedication to my blog easier as well. Plus, at times when I’ve been focused on other projects and not written for a while, this blog has assisted me in refocusing my efforts and reconnecting with so many lovely people.

Next Up is a post about my recent hiking holiday in Northern Ireland!

Thanks for reading, everybody. Stay safe and well. Peace and love to you all!