When you don’t know what to do, say a prayer and buy the book

On May 16, 2008 I placed my order for ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income. A week later my book arrived, however, due to it being the end of the school year and everyday family chaos, I placed the book on my nightstand with the promise I would read it eventually. We all do that, don’t we?

June 4th was the morning my world came to a screeching halt. We’d had several days of steady, non-stop and, at times, heavy rains here in Indiana. That morning I woke to over three feet of water in our finished basement. When we opened the basement door and saw the water pouring in around the windows and down the walls, there was little else we could do besides close the door and let Mother Nature have her say.

Without Internet, there wasn’t much I could do besides grab a good book and read. The book I chose was Problogger Book.

I’ve followed the success of Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse since their very early days. It was nice to read a book that was written by two people I felt I had such a connection with. Authors I’d also grown to know as friends.

It had become obvious, the aftermath of this 30-year-flood was going to be financially devastating at best. I was at such a loss for what I was going to do, how my family would recover, but for a few hours I wasn’t going to think about that - I was going to read. I was going to read and enjoy the success of my friends and feast on something positive in the wake of my worst nightmare that was obviously brewing the level beneath me.

As I began to read, I realized I was going to need a highlighter for this experience. While I’ve been blogging almost as long as the two writers, they had learned and experienced far more on the topic of blogging than I had ever dreamed of.

The more I read, the more I felt I was being pulled into some divine plan that was showing me the answer to my haunting question - “How will we ever recover from this horrible flood?”

As I read about selling blogs, I realized I was sitting on some fairly nice, prime online real estate and I was going to take a shot at selling one of them. I followed the plan as described by Darren and Chris and composed the perfect pitch. Once I was comfortable with the wording and presentation, I emailed the proposal to seven people/companies who would likely have interest in my particular niche. With a quick prayer and a click of my mouse, the wish was released and the waiting began.

Within 2 days the first bid came in at $75,000 and by the end of the week, I agreed to accept a bid of $95,000. June 14th I signed my letter of intent to sell and the rest is history.

My answer had come - I would survive - I would recover and my life and that of my family would change in such an amazing way.

Once I recovered from the flood  and her $20,000 plus reign of terror - the remainder of my funds were tucked away. I established an LLC and am just about to launch two new businesses that will employ relatives who need the work and will love and nurture the investment as I would.

More on those businesses later - but I will say, they have nothing to do with blogging and one is so unique and landmark that finally, rather than being the person who sits back and says “why didn’t I think of that?” I can say “I actually thought of that!”

Call it Law of Attraction - Power of Positive Thinking - A Divine Plan or the Power of Prayer, but whatever you choose to call it, I believe my prayers have been answered and I’m achieving a level of success I never dreamed of.

I’m very blessed to have friends like Darren and Chris enter my life to become tools to get me to where I needed to be. The right place at the right time and with the perfect storm, literally.

In a single year, I will have sold a website, recovered the worst Midwest flood in 30 years, launched two new businesses, hired 5 relatives I’ve dreamed and prayed I’d be able to help someday, will have bought and moved into a new home I can CALL MY OWN and paid off all my debt. I now know firsthand what financial freedom really is.

I can’t tell you enough, buy the book, buy an extra copy because you will want to give one away someday. Read it, learn it, live it! It works - and when combined with watching The Secret and using both in combination - I don’t think it gets any better.

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