Good riddance 2013. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. To be blunt, 2013 sucked for me. Actually it started in 2012 but 2013 is when the crap meter reached its full and smelly capacity.
Ultimately it's why you didn't hear from me for over a year. I took some lumps in my business and personal life that caused me to walk away from this blog and industry. I won't bore you with the details. But let's just say it was a very dark time in my life and I'm not talking about my beautiful year round tan.
No Pain, No Gain
The great thing about trials and tribulations is that it gives you perspective (assuming you have some self awareness). It also builds some of your spiritual and emotional muscles. Personally I would have preferred to gain these benefits without all the suffering. But it's like the saying goes: no pain, no gain. Clearly the big ‘G' felt I needed to be baptized by fire for me to grow.
No Man is an Island.
Because of all the crap I've been through, I've gained a new appreciation for the important things in my life, which are my family, friends and my spirituality. Don't get me wrong, my family still drives me crazy and I'm by no means a saint. But when you go through some tough time you really see what's truly important and who is in your corner when life is beating up on you. I was fortunate to have the support of my family, church, friends and business colleagues. Without some real talk from them, I don't really know what I would have done. Fortunately I'm rich with people that love me and I quickly realized that is far more important than the ‘Benjamins' I lost during 2013.
It's All Good
Reading through this you would think, Damn Eddy went through some ‘ish'. But in actuality it hasn't been all doom and gloom. There were definitely some bright spots in my life.
My family grew in 2013 with the birth of my son Eddy or as I like to call him ‘little e'. Everyone else calls him EJ (Eddy Junior) just to spite my wishes. LOL With his birth, Team Salomon became complete. I always thought we were complete with just my daughter, ‘Bee'. But fortunately my wife has better insight than me and we had our son because of her vision and persistence. His birth ultimately made me realize we were incomplete. So shout out to my wife and her infinite wisdom (sometimes. LOL).
Although I walked away from my blog, I took the skills I had acquired online and applied them to offline businesses. For years I fought doing that. I always had people asking me to create websites for them or help them with online marketing. But I would turn them away because I was just happy being an anti-social hermit on my blog. But when the crap hits the fan and you're looking for some additional income, you quickly re-evaluate circumstances. I realized I left a lot of money on the table over the years by turning folks way. But I quickly remedied that in 2013 and it was a great experience. More importantly it was pretty profitable too!
Shout out to Kyle & Carson of Wealthy Affiliate for showing me all the skills I used to make money in the offline world too.
They Keep Pulling Me Back In.
Even though I tried to stay away from my online business, it was like being in the mob. People kept trying to pull me back in. I never realized how many folks I really impacted until I started getting emails and comments from many of you asking where I was. Needless to say, it felt great to be missed and to hear how I helped people get into this industry, make money or avoid scams. Your kind words and pleas definitely started to wake up a sleeping giant.
Now What?
I've learned a lot from my experiences in 2012 and 2013. I don't plan to make the same mistakes again in 2014. As such I'll be experimenting a lot more this year. Some of the things you'll like and some you may not. That's fine either way. I'm not always going to please everyone and it's not a goal of mine. The by-product will be that I weed out people that don't really value what I do or share the same mindset.
The good news is I will continue to provide you with the same value in the way of information that will help you earn money or avoid scams. I will continue to give you real talk even if it means hurting your feelings so you don't make the wrong choices. And finally I will continue to be corny so I can entertain you while teaching you. Your time is valuable enough and no one wants to read dry and boring content. We all know I babble on, so the least I can do is make you laugh as you read through my novels.
That's all folks! I'm back on the saddle and I'll start writing again very soon. I look forward to your comments when I do. In the mean time, help me help you. Let me know if there are any companies or websites you want me to cover in the near future.
Here's to a great 2014!
As far as I’m concerned there is no need to apologize! You showed me the path and believe me its been one heck of a path, combined with 2 strokes, job loss/left, going practically broke, finding out I have artistic talent and making money at it, wining your $100 Birthday present, finding clarity of mind once again, mom dieing, replacing over half my salary I made working for someone else, starting a business I love, etc, etc. Keep in mind, not all at the same time, but over 4 years time. I have had times I go away and come back and wait for others who do the same. I’m overloaded with patience. Whenever I doubt the path I’m taking I look back on my past and look at everything I’ve done that I was told I could never do and then plan ahead. The road should go smoother in days to come. If you have your health and not in jail(?) count your blessings!
Catherine, Your story is amazing and inspiring to me! Thanks for sharing that. You have clearly gone through some real things and have come out stronger because of them. I’m so happy at where you are in life right now! Makes me feel good that I had a little part to do with that. So thank you!
I’m really sorry to hear about your mom and all the suffering you’ve been through the last 4 years. But you are truly an example of strength and the will to succeed no matter what!
Glad to see you are back! I took some time off from things as well.
2013 was horrible and 2014 has a crappy outlook. I’m back to the drawing board on work as well. Trying something new this year. God closes one door and i think sometimes it just takes awhile for another to open. So I’m looking into doing things that I always wanted to do and have a talent for just never thought I could do it for a job. Congrats to your family (Mainly your wife) on your son! May you have the blessings that you deserve in all ways with this new year. 🙂
Hey Michele! It’s great to be back. Sorry to hear you had a sucky year in 2013 as well. But don’t have a negative outlook for 2014 no matter what’s going on.
The one thing I learned in the last two years of crap is your perspective is the only thing you can control sometimes. You can choose to have the circumstances overwhelm you and beat you down. Or you can just accept that you’re going through a bad season but you refuse to allow that to control you. We can control how we react. So just keep that in mind if you find yourself talking negatively about your problems and situations.
You’re right about how God works with doors. You really just have to believe and understand that sometimes it’s taking a while for the new door to open because he’s working on someone else that he needs to help you. He has to put the pieces of the puzzle together just right so the picture is complete.
It’s something I’ve discovered during this process and have been reminded of this numerous times via my pastor and scriptures I read. So don’t worry that door is opening. But we have to expect that it will and keep a good attitude until it does.
You will be blessed in 2014 and you need to expect that you will! Thanks for the kind words regarding my son. Why does the wife get more of the congrats? I had a part to play too. LOL 😉
Belated Happy New Year and welcome back! Your voice has definitely been missed! And congratulations to you and your wife on the new family member!
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the kind words and thoughts. Feels good to be missed!
Welcome back Eddy! Wishing you and your family and Happy New Year! Sorry to hear that 2013 was a tough year for you. 2012 & 2013 were tough for me too. I’d dropped the ball with all of the things that I was progressing with related to my blog and online opportunities to make money online. Though I’m determined for 2014 to be a lot different. Have plans to get back on track with it all. Please know that what you do with this blog does make a difference and you touch a lot of people, you are indeed appreciated. Thanks for not abandoning us! 🙂
Hey Lori, It’s so good to hear from you. I was wondering what happened to you too. Guess we traveled the same road in 2012 & 2013.
But I’m sure you learned some lessons a long the way as I did which will help us make 2014 our best year yet! So I’m happy to be on this journey with you.
It’s great to be appreciated and missed. I have now come to realize the impact I made on people’s lives and look forward to continuing that mission in 2014 and beyond. Thanks for your continued support!
Thanks Eddy! I’d been around, definitely fell off majorly. Yes I learned some great life lessons along that bumpy path for sure. I’d most definitely like to make this year the best one yet and working at getting my momentum up so that I can finally get back into figuring out ways to make money online and to do it well. I’m actually unemployed right now so ideally now is the time to get the ball rolling with figuring out ways to get money ;). In addition to a tough 2012/2013 I’d gotten a bit overwhelmed and seemed to have lost a bit of direction and focus with where I was going with my blog. It seems that I had gotten myself as far as I could, with being self taught. Anyway, glad that you’re back at it, hopefully, you were able to see some of that down time as a restoration period of sorts. Sometimes we have to be knocked down, in order to rebuild, and come back stronger!
Hey Lori. Sorry to hear about being unemployed. But that’s definitely a good time to rebuild and evaluate how you’ll do things differently with your blog or what approach you will take.
I know I hit a wall too when I learned everything by myself. Eventually I wised up and invested in the training I needed and that pushed me over the edge. So that might be an option when you start working. And WA does a free starter membership you’ll learn a lot from as well.
But I agree these trials were a set up for triumph. So let’s get this year! I’ll do my part to help you out with the information I present here and anything else I can do. Thanks for the support and reaching out!
Welcome back have really missed the Sir E. Wisdom and you know who it is!
You have God’s favor and you have credit on account for all the help you have been
to others!
Kind regards,
DragonSpirit
龙的精神
Lóng de jingshén
Thanks Dragon Spirit! Great to see you back! I know it’s been a long while. I like the credit analogy. I’m not worth of that credit but I do appreciate that I do have his favor and he’s basically who led me back here. So you must be right! Thanks again! Great to see you back here!
I was wondering where you had been…thought my inbox was eating your emails and spitting them out in my spam box, lol. Glad that’s not the case! 2013 was a sucky year for a lot of people…definitely for our family. But God is still good!! Looking forward to 2014! Good to see you back, and congrats on your new little one!! 🙂
LOL, It wouldn’t surprise me if my emails do end up in your spam folder. A lot of emails I actually signed up to receive end up there. SMH.
In any event, yes I’m back. I keep hearing from everyone that 2013 was bad for them too. So I guess it was something in the water. LOL
But 2014 is a great year already and we’ll continue to make it one! Thanks for the congrats. And I’ll speak to you soon. Be sure to check out my first review of the year here: https://www.workathomenoscams.com/2014/01/08/is-instagc-com-a-scam-or-the-real-deal/
Enjoy!
Happy New Year to you and your family. Glad to have you back.
Thanks Lourdes! Great to be back!
Happy New Year Eddy! You know how I feel about finding you online – and I’m really glad we reconnected at the end of 2013. Here’s to an unpredictable, productive 2014!
Happy New Year Jennifer! I’m glad we’ve reconnected as well! I predict that 2014 will be a great year for us all! Thanks again!
Welcome back Eddy and thank you for sharing with all of us. I was a relative newbie to your blog and was sad when you disappeared. I thank God that you made it through your trials and look forward to reading your “novels” again.
Thanks Maggie! I’m glad I left enough of impression that you came back! The ramblings will continue in 2014! LOL
Hey Eddy! I’m so glad that you decided to fome back. I really didn’t realize how much missed you until you were gone, lol. You have been a huge part in my quest to work from home. And even though I havent been successful in it yet, I haven’t givem up my dream of one day being able to work from home. I promised myself that this year, im gonna put my whole heart in to it. And seeing you back and reading your story is my confirmation.
Welcome back Sir!
Hey Desmond, Thanks for the kind words. It means a lot that I was missed. Sorry to hear you haven’t been successful yet. Clearly we’re both on the same wave length since you decided that is year was going to be your year to achieve your goal. I think with my help you’ll be closer to making that happen.
So here’s to a great year! Thanks for the continued support!
Hi Eddy,
So sorry to hear about your rough times this year but CONGRATULATIONS on the birth of little Eddy, he is beautiful and so is your whole family! I have also been incognito this year as my son Thomas was born 1/17/13 and he takes all my time, lol 😉 Your blog is characteristically honest, positive and irreverent. You will have an *awesome* 2014, I can feel it! Take care and Happy New Year to you and yours 🙂
Best,
Sarah Dillingham