Brandon Ellrich, Writer/Author/Poet

Is FOMO Ruining Your Life?

I like the phrase, “It is a waste of precious time to focus on where you are not.” Focus on worry and other negativity is pointless and only serves to bring one down. I recognize our changing world and the reliance on social media for connecting with those whom we cannot see every day, but I am also cognizant of my own tendencies to become addicted to such venues and, I must admit, would likely fall victim to dreaded FOMO. For this reason, I opt not to have a Facebook account. Hopefully, those who do, are able to practice moderation.

Dr. Eric Perry’s Blog

Written by Dr. Eric Perry
Image Credit: Pixabay

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not.” ~Ann Brashares

We are living in an age of ubiquitous distractions and interruptions. Technology has given us the ability to stay connected to each other every single second of the day. You can watch events unfold throughout the world in the palm of your hand. Like no other time in history, you are given unparalleled access to the lives of others. In today’s society, there appears to be no such thing as oversharing. Unfortunately, access is granted without a warning stating “Beware… what you see may just be an illusion and may not be good for your mental health.”

We live in an instant world with disposable dreams. Unanchored to anything real we float from one distraction to another looking for the next thing to anchor ourselves. Our thoughts…

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Thank you, Critics

Even the best writers need another set of eyes to help edit their work. I spend so much time with my creations, I can no longer see what’s right in front of me. I try to be grateful for the critics. If not for them, I wouldn’t grow.

If all I received were praise and accolades, it would make me feel good, but it would mean that I must be perfect, and so I have no reason to change anything. Therefore, I would not strive to be better, and would remain stagnant, in a false sense of perfection. False, because no one is perfect.

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what’s a heaven for?”
Robert Browning

Negative critique, or “constructive criticism,” to me, is much more helpful than a smattering of praise. Don’t get me wrong, though, I appreciate acknowledgement of a job well done, and I do hope my readers like what I’ve written.

If you’re not aware, a book’s ranking and popularity on Amazon is dependant on reviews as much as number of sales. So, whether or not you like my (or any other author’s) books, I encourage and implore you to leave a review. It could be as simple as “good book,” or “didn’t like it,” but this profession relies on the reader. Read, review, and recommend to others.

Please check out my article Thankful.

Life-Long Writer

Encouragement is everything. When I was in eighth grade, my teacher complimented my writing. Then, in high school, I took creative writing and poetry classes. My teacher, again, said that I was a good writer and even compared me to a well-known author. That encouragement led me to pursue more classes that were focused on language arts and literature. I had ideas for a few books, and eventually, decided to write them down. I showed one of them to one of my college professors and she told me that I should try to have it published. I hope that you read my books and that you enjoy them as well. I would like to make this my life-long career.

Success

We all have reasons why we don’t or can’t accomplish our goals. The truth is, the word “reasons” can easily be replaced with “excuses,” because that’s what they actually are.

I can list so many obstacles that may prevent me from attaining what I want; we all can. The obstacles may or may not be immovable, but either way, you can always find some way around them. You may have to take risks, you may have to do things the hard way, you may have to do things outside of your comfort zone.

Even after all that, you may still fail–and I hope you do. Otherwise, you won’t learn anything. Failure is simply evidence that you have tried, and the reward will be much greater when it is achieved.

BRANDON ELLRICH

My book Like A Mousetrap is available now on Amazon.com. Reviews are very important to the success of an author, so if you like the book, please leave a review.