Blogging Can Ruin Your Life?

A while back I came across an interesting foreclosure blog called I am Facing Foreclosure. I left a comment on one of the blog’s posts, which led to me receiving this interesting email today (I pasted it below). It pretty much speaks for itself, but it seems like the pressure of the public eye has had some adverse affects for the blogger.

What struck me as interesting was that the blog’s author wants to drop out of the public eye, but by email blasting anyone who has ever joined his mailing list or left a comment - isn’t he putting himself back in it, at least temporarily? In any case, I wish Casey the best, it seems like he has had a rocky ride…

Hey,

Either, we’ve talked before, or you’re in my mailing list, or you left a comment on my blog:

www.IamFacingForeclosure.com

I’m shutting the blog down on August 3rd.  That’s about 23 days from now.

After failing as a real estate investor and deciding to share ALL my mistakes, including “shady loans”, the blog become a huge success as far as attention goes. I’ve been on TV, on radio, in newspapers, and international media; got to meet famous people, made great connections; got to travel overseas; and successfully monetized the traffic through advertising.

I’ve been labeled “The World Most Hated Blogger” on CNet because of the large following of “haterz” that developed overnight.  These critics want to stop me from “profiting from my crime”, give up on my entrepreneurial dreams, give up trying to pay back “every dirty penny”, get a job and lay low.  (However, I think a lot of them deep down want the best for me, but are simply frustrated by my choices. And I appreciate that.)

Well, instead of stopping, I enjoyed negative publicity because it added to the controversy and traffic.  I always felt there is gotta be a way to leverage all this and do something positive.

Any publicity is good publicity.  Right?

Wrong.

My marriage and my family has been affected in a big way by my actions and this toxic exposure.  The internet could be a cruel place and I am the one who put myself and my family out there.  If I knew things were going to get this bad I would have done investing and blogging in a much different way.

Now I may lose my wife over this.

The blog and publicity is just the tip of the iceberg.  Underlying is my desire for financial success and “passive income” and also being known for something and having recognition.    The love of money and pride.  I fell into the trap.  It’s all my fault.  I blame no one else.

I have always believed fame and money is NOT worth broken relationships.  But my actions in the last 10 months of blogging and the last 3 years of marriage have been sending the opposite message.

So now I am pulling the plug on EVERYTHING:

Business, blog, publicity, book, etc… and getting a regular W2 job for at least 2 years or however long is necessary.  It’s a VERY tough decision, since I’ve been at it since high school.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things but not in the WAY I was pursuing them - making financial success my idol.  It’s NOT worth losing my wife over it and hurting my friends and family.   I must put my financial goals aside and focus on what is truly important in this life.  I will only get back into business in the future if I can do it in harmony with my relationships.  If not, then I’ll be content without.

I pray for the strength to change my core attitudes about money and start doing the right thing (instead of just talking about it).  And I pray for healing to my relationships.

Thanks for all your support.  After this email, I’m closing down this mailing list.  I will not need promote myself or anything I’m doing in business for a long time… maybe forever.

I am sorry if you have been negatively affected by any of my actions, please accept my apology.

May God bless you.

Casey Serin

www.IamFacingForeclosure.com

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