It's NOT easy!!!

It's early in the morning, no one else is awake and I'm sitting here drinking my coffee, checking my email and just plain surfing.

I've noticed that anytime I'm surfing the web I end up gravitating toward websites that offer articles relating to WAHMs and starting a home business. This is a passion of mine and I love to hear what people have to offer. However, at this very moment I am extremely frustrated!! Am I just being hormonal??? Who knows??? Maybe!! But I'm frustrated none the less!

My frustration is due to the fact that I continually see a common thread in these articles...many of the authors focus solely on the issue of how wonderful it is to work from home. Yes, they are right...it is great to be able to work from home, be your own boss and be there for your family. HOWEVER...I think they also need to focus on the fact that "IT'S NOT EASY!!!"

Having your own business--whether from home or outside the home--is absolutely, positively not something for the faint of heart. Having your own business means you must be dedicated and persevere through the hardest of times. You must keep in the front of your mind that you WILL suffer through a series of hardships when you choose this path. It doesn't just happen...you must work it!

I won't list all of the hardships...maybe in another rant at another time.

For now I want to stress that you need to keep in mind that it will be hard and take lots of time.

For me one of the hardest things to handle is the negative comments that you get from people. Even your family members and closest friends will reject your ideas. People will tell you you're crazy...they'll constantly tell you (and everyone else) how worried they are about you. Others will gossip about how you are being irresponsible and not taking care of your family--especially if you were the bread winner in the previous years.

Believe me...I know this from personal experience.

You need to figure out what you love to do--yes. Then you need to hold onto the love and passion that you feel for your business idea and don't let it go. People will discourage you and try whatever they can to get you to 'come to your senses' and not be supportive. They will tell you you're just dreaming and this will never work for you.

Please understand that I am not saying any of this to be discourage you from following your dream!! I'm saying this because it's the reality of the situation. It takes dedication beyond words to build your business. It takes a huge leap of faith in yourself to try to create something out of nothing. It's scary. It takes courage:

"Courage is NOT the absence of FEAR...Courage means you feel the fear, but you forge ahead anyway."

And another quote about courage..."Courage is fear that has said it's prayers."

I started my home based business in 2001. Here it is 7 years later and I am finally making somewhat of a living at this. I have to admit that my situation was different because I was a stay at home mom with 3 young children and they were my main priority when I started out on this venture. My husband had a full time job that provided our income.

HOWEVER, due to good old 'corporate downsizing' he lost that job three years after I started my business so it certainly wasn't a bed of roses for me or us or anyone that's ever been in our position. It's possible that it won't take you as long as it took me, but I wouldn't count on it.

I'm not trying to scare anyone or be negative. I am just talking from experience and I just want you to understand that it's not all happy and wonderful and sweet. It takes time, sincere dedication, perseverance and a 'never say die' attitude.

I have been helping my husband 'grow' his business that he started just over 3 years ago. One thing that I see that I continually have to tell him is, "It takes time...don't get discouraged!" It takes a LONG TIME to really get a business moving let alone make a living from it!! You don't open your doors and have a line of people standing there waiting to get in. Just like in my situation....you don't launch your website and have 40 orders the first day. You need to promote your business and get your name out. I've heard it said that a customer has to see or hear your name AT LEAST 7 times before they will remember you or your business or what product or service you sell.

I will admit that I can't blame anyone for thinking it will be easy. When you surf these WAHM sites many of them bombard you with all of these articles and ads that say "You can do this!!! It's so wonderful and rewarding!!" But many of them conveniently leave out the fact that it's very difficult to build a business and then maintain it.

People think "If you build it they will come" because the Internet is filled with articles talking about all the glory...they rarely focus on the fact that you will also have to shed SERIOUS amounts of blood, sweat and tears to get to this glorious place. And once you reach this wonderful pinnacle of success then you have to shed even more blood, sweat and tears to keep yourself there. I'll say it again...it's not easy!

Please don't read this and then get discouraged. That's not my purpose. I just want those of you out there on this path to know that, yes, it's wonderful to have your own business and be your own boss, BUT it's also a very hard job! You will get discouraged and think about giving up. If you do feel that way give yourself time...that feeling may very well pass. On the other hand if things truly aren't working for you then maybe you should move on to something else.

Owning your own business and being your own boss is absolutely wonderful...but just know that IT'S NOT EASY!!

Just HAD to share that today!
Jane

I'm so proud...

...and impressed by my daughter's sewing ability!

She's 12 years old and in the 7th grade. She's taking a Family Consumer Science class...I think that's what they call it...in my day we called it Home Economics. Anyways, she had to do a sewing project and this is what she made...





She chose the pattern back when school started and just got the package at the end of last week. She worked diligently on it over the weekend and...voila! Here it is! I think she did a great job! I hope she continues to develop her creative abilities!

Just HAD to brag about her...

Later!
Jane

What is it...

...about the moon???

I don't know, but periodically I become intrigued with it.

The other evening the sky was beautiful. I was finishing up for the day and glanced out the window and saw a pinkish-lavenderish sky with a misty moon dancing behind the neighbors tree.

It looked so pretty and I just HAD to go outside to see it better. But once I got out on the deck my point of view changed and I couldn't see it as clearly. I ran back into the house and grabbed my camera...something was compelling me to get a picture of this wonderful autumn sky and misty moon. I moved all around the side of the house but couldn't get a good view because of the trees and the neighbor's house.

But I was determined...I looked all around...I went out to the front yard and then out on the far side of the deck. I even stood on a bench, but no luck. Then I spotted our old rusty antenna tower that hovers over our house. We don't use the dang thing now nor did we ever...it was here when we bought the house but we never took it down because it's so huge.

Anyways...at that moment I was bound and determined to find a way to get up higher and that old rusty eyesore was perfect! I walked over to it and remembered that the tower had small rungs on it...kind of like a ladder...so I climbed it. I only had to go up a handful of rungs to see the moon better. I snapped away and got a couple shots...





Darn...the photos just don't do it justice!

But for some reason I just HAD to get a picture...I'm sure my neighbor--if he was home and if he would have seen me--he would have thought I was off my nut climbing my antenna tower with my camera! He probably would have thought I was spying on him or something!

Oh well...thank goodness...I don't think he was home!

Yes...there's just somethin' about that old moon that makes ya go a little crazy!

More later!
Jane

Yes...I think it's official...

...I'm a part of the 'sandwich generation'.

Things have been crazy...they've been crazy for the past few years...but now it's getting even crazier. I've just been initiated into a new stage of life...the 'sandwich' stage. Let me explain...

My father passed away in 2002 and up until last year my mom was doing well. Then in the summer of 2007 she had a spinal fracture due to osteoporosis. This type of fracture is extremely painful and from what I learned the pain pretty much doesn't ever subside. It may decrease, but I don't think it ever goes away and you are left with chronic pain.

Mom's fractured healed after about 3-4 months and things improved, but she has been suffering from chronic back pain ever since. In turn, this chronic pain caused her to tumble into a depression. After months of concern and worry my siblings and I finally took action and confronted her...and man oh man...this was difficult to do. None of us has a confrontational type of personality and we struggled for days with this issue. But finally after many discussions with each other, with close family friends, phone calls to the doctors office and...probably more imporant than anything...lots of prayers...the opportunity presented itself and we opened up and shared our feelings.

Whew!! Finally we all exhaled!

Then the day after everything was brought out into the open--of her own volition--Mom called her doctor, talked about what was going on and he prescribed her some depression medication. Thank goodness!! Now we play the 'wait and see' game...hopefully things will work for her.

Meanwhile...through all of our struggles last week my siblings and I realized that we have become the 'parents' to our mother. Not an easy thing to admit out loud. But this is our reality. All I can say is 'thank God I have someone to share this responsibility with!'

After dealing with everything that went on last week and letting all the dust in my head settle I recalled a quote I read in a book called 'Traveling Mercies' by Anne Lamont.

'Courage is fear that has said it's prayers.'

Whew! That's quote says it all! We were in such a tough position...we didn't want to hurt our mother...she's been down enough lately and we were afraid we'd make it worse...but we knew we had to do something.

So after talking and talking and talking I told my sister that all we had left was to pray. Pray that something will open up for us...some window...some door...some opportunity will open up...present itself...then we can forge ahead. And guess what!! That's what happened! Out of the blue the obstacle that was in our way was removed and everything was brought out into the open. We said our prayers, believed that things would work out and, by way of some small miracle, they did.

So now that this mess has passed and I've discovered my place in this new stage of life I'm sure I'll have more experiences to share.

And...with crossed fingers...I'll keep ya posted on how things work out with my mom!

Until then...

Jane

Please...your support is needed!!!

I recently started networking online with a wonderful community of self employed parents called Our Milk Money.

Through this community I met a self-employed mother, Tiffani, whose little boy, Eamon, was recently diagnosed with mild autism just at the base of the spectrum.

By way of her blog Tiffani shares her experiences and other beneficial information relating to autism and the various therapies for Eamon.

As well as dealing with the everyday responsibilities of taking care of a busy family Tiffani keeps busy trying to find creative ways to raise funds for Eamon's therapy.

Her latest fundraiser is a fantastic compilation of 50 yummy pumpkin recipes for you and your family to enjoy. This Pumpkin Recipe Book comes in the form of a down loadable eBook and costs only $1.00...yes...it's only $1.00!!

The button is below...pay only $1 and then download the eBook! You won't be disappointed! And it's perfect for this time of year!



Please consider this purchase...it's only $1.00 and ALL proceeds directly benefit Eamon's Therapy!

Jane