live
life on purpose
work at what you love
follow your own road
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Issue 170 |
September 21, 2007 | |
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All life is an experiment. The more
experiments you make, the better.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Opportunity Knocks
Creative Ways to Make a Living Without A Job
Want to Re-Create
Your Life? What Not to Do
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Valerie and her wonder dog,
"Cokie Roberts" |
By Valerie Young
You’ve probably read plenty of advice on what
you need to do to find and follow the path to right livelihood. Well, I
thought it might be time to offer a little counter-intuitive advice on what
not to do. For example…
Do Not Automatically Trust
the Experts
Even so-called experts sometimes get it wrong.
I’m a big fan of the Public Television show Antiques Road Show. If you
haven’t seen it it’s basically a roving antique appraisal fair featuring
experts in anything from antique or vintage watches, furniture, pottery,
paintings, books, and historical artifacts to just about anything else old.
People show up hoping to get an expert opinion on the origins and value of
anything from family heirlooms to an old movie poster they picked up for a
few bucks at a garage sale.
In one recent segment a woman brought in a
small green porcelain fish that had been in her family for many generations.
According to a local antique dealer its only value was sentimental, adding
that she could either keep it or put in a garage sale. Boy was he wrong. It
turns out it was the earliest example of American porcelain that the
Antiques Road Show appraiser – or any of his fellow experts – had ever seen.
That small green fish was worth $30,000.
I once had a big time internet marketing guru
tell me in no uncertain terms to change my home page. I did, and in the long
run the change ended up costing me probably about $25,000 in sales. I still
have the greatest respect for this individual whose results speak for
themselves. But again, all experts get it wrong now and then – even me! So
when in doubt, get a second and even a third opinion.
Don't Take On Too Much
I know firsthand what it feels like to
desperately want to flee a job that is sucking the life force out of you. I
also know, too, that in our frantic attempt to get out of job jail we
sometimes make the mistake of taking on too much all at once. "If I can read
three books, attend four Teleclasses, sign up for six self-study courses,
and listen to ten CDs this week," we reason, "I’ll be able to reach my goal
that much faster."
But all too often just the opposite happens.
In the process of trying to absorb too much information we become
overwhelmed, with the result being the mental "memory full" message. And when that
happens, just like when our computer is full, our brain actually starts to
run slower. Even if you are a master at taking in massive amounts of
information when you try to go in too many different directions at once you
can end up going nowhere… fast.
Realizing a dream does require you to take
action – lots and lots of action. Just not all at once. "For fast acting
relief," says Lily Tomlin, "try slowing down."
Don’t Make It Harder Than
It Really Is
A client named Billy wanted to start his own
syndicated radio show. The problem? Like virtually everyone else on the
planet (including me) he had no idea how to go about it. "Did you Google
‘how to start your own syndicated radio show’?" I asked.
This simple query led to a site called
Syndication.net
which offers consulting, a self-study kit, and other resources on how to
launch a radio show. From here I hopped over to Amazon and found a
well-rated book called The Radio Producer's Handbook by
Rick Kaempfer and
John Swanson. I haven’t
researched either of these resources, but still it is a great example of how
something that feels so hard can be so easy.
Happily, that’s what fellow subscriber Andi
Arndt just found out for herself. Andi wrote to say she’d started her own
home recording studio this summer and had already found a regular client.
"My realtor wants me to be the voice of all their listings, including
virtual tours, HomeVoice call-in property info, their voicemail system, and
narrating the weekly real estate show!"
But it gets even better. Andi says, "I also Googled ‘travel’ and ‘voiceover’ and found a great company in Brussels,
Belgium that does audio city tours for iPods. I'm writing their New
York City audio guide, and then narrating it when we record, and I'll get a
50-50 split of what is sold on his impressive delivery platform. I’m
pretty psyched."
She adds, "I had such a great result from Googling the ingredients of my ideal job, now whenever I have a free moment
I put my daydreams into browser language and follow my mouse through
cyber-wonderland, picking up leads along the way!" Now how hard it that?
Don’t Do What You Usually
Do
Sometimes the best way to jumpstart a dream is
to not do the usual. If you usually listen to music while you drive or jog,
next time you’re in the car or out for a run don’t turn on the radio or take
along your iPod. Instead use the time to visualize your ideal life and the
small steps you can take to get there.
Then, instead of rushing home to create yet
another To Do list create a "NOT to do" list. Getting rid of things you
feel pressured or obligated to do will free you up to spend time on the
things you want to do… you know, like change the course of your life.
You’ve heard it a million times before, but
small steps really do add up. The hardest part is getting started. "Whenever
I get your newsletter," says Andi, "it always makes me ask myself what I've
done today to get one step closer to making my and my family's dream a
reality." Now that’s a bit of advice you do NOT want to ignore!
About the
Author
"Turning Interests Into Income" expert, Valerie Young,
abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at
ChangingCourse.com
offering resources to help you discover your life mission and live it. Her
career change tips have been cited in Kiplinger's, The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today Weekend, Woman's Day, and elsewhere and on-line at MSN,
CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. An expert on the Impostor Syndrome, Valerie
has spoken on the topic of
How to Feel as Bright and Capable as Everyone Seems to Think You Are
to
such diverse organizations as Daimler Chrysler, Bristol-Meyers Squibb,
Harvard, and American Women in Radio and Television.
To read more
articles about how to work at what you love without a job go to
ChangingCourse.com/articles.htm
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Someone may have stolen your dream when it was
young and fresh and you were innocent. ~ Jane
Rubietta |
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Featured
Resource
This Time Next Year, You Could be
Profiting from a Business that
Leaves You
Plenty of Time to Enjoy
Yourself…
Join "work at what
you love without a job" experts Barbara Winter and myself, Valerie
Young, along with a dynamic team of international travel and business
experts for three eye-opening days in Denver this November, and by this
time next year, you could be comfortably ensconced in a whole new life…
 You might find
yourself following in the footsteps of
Reece Guth…
He started his
business, Mayta Clay, by toting home a few ceramics from Nicaragua to
see how they would sell in the States. After only a few trips, his
little business had outgrown his suitcase and he found himself filling a
shipping container full of pottery. His initial investment of a few
hundred dollars had grown into a $100,000-a-year business.
Reece will be on
hand this November to share with you the lessons he's learned along the
way… lessons that will help you launch your own business even faster
than he did.
Or maybe you'll take
up the adventuresome life of a travel writer -- getting paid to see the
world, enjoying the curious respect writers are given. That's
Steenie
Harvey's game. Steenie, European Editor at
International Living, has been wined and dined
around the planet. This November in Denver, she'll explain how she does
it and hand you the three most important keys to launching your own
travel writing career -- fast, right from home…
Or maybe you'd
rather follow
Suzan Haskins'
lead. She's the Latin America Editorial Director for
International
Living… and her attitude is: "Have laptop, will
go." She and her husband,
Dan Prescher,
joined
International Living in Ecuador, moved to Mexico,
then Panama, then Nicaragua, and then back to Mexico, again. All the
while they've been scouring Latin America for the best buys and the most
livable locales… and all the while they’ve been taking notes, reporting
back to readers like you, and getting paid to do it. This November,
Susan and Dan will talk about why "going global" is so much fun… and how
you, too, can cash in on its benefits…
Of course, you could
also find yourself welcoming guests to your own beachside B&B… or
running your own online business from a mountain hideaway or a Parisian
flat… the options, as you'll discover this fall, are splendidly varied,
flexible, and potentially quite lucrative, too.
Bring
with You this November
Your Sense of Adventure
and A Desire to Start Something New in Your Life
If
you're itching to escape the drudgery of the 9-to-5 world and launch a
whole new life overseas… but you know you'll need a way to fund that
adventure…
You
won't find a better, more enjoyable, or more efficient way to explore
your many options than to join me in Denver this fall.
I
can assure you, you'll learn more about how you can start bringing home
portable paychecks in three days with our experts than you could in a
year spent trying to track down all this information on your own.
And
it's an extraordinary value as well. The registration fee for this program
includes:
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General group
sessions with our panel of experts
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Small, hands-on
workshops, each led by an expert
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Detailed
handouts and materials from the speakers
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Admission to our
exhibit hall full of useful resources
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Coffee breaks
each day
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Group dinner
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Farewell
cocktail party
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Help, throughout
the program, from our staff
If you love to travel – and love the idea
of creating a small business that you can run from home or anywhere in
the world – you won’t want to miss
International Living's First Annual Global Business Opportunities
Workshop.
November 12-14, 2007
Denver, CO
ChangingCourse.com/recommends/globalworkshop
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Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake.
~ Henry David Thoreau |
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Guest Article
You Are Your Future
By Tim Connor
Each of us creates our future one decision, moment, action and thought at a
time. Some people are creating futures filled with pain, loneliness, heartache,
insecurity, resentment, guilt and fear, while others are today carving out
futures filled with joy, happiness, peace, love and security. Why will some
people spend their final years in negative circumstances, while others spend
them in comfort - growing, sharing, learning, loving and being loved?
Here are a few thoughts to consider today as you move through the decisions and
actions in your present that will determine the quality of your life tomorrow.
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All decisions have consequences – some positive and some negative; some
immediate and some long term.
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To see yourself as a victim is to secretly wish your present circumstances
would continue.
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We become a lot like the people we are around, be careful whom you surround
yourself with or let into your life on a regular basis.
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Habits - both mental and physical - are created by us and then they re-create
the new us - in the future.
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You cannot escape the truth - that each of us is responsible for our life and
its future outcomes. Blame, anger and resentment - for or toward anyone or
anything other than ourselves for our circumstances is to live in the
fantasy-land of denial and immaturity.
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If you do not spend adequate time planning for and moving toward the future
you desire - with consistent action - to expect it to just happen the way you
would desire - is to spend your future days in frustration and anxiety.
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Living without balance in the critical areas of your life: physical, mental,
family, spiritual, financial, social and career or business – is to set yourself
up for disappointment, frustration, failure, stress and any number of negative
conditions in some area of your life in the future.
Life Direction
Everyone is where they are supposed to be and doing what they are supposed to be
doing. Now, I know some of you might disagree with this premise. I, too, have
had my doubts over the years. This doesn’t mean that you won’t be somewhere else
tomorrow, doing something different next week and with someone new next year.
The principle also is not designed to give people permission to change
something, anything, just for the sake of changing it – on a whim.
Each of us is on a path through life that has many curves, hills, detours, great
views, accidents, time spent lost and alone, peaks, valleys, accomplishments and
failures. Life is not about trying to manipulate the Universe into giving you
what you believe you want or is in your best interest. It is about learning to
flow with what crosses your path whether positive or negative. It is not about
giving in, but trusting the process of your life and the decisions you make
along the way.
It is unfortunate that many people want to have their life in nice neat
pre-determined packages with predictable outcomes. This would be lovely if it
were true, even possible. Life is not about the future or the past. It is about
learning to do the best you can where you are with what you have. This doesn’t
mean you won’t know more next week, have more next month, or be better next
year.
Life is not about where you end up, but the roads or direction you travel. Some
of us, and I include myself in this group, have spent a lot of time searching
and lost. Some of us have abandoned the search, while others don’t give a rip
about creating a better life through increased wisdom and practical experience.
I am a romantic at heart. I believe that, if we do our part and trust God and
life, we will one day smell the flowers of love, feel the warm caress of success
and experience inner joy and peace as we travel into our own personal sunset
regardless of what age we might be.
So many people live with unfulfilled dreams, broken hearts, loneliness, fear and
emptiness. It doesn’t have to be that way. The way to change your future,
therefore your memories, is to travel in the right direction today in the areas
of your life that are important to you.
I
leave you with 3 simple questions:
1. Who are you becoming, and are you comfortable with him or her?
2. Do you live each day with gratitude for the gift of life you have been given
that day?
3. Are you at peace with your journey, or are you in a relentless chase for
something else, something less, or something more tomorrow?
About the Author
Tim Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned
sales, management and leadership speaker, trainer and best selling author. Since
1981 he has given over 3500 presentations in 21 countries on a variety of sales,
management, leadership and relationship topics. He is the best selling author of
over 60 books including; Soft Sell, That’s Life, Peace Of Mind, 81 Challenges
Managers Face and Your First Year In Sales. He is also the CEO of Sales Clubs Of
America. He can be reached at Tim@TimConnor.com,
704-895-1230 or visit his websites at
TimConnor.com
or
SalesClubsOfAmerica.com
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The more you seek security, the less of it you
have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will
achieve the security that you desire. ~
Brian Tracy |
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Upcoming Workshops and Teleclasses
Discussion, Brainstorming
and Q & A Session on
The 10 Steps to Escaping the Job World and
Creating the Life You Really Want
Join ChangingCourse.com’s
Dreamer in Residence and Turning Interests into Income
Expert Valerie Young for:
 A live discussion,
brainstorming, and Q&A session on
The 10 Steps To Escaping The Job World And Creating
The Life You Really Want with Dreamer in Residence,
Valerie Young!
Grab
your 10 Steps to Escaping the Job World Personal
Planner and start
working on the exercises. Then come to the session with
all your questions, challenges, and yes, ideas about
what it takes to ditch your job-job and work at what you
love.
This
Teleclass is free and open exclusively to current members of the
Fast Track Your Dream
Community members.
Monday, September 24
8:00-9:00pm Eastern Time
Click Here to
Register
America’s Greatest
"Retirement" Secret
I know many of you
are far from retirement, but it never hurts to look ahead.
And when
you look beyond U.S. shores for a new place to live (even if
you’re not ready to retire yet), you’ll quickly see how easy
it is to enjoy a genuine, first-class lifestyle in an exotic
location while boosting the spending power of your
retirement nest egg at the same time. All you need to start
enjoying your new dream lifestyle in an offshore paradise is
for someone to show you how.
If
you have a genuine interest in living, working, or retiring
in another country I urge you to join me at International
Living magazine’s big "Ultimate Event II" happening this
October at the Sheraton Panama Hotel & Convention Center in
Panama City, Panama. This is the most comprehensive event of
its kind with over 90 of the world’s most distinguished
offshore experts on hand to show you how living, retiring,
and investing overseas can vastly improve your standard of
living.
Topics include:
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 Overseas
real estate investing…
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Profitable
business opportunities …
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Offshore
asset protection …
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Money-saving
retirement programs…
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How to stay in touch
while overseas…
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How to ship your
personal belongings…
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How to work from
anywhere in the world...
…and much, much more.
October 24-27, 2007
Panama City, Panama
Learn More About International Living's Ultimate Event II
Learn How to Plan, Write, Publish, Market, and Profit From Your Book...
Painlessly
3 Day Book Writing Book Camp for Entrepreneurs Who Are Ready to Be
"Experts"
As any busy entrepreneur, consultant, coach, speaker or aspiring self-bosser
knows,
 there
never seems to be enough to time to get all those great ideas onto paper.
Last November I had the pleasure of meeting "America’s Book Coach" Joan
Clout-Kruse at
Alexandria Brown's Online Blueprint Workshop. Joan has a unique niche – helping busy entrepreneurs attract
more clients by writing a book in 90 days of less!
As you know I'm a big fan of using time effectively, putting a stake in
the ground, and just "doing it!" If you're ready to be recognized as the
expert you really are, then be one of only 9 other inspired entrepreneurs to
join Joan and her team of experts for three glorious days in California’s
wine country to create the blueprint for your book... writing it, publishing
it and putting it to work for you.
In addition to an array of international foods and wine you'll be served
a full program of book-enhancing guidance, inspiration, feedback, workshops
and planning, carefully designed to put you in the fast lane toward
finishing your biz book in 90 days or less. As Joan says, "If you are a real
go-getter and devote yourself fully to these three days you might finish
most of the book at the boot camp. It’s up to you!"
Redwoods, Vineyards, Cabins, Pool, Courtyard, Your Own Professional Book
Coach, Guest Experts ... And a Certified Plan
Other guest experts at this hands-on event include Bette Daoust, Chief
Knowledge Officer of BizMechanix and Blueprint Books, who will tell you how
to market and publish your book. Arvee Robinson, Persuasive Speech Coach,
Speaker and Author who also be on hand to teach you the insider secrets to
making money from your book at the back of the room.
To ensure maximum individual attention only 10 entrepreneurs will be
accepted into this exclusive 2007 Biz Book Breakthrough Writers Retreat.
Take a look at Joan's program. If you like what you see, and you are
ready to jumpstart your publishing dreams (and take advantage of several
fast approaching early registration offers) I encourage you to act fast.
October 26-28, 2007
Sonoma County, CA
Learn More About Joan Clout-Kruse's Biz Book Retreat
Monthly Dream Maker Teleclass
If you’ve bought into the
old myth about the "struggling artist" than you haven’t
met an extraordinary bead artist named
Valerie Hector.
Valerie’s artistry can be
found in top juried shows like the Smithsonian Craft
Show and in a few weeks she’ll be in my own backyard at
the
Paradise City Arts Festival.
I learned about Valerie
through a client who was fascinated that anyone could
actually make a living traveling around the world (most
recently Turkey and China) researching beads. Even if
you are not a beader, artist, or craftsperson of any
sort, there is much learn from how people like Valerie
who have very successfully turned their passion into
their livelihood.
So mark your calendars for
October 31st for 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
(My apologies to all of
you "trick or treaters" but with Valerie’s busy travel
schedule this was the only date I could get. But as
always we’ll be sure to record every word.) If you can’t
make the session email your questions in advance to
Ask@ChangingCourse.com and I’ll try my best to get
them in.
This
Teleclass is free to current members of the
Fast Track Your Dream
Community members. Non-members are welcome to
attend for $19 with all proceeds going to the non-profit
micro-grant organization TrickleUp.org
Wednesday, October 31st
8:00-9:00pm Eastern Time
Click
Here to Register
"How to Become Joyfully Jobless"
2007
Teleclass Series
hosted by Barbara Winter
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Barbara Winter |
Learn
what it takes to live the joyfully jobless life from the
master − Barbara Winter, author of
Making a Living
Without a Job.
A
vivacious and wildly popular speaker, Barbara will address
such topics as the power of multiple income streams… how to
stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like an
entrepreneur… why starting small is the smartest (and most
profitable) way to launch your new enterprise… and much
more.
Like
mini-workshops, these monthly Joyfully Jobless Teleclasses
are interactive, which means
you get to ask questions and benefit from firsthand feedback
from the woman I call the "Muse of Self-Bossing."
This
series is free to current members of the
Fast Track Your Dream
Community members. Non-members are welcome to
attend for $19 with all proceeds going to the non-profit
micro-grant organization TrickleUp.org
*To
learn more about how you can fast track your dream of
working at what you love - and get a two month membership FREE - go to
ChangingCourse.com/fasttrackyourdream.htm
**A
portion of all revenue from this Teleclass will go to
support the entrepreneurial aspirations of impoverished
people in the US and internationally via the micro-grant
organization
TrickleUp.org
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There are two great days in a person's life -
the day we are born and the day we discover why.
~ William Barclay |
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The View From
the
Other Side
"I didn't really
expect to make any money. If I could make enough to cover the rent and buy
some food that would be fine. As it turns out, it turned out
to be quite valuable in
the end."
~ Elon Musk, founder of PayPal
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Resources for
a Change
Doing Business Around the World
Did you know that it takes two steps to launch a business in
Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, but 20 steps in Equitorial Guinea? This site
is aimed more at the business, government, and investor communities but still,
there is some interesting information about how easy it is start a business by
country that is available Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish,
and Russian.
DoingBusiness.org
Earn Money Making How-To Videos
How do you apply eyeliner? How do you fold clothes for a trip? How do you make
pasta? How do you get "six pack" abs? How do you braid hair? Anyone with a
camera and a good idea for a "how to" video can earn $300 per video at Expert
Village. And here’s the best part… you can either be in front of the camera or
behind it. This is a great way to get paid for producing that how-to video you
were planning to post on your own website anyway while gaining valuable
exposure. Or, if you prefer, you can start your own little business cranking out
videos of other people sharing their expertise. Learn more at
ExpertVillage.com
TeachingTolerance.org
I spent the better part of a decade doing diversity training as a
freelance speaker and workshop leader.
If you have an interest in starting a small business or otherwise working in the
field of diversity, especially as it relates to children and youth, check out
TeachingTolerance.org. A special
project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Teaching Tolerance puts out a glossy
magazine and an online newsletter and offer teaching kits and $2,500 grants for
project ideas that will help students learn about diversity or social justice.
Note: Changing Course does not accept
paid advertisements from any of the resources listed here. This list is
provided to expand your thinking about just how many interesting ways there
are to make a living without a job!
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