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Dear Friends,
Well, we had a great call last week with Natalie Goldberg, author of
the new book, "Old Friend From Far and Away: The Practice of Writing
Memoir." We had so many people calling in that the lines were jammed
and Natalie had to try for almost 30 minutes to get on! But, the
last 30 minutes were worth the wait! If you'd like to listen to the
call, click here.
For more info on Natalie, click here. Thanks Natalie!
If you intend to send a Mesmerizing Oggz Egg to someone special for
Easter, please be sure to order early. You'll find them here.
Join me for this week's "Coach on Call" live radio show where I'll
talk about "Life as a Sitcom" - what to do when you get hit with too
many challenges at once. I'll also take your calls. To join me,
visit www.hayhouseradio.com on Monday at 5pm ET (2pm PT, 10pm
GMT) and click on the "listen now" button.
Have a great week...
Love,
Cheryl
p.s. - Need a little Divine Direction? Use the "Touch of Grace" button on our homepage here: http://www.cherylrichardson.com.
"The person who gets the farthest is generally the one who
is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore."
--Dale Carnegie
This newsletter ran in 2006 and touched a nerve with so many readers
who wanted to reclaim their lives from dead-end, corporate jobs. I
hope it inspires you to open to new possibilities...
Yesterday I spent the afternoon at a shipping party where several of
us got together to send out orders from our online store. We had so
much fun putting packages together that I'm sure those of you who
placed orders will not only receive your product, but a whole lot of
good energy when you open the box :). Later on, when the last
envelope was sealed, several of us talked about work and the joys of
being self-employed. There were common benefits shared -- the
freedom that comes from setting our own hours, the ability to work
according to our own natural rhythms, and the chance to express our
unique, creative talents. Yes, we all agreed, there's hard work --
lots of it -- but there's also the satisfaction of knowing that every
single hour invested directly benefits us and the people we care about.
As I drove home, I thought about the concept of self-employment and
how so many people who work in corporate jobs dream about working on
their own so they can enjoy the benefits mentioned above. As a coach
who has supported plenty of corporate employees, I've always felt
that self-employment or virtual freelance/contract work was the wave
of the future -- a very near future. I've watched too many people
struggle with traffic jams and ridiculous commutes, twisting
schedules to accommodate personal needs during work hours, or the
frustration of having to check their values at the door of a company
that didn't share their ideals. It's painful to see people suffer in
silence day after day, doing work that breaks their spirit.
While there are many employees who thrive while working for others
(thank goodness - we need you!), there are just as many who
don't. With advances in technology, the opportunity to jump ship and
take charge of your work life is becoming more of a reality than a
dream. And people are jumping. Some do this by setting up their own
websites to sell products or services -- just look at the success of
eBay! Others use "freelance" type websites to advertise their
offerings to an audience who are waiting to respond.
If you dream about working for yourself, I encourage you to move the
idea from thought into action with a few key steps:
1. Take a basic business course. Many adult-ed organizations or
local universities offer a "Start Your Own Business" type course
where you can learn about the basics of planning, bookkeeping, or
marketing, in a safe, supportive environment. This is a great way to
challenge any preconceived assumptions you may have about yourself as
a possible business owner. Learning about the realities of being
self-employed will give you a chance to evaluate whether or not being
a business owner makes sense for who you are. When looking for a
course, make sure you find a successful, well-established teacher.
2. Know what you have to offer. Identify the skills and talents you
possess that would be useful to others (trust me, everyone has
something to offer). If you're not sure, consider a session or two
with a career coach who can objectively help you assess your skill
level with appropriate questions and tests. If you discover that you
don't have enough experience to offer a viable service just yet,
you'll at least know where your interests lie and where to invest in
additional training.
3. See what's out there. Spend some time looking through websites
like craigslist.com, freelancer.com, or guru.com to see the kinds of
services being offered by others. You might be pleasantly surprised
to discover that there are people just like you who are already
learning a living working for themselves. As you review the listings,
take note of several things. First, what words or phrases are being
used to describe the type of work that's similar to what you might
offer? Write them down. They'll come in handy if you should decide
to create your own listing at some point in the future. Can you
locate any pricing information that might help you determine your
fees? What qualifications seem to make the most impact?
4. Test the waters. There are some of you reading this newsletter
who are ready to see whether or not there might be a market for your
services. Why not take a chance and offer them on a part-time
basis? Post your skills on one of the websites listed above and see
what happens. What have you go to lose? Except maybe your dead-end job :).
While I know there are many factors to consider when working on your
own -- health insurance costs, cash flow, or the need to market your
services consistently, this newsletter is meant as a source of
inspiration, encouraging you to keep your eyes wide open for
soul-nourishing work options. If there's one thing I know for sure,
it's that when we combine Divine Timing with action steps that honor
our soul, things often fall into place. If you're willing to take a
bold move toward something you dream about, there's a good chance
that the Universe will rise up to support your efforts. And with
the power of grace behind you, there's no telling what might happen!
~*~ Take Action Challenge ~*~
One step. That's all you have to do this week. If you dream about
working from home or owning your own business, first affirm:
"I am
open and receptive to the power of grace in my life
and I asked to be
shown clear examples of how this energy is operating in my life
now."
Then, start with one step from above and watch for an open door!
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