February 11, 2015
Barbara Winter's Joyfully Jobless News
Be with those who help your being. 
~ Rumi
In This Issue
Postcard from Barbara
6 Things My Business Taught Me
Amaze Yourself
The Gratitude Project
Barbara Online
Upcoming Events

Denver, CO

March 6 & 7

 

Sacramento, CA

March 27 & 28

 

Las Vegas, NV

April 10 & 11

Buon Viaggio Blog
 
The theme this month is
Postcards from Barbara

POSTCARD FROM BARBARA


You may or may not have noticed that I've been quiet lately. Part of that came about because I needed a break and my boss said I should take all the time I needed. The bigger issue, however, is trying to figure out how to deal with information overload without contributing to it.

 

As you may recall, there was a time, not so long ago, when our email boxes had an occasional ezine or post that we were eager to explore. We still may have things arriving that we're eager to explore, but their numbers have rapidly multiplied. Blog posts, videos, webinars, teleclasses, etc. etc. etc. 

 

It's all too much. 

 

Regular weeding helps, although some folks just decide to ignore it all. That doesn't make sense, either. It may be easier to put things in perspective if we embrace the idea that the Information Age is being replaced by the Idea Age. In other words, it's time for action.


Exciting as that sounds, it's also a challenge. How do we participate? Make an impact? Bring our ideas to life? It takes more than a Google search. 

 

Show up. You're more likely to be the recipient of synergistic energy at a seminar than you are surfing the Internet. Communication is more than just words and, in fact, nonverbal communication is hugely important. Get involved in events and activities where ideas are encouraged and flow freely.

 

Inspiration is highly contagious, after all, and there's no better way to expose yourself than to spend time with others who are eager to make a difference.

6 THINGS MY BUSINESS TAUGHT ME

As I frequently remind people, self-employment is the best personal growth program ever invented. It would be impossible to identify all the things my business has taught me, things I might never have learned any other way. Here are six I do recognize.   

  • Building from the ground up is fun. My mentor used to say we all have an inner architect, a force--that wants to design and build things that have never existed before. The joy of seeing an idea come to life is one of life's great blessings-one that entrepreneurs have over and over as they create new things.
  • I can't outperform my self-image. My business is a reflection of what I think of myself and who I am in the world. Once I learned this, working on maintaining a positive self-image and challenging self-doubts became a top priority. 
  • Goal-setting works. Learning how to set goals and stay focused on results is indispensable to building a business. It's also the way to inspire ourselves and stretch farther.
  • It all balances out. Taking a long view is the secret weapon of every successful entrepreneur. Life is about ebb and flow. So is business, of course. If cash flow is down this month, it may be unusually high next month. It takes a few years of being in business before you can really see how this works.
  • We live in a world of opportunity. I certainly didn't know this in the days when I worked for others. Now, I am constantly in awe of how huge the possibilities are. 
  • The more I invest in my business, the more it returns the investment. When I spend my time and money in ways that stretch me, my business gets better. Books, seminars and other entrepreneurs are not simply indulgences. They're power tools for success.

Taylor Caldwell said, "The true purpose of education is to enlarge the soul, to widen the mind, to stimulate wonder, to give a new vision and understanding of the world, to excite the intellect, to awaken dormant faculties for the exaltation of the possessor."

 

The true purpose of business is exactly the same, but in this course you get paid to learn. What a great way to spend a life.

AMAZE YOURSELF

Last year, Teresa Newberry reluctantly attended a Joyfully Jobless Weekend in Rolla, MO. She was not expecting what happened. "About a third of the way through the first day of the seminar the alarms went off and my whole world exploded," she says.  

 

"All of my walls of 'you can't do that' became bridges to 'I really can do it.' My corporate job was suddenly not my life anymore. It was merely a temporary profit center to get me to other profit centers I could enjoy. Now all I had to do was narrow my 526,356,346,247 ideas down to a couple to start with."

 

Of course, you may have a different experience, but I can promise you that attending a Joyfully Jobless Weekend or my other upcoming seminars in Denver, Sacramento or Las Vegas will be time well spent.

 

The next Joyfully Jobless Weekends will be happening in Seattle WA on March 20 & 21 and in Edmonton, ALB on April 24 & 25. 

THE GRATITUDE PROJECT

Last year, artist Eli Trier challenged herself to raise her awareness about the people who had made a positive difference in her life. The result was therapeutic for her and heart-warming for the recipients.

 

She's gathered all her short essays and paintings in a lovely book called The Gratitude Project. Eli says that even though some of her early paintings seem clumsy to her now, she decided to put them on display because she believe it's important for people to see beginnings. 

 

Since I was fortunate to be one of her early selections, I've known about this project for some time. The entire collection is truly inspiring. I urge you to get a copy for yourself and see what I'm talking about. 

Order here! 

Buon Viaggio,

 

Barbara Winter

Barbara Winter 

 

P.S. On occasion, I may receive a commission or compensation when you participate or purchase a product or service I recommend. That being said, I strive to always offer useful content and resources in each issue of Joyfully Jobless News.