Stir Crazy Today!

I absolutely love working from home!  I wouldn't trade this for anything....

BUT... do you ever have days where you just feel like you're going to crawl out of your own skin?  Where you are just so ansy you aren't really sure which end is up???

That is how I am feeling today.  It doesn't happen very often... but when it does, it drives me insane.

I am a home-body.  I love being at home.  Just every now and again I get this overwhelming feeling like the walls are closing in on me.  I know it's my own fault.  I rarely leave the house.  I should get out and meet some local people. I should join a group... or get some sort of a hobby outside the home.  I think about doing these things... then tomorrow comes and I love being at home again...lol

Today though is just one of those days.  Maybe it's the women hormone thing...lol  That could be it.  Isn't it amazing how up and down we can be at times?  Too bad we can't really figure out exactly what it is we want... or maybe that's just me.

Working from home has allowed me to not have to go outside the home to make money... it's allowed me to be at home full time for my boys.  It's allowed me to pay the bills.  It's allowed me to keep food on the table.... etc....  But somedays I go a little stir crazy.

I've been asked in the past if there is anything negative about working from home... I guess that would be it.  Working from home means you are always at home.  90% of me says that's a GREAT thing though.  Wow... can we say I make NO sense today???

I guess we all want our cake and eat it too.... or at least I do.  Or, maybe that's not what I want.... or... maybe that's what I already have.  Do we ever really know?

One thing I know for sure is my kids are my world.  Sure, they drive me batty somedays... but isn't that their job? Think of how boring it would be if they were perfect all the time... not much excitement there!

Even though I have days like today... I still wouldn't trade it in.  I have my little insane moments every now and again... but eventually I come back down and am grounded again...lol

Now to find an outside the home group... what do I like to do outside the home?  What type of groups are available?  Hmmmmmm... suggestions?

Going Green??

Go Green?  Why?  How?

Being in the "go green" industry for so many years, I think it's just part of who I am.  I can't tell you how many people I speak with daily who say the same thing... "I just don't know where to start.....I don't want to go store to store trying to find products to make my home environmentally friendly."

It doesn't have to be a hard thing.  There are so many small things that we can all do everyday that will make a big difference.

Look at the cleaners you have in your home.  Really look at them.  Are they safe going down your drain?  Chances are they aren't.  Manufacturers today are promoting "green, safe products"... but who can you trust?

I trusted the commercials for many years... baby shampoo being safe... spraying the disinfectant in baby's room and on baby's toys... the products are marketed to moms as being safe.  But, are they really?  How do we know?  We don't really... we need to do our own research. 

I did this research and ended up ceasing shopping from most manufacturers that spend millions of dollars to advertise their products on TV.  What are commercials for?  Well, to sell products right?  So, are all commercials giving correct information? Hmmmm.  How many times have I heard the old saying..."He's a car salesman... his job is to sell the car... he'll say whatever to sell that car..."  (no offence to car sales people!)... BUT... how is this any different than commercials??  They are actors who are getting paid to make the products seem irresistible... the script was written for them... COME ON!  Are we really that naiive to believe everything we hear/see on TV??

When we become pregnant, we want the best for our baby... the safest crib, high chair, car seat, toys, etc... But what thought goes into shampoo, body wash, bubble bath, lotion, laundry soap, cleaners we clean the home with?

We all want our homes clean with baby there... disinfect that home. 

Think about the smell... think about the fumes... think about the residue that's left on the surfaces you are cleaning.

Read the labels.  Find out what's actually in that bottle. 

So, going back to being green... it's easier than you think.  It's simply about making a decision and making it happen!

How do you know when to walk away?

I don't know about you, but I'm a tad controlling.  Seriously.  If I'm not in control of a situation, I feel so uncomfortable. 

Is this something that happens once we become moms?  That baby is born, and now all of a sudden we a mom, we are in control of this new being.  We feed this little person, clean him, hold him, etc...  This little person is solely relying on you to take care of their every need.

Then that baby gets older and starts showing their own independance.  What happens to us moms?  We have to step aside and let them take more and more independance.  It's scary for a mom... yet we know we have to make the transition.

As the kids get older and older, they need us less and less.  We feel the control slipping through our fingers.  We want to grab hold of it and never let go.  There's a voice inside us telling us to let go... but dang... it's hard!

So then I look at other areas of my life.  Am I compensating that control for other things?  Meaning, am I trying to take control of other things since I feel like I am losing control elsewhere?  Hmmmmm.  Maybe a little too deep when there hasn't been enough sleep...lol

Sooooo when do we know to step back.  Is there a right time?

I find myself doing quite the coaching-in-my-head talks.  To think before I speak and before I take action.  I have heard so many times, don't react.  Use the 24-hour rule... step away and let the emotion pass before "reacting".  Ok... well that's hard too.  We are only human afterall... right?

I come from a place where I never felt like i had any control.... so when I became a mom... wow!  I had control.  I really liked that feeling... but I don't know that I really understood it was control until I started losing it.  Yikes. 

So now here I am with a 14 year old who wants all the independance in the world... and a 9 year old who is approaching wanting more and more independance.  I look ahead and wonder where we'll be in 5 years... that scares me!  I will then have a 19 year old...whoa...not a good feeling.  Just breathe.....

When I started working from home I did so to be at home full time with my kids.  The boys and I are close... so even though they are getting older and taking more and more independance... we will always be close... just the dynamics of our relationship will change.

Please, don't let me be one of those overbearing mothers who feels the need to share opinions on girlfriends, etc...  Nope... that will not be me!

It's such a strange thing... being a mom... knowing what is right and what is wrong.  Part of me panics... what will I do when the boys are all grown up and out of the house.  I'll still be here working from home... but won't be a stay-at-home mom any longer.  Then I'll just be someone who works from home.  But, that's a good thing I guess.

So, what's the point.  I suppose the point is control.  How it can take over.  With it we can feel powerful, useful, respected, in charge... without it we can feel vulnerable, lost, alone... scared.  But, really, it doesn't have to be that way.  "Control" isn't only a positive thing... it can be negative as well.

I look at my team.  I don't want "control" there.  We are all equals.  We work together as a TEAM.  

Yes, I have control of my business... because it's just that... MY business.  I can control who I work with.  I can control how I conduct my business.  I can control MY actions and reactions.

One thing for sure is this... the ONE thing we will ALWAYS have control over is ourselves.  When I said, from where I come from I didn't have control... I was in a situation where I really didn't have any control.  Once leaving that situation and gaining control... it is a scary thing.  Not knowing how to make decisions.

It's all a learning process.  Life is such an interesting thing.  We all spend so much time worrying and not living in the moment.  We worry about what could happen... instead of waiting to see what will actuall happen.

So, there's my lesson to myself for today... instead of worrying about what "might" happen... I shall enjoy the beauty of today.

It's funny.  I have been working from home for so long that it seems my world completely revolves around my house.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing.... it just makes one think sometimes.

Yesterday I was at my son's hockey practice and had a great conversation with another mom.  It was different thatn what I have become accustomed to.  I have gotten so used to being in the house with my headset on.  Most of the time that headset is attached to my head all day long.  Again, not necessarily a bad thing.

There are far more positives about working from home then negatives.  For example, I am here for my kids.  I don't have to get up, shower, get in the car and commute to some job.  Working from home, my income is unlimited... whereas in a job it would very much be limited.

I have met the most incredible people working from home.  People whom I never would have met otherwise.  They have changed my life.  They had made me grow.  They have made me a better person.

I love that I can sit at home, pick up the phone and have the best people to talk to.  We laugh together, we work together, we cry together... just as though we were sitting in the same room.

My life has changed... but wow... so much for the better.  Being part of a team truly is a blessing.

Excuses, excuses, excuses....

People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives ~~J. Michael Straczynski~~

Why are some businesses successful and others not so much?

First look at the company you are with.  Are they successful?  Chances are if they aren't growing, you never will either.  If the company is trhiving and you aren't, why not?

Working from home can be a tough industry.  First you have to have complete belief in what it is you are doing.  If you don't, it will shine through.  You must be partnered with a company that manufactures products that real people need, use, run out of and already have to repurchase.

If you're promoting something that's considered a "want"... chances are you will eventually run out of people who want to make the purchase.

Look for a company that is making a profit, that has a proven track record.  You want a company that has been established.  These "ground level" opportunites are scary.  It takes at least 5 years for a company to get on their feet.  Do you really want to get into a start-up company that will likely never get off the ground??

Is the company in debt?  Chances are, if they are... you likely won't be making any money.

Learn about the compensation plan.  How will you get paid.  Are there break-aways?  Can you make more money than the person who helped you get started?  Are people buying their way to the next level/status?  People get hurt and lose money... be cautious!

Research the company through reputable websites.  Remember, most of what is on the internet is opinion based.  We all have different opinions and are free to share all over the internet.... but this doesn't mean it's a correct representation of the company.  A good, reputable site is the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/).  Find out what the company BBB rating is.  Have they had complaints?  Did the company bother to rectify any complaints?

Do your research.  Just because one person didn't have success with a certain company, doesn't mean you won't.  Everyone is different.  What is your work ethic?  Do you have credibility?  Do you have goals?  What is your reason for wanting to work from home?

Anyone can work from home... not everyone will be successful.  Anything worthwhile takes work.  There are no such thing as "get rich quick". 

Happy searching!

When kids are home

I have been working from home ever since my little one was 3 months old... he is now 9.  In the beginning it was hard, having a 3 month old baby and a 5 year old by my side every day.

Now fast forward to today.  I have the little guy home sick today... he is very RARELY sick, so this is really different for me to have him home.  It's amazing how hard it is to get anything done.  Wow! I thought it was hard when he was a baby... but I am thinking it's way harder now.

I love being a stay-at-home-mom... but somedays are just plain tough. 

When I'm helping my team, sometimes I hear about how hard it is with little ones at home, and I think I had forgotten how hard it can be. 

Kids want our attention when they're home.  Trying to build a business in there as well... yikes.

Being a mom is a full-time job in itself.  I have just found a whole new respect again for us stay-at-home-moms!  Kudos to us!