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!

They don't smell toxic.... HUH??

I find some things very interesting and rather bizarre.  As a parent, I am always worried about my kids.  We all want the best for our kids.  When we find out we're pregnant, our whole life changes immediately.  We try to eat as healthy as we can, we take the prenatal vitamins, we don't drink alcohol, etc...  It's always in the back of our minds... will this hurt the baby.
As the due date comes closer, we're getting everything we need for the baby that we'll soon bring home.  We make sure we're buying a safe car seat and crib.  We worry so much about that baby's safety.
Then we get products like Johnson & Johnson baby shampoo, bubble bath, lotions, and more.  We clean, clean, clean to make sure the home is nice and clean for the baby.
But how many of us never even think of the safety of these types of products??  I know I sure didn't.  The products are sold... so they're safe... right?
Why are we so trusting?
I was on a message board about safe cleaning products and people were recommending Mr Clean Magic Erasers because "they don't smell toxic".  REALLY???  They don't SMELL??  Ummmm ok.  Do all toxic chemicals smell?  No they do NOT!
Come on people!  Do some research.  It drives me insane.  I am always on different message boards online... it simply amazes me what people think is safe.
I will admit, I was pretty naive 14 years ago when I had my first baby.  But it didn't take me long to start researching what the heck I was cleaning with... what I was washing baby's clothes in and what I was bathing him in.
I didn't have a lot of money and sure couldn't go and pay the amount of money the stores wanted for "all natural" products.  The few that I did try, didn't work!  They didn't clean worth crap.
We all have options though.  Do some research, spend some time looking at what you're using in your home.  There ARE safer alternatives that do NOT cost a fortune!

My journey

For 10 years now I have been on a mission. A mission to educate people about toxic chemicals in their homes.

Most of the time when we hear "toxic chemicals" we think of things we find in the garage. We don't think of personal care products, cleaners and laundry soap.
My journey started in July of 2000. 2 years before that my oldest son was diagnosed with reactive airways disease. This is a form of asthma brought on by allergies. He was a very sick little guy. As a mom there is nothing worse than your child not being healthy.

I did everything I was supposed to do... got rid of stuffed toys, ripped up his carpet, sprayed his room daily with Lysol, washed his bedding every other day in Tide w/Bleach and installed HEPA filters. Nothing helped. He was still in and out of the hospital getting ventilin treatments and pneumonia.

I didn't know what to do. I was working outside the home at the time and was being reprimanded for the amount of time I was taking off work.

Since I was a baby, I had always suffered with horrible eczema and of course the more stressed out I got, the worse the eczema was.

My manager approached me one day and asked if I'd ever done research on chemicals in my home. I thought she was crazy. She explained that in so many everyday products, there are toxic chemicals that can trigger asthma and eczema... and many more health issues.

That night I started researching. I started in the bathroom, pulling every bottle out to investigate the ingredients. I was shocked to say the least.

Shampoo (including baby shampoo), body wash, toothpaste, bubble bath, makeup... all filled with chemicals. WHY?? Formaldehyde??? It's a cheap preservative... that's why.

We trust manufacturers. We assume that if a product is on the store shelf, it's safe, right? Never assume anything.

There is no regulation of personal care products, cleaners or laundry products.

Manufacturers use whatever chemicals and fillers they want. This way they can make the product for as cheap as possible and mass sell them in stores like Wal-Mart.

Commercials and advertising campaigns are there for what purpose?? To sell the product. They market their products as safe... but do we actually know that is true?

I was so naive. From the day my baby was born, I trusted the manufacturers that promote their products as safe, gentle and natural for baby. Ok... then explain quaterniun-15. This is formaldehyde. In BABY products??

After I went through the bathroom, I pulled out cleaners and laundry products. It didn't get any better. Wow. How?

Why is it that in the UK if a product contains a toxic chemical it has to have a warning on the label, yet here in North America...nothing.

Society is so concerned about disinfecting homes. Having our homes hospital-strength clean. But have we ever really thought about what we're doing to our health?

Look at the rise in asthma. Then there's ADD/ADHD, auto-immune disorders, cancer... the list goes on and on and on.

When we find out we're pregnant, we want to the best. We want our baby to be safe. We research cribs, car seats, high chairs, toys... etc... But why don't we look at what we're bathing baby in? Washing clothes in? Cleaning with? Very scary.

I found a manufacturer that makes only safe, non-toxic products. They work better than anything I'd ever used in the past... and they were less expensive than the garbage I was buying before.

Within 6 days my eczema cleared for the first time in 27 years! Within 2 weeks my son wasn't needing his steroids. All from switching stores and getting rid of all the chemicals.

Anyone can switch stores and have a healthier home. It's simple. It just takes research.