In this issue:

1) Val's Views: The Secret Ingredient of Successful Entrepreneurs

2) Parenting corner: Confidence: The Forgotten Parenting Skill

3) Stress tip of the month: An introduction to aromatherapy

4) Time Management Tip: Let Each Day Be Complete

5) Money Saving Tip: Debit Cards Can Be Dangerous

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VAL'S VIEWS

The Secret Ingredient of Successful Entrepreneurs

There is one secret that all successful entrepreneurs have in common. It's not luck. It’s not unlimited financial resources.

The secret is they get past inertia. They DO SOMETHING.

When you’re a beginner, you may be tempted to keep surfing the net, looking for the perfect opportunity. You may think if you keep looking, you will find that someone will tell you exactly how to smoothly sail to success, without making mistakes, without leaving yourself scarred. Many of us throw away money on opportunity after opportunity, e-book after e-book, only to end up frustrated. We end up broke – and exactly where we started.

The fact is, there are few, if any, successful business persons who have attained success without mistakes. There will be mistakes, some of them costly. The point is, each mistake you make allows you to correct what you’ve done wrong, and do it better the next time around.

As Mark Twain said:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and then starting on the first one.”

Breaking your tasks into smaller tasks means not allowing yourself to become overwhelmed by the whole project. For instance, if you are thinking of starting your own website, you don’t need to decide today what will go on every page. Today’s task could be as simple as writing one article or placing one ad – or even more simply, making a decision which “guru” you want to follow. It’s important to give yourself a focus and not keep interrupting projects you've already started to begin new ones. A pattern of constantly beginning new projects isn’t any better than not getting started at all.

The fear of failure can immobilize you from getting started. The thing we don’t always think about is that every successful person has experienced failure. The difference is they don’t allow it to defeat them or hold them back from trying again.

As Zig Ziglar said, “You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Make a decision to take action today. One simple beginning step today brings you closer to making money tomorrow.

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Are you looking for a place to get started? If you’re looking for a way to start making money on complete autopilot without your own list, website or product - then this 'secret weapon' from my friend Ewen Chia will shock and thrill you.

Ewen has created a revolutionary *turnkey* system that has to be the easiest way for ordinary folks to make real money for once...check it out yourself at  secret affiliate weapon.

PARENTING CORNER

Confidence : The Forgotten Parenting Skill By Jim Sullivan

Let’s be honest, none of us was prepared for parenthood. Parenting is by far the most complex and demanding job you’ll ever take on, without advanced qualifications. So it's not surprising that so many of us feel under-confident in the role.

When I first became a father, a friend once asked me what I most wanted for my new baby. Without thinking, I blurted out “confidence”. It surprised me that this was the first gift I thought of, but now I’m not at all surprised. Because with confidence, not only is so much possible, but we have the capacity to enjoy life.

What I really want for my children is happiness. Confidence is merely a means to an end. I also want them to live good lives, in the sense of developing integrity, honour, a sense of justice.

The first few months of parenthood were a trial. I don’t think anything prepares us for the lack of sleep, the sheer energy required to keep up with the demands of this helpless little creature. I have three children now, all different personalities, and one of the changes I observed was that we became much more relaxed with babies two and three. We knew what we were doing, we could anticipate the next steps, we just weren't as flummoxed as we had been with baby number one. And you know what? This was good for our children.

It's also something I see in my hypnotherapy clients. If you’ve ever visited a therapist you may have been surprised to be asked about your siblings, and your ‘birth order’ – where you fit in the sequence of children. This is because group dynamics affect us all, and the dynamics of the family leave a lasting impression – an imprint, if we can call it that. A child’s birth order really does have an impact on how they will develop, and perhaps the nervousness we feel with baby number one is part of this overall picture. Exposing family dynamics is often a helpful part of the process of helping people to understand just where some of their anxieties originated, and how irrelevant they are today.

So how do we develop confidence in children? The key is to provide opportunities for children to safely achieve. There is a debate rumbling under the surface of Western society regarding the teaching of competitive sports. Some commentators feel that it is essential to prepare children for a competitive life, whilst others take a more nurturing view, arguing that we should give all children the opportunity to become successful in something. Like many debates, this one is rarely exposed to public attention but continues by innuendo and half-truths, so that it becomes a battle between two competing clans rather than a shared venture to discover some useful truths.

All children can achieve. I have run projects with children as young as 7 years who proved themselves capable of mastering the most sophisticated professional audio recording equipment. I have worked with young teenagers who have not only composed and recorded professional-sounding songs, but also developed business plans which would shame many a professional in the field. Children are not limited by their age – if anything, it is adults who become limited by the changes induced by time. Of course children don’t have the same depth of knowledge and experience that we possess, but this is a blessing as well as a disadvantage.

So have the courage to let go a little, and sufficient confidence in yourself not to hold your kids back. Confident parents bring up confident children, and that is a gift to the whole family.

Jim Sullivan is a confidence coach.

http://confidence-self-esteem.com

STRESS BUSTER OF THE MONTH

An Introduction to Aromatherapy

One holistic form of stress relief can be found in aromatherapy. The average human being is able to recognize approximately 10,000 different odors. Aromatherapy consists of learning what scents and combinations of scents have what effects on us both mentally and emotionally.

Aromatherapy products include lotions, bath salts and oil burners. Diffusers heat essential oils and release molecules into the atmosphere. The great thing about pure essential oils is that they have immediate positive benefits.

Here are some examples of scents and their benefits:

Lavender/vanilla - to help you sleep

Eucalyptus/mint – to relax and calm

Citrus – to engergize

Lemon – for relief of cold and flu symptoms

Chamomile, lavender, orange and sandalwood oil are all thought to combat stress and tension.

Immediate stress relief can begin by simply putting a couple of drops of essential oil in a cotton ball or tissue, and pull it out to sniff several times a day. Stress relief doesn’t get simpler than that.

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TIME MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE MONTH

Let Each Day Be Complete

Do you have the feeling at the end of every day that you could have done more or should have done more? Do you find yourself worrying about what has been left undone?

A sense of control can be brought about by making lists of tasks to be done and prioritizing. However there’s got to be a point in the day when you say, “This day is done. I’ve given it my best shot.” And let it go.

Or as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Finish each day and be done with it.”

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MONEY SAVING TIP OF THE MONTH

Debit Cards Can Be Dangerous

Years ago, when payday rolled around, I would cash my check. I kept several bank envelopes inside a folder in my wallet. They were labeled: Food, Gas, Rent, Bills, Emergency Money. I had a dollar amount that was allotted to each of these categories. I didn’t sway from my budget because I couldn’t afford to, because I was a single parent making barely over minimum wage.

Lately I find that I rarely carry cash. I whip out my debit card for groceries, pay for my gas at the pump, etc. It works to a point – but on the other hand, I find it harder to designate exactly where my money is going without having it separated, like those little bank envelopes I used to keep that everyone laughed at.

Debit cards can be very convenient. Not having to wait in line to pay for gas is definitely on the top of the list. But as far as budgeting money for food, it is easier to put a lid on what I’m spending if I set aside a certain amount of cash. That way I know I have to stick to exactly how much I’m planning to spend.

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If you haven’t checked out our resource page recently, be sure to visit http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com/resources.html I’ve recently added a couple of free courses and e-books and will be continuing to add more free content in the near future.

I would be happy to hear from you if you have any requests for something you’ve been looking for and can’t find or something you want to see more of. Fill out the contact form at http:www.work-at-home-parenting.com and I will be sure to get back to you promptly.

Best of luck on your journey,

Valerie Dansereau

http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com

Don’t just build a website! Build a website that works.

http://buildit.sitesell.com/valerie2.html