You Are So LUCKY To Be Self-Employed...and Other Myths
By: | Posted: 18th January 2008
How many times a year do you hear this from your well-meaning (?) family and friends:
"Oh! You are so LUCKY to work from home!"
Actually - you can probably substitute the 'work from home' part with a number of other options such as 'self employed', 'have so many income streams', 'be your own boss', etc, etc.
And of course - that opening statement is usually followed by something like: "You have no idea what I put up with everyday at the office (or the store, or the school or the loading dock - fill in the appropriate phrase)."
Hey! Guess what? I DO have a very good idea of what you are putting up with everyday. It's WHY I work for myself now. It's WHY I work from home today!
I still put up with a lot of the same issues daily - but now, I get to decide how to deal with it myself, instead of being TOLD what to do by a 'boss'.
But most importantly - LUCK has nothing to do with the fact that I am self-employed and you are still in that office (or store or loading dock or whatever). What few people realize is that being self-employed means taking risks, and working a lot of long hours - sometimes for a LONG time - before you see any reward.
Being self-employed means that I don't get a paycheck from anyone every Friday, no one else contributes to my health insurance or my pension fund, no paid two week vacation, no sick days and believe me - no paid holidays.
And the reality is - I am usually still working every evening while you are watching Survivors and voting for the next American Idol.
No, being lucky and being self-employed have very little to do with each other. I took a lot of very big risks to get here, and have had more than my share of the 3 am "heebie-jeebies", wondering if I did the right thing - but I will never return to a "job" again!
I will be the first to admit that I still put in some long hours - but it's my choice. I love what I do now, I only set the alarm clock if I need to catch a plane, and my income grows daily - whether I am on vacation or sitting in front of the computer. I work hard, I play hard, and life is very, very good.
I work from home, I set my own hours, and I control my income. No store to open, no products to ship, no boss hanging over my shoulder!
Thanks to the internet, my dream of a portable business with multiple streams of income is now my reality, and my reality is a wonderful and rewarding way of life - both emotionally and financially.
There is an old proverb (sorry - don't know who to give credit to here, but I do love this!) that goes something like this: "The harder I work - the luckier I get".
Wondering if you can do it too? Break out of your rut and join the ranks of those "lucky to work from home" folks? Virtually anyone can create their own 'luck' - it just takes the desire to see beyond where you are today and the willingness to make the effort to 'create' your own luck!
So, start 2008 right and make this your lucky year! If I can 'get' lucky - so can you!
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Melody Wigdahl is a serial entrepreneur, lifelong geek. Her new project, launching in early January, 2008 is Womensnetonline.com, a full business networking site for women! Melody is also the founder of http://www.Womensnet.net, Home of The Amber Grants For Women in Business, and http://www.WorkAtHomeIdeasForWomen.com.
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Tags: phrase, long time, job, health insurance, family and friends, boss, insurance, well meaning, holidays, american idol, paycheck, income streams, alarm clock, survivors, sick days, home today, pension fund