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Dear
Barbara, |
When you are in the deep end of the pool
surrounded by others full of energy and
ideas and examples, you learn to swim a lot
better.
~ Danny Gregory
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THIS YEAR CAN BE DIFFERENT
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For the past week, there's been a lot of
talk about the new year, fresh starts,
resolutions. It happens every year, of
course, but for too many of us noble
intentions don't translate into noticable
change.
If you'd like to rescue your abandoned
ideas, get busy building the life of your
dreams, share your unique gifts and
perspectives with others, there's one big
commitment you can make now (no matter how
far away your dreams seem) that will get
things moving in the right direction.
Quite simply, commit yourself to connecting
wherever and however you can. In fact, go a
step farther and make Connecting your theme
for 2013.
It may be easier than you realize.
Last week, I got a message on Facebook from
book and career coach Bev Ryan in Brisbane,
Australia that included the photograph you
see here.
She wrote, "Talk about a conversation
starter - this morning I took time out to
read this lovely book (Making a
Living Without a Job) by
Barbara Winter in The Nook Caffe Restaurant,
my local cafe in Brisbane. A gentleman
spotted the title and we got chatting. Turns
out he's writing a book and coaches retirees
in designing a life .. such synchronicity.
We will meet up again."
Bev's story also reminded me that glorious
opportunities seldom show up
when we're sitting on the sofa fretting.
As the writer C.S. Lewis pointed out, "Good
things as well as bad are caught by a kind
of infection. If you want to get warm, you
must stand near the fire; if you want to get
wet, you must get into the water. If you are
close to it, the spray will wet you; if you
are not, you will remain dry."
Manicurist Ruth Fordham left a messy
marriage and her native Germany and
relocated to London where she decided to set
up shop. By her own admission she was very
green, but says, "Every year it got easier
because every year I learned a little bit
more and I just made sure I went on every
course that was available. If there was
something to learn, I learned it."
If you don't want to go into 2013 simply
repeating the patterns of 2012, refuse to
spend another day being an armchair
entrepreneur. Broaden your horizons with
fresh perspectives, better business building
tools. Start connecting in new ways with
ideas, people, dreambuilders. Refuse to
spend another day being an armchair
entrepreneur.
Or, as the Persian poet Rumi advised, "Be
with those who help your being."
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CONNECTING IN DALLAS, HOUSTON, AND
PHOENIX
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If creative self-employment is a high
priority for you, I'm eager to support
your vision. In fact, I've been busily
creating opportunities for you to
connect with more Joyfully Jobless
folks. The first of these are coming up
soon with two terrific opportunities to
particpate in January-and more are on
the way in other locations.
It's been enormous fun connecting with
the folks who accepted my invitation to
join The Collaboratory. Working
together, we'll be rolling out Joyfully
Jobless Weekends all over the place. If
you want to learn a lot for not a lot of
money, I promise this is a great way to
connect with ideas, information and
others who are doing the same.
We kick off the series, which includes
Establish Yourself as an Expert,
Making a Living Without a Job and
How to Support Your Wanderlust in
Dallas, TX on January 18 & 19. Thanks to
collaborator Susan Hamm, there's even a
website with all the details. Check it
out
here.
In February, the Weekend travels to
Houston on February 15 & 16 and Phoenix
on February 22 & 23. Yes, these
locations were carefully chosen for
their proximity to warmer weather.
You can register for one event or take
advantage of the special pricing and
sign up for the series.
Details at
http://joyfullyjoblessweekend.com.
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GOT OBSTACLES? GET BOLD!
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Last year when Terri Belford invited me to
join her in the Obstacle-Buster Mastermind,
I had no idea how powerful it would be.
After all, the concept is wonderfully
simple: bring a small group together in a
place full of entrepreneurial spirit and
help them identify-and deal with-what's
keeping them stuck. Don't let them go home,
until they're clear about what needs to
happen next to get them moving forward. Then
do monthly check-ins via conference calls
for a year.
I knew it would be a terrific experience,
but I didn't realize that every time one of
the participants shared an email or progress
report on Facebook or gave an update on the
monthly phone call, that it was positively
contagious. We all got bolder.
Yesterday, Terri took away another obstacle
for some folks when she posted this on
Facebook: Because some of you have said you
really want to work with Barbara Winter and
me face-to-face in Las Vegas but are a bit
short on cash after the holidays, I just put
up an option to register with 3 monthly
payments.
We've only got two spots left so if you'd
like to occupy one of them, it's time to
claim your place, book your flight and get
ready to join us for this get going
experience on January 25-27. |
NO
REGRETS
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A couple of years ago, I was teaching
Making a Living Without a
Job at UNLV.
After I had finished the first part of
the program, I asked if there were any
questions or comments.
I noticed a man named Rich on the other
side of the room suddenly sitting up
straighter. As soon as I'd handled the
first question, his hand went up.
"I've been listening to what you've had
to say," he said and paused. I thought a
disagreement was coming.
I was wrong. "And I'm happy to learn
than I'm doing a lot of things right, "
he said.
Read the rest of this short story
here.
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Buon Viaggio,
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.
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