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<\/strong><\/p>\n My definition of job security is having a strong, healthy entrepreneurial spirit. That can only occur if you feed yours regularly with activities and thoughts that are nuturing. Here are some of my favorite ways to do just that.<\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Give yourself a change of scenery. <\/strong> It may be efficient for factories to standardize their production lines, but our creative selves thrive on variety.<\/p>\n Take a different route when running errands, take a sabbatical, take a vacation, take your laptop to the park. You can be productive without being routine.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Tithe your time.<\/strong> Don\u2019t just send a check to support things you care about. Find ways to share your time.<\/p>\n When Joe started his own insurance agency he decided he\u2019d spend 10% of his time doing volunteer work. Eventually, he worked his way up to 50% volunteer time. Did his business suffer? Not at all. He made so many contacts along the way that his insurance business grew naturally.<\/p>\n This is another way to back up your personal values with action.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Create a research project.<\/strong> What would you like to learn more about? Look for a way to fund your research.<\/p>\n Start by checking the grant directories at your local library. You may have a project that someone is eager to fund. Get clear about how this will enhance you personally and entrepreneurially.<\/p>\n You could\u00a0 find yourself photographing\u00a0 mosaics in Morocco or interviewing artisans in Ecuador. Use your imagination to come up with a fresh research project that excites you.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Share what you already know. <\/strong>Write a tip sheet and get it published\u2014or publish it yourself and distribute it. Mentor a new entrepreneur or a kid. Put your experiences together and teach a seminar.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no better confidence builder than sharing your unique insights and experiences.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Find\u00a0 great entrepreneurial stories<\/strong>. On a flight, I read about a mother and her daughters who started a fascinating business called Junk Gypsies. I was so enchanted by their story that I logged onto their Web site the next day and became a customer.<\/p>\n There are thousands of inspiring stories out there. Make it your hobby to find them. After all, it\u2019s your tribal history.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b0\u00a0 Offer praise. <\/strong> Master the art of writing the exquisite fan letter. Let other people know that you noticed.<\/p>\n After I read Monica Wood\u2019s breathtaking novel Any Bitter Thing<\/em><\/strong>, I began planning a review for my local library Web site as well as Amazon. And the author deserves a letter of thanks as well, I decided, to know that her writing has touched her reader.<\/p>\n Catch others doing something good and let them know you noticed. It\u2019s good for them and good for your soul.<\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n