The Quest For Home Business Success

by: Wendy Betterini http://jobsearchideas.blogspot.com/


When most of us dive into our first home business venture, we are filled with visions of wealth, comfort, security and freedom. We have a general idea of where we'd like to end up financially, and we work hard to get there. Some of us make it there quickly, while others may take a little longer. But at what point would we consider ourselves to be "successful?" Once we're earning a million dollars a year? Once we can afford that mansion we've had our eye on? Once we're wearing designer clothing? Of course, success means different things to different people.

Perhaps to you, success means earning a little extra money to help with household extras. To me it might mean earning more. To someone else, success might have nothing to do with money at all. They might strive for professional or personal accomplishments. The meaning of success can vary from person to person, as can our beliefs about what it takes to truly be successful.

I had an interesting experience last week. I submitted a request for work at home success stories to be featured on my website, and the response was quite surprising. Not one response. That's right, zero! I submitted this request to several popular work-at-home communities, and I purposely placed no restrictions on what "success" meant. I was quite surprised by the lack of response. Are there NO work at home successes out there? I don't believe that for a minute; I know there are many, MANY people working successfully from home. So why wouldn't they want to be featured? What could prevent them from believing they qualify as a "success story?"

Income - Many of us don't feel "successful" until we're raking in massive amounts of money and can afford to buy whatever we want without glancing at the price tag. While money is certainly one measure of success, it isn't the only one. Most of us have an idea of how much we'd like to be earning from our home businesses, but does it mean we're not successful until we reach that point? Of course not! We can be successful regardless of how much we earn. Just because you are earning $500 a month instead of $50,000 doesn't mean you're not a success. In order to earn $50,000, you must first earn $500!

Status - If we haven't quite reached the "level" we're striving for in our home businesses, we may not allow ourselves to feel like a success. "Once I get 1,000 customers, then I'll be successful," we say. Or once we get 100,000 subscribers to our newsletter, or hire our first employees. Whatever status we're trying to reach, we place requirements upon ourselves and won't consider ourselves successful until we meet them. The problem with this is that home businesses (or businesses in general) are not static. We don't just "get there" and then call it good. We will always be striving to gain more customers, recruit more agents, sell more products, earn more money, set goals and reach them. We will always be pushing ourselves to do more, be more. This is a good thing!

Perfectionism - We are so much harder on ourselves than we are on anyone else. Does one little thing keep you from feeling like a success? Perhaps you're earning as much as you want to with your home business, but there are also things you struggle with. Like organization, finances, or coming up with new ideas and seeing them through. Rather than thinking of yourself as successful, you allow those little things you don't do perfectly to hold you back. You berate yourself, "I would be successful if it wasn't for my messy filing system!" or "Will I ever learn how to do this right?" No one is perfect. We all have things we're good at, and other things we're not so good at. Accept that about yourself. It's really not important to do everything so perfectly. We can only do our best and have fun with it.

Modesty - It's true that no one likes a braggart. Perhaps the people who read my request didn't want to appear boastful or conceited by submitting a success story. While modesty is a good thing, is it possible to carry it too far? Does being modest mean we can't take pride in our own accomplishments? Does it mean we have to hide our success? No. There is a very big difference between sharing our success and bragging about it. Braggers try to make themselves appear better than others and put themselves up on a pedestal, while people who share their success in a genuine way strive to inspire others. By sharing our successes, we encourage people to make their own success stories! We demonstrate that it is indeed possible to be successful working from home. What a gift that is!

You may be surprised to learn the actual definition of Success: 1) a favorable result; 2) the gaining of wealth, fame, etc. Most of us use the second definition more often than the first. But take a close look at that first definition. A favorable result. How easy is it to attain a favorable result? Very! Just because your results may not be as large as you'd like them to be doesn't mean you're not successful. If you've attained ANY favorable results, you are a Success!

The most important aspect of success is believing we deserve it. So many of us struggle with worthiness issues. Some of us were told as children that we'd never amount to anything; we internalized that message and continue to carry it with us to this day. Others might be afraid to try because we've never felt quite "good enough." As soon as we start working toward our goals, self-doubts come creeping in and our inner critic starts harping at us: "Who are you kidding? You don't have what it takes to be successful. Just give it up and get a real job!" So we sabotage ourselves, create obstacles to block our way, and continue our never-ending quest for success.

The truth is, we will only be as successful as we ALLOW ourselves to be. The human mind has amazing power. Whatever we consistently tell ourselves is what we will create in our lives. If we don't believe we deserve success, we will avoid it (even though we trick ourselves into believing we're working toward it). If we tell ourselves we're not good enough, we will act in ways that prevent good things from happening to us. The good news is that this also works in reverse. If we tell ourselves we're successful, we will be. If we keep affirming that we're good enough, strong enough, capable enough, we will be. Think about the significance of that. It means it's ALL WITHIN OUR CONTROL. Whatever we want to be, we can.

Don't be afraid to embrace your success, no matter how small you perceive it to be. Remember, any favorable result equals Success!

About The Author


Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer, web designer and owner of http://www.CreativeWorkAtHome.com , a resource center for home business owners and telecommuters. Visit today for information on how to make your work at home experience successful.

If a Good Muslim Can't Be a Good American, Neither Can a Good Fundamentalist Christian Be One

Recently someone came up with an explanation as to why someone of the Islamic faith cannot possible be a good American. This is in response to that ignorance. The writer asks..

"Can a good Muslim be a good American?" In doing so, he sets himself up for a fall.

"Consider the following:" And of the Christian Fundamentalist, consider the following as well.

"Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon god of Arabia."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Theologically- NO Because his allegiance is to God, the Sun God of Egypt. This is why God is Most High (At Noon), Jesus can be seen as an archetype Son of the Sun God and the Gospels are the account of a one year trip of the Sun Jesus through the signs of the Zodiac, and I ain't kiddn! The origin all gods in the human psyche is the SUN and all that it does for humans. This is why in the Old Testament it says in Malachi that the "sun will rise with healing in his wings," which is statement about the messiah to come. In Revelation, Jesus is also called the "son of the morning star," which of course is the SUN, or the Planet Venus depending. Long story. Don't sweat Allah the moon god.

"Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256)"

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Religiously- NO Because "there is no other name under heaven, (Jesus) by which a man can be saved. There is one true Christian Church and whoever believes on the name of the Lord..Jesus Christ, shall be saved, while others are condemned. Fundamentalist Christians do NOT accept any other religious beliefs as valid to theirs, so no difference here.

"Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of Islam and the Quran (Koran)."

And of the American Fundamentalist...Scripturally NO because his allegiance is to the Ten Pillars of Christianity, which they tend to modify according to the need, and the Bible, which is neither always historically accurate nor inerrant, no matter what they say! There is nothing in America that says you have to be a Bible believing Christian to be a true American. It is freedom of religion here...all religions. If Fundamentalists have their way, we might all want to amend the Bill of Rights to say "freedom FROM religion."

"Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he turns in prayer five times a day."

And of the American Fundamentalist...Geographically No because his mental allegiance is to Jerusalem, Israel and the Holy Land at least twice a week, about which they talk all the time as if they have ever been there, know the real history of, or think they would be welcome. Millions of Christian Americans have a soft spot for Rome too...

"Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Socially NO because his allegiance to Christianity forbids him to make friends with "the world" (love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, whoever loves the world, the love of the father is not in him.") Paul cursed the Jews in the New Testament, and hoped they'd cut their private parts if they wanted to be circumcised. Martin Luther , a Christian, taught they should be killed like pigs. Lots of places in NT tell the church to have no relationships outside the church. including not being "unequally yoked with unbelievers."

"Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and Destruction of America, the great Satan."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Politically No because he must submit to the ministry, ( "obey those that have the rule over you, {ministers}, for they watch out for your souls"). Many Fundamentalist Christians teach and hope for the annihilation of everyone outside of Israel. Christians often attribute anything against them as of the Great Satan Christian fundamentalists call Roman Catholicism, the Great Whore, so don't sweat someone calling America or Washington the Great Satan. Paul cursed anyone who did not believe his true gospel and called the people of Crete, liars. Jesus is said to have said the Pharisees were "of your Father the Devil." Name calling envoking the name of Satan to define the enemy is a fundamentalist art form. It's what you do when you are afraid of the unknown.

"Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34)."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Domestically no because a fundamentalist Christian is instructed to marry only one which is his property, but cannot talk in church and can only ask her husband bible questions at home. A christian believes if you "beat (spank)a child with a rod, it won't kill him." Fundamentalist Christian women are to keep silence in the church, obey their husbands as unto the Lord, and call him "Lord" as did Sarah (all in NT). They are to give him sex as a part of her duty and submit. The Koran and the Bible sprang from the same culture, which few Fundamentalist Chrsitians realize or think about. In many respects the Taliban are to the Koran what the Fundamentalist Christians are to the Bible. PS...Lots of Fundamentalist Christian men abuse their wives with the word.

"Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to be corrupt."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Intellectually no, because he can't accept that the American Constitution was NOT predicated on founding fundamentalist, Old Covenant believing Fathers. I would not use the word "intellectual" with Christian fundamentalists either, as critical thinking or the examining of evidence that runs contrary to their established belief system is not encouraged. This was called the Dark Ages in the European past.

"Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist."

And of the Christian Fundamentalists...Philosophically no because Christianity, Jesus and the Bible do not allow freedom of religion if you take the Old and New Testaments as the only way to be or literally enforceable in our culture today. Fundamentalists look to the commands of "God" in the Old Testament, to kill unbelievers, just as much as they think Islamics do in reading the Koran. Fundamentalist would only tolerate Christian values, which can be atrocious at times, and morality, which can be appalling. True Democracy and Biblical Christianity cannot co exist either. Someone would insist on someone else losing their rights to free thought. "My Kingdom is not of this world, if my kingdom was of this world, then would my servants fight," said Jesus in Matthew. No military solutions were encouraged by Jesus unless there was only one sword per 12 disciples allowed. Turn the other cheek, Love your enemies, don't slay them. Christian Fundamentalism is a good example of the mess you get when you mix Old Testament politics with New Testament sentiments, thinking it takes both to make up a proper Christian text. It's old wine in new wineskins.

"Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic."

And of the Christian Fundamentalist...Every Christian Fundamentalist government is either dictatorial or autocratic too. This statement shows the ignorance of whoever made it up. The Christian Kings of Europe didn't do to badly in the dictatorial or autocratic department, and might we mention the Popes?

"Spiritually - no. Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names."

And of the Christian Fundamentalists...Spiritually no because the God and Jesus of the Book of Revelation drowns the world in blood, plagues, signs, trumpets, vials and slaughter. The Christian Jesus is loving but no one does what he really says as it really is too hard. The Christian God the father is absent mostly, but is angry, jealous, and is patterned after the war gods of paganism every bit as much. I suggest a good read of Karen Armstrongs. History of God. The Fundamentalist Christian God is 'loving" only to the degree you obey and fall in line. If not, you are toast just as with any other "god" The Jesus of the Gospels is NOT the same being in the book of Revelation. The fundy Jesus comes back with a Rod of Iron to threaten and beat the poop out of those that don't obey and love God #1 the father and God # 2 himself...we won't get into God #3. Monotheism is basically divisive by nature, even if the one God is three, co-this and co-that.

"Therefore after much study and deliberation.... perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be both "good" Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish.... it's still the truth."

And of Christian Fundamentalists..Therefore after much study and deliberation..perhaps we should all be very suspicious of ALL, and I Mean ALLLLLLLL Christians in this country. They obviously can't be both good Christians and Good Americans. Call it what you will, it's still the truth.

Side note: Whoever actually came up with this ignorant and insane list of reasons why an Islamic cannot be a good American is deluded, ignorant, self absorbed, mistaken, misinformed and the reason we'll end up with nothing but a sanitation problem to fix and where will we be then? Actually they are FunnyMentalists, which was nicely coined by someone recently.

"If you find yourself intellectually in agreement with the above statements, perhaps you will share this with your friends. The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future."

Actually if you find yourself in agreements with the above statements about why a Muslim cannot be a good American, you will have to also conclude that neither can a good Christian fundamentalist be one.