I recently bought a new wallet and as I was transferring everything from my old wallet to my new wallet, three little pieces of paper slipped out. They were three "fortunes" from fortune cookies that I had liked enough to tuck into my wallet that I had forgotten all about. Rereading each fortune one after the other, I could see a message coming through that really speaks to me right now and where I am in the process of discovering my life purpose. Perhaps they can help you too.

Fortune No. 1
The principle business of life is to enjoy it.
This is something that I am constantly needing to be reminded of. Not that I don't enjoy my life but when I think about it like this - that the fundamental, primary business of life is to enjoy it, lots of extraneous stuff no longer is important. At it's core, we are here to enjoy our lives - it is our primary business to do so. What are you doing with your life that makes you enjoy it? What am I doing with mine? This definitely leads me back to my life purpose discovery! We all owe it to ourselves to find out what that is!

Fortune No. 2
Success is a journey, not a destination.
It's coming at me from all angles! For such a long time now I have been looking at arriving at my destination as the goal so that I could finally have the time and finances to do all the stuff I enjoy. I'm still learning this lesson (I've been in that other mindset for so long) and again the reminder that success is right now, the here and now of it, in the journey, is so hugely helpful. Reminds me of Fortune No. 1!

Fortune No. 3
Good clothes open many doors. Go Shopping.
OK so this one is a little different - but what woman doesn't like to see a fortune like this one?! Permission to go shopping, wear good clothes, look great and enjoy the doors that open up! Doesn't this one come back to Fortune No. 1 also? If you are like me, a stay at home mom, that doesn't have to dress up to pick her kid up from school, can work from home in sweatpants (my UPS guy wouldn't recognize me without them on), putting on some nice clothes and shoes, just because I can, and walking out to the world makes me feel entirely different - and better! And I know you know what I mean. Nice clothes, shoes, a pretty handbag, a new haircut, and lipstick can do so much for how we feel about ourselves, which certainly rubs off on everyone else around us too! 

Remember, the main business of life is to enjoy it!
Wendy

PS. This is a photo of me and my little Willy Wonka, all ready to enjoy Halloween!

I am feeling so grateful to be a WAHM (work at home mom) and just wanted to share  a few of the benefits. My children are sick today and I don't have to ask anyone to take the day off. That alone is a benefit enough!
I love that I am here everyday to nurture and watch them grow, to share in the little moments of everyday and still be able to contribute to our finances. What a gift to myself and to our family.
I get to set my own schedule and very important to me, find plenty of time to volunteer at school and in the community. I almost always have time for another cup of coffee and usually can stay in my jammies until mid morning. I have time to work out when the kids are at school and time to work on my businesses uninterrupted.
With the technology available today I can have conference calls, do meetings online and be incredibly productive in the time I do have.
Household chores get done, we have well planned meals nightly as a family and I'm available to taxi the kids to and from activities.
What benefits, what blessings and what a way to live our lives. If you are looking to make the switch to stay at home or just want to talk about what works, please contact us. I'd love to know your thoughts and hear your input!
Christy

Earlier this summer I took some time to really think about and write down my personal vision of one perfect day in my life and what I wanted that day to be all about. It was an exercise that required a lot of thinking and creativity and once I had started to write, I found I had so much in me that wanted to come out that in one evening, I wrote for hours and hours and literally couldn't stop!

What I ultimately discovered, through that exercise, is that I was presently doing things that did not necessarily fit with my vision for my life, and ever since I have been questioning and seeking and being open to creating ways that truly fit with my talents, my interests, my gifts, my passions and my overall life vision.

At the end of the summer I ran into this quote that really resonated with me and might for you also:

You'll never achieve real success
unless you like what you're doing.
No one has ever succeeded in a line
of endeavor which they did not like.

Your chances of success are directly proportional
to the degree of pleasure you derive from what you do.
If you're in a job you hate, face the fact squarely and get out.

It's better to be a failure in something you love,
than attempting to be a success in something you don't.
 
Don't set compensation as a goal.
Find the work you love, and the compensation will follow.

The more you love what you are doing,
the more successful it will be for you.
© Copyright 2008 www.yourdailymotivation.com  

For so long now I have set compensation as a goal, once I arrived at that goal THEN I could begin doing the things I really enjoy and that use my talents to their greatest effect. I have realized from my vision exercise this summer and the above quote, that I have been starting it all from the wrong end first. I must first find the work I love, that I have been created for and put on this planet to do, and the compensation will follow. 

I am so blessed to be in a position to seek out what that is. And so I am on a journey right now, and the purpose of that journey is to understand and find my life purpose. It will utilize many, if not all, of my God given talents, and it will be something that I enjoy so much that to not do it would be unthinkable. Right now I am opening myself up to the possibilities and testing out a couple of ideas. I am certain that the right way will become obvious, as long as I stay true to myself, my passions and my talents.

How about you? What is your Life Purpose?


Wendy 

Do you have what it takes to be a successful work at home mom? I thought I would share a few of the traits I think are most essential. I'd love to have you weigh in with comments and suggestions of your own.
 
I think any of these can be learned or trained. What do you think? I also think we learn and train in many of these as Moms. Who knew we would be developing skills as moms that might allow us to also create successful home businesses? Another unexpected benefit of being a Mom!

Resourcefulness is a must. Many businesses are started on a shoestring and we need to be able to get what we need without being able to buy and spend. Do you have friends you can barter skill sets with or babysitting? Some people might call this creative.

Flexible because things won't always go as planned and you may have to adjust, readjust, start over and course correct regularly.

Self motivated. I think this one speaks for itself but you will not 
have anyone telling you what needs to be done.

Action oriented and Focused. You must have a goal and be willing to work towards it consistently.

Lastly, I think you must be able to balance your life and have patience with yourself and your children. Entrepreneurs can get too focused and it ultimately harms not helps our families we are trying to benefit the most!

What did I miss?
Christy