Incentive!

The other day I read a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.  He said, "It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. In this life we get nothing save by effort."


Failure is something I have experienced a number of times. 
I failed at marriage: ended up divorced after nearly 20 years.
I failed at school: unable to complete all my classes.
I failed at parenting: none of my kids are doing better than I was at their age.
I failed at pregnancy: eight times the outcome included babies that would never come home.
I failed at having a career: didn't finish nursing school.
I failed at having a home business: 11 times with different products, methods, companies, etc. never making an income to sustain my household.


However, Albert Einstein once said, "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."  The same could be said of a person who never failed at anything.


In my new business, began on June 1st this year, I feel like I've made a few mistakes already, like I've encountered a few failures.  I have failed to meet the goals I set for every month since then.  There are certain levels I want to reach.  Levels I must reach if I'm to dig up out of this cavern of poverty!


Yesterday I was feeling very discouraged by this! :(  There are all sorts of ideas running around in my head!  Things to do to promote my business; things not to do!  Things that hold me back; things that push me forward!  I keep hearing voices in my head from people who love me telling me that this is something I will never be able to do!  I'm not good enough!  I'm not smart enough!  I don't have what it takes!  And then there's countless, well-meaning folks who tell me times are tough now, people don't want to invest in a home business, no one has the money to buy your products, or just that making a commitment to buy every month (even though they will do so anyway for inferior products bought at the local Wal-Mart store) is too much to ask. Whatever it is exactly, the point is repeatedly made that this isn't going to work - for me.  It never has in the past, so why should it now?


Is now really any different than any of the times in the past when I've tried to build up a home business?


YES!!!
It really is different this time!


This time I am passionate about everything connected to what I'm doing in building this business!


The company I'm partnered with this time is truly ethical, not wanting anyone to get hurt in building this business or in just using their products or even in any other aspect of a person's life.  They are ALL ABOUT really enhancing people's lives!  They want everyone to be able to have a life that's better than the one they have now, before learning about this company!  The products they make are used by people everyday.  You probably would use at least 10 of them daily just in the normal sort of stuff you do each day!  Some I know use twice that!!  While it's true that anyone they help to succeed in building a business with them will help their business to grow, it's also easy to see that's not why they do all that they do!


It's also different this time because I'm at a different stage in my life now.  While my service to God and my ministry of sharing His Good News is and will always be a priority for me, I still must have some means to support my needs in life.  Relying on SSI isn't going to cut it all by itself!  Maybe it might have at some time in the past, but even the federal government recognizes in their own standards for measuring poverty that the amount provided on full SSI payments is below the poverty line!  The only way one person could survive on that level of income is if their housing is subsidized, and their food is subsidized AND all the medical care is fully subsidized!  This certainly is not where I saw my life going before becoming disabled!!!


Perhaps some see the physical side of my disabilities as reasons this will not work for me.  And yes, they will cause some limitations for me.  But so much of this business can be easily managed by phone or online; neither affected much by my physical issues.  My brain certainly is still intact! :)  I remember first coming to terms with not being able to ever do certain things again and wishing there was some way I could use all my knowledge to make a living.  Going back to school wasn't an option then, though it is now perhaps.  I do see my limits making it harder for me to stand up in front of a group of people for any length of time.  That's something I would love to be more able to do as I feel what my business has to offer can easily be presented to groups of various sizes and interests.  When the time comes I'm sure I'll find a solution to work around my limits in that regard.


People don't always understand my situation though.  I try not to take it personally or to be offended.  Still, invisible disabilities can be very challenging to live with.  But I am determined in this endeavor!  I will survive these mistakes and failures and I will go on and keep on trying one idea after another until I do succeed.  Failure is inevitable but it doesn't have to be forever.  Success is inevitable as long as one does not give up after failing!


Aside from digging out of the cavern of poverty... and that could be incentive enough for many... and aside from being determined to never give up my goals... which many feel are crazy and totally unreachable... and even with all the great incentives offered by the company... like extra cash, iPads, trips, double bonuses, etc... my biggest incentive is in knowing that by doing this, by succeeding in this particular business I will accomplish more to help others in their lives right now than in any other business I could possibly choose to do or become educated in right now!


All those failures I mentioned above have all become things that I've turned around and found the silver lining within and I've used those experiences to help others in many wonderful ways over the years!  I'm a survivor - since before I was born - and I will continue to survive and I will succeed!!!