Welcome to this month's edition of Adventurous Life!
In this issue:
I welcome your thoughts, feedback & suggestions for stories.
Please don't hesitate to contact me or swing by www.judywolf.com to see what's new.
Pass this newsletter along to a friend!
Life's Short - Stop Apologizing
I belong to a group of women that meets every two weeks to share professional and personal goals and encourage each other to make progress toward them.
We share achievements and challenges, brainstorm options for each other, and set targets for the next meeting. These can be anything from setting up an appointment to confront a manager with needed changes at work to carving out more time for meditation or creativity.
The women all knew each other before starting the group…except me. A couple of months into our meetings, I tentatively commented to one of the women that she seemed to be apologizing for wanting to do things for herself. The observation was embedded in a variety of responses from others in the room, so I thought little of it at the time.
Three months later, she brought it up again. She shared that she had been implementing profound changes in her life simply by making an effort to stop apologizing for herself. She had started by simply refusing to let words of self-doubt come out of her mouth. Then she began to believe it. Soon, she had given herself permission to pursue a long-time interest in dreamwork that she'd worried others would find odd or "kooky."
Seeing the transformation in her, and hearing her say that this seemingly simple act had made such a difference in her life made me wonder. How often do I apologize? Confident as I am, how many times do I hesitate -- or modify my desires -- because someone might think me foolish?
This month, be kooky. Make an effort not to apologize for your wacky dreams and offbeat desires. We're all weird in our own way -- might as well shrug our shoulders and go for it! (The best part is, when you start admitting it, you have a much greater chance of discovering a lot of other people who are just as interesting as you are.) Tell me what happens!
Good News for Stay-at-Moms (and Dads!)
More women than ever before are turning their ideas into satisfying and successful at-home businesses. In fact, almost two-thirds of the home-based, women-run businesses in the United States are run by women with children. Why? Flexibility. Escape from an unsupportive corporate environment. A desire to pursue their dreams.
Journalist Kimberly Wilmot Voss explores the benefits and trends in an article entitled "Moms at Home Now Rock Cradles and Business Strategies" reprinted by permission on my web site for your enjoyment and inspiration.
Going Virtual: Convincing Your Boss
This is the second of a multi-part series on Going Virtual. If you've ever thought about joining the thousands of people who've made working from home part of their daily lives, these articles will guide you through some of the technology, paradigm shifts, and practical considerations that can make it possible in your own life.
If your company doesn't already have a telecommuting program in place, a formal proposal is the best way to present your reasoning. It's a professional document that proves you've done your research, invested energy into strategic planning, and -- most important -- thought about the idea from your employer's point of view. Before getting into the nitty gritty of building your proposal, let's take a quick look at some of the benefits to all involved...
Read the complete article on my web site.
"I am now
going
upstairs
to invent
the story of my life."
- Russell Baker
Top 5 Ideas to Inspire You This Month
- Read a book written from a point of view you completely disagree with
- Sign up for singing lessons
- Go swimming in your local pool and pretend you're a porpoise (who cares what they think?)
- Sit on a bench for an hour and watch pedestrians
- Buy children's fingerpaints and a huge pad of paper, put on old clothes, and make a masterpiece (better yet, take off the old clothes and paint yourself!)
"What a wonderful
life I've had!
I only wish
I'd realized it sooner."
- Colette
This month's 7 Things were submitted by Regina J of Clinton, NY
- Raise well-rounded children
- Get those well-rounded children into good colleges/universities
- Move back to North Caroline to live near my family
- Own my own home
- Travel
- Have more time to read widely
- Get old enough to annoy my kids but not burden them *wink*
What's on YOUR wish list? What would you regret not having done?
Travel
workshop:
Next
week! My next travel workshop "Get Going! Discover and Live Your
Travel Dreams" is scheduled for October 8, 6:30 - 9:30 pm, at Rochester
Info Courses. Register at www.infocourses.com.
This is a two-for-one special offer, so bring
a friend for FREE!
To
learn more about the workshop, look on their course calendar, or visit
www.judywolf.com/workshops.htm.
Want to bring the workshop to your neck of the woods? Let's
chat!
Writing
workshop:
Have you got a story to tell? Autobiography is a powerful and challenging
medium and uses many of the same fundamentals as creative writing. After all,
a good story comes not just from the content, but from how you choose to write
it. "Writing For Your Life" will discuss some of the techniques
used to create compelling fiction, and examine how you can apply those tools
to your own life stories. Whether you're capturing family history, interested
in enhancing your journal writing, or working on creative nonfiction essays,
this course will help hone your skills.
Tuesdays from 7 - 9 p.m., November 5, 12, 19 at the Kirkland Arts Center. To register, call 315-853-8871.
About the author:
Judy Wolf is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor. She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is, when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
Learn more at www.judywolf.com.
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Copyright © 2002 Judy Wolf
