The big 60
Ever since I left the comfortable security of my parent’s home at 17, finances have been at best ok and often a downright struggle. As a free spirit entrepreneurial type, I’ve never worried much about the future, always thinking it will work out; it always has, somehow, well kinda’. But things changed when I turned 60. Perhaps it was the realization that I’m not going to be around forever. The question of how do I want to spend my remaining years? What do I want the rest of my life to mean? The thought that maybe I don’t want to be buzzing around town in my green bug interpreting when I’m 80. Perhaps it was one time too many of wondering where the mortgage payment was coming from.
A big decision
So, I made a big decision. I decided that now, in my 60’s was the time to really do something to change my financial landscape. So here is what I am doing…..
[From About Julie]
A venture into Network marketing
About the same time I started working independently, I became involved with network marketing. Because of my own health sensitivities, I have always sought out natural solutions to environmental health challenges and this approach seemed like the perfect vehicle for my passions for health and education. My appreciation of gratitude as one of the most positive and powerful emotions we have access to, and finding an easy was to express this, inspired me to add a greeting card service to my business endeavors.
So far, although these products have helped people tremendously, I have created wonderful educational workshops and presentations, and I love and believe in the products I sell, I have not been able to generate anywhere near the kind of income that I know is possible, and that I have dreamed of. I also realized that the techniques I was taught to build this type of business – one-to-one meetings, home presentations, networking events, are extremely time-consuming, which conflicts with my desire for more time freedom and spending more time with my family. Granddaughters grow up too quickly! And so I have explored marketing classes, webinars, seminars, books, you name it, trying to find the answer to success......
Healing my relationship to money
Until it dawned on me that no amount of marketing approaches were going to work until I healed my convoluted relationship to money. Some themes that stood out for me: guilt, shame, embarrassment, a sense of failure, brightened with periods of a sense of accomplishment at being able to overcome difficult circumstances. Other thoughts: I'm happier spending than saving, often giving more than I have to give, thinking more for today than tomorrow, valuing present experience more than future security. And to keep things in perspective, although poor in dollars, I feel richly blessed with joy and love in my life.
