In the Life  Blame it on Mexico! Cokie doesn't mind the cold with his new fancy coat After an amazing week in sunny Mexico with some of my best friends in the whole world, I have to admit –it was tough coming back to the cold. Of course Cokie wasn’t happy to be left behind. At least he got to still enjoy one of this favorite treats – sweet potato skins. Before I get to the vacation part I must say I love Mexican entrepreneurs! Ethical, encouraging of sales but not overly pushy, and evidence of their good humor was everywhere. My favorite sign promised free margaritas all day tomorrow. Wonder how many gullible tourists come back only to find out the offer is only good tomorrow? The 5000 square foot penthouse apartment was unbelievably gorgeous. Hammocks for everyone on the huge wrap around porch where we ate every meal. A wonderful woman named Jenny not only cleaned for us (well, as much as five women who kept a tidy house would allow) but she cooked too. Where else can five people get a delicious authentic Mexican dinner for $50 total? She made so much food that it lasted nearly three meals! We did some sight-seeing. But I could have just as easily hung out with Martha Beck’s new book on the private rooftop complete private lap pool. Full moon, star-filled sky, sound of the ocean waves, margarita… ahhh. My friends and I joke that the biggest decision we had to make all week was, "Where to lounge... at the beach, in a hammock on the porch, on the roof deck…" Tough life. Now do you see why I had such a hard time getting back into the swing of things?! But I did dive back into work and with a bang! An enthusiastic group of 32 people registered for the first ever live webinar version of the Profiting from Your Passions® career coaching training program which meant I had a lot of prepping to do. The yearning to change course from having a boss to being your own boss is truly universal. Attendees in the 2012 class hail from as far away as India, Italy, the UK, and Australia. Some were attending literally in the middle of the night. Talk about dedication! Apparently all my hard work paid off. So far I’m hearing feedback like, "priceless," "hidden gem," "More than I could have asked for," "divine weekend," "it changed my life and inspired me AND my family," "worth twice what I paid," and "it’s clear that a tremendous about of work went into this program and I am so grateful." Little do they know it is I who am so grateful for them and for all of you. The weekend intensive is over and the weekday class is completely sold out.  If you’d like to be added to future Advance Notification list, click here. Stressed? Laugh it Out By far though, the best part of my vacation was the company. Five old friends all coming together from different parts of the country for our own "Big Chill." One I’ve know since grammar school, another junior high school, and two from college. Laugh! Oh my God, did we laugh. Soooo good for the soul. If you don’t believe me ask Rev. Susan Sparks. After being a trial attorney for 10 years, Sparks felt called to the ministry. But she never lost her sense of humor. So in a fun example of combining multiple passions, Sparks joined a rabbi and a Muslim stand up comic on the Laugh in Peace tour. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500202_162-57324948/no-joke-rabbi-minister-and-muslim-share-jokes/ "The church comes first," Sparks says. "That said, both careers are a ministry... Laughter is holy gift we receive at birth, yet one we tend to lose over the years. My call is to encourage people to remember that gift through the pulpit and the punch lines." My trip was a good reminder that building laughter into our lives is as important as making time for exercise for recreation or, for that matter, work. So my new morning ritual includes exercises while watching reruns of the Golden Girls. (Kind of like me and my girlfriends in Mexico!) I’d forgotten how laugh-out-loud – and in many ways, ground-breaking – that show was. Where will you get your laughs this week?

Opportunity Knocks: Creative Ways to Make a Living Without A Job

How to Get Paid To Play:
Turning Your Hobby into Your Job

By Valerie Young

Hobbyists are passionate about their avocation. According to Webster’s Dictionary, an avocation is, "A subordinate occupation pursued in addition to one’s vocation, especially for enjoyment." But what if you want to turn your avocation into an enjoyable full-time vocation? Here’s how:

Get Creative About Making Money

Successful artist Ann Kullberg always loved to draw. But when this single mother of two discovered professional-grade colored pencils it wasn’t long before her art was winning awards.

Ann knew that drawing alone wouldn’t pay the bills – at least not right away. So in the early years, she supplemented her art by substitute teaching and cleaning houses. Ann also got busy coming up with creative ways to spin her love for drawing into income. Thirteen years later Ann travels the country teaching classes, does commissioned portraits, has a contract to write a second book, and is designing colored pencil by number kits for beginners.

Ann also came up with the idea of having her own on-line magazine where professionals and novices a like sign up for book reviews, critiques of artist’s work, business and art advice, workshop listings and more. In the first four months over 200 paying subscribers signed up.

Do Your Homework

Get a notebook and label it "Shopping for a Living," "Knitting," "Fly Fishing," or whatever your particular hobby might be. Then start filling it with the research you’re going to do on all the ways people are getting paid to shop, knit, or fly fish.

Associations are a great source of information. For example, if you’re into crafts you’ll find a wealth of information at the National Craft Association’s Web site including a list of craft and trade shows, a small business center, and a directory of wholesale reps. Love writing and history? Check out the Association of Personal Historians.

Book stores are filled with how-to and business-related books for just about every hobby you can think of. My personal off-the-beaten track favorite is a little book titled Knitting With Dog Hair: Better a Sweater From a Dog You Know and Love Than a Sheep You’ll Never Meet. (Don’t laugh. I read about one knitter who has a six month waiting list for her $300 sweaters.)

Along these same lines, there are niche magazines for just about everything. Check out the magazine section of any large bookstore and you’re bound to find publications like Cats & Kittens, Canoe & Kayak, and Gold Prospecting. Be sure to peruse the ads for clues as to how other people are making money from this interest area. 

Get Busy

After you’ve filled your notebook with lots of neat ways to turn your hobby into your job it’s time for action. Break your larger goal down into a series of small, manageable steps. Block out time at night and on the weekends to start working your plan. Before you know it, your work will feel like play!

Add Your Two Cents

Your thoughts mean so much to me -- and the other 23,000 change seekers who've received this article. I'd love to hear what you think! Click here to hop over to the Changing Course Blog!

About the Author

Profiting From Your Passions^® expert Valerie Young abandoned her corporate cubicle to become the Dreamer in Residence at ChangingCourse.com offering resources for people who want to work at what they love. Her career change tips have been cited in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today Weekend, More, Kiplinger's, Woman's Day, and elsewhere and on-line at MSN, CareerBuilder, and iVillage.com. Valerie is also the author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It with Crown Publishing/Random House.

To read more articles about how to work at what you love without a job go to ChangingCourse.com/articles.htm

Connect With Valerie Online

 

I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacation with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change. ~Jim Rohn 

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Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
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