Posted by Andrea Fields on October 5, 2008 at 5:33pm
If it is true that what we love is our path to greatness – then it is also true that everyone who is working for barely makes do wages or less doesn’t have to. It also means that people who feel trapped in well paying jobs don’t need to. The question now is: How do we transform what we love into cash.I once heard a story of a man who had an infinity for fixing small electrical things. Radios, mixers, sewing machines; whatever – he could fix it. He never had any formal training in electronic or electrical repair. It was just something he instinctively knew how to do. Friends and family members often brought things to him to repair. Eventually his wife got sick of all of the money he was spending on tools and repair parts and him not making any money for his efforts. Finally he decided to rent a small room so he could continue to indulge in his love; but keep peace in his home. So to pay for his work space, he started charging people a nominal fee to do their repairs.As fate would have it, a time came he got laid off from his job and his wife didn’t make enough to support them. So, he began to call to check on a few offers he had received from customers to teach, to be on call to properly set up major appliances etc. Within a month he was making more money than he had ever made at his job.The answer to the questions: How do we transform what we love into cash is: For some people, transforming what you love to do into cash is a matter of making some decision and following through on them. For some it will take a business plan, investors . . . . Still others will simply stumble into their gift. The key however is to take the time to regularly work at that which brings you joy and a sense of fulfillment.Armed with this information, I finally put aside all of my reasons, excuses, meanderings … and dove into one of my favorite activities. At first it was awkward and felt strange – like I had never made a good living sewing before. As I moved forward and started on my second piece it began to feel good. Wonderful memories of past accomplishments began to appear in the forefront of my mind one by one. As I worked on my third piece, I began to relive the emotions that made me decide to become a seamstress in the first place.I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.
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Barge cruising is a unique, relaxed, self-contained way to explore Europe. You don't travel: your barge does, carrying an excellent restaurant and comfortable "country house hotel" along for the ride.The barging holidays explores country canals, busy rivers or a combination of both. Canal trips differ from river itineraries - which is right for you?For the most part, canal cruises emphasize relaxed, leisurely travel in country regions filled with often-overlooked sightseeing treasures. The actual miles covered on a canal trip are relatively few, with frequent opportunities for waterside activities such as towpath walking or cycling and village rambles.River cruises cover more distance, more quickly. They too offer a relaxed on-board atmosphere, but here the emphasis shifts toward a more comprehensive itinerary in town and country, with more organized sightseeing tours away from the vessel.Most of the barges carry no more than 50 passengers per departure, and some as few as 4, 6 or 8.You will also be able to choose between a "hotel" or "charter" barge departure. "Hotel" cabins are booked separately by individual travellers, just like hotel rooms. If meeting new people and enjoying the camaraderie of travel is part of the fun for you, this may be your most attractive option.On "charter" departures, all cabins on board are reserved for the exclusive use of the chartering party, which may be a family or a group of friends vacationing together. Barges dedicated to charter use generally have space for 4, 6 or 8 passengers. If your group is larger, find a larger boat or two barges that can travel in tandem - by special arrangement that can be chartered.Specialty departures also cater to your unique interests such as savoring the finest vintages in the regions where they are produced, play golf on Scotland's challenging courses, marvel at the springtime tulips of Holland, go antiquing in London or fish Europe's rivers and streams.Other specialized interests:Walking cruisesWine cruisesOpera and theater cruisesHenley Royal Regatta cruisesArt and painting chartersAntiques cruisesFishing chartersGolf chartersCycling chartersTennis chartersFamily cruisesFlower and garden cruisesCooking cruisesShopping cruisesCourtesy of Abercrombie & Kent.comRead more…
