Now just might be the perfect time to take those old dreams off the back burner

My friend and mentor, Barbara Winter, is talking a lot lately about readying her home and office for an impending move. Pruning her library, flipping through books she hasn’t read in a while, she comes across valuable insights and quotes which she shares on Facebook, Twitter and on her Buon Viaggio blog.  I’m  reminded of my son’s toy-closet cleaning when he was little. He would discover trinkets he hadn’t seen in a while and hours later, he would be joyfully engaged in a project, having found renewed interest and new uses for nearly forgotten gadgets. I did the same with photographs and art supplies.  When we haven’t seen those treasures in awhile, they’re fresh and new again. Or we remember why we were so fond of them.

Sometimes the same thing happens when we attend a reunion or hear from old friends. With some, we quickly realize we’ve little in common. Others feel like a comfy old pair of loafers or bring out exciting parts of ourselves we’d like to revisit.

Thinking about this re-discovering of old books, treasures and friends reminds me why we should periodically revisit old ideas and dreams. Will we remember why we chose to store them away for a while rather than discard them? Will they feel fresh and new, full of interest and possibility?

Are there aspirations you’ve put back on the shelf because maybe the time wasn’t right, you weren’t sure they were valuable or you didn’t have the energy to do anything with them? Or because you didn’t have the support to make them happen?

What dreams have you pushed to the back of the closet that you might revisit now and find renewed possibilities in? Could a change in life

circumstances or other factors make it possible to see these ideas from a new perspective? Now might be the right time to reexamine those aspirations.  If you’re ready to take  those dreams off the back burner, check out the Idea Generator Sessions. With brainstorming and support, you just may find that vague idea could be a profitable business.

Celebrating Independence Every Day

Every night from May to Labor Day,  crackles, booms and pops echo across the lake as fireworks light up the summer sky above my temporary home.

Because I’ve been self-employed for over three decades,  I probably take my freedom more for granted than many of my clients and friends who are  corporate refugees, so I’m grateful for this nightly reminder to celebrate  independence.

And speaking of celebrating Independence and “bosslessness”, I want to invite you to join me for a celebration of self-employment.  My friends Sandy Dempsey and Alice Barry have gathered together a POSSE to plan the Joyfully Jobless Jamborree.  Sandy initially came up with this idea to honor our friend and mentor Barbara Winter, author of best selling “Making a Living without a Job”.  The theme of the event is “more time, more fun, more money”.  Unlike the typical “pitch-fest” events, this is all about celebration, lifelong learning and the joy of being jobless. I hope to see you there. Read more about the Joyfully Jobless Jamborree here.

Are making a living and making a difference separate parts of your life?

The old idea of philanthropy as writing a check or volunteering after you’ve made your fortune in a high level job is  20th Century thinking.  A trend we’re seeing at universities worldwide is to prepare graduates to build a business that makes money and embraces social change. A business degree is definitely not necessary to start a business, but it’s worth noting that major business schools are turning out a new breed of MBAs who want to make a buck while also making the world a better place. The old MBA model turned out graduates with the goal of landing a solid corporate job. If a student’s goal was to make a difference, they’d go into social work or the non-profit sector.   In a recent article in the Independent, a UK publication,  Pamela Hartigan, director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship was quoted as saying that “rather than separating where they (new MBAs) make their money from where they do good, they are convinced that it is possible to live comfortably and dedicate their careers to pursuits that are fundamentally innovative, philosophically positive and morally compelling.”

Are you ready to join the ranks of 21st Century Entrepreneurs who are creating businesses that improve the lives of individuals, families, communities and countries by using their passions and creativity to solve local and global problems and create social change?  If you’re ready to learn how you can create a profitable business that means something more, I’d like to invite you to join Barbara Winter, best selling author of “Making a Living without a Job” , Idea Artisan, Alice Barry of “Entertaining the Idea”and me, Terri Belford, self-employment muse for a life and

career changing event.