Just Watching the Money Slip Through My Fingers

Well, the rain is falling again here in Alabama. Even though it has rained everyday day for what seems like weeks now, it is kind of peaceful to listen to this morning. I think by tomorrow, drier air is supposed to move into our lovely state, and give us a reprieve from all this wetness. I surely hope so; my son really needs to mow the yard.

I am a little aggravated this morning. Browsing through my freelance sites that I pull writing jobs from, I found a ton of jobs that I’m qualified to do. Unfortunately, I can’t bid on them. They require more time to do than I have available. My full time job requires me to work 12 hour shifts four nights a week. Most of the good freelance work requires several hours a day, five and six days a week. Knowing I can’t possibly complete most of these assignments, even if I win the bid, I have to turn them down. It is tough watching hundreds of dollars of work slip away every week.

Anyone that ever wanted to run, or start their own business, has faced dilemmas like this. How and when to break away from the comfort of a steady job, has always been a hard decision. Unfortunately, most that do strike out on their own eventually fail. Working for oneself requires a lot of discipline. Sure, it would be great to be your own boss and not have someone watching over you all the time. But, would the work get done without that added bit of pressure? For many the answer would have to be no.

Musicians often play for many years, hoping for that one big break…that never comes. Writers are not much different. We are always dreaming of a big book deal, or scoring an article in a top magazine that pays a dollar a word. These things do actually happen, but lots of dues usually have to be paid first. There is one thing for certain, if you see how hard the road is and you give up, you will most definitely not make it. Always put yourself in a position to win. When your big break does come, you can then take advantage of it. One last point to ponder, success isn’t measured in dollar amounts; it’s measured in contentment and happiness.