New Earth Woman

Today I’m thinking easy ways to make extra money.  Getting a part-time job, working for someone else is one option.

But I gotta tell ‘ya, it’s not the best option.  Especially not in this economy, right?  We’re all a little worried about money — even if we don’t need any.  I know I am.

The truth is I’m doing just fine financially.  And I’m very appreciative of that.  One of the reasons is that I’m self-employed.  In these days I believe that is the key to stability and financial security.

Learn to do something that you can make money at.  One of the things I learned to do a long time ago was sell stuff on eBay. Learning to sell on eBay was one of the smartest things I’ve ever done.

At the time, I was simply desperate. My ex announced he was going to rid our basement, once and for all, of the “junk” down there. He decided to do this one Saturday by taking it all to the dump. I wanted to make a little cash by selling stuff at a garage sale. Back then we even trading aluminum cans in for cash! But it was the dead of winter in Wisconsin. I persuaded him to hold off for a bit and I sold most of those “antiques” ::LOL:: on eBay.

When I had to learn (in desperation) to become an eBay seller, it took some time. If you’re interested, you can go to eBay where you’ll find an overwhelming amount of information about selling and seller’s tools.

You can also get some great free information at the eBay Success Program. They’ll send a free series of videos on eBay marketing that are really worth your time!

and places to throw away old stuff.  Don’t ask me how long it’s taken me to get to this conclusion.  It’s been a long time coming.

I have personally taken on the responsibility of finding the perfect old-stuff-throwing-away receptacle.  My search has led me far and wide.  What I’ve found is a brand called Simple Human.  Genius.

Simple Human has receptacles for every need and every budget.  And they’ve thought of all the cool stuff, like how to hide the bag that goes inside the trash can.  So it all looks very clean and tidy.  I like tidy.

Of all the places you can buy Simple Human, Amazon is my favorite.

It’s going to open a whole new way to help me build my affiliate business. Where did I learn about Key Compete? It was recommended by Mr. Super Affiliate himself, Amit Mehta. Can you afford to be without it? I don’t think I can! Try it here!
KeyCompete.com

Make a list of all the things that you intend to accomplish tomorrow, today. Then, stick to the list. Referring to your list is a big help when you’re feeling an urge to do something that’s really not that important. If something comes up – put it on the list. And when you’ve finished a task, cross it off. I love crossing things off!

As long as we’re talking about lists, here’s another tip. Write down your best estimate of how long a task will take. When I’m feeling squeezed on all sides, it’s a huge relief to see that writing a memo or preparing for a meeting will really only take 15 to 30 minutes.

Go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier than usual. Before you go to sleep, think about the GOOD things that happened today. Then, spend a very few seconds thinking about the good things that you have planned for tomorrow. (I know it’s tempting, but don’t start stressing about tomorrow at this point.)

Wear comfy clothes. Give yourself one work-day a week (or more) where you only wear comfy shoes and clothes that you feel good in. You know the ones – the pants or skirt you can go out to lunch and eat a cheeseburger in without being uncomfortable afterwards.

Finally, grab your headphones and listen to music that makes you say “ahhhh”. I recommend any of the plethora of “new age” music selections. Not only can they soothe your soul, they’re very useful in drowning out unwanted interruptions, both at work and at home.

is really more of a series of themes by Brian Gardner.

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I’ll admit it. I will often rethink something so many times that I want to scream.

You know what I mean: I’m going shopping today and on the way I’m going to stop here, here and here. Then, my overly efficient and always helpful thinking mechanism starts in. Maybe you should go there, then here, shopping and over there. Maybe you should shop first, then do other chores. Maybe you should go another day. Maybe, maybe, what if and … STOP ALREADY!

I recently read a really helpful suggestion: Make a decision, then make the decision right.

For a world-class overthinker like me, this advice is golden. Now, I can make a decision and let my helpful thinking tool go absolutely wild ticking off all the reasons why this decision is the absolutely best one I could possibly have made.

Okay, so I haven’t perfected the whole process yet (I’ve practiced the overthinking thing for a long time), but I promise you, my life has lost at least 5 levels of complexity by following this guidance!

Today was not the best day for this NEW. I began the morning crying in the kitchen because my roommate’s dog was scaring me. I put my foot down — again! The dog has to go. By the end of the day. I’m really not kidding this time.

It’s now 6:30 pm and the dog is still here.

Let me back up a bit. This is not a bad dog. He’s just not well socialized, lacks confidence, doesn’t get enough exercise, etc. He’s a real dog whisperer project, but we don’t live near L.A.

I’d like to think that, had I raised this dog from a puppy, he would be so much better. But, of course, we’ll never know. The fact is that he bites at my cat, my dog, me and occasionally his owner.

All of that is going to change, however. After doing hours of research on the ‘net, we’ve decided to try the program outlined in Sit, Stay, Fetch by Daniel Stevens. We are hopeful, even optimistic, that this course will do the trick.

Even if it only retrains us!

Talk to most anyone these days and you’ll probably hear them complain about high gas prices. One friend of mine is biking it because he says he doesn’t want to fund the Iraq war. Others of my friends are talking about getting mopeds. It’s safe to say we’re feeling the pain from all directions: higher fuel prices mean higher prices for everything. Our country has grown and thrived on low-cost gas.

Now what? Here’s a technique that I was calling an “urban legend.” I simply was not believing this was possible until I did a little personal research. After I got the whole story, I felt like this was something a New Earth Woman (or her automotively inclined significant other) should at least know about.

You can use a blend of gas and water to fuel your vehicle. Hydrogen (HHO) for fuel is really not something new and was highly touted in the old days of Popular Mechanics (in the classifieds). It’s neat little idea. In the course of my research I’ve seen plenty of ways to modify your car or truck to use HHO or, as the headlines like to scream “Run Your Car on WATER!!!!

Here’s a disclaimer — It’s not possible to run your car on water. But, you can learn how to modify your vehicle to get better gas mileage. The simplest, most cost effective DIY technique I’ve seen is here.

Who says nose-bleedingly high gas prices and recession are all bad? Discovery Channel announced that GM will sponsor Planet Green, a 24-hour eco-friendly lifestyle network, beginning June 4.

Yes, I can hear your eyes rolling. We’re all a little suspicious when we hear Detroit is “going green”. But, hey, I’m optimistic this time. This time, it’s more than a marketing gimmick. Why? Because GM needs to do something to stay viable. Going green for them makes life-or-death business sense. (Notice that I don’t discount the fact that it’s partly a marketing gimmick. I’m not that much of an ingénue.)

So, what will we see on Planet Green? Well, how about “Greensburg,” a 13-part documentary series that will chronicle the story of a small Kansas town coming together and facing the task of greening their community after an F5 tornado destroyed 95 percent of the town in May 2007.

Talk about the glass being half-full or half-empty, eh? Tornado destroys town, town makes it an opportunity! I like these folks already!

You know the feeling. You’re at the end of your rope. You want to choke
somebody … or scream … or punch their lights out. But you can’t. Not at work
or at the store or your in-laws’ house. So you blow it off. Maybe smile and
excuse yourself. But inside you are seething.

Here are some tips to help you let off the steam.

1. Remove yourself from the situation. Breathe. Really acknowledge your
anger and how it feels within your body. Don’t run away away
from it. Congratulate yourself on taking steps to deal with your anger.

2. Allow yourself to be angry. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel
and don’t criticize yourself. Your experience is valuable.

3. Realize that anger is not your enemy (and neither is the person or
event you’re angry about). Talk to yourself about your anger
and listen to your internal voice about why it’s there.

4. Respect yourself by letting your anger surface in a safe place.
Punch a pillow, go for a run, yell. Do whatever you need to do
(within reason) to let off the pressure. Once you feel
more centered, remind yourself that you are not your anger.

5. Reach beyond your anger to determine its source. Did you feel threatened
by something? Allow a space for some quiet reflection and listen to your
own internal wisdom. Be gentle with yourself and realize that you’re not
trying to solve anything here, you’re just looking for the true cause of
the angry feeling. Once you determine it, you can decide what to do, if
anything. Often, just realizing the true cause is liberating.