You see, unknown to even her closest colleagues, Alice already has a small money making venture going on. Alice has turned her passion for food - puffs and pastries to be specific - into a nice little money maker. During the weekends, she would make frozen curry puffs and other pastries and distribute them to the shops near her home. Not a big business, but big enough for her to need a small 4-foot freezer to store her products and a small commercial oven. Both pieces of equipment are second hand units, bought with money earned from her little side business. With her income from her weekend business, she would still have enough to meet her basic needs. Alice planned on keeping this income for her rainy days and it looks like they're here.

The upside of her recent predicament is that with more time on her hands, Alice gets to test her entrepreneurial skills and see if she can expand her frozen curry puff and pastry business. She's going to meet more grocery stores and mini market owners to find out if they'd be interested in selling her tasty treats. She's not making any concrete plans for the immediate future although she's been offered a higher paying job in a competitor's restaurant. So Alice is pretty excited about her future right now. Even though she would be "out of a job", she knows she's been given a golden opportunity to be her own boss.

I'm telling you Alice's story to encourage and inspire you. Many of us work long hours making someone else rich, while struggling to meet our family's financial and emotional needs. Alice took the bold (and logical) step of making money doing something that she loves. I believe that you can too. Even though she didn't plan on her part-time business being anything more than just that, life sometimes decides things for us.

Everyone has a hobby or skill that can be turned into a part-time business to make extra money. Think about what makes you special. Do your friends always ask you to cook for them? Do you have a wide network of friends? Do you love playing the guitar, singing or acting? Only you and you alone have YOUR combination of skills and talents. All you need to do is find a way to make money with them. If you do something that you love, it doesn't become a part-time chore just to make money, but an opportunity to indulge in your passion while getting paid for it!

Statistics say that up to 95% of working adults will experience the effects of down-sizing or job loss directly or indirectly at some point in their working lives. When that happens, having a part-time income can give you full-time peace of mind. Even if you don't intend to make it a full-time activity, your part-time money maker can tide you over tough times when you need it and that means a lot if you have a family to support. Think about it.

Here's a resource full of ideas to help you make money.

Tags: Money making ideas, making money, home based business, making money at home

"What grind... you work at home!" I hear you ask...

Well, it might come as a surprise to you, but work-at-home-ers are not immune to stress. For us, stress-time starts at about 3pm, when we actually start to cook. If everything goes smoothly, then it's pretty much routine, but if something goes wrong (there are a hundred and one things that can go wrong), then things can get really hairy between 3.30 and 4.15. That's packing time... getting ready to send the food to our customers.

Still, the bills still need to be paid even if you work at home. Kids still need attending to. Chores still need to be done. Customers need attention.

Here are my mini stress-busters :

• Music - I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and listen to music for five minutes. One of my favorite pieces is Palchabels' Canon in D major. Long title, but give it a try. I found one piece with really nice accompanying scenes. Hope you enjoy.

• I play video games. Simple games. Complicated ones just gets my mind all twisted in a knot!
• My favorite stress-buster is horsing around with Sam and Sara - crazy jokes, pillow fights and non-sensical conversations.

Remember to take time off for de-stressing. Makes a world of difference.

I'd love to know how you de-stress amid the tornado of activity on Mondays and throughout the week... tell me!

Tags: motivation, inspirational, stress relief

I think all of us need to remember these words as we go about our daily routines. It's easy to get caught up in a web of self pity when we compare ourselves to others. The world dictates that wealth and status IS who you are. But God does not look at your job. He looks at your heart.

If you're a waiter, dish washer, truck driver, clerk, cleaning lady or in any job that you didn't foresee yourself being in years ago, don't be discouraged. And if you happen to be at the edge of your career right now and circumstances threaten to push you over, strengthen your resolve and look to the future. I know it's easier said than done, especially when you seem to be struggling to keep your head above water and there are folks determined to pull you under.

Five years ago when the storms of retrenchment brew over our lives, my wife and I stood together and braved the uncertainties. We felt we were hanging at the end of our rope. No job meant we would have to rely on our already depleting savings. Yes, we were discouraged. Yes, we were fearful. Yes, there were moments of despair that drove us to tears. There IS a time for sorrow and mourning. But when the crying was done, we determined that we would not go out without a fight and so we took that step of faith and worked to build our own business. Five years on, we're tougher and smarter. And we know that when you dig deep within yourself, you might just be surprised at the strength and determination you have.

How well we understand now what that line means : "What defines us is how well we rise after falling".

Tags: Success, Motivation, Inspiration