First month of the new business
Fun, scary, unforgettable experience.
I’ve learned a lot in this time. And of course I am still learning.
I discovered the hidden for me clichés from the cultures I’ve been raised and being exposed too.
I thought that I wouldn’t be able to find work as a business owner and a freelancer, if I haven’t applied for the smallest possible and least payable jobs. This does sound strange. But the phrase, “You have to start at the very beginning and work your way up.” did mean for me exactly this. I thought that I all I’ve learned and experienced before didn’t matter and I had to do everything from the very beginning.
But then, when I shared my experiences on various platforms, I noticed growing interest in what I can offer. They didn’t want me to type their hand-written notes, they wanted to hear about my experience as a writer of fiction based on a true story, they wanted to learn S1000D from me, they wanted to learn and hear more from me on business rules.
And they told me that I drew them into these topics, that they were glad to have met/discovered me, that they wanted to work with me on common projects and that they were ready to pay me for my work.
That was quite a revelation. It was an epiphany that I can earn money by doing what I love. And by discovering more and more things, which I fall in love with doing.
Of course, the in-security is there. Whether I am able to earn enough money for living with what I have to offer. But what helps is to realize that this in-security might have some value, if I notice and don’t judge it. In such a case it can show me that it is time to be active and do something.
I am very grateful to have discovered the brilliance of moment of now and the value of true listening. Listening to what other have to say, without judging what and how the say it, and without judging my inner reactions to these, helped me stop complaining (especially in my thoughts) and come up with some great ideas, and take concrete steps to bring them into life.
Through listening and seeing what people value and want, I discovered that both money and the sense of well-being, being centred, come when I concentrate and put my energy to bring value to others. When I turn the focus off from me and get interested in what is important for people around me, then everything else falls in place.
Listening and reading inspiring articles in this direction helped a lot as well.
“Shift your focus away from what you want (a billion dollars) and get deeply, intensely curious about what the world wants and needs.” Justine Musk on Quora
Words like this helped me turn my focus to what really matters in the world and matters to me. My worries don’t really matter to me. The well-being of others does. This was an interesting discovery.
Right now as I write this article I realize that this direction is completely in sync with the mission and vision I have defined for my business.
This is what have driven me in the last two weeks and brought most results in my business. And the most satisfaction.
Here is what this means concretely.
Consulting
I have developed several interactive courses, which would help professionals succeed in there endeavours.
Here they are:
Teaching/Coaching/Training
Two training courses this week.
One is introduction to S1000D. Experimenting to perform this course in a short time, and in a highly interactive way, was extremely fun and resulted in further collaboration with the customer.
The second course this week is course on “Creative Nonfiction and Fiction Based on True Stories”. I do it for the South Gate Society School of Creative Writing in Aalborg. I research and learn on these topics, discovering many exciting things about myself, the cultures I grew up in, and the culture I am fortunate to experience now.
Writing
It’s amazing how many exciting projects appear as soon as I stop worrying what to write next and just concentrate on what is needed and wanted by others.
There are quite a few works in progress.
My second book “A Spy’s Daughter” is with my editor and will come later this week. I am very excited to discover the editing results and see how it will shape the book.
The prequel the series “A Life Upside Down” (”A Spy’s Daughter” is the 1st book in the series) is ready written and typed and enjoys its well-earned 2 weeks break until I will self edit. The title is also to 99% decided. Here I reveal it. It will be named “Seven Broken Pieces” and will be a short story or novelette consisting of 7 chapters.
I had an idea that I would never write non-fiction. Now I write two books in non-fiction and just started the third one.
One of them is on Business Rules and making them understandable for everyone who might need to define them. I post on this topic every week and at the beginning of the next year, this material will be compiled into a book, edited and published.
The second is to inspire writers and give them a clue how they can discover pearls in their writing. We are all too critical about what we do, but all of us create brilliant things, which we often chose to avoid looking at. But these wonderful things are cherished by others and by appreciating them, we can create more wonderful and valuable treasures. The working title of this one is “Let me be your cheerleader”. The subtitle is still in work. The idea for this book was inspired by my personal cheerleader and dear friend Marcy, who discovered me through this blog and who became one of my dearest friends. She saw me through the writing of my first book and also reads most of my writing as I create it. This book is to give this gift further and also to help Marcy and me realize a big wish of ours, to meet one day in person.
And the third one, some words of introduction of which I have written just this morning, has a working title “Everywhere at Home” and will be a collection of memoir essays about me being in various parts the world at various times of growing up and being adult, and what experiences I made.
I am very excited to discover what the next month will bring and I will share it with you.
Thank you for reading this. Have a wonderful end of the Fall and a beautiful winter start.
Picture: November bloom in our garden.
