We're not alone...

I read this article earlier today in my NAWBO SmartBrief. I was so thrilled to see some statistics about working-from-home mothers; I know that I am not the only one who works from home and has kids. Although I knew the numbers were on my side, I had no idea how many other women also worked from home. This is phenomenal news. I do not have small children at home any longer, but I do have a pre-teen and teenage daughters. I know what they're up to after school, who their friends are and all the rest of their daily lives. That gives me a lot of comfort!

Find the right balance
About 2.1 million of the 3.6 million women-owned home-based businesses in the U.S. are operated with children at home, the Center for Women's Business Research reported. If you find yourself trying to tackle any combination of being a wife, mother and small-business owner, remember to use a planner to stay organized, set strict guidelines for work time and family time, and allow yourself to say no to the things for which you really don't have time. Newsday (Long Island, N.Y.) (5/28)

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation - A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich

How Does Stress Affect You?

How does stress affect you?

Do you...

• cry?
• get angry?
• get stuck and unable to move forward?
• get headaches?
• neck, shoulder and/or back pain?
• other?

How do you overcome it? I'd like to know.

Are Soybeans Causing Deforestation in the Amazon?

According to a piece I discovered on Wikiepedia.com, soy beans are the main 'currency' in Brazil and the demand for soy beans in the US keeps rising. With this rise, farmers are increasing the size of their farms rapidly. Wow. I wonder where Jamba Juice gets their soy beans from! I never liked soy products much, but it's in so many things now days that it's hard to find things that don't contain it.

Here's the excerpt from www.wikiepedia.com.

Causes of Deforestation in the Amazon

The annual rate of deforestation in the Amazon region has continued to increase from 1990 to 2003 because of factors at local, national, and international levels.^[12] Brazil is currently the second-largest global producer of soybeans after the United States, and as prices for soybeans rise, the soy farmers are pushing northwards into forested areas of the Amazon. As stated in Brazilian legislation, clearing land for crops or fields is considered an ‘effective use’ of land and is the beginning towards land ownership.^[13] Cleared property is also valued 5–10 times more than forested land and for that reason valuable to the owner whose ultimate objective is resale. As stated by Michael Williams,“The people of Brazil have always thought of the Amazon as a communal possession which they felt free to hack, burn, and abandon at will.”^[14] The soy industry is the principal source of foreign currency for Brazil; therefore, the needs of soy farmers have been used to validate many of the controversial transportation projects that are currently developing in the Amazon.^[15] The first two highways: the Belém-Brasília (1958) and the Cuiaba-Porto Velho (1968) were the only federal highways in the Legal Amazon to be paved and passable year-round before the late 1990’s. These two highways are said to be “at the heart of the ‘arc of deforestation’,” which at present is the focal point area of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. The Belém-Brasilia highway attracted nearly two million settlers in the first twenty years. The success of the Belém-Brasilia highway in opening up the forest was re-enacted as paved roads continued to be developed unleashing the irrepressible spread of settlement. The completions of the roads were followed by a wave of resettlement and the settlers had a significant effect on the forest.^[16]

What Happens to Good People When Bad Things Happen to Them

Have you ever said, "Thank God I [input your own words here]..."? I've probably said it thousands of times without thinking about what I was really saying. "Thank God that guy didn't hit me with his car." or "Thank God I saved that document." Sometimes we say it when we come close to a crisis, an emergency, or when something didn't happen to us.

Well, if you are curious to learn how others interpret that saying, you won't want to miss my friend, Tricia Greaves, new project. She's going to be featured in a new book series called, "Thank God I." If you'd like to learn more about Tricia, her website is called, Be Totally Free.

Here's what Tricia has to say about being contacted to become part of this project.

"Amanda Kroetsch is co-spearheading the largest book anthology ever, entitled: “Thank God I”. Many grateful people who have had life-altering experiences with Be Totally Free! are going to actually be authors in this series. I have the honor of being a featured author in their flagship book, along with “The Secret"'s Michael Beckwith, which will be launched later this year. If you enjoyed “The Secret” you will LOVE the “Thank God I” books! Be the first to check out the new trailer for this incredible contribution to the gratitude movement: Watch the video"

Did you check out the video? I did and was amazed by the people who shared their stories.

We all have a gift. Sometimes we feel worthless, have no place in the world, or just plain ordinary. When something good or bad happens to us, we don't know how to process that into sharing our gift of experience with others. When something bad happens, we live in that bad place and think that we cannot do anything good in this world because we are bad people. Well, you have to check out the "Thank God I" video; it will change your whole outlook on what happens to good people when bad things happen to them.

I wish you much gratitude and peace.

With Gratitude,
Michelle Ulrich, Chief Villager & President
The Virtual Nation - A community of learning. A nation of culture. A virtual village.
"If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a virtual village to grow a successful business." ~Michelle Ulrich