Choose life. Life is wonderful.

Sunday 24 August 2014

NO ONE STARTS OFF BEING EXCELLENT

Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent. 
anonymous

No one starts off being excellent.
Most things you are good at you have to work at. Sometimes that means failure.

"The trick is that I learned it’s completely fine to try and fail, to put yourself out there and not be perfect, to say hello to someone and have them not instantly love you, to create something and have people judge you." (Leo Babauta)

Time is ticking by. I promised myself I was going to start some type of business to supplement my pension, but so far I haven't done this.

I have been trying to make presents to save some money, but find it very time consuming. 

I think I may try tutoring again. My specialty is reading and spelling disorders. If you have a problem reading or spelling then I am your woman. I studied this as part of my Master's degree - quite a few years ago now - but that was my primary role when I first started working at The Annexe, a small alternative school for students with major behavioral problems. I have never met a teenager who doesn't want to read well. I have never met a child or teenager I couldn't help. But I lost a lot of my confidence after being made redundant, even though The Annexe closed through lack of funding.

But I think it might be time to step out and give it a go.


How to start?

Advertising. 

The local fruit market I go to has a notice board where people pin up their business cards (which luckily I had printed a couple of years ago when I first heard I was being made redundant), and other advertising.
This is my business card.


My business card

I'm not sure if I have the right information on it.

I need to design some sort of A4 size ad. I don't have a coloured printer so I shall have to do something by hand - or at least colour it by hand. I want it to be something that looks professional but stands out.

I plan to offer people a free lesson first. I am good at what I do, but I want to charge $50 an hour which is the current going rate for one on one tutoring. If  I offer a free lesson first I might be able to hook them.

Now I have written this down I will really have to do something about it. I will be at the fruit market on Friday so I will aim for then.


There was a new bird outside my window today making a lot of noise - pretty noise. I used my What Bird Is That Book and identified it as a Golden Whistler.


Golden Whistler




I haven't seen this bird around before, but it seems it is quite common in the forests of the east coast of Australia.


I cooked some yummy mushroom soup tonight. it is really simple and tasty. Here is the recipe.




Mushroom soup recipe



I buy mushrooms already chopped and on special at Woohworths. These can be frozen until you need them. I bought this lot of mushrooms for $2.19 for 500g a couple of weeks ago.




Soup before it is blended


Mushroom soup
In the end we didn't eat it. P:-) rang to say he had hurt his knee and wasn't coming over so it has gone into the freezer for next Sunday night.


Jasper the grand-dog has gone home.


Jasper
I really miss him. I would love to have a little dog of my own but I am out too much. Maybe one day.




Interesting sites

1.

Family lives in a Tiny House

Photo source

Scott Stewart (owner of the Slabtown Customs company and designer/builder) gives you a complete tour of their Flipped Loft tiny home while it’s furnished and being lived in. It’s a tiny home for a family of four! Click here to see a couple of interesting videos.


2.
 Volcanoes under Antarctica

Photo source
Antarctica is a land of ice. But dive below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and you'll find fire as well, in the form of subglacial volcanoes. Click here to read all about it.

3.
 Spring babies

Photo source

Around the world, animals new to this earth experience life. In zoos and in nature, photographers captured a variety of species during these moments. Click here here to see some beautiful photos.

2 comments:

  1. Taking the first step (or the next step if there has been a delay) takes courage and commitment! You are well on your way. Many schools also have newsletters in which you could advertise. Also let any teachers you know you are available for tutoring. May you get the work which will not only give you additional income but also increase your self-confidence!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well, I am certainly one of your reading and spelling difficulties success stories!! Now you MUST have confidence! Though I know having confidence is easier said than done!! <3

    ReplyDelete

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