Today, I think we should set a starting point so we can track our progress.  That means we will be taking stock of where we are and compare it to where we want to be.  If you stay with me to the end there will be a short list of questions that will help you to evaluate what I am saying.

I got to thinking the other day about what would compel someone to leave a steady job and to attempt a career in the uncharted waters of a home based business.

Zig Ziglar once said that to change your circumstance you must change the picture.  So for me, for starters, I picture a work day where I am not chained to a time clock.  In my picture, I have time freedom.  I am in charge so I can choose to work when I want, where I want, and with whomever I want.

Next, the limit to how much I can make is a direct correlation to what I put in.  It is only a function of how hard I want to work.  If I work a little, I make a little money.  If I work a lot, I make a lot of money.

And finally, in my new career there is nothing more important to me than to be happy.  My happiness comes from job satisfaction and there have been many times when I have known the feeling of happiness from a job well done.

Now, how does this apply to the real world:

When we are working a job, happiness comes when the people we are working for show us honest appreciation for what we do.  It also helps if they give you incentives like raises, bonuses and promotions to sweeten the pot.

From where I stand, in this economy, I don’t see much of that going around.  I feel a lot of fear and uncertainty.  There have been lay-offs and people are wondering when,not if the other shoe is going to drop.

The economy is an angry economy. There is rampant distrust of the government and big business.  I happen to work for one of the biggest of big businesses, a casino.  Here, the clientele suddenly feels they have turned the tables.

What that means is that they can easily pick and choose where they spend their money.   They are getting huge discounts on rooms and shows.  And they are getting a rush out of sticking it to the man, so to speak.  In the past it has always been the other way around.

What does that mean to a tip earning casino dealer?  Well, maybe you can guess. Since the house has now resorted to begging the customer to come, now it seems the players just want to kick them while they are down.  In their eyes, the dealers represent the house, so we are taking a hit as well.

I call my tips “retro” because they are numbers I was seeing when I broke in back in ’85.

So, what is the solution?  It is time to activate plan “B”.  It is time to step into your power and put your creative resources to work.  There are fortunes to be made in a down economy.

If you have a passion it is just a matter of finding others that share that passion.

So, when I was presented with this little survey on how to qualify your leads, I could see how it really applies to me and just about everyone who has been taking inventory of their current lot in life.

Please take a few minutes and see how these 10 questions make you feel:

1.Do you love your job?  (yes or no )

2.In your job, do you have the potential to make unlimited income? (yes or no)

3.Do you have a plan “B”?  (yes or no )

4.What are 3 things that you would love to do if you had the money?

(A)   ____________ (cost )

(B)  _____________ (cost )

(C)  _____________ (cost )

5. Where are the top three places you would love to travel to?

(1)  ______________ ( cost )

(2)  ______________ (cost )

(3)  ______________ (cost )

6. If you had extra money, is there anyone you would like to help?

7. If it made sense, are you in a position to start a business of your own?

8. Do you have 12  or so, hours a week to build your own business?

9. Can you think of any reason you should not take charge of your future?

10. Which starter package can I put you down for?

Now, I know that there will be some of you that are happy with your job, and are making all of the money that you want to make.  Some might not feel a need to help a loved one or family member.

But I think for most of us this survey makes us take a close look at our current circumstance and also gets us to dream a little bigger than we normally would.

For me it did a nice job of reaffirming all of the reasons I started down this path and I hope it will help you consider following me into a field that is literally wide open with possibilities.  That is the field of internet marketing using permission based video email campaigns.

If you want to learn more….stay tuned.