Career of the Day: Italian American

Michael Angier from SuccessNet.org said something that just tickles me: "[Columbus] was one of the first politician-explorers. ...he wasn't sure where he was going when he set out, didn't know where he was once he got there and did it all with other people's money." Nothin' wrong with being a crafty soul ;-)

I'm proud of my heritage. I boldly assert that Italians are the most fun people of all time. We're responsible for a gargantuan percentage of the world's art, we have the best food, and we can laugh at ourselves. Most of us are pretty good-looking too. Viva Italiana :-)

Career of the Day: Half.Com Mogul

I'm an eBay seller, but I sell media items (books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) on Half.com. Listing items on eBay is pure torture for me. The photos, the descriptions, the buyer angst over ever-increasing postage costs (hey, don't shoot the messenger!) -- ARGH.

But selling items on Half.com is pure pleasure. Find the item I want to sell at Half.com, click on "Sell this Item," determine the item's condition, set a price (suggested and average prices are given), and [Cue up the sounds of angels singing] I'm listed!!!!!! Most of what I sell can be mailed in a padded envelope, and the rest of the day is mine.

I'm majorly ramping up my Half.com business since reading Marijo Jilek's "Secrets of How I Made $4,000 My First Month Selling on Half.com -- How to Easily Make a Living Selling Books, Audiotapes, VHS, DVDs, and CDs." I've sold stuff on Half.com since 2000, but reading Marijo's ebook has given me so many more ways to make money this way that I'm newly inspired. And the book is a positive steal. Read More Here: http://tinyurl.com/4wtsjl

I HIGHLY recommend reading her report, esp. if you need a way to make good, extra money with NO risk. (You pay only when your item sells, unlike eBay -- and your money is deposited directly into your bank account twice a month!!!) Check it out, tell me what you think.

Make CASH @ Half.com: http://tinyurl.com/4wtsjl

Career of the Day: Kitten Wrangler

This falls under the category of "Things That Prevent Me From Working." For six months now, I have found myself persona non grata in the home of a brother and sister kitten set. Mind you, I was here long before they were. That doesn't seem to faze them. Blood, destruction and forever-lost sleep follow in their wake. I never knew cats could fight so viciously. (Silly me -- my pets had always gotten along.) Must be the sibling thing. With this pair, I need to separate them at the first sign of blood. Their battle cries draw the attention of people I'm talking on the phone with. Six months -- they should be settling down soon, right?

Career of My Life: SCANNER

All my life I've had a wide variety of interests.  To further complicate matters, I'm one of those uncommon personality types who always gets a different result whenever I take the Myers-Briggs personality test.  I use both my logical and intuitive minds to evaluate choices.  I need time alone as much as I need time with people.  

And all my life I've been told that being a Jack of All Trades would take me nowhere.  Everyone's a specialist today.  There are even specialists in organized religion.  What are patron saints if not specialists?!  

There's gotta be a niche for being a little good at many things.  A few months ago I happened upon Barbara Sher's book, "Refuse to Choose," written about and for those of us who could never bear to limit ourselves to just one career, just one interest.  She calls us "scanners."  

There are different types of scanners as well; I'm still figuring which one I am.  But one common theme running through the stories of all the people profiled in "Refuse to Choose" is a crumpled self-esteem due to being thought of as a ne'er-do-well all their lives -- simply for having many interests.  Reading these choked me up because I can totally relate to feeling misunderstood.  

I worked at one single career for more years than I care to recount, and it's not like I can't focus on one thing.  Yet I've never felt more fulfilled than I've been in the past two years that I've had many different ways of making money.  It's been rough in many ways, but it's what I want to do.  I'm getting through it.  I AM SCANNER, hear me roar!