Morning Cup of Inspiration: Moms--- Turn Excuses Into Something You Can Use

I am a wife. I'm also a mother of five. My days are filled with cleaning, running errands, paying bills and driving the children to and from their various extracurricular activities. Evenings will find me doing laundry, cooking, helping with homework, combing hair and preparing to do it all over again the next day.

I know what it's like to be sitting on a vision, and not be able to work toward it because we're bogged down with the responsibilities of everyday life. I've gotten over the hump. You can too. Read on to learn how you can easily turn those excuses into something that you can use.


--I don't have the time.

We choose how we spend our time. We make the time to do daily tasks. It's three times as important that we make the time to do what needs to be done so that we can get ahead.

When I first began to write my business plans into my daily schedule, some things had to go. A few times a week, I wouldn't turn on the television or pick up the phone because I would researching or writing. I did it until it became a habit and now, I have to make myself sit down and watch a television show. Each time that I sat down to work on what is now my completed novel, I would remind myself that I was spending time working on something that would add value to my life and as a result, the lives of my husband and children. It's important that we break out of the day-to-day monotony and make it a point to dedicate time to those things that will enrich our lives.

Positive Affirmation: What I'm spending my time on is positively impacting the lives and future of myself and my family.


--I don't have the money.

"Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that." --Norman Vincent Peale

Where there's a will, there's a way. When we hear entrepreneurial success stories, rarely do we hear about the million dollars that someone had to invest in their business to get it started. Start with what you have where you are and move on faith. My sister and I started working together six years ago in different states, around my hectic mom schedule and her nine-to-five job. We endured through my pregnancies, breastfeeding, my sister's graduation from college and her eventual cross-country move and the death of our mother. My husband used our mortgage money to buy my first shipment of books. I had to get out there and sell like a mad woman to get the money back. There were plenty of times that we had to come out of our own pockets. We've had to pay business and licensing fees, purchase marketing materials and there have been too many miscellaneous expenses to count.

Now, with a book tour under my belt, a flourishing small business circle for women, a magazine that debuts this fall and my sister working next to me in our own office space, I have to say that it was worth every single penny.

Positive Affirmation: I am making an investment in myself, my family, and our future.


--My children will suffer if I have to take time away from them to work on my business.

As a stay at home mom, this is an excuse that I struggled with for a long time. But what I discovered was that many of the things that I'm teaching my children can be demonstrated through my journey of faith and entrepreneurship. They see me living God's purpose for my life and standing on His promises. I don't just tell them they can reach for the stars. They see me reaching and hitting the mark. They are learning about vision, work, goal-setting, marketing, customer service and writing their own paychecks. I'm teaching them that we can work hard and play harder.

Positive Affirmation: My children don't have to look any further than their own home to find a role model.



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