Welcome to February. The last month as been interesting to say the least. I can’t begin to count the number of people going through major change both personally and professionally. Weather patterns have dramatically shifted, many people’s lives have been turned upside down without much warning and it seems the economy is in a constat state of flux.  Change is unavoidable.  

One person who has gone through a great deal of change in the last month is my sister, Patricia Twitchell. For quite some time, Patricia has had major back problems. After numerous tests and treatments her surgeon recommended surgery.

I am so grateful Patricia’s surgery was a huge success and she is well on her way to a full recovery. With much of the pain gone Patricia has completely different energy about her, much lighter and at ease.

For anyone who has been in chronic pain you know how difficult it can be to do the simple day-to-day tasks we often take for granted. When the pain dissipates it’s like being given a new lease on life.

Some of my readers know that Patricia is the proprietor of Just Bears and Stuff in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Patricia has owned and operated her gift store for well over 15 years.

When Patricia first began her shop the Internet as we know it was nonexistent. When online shopping for the retail market was introduced to the Internet several years ago, Patricia explored this as a possibility for expanding her market reach. This proved to be a very beneficial choice.

She and The Big Bear (her husband Dennis) utilized the Internet as yet another way to service their customers. Earlier in 2007 they went from having a website for their shop to expanding their reach through eBay. Within a very short period of time they earned the classification of power sellers on eBay.

From practically the first day they opened their eBay store sales began and have continually grown. The growth comes not only from the amazing selection they have on their eBay store, it also comes from the incredible customer service they offer. A quick look at their customer feedback would assure anyone that Patricia and Dennis care about their customers.

Check them out at http://stores.ebay.com/bearwatch-aka-Just-Bears-and-Stuff. For anyone who celebrates Valentine Day you may find the perfect gift at their eBay store.

The beauty about operating one’s business from the Internet is that when life throws a wrench in your plans (in my sister’s case her back) your business can still operate.

I know this to be very true because even with several days of visiting my sister at the care facility and some other pressing matters throughout January I was able to keep my business running very smoothly.

I often have people tell me how lucky I am that I have a successful Internet business. I doubt that luck has much to do with it. Sure, there is an element of luck, but more than anything it has to do with the systems I put in place, the foundation I have worked hard to develop and sticking with it.

So often people want to do something, but are unwilling to pay the price to do it. I see this all the time with people who want to make money on and with the Internet. Lots of people are under the mistaken belief that all it takes is one or two steps to achieve success in their business.

I’ve got news for anyone with that belief. It ain’t gonna happen! At least in my world it hasn’t.

Last month I had the opportunity to offer a wonderful program called The Law of Action that I co-hosted with the Blog Squad. What an incredible experience it was. Not only for those who registered, but also for us. It is refreshing to find others who are as committed to their clients and customers as Patsi and Denise are.  From the many testimonials we received, those who participated felt the same.

“Kudos to Denise Wakeman, Patsi Krakoff and Kathleen Gage on knocking the cover off the ball with their fabulous Act and Attract Teleseminar.

This four-part course was crammed with all the how-tos needed to create and maintain a successful online business.  Their combined expertise gave participants a well thought out information package that was right on point.  

I took the course to learn the best way to drive traffic to my website and blog and now I have the necessary tools to make that happen.  In addition, I got excellent insights on how to create a great teleseminar and establish partnerhips that will help grow my business.

Thanks ladies for helping me prepare the blueprint that will make my second career a financial success.”

Linda Franklin 1/28/08

As previously mentioned, another change we are experiencing is that of the weather patterns. For 15 years I battled the snow every winter because of living in the Salt Lake Valley. 18 months ago we moved from Utah to an area outside of Eugene, Oregon that is not known to have snow other than an occasional dusting that rarely sticks to the ground.

Last week I felt like I was back in Utah when in a matter of a few hours we got eight inches of the white powder.

To someone who lives in a snow area eight inches may not seem like a lot. However, in an area that is not prepared or equipped to handle this much snow the effects can be devastating.

As you can well imagine there were numerous vehicles that slid off the road and many drivers had serious accidents. I chose to stay off the roads as much as possible. Not because I was fearful of driving in the snow. It was because I had no way of knowing how competent other drivers are.

Many years ago I came to the realization that there are some things I can control and probably more I cannot. There is no shortage of people who believe they have control over every bit of their life. As far as I’m concerned, this type of thinking is what emotional breakdowns are made of.

With all the change that is occurring around the globe, I find one thing that helps me to put it all into perspective is a short prayer I learned many, many years ago.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference

I share this prayer not for any religious reasons. I have readers from virtually every religious belief and spiritual practice. I respect and honor this.

I share the prayer as a tool that may help during those times when life seems a bit (or a lot) overwhelming; a time when a moment of clarity and peace would be welcome.

Until next month, many blessings to your and yours.

Kathleen Gage
The Street Smarts Marketer
www.streetsmartsmarketing.com