_____ FEATURED ARTICLE _____________________


          When Home Takes the Stress Out of Crisis


We had a baby last week...a little girl.  She's beautiful, 
healthy, and a welcome addition to our family.

However, the process of getting her here alive and well was not 
so easy.  A month before her birth, she was showing signs of 
distress with heart decelerations that made the doctors uneasy. 
And, for some reason, my amniotic fluid level had gone 
dangerously low.

Back and forth we went on whether to take her right away or 
give her more time.  We decided not to take her immediately but 
to watch her closely.

"Complete bed rest," the doctors ordered, "and drink water, 
lots of it."  "Furthermore," they continued adamantly, this 
routine must start today!"

Now, how these women who have to stay down for bed rest for 
months at a time do it, I'll never know.  I thought I would go 
crazy my first day.  All I can say is that I admire them.  And, 
as for the water, I was drinking 150 ounces a day.  I was 
drowning in water!  Nevertheless, Dave and I knew there wasn't 
anything we wouldn't do to get our little girl here safely.

It's funny how fast things can change in life, how fast our 
lifestyles can be thrown into a tailspin...in an instant.

But, how much would our lifestyles have to change?

With the strict doctor's orders spelled out above, let's 
imagine two fictitious, but typical, scenarios for a moment:


THE FIRST SCENARIO...
=======================

A Regular Day:
Dave and I both have full-time jobs outside the home.  On 
regular work days, Dave leaves for work at 7:00 am.  I leave 
for my work at 8:30 am.  On my way to work, I drop the children 
off at school, and then drop our pre-schooler off at day 
care.  Since we both have meetings later in the day, a 
neighbor picks the children up from school and drops them off 
at our home.  I pick our pre-schooler up on my way home from 
work.

How would this scenario have to change under the doctor's 
conditions prescribed to me above?

When the Crisis Hits:
Now, mind you, the doctor's orders were for immediate action.  
We wouldn't have days to work things out for this new routine.  
Imagine the fancy footwork that would need to done in order to 
make sure everyone got to where they needed to be each day with 
help from who knows how many people after umpteen phone calls.

Oh, and approaching my boss with, "Gee, I don't know how long 
this will have to last, but..."  Not a pleasant thought.  Of 
course, Dave would have to work things out with his boss in 
order to help out with this abrupt new routine.

What a nightmare this would turn out to be!

Oh, no.  I much prefer the following scenario:


THE SECOND SCENARIO...
========================

A Regular Day:
Dave and I both work from home.  While Dave's work and 
consulting require him to sometimes be away from home, his 
schedule is still flexible for working from home.  Dave takes 
the children to school and picks them up each day.  The 
pre-schooler stays home.

How would this scenario have to change under the doctor's 
conditions prescribed to me above?

When the Crisis Hits:
Let's see.  Dave could still drop off the children and pick 
them up from school.  The pre-schooler could still stay home 
with the help of Dave.  No disgruntled bosses, no putting 
everyone and his dog out for help.  The biggest drawback would 
be that while we would still be able to maintain our home-based 
business, some of our new projects would have to be placed on 
hold for a short time.  Nevertheless, we could still keep up 
with the daily workload.

Ahhh, this sounds much less stressful.

Being home-based makes all the difference in the world.


TAKING IT A STEP FURTHER...
=============================

The reality is that working from home is not some separate 
entity from the rest of your life.  It is an integral part.  
It has to be.  And, the more years you spend in your home 
office, the more you realize how true this is.

Try as you might, there cannot be a major separation.  It 
permeates your lifestyle, your family, your pets, your 
neighbors and friends.  Hardly a decision in the home office 
can be made without affecting someone or something in your life.

As a result, it makes your life challenging and exhilarating, 
frustrating and rewarding.

So, don't fight it.  Work with the new lifestyle you are 
creating.  See where it takes you years from now.

But I can promise you this: when the crisis arrives (and they 
do have a way of popping up), you'll be grateful for the 
lifestyle you have created that will allow you the flexibility 
you need to get through your trial more smoothly.

The bottom line?  I wouldn't trade our home-based lifestyle for 
the highest paying, most prestigious corporate job in the 
world.

Some things are simply worth far more.

-----
About the authors:
Successful entrepreneurs Heidi and Dave Perry are founders of 
HomeBusinessOnline.com and PrettyGreat.com.  Receive free 
issues of their popular HomeBizBytes newsletter:
http://www.HomeBusinessOnline.com/nsl.htm?hbb



_____ KIND THINGS YOU HAVE SAID ____________

Note from Heidi & Dave: Thanks so much for your kind words.  
They keep us going!...

   "Very Good issue this morning,  You are right on. Hit me 
   right where it counts, the questions, and how to ask for 
   help, some of us don't know how to ask, mainly because I 
   don't know where to start,  Thanks very good."

   mrgobber


   "I received your ezine and it is great!  I am a mother of 
   five children. I am so glad that there are a lot of good 
   people out there like you wanting to help people."

   Wendy Hoag



_____ CONTACT AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION ___

* Please tell us how we're doing!  Send any comments
  or feedback about this ezine to
  mailto:HBB_feedback@HomeBusinessOnline.com

* If you wish to contribute an article or resource to
  the newsletter or site please email
  mailto:Editor@HomeBusinessOnline.com

* Permission to reprint or forward this ezine in its
  entirety is granted, as long as all copyright info
  and credits are included.  If you would like to
  reprint a portion of this ezine, please
  mailto:Editor@HomeBusinessOnline.com .
  We'd love to provide something useful for you and
  your readers!

A heart-felt thank you for subscribing,

Heidi and Dave Perry, Editors
http://www.HomeBusinessOnline.com
Editor@HomeBusinessOnline.com



_____ SUBSCRIBER INFORMATION _______________

This newsletter is published weekly and only sent to actual
opt-in subscribers or as a result of someone forwarding a copy
to you.

* If you wish to join, subscribe at
  http://www.HomeBusinessOnline.com/nsl.htm?hbb
  or send a blank email to
  mailto:nsl_sub@HomeBusinessOnline.com

* If you have changed your email address, please send
  us your updated address information to
  mailto:HBB_sub_modify@HomeBusinessOnline.com

[Email address info]

* To unsubscribe, please click on this link:
  [unsubscribe email link]

____________________________________________
© Copyright 2003 HomeBusinessOnline.com
- All Rights Reserved

All advertisements in this Ezine are by Independent 
Advertisers, and the views expressed within are not necessarily
the opinions or views of the publisher of HomeBizBytes.