DISQUS

Truth be told, I grew up with two "brip blap"s (my mom and sister), so I've been there. Having had a "brip blap" parent, I have to make a conscious, steady effort to keep my own moods from swinging side to side. Once unleashed, it can be a wild ride. Self care is where it's at for me. And when overwhelm hits, I acknowledge the feeling for what it is -- miserable AND blessedly temporary.

My husband is a great calming force in my life. Bubelah, it sounds like you serve as this for Steve. Good balance!

Sorry to hear of your troubles, Steve. Sometimes crap piles up and feels totally overwhelming. I was there last week.

The day I was to become a parent, I asked the rest of our adoption travel group (all were in China for kid #2, except us newbies) to share their best parenting advice. I passed around a notebook to collect their sage advice and out of the 9 entries, the one I recall most often is, "This too shall pass". This simple mantra sees me through most rough patches, parental or otherwise. That and a good long nap.

Nothing lasts forever. In the meantime, take good care of yourself.

Great post, great outlook. Travel is one of the most life-altering experiences I can think of. I look forward to reading about your experiences in China!

Thought I'd better come back and clarify something.

Perhaps you're thinking, "well, yeah, Millionaire Mommy, easy for you to say 'goof off when the mood strikes', you've already reached your financial crossover point".

I've gone with the flow of my energy all along. As a business owner, there were days I'd work tirelessly all day and accomplish an astounding amount of to-do's. I was so in the zone I had to tear myself away from it.

Then there were the days I dreaded the work. I took it easy, procrastinated, recharged.

Overall, I put in 20 to 50 hours a week.

Work smart, not hard, is what I always say!

I never choose to delay happiness for the pursuit of money. I follow the flow of my life and energy, day by day. Some days I'm full of energy, ideas and fire, and my focus aims sharply at the "big", long-term picture. I consume the "work", effortlessly and blissfully.

Other days, I'm blissfully lazy. I sleep in, chat on the phone with a friend for hours, fingerpaint with my daughter, zone out with a good book. I stay in my pajamas all day long. My lengthy to-do list will be there tomorrow, and the next day.

My mom, as she was dying, said, "The only time we'll be caught up with our list of things to do is when we're six feet under". Kinda puts it all in perspective...

Go with the flow, I say. Enjoy the journey.

Is it you, Tim, replying to these blog comments-- or a VA on your behalf?

I receive many reader' questions via email (plus comments on my blog) and I'm having a hard time keeping up. I love the community that my blog is generating and I really want to respond to readers. Any tips from you, Tim (or his VA)? Thanks!

You replied to the question, "What are your working hours?" with "10am - 6pm PST, then often 11pm - 2am PST".

Hey, what happened to your 4-hour workweek?

Do you invest your money to let it work for you? (I make $thousands working just 2 hrs/month managing my investment portfolio.)

I'm enjoying your book and plan to review it on my website soon.

###

Good question. It comes down to what "work" refers to. It's different in the title of "The 4-Hour Workweek" and "work" in "work hours" here. In the book title, I'm referring to things people would rather spend less time on. That generally means financially-driven work that is boring or excessive.

In the case of "work hours," I simply mean "active hours" when I'm working on projects of various types, whether that's dissecting Hebrew (coming soon), doing national- or international-level educational work (www.litliberation.org), or simply available for phone calls from my assistant.

The 4-Hour Workweek isn't about being idle -- it's about doing more of what you want to do. In my case, those projects are pursued in what I referred to as "work hours," and I use that label just because no one would understand "active hours," even if it's more accurate :)

Hope that helps,

Tim

#6 is the toughest one, in my opinion, yet its also the one point that plays the biggest role. The last thing you need when you're struggling to change your mindset around is to have those closest to you plant seeds of doubt in your ear.

Thanks, Steve! You're one of my faves, too!

Thank you for the link to my post. I wouldn't worry too much about student loan debt - just stay away from those credit cards!

Congratulations on your record month! You deserved it.

Four Pillars, I certainly don't expect children to make the right choices. They are learning, and as parents, we facilitate their learning process. I don't think children and adults are the same; rather, I think we are all human beings and therefore deserving of mutual respect.

I wrote my parental mission statement when our daughter was one year old. She is now 2.5 years and our parenting style is working extremely well for our family. She is growing more confident, competent, sensitive, social and inquisitive every day. Strangers often comment on how well-behaved, responsive and mature she seems and since she seems advanced for her age, they assume she is over 3. (This is particularly remarkable because her development was initially delayed due to benign neglect before her adoption.)

Thank you, Brip Blap, for your complimentary introduction and the opportunity to appear on your blog!

Thanks! I've linked to the carnival here:
http://millionairemommynextdoor.blogspot.com/20...
Have a great weekend!

I'm flattered that you're offering a similar contest and I like your modifications.

Speaking of contests, as the runaway winner of mine for the PF Carnival, which award would you like to select? Congratulations for your well-deserved win!

I just have to step in here and put a plug in for self-employment as a viable option for earning six figures!

I left college before getting a degree, despite doing well academically, because I wanted (and needed) to make money. I was making 6 figures before all of my friends and family, including those with Masters and Professional degrees, ever did. I didn't have any student loans to pay off, either.

But the biggest benefit, really, is that I haven't had to deal with the big B (boss)!

Great article. Thanks for the interesting peek into competitive corporate life.

I realize that many parents require two incomes. (Well, actually, some parents require two incomes to provide for actual needs; but some just think they require two incomes, because they spend so much.)

Anyway, personally, I shudder at the thought of day care staff spending more time with my child than I do. Same with school staff. I KNOW that I can do a MUCH better job of raising a confident, insightful, curious, ambitious, inquisitive and competent child than someone paid meager wages to supervise large groups of children in an institutional setting.

I also know, particularly as a stay-at-home mom, that I need to keep my mind engaged. I need to stay socially connected. I need to give myself the time and resources to pursue my other interests and passions outside of parenting.

For me, it's a balance. When the balance is right, our entire family benefits. May we all lead rich lives and view our children as assets!

Congratulations!

May I suggest that along with your Vulcanized Rubber Happy Thoughts Maker, you practice happy thoughts? Here's how I do it:
http://millionairemommynextdoor.blogspot.com/20...

It works like a charm for me. Oh, and make sure you take adequate blogging breaks to soak up some sun every day. I think the sun soaking thing could be my new public declaration...

Ahh, even more simple than my digital-timer-get-it-done tool! Yes, I've heard of this before (haven't ried it), but I think you could coin your new title and it would sell like hotcakes. Really!

Thanks, Brip Blap, for your very nice compliments about my PF Carnival design! It was a challenge to come up with a way to encourage people to really read the long list of entries - and I'm tickled pink that my idea worked.

I read to the end of your post... Congratulations on reaching new blogging milestones! You're doing an excellent job here and I have no doubt that your readership will continue to grow exponentially.

Happy Halloween!

Hi Brip Brap,
Thanks for recommending my post (and my blog) to your readers! You had me snickering about trying to find a web download to make it difficult... been there done that. My post was highlighted by Lifehacker.com yesterday and several of the commenters there tried to complicate my system by recommending downloads or by suggesting alternative brands of timers. Yup, take something simple and make it complicated... Too funny.

Great post! Living a rich life is so much more than money. You could be swimming in $100 bills, but if you're unhealthy or unhappy, you would never feel rich.

I'm glad you liked my post. Thanks for the mention!