Still Sick; I Reflect...

Before I even knew I was going into direct sales, I attended a few home parties for people I recently met (we moved into our home-thousands of miles from our last home-two months ago) and always, I found something I could purchase for myself or a gift, and often, if you search hard enough, you can even find something very affordable. If shipping's the problem (maybe it cost more than the item), I let the hostess know I want to place an order but I cannot justify the shipping. She can either add it to her own order or another guest who lives nearby.  I simply write them a check or hand over cash. I always include an extra dollar or two for their help. Why not?

Why is it that people today aren't willing to help their own? Why is it that people are so quick to say, "Me, me, me!"  Do you know, not that I was allowed to assume they would, but I sure hoped... ONLY ONE PERSON WHO I HELPED OUT with sales helped me out in my new business.  One.

You have to say it's like Christmas, we give gifts and pretend we only like to give, and don't mind not getting.

Before I go on, let me say this: if we truly only like to give and not receive, then why are we giving gifts in the first place? If no one likes to receive, aren't we making an awful lot of people uncomfortable? We give because we want to. We like to give. We give because it's expected and we have also taught others to expect it (many of us).  We like the community. We. Also. Love. To. Receive. Yes! I said it!

We like to receive. Thou doth protest too much!  We do. I love knowing someone is thinking about me when I'm not around (feel better now that I changed it from "WE" to "I" and "ME?")!

I like that someone cares so much about me, they know I love the 49er's and all the colors that go with them. I love that they know I'm not into twangy country music, but I love 80's metal.  I love that someone cares enough to know I am not in love with chocolate, but I like sunflower seeds (stocking stuffers).  One year, I got a DVD most people would say to themselves,  "What was the giver thinking; it's her 40th birthday?!?!" But actually, this person knows I LOVE the Lizzie McGuire Movie!  And you know what? I like to receive.

And so do other people, otherwise, giving becomes selfish and ends up being all about YOU.

So here I am, surrounded by the quite-a-few-home-parties I attended and also the only people I know... can't they help out a little?  Can't they say, hey, I can't afford this right now (after all, I know how much they earn, we earn the same thing!), but is there anything I can do in another way?

Can't they help out a little?  I want them to succeed, and they know it by my actions (I am helping FREE people FREE learn FREE how FREE to manage FREE businesses FREE and taxes NOT SO FREE! when on a Hawaiian military installation - and yes, it matters).

Here are ways you can help - purchase something affordable, aren't you buying Christmas gifts anyway?  Let the hostess know you can't help this time, you don't even have to give a reason, and maybe take the catalog you know you are taking anyway, which costs money, and share it with someone who can afford it.  Maybe you heard someone say they need something that the party person can supply- for instance, I told everyone who may have stood a few feet from me that I need wall hangings -you can show them the catalog or even suggest they host a party in order to get it free; don't forget to tell them you'll attend.

There is so much you can do to help. I'm not saying go to every party you are invited to, I'm not saying purchase from every party or everyone will hate you. I'm saying, hey, I just started this new business AFTER I HELPED YOU OUT, can you just give me a REAL MINUTE OF YOUR TIME?