Solution: Lay Some Tracks

What do you love to do so much you would pay someone to let you do it? If you knew that tomorrow you could not fail, what would you put on your drawing board today? What's holding you back? Fear, time, money?

Fear. You can't touch it; you can't see it. Fear is something you hold in your mind. Most of the time, what you fear is something you never even have experienced. If your fear of a negative outcome is keeping you from even trying, you will never succeed.

Time. Saying that you don't have the time to do what you really love is probably not true. We find time to do the things that are important. It's a matter of priorities.

Money. Things may be tight right now. Spending money on anything extra might not be possible. Consider this: It might not take money to start going after your dream. For sure, it won't cost anything to start planning. Don't leave your dream on hold for even one more day.

Gifts and talents. Everyone has unique gifts and talents. What you love is what you're gifted at. To be happy, to live a fulfilled life, you have to do what you love; it's that simple. Discovering how to get paid to do what you love is the proverbial icing on the cake and just might be the solution for your money situation.

A solution. It was late in 1991 when I got the crazy idea to publish a newsletter. I needed money -- $12,000 to finish paying what had been a whopping big load of debt. Quitting my job as a real estate broker to try something new was out of the question. I had a family, a home, no spare time and only $200.
I have a degree, but it's not even remotely related to journalism. I'd written letters and real estate contracts, so you can see just how odd it was for me to think I could write and publish a newsletter. Still, I was drawn to the idea. I had a sense of confidence I could not explain.
My business plan consisted of multiplying 1,000 subscriptions by $12. I'd collect the money, write 12 issues and be done with it. You can see that I started out with, shall we say, a few rough edges. I forgot details such as printing and postage. I scrambled, reinvented and found ways to make do. Still, people subscribed. They caught my passion and desire to help them.

As the story goes...
They built a railway over the Alps between Venice and Vienna before there was even a train capable of making the trip. They built it because they knew it would be possible one day.
Maybe it's a hopelessly Pollyannaish story from a feel-good sort of movie, but I took that thought and kept it for myself. And now I offer it to you.

Why not lay some tracks?

Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including her best-selling classic "Debt-Proof Living." You can email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723.