We are not all interested in being role models or mentors–I know that for a fact. But, you might be surprised to find that you and your small, inconspicuous home-based business are, in fact, an inspiration. Does this mean you have to behave differently just because you are influencing others?
I am not someone who puts much thought into being a positive role model for anyone and I tend to think of myself as a young, bumbling kid–not someone who could ever be in a position to serve as a mentor to anyone else. So, I am surprised when someone tells me that I have been an “inspiration.” After all, I am just an ordinary person–a struggling single mom, with an uninspiring bank account, who has never done anything that earth-shattering. I often cannot help thinking if I was more willing to play by everyone else’s rules, I might look a bit more like a traditional success. Still, I think we all have the ability to be inspirational to someone–and often when we least expect it!
Years ago, someone told me that if a person conducts themselves all the time as if her children were watching, she shouldn’t have to worry about inappropriate behavior or get herself into trouble with bad choices. I think we can carry this into how we operate our home businesses too. Even if we don’t want to be an inspiration or a mentor, we may find that we are; and we may find out that people were watching us when we didn’t know that they were even looking–so it might be a good idea to conduct ourselves in the business world AS IF we really are an inspiration or an influence–chances are, we are anyway and wouldn’t we want to be a positive inspiration and not a negative one?
Also: “Self-Promotion” is Not a Dirty Word
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