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My plea to the universe (and all the kind souls within) goes like this: 

I am a 35 year old mother of two with no formal education. I have had a long weird life, filled (mainly in the beginning) with some pretty terrible circumstances I rarely disclose. I have lived in 55 different houses and I went to 35 public schools, finally leaving school at the end of 11th grade, declaring emancipation from my parents and launching myself into the strange, hectic world of low-wage hell (usually 3 jobs at a time.)

As dire as all that sounds I still worked very hard and even bought a house. I spent my 21st birthday on the floor of that house, marveling at what I had managed. I got married. I had a baby at home (it was an amazing experience.) I kept the house for 3 years before I finally had to give it up because we just could not afford it.

I started over, from the beginning. I had another baby (at home again, water birth, also incredible.) I went through a bankruptcy, a divorce, a gut wrenching split where I ended up homeless, broke and terrified. My ex-husband gained residential custody and I was left without any legal representation and no family to turn to.

I started over again. I paid my child support, I found a decent office job in a giant mega corporation. I learned how to do credit card dispute arbitrations and I got an apartment of my own. I negotiated more time with my children and got it. I worked my ass off. I paid my bills. I did not allow my lack of "formal" education to stop me from moving forward (I may not have had the paper to back it up, but I am very smart, and have never stopped learning). I started a new relationship that lasted 6 years but then ended because neither of us felt connected anymore and my kids never really bonded with him.

I reconnected with the love of my life (seriously, I could type out an entire volume on that alone.) My kids adore him, and I love his daughter and his entire family. They are the family I always wanted and the appreciation is mutual on both sides.

My employer decided it was time to start voting everyone off Cube Island. I left my corporate job with a severance package and unemployment. I started all over, again.

I wrote three plays, all of them produced and well received/reviewed, but they never earned me any money. I make dolls and jewelry and rugs, but have not managed to sell one thing to a stranger - only well meaning friends (and I love them even more for doing that). I work as a personal assistant for a woman who can't afford my services and fights me on every dollar (even though I am pricing myself at least six bucks less per hour than the lowest posted wage my market research suggests.)

I want to move back to my home state and marry my sweetie and live in the same house, and hang out with his family around the dining room table, playing board games and talking about movies and books and eating amazing food (how lucky I am that his family shares the same loves I do). I have been missing him since I was 19 and made the choice to stick with the man who would go on to become my ex-husband instead of being honest with myself and picking the man who was (and still is) my best friend. We have been maintaining a committed long distance relationship for 2 years now. Neither of us are rich, neither of us can move. He would be giving up access to his daughter, his family, his teaching job and his theatre work if he came here. And I would be giving up an apartment I love, and have been in for 4 years, the longest I have ever been in one place, in a city I have grown to love, which is also full of amazing families whose children play and grow and learn with mine.

I can not make my ex move, I can not take my children, I can not leave them, Instead I wait until the youngest has graduated, and then I go home. Seven years from now.

In the meantime, I have to make a living, keep a house, maintain my sanity and figure out how to make myself financially secure. I have less than 40 bucks in my checking account. I have two kids who spend half their time with me. I am behind on my child support. I have 8,000 in credit card debt. I am scared, lonely and drowning.

I have no idea how all this will work, I just know that it will. It always does. And I am typing all of this out to the universe because I have no other place to put it. I have amazing friends, but I can't ask for help. I mean, they might help me but I would never tell them I need help or ask for it. The words stick in my throat and they never come out. I am the helper. I am not comfortable asking for help. I have never been comfortable asking for help. It turns me into an inarticulate, blubbering idiot. It makes me feel broken and wasteful and not worth a damn. I learned the hard way to just never ever ever do it. It makes people uncomfortable. I hate making people feel obligated. The help I need is financial, and none of my friends have money. I would never ask. They would have to say no because no one is in a position to give me money. I would feel terrible for making them have to say no. And really, what right do I have, now or ever, to expect anyone to do that for me? 

I have been through worse things. I have lived through them. I will be OK. But right now? In this second? Just straight up financial terror. I want to make more of this moment, and all the moments that follow. I am looking at a long stretch of Taking Care of Myself, and frankly that freaks my shizz right out. I have a lot to figure out. It takes a lot to be a human, in this all too brief time we have to do it all in, and I am already aware that what I have is real, honest, true love, enough for me and all the amazing people in my life. I could be the richest person in the world and still wonder if anyone really "gets" me or loves me or is honestly concerned for my well being, and if I were rolling in cash I could not buy what I have. I have love and respect. I have given and received. I am blessed and honored and grateful, even when things seem ridiculous. It's just money right? Just stupid paper with numbers on them? It's just more waiting, and making the best of that time. I have a lot to do. I have a lot to learn. I honestly care about other people, and I know other people honestly care about me. What else is there, really? I want a hand up, not a hand out. If I can't work for it, it's not really mine. 

Thanks for listening. 

As a life coach amd author, I have worked with thousands of people who are searching for their life happiness.

What I've seen is that people who 'fill up on happiness' are more likely to naturally take actions that move them in the direction of their goals.  They also tend to burn more calories, and attract happy and successful people into their lives.

1.  What do I mean by 'fill up on happiness?"  I mean choose to find happiness---not negtivity, gossip, mind-numbing TV  shows, or empty calories in the world around you.  The following tips, techiniques, and happiness quotes should get you started.

2.  Take Action, Take Heart---"Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold, the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul."  by Democritus (460?-370? B.C.).  Focus on the chase, the process, the journey---not the end result!  At the end of the day, happiness is not about the big house, the money, or the material goods.  The thrill is in the satisfaction of pushing our envelope and working hard.  Happiness lives in the meaning and purpose we find in our lives.  Melt into the process.  Enjoy the ride.  Happiness guaranteed!!

3.  Find Something to Celebrate Everyday--  "There are two ways to live:  you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle."   by Albert Einstein   

Celebrate a creative idea, your brillance, your authentic style, your family, and/or your clean closets!  Celebrate anything and everything that brightens your heart.  If you find one thing to celebrate every day, your mind will soon automatically search for things to celebrate.

4.  Open Your Hear and Forgive----"Foregiveness is a funny thing.  It warms the heart and cools the sting."    by William Arthur Ward

One needs to expend an awful lot of energy to hold onto anger and resentment.  And at the end of the day, who is hurting?  Certainly not the people to whom you are directing your bitterness, and hostility.  Those negative feelings are swirling through your own psyche and body.  So let them go and enjoy a path toward feeling lighter, freer, and happier.  In the end, yhou could consider foregiveness the best kind of selfish act, as it benefits you as much as anyone else.

5.  Give Yourself Credit-----"The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind."       by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Rather than focusing on what you haven't achieved, why not focus on what you have accomplished and give yourself credit where credit is due?  No holds barred. No thoughts that negate your triumphs or happy moments.

6.  Color Yourself Happy:

Adults reported feeling happier when in the presence of the colors green and yellow.   On our deepest levels, these glorius  spring colors remind us of sunshine, spring fields and happiness.  Don't underestimate the power and importance of your physical environment, your home, your office and your car anywhere you live.  Paint it happy!!

7.  Shake Your Booty:

"Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states."   by Carol Welch

Exercise stimulates the brain to release endorphines and increases the production of neurotransmitter serotonin, the bodys natural mood elevator!  Schedule 30 minutes a day to get out there and shake it, baby!  Walk, dance, run, jump up and down, twirl in circles...move any way you can and feel happy.

8.  Clear Space for Happiness:

"Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after."      by Henry David Thoreau

Get those unpleasant little, pesky tasks done, now!  Go on I said now!  They are sapping your energy and weighing you down.  They are hanging over your head.  Free yourself of this mental, clutter, and clear space for happiness!

9.  Release Physical Tension

"We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.  And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh."    by Friedich Nietzsche

Stress, upset, and negative feelings can register in the body as tight shoulders, stomach cramps, stiff neck, or a headache.  Some, recommended ways to release this physical tension are to laugh, chant or sing, breathe deeply, get a massage, or sit in a sauna or steam room.  It's important to take care of your body in whatever way works for you.

10.  Creative Act of Kindness-----"The best way to cheer yourself up is the try to cheer somebody else up."            by Mark Twain

Do something nice for someone else.

Conclusions:

Strengthen Your Gratitude Muscle----  "Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving."   by Kahlil Gibran

We can be collectors of injustices, perpetually feeling slighted, empty, and unhappy because of all he injustices(both real and imagined) that have fallen upon us.  Or, we can count our blessings, feel joyful and happy, and cultivate gratitude.

Every night before you go to bed, jot down 5 things that you are gratefly for.  You may be grateful for the obvious, food, shelter, clothing, a job, or some subtle things like smiles from stranger a ripe piece of fruit, or the bus arriving just as you get to the stop.  As you strengthen your gratitude muscle you'll find that your life is filled with more blessings han you realize.

Practice and Create a Happiness Circle:

Sit quietly, close your eyes, and just for a moment or two concentrate on the word "happiness".  What comes to mind when you imagine feeling happy?  What are your associations with happiness.

Write your thoughts in The Happiness Circle  'Don't think:  just fill your circle with happiness.  You may be surprised to note that the simple things in life are what comes to mind.

Hello all, I'm a 44 year old web designer that has been in the business for a few years now. My goal in life is to start my own business and help others that are less fortunate by employing them. I hope to be able to do this through a grant. The people I will employ will be of some type of minority and also helping less fortunate ones who are just out of drug and alcohol rehab. I want people to have hope and to also have a positive outlook on life.

If you have any suggestions please feel free to point me in the right direction.

It is so easy for me to dwell on the negative things in my life. When I realize how blessed I am to be alive and in excellent health, then the negative things seem like they can be overcome. Take a good look at the posts on this website. So many stories, so many people hurting in so many ways. Then, go look in the mirror and tell yourself: "My problems are not that bad in relationship to the others!" Get on the Internet or get some books from the Library to learn how so many others in areas such as Africa, India, or Haiti deal with extreme poverty everyday.

Try to focus on solutions to your situation. If you are Christian, Jewish, or other type of religion; fellowship with others at a place of worship. Do you believe in prayer? Pray and ask others to pray with you! If you need help with overcomming an addiction, or other "life issue", get help! There are many types of help. Groups such as AA, NA, Support Groups, and Celebrate Recovery have helped many. Need money and a job? Asking for donations is fine? Maybe try to think of doing a temporary job. I see people every day with Masters Degrees, that can't find work in their profession; the are working any job the can find now.

At home business, small business or work from home can be challenging but it takes guts, understanding and information to make this world work for you. You have to think that you are going to be successful in order to make it work. You must always make it positive.

Owning and operating a business is lots of work. You will spend several hours a day in making sure that it keeps going. It is your bread & butter. But I've learned in order to make it work. It all has to start with your mind. You must and will think positive about your business.

To help you think positive, here are some tips that I've learned about owning and running at home small business.

1. Always have a positive attitude everyday. That right! You need to and you must think positive when you walk into the front door of your business. This attitude will carry in your performance, your employee’s and what kind of money that you make that day. You must and will think positive. Even if you have a fight with your spouse or started the badly but when you walk in the front door of your business, have a positive attitude.

2. Eliminate problem before they avalanche into something big. Lot's of time as a small business owner. Will go to there business in a bad mood because there is a problem that you have to face. But your avoiding the whole situation is not the right thing to do. The only way to take the problem away is to face it and work on it. Once this is done, you will be in a better mood all day and into the evening time. You have just improved your work relationships, work environment & your small business into a better business.

3. Look forward not back. When owning a small business, you must start planning your next step before you even open the front door. You must look at what kind of money you want to make and what you have to do to make everyone happy. Keep updating and changing your business plan, keep looking and finding what is going to make your business grow. Keep looking forward for a better understand of your business and keep trying to make it work. Just doing this puts you in a better mood and help you think positive.  

4. Never, never look down upon your small business or if you made a mistake. Some small business owner quickly go into a judgment mode about there business. Maybe it does not work out they way it should. This negative thinking will make your business fail quickly and permanently.

5. Learn to take a deep breath and focus to your future. By doing this, you’ve eliminated any negative thought, bad problems or just by keeping yourself looking will make a world of difference.

Remember positive thinking gold in the business world. It  makes your business fun, you will get a lot out of it. You will have a very successful business without working to hard.

I am a 35 year old  female, I am married and have two children. I am an energetic woman and very positive, I enjoy traveling and meeting peolple. I am also very caring and like to help others in need. I am presently working with adults with disabilities and enjoy so much what I do.  Since I work for a non profit organization my salary is low. I could and have thought about finding another job, but just working at my job gives me so much sastifaction and I feel that I am helping those who need so mcuh attention and love. I really do not want to leave it.

I am looking for some financial assistance. I am way behind with our car expenses, car maintenance and house needs work. I work full time and hold  a part time job  on the side. However, We are having so much difficulty meeting our bills every month. I have not taken a vacation for more than 3 years because I cannot afford one!!!! I wish I could have the money to take my little ones to orlando, florida. But at this point saving is even out of question. I am living chech by check and still is not helping me pay my bills.Please help