It's never JUST.

Yes, I hate to admit it

but I am 'of that age'. I didn't grow up with technology. My first typewriter was not electric. I remember the smell of the mimeopaper and the handouts the mimeograph machine would produce. Yeah, if you're about my age, you remember that smell! I thought it was super cool that I finally had a typewriter in grad school that had a backspace erase feature - and it was electric!! It saved oh so much time.

And several years later, I had to all but sell my first-born to get the first computer in our office at the university. And all 25 of us had to share it! And yes, we

had to walk tor miles to school up hill in the snow every day. Only sort of joking there. There was quite a hill to get to my grade school - kinda tricky this time of year in Iowa!

So I'm not kidding when I say technology and I are not life-long friends!

It still amazes me how far technology has boomed since I was much younger.

My smart phone is smarter than I will ever be! When I get stuck, I just hand it to the 27 year old or the 5 year old grandson. They just shake their heads and bail me out. I meekly thank them and go on with my day. I actually think I'm doing pretty well. And if you're here and over 50, you're doing pretty well too! Good for you! Good for us!!!

I love it when I get stuck on something and somebody tells me you 'just' and continues on with their 'gee it is so seriously simple' explanation.

Not so fast, boyo!! I swear my eyes roll back in my head as soon as I hear the word 'just'. NOTHING is 'just'. Easy for you is notsamuch for me!!!

I know they are trying to be helpful. And I know that they get it, so they don't understand why I don't understand.

But I usually don't . I usually have to fight my way through my dilemma and and then all of a sudden there is this burst of 'AHA!' I finally get it ...and then I get the feeling of 'what the hell took me so long?' Such a blinding flash of the obvious!

But you don't know what you don't know!

For many of us, this path is very new. We were either not raised in a world of 24/7 technology, or it's just not our natural jam. Or we have this idea in our heads that we aren't entirely sure how to translate into a digital platform. I can raise my hand for all of those. That's me!!

I get stuck the the wonderful world of technology a lot. And I get unstuck a lot!

Actually, it's one of the things that I love most about working within the wonderful world of WA. I can go back to the training and review, which I have to do often. There are ever so many training videos explaining things that I had no clue were even possible, let alone how to do. There are a great many very successful, very experienced people here who are generous with their time, knowledge and expertise. In only 18 months, I feel like I've gotten a master's degree in all of this - and I have one. I promise the one hanging on my wall was easier for me!

But I keep plugging along!

And, if this is new to you, you should keep plugging along as well. You'll get it!! I promise. You just... just kidding! There is no just. Give yourself some Grace and some room to be a rookie. Give yourself permission to take your time to learn what you need to learn; to ask the questions you need to ask. Feel free to watch the videos and lessons as many times as it takes. DON'T YOU GIVE UP!!!! I know I can't get where I want to go by giving up and neither can you. How long does it take? As long as it takes. It's not a race. It's a journey and some of the best prizes are found along the way.

Be here a year from now.

Make the commitment. You'll be amazed at how far you will have progressed! And then be here a year after that!!! Yeah, you could go it alone and fight to find the information and learn the lessons, but this is just so much easier - even when it's not!

These people 'get it'. And they get you! We're all here in the same place for much of the same reasons.

Yes, it seems there are as many paths to on-line earning as there are stars in the sky. But this is the center of that digital and technological universe for me. This is my safety net, my school, my digital lifeline.

So I'll be here a year from now and then a year from that. It is just so easy to click on the renew button and make the investment in myself, my future and my business. It's an easy decision.

Plus, my friends are here!

The ones who get what I'm doing and are the first to celebrate my successes and my challenges, when my husband looks at me like I've grown a second head trying to explain not only what I do but my many challenges. My life is infinitely better with y'all in my crazy mixed-up digital world.

I look forward to enjoying this journey with you!

Cheers from San Antonio!

Christine