Welcome to Spark an Idea Thursday. Each week we’ll share some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to

This week’s challenge is to “spark an idea about following your gut.” Here’s my brilliant idea: follow your gut. Even if it leads you astray (and it usually doesn’t), at least you won’t feel like you betrayed yourself.

In my experience, when you follow your gut, things work out. Here’s one example.

At the beginning of my senior year in college, I began waitressing at an “upscale casual” Italian restaurant. It was a decent job, and I was making good money (for a college student). I worked there for a few months – never late, never calling in sick, never upsetting a customer. Basically, I was a model employee. And then one day, just before I was about to leave for work, my boyfriend (of 2 years) and I had a fight and broke up. This was the guy I thought I was going to marry. I was devastated, but I still got in the car and drove to work.

I did my best to put on a happy face and get through my shift, but it didn’t work. I started crying and couldn’t stop. I went to my manager and told her I was going to have to leave. I explained exactly what happened and apologized profusely. I was in tears and could barely keep from crumpling to the ground.

This was her response: “If you walk out of here right now, don’t bother coming back.”

My brain told me to suck it up, stop crying, and just get through the shift (a very logical approach). My gut, on the other hand, said “[bleep] this job and this [bleeping] manager. Get the [bleep] out of here right now and don’t [bleeping] look back!”

So I did. I threw my apron on the floor and walked out.

I got a new job that was closer to my apartment and paid better. My new boss appreciated my hard work and promoted me after only two months. That job introduced me to sales and management, which turned out to be key skills for me in later positions.

And my old restaurant manager? She got fired a couple of months after I left for (1) treating employees poorly, and (2) doing drugs on the job. The restaurant closed down a couple of months later.

Sometimes, your gut just knows things your brain doesn’t. Listen to it.

What do you think, readers? Can you recall a time when you followed your gut and it worked out well (or not so well)? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Traci Feit Love is a freelance writer, editor & communications consultant for businesses that need smart, impressive content. To learn more or to sign up for her free e-course, “How to Get More High-Paying Clients,” visit her website at http://tracifeitlove.com.

Welcome to Spark an Idea Thursday. Each week we’ll share some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers. We invite you to

This week’s “Spark an Idea Thursday” theme is about “homepreneur health.” I have to admit, this is not my area of expertise. But there are a few things I’ve learned about staying (mostly) healthy as a homepreneur, so here they are – my top 3 tips (ok, my only tips):

1. Don’t let the cat sit in your lap for too long. I love the fact that my cat wants to sit on my lap, and I love the fact that she can (since I work from home). But if she stays there for too long, my back pays the price. So after a few minutes, I send her off to her second most favorite place: my bed. It’s a tough life being my cat.

2. Don’t forget that there’s a world outside your house. When you work, sleep, eat, and hang out in the same place every day, it’s amazing how easy it is to completely lose touch with the outside world. From a mental health perspective, that’s not good. So get out of the house – take the dog for a walk, take your kid to the playground, whatever works for you. As long as it requires real clothes and actual shoes, it’s a good activity.

3. Keep healthy foods in the fridge. When you work this close to your kitchen all day, you’d better make sure your kitchen isn’t just a collection of sugar-loaded temptations. You need fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. You need water, not soda. I’m starting to sound like the school nurse so I’m going to stop now.

What else, fellow Freelance Parents? What have you learned about staying healthy? I obviously need your suggestions!

Traci Feit Love is a freelance writer, editor & communications consultant for businesses that need smart, impressive content. To learn more or to sign up for her free e-course, “How to Get More High-Paying Clients,” visit her website at http://tracifeitlove.com.

Welcome to Spark an Idea Thursday.  Each week we’ll be sharing some great ideas for a topic of interest to our readers.  We invite you to

This week’s “Spark an Idea Thursday” theme is about improving your workspace, and there are a lot of ways to do that. I could tell you to get more organized, to eliminate clutter, or to get new technology. I could tell you that you need a more ergonomically correct chair, a second monitor, or even a bigger office.

Instead, I’m going to borrow a piece of advice from American Idol: Make your workspace your own.

In case you don’t watch American Idol, let me explain. The judges are always telling the contestants to take a song that someone else made famous and “make it your own” – meaning that the singers should inject their own personality, artistry, and sensibilities into the song. I think the same general idea could apply to your workspace.

I’ve seen a ton of offices, cubicles, and desks that look so generic it’s impossible to tell who actually works there (if anyone). They may be neat, clean, and organized, but where’s the personality? Where’s the fun?

At this point you may be thinking, “fun? we’re talking about work here.” That’s true, but if you’re going to spend a lot of time working every day, why not work someplace that makes you feel comfortable and happy?

I’ll be honest – my workspace is definitely not the neatest or the most well-organized (understatement alert!). But when I sit down at my desk, I’m happy to be there. I see pictures of my daughter and husband, a few books that I absolutely love, my favorite coffee mug, and a bunch of writing notebooks that I hand-picked for their cool covers. I see a few cards I got for Mother’s Day, and a bunch of my favorite pens (yes, I have a favorite type of pen, and I order them in bulk so I never run out).

In short, my workspace feels like it’s all mine, and that makes me happy.

1. What is something mom always says to you?
“No thank you, no thank you, no thank you.”

2. What makes mom happy?
“Snuggling…and night-nighting.”

3. What makes mom sad?
“When I say ’stupid.’”

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
“When you be silly.”

5. What was your mom like as a child?
“You were a nice little girl, and you played and played and played.”

6. How old is your mom?
“Twenty-eight. That’s a lot of years.” (Emphasis hers.)

7. How tall is your mom?
“Very tall. As tall as a mommy.”

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
“Work.”

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around?
“Get some work done.”

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
“Um.” (She said it about 30 times. I don’t think she understood the question.)

11. What is your mom really good at?
“Working.” (Oh, dear.)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
“Um…climbing trees?” (I don’t believe I’ve ever attempted it in front of her. I’m not that terrible.)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
“You go to your office.”

14. What is your mom’s favorite food?
“Chicken…good chicken.”

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
“Giving me hugs.”

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
“You’re the fairy godmother. I’m Cinderella, and you’re the fairy godmother.”

17. What do you and your mom do together?
“Play Pretty, Pretty Princess. And we read books. And sometimes we go get some candles.”

18. How are you and your mom the same?
“Well, um…you like to eat candy and I like to eat candy.” (Too true, I fear. Too true.)

19. How are you and your mom different?
“Cause you have glasses and I don’t have glasses.”

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
“Hugs. Kisses. Snuggles.”

21. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?
“The mall toys. We both like the mall toys.”