I left my job in 2001 after getting very sick with MS and diabetes (and all the other lovely things that go along with both of those conditions) I've always been an overachiever, and I went from 120 mph to a dead stop in 0 seconds. After 2 years of doing nothing but selling Stampin' Up, going to church 2 times a week, and homeschooling my kids, I was circling the drain of depression. When I was barely surviving, trying to live on 1 income instead of the 3 full time jobs we shared between us, along came the MK "d'ohpportunity" and I followed the "dream" of money, success, and a replacement for my former social involvements. At first, I was working - having skin care classes at my home 3-5 times a week, selling roughly $1000 per week. I bought all the "stuff" the  tell you to, so that $500 "profit" never reached my account. Well, I kept it up for a year, working my "big girl panties" off. My kids were cranky, my dh was frustrated about our debt (we had just managed to get our heads above water in April of 2003, when I signed), and I was not the nicest person in the world, but I got enough to go into DIQ. Thought I had arrived!!  Well, I obviously hadn't. I've never made profit, so the only good thing is that I have a TON of tax deductions. Well, after the first year, and losing about half of my friends, I slowed down. DIQ was a pain in the a**. 

Well, don't know why it didn't occur to me earlier (Thankfully, God knew!), but I have a sellable asset. I play piano, compose, arrange, and I have taught before. Hmmm.... teach piano? DUH! I've taught for 2 years now, and I'm actually making good money. I'm also absolutely loving the time I spend teaching and seeing the joy in a child's (or adult's) face when they realize that they can make music! I had been missing patient care when I found MK, and the personal contact was gratifying. I do think I changed some women's lives for the better, but for those poor souls I recruited, I know their lives changed in a negative way, as mine did. I've never been so cynical - and I'm a trauma nurse specialist!! Cynical is what we do!! (It made EMS feel like a cakewalk!)

I also have been reviewing and writing for EMS publishers for about 20 years. It's a great field to be in - but you normally can't count on a steady stream of work when you're starting. The way to get started with this is to contact a publisher, ask them for a reviewer form, fill it out, send it back. You need to look for publishers in your field of interest or specialization. My specialty is prehospital EMS and emergency & trauma nursing. I work for 2 publishers who put out the textbooks for those fields. Reviewing and writing can be very lucrative, or can be a side job that you don't put in the budget, so when you get paid, it's extra money in the bank. I mostly use it as a side job, but I normally make enough every year that I get 1099 forms at tax time. Some years have been over $10,000 working a few hours a week a few months of the year, some years have been $1000 working much less. But the piano teaching has been working well for me.

I also have written homeschool curriculum schedules in the past, and am now working on writing a full curriculum package that I plan to sell. I have an email group that I own & moderate that has 1500+ members, and we've been on the web for over 10 years. I also would love to get into the business of selling my CDs of piano hymn arrangements and original compositions. I do have a blog, and would appreciate any input you might have. Most of the recordings on there are fairly rough - recorded on my home piano and computer. I have some finished, but most of them are at the "done" point, the "need to make an appointment at the studio" point. Here's the link to the blog if you're interested in hearing: http://web.mac.com/fellowshipofgrace click on the blog link, and there are 2 original compositions, 1 more and 1 arrangement in the archives.

So, yes, there is definitely life after MK!! And I'm so glad that I've found this INCREDIBLE site!! what a breath of fresh air! (OK, any breath of air - stale or fresh - after MK is automatically a good breath - and I went to nursing school, and breathing is actually important!! (tongue in cheek!)
 
 

Thanks so much Countess! Music always was my one true passion in this earthly life, and it never ceases to amaze me how God continues to pull me back after I wander off into yet another scheme. I've been a worship musician for 13 years, and have found it to be so very fulfilling and comforting. You know, it's like a great big soft fluffy blanket that you cuddle under when you hear the wind howling outside, when the snow is up to your windowsills, and there's a fire crackling in the fireplace.

I can remember listening to John Maxwell at yet another "Yay for you" rally, and he said something that rang very true. He said something to the effect of, If you have a passion in your life, that is where you can pull your strength from. Something like that. well, I can certainly remember the first thing I thought was "music!" Another Duh moment for me!  Wherever your thoughts are, there your heart will be also. Hmmm.... somebody else said that!!!   Somedays I think God is just up there ROFLOL. I think that's what thunder must be. He's laughing at yet another of my attempts to take control back from Him and sign up for another MLM!!

I love working with new homeschoolers, and I'd love to help anyone considering it! It is such a blessing. Anyone can feel free to PM me if you have questions about HS!

Yes - I have for the last year. Prior to that, I played piano only in a very musically rigid church (my words, not theirs!) Now, we're in a wonderful place, and I'm blessed to be both playing keyboards and singing. (Mostly I sing, but I sub when our regular keyboard guy is out.) I also play keyboard for prelude & offertory, but now it's a rotating schedule, as opposed to "be here every week, sick or not, we can't worship without you, the world will come crashing in unless you are here on time!"  Guess that would be fine if I didn't have MS and diabetes, but with my health, i have to take it one day at a time, and that's one reason I'm out of MK!! My  was so ignorant to me about leaving that rigid, stressful church, that I started to consider whether the jail time would be so bad after I strangled her!! Ok, well, at least in my dreams!  Oh yeah, I almost forgot - she sent me a long letter when I started teaching piano again, telling me I was wasting away my remaining time on earth doing that because I certainly could never afford the financial freedom I could have achieved in MK. GAG ME! She was so "financially free" that she conned me into loaning her nearly $4K from my Social Security disability settlement because she had horrible medical bills, and certainly I could understand that. I'm still reeling from falling for that one. When I almost was late paying my taxes (2 months after it was supposed to be paid back) did I finally receive the money, and only half of the $200 she promised me to borrow it. The only way I collected it was by calling all the other directors in our area and they put pressure on her!! And she was a "miss go-give!" Yeah, go-give me the Pepto  Bismol! I guess I don't consider teaching children to be at all a waste of my time!

Sorry for ranting!! Back to sanity - leading worship through music has been one of the biggest blessings at this church. And for me, one of the most healing to my soul!!!!   

You know, all the "miracles" they talk about in MK - I get a chuckle when I think about them. When I got sick, I developed peripheral neuritis from the diabetes. I lost the feeling in my hands. Everything has since come back except for my fingertips. I can still play! I could play throughout the whole time, which for me, was an incredible miracle. I'm starting to feel more and more in the finger tips, and after 6 years, that's pretty amazing to me. So,  to the    squad - when God has something planned for you, He delivers!! That's all the miracle I need!

Hamster wheel - thanks for that visual!!! You've brightened my day!

mkmyway-
I absolutely loved your music!  I also loved your message on finding balance, or not.  I had to quit my loved profession of OT secondary to flare ups of my RA.  I thought mk was my answer too- it wasn't.  Now I homeschool, and have learned that I can paint.  I don't get to do it much because my 4 yo loves to handle my paintings and supplies.  I am back working as an OT 2 hrs a wk in the summer and 10-14 hrs/wk during the school yr.  I can work when my little one is in MDO, and take my older son with me.  He works on his assignments in the library where I work.   Our local art center wants me to help develope a program for quadriplegics to learn to paint- I am so happy to be out of mk so I can work on this as I am able.  I also am glad to not be pushed by people who don't understand the affects of stress and no rest on a chronic disease.  You are an inspiration and I know God will continue to honor your faithfulness!

I understand the frustration with people who don't get it.  My nsd told me that leading a Bible Study was not a good idea for me, because it might take too much out of me.  she was just worried I wouldn't have enough time to devote to mk.   I never could get into mk being all life changing.  Trying to serve God and be the best wife and mom are much more valuable to me and when God can use me to bless a life- then I am blessed!  Somehow someone wearing the wrong shade of lipstick or not having a ton of inventory on their shelf never seemed lifeshaping (this is probably why I struggled with mk).
Keep the music going- I am sure it is an amazing way to worship (through playing). 

Who said you should just get over it.     I understand faith.  I know we are to "walk by faith and not by sight"  I know our emotions have little to do with our faith.  However, we are human and we do have feelings.  God knows and understands our feelings because He's the one who made us.

 That is the one thing about these maniac faith talking  that really gets me 
How do they expect you to put everything aside.... It really is cultish   They think they understand the Bible but they've really been taken on a quirky guided tour of the Word of God.  It's dangerous to take everything out of context.  You do have to meditate on the Word....not just try and make it say what you want it too   

Keep playing your beautiful music.!

Here's that post I started earlier.

Yes, I think you're right. Cult certainly described our national area - the NSD, my  's cousin - would have her own "worship" meetings at retreats, and encouraged people to speak in tongues to prove that God was with them. Her "scripture" wasn't scripture at all, her worship had NOTHING to do with Christ. It was feel-good, self-loving, promotion of our desires over those of God, and projecting our financial greed onto God's love for us.    She intended that you leave there and feel pumped up about your business, feeling like you had been moved by the spirit to go out and make lots of calls that day. Gag me! Sick
The last one I went to, well, I guess I did finally hear what I needed to, because I went home, and didn't make calls. I didn't push my business on Sunday evenings (we were told to because everyone was home then - so much for family before career.), and I didn't speak in tongues with the rest of the people who were unabashedly NOT Christian, and I didn't believe the little pink LIE any more. God closed that door, and opened a window. No, God slammed the little doggy door shut, and removed the walls of blasphemy, and I finally had a moment of clarity about MK. I could see it for what it was. I finally felt like I knew what you are saying - I learned to "walk by faith" - faith in a Lord who can do all things, a Lord who knows what's best for me better than I ever will, a Lord who no longer would stand by and let me be part of the pink fog. I think that once I realized that I didn't have to do this stupid business to feel good, and that my worth wasn't based on a business plan, that's the moment the fog started lifting. (It was the evening I came home from that retreat.)

I just updated my blog last night, and the link is http://web.mac.com/fellowshipofgrace where you can get a link to download all the song files I have so far.