Hi Everyone, and Thanks Once Again For Visiting My Blog,

It is a few days since I added extra information to my Blog.

I have been quite busy doing things I love to do such as working with Amanda and Matt Clarkson’s Bidding Buzz eBay Magic Training and Weekly Coaching , learning heaps and heaps from these, Listing and Selling on eBay, as well as learning and implementing heaps from John Thornhill’s Marketing MasterClass Program , as well as from Avril Harper .

As I said before I think these programs, and sets of people, are brilliant and I only wish I had known of them over 18 months ago, before much outlay of costs and time given to other programs that did not deliver for one reason or another.

I did meet some shonksters on the way, and we did part with much money, believing in what they offered,  only to be out of pocket big time and left wondering if there were really any decent, honest people left out there.  We would have been much better off financially if we had met Avril, Matt, Amanda, John, Dave, Steve and Daniel a fair while before, and that is for sure!

I would like to praise the whole team at Bidding Buzz .  Matt and Amanda Clarkson are extremely successful young eBay entrepreneurs and experts, but are also brilliant at sharing their knowledge and experience with anyone who would like to know how to run a successful eBay business.  They are also genuinely nice, honest, down-to-Earth and caring people, which is also extremely refreshing.  I have not had the opportunity of working with the whole team at BiddingBuzz yet, but would like to praise Grace, Josh and Genta for their amazing supportive and training work. How clever they are!

I would also like to commend Dave Nicholson & Steve at Planet Divinity , and Daniel Sumner at John Thornhill’s Marketing MasterClass Program for his supportive work on the Technical side and also John Thornhill himself.  They have been most patient, supportive and informative.

It is great to have found such wonderful programs to be able to work with, and love, that come along with brilliant support systems, and it is also great to find people who really are there genuinely to help one on their journey to success.  To them it’s  not all about the money.  You really do matter to them.  How important is that?  How refreshing to find this?

I have found that when you love something, and are truly passionate about doing it, then to me it is not work but thorough and utter enjoyment to participate in.  I get up each day excited now about my day, planning how much time to put in to each of the areas I am enjoying working on and learning, so I can continue to grow.

That was how it was for me with Teaching too.  It was never a chore teaching children.  I totally and absolutely loved it, which was great because Teaching didn’t always pay well.  I was never in it for the money, otherwise I would have taken up my Law Scholarship, or left Teaching a lot earlier to take up something else, which never entered my head.  I was there because I loved it and had always wanted to be a teacher ever since I could remember.  I can think of no other vocation that I would rather have been in for those 29 wonderful years I put in to this brilliant career,  and I will never forget them – all the wonderful experiences I was fortunate enough to have had.  It was a thorough delight to work with children and see them grow and know you played a part in this.  I took my job of working with children extremely seriously.  I knew I was to play a major part in their learning whilst they were in my care, and so I put in as much time to my own learning and growth, as well as planning etc to ensure I was giving the best learning information available to them, in the best way possible.

There are not words to describe the feeling when someone you have taught meets up with you again, or emails you, or, whatever, maybe years later, and tells you that you were "A Great Teacher",  "The Greatest Teacher Ever".   Many tears of joy and pride have been shed from these types of wonderful experiences, and, fortunately they have been many.  It is a sheer delight to be out somewhere and have a past student run up to you and throw their arms around you.  It is spine tingling to find out about the amazing careers many have gone on to pursue and know you played a part in this also.  It is even more special when you have lost your beloved career due to an unfortunate accident, every day wishing you could return, only to meet up with someone you have taught, or a parent or fellow teacher, who says some great things to you that reignite a wonderful feeling within.

I still Tutor today, which I love,  and have never advertised.  Word of Mouth advertising, for the right reasons, is a very important thing.  Respect is so important. I have had many students I have tutored over the years and many wonderful things have been said to me by the Parents and Students themselves.  I am honoured at this and wouldn’t have it any other way.  I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night knowing I had not been highly thought of.

It was also wonderful at the end of the year to have so many students wanting to be in your class for the next year of learning, to hear the buzz around the playground and in the classroom – "I hope I get you next year, Mrs Harridge" or "I hope I get Mrs Harridge next year".

I truthfully look back with pride at those years and will hold them in my heart, and cherish them forever.  I believe they were a gift to me from above.  I believe my Teaching career was a privilege given to pursue to the best of my ability.

I always had an open-door policy for my student’s parents which was very appreciated by them.

I have always had a wonderful rapport with the majority of parents I have interacted with over all these 40 years of Teaching in one form or another, and in my Network Marketing, MLM days from 2002 to 2007, before moving over to inputting more time to Internet Marketing learning, when training and supporting my Network Marketing team, I was fortunate to have my team totally respect me and how I worked with them, most praising my training, support and friendship.  Most are still my very close friends.

It was awesome to have so many believe in me they would come on my Weekly Conference Calls and Webinars no questions asked, inputting and working together as a Team, even though often they may have been in different legs of the business to each other, that in another place could cause competition.  That did not matter to them they could be in different legs, and it did not to me either.  We were a team and together we could achieve anything.  We became a family.

I have always been a Team player.  TEAM is very important to me.  It was in the classroom.  It was when working with the Staff in my Executive and teaching role.  It was with the Parents too so that we all worked together in a partnership for the benefit of their child – parent, child and me.

Together Everyone Achieves More.  How true is this!   The world is a wonderful place.  So many wonderful people with so many gifts and talents to share.  When we come together as a Team, in the workforce, in the Classroom, in the Staffroom, on the Sports Field – wherever, we are hard to beat if we are a Team.  We have that combined spirit, and the desire to work together for the best results.  Working on one’s own on something can be rewarding but working together as a team and knowing you have a team to go to and share with makes you feel not alone, and achieves even greater results.

I have witnessed the most amazing results in the Classroom and elsewhere when united as a team as we brainstorm ideas together.  Wow!   I have seen results from these sessions that would blow one’s mind away.  I have been fortunate enough to have been given some talents to work with in this lifetime, but how great it is to interact with, and learn and grow from the input of many different people and their incredible talents and knowledge.  I learned very early in life I do not know everything, and that is for sure.

One of my true beliefs is that we are here in this Earth School to love and be loved and to Learn and Teach.

When one spends the majority of 6 years in hospital going through some incredible health and medical experiences, one really begins to look at the world and people differently.

This is a topic I am most passionate about as I have seen so many things not succeed purely because of greed, money and power.  The most successful things that achieve is where Teamwork and respect play a part.  I would much rather work in a Team situation than with someone who just wants power, jealousy, competition or greed.

I have been fortunate to lead School Musicals where the entire Primary and Infants School – students, teachers and parents, worked together to produce these Musicals.  I did not control these, even though I started out as the Leader.  No-one would have worked with me if I had.  Every teacher in the school worked happily with me.  All of their talents were able to come to the fore.  The united teamwork and talents created brilliant Musicals where everyone walked away proud of the major part they had played in each of their areas of contribution.  Everything was worked out with discussion, not my control.

Any rate these are just my feelings on things and I do appreciate you taking the time to read my Blog.

Have a great rest of the day and speak to you again soon!

Carol

Hi.   Welcome back to my blog!

I thought I would continue on from where we left off a couple of days ago.

I had been part of a learning world up until I entered Alexander Mackie Teachers’ College, in Paddington, Sydney, NSW in my 18th year of life, after leaving Sydney Girls’ Selective High School at Moore Park, Sydney NSW, Australia.

Original Sydney Girls High School Elizabeth St Sydney

Just digressing for a short time, with a little history.  Sydney Girls’ High School originally stood where David Jones now stands in Elizabeth St Sydney.  When the school moved to the site it now stands at at Anzac Parade Moore Park, Sydney NSW, it was to then take the spot of the original Taronga zoo.  I think it moved around 1882 or 1883.

When I went to school there there were still signs of the original bear pit in our back playground.  I always found the history of the school to be very interesting.

I had had the opportunity to  learn so many wonderful things in so many areas, along my journey to this time, and was to continue to do so.  I had also had the opportunity of teaching myself things as well – Tennis, the Recorder, and now, during College, something I had always wanted to learn – the Piano.  I had also had the opportunity to teach others through my Primary and High School years – subjects such as Recorder, Tennis, BasketBall and Softball, and I was to continue to do this in Teachers’ College and well beyond.

I had truly found my Niche, so to speak.

I remember having to fill in some information in Year 5 about what I wanted to be when I left School, and even at this age, I wrote down I wanted to be a School Teacher and also that I wanted to have the chance to share my love of Music, Maths and Tennis with others, which I was ultimately able to do in the future, big time.

Alexander Mackie Teachers College, at Paddington Sydney, was nearing the end of its days.  I did not realise this.  It had previously been Sydney Technical High School.

During my 6 years at Sydney Girls’ High School at Moore Park, Sydney NSW, I was part of the first group of High School children to see through 6 years of High School instead of 5.

When I entered Alexander Mackie Teachers’ College, I was part of the last group of 2 year trained teachers to do so.

I was to meet my wonderful, soulmate and husband-to-be, Bruce, through a friend I knew at College, and this being during the latter part of my 2nd year of Teachers’ College.  We were to marry towards the end of my 1st year of teaching, around 10 months later.

We have now been happily married for 38 years.  We are soul mates and he is a truly great bloke.

I remember, during my College years, studying 14 different subject areas, having to complete assignments and exams for all.

Our College day commenced at 9am and finished around 5pm, and we attended all of the 5 days a week.

I also recollect us all wanting to have the opportunity to complete our 3rd year whilst at the College, but this, we were told,  was being introduced for the next year’s group of student teachers, not ours and that we had just missed out.

Our year, and those who went before us, were to have to complete our 3rd year part-time during night times and weekends, after teaching during the day time.  We also had to all do the same again when required teaching qualifications were once again changed from 3 year to 4 year trained.

I also remember training to be a Primary School Teacher of Students from Years 3 to Year 6.

However, I was to end up being posted to an Infant’s School for my first teaching school, as our College Registrar in charge of teaching placements,  accidentally placed most Infants’ Trained teachers in Primary, and most Primary in Infant’s.  This was not a good time for most of us.

It was to be 7 years before I could finally move in to the Primary School to teach, where I truly found where I belonged and wanted to be.  I loved the opportunity to teach all grades, which I did get to do during my 29 year career, but my favourite grades were to become Years 5 and 6.

My teaching years were truly fabulous and extremely rewarding.  I will always be extremely grateful for the opportunity given to me to teach children.  It is an unbelievable feeling to know you have had a part to play in assisting the learning of  children, and that you can see they have grown from having been in your tutelage.

I took my career extremely seriously.  I worked very, very hard and loved every moment.

I was fortunate to have been given some gifts/ talents I was able to share with many children.

My Music afforded me the opportunity to conduct School, District and Regional Choirs and Choral groups, Dance Groups, Recorder Groups, Bands and Orchestras.  I was also totally thrilled to have been selected as 1 of 10 teachers from the Region to implement the Kodaly Music Program from Hungary, throughout our School, as 9 other teachers did in their Schools – both through the Infants and the Primary Schools.  I was to be offered to go to Hungary to share my experiences with the Hungarians as to how far the children I had taught had gone with their music because of this program.   I decided to stay to continue working with these children.

Because of implementing this program,  I was fortunate enough to be able to finally move in to the Primary School.

I had spent 3 years with my current class up to this stage, and their Musical abilities, because of the Kodaly Music program, were outstanding.

I was given the opportunity to move with them in to the Primary School to carry this program on.  Sadly, the program was to fold after several years because it really required Music trained teachers to implement it.  These students were quite brilliant at Music.  They could sing in Canon, parts, play instruments to a very high level indeed.

I also had learned in the Infants School how to really teach children how to Read.

Whilst in the Infants, I was also part of another Pilot program that had only been introduced in to our School.  This was so I could introduce the Open Court Language Arts Program from America to my students.  This was the same group of Students who were part of the Kodaly Music Program.  They were to be tested at the end of Year 2 and their Reading results were up there topping the State.

I was to be offered to go and teach classes in the United States because the American leaders of this program were so impressed with what was achieved in our school.  It was the only school in Australia to implement the program and I was the only teacher to use the program until I trained the rest of the staff to do so.

When I moved in to the Primary School at the same school, (because back in those days most Primary Schools and Infants Schools ran separated Departments and their Staff did not have the same Staff Room) , I was to carry this program on.

Back at that time, Reading was not taught in the same manner in the Primary School, as in the Infants School.  I was able to move this program in to the Primary School and Reading results throughout the school improved dramatically.

I spent 7 years in the Infants Department at this School and 4 years in the Primary School.  Whilst in the Primary School I also started to teach choir groups for Opera House performances.  This is where children from all over the State of NSW who are interested in, and good at, Singing, join a specific choir to learn more difficult part material so they can all eventually perform as 1 big united State choir at the Opera House.

I was to have the privilege to take several groups over the years and it was most rewarding for me and for the children.

I was to teach and conduct many Choral Groups, Opera House Choirs, Recorder Bands, School Musicals, Bands, Dance Groups, and an Orchestra over my many teaching years.

I finally left Girraween Primary School,  and ended up in a very small country school with 1 class per grade, Cranebrook Public School.  I was to teach there for 4 years, and was to teach Infants classes, except for 1 year.

It was during this time I was selected as the Regional Music Consultant, a position I had always wanted to have,  but, at around the same time,  I found I was expecting our first child, and, after much consideration decided I would not have been able to be a "constant" for the Region, so I sadly turned the opportunity of this wonderful position down.  The selectors were grateful I had been honest with them, but I was honoured I had been chosen out of all the Primary, Infants and Secondary teachers in the Region to hold this position.

However, my husband Bruce and I were over the moon to be having our 1st child.  This was to be a boy and we named him Christopher John.

I was also to have a girl, Caroline Elizabeth, around 2 years later, whilst in what was to be my last year at this school.

Before I left, this school was to hold its Centenary, which was extremely exciting, with a lot of hard work needing to be put in by the whole school community to ensure its success.

The school, however,  was to close a year later as a new, larger school was opening up up the road, Samuel Terry Public School,  to cater for the huge, growing student numbers in the area.

Samuel Terry Public School Cranebrook NSW

This new school was the School to which I was to return to after my 12 months leave to be home with my daughter Caroline for the 1st year of her life.  I had also had 12 months off to be home with our son Christopher.

This was also a very sad time, as my father had contracted lung cancer about 1 1/2 years before Caroline was born and, sadly, after being extremely ill over these 2 years, he was to pass away when Caroline was only 8 months old.

When I returned to teaching to teach at the New School, Samuel Terry Cranebrook, the School held an Opening of the School, as it was in its 1st year of operation.  This was another major event, that took much organisation.  When you are the Music person in a School there are many extra-curricular activities you are the organiser and trainer of.  These are outside of your normal 9 to 3 teaching hours, as we taught all the subjects to our classes.

Another sad event was to happen in the 1st year of this School being open, and occurring around the time Dad passed away, in fact within approximately a month, the 1st School Captain of this New School, a truly great child I taught, was to be knocked off his bike and killed.  It was a very hard time for his family and for us all.

Whilst at this school, I continued my Choir, Choral work, Recorder, Dance Group etc.

It was whilst at this school I was to get my 2nd promotion, to have the opportunity to be an Executive Teacher.

I was to then leave this school to take up my role as Executive Teacher at Penrith Public School.  I had now experienced a large school, 1/2 my career teaching in the Infants and 1/2 in the Primary School, teaching in a small country school, a Bicentennial and Closing of a School, the Opening of a School and now I was to experience another "different" event.

I was promoted to a Primary School.  The Infants School, part of the whole school, was, however, positioned on a totally different block of land several streets away.   We still needed to work together, so there were many lunch times needed to venture down to interact with the Staff and Assistant Principal in order to be working on the same plain.

My experience with learning to teach Reading was to really become valuable here.  I was able to work with the Principal, in my role of Acting Assistant Principal, to purchase many thousands of dollars of well-needed Reading Resources for the Primary School.

During my time at this school, as well as continuing with the Dance Group, Choirs, coaching Tennis etc, I was to lead the School Band.  There were many band instruments at this School, however, they were extremely old.  Undeterred, I was to train each band instrument, and compile and write some Music for this Band – the School Song – Advance Australia Fair – writing the parts for each instrument.  In their 2nd year of me working with  them, from most of them never having played a band instrument before, the Band performed these pieces of Music at School events as well as District Music Festivals, as well as performing other Music, to the delight of the parents, and the children themselves.

I certainly did experience a number of unusual events during my teaching career that most teachers would not have the opportunity of experiencing.  They were rewarding as experience is the greatest teacher.  Another was to come to pass at this school.

The Education Department decided to utilise the classrooms and block of land where the Infants’ teachers and their school had been for many years,  and turn it in to a District Headquarters, therefore requiring the Infants’ teachers and students to move up to our School and to merge with us, after having been separated from the Primary for many, many years.  There were a few teething problems, but we overcame them.

It was also during this time that the High School next door to our Primary School, on the same block of land, and the School to which our Primary School children had mostly automatically gone to forever as their local High School, was chosen to be a Selective High School.  This meant that most of the students that had been automatically going there forever would have to travel to High Schools further away.

This was a very difficult time for the Parents to come to terms with the fact their children would now mostly have to travel.

I already had a very deep interest in Teaching Children to Read, but I also had a blossoming interest in teaching Gifted and Talented students.   I was working several programs, with the children at this school to extend them, as there were a number of students at this school who were moving ahead extremely quickly with their schooling and learning,  in a wide variety of subject areas.  I went on to devise a successful program that was to ultimately see quite a number of students leave our School and enter the Selective High School.

Our son Christopher was to sit for the Opportunity Class and was to achieve extremely high results.  He was to move to the Opportunity Class, at another school, for Year 5 but I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to teach Year 5 at this school and my son was to be in this class.   People often asked how that was.  Christopher loved it.  The rest of the class didn’t mind it at all and saw no favouritism was ever shown to him, testament to the fact he went on to be chosen as Vice Captain of the School for the next year.  I had now been the Acting Assistant Principal at this school for 18 months.

I was to get an opportunity to move to the School that housed the Opportunity Class for our district, as an Executive teacher, this school being next door the University.  An Executive Teacher not only teaches in the Classroom but holds leadership, management and Executive roles within the school.

Christopher, Caroline and I were to now move to this School.  Christopher was to take up his place in the Opportunity Class for Year 6.  His Maths was so advanced he was riding on his bike to the local High School 5 days a week to work on Year 10 Advanced Maths, when only in Year 6.

I was teaching the classes with hard to manage children, many of whom were behind in their learning.  Many of these children went on to improve their results dramatically, which greatly boosted their self esteem and behaviour.   But I also had the added opportunity of being able to work with the Gifted and Talented children.  I was to teach the Opportunity Class for Maths for 2 years.  These children worked the Maths Olympiad to come 2nd in Australia and the Tournament of the Minds to come 2nd in NSW, losing by only 1 mark to the School that went on to win the Australian Tournament.  Christopher and Caroline were part of these groups.

Caroline was to become a Prefect in Year 6 and also came 2nd in the entire School of 5 Year 6 classes during this year, including the Opportunity Class, which she never sat  entrance for.  She was to Dux her own Year 6 Class, which I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to teach.  The class was actually a Year 4, 5 and 6 composite.  Once again the same applied for Caroline as Chris – no favouritism etc.

I can honestly say it has been most rewarding to have had the opportunity to teach my own children at School and they still say they were the best years of their school life.

I was involved in many School curriculum areas, during my career, many at the same time and also heading many, but still continuing with my Band, Choir, Choral Group, Dance work in the School, Region and State at all schools I taught at.

It was whilst at this last School, I was to organise 2 School Musicals that entailed working with the whole school, parents, teachers and students alike as one big team.  We all pitched in together to hold 2 really great Musicals.  There was much work to these, with organising the venue, the costumes, the performers, the training, etc, but they were truly memorable experiences.

There were many, many other areas I participated in, and/ or led during my years of teaching.  We were also able to participate as teachers in much Staff Development, Personal Growth work, and Curriculum training etc.

One of my favourite learning experiences was the Accelerative Learning for which I was to become Accredited and earn my 4th Year Status.

It was at this time also that everything seemed to be going along smoothly.  It was in the previous year I had had the opportunity of teaching Caroline.

It was during this year also, and whilst on an excursion to the University next door with the Senior School students, of which I was the head teacher, and, also once again the Acting Assistant Principal, that I was to have the freak accident that was to eventually take away my career.

After the accident, I was now teaching a Year 4 and gradually getting more and more unwell.  I was also heading the 2nd School Musical.

However, not long after Princess Diana died, I was no longer able to return to school full time.

It was to be several months before I finally got to see a Specialist who immediately, almost 12 months after the accident, understood what had happened and what needed to be done to help me.  I was only able to make the last couple of weeks of school that year to see the Musical to its completion.

I was so certain I would be back on my feet after the next School Christmas holidays in order to be able to continue my wonderful career.

I had also, just before these Christmas Holidays, been given the amazing news by the School Principal that I was to be the next year’s Opportunity Class Teacher.  This was out-of-this-world news, something I had totally dreamed of my whole teaching career, but, sadly, after many attempts the next year, I was never able to return to school teaching again.  Sadly, I was to be medically discharged 2 years later.

One could look back and see how truly sad this was, and, at times, I did, but more and more I have come to realise over all my years that one door closes and another one opens, as long as you let it.

I was to spend much of the next 6 years in hospital, more in than out.  I had a very different, extremely difficult form of  treatment that was required for my "condition" and really all was a huge life battle.  It was a 1 step forwards and 2 or more steps backwards experience, but we never gave up.

If I ever wrote a book about this period of time in my life, the experiences and journey,  and the effect it had on my husband, mother and children, people would truly not believe it.

I prefer not to go there as it was too painful and I feel it is very important to have grown from there.

I was to meet many people during this time who had a great impact on my life then and also its future, my survival, etc.  It was truly a growing time.  It was, many times, a fight for survival, but we came through.

I think I have sort of caught you up to where, why and how I was introduced to Network Marketing and MLM, Internet Marketing and eBay,  as I spoke of in my previous Blog sessions.

That’s enough about me now though, and I will now be focusing on where I am going today and in the future – why I love eBay and what John Thornhill,  Daniel Thompson, Dave Nicholson, Steve, Avril Harper, Matt and Amanda Clarkson, Tony Sharpe etc are teaching me/ have taught me.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog and please have a great rest of the day!

Speak with you again soon!

Carol

During the course of writing my blog I will be sharing some more information about me and the things I am using/ interested in/ hobbies etc.

I think you might have already picked up on the fact that even though I am fairly new to eBay, only since late August last year, I really love learning about it and buying and selling.

I know I have a long way to go but I really do have the best tools for learning from Bidding Buzz ,  Avril Harper , and John Thornhill.   Their weekly tuition is fabulous.

I think you can also really tell I am extremely passionate about John Thornhill’s Coaching Program. I have come further in Internet Marketing in a very short time, with his John Thornhill’s Mastery Coaching than I have come in well over 2 years.

What have I achieved?

I have learned to download a theme for my Blog to make it more attractive.   I have added my own header and footer to personalise my own blog with the help of Steve and Dave Nicholson at www.planetdivinity.com Their work is totally brilliant and they are extremely helpful.  I have extracted files, added Adsense ads, uploaded themes, tested my blog, subscribed to AWeber etc and now have an opt-in box on my Blog that works.  I am also finding my niche to create my first product.

I have found 10 things that I am passionate about so I can hone in on my Niche.

I grew up in a place called Paddington near the central business district of Sydney.

Paddington has definitely changed since my days of living there for the first 20 years of my life, which is now many years ago but  is also now a very expensive place to live.

Mum and Dad rented there for many years when I was growing up, to only purchase it for around $2000.  They sold the house for around $18000 not 2 short years later, which enabled them to build their dream home in Belrose.

Whilst growing up in Paddington, I went to a little school called Glenmore Rd Public School and then earned a place  at Sydney Girls’ High Selective School.  I had earned a place, in Year 5, in to Woollahra Demonstration School, which was an Opportunity Class School for which you had to sit a test.  Mum and Dad wanted me to stay at Glenmore Road, which I did.

I had an interest in Music from a very young age and was only quite young when I taught myself to play the Recorder and read Music, around 3 to 4 years of age.

I always wanted to be in a Sports team at school but, even though, apparently, I was quite good at the sports they offered of Netball and Softball, I never made it in to the teams.  I turned up for practice every week, but was not included.

I became very interested in Tennis in Year 5 and so started hitting up against our carport wall at home. It was a different wall to practise against as it had never been concreted so had lumps and bumps all over the place. I really enjoyed that as it was very challenging to hit the ball back, as it came at you from all different directions.

Being extremely disappointed about not getting in to the school sports teams for Softball or Netball, even though training hard and turning up for practice regularly, one day an opportunity arose to form a tennis team at our Primary school that would play tennis competitions against other schools. There was only one hiccup. They needed a parent to take the team to the various venues. That is where my mother came in, and she kindly took us all.   This was a huge step forward for my Mum as she was not used to doing anything like this at all.  This all occurred when I was in Year 5 and we went on to win the Comp.

When I went to High School, still absolutely passionate about, and active in playing Tennis, I eventually went on to Captain the School Tennis Team during my Senior Years.  This was a great honour.  I played much Tennis outside school as well and was involved in many A Grade competitions.

Where Music was concerned I had always wanted to play the Piano and learn Ballet but we were unable to afford these. I used to Sing all the time, right from when I was young. I would sing songs I created myself or sing along with records we had at home, such as Gilbert and Sullivan, Showboat, South Pacific etc.

In my second year of High School, I took Music Elective and this was when I found the Violoncello. Actually it was the Double Bass I first excitedly took home to show Dad and Mum, as I was going to be loaned this instrument so I could participate in the School Orchestra. Dad, however,  said he couldn’t find me behind the Double Bass as I was only 5’2". So, sadly, that was the end of the Double Bass and I was to bring home the Violoncello – otherwise known as the ‘Cello.

I absolutely loved learning this instrument, and continued Singing, joining the School Choir and Choral Group. I also joined the Recorder Band and was to end up learning all 5 Recorders and playing them in the school band over my years at High School.   In my last 2 years of High School, I was to actually train and conduct the School Recorder Band.  I also went on to train many Recorder players during my teaching years, as well as train and conduct many Recorder Bands, some of which were coached to play the 5 different recorders in part playing.

In the next 4 years I continued learning the ‘Cello and was getting extremely good exam results. I was participating in the School Orchestra, which was just fabulous. I was then selected to try out for the Secondary Schools Orchestra and won a place in this. I also joined a Chamber Music Group at the NSW Conservatorium.

I was to earn a place for my Senior Years at the Conservatorium High School, but Dad preferred me staying at Sydney Girls High School.

With Tennis, I continued playing at School, and also joined Tennis Teams outside school. We went on to win the School Competitions over the years. I ended up in A Grade outside school and we won most Competitions there too.

Sadly, early in my last year of High School, with the ‘Cello being my major exam instrument, and after having just been selected to play in the Orchestra for Rudolph Nureyev and Dame Margot Fonteyn, and being up to up to what was called Thumb position on the ‘Cello, I was unable to achieve thumb position as I am double jointed in all my fingers, and my fingers kept locking at the top of the strings near the bridge. No matter what I did I was unable to achieve this thumb position and go any further as at this stage of one’s playing thumb position is used frequently.  I was devastated as I had to give the Cello up, an intstrument I truly loved and apparently, was considered to be very good at.  All at the last year of my High School in Music with it being my major exam instrument.

This was  for 1st Level Music and I could now no longer play it. However, no matter how devastated I felt inside, there was really no time at all to feel this devastation, although I really was as I loved the ‘Cello, the Orchestra, and the Chamber Music group.

What was I to do?   Luckily I was fortunate enough to have been playing the Recorder from when I was 3 to 4 years of age, so I purchased all the Music I required for 6th Grade in this instrument, and started practising furiously with only 4 months to the final 1st Level Music Exam.

It was very sad to say goodbye to the ‘Cello, but I did go on to earn my 1st Level Music results coming 2nd in the State in Music, a subject I thought I had failed. This was absolutely wonderful.

I did very well in my other subjects in High School.

I had always wanted to be a Teacher. I was to get 5 Scholarships, one to be a Lawyer, but Teaching was what won me. I did not want to be a High School Music or Maths teacher, a scholarship I had also earned,  as I had seen how the children at my High School had mostly not wanted to do Music, and subsequently how they behaved in the lessons, and that was a good school. I felt that if I could capture children in Primary School, I had more chance of passing on a love of Music, Maths and other subjects on to them. This was to become more true than I was to realise at this time.

I was to enter Alexander Mackie Teachers’ College in Paddington, not far from my home, in fact in walking distance,  and a new chapter in my life was to begin.   This College no longer exists. It was Sydney Technical High School, before it was the Teachers’ College.  It was almost next door to the Army Barracks in Paddington.

This is where I will leave us today and continue the journey again soon.

Bye for now and have a great rest of the day!

Regards Carol

Hi again. Thanks so much for visiting my Blog and taking the time to read it.

I always write long Blogs because I am not able to write every day and also because I love writing, and expressing through the written word.

That is a great achievement for me as I am really quite a shy person. Many, many years went by and I really did not share much. However, I did in the classroom when teaching the children. In fact, I was very relaxed there.

It was only a few years ago I realised I was able to express myself  fairly well really,  and was now able to also achieve that with the written word. This became fabulous to be able to express myself, and share information.

I do write long Blogs because, lol , "I am practising my skills for future Sales CopyWriting", which requires long explanations.

Now, I will continue from where I was up to in my last Blog posting.

I think I have already conveyed I was an Executive Primary School Teacher for 29 years.  I was very passionate about my career.

I loved working with children, seeing them blossoming and growing, and knowing I was playing a small, but extremely important  part in that growth. I had a wonderful poem I placed above  the doorway leading to my classroom about a potter and his clay. This clearly showed my total belief in how important each imprint we make, and have,  upon children is, and, for that matter, also upon ourselves and others, when we have the gift of the opportunity to have an influence in part of their growth.

The Sculptor

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it, one day,
And as my fingers pressed it, still
It moved and yielded to my will.

I came again when days were passed,
That bit of clay, was hard at last,
The form I gave it, still it bore,
And I could change that form no more.

Then I took a piece of living clay
And gently formed it, day by day,
And moulded with my power and art,
A young child’s soft and yielding heart.

I came again when years were gone,
It was a man I looked upon,
He still that early impress bore,
And I could change it nevermore.

Author Unknown

A Potter Thumping His Wet Clay

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to have been involved in many curriculum, teaching, education, management and learning areas during my teaching career, in the School, District, Region and State.  I also taught 1/2 of my teaching career in the Infants, and 1/2 in the Primary and tutored for many years, quite a few subject areas from early Learning right through to Year 12.  This gave me a wide range of experiences I will always be very grateful to have had.

I ran several committees, musicals, music festivals, school choral groups and choirs, as well as District ones.  I ran, and trained each instrument for the School Band, Recorder Group, trained the Dance Group and many other areas that covered a wide range of subject areas, as well as also being  involved in, and leading, many Management and Leadership areas.

I loved them all.  I will always fondly remember these experiences and opportunities and be grateful for them.

I had earned a few scholarships at the end of High School, including one to become a Lawyer, and another to be a High School Maths and Music Teacher. However, I had always wanted to be a teacher  in a Primary School, and, even now, I am extremely grateful I had the opportunity to teach children for so many years. It was extremely rewarding and holds many wonderful memories I will treasure always.

Sadly, one day, in my 29th year of teaching, I had that  freak accident, whilst at school, that was to take away this wonderful career.

It is amazing how one’s life can just change over night, mind you, just in an instant.

However, I was to learn, one door closes and another opens.  It is all for a purpose.

I have learned so much during this journey and treasure very much my family, friends and those who saw me through those times.

What was to follow was 44 anaesthetics, hundreds of canulas, portacaths, 3 major surgeries, 3 major life-threatening blood infections, many chest wall injections, 7, some almost fatal,  overdoses (not by me), strong medications etc.

I was to spend the majority of the next 6 years more in hospital than out.  The resulting condition, as a  result of the accident, was very rare, with rare side effects, and required special pain management, which I was to get from the leading specialist in his field in Australia, and for which required long hospitalisations.  It was a very tough time.  But, I will always be extremely grateful to the wonderful medical people, clergy, family and friends who supported me, and our family, during this time.

Almost overnight my secure income disappeared and we were instantly a 1 income family with 2 children to put through High School, a mortgage to pay, bills to pay, and my mother had also just come to live with us.  Our children were only 11 and 13 at the time of the accident.

During those years I truly never gave up.  I had wonderful support.  Sometimes it was extremely scary.  Sometimes it would have probably been much easier to give up.

During this time, I also wanted to find a way to be able to help my husband out financially.  He virtually was a single parent trying to hold the fort and bring up the children, pay all the bills from his wage, and be there for me, the children and my mum.  He is truly extremely special.

I was not able to help at all really for the first few years, but then I started to dabble around looking for things for me to be able to do via the internet.   There were so many things out there – thousands, and there still are, but I was not sure what was legitimate and what was not.  I saved many possible sites for future viewing, for when I would once again feel better.  I would get to go through these later in my journey, a few at a time when I was feeling better but many, in the manner they were presented, did not appear to be trustworthy to follow.

In my 6th year, whilst still mostly in hospital, I was to be introduced to Network Marketing MLM Multi Level Marketing.

In between, I had purchased a few products that promised to help me earn money from home, but many I could not understand, or I’d get so far and come across stumbling blocks only to find there was no support of any kind offered to you from the experienced people who had produced these products, that would help me get through those hurdles.  So these products, for me, would go in the “It doesn’t work”, “the too hard” basket, "the I just don’t understand it" basket or the “they just wanted my money” basket.

I really studied the Network Marketing MLM Company that was presented to me, and it came up trumps, from all angles.  I was impressed with the fact it offered brilliant products that would help people with their health, and the products really did help me.  I had tried so many vitamins etc whilst in hospital, and on my medications but none really seemed to benefit me. I was really impressed with their vitamin and mineral products. They were created by a man who really understood the living cell and what it needed for nourishment.

I was also impressed with the promise of a residual income that would help our circumstances and that also could be willed to family.

It was quite expensive for us to join, but I was totally believing of what had been presented to me, comfortable in the knowledge of my total commitment to work at things, the knowledge also that I definitely have determination, self-motivation and drive, the fact that I really wanted to succeed, and believed what I had been told that by following their system, with my input, and not giving up, I would succeed.

I went very well and in a 2 year period became a Silver Director.  However, the week I turned Silver, the very well-earned, hard-earned, fairly substantial cheque I received, and was excited about, resulted in my extra points, of which there were thousands,  being taken from me, and sent back up to the company.   I then went back to zero points, which now meant I had to go through the whole building points to earn process again.  We were back at zero income.  I began to question how difficult, time consuming and expensive it had been to get to this point.

Quite a few of my team were disillusioned too now, as they had seen I was able to build the business fairly well, and even though I spent much time training and working with them, holding weekly Conference calls, Webinars, Meetings, Home Meetings etc, their businesses were not growing as mine was.  They were not receiving money for their input of time nor outlay on the products each month.  They were spending more than they were earning, and so was I, yet I was working at the business many, many hours a week.

I was to meet what was to be my 2nd Network Marketing Company through a friend who had been in the previous company I just spoke about, but who had been in a leadership role with 2 of the top Australian people in the world in this company.  They had all decided to leave for their own reasons, and move in to this fairly new company that had only 1 product, but with this company moving ahead in leaps and bounds, showing rapid growth not really seen before in the industry.

I was not looking for a move, had just had laser eye surgery and was at home recuperating when, my soon to be sponsor, came to visit me at my house near Sydney NSW, having flown all the way from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to try to get me to join. She really wanted me in her team.

PS:  Laser eye surgery was one of the bravest things I had ever done and I had the surgery on Friday 13th March and never chickened out.  It is great though.  I have one eye one vision and the other the other vision.  I can see 10 times better now.

I explained to her, on her visit,  that I was not interested at all in changing companies.  However, she was to show me the payment plan, and take me to a meeting the company leaders from America were running in Sydney NSW.  The payment plan appeared much more lucrative than the previous MLM Network Marketing Company, and appeared much easier for everyone to be able to achieve an income from, and, there was only 1 product .  This company was on the move, and was proving to be one of the fastest growing companies in this Network Marketing MLM Industry ever.

I began taking this product almost immediately, as did my family and I also gave it to my Mum. It really assisted my mother’s Alzheimer’s well. I still use this product to this day for Mum, my husband and me, as the children have moved away from home now.  It is an amazing product and has really helped.

Mum had lived with us for several years, until she, sadly, in 2003 had to go in to a Nursing Home.  However, this product, (once I joined this company and, with her Drs support), I started her on, and it was to help her immensely, as it still does today.

I decided to move in to this company, and much of my team decided to move with me because we were a team of friends and colleagues, and they were also impressed with this company  too.  I did not ask them to move with me.  They merely asked where I was going and why, took a look at the company and payment plan and liked it, wanted to continue to work with me, and so many moved too.  I felt honoured by their faith in me.  I believed not only that my family and I were going to be able to build a good income but so would my team be able to.

I was to learn how wrong I was as it is a business of bringing other people in to the business, and even though I was truly passionate about the company, its product, the payment plan, my team etc and worked many, many hours training, demonstrating etc it is really up to each individual person to have their own commitment and passion and share that with their own people.  I was recruiting but no matter how I showed others most were not able to duplicate.  I was to learn it was a business only a few people could succeed in.

Within a year I had risen several levels and had brought 175 extra people personally in to my business, all over the phone with cold called leads I had purchased.  I trained these new people, continued to build a team, held weekly Webinars, worked with the team, had weekly conference calls, held meetings etc.

I was loving this company too, but, suddenly 1 day, I turned around and realised I was actually working from early in the morning until late at night and almost all weekend to build the business.  I had helped the rest of the team by placing people in their businesses too, but many, once again, were not receiving the income for the input they were putting in time wise and financially, nor were they finding their own people to share the benefits of this company, its product, the payment plan etc..

I suddenly turned around and realised I was not earning anywhere near the amount of money I should be for the time I was outlaying, for the cost of the many, many phone calls I was making, the leads I was purchasing which were expensive overall,  and the amount of product I was buying.  The bank balance was going down rather than up.  This was a wake up call.

I still earn a moderate monthly income from this company, still use the product, but am no longer building the business.

Some other negative things occurred during these times, which there is no need to go in to, but, with almost feeling like a sledgehammer had hit me, I suddenly realised there had to be a better way for me, and the team, to earn money that did not entail all that work for not much return, having to recruit people and, as well, on top of all of this, there were way, way too many costs.

Just a little over a year ago, our circumstances had become extremely grim because of the past medical bills, legal fees, the costs of trying to feed, clothe, etc 5 adult family members, the cost of putting teenagers through High School etc.  Mum, also through these years, sadly, had developed Alzheimer’s, which had slowly crept up on her.

I am not the sort of person to sit down and feel sorry for myself, that is for sure, or we to feel sorry for ourselves.  I am a problem solver, and so started to look around for something else that may be able to answer our prayers.   “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again.” ”Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and get moving again” are life flags for me.

Internet Marketing was now really beginning to appeal more and more to me, as, with my conditions, I am only able to work from home. I also love working with the computer, so that was a plus.

I did not know how difficult, time consuming, and expensive  a journey having this interest area was going to be.  There are quite a number of “shonksters” out there, and I  have been taken for an expensive ride through this time, even though I had the occasion sometimes to explain our circumstances up front to people.  Some people are really callous and it appears some really don’t care about others as long as they get the money in their pocket, with no care of what damage it does to others when the product(s) they have sold do not follow through as stated.  We mortgaged our home believing in them, only to lose out. But that’s part of life and part of our particular learning curve.

I realise though that not everyone out there in the big, wide world is a shonkster.  There are genuine people out there too, thank heavens.  You just have to keep searching for them. They really do turn up.

Where is this leading me?  I have found 3 or 4 to trust.  I am going with them.

After much time, much loss of money etc I am so glad recently I found John Thornhill’s Coaching Program , BiddingBuzz eBay Course , Avril Harper and The System G Formula – The ULTIMATE Make Money Online Video Course!

It may be too late to save our home, but home is where the heart is and I really mean that. However, I am going to work very hard each day to make sure that does not happen, as my wonderful husband already does.

I get up excited each day that I have found systems to work with that I know I can achieve with because of the step-by-step training approach these people use, the systems they have in place for all to be able to achieve, how professionally they present everything, and the amazing support they offer to people.  You just can’t go wrong.

Please take a look over on the right hand side at the Recommended places heading.

I will keep you updated on what happens on my journey because I know I am going to get there, 1 step at a time, learning, taking ACTION and by NEVER giving up.

You know, I believe Earth is a school.  I call it the Earth school.  I believe we are here to love and be loved, learn and share what we learn with others.

Please have a great rest of the day!  Speak to you again soon!

Why do I put this heading – My First Blog – Almost…..?????

I actually created my first blog several weeks ago and haphazardly posted to the blog from that day onwards – I think I only listed around 6 listings at My Other Carol Harridge Blog Site over these last few weeks.

To say the "spirit has been willing but the flesh is weak," over these last few months, is an understatement.

Over the next few days I will let you know about my journey during the time I listed those small amount of previous listings, but I wanted to let you know why I have not been able to post on a regular basis over these last few months, having, as a result of all of this, to go back and learn all over again exactly how to do this. To do this, I purchased another domain in the name of http://www.Carol-Harridge.com for this new learning curve and have now also recommenced posting at my original blog at http://www.CarolHarridge.com

I desperately wanted to earn money online, as I have disabilities that do not enable me to be part of the outside workforce any more. I am a teacher, a career I absolutely was passionate about, until I lost it due to an accident, after 29 extremely wonderful and fruitful years teaching children.

Sadly, on my journey over the last 2 years, I have met a lot of shonksters, people who were more interested in getting money out of me, and others, than supporting one through their journey to learn how to make money online.

Last year a number of major hiccups happened in my life that left my health in an even more deteriorated condition than it was prior to last year, owing to another freak, major accident that took my health from me, the other previous freak accident, having taken my career from me.

I am not a giver-upper and have continued to fight the battle and have begun to pick up again.

During these last months I was not able to put in the concentrated effort to the wonderful programs and trainers I had finally met on my expensive, time-consuming journey to learn how to make money online.

I am back on track and I am determined to stay there.

I am going to repeat those original blog listings, with necessary changes, over the next few days so you can see that I am really beginning again, as I had to go back and start all over again. I am glad to do so. I know that with the people I am working with now, and their programs, and my determination and hard work, I will succeed.

I will mention these programs and trainers and impress upon you to please take heed of the information I share with you because it has taken considerable time, money and other non-working programs for me to finally end up where I am, with the added problems of health issues. These are all just hurdles. What I will share with you are genuine people and programs I have found on this long journey for truth and honesty, with people who care and support their people on the learning journey and well afterwards as well.

So, here we go. Now you know why I have called this My First Blog – Almost….>>>

Today is a very exciting and rewarding day for me. I feel my health is returning.

I have been on a journey to learn Internet Marketing and eBay. I have bought several products over the last couple of years, or so, and tried to implement them. Many were far too complicated to understand and did not provide a mentoring program to go with them, that also provided support. Also there were many, many scams out there, and many who seem to just want to take your money and not be there to support you at all.

Many, many products later, and after huge expense, I was glad to have arrived at finding John Thornhill’s Coaching Program.

This is a brilliant Coaching program. John has altered this program now to be his John Thornhill’s Marketing MasterClass . This program is so popular and fantastic, but, at the moment, it is sold out. Not to be upset by this, there is a place for you to put your name on the waiting list.

It was when I went to visit the original program’s site, "John Thornhill’s Coaching Class" that I found it too was sold out, but I didn’t let this worry me, as I registered to find out when it was opening up again and waited until I could be accepted, and that is why I am telling you about it today, because I got in! Yipee!

However. As I explained before, I was not able to keep up due to serious illness, and then was fortunate when John opened up his John Thornhill’s Marketing MasterClass , and as a previous Coaching Class student, I was given the chance to upgrade and join this Marketing MasterClass. I will tell you that was 5 weeks ago, and I am now up to Week 2 – 3 weeks behind, once again due to my health issues, but today, alone, I have worked 2 weeks of the course and intend to be caught up by the end of this week, to the end of Week 5 where I am supposed to be.

Wow! All I can say is Tremendous! John Thornhill’s program is a step-by-step walkthrough using videos and has accompanying email Technical support provided by John Thornhill himself, and the clever, and very patient, Daniel Sumner.

I was really a beginner when I started, and still am really. However, I have learned a lot from John already from his 1st course, even though I was not able to complete it. Up until joining his first course, I had gone nowhere with all the other programs I had purchased over those 2 years.

I did end up reaching some stumbling blocks with many of these other unfortunate, supposedly promising programs I had purchased over those years, where I just couldn’t get my head around understanding what to do to move forward, and there was noone to assist, but John and Daniel patiently assisted me to get over these hurdles, and that is why you are reading this "My First Blog – Almost" today. I am sure if there are more hurdles, as there probably will be, now I have commenced my journey again with the new program, I will be able to get through them with their help, and my own determination and input.

I have so far learned how to Create a Blog, Created Links and Categories, purchased a Domain name, registered it with D9 Hosting Company , edited the DNS settings, set up my own email account, and, as you can see, have now restarted Posting. Prior to learning all of this, I can honestly tell you it was all too hard for me to understand. It was truly like another language. It made me truly understand what it was like to be children who are learning to read and learn the language.

I thank John and Daniel very much because it is an easy-to-follow 36 week program, nowhere near as expensive as others out there, some of which I have bought, that have never taken me, in such a short time, to be where I am now, in only roughly a few short weeks of Coaching. I am so grateful. I know now I am heading in the right direction, as long as I don’t give up, which I won’t.

I have since also found 3 to 4 other brilliant programs, with excellent training and support, that I am going to also continue to work with, having found they also give that same caring, honesty, support and mentorship as John Thornhill’s program.

If you head over to the right side of my blog now and enter in to the "Recommended" section, you will find I have recommended products from these people, and anything I do list in there and recommend, you can know for a fact, these programs will work for you, are not scams, nor money takers with no support.

I highly recommend The System G Formula – The ULTIMATE Make Money Online Video Course!

I will be describing this brilliant training program, in much more detail over the next few days and months, as I will the other programs, mentors, support and trainers, I have finally settled happily with. The information I will share with you about these people and programs that are to do with working eBay, Internet Marketing, Network Marketing, MLM, and how to make money online is priceless and will save you thousands and thousands of dollars, and hours and hours of wasted labour I have put in over the last 2 or so years – I promise…

I also recently, over these last few short months, started selling, and buying, seriously again on eBay, thanks to another great program you will find at Bidding Buzz .

This also has given me back confidence for the same reasons as John’s program.

It, also is easy-to-follow, and down-to-earth, and takes you step-by-step through the learning and implementing of their technique, also with the use of videos etc. They also have a brilliant coaching and mentoring program, which can be learned via either weekly lessons delivered to you by email, or by purchasing, and following, the brilliant eBay Magic Course. It is all worth every red cent, believe you me. Better still, why not get both. I have, and the more I read and watch, the more I learn.

This outstanding program was started by the fantastic, young husband and wife team of Matt and Amanda Clarkson who live on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia. They have established an extremely successful eBay business of their own, have become PowerSellers in a very short time, have a hard-working and clever support team, and will show you how you can make money while you are sleeping, by working from home. I am very fortunate to be in their Joint Venture program.

In a short time they have gone on to now earn over $60 000 a month from their eBay business. They are down-to-Earth, and extremely caring, but they are also excellent business people, very committed to building their own business, as well as helping others to build theirs. They, and their team, will also help you to build a successful business working from home.

I would also like to say, most emphatically, the above is also what I think of  The System G Formula and its creator Tony Sharpe. I will be talking lots more about him, and his program, and products in the future postings. You can bet your bottom dollar on that one…..

I started seriously buying and selling again a few short weeks ago. I have built to a Feedback of 149, from only 23, have a 100% feedback score, of which I am very proud, and was averaging around $350 – $380 a week selling things from around our home until my health deteriorated. I have recently been averaging around $150 – $200 with things from around the home and also selling my information products I am building up the supply of. This drop in sales has only been due to my ill health, not my enthusiasm or drive.

Virtually everything that is not nailed down at home is available for me, and anyone, to sell. I am committed to building a very successful eBay business and building our monthly income to much higher than this. I know I can do this by following their course, with their support, my own passion and belief, my willingness to learn, but, most importantly my willingness to take the necessary Action, and not give up.

I will also continue to learn much about eBay and selling information products by following John Thornhill ‘s teaching.

I have also recently found another person I highly recommend and have just commenced learning from and that is Avril Harper . I am so looking forward to working through her very clear, and easy-to-understand, eBay/ Internet Marketing/ ClickBank training and support program. I will also be talking much about Avril Harper in my future blogs.

I will keep you updated on how I am going with everything. In the meantime please check these all out and, also what is on sale by me at eBay under the name of BiddingBuzzers.

You can also visit my eBay Store at BiddingBuzzers

Carol Harridge’s BiddingBuzzers eBay Store

I thank you truly for dropping by, and look forward to sharing many amazing things with you through my blog listings.

All the best