One of the things that can be most disempowering for people living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS / ME) and other chronic illnesses is the lack of an income – or a significant reduction in income – due their health condition.
I certainly know it has been for me.
Not only does our potential to earn an income get cut back (or cut off) by CFS, but on top of that there are increased medical costs.
Even if we just stick to the essential medical/health costs it can be costly, and then there are the myriad alternative and natural health options out there that we often find ourselves benefiting from.
If I could have all the money back that I (and my family) have spent over 20 years on doctors, alternative health practitioners, vitamins, other supplements, massages and so on, I think I’d have over $100,000.
Maybe I would have spent that money frivolously on other things anyway if I wasn’t ill, but if I had saved it I’d have my mortgage paid off now.
My former spouses, parents and other family members who’ve helped me financially would also be much better off.
So financial strain is a major stress on top of all the other stresses of CFS. If we could reduce that it would certainly make our illness journey a bit easier.
Passive Income Opportunities Online
Over the years, but especially since the start of this year, I have been learning a lot about ways to earn money online – legitimate, ethical, non-get-rich-quick ways.
I am still very much learning myself, but it has been dawning on me that if people living with CFS could learn about how to use these methods, they could potentially, over time, start to earn some income with the little amount of energy they have – and reduce the financial stress on their and their families’ lives.
Now this won’t be for everyone, but I certainly know if I had the option 21 years ago, when I first became ill with CFS, to earn some money online via a passion of mine I would have grasped it with both hands.
And I say “via a passion” because these methods explore ways of using your already-existing passions to earn money online.
What I’ve decided to do is to occasionally blog about ways I believe people with CFS / ME and other chronic illnesses could use their time, knowledge, abilities and passions to earn themselves some extra income online.
There are many dedicated websites, blogs and podcasts on this topic, but the most high quality one I’ve found so far is Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcasts and blog.
Pat uses layman’s terms (mostly) to discuss various ways to earn money online by putting in some time now to reap the benefits of passive income over time.
Other high quality, ethical podcasts in this vein are Nicole On The Net and Leslie Samuel’s Become a Blogger podcasts.
I will occasionally blog about ways to earn money online that I think may work for people living with CFS / ME.
I’m new to it too, but maybe we can learn (and earn) together 🙂
Keep Smiling
Louise
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 6:00 — 6.9MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS