Are you Snoopy or Charlie Brown?

Tele-Classic Article

As a child, I enjoyed the holidays because there was always a Peanuts Special involved. A reoccurring theme in many of the stories was something I could identify with, even though I was a small child.

Charlie Brown was always waiting at the mailbox for a letter or some sort of correspondence from someone, anyone. Charlie would lose days waiting for a letter and never receive anything. Snoopy, to the aggravation of Charlie Brown, always had mail. How in the heck could a “dog” have mail everyday? In Charlie’s eyes a dog was more successful than he was.

I would laugh uproariously at this whole situation because even as a child I understood why Snoopy got mail. Do you?

It’s because Snoopy wouldn’t stop writing letters. That dog was always mailing something out. Then he would forget about it and go back to write and send even more. He would get his good friend “Woody the Bird” to drop the envelope in the mailbox. Then he would stroll back to his typewriter, on the top of his doghouse, and write another letter or another fictional story about the Red Baron. He was always writing something. He understood what many people don’t. Volume is the key. If you want a response -- good, bad or indifferent -- the more you bravely throw things out into the universe, the more likely you will hit a target and the better your chances are for success. Unfortunately, success is just a numbers game folks.

This goes for job hunters looking for telecommuting work. I get messages from those that send out 25, 50, 100 resumes; complaining that they have yet to get a response. I say stop sitting around banging your big head against the mailbox (like lovable Charlie). There are a lot of chances to make money; you just haven't hit the mark yet.

Maybe you need to analyze your efforts or your skills. Maybe the one hundred and first resume will hit its mark. Maybe you should look into other ways to make money while you’re looking for that perfect fit (i.e. register with freelance work sites). Your continued action is all that matters. Sitting back and waiting is a waste of your time. The time is going to pass anyway; you might as fill it up with something. The more you give, the more you will receive. Remember that success is just a numbers game. Which are you, Snoopy or Charlie Brown?

Original copyright 2000, Revised 2007 © Telecommuting Millionaire/R. Mays
Photo by David HM Spector