One reason work at home gurus feel undervalued

When I tell people I work from home, I get a response similar to a group of gals gossiping..."Oooo tell me more." The conversation is often more on how lucky I am (which I am),  how fun it would be to work from home and all the other benefits of working from home.

Now, I'm glad there is a lot of enthusiasm for my work, but the issue is...working from home is not my work. That is it's not what I do it's just where I do it. Like my office counter parts, I have to complete set tasks in order to get any kind of income. I also have to do these tasks to the best of my ability the same way I would if I was working anywhere.

It also concerns me when I notice people down play my work with the automatic assumption that they can do it too. As if reading blogs, or even having a personal blog that you update once a month qualifies you to earn an income to become a high paid blogger.

The statement anyone can work from home is a myth. But this myth lives on because people put more emphasis on where they are working rather than what they're doing. Would you say "I work in a brown building on 4th street" when someone asked what you do for a living? Probably not. Even mentioning "I work in an office" or saying "I work at (name of company) is silly in my opinion, because it says nothing about what you actually do.

When people ask me what I do for a living I'll give them some job title. They might then ask what that entails and then if the topic comes around to it I say, "I work from home." It's the last thing on the list, not the first because it's the least important feature.

Your talents and skills are what make your job, not where you employ them. I'm glad I get to work from home. It suits me. It wouldn't suit everyone, but for me, it's become essential. I get to do certain tasks from home. But the point is I have to do something. I don't sit on the couch all day watching T.V. expecting money to pour in.

You may also have a similar problem of people forgetting that working from home entails working and this neglect can make one feel less appreciated in the work force. But keep in mind that in order to be successful you have to dedicate a heap of hours, especially at the beginning to your business/career. Simply shrug of the condescending remarks and play up your job and what you do rather than where you do it from.