New Chapter

Here I am ready to start a new chapter in my life.  My first day of being unemployed, at least the kind of employment that most people think about.  But now is the time, to be free from the time constraints of a 9 to 5 job, free from someone else telling me what to do, free from someone else telling me how much I am worth, free to see where God will lead.
I know that everything that has happened up until now, every job that I have held, every volunteer position has led up to this point. 
So what I am feeling? What will I do?  First, I would not be truthful if I didn't say that I was a little apprehensive, a little nervous, a scared even.  But at the same time, I am excited, anticipatory, and for the first time in a long time at peace.
So where will I start?  I will start with what I know and what I love and what I believe God has placed in me.  Take for instance blogging, I love writing and have been told that I am good at it, writing is one of those things that Paralegals do after all, so I will write.  I will share my passion, my journey, my knowledge with anyone who will listen.
My passion is life, health, wellness, helping others, and learning.  That is what I will share on these pages, so I hope that if you are not already, that you would follow me. 
I have also always wanted to write a book, so I will begin that journey. 
I will speak, I will post to Youtube and other social medias my knowledge and passions.
And of course the bills still have to paid, so the vehicle to do what I love will be Arbonne.  Arbonne and all of its health and wellness products fits perfectly with this new lifestyle that I am carving out for myself.  It will allow me to help others decide where their passion lies and will help them to reach whatever the are trying to obtain. 
I believe that everything that happens to us, happens for a reason, and that God truly works everything out for good, for those who are called by his name.  Now is the time to put my belief into practice.  To step out in faith.  
This blog will be an offshoot of my newsletter, so if you have not already done so, please join my mailing list.
That is all as I sit here in Chick-fil-a, starting on a New Chapter in my life.  Please feel free to leave comments.

Wake Up Call

There are certain things that happen in life, that come along, that are wake up calls.  One of those came yesterday, and it didn't happen to me directly, but happen to a friend, a co-worker of mine.  I knew that things had gotten tight at work, that we needed to watch what we spend.  But even knowing this, what happened yesterday took me totally by surprised.  I wasn't even in the office when it happened, I was out doing an event for my "Business", I was what I like to call "working my business" when it happened.  That is when they let my friend go at work.  No warning, just thank you for your time, you may take the rest of the day off.  She called my right after it happened.  At that time, I didn't know how bad things were at work, I didn't know if I would have a job when I went back. 
And then I started thinking, is this what I want?  Do I want to continuing working a "JOB" where every day could be my last day? Where I make what someone else has determined that I am worth or what the office can afford?  Do I want to work the hours that someone else has prescribed to me?  Work the days someone else tells me to?
 The answer was an overwhelming NO!!!!  This is not what I want.  For although, I still have that JOB today, who knows about Monday, next week, next month. 
Back to "working my business" I know I said that I was out "working my business" but I had to stop and think, was I really?  Do I actually go out with intention, when I attend different events for my business?  Or do I go out and what ever happens, happens, I will just wait and see?  I know the answer.
 If I was fully committed to my business, working it with intention, single focus, with my eye on the prize then I would be much further along then I am now.
So today, I will refocus on what I want, where I am going and how I am going to get there.  I will work with intention, knowing before each phone call, each meeting, each email, each time I step out of the house or get one the computer, what is it that I want to accomplish.  What is the purpose for this activity?  And then I will complete the task with that purpose in mind, knowing that the end result will be exactly what I purposed it to be.
I will pray each day, before the day begins, asking God for what He wants me to do that day, and then seeking His guidance on how to accomplish what it is that He has set before me.  I will pray before, during and after each activity.  And above all, I will praise God for everything that happens.  I will learn from things that did not go the way that was intended.  I will share with my team, and accountability partners all that happens, knowing that I need to surround myself with like minded people and help others to do the same.
 I will support others, always be gracious with people, follow through with promises, always remember that people are more important than gaining a sell, or new recruit.  I will work my business with integrity, knowing that who I am, is more important than what I do or what I sell.
Today I will begin this process, today I will do whatever it takes to be the person that God has called me to be, and to help others do the same.  The time is now for I am not guaranteed tomorrow.
I make this commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends and to you and ask for you to hold me accountable for everything I have written and committed too.
God Bless

Being Human

     What does it mean to be human and who decide?  Are we human by virture of the fact that we are alive?  Or is it something else that makes us human?  Do we become human in our mothers' wombs or when someone recognizes us as human? Does the law determine who is human and who is not?  Does society?  Does God? Is it the same for everyone?
     These are questions that I have been pondering and through my pondering, God has placed it on my heart to write a book on what it means to be human. 
     My plan is to interview people and ask what does it mean to be human and who decides.  I would like to interview several people for my book from all walks of life and all ages.  I want to ask kids what does it mean to be human, I want to talk to mothers who have suffered from a miscarriage, parents of children who were born with some sort of disability.  Those who have had to make tough decisions about keeping a loved one alive or taking them off life support.
     I want to talk to anyone who was made to feel less then human by another.  Maybe by an abusive spouse, or by someone because of your race, your religion, your nationality.  Perhaps because of your circumstances you now feel less than human because you are homeless, over weight, loss part of your body in war.
     I would like to police, military, doctors that have had to forget about the humanity of a person in order to do their job.  Or the detective, police, or attorney who had to remember that the person that they are looking for, getting justice for is human and not just another case or statistic. 
     If you have a story, or a thought that you would like to share and would be willing to be interview, please contact me with your information.  Your story can be anonymous, if you would like or if you want I can use your name, your first name, an initial or fake name. 
     I can't guarantee any money for your story, for I am not even sure where this will lead, but if there is money made I will compensate all contributors.  Any experience that you have about being human, feeling less than human, or what it means to be human I will listen to.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Whether you know it as song from the 60's or know the words from the Bible, it is said that to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.
Unfortunately, I think most people, if you are like me, may be waiting for that "perfect" time, and seasons are passing us by. Whether it is when I "get my license", "turn 18", "move out", "have kids", "kids grow up", "we get our bills paid off", "we retire", etc., etc., etc. Whatever it is, we are always waiting for something else to happen before it is time to act. Even something as simple as, "I'll start my diet Monday", "I'll start after the holidays" it is never going to be the right time. Let me say that again, IT IS NEVER GOING TO BE THE RIGHT TIME if you are waiting for things in your life to be perfect, but NOW is always the right time. So right now, think of three things that you would like to accomplish in the next three months, anything at all. And now write three things that you can do in this next week to start yourself on the path to accomplishing those goals, and finally, think of at least one thing that you can do tonight and do it. Once you start, and get yourself in momentum, it is much easier to keep going. So whatever it is, start today, for today is the season of your life to make a change, to help you move toward accomplishing your purpose.

The Director's Commentary

One of the things that I like most about watching DVDs is watching the Director's Commentary.  I love seeing the movie from the Director's point of view.  In the Director's Commentary you get to find out little secrets about the movie and the reason for why certain things are done.  You find out about why certain lighting is chosen, why certain music is played and you even get to find out about certain "extras" that happen to be someone's wife, uncle, son, daughter etc.  Then when you watch the movie again you have a better understanding and appreciation for what went into the making of the movie. 
I started thinking what would my "Director's Commentary" look like, what if I saw my life from the director's point of view?  Would I pay more attention to the colors, the lighting, the sounds, the people around me?  Would I appreciate the simple things that seem to just fade into the background?  Would I take better care of myself, if I saw the love and details that went into creating me?  Would I see people differently, if I thought of them as someone's son, daughter, mother, father?  What if?
So my challenge to you this week, is instead of just going through your daily routine, stop and think about what goes into every aspect of your life, enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, beauty of each and every day, look at people, really look and see, don't just look through them.  Listen and appreciate everything about your life.  And maybe, just maybe with a better appreciation of life, we will take better care of ourselves and others.

"So What?"

So What? Is it a way to give up, or is it the beginning of action? I think if used correctly, then "So What" can be the beginning of action, or at least the beginning of thinking. Take for example, the other day someone said to me, "Do you know that when we retire there would be no more Social Security?" and I said, "So What?" This person thought that I was giving up and not caring about the subject at hand. What this person failed to see that if we answered every problem, complaint, difficulty with "So What?" we would have a better chance of evaluating the situation and seeing if there is anything we can do about the situation or anything we really want to do about a situation. Let's take for example the problem with Social Security, when I said so what that forces me to ask myself, so what does this matter to me, and so what I am going to do about it? Maybe I can't change the course of something, but I can take responsibility to change how I will approach a situation. Maybe I need to save now, maybe I need to find a second income that will keep coming in for the rest of my life whatever I choose the choice is mine to make and act upon.
The same holds true with what I see in the mirror, if I look into the mirror and don't like what I see, I can complain, and moan about it or I can say "So What?" and now the ball is in my court to do something. "So what" am I going to do about how I look, what choices will I make today and each day to change what I don't like. The choice is ours, so tomorrow will you complain about a situation that you don't like, or seems unfair or will you ask yourself "So What?" and then come up with an answer that you can act upon to make some real changes in your life. The choice is yours.

Eating Out

Ok, I have a confession to make, the first time that I walked into a restaurant and saw the calories listed by my favorite foods, I was less than excited. I mean I go out to eat to enjoy myself when I eat out, why in the world would I want my meal ruined by knowing how many calories are in my food. But as time I went on, I found that these numbers, when I looked at them the right way could be my friend. If I know how many calories and sometimes other nutritional information that is sometimes offered, then I can make choices based on facts and not what I think or feel. As a matter of fact when I started looking at the calorie content in the foods that I would eat, I was amazed. Some of the foods that sounded healthy (like some salads) were loaded with calories. Some of them had enough calories for my entire day. So now instead of having my meal ruined by seeing the calories, I now embrace this new system and use it to help me to make good choices and informed choices. Like this morning I went to I-Hop with my husband for breakfast, and was able to order my breakfast with turkey bacon and imitation eggs for under 500 calories. Not that you have to have turkey bacon or imitation eggs, but at least now the power is mine to make choices that are good for me.