Joy for Today

I thought about what to call this post because Joy is something we all aim to have for more than a day, but to have it for a long period of time we have to choose it each and every day. When you wake up in the morning, what do you do? Are you consciously waking up choosing to be happy? Are you falling asleep full of angst? Do you think that the events of your day are destined no matter what, or fueled by the state of mind you bring to each day?
It's a hard concept to accept responsibility for your life! Even harder to accept responsibility for your state of mind. Long ago (at least 10 years!) I had a conversation with my mom that ended a bit like this:
Me:  "Why do you have to make me feel so GUILTY?!"
Mom:  "I can't make you feel anything - that's not me, that's you"
I was FURIOUS!! Of course our parents can make us feel guilty, can't they? The idea that we are all individually in control of our emotional reactions to things has stuck with me over the years. It has bugged me, and empowered me. However, it wasn't until this past weekend that I felt like I could really DO something with it!
Wake up each and EVERY morning and CHOOSE JOY! Throughout your day use a simple analysis of your situations - Is what I'm doing bringing me Joy or closer to my goal? If it's not - Change it QUICKLY! Of course, we all find ourselves in situations that we don't find joy in. It might be the long line at the drive up ATM, paying bills, washing dishes, or even picking up your dog's "business" from the back yard. But what do each of those things mean? You have money to deposit, utilities you can keep on, food on your plate to make it dirty, and a life you are taking care of.
I tucked Dablet in last night (one of the several times because she kept getting up!) and it was freezing outside. I was in the small bedroom sitting there thinking, "I would live in this one little room with her and Kyle forever and be happy because we have a roof over our heads, heat in our space, and everything we could possibly NEED, we have each other!"
Our lives have been so full of pain and stress over the past year with our miscarriages, family illness, and absolutely normal chaos (including moving the weekend after Thanksgiving reducing our home size by more than 50%). I have often caught myself thinking "can this all please just stop - we have SO much going on!" But today I choose JOY - to find happiness in the piles of clothes that have to be put away because we have them! When there seems to be more month than money - I choose to find JOY that I will be pushed to touch more lives and make a difference with my leadership role in Mary Kay!
You mind is a powerful tool, and if you allow others (or even your circumstances) to impact you constantly to the point of distress, you are giving them WAY too much control and power in your life! I can only imagine the success and blessings we will receive because we choose JOY!
Today was very much a Joyful day already as we picked up our second FREE car from Mary Kay this year - my first year in business!

To be able to do this while keeping my priorities right and spending an abundance of hands on time with my family is more than enough to fuel the joy moving forward! Anything you want to achieve you can because you decide to!!
Until Next Time...

18 Month Whirlwind!

Hey Everyone!
I know I've been back and forth for a while on here, and please forgive my absence! Things have been Crazy (good)!! Today is Dablet's 18 month "birthday"! If someone told me 18 months ago as I settled in for our first night as a family of three that I would be in the position I'm in right now, I would have laughed! Don't you feel like we say that A LOT?! "If someone had told me then...." What I have realized is my idea of myself is ever changing. I am a constant work in progress and I LOVE IT!!

This is life now! Daily doses of perfect wrapped up in chaos!

I thought when I had my little girl that I would go back to work and she would go to daycare. I NEVER thought I would want to be a stay at home mom! It scared me to think that my identity would be based around another person, and to lose a certain amount of freedom; not to mention...where would the money come from?! I have been empowered by my Mary Kay business! I was lead to it for a reason greater than myself, or my family, and it has done things for us I never thought possible! I get to work, and I get to work from home! I get to work in chunks of time in between nap time, trips to the park, the grocery store, and snuggle sessions with my little girl! 

So why does all of this matter?! Because I know there are SO many other women out there afraid of losing individuality when they become mothers. Afraid of trusting their children to other people. Afraid of how they will make the ends meet each month in their bank accounts to make sure that those little sparkles we created have the best that life can offer! Life can be absolutely scary sometimes, but it gets a lot less scary when you hold out your hand and ask for help. When you take hold of an opportunity. When you empower yourself to MAKE A DIFFERENCE! That pebble drop in the pool causes ripples far beyond what you will be able to see, and you become an inspiring example for other women to do the same!

So, Cheers to 18 months of chaos and redefinition! I hope the next 18 are just as fabulous!!

New Beginnings!

Today was the last day and the first day all rolled into one! It was my last day working for Crate & Barrel, and it was a day providing approval for Kyle's next business venture. Honestly, it was an answered prayer! I've had to field all kinds of concern from people who think I'm slightly off my rocker for leaving something that is "guaranteed" to do something that might not be. If I never took chances, the only sure thing would be never doing anything. So I sent up a little prayer for a sign that everything would be OK, not just OK, but great! As a mother I doubted myself for bringing my "uncertainty" to Kyle's uncertainty and having all of that transfer onto Dablet. However, all of our hard work has paid off!
On my way home from my last day at Crate & Barrel, Kyle told me this would be the start of his next first! Top that off with the fact that I literally made money in my sleep last night! I remember one day in middle school when someone told me how much money Bill Gates makes in his sleep because of all of the interest his money earns. I thought it was such a novel concept...make money while you're sleeping, and I promised myself that one day I would be able to do that. Not because I don't want to actually WORK for what I earn, but because I want the work I do today to keep working for me every day after. I had online orders last night while I was sleeping! My networking worked for me while I got to rest up and recharge for another day full of it!
Even as I type this, I am learning how more of the seeds I took the time to plant in the world are starting to grow!! It is proof that even when you put your family first above what "society" calls "Normal Employment" and stay true to yourself and your priorities you CAN succeed!!

Do you want to learn more about how to make your wildest dreams come true?! Email me! Or take the quiz online through my website!!

Be the most beautiful person you were meant to be!

Pucker up 2013!!

Hello again everyone!! It's been WAY too long since I got myself on here and shared with everyone! Every time I come to write something, something else pulls me away, and I have finally said "ENOUGH!"
I have learned so much this past holiday season from so many inspiring people. I took a seasonal position with Crate & Barrel doing visual merchandising and have LOVED it! I am a completely different type of shopper now, and can thoroughly appreciate the brains behind the beautiful displays we all see that make us think "I could live like that"! Through all of the challenges and growth that opportunity has provided me, I have still been looking for that thing that makes me say "I will live like that!" and seize my tomorrow today!

With Dablet now more of a little lady than ever, I have been hunting for an answer to the question: 

How do I provide for my family financially, maintain a flexible schedule, preserve the family fundamentals and priorities I have, and still feel fabulous as a woman?

I researched all kinds of independent sales opportunities. Some of them didn't have business models that made sense to me, others didn't provide a repeat customer base. Then two days before New Year's Eve I was perusing Facebook and it hit me....so I made the phone call. "Sign me up! I'm going to take 2013 by storm, look and feel fabulous doing it!" I was nervous and unsure of myself, but I took the leap! On New Year's Eve I officially started my own Mary Kay business!

I have been beyond inspired by the women who not only work their business, but also mother their children in a hands on way, and provide an incredible support system to all of the recruits like me! My eyes have been opened to an amazing world of reward so far outside the same hourly rate for your efforts. For being accountable to yourself and to the rest of the people you meet. This is not a sales industry...you don't have to believe me on that one (but I could prove it to you!), this is a people industry! 

The National Area I came into has a mascot, the giraffe. Why?! Because it has the largest heart of all land mammals, and it sticks it neck out! Also, the biggest natural predator to the giraffe is the hyena ..that would be all of those people laughing at the fact that they just read I started a Mary Kay business! It's OK though, it's not for everyone! However, if you would like to know more about how you can make your dreams a reality by doing this yourself, I would LOVE to chat with you about it. Maybe you dream is to just improve your skin and learn once and for all just how to use all of those products you convince yourself you need! 

It is a blessing to not only be able to say "I can help YOU", but to know that while doing so I can provide for my family and spend more hands on time with my fabulous little girl and husband!

This is Dablet recently "looking ahead" to 2013! I will make all of our dreams come true!

I ask you to help me "pay it forward" by sharing my enthusiasm with yourself, or maybe someone you know who could use an opportunity like this! Maybe let me pay it forward by treating you to a facial! The more I grow the more I will have to give. I have already thought of campaigns like Hearts for Home - donating goodie bags with Mary Kay products for military moms, wives, and girlfriends of deployed military - or- Pucker up for Paws where a portion of sales can go to a local animal shelter when they host a virtual party! I have always loved working for a cause, and so does Mary Kay! My immediate cause may be my family, but the year is young and I'm ready and willing to grow! 

You can shop online here

or email me by visiting the Contact page! 

Have a FABULOUS 2013 and remember to be your own kind of beautiful!