Category Archives: Attitude

September 10, 2007 · 6:03 am

Live, Love & Laugh

I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind

from Casting Crowns song – “Who am I?”

I have spent the past few days pouring over photos of a mans life in preparation for a slide presentation for his memorial service today. He lived 64 years and from what I can tell thru those photos he packed a lot of living, loving & laughing into those years.

The photographs depicted a man who loved & stayed committed to the wife of his youth, a man who was actively involved in his childrens lives bringing him joy and fulfillment, a man who had children that adored him, a man who had stayed close with his extended family, a man who enjoyed fishing, photography & the outdoors, a hard working man who once proudly served his country in the military and a man who smiled a lot, laughed and enjoyed life.

To some he lived a long & fulfilling life, to others his life was cut short. To me……he lived a lifetime. His lifetime happened to be 64 years. His appointed time covered 768 months or 3,328 weeks, or 23,296 days. Each and everyone of us has been given our own lifetime to live. We do not know is how long that appointed time will be. It could come to an end just around the next bend or it could be next week, next month, next year or in the next decade or beyond. We could have thousands of weeks or days left to live or we could have just a few months or years. We just do not know. (and in this world of “knowing” and being in control of almost everything…this really bugs some of us!) All we do know for sure is that one day all of our lives will come to an end. (as my dear darling hubby tells his Junior/Senior world view class – “Here is an accurate statistic for you – 10 out of 10 people die”)

At the end of my appointed lifetime ….what do I want the photographs of my life to depict?

I want people to see someone who lived –

I strive to live my life with compelling purpose & with passion. I hope to make a difference in the lives of those around me. I live to glorify God! I want to have energy, enthusiasm & excitement. I desire to live a fulfilling life and to have very few regrets.

I want people to see someone who loved –

I love the Lord my God. I love my dear darling hubby. I love my wonderful children. I love my large extended fabulous family. I love my dearest life long friends. I love my former students and their families. I love my co-workers & clients. I love my large circle of friends from different seasons of life & different parts of the country.

I want to love those who are hard to love – the destitute, the outcast, the unlovable. I want to love those who see me as their adversary or who make my life difficult. I want to love with an unconditional love.

I want people to see someone who laughed –

I want my life to be joyful & filled with memorable moments. I want to smile a lot. (as my daughter reminds me often… “Smile Mom! It releases endorphins!”) I want to be less intense and more relaxed (ie: stop sweating the small stuff) I want to laugh a lot!

When your appointed lifetime comes to an end….what do you want the photographs of your life to depict?

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Filed under Attitude, Goals & Dreams, Monday Motivations

September 3, 2007 · 3:03 pm

The apple of His eye

Wow! Am I ever “it” …”the one & only”…”the living end”…”the love of his life” and “the apple of his eye”……

Being a mother to a precious new baby is certainly good for ones self esteem. When I walk into the room he simply can not take his eyes off of me. A contagious smile spreads across his face and he squeals with delight! He can’t get enough of me and never tires of being with me. He finds pure joy & delight in this strong willed, obstinate, opinionated, flabby, hopelessly flawed, middle aged woman that he only sees as his awesome, cherished and beautiful Mommy.

This morning I found myself battling aches & pains in my back (from an injury earlier this month), feeling extremly tired as well as overwhelmed by the week looming ahead of me and a bit melancholy while contemplating the absence of my eldest daughter who will celebrate her 18th birthday this week…6000 miles away from home (& me!). As I glumly headed back to my room to get Sir Daniel Guy out of his crib (while mentally berating myself for not getting up early enough to start a much needed exercise regimen), an amazing thing happened! As he looked up at me with awe in his big beautiful blue eyes and as a huge smile spread across his face, all my aches & pains, overwhelming feelings, negative thoughts and heartache melted away and I felt my spirits lift and my heart sing! I was instantly transformed by his exuberant & unconditional love. Everything about life seemed better and brighter under the adoration of this child. I confidently walked out of that room with praise on my lips, a smile on my face and a positive confidence to take on the day and week ahead of me!

If only we could all tap into this type of transformation on a daily basis wouldn’t life be just wonderful? We could shake off our nagging feelings of incompetence, worthlessness or unattractiveness and confidently know that we are valuable and lovely just the way we are. We all struggle with negative thoughts and feelings that paralyze us and stop us from being our best, doing incredible things and living a fulfilling life. If only we could replace the negative in our lives with the positive confidence that comes from joyful, unconditional love and acceptance.

We can! You see we have a heavenly Father who thinks we are “it” …”the one & only”…”the living end”…”the love of His life” and “the apple of His eye”! Read what He says about us –

“How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.” Psalm 139:17-18

“He kept him as the apple of His eye.” Deuteronomy 32:10

“The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

“Lord….Your lovingkindness to me is better than life.” Psalm 63:3

“the Lord appeared saying, I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

Read those wonderful words often, believe them, memorize them, recite them. Picture the Lord smiling down upon you with joy & rejoicing over you with singing. Let the love of God pour into your heart and life and transform your negative thoughts and feelings, your heartaches & headaches and your worries & weaknesses into everyday living with a positive outlook, confidence, contentment & joy.

Baby blessings of wide eyed wonder, contagious smiles, deep belly giggling and squeals of joy to you all today,

Beth & Sir Daniel Guy

4 Comments

Filed under Attitude, Monday Motivations, Positive Words

August 20, 2007 · 6:15 pm

File under: What was I thinking?

What was I thinking??

Have you ever muttered those words or had them flash across your brain like a neon light? I have had a knack for doing a few not so brilliant things in my life where those words were not just said or thought by me, but by many others as well. A few examples (at the risk of seeming like a big idiot) –

Slicing a 1 inch hole in my knee with a pair of manicure scissors while attempting to cut my toenails. (and I still have the scar to prove it!)

Holding a metal ruler with my mouth while needing two hands to do something else & then banging it on the table….shoving it back into my throat & cutting it severely…….ahhhhhhhhh!! (didn’t Mom always tell you not to put things in your mouth?)

Teaching a high school class a day after my due date while having contractions 3 minutes apart! (my water broke minutes after leaving the class..that would have been a great deterrent to teen pregnancy!)

Deciding I could handle the black triangle ski run (even though I was not an expert skier) and after crashing & tumbling half way down the steep hill…taking off my ski’s and walking the rest of the way down. (To the condesending glances of those riding the ski lift above me)

Ok….that’s enough! (Believe me there are plenty more but I’ll save some of my pride)

Then there are other moments, seasons & decisions in my life that I could have filed under the – “What was I thinking?” category (& certainly everyone else was thinking that!)….however, while they seemed crazy to others & even at times to myself, they were really steps of faith…overlooking the obstacles and realities of my life & seeing the vast potential of the opportunity ahead of me while relying on God to give me the strength to move forward with His supernatural power & wisdom.

The time I signed a “part time” contract (with a part time salary) to do many different full time jobs at the high school where I was employed – guidance counseling, admissions director, student activity director, yearbook & journalism advisor and leadership teacher. (They hired 5 different people when I left!)

What was I thinking?

I often wonder that exact thing but that season of life resulted in a wealth of experience & knowledge that has benefited me greatly in everything I have done since that time. The relationships I developed during those years with my students, their parents & the staff has enriched my life like none other. In fact rarely a day goes by where I do not come face to face with the reality of those relationships. It was a good thing that I wasn’t thinking or I would have missed out on this awesome blessing!

Then there was the time I decided to begin my own home based business at a period in my life when I had four children….whose ages were…. 6, 3, 18 months and a newborn!

What was I thinking?

I wasn’t thinking! (and who is when they are postpartum & have several tiny ones under foot…you don’t have time to think, your brain is in a fog & you are just trying to survive!) However, that business was and is a huge blessing to my life. Not only was I able to provide a much needed income for my growing family but I learned to blend my family with my business and we all benefited greatly. Here eleven years later those children are 17, 14, 131/2, and 11 (and there are three more now – 8, 4 and the baby) – the skills they have developed and the confidence, as well as awesome people skills are a direct result of being involved in Mommy’s business. I’m glad I didn’t do much thinking about my life situation and obstacles!

Another example is when my dear darling husband and I were facing an unprecedented financial crisis in our lives & we had no income. Instead of taking one of the many job opportunities that came our way, we decided to “live by faith” and start a much needed Christian high school in our area. Other than a handful of people everyone else thought we had lost our minds!

What were we thinking?

We were only thinking of the incredible vision & dream we had of a fabulous, thriving high school that would touch the lives of young people in such a way that they would in turn go out & make a huge and positive impact on the world! And am I ever glad we didn’t do much thinking or perhaps the school (where my husband loves serving as Chaplain, where one daughter has graduated from & is already out impacting the world, another daughter has just begun there & two girls follow close behind in the next few years) may not even exist. I am thankful that we didn’t let our logical thinking process drown out our faith!

What are you thinking about doing?

Is there something looming in front of you that seems bigger than life, impossible or perhaps just too crazy to even try? Does it keep coming to the forefront of your mind but you want to write it off as insane?

Sometimes you need to stop thinking. Sometimes analyzing every side of a situation can paralyze you and keep you from jumping into something that just might be life changing! Sometimes you need to ignore the voices inside your head or around you from others and do something that might be “outside the box”, different, crazy or even impossible to everyone but God.

I find myself once again on the threshold of a “What are you thinking?” moment and getting ready to jump into something that is a bit crazy with obstacles to overcome and realities to deal with. But I will press forward with Gods strength and power in the hope that when I look back on my life I will rejoice that I didn’t “think” too much but rather jumped in and experienced incredible, life changing & miraculous things!

What are you thinking about?

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Filed under Attitude, Home Business, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Lifes Challenges, Monday Motivations, Time Management

August 13, 2007 · 11:33 am

First day of high school – letter to Amy

Life is flying by…at an increasing speed!

Tomorrow morning my fun loving, beautiful, crazy, blonde baby….my “Amy Girl” will begin her first year of high school. As she opens up her lunch bag she will find this note (along with some homemade cookies!)….may it inspire, encourage & challenge you today in whatever season of life you are speeding thru. (and yes…it will be going into the scrapbook!)

My dearest “Amy Girl”,

Today is a milestone! You are beginning your freshman year at Jim Elliot Christian High School. Ten years ago this week (when you were just a playful, carefree adorable four year old!) your Dad and I set out on a journey that was bigger than anything we could have ever dreamed of accomplishing. We decided to start a Christian high school that would glorify God, while training & discipling young people to graduate and make a profound difference in the world!

We began with prayer. We asked for wisdom, guidance and Gods blessing on this endeavor.

We surrounded ourselves with people who would inspire, encourage, support & pray for our success!

We knew it was going to cost us our time, our talent & our treasure. We worked HARD round the clock using the skills & talents we were blessed with & our experience of a combined 20 years in Christian education. We sacrificed our incomes & job security…stepping out in faith to make this dream a reality.

We faced fear, doubt & discouragement. We were even ridiculed. (Comments like – “It will never happen”, “How do you think you are going to start a high school?”, “No one is going to sign up for a school that doesn’t exist!”, “You’ll never raise enough money”)

We kept the faith and pressed on toward the goal and….

….one year later, on September 2, 1998…the vision became a reality! Jim Elliot Christian High School began their first day of school with 42 students! It was one stellar day!

Now today …you are joining a student body of over 200 hundred students at a fabulous & successful Christian High School with the dream of graduating in four years with a good education, a strong vibrant faith & a clear direction for Gods plan for your life! I want to encourage you today to follow the same plan & principles that were instrumental in starting the school you now attend.

Begin with prayer! Pray for wisdom, guidance & success. Give each & every day, semester & year to God. Know that Dad & I along with all your sisters are praying for you as well.

Surround yourself with positive friends who will encourage, inspire, motivate & support you! We do become like the company we keep. Choose wisely! Amy, you are such a shining example of having a positive attitude & seeing things on the bright side of life. You are always quoting Zig Ziglar or Amanda Gore…this is so impressive for a young person your age. Don’t lose your zest & enthusiasm for life! It is contagious.

If you are going to be successful it will cost you something. Work hard to be everything you were created to be. This requires sacrifice, self discipline & determination. Don’t look back with regret & wish you would have done things differently. Strive for excellence in everything you do.

You will face fear, doubts & discouragement….you may even be ridiculed along the way. Fight your fears with faith. Drive the doubt away with hope. Do not give in to discouragement…. keep trying despite what may come your way. Pray for those who ridicule or make fun of you and don’t let others stand in the way of your dreams!

Have faith and press on towards the goal! We believe in you Amy & know that your four years of high school will be everything you hope & dream of them being and more. You are a strong leader, smart, talented, athletic, super creative and an incredible actress!

You are fun, energetic & enthusiastic! You are kind, compassionate, friendly and loving! You love the Lord & want to please Him in everything. You are my awesome #2 Amy girl (which we both know is the best number! 😉 )

Know that I love you dearly & am so very proud of who you are & who you are going to become during the next four years. I will miss having you here everyday.

Zoot! Zoot! Zoot!

Always,

Mommy

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Filed under Attitude, Endurance, Goals & Dreams, Jim Elliot Christian High School, Monday Motivations

July 9, 2007 · 12:00 am

My “beautiful” bathroom

It’s all a matter of perspective.

You see, the “master” bathroom in our 50+ year old home is not usually my favorite place to be. While I dream of having a large beautiful bathroom complete with a jacuzzi tub, a huge waterfall type shower with a place to sit down to shave, “his & her” sinks and a self enclosed tiolet (so I can still get to my stuff when dear darling hubby has taken the sports page into his favorite reading place)….what I actually have in reality is a teeny tiny bathroom (I can touch all four walls when I stand in the middle of the room!) with a door that hits my knees when the 4 year old barges in to ask Mommy something vitally important, what I call an “ugly gas station” sink and then a shower that if you bend down and attempt to wash your feet you bang both your head and your tail end on the tile wall. To top it off it was built with poor ventilation resulting in a regular battle against mold and the water damage beneath the linoleum is so scary that I joke with my girls that someday they will awake in the morning to find that Mommy has fallen thru the floor of the shower and is screaming as she fights off all the vermin that live below our foundation. 🙂

Yet even with all its complexities and problems, when I returned home last night covered with layers & layers of “magnetic Camp Richardson dirt” (if you have ever camped in South Lake Tahoe…you know exactly what I am talking about!), my bathroom turned into the most desired room in our house! As we unpacked the car, began the mountain of laundry, cleaned all the camping gear, restocked & put it away for the next adventure all I could think about was getting into that bathroom. It became the center of my focus and I wasn’t thinking about all its flaws…I was only thinking that it was my bathroom(complete with my germs & mold…which somehow seem cleaner than in public bathrooms). I looked forward with joy to getting into that small shower and just standing there letting the steaming hot water pour over my entire body. I relished the thought of every part of my bathroom experience! It became my oasis!

What changed? Not my bathroom….it was exactly the same as it has always been. No, what changed was me and my perspective! Isn’t it amazing how if we simply adjust our perspective and choose to change the way we see things we can go from disgruntled and unhappy with something….to satisfied, content and even possibly excited about it?

Perhaps you are not particularly thrilled with a piece of your life right now. What can you do to change your perspective? How can you begin to look at the situation, circumstance or person through a different lens?

If you are unhappy in a relationship with a family member, spouse, child or friend….how can you begin to look at that person in a new way? Can you overlook their faults and flaws and choose to concentrate on and look at the good things they add to your life?

If you are a stressed out Mommy of many little ones and feeling overwhelmed & exhausted….what can you do to look at this short time of your life and savor the moments instead of wishing them away? (they will be gone sooner than you want!) Can you forget the “to do list” or the desire for perfection and just play with and enjoy your children in the midst of all the undone things?

If you are struggling with the work load at home or in the office (even if your office is just steps from your kitchen!)….what can you do to change your perspective? Can you appreciate the fact that you have a home that requires lots of hard work and that you have a job that pays the bills…think of what life would be like without your home or work. Can you begin to “whistle while you work” or remember Mary Poppins advice..”In every job that must be done there is an element of fun”?

If everything you own seems to be old, falling apart, breaking down or in need of major repair….can you begin to look at your many blessings (even if they are “tattered & torn”) through the eyes of those who have nothing? (if that’s hard for you…perhaps a missions trip to the slums of Mexico may help you..it certainly has worked for us!)

If you are heavy laden & burdened by financial strain….can you take one day at a time and trust that the God who feeds the creatures of the earth & dresses the flowers in the fields will certainly provide for your needs? Can you choose to be content in all circumstances?

If you are facing major health issues or other overwhelming circumstances in your life that are causing you to be sad, scared or depressed….can you think on the positive purpose these things will perhaps potentially add to your life. Can you focus on the little joys in life (like the laughter of a new baby, smell of a fresh pot of coffee brewing, beauty in a flower, hug from a dear friend, a breathtaking sunset, clean smelling bed sheets…the list goes on & on) even when it is compromised by crisis?

Changing your perspective will not necessarily change the “facts” of your life! Many of us will still have problems in our relationships, stresses in our lives, overwhelming circumstances and things we wish would change even if we choose to look at them differently. I still have a tiny, moldy, flawed bathroom….yet today I see it differently and I am a happier, more contented person because of it.

Changing your perspective will change you!

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Filed under Attitude, Lifes Challenges, Monday Motivations

July 2, 2007 · 12:00 am

Camping Colic

I love going camping! Really….I do!

I love the fresh air, the open space & the “getting away from it all” of the great outdoors at the mountains or the beach, hiking to see waterfalls, lazy days sitting by the lake reading a good book and munching on snacks, the family togetherness singing silly songs by the campfire while roasting mouthwatering s’mores, playing cards, laying in the tent surrounded by little ones in a hushed atmosphere listening to the sounds of the night and peering through the screen window at the multitude of stars and of course nothing can beat a “camping” breakfast of eggs, sausage, pancakes & piping hot coffee. Yes…I really do love to go camping!

However …last night was miserable!

We headed to bed a little after 10pm ready to settle in to our cozy sleeping bags and whisper to each other before dozing off for a peaceful nights sleep. The baby had nursed & fell soundly asleep and my 4 year old, Joy, was in awe looking at the shadows of the leaves wave back & forth on the tent. And then it began. The stillness of the night was shattered by my sister screaming out…”Oh my! There’s a bear!” The commotion began as all three campsites holding over 20 of my family members were awake & peering out of the tent to catch a glimpse of the bear. Pots & pans were banging, kids talking loudly & excitedly and little ones whimpering for their Daddys. Just after getting everyone settled back down….another bear rattled away at our bear locker just 10 feet from our tent. That was it for my 13 year old who came running over from the “cousins tent” to sleep with Mom & Dad. So much for a peaceful night sleep! And thus the beginning of the worst camping night ever!

11pm – 1:30am Spent comforting & nurturing kids who were freaked out by the bear incident & can’t go to sleep. (This is very hard & requires much patience for a Mom who usually responds with “get over it!”)

1:45am – The 13 year old needs to go to the bathroom…fun.

2am Baby wakes up to nurse…I notice the air mattress has slowly been losing air & dear darling hubby and I are slowly sinking to the bottom like we’ve fallen into a canyon!

2:30am The 8 year old exits the cousin tent to join Mom & Dad thus requiring us to move sleeping children to make room for them.

2:45am The air mattress is unbearable any longer & I tell Dan to just let the air out….and then after he does I realize, that do to nursing I have a clogged duct & cry out in pain as my left side hits the hard floor…up I get to take tylenol.

3am The 8 year old has to go to the bathroom, the baby wakes up…we all hike to the bathroom.

3:30am I inform “Dan the man ” that I cannot sleep on the hard as rock floor in my current painful nursing condition so he goes into the van (so no one can hear the noise) & blows up 2 twin size air mattresses for us to sleep on. Baby wants to nurse…very difficult on a twin size mattress but we pull it off.

3:45am The 4 year old starts crying that she has to go “potty”…since she is wearing a pull up…I tell her to just go in it. More crying, baby wakes up, she can’t do it & up we all go again to the bathroom.

4am I settle down to finally try to get to sleep only to notice that my twin air mattress is now losing air…oh no! I turn over to see my husband snoring comfortably away on his fully inflated air mattress and after using much personal restraint and deciding not to tell him to get up & give it to me…..I lay there on the hard ground for two hours & wait for the sun to come up.

As I drag myself to the shower at 6am…I wonder….”what is it that I love about camping?” and “why exactly am I here?” and thinking “Hmmmm…perhaps I should head for a hotel!”

You see isn’t that just how life is? Even the things we truly love at times can turn sour momentarily and take a toll on us and damper any enthusiasm or joy we thought we had.

Yes….I love being a mother to my children but there are times when I want to scream out in frustration!

Yes….I adore my dear darling husband but there are times when he drives me crazy! (as I do him!)

Yes….I love the Lord & want to serve Him but there are times when it would be so much easier to give in to the ways of the world or just “do my own thing”.

Yes….I love my business that allows me to stay at home & provide for my family but at times I want to quit!

Yes….I love my friends & family but sometimes we don’t see eye to eye on everything!

Yes….I love my church but occasionally I don’t want to sit through even one more Sunday service!

Yes…I love my full, blessed “never a dull moment life” yet every once in awhile I want to walk away from it all!

I could go on & on listing things I love that at times…because of hardships, conflicts, weariness, hard work, effort, disappointments, discouragement & momentary afflictions…lose their appeal. Yet this does not mean that I stop loving them….it is usually just a temporary feeling based on current circumstances that will soon be gone or overcome if we just “hang in there”, continue to press on or give it one more try.

As I walked along the shores of Lake Tahoe this morning taking in its incredible beauty of Gods creation and as I lay in the warm tent (on my NEWLY purchased air mattress) this afternoon in a lazy, weary & tired stupor and as I watch the smiling faces of my loved ones tonight through the sparks of the campfire…I will remember once again exactly why I love camping!

Don’t let temporary setbacks, momentary afflictions, hardships, or even miserable never ending nights keep you from pressing on and doing the things you love most!

Swimming Success

What a difference a year makes!

We just finished our second season on the recreational neighborhood swim team. (and do I ever love the swim team…..it forces me to go to the pool every day….which gives me an excuse to “live” in my bathing suit and get my hair wet!)Last year at the beginning of our first season on a swim team my then 6 year old Rebekah could barely swim across the short end of the pool. She was definitely in “over her head” in more ways than one! On the first day of practice I took my seat by the pool, with a magazine in one hand & my Ice Venti Vanilla Latte in the other, thinking I would kick back in my beach chair during the hour long practice. But…as I looked up at the pool I watched in dismay as my Rebekah struggled in the deep end of the pool gasping for breath and grabbing the lane lines every other stroke. I looked over at dear darling Dan & said…”I think she’s going to drown….is the coach going to jump in and save her?” That was her swimming debut…..she was horrible. She had no form, no technique, no endurance, and really no clue what she was doing. My first thought was…what have we done? She needs to take lessons, she needs to prepare, she needs to live! (ok, so I didn’t think that they were going to let her drown…but I did almost jump in the pool to rescue her!)

But what she did have was determination & enthusiasm! She hopped out of the pool after that first day of utter failure and a very out of breath and exhaustedly blurted out….”When’s the next practice Mommy?” Her eyes had that look of determination and her voice quivered with excitement. Soooooo…rather than saying…maybe we should wait a year….I kept my mouth shut about all my doubts and fears and said with mustered up enthusiasm….”Well it’s tomorrow, sweetheart!”

By the seasons end after practicing everyday and getting mostly “participant” ribbons at meets (those are the pretty multi colored ribbons that mean you didn’t place or you got DQ’ed by the stroke & turn judge…of course Rebekah loved them because they were much prettier than the blue, red or white ribbons!)….. she resembled a swimmer.

Now this year was AMAZING! She started off the year riding on her experience from last year, still enthusiastic as ever (the girls began asking in March when swim team would start…I guess that’s what I get for taking them to the beach “off season” and letting them swim in the frigid Pacific Ocean), and determined to get as many blue ribbons as possible (her big sisters informed her that these were the best!). She added to that a daily practice regimen and a little bit of goal setting ….and the results were PHENOMENAL!!!

Rebekah last week looked like a competitive swimmer! Not only does she have her form & technique down and she consistently placed first (even competing against the boys)…BUT she is only 2 seconds away from “A” times which are the times that a National swim organization has set up for the very best swimmers. Could this really be the same little girl that struggled to swim just one lap one year earlier?? Yes…what a difference a year can make in our lives.

Are you “in over your head” with your business or life? Are you struggling to just get a breath and make it to the end of each day without drowning? Do you feel like you have no “form” or “technique” and really have no idea what you are doing?? Well, there is good news! You are no different than Rebekah was last year this time.

Yes…she grew bigger & stronger and yes she had a great coach that trained her & encouraged her….but the number one difference in her results between this year & last year was the consistent daily practice! Everyday she devoted one hour to her swimming endeavors. She swam laps…..over & over & over again….non stop. She just jumped in everyday at practice did what she was told and now she has found success!Everyone who begins a direct sales business starts off the same…..no experience, no technique, and even sometime no clue where to begin. The ones who are successful all have the same things in common…..Determination — Are you determined, as Rebekah was, to stay on the team?? Do you love your products and being a part of the awesome team?? Make up your mind that you will not quit…even when you are struggling for breath & can’t see the finish line….BE DETERMINED to stick with it until you achieve success!

Enthusiasm — This is the single most important factor to achieving great results in anything in life. Are you excited about your companies products? Are you excited about the income opportunity we all have in this awesome company that is breaking sales records monthly? Are you a positive, upbeat and enthusiastic person. If the answer is yes…..you WILL soon be winning blue ribbons & breaking records. If the answer is no….begin to fill your mind with positive books, CD’s & videos and become the most enthusiastic positive person you know.

Consistent Daily Practice Add to determination and enthusiasm a regimen of consistent, daily practice (even when you don’t feel like it!). Make those daily phone calls to potential contacts. Call your current clients and tell them about new products. Take someone out to coffee and tell them about the income opportunity. Work everyday at your business. Attend meetings & conventions at every opportunity. Practice, practice, and practice some more!

And a year from now…..you will have a strong business – winning awards, breaking personal records, promoting to new “A” time levels and celebrating your success with the whole team!

Off to the pool with the girls……to begin training for the next event….the City Meet! Won’t you start practicing today?

Shine On!

Who are you?

No really……take a moment to stop & analyze that question….who are you? The immediate answers may sound something like mine…..I’m a mom, I’m a wife, I’m a daughter, I’m a teacher, I’m a scrapbooker, I’m a business owner, I’m a _________________ …fill in your blanks. But this is not REALLY who you are…these are just positions, jobs or titles you hold in this life…they do not really define who you are.

Sooooooooooo again I ask…. who are you?

The answer is – you are a child of God. You were created by God Himself with a divine purpose to do great & magnificent things! Any other answer to the question…”who are you?” diminishes the incredible fact of who you really are.

My daughter Michelle & I are currently blessed to be in western New York visiting with the awesome business consultants in this area. Yesterday was a “first” in my life as my gracious host, Katherine McCauley & her family took us to see Niagara Falls. It was unbelievable, amazing, awesome & indescribable! I have never seen anything like it in my life….breathtaking! As I stared out onto this not only gorgeous but bigger than life, powerful landscape…..I could not help but marvel at the majesty, splendor & power of God, as well as His creative ability. But I was also reminded that the same God that made that magnificent Niagara Falls also created me! Wow!

I’ll say it again….You too are a child of God. You were created by God himself with a divine purpose to do great & magnificent things! . You are beautiful, talented, intelligent, creative, warm, caring, loving and kind. We are born to shine with the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it’s in everyone of us!

Are you shining today?

Begin to cast out all those negative thoughts & emotions…..those negative words that are going around in your head…..things like….

“I can’t do this”
“I’ll never accomplish my goals & dreams”
“I am a lousy __________”
“I will never be successful
“I’m not smart enough, outgoing enough, good enough, creative enough, eloquent enough, ________________ enough.”

and REPLACE them with the truth!

“I am a child of God. I was created by Him with a divine purpose to do great & magnificent things! .”

“I CAN do this!”
“I WILL accomplish my goals & dreams”
“I am a great ____________”
“I WILL be successful”

“I am enough!”

The power of your thoughts & words when combined with the correct belief system about who you are……will propel your entire life into a powerful, strong, magnificent force that shines brightly to others of the majesty of God…..just like Niagara Falls! Shine on!

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