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how hard is it to say Thank You?

2011-11-11T09:15:00.001-06:00

There are many days that it can seem normal. It's okay...it will be okay.
There are days that you wait for the other shoe to drop.

I love and live with a Gulf War Veteran.
I was handed a beautifully folded American flag during my father's funeral
I relished the hundreds of stories told by my Sea Bee grandfather, fighter pilot and Chaplin grandfather, WAC nurse great aunt, Army Lt Col father and my former Navy husband.

We owe them our gratitude and our love.
Many come back in boxes to the ones that knew them best.
Others come back stronger than when they left.
Still others come back needing our protection, love and patience.

They are the hero's.
Today is a special day, everyday is Veteran's Day.

Thank you.

Love you

Frederick Hassams-Fouth of July, 1916

A little story

2011-10-29T11:14:00.000-05:00

It is truly fascinating how you can completely forget how to do something.That something that from the outside you might have been called pretty darn good at.

There is some digging going on as you have probably surmised.

I love the story about the donkey that fell into a well and could not get out.
All the farmers were wringing their hands leaning over the well rim trying to figure out how to get the donkey out.
Someone could be lowered down and we could winch the donkey out.
The well was very deep and not used.
So with very heavy hearts they thought it best to bury the donkey and say a prayer.
For many hours, shovel after shovel of dirt went into the well.
Many more hours and more dirt.
The donkey kept getting hit with the dirt and he would brush it off and move it out of the way.
More hours, more dirt.
Donkey was getting annoyed, though he kept shaking the dirt off and moving it out of the way.
A farmer looked up from shovelling and saw something twitch.
He went to the edge of the well and saw the donkey's ears.
Everyone else was still shovelling.
Next thing that farmer saw was the donkey's nose.
He was stunned literally silent.
The other farmers were just shovelling away and saying their prayers for the donkey's soul.
Then as the donkey's head became totally visible, the farmer found his voice.
This donkey was not done, yes it was annoying to have dirt shovelled on you, there is always a way out, and trust that you will find the way.

There is a hum happening all over the world. The sweat and labour of millions of people sending dirt over the edge of the well. Building the platform of humanity and justice.

What does this have to do with forgetting who you are?
For many of us, it is who you are and who you become with the dirt being shovelled on top of you. Are you one that, maybe to your core annoyed, though shakes and brushes it off. Do you see the pickle you are in and see that there is a way out. Imagine being that mute donkey, your voice not filling the ears of who stands to make decisions regarding your life and the well being of others.

Think about a time in your life you wanted something so bad you made the decision, I will have that, be that, do that no matter what. You made the plan, worked the steps and learned about how far you can be pushed or shovelled on. You became a different person.
If you are one that has somehow forgotten your greatness, remember the time that you made the decision and ran through the tape.

http://youtu.be/V6xLYt265ZM

Love you

Have a little.....

2011-10-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

There are mounds of things that get processed, get shoved to the back, get half done or when you are really lucky you get check something off your list.

A gentleman on one the TED conversations asked about being authentic and becoming your authentic self. There is a lively discussion going on about authenticity. Wikipedia's definition is: Authenticity refers to the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions.

I love this.

When you dig, do the work, care enough, and then accept the outcome....I see authenticity.

The bottom line is you must do the work required to get there. Sometimes it is a moment in time and at other times it feels and is millenniums. In Buddhism you make your way around as many times as it takes to get it "right". Maybe "right" is becoming ones most authentic self. Think of the work involved.

We strive to be good parents, good daughters, mothers, wives, friends.......So when we can only use part of our brains to "complete" a task are we being authentic? Brene Brown comes to mind (see her piece below on a previous post) have courage with your whole heart. When she said that I know in that moment truly what it meant to live authentically. I could feel it in the core. Could I have felt that three years ago? Not sure.

In this moment..this very moment, we are all doing the best we can. That is not to let anyone off the hook for being a stinker or living a life less than they should, it is in this moment, we are doing the best we can. So that must mean we are at this moment being are authentic selves. As Oprah says "When we know better we do better". At the very least when you know better even if you are still playing that old record you know in your heart you are not living. If anything possibly guilt will get the better of you and you will start flying right.

You must do the work to get there. Show up and be present. If you are crabby and irritated, that's real. Just don't let it stop you from getting to the next step.

Love you

be authentic.

Change always comes bearing GIFTS. -Price Pritchett

2011-10-04T13:26:00.003-05:00

You know when you know, right?....

to stay
to leave
to get thin
to stay fat
get off the crazy train

There are so many moments that we let slip by.
With those moments are choices that also get made whether it was conscious or not.

some pray on it
some meditate on it
others let others make the choice for them.

without reducing how difficult and tedious change can be on your whole existence
love this take on "three little birds"

Check your ego, we are all on the same team.
love you

What will it cost?

2011-09-18T14:16:00.000-05:00

There is a shift happening.
For many of us, the last 2-3 years has been the pressure to move the plates.
A window is open.

In the words of your favourite super hero....will it be for good or for evil? Or "What will it cost?"

The brilliant thing about change...ie: "the shift" is that it can happen quickly. You choose the timing and you choose how it will happen. This is scary and very freeing at the same time.

You might ask..."so how do I get me some of this shifting?" Like a shot in the heiny, it smarts and then starts to take effect. You might have some intestinal issues along the way, though really you are starting to feel better and have more energy.

Try something for me.
Take out a journal, scrap piece of paper, you kids lined ruler paper and write down 4 things you want to change. Try not to take too long, a minute or so for all 4. Be clear and honest.
an example might be:
1. eat better
2. lose weight
3. be nicer to my husband
4. work on growing my business

Simple and clear, right?!
okay, a little more for you.
take another piece of paper and write on the top of it what you want to change..."1. eat better"
then list 10. reasons to change it.......what it will cost you if you don't.

I know, this is hard...this is the shot in the heiny...smarts part. Again, be clear and honest.
for example:
Eat Better
1. my kids will not be as healthy in body and brain because they want to eat what I do
2. the continued sadness my husband feels for not eating better would lead to more disconnection
3. I will get fatter
....you get the picture

okay, flip the page over and list 10. things you will GAIN changing this behavior. The simple pleasures, the amazing outrageous awesome positive things that will come your way when you change.

a little help
1. look better
2. feel better-future health
3. a happy husband-he loves to cook and loves to have people love his food
starting to feel good about this.

Do this for your remaining 3 things you want to change.
Profound information isn't it? That clarity smarts.

Having this information is a great start...now what? The roller coaster of feeling crappy about the cost and then seeing the possibility of hope for change. Up down up down up down up.

Some may have babysat for a niece or nephew, have their own children.....played with a child that is freaking out about a toy or losing their mind over wanting to do something and your job is to distract that child and redirect them to another toy or game. Make a funny noise, jump up and down, start playing with something else and have it be really fun.
That's what has to happen with our "change brain".

Come up with 4-5 things that you can do to totally shift your changes-interrupt the crappy behavior. These are things you will do on a regular basis until the change becomes habit.
example: working out in the early am.
For me if i get out of bed and quickly put on my workout clothes I cannot skip working out. It is my mindset of you got dressed, get in the car and go.
You could take that one step further and look at what it will "cost" you to not go.

For someone it might be thinking a negative thought about oneself and the moment that happens, they get up and go "whooop whoop" and smile. Yes, some might think you have adult onset tourettes or are having a seizure, though like a child you are changing that behavior.

I realize this is a lot and pretty heavy too. it's BABY STEPS people.
It's time to see that window is open and possibility is coming in like rays of sunshine.

Go at it.
Love you,
sarah

When you fall down.....get up -Buddha

2011-09-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

we do this over and over.
it is our nature and in our DNA.
sometimes it feels like it short-circuits and leaves us out in the pouring rain with no shelter.

we have indomitable spirits.
it is often our hearts that get the beating
sometimes we lose our way and need others to help us back on the path.

we are human
it is our duty to feel the pain as well the glory
sometimes it hurts.

have courage. live out loud.

This is an amazing piece from researcher Brene Brown. She talks about compassion and vulnerability.
She speaks of courage and connection.
In this time of ............ let's have courage. Let's love like we never have before.

courage-to tell the story with your whole heart.

love you

Ease and Grace

2011-09-05T12:06:00.002-05:00

Have a little something for you.
Each night, before your head hits the pillow, quickly write down 5 things that felt good or went right that day.

A few of mine are:
Gladys came into the office and gave me a kiss
Wedding ring is FOUND!
Gas was 3.49 a gallon
I had a meeting today-listened and cast the vision, it was effortless

It's a terrible picture of a painting in my Living Room, I painted in Grad School. It's of my mom and dad. I love this painting. It makes me smile every time I see it. My father died in 1995 and not until this moment did it connect that because of school, I took the time to work through it. Most of time when we have loss-whether it be a job, a parent, a marriage...anything big or small we do not take the time to move through it. We have been so conditioned to take our 4 days of to grieve and move on. Smush it down. Move on.....

This is unfortunate as we then get on the cycle of doing the same thing and getting the same results. The moment we feel dis-ease or dis-comfort we head out and create something new to keep us busy.
It could seem like this is ramblings for a society that is not going to change it Family Leave time and we cannot lose our status or income level...much less not feed our kids.

Many of us have experienced life changing loss in the last 2-3 years. Loss of a job, status, money, house, illness, etc. Nobody is really ready for this. I love our former Arbonne President, Rita Davenport says "prepare for impact". This is to say, live your life not in fear of what will come, however, be prepared by doing the work necessary to be able to mitigate the loss with ease and grace.

We are all on the edge of our seats, waiting......waiting to see what is going to happen. Seems a little selfish and complicit. Search out, find a system to help you with the tools to get to that state of ease and grace.

Love you best

Rita Speaks

2011-05-05T10:17:00.000-05:00

Rita Speaks--Lessons & Principles

--Don't take yourself seriously, but do take what you do (Arbonne) seriously.

--The possibilities are endless when we believe in ourselves.

--God didn't make junk!

--Money isn't everything, but its right up there with oxygen.

--Don’t take yourself so seriously.

--We are in the people building business.

--When someone says no that just means they don’t know enough.

--Help enough other people get what they want, and in turn you will get what you want.

--You are in this business for yourself but not by yourself.

--Do a little more than is expected of you.

--We are not dope-dealers, we are HOPE-dealers.

--Don't hang around with people that are more messed up than you.

--My tear ducts are connected to my bladder.

--Give yourself a mental enema.

--Be yourself at your very best: you'll mess up trying to be someone else.

--Know that you are at the right place, at the right time, with the right opportunity, and the right products,

to have more, be more, do more, learn more, and earn more, so you can give more.

Rita Speaks--Lessons & Principles

--Put your big girl panties on and deal with it.

--Prepare for impact.

--A handout is not as good as a hand up.

--Get your ASK in gear.

--Have an attitude of gratitude.

--The secret to happiness is good health, and a short memory.

--Success is living the life you choose.

--If money will fix it, it's not a problem.

--You gotta do the do.

--You have to circulate to percolate.

--Love what is.

--Act as if.

--Excuses why not to do Arbonne are the very gifts that Arbonne brings.

--Help enough people get what they want, and you will fulfill your dreams.

--We are in the business of hope.

--Rewards are in proportion to our service.

--Don't let anyone ever tell you can't get above your raising.

--Never take the herbal colon cleanse and a sleeping pill on the same night.

Rita Davenport has built a Condo in my Heart.
Love you,
sarah

Be Bold

2011-05-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those nutty days that you feel like you are behind on everything. I met up for lunch with a dear friend, who happens to be one of those people that are a smile embodied. As the lunch went on and we got deeper into what dreams are made of...no one else existed. We could have been anywhere.

In our conversation, we talked about the road blocks of getting from point A to point B.
I do tend to think of life a little like climbing a mountain or Adventure Racing. In climbing, it's take a step..breathe..take a step...breathe, over and over.....and over till you reach your next camp, next rest, or the summit. Knowing then, at the summit, you are only half way there unless you plan on staying. One must come down. You go through moments of elation, despair, sadness, boredom, and too many to name only to come back to take a step...breathe...take a step....breathe.
In Adventure Racing, the goal is to move forward going as quickly as you can, running, jumping, falling down and all the while trying to maintain a sense of direction and mentally keeping it somewhat together. Many times, unlike climbing, you must veer from the course. Looking at the map, seeing what lies ahead and realizing you will be moving forward.....parallelling (is that even a word?). You are not in forward motion. Again you go through the range of emotions, seen above and you have the added benefit of being covered in leeches, mud, the salt has rubbed your heiny raw (alright I'll stop), you get the picture.

So if it seems like there is a tangent...yes though what we want most in life is to enable others to live their dreams. What does that mean?

The gal I had lunch with told me a story about a older blind, homeless gentleman that was holding a sign up to help him gain monetary support. The sign said "I'm blind, please help". He was not getting very many donations. A lady approached and asked if she could help, he felt her shoes and said, yes. She flipped the sign over and wrote something and handed it back to him. That day the money poured in. The lady came back to check on the blind gentleman later that day and found him very happy. He knew it was her from her shoes. He asked, "what did you write on the sign that changed my fortune?". She replied, it says," What a beautiful day, I cannot see it".

Whether it is paralleling in a race, unable to see the beautiful day, or being frightened of what lay ahead for us personally or professionally. BE BOLD. I told her we as humans fail forward.

This amazing talk by Randy Pausch at Carnegie Mellon reminds us to BE BOLD and it is our life's work to enable others to love their dreams. GO AT IT PEOPLE!

love you,
sarah

my mom

2011-04-30T18:53:00.000-05:00

This year, March 30th, my mom turned 69.

By no means is this old. She is a vibrant Southern Woman who has walked through the fire. Some people call those that have Shamans. I would put her in this category. There are things she has experienced and seen that I will not ever have to. There are things she has experienced and seen that I wish I could.

There is nothing like being a mother. I love that it means so many things, on so many levels. Just as there are lots of different kinds of families, how we become a mother has its own path. Sometimes we become a mother to our own mothers...and that is our course.

I love this poem by Sarah Kay at one the TED Conferences. "If I had a daughter...."

We have a day coming up that honors these amazing and special people in our lives. We do not get to choose who we literally came out of. Though as we age, we have the freedom to choose who we mother and who we accept mothering from. Who will help us see our gifts? Who will help us manage our frustration? Who have we chosen to go to when all your chips are down and there is little breath left in your lungs?

So honor the mother in you, call your mom and let her know she is the BOMB.

love you,
sarah

I can be silent no longer

2011-03-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

What is happening in Wisconsin is a travesty.
There are two sides to everything, and in politics sometimes more than two.
My mother is a teacher, for over 35 years. She spent part of our childhood getting her Masters. She has taught all levels, from 4th grade all the way up to Masters Candidates. My mom is very smart, very dedicated.

She was a single mom working 2-3 jobs all the time and tutoring to make ends meet. Teachers, even at her level don't make a living wage. She still teaches today and still does not make what she is worth. This is a woman that feeds our children the knowledge and life skills they need.

The idea of collective bargaining goes across many levels. Congress, State Officials, including Governor's, The President all have their salaries set through collective bargaining.

There are many things broken in this amazing country of ours. That said, we have one of the most incredible public sector workforce in the world. They are hard-working families and individuals that make this country run. Why would we ask them to live in poverty. If a bus-driver has worked hard and put in the time and energy, why wouldn't we pay them six-figures? Remember that six-figures can mean 100,000.00. After taxes retirement fund, paying into the health insurance that is about 60k or 5000.00 a month. For a family of four, that is not that much money. God forbid, that public sector worker has a special needs child that needs child that requires 24 hour care. God forbid that public sector worker has a mother with Alzheimer's and she has no money. God forbid something happens to that public sector worker and they can no longer work.

The other question that comes up for me is, do YOU want to pick up our countries garbage, work at the sewage plant, clean the back-side of a our aging parents that are living in a state aging facility?
These are our public workers. They are the back-bone of this country. Just like our troops. Why would we want them to live in poverty? Why would we want them to live in poverty?

Your job/work/passion/your calling-whatever you choose to call it, is about you. Some people go to work and it is drudgery. Some go to work and even though some days it is tougher that others, it is simply a joy. Either way, what you do, is your choice. Why not have the ability to have a collective voice of many instead of one. Teams are an amazing way to get things done. The sum of many brains, parts, voices.

There are a lot of opinions out there. One that kept coming up, I listened and thought long and hard about Dick Morris's comments on the subject. Yes, there are workers that do not need to be in the classroom, in a patrol car or on a ladder saving someone from burning building. There are ways of making sure that this does not happen. The years of good service far outweighs the years they may not be able to be all that they can be. We are quickly becoming a society of no loyalty. This is sad. What ever is cheapest. Have a look at the numbers, is it "cheaper" to turn someone out with no health insurance and have them be not be able to afford their medications or Cancer treatment? Is is cheaper to get rid of someone who has served the children for years and now they are in the gap and not able to get Social Security for 4 or 5 more years?

We have an amazing country. Let's work on being more loyal and loving. Let's support our teachers, military, fire-fighters, police and hard-working Americans, not the almighty bottom-line. They are the true hero's.

you know when you know....

2011-03-06T20:37:00.000-06:00

Of course, it seems so obvious now.
After months of looking behind the sofa and around the lawn gnome, I finally figured out why the long face.

That thing called SAD (not fond of the acronym) Seasonal Affective Disorder. Feel like such a city girl, putting a disorder to my, well.... funk. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195e .
Yes, many of us, above the Mason Dixon Line (mind you peeps, I am a born and raised Texan) have Vitamin D deficiency.
Love living in the Midwest, the winters can be tough and we moved a little further north and it took me 1 1/2 winters to see the light...literally.

I tell you this, partly for those that have been wondering where their friend went and the other part is that whatever is going on in your life, there is hope. There is that green patch on the other side of the fence. So, if you see me with a slight tan in the middle of winter.....say to yourself or outloud, she has that SAD thing.

Enough said.
Finding the answer to things is a little like finding Neil Pasricha. He's the genius that, in the midst of terrible happenings in his own life, he wanted to feel better. Neil started a little blog called http://1000awesomethings.com/ This is Neil at TED http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_pasricha_the_3_a_s_of_awesome.html (are you getting yet I am a HUGE TED fan?) We can see the good amidst the disheartening. You can choose to see the good.

You can choose to see the good.

Love you,
sarah

Why your Why is important....be the Leader

2011-03-01T19:25:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone!
What an exciting month. For those of us in the Midwest, it is the hope of Spring coming, we begin to see the end of snow and below zero days.

Many of you know the TED (http://www.ted.com/) conferences around the world. They bring together some incredible people to share what they know and believe. This gentleman, Simon Sinek, came up on Hulu and honestly the only reason I watched it was that it had the word "Leader" in the title.

Simon's talk is a lot of fast talking, bell curve scribbling, and crazy fabulous info about belief...How important our WHY's are/have to be for anything and everything we do.

Simon Sinek speaker at the the 2009 TED conference in Puget Sound

This jewel, I believe, is the difference between moving through life and moving through life in purpose.

When you walk in purpose, you collide with Destiny.
-Dr Bertice Berry

love you,
sarah

new chapters

2011-02-20T11:07:00.006-06:00

It seems that a new chapter in life starts and ends every moment. When you feel like you just caught up, WHAMMO, another one starts up. (Even more fun is when you find yourself mid-way in a new chapter and you were asleep at the wheel for the first half for whatever reason)

It has been a while. I want to apologize.

Life , as always, has taken lots of twists and turns. Many amazing people have entered my life, a few have left this life, and again as always life moves forward.

A gentleman, by the name of Charlie Engle http://www.charlieengle.com/ has been in the side of my brain for a while. He and I raced in Borneo-Eco Challenge Sabah on different teams. He started his 21 month Federal Prison sentence. This is a man that walks the walk. Recovering addict and alcoholic, father of two amazing teenage boys and fellow adventurer. They decided to make an example of him-regards to the whole housing collapse. Charlie bought houses-fixed them and resold them. Read his story, he is much better at telling it.

A fine man and real example that none of us are exempt.

In the last few weeks I started working with a coach. Her name is Leah. www.leahjantzen.com , she has single handedly helped me see some things that I could not reach. In January, Arbonne had it's Global Training Conference (GTC) in Las Vegas. My RVP, Dr Stacey Bean, asked me what my back-door was. OUCH. I didn't have a back-door when I was building my Interior Design Firm. Why would I have one now?

But I did/do.

At first I thought it was the belief in myself. I was wrong. Leah helped me see that it was the fear of again losing something that I had worked so hard to build. How could I do it again?

You do it again, just like you wake up every morning to feed your kids despite everything. You get up everyday and put one foot in front of the other. No excuses.
You may not accomplish everything you thought you might or wanted to. Either way, it's a good day.

Back to Charlie.
There is nothing in this life that can stop the human spirit. He wrote about reading Nelson Mandela's book about prison. President Mandela loved running in place (RIP-the name). That kept him going, fit and focused. Let's all take a tiny piece of that and sometimes we have to run in place, other times we get to run like our legs are those of a cheetah. NO EXCUSES.

love you best,
I promise I won't be long.
Sarah

most excellent

2009-10-16T19:25:00.004-05:00

how does life move you so far away? so many great things happening, it has taken me away from posting and processing. is processing over-rated? i know its not, just things get in the way.

I have learned so much about business in the last three months. this is after thirteen years owning and running my own interior design firm.
TRULY, I KNEW NOTHING....

we all know that there is work to be done. not the mindless, emails or texts but person to person-face to face-belly to belly.

tonight, my husband i just got new life insurance. taren, our gal, i met through DPWN (www.dpwomen.com) and loved her. she sells "what if" and realized that we are in deep doo doo if god forbid something happens. she is kind and listens, is an incredible hard worker-single mom (beautiful and smart)-knows what people need. it brings you down to earth. these are the facts jack.

when i started this blog, it was to help give me focus and help me process all of the amazing and hard things i was learning. it comes from who you surround yourself with. what you are willing to give.

WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO GIVE OF YOURSELF.

so back to when nothing changes...nothing changes.
keep moving forward.
before you go to bed write a list of 6 things you want to accomplish tomorrow.
then do it. mark them off. smile.

love you madly,
sarah

yes, it is simple

2009-08-17T21:33:00.004-05:00

had a listen to envp shannon johnson's new webinar on "the road to success". that was tuesday afternoon and i could not sleep. i since have listened to two more times and it has really started to sink in.

why do we make things so difficult for ourselves? we would rather do something that we must suffer through and chase our tails than step for a few seconds out of our comfort zone and try a different path.

every person is full of greatness, full of extra-ordinary grace and ability-do we let ourselves show it?

i will persist, i will persist, i will persist -og mandino.

go for no.

love you,

sarah

do what you love

2009-07-23T13:12:00.006-05:00

The Power of Attitude

by Mac Anderson

You have to be, before you do, to have lasting inner peace. In other words, making a living is not the same as making a life. Find what makes your heart sing and create your own music. Many people work all their lives and dislike what they do for a living.

In fact, I was astounded to see a recent USA Today survey that said fifty-three percent of people in the American workplace are unhappy with their jobs. Loving what you do is one of the most important keys to maintaining a positive attitude. You can’t fake passion. It is the fuel that drives any dream and makes you happy to be alive. However, to love what you do, the first step is to self-analyze, to simply know what you love. We all have unique talents and interests, and one of life’s greatest challenges is to match these talents with career opportunities that bring out the best in us. It’s not easy – and sometimes we can only find it through trial and error – but it’s worth the effort.

Ray Kroc, for example, found his passion when he founded McDonalds at the age of 52. He never “worked” another day in his life.

John James Audubon was unsuccessful for most of his life. He was a terrible businessman. No matter how many times he changed locations, changed partners, or changed businesses, he still failed miserably.

Not until he understood that he must change himself did he have any shot at success.And what changes did Audubon make?

He followed his passion. He always had loved the outdoors and was an excellent hunter. In addition, he was a good artist and as a hobby would draw local birds.Once he stopped trying to be a businessman and started doing what he loved to do, his life turned around. He traveled the country observing and drawing birds, and his art ultimately was collected in a book titled Audubon’s Birds of America. The book earned him a place in history as the greatest wildlife artist ever. But more importantly, the work made him happy and provided the peace of mind he’d been seeking all his life.

How do you find your purpose in life?

There are no easy answers, but here are two practical tips that can help:

1.Discover Your Gifts – We’re all unique and each of us has our own special gifts. Make a list of what you consider your strengths and your weaknesses. Next, don’t just assume your assumptions are correct. Get feedback from what Ken Blanchard calls “trusted truth-tellers” – friends and family members who won’t just tell you what you want to hear but who will share their true opinions. With their help you can get a realistic perspective of your gifts.

2.Discover What Moves You – Find your passion and strive to live your life around it. Make your list. Do your homework. There is this caution, however...have patience. Your purpose in life probably won’t surface overnight, but like love, it will find you when you least expect it.

Finding your reason for being brings a positive attitude that can be unstoppable.

i love the movie 'field of dreams', not so much for the story as the message..... build it and they will come. stop and think about your life and what you love. do what you love. sometime it will be hard, and you will question yourself, others and you will fail sometimes.

begin again, begin again and then begin again.

i love you,

sarah

sometimes it is hard

2009-07-14T20:39:00.002-05:00

we all know the feeling of making a difference in someones life. it's a rush, you walk away with a giant grin your face. you know in your heart that you have done a good thing.

then there are moments, sometimes hours, days, weeks where nothing goes right. work is up and down-mostly down, the spouse is being fussy about EVERYTHING and you cannot seem to get the boat right.

this is a really hard place to be in.

there are no words or deeds of magic to help you through this.

just know that every moment something changes. from this second to the next it is different.

be aware of those changes and if a good thought or action comes around the bend hitch your wagon to it. that might just be the thing that pulls you through.

i love you,

sarah

up and down

2009-06-24T10:53:00.003-05:00

we all feel it.

we get the rush of going up-what is to come, all those juicy hormones rushing in and making us feel divine able to conquer the world. we fill our plates up and set high expectations then.....

maybe a goal doesn't get met, or we get derailed by family. it happens.

it happens.

try and remember we are mothers, daughters, fathers, grandfathers, wives, and we are loved.

take a piece at a time. love where you are today, this moment. start again.

start again.

i love you,

sarah

a new day

2009-06-08T14:11:00.000-05:00

i love a monday. fresh, new, beautiful monday.

think about all those times in our day that seem hard, funky or out of place. these are pivotal moments.

when you have one, do you stop for a moment and breathe, charge ahead and act like you didn't even see or hear them, or listen and make the choice that works best for that moment.

being in charge of your emotions. saying to oneself, i am feeling this way though i am going to choose to or not.

i know this is a little off the subject though not really.

write that letter to god/the universe/mother earth and ask for what you want.

these are very valuable tools for anyone-in business, at home, or with children.

FOUR QUADRANTS OF COMMUNICATION:

1. FACT-you and i have know each other for a long time

2. FEELING-you are so sweet and make everyone around you feel good

3. BELIEF-this would be a great fit for you

4. WHAT YOU WANT-i want you to listen to this call.

then stop. be quiet. listen. don't talk until you know the person you are with understood what you were asking.

try this and let me know how it works.

love you madly,

sarah

trust yourself

2009-06-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

think about it, innately we all know how to be ethical, how the world works, how to be kind to others and ourselves. we choose not to listen.

figuring out how one learns is important-is it writing, listening, or reading? do you have to write it and do it to get it into your brain?

"unlocking your brilliance"

unraveling the junk we have taught ourselves is important and we cannot live without.

focusing on the things we are brilliant at and tweaking those that need a little love. we know things-kind things on a cellular structure level. these are the things like dressing yourself, brushing your teeth. having these good habits (especially getting dressed before you leave the house) is crucial. og says, that good habits can replace bad habits.

love you madly,

sarah

can you see your brilliance?

2009-05-24T19:53:00.000-05:00

today i begin a new life-scroll 1

i begin this day with love in my heart-scroll 2

i will persist until i succeed-scroll 3

-og mandino

we all need each other for love, understanding, validation, to get on our case once in a while, to hear no, forgiveness and company.

this has for so long been taken out of the workplace. listening to your client, your co-worker, your boss-this can be done with love in your heart. then you are truly listening.

i love you,

sarah

what a weekend!!

2009-05-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

on saturday i went to a seminar hosted by judy feldhausen on "unlocking your brilliance" in chicago. on the drive home, my brain was so full of love and compassion it was if someone else had taken over.

you know when you meet someone and they have been here before (maybe a few times) and gathered so much information. judy is that person. she is grace embodied.

on weds, may 20th at 6:30pm at the menomonee falls library on pilgrim, i will be giving a 25 min talk on intrinsic value. strange and big word, though really means the part of you inside all of the other stuff. the part of you, that maybe you don't want anybody to see. this could be self-worth, self esteem, something that might be holding you back in your family life, work or both.

rita, our beautiful president of arbonne international, (by the way her birthday is tomorrow) has always said that our company is an empowerment and self-improvement company diguised as a health and wellness business.

i feel so blessed to be able to get in front of so many beautiful and smart people everyday. they teach me so much about myself. good or bad, others are our teachers and we can choose to embrace that or gloss over it.

come weds night-call me if you need directions

i love you,

sarah

happy mothers day!!!!

2009-05-10T13:05:00.000-05:00

to all the care-givers, grandmums, mothers, foster moms, and truly anyone who cares for another (which is so many)

happy mothers day!

i am always in trouble for not sending out a card, or sending out flowers and i have a hard time remembering peoples special days. this irks my family and friends. when i travel i don't buy gifts for the adults-kids yes and again i get grief. my thought is that something material cannot replace the grandeur of where i have been. many times it is looked at and put away or ends up in a garage sale. i understand this seems to many selfish or self-centered of me though i would rather be in their lives day to day. this is also how i feel about death. funerals are for the living. you would have thought i created an international incident when we could not afford to go to my grandfathers funeral. i had just seen him and spent good time in tennessee visiting. we spoke on the phone often and i even had the nurse hold the phone to him when he was in hospice.

wow, what a rant, i really wanted to let all the people that give of themselves selflessly and love unconditionally a high five

today i begin a new life -og mandino

i love you!

sarah

there will be waves

2009-04-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

as with anything you start, it is bumpy. you are up and down emotionally, your kids miss you, your spouse wants a moment of silence.

it is hard. i hear you. am living it everyday.

you have "the talk" , that you are going to make life better, easier, in the moment, though there is a hurdle. the hurdle is, time away from your family.

make sure you schedule time for your family, though i will tell you, it will never be enough, and for now, that has to be okay.

just keep lovin on them and know in the back of your head that you will have one more day, two more days, three more days-soon enough.

let's support each other, make sure that our spouses are heard.

love you,

sarah

making the choice

2009-04-23T17:07:00.000-05:00

how many times have you heard from yourself, someone who lives with you, a team member, or maybe you overheard a conversation on the bus, i just cannot seem to move up.

we all get frustrated. we put incredible pressure on ourselves. there might be some from a manager or broker or spouse saying to make more, be more and do more.

so we need some direction. (this is preferably before there is a meltdown).we don't have to continue doing the same thing. you just have to be willing to change.

they say, if nothing changes, nothing changes. if you are not willing to do something different, this is as good as it's ever going to get.

IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU?

i had a history of ideas teacher, sherman merrill, in college. hardest teacher i had ever had, smart man, amazing lecturer. he bred american bulldogs too.
he told us upfront. one of you will get an A, two will get a B, three will get a C and the rest will fail. (there were 50 of us in his class) (it was required)
(i took the class three times) enough said.
i remember taking a test up to him that i knew i did badly on and i was trying not to cry and he turned to me and "without pain there is no growth"

to this day i hear him when a journey is starting.
at different points in your life different things will get cast aside to be picked up later-acquaintances, laundry, making dinner, spending as much time with your spouse or kids. this is short lived, i promise. I PROMISE.
i sense that at that moment when all hell is going to break loose you get it, a light bulb goes off, a new client says yes, or you get the paycheck you wrote God for. (http://www.deargodletter.com)(do/ IT)

in websters the definition of consistency is: agreement or harmony of parts or features to one another or a whole.

okay.

my definition of consistency is pick a thing-ie method, plan, etc-and do it OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. then again and again and again.

it will run the gamut of fabulous, fun, boring, tedious, exhausting, etc (you get the picture).
this is really important. you are cruising along and doing your consistent work and sixteen days in you say, "wow this is going well, i think i will take a break"
think again ......

it's a 90 day cycle. six weeks to make or break a habit, and 90 to see the results actually working for you. do it for 90 days, then start over. think about warren buffet, he did not get to be "warren buffet" without consistency.
i love you

sarah

ok, i am listening!!!

2009-04-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

well, i feel i am on to something!
this marketing is working.

i realize it has been out there, so simple, though the same things were being said over and over so one thinks they are on their own path and maybe we can all update or add to it.
this is so much more fun!
put the information out there and let people absorb it, then they will come to you when they are ready,
not on your time frame.

this is something i want for everyone to know, it can work for any business you want to skyrocket. so simple and i feel like it isn't being talked about. getting on the phone and talking to people i don't and then asking then for things they may or may not need is not my gig.

put the information out there in a way that is comfortable for you. then check in with people. find out what is in the front of their brains, they'll tell you exactly who and where they are.
the key, i feel is being the 1st card in their mental rolodex. you become the "go-to" person for anything.
remember, what you put out there is what you will receive.

the part i love the most is that i am getting loved on. it is what i thought i would be doing and just the opposite is happening.

love people for exactly where they are.

i love you,
sarah

going to bed

2009-04-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

it is 11:58pm and i wanted to tell you how grateful i am.

i feel loved and on the right path.

love you,

sarah

i met the most amazing woman

2009-04-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

i get it, i am easily amazed by people, places and sometimes things.

judy feldhausen is really special. totally normal, easy-going, not hippy-drippy or new agey, just down to earth.

i would say she is a leader coach. she uses a little known short lister nobel peace prize guy's assessment that is based on quantum physics (yes math). he was up for the npp in 1972 and he died in 1974. she and her friends found it and brought it back from the depths.

this assessment helps her understand where you are and what you need to tweak.
you can do it online www.mastermind4leaders.com .

i have put out the word to have a group conference call of 5 or more. the cost comes down for the 14 week coaching and 2 assessments. for myself, i am ready to stop running my life, work and family like an adventure race-bull in a china shop. I WANT EASE AND GRACE.

would love to start in 2 weeks, let me know if you are interested in starting with our group.

love you,
sarah

go public global leadership forum for cancer control

2009-03-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

this is exciting!!!!

i was just asked to lead a "conversation" on cancer control. it will be compiled with other "conversations" from all over the world and presented in ottowa, canada sept 23-26, 2009.

thinking about how i should go about this, i have decided to host one in milwaukee and one in chicago.

i am going to limit it to 50 people in each city. bringing people together to talk about cancer is going to be emotional, heartbreaking, joyful, and loving. my hope is that i will be able to host people living with cancer, families living with cancer, people in remission, and how this has affected them and how we can change it all over the world.

please keep your eyes open for more information, i should have places nailed down in the next 3-4 days. both cities will be towards the end of april.

please visit their website www.controlcancer.ca/gopublic

love you,

sarah

work in groups

2009-03-20T17:14:00.000-05:00

great minds think alike!!!
i am here with gwen, cheryl, maria and tasha.
we are getting on the same page with how to add names to our list. we are adding to the traditional ways of working our warm markets. networking online, twitter, plaxo, facebook, etc.

in two days i added 240 names. arbonne is in australia, canada, the uk and the us.

so now i start emailing and calling. it is not so personal to have people that you don't know say no, you just move on to the next person on your list. sometimes you take it to heart when you know someone who needs the paycheck or their time back and they say no, or i don't have time.

none of us have time and it is scary to jump in and put yourself out there.

i have to tell you honestly that i have not ever been this happy. i can truly say i love my job.

love you!

i should back up

2009-03-19T22:15:00.001-05:00

it is so like me to jump right in.
i want to let you know a little bit about me. some of you have known me for 30 years and some have never met me.
dallas was my first stop on this earth. i lived there for 17 years and went to maryland institute college of art for photography then later switched my major to painting. continued to paint and went to slade school of fine art in london for painting as well. had a blast, did some of my best thinking there. my dad died while i was there and that fueled a lot of good stuff.
moved back and decided that i couldn't go back to working retail-60-80 hours a week for what seemed like a rental. you buy or you rent and i wanted to own.
so i went to dallas and came up with the grand idea that i would teach myself to make slipcovers. interesting is what i would say about the 1st 10 slipcovers i did. soon i did become good at it and would drag my machine to clients houses and sit for 10-12 hours and make slipcovers on site.
soon people started asking for pillows, duvets, drapery, etc. then paint colors and rug ideas. then i thought you know i should just do it. so i became an interior designer and learned a lot on the job. i had great mentors. amazing mentors. if you ask people for help-9x's out of 10 they love to teach you what they know.

so for 11 years i worked 80-100 hours a week. then i decided after many dollars and hours at the therapist's couch i was ready to get married and have kids. mind you i was 36 and had really thought i would be alone (in a katherine hepburn kind of way) and have my nieces to spoil. i went on match.com and thought it was great, like shoe shopping. i would find someone interesting and put them in my cart. i only allowed myself an hour a night. i emailed erik an told him he had a nice smile.
well it turns out we lived 2 blocks away and we went out for sushi and he says he knew.
we got married 4 months later in telluride ( i was finishing up a house there for a client) off season by a lady judge and her dog. i had tulips from walmart and we both wore pink and brown. i was pregnant 2 weeks later and we had gladys in december of 2006. this whole time i had sold my condo and we had bought a three flat to convert back into a single family. erik was the corporate chef for the archdiocese and i was still working crazy hours. mind you making a 6 figure income.

after many moves during the rehab and figuring out how to work and have a baby (very interesting) we finally moved into our house in sept of 2007. i didn't know that i was pregnant again with gracie. we had it made, a beautiful girl and one on the way making good money and living in a house i made every decision on from doors to how wide the flooring was to be.

i had slowed a bit on the clients and i did feel like some where not working with me because i was pregnant. i just moved on like my normal bull in a china shop way. then in april, when i was in the hospital having gracie it all came crashing down.

i had a client (mind you i had been taking charge cards for years-too many clients wanted the miles or the points) charge back 130,000.00 they claimed it took too long and they had not received anything. only two weeks earlier i was there at their house having custom rugs, drapery and 60% of the furniture installed. i was, well i will not swear on this, i thought this is a mistake.

i sent my bank 90 pages of documentation proving otherwise and 8 months later they told the client that they had ruled in my favour. they had the balance of the furniture in storage for that whole time waiting to be delivered. i went through depression like i had not felt before. all i wanted to do was crawl in a hole.
the charge back affected all my other clients as the 130,000 was covered in my account by my personal money and my clients money. so i could not purchase their goods. it was a nightmare.
i called them all and let them know what was going on and they fought for me. called their attorney's and got what they needed.

i told you this would be short though i am rambling.

so we are at 12 weeks ago. i decided to close my corporations and do very small jobs and build this little business i had been playing with called Arbonne.

i joined arbonne to get the fabulous products for my daughters. their baby stuff is what got my attention. then i started in on the anti-aging for myself. years of climbing and adventure racing had taken their toll. it was actually reversing the damage i had done.

so.... i was getting nice little checks for 200,300-500.00 a month and after all the chargeback stuff i really looked at how much i loved arbonne. i loved teaching and training. i missed it from under grad-teaching freshman how to mix colors and how to paint outdoors.

people ask me all the time what i do. i listen and guide people to make the paycheck they need and want. the products are amazing and they work. i wouldn't even entertain doing it if they didn't.

i just became an area manager last month and i can will the business to my daughters, god forbid something happen, they will always get my paychecks. this became real when our executive area manager, dr stacey bean's husband was on the life flight chopper that crashed in march, 2008. she holed up with her kids and did not work in the er or her arbonne business for 4 months. her paychecks got bigger and she became a regional vice president 2 months after she came back to us. the company, the people, the spirit, the will is so much bigger than us.

i went to erik and we talked about me scaling way, way back. doing arbonne full time and if a small job comes up and i want to do it... then okay.

this came at a price. the 8 months that we waited for mc/visa to rule in our favour we couldn't pay our mortgage. we since have declared bankrupsty and have lost our home. honestly, i was a relief. with the economy, my work was an extra. you cannot get a mortgage. let alone have the cash to redo anything. though my arbonne business has been growing every month by a minimum of 100%.

erik and moved to milwaukee-we got a house from a couple of angels that were willing to owner finance. we get to start over. the girls can go to public montessori school 4 blocks away. we eat outside and don't have to rush to do anything.

i am grateful and blessed, i know. i know this much is true.

i love you and hope that you to find your way. if i can help please let me know.

forever grateful,
sarah

just getting started

2009-03-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

sitting in the new kitchen (you cannot swing a cat in) with gladys as she is eating her third bowl of cheerios

looking around at all the "stuff" that needs to be put away and...well.... maybe i will start or maybe not.
thinking about arbonne meeting with DM's on friday in chicago.