Beauty & Gratitude
So it seems I have a few things to talk about today. Usually I like to break topics up, but the more I think about it the more I feel like my two topics are related in some way.
I’d like to start with being blessed today by Ms. Vikki Colvin of For A Moment Photography. A few months ago I was talking to my partner Mark about how I need to get a head-shot and how I had never had professional photos done. He talked to Vikki and just before I left from Mexico she emailed me and let me know that she was available today. Even more exciting is that Vikki had arranged for the very talented Suzy Lavenda to take care of my makeup. Oh how excited and nervous I was. I’m not generally comfortable having photos taken of me, much because of my own personal body image issues.
So today I brought a couple of outfits and Suzy did my makeup. Vikki and I then proceeded to different locations to take some photos. Aside from the fact that I’m so grateful for some bonding time with her, Vikki is so amazingly talented. She had shown me a picture on the camera before I left and I thought, wow she truly made me feel beautiful. I feel like she found an angle of me that isn’t often seen. . . or shown. Then, when she completed a couple of the photos and posted them on facebook, I was floored by the responses from my facebook friends. Granted, much of the credit goes to Vikki and Suzy, but for the first time in many many years I truly felt beautiful. For the first time in many years, my focus didn’t go straight to how “fat” I look. For the first time ever I saw beyond my weight, and based on the responses I feel like my friends did too. I’m so thankful to these special people for not only giving me the gift of professional photos, but a boost in my self-esteem that was much needed.
Which is all a very nice bridge into my next topic. Generally speaking I am a fairly non-emotional person. Or more accurately, I do not show my emotions around others. Recently, I have found that many different things, words and events have brought tears to my eyes. The interesting thing is that it hasn’t been sad things, but positive events and words that have caused this. I was thinking my hormones were totally out of whack… until today. I had been talking to Mark about this earlier, and what I realized the more I thought about it is that I believe that it is the immense gratitude I have been feeling that has caused the emotion. I have been truly blessed, particularly this year with some extremely wonderful relationships, business changes, and life in general. I believe that my emotion truly is an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. I notice more and more every day the “little” things that happen in my life and I notice more and more how grateful I am to have the life I have.
I am so grateful to all of the people in my life who support me. Thank you for enriching my life so fully!
Blessings….
A Reason, A Season, A Lifetime
I’ve always been a believer that people come into, and leave from our lives for a reason. Last year I posted a blog about the closing of a Chapter (click here to read). It really was a goodbye to my Group 46:10 family, a new season was starting.
By no means have any of my Group 46:10 family left my life. I’m quite grateful and blessed that I still get to see my boys often, and have an occasional lunch with my Group 46:10 kids. I learned so much from each of those people, and as I have said before, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt they impacted my life in ways I could never even describe. In January a new season started, and new reasons arose. New people came into my life, and some people I had to let go of. This is the natural order of life in my opinion. God brings different people into our lives at the times we need them. Sometimes those people are taken out of our lives, also for a reason.
I am very blessed, in that so many people have come into my life this year. While I already knew many of the people, some became more influential, some became closer friends, some became family. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would just like to take a moment to mention some of these “new” people. Some who I work with, some who I have met through school. All who have truly touched my life this year.
First and foremost, Mark McIntyre. You were thrown into a funky situation this year when your team dynamic changed and I offered up my services to you. You didn’t blink an eye, you made me a member of your team without me officially being a member of your team. You fully trust my abilities and more than anything have become so much more than a friend. I’m grateful that beyond support my schooling, that you have faith in my abilities as a Transaction Manager, that you had complete faith that I could take over Short Sale Negotiations, that you and I are so on the same page, that you actually enjoy hearing what I learned in class, that you took the time to come to my family birthday dinner this year, that you let me vent, and let me cry and mostly for our heart hugs. I love you, and am SO beyond grateful for you in so many ways.
Mr. Bob O, I am so grateful that you keep me so busy. I’m grateful that you prefer to talk on the phone rather than text, that you became an Apple junkie like 24 hours, that you share what you learn in iPad classes, that you trust in my abilities, that we laugh together ALOT, and that you know and accept that your transactions are going to be trouble…and that you hopefully know they are trouble because someone, somewhere knows you can handle it, and provide the absolute best customer service to your clients.
Josh Gaymen, I adore you! I’m grateful that we have had the opportunity to get to know each other, and that we are so like-minded. I’m grateful that you see the value in what I do, I’m grateful for your spirit, and I’m grateful that you are an amazing Dad and that your family comes first. Don’t ever let that change.
Jaci Mitchell, I’m grateful that we complete each other. No really we do, since you started we have finished each other’s sentences. Your attitude is amazing and I love you more than I thought I could. Pam, I’m grateful that you came to our office. I’m grateful for your smile and for allowing me to be a giant pain in the bum as often as I can. 
(It’s a two-way street after all). Amanda, I’m so beyond grateful for your attitude. You are always smiling and you light up a room. Mike Menefee, I’m grateful you finally gave in. Oskar J, I’m grateful you gave in too, but I think I’m more grateful for the hugs you give me every time you are in the office. Ms. Uzi, I’m grateful that you and I are so like-minded and that we’re going to run for office together.
A few people I have met in school…. Ann, Krysten and Jerica, you truly inspire me to be a better person. Billie, I’m so happy to have you as a partner in a few classes. I love chatting with you. Cody, I’m grateful for you for so many reasons. We don’t talk a lot, but you remind me of what it’s like to be young, most importantly your vulnerability and your spirit warm my heart. You have such an amazing soul I can’t even put it into words.
I’m not trying to leave people out. These are just some of the people who have entered into my life this season and who have already left a mark on my heart. I’m truly grateful for every single person in my life. I’m grateful still to Kevin & Fred for teaching me the short sale business, for helping me to grow as a person, for continuing to support me and praying for me when I need it most, and for loving me. I have said it before, I would where I am today if I hadn’t met you boys. To all of my other friends, who mean so much to me, I hope you know who you are. I’m beyond grateful for each and every one of you. My sisters, I can’t even go there, I believe you know how much you mean to me, and that I would be nothing without you both. And to the people who have left, or have been removed from my life this year…thank you for having been in my life, and helping me to learn the lessons that I needed to learn at the time.
We often remember to be grateful for the “things”. Things can be replaced, people can’t. Don’t ever take them for granted. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Thank you for your support, thank you for reading my blog.
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong -doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being a part of my life
Stop Worrying About Everyone Else and Worry about Yourself
I have to say that I am truly blessed to be surrounded and supported by some very amazing people. There are very few people in this world who are not afraid to call me out on my crap, this is the quality I think I cherish most in both Kevin & Fred (they’re my “bosses”, if you didn’t already know that).
Every week we have an accountability meeting, in which we discuss not only my job goals, but my personal and personal financial as well. I decided to take an item off my personal goals because I didn’t feel like I had time to really dedicate the time to doing it, even though I feel it is something that I need to do, and would benefit tremendously from.
Well, of course they both questioned me as to why I took it off, and I was asked if rather than stop doing it completely, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to at least do it part of the way. Of course I made my excuses as to why that wouldn’t work, and OF COURSE, they called me out on it. Said I don’t finish anything I start (for myself). This is SO true, I don’t. In fact I was thinking about it the other night, actually I think about it quite often. Aside from career goals, I have not completed many of the things I have set out to do over the course of my life. I beat myself up about that one constantly, and in my conversation with Kevin & Fred a lot of it became clear for me.
I have a habit of putting other people before myself, I always have been that way. Kevin opened my eyes by sharing with me something Rick Geha said at a class last week, basically stating that by not taking care of myself, how can I really take care of and give to others….. Wow, that’s deep stuff. Wait it gets so much better… He went on to say that if I want children, do I really want to teach them that other people’s needs are more important than their own, because despite what we tell our kids, they do as we do. No for me that was an EXTREMELY smart tactic, knowing how much I want children. (Those guys know me too well!) It also really made me think about my Mom, that’s the person she was, her whole entire life she always put other people before herself, even though she used to say “Stop worrying about everyone else, and worry about yourself.” I truly am I my mother’s daughter, which by the way I couldn’t be prouder of. But as much as I thought I had broken most of the bad cycles I grew up with, this is one that I had never considered.
So, needless to say the spiritual/self development goal that I had taken off my goal sheet is of course back on. I could never begin to describe how grateful I am to have Kevin and Fred in my life, who always force me to see another side of things, and get out of my own way. I’m blessed to have two people who want better things for me than I want for myself.
That being said, how many times have you given up on a goal or dream because someone else’s was more important? If that person really cares about you, do you think that is truly what they would want for you? Better yet, why do we so often see ourselves as less important that those around us? Chances are, they don’t think we are less important.
I believe it’s true that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t truly give of ourselves to others. So who are we hurting and/or helping by treating ourselves poorly?
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