Of Fourth Grade Gangs and Princess Dreams

April 23, 2011 By 18 Comments

After taking a DISC profile recently, I’ve learned something about myself I never knew.  I am an ADVOCATE.  It has only taken me forty-seven years to figure this out, but it does explain a few things.

For instance, I now understand why, in fourth grade, I started a gang.  You see, there were several girl-bullies who were picking on other girls in class.  In my advocate mind, I determined that the only way to stave off the incessant bullying was to band together as a group.  And thus my gang was born.  It actually worked, and I thought it was a great idea, until the day the principal found out about it.  We all (the bullies and the gang) got into big trouble.

Needless to say, that was the end of my gangster career, but the advocate that is me lives on.  I cannot stand by when good people are mistreated, when hard-working folks fall on hard times and no one helps them, or when someone gets discouraged and tempted to give up a dream that is truly theirs to live. [Read more...]

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Debra’s Run for the Roses

January 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Today, I’m celebrating with a dear friend the final run toward finishing a dream. I feel like I’m on the sidelines cheering like mad as, having overcome almost impossible obstacles, she nears the finish line.

This is the week “Debra Irene” completes her first book. I am so proud of her, I can hardly contain myself! She reminds me of Seabiscuit, who, despite all the odds against him, did what he was born to do. He was a racehorse to the core, and NOTHING stopped him.

Congratulations, Debbie!
You are a true inspiration.

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Onions In Your Inbox

September 7, 2010 By 1 Comment

The other night, I had a dream:  I dreamed there were onions in my inbox.

My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to look it up on www.dreammoods.com, which is a very interesting site.  It was one of those “scratch-your-head-where-did-this-come-from” kind of dreams.  Aha!  That made sense.  Dreaming of onions means you are peeling back the layers of your life to get to the heart of a matter.

That is precisely where I am at this stage in life.  It has been a year-long process of awakening to the realization of who I am and what I was designed to do.  I have not totally figured it out, but I sense the final layers are giving way.

It starts with a quiet thought:  “There’s something you’re supposed to do with your life, something more than just exist.”

And then the thought becomes louder and more insistent:  “There’s something you are supposed to do with your life.”

There comes a point, usually in midlife, where the thought will no longer be ignored.  I have seen this played out over and over again in the lives of others, and it is an exciting thing to see.  It is a soul-searching process, and it is not easy.  There are tears when you peel the onion because you have to face the hardships of life head-on and, finally, deal with them.  But I will tell you, it is so worth the effort.

What’s in your inbox?

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Recycled U

June 3, 2010 By 3 Comments

“I am a Thing-Finder, and when you’re a Thing-Finder,
you don’t have a minute to spare.”  - Pippi Longstocking

 

As a child, one of my favorite books was Pippi Longstocking.  I loved her adventures, and most of all, I was enamored with the idea that she was a “Thing-Finder”.  Perhaps there’s a bit of Pippi Longstocking in many of us – that desire for the adventure of finding treasure in things that others overlook.

I love the idea of transforming “trash” to “treasure”.  Below are just a few examples of things you can do with some of those hidden treasures you find.  Here’s to the Pippi Longstocking in you!

Recycled Flooring-Coaster-2010-06-03 

This coaster takes recycling to a whole new level.  First, rubber was recycled as flooring for use in a fitness center, then recycled AGAIN as a coaster.  It is one of my favorite coasters, and so simple!

Pillow_Laura Lee_Front 

Believe it or not, this pillow was once a brand new sweater purchased for $1 at a consignment/overstock shop.  The filling was recycled from an old (ugly) pillow – washed, of course, before disassembling.  With a little embroidery and some fabric purchased to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, it was transformed into a child’s pillow.  Recycled to bless one child…and others through the work of St. Jude’s.

Picture Pillow 

If you have fabric scraps, even very small ones, you can use them for a project like this.  The baby in the picture was wearing a fish t-shirt (his dad is a fisherman), thus the theme.  If you sort your scraps into like color intensity, you can very quickly assemble something like this.  The center of the pillow was done using a computer scrapbook program and printed onto fabric with an inkjet printer.  The key to creative recycling is designing a theme and coordinating colors.  That takes it from “trash” to “treasure”.

 

Denim Vest 

I made this vest for my sister several years ago.  She loved Tweety Bird, so I disassembled a denim skirt and reformed it into a denim vest.  The pockets were made from the hemline, so no finishing was required at the top.  The characters were cross-stitched. The buttons were recycled as well.  Each one is actually two buttons stacked with a third clear button on the back.  These are stitched together, but not attached to the vest.  The vest has buttonholes on both sides so that the buttons can be removed and flipped around when the reversible vest is worn on the other side.  Using this method, the buttons could also be used on other garments.

Loveseat 

A friend of mine, with five children and a full-time career as a flight attendant, had little time or money to spend on her living room makeover.  Her in-laws had given her a loveseat which, as you can see in the “before” pictures, was not exactly in the best condition.  With new cushioning and fabric, the loveseat was transformed.  We also re-upholstered two arm chairs and a couch – and her living room became a gathering place for guests to sit and enjoy the music her husband played on his baby grand piano.

Sheets to Comforter

Several years ago, I needed a low-cost comforter for our master bedroom.  I could not find anything affordable that I liked at the store, so I made this comforter very simply out of two sheets.  A third sheet was used for the accessories.  Oh, and the mahagony bedroom set (bedframe, two dressers, and a mirror) that I had purchased as a teenager for $150 at a yard sale, I sold for $250 after fifteen years of use.  Recycling – for a profit.  Oh, yes, Pippi would have liked that!

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Life Changers-Part 1

May 31, 2010 By 8 Comments

 

Copy (2) of IMG_2586  

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

 

–Charles “Tremendous” Jones

 

Admittedly, it sounds a bit like a circus act.  You go to a camp in the mountains of Colorado, and you spend your weekend with a bunch of people you met on the internet:  a magician, an inventor, an artist, a sculptor, sales people, a bike racer, a guy who does bike tricks, a former truck driver, a former commercial pilot, a computer geek, business and career coaches, financial coaches, a mother of twelve with a catering business, owner of a barbecue restaurant, a building contractor, an ADD coach, a Fibromyalgia coach, and a college professor. 

What are you, nuts?

No, just a Free Agent Academy member.  Free Agents are a group of real people in pursuit of meaningful work.  These are amazingly creative and successful people with the common desire to use their God-given talents and skills to help others.  Real people…real success…real passion.

The “Pied Piper” of this group is Kevin Miller, son of author and career coach, Dan Miller.  Kevin has a passion for helping people achieve business success and has built a community just for them.  This was not your typical business conference.  The speakers (Free Agent Academy professors) are experts in their respective fields, and their presentations were very interesting and jam packed with helpful information.  The breakout sessions were insightful and helped each of us walk away with a three step action plan for our various businesses.  The professors were there for the small group sessions, for meals, for all of it – and available to answer our questions.  It was a great opportunity to get to know them and to see their genuine passion for the work that they do.

Each morning began with a walk to a nearby lake with a view of Pikes Peak.  What a way to start the day!  The view and the camaraderie of walking with fellow Free Agents were priceless.

If you asked these people what brought about the changes in their lives from where they were to the business owners they are today, they would undoubtedly trace it back to two people:  Dan Miller and Kevin Miller. 

A year ago, I was miserable.  I was exhausted and had lost my passion for work and life in general.  One day, I decided to do something I normally did not do – go to lunch.  I tuned in to the Dave Ramsey show on my car radio, and he was interviewing his good friend, Dan Miller.  Dan is author of the books 48 Days to the Work you Love and No More Mondays.  The titles intrigued me, so I read the books.  In fact, I read them twice.

Fast forward to today.  I am once again passionate about my work, have started my own business, lost twenty-five pounds, traveled to places I’ve never been before, met some amazing people, and even jumped out of an airplane.  Looking back, I am amazed at the changes in my life in just one year…and it all started with one person and his books.  That one person, Dan Miller, led me to another, Kevin Miller.  These two are “life changers”.

God has a way of placing in our paths the people and
the books we need at the time we need them. 
Whether or not we choose to meet those people
and read those books is up to us,
but amazing things happen when we do.

 

Have you read any interesting books recently or met any new people?  Is there some part of your life that needs changing for the better?  If the answer is yes, then prayerfully seek the resources you need to make that change.  Chances are it will be a person…or a book.  If that change involves work, check out 48 Days to the Work you Love, No More Mondays, and Free Agent Academy.

 

A year from now, where will YOU be?

IMG_0207
Photo by Tim Dunagan

 

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What’s on Your Dream Wall?

May 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

 

Card from Steve Rhodes

Some of the best advice I ever received came from my boss – in the form of the Christmas gift tag shown above.  He and his wife were warm and caring individuals, respected by all who worked with and knew them.  I cherish these words still, as they inspire me daily.   

It is sad to me that so many women wistfully say, "If only.." as if to indicate that at some point in life you have to give up your dreams and ambitions and just exist until you die.  To them, I say, "NO!!!  NEVER GIVE UP!"  God gives us the desires of our heart, not so we can bury them, but so we can reach for them and find hope and inspiration in seeing Him answer our prayers.  These are His gifts to us.

Several times in life, I have encountered dark times.  Accompanying each, there was a particular dream that gave me hope and carried me through.  The fulfillment of each was a direct answer to prayer.  To me, this was God's way of saying He loves me and has never forsaken me.  

When God lays it on my heart to pursue a dream, I create what I call my "dream wall".  I put up a picture that inspires me toward that goal.  I put it in a place where I will see it as a daily reminder to pray for and pursue that dream.  In time, I will share those very particular dreams and answers to prayer, but for now, there is just one question I have for you:

What's on your dream wall?

 

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