FAMILY

be THAT girl who inspires…

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And then she found her hero staring right back at her in her reflection…

Tj

As I reflect on my year there are a few lessons that I have learned that I want to share with all of you. But before I begin, let’s chat about what your word is for 2022??

2019 my word was Self. This was my year to be selfish and to begin focusing on ME. We have all heard the quote, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”, but do we all really listen to that? Nope. We allow others’ needs to come before our own and it’s exhausting. In 2019, I had a lot of self-growth, but this was not easy at all. The guilt I felt daily was hard but I realized that I needed to make a change so I could show up better in all areas of my life.

2020 my word was Intention. I made it a goal to make decisions based more on willful direction. I became more mindful of my decisions. I intentionally created habits, learned to plan more, and became more intentional with my time. This was not an easy year, we can all attest to that. It was dark, it was hard, it brought on anxiety that a lot of us didn’t know how to deal with. It was also a year where I have never been more grateful for my health and my family time. A year that I realized that I needed to live in the moment and let go of the past.

2021 my word was Action. This past year has been a huge year of growth for me and it never would’ve been that way had I not taken action. Here are a few things I completed this year…

This year I successfully completed the 75Hard; a challenge that I had wanted to do for quite awhile. The best part, I was able to do it with my hubby and we crushed it together. That experience gave me the confidence that I can do whatever I put my mind and soul into.

I promoted to District Manager in my Arbonne business! Who knew sharing my love for the products would lead to me actually creating a new business opportunity for myself. I have been part of this company for years as a customer but it wasn’t until early this year when I went all in using the nutrition products during the 75HARD challenge that I made the decision to start working this business. These products have truly made such a difference in my life and I will continue to share what works for me. It feels so good to see other people’s health thrive after trying our products.

I also completed my Health & Life Coach Certification! Something I had been wanting to do for a couple of years but was too afraid to do it because I was nervous about failing the exams. Test anxiety is a thing. LOL! Well, I can say that I did very well on the exams and I passed with flying colours. I also registered for my Personal Training Certification that I will be starting in January!

Lessons I have learned this year…

  1. Your Health is Your Wealth. We have one body to carry us through this life. Why not do everything we can to keep it in tip top shape! Most of us own a vehicle. Would you put oil in the gas tank? No because we know that it will not run properly! Plus, we can purchase a new car if we ruin the one we have. We can’t just go and purchase a new body, so treat it like the precious Queen it is. We are all going to face challenges in our lives, why not be ready to face them both physically and mentally.
  2. Slow the hell down. If nothing else, the last 2 years have taught me that I need to live in the moment and slow down. Life is not a race that we win. What happens at the end if we haven’t cherished the moments in between. If you are living a life of competition, you are going to miss out on all the good stuff.
  3. Connection is a must. We are built for connection. We need connection. This has been huge for me in my life. Connecting with other’s who push me to be better has kept me going. I appreciate the friendships that I have so much. But the most important relationship I have is with myself. Put yourself first. Fall in love with the person that you are and the person you are becoming.
  4. Love people for who they are and where they are at. No one is perfect. No one is going always agree with one another’s choices but loving them and accepting them allows them to feel seen and that’s what we all want.
  5. You do You. Our family motto for this year. I couldn’t love this more.

I would say that 2021 has definitely been a year of good Action and I am not about to stop. I will be launching my Coaching business this year so stay tuned for that! This year is going to be my year to INSPIRE. Inspire other’s to get healthier, to get stronger, and to realize that they are worthy of what they want. It’s time to focus on YOU because you matter. I want to Thank ALL of you who inspire me Every. Single. Day. Bring on 2022 and let’s get inspired together.

I’d love to hear what your word is for 2022 and some lessons you’ve learned in 2021!

be THAT girl who challenges her choices…

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“You owe it to yourself to challenge your choices”

Tj

Have you ever been in the middle of doing something and you start to wonder why you chose to do it? I was working on an assignment from a class I was taking and I had this thought…..why haven’t I been questioning EVERYTHING??? Why haven’t I been questioning my choices throughout my life? We all start out curious. Why don’t we stay curious?

Throughout most of my life I have not been a curious person. In fact, I found it easier to just go with the flow and not ask questions unless I absolutely had to. You know the saying, “ignorance is bliss”, well that was me. I liked living in this so called bliss….so I thought. Just doing what I was conditioned to do. Believing what I was conditioned to believe. Portraying an image of the perfect daughter, wife, mother, and friend. To me, life just seemed easier that way. I looked for anything to support my way of being and found what I needed to feel good about living in that “bliss”. Little did I know that I would one day have to challenge my choices.

In April of 2016, my beliefs were challenged. (More details are in another post… http://www.bethatgirl.ca/blog/be-that-girl-who-shares-her-story/ ) My comfortable life as I knew it was turned upside down. I had to make a choice that would ultimately change everything, not only for myself but for generations that follow. No pressure. LOL! As I pondered what I was going to do, this thought kept popping running through my head…”figure out what you truly believe”. So, for the first time in my life, I actually started to study (approved church literature) about my religion. Crazy huh….39 years of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I never questioned anything about it. I just believed because my family and friends did and I figured it was easier to just keep living what seemed easiest. My testimony was built on the testimony of others. Clearly I didn’t understand what a testimony really was.

Once I started to read more about the prophet who restored the gospel, I knew I couldn’t support that religion any longer. I won’t get into what I read but it was enough for me to know that this was not an organization that I wanted to be a part of anymore. Although this has been one of the hardest choices in my life thus far, I have never regretted the decision I made because I have asked the hard questions. I have challenged my choice. I have found my truth.

My hope is that we all challenge our choices. Ask more questions! I don’t just owe that to myself, but I owe it to my children to question everything. Search for your truth by getting the facts and correct information. We have all heard the quote, “you don’t grow in comfort”. Get uncomfortable and just see what unfolds for you.

be THAT girl who prepares for this moment…

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You have prepared for this moment. You can do hard things if you surrender to your WILL.

Tj Aneca

I began writing this post back in the fall when Ryan was diagnosed with Stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoma but I just couldn’t finish it without turning into a sobbing mess. My thoughts were all over the place and it didn’t feel right , so I paused. The last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about this chapter in Ryan’s story. Friends, there is not a doubt in my mind that we are preparing for certain moments in our lives where our strength will be tested on a scale that we cannot comprehend. Where, we ourselves, will wonder if this is worth the fight. I say this because I have watched my brother, my hero, our warrior, take on the biggest fight of his life. I recall sitting in his bonus room with him, watching a movie as he waited to see what the doctors would say about his diagnosis. To me, he looked a bit lethargic, tired, and stressed. The hardest part was watching him breath. It was so labored! As we chatted about the “what ifs”, I remember him saying, “I don’t care what it is, but if it’s cancer then let’s just get this show on the road and get it done”. From the second he said that, I knew he was prepared for his “moment”. Although his moment was unknown, he had the WILL.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

The last few weeks have been a complete whirlwind for our family. Ryan, one of my younger brothers, was diagnosed with Stage 4 T-Cell Lymphoma. Now, I’m not gonna lie, but when I hear cancer my mind goes to a dark place. A scary place. A place where hope doesn’t really exist. I cried…because that’s what I do to release what I’m feeling. I am angry. Angry that it is him. Angry that I can’t fix this. Angry that his family will also have to endure this as well.

My brother, although younger by 15 months, has always been my protector. He’s been more of my big brother for many reasons. I remember him teaching me how to ride a dirt bike when we were teenagers. You see, there was a boy that I was trying to impress, so I asked Ry to show me how to do it. He gave me a quick 2 minute lesson and I was on my way down the dirt road. Of course, I stalled it because I failed to listen to the part where he was trying to tell me to gear down when coming to a stop. So, here I am yelling down the road for Ry to come help me but at that point I was a km away. I could see Ry start to run towards me. As I’m waiting for him in the hot sun, cute boy that I was trying to impress drives by. Yup…complete embarrassment as he stops to ask me if I need help. Of course I say the most logical thing that my brain could think of….”oh no, I’m fine. Just stopped for a minute. I’ll see you down at the lake later” He then drove off as I waited for Ry to rescue me. He’s rescued me on several occasions…probably more than I’d like to admit. He also tried to teach me not to go too fast on gravel roads…ya, I didn’t listen and well, let’s just say that I learned my lesson. I also remember when my Grandma Takahashi passed away and I was having a hard night. I needed to just get in the car and drive. I ended up driving to Ry. I walked in his front door and he just held me as I sobbed. My brother is not an emotional guy or does he share his feelings with anyone but you just know that he loves you and that he would be there to rescue you no questions asked.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

I was able to be at the hospital with Ry this evening. I was so nervous. I was worried I would upset him with my tears. I know him and I knew that he would feel bad for me seeing him in the state that he was in. Again, him trying to protect me because that’s what he does. As I approached his room, he was sitting in his recliner with no shirt on and his blanket from home draped over his lap. I could see that he was swollen, way less than the pictures I had seen, but still not his strong physique I was used to. He seemed tired but he was trying to be a good host. I kept reminding him that he could go to sleep if he was tired but he wouldn’t. We had a good laugh when I brought one of our favourite childhood movies with me for us to watch together. “Back to the Beach”. We still knew some of the words to the songs! We laughed at how we used to record all of the music from the VHS to my tape player so we could sing the songs. When it was time to settle for the night I could see his anxiety set in. I had never seen that side of him, which was partly from the medication he was on, but once again, he tried to protect me from witnessing that and told me I could go. Of course I declined because if I could get more time with him then I was going to take it. After he settled and he fell asleep, I left. Leaving was hard. I sat in my car and cried for a while and then made my way home. Thankful for the time I got to spend with him.

JANUARY 29, 2021

Phone Ringing…

“Hello.”

“Teej, it’s Dad. We just got the best news. Ryan’s numbers are climbing!”

This brother of mine is an absolute beast! He is such an inspiration to not only me but to so many other’s. I don’t want to share his journey (plus, it’s far from over) because that is his story to tell but what I can tell you is, that he didn’t know it but he had been preparing for this moment all along. For those of you that know him and have followed his body building chapter, you know that he made a promise to himself to build up his strength and nothing was going to stop him. And believe me, we tried to tempt him just for funsies! But, being the man that he is, he kept that promise to himself and did what he set out to do. I believe THAT core value is why he is still with us today. In one of Brandi’s posts, in the “Raise it for Ry” Facebook group, she shared that on one of the “rocky” days where he wasn’t feeling great at all, he got up and began to ride his stationary bike. She told him that it was okay to rest that day but he replied with, “I made a promise to myself that I would ride everyday and you’re only as good as your word”, so he was getting on that damn bike even if it was a short ride. If we all share that same WILL and DETERMINATION, then we will all be prepared for our moment….whatever that looks like.

“THERE IS NO WEAPON MORE DEADLY THAN THE WILL”

Bruce Lee

For anyone wanting to donate to Ryan and his family at this time, please click on the link below and let’s “Raise it for Ry”!

https://ca.gofundme.com/f/raise-it-for-ry

be THAT girl who shares her story…

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When someone shares with you a piece of their story, they’re giving you a gift.

Tj Aneca

“Babe, I need to talk to you about something”…

Not the words I wanted to hear in that moment that night. I remember it like a broken record in my head. Those 9 words changed my life in ways I could never have imagined. Thirty-nine years, living a life that was working and with that one sentence my whole world flipped. Not how I saw my life playing out at all.

Thinking that he needed to talk to me about the kids, as we lay side by side in the dark as we usually do right before we fall asleep, I asked him “what’s up?” “Teej, I can’t do this anymore.” Silence. “I can’t continue to help lead a congregation when I don’t truly believe that this religion is true.” Silence. “I am leaving the church.” Tears. “If you and the kids decide you want to continue to go, I will support you and go with you but just know that my heart is not there.” More tears.

So many thoughts were swirling around in my head but none of my words would come out. Just tears. I don’t think either of us really slept much that night. You could feel the sad tension between us. In my mind I played out every scenario. We continue to go and I ask him to join us. The kids and I continue to go without him with us. I take the kids and leave. I kick him out. We get a divorce. Weeks went by where we continued to go and put on our brave face. I could see how miserable he was which broke my heart. So, I did what I had taught my young women to do, I questioned.

Now questioning beliefs within some religions is not exactly welcomed. I never had because I was the girl that believed what her parents, friends and leaders said was truth. I just trusted that they knew and that was good enough but those 9 words challenged me. They made me dig deep and go somewhere I had never even considered going.

I remember I was alone that day. I had several hours where I would have absolutely no interruptions. As I sat on my bed with my phone in my hand, I put my hand on my growing belly and made a promise to my baby that I would try to make the best decision I could, not only for him but for the rest of us. I landed on the official church website. As I pondered what to search, I thought about one of the many topics that I had always felt uncomfortable with but was too afraid to question. I’m not going to get into specifics about WHAT I read but what happened next brought me to tears. As I read, I actually couldn’t believe what I was reading. My heart broke. In fact, I think a piece of it actually died. I just sat there in silence, tears streaming down my face. I remember actually saying a prayer out loud pleading for an answer. Asking for a sign to help me in my decision. Looking back, I knew. I knew that that aching feeling in my soul was telling me exactly what I needed to know. In that moment, I knew that this religion was not for us anymore.

I could not imagine life without my best friend in the whole world. The one who holds me when I need holding, the one who humbly corrects me when I’m wrong, the one who has seen me at my worst yet still seems to love me, the one who supports my crazy whims and ideas. The fact that I entertained the idea of letting go of that amazing human definitely opened my eyes. I need to question EVERYTHING! I may not always find the answer. Sometimes I just need to trust ME. Trust my own intuition because most of the time my gut feeling is right. The beauty of it all….this is a gift we all hold. We all know “that feeling” that we try to ignore. Maybe try giving it a chance. You just might find the next chapter in your story.

There is so much more to my story and I plan on sharing it over time. One day, this will be a book. A book titled, “Free To Be That Girl”. A story for my children about my journey and how I discovered my authentic self and my true purpose . This is not easy to write about because I fear hurting people I love but those that truly know me and my heart know that this comes from a place of healing. If there is one thing that I have learned thus far is that I have a gift to share and by allowing myself grace and kindness, I can help others find their true purpose.

be THAT girl that loves her Mama…

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EVERYTHING I AM, YOU HELPED ME BECOME…

Where do I even begin when it comes to sharing how special my Mom is. I’m sure most of us feel the same way right? Or maybe I’m one of the lucky ones? Being a Mom myself now, I realize just how patient, kind, and selfless she actually is. My Mama is such a great example of how to be a Mother! What I love most about her though is her capacity to love. She has the biggest heart when it comes to loving unconditionally. Let me explain….

Quite a few years ago, my Grandma Takahashi was diagnosed with cancer. After years of treatment, my Grandpa couldn’t take care of Grandma so my Mom, as well as some of her other siblings, would go help them out when they could. Eventually they needed someone there 24/7. My Grandpa was deteriorating from old age and Grandma from her cancer. Mom lived with them 6 days a week for a long time. Eventually they both passed away. This was not only taxing on my Mom but my Dad basically was a bachelor most of that time. They got through it…they have the most incredible marriage…but what an act of selflessness on my Mom’s part. She doesn’t regret those years of helping them out. She was able to spend those years getting to know her parents better and was able to be there when both of them passed. How beautiful is that.

About 4 years ago we went through a huge change and made a life decision that rocked all of us. It was not an easy decision but one we felt was best for us. I remember calling my Mom and bawling to her. She just listened while I tried to form words between my sobs. I remember her saying to me, “you do what you need to do….we will still love you and support you”. In that moment I knew that regardless of whether or not they thought we were making the right decision, that her and my dad would not shame us or make us feel like we we had to follow the herd to be loved. And they have continued to do just that.

My Mom has been a huge part of who I am becoming. She continues to push me to be a better version of myself….not by what she tells me but by what she models. Her determination is one that cannot be reviled. My Mom is 68 and is in the best shape of her life. I believe it was after her parents passed she decided to take up body building and man has she ever impressed me with her discipline. 5 to 6 days a week she is in the gym working out, eating healthy and drinking all her water plus more I’m sure because she always has to do a little bit more than what is expected. LOL! I don’t know a more talented human. Whatever she wants to learn or do she does it 110%! Almost a fault….when she learns something she makes 500 of them instead of just a few.

Mom…I sure love and appreciate you and who you are. You have the ability to make EVERYONE feel like they matter. I know that there are many people that have had the opportunity to feel that unconditional love you give. My hope is that one day I can be at least half the incredible human you are for my family and friends.

Happy Mother’s Day Mama!!

be THAT girl who gets to know her parents a little bit better…

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The Greatest Legacy We Can Leave Our Children Is More Happy Memories.

Well….it’s been over a month in quarantine, how is everyone doing? I can honestly say that I have had some good days and some really hard days. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way. We all crave connection! It is totally normal and it is a necessity. I hope we are all connecting with our loved ones as often as we can whether it be in our own home, 6 feet away or through some sort of social media.

I wanted to share with you, an evening we planned as a family to interview my parents. I knew some things about their story but I sure didn’t know as much as I thought I did. There are only 3 of us siblings in my family so it is a little easier to coordinate than some of the larger families that I know. We asked our kids to each come up with some questions that they had for their Grandparents. With 18 grandkids that’s quite a few questions. I also found lists of questions off of pinterest that work as well. Once we had that organized, I sent the list of questions to my folks so they could review them before we all sat down together.

We set up our call on an evening that we could all just hang out together through zoom. It was nice to see all of each other’s faces and be able to connect with one another. I sure do miss my family!! Once we all settled in, we started to ask Grandma & Grandpa questions about their life. It was fun to hear how they each grew up, how they met, who’s their favourite kid (obviously ME) (wink, wink). We got to ask additional questions as they would come up. They kept saying…”ask us anything”. The kids did and they loved hearing about their stories. It was a really nice way to spend an evening connecting.

One of my favourite questions was….”What is the most important lesson you have learnt during your life?”

Just love people for who they are and where they are at.

Grandpa & Grandma Harris

Best advice EVER!! There is so much wisdom in this statement. We just need to love humans regardless of their race, religion, or sexual preference. I think sometimes we forget that we are all here just walking each other home (thank you Dr. Jody Carrington for the daily reminder). We are all in this together. This is not a competition or a race where there is only one winner. This is a marathon where the journey is the only thing that matters.

Thank You Mom & Dad for being those humans for us. You have always showed up for us and given us grace when we’ve needed it. You have loved us and supported us even when it has been hard. You are both shining examples to each and every one of us. You are definitely doing your best to help walk each of us home. Love you guys!

be THAT girl that is socially aware

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i’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and your’re not in this world to live up to mine

BRUCE LEE

Day 21 of quarantine….how are you all holding up? For myself, I am okay. I am trying to keep some sort of routine just to help me stay sane. I am so impressed with the amazing teachers out there that have had to readjust to fit the new “curriculum”. Gosh…how lucky are we to have these humans to help hold our littles’ in a time of such chaos. HUGS to all of you doing your very best. I think I can speak for most….THANK YOU SO MUCH! We love and appreciate you all.

Our next lesson for our C.A.L.M Class is on Social Awareness and Social Management. Again…this is an add on once we have become aware of our purpose, our core values, our character, our feelings, and taking responsibility for our behavior and well-being .

SOCIAL AWARENESS is the ability to understand and respond well to the needs of others. This is something that is going to be used everyday in our lives whether it be at work, at school, at a party, at a family function, even social media….we need to be able to “read the room” as some might say. Being able to notice other’s emotions and respond empathically will help us become more aware of what others need or want from us. One thing that I have been working on is learning to manage my expectations of individuals or situations so that I don’t get offended or become disppointed.

I have been noticing, on social media or even when I go to the grocery store, people becoming very defensive and some just down right ass holes to each other! Where there is crisis, there are scared feelings which a lot of the time are presented as anger. This is the time that we all need to be socially aware of what each of us is feeling and try to give each other some grace. Some of us need to make sense of it all. Some of us can’t make sense of it all because it causes too much stress and anxiety! Let us all be aware that we do not think or feel alike so BE KIND! You do not know or understand everyone’s mental state right now. We are all in this together just trying to navigate through this experience. In the words of Ram Dass…”We are all just walking each other home.”

Let’s be the positive influence to and for each other while we manage through this. When we are socially aware of each other’s needs then we can begin to manage ourselves socially and become a positive force to be the change!

Be the change you want to see in the world

Gandhi

be THAT girl who is self-aware

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the start of all growth is the introduction of higher states of conscious awareness…

Leo Tolstoy

Something I’ve learned on my own journey of self-growth is that in order to begin we need to understand what it means to be self-aware. That self-awareness allows us to pivot onto a path of self discovery that we should all be working towards.

Yesterday’s lesson and today’s lesson go hand in hand so I wanted to make sure I had covered both topics before I posted about each one of them. Yesterday we discussed self-awareness and today we built upon that and discussed self-management.

SELF-AWARENESS is the ability to focus on how our thoughts, emotions and actions align with our core values. If you haven’t had a chance to write down your top 10 core values from most important to you and so on (not that any aren’t important), then refer back to my previous post about that. When we are self-aware, we focus on the reality of our behaviour versus the story we tell ourselves about ourselves. Basically we stop trying to convince ourselves that we are someone we’re not. One way to help become more self-aware is to pretend you are looking at yourself through someone else’s eyes. Really look in the mirror and study what you actually see. We all have our own self-image of ourselves but it is not always the reality of the situation. For example…we might call ourselves OCD when it comes to cleaning our house but in reality, we live in chaos. Don’t be fooled by the image of yourself that you have convinced yourself of being. This is a time to get really honest with ourselves and become better aware of our reality.

Another step to becoming more self-aware is to not ignore our feelings or intuition. The more we ignore that feeling the more anxious and stressed out we become which causes us to feel stuck. I spoke about feeling our feelings a few posts back. If we do not acknowledge those feelings they will not go away. We can learn to repress them but they will resurface at a later time and may become increasingly difficult to deal with causing a major reaction that is hazardous to our health.

We asked our kids to help us list some ways that can help us to become more self-aware

  • Journaling our feelings multiple times a day
    • making sure we journal how we are feeling throughout the day Noticing positive, negative and meh feelings
    • ask yourself, where is this feeling coming from?
  • Recognize when our energy is high, low or meh
    • most likely it will coincide with our feelings and emotions

Once we become more self-aware, we can start to work on our self-management. We begin by taking responsibility of our own behaviour and well-being. One thing that I have learned and live by is, responsibility breeds empowerment. I know we all love that feeling of being empowered to do something. This is why finding balance in my life has been so important to me. Now, when I say find balance that doesn’t mean that each part of my life is going to get equal attention. That is IMPOSSIBLE!! It just simply means that I acknowledge the 4 cornerstones of MY life. Spiritual, Physical, Mental and Social. If I can do one thing a day in each one of these “bubbles” then I feel like I have some balance happening. That is going to look different for all of us.

Again, we asked our kids to give us an example of something that may help them manage themselves….they came up with…

  • Create a Routine
    • having a routine is definitely a key element in helping us create good healthy habits
  • Consistency
    • being consistent is what we, as humans, crave. We are built for boundaries and thrive when we have them.

As much as this situation isn’t ideal, I enjoying the time we have to reconnect with each other. Life get’s so busy and full of “schedules” that sometimes we forget to say NO to things. This has been a great reminder that we could be better at creating a routine where connection is more present.

I hope you are all hanging in there! Keep your heads up and search for the silver lining because there is one friends. Stay safe and Stay home.

be THAT girl that communicates effectively

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the worst distance between two people is misunderstanding…

How many times have we heard, or repeated, that “communication is key”. I find the way that people communicate with each other to be quite fascinating! Quarantining in a home with 8 people for an extended amount of time is going to prove itself challenging if we don’t understand how each one of us communicates and then receives that communication. We are definitely going to have a few misunderstandings if we don’t become better communicators.

Today in our C.A.L.M Class with the parentals, we discussed 7 essential elements of communication skills. We wanted to build upon our topic yesterday of “What is our purpose and what are our core values”. We feel that if we know each other’s core values then that helps us to better understand the WHY in others choices.

So, here is our list of the 7 Essential Elements of communication skills…FYI…we did not make these up. I found them online.

  • Listening
  • Non-Verbal Communication
  • Being Clear
  • Being Concise
  • Being Confident
  • Being Personable
  • Being Patient

Listening is such an important skill when it comes to communication. This is something that I think I do well for the most part but could always do better. There is nothing more frustrating in a conversation than someone who is not 100% present. In order to fully understand someone and what they are conveying, we need to be fully engaged in our conversation. It shows the other person that you respect their time and what they have to say….even if it is not what you want to be talking about.

Non-verbal communication…now according to my kids, I am the master at this one. LOL! Apparently they can quickly tell when I am upset because I am more aggressive when I do my “angry” clean! Who knew?! And let’s be honest, what Mom doesn’t have the “I dare You” stare nailed down. Body language can definitely say a lot through our posture, gestures and our eye movements.

The next two are pretty similar…being clear and being concise. When choosing our words we need to make sure we are choosing the best words to deliver a message that’s easy to understand. That hardest conversations are the one’s where you walk away going, “what did they just ask me or what was it that they are trying to tell me?”

Being Confident. This is something I have struggled with my ENTIRE life. I was painfully shy as a child and into my teen years. I started to come out of my shell a bit when I met Awesome but even then it was only because I trusted him . I felt comfortable and safe. To this day, I still struggle in this department but not even close to where I used to be. I have worked hard on my self-worth through personal growth to get where I am today. I have also surrounded myself with humans that accept me for who I am so it’s easier to be confident when I have their support.

Being Personable. I know we all know THAT person that is super personable in our lives. The one where you just crave being in their presence. The one who greets you with a smile and a happy tone in their voice. The one who exudes light and love. Now, think about how that makes you feel….now go make someone in your household feel that way the next time you see them. Since we are all quarantined with our families, this is a perfect time to practice it. As soon as you get up….give your loved ones a big smile with a friendly tone when you say “GOOD MORNING (insert name)!” I bet you will instantly be able to see their body language change….and if not, it’ll change how you feel for the better anyways so it’s a win-win!

Being Patient. This one can go both ways. So, being patient when listening to a story that you have absolutely no interest in hearing or being patient when trying to convey a message. I find sometimes people can speak too fast because they are nervous which makes it hard to listen to. I even find at times when I get excited and have too many thoughts going through my head that they come out all messed up and then everyone is confused…including myself! Hahaha! It is important to be composed and not rush when you are trying to get your message across for effective communication.

Going through our list and having a discussion about each element was interesting. Each kid had a different story that they could share so that we could understand where the communication break-down took place. What I think I’ve learned from our discussion is that we need to try to do our best by using these key elements to communicate with each other. We need to think about what our intention is behind our message and what result we are trying to create. In saying that….we CANNOT control how that person is going to receive our message and what their reaction is going to be. We can only control OURSELVES.

I hope you are all doing okay! I am definitely missing being able to meet up with friends and family. I love to be social! If you see or know of someone struggling, let them know how much you care and ask what you can do to help them. Zoom coffee calls or zoom dates are a fun way to stay connected without spreading the virus! I encourage you all to hop on and try it.

STAY SAFE!

be THAT girl that knows her purpose & core values…

~ admin ~ Leave a comment

it’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are…

I don’t know about you guys but over here in Aneca Lockdown, I’ve come to the realization that this is probably going to go on longer than we all expected SO…I made us a fancy schedule to help us not get stagnant. LOL! Let’s be honest, we all need structure no matter what age we are. Being consistent will help us progress in this time of unsurety. I know for myself, I need routine. I love forming habits that serve me so here we go…wish us luck.

This is a general template for us to follow. Of course things will sometimes have to change but for the most part it gives us a guide. Awesome and I are getting up around 7:30am so we can get our workout in before we start our schedule. This morning was Day one and so far it has gone well. I think C.A.L.M class with us parentals is going to be the best class EVER! With the kids help, we compiled a list of subjects that they would like to learn about that have to do with everyday life. I wish schools offered more in this department. We also made a list of “To Do’s” , with the kids, so that we can help each other get organized around the house. You know…all the things we keep putting off to do literally anything else! Ya…that one. Shit’s gettin done around here now!

This morning’s C.A.L.M class was all about our core values. As a child and into adulthood, I was coached by a religion about what my values were so I never really thought about what values were most important to ME. In the last 4 years of personal growth, I have thought long and hard and tried to figure out what those look like! Once I knew what my core values were, I could make decisions based on those and if my decisions aligned with them. Core values frame our choices….think about that. Have you ever wondered why your children or even your spouse make certain decisions? I sure have…especially in my marriage. A lot of decisions that Awesome makes do not make sense to me but it is because his core values are different than mine! Once we know what each other’s core values are, it better helps us to understand why they made certain choices. Does that make sense?

Another question I asked the kids this morning was…WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE? Again…if we don’t know our purpose than what drives us to even get out of bed in the morning? We have to know this to progress in our lives. For myself, again, I’ve had to redefine my purpose. My purpose is to always be progressing in all areas of my life. I want to be a source of light for others and to help change lives. This is what drives me EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I’ll share with you my top 10 core values…which I might add were hard to narrow down to only 10. These are the values that help shape my choices.

  • PURPOSE
  • CONNECTION
  • FAMILY
  • INTEGRITY
  • TRUST
  • HONESTY
  • PROGRESS
  • DISCIPLINE
  • PERSONAL GROWTH
  • OPEN-MINDEDNESS

So, with knowing my purpose and knowing my core values, I believe I can make better choices and decisions for myself and for my family. Are they going to always be the “right” decsions? Probably not but I will have a guide to help me with them and so will my kiddos.

Hopefully you find this helpful and feel free to use any of this for yourselves. I will add the list of Brene Brown’s Core Values that we used to choose from. Look friends, I’m not here to preach but I’m going to share what has worked for myself. Thank You to those of you that take time out of your life to read my blog. I appreciate your support.