Tuesday, April 13, 2010

IT CAME!!!

My Introduction to Massage Therapy textbook arrived in the mail last night!! I was so excited!! Unfortunately, I didn't get to dive into it like I wanted to. I had to get dinner ready, then clean up after dinner, then read to Bianca, then spend a little relaxation time with her and Harry, then prepare for my webinar. The webinar was over at 10:30, and I was more than ready to hop into bed afterwards.

This morning I had to complete my normal routine, but add a bath for Bianca in there AND take her to Aunt Dot's. (Normally we try to give her baths at night, and Harry drops her off in the mornings.) So I didn't get a change to peruse it, as I was already pressed for time.

I brought the treasure with me to work, but I never get a break. Perhaps things would be different if I didn't share an office with my supervisor. Unfortunately, she always checks to see what I am up to. I think she would have something to say if she caught me reading a textbook as opposed to working on my never-ending to-do list.

The whole "when to read" dilemma has me wondering if I can really handle it all. Can I handle a day job, a business, school, quality family time, time alone with God, daily housework, relationships with friends, AND me time all at once? Only time will tell. I want to live a balanced life, and I don't want any area in my life to suffer. But something tells me that I may be making some sacrifices along the way. Oh how I wish I could quit my job! I would have SO much more time on my hands!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Day 8

This is Day #8 of my lingering headache. I am really starting to get frustrated. I can't wait until the morning I wake up and I feel great. Right now, I am just dragging. I don't know how much longer I can live like this. If it's not gone by the end of the week, I think a call to my doctor may be needed.

I Need A Personal Shopper

I realized this morning that I really need someone to help me dress properly. As I was drying off after my shower, I looked at my body in the mirror. I realized that, in general, I liked what I saw. I liked the shape of my body. I liked my curves. I could definitely use some toning and would love to get rid of my tummy, but overall, I was pleased.

Once I was dressed and I came back to that same mirror to finish getting ready, my whole attitude had changed. I didn't really like the way I looked. I looked fat and round, with no definition.

Obviously, my problem is I don't know how to dress properly. I don't know how to buy clothes that would look flattering on me. I don't know which colors or cuts I should get. All I know is I don't like the majority of clothes in my closet. They make me look frumpy and un-stylish.

I need a personal shopper - or someone like Clinton and Stacy - who would teach me how to shop and show me what no to wear. Too bad I don't have the money to hire one!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Happy Friday

Here are a few things that made me happy this week:

~ Temperatures in the 80's
~ Eating lunch outside with Mom
~ My supervisor being out of the office most of the week
~ Harry starting dinner before I got home
~ Achieving my Connect phase
~ Listening to Bianca laugh
~ Lunch with Sheila and Aprielle
~ Having more chances to chat with my co-workers
~ Singing along with the radio in my car
~ Watching Orioles games with Harry
~ Spending time on Pink Papaya

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Unproductive Day

It's now 2:00, and I have virtually done nothing today. I answered a few emails, I connected two teleconferences, I set up for the lab meeting....but I have not checked one thing off my to-do list today. I have this pesky headache that won't allow me to concentrate on much.

Let's talk about that headache, shall we? This is DAY FOUR of having my lovely headache. Yesterday was the worst. I could barely drive home; I honestly thought I was going to get sick in the car. And traffic was a nightmare, which only made things worse. Luckily, Harry had started dinner by the time Bianca and I got home. I had a difficult time getting the food down, and I went to bed at 7:30 PM. I can't even tell you when Harry came to bed or if Bianca got up in the middle of the night. I was completely knocked out.

This morning I felt a bit better, but I also noticed a bruise on the right side of my forehead. I'm wondering if I somehow banged my head on something and that's what caused the headache. I have taken so much Aleve in the past four days that I've lost count. I just want it to go away already.

Well, an email just came through reminding me of yet another task that I have failed to complete today. I better go attempt to get ONE thing accomplished before quitting time...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Wishcasting Wednesday: April 7th

Today Jamie asked the question, "How do you wish to bloom?" What a beautiful question for Spring, don't you think?

I wish to bloom like a beautiful, radiant flower. I want to blossom into the woman I know I was created to be. I want to be the Proverbs 31 Woman. I don't want to think about it in theory; I want to truly live her model life. I want to take care of my family. I want to feed them healthy and delicious foods. I want them to live a comfortable life. I want us to share our good fortune with others. I want to foster and adopt children who are craving a loving home. I want to be successful and promoted at work - both in my business and in my career. I want to have a healthy body. I want to feel free and light in my skin. I want to have deep, meaningful, growing relationships with nutritious people. I want to laugh more. I want to read more. I want to write more. I want to drink hot tea under a warm blanket while sitting outside on a crisp fall night. I want to be more present. I want to live lusciously! And last, but definitely not least, I want to have a close, solid relationship with God. I want the joy of the Holy Spirit to exude from every pore in my body. I want people to look at me and see God. I want people to come to know God because they first knew me. I want to live a holistically healthy, authentic, happy life!!

It's time for me to get serious and take action towards becoming the new me. Like spring, I feel bits of life waking from the long winter's nap...

Setting Intentions

As I was perusing several inspirational websites today, the topic of setting intentions seemed to keep coming up. The first step in taking action towards living a successful, authentic, happy, fulfilling life is writing down your intentions. Once you do that, you have something concrete to work on.

These are my intentions:

~ Double my income by April 25, 2011.
~ Become a Pink Papaya Team Leader by July 31, 2010.
~ Lose 30 pounds by December 31, 2010.

Now I just need to work on writing down my action plans for achieving them.

Sacred Friday: Support

I have so much support in my life. It comes from so many places. Without a doubt, this has to be one of my greatest blessings.

First and foremost, I have the support of my wonderful husband. He stands beside me and my crazy ideas….even when deep down he thinks they won’t work. He gives me the space and freedom to be my own person and to nurture the other relationships in my life. He allows me to pursue my interests on my own terms; he rarely pressures me. The majority of the time he will offer to drive because he knows I don’t like to drive….even though he doesn’t like it either. He cleans up after dinner and changes and feeds Bianca without a request. I truly don’t know what I would do without him in my life.

I also have the support of my family. Even though I may sometimes get discouraged by their lack of faith in me, they truly do love me and will support me in any way they can. Some examples – they were present at every major event in my life – baptism, birthday parties, First Communion, band concerts, choir performances, musicals, high school graduation, college graduation, bridal shower, wedding, baby shower, housewarming, Bianca’s baptism….and I know it won’t stop. They purchased Pink Papaya products from me and were happy to book parties. Kim helped me get my current job. Mom is always buying me things, even when she has no money. My sister is always there to let me vent or to answer my silly questions. My mother-in-law supports me 100% in my business. It was her FOURTH order from my website that allowed me to achieve my first incentive phase. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! My family – every single member – is just so wonderful to be a part of.

Of course, I have the love and support of my two best friends – particularly my co-pilot – that has helped me grow and expand in ways I couldn’t have on my own. Steph, for all your advice, for all your encouragement, for all your prayers, for all your honesty, for all your hugs and smiles, for all of your emails, for being such a nurturing and positive influence in my life … I am eternally grateful! I love you!

I also have the support of my wonderful co-worker Sheila. She always helps me out when I need it. She listens to me vent when the day gets really rough. She covered for me beautifully while I was on vacation last week. She bought me cookies and mochas on my roughest days. She purchased several Pink Papaya products from me. She is truly my right hand at work and I appreciate her more than I probably ever tell her.

My Pink Papaya team leader Cathy is wonderful. She is such a great cheerleader. I know it benefits her if I do well, but can I just say that it feels really, really good having someone say, “You are doing so great! I knew you would! Just wait until you start building your own team! You are going to be a wonderful leader!” That encouragement and blind faith goes a long way with me. I love, love, love my business….and I know it’s partly because I have such a great support system.

I also have the support of both my boss and my supervisor at my day job. I know I complain about my job – A LOT – but I also know the majority of my complaints could be resolved by changing my attitude. When I asked Nicole to change my hours to 7:30 – 4:30 instead of 8:00 – 5:00, she let me do it…AND said that because I work so hard, she would let me work 8:00 – 4:30. When I asked about going to Miami for a grants administration training, she paid for me to go. If I ever decide to take the time to come up with ideas that might make my job more efficient, I know she would support me. Yes, I complain about work, but in reality, I don’t really have it all that bad.

I also have great financial support. The combination of Harry's and my salaries allows us to live in a beautiful house. We will be out of debt in a few years, with the exception of our mortgage. We will be able to purchase Harry a BMW. If we ever needed to borrow money, I know several family members who would have no qualms with lending it to us. We have gotten lots of clothes for Bianca without paying a penny. We are having a deck built for only the cost of materials. We are able to live comfortably.

Yes, support is everywhere in my life. And it is simply warm, comforting, and delicious!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

An Update is On the Way...

This past week has been full of excitement for our Little One. She had her first trip to the beach and she enjoyed her first Easter. I have some great pictures that I need to post. Unfortunately, I am utterly exhausted from work. I can barely keep my eyes open, let alone compose a decent update. I need to go to bed, but I just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know that the Martins are alive and well. I will do my best to post an update very soon. Love you all!

So. Sleepy.

I have so much to write about, but I have no time to do it in. The worst part of going on vacation is coming back to a huge back-log of work. It leaves no time for anything else. Now would be the perfect time to compose a long-overdue post, as my hubby is watching baseball and my baby is sleeping. But I am utterly exhausted. I have a huge headache that has been plaguing me for two days straight (can anyone say stress?) and my eyes are burning. I suppose my blogging attempt will have to wait for another day. For now, I really need to go to bed.