Inspiration Archives - Page 7 of 9 - Wannabe Balanced Mom

February 16, 2011 · in Inspiration· Life of a Wannabe

For Whom Do You Feel Most Compassion?

I’ve been reading this new book called Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference. It has really opened up my eyes and gave me a new outlook on how I’m living my life. I love the spoken truth right there in the title, “you were made to make a difference”. Each and every one of us are here for a special purpose, and we CAN make a difference. So many people succumb to the idea that we are the way we are and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Life is about becoming the best WE can be, and hopefully lifting others in the process. There was a part in this book that really stood out to me.

“If you are in Christ, God’s Spirit will speak through you.
Let God unshell you. And when he does, “make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that”(Gal. 6:4). Don’t miss the opportunity to discover your language.
With whom do you feel most fluent? Teenagers? Drug addicts? The elderly? You may be tongue-tied around children but eloquent with executives. This is how God designed you. “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well” (Rom. 12:6).
For whom do you feel most compassion?”

This part spoke to me in such a way, I immediately felt inspired to DO something about it. An idea just came out of nowhere, but it was loud and clear. I thought to myself, I should speak at high schools about my life as a teen. I’ve never thought to do this before, but I feel like this is something I should do in the near future. So many thoughts an idea’s I could expand on, and boy do I have some stories to share. It would be all about self worth of course, because those were the years I felt I had none. I always think, if only I could go back as the person I am now. It would have been a much better experience. I would have studied more, worried about boys less, and focused on reaching out to those who were in need of a friend.

I’ll never forget this boy in one of my classes. He kept to himself most of the time. Nobody ever even noticed him, including myself. He actually sat right in front of me and I never said a single word to him.

Later that year he committed suicide.

I can’t help but think, WHAT IF…

What if I had reached out to him. What if I took interest in him, talked to him, cared about him.

Could I have made a difference?

I love how the author in this book talks about figuring out what our language is. That’s what it’s all about. We need to be actively using those gifts God has given us. They are meant to be used to MAKE A DIFFERENCE, in our lives and the lives of others.

Here’s one of my favorite stories, and one I frequently read while I was on my mission.

There was a young man walking down a deserted beach just before dawn in the distance he saw a frail old man. As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea. The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water. He asked “Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time?” The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left in the morning sun. But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish! “How can you make a difference?” The old man looked down at the small starfish in his hand and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said “I MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THIS ONE.” – unknown

What is your language? And what can YOU do to make a difference?

January 20, 2011 · in Inspiration· Life of a Wannabe· My Thoughts and Feelings

DRAMA…

Who needs it anyway?

Apparently we all love it. We read about it in the gossip magazines, which we all know is never true.
We thrive on those reality shows like The Bachelor, okay maybe not ALL of us, but definitely the majority of us, myself included:)

But then of course when it’s happening in our own lives we despise it!

… or do we? Have you ever thought that maybe we create the drama in our lives?
Yes, we absolutely do. We can’t control others, but we can ALWAYS control how we react to others.
Nobody’s exempt from dealing with life’s difficulties. We all have drama at some point in our lives. With family members, friends, spouses, children. It’s inevitable and it SUCKS, excuse my word choice, but it just does. As frustrating as it can be, we have to remember that it’s all part of Gods plan. We’re here to be tested. Which means, God wants us to learn how to deal with these things in a positive manner. I love the Carrie Underwoods song, “So Small”.

I know it’s hard on a rainy day, you wanna shut the world out and just be left alone
But don’t run out on your faith
Sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbing is just a grain of sand
And what you’ve been out there searching for forever, is in your hands
And when you figure out, love is all that matters after all
sure makes everything else seem so small

It’s so easy to get lost inside
a problem that seems so big at the time
It’s like a river thats so wide
It swallows you whole
While you’re sitting around thinking bout what you can’t change
and worrying about all the wrong things
Time’s flyin by
movin so fast
better make it count cause you can’t get it back

It’s such an inspirational song and reminds me that sometimes the things that I’m worried most about are so insignificant. It’s easy to fall into a pity me party, but the best way to deal with those kinds of situations is to focus on solutions. Solutions meaning what YOU can do to fix it. Easier said than done, but it’s something I’m working on.

Cheers to less drama and more meaningful time spent with the people that matter most.

November 17, 2010 · in Fashion· Giveaways· Inspiration· Life of a Wannabe· writing a song

In Need of Some Inspiration… PLUS a Giveaway!

So guess what? Did you know that it’s been a WHOLE year now since I started my blog? I really can’t believe it! 179 posts, 65,000 visits, 485 followers, 860 facebook fans, and 3,764 comments later. Not that the stats really matter… okay, who am I kidding, the stats TOTALLY matter 🙂 It’s really what keeps me going, if I didn’t have all the support of you guys then what would be the point. I might as well just keep a journal instead of a public blog. Really though, I am truly grateful for all your kind words of encouragement and advice. I’ve grown so much and learned so much over the past year, and I really have you all to thank.
Okay, so now the reason for the title of this post. I must tell you, writing a song is FLIPPIN HARD!!! I’m not going to give up no siree, but I have developed a whole new appreciation for song writers. I’ve been sticking to my commitment but I’m in MAJOR need of some inspiration. This whole process has been pretty discouraging, but as I persist I’m finding it a little easier… well not easier, but I guess a little less daunting. This type of thing does not come easy to me, but I’m reminded of the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved.”

And now for the giveaway!!!!
You all remember those cute Cabaret Leggings I got from Effie’s Heart?

Well they have offered to sponsor a giveaway!!!! We were going to have these leggings be the prize, but they are going so fast we didn’t want to risk not having the right size left when the contest was over. So if you’ve been wanting to get a pair of these you better hurry up. They are offering FREE SHIPPING anywhere in the US.
They have so many other cute clothes and accessories that it wasn’t hard to find something else for this giveaway. First let me share a little about them.

“For all modern women who yearn for the true glamour of yesteryear, Effie’s Heart has come to save the day. Kimo, founder of Effie’s Heart, has a lust for easy living, an appreciation of eclectic beauty, and a taste for the finer things of fashion’s past – all of which come together to bridge new fashion ground in Effie’s Heart.

As a fashion adventurist who believes in the accessibility of style, Kimo has created a line wearable by any modern woman who believes that comfort can be bed-mates with fashion. Using color palettes inspired by antique catalogs, art history, nature, and vintage clothing, Kimo has painted a fashion canvas that is both endearing and unique. Fighting against the forces of sameness that trend services push onto mass culture, Kimo would like to introduce Effie’s Heart to all those who believe there is still room for original inspiration.”

This shirt is my favorite. I got it in black too!

Now for the giveaway PRIZE!!!

A $36 Gift Card!!!

Don’t you just LOVE these gloves? They are called the East End Gloves. They are priced at $41 and they also have them in the Bay blue, same color as this shirt. I’m SO excited about my new stylish gloves, and now one of YOU can also have a pair. Just leave a comment here to be entered, you must be a follower of this blog or fan on Facebook in order to win. For more chances to win, you can leave additional comments by doing a few of these things below (leave a separate comment for each one you do). We appreciate your help in spreading the word. (Be sure to leave your email address with your comment if it’s not already public in a profile)

Like Effie’s Heart on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall, let them know I sent you.
Suggest to 3 of your friends to “like” Balanced Moms on Facebook
Subscribe to Effie’s Heart Newsletter
Follow me on Twitter
Follow Effie’s Heart Blog
Post about this on Facebook, or your blog

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!!
This giveaway will end 11-30

November 8, 2010 · in Inspiration· writing a song

Rekindling Our Childhood Dreams

Why do we stop dreaming? At what point do we decide we can’t do it and our internal monologue begins clouding our minds with negativity… you’ll never be that great… that’s not your talent… you’re not gifted enough, pretty enough, smart enough?

How can we rekindle those childhood dreams and make them our reality?

When I embarked upon this idea of a blog, I started out by sharing a small part of my “Life List“, the list of things I hope to accomplish within my lifetime. We all know there’s very little time to do anything else on top of just being a mom, but recently I’ve been waking up about an hour before my kids so I can dedicate a little time to developing my mind and exploring new endeavors. There are still so many things I want to try out and learn. We have all been blessed with certain gifts, but how can we know what they are unless we’re entertaining fresh ideas, and perusing new talents. When I look at this list I think, someday I’m going to get to do these things… *sigh*… but you know what? That someday is going to be NOW! No more making excuses about how there’s “no time” for it. All it takes is a little evaluation. How many times a day am I doing things that are simply a waste? TONZ!!! I could watch less of my favorite shows, spend less time online, and sacrifice one hour of my sleep in order for me to make these things happen. I don’t want to look back in ten years and regret I didn’t do more with my time. Life will always be busy no matter what stage of life we’re in. I can’t remember a time in my life when it WASN’T busy, even before kids.

I’ve decided to pick one thing from my life list and focus on it for 1-6 months, depending on how much I’m enjoying it and so forth. I can always come back to it too. This way it will keep things interesting and exciting for me, without feeling overwhelmed with the many other things I’d like to do. I love the quote, “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey that matters”. We don’t need to stress over getting something finished, or perfecting the talent, just enjoy the journey.

I’ve always wanted to write and sing songs, I shared a little about this along with my American Idol Moment video, but now it’s time to take action. My goal is not to become famous or to write a hit song, my motivation behind it rely’s solely upon the idea of learning what all goes into creating a song. I’m always trying to get better at writing and expressing myself, not because I want to write a New York Times best seller, rather to relate to people, to be an example to my children, to inspire others to reach for their dreams. I don’t need to become the next Oprah to feel like I’m making a difference. If I help just one person in my lifetime, that will be enough for me.

I recently purchased this new software that is an incredible tool for anyone who wants to enhance their creative writing skills or even write a song of your own. I was just googling about song writing and came across this video. Once I watched it, I was instantly sold. Such an incredible resource for the aspiring writer. It’s called Master Writer and they offer a free 10 day trial. Just simply go to their site and download the free trial, it’s that easy. I’ve already been playing around on it and absolutely LOVE how helpful it is. Just watch this video and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s time to take action and what better time to start than NOW. Lets keep those dreams alive and start living them.
What are your dreams?

September 27, 2010 · in Inspiration· Isagenix· Life of a Wannabe

Why I Do What I Do

I remember as a little girl I would dream of having lots of money and imagine all the things I would buy if I was a millionaire. I had big dreams as most children do. I was going to become a famous actress and have all the money in the world.
As we grow up, little by little our dreams become just that… dreams. Reality sets in, and you realize it’s a whole lot harder than you thought to be and do the things you REALLY want. After graduating high school I got my first taste of independence. I started to realize there was NO TIME for creativity, with working all day just to make enough money to pay my rent, car payment, gas, food, ect. I remember thinking, this can’t be what life is all about. There’s got to be a way I can make lots of money and work less so I could have the TIME to explore my creativity and find out what I’m good at. Well guess what? I did find a way, and my dreams HAVE come true. My husband and I are actually MILLIONAIRES. Seriously, I feel weird saying it, but we really are considered “millionaires”. We made our first million about 2 years ago, and have now made 3 million dollars. I don’t tell you this to brag and say, yah look at us, we’re so amazing and have lots of money. I’m sharing this with you because what we do and what we DID is something anyone can do. My husband and I both don’t have any college education, we’re just average people who found a great opportunity. I grew up extremely poor, and to be on the complete opposite end financially just seems too good to be true. We have no debt, money in the bank, and a huge retirement waiting for us. It’s such an incredible feeling to be financially free. I was once buried in debt and it was an awful CONSTANT feeling of stress.
Yes, we ARE network marketers. I understand the stigma that comes with the word “network marketing” or “multi level marketing”. Most people have dabbled in it in some way or another, and because they either lost money or didn’t see success, they’ve developed a negative opinion towards the idea. You steer clear of anyone involved in it, avoid their phone calls, and probably even run when you see them coming. Well, let me just tell you something. First of all, not all network marketing companies are created equal. If you’ve been involved in a network marketing company, and didn’t see success, you shouldn’t think they’re ALL bad. Pyramid scams DO exist, but it’s your job to do the research before jumping into something head first.

Because of the cynical judgement given to all mlm companies, I wanted to offer up my side of the story. I have an insatiable desire to be heard and understood, hence the reason I blog. I feel like blogging gives me a chance to explain why I do what I do, and say what I say. Everyone deserves a chance to be heard right :).
So anyway, back to my childhood dreams. Even though reality hit and I learned that life is a lot harder than I thought, it still didn’t discourage me from really living my dreams. There was so much I wanted to do and learn, but working for the majority of the day didn’t seem to be ideal for me. I wanted more out of life, and network marketing seemed to lead the way to achieving these things. I’m not saying that joining a network marketing company is your only way to make dreams happen, all I’m saying is that if you tried at something before, and failed, don’t give up. Contrary to what most people say about mlm, success doesn’t come easy, it’s NOT a “get rich quick” business, it requires dedication, commitment, and should be treated like a real profession.
You have to ask yourself these questions.

Is this something I’m EXTREMELY passionate about? Have I seen personal results with the product, do I have a story to share.
Is this going to cost me a lot of money to get involved with? Can I afford it? (never go into debt when joining a company).
Do I know the compensation plan? Is it lucrative?
Do I have the TIME to devote to this, and am I WILLING to put forth the effort it requires? As a mom, I’ve seen success first hand by devoting just 10 hours a week.

When I first started up my blog, I made a list of things I wanted to write about. One of them included, “Business women- Success IS possible!” I don’t think I’m so great and have ALL the answers, but I do think I have a lot to offer. I want to help you see success in your own business, what ever it may be. Isagenix is the company I chose after considering all the questions above, but I understand that everyone is different, and you have to find what you’re passionate about. My passion is health and weight loss.
We all know that money is tight these days, and I bet you’ve been considering going back to work, or trying to come up with a way you can contribute to the household income. Here’s the first step, find what YOU are passionate about, ask yourself all the questions above, and get started. Forget about all the times you’ve failed in the past, keep your eye on the goal, pick yourself up and try again.

source: thank you google images

There have been many things I’ve tried in the past, and have failed miserably, but we just have to realize that it’s all part of being successful. We’ve got to keep moving forward towards our dreams. One of our greatest examples of someone who kept pushing through despite all his failures, was Abraham Lincoln. Born into poverty, he was faced with defeat most of his life. Here’s his road to the White House.

1831 – Lost his job
1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
1833 – Failed in business
1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
1835 – Sweetheart died
1836 – Had nervous breakdown
1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
1846 – Elected to Congress (success)
1848 – Lost re-nomination
1849 – Rejected for land officer position
1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
1860 – Elected President (success)

It’s all about balance ladies. You CAN make this happen. You’ve just got to get your priorities straight, figure out what’s most important to you, and plan out your day. If you find that you’re overwhelmed and don’t have enough time in the day to do it all, then it’s time to reevaluate. Figure out what you can do without. It may mean cutting out you’re favorite shows on the DVR, or spending less time on the computer. What are you doing today, that will get you where you want to be?

July 9, 2010 · in FAB Fridays· Inspiration· Isagenix· Life of a Wannabe· My Thoughts and Feelings

Worlds Sexiest 30 Year Old!

picture taken by carrieshinphotography.blogspot.com

This weekend we are celebrating my husbands 30th birthday! I’m so excited because I have a thing for older men and always wanted to make out with a 30 year old. Yah baby, all my dreams are about to come true 🙂
So today I’m featuring my wonderful husband, we’re not going to call it FAB Friday though 🙂 It’s a little too feminine for my strong, sports lovin, manly man.
I have so many things to say about this guy I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, the story of how we met is coming soon. We’re celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary the end of this month and I plan to share the interesting, yet amazing story of how we ended up together.

I want to start out by sharing a little something that he wrote recently. I stole this from his weekly newsletter he sends out to all the top leaders in our company. I really liked it because he shares part of his bucket list, also mentioning some things he hoped to accomplish before he hit 30. He is such an inspiration to me, you’ll see what I mean.

Got Dreams? Better put them in Writing!
-Sean Escobar

Did you know that the single act of writing your goals down increases the chances of achieving them by 1100%? Amazing, isn’t it! You can increase your chances of reaching your goals by 11 times just by writing them down.

I remember fondly a day when my dad took out a red marker and wrote on my hand the number “50” It was August then and he said, I want you to be at 50 cycles (higher ranking in our company) by Christmas, for some reason he likes to say “by Christmas.” 🙂 Anyways, I nodded, didn’t really need to say anything, I knew it would take an incredible commitment to pull that off. Would you believe that by Christmas that year Crystal and I had broken 100 cycles a week!

When I first got involved in Isagenix I remember Dad always instructing people to write down their goals in RED. I actually still have the pad where I wrote them down from years ago. It has become quite special to me.

Here are some of the goals I wrote down in no particular order and whether or not they have been fulfilled since:

-Have the Ability to Retire by the age of 30 – Fulfilled, I turn 30 this weekend

-Meet my dream girl and get married – Fulfilled!

-Have all the time in the world for my children – Fullfilled!

-Hit a Hole In One – Not yet Fulfilled

-Invent Something – I have a couple things in mind, top secret 🙂

-Write a book – Not Yet

-Max out our position in Isagenix – Fulfilled

-Find out what people’s dreams are – getting better at this all the time

-Build a big Garage with my office above it – Fulfilled

-Read Scriptures Everyday – Not Yet Fulfilled

-Make 100’s of millions of dollars – Not Yet Fulfilled 🙂

-Start a Charity for Single Mom’s – not yet

– Serve a Christian Mission with Crystal – Not Yet

Anyways, those are just a few of them, but you can see that some of my Big Aspirations HAVE been Fulfilled and Many of the Small ones that I’m not mentioning have been. It works. I have no doubt that ALL of my goals and dreams will come to fruition! By the Way, Have I mentioned how Grateful I am for Isagenix in my life?

Love Sean

Isn’t he amazing! I feel so lucky to be married to such a person. One of the things that attracted me the most to him in the beginning, was his obvious passion to better himself and achieve HUGE goals. I LOVE people who dream big, and he is one person who truly believes that he CAN accomplish what ever the heck he wants! I’ve seen him come so far in the last 6 years.
He is also the BEST dad ever! These little kids have him wrapped around their little fingers:) He spends so much quality time with them, never tires of playing with them. In fact, if he didn’t have to work, I guarantee he’d spend every second with them. He’s such a family man, I never doubt that we are THE most important thing to him.

Now don’t be alarmed, these are Sean’s hairy feet, and he doesn’t normally wear nail polish 🙂 Like I said, these kids have got him wrapped around their finger. He’ll do anything for them, even allowing Lily to paint his toe nails.

Yes, this is a picture of him doing Lily’s hair. How cute is that?

For Whom Do You Feel Most Compassion?

DRAMA…

In Need of Some Inspiration… PLUS a Giveaway!

Rekindling Our Childhood Dreams

Why I Do What I Do

Worlds Sexiest 30 Year Old!

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