Back from Nashville ...

Been a really busy, crazy week so far.  Got back from Nashville on Sunday evening, and a dear friend had major surgery on Monday, so spent most of the day at the hospital.  Got home about 11:30 and my CAbi sample line was waiting in two big boxes, so of course I HAD to open them up and look at everything (over 100 pieces)!  Finally got to sleep about 2:30 am, and had a 8am conference call.

Other than that, my week has been about doing what I need to prepare for my CAbi preview party on Sunday, spending time at the hospital, regular life stuff (nails, car wash, banking, etc.), taking my dog to the vet and time at the gym (for sanity reasons).  

Am I a little stressed out?  Yes.  Am I loving that it's not because working for someone else is stressing me out?  Yes!!  

Off to Nashville ...

Tomorrow I'm heading to Nashville for CAbi's twice-annual training and fashion show for their new Spring '11 collection.  I really can't wait ,,, have been loving and wearing these clothes for several years now and to be a Consultant for them is just really going to be fun.

At the same time, my goal is to eventually establish a clientele of women (and maybe men) who trust my fashion opinion and will look to my services when I start my Personal Shopper/Stylist business.   Someone is already working on a logo for that company (whose name I have already established but will keep private for now), and eventually I will start having a website created, and just keep it moving forward.

I wake up each day energized and full of excitement for my life ,,, and that's exactly the feeling I was looking for. I also feel grateful and thankful each day for the blessings that got me to this point ,,, not just the financial stability, but the people, the previous jobs, all the good and bad that helped me get ready for this moment in my life.  I don't think we ever arrive at a point in our lives having gotten there all by ourselves, we made choices along the way, met people along the way and had experiences along the way that got us here.  If we don't give thanks for all of it, then we're probably not truly ready to experience and enjoy where we are.

Cheers!

New Year New Life

Well I guess I need to post more often if this is going to be meaningful.  :-)  So what have I been doing?  I have been getting my new business, as an Independant Consultant for CAbi, off the ground.  CAbi (Carol Anderson by invitation) is a line of fashions that are sold in-home by Consultants like me.  I've been buying these clothes for about 4-5 years now, and loving fashion as much as I do it was a perfect fit.  I think doing this lends itself beautifully to my long term goal of being a personal shopper/stylist too.  Doing in-home shows allows me to A) Have fun (super important to me); B) Wake up each day excited and full of passion for my work; cC) Meet some wonderful new women from all walks of life who I might not meet otherwise.  

I've given myself two years to figure out what I need/want to do in order to financially support myself again.  My plan is to do one thing at a time, but always have a next step ready to execute.  I also believe that destiny plays a part, and will have a hand in what works out and what doesn't.  So for now I am going to put all my energy into CAbi, laying some foundation for the stylist/personal shopper role.  

Is that all I want?  No, I also retired so that my time could be more my own, as I have a desire to write.  I've been told I have a good writing style, and I definitely enjoy doing it.  I think what's holding me back is trying to decide what kind of writing I want to focus on.  Short stories are fun, and at this point in my life there's a lot of material.  To be honest though, I sometimes wonder if I'm being presumptuous that anyone would want to read about my life ,,, I'm no one famous or noteworthy.  Does a writer have to believe that someone wants to read his words before he/she writes them?  I honestly don't know ,,, but I'm going to be exploring that too.  No expectations of fame or fortune (or even being published), just an expression of passion and joy.  One of them anyway ....

A little history ...

So my background is this ,,, I got my first job at 16, McDonalds.  :-) I needed to work, my father had passed away two years earlier, and while my mom was able to help me get a car I needed to be able to pay for my insurance and have money for gas.  Since that time, I've never stopped working.  I tried community college when I was about 18-19, but I also needed to work full time in order to help my mother make our mortgage payment. So I've waitressed, done clerical work for temp agencies, been an answering service operator, spent hours on my feet in retail and worked for the Coors Brewing Company for 10 years.  I got into the healthcare industry, or the technology side of healthcare, out of a desire to feel like I'm somehow making a difference in the world.  Eleven years later, making over $100k a year, I realized my desire to make a difference had somehow gotten lost in the pursuit of just living the american dream.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the money, I truly liked most of my co-workers and for the last two years I worked from my home ,,, my work life wasn't exactly stressful.  So why leave?  Because while I wasn't stressed or bored, I also had no passion for what I was doing.  I didn't wake up each day, or any day, exhilarated for what was ahead ,,, and this wasn't anyone's fault.  I was simply doing what so many of us end up doing ,,, living the life we fall into instead of the one we wished we had created for ourselves.

So, now I am blessed to have that chance to create the life I want for myself.