Open The Flood Gates!

Once in a blue moon, I experience something that truly piques my interest and gets my juices flowing.  I consider myself an intelligent, observant and thoughtful person who has the ability to foresee great things.  I write this to caveat my experience this past weekend at an event I attended in Austin.

 

I attended Rodan + Fields annual company wide convention.  I have sincerely never witnessed anything like this before.  Considering, I have only been consulting for the company for a short few months, my expectations were initially, between low and neutral.  A convention filled with 10,000 females, was more intimidating to me then anything I could imagine.  Even with my apprehensions, I went into it with an open mind and an open heart, as I always make the best of any new situation. 

What I learned and saw about Rodan + Fields was awe inspiring.  I will share the following observation without bias, as I can provide fact behind what I learned.  Rodan + Fields is a dynamic, visionary and forward thinking company.  They have a clear path for future growth and provide their employees with the tools they need to succeed.  All a consultant needs to do is watch, learn and execute.

Rodan + Fields is prepared to take on a worldwide market!

My first powerful realization at this convention was the positive energy of the women attending. There is a sense of collaboration, all these women are working towards the same goals, they have the same struggles, with the same road blocks and each is truly helping lift one another up to succeed.

The warmth and easy going nature of all the consultants, regardless of their income, was both extraordinary and empowering.  A room full of 10,000, passionate, independent, intelligent women was a phenomenon, the energy very apparent.  I could not compare this to anything else, and words do not capture the true magnitude of the event.

Registration was insane - but yet still flowed smoothly!!

Another huge awe inspiring moment, was the extraordinary leadership at Rodan + Fields.  The executive team is with us, growing the company from the top down as the consultants are growing the company from the bottom up.  The dynamics of this are very clear.  It is, as if, we are all part of something larger than life and the leadership is in the trenches with us, spreading the word of how extraordinary and life changing the R+F products truly are.

From packaging, to new technology, and communication, Rodan + Fields is truly a first class organization.   This company is not only about premium skin care products, there is also a passionate force behind the skincare; an organization that cares about their employees.  I personally felt like an employee, part of a positive movement, to give a gift, with the best of intentions; I was not only one of 10,000 consultants. 

San Francisco Home Office Team - All  Direct Employees of  Rodan + Fields

Attending convention proved to me, what sets this company apart is that they are the real deal in every aspect.  This is what I want to share with potential customers and consultants.  Be part of a movement, change how you think about creating your future, Rodan + Fields is an innovated company with heart and 10,000 women and a few men can NOT be wrong.

The Unknown

How often do we think:"  Am I invested in myself and in those around me?"  "Am I being sincere and true to my thoughts from deep within?"  Do we honestly care for and nurture our inner child each and every day?  Are we in tune and sensitive to those around us or quick to judge their differences?  

Are our choices in line with who we are and what we want out of life? 

Each day we wake up and immediately begin thinking, "What do I need to do today?"  It may be followed with feelings of excited anticipation or it may be followed by feelings of dread.  I immediately think, "How am I feeling today?"  Is the feeling positive or negative and if it's not a good feeling, how can I transform the bad Into something good.

Each day is an unknown, we don't know how our feelings will navigate us, but we can choose 

the best direction possible.

First thing in the morning, I will also consider if I am following my path of choice or someone else's expectations of what I should or shouldn't do.  (This can be rough when you feel no one else understands your choices.) And finally, I think about all the stuff I need to do that day.   It sounds like a lot of thinking, but it's all very instantaneous with sincerity.

I recently took a trip to New York to visit a friend who just moved from Florida to Long Island.  The weekend away had been planned for months, and we had a very busy weekend planned.  I learned a few weeks before my trip, that my aunt was having a huge family affair which I very much wanted to attend.  I ultimately could not attend due to timing and I sincerely did not feel good about not seeing my family.  I chatted with my husband about the situation, and we mutually agreed we would plan a family trip to New York during the holidays.  The thought of dedicating a holiday trip to my family satisfied my discontent and made me smile inside. 

When we have too many days when we question our choices, we also feel insecure and unhappy with our life.  We may feel unsettled, unappreciative, ungrateful for all the good already in our life.  This calls for some serious revaluation of how we are choosing to live each day.  Nothing is ever unchangeable.   

We may want more money, more time, more love.  We want less stress, less heartache, less work.  

More understanding, less judgement;

More vacations, less bills, more care, less resentment.

There is always something we want or don't want in our lives and it's a vicious cycle of Ying and Yang.  But, choosing to believe in the good and inviting more goodness into our life, instantly pushes the bad out. It's always a choice, we should choose to be happy, even in the midst of the unknown.

I have been looking for a ring the last few months.  A special ring that meant something to me.  I found one last weekend at the 69th Annual Shinnecock Pow Wow 2015 Native American Indian Festival in South Hampton, NY.  

The ring felt perfect. It will remind me each day to live well, be true to my feelings and to love carefully.  

Good things do come to those who wait, especially when we least expect it.

And through patience & care we discover, we can uncover The Unknown. -LN

Are We Worth it?

We all have those days when we think, "Am I worth the time, the attention, the money?"  Why do we flip these thoughts inside and around in our head?  Is it a question truly worth asking? We all do it, but how many of us, re-evaluate this question and say, "Yes, I am worth it.  I'm worth every minute, every second, every penny."

Don't we all deserve to be spoiled?  Not to be selfish, but to feel worthy.

When we deny our deepest hearts desires we find ourselves feeling empty inside.  However, when we remove those feelings, our minds and hearts are open and it is easy to tell ourselves, "Yes!  Let's do this!"

How often do we spoil our significant others, our family, friends or even a perfect stranger, with kindest, gifts or our time?  How often do we give these same things back to ourselves without guilt or any negative push back from deep within?

I always look for ways to give back to myself, something I had to relearn after I had children. It may be a trip to the nail salon, my routine hair appointment, buying a new, unneeded, pair of shoes, singing to my favorite songs in the car, a trip to Starbucks, or finding someway, anyway to take care of myself.  I am always mindful of those in my life, but taking care of everyone is a fine balancing act, one I work on each day to define and redefine. 

My first Regimen purchase for Rodan + Fields was a big "me" splurge.  One I kept to myself at first. I soon learned it was the best splurge I had made in a long time.  I felt much better about taking care of me when I discovered the products were well worth the money.  That is when I knew I was also worth it in so many other ways.  I didn't feel bad, I felt radiant. And this is how we bring our worth full circle.

The more worthy you feel, the more you shine, the more you give back to yourself 

and to those around you.

Interesting how perspective can change at any one moment.  I know I'm worth the things I do for myself.  Everyone is worthy of these things. Feeling that inside is priceless and joyful.

Stop and think today "Am I worth it?"  Worth everything I choose for myself, in my life, at this time?

When you say, "Yes, I am!"  It truly is the best feeling in the world. And you'll never say, "No" again!

Say "Yes" With Me!

Laughing Out Loud

I love a good joke, especially when a good laugh follows.  The kind that makes you pee your pants as you cry.  Although, I can be very reflective and serious, I like to balance my life and be witty and silly, even if it's at my own expense.

I will go for that bad taste in humor, just to find the joke and make someone else laugh or at least crack a smile.  I admit, I'll make fun of the most ridiculous things for a cheap laugh.  I'm that person.

I do enjoy getting dressed up to show off my classy side, but at the end of the day, I'm still a silly, little girl inside, who cracks up at potty jokes.  Thank god I have little boys who get the joke with me, because everything is funny with the proper spin. 

I think the key to being part of Rodan + Fields is not to take yourself or anyone else too seriously. I'm definitely not a sales person, only here to share what I know about the products. This is how I do this:  If you are interested, I'm thrilled and if you're not, well maybe another time.

Everyone has their own time table on when they are ready to start thinking about quality skincare. 

I started paying close attention to my own skincare needs about two years ago.  By the time I happen to speak to my friend Stephanie about Rodan + Fields, it was the right time for me to try something new, and without knowing what I was stumbling upon, I was like, "Wow, these products actually work!" And here I am.

It is always about timing. A good joke is all about timing too.

Joining the business is all about good timing too.  We all have a time in our lives when we're ready for a change in our cash flow or personal fulfillment.  Many of our current R+F consultants have similar stories, something needed to change in their lives.  Many were also skeptical at first, however they all agree becoming a consultant was the absolute best decision they had ever made.  Their stories are infectious, and they always make me smile.  

This weekend I will be seeing Jim Gaffigan in Atlanta.  He's one of my favorite comedians. His tone and timing of his jokes make me laugh out loud. (Literally - LOL) I use to watch his specials when I was pregnant with my boys, and I would laugh so hard, I peed my pants, because that's what pregnant women do.

There is nothing better than a good laugh to lighten the soul.  

Humor makes life lovable, even when life gets kind of shitty, a good laugh is pure freedom.


So, if you get a message from me on Facebook - don't think, "She's trying to sell me something."  Instead think, "She's checking on my timing."  And then think, 
"I wonder if she's peeing her pants laughing at a really bad joke."  

LOL! HaHa! LOL!

Dancing In Front Of Mirrors

Exposing our selves to the world, opening our hearts to what is true and real is a lot like Dancing in Front of Mirrors.  We either love how we look and feel or we are shocked at what we see.

I personally use to hate dancing - I was self conscious and had not one decent move, well, maybe I had one or two I thought were decent, but in general, I was always teased for being a bad dancer and apparently my oldest son "got all his moves from me".  However, I personally think he's a super, adorable dancer and he got his own thing going on just fine.

Fast forward to today.  I suddenly found my groove.  I suspect it was always there, but maybe I truly found my mojo on the dance floor, throw in some 80s music or Disco and I'm dancing all night long without a care in the world.

Interestingly, I would also admit I am at a pretty decent time in my life.  Probably the most confident and happy I've been compared to my college days of poor dancing at the college clubs, and trying to figure out who the heck I was or wanted to be.  I find it interesting how age changes our perspective in such a positive away.  At least for most us.

I started looking at myself more closely in the mirror and in photos. (Aside from glowing due to the best skincare regimen of my life ;)  I discovered the best thing I can do for me, is to be honest about what I wanted in the now and in the future.  

How many of us truly understand and listen to our own heart's deepest desires?

Financial Freedom has always been a big goal, I just never knew how I would get there, but I never gave up on the dream.  Each year I find a little more freedom on this subject, but now, I want it more than ever.

I have two gorgeous little boys in my life, and I want to share my dreams of traveling the world with them. I want them to be exposed to different cultures, food, and languages.  I want them to know that Suburbia 101 is not all there is to living life.  I want them to know snow the way I knew snow (we live in Florida) I want them to understand their own heritage and be empowered with life experiences that will shape and mold their futures.

My motivation is no longer about my own needs, my motivation is achieving dreams through the eyes of my children.  This is a very unique perceptive.  It is what has changed when I look in the mirror.

Now I can dance freely!  I can smile with happiness!  I can tell myself the impossible is possible.

I see successful people in the same business as myself and I think, they are just like me.  They had a dream, they were motivated by their dream and they achieved their dream, one day, one step at a time.  This isn't a rehearsal anymore - this is real.

I will dance like I have never danced, spreading that joy of feeling free and happy to anyone and everyone who wants to join me as I Dance in the mirror.

I love the song Dancing Queen, by Abba. Let's dance and laugh and be Dancing Queens Together!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

Staying True to our Journey

Remaining true to our core beliefs and values can be difficult when it means we are forced to be honest with ourselves on how we feel about a particular person or situation. 

However in order to be true to our core, we must be open to our true selves allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, inviting opportunity for our emotions to be attacked.  I tend to protect myself, as most people naturally do after being hurt.  We all protect our hearts and our thoughts, as to not get torn down by others or have our own inner voice crushed.  

When we protect ourselves we limit our potential to receive and give true love.

Our instincts keep us aligned and aware of when we are being over protective, hindering our own growth or those that we love.  Our instincts are crucial in personal survival and keeping our instincts sharp can be difficult in our day to day activites when we want to give of ourselves in so many ways.  

For example, I work full time as a Financial Controller at a Daytona Beach FBO, I am a mom of two small boys, I am a wife, I am a friend, I am PTA Treasurer for my son's elementary school as well as his cub scout pack, and most recently I began my journey as a Rodan + Fields consultant.  

I choose all these things in my life and I love all of it, it is part of what I do.  However, I am also a woman with goals and desires, I am a writer, a traveler, an adventurer seeker, an event planner, a person who wants good things for those who are part of my life.  In order to maintain all these truths, I must stay centered in who I am, no matter what anyone else says or thinks of me. 

Our thoughts and instincts are our own. We can not allow others to discount them.  

I believe we all go through cycles of how we feel about ourselves and others in our lives. This paints pictures of conditional love, it generates hurt and pain and feelings of inadequacy.  We may feel unworthy at times or make someone we love feel unworthy.  

This is a cycle that must be broken, it begins with ourselves, it begins with our own perspective. 

I have personally pushed to reclaim my own self esteem over time, but at times I will still have feelings of extreme sensitivity and vulnerability on the inside.  This is okay when our core is stable and we are in sync with our hearts and minds desires.  This is what keeps us strong on the inside, while still keeping our hearts open to love.  

Reclaiming our natural desires to be a free spirit, to speak our truth and feel validated without controlling the outcome is an exceptional way to live and see the world around you.  We all have a tendency to want to force life, to jump ahead and try to make things be a certain way.  However, allowing life to unfold naturally, while still remaining true to who we are, gives us peace of mind, without worry, without compromising ourselves or our personal growth.  

I choose each day to reclaim my power in order to take care of my own spirit.  I choose to thrive and be whole by staying pure to my own truth.  When words or actions are used to ultimately try and tear me down, I give them no place in my world. This is my free spirit working it's magic. This is my intent and I see it working through my own children as they find their own place in this world.  I can see it in their eyes, their actions and the joy that they radiate to those around them.  

Please do not hinder my existence and try to make me someone I am not.

We all on are on a very different journey, yet our paths may cross.  We may connect or we may not.  We may even be close friends. I been told I like everyone, but I think my choose is to see the good in everyone and understand who they are respectfully.  When the good is diminished by negative thoughts or self serving agendas, I reevaluate and ask what is this person's true heart's desires and do they align with my own?  If our intent isn't aligned the person falls away naturally without harm. 

Our journeys are a tangled web of our past, present and future. We must all navigate together, not apart, while still being true to our spirits intent to live well.  

Passions

We all have passion for something.  The loves of our life, our kids, our job or a guilty pleasure.  We all have something or someone we want in our lives passionately.  

At times this passion may fade and be replaced with a new passion, but there is always at least one thing we can claim as a life passion.  If we are not truly passionate about anything, digging deep to find a passion, any passion, is something worth considering.

Passions give us something to wake up to each morning.

I have many passions, some are relevant in my day to day life, others are buried a little deeper and come out occasionally.  I am always looking for new, exciting passions in life, because what's the point of living without passion?

Currently, I'm passionate about my new business venture as an independent consultant for

Rodan + Fields.  I think my passion lies in the fact that I believe in the products.  I truly feel I have uncovered a best kept secret and it's my job to share it.  I started using one of the regimens called Reverse in April and used it every day before I decided to launch my business.  I have never consistently used any skincare product on my face for any long period of time.  I can say, with ease, I was hooked, mainly because I looked into my mirror each morning and felt good about what I saw. This is exactly what fuels my passion.  

I felt empowered!

Once I started consulting, I switched to the anti-aging regimen called Redefine.  I did not think I would like the results more, but I did.  I was tickled with satisfaction, I mean come on, who doesn't want to look young forever?  My passion had expanded, and it now was focused on sharing my "Fountain of Youth" with whomever would listen.  I believe I look and feel better about how my own face looks, and I want others to feel alive and be confident about how they look too.

At 40 this is a uniquely fascinating discovery! 

Why is this relevant?  I believe it is important to be confident in whatever we choose to do in life. Even on those days we do not feel 100% confident, we should fake it.  Fake it until we make it.
I am amazed when people tell me they think I'm always confident or have it all together.  And I laugh and think, "Wow, if they only knew what whirled around in my head."  But, I am happy and flattered I can project something other then the self doubts that creep into my thoughts.  I push them away, but they do exist.

We all have doubts about so many things.  It is these doubts that prevent success, they prevent joy and that easy going feeling that things will come together just as they are suppose to.  Maybe age and life experience come into play and life begins to feel easier.

 Don't allow life to happen to you, but instead make life happen for you. - LN

I like to think the worry lessens for some of us with age, but I know this isn't always the case, as some people worry more with age.  Why worry if you can not change the outcome that was meant to happen anyway?  Any outcome is always for the best.  And I digress, as the intent of this post was about Passion.

My passion is to bring confidence.  My passion is to share knowledge and to become relevant to those who choose to listen.  And I do it because I like to think I can make a difference, and share what truly is - with a knowing smile.  Is it really this simple?  And this is my truth.

My Fountain of Youth.  

Happiness - Careree & Great Skin.