Clarity

This will be my last post. I've decided to stop writing in my blog because although I enjoy sharing my life and progress for the world to see, I personally hate writing. I'm a talker and would prefer having one on one conversations. I've also am very busy with making life amazing that writing seems to become this thing I "should" do at the end of the day. The last thought that I would like to write about is clarity. The kind of clarity that only comes when you've left the rat race, the daily grind, the mediocrity of our culture in order to actually have space to be clear on who you are and what you're capable of. When Keith was busy working a 70 hour work week, we were caught up in that reality and fearful of the unknown. It's harder to see who you really are because you're so busy running from one thing to the next and so many will go on that way for years...decades. I want to express how alive we now feel. How alive we now are. How much life is a blessing and the enormity of that was never experienced in corporate America. Now that our minds aren't bogged down by gossip, office politics, fear, etc. the most amazing ideas have sprung forth. And we're excitedly pursuing them! I'm reading The Success Principals by Jack Canfield and I LOVED what he wrote in the beginning of his book: This book is dedicated to all those courageous men and women who have ever dared to step out of the dominant culture of resignation and mediocrity and endeavor to create the life of their dreams. I honor and salute you! Life...should be fun! And so if this resonates with you...call me! 720-273-8973

Affirmative Speech

Its been a while since I last post. It's the holiday season, a much delighted and favorite time of year for me so I have been busy to say the least! Good busy of course doing all the fun things I love to do around this time. Life continues to be phenomenal as well as continually educational as I push forward to greater levels of understanding and change. So my most recent thing is affirmative speech. yes, we've all heard it, we all know it. It's always better to see the glass as half full. But how many of us REALLY do it. What occurred to me was all the NEUTRAL talk that occurs throughout the day in casual conversation. Stuff that means no harm to anyone, just observations, opinions, judgments, etc. not necessarily negative, but not really positive either. What I started to do was never point out or verbalize ANYTHING negative or judgmental about anything or anyone, but rather, ONLY SEE THE GOOD in everything AND in EVERY situation no matter how minute. I've only been doing this for a few days, but something PHENOMENAL has been happening. When you constantly look for the good, and give it life through your speech, you connect to Love. It's almost like you're able to see people and events the way God sees everything. Not through the congealed illusions that we hold in our minds, but we get to experience life the way it was meant to be experienced. In complete LOVE. Not sure if this is making any sense, but basically, life just keeps getting better and better.

Consistenly "HIGH"

The weekend here in Portland was absolutely gorgeous! The weather was perfect and there was no rain. We went down to the farmers market on Saturday and it was SO much fun as I really love organic local food. The produce was all absolutely beautiful. The leaves are still the most brilliant shades of orange and red and they had a wonderful instrumental band play that Tae just really enjoyed. Today we went and explored Lake Oswego and how absolutely beautiful. We went to the Science of Mind church here and the guitarist that was playing was saying how Obamas win is giving much hope and joy to even the Indians and Pakistanis he works with overseas and who would have thought that we would live to see a black president in our lifetime but of course...EVERYTHING is possible. It was a great reminder and I am thoroughly enjoying and appreciating life daily in the moment as I have never done before. To consistently be in bliss...is it boring? NO WAY! As Beckwith spoke about...you will begin to experience and unfoldment of life and levels of experience you never knew existed. I have struggled with rage and my temper for years. I got it from my father of course! ;-) But I have learned to take 100% response-ability for my life and i am happy to say that i have become master of the rage that would enter into me and spew forth from my mouth like what felt to be a demon. (sorry to sound freakish, but this is how the intensity was!) And so I am a miracle. And I am constantly grateful, knowing that everything is as it should be. forever expanding and growing. All is well in my life.

Fall is STUNNING in Oregon!

So the first few days here were non stop rain, and I thought..."oh, this is what they talk about in Seattle always being wet." This is the exact opposite of Denver that has the most days of sunshine out of any other state. Even so, its always so cozy being inside in front of a fireplace with a hot chocolate! Well, yesterday everything cleared up and its another day of clear skys and man...it is BEAUTIFUL here. So lush and green with all the changing colors of fall. Denver only gets yellows and oranges with the leaves change but the brilliant colors of red here are a sight to behold! It was even warm enough that we went to the park and oh my gosh...the parks here in Vancouver are HUGE. The playset structure was 5 times that of anything I'm used to in Denver. So we had a delightful day as usual as it's been the routine here to get Tae out and about during the day. Life is blissful when you allow yourself to live blissfully and not be dominated by illusions of worry and not. I am grateful.

Another Place on the Water!

After being in a luxury glass condo skyrise in Long Beach CA, we have settled in this beautiful 2 bedroom condo in Vancouver WA that overlooks the Columbus River. It feels like I've just walked into a Pottery Barn catalog. I love being able to travel to different places. When you put yourself out of your comfort zone and into a new place, it forces you to discover and explore and reinvigorates youth in my opinion. It keeps you from growing stale and keeps you loving and living life. And I am SO grateful to be experiencing freedom. to be living life from a creative standpoint.

Travelling to Portland!

So we made a last minute decision to leave the warmth and sunshine of beautiful California to go to the green lands of Portland. We stopped a day off in San Francisco to visit family and it was so joyful to get to hang out with my niece and nephews. We took a Ferry to the Pier and Tae had the most fun I'd ever seen him have with other kids. We all had a ball!

The Great Mystery Trumps Your History

This was the title of the topic last Sunday by Michael Beckwith. In short, I am free today from the bondage of my past. Growing up with immigrant parents whose sole purpose was to ensure our survival, I was surrounded by thoughts of scarcity, insecurity, worry and fear. Not to say that this was the plight of all immigrant children but this was my experience. I'm a smart gal and I knew on an intellectual level the negative emotions that I felt entrapped by but I could not overcome them no matter what I tried. And I tried EVERYTHING. Today is a different story. I am filled with the most content security, living my bliss daily, carrying joy and happiness with me NOW in every moment, so that as I move forward in life expressing my talents and working toward my goals, the attainment of those goals will simply mean their physical manifestation and not an achievement of happiness, for I finally understand that if one is not happy now, they are not going to be happy when they get the "illusion" of what they think will bring them happiness.

Living Organically, not Robotically

I know I've talked about this topic before but today was ANOTHER perfect day here on the beach. I never appreciated how perfect the weather was when I was growing up here because that's how I thought life was supposed to be. It took moving to cold climates and even HOT climates that SO makes me appreciate the days. I'm also, REALLY just loving life with a contentness that I don't remember ever having in my entire life. I was always a controller, commanding and forcing my way through the ranks to ensure a life for myself and although I did make progress, it was always at a cost to my own happiness, and my husbands of course cause when I'm not happy, I make his life miserable. But THAT was the past. Today, we woke up as usual to the sun in our eyes and not an alarm, Keith went off to work on his independent multi-million dollar project (his passion) and I went off with Tae to explore the day. We all met up for home made lunch together and I went off to work out while Tae napped. I usually work my business a couple of hours while he's napping but with the kind of freedom we now have, we do whatever it is we please any day of the week and it is the most profound sense of life and freedom that I have yet to experience. I am continually grateful because when we were supported by Keiths J.O.B. It made us all live mechanically, like robots going through the motions of life. Being successfully self employed has been blissful AND hopeful for the future. Here's a picture of our son exploring the boats today. Isn't he ADORABLE!

Retired Fatherhood

I recall what it was like to work 60-70 hours a week.  Out the Door before 7am, back about 12 hours later, then working during Tae's naps on the weekend.  I know I had it pretty easy compared to a lot of men, but it was the contridication of success that really got under my skin!  

Being the boss, making 6 figures, travelling globally, overseeing multi-million dollar projects living in the cool part of town in a house neighbours could envy etc.  Sounded great.  Friends would tell me how I "made it" while all the time I'm thinking "This is Bullshit!  I can't spend time with my family, I never see the house everyone compliments us on, and when I take a vacation, I'm too exhaused to think about travelling anywhere".

I think about it and IT REALLY MOTIVATES ME to help Susan share her business with others who are where I was.  I never had a mission, before, but getting people out of the rat race is mine now.  

A year ago, who'd have thought I'd be retired and hanging out with my son full-time.  Cool.

Living with the end in mind.

What if you could live every day knowing that at the end of it all, at the end of this phenomenal privilege we have to be alive, that it would all work out, that you would be OK.

I used to be a person where anxiety ruled me so great, it felt like someone could stick there hand inside my chest and rip out my ball of anxiety. And I often wished they would! But no one could. But now, I am set free. And it is because of the Law of Attraction. I feel like it is the magic dust that is missing in so many "religions" at least the ones I grew up with. So I'm grateful, because I KNOW that everything that might be thrown my way good or bad is just a part of the process to get me to where I'm supposed to be going. Therefore, instead of fighting and resisting life and change, I embrace it because KNOW at the end of it all, "I asked...and it was given" and by going with the ebb and flow of life..."I was able to allow it in."

I went to the "Women's Conference" at the Long Beach convention center and it was AMAZING. But I learned that Rachael Ray moved to the Adirondacks where she was discovered, because she was mugged twice in New York and was done with it. Now, if I ever got mugged, I don't know how I could ever think it was a good thing, but now, I most certainly can.

Here's a picture of Keith and Tae up close splashing around again today.

Living Blissfully - Yes this is the 3rd time!

When Keith walked by and noticed the title of this post, he proclaimed..."Living Blissfully AGAIN!...You can't keep having the same title." And I said, "But it's true, I just keep having blissfully boring days of being stress free, care free, happy and hopeful in perfect weather all the time." So this will be my last use of this title since now I'm conscious about being repetitive and maybe a bit boring. ;-)

But its all true. When you only work 2 hours a day and your "JOB" is to be happy and pursue your interests and LIVE its absolutely blissful. Its so clear that when your out of the daily grind of repetitive behavior 7 days a week, you mine as well be carrying out a death sentence...for whose life are you really living? I'm GRATEFUL for this profound freedom and only wished I would have learned these lessons in my 20's. Now, at 37 I've made a commitment that this second part of my life, will be blissful every day!

Here's a picture of Keith and Tae taken from our balcony.

Living Blissfully

Today was another incredible day. Why? Because I got to live my life and do the things that inspire me. I woke up and spent the morning with Tae, we went to story time at the library as usual. We got to sing and dance and read books! We took our dad out to a wonderful seafood restaurant for lunch. I spent the afternoon at the Women's Conference at the Long Beach Convention Center(which was phenomenal) and then I took my dad to the airport where we met my sister who is going off traveling overseas for a couple of weeks. Oh, I also worked my business for about an hour today in between all that and what I LOVE about what I do is that it has allowed me (and Keith-who is pursuing his multi-million dollar green idea by the way) to be able to just live Blissfully. I never dreamed anything like this would be possible and I am SO grateful for all the love, riches, joy, and people in my life.

Living in Bliss

Man, the last few days have been AMAZING. A lot of great truths unfolding in our lives and Keith and I are closer than ever now that we actually get to spend time together. We are visualizing and praying together like never before and we're really excited about being alive.

Now, Keith was always an optimist my COMPLETE opposite in every way. I used to live in complete anxiety and fear and I'm grateful that I'm free from all that! I am a miracle. If you knew me before you would agree.

IPhone!

Just got an iPhone today and LOVE it! Since I only work this business about 2 hours a day, I didn't mind having to sit in front of my laptop to get my leads and call them back since I use Skype which I also love. But i actually washed my cell phone the other day, so instead of moaning and groaning (which would have been my old self) I thought this to be a great opportunity to get an IPhone and oh my gosh...I love it!

It's brought my mobility to a whole new level. Now, I don't need my laptop at all! I can work my business from ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. I envision me on the park while my son plays making a few calls, in unexpected long lines at the DMV. Even while waiting in lines at Disneyland. Did you know the wait times there for one ride are sometimes up to 2 hours! At least this is what I've heard. Last time I remember...an hour for sure.

I feel like I got even MORE of my life with this new found freedom.

Where's the Iron?

Getting ready to go to the Agape Church again, I realized that wearing Jeans was not quite appropriate as most people we saw last were dressed nicer (I would not say "Sunday Best", but they looked good, better than jeans). So, I took out the one pair of slacks I brought to California from Colorado and saw they needed to be ironed. But where is the Iron?

As a former executive, recently retired, I am used to having half my clothes dry cleaned, and iron the other half myself. Not knowing where an Iron is strange, like not knowing where a toothbrush is!

I eventually found the Iron, but had to iron the clothes on a towel on the bed since I could not find an ironing board.

So, on my knees on the mattress it occurred to me (again) how much my life has changed. No more 7am ironing sessions while eating a bowl of cereal on the side. Now I don't know where the iron is!

Law of Attraction Miracle

Today was an exceptionally amazing day. I was able to experience a miracle.

I have a very reactive personality. Very emotionally based and its been a struggle to overcome what I feel are faults in my methods of operation. And yes, ever since I became aware of the Law of Attraction about a year ago, I have grown tremendously, but there's a point at which the only way to grow is to feel uncomfortable. It's in feeling uncomfortable that you know you are allowing transformation to occur within.

I got to experience an event today that the "Science of Getting Rich" also speaks about. Page 33: "It will be brought to you by the power of the supreme intelligence acting upon the minds of men."

So here was this Real Estate situation that looked like it would take our family off the beach and back to Denver early (right away). It looked certain that it would disrupt our lives, cost us up to $5K and take up a lot of time for weeks.

I was in despair. Keith did not want to make a decision right away because he wanted to see what the universe brought us, saying "lets see what tomorrow brings". I was off-the-wall, saying, what could happen!?!? WE NEED TO ACT NOW? Keith just asked for the problem to be resolved, and did not know how it could happen.

Well! The next day, I get a phone call. I 2rd party stepped in and made the problem go away! The details are complex, but the issue is no longer there and instead of loosing money, we now have more of it coming in!

Instead of packing up for Denver, we had a beautiful day today at Huntington beach.

Our Underground Guest House

After much deliberation on what to do with the neighbouring property we are buying, we finally have the idea we're excited about! We always know we were tearing down the house which sits on a double lot next door. We just did not know whether to make it a living/garden area, or build a guest house on it. We can do BOTH!

We're going to build an underground house and place the garden on top of it. The south side will stay open with glass side to heat it during the winter. By placing the guest house in the ground we will have the double lot for our living/gardening needs.

We're both care about the environment and having the house underground saves on heating costs in the winter and eliminates cooling costs in the summer. Now we just need to figure out how to work out where to put the greenhouse!

Canadian Thanksgiving In Malibu

So after going to the Agape Church this morning, we headed off to Malibu to go to a Canadian Thanksgiving gathering at the beach. Keith always loves connecting with other Canadians. The park it was at was absolutely gorgeous, right overlooking the beach. Tae and I went in a jumpy castle together and that was fun too. We had wonderful time meeting up with others and getting to enjoy the incredible scenery that California is loved for.














Keith got to talk hockey with others who know as much about it as him. Everyone was so nice and friendly. Well, they were Canadians after all.

Agape Live!

Today was another delightful day! Tae was feeling a bit better, so we able to go out and enjoy the day. We started by attending the Agape Church with "Michael Bernard Beckwith", Founder and Spiritual Director of Agape church in Los Angeles. He was one of the speakers in the movie "The Secret". WOW. The service was AWESOME! He was INCREDIBLE. The message was RELEVANT. It was an inspirational morning in a wonderful setting and we've decided that we're going to be attending every Sunday we're here in California. Seeing him speak in person was powerful and really validated the journey Keith and I have chosen to take with our lives.

5 languages by 18

So the one thing that I want to give Tae is the ability to be multi-lingual by the time he graduates high school. There's a dual language elementary (Spanish/English) in our neighborhood in Denver, but it's not an immersion school and I feel that learning Spanish in that setting would take the full six years as opposed to living in a Spanish speaking country for six months. I'm sure Tae would be able to be bilingual bi the time he was 5 if we went that route. So i have brimming in my mind ways we are going to make this happen. Now, I'm definitely not one of those moms that feels he has to be entered in every single sport and afterschool activity there is out there, rather, I'm more of a mom that loves multiculturalism and feels like giving that to a child is a gift in its own right. So I'll keep you posted on the latest on these thoughts of travel.

Another Californian Weekend

So our 2 year old has been severely congested and sick for the past two days. His congestion is the worst I've ever experienced so I've been preoccupied with that to say the least. Today though is this great big Canadian Thanksgiving celebration happening in Malibu and Keith is thrilled to go. He really LOVES being Canadian and loves hanging out with them. I'm excited to go as well and I'm hoping Tae will feel better. Before we go, we're going to check out the Agape Church here in Los Angeles. The weather has been absolutely picture perfect ever since we got here. Having just come from the mountains of Colorado and seeing mountain bikes everywhere, here, it's beach cruisers all around. The beach breeze has been absolutely cleansing, purifying, thrilling. Taking a walk out by the ocean water has a different level of liberation then mountain air. It's feels more expansive if you know what I mean. If I had to live in California, I think I would only appreciate it if I lived right by the ocean in an ocean community. Living inland seems way to congested for me, so I really appreciate being able to hang out here while we're in California.

Don't Worry About a Thing

I never GOT Reggae before. I always thought it was due to not being exposed to it at an earlier age. Kids love it! It is very happy and relaxed after all. I think that was the issue. I have never been very happy or relaxed, till now. Tae, as a toddler is really into it right now and at 1st I cringed, but my soul is having a different reaction than before. Now I like Reggae!

Across the street from our high rise is the Long Beach court house. Every morning I head out and get my coffee at the local coffee shop and see a line of people waiting to get into court. Being Canadian I am still surprised to see such a need for court, as in Canada the only lines you see outside of government building is for Employment benefits (how is that for insight between the two countries!). What I notice is a bunch of people with their heads down,ready to take an emotional beating in court. I almost feel grateful as the business improves daily and the stock market crashes daily (I know the two are related so I'm not surprised). I like Reggae. HOW ABOUT THAT!

PS. I'm posting Tae's picture from last week cause it is how we should all feel all the time. A little reminder.

Cooking for a Korean Dad

So its been an interesting few months in regards to my cooking. When we first moved to the mountains of Colorado, I had my dehydrator and vita mix and my raw cookbooks and was able to try a whole bunch of interesting recipes. Now that we're in CA, I opted not to drag all my stuff out here for the sake of traveling light. Ever since we've been spending time with my Korean dad, I've been making Korean dinners for his sake. He loves Korean food and doesn't get much of it homemade due to my mom having passed away.

Eating Korean has been great for me because we might have rice every 2 weeks feeding just Keith and I, but we've been having it every night for my dad and I think its great for Tae (brown rice that is) as well as all the vegetables that come with Korean cooking. Anyways, the point of all this being...I'm really grateful to be able to just cook for my dad since he's spent the last 2 years alone and not being able to be close to him because of Keiths JOB.

Spending Time with Dad

So it's been REALLY a gift to be able to spend time with my dad full time for an extended period so I'm REALLY happy to be able to have this opportunity.

My mom died a couple of years ago and it has been REALLY hard for my dad. I'm sure he gets lonely and misses home cooked meals. (He's never had to cook for himself ALL his life having been catered to by his mom and then my mom) So the last week I've made Korean inspired dinners and he LOVED all of it. I can tell he misses home cooked meals and he looks forward to family dinners now. That's been a real pleasure for me as well since I love feeding people!

Last weekend we also all went on a bike ride for two hours along the beach. My dad being 72 did amazing and I was really happy to be able to do that with him. Spending time with family is what life is all about!

Weekend Fun

So the summer season ended September 15th 2008 in the mountains of Colorado, so what's been exciting is that summer still continues now that we're in California. The days and nights are absolutely amazing, especially being right next to the ocean. We've only been here for one weekend, but whats exciting is to see how many activities there every weekend in such close proximity. The other day, (our first weekend here) we went to the Pumpkin Festival for Tae, followed by a Kite Day on the pier at Seal Beach. We stopped off at the yacht and boat show, only to run into a street festival in East Long Beach. Every where you turn it seems that there is something new and adventurous going on to experience.

Getting Acclimated to the Beach

So we've been in California for about a week now and I've been getting settled in to what will be my new life for the next 3 months. So far, I've been getting to know Long Beach and there's SO much more to see and do here! We are RIGHT on the beach, in walking distance to shops, restaurant, across the street from the library, 24 hour fitness right next door too, so it seems life will be different from life in Denver and I am excited for the change.

What a difference!

I've always liked California. I notice the people I meet here are happier than in Colorado (strictly a Denver to LA comparison really). Now I see why. The weather is perfect (on the beach where I am at least). We have an ocean view from the 12th floor of a "Luxury High Rise" (so it says on the main doors).

The building complex ammendities are amazing. It has an outdoor pool and hot tub, 2 movie rooms, 5 lush entertaining rooms (indoors and out), 2 conference rooms for people who work from home and have clients visit. We are also close to the library for Tae and his insationable need for children's books, a movie threather, the Aquarium, a Borders book store (like "Chapters" in Canada) as well as a 24 hour fitness.

I have a weather widget on my desktop that reminds me how good I am having it right now due to Susan's home business. I have the weather in Long Beach, and the weather in Nova Scotia. Here is today at 9am PST (1pm AST) in Celsius. For Americans, that works out to 75F compared to 59F. Pretty sweet.

Off to California!

We're saying good bye to the mountains and hello to the beach! Today starts our 3 month adventure to California. We're going to spend time with my widowed dad is the reason we're going. When Keith was tied down to his J.O.B., doing something like this would never have been possible. So I'm grateful!

We'll be taking a break in Las Vegas for a day so we can try their good eats and Tae can play so we won't be posting for a few days.

My 10 Mountain Lessons

I came here August 1st STRESSED OUT! Due to Susan's success with her business, I did not really need to work anymore, so I gave 3 months notice to tie up the project . Anyone who's ever been an executive in the corporate world knows that your job and projects "own" you. I worked harder that last 3 months than I ever had to ensure the successafter I was gone. So, I arrived worn/burned out.

I honestly was no longer myself. After years of working 70 + hour weeks, travelling across the country and globe, obsessed with revolutionizing an entire industry (and bringing manufacturing back to the US), it was over. DONE. SILENT. STILL.

What the hell was I going to do? No board meetings, reporting up to Switzerland, no 10pm or 7am meetings with the team in India?

So now, after two months of living an amazing life in the mountains of Colorado (really exotic for a boy from Nova Scotia), here are what I've learnd;

1. Toilet Training cannot be done in one day.
2. The steep, high altitude mountain switch-backs on the bike trails are not there to punish you, but rather to lift you up to a better view.
3. Don't feed the Grey Jays. They are called "Camp Robbers" for a reason.
   
4. Being 35 in the mountains means you go fishing, biking, and hiking, not down a mountain on a bike with huge tires and no pedals.
   
5. Being 2 miles high means snow in August and sun burns in late September.
   
6. Hauling a 2 year old up a mountain in a bike trailer is something neither of you can escape, so make sure you are well rested and feed.
7. Most people cannot figure out how a man can be the primary care giver of a 2 year old (IT"S NOT LIKE HE'S STILL BREASTFEEDING PEOPLE!)
   
8. Drink Lemonade. They prevent kidney stones and colds. Seriously, before you end up crying like a baby from the pain, with your pants down inside a CAT scan.
   
9. Living on a golf course means you need to understand what a "bad slice" is, and clue into "Hey buddy, watch out..." a bit sooner.
10. Be grateful for what you have now. Right now! This made me realize that the couple of years before this I had just a fraction of what I have now, and that is was not really living.
    

Leaving the Mountains

So today, Tae and I spent the morning wrapping things up here in the mountains. We returned his library books and said good bye to the local storekeepers and friends we got to know while here.
Keith slept in because he was up till four am last night due to food poisoning or something.

Afterwards, I went for my last bike ride here and i went to Frisco. I feel like I'm getting more and more in shape and its been so exhilarating biking and listening to my personal development amongst the glorious setting. I've inserted a picture of my bike ride to give you an idea.

Now, both my Tae and Keith are napping while I get some chow ready. I'm really grateful for our lives. It's been a GREAT 2 months here (even with the kidney stones!)

Having Time

We've lived the past two months like never before. No stress of any kind. No rushing to make that appointment, run errands, pay bills, make it to the office, pack lunches...you get the picture. Instead, we wake up everyday to our 2.5 year old crawling into bed with us or telling us he wants some milk. We spend our days biking, swimming or playing, calling friends, making meals, hanging out at the park...you get the picture. But what's been really exciting is that when you are in that space of contentment, of warmth and perfection, then your creative juices flow so much easier! Both Keith and I are entrepreneurial spirited and for years we have had an idea box that we would write our ideas and throw into the box and in 8 years time, we have never once opened that box up to pursue anything due to how BUSY we were. Well, I'm thrilled about 2 new ideas we have that are multi-million dollar ideas. The beauty is, we now have the time to nurture and play out our ideas AND coupled with the personal development and growth we've experienced in this last year...well...we're making our lives AMAZING, and I am so grateful.

My 2 year old LOVES sushi!

So today was another typical day. I took Tae to run some errands, do some shopping and play at the park. I really appreciate the transit system they have set up in the mountains. It picks us up right ourside our mountain condo and drops us off at the next mountain town over. Tae just loves riding the bus and I appreciate the environmentlness of it. They have a STUNNING park next to the transit station. Its got a beautiful lake with the massive backdrop of mountains. It's just truly beautiful. Anyway, daddy got to play with him as well. We all went for sushi for dinner and Tae was REALLY excited to go. He bobbed up and down saying "I'm happy!" with a wide grin across his face. Man...being able to raise Tae stress free with Keith to help is such a GIFT. Children are SUCH a gift and I can't seem to get over how lucky we are to be together...always. Tomorrow we're going to Vail for their kids story time!

Farmers Market

Vail has a quaint farmers market and we love going there for its their quaint library, so we went today and it was another STUNNING day. Man, mountain life is incredibly blissful. We enjoyed strolling around and this time we brought Tae's guitar so that he could play along with the local band. It was a raggae band and Tae LOVED it. We had great eats, great music and a relaxing time in the library. The childrens area is one of the best I've seen a library have. When we got home, I biked up to the Vail pass while listening to Esther Hicks audio. I'm currently listening to the one that comes after Ask and It is Given. The ride was all uphill on my way up and it took me an hour to do. The way back was all downhill and it only took 10 minutes. It always amazes me how much quicker it is to go downhill and the thrill of it! The beautiful sky and mountains, the aspens turning and the breeze through my hair. Life is much appreciated!

Halloween Ideas

So I'm thrilled for the holidays now. Before I had Tae, I could care less about the holidays...especially Christmas. All the holidays seemed so commercial. Now that I have my own child, I COMPLETELY understand what holidays are for. They're for children. To celebrate and to have FUN. Tae has been an absolute gift because he's so full of JOY and being silly and always wanting to play. He loves to laugh. Happiness IS his natural state. I LOVE having dinner parties, but now, I get to focus on throwing family fun parties and they'll be great in our new (100 year old) Victorian. We bought a Victorian 2 years ago and we're planning to move into it October 2008. I absolutely LOVE old homes. Anyways, Tae and I had another boring day of traversing the mountain town of Frisco. We went to the library and hung out, met Keith for lunch at JJs and we're now just relaxing at the condo. Tomorrow, we're off to Vail for their amazing Farmers Market. Life is blissfully relaxing.

Home Based Business Scam List

I thought I should share the most comprehensive list of Home Business Scams I have seen to date. It is so hard to know what is legitimate these days, especially in the the Home Based Business Industry. I post this in hopes it helps someone.

http://www.homebiz.bukiki.com/scam-alert/

Why I love money.

For me, it's not about flashy cars or designer jeans. I could care less about the bling bling. For me, it's about family, about the freedom to celebrate, share and to love. Keiths family is in Nova Scotia and my family is in California and both of us have one widowed parent remaining. We were based in Denver becasue of Keiths job but now that he's out of his J.O.B. we're free to live life! To follow our bliss and be with family. We're getting ready to leave the mountains and head for the hills of California to spend with my dad. Money for me is about the freedom to spend life loving, sharing and celebrating as a family.

Welcome to Fun!

Since being in Copper, I've been swimming pretty much on a daily basis. They have a great athletic center and a very large pool. All I do is jump in and do 20 minutes worth of laps and I'm done. Since this is summer, I usually get the pool all to myself. As well as the jacuzzi, sauna, miniature golf course, bumper boats, etc. Summer is SO much slower here than the winter and it really feels like we own the whole resort. I actually prefer the solitude and don't like coming up here in the winter because of the crowds. We went for a bike ride the other day down to Frisco and along the way there was this newly built rock landscape. It was pretty incredible! They (whoever it was) created a large patio area made out of natural river rocks embedded into the dirt. As you entered the patio, there were words spelled out with rocks that said "Welcome To Fun". As you walked through the patio, there were large animal sculptures of lizard like creatures made out of rocks! It was quite beautiful. There were also the end of season rasberry bushes that we picked. So my daily exercise has been either biking or swimming and its been so stress free! Although I can appreciate the mountains, I also like the hustle and bustle of the city, so I'm looking forward to going to California for the next three months. Oh yeah!

Allowing

This concept was completely foreign to me for most of my life. Always tight fisted and working to control my destiny and work my way to my desires, my goals, my visions. Did it work?...yeah! But man, talk about being miserable but those brief final moments of achievement. Is this a way to live? Not for me. For the first time in my life I am learning more and more this wonderful ebb and flow of ALLOWING. Trusting that the world is so much bigger and greater than anything that I can possibly understand and knowing that all is and will be well. If you're in a situation right now, you should try to ALLOW clarity and love into the situation. See what happens and get back to me! Learning, loving, Growing.
Make Your Life Amazing!

Living at a Top 3 Resort

When we bought at Copper Mountain a few years back, it was still "in the works" as a resort. The real "buzz" was in Vail, just 15 minutes up the road. Copper was under major renovation and there were a lot of gaps to fill, such as the night life!

Well, a few short years later, Copper Mountain was just named one of the top 3 ski resorts in North America by Men's Health Magazine (where we happen to be living since I retired last month!) Of course Whistler/Blackcomb was one, but so was Copper Mountain for the 1st time. Yeah! Copper Mountain HAS come a long way. It is now a year round resort, has a great night life and is the best skiing within two miles of Denver (previously only the locals knew that).

It was cool also to open the magazine and actually see our condo up front and center in the article as well. It is a great new building. I have to say, its nice to have a place in one of the best ski resorts in the Country. More icing on the cake! I'll almost hate to leave in a few weeks for the beaches of LA. I guess I'll manage.

I can't wait till Camp Woodward, the Extreme Winter Sport facility opens up! It is massive and really the only ski school of its kind along the crowded front range. Between that and some of the other improvements that just got passed this summer, Copper Real Estate is surely going to continue to increase 15-20% for a 3rd year in a row. Mmmmmm! Icing!!

Michael Losier

So I've recently completed Michael Losier's book "The Law Of Attraction" and I've completed the accompanying worksheets and exercises he provided.

I really do like the simplicity of his methods and today...one of them worked! One of the things he suggests is to ASK for Information regarding an issue. Today, I did just that. I went swimming and asked for the answer to why I keep repeating a behavior that no longer served me, no matter how much I hate the behavior. The answer came to me within two hours and it became clear to me that I DO have a choice. I DO have the choice to continue to have my old self repeat the old negative habits, or I could CHOOSE to react differently. AND, it also became clear to me what part of my past was the root of the old habit and the actual truth behind it.

Now, I've heard MANY times before that I have choices and that it really is my choice how to react. I've read this a million times and time and time again, I could never break from the ingrained habit of my reaction. Today, there was a moment of clarity where I really could see that I wasn't powerless in this situation.

Anyways, it's been liberating to say the least and its such a good feeling to continually be in the process of growing and learning and changing. It's empowering and a joyful journey.

Wake Up Call

Its been 5 weeks since I retired. It has been an adjustment. Having adopted a relaxed and mobile life moving to a mountain resort in the Colorado Rockies (passing a kidney stone while here), getting used to the idea of Fall in Southern California before returning to move into our new home in Denver.

Life as an executive was fast paced. Rushing to and from airports, hotels, meetings; Keeping my staff productive and focused on the project and program road map; Proposals and Reports and ROI justifications to the boss and board. It was fast paced, intense, and very capable of giving me the grey hairs I have now at 35 after just a few years of working that way.

Everyone asked "Can you do it?" "Can you slow down?" "Won't you miss it?" "You'll have a new venture within days!" All these people knew me, and thought I thrived on pressure. Truth is, I survived on pressure. I would have left a long time ago without a challenge, but it was not thriving! Living on energy drinks, coffee and strong tea (the kind a Nova Scotian knows how to brew special for those late night meetings with India). No, that was surviving, barely staying engaged as I scraped enough time with my family to relieve the guilt of working too much.

Now, we have 3 weeks left at Copper Mountain, and the current marketing theme there is starting to make sense to me. It is "Free Your Mountain". I read it another way though. I read "Let the Mountain Free You", cause that is what it has done for me. No adjustment needed, just clean, crisp, fresh air, sun and beauty. And time of course, lots of time to enjoy my family and appreciate my new life.

This posting is called "Wake Up Call" because instead of relaying on an alarm clock or a hotel wake up to get up, now I just wake for my son to crawl into bed and say "Wake up Daddy, lets (do whateverhe is excited out that day).

Great Quote!

"You don't get in life what you want...You get in life what you are"

I was going over some old notes and I came across this quote and it just about knocked me over! I've said this before in this blog, but I can't get over how much more alive you feel when you're given the freedom to exist outside the daily grind, the traffic, the mundane routine that people get caught up in because they don't think they have other choices. I was telling Keith that when you're in the rat race, you give up so much more than just you're time. You give up you're freedom as a human being to experience yourself as you truly are.

Many will go their entire lives without ever knowing who they truly are and the potential they could have unleashed within. It's an absolute gift everyday to be alive and we're LOVING IT!

Not all home businesses are equal!

At a Labor Day BBQ, I ran into an acquaintance, a photographer friend of a friend. I asked him how business was going and he said GREAT and glowed with contentment. I said "really", interested in how successful his business had become (I am after all in the business of making money but more importantly having lifestyle and I wanted to compare my business to his).

He told me that business was booming and what catapulted his growth was his commitment to marketing. He said he now spends $20,000 in advertisements a year. I asked him what his average wedding cost is and he said $3500 of which about $2500 would be profit. From some basic arithmetic, I know he doesn't make more than six figures. and was in shock to find out that the return was not anywhere near the same as what I do.

In my industry, businesses that bring in between $800,000 to a million still don't spend $20,000/year in marketing and there's very little overhead. He also seemed to be working more that 12-30 hours a week. This was just another confirmation that I LOVE what I do and the freedom it brings me.

So, I follow my passion, and he follows him. I know he is happy and I am for him, perhaps I am fortunate to not have a skill to fall to, as it appears just following a simple system as worked out really well for me.

Kidney Stones!

Well, Keith has had a rough 2 weeks to say the least. He has never had any health issues for as long as I've known him and everyone comments on how healthy and clear his skin looks and how he glows. So, out of the blue, one Monday morning 2 weeks ago, he said that he started to urinate blood. But no pain. We went to the doctor and all the doctors could not tell him what he had. They ruled out kidney stones, appendicitis, urinary tract infection and kidney cancer. All the tests came out negative. Two days went by and no pain. Well, around 3:30 in the morning, I find Keith calling me from the bathroom floor in severe pain and not able to move. We called the ambulance and he went to emergency room. Even morphine was not helping the pain.

Anyways, long story short, the first doctor completely missed the kidney stone, but the specialist we finally went to verified that it was in fact the stones. So he's going to the hospital tomorrow Friday to get the whole issue resolved. Now what's interesting is we got the health insurance with a high deductible because neither of us have any health problems. Well, I'm just so grateful that paying for our deductible will not be an issue. I'm super thankful that Keith will continue to be thriving and alive to enjoy the rest of our lives together as well!

Living it "up" high!

Tae and I took it easy today. We headed up the the Centre Village of Copper Mountain Resort, took in the Kid's Rodeo and then headed up the chairlift where we took these pictures. It was a lot cooler on top of the mountain, but the view was amazing.

It was amazing being up there the day after being released from the Hospital (it did feel like a resort, but since they removed a kidney stone, I have proof it was not).

We did head up for the John Fogerty Concert (It is sooo cool living in a Resort!) but it got rained out. Tae took his guitar and we had to have a very "serious" discussion about why we had to head home. At 2 and a half, he just did not get why John Fogerty would not perform in the cold rain. I'm sure at age 62, Mr. Fogerty could have given a few more reasons.

Having a Job is RISKY

I might not have said this a few years ago, but after just hearing the position I had before I retired (last month) was eliminated, it is about all I can say.

As an executive, I saw the numbers, knew the position of the project, the budget, and can honestly say there was no GOOD reason to eliminate the position (my successor was laid off) along with 4 other executive level jobs.

There was however a good reason for the company's parent organization who made some bad decisions with other projects and needed to hide the loss of profit to the shareholders. Although my company was well run, it did not matter, as that just meant there was room to cut 4 people and about a million dollars a year in operating budget.

HAVING A JOB IS RISKY. I can say this, as in this case, and in the previous position I held with another company, it does not matter what you say or do, your job is expendable.

I'm grateful that I don't have to worry about such things now. I can't imagine ever giving up control of my time, money and life again like I did as a corporate executive.

Bliss

So the last week I've been busy getting ready for some very good friends to spend the weekend with us. They too have a 2 year old and run a very successful flower business. Anyways, I LOVE hosting and making people feel welcome and loved AND I love feeding people as well. It brings so much joy to my heart. The fact that they're also into organic food, raw food and Nourishing Traditions gave me an excuse to try a lot of recipes to share. I spent the earlier part of the week prepping so that when they arrived, I wouldn't have to spend time away from them cooking, but rather I could be present with them. Anyhow, the weekend was GLORIOUS. We had wonderful home cooked meals. We were able to start our days with an organic green drink made from spinach, parsley, apples and zucchini. We had banana bread French toast from the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. We went on a bike ride to Frisco and biked around Lake Dillon to end up picnicking in a beautiful park around the river. We had yummy wraps and raw peanut butter cookies. We spent time in the jacuzzi after the long bike ride. We watched inspirational movies. We were able to go on the bumper boats here and we had a blast bumping and grinding and spraying each other. The kids LOVED it. The kids also got to ride ponies. I also shared the book the "4 hour work week" by Timothy Ferris with my friend and she loved it so much she asked to borrow it and I'm glad because that's the same system we're using to live our lifestyle. The best part of the weekend was that we were able to share and bond and realize in our sharing that we are all on the same path. The one thing that I lacked growing up was meaningful relationships and it was something that I always craved. As an adult, I can create my dream life and this weekend was absolutely satisfying and fulfilling in that regard. I am in an absolute state of gratitude and bliss for the abundance that surrounds us.

Relaxed

We've been in the mountains for about three weeks and I'm finally beginning to forget the city. "I could live like this forever" I told Keith. Today was absolutely beautiful. Perfect breezy weather. Not too hot. Just perfect. And as I'm allowing myself to become more comfortable in this space, I'm noticing that I'm not as stressed as I am in the city. And, I'm also noticing that I appreciate my husband SO much more. I really like being together as a family full time and highly suggest it for everyone. Isn't that the way it was meant to be? Why would anyone get married only to never see the other person? Being together all the time feels very peaceful to me and I could NEVER go back. I could never go back to having Keith be gone 70 hours a week, only to have years go by to grow apart and at the end of my life realize...was him climbing the corporate ladder really worth not having our son know him?

Together ALL THE TIME.

I keep getting asked from my friends how its been being around Keith 24/7 now that he's retired... as if there might be some adjustment period from him being gone 60 plus hours a week to 0 hours a week. Surprisingly it feels like its been this way all the time. It feels absolutely natural, normal and I LOVE it. To be able to hang out together every day and eat lunches together every day. Thats a fun part for me being the hostess that I am and loving to feed people...I have really enjoyed being able to have great lunches together instead of the main meal being dinner. Now, I can make great sit down meals for lunch instead of the usual leftovers or sandwiches for lunch. And, I love the flexibility! Last weekend it snowed in the mountains and we weren't able to go for our normal bike ride. No worries! We went yesterday (a weekday) in the middle of the day and it was great!

"almost"

At the Childrens Museum they have a basketball net that Tae has been aiming on since he could stand and throw a ball. He's now 2 and a half and his throws have gotten to the point where the ball touches the rim. So as he was throwing the ball, and as it was hitting the rim, I kept saying "almost"..."good job! you're almost there!"..."almost"..."almost" And then it occurred to me that I was constantly reiterating the "almost" Well, you get what you affirm so I immediately stopped and I started to say. "Its in!" "You're doing it!" "It's going in!" "You're a basketball player!" "Its in!" over and over again instead of the previous "almost" over and over again. So I'm happy to say that within the immediate change the ball went 5 inches ABOVE the rim...higher than he has ever been able to throw it thus far. Now, the ball actually never made it in the net as he still has to figure out the aim at that height, but he was able to thrust the ball higher then he ever has. This has been another reminder to me in how IMPORTANT words are. The reason Tae kept hitting the rim is because I was constantly affirming the rim. Regardless of the circumstances we see, I choose to use my speech to affirm and validate that which I want to see.

Snow in August!

As if the mountains couldn't get any more beautiful. Summit County is stunning in the summer. The weather is perfect, there are wildflowers everywhere and gushing rivers abound. The sky is the most perfect blue and the suns rays are the most pleasured sensation on your skin.

Well, we woke up this morning with light snow falling and now the mountains are snow capped! The clouds descended on the mountains and there's a bit of a chill in the air, however,the clouds are so billowy and close to us, its still stunning. Normally I serve up an organic smoothie with a bit of flax oil, nutritional yeast and lecithin. Today, it gives me an opportunity to serve up some warm soup, sit next to our fireplace and take an evening dip in our jacuzzi amongst the stars. Looking forward to the day!

All Hail Sleep

Our son had a massive nap yesterday, then was not that active after he woke up. Well, he just woke up at 2:30am and kept on ticking till 4am. We're exhausted now!

Its a good thing we only work a few hours a day.

We got to nap with him today and catch up on sleep ourselves. When we woke up, we saw their had been an infamous Rocky Mountain hail storm. Turns out that we would not have done much even if we had been awake anyhow.

China Olympic Games - Australia

How can Australia, a country with the 30% less people than Canada, have 16 medal now, and Canada have zero? What makes Australia like this?

This post is not so much a slam against Canada this is more kudos for Australia. The Australian government puts a lot of funding into sport-training and state of the art facilities - the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra where many Australian Olympic athletes train has the world's most technologically advanced swimming pool.

I think a lot of it has to do with the mental training. The visualization that the Australians are taught. I also suspect the land of "The Secret" has them "asking" a bit as well.

Exhaustion CAN be good

Keith is lying on the couch right now hardly able to move...he is EXHAUSTED. When he was in corporate America, he used to come home brain dead every night hardly able to carry on a conversation, and if he did converse, he never remembered our conversation. Well, I happy to say that the reason he's exhausted today is because we biked over two mountains today for 4 hours!

We biked from Copper, through Frisco to Breckenridge and back. Unbelievable, I was able to bike from Breckenridge to Copper without stopping. For someone who hasn't biked in over 4 years...I was pretty impressed with myself! I have never been able to do that uphill ride back without stopping when we would just come up for day trips. The only thing I can attribute it to is my improved health both physically and mentally.

Anyway, the ride was beautiful of course, weaving in through mountain and rivers, wildflowers and the like. Summit County is stunning! We're planning a bike ride at least once a week!

Living Free

The freedom that we have experienced the first week here has been like nothing I have ever experienced. What I mean by freedom is by the absolute ability to be able to do anything you want on any given day. No longer constrained by the "work week", weekends, vacations, and the like. I wake up and I get to do whatever I want, plan my day however I want.

It's the most liberating feeling and what it has been awakening in me is the clarity to see life as truly a gift. A gift to experience, relish and LIVE. When you're not constantly limited by a "schedule" you can move through life getting a glimpse of something greater...deeper because your're not burdened by the "shoulds" of life. There are no more "shoulds" or "coulds" or "wishes". There just is the plain and simple fact of experiencing.

I love my life as an entrepreneur and wonder why more people don't take a leap of faith to pursue their dreams.

"This is the Life" he said

For a former stressed out executive, Keith is having the time of his life! An avid swimmer and cyclist, Keith got to swim 2 miles high at the Copper Mountain Resort Athletic Center (we have unlimited use to this amazing facility in the country's highest ski/golf resort). Then, today, he went cycling during "nap time" to up the bicycle trail to Vail pass and finished it off with some time in the gym and jacuzzi!

All evening he's been chilling out on the patio sipping his favorite wine and just came in and said "This is the Life"! I guess after a year and a half working 60-70 hour weeks, having a day of exercise at a high altitude is a great day. Wait till he isn't exhausted!!

Speaking The Opposite of What You've Known

I have always found it hard to speak positively about something that is so "obviously" going wrong. For example, I found out that one of my "good" tenants got a new boyfriend that was selling drugs. Long story short, police busted him from the house and found cocaine. In a nutshell, this is not normally a "good" time for me to be going through an eviction and my old self (based on past experiences) think...."Oh Gosh! This is going to be a stressful situation, cost unnecessarily and be a pain in my butt". Now my intellectual self knows that I can change my attitude by changing my thoughts. But isn't it more easier said than done? To even verbalize anything positive (with emotion) thing about the situation used to be so physically difficult if nearly impossible. How could I after all say things (and feel ENTHUSIASM) for the eviction that was to take place. How could I say things like..."Wow...this is PERFECT timing. I know that a great tenant will come my way and keep the place better than the current tenant. It's going to be a GREAT experience, one that I have not experienced before and I am EXPECTING positive things to happen." And to truly BELIEVE in your gut that you believe. Well...I am happy to say that this WAS the struggle of my life. I'm GRATEFUL to believe that I am not the person of the past and I don't live in the past. I am FREE to experience the PRESENT.

Gratitude Walks

It's our third day here in the mountains (Copper Mountain) and we're just about finished getting settled. Today we started a new evening ritual that I termed "Gratitude Walks". At the end of each day we stroll our son in his new bike trailer/stroller around the resort amongst the rivers, trees and flowers and we say our affirmations and things that we're grateful for. Its not as easy as it sounds. You would think that saying something would be quite physically easy since no real energy is being exerted. The truth is, affirming the positive takes a lot more effort when your used to living from a place of fear and anxiety. Our walks are about and hour and I was mentioning to Keith that speaking positively for an hour takes more energy than speaking negatively. Isn't it SO easy to be pissed off, negative, complain or gossip? NO MORE FOR US! We watched Larry King and JZ Knight and Candace Pert were on. WOW. Once again, everything they spoke of is exactly in line with all the learning and growth that has been happening for us.

Vita Mix versus BlendTec

It was really at a toss up between the Vita Mix and Blendtec. I had done a lot of research online and was 99% sure I was going to get the Blendtec, until I came across the type of plastic the jar is made of. Vita Mix's 5200 has a container that is safe and doesn't leach. I was really concerned though that I would miss the automatic blending that happens with the Blendtecs preprogrammed controls. Luckily Costco was having a demo of the new 5200 so when I went, I actually liked the container a whole lot. The handles and the lid were cushioned and very ergonomic. It looked like a high quality appliance and since my background is design, it matters to me just a bit. ;-) When I brought it home, the programmable buttons on Blendtec were no longer a concern as it seems that not everything will blend just right if you don't have the proper proportions of liquid, vs, solids, etc. So doing it with the Vita Mix actually gives you more control, at least this is what I have experienced. What I also liked about the Vita Mix was the recipe book that came with it. Most of the recipes are very healthy, where as when I went to the Blendtec website looking for recipes, the ice creams recipes in particular used things like non-dairy creamer which was a turn off for me. If I'm getting a high powered blender to be healthy, I want to learn how to make healthy treats. So, I have been VERY pleased with my Vita Mix and have been using it EVERY DAY!

No More Refined Sugar

So, its official. I've been able to kick my sugar habit of 36 years! Now that I've made a few raw recipes, using dates, agave, rapadura and stevia...I'm having a ball! I made this raw granola and blueberry granola bars and the results were impressive. They tasted better than the real thing. All those sweeteners aren't cheap like sugar, which is why most everyone probably uses sugar. However, the fact that there is no nutritional value in it, as well as the fact that sugar actually takes stuff from your body...can anyone put a price on that? Is your health REALLY worth saving a few bucks? For me, now that I'm 36 and have my son to live LONG for...absolutely not! Eating this way has been FUN FUN FUN And YUM YUM YUM!

The Walk In v.s. The Vita-Mix Blender

My husband never ceases to amaze me! He's been working mad hours for the last 3 months, transitioning out of his position running a division of a company. Each day, he walks in tired, a bit brain-dead and does his best to interact and give our son all the attention the little guy deserves.

So, today he walks in, and tells me how lucky he is to have a beautiful house, a beautiful wife, and amazing and intelligent child, and to be retiring from running a company division at only 35. The sincerity in his voice made me cry. Our son in his high chair saw Mommy cry and started to wail too. My husband just picked up Tae, walked over to me telling him that sometimes people "happy cry" and we had a group hug.

It completely topped by Vita-Mix Blender purchase earlier which I was going to blog about. In hindsight, its just a blender. An awsome blender, but a blender no less.

Movie: The Great Debaters

JUST saw this!

We just had a long weekend in Long Beach CA. After looking around the complex we stayed at, we noticed they had private theater rooms, so after shopping and dinner at an awesome Sushi place we hit the local Block Buster and rented The Great Debaters and it was wonderful! I love movies like this because they're inspirational, based on a true story and always leave you believing that anything is possible.! I particularly liked the the 14 year old and how he was able to do the last debate with Harvard and how PROUD his father must have been. You could see how his father was so strict and passionate in protecting his son because of the realities that were going on in the day. And to think that his father really had to walk from the South to Massachusetts cause he had no other way to get to school.

I also LOVED the words Denzel Washington had his students repeat louder and louder with a cork in their mouth on the lake. He kept making them say...

Who is the judge?

God is the judge.

Why is God the judge?

Because he decides what is right and wrong, not my opponent.

Who is your opponent?

My opponent does not exist.

Why does your opponent not exist?

Because my opponent is a voice that dissents from the truth.

I continue to watch movies such like this because they uplift the spirit and remind you to focus on where you want to go and give you a glimmer that you can do this too!

We're back in Denver now, but watching that movie in that private viewing area with my Husband and Sister, turning on the lights, talking about the greater meaning of it and life, and ALL the possiblity in it, was worth the flight back to LA alone.

Amazon Herbs MLM

Never heard of Amazon Herb Company before but met a woman who was a friend of a friend who is doing this. From what I gathered, it was a typical MLM marketing health products where the profits were diced and spliced above and below you.

It really made me aware that there is an MLM out there for everyone. Its just a matter of finding the right one. I knew this wasn't going to be for me because I'm not into throwing home parties and deceptively inviting people as she did twice (I guess I'm a bit of a sucker for invites). I also don't like having to move thousands of dollars worth of product to then get a small cut of it it. That feels like sales to me.

More on Eating Raw

So I have been obsessed the last couple of days scouring the internet for all the info I can find on dehydrators and blenders. I'm about to purchase the Vita Mix and Excaliber dehydrator and want to make absolutely sure that I'm getting the best thing out there for this new way of preparing foods. I'm thinking I might get the BlendTec instead of the Vita Mix. Anyways, it's been quite joyful knowing that Tae will be able to eat well from a very early age as well as how much healthier we will all be! I'm really looking forward to being in the mountains for two months and have been VERY busy getting ready for that.

Eating RAW!

So I've decided to incorporate more RAW foods and "cooking" into our lives. Now that I'm a parent and I had Tae at 35, I really want to be as healthy as possible for him. I want to live LONG and HEALTHY so that I can see my grandkids grow up too! My brother has psoriasis and his is INTENSE. It's quite overwhelming actually as its ALL over his body. He doesn't eat that well and I attribute his breakouts to his diet. I have had a small patch that never started to spread until recently. My diets pretty good but I figure its age and diet, thus my desire to go raw. So, I was QUITE blown away by the RAW cookbooks out there. I got Raw Food Real World and Everyday Raw and WOW...the pictures look mouthwatering! I tried my first raw treat, macaroons and they were AMAZING. MUCH better than the real thing, I couldn't believe it! I know now though why most people don't go raw. The PRICE. For my one plate of macaroons it cost about $12. You could probably make the same thing for a third of the price. AM I so glad that money is NOT an issue.

Camping in Poudre Canyon!

We went camping last weekend. Our friends from Boulder have a cabin up there and every year we spend a long weekend with a bunch of friends. We had an INCREDIBLE time. We hung out, hiked, ate, laughed, drank, shared, loved, did yoga, played and slept all in the great outdoors. It was a GREAT peek into what our lives are going to be like EVERYDAY as we count down until Keiths last day of work, which is July 31st! Yippee!

Grinding Teeth

Keith went to his annual teeth cleaning and the dentist told him he needed an orthodontist. Long story short, Kieth's has been grinding his teeth due to stress at his J.O.B. WOW. When you're health is compromised, you know it time to get out. Not only that, the money we have to pay for his corporate clothes and the constant dry cleaning and the extra health issues that result from the executive lifestyle, the money he makes he doesn't get to keep. Why is this lifestyle idealized in mainstream culture? Why aren't we educated as to what corporate America really does to you? I'm SUPER glad his last day is next month. Where else can you make an executive income working part time in an industry that is positive all around? This business is a SUPER win win.

If This Business Hadn't Come Into My Life I Would STILL Be A Nag!

I am SO grateful that I found this business a week after watching The Secret. Didn't know that anything out there like this existed. Its hard to describe if you haven't yet experienced this, but when I first stumbled on this, it was like I had discovered a whole new type of corporate world. One that was COMPLETELY opposite of what I had learned growing up. Abundance and not competition. Where people LOVE what their doing and one that pays you the more happier and truer to yourself you become. I USED to be the most negative, glass is half empty, anxiety ridden woman, and I am SO happy that I am FREE!

Gone For A While

Man. I have been BUSY. I've been working on 3 rental turn overs and have not had a moment to breathe! However, things are going GREAT. Mindset is right on which is new for me since dealing with tenants was always stressful before getting into personal development. Am moving my final tenant in this Monday, so after that, it'll just be 6 more weeks till my husbands LAST day at a J.O.B and living life on OUR terms!

Mentoring with Self Made Millionaires!

I'm off to Nashville tomorrow to mastermind with a small group of leaders. 2 of them the top income earners in this business and well known in this industry as a whole. It'll be about 15 of us training intimately with the two of them and this is what I LOVE about this business. They're not making a dime off this weekend. They're doing this because their vision is to give back what was given to them. Knowledge and Action. This woman was even sought after by Laura Langmeyer. I made a decision to be there because I understand that we are all like the 5 people we hang around the most. Where else do you get to meet up with people who are abundant, wealthy and generous? I love love love this business because it's forced me to be okay looking fear straight in the eye, to walk in unfamiliar territory for something that I believe in. I'll be back on Monday with all the great nuggets I've learned. Yeah!

Cancer

My aunt died from breast cancer last week. She was only 50. She had been a survivor for 20 years! The doctors said she was a miracle to even last this long, but I attribute that to her strong mind and positive thinking. I didn't know this until but a year ago, but part of her daily routine would be to go for her morning walk and as she would walk she would stretch out her arms and as she outstretched her arms she would verbalize and visualize..."I'm am healthy! I am going to live a long long time" and her prayer would be that she would live to see her daughter turn 18. When her daughter turned 18, her cancer came back and my cousin is now just 19. The power of the mind. The power of intention!

My mom died at 62 just 2 years ago and she had anaplastic thyroid cancer. One of the rarest and deadliest forms out there. My mom died within 2 weeks of being diagnosed, even though they said she had a few months still. The power of the mind. Her body gave out so quickly because she didn't want to live. I saw her body shut down and I had never seen anyone die before. I didn't realize that your body shuts down one system at a time, with your breath being the last. At least this is what happened to my mom. Long story short, I learned a lot about the power of the mind and what you think in these 2 examples. The point: TREAT EVERY DAY AS IF IT WERE YOUR LAST and TAKE HOLD OF YOUR MIND AND FILL IT WITH THOUGHTS OF JOY AND LAUGHTER, FORGIVENESS AND LOVE.

Switzerland

That's where Keith was ALL last week for work. I was here with Tae and we were BUSY the entire time. I thought I was going to have a moment to breathe with Keith away but one thing after the other seemed to come up with the rental. It sucks not to have family in town so that I could just drop Tae off with in times such as these, but this is the EXACT reason we're doing this business. With his widowed mom in Nova Scotia, and my widowed dad in California, it just seems wrong to be living so far from family, ESPECIALLY now that there's grandkids involved. The beauty of this business is that it works ANYWHERE so it'll definitely give us the flexibility I always dreamed of!

The Most Awesome Tenant!

Wow...it worked! I had a ton of showings, and out of all the showings I had, some wanted it, some didn't, but only one came with a briefcase with all her information...credit report, income verification, references, everything! I've never since this day ever had someone that prepared. I called her landlord and her references were EXCELLENT! She even had the entire deposit AND rent beginning the middle of this month! I even went to see her place and it was VERY clean. AND, it was the best rent that I could get for that area outside government assisted housing. Now that this is wrapping up, I'll be using the same thoughtful process for the rental coming up at the end of this month.

Tenants

I've had a busy week. I evicted a tenant and so I've been busy coordinating the clean out and renting of it. My old self would worry with fear about getting it rented out again and worried that we would not get a tenant for the price we wanted. I would obsess about it and of course this would result in nagging Keith. This time, it's been a total relief. My attitude is that I'm grateful that she's moved out cause it'll make way for a FABULOUS, CLEAN and RESPECTFUL NEW tenant. I absolutely envision it and believe it. And when I get glimpses of fear creeping back in my mind, i STOP, and I visualize with emotion the tenant that is coming. This technique is awesome and has helped me get my mind muscle in more shape. I'm getting things wrapped up and ready for our move to the mountains this summer. That'll be AWESOME and I'll write about that one at a later date. But I've got one other tenant move out this next month and we'll be good to go! Life is good.

Focus on what you DO want.

I am always blown away when B. speaks on the leadership call. So insightful. It was full of incredible nuggets as usual but it was also inspiring to see the growth and development of people that I have met in this business. What really resonated with me is throwing poverty consciousness out completely. You know how you set goals for yourself and along the way you get whispers of doubt? KILL THAT. Set goals and ONLY entertain thoughts that will get you excited about the achievement of your goals. If you were to have a dollar in your bank, some people (like my prior self) would freak out and feel poor and therefor start focusing on the fear and start hoarding money. I got reminded today that you don't look at that one dollar, you look at the million that you are in process of attaining and move forward with your income producing activities. What a way to live! I'm GRATEFUL, that there are no guarantees in life for it is in the process, the achievement of goals that is so ever thrilling. This process that I feel within me, of stretching my intellect, my inner being, is ever so tantalizing and I'm completely ecstatic.

Man...Have I Changed!

Last night we discovered that Keith had not watched his corporate credit card and owed $1500 in late fees and mis charges. Since we always pay off our credit card at the end of the month, this was shocking! Kieth has a card for work and he's responsible for writing his own expense reports but hes always SO busy and focused with work, that this was never a real priority for him.

Well, the AMAZING thing is, I didn't freak out over this incident like I normally would. You see, I would always freak out when something little or big or anything unexpected happened, especially in the realm of money. And if it was Kieth's doing (which in this case it was), then I would especially nag him and vent my frustrations. The cool thing is, this rolled right off of me. He was more upset at himself and I said "look, money is just energy. Money will come to us and money will flow out of us. We're just the conduit for this flow. If we freak out about the temporary movement of money away from us, then we inherently are saying that the supply of money is finite. Brush this off as a learning lesson, and move on. Since you've put in your resignation, you won't have to do that many more expense reports." WOW! If you knew what I was like before you'd me amazed too! The best part of all of this though, is the calm and the peace that I have in my heart that there is no more fear. no more worry.

Where did I learn this? Through the personal development that I've embarked upon as a result of doing this business. Wow!

Skeptics

Why are people skeptical?

So a friend of mine emailed me back 2 weeks after hearing about my business, saying she was interested in what I was doing. But she added in her email that she was "skeptical". I responded by telling her that I don't share my business with skeptics because I'm not in the business of trying to convince anyone that this is real. I'm in this business to assist people who are ready to elevate their life to the next level and I only work with people who have a burning desire to live a better life. I asked her what exactly she was skeptical about but she couldn't tell me. She only replied that since my husband put in his resignation that she was less skeptical. But I still don't know what she is skeptical about. What are people skeptical about?

I suspect the term Direct Response Marketing is not understood by most everyday people. Since my husband is an Internet Business Executive (soon to retire of course), it only took him 3 minutes before he said "oh, its Direct Response Marketing, put out marketing, and people respond directly back to you. Like a TV ad and 1800 #". He was impressed as this business makes marketing into a simple system one person could do part-time (he sets up systems that requires dozens of people). I wonder if my friend is skeptical about Elvis' Greatest Hits compilation CD Set for just $19.99, that's right, just 3 simple installments of $19.99. Wait! There's more!...

I'm an ever evolving person so though I think I could understand a skeptical person, maybe I'm not totally understanding of them, so I'll speak for my own experience. Why is it that I believe that this is the most awesome thing out there? I don't know where my belief comes from, even for things such as Amway, Arbonne, etc. I KNOW there are some people who do make it that make millions. But I also believe that its less attainable because it requires specific "sales" skills even though they tell you it doesn't. Yet I'm not skeptical that it actually works for the right person. I also believe that there are scams out there that people have lost a lot of money but why then did I believe in this?

When I found this business it was the most beautiful thing, the most perfect thing, and I KNEW there was going to be crap about it on the Internet, so I chose not to fill my mind with it. All I needed to know was that one person, the person who found me made it, and therefore I could make it as well. I guess the main reason was that the system was so simple and I knew that I could follow this system. But this still doesn't explain why I was not skeptical with this.

Bob Proctor comes to mind as I had a friend tell me that he said something to the effect of, The Mind Can Justify ANYTHING. Anything the mind wants to find , it will. This was a huge weight off my shoulders as it became clear to me that I didn't have to be an expert sales person and "sell" this to people. I'm just a normal person exposing people to an incredible system in place that's here to free those who want it. The individual will either believe or not believe and nothing I say will convince them. So if someone is skeptical, I have nothing to offer them except the example that I live.

What I don't understand is how can people be skeptical when the proof is all around them? Maybe its because I'm the daughter of an immigrant and have experienced first hand what opportunity can bring. But from what I can tell, we live in an age and time where opportunity is all around us!