Life at Gray Gables: February 2020

One fact that should give everyone hope is that passion, hard work, persistence, and faith in oneself will always outperform intelligence, good looks, a great education, or wealthy parents.

I recently decided that I was not happy with the path that my life was walking on. I would wake up, get myself ready, get my kids ready, get one off to school, wake up my Husband, who just got home from work two hours prior, leave for work and leave him with the responsibility of getting my other child onto the bus every morning before he could go back to bed before his late afternoon shift.

This was just the morning routine.

After work I would rely on my parents to help get my kids off of the bus and started on the hour or two of homework that came from their day at school before I even finished my work day. I would then go home to finish said homework, make dinner, clean up, do some laundry or run the sweeper, get kids showered and ready for bed, get myself ready for bed before having a half hour to catch up on some 'Me' time... before catching my own ZZZ's. Remember, my hubby was once again at work. Two ships passing in the wee hours of the morning.

A literal Ground Hogs Day situation, Monday thru Friday, day in and day out.

I wasn't living.
My kids were seeing me at maybe 10%.
I didn't even touch on my day at work, because my work life had grown just as stagnate.
I felt sick all the time.
I went to work to collect my pay check at the end of two weeks... and that was about it.

It was time.

Time for something that had been gnawing at me for a long time. It was time for me to take back my life. I knew I needed to be the MOM I had always dreamed of being...I was just struggling to find my way... afraid I would not succeed... scared of what this might mean for the future.

I know someone out there has been where I was, or perhaps is right now... as I write this.

I don't know what changed me.

I would love to say that I read something, or met someone who had a life I knew I deserved... or wanted... or needed.

But, honestly, I just happened to wake up one morning and knew I couldn't do the life I was leading as it was... anymore.

I had dreams DAMN IT.

I had dreams of retiring not only myself, but my husband.
I had dreams of working my own business.
I had dreams of being able to work from the comforts of my own home, of being there for my kids when they needed me.

See, I told you it wasn't a "romantic" story. It just was more like a switch inside me went off one day and I just knew what I had to do. I knew it wouldn't be easy. I knew it would take time to build these dreams I had to make happen.

I guess this is where my old friend shows her face. I had been using this company (my old friend) for years and had heard of the benefits of becoming a marketer for the company, but it must've not been the right time because it never really "stuck" with me like it did this time.

32 years. That is the reputation this company has, with thousands of people, JUST like me, who have joined on in the mission of enhancing their lives by helping others reach their goals. We are like-minded people who literally sell nothing, but instead work on helping each other succeed, overcome obstacles and along the way have found a friend among one another.

Some people only dream about success, and here I am creating it.

Yes, I have had moments where I was discouraged but I meet those same obstacles head on and found the greater resolve. I found strength in the numbers of those who are a part of this same game changer to help me rise up.

I feel like the responses to life's situations are not an individual's predestined fate but are instead almost always the results of how we, as individuals choose to respond. Think about that one for a minute.

The principles of success are universal: persistence, hard work, never giving up, the ability to stay focused, taking personal responsibility, faith in oneself, a positive attitude, hope, love for others, specific goals, and a passion to achieve them. These are consistently the traits of those who experience success. Those who choose to exercise these traits seem to always come out on top. On the other hand. those who lack focus, lack purpose, lack passion, give up quickly, become easily discouraged, always find something wrong, blame others, lack work ethic, and lack confidence in themselves seem to always fall short of reaching their dreams.

I think the one fact that should give everyone hope is that passion, hard work, persistence, and faith in oneself will always outperform intelligence, good looks, a great education, or wealthy parents. It is of significant importance to realize that these traits that make up the successful person are the results of their choices.

The fact that you can often accurately predict HOW an individual whom you know well will respond to any given situation does NOT mean they are predestined or that they must respond in that manner. It just means that they tend to be consistent in their choices.

It is REFRESHING to see someone BREAK OUT of the mold they have created for themselves and to decide to begin to respond differently to life's situations. Such a change is obviously very difficult to make in oneself, as it seldom happens. When it does happen, it is a day worth celebrating.

I am a part of something where many thousands of people, just like me, constantly exercise hard work, persistence, and other principles of success.