What are your excuses???

So...what are your excuses for not putting your own joy and fulfillment first? I have TONS- my kids' schedules/work stress/my house needs cleaning/you name it....I have them. Notice how I didn't call them reasons, I called them excuses? I've learned over time that is exactly what they are-I used to be convinced the excuses were completely valid reasons that "showed" how I was unable to do anything for myself--I mean--how could I sacrifice my poor child by telling him he cannot attend yet another birthday party because Mom wants to get a pedicure or go to the gym? right? Is this the mode in which you live perhaps? I did too, and admittedly some days still fall into it, however I'm happy to say in the big picture I've snapped out of it. Just this past holiday weekend for instance...It would have SOOOO easy for me to back out of what I had planned for myself due to my kids chaotic sports schedules, and the old me would have, trust me. Instead, I kept myself focused on my goal of keeping time blocked out Monday morning and when that time came I completely let go of what happened before and what would happen after I got home and found that my kids may still be in their pj's at noon or had chips for breakfast.
Think about what you want to do for yourself--maybe it's learn a new skill/lose weight/try yoga/read more/spend time with your girlfriends....Take that thought then ask yourself "Am I just talking about this or am I taking action steps to accomplishing it?" "Am I telling everyone a good story full of excuses or am I able to share with others the positive news of reaching goals?" The point is...are you interested in what is it you want to do for yourself, or are you committed to it? In case you haven't picked up on it yet, this is the common thread for this week- in women who treat themselves well-each one I've met is/was committed to what they set out to do and believe me, their commitment was tested and stretched in many ways, but they have the ability to refocus and keep going--their passion for their goal kept them moving forward.
To quote one my favorite speakers James Ray..."If you're not growing, you're dying"
hmmmmm......

Can helping others actually help you?

Helping others reach their goals will actually help you reach yours and allow you to live a fuller life.
OK-I realize this may seem as if I'm going against the grain here since this blog is focused on treating yourself well, but stay with me..when I say "helping others" I am not speaking of wiping your kids' noses, getting them dressed, picking up after Fido in the yard, etc. I'm talking about helping others either through random acts of kindness or through charity. I hear you asking yourself "How can it possibly help me treat myself well/better if I'm giving even more of myself to a charity?" Consider this:
If you want happiness for an hour—take a nap.If you want happiness for a day—go fishing.If you want happiness for a month—get married.If you want happiness for a year—inherit a fortune.If you want happiness for a lifetime—help someone else.– Chinese Proverb
This has been yet another common thread I found with the women I've interviewed who are happy and treat themselves well. They live a fuller life by helping others in hundreds of different ways. So next time you experience negative thoughts/feelings take a minute and look up....look around....by helping someone else, even in the smallest way, you'll bring in more joy and fullfillment to your own life.

so far....

I've heard some good examples of busy women/moms/wives taking care of themselves so far and I'm excited to hear more stories. A few of the common threads I'm hearing are spending time with other women/girlfriends who are postive. This is a major source of support....surrounding yourself with people who lift your spirits and avoiding those who tend to "suck the life right out of you" with their negativity is another common example I'm hearing out there....we all encounter those people in our lives, but finding ways to shield yourself from toxic negativity is highly important. Another example of a busy woman who I think has it together is she said she decided to STOP allowing herself to put work/family/etc first. She told me once she made the shift in focus that it became quite easy to find time to do things for herself. I'll be sharing more in depth stories as I interview women. Please send your full story to louevans4504@msn.com

Connecting with other busy women

I don't know about you but as I was growing up my mother stayed at home with four kids and life was much more simple. These days I find myself trying to figure out, as I'm driving home from work at warp speed to get one of my kids to soccer, gymnastics, golf, basketball, and who knows what else how in world I got here. "Here" being this place of constant movement and chaos. "Here" being juggling a stressful job with my young children's school and activity schedule. "Here" being a day to day life of the same question....."When will it be my turn to play?"So much is expected of women now and I'm not saying I am not up to the challenge...I am. However, to live at this pace and live the life of a person who is able to care for themselves as well as others I've learned the hard way is to reach out.This is why I've started a blog to collect stories from women all over the world. I want to know what your daily life is like, if you had a turning point where you realized investing in yourself was something you must put into your schedule, ways you take/make time, what you do, how it makes you feel.....I'm sure you get the picture. My goal is to have a collection of 100 or more inspirational and uplifting stories to share. I'll be blogging weekly- and talking about what I learn as I go along.