Our new neighborhood is amazing. My lawn mower wouldn't start the other day. My next door neighbor Vince wouldn't leave my side until he had done absolutely everything he could think of to fix it. One neighbor helped me build in all the shelving in my garage. One lent me his tools so I could edge properly without hurting myself. One neighbor brought me flowers on my birthday. One dropped by caramel popcorn for no reason at all. One gave me a pro grill for free. One brought my daughters some toys she knew they would enjoy. I loved the pastoral life we lived on the lake surrounded by cow fields. As much as I loved the lake and the cows I wouldn't trade them for Vince and the rest of my new neighbors.
Our new car is awesome. We were commuting in a 1992 Buick, now a 2007 Mercedes. Solid improvement. I love driving it every chance I get.
Our kids are fantastic. They're making new friends, learning new things and taking baby steps towards self-reliance and personal satisfaction.
Our institutions of learning are challenging, supportive and inspiring. Our kids were homeschooled last year, it was great, but required more of me than I was willing to give after a solid 15-month stretch. So this year we re-enrolled the kids in public school. A well-educated, happy, talented team of folks made sure my kids can read, write, dance, run, draw, type, talk, be silent, deal with stress, sing, and enjoy their peers. Summer vacation starts in two weeks and then I'll have eight weeks to get my fill of homeschooling. God bless homeschoolers, I'm all for it. But I need a team.
My job is blowing my mind on a daily basis. I had no intention of "working." I loved my 2015 job of raising my kids, creating my home and supporting my husband. Those plans quickly changed when I lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks and decided to pay it forward and help others do the same as a professional health coach. I have a nearly full roster of clients who are looking to transform their health in one way or another. I have clients who are sleeping better, shedding extra weight, clearing up their foggy minds and transforming their lives. One of my clients no longer needs a heart bypass surgery that she was preparing for when she met me. I have one client who comes home from a nine-hour day at work and is energized to plan trips, remodel his home and serve more at his church instead of sitting on the couch each night watching TV. Working with these people inspires me. My job brings a new joy and satisfaction to my life that did not exist six months ago.
My mind has never been so clear and active. The fog has lifted. I have insights, ideas and dreams that never occurred to me before. I'm setting and reaching "impossible" goals. I'm planning weekly, monthly, yearly and 5-year goals for all major areas of my life. Have you read the book Oola Moola? Great book. It outlines the seven areas of your life that need your attention in order to be successful in a harmonious way. They are referred to in the book as the 7 F's: Faith, Family, Friends, Field (as in career field), Fitness, Finance, Fun. Taking a look at my life through that lens has really helped me progress in many areas of my life at once. Why not? Who says you can only progress in one area at a time? Why not all seven? Bam. You can. I am.
Our financial picture is personal. Lets just say, it's good and transitioning to even better...just like the rest of my life.
I hope 2016 is bringing you closer to the life you envision!
