If you don't have anything nice to say...

I'm pretty sure everyone can finish that sentence.

I find it very interesting that people waste so much time and energy bashing the things they do not agree with, instead of focusing on promoting what they do agree with. Especially online. People get behind their computer screens and forget that on the other side are real people. I'm not here to be the moral police, I'm not here to judge, I beleive we will all face our own judgement one day.  I do, however, want to make an observation. Doesn't it just make sense to promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate? I mean, even if you have been hurt or offended... it just does not make any sense to me that we should retaliate with more negativity. Right?  If only it were that easy.

I realize that if you are going to do anything that is out of the norm, you will most definitely get criticized unjustly. I also learned that forgiveness and kindness are the best ways to deal with any criticism.

I use to care a lot about what others thought of me. Then I learned that they criticize because they don't understand. I choose to forgive people that bash what I do because I know that they truly just don't understand it. Forgiveness is a really easy thing to do and it doesn't have to be earned or deserved by the person you give it to. Its actually a gift to yourself. I spent a lot of time replaying hurtful things that were said and done to me in the past. I let it hold me back. I let it slow me down. I wasted lots of energy on it. Now I choose to forgive and move on. Treat everyone with respect and kindness regardless of how they choose to act. That gives me power. And Power in the right hands is a great thing! I control my thoughts, my actions and my destiny.

PS... if you are getting bashed, CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're standing for something and because of it you will rise above the mediocrity of the crowd. Forgive them. Set yourself Free. And follow your heart!

Childhood Memories

Isn't it strange that no matter how old we get, our childhood memories are the ones that remain so clear and continue to shape us? I was blessed with a wonderful childhood and am so grateful for those memories. 

Now as a parent, I am in charge of creating those for my children. That is our purpose. Our why. We fought hard to create a life that makes us happy, gives us choices and freedom.  

For us that meant both time freedom and financial freedom. Because stressed unhappy parents do not equal happy childhood memories. The path we were on 5 years ago, lead us to a lot of debt, fighting and very little hope for the future. There is a longer, more painful version of that story, but we'll keep it positive here. We changed course, found a path that would get us to freedom. It was a decision and a commitment to do so against a lot of adversity. We aren't completely free yet, but we are so close and our future is filled with hope and excitement! A lot of people do not understand, but that does not matter to us! We know what we are fighting for! 

There is no way we are turning back now, no way we are not going to both be home to raise them, no way we are saying no to the childhood memories our children deserve!  I don't know what freedom and happiness looks like for you, but if you don't have it now, don't you dare say you don't have choices. Everyone has choices. And regardless of what happened to you or where you find yourself now you have the choice to change. That is a truth.  Find your purpose and fight for it, it's not easy, not at all, but it's so worth it! 

Today alone was worth 5yrs of fighting for it! We were both there for swim lessons when Avery put his head under for the first time and blew bubbles! He looked up with a proud smile and was able to say "Mommy, Daddy did you see me?"  

Or later after lunch, Daddy and Mommy could tuck them both in for naps. Our kids won't know that having two stay at home parents is not normal. The won't know that having parents that don't fight over finances or end up getting divorced because time and/or money debt crumbled their marriage, isn't normal. No, their normal will be happy parents, that believed in chasing dreams, that believed in the entrepreneurism, choices and freedom. 

Those are the memories I'm fighting for!  It's not about the money, its never been about the money to us.  It's about the choices, freedom and piece of mind that wealth provides so that we are able to create an amazing childhood that will shape our children for the rest of their lives. 

We only get one shot at this, one shot at life, one shot and being a parent. One shot to create a childhood for those babies! We don't plan on settling for anything less than what we are capable of giving. 

I will forever be grateful that AdvoCare came into our lives when it did!  It has provided us the opportunity to fully chase our dreams and to pass that on to others that are looking for the same thing. Not to mention, that I am a better wife, mother, business owner and leader in my community!  The personal growth that has been encouraged from the leaders in this company has been incredible. So much value has been added to my life from saying yes to this!  We don't sell vitamins, "we are dealers in hope", heard that on a leadership call last night. Thank you Bob Ferngren! Thank you for your "YES"  And thank you for dealing some hope to us before we even knew we needed it! 

We can never repay you but we will continue to pay it forward to others that are willing to participate in their own rescue! Together with the team of "hope dealers" we are locking arms with, we will change a lot of childhood memories for the children of this wonderful country!