Snippet about my work, my world
Where to begin this new blog for the week.... I am drawn to speak more about the challenges we face in our life to create a life we desire and how to even begin to get there if we are not there.
Last week I briefly spoke about finding balance, positive self speak, compassion for self and finding a way to let go of relationships that are not serving our greatest good.
To elaborate a bit more, I would like to begin to share a bit about my work. I LOVE helping people feel better. It is why I chose to become a massage therapist. I want to help people. I want to alleviate their physical (and sometimes more emotional) pain. I wanted to work in the health care field with out the gore and blood of the doing what the amazing nurses and doctors deal with on the daily. I wanted to share immediate results with my clients and show them there is a life they can have with a more pain free and able body. So, I decided to go to school at 21 years old and do the best I could to create a life with my dedication. I graduated with honors, and set my tenacious spirit out to create a dream business right from the start. Natural Body Works was born. I worked so hard to cultivate a business. I had to be savvy, dedicated, spirited, determined and boy was it hard. My business has taught me more in life than I could have ever imagined it would have. Communication, relationships, friendships, all the tasks of actually operating a business (they are vast!), and also setting boundaries.
Setting boundaries to not over work, to decide whether to squeeze in one more client. The need to help was challenging for me because I am highly empathetic and I hate to see people in pain. Here is a clencher though, and it was tough for me to learn. People will always take what they can get. I have to be firm with my hours and limitations of MY body. Honoring myself to make sure I didn't or don't burn out is essential.
Setting boundaries is one I was in constant need to learn. Clients needs, or hours working, my own needs to take time off but could not (self employed means no vacation pay, sick pay, hours accrued, or benefits) if I wanted to have income and regular scheduling. The first few years was pretty rigorous, and grueling dedication. Working 6 days a week with 8-10 hours of physical work to top the night with marketing and computer work afterwards made me grateful for my young, fit and healthy body. I was able to build my business in 6 months enough to quit my other job, and then the following 3 years I dedicated my life to build the dream I desired. Last blog I mentioned I am a solid type A personality. I don't have room to fail right? Well, I didn't. It was a tight place building an empire to be worthy of what my mind had set in the vision.
One thing I remember telling myself throughout the entire first 5 years, 'girl, you are only at the beginning. It takes time to get there.' So, I had to pause, I had to be patient, cultivate my dream and wait. I would buy upgrades here and there, learn more continuing education each chance I had, and try to do my best.
THAT, friends, is the key. Set the goals, do the best you can possibly do, and remember to check the position you are in regularly to evaluate the course to see whether it needs adjusted, or guided in a direction it is on currently.
I wanted everything I could have for my business. I wanted a store front, and to be independent, to have lush décor, and swanky odds and ends. That takes some serious capital. I always tell myself I could run a great wellness center with an investors money (HAHA)! I was all on my own though. Real deal life scenario. I had to choose what I wanted to build, what I wanted to make flourish. So, I found balance in advancing my education. When it comes to the heart of my goals, I wanted to help people feel better more than I wanted these tapestries, cushions or elaborate décor. So, I evaluated my position and decided to invest in myself, which intern helped me be more prepared for addressing my clients needs. BAM! Books started to fill 3+ months out, due to my dedication to the client, my business, my education, and my goals. Now, nearly 15 years later, I have built my empire, I have created a life with my wellness center goals and I have an amazing clientele that I have had since the beginning of my career.
I am grateful for my journey through the wellness life I have chosen for myself. I have met some amazing people. I had 17 women working with my shop at one point, what a busy house that was! I had a fitness center for 5 of those years with amazing teachers who dedicated their life to help people learn to move their bodies. I have had great practitioners work in the walls of my business who had like minded goals and aspirations. There has been a great deal to learn with in all of this realm as well - managing a ship that big. It was wild and amazing, difficult at times and worth the lessons.
It was also overwhelming to find a balance in my home life. Some thing had to shift. Universe helps us when we remember to ask for help right?! I have since downsized and I am operating a much smaller ship at NBW, more manageable, and I love this aspect too. The quiet is nice. Life is full of seasons right? I wanted to focus on my clients and myself, my family, and I was provided an opportunity to create what I wanted. I set my goals, set my intentions, and worked (continue to work) diligently toward the goals I have.
The new challenges of the doctorates program of becoming a manual osteopathic practitioner that I am currently working toward is a new part of my journey. I desire to be the best I can be; which again, is to help my clients as well as to keep myself fresh, current with health care, and to keep me motivated for the next chapters of my journey as a woman, wife, mother and human in my community.
I love the opportunity we get to pause, to step into our hearts, our mind, and evaluate. I ask my clients all the time, "what do you do to cultivate time for yourself?" I also try to encourage those who are not in a life they want to think about what 'that life' even looks like? If you feel like your job is meant for you right now to do what you need to serve your family, then stay at your job, by all means. I encourage you to think about what areas in your life you can make small changes to though, so your heart and spirit can shine, to allow you to be the best person you can be!
For me.... I love education, and yes- it is for work- its a means to become a better person. I find passion in advancing my knowledge. It is not; however, the only thing that makes my heart shine. I take time to cultivate friendship, I run with my dog (or sometimes by myself but don't tell her), I LOVE camping and taking a week off with my family. I love the woods! I love to garden. I love dancing with my husband, date night or dinner out. I love to lay in the sunshine and read a book. I love to have a picnic in my back yard with my daughter and read and play games. I take time to find my joy. I take the time to cultivate presence. That is the balance of the busy life I live. The pause is essential to regenerate, to rejuvenate, to avoid burn out. The pause in the breath, is the answer to the life of our fast world. Find the joy.
I leave you today with a quest to find a way to balance the life you have chosen that brings you joy. Once a week AT LEAST, create a moment to bring you joy. To bring you presence and pause. To find a life that fits into your dream of this reality. We get one life friends, live one you love.
See you next week!
Last week I briefly spoke about finding balance, positive self speak, compassion for self and finding a way to let go of relationships that are not serving our greatest good.
To elaborate a bit more, I would like to begin to share a bit about my work. I LOVE helping people feel better. It is why I chose to become a massage therapist. I want to help people. I want to alleviate their physical (and sometimes more emotional) pain. I wanted to work in the health care field with out the gore and blood of the doing what the amazing nurses and doctors deal with on the daily. I wanted to share immediate results with my clients and show them there is a life they can have with a more pain free and able body. So, I decided to go to school at 21 years old and do the best I could to create a life with my dedication. I graduated with honors, and set my tenacious spirit out to create a dream business right from the start. Natural Body Works was born. I worked so hard to cultivate a business. I had to be savvy, dedicated, spirited, determined and boy was it hard. My business has taught me more in life than I could have ever imagined it would have. Communication, relationships, friendships, all the tasks of actually operating a business (they are vast!), and also setting boundaries.
Setting boundaries to not over work, to decide whether to squeeze in one more client. The need to help was challenging for me because I am highly empathetic and I hate to see people in pain. Here is a clencher though, and it was tough for me to learn. People will always take what they can get. I have to be firm with my hours and limitations of MY body. Honoring myself to make sure I didn't or don't burn out is essential.
Setting boundaries is one I was in constant need to learn. Clients needs, or hours working, my own needs to take time off but could not (self employed means no vacation pay, sick pay, hours accrued, or benefits) if I wanted to have income and regular scheduling. The first few years was pretty rigorous, and grueling dedication. Working 6 days a week with 8-10 hours of physical work to top the night with marketing and computer work afterwards made me grateful for my young, fit and healthy body. I was able to build my business in 6 months enough to quit my other job, and then the following 3 years I dedicated my life to build the dream I desired. Last blog I mentioned I am a solid type A personality. I don't have room to fail right? Well, I didn't. It was a tight place building an empire to be worthy of what my mind had set in the vision.
One thing I remember telling myself throughout the entire first 5 years, 'girl, you are only at the beginning. It takes time to get there.' So, I had to pause, I had to be patient, cultivate my dream and wait. I would buy upgrades here and there, learn more continuing education each chance I had, and try to do my best.
THAT, friends, is the key. Set the goals, do the best you can possibly do, and remember to check the position you are in regularly to evaluate the course to see whether it needs adjusted, or guided in a direction it is on currently.
I wanted everything I could have for my business. I wanted a store front, and to be independent, to have lush décor, and swanky odds and ends. That takes some serious capital. I always tell myself I could run a great wellness center with an investors money (HAHA)! I was all on my own though. Real deal life scenario. I had to choose what I wanted to build, what I wanted to make flourish. So, I found balance in advancing my education. When it comes to the heart of my goals, I wanted to help people feel better more than I wanted these tapestries, cushions or elaborate décor. So, I evaluated my position and decided to invest in myself, which intern helped me be more prepared for addressing my clients needs. BAM! Books started to fill 3+ months out, due to my dedication to the client, my business, my education, and my goals. Now, nearly 15 years later, I have built my empire, I have created a life with my wellness center goals and I have an amazing clientele that I have had since the beginning of my career.
I am grateful for my journey through the wellness life I have chosen for myself. I have met some amazing people. I had 17 women working with my shop at one point, what a busy house that was! I had a fitness center for 5 of those years with amazing teachers who dedicated their life to help people learn to move their bodies. I have had great practitioners work in the walls of my business who had like minded goals and aspirations. There has been a great deal to learn with in all of this realm as well - managing a ship that big. It was wild and amazing, difficult at times and worth the lessons.
It was also overwhelming to find a balance in my home life. Some thing had to shift. Universe helps us when we remember to ask for help right?! I have since downsized and I am operating a much smaller ship at NBW, more manageable, and I love this aspect too. The quiet is nice. Life is full of seasons right? I wanted to focus on my clients and myself, my family, and I was provided an opportunity to create what I wanted. I set my goals, set my intentions, and worked (continue to work) diligently toward the goals I have.
The new challenges of the doctorates program of becoming a manual osteopathic practitioner that I am currently working toward is a new part of my journey. I desire to be the best I can be; which again, is to help my clients as well as to keep myself fresh, current with health care, and to keep me motivated for the next chapters of my journey as a woman, wife, mother and human in my community.
I love the opportunity we get to pause, to step into our hearts, our mind, and evaluate. I ask my clients all the time, "what do you do to cultivate time for yourself?" I also try to encourage those who are not in a life they want to think about what 'that life' even looks like? If you feel like your job is meant for you right now to do what you need to serve your family, then stay at your job, by all means. I encourage you to think about what areas in your life you can make small changes to though, so your heart and spirit can shine, to allow you to be the best person you can be!
For me.... I love education, and yes- it is for work- its a means to become a better person. I find passion in advancing my knowledge. It is not; however, the only thing that makes my heart shine. I take time to cultivate friendship, I run with my dog (or sometimes by myself but don't tell her), I LOVE camping and taking a week off with my family. I love the woods! I love to garden. I love dancing with my husband, date night or dinner out. I love to lay in the sunshine and read a book. I love to have a picnic in my back yard with my daughter and read and play games. I take time to find my joy. I take the time to cultivate presence. That is the balance of the busy life I live. The pause is essential to regenerate, to rejuvenate, to avoid burn out. The pause in the breath, is the answer to the life of our fast world. Find the joy.
I leave you today with a quest to find a way to balance the life you have chosen that brings you joy. Once a week AT LEAST, create a moment to bring you joy. To bring you presence and pause. To find a life that fits into your dream of this reality. We get one life friends, live one you love.
See you next week!
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