Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Loving Your Career; A Man and His Medical Bag...

Good grief, I feel like I have been hit by a truck and run over on a cold rainy day... My eyes are saying LET ME SLEEP, my heart is saying write a blog post! If you are a regular reader, you will know that A) I blog on Friday to kick off the weekend, B) I blog on Mondays to kick off your week and C) That every once in a while something gets the best of me and I have to postpone a blog or two; (I know, I hate that I am human sometimes too!) UGH! SO!!!! That is what happened last Friday... all weekend and then again today. Long story short (not my typical M.O.) it went like this... busy, busy, busy, internet down all day; leaving you without a blog twice! Forgive... (and perhaps forget) I promise to give you a bonus blog sometime this week but I won't jinx myself by saying when. Deal?

Within all of this ridiculousness and sleepiness I decided to dig down and pull out some inspiration, one reason is that it will help you... and I know by helping you, my spirit will be lifted up too. Tonight's inspiration comes from none other than my mailbox... yep, I opened today's mail just a little while ago and found something that made me smile with joy and shed a tear all in the same sentence. Here's the story...

When I moved to Florida back in 1999, I needed to find a pediatrician for (at the time) my ONE child Cierra. I got several opinions but had not yet needed to go for anything. Then one day when I needed to bring Cierra in for a physical for school on the fly, I managed to find an office just down the road from where I lived. (Nobody had referred me to this office.) I walked in and they took us in that day. When the doctor came in, I was quite surprised being that most doctors I had seen over the last several years of my life were fairly young; mostly in their late 30's to early 50's. This little man looked to be nearly 70 years old and I was astonished at his charisma and passion for what he did. He became our pediatrician that day, I was hooked immediately.

In 2001, I gave birth to my daughter Baleigh and Dr. Adler was the name I put down as the family pediatrician. I still remember what the nurse,who looked to be about 45, said to me, "Is this Dr, Phillip Adler Jr.?" to  which I quickly replied. " No, he has daughters no sons, he is the original."  The nurse quickly told me how Dr. Adler had been HER pediatrician when she was a child and had no idea he was still practicing. As my girls got bigger, I assumed it would be any day that I would find out Dr. Adler was retiring and I dreaded that day thinking every visit for the yearly checkups would be our last with him. My kids were rarely sick so our visits once we got past the infant shots and toddler years were sparse, typically it was our yearly check ups and the occasional allergy flare ups.  He was THE BEST doctor I had ever known, he diagnosed something just by looking at your child, I think he only ran tests to cover his butt. It was second nature to him after so many years in practice, he knew his craft and he knew it well.

In this day and age, you don't find doctors that love their career as he does, you don't find doctors who give you their cell phone numbers and ask you to call them if anything goes wrong. You don't find doctor's who ask you to follow up and if you don't call him to follow up after treating your child he will call you and ask why you did not follow up. You don't find doctors who bring you into their private office after treating your child to discuss them as an individual person uninterrupted on EVERY visit and give you as much time as you needed. (He had nurses to take care of your child/children during this "talk" in his office)You don't get scolded when you don't listen to what the doctor ordered; (I mean literally get in trouble as if you were his own child)... None of these things exist as a group unless your doctor is Dr. Adler.

Several more years passed.... as he diagnosed, treated and maintained the health of my girls "old school" style. Year after year I waited for his retirement. Then in 2008 I became pregnant with Zane, and let him know that he couldn't quit yet. He promised me that he wasn't going anywhere, and he didn't. He continued to care for my kids and I continued to take his advice because it ALWAYS worked! "No medicine unless fever went over 102 and that was for the sake of comfort... no breastfeeding on demand... only nurse every three hours because you are no good as a Zombie and it takes that long for a mom's boob's to fill back up... forget what the le leche league says," he once told me even though I never went by their advice anyway. "They kicked me out of a meeting once"  he chuckled, as he told me the story of how he went to a Le Leche' meeting once because they were telling mom's wrong and he wanted to set them straight. He is a spunky man and I love this man's spunk. When Zane was six months old, I found out I was pregnant with Abrielle, and told him once again that he had to wait to retire... and again he promised me that he was not going anywhere; and he didn't. She was born into this world and met our Dr. Adler very shortly after, embracing his love just as my other 3 children and I had. We ALL love this man. He saw me through tough times and tears in my last marriage and comforted me while sitting in his office one day when I told him I had ended my marriage; his black leather medical bag by his desk, walls covered with bulletin boards full of pictures of all "his children"; he was our very own Norman Rockwell.

Fast forward, to 2012. I called to make an appointment because Zane was having an allergy induced coughing attack... we were told that Dr. Adler had had a heart attack a few months earlier and I was asked which doctor we wanted to see. I was devastated, but relieved to know that he was doing okay. I asked which doctor was most like him and the answer I got was "none of them." We booked with another doctor in the office and went in the next day. Zane wanted to know where Dr. Adler was and did not want the "new" nurse to touch him, he asked for his nurse Loraine... and they went and got her. Loraine told us that he was doing good and that he would be coming back, but his doctor would not allow him to come back to work until January. I had to chuckle because at 83 years old... he was still planning to continue seeing patients after he fully recovered from his heart attack. Talk about determination.

Tonight, I opened my mail to find that dreaded letter announcing Dr. Adler's retirement. I almost cried... and had my moment of silence. I know HE is still alive... but part of me died hearing this news. I will truly miss that man, my kids will miss that man, and I know we will never find another doctor like him no matter how long we look. I wish him the best in the years he has left, I hope he finds a hobby so that he will stick around for a few more years. He is a very special person that inspired me every time I saw how much he loved his job; the kids... and how personal he treated each and every parent and patient that walked into his office.

Tonight's post lends this message....

There is a lot of life in loving what you do; you will never want to quit when you KNOW that it is your purpose here on Earth. After almost 60 years of servicing children, this man does not want to retire... he said so in the letter, and that my friends says more than I can ever say in a blog post.

Goodnight, Good morning or Good day... depending on the time zone these words find you in!
xoxo
~Shells~

My kids never cried with this man, even when he gave them shots!

Dr. Adler with Abrielle


Abrielle, Lorraine and Dr. Adler


Zane now says he wants to be a doctor like Dr. Adler, I love this picture of them together

My little man being seen by his favorite doctor





Wednesday, February 20, 2013

It's All on Purpose

Tonight's blog is brought to you from my living room, at my desk. I am trying something new. Let me know how you like it! 

xoxo
~Shells~

Monday, February 18, 2013

Jumping Down syndrome Hurdles

When I was twenty weeks pregnant with my youngest daughter Abrielle, I found out she would be born with Down syndrome. I knew very little about the diagnosis at the time; not realizing that there were differences in every child who had it, just as there are differences with every child that is typical. I was naive as many are about what this meant exactly, but because I felt like God was blessing me in a way that would eventually define itself, I cried only briefly and trusted wholeheartedly from that point on.

I learned as much as I could about Down syndrome and everything I was reading led me to believe that they all had health issues; that they all were born with unhealthy hearts requiring surgery, that they would have digestive issues, bad eyesight, only two lines on their palms, weird toes, crooked teeth, bad hearing and weak muscle tone. As I learned more I knew that time, which I did not really have  would be needed for a child with all of these issues, but I trusted that I would not be given more than I could handle. After all, I had a difficult road thus far and had survived. I always had what I needed even if my wants were forfeited for another day.

When Abrielle was born, she had very few of the "typical" DS markers. She had VERY strong muscle tone, normal toes, typical lines on her hands, 20/20 vision, and acute hearing. She was born with a very small hole in her heart (ASD) that was the caused by her being one month early... not from having Down syndrome; it healed itself within 3 months and now she has a perfectly normal heart that never required surgery. Her only health issues are her sensitivity to dairy and seasonal allergies, both of which she gets from me. (lucky her!)

I have worked with Abrielle so much, I never treated her any different than my other three children, and I really feel that because of that she feels no different. Sure, she learns slower, and she is not talking yet at age 3, but she is tries harder and harder every day with each little push she gets. It is important to embrace Down syndrome as something that will create hurdles, but hurdles are made to jump and these children/adults can jump just as high and often even higher if you encourage them to do so. I have 4 children, and Abrielle aka "Brie"  celebrates her triumphs with huge smiles and an excited applause... and takes every defeat with stride. She is as proud of herself as we are of her, and that  is such a joy to watch.

When adversity paints itself into your life, you have two choices... you can overcome it or allow it to consume you, bathing you with defeat. You can choose the easy way out or take the long road home and enjoy the scenery. It's not always going to be easy... it may NEVER be easy but does that mean you should quit? NO! Absolutely not! If you quit you will never know victory, and if you never know victory you will never understand the purpose of defeat.

Although this video of Abrielle is old... (I think she was a little over 1 year old at the time) it is still by far one of the most inspiring videos I have seen, and it's not because she is my little girl. As you watch it remember this; she has every reason to give up... but because I refuse to let her know that she just keeps trying... we can all learn from that.


CLICK HERE TO SEE BRIE'S VIDEO 
"DETERMINATION"

God DID give me more than I can handle... more love, more smiles, more lessons, and more to share by presenting me with this precious gift of a special child. Her existence has taught me more and changed me more than I ever thought possible. She WAS a blessing... truly, the most amazing one of my life.


Over the next few weeks I will be preparing her annual video for World Down syndrome Day, (3-21) and I cannot WAIT to share it with you. Until then, I hope that you enjoyED this video and share this blog post with everyone you know. There is power in numbers... and in order to change the way people see these special people who have been put here on earth to change our hearts, we must share the stories, share the defeat, share the joys and share the grief of what happens to us in our lives.

Wishing you all a great evening, a warm heart, and a glimmer of hope when you need it most!
xoxo
~Shells~



Friday, February 15, 2013

Waiting to Exhale


I want you to breathe in, yes... right now; and hold it. Close your eyes and take a DEEP breath in. With your eyes closed, I want you to think about something that takes you to a happy place. 




Maybe it's a sun drenched beach, salty smell in the air and the sound of seagulls screaming, waves crashing upon the sandy shore seeping between your toes. Perhaps it is imagining yourself in a quiet room, sitting in comfy clothes by a fireplace gazing out a window with a view of fresh snow blanketing the trees outside. Stay there for a minute and then as you open your eyes, exhale. Go ahead... go to that happy place right now.....




Where did you go for that minute? How did it make you feel? Does it make you want to go back? In life, we breath in when we wake up; so many things on our minds, stresses of the upcoming day, weeks, months and even years. We have worries of what tomorrow holds and often forget to exhale leaving us out of breath. Even more importantly, we forget to pay attention to what happens between breathing in and breathing out; that serene moment when everything goes away because we have shut ourselves off from the world.

I was originally going to write about some highlights of last week today, but the freedom in writing a blog allows me to change my mind. It's not like a book where it's already in print and you go "AH! I wish I had written this!" It is no more than an online journal of sorts that allows me to dump out exactly what I am feeling, thinking, wishing, hoping, mourning and sometimes it's what I am celebrating. So today... instead of my original planned post, I am going to share what came to mind today.

As I have shared over and over throughout my blogs and even more so in my book, life has not been easy for me. It never came easy once I turned 17 and ventured out on my own. I was always struggled; still do at times... and have always longed for that moment of exhale. I have walked through life holding my breath in a sense waiting for the next adversity to smack me down, bracing myself for impact. That is what I have grown accustomed to.

However, the past couple of years has been so different; the clouds have begun to clear leaving me more nervous than ever, simply because I don't know how to do easy. I am not sure how to handle anything less than chaos. I don't know how to handle less drama, less worry, less struggle and stress simply because I have always had it; that has been my not so comfortable comfort zone and it's what I know, even if it's not what I liked at the time.

Life has taken a turn for me, and it's continuing to evolve into what I had always dreamed of. I have worked so hard for so long trying to prove to myself that I could do anything I set my mind to... part of me, believed that I could... and part of me still can't believe that it's happening, TRULY happening right before my eyes.

My inhale happened the day I left home to explore the world on my own because I thought I knew everything, the pause in between; all the struggles, hard lessons, moments of defeat and triumph, made me who I am today.

Where was your inhale? What happened during the pause? Have you exhaled or are you still holding your breath?

No matter where you are in the breath on life, I want every one of you to know that nothing amazing happens overnight. Growing a marriage takes a lifetime, growing a child takes 9 months and raising them takes many more years, growing a business takes a lot of time and effort; so why do we expect that creating a special life where our dreams come true should be any different?

I am learning so rapidly now, that if you never take your mind off that moment of exhale, eventually you WILL be able to let go like a gust of wind. I feel I am almost there... and I cannot WAIT. The years of holding my breath will be over and I will be able to enjoy the life I have spent so long creating, and I have so many people to thank for being a part of that journey.


I hope you have an amazing weekend. Take some time to stop and enjoy what surrounds you; 
if only for a moment, because... 

"With every breath there is an inhale and an exhale,
but the pause in between means more than either one." 
Shelley Giard 2010

If you are wondering what sparked this post today... 
go to my Facebook fan page by clicking here  https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyD.Giard
 and scroll down to the post titled "Book Update" 

XOXO
~Shells~

Thursday, February 14, 2013

To EVERYONE, even single's on Valentines Day!

Today,  February 14th ... officially defined as a day to celebrate love with the one you're with.... hmmm well how about if you are not "with" anyone? Does this mean you are supposed to ignore this wonderful day of chocolate, confection and flowers? I THINK NOT!

I was single on many Valentine's days and I must admit there were a few when I felt sorry for myself and ba-humbugged the stupid day of "LOVE", it made me feel like a worthless, good-for-nobody person and well, quite frankly it was depressing to feel devalued! It was not necessary, nor was it true. I was VERY VALUABLE and if you are not "with" someone today SO ARE YOU! It is ridiculous to think otherwise. Just as so many situations, society plague's us with devaluing who we are if we are not "up to par" or if we are single, without kids or divorced.

I love my children, especially when they laugh and do cute things and wow me with their wonderment, I love that I have enough money to survive, food on my table and a heart as big as Texas. I love that I have a wonderful family that loves and cares for me as much as I love and care for them. Although my pets have passed away, I loved every moment I had with them. I love my career because I get to make people feel beautiful and handsome and that is very rewarding. I love the smell of fresh cut grass on a warm summer day, the look of snow on a mountain top, and the sound of ocean waves hitting the sandy shore. I love that I have had people in my life that mean a lot and recognize that ALL the people that crossed my path meant something.

So.... on this day which was originally a Christian holiday; now commercialized by retail stores, I offer  this.... if you are true to yourself, if you love yourself, if you have friends, family or animals that love you, or things that you love,then today is a day to celebrate that. If you have none of those things then you are still good WHY? Well like it or not, believe it or not, GOD loves each and every one of us.

Have an amazing day and go buy yourself some chocolate and flowers!! 

Lᴏᴠᴇ ɪs ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋɪɴᴅ; ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴠʏ ᴏʀ ʙᴏᴀsᴛ; ɪᴛ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʀʀᴏɢᴀɴᴛ ᴏʀ ʀᴜᴅᴇ. Iᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴsɪsᴛ ᴏɴ ɪᴛs ᴏᴡɴ ᴡᴀʏ; ɪᴛ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɪʀʀɪᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏʀ ʀᴇsᴇɴᴛғᴜʟ; ɪᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴊᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴡʀᴏɴɢᴅᴏɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ʀᴇᴊᴏɪᴄᴇs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ. Lᴏᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴀʀs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢs, ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢs, ʜᴏᴘᴇs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢs, ᴇɴᴅᴜʀᴇs ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜɪɴɢs. Lᴏᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇɴᴅs. 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

xoxo
~Shells~

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

My Daughter Baleigh, Fierce and Fearless!

I honestly thought to myself where in the world do I even go with this tonight? It has just been that kind of week (meaning the last seven days)  I could blog about so much! I feel like I was on a roller coaster all week emotionally, mentally and physically and by the end of it (yesterday) I think the nausea had even set in. Thank GOD for pillows (even though I need a new one) and for the power of positive thinking to pull yourself out of the vomit. (sorry for the analogy but it was what came out and I typically say what I think.)

Now that I have grossed you out, I will share one of  3 highlights of my week with you. (I will share the other 2  Friday) Hang with me.. there is inspiration here! Early in the week, we were preparing for Baleigh's talent show. (my 11 year old daughter) She had been practicing with school rehearsals since mid December making up her own choreography and singing her song. She worked SOOO hard, then mid January, she got bored with the song and switched to a different one and of course then had to change the whole dance too! (don't know WHERE she gets that from?) Her final choice was the song "Good Time"  I have to admit, I was worried. Although I LOVE that my funky, punky, artsy, fartsy child LOVES to sing, I have always encouraged her to sing for fun and draw for a living. (she is THAT good at drawing) She sings all over the house and in the shower EVERY day and quite frankly sounds REALLY off key most of the time. Her dancing has gotten better with practice, but she is definitely a white girl in that department. My point in sharing this is that it proves I am not biased, I know her limits, but encourage her to do what she loves no mater what anyone thinks, (even me).

There were 24 acts that night and I have to admit that even though I appreciate the guts it took to get up there, because I can truly relate (my personal story is in my book) most of the acts were pretty awful, or boring and some were both. That is... until my daughter announced as "THE WILD THANG" hit the stage. She BLEW ME AWAY with her performance. She blew Corey and my Mom away and without a doubt, if they had a "winner" that night she would have crowned, hands down. I honestly did not know where this fearless child with amazing rhythm and voice came from. She gave a more than an entertaining performance and was SO fearless and confident. She truly amazed me as I stood to give her a round of applause. If I knew how to whistle like a redneck through my fingers I totally would have!

She was SOOO nervous the day before and she had friends laughing at her. She came home from practice telling me that she did not want to do it... and I said NO! These people are JEALOUS because you are so amazing... and boy... did she prove me right! I have honestly never been so proud of her! The courage it took to step out there alone and just NAIL IT was so inspiring... it is something that took me 13 years in school to gain the courage to do. Is it because she had me to boost her self esteem when she wanted to quit? I would like to think so... because words are powerful. I am sure that my encouragement helped, just as quickly as I have hurt her feelings during times I was on edge and later had to apologize for my wrongs, (we all do it.) It reminded me once again just how important my mouth is and I must be careful with what comes out. Sharp tongues need not apply!

The moral of this story is... watch your words, never quit, always give it your best and knock their freaking socks off EVERY time!

As the children were announced one by one at the end for their final bow, some kids walked out and bowed,  some curtsied, some walked out looking like they had just seen a ghost and then "THE WILD THANG" came running out and slid on her knees to the front of the stage with rocker hands in the air. I have never laughed so hard or been so proud of my rebel. (Check back with me when she hits 16! HAHAHA)

It was certainly a "GOOD TIME!"

XOXO
~Shells~  

Baleigh just after the show in her knee high peace sign Converse, hot pink metallic leggings 
and a great big smile! 
 Corey managed to snap this photo just as my child skated to the front of the stage on her knees! 
That's my girl!


Friday, February 8, 2013

Mentally Drained? Me too!

Sometimes, I have those weeks when my mind is literally on fire with ideas; brainstorms happen when I least expect them to and this ridiculous business mind kicks in when it simply needs to just SLOOWWW-DOWWWWN! I wish I could honestly push a pause button just until I can process and put to action the things already going on BEFORE coming up with yet another idea. It's been one of those weeks, and I realized today that THIS is my problem. It's my A.D.D. on crack and sometimes it overwhelms me. If I could sell half of these ideas to people who had no ideas but all the time in the world to act upon them, maybe I could make a small fortune... (uh oh just birthed another business idea! ARGH!)

FOCUS Shelley... FOCUS! So... here I am drained from a mentally exhausting week and my kids were off of school today for the "Florida State Fair" yes... it's like a holiday around here, weird... I know. Something told me that taking three children to the fair alone was a VERY bad idea, especially when every other child in the county would also be there so we did not venture out despite the free tickets we had from their schools. Good thing is... they could care less, and made out fine just playing at home. (thank GOD!) My youngest two still take naps during the day (YAY!) and a long nap at that (2 hours, double yay!) and today, unlike ANY other day, I decided a nap was a GREAT idea. (I usually take this time to DO things)However it seemed to be just what I needed to balance out this mind blowing week of mine. I took advantage of the ENTIRE two hours and snoozed like an infant with a full belly and then the kids woke up. :( boo! I wanted more! HA! Incredible... that I of all people... the girl who ALWAYS finds it necessary to feel productive no matter what, wanted a LONGER nap today. I felt like kicking and screaming and telling them to go back to bed, but after realizing that would be kind of mean and chilish, I do as I NEVER do... and turned on the television voluntarily! (gasp) I got sucked into episode after episode of the show "Hoarders", THAT is a disturbing show by the way.

As I was watching this man who was living with 2000 rats as companions because he was grief stricken about finding his wife deceased in their home, I decided although there are things that I wish I were easier, things that I would like to have that I don't have, and the fact that I need to clone myself  a few times in order to do all that I REALLY want to do... my life is not half bad. I could not help but feel sorry for this poor guy as he was literally distraught when they caged all of these rats which had become his "family", however it was still utterly disgusting.

I am still mentally drained, and I suppose my wheels will continue to turn as long as I am breathing air;  I do need to realize though that I cannot do everything... I cannot BE everything... I need to focus on being GREAT at what makes me the happiest and use the rest as backup. I need to stop beating myself up when I don't have a spotless house, (although it makes me crazy) perfect clothes and tons of money in the bank despite how hard I work, simply because I do the best I can with what I have been given. I love to make people smile, I love to inspire them, and I love to build their self esteem... THAT makes me happy. I love being a mom, and I love having an amazing boyfriend that supports all my crazy ideas even when they may take time away from him, THOSE things make me happy. I love reading emails and posts from my fans... because it lets me know that what I am doing through my book and my blogs is making a difference and THAT makes me happy. SO... I will focus on those things and those things only for a while and see what happens. (Don't worry, I will still write down all the other ideas for backup and perhaps to sell one day! )

Have an awesome weekend guys! I will be back on Monday! 
xoxo
Stay safe and as my friend Jason would say... ROCK ON PEEPS!



Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Self Discovery: Moments of Fear and Doubt

Regardless of how positive I am, despite how readily and often I post uplifting quotes of encouragement on my social media sites, and never mind how many blog posts I write that make you think; I have fears, I have doubts and I have struggles with strength, just like you. The only thing that may make me different is that I rely on what my heart tells me to do which carries me through facing them; and I pray... a lot.

A few years ago, I decided that what other people thought of me mattered only if I let it stop me from going after what it was I wanted in life. I experienced lots of failures, I sometimes cried myself to sleep at night wishing I could snap my fingers and rewind my life knowing what I know now so that I could change it all, which would also change the outcome. I constantly and consistently beat myself up for my mistakes and what my circumstances were because of them. After all, I had heard all of my life that you must "live" with the consequences of your actions. For years, I misinterpreted that statement thinking that it was my negative reality of screwing up. What I realized was that we must LIVE despite the consequences of our actions, despite the circumstances, because what WILL become of you is also a direct result of your actions, meaning it's never too late to change and grow.

It was through self discovery; which required being honest with myself, taking a step back and looking in, writing down what I knew I needed to change, and reading books to help me overcome what I knew my faults to be; that I truly healed the open wounds that I had been pouring salt into for many, many years. I had scars that could only be filled by forgiving myself, forgiving others who had caused pain and by asking forgiveness from the big man upstairs. He not only filled my scars, He filled my heart with a love that I cannot explain, a stronger need to help others that were struggling and to change the hearts of anyone I could just by sharing my stories.

Losing my sister to a drunk driver, being bullied in school, turning to alcohol when I was an unhappy teen, becoming a young un-wed mother, dealing with the harsh reality of several bad choices, two failed marriages and accepting the blessing, but lifelong responsibility of having a child with Down syndrome became my story... it all became part of who I am, why I was who I was, and how I could help others see that there is more to life than allowing ourselves to get swallowed up by realities we don't want to face.

Look, it's not easy to admit your shortcomings, your faults and throw yourself under the bus... but when you do, it is truly liberating, freeing, and for me... it changed my life... my path, my journey. It was all part of a plan, I know that deep within my soul. I am on the road, the path, the mission that I was meant for and am thankful for that beyond anything else in my life.

If you haven't read my book yet, (I assure you that this is not a sales pitch) ... then you do not know what it can do for you, and neither do I quite frankly... however what I do know is that my readers are filling my inbox up with words that bring tears to my eyes on a daily basis saying what it has done for them. All I can say is that if you like my blogs, you will probably love my book. If you struggle with struggling, feel like you don't belong, want to crawl in a hole and never come out at times; you will probably find something in my book that will change that feeling.

Inspiration is something we need every day... just like perfume... it gets washed off with daily activity so you must reapply or it simply fades away for good. Being that you need it every day... be sure to read something daily that inspires you so that you can keep running when you would rather lay down. If you don't know where to go, I can recommend a few places and if I were you, I would go to all of them. (I do). I have to admit that my own daily posts help me, even when I wrote them myself (I know, that's weird... but it's like built-in self talk) Here are a few of my recommendations:


My Fan Pages: 

My friend Shellie who has a son with a terminal disease that doctors don't have hope in helping: 
                        
A great blog from a new friend Chauntal Lewis: 

One of my Many Mentors: 

And lots of smiles here: 


Regardless of where you are, how you are or what you are... if you don't like it, you can change it. You just have to have faith and belief in yourself and lots of determination to keep running! 
If you don't have a cheerleader let me know, I will be that for you!

XOXO
~Shells~







Monday, February 4, 2013

Chasing the Rainbow Instead of the Stars...

I often wonder how many people aim at the wrong things in life. Over the course of my life, I have chased the wrong thing more times than I want to admit.  Granted... I know the experiences were meant for the better good and they ultimately formed who I am, but that does not mean I am any less curious as to what would have happened if I had paid more attention along the way. I think of all the times I thought I knew what I needed, or wanted only to discover later that I was WAY off base. I was out chasing rainbows and ignoring the stars that were twinkling all around me. Rainbows were "prettier" they had a more colorful story, but the stars had more meaning, more substance, they were constant and presented them selves more frequently. Yes... I am of course speaking metaphorically here... 

It's all about the chase, the game, the looks, the body, the face, the clothes, the status; or is it?
I used to think so, just like many people do and because of that we miss opportunities to build relationships with real people, with real substance, with true intelligence, real feelings and strong emotions that we need. We want the trophy wives, the jock boyfriends, the fancy cars and luxury parties but seem to forget what may be left if all that is suddenly stripped away.

I have certainly changed, I have grown up and realized what is truly important and I am SO thankful that I have experienced what I had to in order to discover this realization. I have peace within me and I know that my happiness depends on one person, one place, one thing; that person is ME that place is my heart and that thing is my mind.

Enjoy exploring who YOU truly are, do it each and every day!
XOXO
~Shells~