Month: January 2013
HUNKER DOWN
This past weekend I spent hunkered down and studying. It was the perfect weekend to do just that and I was so grateful to have the time.
The holidays were crazy busy and the beginning of the year was the same. This past weekend fell into the perfect spot, and from this point forward, life will be busy again. I also found an appreciation for the “January thaw” that happened as there wasn’t even an option to snowboard and that took one more possible distraction off my list.
When I tell people that I hunkered down and studied this past weekend, I find them trying to figure out what in the heck am I studying at this point in my life?
I am studying me…and what makes me, me. Over the years I have found that the more light that shines onto our life, the darker the shadows get meaning when life gets really, really good, dim corners begin to take on a new level of darkness.
Some look at me and my life and automatically think that it must have always been this good. Not true.
Ad astra per aspera. — “to the stars through difficulties”
This statement is a great summery of LIFE. I have had some serious ups and downs that have shaped me to who I am today.
You may not know that I grew up in a home seriously challenged with alcoholism. To add to that, I grew up with 3 brothers and finding yourself on the short end of the 3 versus 1 game on a daily basis was just plain hard. I found refuge in escaping to my horse barn and spending hours braiding my horses’ manes and tails.
I was always a good student and did my very best to be absolutely perfect so as to not ruffle any feathers. I was, and still am, a massive overachiever because I have found that is the safest way to maneuver this life.
Did you know that I got married when I was 19? And that I was married for 7 years? I divorced when I was 26 years old and moved home to Fenton 2 years later after I finished chiropractic college. Because I divorced during school that required 35 hours a week of mandatory attendance, working part time, and taking test after test and national boards that are determining my next move in my career, there is not a lot of time to sit and process things. So when I moved home 2 years later, I fell into a depression. I was able to function but just barely for about 2 months. I had no idea what I was going to do, where I was going or how I was going to get there. The best I could do was to promise myself to get out of bed every single day and do something that furthered me down the path to opening a practice, even if that meant buying one pack of pens because that was all the motivation I could find that day…but all I really wanted to do was hide.
These are just a few of my own personal struggles…of course you know me well enough to know that I will not air it all on here but these are a fraction of the challenges and obstacles I have experienced. I also realize that these struggles may seem simple as compared to what you have been through in your lifetime. I have come to the conclusion that life is for living and learning.
Nothing in my life has been handed to me. I have worked very, very hard at creating what I have and I am often in tears of gratitude that I get to express myself in this life in the way I do.
For me, there is ALWAYS “excavating” that needs to be done. I do my best to not take life to seriously however from time to time it is right and necessary to get serious and start digging. In order to genuinely express myself in my life, I need to take time to look at the things that hold me back, the fears I have, the misconceptions and internal obstacles that stand in my way of living fully.
This past weekend I had set time aside to do just that. I belong to an amazing Book Club that helps me excavate on a regular basis, but I also need to pull some of the wounds open on my own, debride, apply some salve and let them remain open and uncovered as they heal.
So I hunkered down and did some of that last weekend so that I can show up in my world in the best way possible. In the technological age that we live in, it is so simple to keep ourselves so busy we never get time to just sit and think. We go and go and go, and when we have a moment to sit, we pick up our phones, iPads, laptops or turn on the TV and get some screen time in instead of taking time to be and sit and think. When was the last time you had a moment to think about things? I would like to challenge you to take a moment between all of your obligations, and instead of filling it with screen time, just think. Some quick “easy” questions to ask…Who am I? What is the meaning of my life? What is my purpose? Where did I come from? Where am I going? and How am I going to get there? You do not need to do serious excavating to begin to express more of the life you want…but taking time to sit and think would do us all a lot of good.
GRATITUDE TREE
Through the months of November and December this year, we had a “Gratitude Tree” here in our reception area. Every time someone would come and get adjusted, they had to stop by the “Gratitude Station” and fill out a leaf and put it up on the tree. Since we are into the New Year, the tree has come down however I want those gratitude thoughts to live on so I want to share them with you.
“my family, naps, resilience, hugs,communication, sun, the ability to communicate with loved ones who life far away, I am grateful for how much Erica is in touch with her Innate, ninja turtles, my children, my friends and family, love light and laughter, a healthy family, my husband, butterflies, saving grace, abundance of health, holiday parties, my body and its ability to heal itself and for chiropractic for helping it along, my amazing connections with people, my friends, my family, the Cafe, for the people in my life who inspire me to go beyond my own boundaries and fly, my cat Izzy, being able to wake up on a Monday and feel excited to go to work I LOVE my job, laughter, my dog he makes me smile every day and bring a lot of joy to my life, I am grateful for my loving family, all the people in my life, the lessons I’ve learned, the gift of love, I am thankful for my family friends and Dr. Erica and staff, flow let it flow!, my wife and kids, music, my physical mental and emotional health, I am grateful for time with people I love, family friends and good health, family and health, warm cozy sweaters, Jesus, my awesome LIFE, my back, a fun and happy place to visit…the Cafe of LIFE, my daughter graduating from WMU this week Magna Cum Laude from Honors College, sunshine, a healthy family, grateful for Erica and my health, my nephews, my son, family, my children Ashton and Lorilei, I am grateful for people who grow organic produce, Bloody Marys, having an “easy” pregnancy and the love and support of my wonderful husband, I am grateful for my Mom and all that she does to love and support me as I evolve and grow in this lifetime, being able to work on and overcome my challenges, fall, hot cocoa, friends family and community, I am thankful for God’s love, family, LOVE, Thankful for good health, happiness, prosperity and EXCELLENT chiropractic service, unconditional LOVE, my children-grandchild Paul and health, I am grateful that I’m still breathing, I am grateful for ANGIE!, patience, I am grateful for all the amazing people that come to the Cafe everyday I love being able to serve you!!!, Innate Intelligence and the body’s ability to heal, I am grateful for Angie Bucsi and how much light she brings to the Cafe everyday, I am grateful for a really amazing man that has recently entered into my life and I look forward to the journey, I am grateful to be blessed with an amazing job and people to work with, the strong women I know and love, God’s favor, being in this community, abundance, I am grateful for my LIFE sometimes I forget how BIG, opportunities, I am thankful for the wonderful family that surrounds me, hunting season, Happy Holidays for all and good health and blessings, I am grateful for my LIFE!, health, I am grateful for unanswered prayers, friends who love me, memory, my sister she is my best friend, I am thankful for my husband-my friend and confidant, cake!, I am grateful for the ability to serve this community!, family and friends, the life lessons I’ve had the opportunity to learn from, health, my kids, I am thankful for my puppy Ava, smiles and laughter from my family and friend (and strangers who have happiness to share), my pets, my son Nathan, people who hire housekeepers, espressos and free puppies, able to pay bills, a healthy body, language and communication, health food and clean H2O, I’m grateful for my new baby daughter, Jeff Sheila and Stella, wine, sugar-free lattes, family, peace, sobriety, my awesome husband, the ability to read, I am truly grateful for my daughter Sandra, happiness, LOVE, my blessed life with my family and those who choose to still be friends, my cousin Nathan, knowledge, babies and grandmas, video games, I am thankful for Dr Erica and her calming soothing presence, I am grateful for good health, my wonderful family, I am grateful for my 3 amazing brothers and their wives and children, family makes the sun shine brighter, my daddy, able to live life happily, LIFE, being in my 40s life is good, Sam passed her driver’s test look out Fenton drivers, for my husband’s family, family, I am grateful for my book club, my support group that has supported me and helped me through a time of transition I am now a happier and healthier person, my dad boys sunshine sleep and wine, my 3 sons and husband, for my lovely wife and Cafe of LIFE, family and friends, thankful for my mommy, music, hope, book club, chocolate wine and my Integrity peeps, my beautiful family my health and my friends oh and Cafe of LIFE, abundance, my hubby, my life, gratitude, nice weather, my freedom, people who are positive, sunshine, Obama, family Jesus and friends, I am thankful for LOVE, I’m grateful for my grandma’s cooking, I am thankful for Skype and airplanes!!!, my adjustment today, God’s love, ice cream, book club, cousins, good health, Jesus Christ, family and friends who care, I am thankful for my nieces and nephew, the amazing staff and students at EKLC, chocolate and wine, us, pork chop lamp chop and cupcake, LOVE, I am grateful for the opportunity today to take one step closer to being open to divine light and energy, pets, Erica and Angie, for LIFE, that the cutest little boy I know calls me “mommy”, my children, fresh AIR, the sun shining.”
One of the things that Angie and I noticed the minute we put the tree up is that the mojo in the reception area shifted significantly. When you start putting energy into things you are grateful for, more of that stuff shows up. There is so much to be grateful for. Please take a few moments and recognize something you are grateful for every single day or make your own “Gratitude Tree” at home! Thank you for sharing with us!
THANK YOU
I need to say THANK YOU to all of you. I have made one HUGE transition since the beginning of this year and it is making a world of difference. I finally changed our afternoon hours at the Cafe of LIFE!
Over the past few months, we had numerous requests for our
afternoon hours to begin at 3pm instead of 3:30pm. In combination with that, we were finding that our 6-6:30pm time slot has been quiet and since the time change this past fall, it really felt like we were working super late into the night with how dark it is. So after a couple years of deliberation (this one I have been considering for quite some time) we have made the switch.
And I AM THRILLED!!! I have spent the past 8 years serving others and at times, have made sacrifices in my own life in order to do so. Getting out at 6:30 Monday through Thursday would limit me. Seems so many events, classes, concerts and such that I wanted to attend would start at 7 and be close to an hour away from Fenton (everything seems an hour away from Fenton for some reason). I would have to decline offer after offer over the years. There were classes at the gym that I never could make due to my schedule. Leaving at 6:30 meant that I could pretty much do one thing and then the night would be over and its time for bed.
Some of you may be thinking…its a mere 30 minutes she is talking about here. What is the big deal?
There is a lot that can be done in 30 minutes…a good cardio workout, make a delicious dinner, drive half way to Detroit, drive half way to the Wharton Center, have a meaningful conversation, make a phone call to catch up with a friend, run a 5K, bike one loop around Kensington, drive to Pine Knob Amphitheater, eat dinner at a restaurant, have a glass of wine, drink a glass of champagne, make a few runs on my snowboard at Mt. Holly, sleep…there is a LOT one can do in 30 minutes!
Then multiply that by 4 (days a week that I get out a half hour early) and then multiply that by 50 weeks of work in a year and that turns into 6,000 extra minutes in the evening per year…and there is a WHOLE LOT one can do in 6,000 minutes!!! You get my point. And it is 6,000 minutes more for me and 6,000 minutes more for Angie who, mind you, has a little one to tend to in the evenings.
So I am saying THANK YOU because i haven’t heard one negative comment about us shifting our hours. Thank you for being so understanding. Thank you for allowing me to take back a little portion of my life. Over the past 6 working days, I have had tremendous guilt for leaving a half hour early but I recognize that is all self manifested guilt and that not one person is making me feel that way besides myself. It may take me the next 8 years before I am used to leaving at 6…but I am looking forward to making the most of those 48,000 extra minutes while I am doing it. Thank you!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I hope this post finds you gearing up to have an amazing 2013. I know I am. It has been a while but I am still here. I have been MIA dealing with some personal stuff. I sometimes find it incredibly therapeutic and other times very difficult to write while processing. This time around it has been very difficult. It isn’t bad stuff by any means, my foundation got completely rocked and it has been emotional. Then add to that the stress of the holidays and to use the word “intense” doesn’t do it justice.
I can finally see the light and each day brings a more and more clearer view of the greatness in the Universe. It is moments like these that I can feel my foundation rebuilding and it is rebuilding in a different way, a different formation, which is a good thing, but it taking time to do so.
I wanted to write to wish you a most glorious New Year! I am grateful to have a clean slate and a brand new year to work with. I have set some intentions and plan to set some more over the next couple weeks. What are your plans? Any big goals you are going for in 2013? What kind of shifts are you making? I would love to hear what is happening if you want to share.
Happy New Year!