Happy Birthday S+

Since May 1st, I have listened to the countdown to the birthday of Sarah Cross. May 19th is the magical date that this vibrant force entered the planet.

S+ (Sarah Cross) is my project manager, right hand and friend. She is pushed and pulled all day long by two very demanding account executives and still manages to inject humor, levity and spirit into the daily grind. She brings flair and life to everything she touches. Her consummate desire to learn and grow is inspiring. Her ability to add "light" to the gloomiest of days is refreshing.

She has laughed with me. Cried with me. Prayed for me. Supported me. Inspired me. Worked with me and for me - long hours and in tough situations. She challenges me. Always keeping me on my toes.

She loves life and it is evident in everything she does. She adds beauty as well as captures it. She is an amazing woman.

On this day and every day I wish her a life full of happiness + celebration.

Happy Birthday to you, S+. May you have many, many more!

Faith

Hebrews 11 states, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Whether or not you believe (in God) faith is something that can be a difficult practice. Webster defines faith as "a firm belief or complete trust in something for which there is no proof." Not really my strong suit. I'm more of a fact-based, show me the data kind of a girl. I'm finding the facts and the data don't always point to the appropriate solution.

Sunday morning I sat in church listening to a message on faith. Actively listening. Reading ahead in Hebrews 11 to the next verse. Hungry to refresh myself on the notable acts of faith. Parting of the Red Sea, ark building....that's serious faith. 

I'm making the shift to demonstrate greater faith in virtually every aspect of my life - personally and professionally. Leaps aren't easy. I guess why they are leaps of faith.

Restoration

Have you ever just had life jump up and smack you in the face calling for your attention? As in, "what the hell are you doing and why?" I suppose there are points in life where you need to be face-to-face with complete loss before you fully realize what you stand to lose. And, how profound that truly is.

To say that the past several months, and arguably the past year, have been trying and turbulent would be a gross understatement. Watching yourself slowly slip away from things and people that absolutely make you a whole person is painful. Fairly torturous. Hearing those closest to you say, "you've changed", "you aren't yourself anymore", "you've lost your levity" and knowing that it is all true is pierces a soul.

I'm here to say healing has begun. It's a tough path. It's not instantaneous. But, it's progress. And progress is success.

The Finer Things in Life

Who thought that basketball - fourth grade basketball - would fall under a headline like "The Finer Things in Life...."

I have had the privilege of witnessing my daughter's growth - both on and off the court - for the past several months. There is nothing more satisfying than watching your child sharpen her skills. Develop confidence. Experience the value of being a member of a team - a tribe, if you will. Exuding passion that most adults cannot fathom. It's been truly refreshing and inspiring.

Her tenacious spirit is contagious. She keeps me grounded - reminds me what the finer things in life truly are.

Perfection in the Way of Progress

Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else's life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs

Desperate Why

Remember my 2012 Reflections? The overarching theme of what is important in life. Well, I had a face-to-face with that reality again this week. This time it wasn't my story. It was a story that my friend shared with me - one written beautifully by one of her friends who has learned what the meaning of life truly is.

"What is your DESPERATE why?"

In a flash my eyes welled up as I felt a jolt of pain in my chest.
 
Want to know my desperate why?

These four men are my why. Jeff and I got caught up in the rat race in the last two years. Which took us away from what mattered, family. We spent very little time together, no enjoying life and very little laughter. Instead, we were separated...like when you throw something into a fan. Split and tattered into a million pieces. It almost broke us down, enough to rip our little family apart. Thank God we woke up.

Now, we are committed more than ever before to simplify our lives. We reminded one another about the reason we decided to build a life together to begin with. Truth is, success is never defined by "things" or "money". True success is finding joy and honoring love. Savoring every moment that we are on this earth. Waking every morning with thoughts of gratitude. Gratitude for the love you have, not for the things you have.

Now, this does not mean we will not continue to put our strength behind our work, this just means that our priorities shifted. They are where they should be. And although we still have our work cut out for us, we are now present every step of the way. And that my friends, is priceless.

I urge you to ask yourself these questions:

Do you know your "Desperate Why"?
Are you stuck on the wrong path?
Is fear of change holding you back?
Are you more concerned with what might be said about you if you shift your path instead of what's right for you and your family?

It is never too late to make a positive change in your life.

Thank you, Denise, for sharing. And, thank you - Anna Cummins - for being bold enough to share your hard life lessons.

www.theevilwiener.com 

Unkowingly Profound

Sidney's basketball team has been on a bit of a losing streak. They play well, but they fizzle at the end of the game. By the 4th quarter, will and stamina are not considered equal.

Prior to suiting up for Saturday's game Sidney issued a very profound statement. "Mom, I need a win." Tired of losing. In desperate need of seeing the fruits of her labor. A win is needed. Indeed it is, Sidney.

Her team won and she left me with a statement that addresses an ongoing pain of mine. I, too, am in need of a win. It will happen - it's just never fast enough.