Motivational Monday

Today is "Motivational Monday," ...and My Birthday!!! I feel very motivated to watch this movie clip, from Disney's Tangled, and run around the house singing songs about lanterns lighting the sky.  If it's not your birthday...you might want to watch this little clip, from Alice in Wonderland, and have a very merry un-birthday!

I can't think of a better way to start the week.

Anything and Everything

Welcome to our first "Smart Sayings Saturday." This is meant to be a day where I share quotes that have changed my life for the better.  I can't think of a better way to start things off than with today's message.

"How you do anything is how you do everything."
-T. Harv Eker

This is my one of my all time FAVORITE quotes.  It's been 8 years since I attended "The Millionaire Mind Intensive," presented by the one and only T. Harv Eker and heard him give this quote in regards to becoming a millionaire.  This quote changed my life by changing the way that I looked at everything.  When I took a moment to fully absorb the meaning of these words a lightbulb was eternally lit within me.  How you handle, manage and approach any situation, challenge or experience in your life is how you most likely handle all of them.

For example, think about the way that you approach relationships, perform at work or react to a challenge.  You will start to see patterns of behavior and characteristics in all aspects of your life.  You will see similarities in the way that you behave, react, or get through everything.  If you are like Shirley Temple and always smile when you meet new people then you will be most likely to smile in the face of a challenge (can you tell what movies I've been checking out at the local library, wink wink).  If you are always trying to do that "one more thing" before you leave home and find yourself constantly late for appointments you can probably see that you are always trying to cram just "one more thing" into other aspects of your life too. How many things are you missing out on (or showing up late to) because you crammed that one more thing, etc.? Conflicts at work can be seen in conflicts at home, or within your mind (conflicting thoughts, aka indecisiveness).  If you are a hoarder with your stuff then you probably hang on to your relationships, work assignments, thoughts (grudges) and money (or dwell on the lack of money).

So, when you find that you are struggling with something in your life look at other areas to see how it is showing up there.  Sometimes the key will lie in fixing the struggle in a minor area.

Scheduling a Zone

How often should I schedule a zone?  That is the one question everyone seems to have...and my answer is different for every person but always starts with a return question.  Why did you come for a zone, or what are you wanting to work on with return visits?  Here are my cookie cutter answers (what I would do if I were in the particular situation):

Intense Health Issue 
(such as cancer, kidney failure etc. where the person has literally given up on everything else and is coming to me as an absolute last resort).
Every 3 days for 7 treatments (covering every day of the week in the order you start) and then every 8 days until we start to see results.*

Chronic Concerns or Annoyances
(such as Arthritis, Plantar faciitis, depression, infertility etc.).
Pick a series program to "reset" your system (see last weeks post about series choices here) This includes 8 treatments over a 2-3 month period, on specific days.*

Simply Feeling Out of Balance
Every 2 weeks for 3-5 months or until things start to feel right again. Consistency is the key to this one.*

Generally Healthy But Want a Body "Tune Up"
Tune up series is 5 treatments over a two month period, 2-3 times per year.*

Charlie Withdrawals
Some people come to see me once every 2 -3 weeks because they want to see and hold Charlie.  I call him my "Brewers Yeast Baby,"  because I consistently took brewers yeast throughout the tail end of my pregnancy and while nursing him.  The "B" vitamins seem to have given him a very mellow, yet alert personality, even through teething!  We always know if I have started slacking off on taking the brewers yeast for a week or more because he starts to get a little fussy.  Charlie is so sweet and cuddly that it is hard to resist wanting to hold him.

What I actually like to do for myself
Honestly...My favorite option is to be worked on as often as I can (I would love to do the one for the intense health issue, but haven't been able to tie anyone down long enough for it, haha).  When I first learned about zoning I traded my mom every 8 days for about 7 months and I have never felt better in my life.  So, if I could choose for people...that is what I would tell them to do, because it worked so well for me.  I currently signed myself and my husband up for a "Master Reset" series.  We are only 2 treatments in on the series and the other night, while driving, I noticed that for the first time in two years I was able to see clearly, with my contacts at night (TWO YEARS!!!).   I've had this nasty astigmatism (that the prescription didn't help with) and I only noticed it at night when it blurred all the lights.  It's too early to tell if it is long lasting or not, but that made me pretty happy...I've been working at improving my eyesight for years, and although I have seen other people heal I had not yet found something to work for me. When this series is done, I am going to keep us on an 8 day routine as long as I have students and graduates around to work on us.  I think that anyone who has the resources available (money and/or people to work on them) should get a foot zone every 8 days until they feel on top of the world then they should ease back to every other week and eventually to 2-3 times per year (5 treatments in 2 months).  If this sounds like something you want to do, long term, you might want to look into taking the classes...or sending a loved one through the classes so they can work on you.*

*I am not a doctor, so I cannot diagnose or prescribe.  I am not God, so I cannot promise healing, but I can tell you that I have worked on hundreds of people and I can share with you some experiences that I have personally witnessed (names removed).  I am not you, so I cannot decide what you should do for your health.  Since the body has its own agenda for healing, results may vary depending on the individual, their health, willpower and needs.

Aid for Morning Sickness

Welcome to "Old Wives Tale Tuesday!"  I've got quite a few friends battling morning sickness lately, and I thought I would share a few things that I have learned and/or used over the years to help with that special time of pregnancy.

Let's start with WATER... being dehydrated is, in my experience, the number one reason for morning sickness, followed closely by constipation.  My mom always told me that pregnancy is a natural part of life and as such, it shouldn't stop us from living a mostly normal life (of course you should listen to what your doctor or midwife tells you first).  She would go on to say that if it did then we should look at what we were doing on a consistent basis that could be causing the discomfort. When ever I started to feel nauseous I would think about how much water I had been drinking and then reflect on how long it had been since I had a good bowel movement. 100% of the time I was not doing well in either area.

Pregnancy and Peppermint.  I love using peppermint (or spearmint if you have high blood pressure) for so many things during pregnancy.  It eases morning sickness by relaxing headaches and relieving gas.  One cup of peppermint tea in the morning and after meals can drastically reduce nausea.  It does this by naturally stimulating the digestive system to move things along and hydrating both mommy and baby.  Putting a drop of essential oil on the wrists, ear lobes, back of the neck, or rubbing into the palms of the hands and cupping over the mouth and nose while breathing in brings alertness to sleepy mommies to be.

Dr. Christopher's Lower Bowel formula.  Let's face it, most pregnant women battle constipation during pregnancy.  This is due to the higher levels of hormones which slow the digestive process and leads to constipation.  Some people recommend Psyllium, but there are so many mixed beliefs about this product that I just don't go there.  Lower Bowel is designed to give you a temporary boost until your body can start taking care of things on its own again.  Dr. Christopher designed all of his products so that your body would not become dependent on them, that's part of what I love about his stuff.

Ginger.  This is my last resort aid for anything.  For some reason, I just really don't like Ginger, in any form...but a lot of people really swear by it for pregnancy.  they say that it is a good replacement for peppermint if you can't use it for any reason, and does so many amazing things...but I dislike it so much that I have blocked all of the good things from my memory.  Just know that if you are pregnant and you like Ginger (as a spice), then you should eat a lot of it, as often as you can.

One day when I am on a computer that is a little faster than a toddler walking to the mail box, I will come back through and add fun pictures and a link to find lower bowel.  If you have heard of any other traditions to ease morning sickness that are not included here please add it to the comments.  We'd love to know.  You never know when something that you say might be the only thing that can help someone reading this.

You're Awesome!

Welcome to Motivational Monday!  I am still getting settled in Utah, so here is a quick little post specifically for you. I hope that this fun picture helps you to feel happy and remember that no matter what anyone says, YOU ARE AWESOME!!!

Life Lessons To Be Remembered By

I haven't settled on a good name for this day of the week, but "What's up Wednesday," is where it is leaning this week.  "What's up" can cover any current event in my life or the community.  Last night we hit 1000 views since beginning this blog in April and I almost wrote an entire article about that, but this morning I got some news that changed all my plans.

This post is dedicated to my sweet and spunky Grandma Liston, who passed away peacefully in her sleep this morning.  What a GREAT example of how to live life.  Here are a few of the hundreds of lessons that she taught me over the years:

• My grandma taught me that no matter what happens, you should always finish what you start.
• You should clean up after yourself immediately, don't ever let the grass grow or the dust settle.
• You should get dressed and comb your hair before leaving your bedroom in the morning, because if you don't someone will inevitable come to your door and see you in your undies.
• Never give up on the people you love.  She was an amazing example of this!
• When people come to visit, STOP everything you are doing and sit down to spend quality time talking with them.  Just like this picture, from our recent trip to Utah...you never know when it is going to by your last time together.
• Stay active in your community.  I remember her going to fashion shows and meetings for the "Orem Women's Club" for years.  I really think a big part of why she lived to be nearly 99, in such great physical condition is because she never stopped being active in the things around her...besides, you have to stay in shape if all the other ladies are going to critique you at every meeting, right?
• Take time to "Visit the Old People."  She called everyone with gray hair and wrinkles old.  She would visit ailing friends strangers in the care center my grandpa was in and say she was going to visit the "old people"...even though some of them were 20 years younger than her.
• Good things are worth waiting for, and when the time is right you will know...or she would tell you.  I remember the day that Linda and I were visiting her (we used to go every Monday night, grandma night, when we worked together at Nu Skin) and I told her and Joyce about this young guy I was dating and they both said that if I didn't snatch him up the next time he came calling that they would cut my head open and look for loose screws.  He was WELL worth the wait, and I'm glad that they helped steer me to him.  I wouldn't be where I am today, with these cute kids and this happy marriage, if I hadn't had that visit with my Grandma Liston.
• Last, but not least...people die in bed.  Fitting that she was able to go the way she always wanted to, peacefully, in her sleep...in bed, just like she always said people do.  So, jump out of bed every morning, prance across the floor (to show that you've still got a spring in your step, like Grandma Liston), and thank God that you are alive and have one more day to experience life on this earth.  

These are only a few of the lessons and habits I will remember my grandma for.  I could sit here for hours typing about all the amazing and silly things I learned from her, but as it is, we have decided to travel to Utah... tomorrow.  AJ will stay behind for school and I will take the kids for the funeral and to help the family take care of things until mid August.  The internet isn't so fantastic there, so...don't be surprised if my blog starts to slack a little.  I will do my best to get 5 days a week in, but I make no promises.  

Thank you for all your support and...

Thank you for over 1000 page views!!!

Miracle Cure For Blisters

Welcome to "Old Wives Tale Tuesday."

With a husband  in the military who loves to work out I have had a lot of experience with treating blisters.  You can find a lot of pretty cool products in the band-aid section of the store...but I bet you didn't know about this AMAZING trick...a cotton ball, soaked in Castor Oil on the blister overnight will soften and practically erase blisters.  It has NEVER failed me.  Whenever AJ comes home with blisters we cover the blister with castor oil on a cotton ball and a band-aid when he is getting ready for bed and the next morning it is significantly better or even gone without a trace.  It works by drying up the blister so if you notice a strange coating over the top resist the temptation to peel it off.  This is the castor oil doing its job.  Allow it to heal completely or another blister may reform.