I am NOT too old!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007, by Leigh Anne

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Last Wednesday our family drove up to Seattle for the day . It was the last day our whole family would be together before the boys headed back to college and the girls started back to school next week. My boys (all three of them - Jim, Logan and Clark) love the Mariners. Even though I am not much of a baseball fan I must admit I do enjoy the whole atmosphere of the ball park – and the food. So up we headed.

On the drive up to Seattle we drove by the Wild Waves Water
Park . As we drove past, my husband asked me if I had ever been there. I hadn’t and I responded to him by saying “I’m too old for waterparks.” Well that statement was just the beginning of a series of statements that day (mostly made by my children) about things that I was too old to do.

Leading the discussion was whether I was too old to have a Facebook account. Well I don’t think I am and after I received several invitations from others to be their “friend” on Facebook I decided to set up my own page. Of course my children are so embarrassed and even threatened not to accept my invitation to them to be my “friend.” (If you want to be my Facebook friend - just send me an invite – I’m up to 15 friends!) You can even check out my pictures of my evening with Michael Buble (I am definitely NOT too old for Michael Buble!) If you don’t have a Facebook account ask to borrow your teenagers!

The next “too old” statement that came to mind was one I had actually heard earlier in the week from my 23 year old son when he questioned whether what I was wearing was “age appropriate” –o.k. – now this is a 23 year old boy asking his 47 (yes I am 47!) year old mother if her fashionable, slightly trendy but totally appropriate outfit was “age appropriate” – the nerve!

The next statement came when one of the kids told me I must be really old if I was old enough to have two kids in college… they were really asking for it!

Next, after enjoying a lunch of fish and chips on the pier my husband gave me a little kiss and I was informed by the children that I was much too old to be kissing in public!

After I thought about all the things I was supposedly “too old” for I decided I was wrong, I was NOT too old for waterparks – I just had no desire to run around with a whole bunch of other people all day long, in my bathing suit, standing in line just to be encased in some tube full of water twisting and turning ! I was NOT too old. Now if it was an amusement park with roller coasters – I am totally there!

Another thing I am NOT too old for is pimples – just this week one exploded onto the scene. I am sure there must be a few things I am too old for but I really can’t think of any right now. All I know is I don’t plan on being too old for too many things too soon!

We all have things in our lives that we may feel we are “too old”, “too young”, “too shy”, “too busy” etc. etc. to do –but are we really? – or is it just an excuse. An excuse not to try something new, an excuse to stay in our comfort zone and not move forward, an excuse not to take a risk. Many times it is just easier to blame our lack of progress on being “too something”. Most of the limitations we feel in our life are self-imposed. The things we feel are holding us back or preventing us from moving forward are truly only “in our head”.

I challenge you that as you get ready to start a “new year” (regardless of whether you have children in school) to take a moment to think about something that you have put off doing, trying, learning, because you were “too something”. Maybe with your business you have put off making those phone calls because you have been “too busy” with the kids this summer, maybe you have put off making a commitment to earning a certain incentive trip or leadership level because you are “too scared” or “too (fill in the blank)

Have you just been making excuses? If you have – stop. Stop being “too old”, “too young”, “too busy”, “too something” and just get out there and give it a try –wear that trendy, fashionable, outfit, sign up for a Facebook account, kiss in public, and yes if you want put on that bathing suit and run around that waterpark! But don’t hide behind being “too something.”!!

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I Had Fun!

Monday, August 13, 2007, by Leigh Anne

Friday afternoon my husband called and asked me if I wanted to go golfing with him and the boys. My first reaction was “UGGH – I don’t really have time for that”!

I know that spending an afternoon on the golf course may sound like fun to a lot of you. It was a beautiful, perfect “golfing weather” day - blue skies, sunshine, not too hot, a gentle breeze…but still the thought of going golfing, spending all that “time” on the golf course hitting a little ball around just didn’t sound fun to me – I had too many other things “I had to do”. I did begrudgingly say “I guess”. Now – I use to golf. In fact growing up I would spend every Friday in the summer at the Country Club for “kids day”. I even have a few trophies to show for my efforts. But since getting married and having kids my golfing days came to an end. Life was just too busy, it was too hard to get someone to watch the kids or it seemed there was always someone who needed to go somewhere or something else to do that was a “better use of my time” . In fact, I think I have been golfing once in the last 5-7 years. (probably begrudgingly then too).. Well, two Christmas’ ago I came down that morning to find a brand new set of golf clubs and a pretty red golf bag sitting in the corner next to the Christmas tree.

Again, some of you maybe thinking – wow – what a great gift

Well – my first thought was “Why on earth is he giving me a set of golf clubs – I haven’t golfed in years!” In fact my husband doesn’t even really golf! It seemed like such a random gift. And that gift sat in the corner of the garage basically unused (except for one round of golf last summer) for two years. They are nice clubs, a pretty red bag and even a set of fuzzy head covers but I just didn’t seem to get around to using them.

Well I did go golfing Friday and guess what! I had fun! After I got out there and hit that first shot off the tee, which I hate because everyone else waiting to tee off is standing there watching you, I started to enjoy myself. I began to remember why I use to spend every Friday golfing. I had fun with my boys (all 3 of them – husband and two college boys) It was fun to talk with them, learn from them as they helped me remember which club I should use when, have them say “good shot mom!” . I could actually keep up with them too! I enjoyed the beautiful weather and the wonderful flowers in the yards around the golf course – I had fun!

When I returned home I got to thinking. There are other things in life that you put off doing, find excuses not to do, think you are too busy to do, or think you will do it next week, next month, next year. When you finally get around to doing it you think – “Wow, I had fun. I forgot how much I enjoy this – I should do it more often.”

Even in our business there are things that fall into this category – like holding home events. It’s easy to get out of the habit, to say “Life is too busy now, I’ll teach them later” “I want to teach them but I just don’t have time” There have been times in my life/business when life has just gotten in the way and I go for a period of time without holding an event, thinking I just don’t have time right now, or it’s so much work to pack up, get out of the house, etc. But each time this happens and I do get out there I am reminded how much I really do enjoy it, how much I enjoy meeting new people, discovering their needs and helping them find solutions, learning from them and sharing my products with them and I have fun!.

In the busyness of life it is easy to forget what we love about our homebased business, how much we enjoy teaching and sharing with others.

Your company has provided you with many tools to help – they have made it so easy for you. Don’t leave those tools wrapped up sitting in the corner of your garage like my golf clubs - those beautiful catalogs, promotional materials and home events programs. Take advantage of the awesome marketing materials, programs and tools provided by your company.

Take that first step, order those new catalogs, brochures and new products…get on the phone and schedule that home event. You too will find yourself saying “I had Fun!