Sandy Speaks…

I am well aware that, once you start blogging, the best thing you can do is to post on a regular basis.  Well…it has been over a month since I posted a blog article and so I wrote this little song (to the tune of “A Hunting We Will Go”) to express my feelings and get back into the groove…

A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go, 
Heigh ho, I’m behind – Oh No…a blogging I must go!
A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
I’ll write a note and include a cool quote
And then watch me go!

A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
Heigh ho, I’m behind – Oh No…a blogging I must go!
A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
I’ll think of thoughts that will repel the Spambots,
And then watch me go!

A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
Heigh ho, I’m behind – Oh No…a blogging I must go!
A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
I’ll throw in a bribe, so people will subscribe,
And then watch me go!

A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
Heigh ho, I’m behind – Oh No…a blogging I must go!
A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
I’ll get on a plan and become a Wordpress fan,
And then watch me go!

A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
Heigh ho, I’m behind – Oh No…a blogging I must go!
A blogging I must go, a blogging I must go,
I’ll have fun when The BOBs I have won,
And then watch me go!

I had to write my annual poem
   As 2009 comes to an end
I am full of love and gratitude
   That to all of you I had to send.

Jake is now three years old
   He is friendly and such a little man
He is very tall with a head full of curls
   He speaks Spanish, sings songs, and is Mommy’s biggest fan.

Stephanie is a full-time student now
   And I can’t believe that Hailey has turned ten
I lost both Shakespeare and Spencer
   I sure miss my sweet, furry friends.

My family is happy and healthy
   A great-nephew named Luke Ryan arrived
I’m available to consult about real estate
   I still eat Mila each day to feel healthy and alive.

I created Gratitude Boot Camp
   Where I coach about counting your blessings
There is a Gratitude Boot Camp fan page on Facebook
   I can’t wait to see what miracles GBC brings.

I’m the Leader in Orlando and Celebration
   For a wonderful organization
Women’s Prosperity Network
   Is expanding throughout the Nation.

I’ve created a mantra for the New Year
   Let’s all say it together
Stand tall, Smile, and Shout Out Loud
   “2010 is my best year EVER”!

           HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Lately, I have really been working on my own personal self-development.  I have been blessed with the responsibility of raising a child and I am on a new journey of coaching others, so I have to hold myself to a higher standard.

One very important attribute that I’ve been concentrating on is the act of forgiveness.  One of the hardest things to do is to forgive someone who has caused you pain.  However, as I’ve recently discovered, it is extremely liberating to “get over it”.  When you do, the hurt no longer dominates your mind.  When someone hurts me, I generally become consumed with thinking about the incident or action over and over and over.  Or, I decide to retreat completely from the situation where the hurt took place.  It’s exhausting!

Recently, I was feeling very hurt by someone who I am close to in my life.  As the incident started playing over and over again in my head, I realized that I had to stop and forgive…truly forgive.  Which made me stop and look at things from their perspective.  It was amazing how I could physically feel the hurt going out of me and how I was crystal clear on the fact that I did not want to lose or mess up this valuable friendship.  I shudder to think of what might have happened if I were not in this period of working on myself!  Things are back to normal and when we discussed the topic again, it was in a really casual & relaxing way.  This forgiveness stuff really works!!

Of course, there are instances where someone hurts you to the point that you know that the relationship must end.  But, you still must practice forgiveness of that person…otherwise the incident/action continues to cause you pain and discomfort…even after the person is gone.  Even if you do not contact that person because you do not want to invite them back into your life, it is still very important to forgive them so you can move on from the negative thoughts.  And, it actually makes you feel at peace whenever you ask God to bless the person who was hurtful.  It helps to realize that some people are put into your life for a reason but were not meant to stay in it forever.  As you reflect back on your relationship with that person, in a relaxed state, you will find that there were lessons to be learned and you can be Grateful to that person for giving you those lessons.

It is also important to forgive yourself.  That is something that has been a bit of a struggle for me lately.  My whole life I have lived with the motto that “regret is a wasted emotion”.  But, this year, I have been kicking myself for some of the mistakes that I have made.  I finally have realized that the time & energy that I am spending on beating myself up could be spent on taking positive steps toward a bright, new future. 

So…if something hurtful happens now, I start working on the forgiveness aspect of it pretty quickly after it happens.  That way, I can move on toward my bright future.  And…I stop to count my blessings…that always helps me to truly forgive so I can finally forget!

With my 50th birthday fast-approaching (wow…that does not even sound possible, even as I put it in writing for all the world to see – yikes) and ever since I unexpectedly & miracoulosly gave birth at the age of 46.5; I have been feeling the need for a change in my life.  I have always felt that there was something more that I should be doing and over the past 3 years, that need has turned into a burning desire.

Through the wondrous power of social media, I was invited to attend an event that changed my life forever, by starting me upon the path of my new beginning.  The event was held the first weekend of June and was called Mega Book ‘09.  It was hosted by a man that I’ve long admired…Mark Victor Hansen.  He is a best-selling author (co-creating “The Chicken Soup for the Soul” series); the founder of MEGA Book University; a great leader & a philanthropist.

After attending what turned out to be a spiritual awakening for me, I decided that it was time to fulfill my life-long dream of becoming a writer and public speaker.  Every night for several weeks after Mega Book…I would lie in bed and, as I was drifting off to sleep, ask God to reveal to me what I should be doing right now to inspire and help others.  One night, I awoke at 2:00 a.m. with the words “Gratitude Boot Camp” practically screaming in my mind.  I ran downstairs and jumped on my computer and was ecstatic to discover that the domain names for GBC were available (and not even for a premium price…yay)!  I took this as a sign that this was what I was meant to do, at this moment.

For the past several weeks, I have been creating and am now launching “Gratitude Boot Camp” ~ A self-development program that guides attendees through positive and productive steps in order to Give, Grow, and Prosper!

During these hard economic times, it is the Mission of Gratitude Boot Camp to empower and inspire people to be aware of and focus on their current blessings and to take positive steps, based on Gratitude, that lead them down the path of Success & Happiness.

In the future, I will hold “Gratitude Boot Camp” weekends as well as offer many inspirational treats and tools such as webinars/tele-seminars.  Right now, I am conducting the boot camps on a weekly basis in the Central Florida area.  Gratitude Boot Camp covers 16 topics that are designed to help people grow personally, professionally, financially, socially, and spiritually, while having their heart lead the way!

If you are a business owner in the Central Florida area and would like to have me come into your office once per week to conduct a 16-week “Gratitude Boot Camp”, contact me today at 407.592.4663 or at Sandy@GratitudeBootCamp.com.

The Gratitude Boot Camp website will be operational soon.  In the meantime, please visit www.Facebook.com/GratitudeBootCamp for more information (and to become a fan)!!