Hear How You are Doing?

 

You would like to hear about how I am doing?

Thanks for asking! Do you see that elephant up there....the one wading into the water? Well, that's a pretty good picture of how I feel. Let me explain...

Today, instead of eating the elephant, I feel more like I AM the elephant....Although I don't feel as confident about where I am headed as that elephant appears to be. I am headed into new waters. The water isn't turbulent, or full of high waves....just different.

I am working on getting my website up and running .... In Constant Pursuit. My vision is for it to be a source of information and services for caregivers, both professional and non-professional. In addition to all of the doctors, nurses, and lots of other ancillary medical personnel, there are many men and women that are care-givers for elderly parents or other family members. They often need help and support, and someone to care for them. It is easy to neglect self-care, and get stressed and burned-out. I want to help. It is a big vision for me, but I am super excited about it. 

I've spent a lot of time doing this:

And some time feeling like this:

But, God has given me a lot of peace about this adventure. So, mostly I feel like this:

I am looking forward, and upward to where this adventure is going to lead. I sure would like for you to join me!

Follow this link to be added to my email list: 

Follow along here:

Where do I get the energy and focus at my age? Lots of time in the Word and in prayer. And some of my "power powder."

Click here if you are curious about that....

Next time, I will be blogging from my own, brand new website. Woohoo!!

Constantly pursuing better, inside and out.

Martha P

 

 

Martha, May I?: Hide my skin?

Martha, May I?: Hide my skin?:   Hide your skin? But, why? Oh, I see....like the elephant in the above photo? You have wrinkles, sagging skin, and dark circles under your ...

Hide my skin?

 

Hide your skin? But, why?

Oh, I see....like the elephant in the above photo? You have wrinkles, sagging skin, and dark circles under your eyes? Uneven skin tone?

I get it....trust me....I get it! I grew up in the days before sunscreen was a thing. As a teenager, I couldn't wait to bake in the sun with mineral oil, of all things (disguised as baby oil) smeared all over my exposed skin. (that's a whole different issue that I won't go into today). Suffice it to say...I did some terrible damage to my skin that caused permanent damage.....uneven skin tone, wrinkles, dark spots, and yes, a mild form of skin cancer. All in the name of "health and beauty." I have very fair skin, and sunburn very easily. So you could say, that one of my personal missions is to educate people on protecting their skin, and preventing as many future skin problems possible.

But alas, for me....the damage is already done. What to do? I do have a few suggestions:

1 - Definitely hide your skin from any potential sun damage. Cover your skin with clothing, or a mineral based sunscreen, with the primary active ingredient being Titanium dioxide, or Zinc oxide. These have fewer side effects and sit on top of your skin, instead of soaking into your skin. 

2 - Invest in good, high quality skincare products, like Karine Joncas  The better your skin looks, the less you will need to spend on foundation and concealer to cover your skin flaws. Quality products pay for themselves in results. High quality skincare products heal your skin from the deepest layers out, giving your skin a soft, healthy glow. Let your natural beauty shine through!!

3 - Use your high quality skincare products consistently. It really would be a waste of money to buy them, and then not use them. Believe it or not, they don't work from your vanity drawer......Even if you don't wear any makeup, you still need to wash your face in the morning, and at bedtime. Environmental pollution soaks into your skin, causing the release of free-radicals that damage your skin. Wash your face at bedtime to remove unwanted chemicals from your skin, and then moisturize it with products that help to break down the free radicals (anti-oxidants like Vit C, Vit A, Peptides, etc). In the morning, wash off the dead skin cells that have accumulated on your pillow, and moisturize again, to seal and protect. 

Karine Joncas moisturizers (Icons, as Karine calls them) are 4 in 1. They serve as your day, night, eye, and decolette cream. No need for a separate cream for each. A high quality moisturizer is definitely money well spent. 

4 - Don't neglect the rest of your body's skin. Remember, your skin is your largest organ, and your first line of defense against infection and disease. Using a body exfoliant and body cream will make your skin feel soft and smooth, and will help prevent rashes and other skin problems caused by exposure to contaminants picked up by your clothes during the day. 

Body Care Products.

5 - Eat healthy and drink plenty of water. We really are what we eat. We need plenty of protein and some fats to rebuild our tissues. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains provide trace vitamins and minerals necessary for cell reproduction and to fight off infections. Avoid any added sugar - it causes inflammation throughout your body, and aggravates conditions like arthritis and eczema. Drinking plenty of water flushes out the toxins, and will also help keep your skin hydrated. Dry or dehydrated skin is wrinkly skin. ( I will do another post on how to tell the difference).

6- Get good advice for skin concerns that need more than just cleaning and moisturizing. Don't waste time and money buying products over the counter, or online, without the advice of a good skincare consultant or medical professional. Most problems can be solved by just finding the products that are right for you. A good consultant will ask you questions and provide solutions. Many will provide free samples and help facilitate the return or exchange of products that aren't getting you the results you need. 

As always, I'm here to help....that's what I do.

Take good care of your skin! It's the only one you will get!

Martha

May I give a report?

 

Give a report?

Oh, please do! How is the elephant eating going? Are you finding it hard to chew, distasteful, or delightful?

Since I shared my elephant with all of you last week, I will start us off by giving you my report. Remember...accountability is a big part of eating away at that elephant!

It was a good, but tiring week for me. I'm going to say that I actually ate the entire head. Why did I start with the head? Because that seems like where the focus is..the head directs where the rest of the body goes. So, if I have made firm plans about where I am headed (pun intended) with this business project, everything else will fall into line. I don't want the tail wagging the elephant! So, I went straight for the eyeballs...I set up a domain name and found a website host. I also committed to a year's worth of business coaching to help me get my website set up and running. 

What about the trunk that you still see? Ok, well maybe I didn't eat the entire head....that's the only thing left, though. I may save that to the end...leaving this picture in front of me as a reminder to not get too far "ahead" of myself...ha!

Because, if I'm not careful, I will get off track, and start looking at the birds flying around the elephant, or get lazy, or frustrated because one of those other elephants got all of my attention for a couple of days. Or, jump ahead and not follow the laid out procedures. I do that a lot, and quite often with disastrous results. However, if all that remains of the head is the trunk, then I will remember that I have made progress, and that it is possible to consume the entire elephant. And that the hardest part is already done.

Goals accomplished: 

1 - finished 5 days of FaceBook Live training, and about 3 hours of associated homework.

2 - fine-tuned my target market

3 - found trainers that I trust and feel comfortable with

4 - made the financial commitment necessary to eat the entire elephant

5 - family survived.......

Oh......and I would say that the head was quite chewy...not distasteful, or delightful....but quite chewy, tough, and challenging. But, I feel so good about what I've gotten done so far.

What's next? I'm thinking I'm going to start with one of those front feet, because I will be working on the foundations of my website.

Now it's your turn...what part did you start on? Did you get done what you wanted to get done for the week? What's next? Are you enjoying it, or are you having second thoughts about the elephant you chose? It's never too late to change your mind or direction, if where you are going isn't right for you. Just don't give up too soon. (I'll let you in on a secret.....sometimes I think the elephant regenerates parts while we sleep. So, even though we thought that part was consumed, we come back later only to find that it is still there. Not to worry, as long as we are alive, there will be elephant to eat.)

I would love to hear back from you. Drop me a line and let me know how it's going. It's a big elephant, so don't forget to get the help you need along the way!

Talk to ya later,

Martha

p.s.  If your skin is looking like the elephant's.... I can help you with that. Wrinkly skin solutions  https://KarineJonas.com/MarthaP

Eat the elephant?

 

Eat the elephant?

Ummm...well, why is it you want to do that?

Well you see, I have this huge goal for 2021, but I'm not sure where to start...

Gotcha. Well, then! That's a great question!! I would love to share with you what has helped me eat the elephants in my life....

1 - Choose the right elephant. There are usually plenty of elephants around to choose from. Spend time praying and thinking about it. Look at all of your options, and then make a commitment to the one that you know is right for you, and make sure that now is the right time to tackle it. I'll use myself as an example. I want to grow my business, but that may involve a lot of elephants of various sorts and sizes. "Growing my business" looks a lot like a huge shape off in the distance that I'm pretty sure is an elephant...but I think I need to take a closer look and get a more clearly defined goal in mind. OK. So, my elephant for 2021 is to develop brand awareness. To me, that is still a big, very fuzzy elephant!

2 - Get close enough to the elephant to see each and every part. Aha! Yes, that is clearly an elephant. Very intimidating. Look at the size of that trunk! (For the sake of the analogy...let's assume the elephant is dead and ready for consumption...and that consuming it will be a good thing to do....) Now, back to my example -  Brand awareness has several parts to it...a website, blog, email list, landing page....etc. Lots of parts waiting to be consumed...

3 - Get some help! My goodness, you will never get the elephant eaten in a timely way all by yourself.  I have put off developing a web site (just a part of brand awareness) for at least two years. The thought of trying to do it by myself was too overwhelming. I have been looking at several options, from friends to expensive professionals. Meanwhile, a friend recommended someone that I feel comfortable working with, for a reasonable monthly fee. No long term commitment or huge upfront cost involved. I am depending on them to help me choose which body part to start with, and, for their help and support throughout the entire process. They promise to help me get all the parts clearly identified and consumed.

4 - Pace yourself. Plan it out. Don't sabotage yourself by planning to tackle the biggest part in a month full of family commitments or other demands on your resources of time and energy. In my situation, because it is a coaching group, I will need to follow the prescribed timetable. However, I plan to build in a little cushion for the unplanned. There are a lot of things I just don't have control of from time to time. But that's ok...because my business isn't the only elephant in my life. Know your own limits and stick with them. Don't take over-sized bites, or try to eat too fast!

5 - Is there actually more than one elephant?  Keep first things first. Most people have several areas in their lives that present huge challenges. Yes...I have huge goals for my personal life as well, and sometimes the elephants have to be juggled. I often have to work at keeping my priorities in order. 

6 - Next, put that big old elephant on paper. I plan to have a couple of paper elephants for 2021. Identify every part. Leave room to add the parts you didn't see the first or second time around. And then, break the parts down into little bite-sized pieces that you know you can get down in one day. Try to not have any left-overs. They will build up, get stinky, and turn into another form of unpleasant elephant. And then, it will be easier to walk away from the elephant than to keep eating away and watching it disappear. Which by the way...is incredibly satisfying. It's really quite amazing...eating all that elephant doesn't make you gain weight...it makes you stronger and wiser. 

7 - Find an accountability buddy. It may be one of those people that you have hired or a friend/family member that can help you eat the elephant. Encourage them to check in with you on your progress. Allow them to ask the tough questions, and to give constructive feedback. 

8 - Finally...celebrate even the smallest victories. Seriously...some days my to-do list contains the most mundane things, like run the vacuum, refill the bird feeder, make a grocery store run...call three potential customers, make three Pinterest posts... etc. But, you know what? At the end of the day, all those checkmarks under the "done" column are small victories that add up to a successful day. One big toe....GONE!! Woohoo!!

OH, and this really is the last thing.....enjoy the experience!!

And, if you want to know more about my business...

check out the Karine Joncas link to the right.

Happy New Year!!

Martha P