It’s Been a Year Since I Lost My Job…

and wow how time flies! I woke up this week and realized what week it was and I just grinned! I had a conversation with my financial advisor last week and was telling him how much my income had decreased and what my financial situation is now- yet I was telling him with a warm heart and real smile that I had most definitely made out with the better end of this deal- without a shadow of a doubt!

My Guy and Me this weekend! Despite the Vikings/Packers "thing" ... we SO work!

When I was working- I was always stressed. At a level I just didn’t even realize at the time shouldn’t have been normal! I checked my email all the time because I “had to”… worried that a VP or my boss would be waiting on an answer… my boss would call me at 6am… I was on the road over 80% of my time- I had about 250 people reporting to me or managers who worked for me… ACK! Just typing all that makes me stressed!

I think I slept the first 4 months. Slept and went to the gym. It was great! I took time for me! I went on vacation to Spain! Someplace I had ALWAYS wanted to go. Went to see my brother and his family for Thanksgiving. Saw my Dad. Had a lovely relaxed Christmas holiday. Thought a little bit about what I wanted to do- enough to fly out to AZ to see a friend and explore a few possibilities there… but not enough to make any decisions in 2010.

Come 2011 I was feeling more solid. More me than I had in a very long time. More and more sure that I wanted to finally find some way to follow this new dream that had been building in me for quite some time- to help other people find their way into a healthy lifestyle- to follow their own wellness journey- though I really didn’t know how that was going to happen yet. I took a job at the mall because I could not stand being home so much and it helped me to get out of the house and be social with people! (I also LOVED the discount! LOL)

Jan 7- I met My Guy. <3 Ah- what a joy that has been! I have learned so much about me. About love. About sharing. About stress. About passion. About friendship. About HIM. One thing that has been abundantly clear to me from the beginning is that had I been still working the way I was before- I never would have been able to grow in this relationship. I would have missed out on this great amazing thing!

I kind of feel like the early months of 2011 are a blur. A lot of working at the mall and giddy heady romance! LOL But in May- after a lot of soul searching and financial decisions and a huge dose of support from My Guy and my family and closest friends I signed up for Nutrition School!

Through the summer I kind of settled into a routine, going to the library a few days a week to study for school and work on building my business- while still looking for work- because I was still a little unsure of how this whole thing would work out. I have been starting to network and plan and get ready.

Carrying "odd shaped" stuff on the bike is always an interesting challenge! The Broom, Swiffer and stool needed to come back to our new apt when we moved!

I gave up my car this summer too. (This deserves its own paragraph! Truly!) I have had a car since I turned 16! My dad gave me his Mazda 626 when he was ready for a new one. I LOVED that car! I have had my own car and the independence that comes with it ever since then. Now- I still have a great deal of independence! (LOL That tends to be true when you are almost 40!) But it just manifests itself differently. I cannot be such a freak about being on time or getting places my own way. I am learning to be a little more mellow and go with the flow. (Missing the bus a few times or getting on one going in the completely opposite direction will do that to you!) It is a heck of a lot cheaper! THAT is for sure… and honestly? Not NEARLY the level of inconvenience I expected it to be. We thought we might want to get another car in November- but at this point- we don’t expect to even consider it for another few months. This biking and busing everywhere is still working quite well for us!

This fall was crazy! My Guy and I realized that for a lot of reasons it would be best for us to move to a two bedroom apt (I promise once we get settled there will be photos!) so we began the process of moving… and that SUCKED! (I so hate to move- Good thing I love the decorating and settling in!) We have both been under a ton of stress- he has a lot of changes going on in his life, our move and me stepping out and getting this business going for real by renting office space and spending a few days a week here.

But all of that brings me to this moment. To right now. To today. And ya know what? I am blessed! I feel good about my life- in a way I never have before. I sleep well at night (usually!) I can get exercise when I need to. (I need to do that more-again!) I have an amazing relationship that I learn from every day. I am starting out in a new business that is so amazing! How incredible to be able to help people become healthier. I am humbled at the trust they place in me to help them down the path. I am awestruck at all the ways it is shown to me how right this plan is for my life. The people that seek me out to help me grown in my business. The connections that seem to find me, to be placed so “easily” in front of me.

This is my time. This is my place. Thank you “former company” for downsizing me and allowing me to totally UPSIZE my life to this new amazing wonderful version! I could never have done it without you!

La-

Wellness is a Choice! Let me help you Choose Well!

La@lauriannamurray.com