Goodbye 2017, Hello 2018

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." - Winston Churchill

I saw that pop up this morning on a quote prompter. When I got sick in the beginning of 2016, (but in all actuality I had been sick a long time), it was bad. It felt like nothing would ever be as good as it once was. I felt hopeless, helpless, and frankly exhausted. It felt like the end of life as I knew it. I lost sight of my dreams, I lost sight of my passion, and I lost sight of who I really was! An auto-immune disease started stealing my life. Bit by bit it was taking my physical capabilities, my mental strength, and my emotional health.

I spent all this year learning!! I learned SO, SO many things. I went on many great adventures of self discovery and I was filled up by so many wise mentors and teachers. I learned that NO ONE would take care of me the way I take care of myself. I learned that many things I thought I knew and understood are actually not what they seem to be; things about our foods, our cleaning products, our beauty products...If you don't believe what you surround yourself with at home matters, that what you put in your body matters, please, please reconsider. I believe that some of the choices I made affected my diagnosis.

I also learned so much about my emotions! This is probably my very favorite thing I delved into. I learned that I needed to find forgiveness in my heart. Ouch!! I needed to forgive not only some people from my past, but I needed to forgive myself.

I also learned that there are SO MANY things I still want to learn. Things about how the body works, about how the brain works. How do those emotions I was talking about play into my physical health? But, the very, very best thing I learned is that I had become a shell of who God intended me to be. I had lost my way. I had lost myself. I went thru so much of this past year desperately trying to be someone I wasn't designed to be, all the while ignoring the woman that God intended me to be. Honestly, that whole thing is another story for another day!

Back to the quote. Yes, the year is ending, but when I saw this quote I also realized that it is the end of the beginning. It is time for me to move forward. Boldly, courageously, with a purpose. God has put big, big dreams in my heart. His dreams. Dreams to help people. Dreams to get them started at their very own beginning, so that at the end of their beginning, they realize that they have only just gotten started. You have dreams in your heart that you haven't gotten started on yet! Maybe they are dreams of wellness, maybe they are dreams of freedom, maybe they are dreams that you actually hold in your heart for someone else. Whatever they are, I am stepping forward in confidence that I can help you with them.

Some of you may remember that a few months ago I started a website called Wellness Puzzle. I have had that name in my heart for over a year now. It got put on hold for a moment...but I am pressing forward. The name stems from back in my weight loss industry days. As I helped people, over the course of 10 years, I got to know them. I saw them as so much more than someone wanting to lose weight. I got to know people. I got to love people. Y'all realize that...I truly care about you. When I meet new people. I don't know...It is interesting. I care about them immediately. I care about their needs and their hopes. I was sitting in Panera this morning, looking around, and realizing that I was looking at so many faces. So many stories. And I wanted to know their stories. I saw a woman sitting alone. I wanted to know who she was and what her thoughts were. I saw a group of men sitting in the corner. At the end of their meal they got up and stood in a huddle and prayed. I wanted to join them. I saw many couples, some who hobbled in like they just rolled out of bed, and some who came in like they just ran the mountain together. No matter who I looked at, or what they looked like, I felt love in my heart for them. Anyway... I care.

So, this coming year I am committing to help as many people as possible. I am going to start to take all of the learning I did this year and turn it into usable information for people.

Why would you want to hear about it? Well, if there is an area in your life that you want to work on, natural living, oils, weight loss, physical wellness, emotional wellness or mental wellness, I believe you will hear something of value. I will be introducing an all new schedule that includes wellness coaching and weight loss coaching, accountability groups and support. There will be options for online and in person. Watch the website for details! www.wellnesspuzzle.com