Such Great Heights

This spring has been beautiful with mist and sunshine producing a rainbow over Tacoma at least once a week, and there is a pot of gold under it, I swear.  Einstein blessed us all with his philosophy, "in adversity there is opportunity." The adversity is nearly a vague memory, even my attachment to it. Now the opportunities that continue to unfold are taking my life to such great heights!

Such Great Heights Top Ten List:

10. Inventing a new exercise regime resulting in my trainer guiding me to beat all of the men at the gym to gain the most lean muscle mass during the Fitness Challenge. My weightlifting and yoga with SkyAnn has become an incredible spiritual practice with affirmations between weight sets like, “I am one with God,” and “I am strong, powerful and focused,” held in warrior two position with an archer movement. This focus has direct application to getting results with my home and work.

9. Amsterdam in August. I am actively pursuing affordable ways to broaden my experience of the world. The planning is paying off. Another consultant offered to do a brief home exchange. Details to come…

8. The guest cabin is finished and officially a revenue stream that produces financial stability with a renter that also enhances my quality of life. My long-time friend, Sam Dollar, friend of both Graef kids and all around good guy is great fun and help to have around. The cabin is there if Grandma ever wants to come live with me. It could also be a future office as Credit Union Strategic Planning continues to grow.

7. Quality family time at Camp Seymour with Dylan, one of the best weeks every with my son. We canoed, climbed a giant rock wall, and made new friends. My co-cabin leader Kelly, ended up becoming one of my dearest friends. She’s from New Zealand and a real kiwi.

 (My camp uniform)

(Dylan smiling on a big canoe.)

 

(My cabin pranksters: We stole the boys' shoes, including Dylan's.)

6. Credit Union Strategic Planning is rocking. The Congressman’s Office called us to offer official Congressional Recognition for the American Debt Relief Challenge. And after adding Scott as our CEO the quality of work continued to exceed expectations. The reward is in the referrals. We will be speaking at the national Community Credit Union Conference as experts on The US Treasury CDFI grants in Boston in October. Landing the largest individual credit union grant from the Obama Administration’s Recovery Act Funds had a little something to do that.

5. Recovered pictures from Africa. After the 2006 World Trade Center Tacoma  Goodwill Mission to Africa debrief at the University of Washington with Congressman Adam Smith, my hard drive deleted my photos. I was bummed. Most of the trip was spent studying poverty reduction and visiting credit unions and cooperatives. A conversation this week with my brother and viola, he had backups the whole time!

4. Paying off debt. It feels good to be complete with my word. Money is just a means to exchange value. I value my word and am being100% complete with my word, beyond legal obligation. (Even paying cheating ex-boyfriend who I don't legally owe money. I did care deeply about him and have the respect to bring closure for myself.)

3. Being a role model for friends who see I made it through a hard time to show them they will get through it too. Two friends have called me on the brink of taking their lives during the last year. Both have thanked me for being there at the critical time, being unwavering in my demand that they deal with it head on, and being so honest about my own challenge last year that they weren’t embarrassed to talk to me. Several other friends have sought assistance with starting their own businesses. It feels good to be a reliable friend.

2. My brother desires to plant another garden this year. Scott and his boys want to help build the fence. Whitney is committed to lead the old concrete removal and I will have a new back yard when we paint the back house to get ready for a refinance. The goal, thank my grandmother for believing in me by getting her name off the loan.

1. I feel like myself again and life is rocking. And with that comes the realization that I am best when I am fully being me. And with that comes the knowledge as a parent to support Dylan fully being himself. 

(Dylan during a recent trip to Washington DC visiting Cousin Simon.)

 

I am motivated to action by my awareness that what holds us in the same place is only what we do not do. And wow I am not in the same place now I was at this time last year. I got rid of all of the negative influences. Took action on every opportunity and am making life the reality I desire to live…