It’s a small thing…but today I’m thankful for Netflix, which allowed me to watch JOBS while I was doing my workout. Now that I’m working out regularly, I think I can finally start taking full advantage of my Netflix membership, and I can start binge-watching some TV shows I’ve yet to watch!
As I opened my email inbox this morning, this message sat at the top:
What a great way to start the day! (By the way, the reference to the butterfly was an assignment; he was to find a butterfly that would symbolize strength whenever his inner gremlin would pop up and cause doubt in this fellow coach.)
Today, I am thankful for the awesome reminders that the Lord sends me from time to time to validate that I am on the right path with coaching. It is especially welcomed when the feedback comes from a fellow coach.
So….I missed a few days. Life happens, and I would either forget, fall asleep, or just run out of time. So here are the things for which I am thankful these past few days…
Day 22:
Today I am thankful that my efforts in social media marketing for my coaching business is finally gaining some traction. I had all positive insights this past week on Facebook, as well as 7 new followers on Twitter!
Day 23:
Not only did I have a delightful conversation with another coach who found me on Twitter, but I was able to do some power walking while I did it! Today, I am thankful for the power of networking through social media. I am also thankful for technology, which allows me to do this coaching job while on the move – quite literally!
Day 24:
Today I am thankful for a little family exercise time – a rare gem, indeed! Blaine had an unexpected day off (probably the last Saturday for several months, since his baseball season begins in one week), so Blaine, Bella, and I all went up to the school gym and had some exercise time together.
Day 25:
Today I am thankful for DVR, which allows me to watch my favorite shows on my own schedule. We binge-watched the first 4 episodes of “Celebrity Apprentice,” which was quite entertaining, in a trashy guilty-pleasure kind of way.
A few days ago, I heard a sad story about a woman who gave birth to premature quadruplets and subsequently passed. The story has been weighing on my mind, because my story could have ended like that. We sometimes forget what a miracle it is to conceive and carry a healthy baby to term, and how miraculous it is for the mother to survive. I feel for the friends and family of those quadruplets, especially the father.
Today, I am thankful that I am alive and healthy to enjoy my Bella. Though we miss Bristol, we are so blessed to have at least one healthy girl and that our daughter has two parents.
Bella is struggling right now as her two-year molars try to pop through. Additionally, she may have some viral bug on top of that. So she is miserable with a painful mouth, runny nose, persistent cough, and fever.
Today, I am thankful for the ability to be able to work from home, so that I can stay home with my poor little Sweet Pea and still get some work done. Here’s hoping she is on the mend soon!
Today, I filled up my nearly-empty car for less than $25! I can’t remember the last time I was able to do that. Therefore, today I am thankful for both falling gas prices and my Food City Valuecard, which allows me to get an additional $.15/gallon off my gas visit. Woohoo!
Today, I am thankful for a job that allows me to use my coaching skills and experience. Today wrapped up a two-part class I taught to our young, budding leaders (and aspiring leaders) at our store. What an amazing experience to be able to cultivate young leaders!
Today, all of the Brown girls were thankful for a sunny day that also happened to be a little warmer. We played outside and thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine! What a welcomed break from the cold, dreary winter weather!
Because of her prematurity, Bella has been part of the Early Intervention program since about a month after we brought her home (i.e. about 3 months old). When she started the program, she was slightly behind in all skills, so our goals were simple things: holding and playing with toys, rolling over, holding her head up and steady, etc. We saw our Early Intervention worker weekly, and Bella made great strides. By a year old, Bella had caught up to her age group on mostly all skills, so we scaled back to bi-weekly visits.
We had a visit yesterday, and in addition to our Early Intervention worker, our state case worker was also present. Both were amazed and astounded with how well Bella is doing. Not only has she caught up to her age group on all skills, but she has even surpassed her age group with several of her cognitive and language skills!
Today, I am so very thankful for the strides Bella has made. Apart from her size, you would never know she was a preemie. Thank you, Lord, for such a blessing!
Growing up, our family always struggled with money. My parents didn’t have the best financial skills, and therefore didn’t teach great habits to us kids either. As an adult, I continued to struggle with money until I was faced with filing bankruptcy. During that process, I had to take some courses on budgeting and such, and only then did I learn what it meant to be smart with money.
When I met Blaine, he was already worlds ahead of me. Two years later, he began realizing his vision for an investment in foreclosures that he could turn into rental properties. In 2012, he bought the first rental house, with the goal of buying one per year for 10 years. Just over 2 years later, we have 6 properties. As of today, he signed contracts on 2 more, bringing our total to 8 (well, 9 properties of you include my condo in Knoxville that has been rented out since I relocated to Bristol). The plan has escalated faster than I think either of us ever imagined, and it has been a lot of hard work renovating the properties and finding good tenants (especially since 7 of the 8 properties have come about in just the past 14 months). But when all is said and done, it has been a tremendous blessing!
Today, I am thankful for my husband’s ambition and foresight to build this side business, which will ultimately secure our family’s future. With all of the other obstacles and tragedies we’ve had to deal with these past couple of years, it’s nice to know that money is not an added pressure amidst the life struggles.
Winning My Life 