Collective Energy

Collective Energy

Ruth and I just returned from the most incredible conference we’ve ever attended. The annual meeting for young women affected by breast cancer was held last week in Jacksonville, Florida. The most valuable lesson I took away from it was the power of “collective positive energy” amongst these women and their caregivers. The one word that comes to my mind is…WOW!

All of these women are in the dance of life with breast cancer. We met women of all ages in all phases of BC working toward a common goal--wellness. Collectively they shared their stories and encouraged one another to realize that “this too shall pass.” Breast cancer is just a part of the journey and was never intended to be the whole focus of one’s life. It can, if you allow it to, provide you with an opportunity to move on to a whole new--and better--quality of life.

If Ruth and I touched a chord with even a tenth of the people that made an impact on our lives over those three days, we are blessed. Every journey story we heard was uplifting, and each woman touched our hearts. We thank you for allowing us to be a part of your collective energy. We look forward to hearing more about your journey in the days ahead, living beyond the breast cancer path.

The New Friends of TYJ

A special “thank you” to Margaret, Michele, Jane, Laura, Jessica, Amy, Jane, Jennifer, Wendy, Sharon, Tiffany, Nicole, Bethany, Angela, Lisa, Judy, Andrea, Carla, Melody, Pat, Sandra and Bill. Many blessings to Kristine and Ishiuan.

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It's All Good

It’s all good

A friend, who is a weekly traveler, called recently so that we could update one another on our lives. I think we’d all agree that in the past few years air travel has become a lot more stressful due to heightened security, delays and cancellations, baggage foul-ups, overbooked flights and a host of other problems that try our patience.

I asked my friend how she deals with these challenges, bearing in mind that she has virtually no control over any aspect of it. She replied that at any given moment you can look around and find a ‘life reminder’ that makes you realize that the travel setback you’re experiencing is a temporary one that will pass. Whenever she finds herself in line with fifty other passengers, scrambling to get to her next destination, she looks around and invariably finds a lesson. Just last week it was a young man who had to manage the situation from a wheelchair. A few weeks earlier it was an older couple that rarely traveled, trying desperately to find their way home from a missed connecting flight. She added that it’s never hard to find a soldier leaving for another tour or trying to get back to friends and family.

My friend’s ‘life reminders’ are a wonderful lesson for your journey. No matter what the circumstances in your day the blessings are all around you. A better frame of mind is within sight or just a thought away.

Note to Self

Change the way you look at things and notice how all things change--usually for the better.

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Mid Life?

Midlife?

My niece texted me from college yesterday to let me know that three of her sorority sisters had been in a terrible accident. All three girls died in the accident. This tragedy happened on a Sunday afternoon as the two cars were traveling side by side down the freeway. The car in the right lane tried to merge left ahead of the girls, and though there was no contact between the vehicles, the girls lost control while trying to avoid hitting the merging car. Not only were these girls my niece’s sorority sisters, they were also my sorority sisters in Kappa Delta, albeit ages apart.

This shocking event made me really think about a recent article I wrote on midlife joy vs. midlife crisis. In the article, I was questioning what the midlife age is and why we associate it with crises instead of noting it as a wonderful time in our lives. It’s hard to realize that midlife for these girls was probably age 10 or 11. These types of life events remind me regularly that we never actually know when we are in midlife. The only thing we know for certain is this moment.

For the great majority of us, college life was largely a period of friendships and accomplishments that have left us with cherished memories. I’m sure the Kappa Deltas at Georgia Southern will always remember these girls, our sisters, and will be encouraged by this tragic event to carry the value of everyday moments into the rest of their lives. I have no doubt that this is what these young women would have wanted us to do.

In Memory of Melissa, Jessica and Jamie.

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The Zero Degree Theory

The Zero Degree Theory

If there is one thing that I know with absolute certainty, it’s that you are currently experiencing the Zero Degree Theory regardless of your age. This theory guarantees that at any given time in your life you’re dealing with a challenge in some form or other. These challenges vary in impact and intensity from a major illness, career change, or serious relationship issues to the more trivial like a math exam, weight-loss program or even just a bad hair day. Sometimes the bumps in the road are small and at other times they look insurmountable. I believe with all my heart that the “tool kit” you need to work through any life challenge is and has always been within you. The tools are accessible at all times and are just a thought away if you need them. This kit contains some of the most powerful tools in the world: inspiration, courage, love and serenity, to name just a few.

I’ll never forget the day I heard the words “You have cancer.” I fell to the ground crying and proceeded to have a pity party for about two hours, inviting family and friends to join in. Then it all sank in; I needed to take control of my life and not let cancer make any decisions for me. I was sure I possessed all the tools necessary to get through this part of my life’s journey. I had the strength and courage within to find my way back to healthy happy living. And that’s just what I did.

There will be many tests and trials on your journey. Every day you’ll have discussions with yourself questioning your own ability to cope with what is going on in your life. Be patient and look within for the answers. They’re all there inside your heart.

“There will never be another now, I’ll make the most of today. There will never be another me-I’ll make the most of myself.” –R.Schuller

Note to Self

Give yourself permission to know there is a natural order to all the days and events in your life. It’s up to me to make the most of myself no matter what comes my way.

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The Ultimate Outcome

The Ultimate Outcome

The other day my mind was drifting to some of the many paths I’ve taken throughout my life’s journey. One of them resulted from a decision to play basketball from age 12 to 34. If someone had told me at the outset that I would break fingers, sprain ankles, play to exhaustion repeatedly etc., I can honestly say I might not have chosen that road. The same holds true for the cancer path I traveled. In other words, if we saw the trials and tribulations of a path without being aware of the ultimate outcome, we would very likely avoid taking it.

I have found that the most important thing is to have faith in the road you travel-- whether you’ve chosen it or not--and trust that the ultimate outcome will be all that it should be. If you examine each part of your life’s journey, you can always find a lesson. Some people learn their lessons well and move on with life; others are doomed to take the same class over and over again and barely gain enough wisdom to graduate.

The role of basketball in my life will always be cherished because it provided an opportunity for complete growth as a person by nurturing my inner development. The rewards outweighed the sacrifices by a long shot. The same holds true for breast cancer. I never could have imagined just how much that experience would change my life. The ultimate outcome was a blessing in the form of a brand that represents an approach to life that Ruth and I could share with others in the hope of encouraging them to look at the uniqueness of their individual lives. Life truly is about trusting your journey.

Note to Self
Always be aware of the purpose for the paths you follow in life. Remember the ultimate outcome will be worth the ride.

Life Lessons

LIFE LESSONS

I have always believed that there are no mistakes in life and that every path we take has a purpose. One of my many career paths took me to Woolrich where I worked with wonderful people, many of whom are still among my dearest friends. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was no longer at Woolrich, but the purpose of that path was soon to become evident.

At one memorable low point in my life I was very sick and severely depressed from chemotherapy. I thought about abandoning chemo and just dealing with the consequences. Right about the time I was going to give up, Beth Hodgens, a sales rep I had met at Woolrich, shared with me three words that saved my life during those dark days -- Trust Your Journey. For whatever reason, those three words gave me all the inspiration and comfort I needed to complete the treatments and get on with my life. I shared the words with Ruth and from that day forward, November 27th 2004, those words have been our companion and have now become our own company.

I tell you all of this for two reasons. One, there’s a purpose for every road you take, and it’s up to you to seek to understand that purpose. Second, you never know what impact you can have on another person’s life through your acts of thoughtfulness. I was gratified yet humbled every day during my illness and recovery by the acts of kindness from family, friends and peers. Then I received the greatest gift of all--three simple but powerful words that changed my life forever.

Note to Self
Send a thank you note to Beth Hodgens for her friendship and kindheartedness. What a great life lesson she shared with you.

Following Our Heart

Following Our Heart

Ruth and I have noticed that the prominence of our heart logo seems to be a major factor in the purchase of TYJ products by our supporters. Our heart logo was originally designed from a paperclip that you can see at the bottom left corner of the larger pictures on our home page. I’m amazed at how far we’ve come from that paper clip design.

The TYJ logo signifies two things: the heart, which I’ve always seen as the source of strength and the love of all human beings, is combined with a labyrinth of the twists and turns in one’s path through life. We felt that the TYJ heart would inspire women to celebrate both their inner strength and their personal path through life.

Because Ruth and I also believe in oneness with all living things, we’ve become very eco- sensitive. There’s a ripple effect to each and every thing we do, so we assign a high priority to eliminating the likelihood that our brand will have any kind of adverse impact on the environment. We made decisions based on what our hearts told us was the responsible thing to do to promote our product line without harming the world that both you and we inhabit. We want to do our part in assuring that the planet will be left in good shape for those who will follow us.

For example, we use 100% Organic Cotton in our t-shirts, fleece, hats and bags. Organic cotton uses less water and no pesticides or other chemicals are used that might contaminate the earth and eventually water supplies. The inks we use are free of harmful PVC s and Phthalates. Our tags and journal are made with 100% recycled paper and printed with eco-friendly soy inks. The gift boxes and tissue paper are made of recycled paper. The raffia tie for gift wrapping and the first page of our journal contain a biodegradable seed paper. When this paper is planted it grows Forget-Me-Nots. These are just a few of the ways by which we express our belief in the oneness of all living things.

With all the choices we have today, it’s important that each of us continues to follow our heart. It isn’t always the easiest road to travel, but our load is always much lighter when we choose to do the right thing.

Note to Self
Look for ways to make a difference in this world today. Even picking up one piece of trash is a move in the right direction.