It killed me to pack my things and leave.
My husband and I had decided to divorce.

I was moving out of the house that I had made a home for 17+ years.
It's where the kids grew up. 
It is the place where potty training happened, and late night nursings. 
It's where Santa and the Tooth Fairy visited.
It's where the swing set and sandbox resided, and where birthday candles were blown out.
The only home the kids had really known, and I was with them
everyday. 
One night I lived there... the next night I did not.

Friends showed up, we put my stuff in a pick-up, and I moved into my 2 bedroom apartment.

It was scary,
and sad,
and - NECESSARY -
all at the same time.
My heart broke that my marriage dreams were falling apart; that my family would not all be under the same roof anymore.
I worried about my kids.
Would they be okay?
I worried if they would come to my new home? 

And yet, I was no longer in a place (a relationship) where I was forced to compromise... about every thing.

Taking the first step to honor me... 
That part felt free.

After 23 years of being a wife and mother, there were very few moments I was ever actually alone.
And now there were several nights a week that I was ALL ALONE.
It was confusing. It was awkward.

I cried. 
I remember sobbing in the shower one night. So loudly.
And then I remember Kelly Clarkson. 
She sang to me... and then we sang together... 
She sang a song I had never heard before and it spoke to me.  So loudly.
​"The War is Over"
She told me "The War is Over"
And it was truth.

In the shower that night I felt relief.
I knew I still had a lot to figure out.
I knew it wasn't going to be easy.
I knew I still had some fights to have - 
But, THE war was over.
The war that had been tearing me apart.
The war that forced me to compromise my beliefs and my being. 
This was not my surrender.
This was me choosing to fight for me. 
​This was me deciding to put my energy into fights that were worth fighting. 

So what did I start fighting for?
?I fought to become a student of how to have a better life.
 ?I fought my own ugly self-talk and learned how to begin practicing self-care.
?I fought to learn how to not live paycheck to paycheck. 
❤️I fought to discover my personal value. I learned that I do not have to settle. 
?I fought to release self-limiting beliefs and do brave things. I got a new job. I learned new skills. I became a Life Coach.
?I started a business.
?I learned how to start getting the results I wanted and to not be a victim of my circumstances.

If any of my story resonates with you, connect with me. I want to teach you the skills I have learned. I'd love to hear your story and help you navigate your journey to get the results you want.

I've included the link below to the song, just incase you are curious.
Thank you Kelly!

INTENTIONAL... this is the word I have been focused on all week. When we are intentional we do things on purpose. We are deliberate in our actions. We are working for a certain outcome. When we are intentional we make things happen... at work, at home, and in our relationships.
 
This becomes really tricky when it comes to our thoughts. When we are intentional we have to think intentionally too, but  most of us think our thoughts are just something that happen to us.... and to some extent that is true. 

But it doesn't have to be.

According to random statistics on Google, the typical human has between 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts/day. If we consider that the majority of those thoughts happen to us in our waking hours, we are talking about a minimum of several hundred to a few thousands thoughts per hour. How many of them are you even conscious of? Google also suggests that up to 80% of those thoughts are negative thoughts about yourself or the circumstances around you. Wow! That is really scary, because

Our thoughts become our reality.

An unmanaged mind will create an unmanaged reality - an unmanaged life.

What are the thousands of thoughts in your brain each day telling you? What reality are you creating for yourself? Are you able to separate the factual thoughts in your mind from the stories you are creating? If you had to guess, what percentage of your 60,000 thoughts are negative? 

I help women everyday see their mind. I help women find awareness and choose to be intentional. Are you ready to be intentionally intentional, or will you be like most people and intentionally remain unaware? 

Schedule a free consult with me today!  I'd love to consider this with you.
Donda

I used to teach public school, so I have a lot of friends who are teachers. My heart has been heavy this week as I have watched them post announcements, memes, and articles on Facebook related to what school will be this year.  Some of the posts have included scientific facts surrounding COVID. Some have been light-hearted. Some have spelled out the details of what they will be facing this fall when school is back in session. It's been interesting to read their comments, and the comments of others. Truly so much is unknown. It's the not knowing that feeds feelings of fear and anxiety. 

Some of my friends work in districts that are going to have mixed models of instruction, meaning some of the students will only participate online, some will be only in person, and some will do a hybrid (some online/some in person). Many of my friends got the news this week that they will be 100% in person with full classrooms, and the kids may or may not be wearing masks. For the parents reading this, they, or their colleagues around the country will be teaching your children.

I'm curious how parents are feeling about this? What are your thoughts and what are you feeling? The decision to send your kids to school or keep them home is one I'm sure is weighing heavily on so many of you. Please post your comments below. I'd like to explore some of those thoughts and feelings in a future blog post and I'd like to make this a part of the COVID Coaching Package I am creating. Watch for details soon.

Sincerely,
​Donda

How many times did you happen to think that thought last spring when your kid(s) came home to stay after the Corona Virus entered our lives? Did you panic knowing you were now the "teacher"? Did you break out in hives with the thought you may have to learn how to multiply fractions again? (Seriously, do we really have to know how to do that?) Did you deliver a message full of profanity to the Universe, as you clearly expressed to your girlfriends over wine on more than one occasion that you could NEVER home school your children? And now  you were!

That you are reading this blog post, you clearly survived, but how did the very unconventional end of the school year go for you and your family? When you think about what you were able to do, do you still wonder if it was enough? ​Are you afraid that your kids did not complete enough workbook pages, or read enough books, or write enough paragraphs to be ready for the start of school this year?  

What if I told you that everything is going to be okay? What if I told you that whatever happened last spring happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen? I'm sure that even with the panic, hives, and overwhelm there were amazing moments that only would have happened with you and your children quarantined at home. Moments that never would have occurred had you been frantically providing rides to dance, karate, and soccer. Relish those moments. Eventually COVID will be gone and we will all be busy again. Eventually....

For now, COVID is here. As I write this, COVID cases are rising in the United States. Many states are experiencing a SURGE, and the certainty of children being back in our schools is completely uncertain. And if the doors do open, are you wondering if it's safe for your kids to go? There is still a possibility you may be the home school teacher for a little bit longer. Do you feel that panic sneaking back in?

I can help and I want to help! As a life coach, a former classroom teacher, an interventionist, and even a home school teacher, I can help you feel prepared to help your kids be successful in the '20-'21 school year. Nobody loves your babies like you do and that makes you the perfect person to help them navigate this crazy time.

Contact me for a free consult.
​Donda