A Dose of Inspiration: Just Do It

Sure, it's Nike's tagline, but it's a good one to remember anyway. Just do it.

How many times do you catch yourself daydreaming about the life you want to have? The new "thing" you have to have? The personal achievement that's just out of grasp? The experiences you want to have?

So...what's really stopping you? It's not impossible. Other people are doing and having those things too. Why aren't you? I'll tell you: You have to get past the "thinking" stage and move into the "action" phase. Stop making excuses. You deserve to have those things, so stop selling yourself short. What's in it for you in keeping yourself from it? How much better could your life be if you had that? 

Focus on that. Envision your life with this "thing." Looks good, doesn't it? Take a glance back at your life without it and notice the difference in your feelings between the two. Then, identify what's really stopping you. More than likely, you'll have to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to obtain this "thing," but, whatever it is, you can be assured it'll be worth it.

As someone who is self-employed, I've come to get comfortable with continually stretching my comfort zone, and it's really quite thrilling. Sure, I have times where it catches me off-guard and I wonder what in the world I'm doing, but then it comes back--that daydream--and I remember that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. So I smile.

This post was somehow inspired by my first float from Barton to Carver on the Clackamas River this past weekend. There were SO many other people doing the same thing, that I really got the feeling as if we were all fleeing or evacuating the land. Being on a time restraint made the experience a little stressful instead of relaxing, but the experience of doing it made it worthwhile anyway. I wish I had had a waterproof camera so I could show you how the river and parking lots (and any other open spaces!) looked with such a flood of people there.

Product & Service Spotlight: Spa Treatment Closeout!

In the next month or two, I plan on phasing out the spa-section of my treatment menu. These services are underutilized, and, as mentioned in previous blog posts, my business is beginning to take a new direction into mentoring.

I've never been a real girly-girl, so the spa-aspect doesn't quite captivate me personally. My initial excitement in expanding my menu in that way was that it would allow me to bring in revenue without being as physically demanding as massage. Without my heart in it, I don't feel I've marketed it well, the economy may have an implication as well, preventing consumers from enjoying these kinds of services.

What I will hold onto will be the body butters (honey and mango) that can be added on during a massage, the aloe foot & callus rub, the aloe moisture cream, the aloe heat creme, and possibly the aloe body wash and lavender spa bath. Gift bags will still be available at this point, and I will also continue to provide the Detox Relaxation Bath packs for purchase.

Any samples on hand, excluding those mentioned above, can be taken with you at no charge as you come in for your regular massage appointments, while supplies last. Samples of the above mentioned products will be available for $1 each, or as otherwise labeled. 

Recipe of the Month: Smoothies!

One of our family favorites, especially in the summertime when there's so much fresh fruit around and a cool treat sounds so good, is making smoothies.

While we usually just throw in whatever's in the house--blueberries are always in the freezer, bananas, pears, peaches, melon, strawberries, raspberries, apple, yogurt, ice, and with more adventure maybe some carrot or celery--here's a link with 23 smoothie recipes to give you more ideas. 

Enjoy, and stay cool now that summer is finally beginning to appear! Tell me which recipes from the link above or your own personal creations you like best. We could always use more variety.

Upcoming Events

I'm still fine-tuning my time management, as you can see. It's been too long since my last post once again, but I tell you now, I just set a recurring appointment for myself to get in here and write something once a week. My apologies for missing a few this summer. 

Our CD of the month for August is another of Gary Jess'. The album is Northwest Trilogy. If you recall, I have another CD from Gary Jess featuring piano work. This one also has piano, and to be very honest, I think I like the other CD better. There's a track on this one that reminds me of the Doogie Howser intro, in a minor, gentle way. It did inspire me to watch an episode on Hulu today though! Love those blasts from the past. :)

Room Update: I have transitioned into my new room--yay! The only left to do is get my certificates hung on the wall. I have an open wall that is waiting for some beautiful piece of art to go on. I initially was drawn to panel-type sconces in the Partylite catalog, but wound up changing my mind about them. 

Speaking of Partylite, I finally got my show to close and am anxiously waiting for all my new things to come in. I forgot to order one of their seasonings (yes, if you didn't know, they're carrying a small food line now too!) that my hostess prepared into a dip for our party. She didn't mention that it was a Partylite item (we devoured my Blueberry Buckle instead), though that may have encouraged more sales if she had. I don't have the catalog in front of me now, but I think it was some kind of Buffalo-Blue Cheese seasoning mix that she added to equal parts mayo and sour cream. SO good! Fortunately, I do have lots of leftover hostess credit coming my way in the form of product certificates, so I will be able to order some soon enough. No, I'm not a consultant myself, so if you ever find yourself with access to placing a Partylite order, I do highly recommend ordering that seasoning. It has a little zing to it, but not too much. Delish. Consider this plug my recipe of the month for last month in lieu of a full post for it. ;)

My study and mentor programs are slowly creeping along in progress. Very slowly. I am starting from the ground up here, and have just made a crucial decision on how to structure this, so that's been helpful. There's so much information to cover, I didn't know where to start with it all at first. It may be several months before I can comfortably launch it as a means of generating income for me. 

PS--Remember to put on sunscreen on these gorgeously sunny days we've been getting! A client of mine recommends Mexitan organic sunscreen. I haven't tried it yet, but it comes with such high regard from her, that I feel confident in sharing it with you.

Upcoming Events

I hope you all had a fun and safe 4th of July celebration and took advantage of that awesome weather we had. We found ourselves cutting down two poorly placed trees in our backyard and attempting to remove the stumps that weekend. We've since gotten one of the stumps out, and now: back to rain. Nonetheless, I love Oregon. The cooler, wet weather gives us an excuse to let our bodies rest from our newfound homeownership-induced weekend warrior status. 

I've got a few things up my sleeve to tell you about this month. On Sunday, I'm planning on painting the walls of the bigger room next door to my massage room and begin to move into that room. After nearly 3 years in my current room, I'm beyond ready to stretch out my legs. The extra space will be put to use during the workshops I'm trained to teach to other massage therapists, as well as my new project. My business is taking me in another new direction, a pull I can't resist and am SO excited about. I'm in the process of creating study and mentor programs to help newly graduated massage therapists prepare for their licensing exams, get a job, and/or learn to build their own clientele through my help and guidance. 

The study and mentor programs are in the very early stages of development, but I'm hoping to be ready to launch them within the next month or two. As much as I enjoy the hands-on aspect of my job, it still surprises me how much I enjoy the behind-the-scenes business-end of my job, and I feel these new programs will bring a fun twist for me.

In other news, our CD of the month is Medwyn Goodall's Medicine Woman. 

I recently had a client come back to see me after a 3 year span since his last massage with me. Upon seeing the picture above, he said he liked the picture, and thought of me as a medicine woman, not realizing that it was the cover to the CD we were listening to. 

Other client testimonials this week include another client I hadn't seen for a year who stated the he must get massages more often, and would have to get his wife to come in. 

The testimonial I am most excited about was not even an expression of words, but the very dramatic difference I made with her physically, which has now inspired me to keep a little video camera at the office so I can document before and after massage results. When this client was first laying on my table, face down, I thought she was uncomfortable due to seeing wrinkles in her skin where her shoulder and neck seemed cramped. She said she was fine, readjusted a little, and was able to move her shoulder away from her neck a little, but it was still quite "stuck." After my work with her, both her shoulders were leveled out, and she felt the opposite shoulder was the one that was raised up near her neck--she felt so out-of-balance that "normal" now felt wrong to her! 

If you find yourself on my table, and I see something that I think will show dramatic visual results such as this, I may very likely be asking your permission to take some before and after video that I can post on my website for others to see. I so wish I had the opportunity to do that with this client, the results were absolutely amazing!

One more side note: I am hosting a PartyLite party this Saturday to replenish my stock of candles that I use during massages. If you'd like to order and contribute to the sales of my party, you can do so here. Just click on Shop, then Look Up Your Host and enter in my name for your order to be applied to my party. And much appreciation, as always!! I'm excited to be adding their water fountain and maybe a few other things to my "new" massage room soon!

A Dose of Inspiration: Before It's Too Late...

I had a math teacher in middle school that left a big impact on me. I seemed to know there was wisdom behind her seemingly unrelated words. As I've grown older and wiser in the years since, I've heard her words repeat themselves more times than I can count, "Keep the scale balanced."

I pulled my yearbook off the shelf this week after she'd been on my mind so much. A part of her inscription, "Always live up to your potential" and a drawing of a scale in balance, have meant a great deal to me over the years. 

I tried looking up Ms. Morris online. No luck, so I called the school to begin tracking her down, and received the sad news that she'd died just a few months ago from a brain tumor. How I wish I could have had the opportunity to let her know what an impact she'd made on me with those two simple sentences. 

In memory of Ms. Morris, please get over your qualms and take the time to find the people who've made a difference in YOUR life and tell them. Do it before it's too late.

Product & Service Spotlight: Aloe Facial Cleanser & Mini-Facials

Aloe Facial Cleanser

Rich, Moisturizing Lotion for Normal & Dry Skin

Like no other cleanser -- this product contains no soap! Cleaning is done with active enzymes (naturally present in aloe vera) that penetrate into pores to wash away dirt, makeup and excess oil.

Moisten face with Aloe Misting Spray or water, apply a small amount of the lotion cleanser, massage lightly and remove with a towel. You can actually clean without water -- so convenient (think camping!).

Lecithin in the cleanser will emulsify the oils to be cleansed from deep pores. This vegetable lecithin adds collagen and elastin for better skin tone.

The calming and anti-inflammatory properties of chamomile will soothe irritation and reduce puffiness making it excellent on areas of eczema and psoriasis too. Enjoy the smooth and never-dry feeling after you remove this lotion cleanser.

Available in sample size $1 each, 4oz $11, 8oz $18. 

Mini-Facial 

Cleanse--using either the Aloe Facial Cleanser described above or Aloe Enzyme Cleanser for oily skin or a deeper cleansing for normal-dry skin, pH toner, skin firming mask, and moisturizer--using Aloe Milk Moisture, Aloe Moisture Cream, or Day-Night Emollients, depending on your skin's needs.

This is, as the name implies, a Mini-Facial. It won't be the extensive facial you'd get from an esthetician, but is a wonderful way to extend your relaxation time during a massage. Usually, I will do the Mini-Facial at the end of the massage and incorporate more facial massage as well. When adding on to your massage, just let me know before we get started that you'd like to do the Mini-Facial also, to be sure I'll have time and finish preparing for this service.

Available as an Add-On for $15 or a la carte for $30.