I love being self-employed. I love freedom. I am free to work where, when and wearing what I want. (If I am still in my pj's it is still morning, right?) I can take a day off without asking permission. (I never was good at asking permission.) I can work on the beach if I want to, but I usually don't. Sand and electronics are not a great mix. Besides, when I am at the beach I prefer to be playing, or sleeping, and not working. I am free to act. I am not hindered by all the many wheels of a large organization.
The truth of being successfully self-employed is that you work a LOT, especially at the beginning of a project or start up phase of a business. You are where the rubber meets the road. If it needs doing, you do it, or not, and suffer the consequences. The weight sits squarely on your shoulders. You can muster the strength and carry on, or shrug and let it roll. The choice is yours, and so are the ramifications of that choice.
I put in lots of hours focused on the hope of future profits. An entrepreneur is a person of great faith. You have to have faith in yourself, faith in your ideas, faith in your business partners, faith in your customers, faith in your methods, faith in the economy, faith in the world, and faith that your reasons for all this work are worth it. Faith in a loving God who is on my team sees me through when my faith in all the rest waivers. Unless you are a super hero, your faith will waiver.
Lots of blood, sweat and tears go into creating a business to call your own. Sometimes the profits come quickly and some times they don't. Sometimes your ideas are good and sometimes they just don't work. Sometimes you have to know when to call it quits and stop stacking deck chairs on the Titanic and just get in the life boat already. Sometimes your baby is ugly.
I LOVE my life! I LOVE FREEDOM! In my opinion and experience, it is worth the risk, crazy hours, and all the hard work.
There are potential streams of revenue all around us. It is easy to see the connection, and the natural progression of some of my business ventures. Others seem to be completely divergent. The one thing that they all share is ME. I love to explore new ideas and I hang on and fight to keep them alive.
Here are some of my current endeavors:
HIROahu - Professional home inspections on the island of Oahu. www.HIROahu.com
Appraiser Aide - Data entry for real estate appraisers all over the US. www.appraiseraide.com
Essential Oils - Due to crazy rules and regulations, you will have to contact me for a private conversation about this one.
Life with Clarity - Energy healing using the SimplyHealed method. www.lifewithclarity.com
Friday, February 28, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Hula Lives
We had our end of the season show on Saturday 2/22/14. The music we danced to is still playing in my mind, like the sound track of my day. It was awesome and sad. Michelle is moving soon, and the location where we have been practicing is closing. I will keep dancing, but it won't be the same. Hula makes me happy!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year 2014!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Walking through Walls
Last night I dreamed that I died. It wasn't violent, scary, or even full of anxiety. I was calm as my car went off the side of the road and into the water. I was thinking how I couldn't reverse this, or fix it, it would be really bad for the car, and my cell phone was about to be useless. If I wanted to contact anyone I needed to do it quickly, then I thought, maybe it would be damaging to me too. I was then wandering around the large building full of people, either a mall or a hospital, not sure which, and also not sure how my mind could think of the two as interchangeable, but nonetheless, there it is. I was dead, but didn't realize it. I was confused. I could see other dead people, and the living. Some would talk to me and others didn't even see me. I was so confused. I wasn't sure where I belonged, or what to do next. I wandered, in and out of doors, through windows and walls, asking lots of questions and getting no answers. When I awoke I thought it might make a cool story, but now with a fully awake brain, probably not.
Dreams are usually not literal, unless you are dreaming that you need to pee .... You should take that one seriously and get up!! Dreams are usually symbolic. So, what might this mean? Does it mean that a phase of my life has come to an end? A calm, peaceful, and irreversible end? It's nothing tragic, its just time to move on. Am I now wandering around confused looking for answers from sources who have none? Do I have the ability to move through the next door, window, or even wall, without hindrance? I don't need to wait for someone to open the door, I can just walk right on through? What is the symbolism of the hospital/mall? Maybe that one is just a bit of undigested beef :) (Hey, it is Christmas, and Dickens is awesome!)
Dreams are usually not literal, unless you are dreaming that you need to pee .... You should take that one seriously and get up!! Dreams are usually symbolic. So, what might this mean? Does it mean that a phase of my life has come to an end? A calm, peaceful, and irreversible end? It's nothing tragic, its just time to move on. Am I now wandering around confused looking for answers from sources who have none? Do I have the ability to move through the next door, window, or even wall, without hindrance? I don't need to wait for someone to open the door, I can just walk right on through? What is the symbolism of the hospital/mall? Maybe that one is just a bit of undigested beef :) (Hey, it is Christmas, and Dickens is awesome!)
Thursday, November 28, 2013
My House Smells Like Memories
Thanksgiving dinner is so much more than the food on the plate, but it is important. Who is sitting around the table is more important, but even that isn't all of it. To me, the meaning of a Thanksgiving day celebration is the cumulative total of it all. It is all the years and all the combinations. The overlapping layers of sensory experiences. Some things are core - like the turkey, and going around saying what you are most thankful for, but I suppose if you had enough of the other pieces, you could have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner even without these.
As I was preparing the big, bald bird last night, I thought about how I used to watch my Grandmother do exactly what I was doing. I was fascinated and disgusted by her reaching her hand in and pulling out the neck and that bag of grossness. As I stuck my hand in to that carcass, it could have been her hand, or my mother's hand. All of us, over the years, over the decades and the generations, doing the same things, creating the same meal, the same celebration for our families. I like feeling that connection to the past, the connection to where I came from.
I woke up early today and baked a pumpkin pie, then got the stuffing going, and eventually the turkey in the oven. The combination of those smells, brought up memories of Thanksgivings of the past. It was almost like the ghost of Thanksgiving past was there, taking me on a tour. Those times when I was a kid, and all I had to do was watch, wait and eat, my first Thanksgiving on my own, when I had to work at the theater, the Thanksgiving at my grandparents right before we got married, those years when we were in St. Louis, then Colorado, and Utah, and now here in Hawaii. Thanksgivings as a child, then with small children, and now the children grown and half way across the world in different directions, all of them rolling together. All those locations, and the rotation of people at the table, yet they were somehow, fundamentally the same. They have a common thread - gratitude for the wonderful blessing of family, and freedom, the ability to pursue our individual dreams of happiness with a good chance of success. Thanksgiving in my world has always been about love and gratitude for God, family and freedom. My commitment to those ideals is strengthened by the cumulative memories carried on the traditional scents of the day.
Traditions are important, it's how we pass along our values, culture and faith to the next generation. We keep doing things the way we always have so that those core values are strengthened, and the meaningful things of life are not lost.
As I was preparing the big, bald bird last night, I thought about how I used to watch my Grandmother do exactly what I was doing. I was fascinated and disgusted by her reaching her hand in and pulling out the neck and that bag of grossness. As I stuck my hand in to that carcass, it could have been her hand, or my mother's hand. All of us, over the years, over the decades and the generations, doing the same things, creating the same meal, the same celebration for our families. I like feeling that connection to the past, the connection to where I came from.
I woke up early today and baked a pumpkin pie, then got the stuffing going, and eventually the turkey in the oven. The combination of those smells, brought up memories of Thanksgivings of the past. It was almost like the ghost of Thanksgiving past was there, taking me on a tour. Those times when I was a kid, and all I had to do was watch, wait and eat, my first Thanksgiving on my own, when I had to work at the theater, the Thanksgiving at my grandparents right before we got married, those years when we were in St. Louis, then Colorado, and Utah, and now here in Hawaii. Thanksgivings as a child, then with small children, and now the children grown and half way across the world in different directions, all of them rolling together. All those locations, and the rotation of people at the table, yet they were somehow, fundamentally the same. They have a common thread - gratitude for the wonderful blessing of family, and freedom, the ability to pursue our individual dreams of happiness with a good chance of success. Thanksgiving in my world has always been about love and gratitude for God, family and freedom. My commitment to those ideals is strengthened by the cumulative memories carried on the traditional scents of the day.
Traditions are important, it's how we pass along our values, culture and faith to the next generation. We keep doing things the way we always have so that those core values are strengthened, and the meaningful things of life are not lost.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
I Really Should Be Sleeping
I have an early morning ahead of me, and I really should be asleep. It is true that we make time to do what we really want to do. Even when our days are long and full, if we really want it, we can squeeze out a few minutes for those things we are most passionate about. Apparently I am passionate about Words with Friends. I find time to play WWF everyday ☺!
Back in January I had some high hopes and opened my big mouth and boldly declared that I would have a rough draft of a book ready by my birthday - HA! September seemed like a l o o o o o n g way off. It was not. I was wrong. It was an incredibly short span of time, and I was totally ridiculous, and overly optimistic to think that I could produce anything remotely like a manuscript in less than 9 months. Crazy talk.
My birthday came and went. It was a great day, I felt loved, but no book was written. No outline, no draft, no nothing, zip ....
I have decided that, yes, I want to write a book, and no, I did not want to bad enough to actually do it in the last 9 months. I have also decided that it is difficult, if not impossible, for me to schedule creativity. I can't put, "be creative", on a to do list like, say, "go to the bank". It just doesn't work. I think what may work for me is to put things on my to do list that inspire creativity. Rather than the actual task of creating, I need to schedule time to ponder, observe, experience new things, read, relax. My daily lists need to include things like - hike, walk, watch the sunrise, watch the sunset, go to the beach, go to lunch with friends, read a book, take a class, study a subject. When I do these things, my mind becomes more active and creativity flows. When my creative mind is working, you can't stop me from writing.
Back in January I had some high hopes and opened my big mouth and boldly declared that I would have a rough draft of a book ready by my birthday - HA! September seemed like a l o o o o o n g way off. It was not. I was wrong. It was an incredibly short span of time, and I was totally ridiculous, and overly optimistic to think that I could produce anything remotely like a manuscript in less than 9 months. Crazy talk.
My birthday came and went. It was a great day, I felt loved, but no book was written. No outline, no draft, no nothing, zip ....
I have decided that, yes, I want to write a book, and no, I did not want to bad enough to actually do it in the last 9 months. I have also decided that it is difficult, if not impossible, for me to schedule creativity. I can't put, "be creative", on a to do list like, say, "go to the bank". It just doesn't work. I think what may work for me is to put things on my to do list that inspire creativity. Rather than the actual task of creating, I need to schedule time to ponder, observe, experience new things, read, relax. My daily lists need to include things like - hike, walk, watch the sunrise, watch the sunset, go to the beach, go to lunch with friends, read a book, take a class, study a subject. When I do these things, my mind becomes more active and creativity flows. When my creative mind is working, you can't stop me from writing.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Hiking List
You can find out anything and everything about anyone on Facebook, except for yourself, apparently .... When I hike I always post pics, including location, date and who was with me. The other day I was trying to remember which hikes I have done, and where I want to hike next. (As you can see from the list below, it's not really that many, you'd think I could keep it straight.) I went to FB and started to search - even tried their new "grid search", whatever the heck that is. Useless. Compiling this short list took me WAY longer than I thought, so to prevent this from happening again, I decided to make a permanent list here, on my blog, where I know I can find it again. The photos might disappear, if Google does something goofy again, but at least the text will be here.
Aiea Loop Trail (12/24/2013)
Diamond Head (7/27/2013 & 2/24/14)
245 stairs (I counted)
Kealia Hiking Trail @ Mokuleia (7/4/2013, 3/16/2013)
Lanikai Pill Box Trail (6/22/2013)
Wiliwilinui Ridge. (5/27/2013)
Laie Falls Trail.(12/15/2012)
Mañana Trail (12/8/2012)
Manoa Falls Trail (5/26/2012)
Kaena Point (1/24/2012 w/Cathy & Q to the point and back from Waianae side, 1/25/2014 w/ Jen from Waianae to North Shore and back 11.3 miles)
Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail(2010 w/Angela, Mallory and Quincie & 2/17/20114 w/Ryker & Taylor)
Manawili Falls Trail (2007 ??)
I took pics on this hike, on my crummy flip phone camera. Upon returning home I dropped my muddy pants into the washing machine, with said phone in the pocket. The phone survived, but alas, the photos did not. I am sure they were blurry, and rather unimpressive anyway, considering the quality of phone cameras back in the day :)
1. Diamond Head (Hiked 7/27/2013 & 2/24/14)
2. Koko Head
3. Aiea Loop (Hiked 12/31/2013)
4. Tantalus
5. Crouching Lion
6. Makua Cave (7/4/16 w/Cathy & M P, Q, Ryker & Tay)
7. Mount Ka'ala
Completed Hikes -
Manana Falls/Pools (1/19/2014 w/Cathy)Likeke Falls (1/1/2014 w/Jen & 1/11/2014 w/YW)
Aiea Loop Trail (12/24/2013)
Diamond Head (7/27/2013 & 2/24/14)
245 stairs (I counted)
2/24/14 
Kealia Hiking Trail @ Mokuleia (7/4/2013, 3/16/2013)
Lanikai Pill Box Trail (6/22/2013)
Wiliwilinui Ridge. (5/27/2013)
Laie Falls Trail.(12/15/2012)
Mañana Trail (12/8/2012)
Manoa Falls Trail (5/26/2012)
Kaena Point (1/24/2012 w/Cathy & Q to the point and back from Waianae side, 1/25/2014 w/ Jen from Waianae to North Shore and back 11.3 miles)
Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail(2010 w/Angela, Mallory and Quincie & 2/17/20114 w/Ryker & Taylor)
Manawili Falls Trail (2007 ??)
I took pics on this hike, on my crummy flip phone camera. Upon returning home I dropped my muddy pants into the washing machine, with said phone in the pocket. The phone survived, but alas, the photos did not. I am sure they were blurry, and rather unimpressive anyway, considering the quality of phone cameras back in the day :)
Future Hikes on Oahu -
2. Koko Head
4. Tantalus
5. Crouching Lion
6. Makua Cave (7/4/16 w/Cathy & M P, Q, Ryker & Tay)
7. Mount Ka'ala
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