On this cool Saturday morning in May, my husband and I are having a chat over coffee and books we are reading. He is reading the 4 hour work week by Tim Ferris and talking about the Pareto Principle…you know, the 80/20 rule. Spending 80% of your time on your top 20% priorities that bring you the most joy, income and fulfillment. Me, I am reading the Jesus Calling devotion focusing thanking God in the midst of great challenges. Author Sarah Young goes on to say God is leading you in other directions while you are trying to carry out your intentions. What?! I don’t understand Lord. I am your creation with free will to choose. You have given me the gifts and talents to create and inspire others to look to you for true joy. We choose our 20% based on the priorities you have impressed upon our hearts and now you lead us in another direction. 

As you can imagine, all of this reading and conversation inspires my husband and I to continue to ask more questions about the process. We have been married for 24 years this year and have one son who is 17 years old. He is is a rising senior and looking at colleges. We are sharing our college experiences with him which is about 25 years ago. So much has changed…the world, the church, families, culture….everything has changed. Our careers have gone from both of us working for top Fortune 500 companies with 401 K packages, health insurance and lots of perks to now running several businesses and living on a family farm. Is this joy, income and fulfillment? Why did we step out on faith and start our own businesses? Plain and simple…our priorities. Faith, Family and then Career…in that order everything works and out of that order…nothing works. 

 While the world seems to respond to Sunday as any other day, our family has made the commitment to support the mission of our local church and worldwide. We have passed on opportunities because we wanted to be at home to attend the soccer, baseball, basketball games, award ceremonies and be present to the most important moments. Our 3rd priority, building businesses to add value to others and support ourselves is what we seem to spend the most time talking and laboring over. We are asking questions like why people don’t follow through? what makes people tick? what does the world need? are we transforming our minds quickly enough to respond to the needs around us? 

I wonder…is there a couple on the front porch this morning having the same conversation. My husband asked “what time is it?” It is time to go on to the “next thing” in our Saturday agenda. No, I want to sit here all morning and talk! It is quiet, the birds are singing, the coffee is still in the cup, our son is still sleeping. These moments are precious and I don’t want it to end. What is the next thing? We are now setting up tables at the church for a memorial service for a church member later today. I am baking something for the reception following the service. This is our #1 priority. This is our church family…an extension of our own family. 

One last thought for today…will 80% of our joy, income and fulfillment come from these top 20% priorities we have chosen for our life? As we serve, explore, empower and teach, we agreed that those business questions that I listed earlier will certainly be answered.  Interestingly enough, we will probably receive the answer while sitting in the memorial service today. 

Happy New Year LeRay’s Leaders and Future LeRay Legacy Future National Area,

I am so excited about this new year as we stretch more than ever before. It is in the stretching that makes us STRONG! We are built “Ford Tough” you know being part of the Ford National Area. The time has arrived when the reality of becoming a National Area and developing 25 directors to debut by Seminar 2014 is happening. We are in the right place at the right time. We have systems in place to experience an explosion. The biggest thing we all need to be reminded of and tweaked on each day is our “THINKING”. Our workshop focused on how to think, why to think a certain way and the rewards of thinking. Yes, we discussed GOALS and DREAMS using a fabulous video webscast from John Assarf, entrepreneur/Multimillionaire.

Our first video was THE SECRET (20 minute version) – You can order the full 1 1/2 version which I would highly recommend. We all want to know the SECRET to success. Grab your pen and paper and get ready to take notes on this powerful video

Here is the link to view the view: THE SECRET

Evaluate your Business Thinking (workshop from Karen B. Ford): WORKING LIKE A BUSINESS WOMAN BOOK

How do you set a goal and actually have a probability of meeting it instead of just HOPING you will meet it? Link to 2 videos we watched: Your Best Year Yet – Part 1 – 29 minutes and Your Best Year Yet – Part 2 – 31 minutes

After your review the “Your Best Year Yet” videos, you will know what S – T – P stands for and hopefully realize that, as your Sales Director, I am providing the S – T – P for your business. I am your mentor and coach. All the tools are in place for you to SOAR these next 6 months.  Please message me after you have gone through this material and we will set up your personal coaching appointment. Celebrate the GREATNESS within!

We closed our workshop with a FUN, FACE CHALLENGE with fabulous rewards…here is it: 100 face Challenge

Tracking Sheet for FACE CHALLENGE:

Become a BeyondFit Member today

I have been using Kate Horney as my personal trainer for 1 1/2 years. I have never felt better. At 40 years old, I realized that everything I had done with regards to fitness and nutrition needed to change. Kate’s plan is “right on”. I would highly recommend you take a leap of faith and check out this program today. The program itself won’t change your life, however, if you use the information she has provided, you will CHANGE your own LIFE!

“Champions do consistently what others do sporadically.”

“If you accept excuses from others, it’s usually because you have accepted your own excuse.”

I am placing an order with the printer this week so please let me know if you would purchase copies for your self and others. The books are $8.

Epilogue

I trust you have enjoyed these lessons learned from my Daddy. Each day is another opportunity gain more wisdom from him and I am so grateful that we are living on the family farm.  12 years ago, my family decided to leave Longmont, Colorado and move back to live in the home place. As I watch my son interacting with my Daddy, I am grateful that I did “Recognize the Obvious” and make the decision to move back to NC.

If you would like more information or invite

Mary Ann for a workshop, please write:

958 Mill Creek Road, Pollocksville, NC

and call 252-671-7815

Order your copy today !

DON’T PUT YOUR EGGS ALL IN ONE BASKET

Of all the many things I have learned from my Daddy, it is how to respond to life. When I was in high school, Daddy was working on a big deal at work. He would get up early every morning and spend time thinking and working on this deal. It would be the topic of family conversations and letting us know how things were progressing. The reason this deal was so big was Daddy was lining himself up to receive a commission check from this that would meet his normal yearly salary. Wow, we were very excited for Daddy and knew that he was going to get it. One evening, Daddy came home and was sharing with mama that he did not get the deal. Another company came in with a lower bid and they took it. He was crushed. I don’t believe I had ever seen Daddy so disappointed. Mama, in her own wonderful way, was comforting him. The next morning I asked Daddy how he was doing and he said, “Great!” Today is another day to “go get ‘em” and I know there is something waiting for me. Wow, there was another moment of major coolness flowing from my Daddy. His ability to bounce back and get back out there was so awesome. I didn’t realize it at the time but he was teaching me how to respond to failure. He always says, “it’s nothing but a thing”. Whenever he says those words, my soul is so comforted. I know that the Lord works right through my Daddy and guiding me in everything I do. When the Lord was picking out a Daddy for me, He knew exactly who I needed. Even though we don’t agree on everything and I just don’t understand why he does some of things he does, I know he has my best interest at heart.

Lessons

1.  Have several options that you are working on.

2.  You must have the ability to bounce back in order to take advantage of the next day.

3.  Handle failure the same way you would handle success – stay humble.

4.  Even though you don’t understand why life is throwing you a curve ball, just know that

the Lord has your best interest at heart.

SKI KING ON THE RIVER

Yes, that is my Daddy’s nickname – Ski King! Daddy grew up water skiing on the Trent River with all of his buddies. I am still amazed at how that man can ski. He has since retired, however, as we were growing up, he taught us how to ski and then, of course, showed us how it was done. I have never seen anyone like him ski. Daddy made his own wooden skis and skied on them for years. In fact, it wasn’t until about 10 years ago that he retired those skis when he broke one of them out skiing one day.  I have realized that the day he broke his ski was the day he probably retired from skiing. Let me tell you about the day Daddy broke his wooden ski. Mama was driving the boat and we were cheering Daddy on while he skied all over the Trent River.

He was slalom     skiing and the ski broke in half.  The Ski King continued on in his eloquent fashion and skied the greatest ride of his life. We were all amazed that Daddy continued to ski on a half of a ski. When climbed into the boat, we asked him how did he keep skiing on a half of a ski. He responded, “when you know you won’t be getting back up on that ski again, you ride the last ride.”

At that very moment, I do believe there was a light around him and I thought to myself, I have the coolest Daddy in the whole world. In the early days, Daddy would barefoot ski and do trick skiing. He was asked to go to go Cypress Gardens in Florida to compete but decided to stay on the farm and help his family.  To think my Daddy was so talented that he was asked to compete with the best of the best. Wow, another moment of recognizing coolness in my Daddy!

Lessons

1. Never underestimate the coolness of your Daddy.

2. Just because the ski broke doesn’t mean  you quit skiing.

3.  When you set out to do something, give it your best.

4. If you need some skis, just make your own.

LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT IS DONE

Daddy has always enjoyed teaching those around him how to get something done. While I am a visual learner, I do know that we all have our own way of doing things that can be just as effective even if it isn’t the teacher’s way. Daddy delegated the yard work to my sisters and I. Every time he would show us how to rake the yard and mow the grass. Then he would hand it back over to us. After a few minutes, he was walking right back out there again and shows us how to rake again. I knew his intentions were good, however, I thought to myself if he would just let me do it my way, he would see that it would work also. Daddy also loves set a lot of foundation for the points he is making. He will spend 20-30 minutes giving you background and details before he ever gets to the point of the matter. Many times I will listen and wonder what any of this has to do with his message. There is nothing more important to him at that moment than making his point. I give my Daddy credit for the people skills that I have learned.

Lessons

1.  Your way isn’t always the only way.

2.  Respect your father and listen even when it is hard to do it.

3.  Listening is learned skill.

                       4. Show people how, then tell them why and then allow them to make their own mistakes.

KEEP YOUR PRIORITES IN LINE

Daddy has always been the spiritual leader in our home. He leads by example in his love for the church and his Lord. The gifts and talents that God has given Daddy have been carried out in his commitment to keep our church grounds and buildings in great shape. My parents never gave us the choice to go to church. It wasn’t an option. And, for that, I am so grateful. As a child and young adult, you are not equipped to make such an important decision. Daddy always said that when I was 21 years old that I could start making my own decisions because then I would be paying for them. At times, I was truly amazed at how convicted he was in his leadership of our family but now as a parent myself I see the reasons for everything he did.

Lessons

1.    Keep your faith first above all things.

2.    Don’t give a child an option to attend church and Sunday School.

3.    Lead by example.