Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters!

I have always believed that our trials are placed in our lives for a reason. We are meant to learn from them, to grow from them and to help others!

Suicide is something that is very close to my heart. (if you havent read our story check out our facebook post HERE) My husband and I have had multiple conversations about how we could use our story to help others. This is something that is really hard to do with a subject as sensitive as suicide. We are scared to say the wrong thing, give the wrong advice, or offend someone. The truth is... we all have different experience, even if those include suicide/suicide attempts, each experience is completely individual. The only thing we can do is share our personal experience in hopes that it can prevent even one suicide, help one person relate or find comfort. 

 

In February, the Standard Examiner published an article that talked about this very topic. The article titled Suicide a 'touchy' topic- but teens say we must talk about it states that "Suicide is one of those untouchable topics that people think if you don't talk about it, it will just go away". 

Here's that facts people: Its not going away! The article states that "Every day in the Beehive State - part of the nations Suicide Belt - two young people are treated for suicide attemps".

2 Teens. Every. Single. Day. 

 

The article also talks about how high school students are taught one (90 minute) class on suicide and prevention where students reported some didn't even remember what they were taught. 

One student states " for myself, I know I would have probably listened more if the presenter was someone who had struggled with suicide and overcome it". 

Teens are begging for us to talk to them, provide them with resources and experiences of HOPE! 

Please don't be afraid to speak up, start a conversation that matters, and touch on these "untouchable subjects" like suicide. A life may depend on it!

With Love, 

Amanda

Our new normal...embracing a life that isn't picture perfect

Our new normal...embracing a life that isn't picture perfect! 

 Nearly 2 yrs ago when my husband finished treatment , I realized AA was going to be a part of our life FOREVER and it totally overwhelmed me. We couldn't go one week without him attending one or possibly several meetings? How inconvenient?! What if we had other plans or I need his help with family stuff or we go on vacation?

What I didn't realize is we wouldn't have any of those things (family, plans, vacations) if he didn't go to meetings and continue to work his program. I also didn't realize the good that would come from this "sacrifice". I love to hear the topics of things like gratitude and humility. It always sparks Deeper conversations and inspires us to think of others.

Lucky for us this lifestyle has just become "the new normal" and it's way better than we thought possible!

I thought I was crazy when I spent my  4th wedding Anniversary in a "meeting" instead of a fancy dinner and said I was grateful to be there. And now, my husband went to a meeting the night we had our new baby and BOTH of us were beyond grateful for him to have the opportunity to go.

It's all about embracing a life that isn't picture perfect because it's WAY better than "the pictures" anyways!! We love our new normal and encourage you to be perfectly imperfect!

And yes this is us reading "Essential oils for Pregnancy, Birth and Babies" and the "The Big Book" (Alcoholics Anonymous) while waiting for my Pitocin to kick my contractions into gear. We haven't had Cable tv (even local channels) at our house for over 2 years now. So this is how we spend our limited down time. I tell people all the time about how we work on personal development DAILY in our home. It might seem crazy but here is living proof. 

Perfectly Imperfect I tell you!

Faith in HIS timing

I absolutely LOVE this quote but it is seriously hard for me to practice this. So many times in my life I have struggled having the patience to wait for something to happen. I'm not quite sure why I think I deserve to have things happen on my terms. I guess I just figure that I know what I want (or often think that I need) and I am putting in the work, so why is it not happening?!

I have to take a step back every time a much anticipated change or event happens in my life and realize just how blessed I am that it happened in the right time. Duh!! 

God (the universe/ higher power/ whatever) knows what he is doing. Everything happens at the exact time that it is supposed to. If only I would listen to my sweet husband's advice I would realize this by now. 😉

So for all of you out there struggling with having patience... just have FAITH IN HIS TIMING!

💕 Amanda

welcome to march

Have you
 ever stopped to think about the fact that everything you have was once just a wish/dream/want?

Think about it...
That certain someone you hoped to date. That job you REALLY wanted. That baby you dreamed of. How nice your life would be if you only had that SUV.

The morning of Jan 1st this year, I lay in bed snuggling with my family and thought "my main goal this year is to begin and end as many days JUST LIKE THIS as I can". It seemed impossible because between my husband and I, our jobs rarely allowed us to wake up or go to bed at the same time. In fact, we were lucky if we were able to eat dinner as a family even one night a week and monday-friday we rarely saw each other for more than an hour each day, if even that much.

Well our circumstances have changed and due to a soon-to-be new baby and a job change. We will be able to eat dinner together EVERY night and wake up together most days!!
What!! I can't even believe it.

What has your mind, thoughts and wishes so powerfully created without you even realizing?

Do you take time to appreciate these amazing wishes that have come true?

💕 Amanda

I can see the light within

I have written quite a few posts about the heartache I experience while watching loved ones and close friends struggle with depression. I often feel helpless as I struggle to find something to help ease their pain or even the right words to comfort them. 

But this time I am here to tell you the unbelievable feeling of joy you get while watching these same loved ones thrive. It literally is like a light that you can see in them. Somedays it is only a glimmer and somedays it shines right out of their soul. It honestly MAKES MY HEART SING to  see such joy when it seemed there was no hope.  

Depression is a crazy, unpredictable thing and there will always be ups and downs. But when we can find something that eases the pain and PROVES that there is HOPE, we need to hang on to that and run. Depression is so different for everyone and what works for one person may not work for another. But don't stop searching and be willing to keep trying! You never know what crazy thing you will run across and find that it truly speaks to you. 

All I can say is that 

"I CAN SEE THE LIGHT WITHIN AND 

IT MAKES MY HEART SING!"

With Love, 

Amanda

Health Symposium: Keeping Your Family Healthy Year Round

Keeping Your Family Healthy Year Round
with Dr. Brannick Riggs:


Dr. Brannick Riggs has been practicing medicine for 13 years. In 2001, he graduated from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson while receiving some of his training in complementary and alternative medicine. He specializes in family medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He currently practices in Utah and enjoys using the oils in his home and integrating them into his practice to bless the lives of his patients.

 Dr. Riggs is partnering with dōTERRA in an effort to provide volunteer service with essential oils and hospice.


Join the Health Symposium event on Facebook AND
RSVP to receive a FREE ticket by calling/texting 801-589-8731
and use the reference #115915

Health Symposium: Beauty and Skin Care

Beauty & Skin Care
with Jenifer Hoehne:

Jenifer is a State of Utah Licensed Master Esthetician and privately trained Permanent Make-up Artist.

She received her Esthetics training from Marinello School of Beauty in 2010 and her Permanent Make-up training from Permanent Make-up of Utah.  She believes that the key to beautiful, healthy skin lies primarily through proper home care. Her favorite part of being an Esthetician, is making her clients look and feel beautiful.  She has worked in both a medical, spa and salon setting. 

 Having worked with several top, professional skin care lines, Jenifer has recently discovered the benefits and affordability of doTERRA skin care products and supplements that produce beautiful, healthy, vibrant skin. When she isn't busy teaching others about the beauty of doTERRA, she loves spending time with her husband of 10 years, David and their 4 legged fur baby, Lily.

She is excited to spend this Spring traveling to teach families across the United States about natural alternatives as part of doTERRA's Diamond Club.

Join the Health Symposium event on Facebook AND
RSVP to receive a FREE ticket by calling/texting 801-589-8731
and use the reference #115915

Health Symposium: Emotional Healing

Emotional Healing
 with David Hoehne:

David started his career in mental health 19 years ago as a mental health worker with Benchmark Hospital. During the course of his career he has worked with clients ranging from anxiety and depressions to schizophrenia and fetal alcohol syndrome and autism. He currently runs a residential group home for troubled teens.

He has been incorporating essential oils into his work for the past year with phenomenal results and success. He has been married to his wife Jenifer for 10 years and enjoys fitness, traveling and teaching. 

Join the Health Symposium event on Facebook AND
RSVP to receive a FREE ticket by calling/texting 801-589-8731
and use the reference #115915

Health Symposium: Fitness and Lifestyle

Fitness and Lifestyle
with Jon Chase:


Jon is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and has been personal training for about 10 years.  He is also a Certified Exercise Nutritionist through Precision Nutrition, Certified in Functional Movement Screening and have a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Utah Valley University. He is a co-founder of the new Terrafit program.

His passion is to share his knowledge with others to increase their overall health. He does this through exercise, nutrition, supplementation and essential oils. He is the husband to his beautiful wife, Christina and father to 5 adorable daughters.  

Join the Health Symposium event on Facebook AND
RSVP to receive a FREE ticket by calling/texting 801-589-8731
and use the reference #115915

#healthsymposium #Fitnessandlifestyle #Doterra #terrafit

Health Symposium : Essential Oils 101

Essential Oils 101:
with Joe Pututau



Joe has been married 8 years to his wife Catherine. He has two daughters and one son. He studied economics at BYU with a minor in business. He realized his passion for entrepreneurship as he finished the business minor, and shortly after fully engaged in doTERRA as a business. He's loved it ever since. 

Joe travels all across the United States educating others on Essential oils. His knowledge and love for the oils and the business is infectious. 

Join the Health Symposium event on Facebook AND
RSVP to receive a FREE ticket by calling/texting 801-589-8731
and use the reference #115915

#healthsymposium #Doterra #essentialoils101

Meditation for Anxiety, Stress, and Surrender

OK here is another #whatsupforme post because I know other people are struggling too.

So we are 2 weeks into January and the hype of the new year, new goals, fresh start has worn off. And as Tiffany Peterson  says "Life life's you".    There are always things that are going to go wrong, that's life.

So for me life is in full swing. My husband's job is crazy busy again requiring him to be gone alot. A sick kiddo has required ALOT of my time. I'm trying to keep up with everything and my old feelings of being OVERWHELMED are creeping in. Yikes! I just want to crawl in bed and cover my head.  You know the feeling right?!

Well Meditation is something I have found helpful from time to time and I am putting it into practice today. If you are anything like I was a year ago. Meditation sounds like a great idea but you have NO idea how to even begin. Check out BexLife on YouTube. Meditation for Anxiety, Stress, Surrender
 She has a TON of different mediation video that are short super simple to get you started.    

Happy meditating!

welcome to week

Welcome to Week 2 of our "Health and Beauty from the inside out" month!

This week I want to focus on our Emotional/Mental Health. This often gets pushed aside. When we consider our overall health most people just look at physical health. But, Our mental and emotional well-being affect every aspect of our lives. So we will be covering things like depression, anxiety, controlling our thoughts, tools to assist you in releasing emotions rather than holding on to them and how your emotions may be affecting your  physical health.

The more I work on my emotional well-being I have noticed that I am more in control of other aspects of my life.  My marriage is happier, I spend less time feeling overwhelmed and stressed, I cope with difficulties better and am now able to help others.

Enjoy the journey!

💕 Amanda

A mother who radiates self-love

So how did everyone do making time for Self-Love and Self-Acceptance this week? Did you do your morning ritual? Did you remember to Accept where you are right now? Did you take a moment to PAUSE and be PRESENT when you felt overwhelmed? Did you use your Whisper oil to assist with Self-Acceptance?

If you didn't, what excuse did you give yourself? Was it that you don't have time because your too busy being a mom? I know that is often my excuse.

But guess what? OUR CHILDREN/SPOUSE/FRIENDS are watching us!

Don't you want to be the very best YOU, so that you can inspire them to be their very best?

I LOVE this quote "a mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually vaccinates her daughter against low self-esteem" -Naomi Wolf

Children don't hate their bodies, doubt their abilities, and turn down their dreams because they are too scared. WE TEACH THEM THAT!

Be that shining example!
Someday they will thank you for taking that time to work on YOU.

Love,
Amanda

Accepting what is, without adding emotions

So on our last trip to St George, Ut. my husband and I had a great conversation about acceptance.

He told me that normally while driving he would look for the road signs or watch the GPS to see how much further he had to go. Each time he looked at them he would get feelings of anxiety or frustration as he realized HOW MUCH further he still had to go. This would then lead his mind off in a cascade of negativity. Ugh its so uncomfortable in the car, my legs hurt, im hungry, I wish we were there already…etc.

So he said this time, he made a conscious effort to look as the signs and think “OK 100 more miles”. Then he would just go back to listening to his book or music without letting it effect his emotion. The road sign is really only stating facts. So there are 100 more miles… and there is going to be 100 more miles whether you like it or not, whether you make yourself more miserable or not.

He also said it was important to not AVOID looking at the sign because that too would creative a negative feeling. Just Accept it for what it is, 100 more miles.

A lot of times when we are beginning new stages of our life or trying to make changes, we let ourselves get all worked up about where we are now.

Example: You are starting a weightloss program that requires you to list your weight and a “before” picture. Unconsciously you start to feel really bad about your current health which starts the cascade of negativity. I shouldn’t have let myself go like this, I look horrible, I can’t even control what I eat-how can I control other parts of my life, nobody is going to be attracted to THIS, why would anyone want to be with me anyways….etc. GET THE IDEA?

Your starting point IS WHAT IT IS…  A starting point. That’s it.

Now lets focus on how awesome we are for trying!

With Love,

Amanda

#acceptance #tipoftheday #itiswhatitis #startingpoint

Whisper-self love

Whisper

My sweet mom has struggled with depression for over 20 yrs. She had recently gone th a divorce when she started using DoTerras Whisper Blend. She wore it every single day and absolutely loved how it smelled. She would often receive random compliments on how good she smelled. She shared this oil with as many people as would listen. 

One night she was sitting out under the stars just thinking to herself when she thought “I am OK with who I am. I am a good person and Im happy with who I am. I love myself.” She said she felt really weird saying that out loud since it was not something she was used to say or even feeling. She looked around to see if anyone could have heard her. She shared this story with her sisters who giggled with her about it and her nieces started saying "Aunt Lisa loves herself". It was kind of a family joke (no feelings were hurt) but to me it was no joke. This was AMAZING, my sweet mom finally seeing in herself what we could see all along!

A few weeks later she was struggling with feeling stressed. So we decided to look up oils to use for stress. Bergamot was one that was listed so we looked it up in the emotions book. It said that Bergamot is the oil of self-Acceptance and it supports individuals in need of self-acceptance and self-love. I knew that bergamot was in one of her blends that she was already using but I couldn’t remember which one. After doing some research we realized that Bergamot was in her beloved Whisper. And that is exactly what the oil was doing for her, it was supporting her in Self-Acceptance and self-love and without her even knowing. 

Daily Success Regimen

This week I want our focus to be on Self-confidence and Self Care.

I had no idea what self-care looked like or really even what it was until I had the opportunity to work with Tiffany Walke Peterson (a life/business coach) in a Program called Success Academy. One of the very first things she had us all do was commit to a Daily Success Regimen. It was here that I learned how to start my day off being balanced, centered and grounded within myself.

Each morning she has you start off with just 5 minutes each of Spiritual, Mental and physical and then end the day with an evening review/mirror exercise. This was something that sounded absolutely bazzar to me. How could only 15 minutes change how I go about my day. What I didn't realize is that I had never set aside time to nuture ME. To literally give myself 5 minutes to stretch and LISTEN to my body, focus on the positive things in my life that I am grateful for, and listen to an Audiobook that reminds me of my goals and motivates me for the day. (our bodies often have things to tell us- like when we are getting run down, not getting enough sleep, allowing too much stress- and we don't take the time to listen until its too late and we feel horrible) I had never realized the impact these 15 minutes each morning could have.

So this is what the Morning Ritual looks like for me:
Physical :I literally ROLL out of bed and stretch (Im pregnant and sore all the time) right there on the floor. Focusing on deep breathing and clearing my mind. This is my time to just listen to my body.
Spiritual: I like to list things I am grateful for *start my day off attracting more of these things into my life. and focusing on the "family" part of my vision board ( later this week we'll talk more about creating a vision board)
Mental:  This is where I will start listening to my Audiobook that helps to keep me focused on my goals and motivates me for the day. Usually I am too engrossed that I end up listening while I get ready for work and on the drive too work. This has been a game changer for keeping me motivated.

Pretty simple right!

Here are three main things I have noticed by doing this more consistently
1. my husband and I get along better (I focus on my family part of my vision board and how grateful I am for him)
2. I find it easier to honor my self care habits like committing to 7hrs of sleep and drinking enough water (because I can tell the difference when I check in with my body daily)
3. I am MOTIVATED!! I get more done each day to accomplish my goals.

The Evening Review:
I once heard someone say that at the end of the day they like to write a TA-DA list! Basically it just helps you congratulate yourself for what you DID get done instead of what you DID NOT get done. I am always the first to beat myself up for the things I didn't do or even the things I didn't do that great. Try out Tiffanys mirror exercise and  take the time to GIVE YOURSELF SOME LOVE!

http://youtu.be/RRW_5S3C55I

Love you all,
Amanda

Ready for change!

Ok ladies and gents! What type of change do you seek this year?

Lets start here. Pick one thing about your physical, mental, emotional or spiritual health that is hold you back from being truly HEALTHY AND HAPPY.

For accountability sake, Here are my top two changes I want to make:
Physical health: my immune system is the pits. (inspite of trying to live a healthy lifestyle I get sick really easy, and its almost always a sinus infection)
Mental/Emotional health: I get overwhelmed very easily

Lets face it, Im sick of being sick. I am currently pregnant and when these sinus infections come along it totally wipes me out. In our home we use essential oils as our medicine and it works wonderfully. I have not been on a prescription medication for my sinuses in 2 years BUT I still get them way too often. So that tells me, there is more change to be made. I have been researching changes that I can make to my diet and other holistic practices I can add to my routine to enhance my immune system. I will keep you updated with what I find.

And secondly, feeling overwhelmed holds me back in so many aspects of my life ( in my marriage, family life, having/making time to have fun and especially in my business). When I feel overwhelmed it brings out the worst in me. I find things that other people are doing to contribute to my stress instead of taking the responsibility. I have come leaps and bounds from where I used to be but still let it creep into my daily life more than I would like.

So what now?
I take complete responsibility and decide what I have control over and...
change it!

This is our first week of TRANSFORM 2015 and our focus is on SELF LOVE, SELF CARE and SELF ACCEPTANCE. That is where all change starts, you've got to take care of yourself first.

Check back tomorrow for a post about a daily routine you can start NOW to support that.

Finding Hope

Two years ago today I received a phone call that changed my life forever.  "Today was going to be the day.. but I couldn't do it. " January 2013 I almost lost my sweet husband to suicide.       
Not one person,  myself included, knew this was coming. Nobody knew of the despair and debilitating pain Cole was experiencing.  After a very extensive in depth psychological test, Cole was diagnosed with severe depression, severe anxiety, and suicidal ideation.  We were also told that if Cole didn't use his resources (family, close friends, AA meetings, counseling and doing things he is passionate about) that his chances of suicide were VERY likely. 

Discouraged and hopeless would have been an understatement. So fast forward two years and our family is "healthier" than ever. Cole is an amazing dad, a caring husband,  kicks @ss at his job and tries daily to help others. Not to mention he is able to do all of this without the need to take a single medication.

So going from hopeless to finding and spreading hope is completely possible.

We are not sharing our story for sympathy,  support or understanding.  We are sharing because we know that we all have our individual struggles and not many people talk about them because they are afraid they are alone. They are afraid of judgment,  afraid others will look at them differently.   Sometimes our pride tells us we don't need anyone's help and that we can get through it alone.   Nobody's life is perfect or without trials. So yours might be a physical ailment, cancer, loss of a child/loved one, divorce, emotional or mental struggles but please don't suffer in silence, reach out to someone! Find someone that has had similar struggles in their lives and support one another. Silence keeps us stuck in the problem, communication opens the door to the answer.        

I truly believe that we don't go through painful events for no reason. We are given these opportunities in life to learn and grow and ideally to then help others.

If you feel this message will help please share our page and our message.

#findinghope #january2nd #depression #anxiety #suicide #change #transform2015

Transform 2015

Each New Year everyone (individuals and companies alike) tend to focus on some version of a New Year, New You! In fact, DoTerra has a FABULOUS New Year, New You lifestyle change/weight loss challenge that they put on. I absolutely support and advocate this and think that weight loss and a healthier version of you is spot-on for a New Years resolution. The problem I have is that I see so many people that are either discouraged before they even start because they have “failed” at this same resolution over and over or people are PUMPED to start and may even make HUGE changes but always fall back to their same old routine and lose any progress they made.

It can be argued that failure to make a lasting change is for a variety of reasons. Honestly, I probably agree with them all.  So this year I’ve decided to focus on making changes to find “Health and Beauty from the inside out”. I believe that if you change your mindset, love yourself, and believe that you deserve whatever it is that you seek; then and only then will you be able to make lasting change. I also believe that healthy and beauty on the outside is a direct reflection of what is on the inside. If you get skinny/lose weight but you are treating your body poorly by feeding it unhealthy things, covering up its calls for help and lathering it up with toxic chemicals …..it will only be short lived.

Join me for TRANSFORM 2015, a journey to find “Health and Beauty from the inside out” this new year. I have a full schedule for January that is jam packed with information, experience, hope, and inspiration. I will be posting daily and hosting classes. Follow along and interact for chances to win giveaways and most importantly make a LASTING CHANGE!

Love you all,

Amanda