When the seasons change, so do we! It is nature's way of transforming life. Autumn may feel like an end to long days and bright sunshine, but it is the beginning of harvest, the peak of color, and the transition of every seed into it's highest potential.
1 Comment
Young Living just celebrated 25 years of Gary's dream with 32,000 people at Convention, and over 6,000,000 members world wide! Gary is a role model for "Dream Big!" And Young Living is a corporate role model for sharing his and Mary's dream in a big way. The bounty of their collective thoughts, words and actions have created a company that has changed millions of lives and will continue to do more!
Every moment of convention was a reminder of the abundance Young Living has brought to the world. Imagine all the people behind the scenes of a convention: workshops, book stores, Expo, AromaSharing, Farm Day, Kids Club, New Headquarters, hotels and restaurants, corporate staff, all the leaders, seasoned members and new members that are all interconnected in support of Gary's dream! It's easy to forget that "interconnectedness" when we're at home. It's easy to forget that there are millions of people sharing something from One Great Source and we can even forget the people close to us that help keep our businesses growing. Using the metaphor of a garden, in Minnesota - it's a short season:) We can get trapped in our own limitations and size of our gardens. There are some healthy producers and a few weeds out there. Young Living has a much farther reach. At the heart of it all.... it's a Really Big Garden! God's abundant bounty that we receive in the form of essential oils and nutritional supplements, products that hold the integrity of what a healthy world should look and feel like, from thousands of acres under the stewardship of hard working, honorable people, we are blessed. Gary told a story of a Melissa harvest one year, where no oil was expressed. It had been harvested under stressful conditions and underlying tension of the workers. The next year he made a point of sending women out to participate. They laughed and sang and shared the experience with joy. The plant gave an abundance of oil, under an abundance of love! It's a good lesson to keep in mind when we're feeling stressed out and nothing seems to be going in a positive direction. Sometimes the "weeds and crop failures" are in our attitude. If you're planning fall classes, plan to be generous with your bounty! Don't worry about money as a return on your investment. Instead, throw all the LOVE you can at people and see how LOVE returns tenfold back to you! If you don't have enough inventory for a successful DIY or swag bags and prizes, call your Upline for support. Partner with other people to make each event look like a banquet of sharing a garden's bounty! (Include some locally grown produce to eat or decorate. Use oils to enhance a dish, spread fruit or herbs across the table with bottles of essential oils to remind people.... "where everything came from!" August reminds us of how things grow and reach their peak. Seasons go through cycles, just like people. You can count on Young Living to maintain the soil - our foundation, while we experiment with growing our businesses and families. Trust me. If you are a Young Living member, you are surrounded by Abundance. The more you Give and Share the Bounty (and your Love), the more you will receive! There's something exiting about fireworks that light up the sky in a spectacular fall of colors and stars! As a metaphor, we can all relate to their burst of light, energy and our internal excitement. We love the anticipation and thrill of the reward(s). We share it with a crowd and then sigh as we wait for the next one to launch. Life can be like this. Relationships can be like this and so can business.
I started a blog the first of July, then got busy with family, friends and holiday fun. The fireworks are still ringing in my ears as a symbol to share with the Rising Stars. We're heading off for Young Living's 25th Anniversary. It is truly something to celebrate and there are so many people that deserve our respect and honor that have made this a great company with a bright future. Wow! I just felt Gary's presence as he smiles over my shoulder. He would have been a great pyrotechnic, because he would never run out of fireworks. The sky would never go dark if he had his way! No one ever had to light a fire under him to stay motivated and inspired and he was a great coach and mentor for others to pursue and achieve their dreams. I don't have the statistics for all the Young Living members and ranks, but we represent millions of stars right here on Earth and billions of dollars doing good things in the world. (Mary said, "More money in the hands of good people, will do more good in the world." And that is truly happening, all over the world, because of Young Living Members. (Is there a firework that says: THANK YOU!?) No matter how small or big of a "star" you are, your light is significant. You are part of a big, big Universe. You may have bright days and powerful moments or dark days and low energy where you just don't feel your best. With Young Living, you have essential oils (that always raise your vibrational energy and light) and supplements to help bring your physical body into balance. You have relationships that are like minded and are also pursuing wellness, purpose and abundance. When we keep that in mind, it's okay to let others shine and it's fabulous to see you shine, too! This is how I see things in July of 2019. Fireworks are a fun metaphor for how we might enjoy each others achievements and successes, and how we can support each other during those momentary pauses or even rush to help, if there's an accidental explosion! We are all Rising Stars and if you see me smiling in a slightly weird way, I'm just picturing all your explosive colors waiting to be lit or bursting across the sky (or stage) in a ray of light and colors! Have fun at Convention or at home with your friends and families! Sparkle, Crackle, Burst, Boom and Light Up the Sky together!!! I believe I got lost in the lilacs back in May! Something came over me as I waited for the first fragrant blossoms of spring. I impatiently watched green bushes slowly push out tight buds and finally saw the first hint of 'lavender' color finally pop. There were Facebook posts asking us about our favorite spring flowers. Lilacs were the number one answer, but they weren't blooming yet! Then someone shared a recipe to mimic their scent, and we ended up spending hours at the office playing around with it. I'll share the recipe at the end of the blog, but want to share a few more thoughts in bloom.
There are days that we "love to hate" Social Media and Facebook, then there are days that we really engage and take time to not just LIKE each other, but genuinely exchange great ideas and support. Sometimes the right question or right moment allows us to freely express ourselves in a larger community! Some of us might have been a bit "Minnesotan" in our love for spring and our childish delight at the first signs of color and fragrance, but that means we play a role of deeper appreciation, that milder climates don't experience. I was struck by the different roles that people play, but more so, the comfort we feel to have fun, stay positive, and sprinkle purple sweetness on each other from different parts of the world. May and June, for the parents of a graduating senior are hectic! Spring sports bring seasonal endings and figure skating requires rehearsals, practice, shows, costumes, props, pictures, driving (a lot of driving) along with tears of joy and sorrow as some things are coming to an end. Graduation doubles the intensity and necessity to organize and manage a busy skating and 'oily' family. We're watching our "little Maddy" get ready for college and leave the nest to be a Rising Star! June came so fast. It is almost half over now. The lilac bouquets only lasted a week and Tom McDermott tried distilling some oil for us in hope that we could bottle the aroma of spring., He only managed to bottle some "floral water" and said it's not that great. Lilacs don't give up their oil and it is easily tainted by the smallest amount of branch and greenery. If you look it up, you'll find that most lilac oils are "fragrance oils." That means they are created synthetically or as an absolute. It was a reminder about why I LOVE YOUNG LIVING! We can count on 100% pure essential oils and know that the farms and the distillation processes will never cheat or lie to us to bring us what we want. We all wanted lilac oil to contain the joy of May, but we were forced to make our own, with the sources we already have in Young Living! If you're building a business, you need to stay tuned to nature's cycles and her truths! I try not to get lost in my own desires so I can watch all the possible Rising Stars continue to bloom.... in their own way and in their own time. Basic recipe that you can adjust for spritzers, roll-ons or add to a lotion base: 3-4 drops each of bergamot; lavender and ylang ylang. 2 drops of cedar wood or sandalwood. (Depending on your sense of smell, you may like one better than the other.) You can also download the handout on Lilacs: Keeping the Scent of Spring All Summer Long. It's time to plant some seeds! Think about all the elements that go into having a successful garden. You need water, sunshine, fertilizer, tools, time and commitment. Without any one of those items, your garden is less likely to produce very little in the way of flowers, fruit, vegetables or grains that you wish to harvest and enjoy. It may even fail completely.
Without water, nothing lives. Without sunshine, very few plants survive. Without fertilizer, plants struggle. Without tools, it is hard work with impossible thoughts going through your head. Imagine not even having a shovel! Without time and energy to care for any garden plants, the weeds will take over. Weeds are like bad thoughts, negative voices and can take over to destroy your hope. Without commitment, a garden doesn't even get started and it definitely doesn't thrive. We sometimes perceive that everything is against us, when we start something new, different or just plain hard, like a Young Living business. But if we put our business minds, into the context of a garden, whether we are new to gardening or a master, we can cultivate the right perception. Young Living corporate is our water. It is deep, wide and flowing in a positive direction. We can trust the integrity of it's course. Our essential oils and nutritional supplements are our sunshine. Seriously! The sunshine is in every drop and capsule that a plant's life has transferred to us! The fertilizer we need are the people around us. They might be your Upline, a Diamond, a cross-line mentor, personal coach or anyone with a positive influence that will empower our success. The tools are abundant: books, videos, webinar, zoom, streaming, social media, classes, events, workshops, CONVENTION and can be as small and powerful as the phone you carry in your purse or pocket! Your business success will start "growing" when you take the time and make a commitment to it every day. Just like gardeners, no two are alike. Some have a garden plan mapped out in January when the seed catalogs arrive. Some have been gardening long enough to follow a pattern, diligently selecting seeds, mindfully growing their own plants from a greenhouse. Some people wait until the last minute to buy plants, because they have organized their time differently. Can you see how personalities will always find their own path to their own goals? In the middle of the season, you might feel like you could do things better or differently, because you learned something new. Late in the season, you might be the proud receiver of a bountiful harvest. (Are you preserving it and sharing it?) Remember there will always be weeds out there to distract you. Get them under control early on! In order to stay inspired and passionate, you still have to rotate your crops to avoid disease and nutrient depletion to maintain healthy soil - (can you see the metaphor here?) It's officially spring. Things are growing! May is one of the most spectacular months of the year to show us how life continues to unfold and bring us hope. I Hope you have time to plant a garden and I Believe you can use the same fundamental principles in your Young Living businesses. Let's Dig In! If anyone kept a journal for the winter of 2018/2019, Thank You! I didn't record this particular winter and all it's challenges, so if I need to reach out to you, to remind me why I'm looking for a place in Florida, Keep In Touch!
Every season has it's beauty and I'm pretty good at finding things to be Grateful for and I never forget, that I am living a life of Abundance! I was recently reminded about how "our feelings" are at the core of what we receive in life. If you express "Gratitude," more things will unfold to show you, you have much to be thankful for. If you are stuck on thinking that "Abundance" means financial security, you are missing the big picture of how blessed we all are, even during challenging times. Close your eyes and open your arms out wide. Take a deep breath and create a mental picture of all the abundance in your life. It could be a wonderful family; large circle of friends; a great career; a deep spiritual practice; a healthy body; endless energy and inspired life. As you flip through all the images you came up with, take another deep breath and say, "Thank you!" You are abundant! You have much to be grateful for! I could list dozens of Young Living blends to align with this season's emotions: Believe, Stress Away (stress gone:), Inspiration, Hope, Joy, etc. Don't forget to diffuse them. Put them on your feet, the back of your neck and over your heart. Remember that essential oils raise our vibrational frequencies. Thank the plants for sharing their energy with us. New life is emerging from the soil, birds are singing in the trees and the first thunderstorm is on the horizon, waiting to saturate the earth with an electrical charge that life requires. Spring is an Awakening and an opportunity to see, hear and feel how we can be in Harmony with all living things. After a thunderstorm, go outside barefoot and fill up with energy! If a gentle rain is all you get, go outside and dance in it! The Law of Attraction is at it's strongest. Meter your thoughts, words and actions. Cultivate lots of good feelings and watch everything you love, expand and grow. What is your heart's desire?
We all fall off our path now and then, but most of us have deep desires that we are always trying to fulfill. I have to admit, that winter in Minnesota, really makes me question my path and where to put my heart! I've been pretty clear about working for my dreams, finding success and helping others. I've usually been grateful seeing my heart's desires come true and I enjoy watching my family, friends and Young Living team fill theirs. The state of Minnesota has been pretty clear lately about how many obstacles will get in the way of my future! Starting in mid-January the arctic air dropped in for the Passion Rally and every day there were colder and colder temperatures plummeting down to break records, along with icy roads that didn't stand a chance to melt. This was all followed by piles of snow, which hid the ice underneath so we could forget about it. Growing up in the midwest, being a figure skater, I can usually handle cold temperatures, ice, snow and slick surfaces. What really gets me down are the short days, cloudy days and lack of sunshine. We moved back from Bellingham, Washington precisely because I don't do well without sunshine. My brain and my body just want to sleep. I want to succumb to the circadian rhythms and hibernate until spring. Thankfully, February gives me that little hint, that spring is just around the corner and I will survive! I will shovel that snow, clear that path and hold tight to my dreams. Meanwhile, I booked a ticket for Florida to maintain my heart's desire and sanity. Wanna come along? In spite of the cold, cloudy days and long, dark nights of winter.... January 1st does give me hope! It's an opportunity to dream again and plan again for another year. There's actually some time to organize your home and office without the distraction of sunshine, that makes you want to be outdoors. That's the flip side.... I keep telling myself as I also 'plan another trip to the Bahamas.'
In reflection, not everything I planned in 2018 went according to the blueprint. But in a deeper way, my reality unfolded beyond my control and sometimes I thank God, that it's not all up to me! There are so many variables that can shift a plan or even an idea. There are other people in our lives. People that we love and have to adjust to the roles that they play in our lives. There are events that interfere or shift our paths, sometimes small and sometimes monumental! There are "side dishes" that call to our taste for all that life has to offer and there is always OUR HEALTH that can disrupt the timelines we have for ourselves and others. My one constant goal every year, is WELLNESS, for me, my family, friends and really.... the world. I try to 'pre-plan' for my health and that's why I love Young Living! I have products that work, products that are safe and sustainable and essential oils from around the world. My plan continues to coincide with my hope, to bring essential oils and the wisdom of the people I have learned from, to others. For 2019, I hope you and your loved ones are well, living purposeful lives and allowing the abundance to flow through you! I'll be planning some educational events to support the growth we all chart at the beginning of a New Year! For those of us in the northern part of the world, snow and cold are eminent. Days are shorter. Nights are longer and it feels like we should slow down, sleep more and nourish parts of our selves that need tending to. My hunger pains are stronger and my mind is still thinking..... but there is so much to be done! I keep wondering if I should move to a warmer climate so I am not bound by the weather to accomplish all the things on my list or in my head. Or.... am I missing a greater message from a greater source.... to be here now!
I traveled a lot this fall and I even carved out some "vacation time" mixed in with Young Living events and continuing education for the things I love. I wish I could string it all together like popcorn and cranberries to hang on a tree. I wish I could sit by the fireplace with a view of Medicine Lake and tell you all my stories and adventures. Lots of stories as a skating family.... but, my busy life always includes a deep desire to help more people adopt a healthy lifestyle! This is the season of "Celebrating and Giving" for me and my family! We have received so much from our work and our relationships in the field of natural health, that our thoughts turn toward those who will still benefit from the great products and our leadership in the world of essential oils. We are blessed and will continue to extend our gratitude for all "the Rising Stars" and the future of Essentials for Healthy Living as we turn the page in 2019. We have great plans for the coming year. I hope you can stop by our office in Golden Valley (weather permitting) to meet our staff, hang out, brainstorm your goals, rent space for an event, participate in a video or zoom call as we expand our community in Wellness, Purpose and Abundance! And let us find "The Light" in everybody's dreams.... together. November is a time for gratitude! With the Thanksgiving Holiday just around the corner, we have had so much to be thankful for all year long! While we do our best to practice gratitude everyday, it is wonderful to gather those closest to us around the table for a Thanksgiving meal. We have had our share of both, lessons and blessings in 2018. We like to pause and think about how abundantly blessed we have been in our relationships. At the end of the day- it is the the people in our lives that enrich our world the most. We enjoy creating a warm and loving atmosphere in our home, especially as we embark on the holiday season. Young Living Oils used in a multitude of ways helps us to do just that! A favorite combination on our diffuser is Thieves with a few added drops of Cinnamon, Orange and Clove- it is fresh and cozy at the same time. The Orange Vitality Essential oil is a must-have culinary tool, especially at this time of year! A few drops added to your favorite pumpkin pie or squash soup recipe creates a bright contrast to the warm spices traditionally used. We asked our staff to share ways they incorporate Vitality Oils into holiday recipes. Here is a fresh new twist on cranberries shared with us by Cindy Monten. Cranberry -Jicama Salsa 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded -minced 1 cup diced jicama 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped 2 tsp sugar, maple syrup, or agave 1 tsp.salt 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 2-3 drops Young Living Orange Vitality in a food processor coarse chop cranberries add onion and jalapeno pulse a couple times to combine remove to a bowl toss with all other ingredients cover and refrigerate if not using right away Note: try adding this to a turkey sandwich or create turkey & sweet potato quesadillas Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
|
Author~ Star Moree
Insights & Info from our CEO Archives
May 2023
Categories |
Proudly powered by Weebly