Guest Post: On Being Marvelous in a Mediocre Life

Sometime at the first of the year I started following Sarah Robinson’s Escaping Mediocrity 30 Days to Changing Your Game Challenge. I knew that I wasn’t doing the best in utilizing my God given talents. I also knew that I had more time to devote to doing some of what I finally wanted to do, with my son being in school during the day. In addition, I think I got tired of feeling like my at the time undiagnosed chronic pain was ruling my life. Well ok, I know I got tired of it. I was in a very bad state of depression and well, I am still fighting depression every day.

There was a switch that was being slowly nudged on until it came on full force that I was worthy of being marvelous. Right about the time that this was happening is the time that another important movement was happening in my town of Topeka, Kansas. In the world of the internet it is pretty hard to trace the trail of breadcrumbs, however it is how I found out about our communities involvement with getting Google to come to our city with their fiber optic initiative. The switch came on and I was hit full force then that this was finally my chance to get on board with something that matched my talents. Professionally this was a huge thing for me. I have had several marvelous moments in the last three months. I am not being massively sought after by the press for speaking engagements and such, but there have been opportunities for me to show what I am made of.

For me, being marvelous isn’t about being the star. It is being discerning about what I choose to get involved with and giving those select projects my all. The projects I have chosen so far to get involved with at the moment are helping our town bring Google to town, helping with Recycled Runway-a fashion show dedicated to recyclable materials, Gardens for Schools, getting extended passenger rail service to our community, trying to get approved as one of the artists to be chosen to take up residence in the new art district, and planning Podcamp, as well as possibly speaking at it. Some of these I have not been majorly involved in but have chosen to support in whatever way I can within the means that I have available to me. Some are more intense and require more of my attention.

With that being said, being marvelous means that I don’t have to just settle each day either. I am constantly on the look out for things that will help me grow personally and professionally. I tell people that yes, my body is messed up in spots, but my brain still works and as long as it still works I will find things to challenge me and keep me fresh mentally. Yes it is cliche but life is too short. I have seen people deliberate to the point of inaction in deciding what they want to do with the rest of their lives or even something as simple as deciding on what to have for supper. Letting yourself get stuck in that pattern is debilitating. Soon you are frozen with uncertainty not willing to take any chances. So then being marvelous also means being willing to take chances. If you never take chances you never grow. I am not suggesting that you go right now and find a plane to jump out of. What I am suggesting is that if you are like me, for example, and hate being filmed either on camera or video, then figure out a way to get comfortable with yourself and challenge yourself to find ways to handle being filmed.

So now what are you going to do to be marvelous and bust out of mediocrity??

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Joe Cheray is a 38 year old single mother to a special needs child who is now 10 yrs old. She started Wildheart’s Web 2.0 in Dec of 2009 in an effort to use her 10 years of various internet related knowledge to help the non tech savvy learn the ins and outs of the internet and also to assist small business owners in discovering how to leverage the net to get their name out.

You may find her on the web at Wildheart’s Web 2.0

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May 25, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being you
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Excuses, Diet Coke, and Laziness, Oh My

How else to title this post? It has been WEEKS since I last blogged, and that has been for many reasons. Well, actually excuses is more like it.
Here is what happened. First, I was having weeks and weeks of really great days in a row. And then I discovered something about me. I really write more when I have angst going on. It is hard for me to just be, and be happy, and know what to write. I don’t know if I have enough content to keep you all amused when I am at peace. Probably if I had more of a goal with the blog it would give me more reason to write everyday. But since its intention is to be a place for me to work things out, and I hadn’t needed to work anything out, it had been a not needed place for me.
The second thing that happened is that I started drinking diet coke again. Which set off more unhealthy habits which then sent me back into a spiral of not being in such an awesome mood all the time. I know that I need to get off of my crack. Why must it be so hard? I am working hard on drinking just one a day again so that I can get back off the stuff. Sigh.
And then there is the laziness. After getting out of the habit and ritual of blogging, it has become a laziness thing. There. I admitted it. I am lazy. Not angsty and lazy. Not a good combination for this blogger.
Here is some of the marvelous stuff that has been going on. I got to do a guest post for the awesometastic Elizabeth Potts Weinstein. If you have not read it yet – check it out here.
My mom moved in with us for the summer. It is a super long story. If you really want the details, email me and I will let you know. Just know that it is total awesomesauce and marvelousness and fantastic.
I bought my first Mac after being a Dell girl for years. I am still trying to figure it all out. It is super cute for sure.
I started Couch to 5 K. I have done it before – about six and a half years ago. I have total faith that I can finish it. Please send some prayers and good vibes and etc along to me that I finish this. I so need something right now that I can complete and have some success at.
So, what keeps you blogging? Any tips for me on how to keep motivated when I am not all angsty……Post them below in the contacts.
As always, I thank you for checking out my blog. Stay marvelous!
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May 16, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me, Blogging
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What has been keeping me happy!

Well, it has been three weeks since my last blog. Shameful! It is interesting though. Most of what I want to blog about is something that I feel angst over, something that is frustrating me, or something that I am unsatisfied with. And lately I have been feeling pretty satisfied, pretty happy, pretty content. Apart from a major crying/come apart session a few days ago I have been doing awesome. Actually, I have been doing awesomesauce.  To remember these wonderful few weeks, I want to write down some of the things that have kept me in this great mood.

  1. I have been listening to more pop music and rocking out. Is pop even the right name for “Top 40” songs? I am so out of it that I do not even know what to call the music I have been listening to. Anyway, I have been listening to a lot of Pink, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, you know what I mean. And it keeps me happy.
  2. I have stopped drinking diet coke (for the most part). I did have one today, but it had been 5 days since my last one. For a girl who was on a two to two diet coke a day habit, my current choices are helping me be in a more stable mood. The rush from diet coke is great – I used to think I lived for it. But I am soooo much happier since I stopped the craziness.
  3. I gave up sugar (well, really desserts and treats) for Lent. I think not having that rush is doing me good.
  4. The weather is beautiful in Texas. ‘Nough said.
  5. I found out I got Employee of the Month for the staffing agency that I work for in February. That has kept me happy now for almost four weeks. Go me.
  6. I am doing some traveling in the coming months – a trip to Denver and a trip to DC. I love to travel, so making those arrangements have me excited.
  7. I have been working on figuring what I want to do when I grow up. When I was little, I used to say that I want to be happy when I grow up. And I am working my way towards that.
  8. I have rediscovered lip gloss. I know, I know, I sell the stuff. I sell really great lip gloss. I just had kind of forgotten. But I have now remembered, and seeing my lips all shiny makes me happy.

So, good moods have abounded recently. I am thrilled. I feel like I am coming out of a fog.

What about you, what puts you and keeps you in a good mood? Any ideas for those of us who often find themselves down?

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March 25, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me, Flow
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No Real Bad Feelings

I am sitting here on a lovely weekday night. My daughter and husband are playing Mario cart via the internet with my nieces from Kansas, my other daughter is watching. She gave up video games for Lent and is really regretting the decision right about now. I have been chatting on Facebook with my best friend from high school, plus I have been checking out Twitter. It was a beautiful days outside. My girls got to play outside after school because there was not too much homework. Dishes are done, laundry is flowing. I had a great day at work and really all is great. I feel truly blessed.

Anyway, the point is I have no real bad feelings tonight. No angst, for lack of a better word. Nothing I am that frustrated at. And I am just pretty flipin happy about it. I have spent a lot of my time wishing I had done somethings differently. Worked harder at something. Not gone through Sonic or Shipley’s all those times. Said no when I should have said no, yes when I should have said yes. But not tonight.

Tonight I feel like I am on the right path. Close to living the life I want to live. And I am enjoying every minute.

What about you, are you on the right path today? Let me know where you are at, right path or wrong, in the comments below.

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March 4, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me, Flow
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What’s in a name?

I joked around in my second blog post that I was going to do a blog about Martha (me) doing all of Martha (Stewart)’s Good Things. Although I am not actually going to do that (at least not right now), I am going to write about having the name Martha.

I was named after my great grandmother; my mom’s dad’s mom. My mom has said that when she was pregnant with me, one day she was in the kitchen and all of a sudden she knew what she was going to name me.  I think that is super awesome. I love having a name with meaning and history behind it. I especially love having a name that not everyone else has. I mean, in my life I have had two best friends who are my age and THEY HAVE THE SAME (much more common) NAME. How crazy is that? Anyway, I love having a name that everyone can spell, but usually when someone is yelling “Martha”, they are yelling for me.

Over my life I have been made fun of for having an old fashioined name. I remember in about fourth grade people telling me I was going to grow up and make flour (Martha White products). In seventh grade, this girl in eighth grade would call me Bertha. I wasn’t big when I was 13, I now think she did it just to bother me. I’ve had a bagillion people say “Martha Martha Martha” ala Marcia Brady to me. It doesn’t bother me anymore, but at one time it did.

Then there is the whole Marty – Martie issue. There are very few people who may call me that. In high school people called me Marf or Marfee and I actually like that a whole lot better than Marty. Marty is a boy’s name, and has been to me since kindergarten when there was a little boy named Marty in my class. Maybe if he wasn’t in my class I would be Marvelous Marty today? Hmmmmm, something to ponder. And don’t even get me started on Marty McFly.

When I was younger I wanted my name to be Stephanie. So much so that my confirmation name is Stephanie (well, technically it is Stephen because there is no saint Stephanie). I thought  that having a more mainstream name would make me more likeable or popular or something. Now I know that I would always be best being who I am, Marvelous Martha.

Anyway, I think that my name rocks. I am so happy to have a great name with family history, familiarity, and uniqueness. And I am super happy that my name starts with M so that I can be marvelous. Of course I do call my daughters Amazing Amelia and Awesome Abby some so I would have figured out something out.

So what about you, do you like your name? Did you want a different name when you were younger?   Do you call yourself something fun like Marvelous Martha? Let me know in the comments! Thanks!

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February 27, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me
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So, what have you been up to?

Amelia sitting in my normal groove on the couch

I’ve been away from blogging for over a week, something I did not want to do. I have been percolating about many things, many topics, many different ideas floating around this nugget of mine. I seriously write blogs all the time in my head. But writing them down while driving, or making dinner, or folding laundry, is hard to do.

Much has been doing on in this marvelous household. We had my in-laws in over President’s Day weekend, Lent began, Amelia’s basketball team made it to the city championships, I booked my trip to Denver for Career Conference, and I have joined a new coaching program for business/life. Busy busy.

But a lot has been not going on also. We have kind of a nice everyday routine going on here. Home after work/school. Homework, kids play outside, I hang out twitter or treadmill or both. Dinner, dishes, laundry, making lunches, kids go to bed, hang out some more on twitter or watch some tv, or go to an event,  go to bed. So our “nothing going on” is quite busy actually.

In my new coaching program, it is all about living your truth. Living my truth. This is something that I have been working on for a while, and starting this blog was one massive action step I did to start living my truth. I feel a little untruthful for not blogging for over a week when I really enjoy writing and sharing with you. With this post is a renewed commitment to writing, sharing, and taking the time to create the space to write.

So, what have you been up to? Exciting things? Or have you been busy and been percolating like I have? Have you taken some massive action working on yourself or your business or your family? Or have you let the everyday get in the way of your amazingday? Leave a comment below to let me know what you are thinking.

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February 23, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me
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Valentine’s Day Wishes

 

I hope that your Valentine’s Day is filled with love.

Whether you have a Valentine this year, or you do not.

I hope you do something you love, see someone you love, eat something you love or just love on yourself.

And please know that if you are feeling like no one loves you, that that is a big fat lie.

I love you. God loves you. And I hope you love you too.

I hope this is the most marvelous Valentine’s Day ever. Happy Valentine’s Day to you.

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February 13, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being you
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Lessons from 10 Years in Direct Sales

This month I celebrate ten years in direct sales. I started in one company, and joined another one about 10 months later and then was in another one for a while in the middle. Never all three at the same time though. Anyway, ten years total in direct sales. In those ten years, I have learned quite a few things. Here are just a few.

Number one – direct sales work for me. When I work for me.

I have worked direct sales all ways….no time, spare time, hobby time, part time and full time. And every time I truly set my mind to a goal, worked smart, and listened to people who were I wanted to be, I was able to achieve it. Or at least come close to it and achieve something else that I wasn’t even sure that I wanted. When I work, it works.

Number two – customers make great friends.

Over the years I have had hundreds, maybe into the thousands, of customers. And some of them have become dear friends. There is something powerful about going into someone’s house and offering wares that can make a friendship bond. Not always, but when it does, it is sweet.

Number three – friends don’t always have to be customers.

I have learned that if my friends do not want what I am selling, it does not mean they do not want me. True friends understand that I run a business. I understand that not everybody needs what I am selling. I absolutely love when my friends are customers. But I also love my friends who aren’t.

Number four – lean on people who are where you want to be.

It is silly to ask advice from someone who has no experience getting what it is you want. I have found this very much applies to “the real world” also. If you want to drive a pink Cadillac, ask someone who just earned one. If you want to go on the big trip your company offers, ask someone who has been before. If you want more adventure in your life, ask someone who adventures all the time. It does no good to ask someone you don’t want to trade places with for a plan on how to get where you want to go.

Number five –  being your own boss rocks.

I absolutely love being able to set my own hours, work as much or as little as I want, decide how to invest in myself and my business. Sometimes it is hard when I make choices that aren’t best for my business. But, wowza, when I make good choices, it is just the best.

Number six – business money is business money.

It is tempting – and I fully admit I have done it – to mix business money with personal money or credit. I’m not talking about initial start up or buying your own personal use products. I’m talking about using your personal money or credit to unnecessarily fund your direct sales business or using your business money to fund your personal wants. It sounds like a great idea –“oh if only could order just a little more, I can get this which will certainly make my business better”. “Oh I NEED that for my business and it is not big deal to just put a little more on my credit card”. “I need that new book, I’m out of my regular money and my business account won’t miss twenty bucks”. But running an inventory-based direct sales business with just your business money builds integrity, self confidence and an honest business. Pay yourself a real paycheck by watching your real profits from your business. That is much more rewarding than the extra little bonus you get for ordering a little more or buying that little goodie you had to have out of your inventory money.

These are just a few of the many lessons I have learned. I’ve made a ton of mistakes; maybe you have learned something different. Please comment below if you have learned anything from direct sales, or if you have anything else to add.

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February 8, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me
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Update

Been working on updating the site a little. Let me know what you think. The Home page still isn’t what I want, but I am not sure what I want, so this is great for now. I’ve written three blog posts over the last week, not sure when and if some of them will get up. I’m excited to be talking to you, as now I know that you are coming to the blog! Thanks for being here and look for another post soon!

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February 4, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Uncategorized

Video Blog

So, I’ve done something new. I’ve started to video blog.

Video blogging is something that seems awesome, and scary, and something that I can do. So I tried it. I was able to do it. Awesomesause.

I am not sure how much more video I will do, but for this message, I thought something new would be the best format.

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January 28, 2010 by Marvelous Martha in Being Me, Blogging
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