December 23rd

It's almost Christmas!
I have a poem I wrote this morning. Not intending to be negative-but to be real about how I am feeling these days. I am having a hard time adjusting to some new thyroid medication I started taking 4 weeks ago. I switched from Synthroid to Armour Thyroid. I have also started my bioidentical hormone treatment. I am struggling with my state of mind while my body adjusts to these natural treatments.

I will post more blogs at a later date regarding my experience with bioindentical hormone treatment, as I have kept a journal about my progress, my struggles and my personal feelings through this whole ordeal. Life is a thrill ride...I just happened to be at the bottom of the roller coaster right now. I know everything will work out okay. It just helped for me to write this poem to express myself at this point.

December 23rd
It's December 23rd,
No stockings hung
No tree, no lights
Not even a one!

The arrival of Christmas
Has been out of mind
My heart is not in it
Nor my soul will It find.

Excitement I see in the eyes of my boy
My little girl is hoping for a new barbie toy
Yet I can't seem to make myself care or desire
Somewhere on my path
I've snuffed out my own fire.

My body is still, though I wished I could do
All the things I see other moms
Doing til through

Please help me get through one more passing hour
Im needing your help, my Heavenly Father!
~Wendy Schenck Benson

Are you The Boss of Yourself?

As a seasoned entrepreneur, President & CEO of my 27 year old company -I know what it means to develop, survive and thrive in the business world. My company feels like my child. It is an extension of me. I nurtured and cared for it from infancy to adulthood. I look at my company as a living entity. Naturally, as mother wants the best for her child in all aspects so she/he may grow up and be happy & successful. I want the very best for my company so it may also live a long and prosperous life. By viewing my business this way, I have had to release some negative aspects that threaten the future life of this living entity. Specifically, I have had employees that aren't producing and are not making a positive impact towards growing the company. I call these the dead weights. I end up carrying these individuals, or in some cases the dead weight may be a piece of equipment taking up valuable space that could be a productive profit center. That extra energy used to "pull along" these dead weights immediately threatens the life of any company. I recently had to release 3 employees due to the shift in the economy. I naturally kept the ones that I knew would make my business survive and THRIVE.

The parallel I draw here is that YOU are YOUR own entity. You are YOUR own CEO of YOU and YOUR life. Why would you NOT release those things that make your company run inefficiently? WHY would you hang onto those dead weights that bring you down, drain your energy, and deflate your spirit? Take a proactive approach today and regain control of your business! Now’s the time to happily release dead weights, in all aspects-in the form clutter in your home or car, extra fat on your body, habits that are unhealthy, friends that continually drain you and make you feel bad, wasteful spending habits-such as eating out too much, or buying things on a whim because "it was a good deal". Releasing my dead weights on a regular basis requires me to evaluate myself. I do a "self check" to be sure that nothing is buggin me-and when I'm bugged-I get a huge leaky hole in my energy tank. The only thing I ever regret when I release my own personal dead weights...is that it TOOK me SO LONG! "Why didn't I do it sooner?" I ask myself! Like the story of the boy who kept slamming his finger in the cupboard. His mother kept hearing him say "ouch! Ouch!" And ran into the kitchen and asked "Why do you keep hurting yourself!" And the boy proclaimed "because it feels so much better when I stop." How many of us keep hurting ourselves by choosing to carry around our personal dead weights? STOP the MADNESS. Assume your position in your own company! YOU are, after all is said and done-The Boss of Yourself!
Be True to you,
Wendy

Building Pyramids

As I walked my 2nd grade son to school this morning, I felt a bit sad. Regret began to spread through my soul as I realized I hadn’t fulfilled his request to help him build the world’s biggest pyramid with legos. What an undertaking it may have been to create such a wonder with tiny pieces of brightly colored plastic. Who am I to doubt, as an adult, that he and I COULD have done just that? Okay, realistically, it could not have been the world’s BIGGEST pyramid put together before leaving for school. I could have at least dropped what I was doing (which wasn’t really that important!) to take a few minutes to PLAY. That pyramid could have been quite interesting if he and I worked enthusiastically on it for just 5 minutes. 5 minutes! I learned something valuable this morning. Just 5 minutes could have made a huge difference in both our lives-and I lost the opportunity forever.
As I walked him up to his school door, I knew he could feel my sorrow. He looked up at me with watery eyes and said “I feel like I forgot something, mom”. Inside my head a voice of disappointment whispered “No, mom-YOU forgot something!”
I have been blessed with the great privilege to have children. God loves me so much, that he trusted ME with these little spirits and bodies. I promise, from this moment on to take what I have realized this morning into my heart. I will be open to the “5 minute” opportunities that come into my life every single day. Today my perception of time has changed from: “ I ONLY have 5 minutes” to “Wow, I have 5 WHOLE minutes-let’s see what I CAN create!”
When I die, may I be without regret. May I fulfill my purpose and live to my potential-which has infinite value. All I get to take with me is my earthly experiences through my memory. It’s all up to ME to fill every single one of my 5 minute opportunities building pyramids.
Love,
Wendy

Sunflowers

Sunflowers. Who doesn’t LOVE them? Rows and hundreds of these beautiful and vibrant sunflowers greeting me as I make my jog back home. I began to notice that each and every blossom directly faces the fall morning sun as it shines over the grand mountains on the east side of my path. The bright yellow pedals are fully opened and reaching out as if they were arms anticipating the warm, loving embrace of the light. Despite the thistles, weeds and rocks surrounding these happy creatures-they never seemed to face down! A light went on inside my head at that moment! How can I become like these sunflowers?

It seems like whenever I feel sad, angry, confused or basically “stuck” in my life, I catch myself looking down at the thorny thistles and the big boulders that stand in my path. I forget to simply look UP at the sun! I use sun, in this case as symbolism for God, as he is to me. Being respectful of others beliefs-whatever “God” means to you. There is a powerful, all knowing positive energy source. If I use the simple and pure example of sunflowers, who, without “thinking” about it-endlessly seek light source. It comes natural, effortlessly to them!
May we all use the gracious and elegant sunflower as our guide! Open up your pedals. Anticipate that warm, light embrace. Expect the sunshine. You shall have it-despite your surroundings. Look UP!
Love, Wendy

My little girl is growing up!

Today my little girl graduated from 6th grade. That's right, she will be in middle school (in my day we called it Jr. High!. This blows my mind, because it seems like just the other day-I brought my tiny, pink, cute little baby home from the hospital. It seems like life just breezes by. Time continually ticks away. It is said that the first half of our life is creating memories...and the second half is reliving those memories. My life is so FULL...that I only have time to create the most wonderful and colorful stories! I am also grateful that I recognize that I need to be present and with...whom ever I am WITH. It is important to BE happy NOW...Be grateful NOW and LOVE the important people in my life. We get one life, make it count.

I am in a somber and humble place today-as I breathe in life, time and the event of my daughters accomplishment. She is on her way to be an official young woman. How much fun she has to look forward to!

I love you Hannah! Congratulations on your success! You are a winner!

Love, Mom

I'm B A C K!

Ok, I am totally embarrassed that I have not blogged since last December! So much as happened since then. I will make bullet points being that I am so far behind!
~ We got our preview book printed! YEAH!
~ Doing some planning, organizing and growing our new business ventures. We started our own publishing company (Greater Life Results)
This is the very short version of my reality. Truthfully, I have been through personal trials and hardships in my business and life in general. I am growing myself...which always is painful. Change is painful. But...it's good to grow and change.
Our non profit We Make a Difference Now, is in full swing getting prepared for our 5K, 10K and 1 mile fun run in West Jordan on July 3, 2010. We are having a hard time getting sponsors this year. Every business has cut their budget to the core-the economy has really taken a toll on everyone!
I have been working on over coming my fear of speaking in public by ...well...speaking! I also hired an AWESOME coach, in whom I love and trust. SHE ROCKS!
I will make it my goal to keep blogging more often. I need to be present and do what I enjoy-which is connecting with people-and communicating with you! Thanks so much for all your support and loving me...no matter what!
Love, Wendy