Trials, Tribulations and Thinking Big

"Failure is not an option." - Apollo 13, the movie

After an exhausting, inspiring, emotional, exciting, thrilling weekend with my mastermind - the first time we've all been together in the same place - my head is so filled with brainstorms, that you'd think there's a natural disaster going on in my head.

But I mean that in a good way.

As I sit here, picking the random numbers for my winners in my 12 week challenge, that quote came to my mind. It wasn't really said by anyone during the original Apollo 13 mission, but was the tag line for and one of the memorable quotes from the Ron Howard movie.

Ironically, it occurred to me that my whole life has used that phrase as a tag line.

I've been through a lot of "concentrated living" as someone once remarked to me. I was in my 20's at the time, and I've concentrated a lot more living in the decade or so since.

Maybe it's because of a childhood on welfare where my mom was able to make something from nothing every day. No one I know could make a dollar go farther - except maybe HER mom. Maybe it' just a strong work ethic that my Dad drilled into my head.

Whatever the source, I've never seen ultimate failure as an option.

There's a difference between intermedate and ultimate failure though, and this is where I've been stuck for a while.

See, not everything I do is a success - a shock, I know. :-)

In reality, not everything turns out as you would dream it. I have learned to define this as "intermediate failure". You know, kind of like "everything turns out good in the end, and if it's not good, it's not the end yet".

So if I'm not finding success at something instead of seeing myself at a failure point, I choose to renegotiate, reconnoiter, or navigate into a new direction that will ultimately bring me to success.

I hope that makes sense.

So for me, failure has never been an option, just a pit stop on the way to success.

People have remarked - "I don't know how you do it", "I don't know how you have come through so much, done so much, etc."

I just didn't see any other way. I don't think I knew failure was an option.

You can't quit when you fall off the horse. You get up, dust off, and get back on.
You can't quit when the bike tips over. You get up, dust off, and start pedaling again.

Perhaps it's persistance, determination. Who knows? The easiest way to look at it is that you choose to exclude failure as a permanent, ultimate option.

At least that's what I've learned this weekend. My business has evolved from throwing spaghetti on a wall, to a clearly defined objective. And even in that, I've discovered that there was even more clarity to be had.

And clarity makes all things new.

Forgive me if I sound a bit cryptic today. I'm tired, but excited about everything that's on the horizon for my business this year. With a cadre of amazing, brilliant women standing at the ready to celebrate and support me (and I them), there are so many options and possibilities for me now that I only imagined might have existed.

Clarity is transformative.

When you hit a wall, what do you do? Where do you stand? Are you so close to the wall that you can't tell the dimensions? Can't find a way around? Look behind you, or above you, or along the wall in one direction of the other.

Or call out for help.

Or start digging.

Or send up smoke signals.

Mark Joyner talks about "hitting it until you hit it". It's the same idea.
The means may not always bring about your desired end, but there's ALWAYS a option.

...And failure doesn't have to be one of them.

Is THIS what it's like to be old?

Okay, I'm going to classify this under the "TMI" heading - but if it helps even one person, I have to share it - you know me.



I am sick. I mean ill, as in acute bronchitis and creeping crud and all that yucky stuff... but my boys are sick, too.



You know what that means... My husband's next.



It starts with a bad headache that comes and goes....and comes and goes... My husband just had a few yesterday.



Then a wave of dizziness and coughing. My oldest got that today.



Then heavy coughing, body aches, and fever - my baby's got that today.



Then it gets really yucky. I had that yesterday. I'm feeling a bit better since I went to the hospital. The doc loaded me up on turbo antibiotics and an inhaler to alleviate the bronchitis.



But the worst part is the stress incontinence.



Yes, I said it. There it is. Laugh if you must, but it's true.



I pee when I cough really hard.

I pee when I sneeze.

I pee when I am hacking up a lung.

Here a pee, there a pee, everywhere a pee-pee.



Are you done laughing yet? Me neither.

I pee when I laugh, too.



Nope. It's not funny. And it got me to thinking, this must be a glimpse of what it's like to get old. Losing control of parts of you that your THOUGHT were firmly under your control.



OY.



So I had a clever idea. My baby wears diapers, so he doesn't care if he pees all over everything. My oldest wears pull ups on occasion, so this is no big thing for him.



Yes, you can do the math and make the linear connection here. I got "adult diapers".



Seriously, you can stop laughing now.



But let me tell you, these are NOT comfortable. I mean, they may help to fight against wetness, but they aren't winning any beauty contests. They are scratchy, cling in all the wrong places, sag in all the other wrong places, and while they're effective, I certainly don't feel confident when I wear them.



No wonder old people are crabby all the time. If they have to wear these ungodly things I TOTALLY understand.



On the bright side, my issue is temporary - which is good because I'm headed out to Leader Retreat in glorious Dallas, Texas this weekend. Actually, we're hanging out at the Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas, which is North Dallas, but this place is SWANK! Check out the photo gallery here.

This is a picture of the atrium (courtesy of the hotel). I've never been to Dallas (that's a blog post all by itself!), but they weren't kidding when they said things are bigger here:

Our Annual Leader Retreat will feature prominent speakers in the Direct Sales Industry. Last year, for example, Belinda Ellsworth was our Keynote speaker. This year, Jane Deuber will present a special session for Directors only. Pretty exciting - if you're into direct sales!

But I also look at the amenities of the event, and this one purports to be full-blown awesome:

• Complimentary made-to-order omelettes each morning (or if you don't like eggs, there's a complimentary breakfast)
• A full course of fine dining between each training session (no box lunch here, folks!)
• Complimentary business center access and Wi-Fi
• A COMPLIMENTARY reception every evening in this glorious atrium (yes, drinks of all kinds, folks)
• On-stage recognition for leadership levels
• Tons of Free products from our new catalog
• Networking opportunities galore

Plus, did I mention I'm NOT taking the family with me this time!?! Can you say working vacation? Woo hoo!

Yes, while I'm living "la vida loca" in Dallas for afew days, my husband, who should be hard and heavy into that cold by then, will be tending to our precious children at home alone.

Yes, you did hear me snicker. Hee hee.

But before you think I'm cruel and callous, I did save a few "adult diapers" for him.

And for me, there' be no "wee wee wee all the way home".

You saw it coming. Admit it.

Okay, you can stop laughing now. Seriously.

Seriously.