It has been a year since I went to Oolapalooza 2014, and what an incredible experience it was! Aside from meeting some amazing people, the convention forced me to set goals in the areas of fitness, finance, family, fun, faith, field, friends and work toward achieving them. I met more goals than I dreamed, and yet, there is a certain introspection as to what I need to do to continue to improve myself.
My biggest goal was in the area of fitness; to lose 50 pounds. Although I have not met that goal, I have lost half that amount. Could I have lost the fifty? Maybe. I started the year off with a bang! However, I did have many physical issues this year that contributed to my inability to get there, such as a car accident that messed up my back and then hurting my foot while playing tennis. I also am somewhat stubborn and believe that even if you are dieting, you need to balance that with living. And so, in keeping with Oola Fun, derailed myself at least weekly!
So, my goal for Oola fun was to do just that....have fun! Get together with friends at least twice a month and go visit my BFF's. And what a great year it has been in that area! I have been meeting with friends regularly, going out to movies weekly, hitting a few happy hours here and there, and having dinners out. Not so great on the diet but super fantastic for fun and friends.
My family goal? It was to see my out-of-state children/grandchildren once a year and to have dinner once a week with my two boys in town. I saw my grandchildren in St. Louis twice this year and am going to see my grandchildren in Texas for the second time this year. I have definitely accomplished that goal. Believe it or not, it was harder to meet up with the in-state kiddos, since they have lives outside of mom. Okay, well, I can understand that since they are ages 26 and 20. My goal was to get together with my boys on a weekly basis. However, since they have have jobs, hobbies, friends, et cetera, mama was not a priority. I think, in retrospect, that is how it's supposed to be actually. However, we talk and text regularly and do get together about once a month rather than once a week. Perhaps that goal was a bit ambitious, given the ages of my boys.
Finance...that was a big one for this year. I wanted to save a thousand dollars and get closer out of debt. I did achieve both of those goals but not in the manner in which I had imagined. First, I did open a 403b account, which is a retirement fund for teachers. I do put a small amount in there every pay period and so, it is gradually growing. I also increased my amount of life insurance, which wasn't in the plan but I thought a good idea. I did decrease my debt load by going through a Chapter 13 bankruptcy; not ideal but found I was working myself to death. I was also pushed into it when I received a $93,000 bill from my former mortgage company. I still wonder if it was the right thing to do; my friends assure me it was. So yes, I have a smaller debt load. I also have a significantly lower income since I quit working three jobs. I have my car and student loans left. No credit cards or home loan balance. I doubt I will ever own another home but that's ok. I want to get out of debt completely in the next 10 years.
As far as my career, I wanted to increase my readership on my blog. That was accomplished. I have had as many as 3,000-4,000 readers per month. Over 40,000 people have read the blog. Last year at this time, I'm pretty sure I had fewer than 10,000 readers. My messages of hope, healing and encouragement are getting out there -- and to a worldwide audience! I also wanted to increase my income by 5%. Unfortunately, our school district is fighting over teacher salaries. Presently, they are frozen. This is my 8th year as a teacher but I am on a step 4. This does not bode well for my retirement since it is based off the last 3 years of income. I do have many more years to go but at this rate, I might be at a step 10 by the time I retire at year 25, which would mean, I probably won't be able to retire at all. I am currently trying to come up with a solution No doubt, something to ponder at OP15.
I also had certain goals in the area of faith. It is interesting because what I perceived I needed to do and what God had me do were two entirely different things. Do I feel like I missed the mark in faith? Sometimes I think so...but also, I trust my life to God. At the end of the day, I believe my blog is a ministry of sorts and that, quite frankly, is what I believe God wants me to do.
And so, December 4th and 5th will be the second annual Oolapalooza. I can't wait to see my friends, talk about our past year and set goals for 2016. I am in a better place than I was a year ago and certainly, far better than I was in 2013. That was the year I read a (then little-known) book called "Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World". Drs. David Braun and Troy Amdahl have not just changed my life but changed the lives of many.
And so, Oola -- a word describing balance and growth in the 7 key areas of life that I just described, has made its mark on my life. It has changed me -- I believe, for the better. I have come to understand what it means to be grateful for all things -- good and bad -- and humble. For you won't soon meet two men who have this attitude ingrained in their hearts like these two.
Thank you doctors for healing this lady -- and giving me the opportunity to share what you have inspired in me. For teaching me how to find my life and live again -- it is, after all, very Oola.
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