The Greatest Day

What did you do today?  Has it been productive?  A lazy Saturday?  Did you fight with your significant other, best friend or co-worker?  Are you working?  It doesn't matter what has happened.  Good, bad or otherwise, YOU have the potential to make it the greatest day of your life.

"How so?"  you may ask.  I'm glad you inquired!  You see, it is those thoughts within us that guide the course of our life.  If you are constantly negative and look at the bad things in the world, you will in fact, have a negative outlook on life.   If, however, you choose to take a more positive approach to life, your life will be much happier.

Take me, for instance.  I personally refuse to look at the news.  Why?  Don't I want to know what's going on in the world?  Not really.  It is, IMHO, depressing.  There is enough sadness in the world without seeing it 70" wide and in high def!  Last night, I had a disagreement with my significant other.  I had 2 choices:  play it out or let things lie and talk about it in the morning.  I must confess, choosing the latter was hard; but I also knew the outcome if I decided to talk about it last night and it wouldn't have been pretty.  So, I waited.  Granted, this morning, I came out gangbusters.  And yes, although the situation was still the same, the heat of what would have been a hell of an argument had died.  We were able to talk things out and move forward.  It  was hard -- that's for sure!  But it was worth it, not to let that spark lead to an out of control blaze.

So, today has been great...why?  Because the sun is shining, I am enjoying a beautiful, breezy day and life is good.  But WHY is it good?  Am I rich?  You mean, as in money?  Nah!   I have no savings or credit cards and a butt load of student loans;  yet, I'm happy.   I keep the  most important things in my life close to my heart; my faith, my family and friends.  I stay away from the negative and stay focused on the positive.  Do I wish I were rich?  Of course!  But I am also wise enough to know that money does not, in and of itself, bring happiness. 

I'll tell you something that few know -- stay away from the negative, embrace the positive, be true to yourself, and always live an authentic life.  If you do those things, you will be happy.  Not just that -- you will be living -- actually LIVING instead of merely surviving!  And so, make today one of those days -- don't just make it a good day; make it the greatest day of your life!  If we all lived that way, then life would be great indeed!

Not All Who Wander Are Lost

I've always been somewhat of a Bohemian spirit ... a dreamer, one who marches to the beat of their own drum, who listens to her inner voice rather than what the world tells her.  Somewhere along the line, I lost that...I began to conform.  I got married, had four children and stayed married until they were grown.  When I divorced my husband, I was lost...Granted, I had a plan but really, beyond living out the day-to-day (ie: paying bills, keeping a roof over my head, et cetera), I had no thoughts of the future.  I couldn't even begin to think about it as it was completely overwhelming.

Fast forward three years.  I am a blogger, writer, teacher, and entrepreneur.  What made that difference?  How did I get here?  What was the key that unlocked all that potential?

Oola.  Yes, it is a peculiar little word that comes from Ooh-la-la.  The authors of the book, "Oola:  Find Balance in an Unbalanced World" describe it as a state of balance in seven key areas of your life:  faith, fitness, friends, fun, field, finance and family.  When you have met your goals (which are always changing) in those key areas, your life is indeed Oola = awesome!

I've written about Oola in the past and how it has helped me.  It has, in essence, helped me to look at myself and to write goals and work toward achieving them.  I also love this "system", because these guys want to "change the world with a word " -- and that word is --Oola.
 
But getting back to my quote above..."Not all who wander are lost."  It's true.  There are those of us who are risk-takers and willing to give all we have to make our dreams happen.  I'm a dreamer -- I'm also a doer.   It may take time to figure out what I want or where I am going but once it's on paper, there's no stopping me.  What about you?  Do you have dreams? 

That's the beautiful thing about Oola.  There is no comparison -- no jealousy--no negative vibes.  We are all on our own journey and we root for one another all along the way.

So if you're a wanderer...one who has dreams and doesn't know how to get there?   Wander to their website (www.oolalife.com) and pick up a copy of the book.  Read it and more importantly, work on your dreams and goals; help yourself figure out where you are and where you want to go.  It's really an amazingly, simple system to follow and I can attest, it works! 

So I guess everyone is wondering -- how much do I get for this plug?  Absolutely nothing!  You see, I believe in this system so much that to me, it's worth it just to see you get your life on track.  So, don't wander aimlessly but rather, with purpose.  And once you discover your purpose, help others find theirs.  It's really that simple.

The dreamers of the world?  The wanderers?  The ones who march to the beat of their own drum?  Those are the people I want to hang with....they're the ones who open their minds to possibilities.  And the possibilities are endless!

Virtual Reality: The Lotus Blossom

Today it happened.  Today I realized just how social media can be utilized.  Today God spoke to me.  I realized my ministry can happen; and it is.

I've been writing for three years, and yes, always knew that was a ministry of sorts.  Now, I am expanding that ministry to Facebook and soon Twitter.  It is called The Lotus Blossom.  You may ask, why a lotus blossom?  It is because the lotus grows out from the mud to bloom into a beautiful flower.  In my estimation, there are a lot of lotus blossoms out there -- they just don't realize how beautiful they are!

And so, today I launched my ministry -- a virtual wellness center.  It will be an information center, for those who need help getting on their feet.  Those who are looking for #hope #healing and #encouragement.  However, if you feel like you have it all together and are looking for some products to help you feel or look better, the websites for those are also listed on there as well.

This is a huge day! For those who have been following me on Twitter and Facebook here is the reality:

1)  God has provided once again; He has shown me that my ministry does not need money to get      off the ground.

2)  He has shown me once again that if I trust Him, the timing will be right.  I was in a class on Facebook 101, when the idea came to me.  I believe this is one of the first centers of its kind (although I could be wrong).

3)  It will incorporate information on yoga, some health and life coaching, essential oils and skin care.

4)  The Lotus Blossom is designed to be a "safe" haven.  Regardless of your race, religion, sex, age, marital status -- all are welcome unless you are using this as a platform to spread hate and intolerance.  This is not that platform.

5)  Anyone who wishes information on products, please send me your phone number and I will call you.  Again, although "social" media, this is not a dating or pickup site.  Please don't treat it as such -- you will be blocked.

6)  Lastly, I would love for all of you to like and share.   I believe God is doing great things and I am honored to be an instrument with which to serve Him.

In short, I want you to feel free to join me on this journey.  I have been through much and my goal is to help others who are struggling.

God bless,

Lisa

Dreamer

People are probably looking at me sideways and wondering why in the world I am working a full-time job and now venturing into two separate side businesses.  It does, on the surface, seem odd.  After all, I was quite burned out from work.  But sometimes, there is more than meets the eye; and that is the case with me.

I have been working to develop a ministry.  In 2007, as my mother lay dying, I heard God distinctly tell me that I would go into ministry and it would cost me $100,000.  I didn't know what that meant but I knew what I had experienced with my mom's illness and believed it to have something to do with that.

Fast forward 9 years later.  I am still trying to discern God's call to ministry and have about figured it out.  The thing is, I know it will cost $100,000.  I also know that I need to have all my debt paid off so that I can go into this full-time.  Yes, I have filed for Chapter 13 and am paying on that.  However, God has really made it evident that more needs to be done.  It is time to step out in faith.   I can't, however, lunge off a cliff.  I need to have a plan for launching this; and I have figured out that I need an income other than teaching so that I can run my ministry.  Hence, the home-based businesses.

I got behind Young Living Essential Oils for two reasons.  One, Oola is intricately tied to it and I have a strong affinity for what they are doing; changing the world with a word.  The other reason is that these are quality oils, they have the largest selection of therapeutic grade oils that I've found, and they've been in business for 20-some years.  To me, that speaks volumes.

The other business I got behind is Rodan + Fields.  I probably would not have even tried this product but for the fact that someone I know and respect is doing this and making a good living at it.  She too runs a ministry and although her R + F career came after her ministry, she is now able to comfortably take care of her family.

And so, I waded in...first one toe, then the next.  For those that think I'm crazy, perhaps I am.  After all, some might see this as counter-productive...why not just set up the ministry?  Truth is, this is a special ministry and would fall under a "caring" ministry.  I don't want to charge people for it but rather let it run on donations.  It will take many to run it.  I don't want to pull a salary from it and it will require a great deal of overseeing by myself in order to make sure it goes off without a hitch.

As for my books?  After my debt is paid, any monies from that will likewise be given to the ministry.  I am not doing this for me but rather, for God...to better this world we live in.  But, I do know I need to eat and I cannot ask for donations myself.

I will ask this...if the idea that I have put before you appeals to you and you would like to help, then rather than donate, become a preferred customer or even a representative of either company.  Build your own business and reap the benefits of your own work.  I am posting my websites below.  If you have difficulty accessing, please send me a DM on Twitter @LisaLehr1.  God bless!




Young Living:  www.yldist.com/lisalehr
Rodan + Fields:  https://lisalehr1.myrandf.com/


"Dreamer" by Roger Hodgson
https://youtu.be/urMjGAimtRc

My Oola Journey: From Fat to Fabulous

I have just gotten off of a video call with Dr. Wayne Andersen, who wrote "The Habits of Health".   He was talking about a study that basically, called out the Biggest Loser.  In the study, it found that over time, the people who lost weight on the show continued to "lose" the weight loss battle; that is, they gained back weight and in fact, their metabolism slowed and it was more difficult to lose weight.

Some interesting (and scary) statistics.  Obesity leads to insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  If that isn't scary enough, consider this.  The U.S. is 5% of the world's population and we consume 50% of the world's medications.  Now, THAT'S scary!

We were created with 40 BILLION fat cells which were designed to get us through the hard times -- like back when we had to hunt and gather to eat.  Well now, the only hunting and gathering we do is in the grocery store.  We don't really need to fill up those fat cells anymore because food is readily available to us.  And if you don't believe me, look on every corner, cause I'm pretty sure there's a fast food joint that is more than eager to have you eat there! 

Dr. A pointed out something I have known for a long time -- diets don't work.  It requires a lifestyle change.  He described it as a scaffold of sorts.  First of all, there is no such thing as willpower.  If  that was all that was required, then, losing weight and keeping it off would not be a problem.  Rather, in order to lose weight and sustain it, one needs to do several things.

Change your diet.  He recommends the Medifast 5 + 1 plan.  Do not worry about exercise at the "get go".  Wait 3-4 weeks.  Then, begin to make those small changes.  Add walking until you reach 10,000 steps per day.  Later, add lifting weights.  Not a lot, but enough to increase your metabolism and prevent loss of muscle mass, which we all have as we get older.  Make losing weight your priority.  Lastly, one of the most important things:  Surround yourself with like-minded people.  Positive people who will encourage you and "cheer you on";  those with similar goals.

If you want to maintain a healthy and sustainable weight loss, go into this with the idea there is no "good" or "bad".  Everyone does fall off the wagon.  Do not use the scale as your marker.  Rather look for other non-scale victories; smaller clothing sizes, inches off your body, saying 'no' to an unhealthy food placed in front of you, or even, helping someone else on their weight loss journey.

The underlying message?  Change IS possible.  You have to dream it, believe it and do it.
There are people who were morbidly obese (over 400 lbs) who have gone before you and maintain their weight loss years later.  It has not been without falling off the wagon here or there, but they got back up, dusted themselves off and moved forward. 

I know for me, this has been my personal struggle.  Not believing change is possible, losing weight, falling off the wagon, feeling guilty ("bad") and perpetuating a cycle of  negativity.  I realize that much has to do with my inner attitude, who I surround myself with, taking time to decompress and not letting the scale be my motivator but rather, my health.  The statistics I posted ARE scary.  I don't want to become a casualty of our burned out, stressed out, hurry up and wait kind of world.  I want to be part of the world that is fundamental in making a change and showing others that being unhealthy does not have to be a death sentence.

Losing weight is hard.  Being fat is hard.  Choose your hard.

"One Step At a Time" by Jordin Sparks
https://youtu.be/PIE5QtkxzvM?list=PLIT1U6WS4aYBLwNPx8HxL7Hb8Gr5Z5lSn


  

Facing your Fears

Fear.  Whether it's fear of failure or fear of success, it's a real Oola blocker.   If you have this, you are not going to get to your Oola life.   Right now, I recognize it as I reach the pinnacle of my dreams.  Why is that?  I'm not really sure...I've been going after my OolaLife for nearly three years; dedicating myself to writing and now speaking.  So, why does it seem so difficult?

Let's face it -- I've done courageous stuff.  Writing about my life and posting for the world to see...THAT takes courage.  Yet, there's sort of an anonymity to it.  But actually taking the next step?  That's hard.  That takes courage.

Don't get me wrong.  I am not about to pass up an opportunity that comes by; for that would be foolish indeed.  No, I am doing it.  I understand opportunities are rare and if one comes your way, you are blessed.  And so, I am definitely on board for it.

Yesterday, I felt like crying.  I couldn't figure out why.  I think I know why now.  Not fear but rather, the understanding that this is all falling together.  God's timing.  It's there.  I spoke with my former pastor the day before and he knew exactly what ministry I felt the need to fulfill.  And there it was; in words.  His words.  Something I'd been unable to express in the years prior.  It was in my heart, just not my lips. 

And so, as I watch God's plan unfold for my life, I will walk in His way.  Complete surrender.  Scary sometimes but then, that's what Satan would love....for us to be SO scared that we would back away.  Not this girl.  I have fought tougher fights and inner demons.  I've worked through it all.  This too shall pass.

So, I guess the takeaway is, don't let fear be your Oola blocker. Follow your dreams with courage and conviction. Go after the life you deserve and when God blesses you with good things, don't shy away.   He is indeed rewarding you for your hard work and perseverance.  Follow His footsteps and know that He is walking before you.

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!"  Psalm 27:14
A song of hope and courage:
"I am With You" by Scripture Lullabies

https://youtu.be/Zwq0q_prp9c