And so it begins...

"When the student is ready, the teacher arrives"

I have learned this in the most amazing way in the past few weeks. I have been considering a journal or blog for years, but I have been terrible at getting around to it...as a matter of fact I have been terrible at getting around to lots of things! That's changing, and so it begins...

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and start from the beginning.

I have always believed that greatness, enlightment, inner peace, ect., were for other people. I was just not the type. I'm a get up in the morning (only because I absolutely HAVE to), go to work, come home, watch tv, eat too much, go to bed kind of person. Mixed in with this have been moments of unbelievable adventure! It's a crazy paradox, and it's my life.

Let's see, it started by jetting off to modelling school in Toronto at the tender age of 18 (my poor parents). Along the way I have had many, many jobs. I have tried a zillion things including climbing and repelling, snorkelling, marathon running, competitive body building, starting a number of businesses, zip lining...the list goes on. I took up figure skating at the tender age of 21 and acting at 38! I have been to the Pyramids of Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, on safari in the Serengeti, I have flown with the snowbirds, and I created my own successful self-therapy to cure my arachnophobia! Ask me about that last one someday!

So...All of this fun tossed in with an otherwise normal life has been quite a roller coaster. I have always been in search of something exciting enough to change me into the person I have always wanted to be. I recently wrote that I don't believe great people are made, I believe they are born. I still believe that, only now I believe we are all born great but not all of us live to our full potential. I am officially working on mine.

In October, 2008, I met an amazing woman named Kim Shaw. She offered me a network marketing opportunity, which at the time I didn't take very seriously. It just wasn't my thing. I have been steering clear of network marketing my whole adult life. I tried Kim's product and became interested in learning more. This is not an effort to get anyone to join my team...it's just a way to fill in the space from there to here.

Soon after meeting Kim, I found out my father had Esophageal cancer. I was devastated. I had his eulogy written in my head within hours. Then someone wonderful (Alberta, my bestest bud!) gave me this sage advice...don't mourn him while he is still alive.

On Christmas eve, we learned Dad would be having surgery. It wouldn't be a nice process, but it offered us hope. On January 6th, Dad underwent 8 hours of surgery and came through it with flying colours. After the surgery things went down hill. He had a violent and horrifying case of ICU psychosis which lead to isolation and a paralyzing fear of being left alone. Mom and I spent every waking, and many sleeping moments with him for 9 days in SICU. When he was moved to the floors, he made huge improvements, and after 12 days he was home. 4 days later he aspirated and nearly died. We took him to the hospital where he was admitted and spent the next 5 weeks. Between the aspiration and bilateral pneumonia, we were convinced we were going to lose him. 16 hour days in the hospital watching someone you love more than almost anything nearly die from choking on a nearly hourly basis can sure change your perspective on things.

Ok...so the Reader's Digest version is, Dad is out of the hospital after a total of 50 days and slowly recovering. He will need further treatment, but we are hopeful the improvements will continue. It's been a very long 4 months. I could never have survived without the support of my wonderful friends, especially Alberta and Greg who were there for me any time of the day or night to listen to the good the bad and the ugly. So many other people offered words of encouragement that I could never thank them all personally, but you know who you are!

During all this time, I was receiving e-mails from my new friend Kim. We became wonderful friends, and I am very lucky to have her in my life. I have since joined her business and I am very excited about my future because of it.

I am not only learning about network marketing, but I am learning about me and how to improve my life. I have recently read "The Monk who sold his Ferrari" by Robin Sharma. He is my new guru. I am so inspired by this book and looking forward to reading more of his and others which will help me see my life in a new light. I am learning self discipline, which I NEVER had in any great dose, self-knowledge, the law of attraction and most importantly that in helping others, we help ourselves. I am opening my mind to the possibility...no, the probability that I CAN be great! So, I think I'll give it a whirl! Stay tuned...