6.27.2014

Convention wrap up...

John Maxwell was one of the last speakers at the convention.  He said so much good stuff:

-Anyone can have a dream, but not everyone will take the journey to get there.
-Don't say "I'll try to do it"...just do it!
-It's easier to go from failure to success than excuses to success!
-If you are thinking of quiting, just go ahead and do everyone a favor and quit...it obviously isn't your dream!
-If you are working in areas where you are not naturally gifted, you cannot achieve it.
-Passion gives energy.  Great passion gives people great energy.  Passion sets you above the crowd.
-Live until you die.  A lot of people are already dead, but just haven't made it official yet.  Don't ever retire...do what you love and do it until you die!
-Have a strategy to get from where you are to where you want to be!  The secret to success is determined by your daily agenda.  
-Everyday we are preparing or repairing, so do today right!
-Follow "The Rule of 5"...get your system of five things you will do EVERY day to work towards your goal.  
-Don't say "someday" because that really means "never".



You see that little green bottle in his hand?...Young Living Peppermint Essential Oil...yep.

Wow...took lots of notes and felt pumped up and worn out at the same time after that lecture!  A shot of Nitro in my Ningxia slushy did wonders!


Remember how I said that Young Living is all over the world?!?!?  Leaders from all over the world came to tell us about their markets!  We heard from North America, all over South America, Australia, Asia and Europe...I LOVE how they are everywhere...it means that I will have to visit those headquarters all over the world, right?!?!?!!!!  Travel fever was coming on BIG time during that session!!!!!




This is Mona, Utah where one of Young Living's farms is located.  


Here is the Lavender that is grown there...


Blue Spruce waiting to be distilled...


Juniper and Blue Spruce during the distillation process...


Rosemary growing in the greenhouses...


And fields and fields full of plants just waiting to be harvested, distilled, tested, sealed and sent to homes all over the world!  This is one reason why I love Young Living.  They manage every step from the seed until the bottle is sealed so I know that I am getting 100% pure, unadulterated therapeutic grade essential oils!


Once we left the farm, we drove to the Young Living corporate office in Lehi, Utah.  We toured around, saw Live Chat area, customer service, the offices of Jared Turner, Travis Ogden, Gary and Mary Young and more!!!


Royal Crown Diamond is Young Living's highest rank and Monique McLean hit it within 16 months...my goal is to be up there beside her family's photo by convention 2015!!!!!


Oh yea...who could visit Salt Lake City without visiting the temple :).  I know that many of you know that I grew up in Cochabamba, Bolivia...we has the largest Mormon temple in South America!


Isn't this amazing...I'm in Utah, talking on FaceTime with Nick, who is in SC.  My puppy can hear me and see me and is dying to get into the phone with me...technology is incredible!


Time for bed!!!  I'll fill you in tomorrow!!!

6.26.2014

Lemon Dropper pArTy!!!!!!!!!

Build Your Dreams Young Living Essential Oil Blend...Do you remember what MY BIG DREAMS are?????.....


What are YOUR BIG DREAMS?!?!?!!!???...I'd seriously love to know!


Today, during the General Session, Monique McLean spoke to over 9,000 of us here in Salt Lake City!  She spent her entire time on stage giving all the glory to The LORD, recognizing our teams hard work and encouraging everyone in Young Living.  People keep asking how the Lemon Droppers are so succesful...this is why!  We have great examples of leaders!!!


After the General Session, we broke off into workshops.  I attended You Glow Girl and learned about how to care for your skin with Young Living products.  I wanted ALL of the products.  I DO have the Art Day Activator and actually love it!  I learned that most women in Asia use up to 18 products per day!!!!  Most people don't have time for that, so YL broke down the steps of the basics: cleanse, exfoliate, tone, restore, moisturize and refine.  They have products for each of those six steps and I love it because they carefully select the ingredients and also include essential oils for your skin health! Want an example of the products that could be in your quick routine?

1.  Cleanse with Art gentle foaming cleanser or orange blossom cleanser.
2.  Exfoliate with satin facial scrub (not every day).
3.  Tone with the Art toner.
4.  Restore with the orchid restoring serum.
5.  Moisturize with Art Day Activator or many others!
6.  Refine with Art Beauty Mask or Orchid Creme Mask (not every day).

You all know that beauty is very important to the world.  Although what really counts is what's on the inside, people want to feel beautiful and confident.  

Let me just say...if you know me, you KNOW that I LOVED this class!!!!  Young Living has Beauty School in October and I want to come back!!!!!!

Guess who else I went to hear in a workshop!???????!!!!  Monique McLean!!!!


Monique had a full house!!!!  It was basically survival of the fittest to find a seat in her class!!!  


After a full day of sitting and listening, we had a night of standing around, dancing, talking and receiving award pins at Lemon Dropper night!!!!!!!  See all those Lemon Droppers!!!!  


Every party needs a chocolate fountain!!!!!


Every party needs swag!!!!!


And every party needs a 300 person Lemon Dropper selfie!!!!!


Although the Lemon Droppers are my group, here are the girls that I have been sharing a house with, getting to know and having an amazing week with!!!  We are from ALL over the USA...even from Alaska!!!!  

I came to this convention alone and not knowing anyone...I'm leaving with new friends from all over the country and planning on bringing back my own team with me next year!!!!!!  

And what is my goal for next year?!?!?!...I'm coming back as a Royal Crown Diamond and bringing my favorite person with me!!!!!!

6.25.2014

Leadership Gala!!!!



Honestly, I'm exhausted!  We are so busy, walking so much, talking to so many people and taking in so much information in such a short period of time.  


We had our General Sessions 1 & 2 and heard from so many different speakers.  There was also skits, special music and more.  I was so surprised to see how global Young Living is...they are all over the world!  Look at all those flags!  We had what reminded me of our church's Parade of Nations!!!  Guess how many people were here today???...over 9,000!!!!!


Want to know the truth?!  My favorite part of the day was the Leadership Gala because I felt so special!  You must hit Silver rank and above to be invited.  I am one rank below, at executive, but someone didn't want to go and gave up their tickets to me and another girl, named Lindsy, take their places!!!!!!


Meet my date, Lindsy...


The food was so good.  Instead of serving wine, we had Ningxia Red!!!  They sure do know how to keep us going :).  Even our little dessert had the cutest piece of Lavneder across the top...so many thoughtful little touches.  


Young Living had already spent the day recognizing and giving out awards to Silvers, Golds and Platinums.  Then tonight they did the same for Diamonds, Crown Diamonds and Royal Crown Diamonds!!!  It was amazing to see Lindsay Moreno walk for Crown Diamond and Monique McLean walk for Royal Crown Diamond...our Lemon Droppers, who started it all, made it that far in ONE year...one year!!!!!!!!  They have both worked hard, but they are all about the Team Work and look where It has gotten them!  All the way to the very top!!!  The Lemon Droppers are growing faster than anything the company has ever seen and it's because of those two amazing women!  And is it JUST them?!  No!  Every Lemon Dropper who follows their example is growing at crazy speeds too!  I love being a Lemon Dropper :).  Not just because I love the oils and I love it as a job...I love all of the friends I've made!!!!


Finally got a photo with Lindsay Moreno!!!  Already have one with Monique McLean from yesterday...the convention is officially the best!



And we got Mary Young!!!


Oh yea...and we have a TON and really amazing new products coming out that I can't wait to try and tell people about!!!!!

Off to bed...workshops begin tomorrow!!!!

6.24.2014

And so it begins...

We arrived at the convention.  

Everything.  Is.  Purple.  


Everything.  Says.  Live Your Dream.



I'm hanging out with fun girls from my team!



Salt Lake City is amazing and the convention center is HUGE!  


We've had amazing speakers and everyone smells like yummy oils!



I've already met Monique and Lindsay (forgot to ask for a photo with Lindsay)!



Ate "dinner" at the Cheesecake Factory!



Taken a Ningxia Red shot!

Ummmm...let's just say, I could get used to this!  Yes, I work hard, but seriously, I already loved my job and this has made me even more pumped up!  This week is going to be packed with tons of Lemon Dropper girl time and lots of great education!  I LOVE my job...I have found my sweet spot in life!

6.22.2014

Salt Lake City

This week will mark 7 months since I got my package of Young Living Essential Oils, started using and loving them and then, almost immediately, began selling them!  If you follow my blog regularly, lately you will have read all about my BIG DREAMS!!!!!  After going to university for something totally different and having lots of different jobs, I have finally found my sweet spot in life!!!!  I LOVE what I do...I get up in the morning and can't wait to get started on my work!  I always thought people lied when they said they loved their jobs.  But seriously, it's true...I love my job!  And guess what else I love?...to TrAvEL!!!!!!  And guess what I'm going right now????  I'm on my way to Salt Lake City for a huge Young Living convention.  Oh my goodness...job of my dreams.  Period.

Everyone knows that I'm a pretty detailed person, but every now and then I don't care about some details and just overlook them.  Like if someone says, "where are your layovers going to be?"...and I say, "um, I don't know...but I know I'm going to Salt Lake City".  Or someone says, "what band are you listening to?"...and I say, "ummmm, I don't know...but I know I like this song".  So, details aren't always important.  Well, long story short...I never noticed that the convention had a "name" or "theme".  Guess what it is?!?!?!?!?


Yep, DREAMS...call me crazy (or the crazy oil lady), but this is...crazy!!!!!!!  All these weeks that I have been dreaming, thinking about my dreams, writing down my dreams, talking with Nick about his dreams and blogging about our dreams...and the convention is Live Your Dream...ok, I think I will!!!!!  Didn't even notice this until yesterday when I was stalking Monique McLean on Facebook...just kidding, but really...you should stalk her too...sweet family and she's a Lemon Dropper.  Can't get much better than that!

My traveling was long and i was so so tired!  After a storm Saturday night and power loss around 7pm, a dogwood taking a little nap on top of my dad's truck, all the lights and fans coming back on around midnight, waking up at 3am, killing five centipedes and a roach in the bathroom, we left the house at 4am Sunday for the airport.  


I had my Complete bar to hold me over until some super yummy airplane food...yes, sarcasm, but "if you're really hungry, you'll eat anything", right?!?!


Although I'm a "world traveler", I'm a nervous flier.  I figure that each flight that I take increases my chance of being on a flight that I wish I wasn't on.  The man sitting beside me was explaining why I'm safer with each flight because of the something of the relativity or something...I was too anxious to concentrate.  And of course, the man and I had many connections through people we know in Florence...the more you travel, the smaller the world is.

In addition to my oils, I brought along my fruits, veggies and berries too!!!!  Haha...there's a first for everything.  It really helps me out since I would prefer living off of twizzlers, chocolate and brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts (just keepin in real here).   


...My ticket didn't include a bag for free, so obviously I was "forced" to travel with only a carry-on and a personal item.  It was not at all because Nick and I went shopping and this suitcase happened to be the only purple one in TJMaxx.  Ok maybe a little.  Ok, it was...even Nick said, "Well, you finally got the suitcase of your dreams...cute, little and purple"...at least I'm easily pleased right?!?!?!?!!

 And of course, on my flight from Charlotte to Pheonix, my neighbor commented on how good I smell and we ended up having a little essential oils lesson right there at 16F and 16E, with a couple other passengers leaning in to get a listen :)


I finally arrived in Salt Lake City and found my ride...I'm staying in a house with 11 Lemon Droppers (I know you're jealous)!  How do I know these girls?!...Facebook!  Have I ever met them in real life?...not yet!  How did I find them in the airport?...I was texted instructions on where to meet up and what my ride was wearing!  Social Media is a wonderful thing...I've reconnected with so many friends around the globe and met hundreds of new ones!!!  I found my ride, Leslie, and as we were waiting on the rental car, guess who showed up?!?!?!?!??!!!!?  Lindsay Moreno and her family!!!!!!!  Who is that, you may ask?  She is one of the incredible brains and talents behind the Lemon Droppers.  You've seen all my cute photos and fliers with my name on them???...Lindsay.  You've seen my brochures???...Lindsay.   You've seen my Handbooks???...Lindsay.  The list goes on and on.  I have never met her before, so I got nervous butterflies and started to sweat.  I know, pretty, right?  In my head, I was thinking, "go talk to her"..."no, I can't because she is busy"..."well, this is your one chance since you've got her alone"..."no, I'm way too excited and I'll freak her out"..."Monique McLean told you to get out of your comfort zone, so put your big girl pants on"..."but she might think I'm crazy and wonder why I'm talking to her"..."just play it cool and introduce yourself"...yes, this was happening as I sat there and stared at her and her family...no, I'm not a creeper.  I finally got up and walked over, stuck out my hand and introduced myself and then Lindsay gave me a big hug and introduced me to her family!  I remained calm on the outside, but on the inside you would think I had met a celebrity!!!  Anyway...what a great start to my week at the convention!!!!!

We all started arriving and our little rental house started to fill up.  We went to Target to get snacks and food, while some of our group finished up their site seeing.  Someone suggested that we eat at this amazing Mexican restaurant, the Red Iguana. 


 I was disappointed because Mexican is the only food I don't like.  But, we went there to eat and I actually was impressed...that's saying a LOT for me...ask my family!


We came back to the house and sorted out our rooms and beds and then everyone crashed!!!!  Lemon Dropper week begins!...stay tuned :)

6.07.2014

Comfort Zones, Learning and NEVER GIVING UP!!!

     I know that I have been posting A LOT of "Living Your Dreams" type stuff lately, but ALL of this is because I have been following Monique McLean's blog and her DREAM BIG Series.  In each of MY posts, I give you the link to HER post and I seriously hope that you are taking the time to read her writing and watch her videos!!!  I'm SERIOUS!  Nick and I have had some AMAZING conversations over the past few weeks as we have followed Monique.

     If you missed my other posts relating to this, here they are: DreamingFinding Your SWEET SPOT In LifeThe Keys To Success and Strengths, Talents and Gifts...

     Comfort Zones are comfy.  

     That's why we all LOVE them and want to stay curled up and safe and warm.  But, if we want to learn, grow, build character and achieve our dreams, we have to GET OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE!

     As Wick Jackson (my dad) would say…

"if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got"…

     BOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!  He is right.  
     So YOU get out of YOUR comfort zone and I'll get out of MY comfort zone…DEAL?!?!?!?!

So, for me this means:
-going to the gym alone?
-teaching a class?
-driving out of town alone?
-speaking in front of a crowd?
-going to the grocery store alone?
-working on my yard/house?
-cooking a new meal?
-being a leader at Bible Study?
-going to a conference alone in two weeks?
-walking my dog alone?

Obviously being "alone" is my biggest issue.  I HATE to be alone (most of the time) and it is way out of my comfort zone.  I would LOVE to be with Nick ALL DAY EVERY DAY!

So, what things would take you out of YOUR comfort zone?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I'd like to think that most everyone who ever achieved anything GREAT did it by getting out of their comfort zones…so, I like to think about what I can achieve if I get out of mine.

     You want another inspirational word from Wick Jackson?  This is what he has posted in his office:


Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, And Nobody

This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.
It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done



I LOVE this little story because it reminds me that I CAN DO IT!
Now you want some inspiration from me?  

GOT DREAMS?  GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND JUST DO IT!
Just kidding, but not really…I have to tell this to myself ALL of the time.

Side note: we need REST too!  We get tired!  We can't just keep going and going and going and going like the energizer bunny…take a nap, read a book, go to the beach for the day, leave town for a week of vacation…just make sure that you are getting enough rest so you have enough energy to continue to dream!

     REMEMBER:  As you are getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things, it's ok to make mistakes!  If you make a mistake, you learn not to ever make that mistake again.  Nick wanted me to add this - smart people learn from their mistakes…wise people learn from the mistakes of others.  We don't know who said that, but its good!  No matter what, NEVER GIVE UP!  You MUST dream, you MUST find that sweet spot in life, you MUST learn to be successful, you MUST figure out your talents, strengths and gifts, you MUST get out of your comfort zone and you MUST continue to learn…don't just let your life float by!

     Nick and I have traveled more than most of our friends.  But, it isn't because we just decided to buy airline tickets one day and left the country the next.  We worked hard and sacrificed for years!  When our friends were going out to restaurants and to see movies in the theatre, we were picking up Little Ceasar's $5 pizza and renting a RedBox DVD for $1.30.  When our friends were buying new furniture for their new homes, we were using hand-me-downs from friends and family.  When our friends were buying flat screen TVs, we just went without and then finally got a hand-me-down TV from a sister during our 4th year of marriage.  When our friends were getting new laptops, we were still using the one we've had since college graduation in 2008.  When our friends were buying new cars, we were buying used and sharing one car, for the two of us, since we were married in 2007.  When most people own their own vacuum cleaner, we have been borrowing my moms since the one from our wedding broke years ago.  When most people need new towels or sheets and just go out and buy them, we would just wait it out and ask for them for Christmas.  When my girlfriends would go buy a new dress for a special occasion, I would go through my mom and sisters closets and borrow something that they already have…the list of "sacrifices" goes on and on and on!

     I'm NOT saying we had it bad…we HAVE IT GOOD!  But, we have dreams and goals and we plan and save.  We live according to a budget that we set for ourselves.  The budget has changed over the years.  During our first year of marriage, we were still full-time students and we worked all of the hours that we weren't in class or sleeping.   That year, I bought an exercise tank top from Target for $15 and I thought that I had just thrown our money away and we were going to be living on the streets.  That's the same time of our lives when we thought that a Combo #1 at Chick-Fil-A was a SUPER expensive date night.  So, we have grown up and graduated and have better jobs, but we STILL dream, set goals, plan, budget and save…that's still the only way to actually live out our dreams!  So, YES, it was a sacrifice, but we NEVER GAVE UP and since getting married in 2007, we have been to 17 countries together and slowly been checking things off of our ever growing bucket list.  

You can do it...

NEVER GIVE UP