Sunday, March 13, 2016

Still Running Marathons

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"
--Hebrews 12:1

Those of you that really know me, know that giving up running was one of the hardest, if not the hardest thing that illness has brought to my life. It was my stress reliever, my thinking space, my mode of transportation sometimes, my inner peace, my exercise, a spiritual awakening, running was life. I did track and field and cross country competitively and did half and full marathons for sport. Every day I ran some insane distance or another. I didn't take valium then. I didn't need to, because I had my running. I usually came in first and second every time I did any sort of competition, it was my passion. That and music, which I can't do anymore either. Both were marathon sports. Lots of practice, lots of training, lots of staying in shape, keeping my 'chops' up, just for one day, one race.



I still remember being in the hospital in September of 2011, right after I had lost my job as a special ed teacher due to my health. It was a 13 day stay. It was the stay I started this blog actually. My potassium was dangerously low. I was in and out of consciousness. I almost died. When I was awake I would cry and my nurses would ask me what was wrong and I would say, "I just want to go for a run, I'm tired of just laying here." They would get this sad look in their eye and try to move me to the chair in the room, but it would be too painful for my muscles because of the low potassium, and I would think the sad look in their eye was them commiserating with me wanting to go for a run and them thinking in their heads, "just a couple more days hunny;" but what their eyes were really saying was "I don't have the heart to tell this girl she will never run again."

I never did. I never could. I never will. 'Til I'm in Heaven.

But God. 

God is currently using my training as a runner to get me to a goal that I never would have dreamed possible! He is using my skills of flexibility, hard work, endurance, determination, planning, training, and passion to run a different kind of marathon. One that I'm running pretty much 24/7 but while sitting on my booty on my computer. 

In just 13 months with the company, Thirty-One Gifts, I met all the qualifications needed to DIQ which means Director in Qualification, so this month (my 14th month--which is rare, but not unheard of and some have done it much faster, but I'm betting they were not terminally ill) I am DIQ'ing. That means I need to have 4 PEQA's (Personally Enrolled Qualified and Active) consultants under me, which I do; sell $1000 personally which I have, and my team needs to sell $4000 or more (and we are halfway there on the 13th, so we are on track (but my peace of mind could still use some mega big orders to come my way!! :) 

Throughout my entire 31 journey, and especially the past couple of weeks, I have not been able to not think of not comparing it to running a marathon. And for me, that makes it easier. 

Mile 1--get that first customer and order that is not your own...because let's face it...the first order is always your own ;)

Mile 2--have your first party!! YAY!!



the miles go on from there...

Mile 5 or so-- Your first recruit, your building your team, your building your pace!! Way to go!



Mile 7--Attend national conference!! Here's how it went for me...had one recruit on my team. Got my ribbons. One of those ribbons is a goal ribbon for next national conference and we are told to write a goal for national conference I'm terminally ill with 1 recruit with a rocky business and I write director on my goal ribbon for what I want to have accomplished by next national conference. If you are a marathoner you have to have big goals! 

more miles, more pace building, more recruits, more customers, more parties!

Mile 10--Senior Consultant!!!!! YOU ROCK!! And you get a personal phone call from Home Office telling you so!!


more miles, more pace building, more recruits, more customers, more parties!

Mile 20 or there about--Qualify for DIQ!!! Yeah you did it!!

Mile 21-23--DIQ This is a long 2 months so it's a long 2 miles, but you can do it. This is where pacing, endurance, hard work, flexibility, and passion come in handy the most! Keep at it, you will survive.

Mile 24-25--The next 2 months of your 1st 4 months as director meeting qualifications so you get that $1K bonus!! You can do it!!! 

Mile 26--Walking the stage at National Conference!!! YOU DID IT!! You finished your marathon as planned! Everything went of without a hiccup!! 



I really hope my miles 21-26 look as good as my miles 1-20 did, stay tuned to find out! I believe they will because God has my back. And if they don't there is always next year, but hopefully, in 27 days you'll start getting mail from me that has this logo on it. :) 

Because sometimes God has a different race marked out for us than the one we thought was marked out for us in the beginning. And sometimes, that race is so much more fun and pink! And you even get paid to run it! :)

**This is the opinion of myself, an independent senior consultant with Thirty-One, and not the opinion of Thirty-One Gifts itself. This is not intended to sell or recruit.**