Tag Archives: LoveLeavingLegacy

Update, Entrepreneurship, And A Visit From The Flexi Founder

In his wisdom. my son Andrew said “Mom. Thursday was hard. It was really hard seeing you so impaired. You were so swollen and swelling at we watched into the night on Thursday. Even I had to cry. But don’t delete these photos. On bad days you are going to need them. You will have come so far and you will need to know just how far that is.”
Even though we have one, Lydia is unable to view my “scar” photo. My right ear and neck are very swollen. Today I am very dizzy, having finished both OT and PT, and waiting a bed placement at Mary Free Bed in patient rehab for up to two weeks . This is what is next on my agenda. This is over 40 minutes from my family, and a big sacrifice for everyone. I need to get well. Staff here at Bronson is so good about anticipating my needs, and at home things are “reactive.” Just how much stress the family is all going to be under is significant to me! I need to go rest well where needs are less stressful to the prepared staff.

Yesterday an awesome surprise came in the form of our CEO and flexi founder, John Dorsey. I had had been up many hours in the night very sick, and I had literally been “allowed and encouraged” to sleep. No one at the hospital knew John was coming or the significance of the fact for my family. They would have managed differently if they’d known.

My kids got Entrepreneurship 101 from one of the best on Monday afternoon. They got to eat lunch with John Dorsey, founder of Lilla Rose, and talk the future of the company. That he invested in my family, in my children, in their crisis means so much to me!

Thank you, John! Seeing our situation as a “Unit” and not just me with a difficult thing to overcome means much.

Lydia, John Dorsey, and Andrew

Peter and John Dorsey


So today: A little more healing. Vulnerable, raw, tired, dizzy, loss of some modesty, loss of my “control freakishness”, memory loss. I will count all loss gain in a few weeks.
Preparation for more future. That describes my day.

12/04/2018, 9:30 AM, Post breakfast, post shower where they let me wear real clothes! And using a walker because I’m a Fall Risk…

I’m in a good place!

 

Blessings,

Deb

I Finally Got Angry

A few weeks ago, the weekend of my surprise diagnosis, Anna (10) asked me if I was angry at God. I asked her if she is/was, and she hung her head before admitting that maybe she was just a little. She didn’t understand why this had to happen to her Mommy and her family. No worries. We’ve been talking through this. I told her she is allowed to feel a little angry, God didn’t give her that feeling for no reason, but let’s not stay angry forever. I told her that she had a big support system, and that as long as she was talking her feelings out with us, our pastor, our trusted friends, that through those feelings she would come to grow her faith and maybe understanding of why this is happening. She still is afraid to leave me for long, but she’s asking great questions, reading her Bible, coloring Scripture, and she is talking. This girl asks tons of questions. She always has. Sometimes it’s exhausting! She loves helping me add names to our Thankfulness gratitude basket, and to our cards blessing basket.

To answer Anna’s question directly. No. I’ve not been angry. At all. Surprised is an understatement. I might at times feel frustrated or sad that my plans are derailed, but I do try to keep the focus that God is NOT surprised. His plans are better than mine. Just maybe I needed my plans derailed. That doesn’t mean I have understanding yet either. But no. I’ve not been angry. I have frustrations at some of my physical or cognitive limitations and how long things are taking me now. I have been frustrated that some things that should be easy, like putting on socks, no longer are.

I’m doing them anyway. I just need to build in more time. But, yesterday afternoon, for the first time, I got really angry. I got angry because there are parts of my situation that are just STUPID and so out of my control.

We got up early (for me early is anything before 8 am) to finish prepping for our carpet cleaning. The guys were here by 9 am and I was even showered, dressed, meds taken, and fed! That is a huge accomplishment, so I was feeling great! I finished up some projects for the kids’ doing the Holiday Craft Fair-It’s the Big One in the guest room where the carpets weren’t being cleaned, and Anna was helping me. And by doing projects, I mean….I was sitting. Still.

At some point, I got up to wobble to my bedroom, to admire the clean carpets, the cobwebs were vacuumed away in the corners, furniture got dusted, and noted that my nightstand organization needed a book moved.

Read that again.

A. Small. Book. Needed. To. Be. Moved.

I walked to the corner, slipping past the nightstand to look out our windows since the curtains were moved up out of the way for the carpet guys. I admired the beauty outside. I looked down at my nightstand.

I moved the book.

I moved the book and I fell. I first pitched to the right side, caught myself, tried to rebalance, pitched backwards (this is one of the new symptoms for which I’d called the doctor the day before), tried again to restabilize, and was pitched hard into the corner of the room and window.

That’s how stupid this is.

I wasn’t moving, wasn’t walking too fast. I wasn’t even walking. I was having a Be Still moment, I dared move a book, and I fell.

But you all….I moved a book. That made me angry. I wasn’t lifting. I was not walking too fast or too slow. I was standing properly. I even had my hand on a table to remain steady. I hit my head on the window in trying to catch myself, I wrenched my neck and shoulders. I yelled for my family as I began to pitch out of control. And I fell.

Still. I was still and I fell.

 

This. Is. Stupid.

 

And I got angry.

 

As it turns out, I actually hit my affected side. I initially didn’t think so, but my affected right side of my head and face is numb from the tumor, so I didn’t realize. I iced my head…cried…yelled a little at how stupid and inconsistent this is, and went back to my sitting tasks. Later in the day I went with my children to set up for our weekend show where I’d hoped to at least make a short appearance at a less busy time of the day today . The jury is still out as to when that will happen. I didn’t fall during set up and I was even able to help a little. Our booth space is pretty! But I won’t go if I’m a danger to anyone. Safety is really important to me. (In September before we knew what this was, I was at an event where I did trample a small child. And the child got in trouble for “getting in my way.” But none of us knew that it was really me being so imbalanced. That cannot happen again.

Booth 29 in the Main Room of the Kalamazoo Expo Center. It’s the Holiday Craft Show: It’s The Big One.

There were other annoying and angering Stupid things. My daughter was chewing gum while we set up. That made my head dizzy. In an attempt to tease me, not to hurt me, she said “Mom. That doesn’t even make sense.”

Stupid. I know.

 

She’s right. It makes no sense.

Let’s not drive on the highway, shall we? I feel certain death at any speed over 40 mph. I feel out of control I feel sure we’re going rear end someone. Swerving cars cause me panic.

Stupid. Irrational.

As I cried in my husband’s arms at how STUPID this is, I said….I don’t know if I can do this for two more weeks. Tell me it’s only two more weeks. Wait. It’s Thursday. Now we can officially say “Surgery is less than two weeks away.” I can do anything for less than two weeks, right? Keep telling me: Less than two weeks. And the new normal starts. “

Stupid might not last forever.

But I still got angry.

Blessings,
Deb

Lilla Rose Stylists: Ready Set Win!

“You do not have because you do not ask God. 

When you ask, you do not receive…” 

James 4:2b-3a

This post contains affiliate links but are of no cost to you. Thanks for supporting LoveLeavingLegacy.

I just came home from an amazing weekend in Anaheim, California for the Lilla Rose 2018 convention. It was a sunny, moderate temperatures, breezy. There was plenty of opportunity to enjoy my Lilla Rose friends, food, laughter, and fun. 

Looking at you, May! Bright, full of opportunity, sunny outlook, growth.

Looking at you, May! Bright, full of opportunity, sunny outlook, growth.

Hubby and I had such a great time. 

We got a renewed vision for our family, refreshing time together, and recalibrated goals for my business. 

We even had fun dying our hair a temporary purple. 

We’re always treated like ROYALTY by the Lilla Rose Headquarters. 

It really has been the best business builder choice for me to be a Lilla Rose.


But, it wasn’t all fun and games either! 

There was quite a lot of learning by some direct sales training greats, such as Melanie Moore of Cinchshare (affiliate link), Belinda Ellsworth (Step Into Success), and Lindsay Tomkins, as well as internal Lilla Rose leaders leading breakout sessions. We also got to hear the rebranding, the vision and the direction of Lilla Rose by its founder and inventor of the flexi clip, John Dorsey. 

Great new things are coming to this ten year old company of less than 9000 Stylists! 

New branding logo


One of the things that stood out to me was something that came from Belinda Ellsworth. She said that many people are afraid to ask about the Business opportunity, and if *I* (taking this personally) do not present it to customers at vendor events, meet ups, or pop up Style Ups, what customers might think I’m communicating is that I do not think they can do what I do. 

Oh. my. goodness. That is the furthest thing from the truth! 

But oh so eye opening! 


So.

If I have unintentionally communicated to a customer that I don’t think they can do this business, I am so, so, so sorry! I have no doubt that any one of my friends, family, and customers can do this business at least as well as I can, but probably even better. I do not do hair. Ok, so I do it a little bit. But I’ve seen many of you ladies with hair styles far sweeter than my own! 

What I am really thinking is that I don’t want to be one of *those* direct sellers from many years ago who bothers their friends. 

Recently I listened to a Tip of the Day or training by Brenda Ster here at the Sassy Suite, and she said that most do not actively ask for ladies/men to join our teams or to host a Style Up. 

She’s right. I have not actively asked many at all. 

I know I’ve taken this Bible verse in James a bit out of context, but I’ve been reflecting on it since conference. 

Faithful people ask, do the work related to success, and wait in faith for results. 

Successful people ask. 

And in the meantime, if I don’t actively ask, I’m not communicating a belief in my followers, readers, customers, friends, and that would just break my heart. I would not be offering you a tremendous opportunity. I would not be offering a chance for an income, the relationships I have grown to love, the community that is Lilla Rose. 

I would not be offering the opportunity for you to grow and bloom into a wonderful Rose. 

I’m asking now. 

How would a direct sales business with Lilla Rose benefit your family? Would you like to earn a little extra income for dance or soccer clubs? Do your children need braces? Would this business help you achieve some longer term goals, like taking a vacation or even being debt free?

Would you love a supportive, non competitive community of lovely ladies to help you grow in skills?

Would you love a challenge?

Do you love to meet with friends and serve a greater good and purpose?

How could a Lilla Rose business help your cause and fundraising?

Please come to my business group on Facebook where we can chat. Contact me here through Sassy Direct.

I do really want to help you grow in a business, however that looks for you.

In the meantime, Lilla Rose is offering some amazing new incentives for those enrolling as a new Stylist.

It’s going to be an amazing growth.

I’m asking you. 

PLEASE JOIN ME!

Blessings,

Deb