Month: May 2017

Woman, You Inspire Me

Carrie Lea

What do you do for a living? 

It’s a question that is asked often but when you truly think about it, it should be “how do you make a living?” or “what supports how you live?” How you live and what you do is reflective of your true life. A new generation of entrepreneurs, especially women, are doing life by living their passion and letting it drive their ultimate purpose. Its not limited to the confines of a corporate office but instead include blogging, vlogging, creating travel experiences or developing programs that empower other women. Side hustles are the new norm.

Social media is a major platform for those who are trying to carve out a different path. There are pages, posts and pictures targeting new audiences, new dreams and new adventures. Everyone is a self-proclaimed marketer taking pointers from personal branding coaches or image consultants. And, frankly- I’m here for it! No, this lifestyle is not reserved just to millennials. Instead, more and more women of all ages and backgrounds are finding out what they’re good at, speaking into it and living through it. I find myself inspired and encouraged to make my mark while supporting other women doing the same.

Gone are the days where its all about climbing the corporate ladder for that ideal title. Here to stay are the days where you ask, “what are you passionate about?” and “how do you plan on making that your ladder to climb?”

Gone are the days where you stay in the same job forever because it’s too late to try something new. Here to stay are the days when employers who look for more diversified resumes so they know you embrace change, explored your personal interests and can offer a unique point of view based on those experiences.

Gone are the days where you feel like you have to sacrifice romantic pursuits or building a family just to have that ideal career. Here to stay are the women who went ahead of us to set examples of what’s its like to build a fulfilling career without sacrificing anything. They manage a home, a unique familial situation, a job and often times more than one extracurricular activity. And they look good while doing it.

The days of old have turned into bright new beginnings of finding how you can use your gift to make an impact. Give your gift legs and walking into your future with new goals, new destinations and new dreams.

Hats off to those who are living their lives and defying cultural norms even though it wasn’t easy. It’s inspiring and encouraging even though no one may say it. Blood, sweat and tears prove that there is no perfect recipe for the definition of success. The one that looks perfect probably has eggshells in the batter and was overcooked on the first two tries.

Your recipe will be different from the next woman but make sure to keep your faith fresh, mix it with courage, continually sprinkle in prayer and add in bits and pieces of humble. Switch it up until you get it right.

Pull on your big girl panties, adjust your bra and go after what’s rightfully yours.

 

Dear Future Husband

Carrie Lea

Dear Future Husband,

Where are you?

And what’s taking you so long to find me? Haven’t you read that “he who finds a wife finds a good thing?”

There are a lot of good things waiting over here. (Believe it or not, you’ll come to love my direct communication and inability to beat-around-the-bush.)

Lately, you have crossed my mind quite a bit. A thought of you may fleetingly cross my mind when I see a couple holding hands or I intrude on a private moment between father and daughter. I’ve prayed for you and look forward to the day we meet.

I wonder if we have already met or crossed paths. Perhaps we have admired another from afar. Maybe I’ve noticed your impeccable style. Or, the way you wore your hat made me look twice. Perhaps it was your presence as you walked in the room. A humble confidence that turned the heads of those paying attention along with those who weren’t.

The young lady to your right gives you a once-over along with a smile to signal that she likes what she sees. The brother to your left gives you the nod of respect and continues his conversation. Another woman elbows her friend and stares at you even after you have walked past. You smile at the little boy in the stroller who has slobber running down his chin and gave you a two-toothed grin before his mom started fussing with him. Your stride is long but not hurried. Your t-shirt is rumpled as if you grabbed it from the laundry pile that is waiting to be folded. Yet, it still matches your basketball shorts and sneakers that you threw on after you got home from work.

You’re slightly embarrassed to be another person crowding the neighborhood Starbucks but justify it by saying that its so close to home. You order a tea because its late in the evening but you still have some work to get done. Maybe you’re working on closing an important deal or your team was assigned a new assignment that you are leading since the last one went so smoothly. You didn’t feel like sitting in the house now that the weather has warmed up. There is an electricity in the air because summer is here and people are out and about later than usual.

You contemplated going to the gym instead of working late but have plans to go to boxing class tomorrow. If you go too hard two days in a row, you won’t be any good for the weekend and will want to crawl around your house and sleep the pain away. You are also grabbing dinner with a friend so you will need this evening to get a jumpstart and prevent working through the weekend.

You scan the room to see if there are any open seats. Not the hard wooden chairs that left your back sore on your last visit but the soft worn-in cushions that have been broken-in by one bottom too many. The thought of cozying up on a seat outside of the house doesn’t gross you out the way it would me. You’re clean but not a germaphobe. Plus, with having a slob for a roommate for most of your young adult years, you have learned to let your guard down on trying to be Mr. Clean. You prefer a seat that is facing the door because you like to see people enter the room. Your father always taught you that a man doesn’t sit with his back to the door.

As you scan the room, you notice a woman bobbing her head to whatever is coming out of her earphones. She has big, curly hair that is a bit unruly yet somehow in place. She’s wearing black work out pants and bright orange Nikes that coordinate with her t-shirt that has “West Coast” written across the front. It is oversized and hangs off of her left shoulder, revealing a tattoo that you can’t quite make out what it says. Her big, silver hoops are so big they almost brush her collarbone. She is sitting at one of the tall tables with her MacBook open and tapping one of the keys repeatedly. She seems frustrated and has a grimace on her face as if something stinks. She turns over her phone to look at the screen but quickly turns it back over and pushes it into her pocket. She starts staring at the same two-toothed little boy that is now stuffing his foot into his mouth. Her grimace softens and the smile in her eyes almost reaches her mouth.

Something about her has captured your attention. Even as you make a beeline for the cushioned chair that just opened up and begin working, you find yourself stealing glances of her and noticing something new that you like each time. She has a slight addiction to chapstick because she has applied a new layer on her lips at least three times since you’ve seen her. She is enjoying the music she’s listening too because she is dancing through her shoulders while she continues to type. She smiles at people as they walk by or when she catches them staring.

You look towards her once more. My eyes are staring right back at you. I smile.

When Life Happens

Carrie Lea

Life happens.

I get it. I just don’t like it.

Weathering the Storm: A major rain storm caused a branch to break from one of the trees in my backyard. In falling, it broke several panels of my fence and landed predominantly in my neighbor’s backyard. I remember hearing a large noise the night before but couldn’t pinpoint where it came from. As I let my dog out the following morning, I saw a blur of a mess on the right hand side of my yard. I didn’t have my contacts in or my glasses on so I had no clue as to what really happened. I initially dismissed it as an issue that my neighbor would have to deal with and went back to bed. After further inspection (and coffee), I realized that it was my fault and I would be the one addressing the damage and under a deadline to get it completed since we both have dogs that roam our backyards. I didn’t know if home insurance was the route to take or how much it would cost to get this repaired.

In Need of a Charge: I had plans for a shopping/dinner excursion with a girlfriend who was in town just for the weekend. As I sat in my car, threw my cute shoes in the passenger seat (because I prefer to drive my stick shift in my flip flops) and inserted the key into my car, nothing happened. Ever since I could comfortably afford paying a car note, I have kept a newish car. So therefore, I have never gotten into a car in my adult years and had nothing happen when I turned it on. I tried multiple times as if one more attempt was going to change the outcome. My windows randomly went up and down without my prompting and my radio came on during the third or fourth attempt. My internal temperature jumped up which made the inside of my already warm car feel like an inferno. I opened the car door and muttered, “Lord, help me.” I sat there trying to think of what could be wrong but quickly called my Daddy since he does well with cars. He advised that it was probably the battery. After having the car for 4 years and it actually being seven years old, the battery is probably dead. He then instructed that I should call the dealership and have them come tow it. I called my dealership and the young lady who answered promptly told me that they were closing in fifteen minutes and instructed me to call roadside assistance for the tow.

As I was running late to go to church the next day, the same scenario ensued. I threw my cute shoes in my passenger seat, stuck my key in the ignition and nothing happened. My shoulders slumped and my underarms started to tingle. My plans for the day were interrupted . . . again. I received a jump from roadside assistance the night before and thought that would hold me over until Monday when the service department was open. I was invited to attend a party after church and was looking forward to yummy food and awesome company. Now, I wouldn’t be able to attend because the party was about an hour away and I had no other means of transportation.

Each time life happened, I found myself in a position of vulnerability because I didn’t know what to do. These situations were unfamiliar territory. As a newer homeowner, I didn’t know how to navigate the waters of repairing a fence shared by you and your neighbors.  I am far from a mechanic and therefore didn’t know that my car battery would go dead soon. I also only own one car and the friend that lives closest to me was out of town. I don’t know anyone that owns jumper cables and the only people I could have called were already at church (they’re normally on time and I am not). I was stranded and didn’t have a quick solve.

I told God, “this is why I need a husband!” Having someone here could have helped me figure out what to do about the fence or he would have another car that I could have used when the battery in mine died. I just needed help and didn’t want the pressure of doing it all on my own. I also wanted someone to understand my issue and offer a word of sympathy or quite frankly, just fix it without me having to do anything. I have gotten so use to sailing through life that I had the nerve to get an attitude when something didn’t go my way.

That’s when God shifted my perspective and reminded me that He was with me in every circumstance and provided all I need. He allowed me to see the positive in each situation:

  • The tree branch that fell, didn’t hurt anyone and didn’t damage anything in my neighbor’s backyard. It fell directly in front of their shed. I was able to call my father who offered reasonable suggestions. One of which was an actual solution.
  • Instead of going through some long, drawn-out claim submission with my home insurance agent, my gardener cut up the branch, repaired the fence and cleaned up the debris from the storm for less than $100.
  • My car went dead in my own driveway. I was not stranded in a public place or the freeway. I was at home and able to make the necessary calls to have someone out to address the issues in a short amount of time.
  • The car issues are covered under my extended warranty and staying home allowed me to get some work done around the house and be prepared for the upcoming week’s work.
  • If either one of these issues or something similar ever happened again, I know what to do or who to call.

God was with me in each scenario and allowed me to have everything rectified in a matter of hours. He continues to show that He is my source and I must rely on Him for everything, no matter who is in my life.

As long as I keep that perspective, life can happen all it wants.