there will be people

You will have people who like your positive spirit until it infringes on their way of life. You will have people that are inspired by your story until they realize to change means they have to rewrite their story and get out of their victim mindset. You will have people that want the results you have but are not willing to do the work. You will have people who think that you are a really great person until you change in ways they no longer agree with and so they cut you out of their life to be able to deal with the fact that "you've changed". You will have people that comment and say they love you, they are proud of you, and how much they support you, and they mean it, as long as you don't ever disagree with them on anything. You will have people that won't even attempt to like you because you rub them the wrong way. You will have people that are intimidated by you. You will have people that will be jealous of you. You will have people who get offended because of things you do or say. You will have people who are upset because you are vulnerable and share so much. You will have people who don't like when you don't give details and keep things to yourself. You will have people who want you in their life as long as you provide them something that feeds their need, the minute that no longer exists, they have no use for you. May I encourage you to love them and let them go? People who really want to live in their message and beliefs will face their own internal demons. We all have them, but it is a choice to be controlled by them or to be released from them. Life is short. Focus on the people who add value to your life and who want to work through conflict with you. The people who will openly share when they are hurt and talk about it. The people who won't let petty things, or really even big things, stop a friendship. The ones that are okay with building walls under a pretense of boundaries, let them. They are ultimately hurting themselves, not you. I get it is hard to see that. And I get it may hurt you deeply in the process too. I've been there, more times then I wish didn't have to remember, but I can tell you, when you focus on those around you that want you in their life, when you keep staying the course and being diligent in the areas you need to be, you will see results and it will change what matters to you. You most likely will come away with a different perspective as you will see the mask and fakeness the friendship really had because love never fails. Remember, it all starts with love. #TheSassyVoice #LoveOnPurpose #CircleOfFriends #RelationshipsMatter

the impact of our choices

Sometimes things happen in life that create a domino affect on us. In these moments, we get to choose whether we will be angry (with ourselves or others) or whether we will accept it, as one of my old coworkers used to say: It is what it is, (to which I would add) and it ain't what it ain't!, Learning to do what is the next best thing to move forward is sometimes the only option you have. Sitting in a zone of guilt, shame, regret or fear won't move you forward. Here is an example of what I mean with a situation I am currently working through. I get compounds made at a pharmacy locally, and last May they changed the color of the capsules on one of my medications from orange to white. Since I already had another medication that was white, I didn't pay attention to this nor was there any label alerting me to the change. I am a creature of habit and put my medications in a order by how I take them through the day. Orange was taken in the morning and white at night. One day, weeks later, as I was taking my evening dosage, I became fixated on the the white pill in my hand and thought, this really does seem extra small, I wonder why I hadn't notice it before. I decided to inspect the bottle to see if they had given me the right dosage and not a lesser amount which would have affected the size, and to my horror, I was not taking the right medication at all at night. The medication I actually was taking, was a dosage due to be taken in the morning and a different one at night; hence why I hadn't been sleeping for a good 6 weeks and was feeling out of wack in many regards. I was tackling my Minimalist Project with some great energy because I was taking twice the normal dosage I should have been. I wondered how long I had been doing this, so I dumped all the pills out on the bed and counted my 90 Day supply and then subtracted that number from what the bottle was filled with to learn I had been doing this for 47 Days!!! I was shocked. How could I have been so completely unaware of the change in medication on something I take every day? How did I not pay attention to the labeling on the bottle and miss this? How come when I started feeling off didn't I think to look at my dosage before now? I could not undue what I did for 47 Days. I obviously could stop adding to it by making it 48 Days, but nothing could be done to change this mistake. The fact of the matter was, it was going to take awhile to get my body back on track and the reactions I was having and side effects from not having the right medications and too much of another medication, causing a ripple effect of issues within my body. Sometimes mistakes like this are costly mistakes. For me, it was costly on my health, sleep and my hormones. Those that knew me, knew something was off. Yet, being angry with myself wasn't going go solve anything. Being frustrated with my pharmacy for not giving me notice that they changed my label would only be putting blame on them when it is just as much my responsibility to keep up with. Having regret for making this mistake for 47 days wasn't going to help me love and appreciate myself. Having fear over how long it was going to take to get me back on track wasn't going to help my body heal. The fact of the matter is simple, I am still paying the price for this mistake. Some days it makes me cry. Some days it makes me frustrated. Some days it makes me concerned that I will get back to where I want to be. Some days it makes me research stuff more to see what else I can do to get on track. But every single day I have a choice to ask myself: What can you do to move forward and to love yourself? My doctor is kind. He knows what I am going through. He has told me to be patient and that it is going to take a several months to get me where I need to be He has given me 4 strict instructions: My body has to have sleep and it can't be sacrificed. My body doesn't need any stress. My body must control it's blood sugars. My body must reduce it's inflammation. When I violate any one of these, I suffer. I was out late last night at a DFW Singles Event. I got to bed 2 hours later then normal. This makes it hard on me. I had a beer last night, which isn't good for keeping down inflammation or things turning into sugar. This means I suffer. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves why we keep the strict schedule we keep and do the things we do because there are other things that are more important in the vision we have for our lives. Sometimes we have to intentionally say No to something so we can say Yes to something else that is more important. I am not perfect. I make mistakes. Some that have ramifications for a long period of time. Regardless, I have to remind myself that I can create the life I want and I get to choose my results. It does truly all start with me. Cheers to another day to start with a clean slate and to release the bad choices to the wind. #TheSassyVoice #ThePowerOfChoice #SimpleDisciplines #TakeCareOfYou

keeping alignment

One of my Coaches taught me a principal:  

How we do anything, is how we do everything.

This has impacted me at times when I get stuck in life.  

When I do not know what the right answer is.  When I do not know how to respond to someone.  When I do not know when to take action and when to be patient.  When I do not know if this should get more of my time or less.  When I am ready to quit.

To stop and look at:  What are my core beliefs?  What are my core values? What to me is important?  Being able to operate from a space of authenticity in alignment with who I am, what I say, how I live, and what I want keeps me congruent to those characteristics that define my decisions.

How you do work for a client that is not paying you a cent for your time and efforts, someone you would consider a charity client, should be done exactly the same way you do work for a paying client.  Your work ethic needs to be supreme.  You need to follow through on your promises.  You need to give willingly.  The only way to instill this is to do the same level of service no matter whether you are paid $0.00 an hour or $500.00 an hour.  If you can't do the same level of work at minimum wage, you won't do it at maximum wage.

How you treat a client at the end of a contract that is ending abruptly, should be done in the same manner in which you treated the client when you were excited to begin working with them.  Your respect for the time they were your client should not change just because you are walking away.  Your attitude of kindness, warmth, and genuine appreciation for them should not change just because your working agreement has.  This doesn't mean there won't be tension, issues to resolve or frustration. It means that through it you will do your best to remember why you wanted to work with them in the first place and if this was a mistake and you shouldn't have agreed to this, then you take it as a learning tool to grow.

If you believe the world needs more love, you have to show up with more love.  In everything.

If you believe the world needs more women advocates, you have to show up as a woman and be a woman advocate.  In everything.

If you believe the world needs more authenticity, you have to show up authentic.  In everything.

If you believe the world needs more charity giving, you have to give more charity.  In everything.

As one of my circle of influence leaders, Trent Shelton says, it all starts with you.  How you live your inner world is reflected in your outer world.  The choice is yours.  How you do anything, is how you do everything.
#TheSassyVoice #YourChoicesMatter #ThePowerOfChoice #CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally

the irony in numbers

I've worked with numbers, accounting, billing and data for 20 Years.  

I love analytics.  I love analogies.  I love math.  I love numbers.  It always adds up.  It always makes sense.  It always balances (unless you have done something wrong).  It always has a cause and effect.  It always is black and white.  It always brings clarity.

It was phenomenal at the end of 2016 Calendar Year End when Pandora sent me an email and told me how many songs I gave a thumbs up to for 2016, and included the first song I listened to and the last that I thumbed up.  Seeing those numbers and knowing it was all created uniquely by me on my own personal music stations, was pretty sweet!

When you sell stuff on eBay, it is cool to see how your ratings go up to show you are a verified high performing seller.

When you look at your Mileage Log for the year and see how many total miles you drove and how many business miles you drove and the difference is a write off on your taxes, this is something that makes you go cha-ching!

When you add to your "Pay Yourself First Savings Plan" each month, it is really awesome to get that monthly statement and see how much it has grown since you first started working and it makes you want to keep it going!

And the opposite is true, when you are trying to loose weight, it is inspiring to step on the scale and see that you have lost 5 pounds and the numbers are decreasing you can get just as much excitement as the other situations when you want the numbers to increase!

But the truth is, society has become obsessed with the numbers.  

Not numbers in the sense of how many people you made smile today, or how many hugs you gave away, or how much you were able to live on and give to charity efforts, no, not those kinds of numbers.  

We have come to a point in our circles that value, put an important emphasis on, have determined success, and deemed just how much of an impact someone is really making in the world based on how many Social Media Fans and Followers you have on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; or how many tweets you have put out on Twitter or how many times your tweets get retweeted or if someone big likes your tweet when you quote them; or how many views your Facebook Live Video got or how many times it got shared or how many comments were made on it; or how many Instagram posts you have done; or how many people were on your Periscope Video...numbers that really don't define success yet everyone has put such importance on them that they are driven to create content based on numbers instead of just being them.

Why have we bought this lie?

Why have we let this define our meaning to relationships?

Why have we made this so important?

Yet, the last week as things have transpired in the news with regards to our most recent Presidential Election with regards to numbers, I feel it has taken a new level of focus. We have a brand new President that is focused on how many people were at his inauguration instead of being focused on just doing the work he has before him to create the change he feels needs to happen.  We are creating press conferences and news articles on this mess.  It is becoming a reason for tension between friends. Like it matters.  I don't know about you, but I would rather have a President that is making a difference while he serves his term then that the whole world came to his inauguration.  

I step back, look, and simply shake my head and wonder what kind of impact this is adding to the already overwhelming blatant issue this is in society.  I am floored how far we have taken the need for numbers out of context.  And I wonder what it is going to take to get us to shift our focus?

What happened to just being a rock thrown into the pond and let the ripple effect be the ripple effect?  Not counting the number of ripples or how long it ripples or if it overflows into the next pond because it's impact was so great.  Dang it, I say just jump in and make it ripple.

What happened to being happy with knowing we gave the day our best and showed up the best we could, regardless of the number of people that turned out?  Regardless of the number of people that were for or against our message?  Regardless of who liked or didn't like our posts?

What happened to not being concerned with getting Fans and Followers but creating more content that engaged with people?  More authentic conversations?  More connected relationships?  More meaningful moments?  More simplicity in just living our lives and being us?

Yes, all of us want to be heard, understood, seen, acknowledged, accepted, and loved...just as we are.  But numbers do not change that.  And it won't.

There isn't one of us who wants to go this road alone.  I'm not saying that you should have zero Friends or Fans, but what would it be like if we changed our focus?  How would we show up if we spent more time doing the work?  Creating the message?  Sharing ourselves vulnerably?  Ignorant of the numbers our Social Media Pages showed? How would it change us?  What could you do today to be you and remove this level of pressure from how you connect on Social Media?  What kind of an example could you set?  What kind of an impact could you make?

I want to encourage you to look at what really matters and brings value to your life, particularly today as we look at Social Media.  Think about what it is you use if for and how you want it to impact your life.  Then take action that aligns with that vision so that you are intentionally creating the life that you want.
#TheSassyVoice #SocialMedia #Numbers #ADifferentPerspective #BeDifferent #YouMatter #CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally

your battles in life

I am not better then you.

I have faced the same challenges you face.  Defeat. Discouragement. Rejection. Pain.  Fear.  Anger.  Confusion.  

I battle the same battles you battle. 

No, maybe not with infidelity of a spouse.  Maybe not with the loss of an unborn child. Maybe not with a physical body handicap that you can see.  Maybe not with being homeless like you have been.  Maybe not with addiction to cigarettes.  

But I have my own battles.  They might be bigger then yours at times, either in the past, currently or in the future. They might be smaller then yours, either in the past, currently or in the future.  It doesn't matter the size of the battle, we each have them and sometimes the small battles are enough to do us in if we are emotionally, mentally, physically or even spiritually drained.

I have a lady who used to clean my house that won't return the key she has to my house for weeks on end.   I have made requests for it to be returned to me.  Her promises to bring it by such and such a date have come and gone.   It isn't a priority to her.  I am frustrated as the new cleaning lady starts tomorrow and I do not have an extra key to my house.  My old cleaning lady feels I am being demanding.  I am tired of the battle.

I saw a movie the week before my 40th Birthday with my singles friends.  It disturbed my world.  It wrecked havoc on my emotions.  It took me back to memories and trauma that I don't like to have to face.  It has caused emotional post traumatic stress on my health and I am suffering from residual effects to this with lack of sleep, fatigue and exhaustion at a high level even just doing the simple daily tasks, criticism from others for being vocal about this, and some people say I am not healed or this wouldn't bother me. It has made me question things I shouldn't question.  Yet I know the truth.

I have clients who like to push getting me information to be able to complete the deadlines that we face with taxes and payroll reporting periods.  They seem to think that I am able to do magic every year at the last minute for them and everyone else I serve without considering the time it takes to prepare and do these tasks.  

These things and more are current battles I am facing.  

Yet, in these battles, I have a choice.  

I can look at what is going wrong or I can reflect on what is going right.  I can look at past results that are causing me concern, anxiety and frustration or I can create a vision for the future.  I can stay stuck in fear and depression or I can move forward doing the next best thing I can do.  I can think about negative things or I can capture my own thoughts and think about positive things.  I can be irritated and frustrated with myself or I can show myself more love and grace.  I can tell myself life is hard and not worth it or I can believe that the hard things I am facing will get easier and that I have the strength to deal with them.  I can act like everyone is out to get me and take advantage of me or I can believe that each one of these circumstances are being used for a purpose in my life to help me have stronger boundaries, to remove the unwanted stress from my life and to spend time creating the life I really want.

It is up to me to face the truth in these things.  To demolish the lies.  To face my fears.  To have courage.  To not just  make it through the day.  To gather people into my circle of influence who can help me when I do not have the strength to help myself.  To be resilient through all challenges.

Today, will you choose to fight your own battles?

Today, I simple want you to know, that the challenges you face are to help move you to the next chapter, to create clarity on what is the next step, to connect you to your purpose, to help fulfill your vision, to help you remove what is unnecessary from your life.  Asking yourself today, what can I learn in this moment will help you to refocus and not blame others or hate life for what you are experiencing.

But the choice is yours.
#TheSassyVoice #ThePowerOfChoice #LifesBattles #DontQuit #CreateTheLifeYouWant

there is a word for you

Sometimes a word comes to you in a message that if you aren't paying attention, you will miss.  

Sometimes a word comes to you in a message that is so loud, even if you tried to ignore it, you couldn't.

Sometimes a word comes to you in a message and it totally shakes your world.

I live for these words.  The are the fuel that keeps me focused to my vision and purpose and what areas of my life that need change, breakthrough and transformation.

They show up when we are willing and ready for them.  They make an impact in our lives when we allow them to.  They bring hope and life when we reflect on them.  They give energy to our daily routine.  They bring clarity to challenges we are facing.

This happened to me the last week, 4 times.

One of my guy friends called me a week ago on Monday to apologize for something in response to one of my Facebook / Blog posts [they many times get put in both spots]. In conversation with me he said, Misty, you do not give yourself enough credit.  You are so hard on yourself.  You really are amazing.  

I have a weekly call with a girlfriend and mastermind buddy every Tuesday at 10amCST.  In our 30 minute discussion this last week she said, Ohhhhh, Misty, you are too hard on yourself.  You really are.

I had my call on Thursday with my Coach, he said, You're doing a number on yourself.  There is only so much of you.  You aren't being fair or kind to you.  You are important. 

I sent an email to a friend yesterday, who I am working with on creating some material for their university, with a status of where things are and the challenges I am facing in life right now.  Her response, please don't be so hard on yourself.

How many times do you have to be told the same thing to get it?  Sometimes a lot. 

How many ways can someone share the same message with you so you are connected to what is important?  Sometimes a lot.  

How many people will share the message with you in different ways to help you gain clarity and understanding?  Sometimes a lot.

I am listening.

I am in-tune to this word.

I will practice not being hard on myself.

I may need reminders.  

I hope you will encourage, support and inspire me to not be hard on myself.

I hope you help me love me and show me ways to give me grace.

I will transform through this breakthrough knowing there is a reason for this in my life right now.

I am asking: Why are you being so unkind to yourself?  What can you do to love her more?  How will you make a change?
#TheSassyVoice #ChooseLove #ShowGrace #ItAllStartsWithYou #LifeLessons

March like the Woman You Are

I see and hear that Women do not feel heard. They claim that they do not have rights. I can understand why at times you feel that way. There are situations when each of us may not feel heard either, whether it is on Women's Rights or something else.

You want love. You want acceptance. You want connection. You want to be heard. You want to be understood. You want justice. You want diversity. You want equality. You want freedom. You want solidarity. You want change. You want to be strong. You want to rise. You want to be acknowledged as a Woman.

Today, I ask you to think about what you really want. I ask you to consider how your actions are bringing about those things that matter so deeply to you.

I ask you to be a woman of class. To make a difference in a way that makes a bigger impact then doing a Women's March, stating you are for all, but excluding those that support Pro-Life, and leaving your signage on the sidewalk as if it is someone else's duty to pick up after you. I ask you to use your voice in a way that is loving, kind, doesn't retaliate in the same method of our current President.

You are a woman of value. You are a woman of significance. You are heard and will be heard. You are understood. You are equal. You are strong. Not because of a Women's March to demonstrate it, but because God created you this way. He hears you. He understands you. He made you. No matter if you feel you haven't been heard, by me or anyone else, or the law doesn't give you the same rights you feel you deserve, you are still worthy and loved. Just as you are! Nobody or no thing can take that from you.

As the events unfolded yesterday for the Women's March that were being held around the world...I stopped and asked the question: What does a march do to create change and actually solve a problem? What constructive comes from showing what you disagree with, instead of putting efforts into what you do agree with? How do you feel you are creating the world you desperately want?

We get what we focus on.

If we want love, we need to give love. If you want acceptance, you have to give acceptance. If you want connection, you have to give connection. If we want to be heard, we have to listen to others. If you want to be understood, you have to seek to understand first. If you want justice, you have to give justice. If you want diversity, you have to accept those different then you. If you want equality, you have to give equality. If you want freedom, you have to give and live in freedom. If you want solidarity, you have to give solidarity. If you want change, you have to be accepting of change and be willing to create change. If you want to be strong, you have to practice strength. If you want to rise, you have to be willing to stand up. If you want to be acknowledged as a Woman, you need to act like a Woman of Class to treated like one.

I reflect on the number of hours and efforts that were put into organizing a Women's March, verses what it would have taken to actually do something to train girls turning into women of strength, dignity and kindness? Giving them skills to be better individuals? What if we took the things we wanted to see changed and did something more then walk down a street with a sign stating our beliefs, with tough messages, and got involved in a way to make a difference? What if we addressed the issues in a more sensible and professional way? What if we were grateful for all the rights we do have instead of being focused on the things we feel are lacking? What if we didn't attack our 45th President on his 1st day in office? What if we gave him a chance to show what he is going to do instead of living in fear that the Women's Rights we do have are all going to be taken away? What if we believed that he hasn't been abusive to his wife and daughters and chose to let his tough shell from the presidential campaign subside and let the next steps unfold? What if we were kind and respectful in sharing how we didn't feel we were being heard?

Yes, I hear you. President Trump hasn't been kind to women. Does that give you the right to retaliate in this manner? Do you think you have won this battle when you approach trying to resolve conflict by using this method? Do you feel you were loving and considerate by saying and doing the things you did in your Women's March?

Yes, I am aware that there are aspects of Women's Rights that are lacking and need some attention. As a Woman, just like you, I don't always get treated equally, I have not been paid the same as a man, and I want to be spoken of respectfully. But is life really about my rights or the service I do to and for others? Is it about my rights or is it about showing love to a man who hasn't been kind to women? Is it about how many women ban together in a march or is it about the legacy I can leave by creating a ripple effect in those lives around me?

I stop and think about how our founding fathers started this country. They took action. They didn't make hoopla about policies and things they didn't like, they went to work and made change happen. Yes, there have been Boston Tea Parties, MLK Marches, Civil Rights Marches, and others. But the truest impact is in action, not marches. Not in boycotting and attacking the things you do not like. But by showing support for the things that have made our country great and going all in to make a difference when and where you can.

I think of Rosa Parks, she quietly sat on the bus and expressed her views and stood up and told the world she wouldn't quit. She made a difference and created more impact in living her own life, then Madonna did shouting F Bombs from the microphone in front of the White House.

There are times change needs to be done with the masses to achieve results, and maybe you felt you were accomplishing this, I am not trying to tell you that you are right or wrong, I am asking you to think. I know that there are times greater change is done not with the masses. Maybe you could make more of an impact in different ways. Maybe just in the little girl next door that needs a mother figure because her parents are divorced. Maybe with the teenage daughter of your boss that doesn't have hope and has attempted suicide more then once. Maybe just the struggling check out clerk whose is on her first day at the job and said to you I am so stupid, and now you have the opportunity to speak words of love and affirmation over her. Maybe in the struggling mother of two children, trying to earn a living, figure out her passion, and needing help making a resume or mentoring her to be able to navigate basic living decisions. Maybe in the coworker fighting cancer.

Don't let fear make you live your life doing and saying things you will regret. Come from a vision about who you want to be and how you want to live. Women's Rights have come a long way. I have no doubt more changes will come ahead to improve areas that need work. But stooping to someone else's level of trash talk won't feed love. Not including everyone when you say you are for everyone is hypocrisy. Leaving your trash around the world isn't responsible or kind. Marching 1 Day after a new president took office is not respectful or considerate.

I am not encouraging you to not express how you feel or to not make change in the world. If you know me at all, I value connection and authentic conversations. I simply am encouraging you to think about how you do it and to make a greater impact. To be different then the masses. To live from a heart of love, not blame, not accusations, not threats, not fear.

Will you be different and go make an impact in someone's life? Will you be constructive in how you create change? Will you quit focusing on what you do not have and be grateful for what you do have? What if you marched like a Woman of Faith?

#TheSassyVoice #BeDifferent #ADifferentPerspective #ThePowerOfChoice #WomensRights #WomensMarch #YouMatter

you must be willing...

I frequently get told: I wish I could share my thoughts like you do. I wish I could be as vulnerable as you are. I wish I understood life like you do. I wish I could see things from a different perspective. I wish I could work through my pain. I wish I could have the transformation in your life you have had. I wish I could be positive. I just don't have your strength.

You can!!! I haven't done anything you can't do.

You first have to one, be willing to. If you aren't really willing to do the work to share your life, be vulnerable, learn from others and apply the principals to your own life, change your perspective or at least be willing to look at different perspectives, work through all of your pain - layer by layer, to create transformation, to be positive, to gain strength, you won't. There is nobody that can do it for you. Even God requires you to want to change, He won't force you. The first step is a decision that you will. You will stay the course. You will be determined. You will keep your commitments.

You secondly, have to face your fears. Then you must be willing to work through the fears that come from deciding to be you, to share your thoughts, to be vulnerable, to live your own life, to see different perspectives, to work through pain, to create transformation, to be positive, to find strength. This will not be a one time occurrence. Facing your fears, for me, I find goes through cycles. Some things you choose will have a domino effect on other choices. Some choices are easy small fears. Some shake you to the very core. Some days, facing your fears is a minute my minute task and will challenge your entire being. Once you work through one level of a fear, you will be taken to new levels that reveal your deeper fears. Fears at the core of your being. Fears that you may be afraid to see. You again will be faced with a decision and choice to be courageous and work through them or stay a victim, stagnate, to retreat or hide. The only way through fears is to face them. The only way to break up the energy of fear is to expose it. The only way to resolve fears is to acknowledge them and not feed them.

Your determination and commitments will be tested. Both in the will to do this and the doing of it. It isn't a one time commitment and then it is over. You will have to keep the vision in front of you, you will have to create affirmations to fight the lies and threats to tear you down, you will have to remind yourself why you have made these choices, and you will have to feel the pain in choosing these things to get to what it is you really want.

You will threaten people who want what you have but refuse to do the work. You will receive blame from people who do not want to take accountability for their choices. You will be taken as too strong, too independent, too opinionated, too fearless, too authentic, too vulnerable, too intentional. You will be told you have changed too much. You will be accused of many things. Your response shows your motives for the reason you are seeking change in yourself. Ultimately, this is a result of those wanting to keep you in a box and not willing to see you expand. This is a result of those who are afraid to live their own life. This is a result of people ignoring their feelings and shutting down to the power God gave them. This is a result of creating a ripple effect around you.

It all starts with you! Remember: What you focus on is what get's attention. What you focus on expands. What you resist consists.
#TheSassyVoice #ThePowerOfChoice #TransformationStartsWithYou#CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally #ADifferentPerspective

why I decided to leave Medical Billing

I have been in the Medical Billing Industry for 20 Years and had my business for 12.5 Years.  In August 2016, I made a decision to close this line of service to my customers out by 12.31.2016.  When you have spent you complete career learning the industry inside and out, this was a very tough decision to make, but at the same time, I felt deep within my heart that it was the next move in my transformation journey.

I would like to share with you why.

In 20 Years, the Medical Billing Industry has become way more complicated then when I first started in it in California.  The industry is no longer just billing out the service at the appropriate level for the procedure codes performed along with the diagnosis of the patients condition.  It is more dynamic than that.  It has become political and games along with a deeper fight to make money at.  They target larger practices and disregard the smaller ones.  

The success in Medical Billing comes from how well you know the rules, both on a State and Federal level.  The ultimate success comes on how willing you are to fight when they are wrong, when they don't pay per contract, when they bundle things together that should be paid separately, when they deny the claims stating that the medical records do not support medical necessity for the services performed, leaving you with no option but to then have to appeal these denials or incorrectly paid claims - up to three times through three tiers.  Insurance companies can and will recoup money (this means take money back) for whatever reason stating they paid these claims in error.  You then have to fight to prove them wrong, sometimes even having to get the Texas Department of Insurance or Texas Medical Association or Health and Human Services Commission involved.  

You go through annual chart audits to ensure your documentation is meeting all the requirements.  You are rated on protocols, policies and your compliance.  You are rated on how many children you give vaccines to and if you have given them at the time they are due or if you give them late.  You go through intense documentation reviews, coding reviews, and board reviews.  The results is that the industry simply is a never ending battle to just to get paid for services your client/the physician has already rendered to the patient.  

It is ironic to me that no other industry works like this.  If you want groceries, you have to pay for them at the time of service.  If you want fuel, you have to pay to fill up your tank. If you want clothes, you have to pay right then for them.  You do not get to get all the groceries, fuel or clothes you want and then file a claim to insurance to see if they will pay for it.  Even deeper than that, since the Pharmaceutical Industry doesn't work this way, you know at the time you pick up your prescription what you will owe, why can't medical claims be adjudicated in the same manner?  There is no reason it can't, it simple is a tactic to stall making payments and to give insurance companies an out to make money by denying services.

A successful Medical Billing Agency will have a high percentage of overturned claims. Nearly all Medical Billing Agencies make a percentage of collections.  Therefore this means if a client/physician isn't being paid, neither are they.  If an Insurance Company decides to recoup on previously paid claims, money is taken back from them too.  If a physician is going through an audit, this burden will be born by the Medical Billing Agency on top of the daily routine.  This makes the work simply an every day fight.  Literally.  Every day is a full blown fight.  And you never know when an insurance company will decide to take back $26k or $57k just like that, in one fell swoop.  You will spend your days arguing with Customer Service Representatives that have not been trained on the State and Federal Laws and honestly do not care to learn them, they are simply punching the clock and their goal is to simply answer the phone and get you off as quickly as possible, even if that means hanging up on you if they do not want to help you.  Some Insurance Companies like Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have a limit on how many claims they will help you with per a call and they make you call back and go through the long hold times, like anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours, to get to talk to a representative.  Once you get someone one the phone, in order to get anywhere you have to be willing to argue and fight over every little detail or you won't make any money.  

As you an imagine, it is emotionally draining and mentally exhausting.  And I have done this for 20 Years.  And I became extremely good at it, not just because of some personality traits or experience of fighting for my life through my whole childhood, but because I put in the effort to learn all the State and Federal Laws to help me be good at it, and I gave every single claim the same attention every single day.  Producing results that many of my employers and clients had never seen.

But it got to a point that I wanted something more for my life.  I felt there had to be a better way to work in the industry.  Thus began my work with Mentors and Coaches the last 3 years to reframe my mental thinking and attachment to my work.  I have worked to change my perspective in the fight.  I have made efforts to shift my process in the fight.  I have created set work hours to not be a workaholic, to drive my business from a vision and not from an emotional work load perspective, creating work life balance that I should have had a long time ago.  I have created more vacations and time off to unplug from the stress to be able to allow me to be more upon my return to work.  I have fired clients that didn't want to abide by the State and Federal Rules and Regulations.  I have stuck to the terms in my contract and if a client doesn't pay me on time, they are assessed the late fee.  If they still do not bring their account current, there is no work done until they do.  If I was an employee in their office they would have to pay me on the date they have set with the Texas Workforce Commission, why should this be any different just because I am a Vendor?  It shouldn't.  I have grown to honor and respect me and set boundaries to respect myself and my work.  I have hired better team members, ones that have a vision and personal purpose to live in alignment with the goals and vision I have for how we work with our clients.

Yet...at my core I am exhausted of the fight to make a living like this and believe that God has more for me.  In my quest to create a more simplistic lifestyle on all levels, this isn't in alignment with that.  So, even though this decision impacts revenue and production, and is a loss of 70% (or more some months), I had peace in choosing this because I will settle for more!  Exactly where this will take my business now, I obviously do not have the full answer for, but I can promise you this, I know that God will provide the answers and take care of just like he has through every other difficult decision or challenge or traumatic event like audits, lawsuits, and long periods of not being paid.  

I will stay focused on my core beliefs, the vision I have for my life and business and the impact I want to make in one persons life each day.  Here is to another New Chapter in my life!
#MedicalAccountSolutions #EntrepreneurshipRocks #NewBeginnings #Simplicity #CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally

the challenge of showing love and grace, to yourself

Learning to have grace for yourself and others can be an ongoing challenge, especially when you were raised in an environment where perfection was the goal, where no efforts ever were good enough and where judgement was the lens that things were always looked through.

It can make you critical. Not able to see the beauty in the progress from where you started. It can make you feel less than everyone else around you. It can make you feel condemned, like a failure and destroy hope of ever being better then you are today, or were yesterday.

Sometimes you aren't sure how to create new patterns to break this cycle. Choosing to remember that progress is the goal, not perfection. Replacing those lies with the truth that Jesus doesn't expect you to be perfect, He wants you to be willing to grow in grace and knowledge. Learning to be open to making mistakes, not afraid of falling down, and choosing to look at them with a lens of acceptance of where you are today, right here, right now, will allow you to then step back and do the next thing to practice again. Releasing the tension of what you did, who you were in this moment, and how you want to be, instead focusing on the vision that He has for your life. Believing with all your heart that He has covered every mistake and that you have grace to begin again.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in working at a skill, your work, and in your efforts should be done with a focus to create improvement when you see it, but when we can't accept that we are a work in progress or that our results are not where we feel they should be, without putting condemnation and judgement on ourselves, we have changed the focus from accepting ourselves to criticizing ourselves, which will shut us down and not create love. Jesus accepts us and loves us right where we are, in our flaws that He is still perfecting, but He isn't holding it over us. He knows that He has created you in His image, so all He is asking is for you to come and seek Him and He will guide you through these changes.

When Jesus says that He will complete the work in you that He started, that tells me that the work is ongoing and that I am continually being shaped into the person He wants me to be. It is not a one stop shop, it is a lifelong venture into growing and changing and becoming who it is He wants me to be. It isn't something He expects me to jump into a mold and never need adjustment or to be perfect the first time.

In a world that struggles to show love, give permission, be non-judgmental, accept different perspectives or opinions, always criticized for our actions instead of appreciated, we can loose heart easily and become discouraged. Today, where ever you are, show yourself some love and grace. Jesus is. He wants you to be at peace, not strung out in anxiety and concern about what you said or did, but endeavoring to pursue the Fruits of the Spirit more deeply, here and now. That is all He is asking of you.

How will you show more love and grace to yourself today?
#TheSassyVoice #PursueGod #HeWillCompleteTheWorkInYou#ShowLoveAndGrace

will you let MLK influence your life?

Every year on MLK Day aka Martin Luther King Jr Holiday, all of us share some really great content. We honor a man who made an impact on our nation. We reflect on what he has done to help change our lives.
But I wonder what would happen if we took to heart a lot of his quotes and lived them, really truly authentically lived them?
Like practiced these quotes in action every single day. Reflected on them (like we do Scripture that tells us the same thing in different, maybe more complicated terms). Maybe even put them up in our house to remind us of the truth. Prayed over them. Journaled about them. Blogged about them. Had conversations about them. Asked each other questions on how we live this out in every day life.
Here are 7 of his most popular quotes:
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?
What if we reflected on these statements in the moments of conflict, challenge, hurt, pain, difficulties, tough decisions, and when we feel attacked, unloved, unsupported, and rejected?
What if we didn't just make memes out of them and share them?
What if we didn't just look at them the 2nd Monday in January each and every year, but made them a part of our lives?
What if we didn't just pass it on as a good point in history, but really thought about making our life represent these attributes, qualities, characteristics and practice living this way with each other?
I want to. I want to be even more deeply committed to Love. Grace. Forgiveness. Kindness. Acceptance. Less judgement. More truth.
What is your favorite MLK Quote? How will you let it impact your life? What difference will you let it make in your world?
#TheSassyVoice #MLK #ADifferentPerspective #ThePowerOfChoice #LoveOnPurpose

instructors power of words

I am very fond of Yoga and I love all my Yoga instructors, but some are able to help me see more and do more simply because of the power of their words.

One of my Yoga Instructors says: We will do this until it sucks, and then we will do it sucks some more. One of my other Yoga Instructors would say: We will do this until we shake because shaking is good. Shaking shows a sign of weakness and the ability to become strong.

Which one helps you focus on being better and wanting to to stay the course on a difficult pose?

One of my Yoga Instructors says halfway through a workout: Now get ready to work. One of my other Yoga Instructors says: You are stronger than you think, stay with your body.

Which one helps you believe in your body and it's ability? Which one helps you to not resent what you will be put through next?

Not every teacher, instructor, mentor, or coach provides the same instruction. Not every teacher, instructor, mentor, or coach has the same experience. Not every teacher, instructor, mentor, or coach has the same methods. Not every teacher, instructor, mentor, or coach has the same ability. Not every teacher, instructor, mentor, or coach can get you beyond yourself.

You can settle for less or you can settle for more.

You can accept good or you can have great.

You can be like everyone else or you can stand out.

You can just do your routine or you can let someone have a piece of you.

You can take from someones day or you can add to it.

It really is up to you!

These kinds of choices are around us every day. And we all get to chose how we show up. How we live these moments of our lives. We all get to decide what is important to us and how the power of our words affects our emotional, mental, physical and spiritual life...and the lives of those around us.

When you look for someone to grow you beyond yourself, you need to look for the things that will help you become a better person. The small details sometimes are really important to the character and core of how you will be influenced. You get to choose what shines a light into your soul.

I absolutely love my Yoga practice and one of my #2017Goals to get one in 5 days a week. I want to spend more time with people and getting instruction in the classes that help me build a better mind body connection. The ones that help me believe in myself when I do not believe in me. The ones that help me to go into my body and find it's core strength and become stronger through the discipline of the workout. The ones that leave an imprint on my heart and mind with an analogy to apply to my day. The ones that thank me for coming and being a part of their class.

How will you let the power of words and your circle of influence affect you?

#ThePowerOfChoice #ADifferentPerspective #YourWordsMatter #CreateTheLifeYouWant #BeDifferent

Life is kinda like Football

Life is kinda like Football.

Sometimes you score a touchdown. Sometimes you have to work and work and work for a touchdown. Sometimes you try so many times that you now have to go for a Field Goal. Sometimes you make the Field Goal, but a timeout had been called before you kicked, but you didn't hear it, and so now the Field Goal attempt has to be redone. Sometimes you completely miss the Field Goal. Sometimes your team is there to help you make a play right on the money. Sometimes the people around you are putting so much pressure on you that you loose your focus on where you are supposed to be throwing the ball. Sometimes you get taken out in a sack. Sometimes you butt heads with someone you didn't see coming right at you. Sometimes you get injured in playing all in the game. Sometimes you get the ball knocked out of your hands. Sometimes you catch the ball that wasn't intended for you. Sometimes you get to run the football all the way down the field. Sometimes the referee calls the penalty that you saw right on the money. Sometimes the referee doesn't call the penalty at all and you get grace that you shouldn't have had. Sometimes the referee calls a penalty that doesn't match the play at all and makes no sense to you and everyone else watching, but you can't argue, you just have to deal with it. Sometimes no matter how much you practice, you still loose the game.

Just like in life.

Sometimes the project you are working on comes together smoothly, you get the contract and you meet your deadline with extra time to spare. Sometimes you have to work and work and work for a results in your life, like loosing weight, or figuring out hives that continue for over a Year, or determining your career path, or paying down debt. Sometimes you try so many times to get someone to fix an issue, like with your Honda Prepaid Maintenance Warranty, that it seems like every time you make one step forward you get taken back two. Sometimes you make it to the elevator on time, but someone on the inside has already hit close the door and you have to wait for the next ride. Sometimes you completely miss your flight at the airport because of a wreck and traffic en-route and the airport shuttle drops you off at the wrong gate entrance. Sometimes you have a team of friends that are there for you, to pray for you, to encourage you, and who love to spend time with you. Sometimes the people around you are are not supporting you, do not have your best interest at heart, and are actually enemies that are saying awful things about you behind your back but say they love you to your face. Sometimes you loose all your contacts on your phone because backing up to Google and your SIM Card and your Phone didn't work. Sometimes you get in a car wreck because you didn't see the vehicle ahead of you completely stopped. Sometimes you get sick, very sick. Sometimes you buy something that doesn't work out like it should and it is wasted money because you can't return it. Sometimes you get a flowers as a gift from one of your Guy Friends because they simply appreciate you and let you know how much you are loved. Sometimes you get fired from your job and have to file for unemployment and go without pay for 3 months while you appeal the original decision. Sometimes the policeman gives you a speeding ticket that you deserved. Sometimes the policemen gives you grace on that speeding ticket that you actually really did deserve. Sometimes the policeman gives you a speeding ticket and it doesn't make any sense to you or anyone else in the car, but you can't argue, you just have to deal with it. Sometimes no matter how much you practice having positive thoughts, you still have to deal with negative ones.

I love Football. And I love studying it and learning about it. But beyond that...I love looking at life analogies and applying them in ways that help me become a better person.

How would you apply Football to your life?
[Yes, these are examples from my own life.]
#TheSassyVoice #Reflections #LifeLessons #ILoveFootball

trust God in the process

There is so much power in our words. There is power in the things we tell ourselves, internally, the dialogue inside our mind, the war within our hearts, the chatter about whether we believe we can achieve our dreams, whether we are worthy of our hearts desires or deserve these things we want, whether we are good enough for those around us, whether are strong enough to make it happen, whether we accept God is walking right beside us through every step of our journey, and the truth we decide to claim about ourselves, others, God and life.

Understanding this concept was something I developed the last 3 Years as I went through Counseling, then began working with Mentors and Coaches. Learning it and applying it to every aspect of my life has literally changed the results that I have in my life!!! It has become a tool I access daily to shift the energy of those things that happen around me and those things going on internally as I continue to change and become who God has called me to be.

You see, I was raised in an environment [both from my childhood and church group] where I was constantly told negative things. Put down. Belittled. Rejected.

Told things like: No man will ever want you. You are too sick to ever have children. You are not strong enough to lift that. You are too independent. You can't cook like your sister. You always sing off tune. You are too much of a perfectionist. You are too sensitive and wear your feelings on your sleeves. You spend too much time thinking. You are too driven. You ask too many questions. You aren't trying hard enough. You will never get A+ in every class. If you move from the desert, you will die within 2 Years. You will never make enough money to support yourself. You will never be successful as an Entrepreneur. You have too many opinions. You are a Woman and should not study God's Word. You are a Woman out of control. You are too intense, too bold, too aggressive.

Can I be anyone of these things? There are times I absolutely can. But are these the things I am at my core? No.

When you tell someone these kinds of things, do they fuel life? Fuel peace? Fuel joy? Fuel compassion? Fuel love? Fuel heart connection? Fuel a relationship? No. They feed hurt, emotional pain, resentment, fear, condemnation, regret, shame, guilt, build walls, create anxiety, disconnect, and ultimately a lack of feeling loved and accepted.

Learning to remove the lies and focus on the truth is something we all have to choose to do if we want to transform. If we want growth, we can't hold onto negativity. If we want to move past the chapter we are in, we have to be willing to release the things that are not truth and press into, hold onto, securely attach to the truths of who we are.

This is something God has shared with us in II Corinthians 10:5:

We are demolishing arguments and ideas, every high-and-mighty philosophy that pits itself against the knowledge of the one true God. We are taking prisoners of every thought, every emotion, and subduing them into obedience to the Anointed One. - The Voice translation

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ, - AMP translation

Sometimes it takes great work at removing these seeds of doubt, uncertainty, questions that threaten to destroy your vision and focus.

Sometimes the pain in this process is of such magnitude that it causes physical, emotional, spiritual and mental challenges because it is so deep.

Sometimes the domino affect is horrific as it impacts the lives of others around you, who aren't willing to release you to this new transformed person, who resent your transformation, and who feel you are wrong to be different.

When you go through a program like I did in 2014 [it was called LiveBIG in Salt Lake City, Utah] and see the impact it makes on your life then, and then the ongoing ripple effect it has forever forward as you continue to uncover layer after layer of lies and replace them with truth, as you face all your fears, as you open up to change, as you accept who you really are, as you become more loving, you simply become a believer in the principals. And you want to see every other person in your life remove their bondage to fear, shame, guilt, and regret. You want to see them set free, in the abundant freedom that God gives them! You want to see them living life, really living and not just existing! You want to see them having hope!

Friends, trust God is doing a deep work in your heart in this process. Trust God to make the transformation so radical that the truth cannot be hid. Trust God to bring about the results He wants in your life. Trust God to bring people into your life and take people out of your life to assist you with this transformation. Trust God to help you see what is truth and what is a lie. Trust God to bring clarity out of the chaos and discernment to the conflict. Trust God to be with you in every step of the journey which means you need not have any fear.
#TheSassyVoice #ThePowerOfChoice #Transformation#CreateTheLifeYouWant #LiveIntentionally