Tag: Take Action

Comparing Apples to Giraffes

April 12, 2016 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

I’m on overload today. My thoughts are a jumble of indistinguishable whatnots. I feel overwhelmed by the should do’s and want to’s. After having read a couple of wonderfully written articles, I feel deeply moved and am further questioning what I’m up to in life.

Earlier this morning, I was torturing myself by comparing my life and talents with everyone I hold on a pedestal, which is pretty much everyone but me…I promise that I DO love myself. I’m growing as a person, but it’s taking FOREVER. I feel like I should be further along in the process than I am.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

One thought I had while comparing myself to one such POWERFUL woman friend who went back to school a few years ago and is wrapping up her first year of teaching, was to get my butt off the sidelines and join her in the action…whatever that looks like for me. It could be the decision to pour myself into my family and let go of any other dreams.

The family dream is a beautiful dream in and of itself and worthy of every minute of my time. I admire women who run their homes so well, regardless of where they work both in and out of the home. Maybe it looks like going back to school or doing what I’ve already been trained to do by stepping out of my comfort zone (that’s full of excuses) and offering to tell people about What Every Person Can Do. Maybe it’s a combination and I haven’t hit on the right mix yet.

It feels like decision time and there’s no wrong decision, except indecision. I can ALWAYS change my mind at any time and pick a new route. I don’t have to have everything figured out.

I am creating my life one day at a time. We all are.

While I’m figuring out what my next move is, I want to share with you these two articles that touched my heart today. They are both about how we belong to each other and full of moving and powerful quotes and they are located below my post.

When you’re done reading the articles, I would love to know what you think about them. Did they move you too or was that just me? Do you relate to life being brutiful? Do you want to save all the kids? Please share your thoughts.

Thanks for reading and discussing!

Much love,

Sarah B

Life Is Hard But They Are Brave

“Heartache is a signal to you that you’ve stumbled upon something worthy of your life. Do not run, do not turn away: follow your heartbreak. The broken road is the road less traveled. Take it, walk it, it will make all the difference. Everything beautiful starts with a broken heart.” Glennon Doyle Melton

From Chris Morris

“Sometimes you need to believe in people, even if the cost seems too high. Because the real cost of not believing in people is huge.” -Chris Morris

What Are You Working For?

June 17, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

What Are You Working For?

This is a question I’ve asked myself quite a bit lately.

I’ve been a stay at home mom for 15 years, with just a few months employment here and there, once in a wholesale club, another time as a school bus driver, and off and on over the last 3 years as a childcare provider in my home, but for the vast majority of the time, I’ve been what my husband now calls, “The Stay At Home.”

I’ve been measuring belts in a factory at my new job. It’s easy, but boring. It’s given me lots of time to ponder life’s greatest mysteries, well my life’s greatest mysteries anyway. My mind is ALL OVER THE PLACE during those 2 hour stretches between breaks. I’ve been amused by all the thoughts that come and go rather quickly, completely unrelated to each other (and the songs that pop into my head.) I’ve spent time being nostalgic, thinking about my childhood, revisiting some unhappy times as an adult, giving myself grief over mistakes, and then cheering myself up with some of those songs. I’ve also been able to get in some quality brainstorming.

Here are some of the songs that put some pep in my step or remind me what I want to be up to in life.

You’ll Be Okay
Put on a Happy Face
Breath of Heaven Not everybody’s cup of tea but it encourages me.
All I Want To Do (not the Sheryl Crow song)
Tonight You Belong To Me (random fun song that pops into my head A LOT)

I’m looking at any job I work at through this temporary service as just that, temporary. I like looking at it this way because I feel like I’m not stuck in this particular factory job forever, whether I end up working here for 5 minutes, 5 months, or 5 years. It’s one of the thoughts that are helping me transition from being “The Stay At Home” to a working gal.

There are other thoughts keeping me going too. One of the biggest motivators is of course that paycheck at the end of the week. That MAGICAL paycheck. That paycheck that’s going to help with bills, cover summer birthdays for 5 kids, allow for a couple of Girl Scouts trips this weekend and a road trip with my husband in September, and fund some creative projects. It’s AMAZING how far that paycheck can go in my mind and THAT’S JUST THE FIRST CHECK!!! Okay, in reality the first check was gone to pay a bill an hour after being cashed, but I never would’ve made it to the first check without the dream.

Half the time I enjoy what I’m doing and appreciate the fact that I have all of that quiet thinking time and the other half of the time I think about what other more enjoyable work I might be missing out on and how my right arm is sore and my wrist is starting to hurt and wah wah wah.

REALITY CHECK

When I got to work Thursday night, the lady who works across from me told me that an employee was found dead that morning. He was only 30 years old. I didn’t know him, but I felt sad for my co-workers who lost their friend. It snapped me into the present moment and to what matters most in life.

What am I working for?

For the rest of the night that magical paycheck didn’t seem so magical. In the grand scheme of things, what am I doing with my life? Am I working for “stuff”? What do I want for my future? What do I want now? What am I trading my family time for? Why am I doing this?

I’ve come up with these three answers.

#1 I want the money but not the STUFF.

I’d love to have the ability to buy STUFF but I don’t want that to be my motivation. Stuff is not important to me. I want the money because I don’t want to struggle financially any more. There’s too much stress in the struggle and it can be alleviated. I want financial freedom. Don’t we all? 🙂

#2 This is just part of the journey.

Working now in this way is a stepping stone. It’s necessary and it’s not a big deal. I’ve got a vision that I’m working toward and this is going to help me get there faster.

and finally

#3 I don’t have to have all of the answers.

“The greatest joy in life is being a contribution.” Bill Cumming

I’m pretty sure that the quote above is the short and to the point version of this much longer quote.

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish, little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”
George Bernard Shaw

For now, I’ve chosen to contribute to my family in this way and I like the way that contribution feels.

Do you have any words of wisdom to offer for balancing work and home? What are some of the ways you keep things running smoothly? I can use lots of help in this area 🙂 Leave your comments below or come on over to facebook and share them there.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning about the 12 week conversation What One Person Can Do, you can get in touch with Sarah here.

6 Tips for Finding More Time

December 16, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 2 Comments

6 Tips for Finding More Time

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”
~Jim Rohn

I write in my head all day long.

Sometimes I actually jot thoughts down to write about later—when there’s time.

GUESS WHAT? There’s NEVER extra time.

I write down the same ideas day after day. There’s so much I want to write about but it stays stuck in my head or in stacks of paper that never get revisited.

IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!

Here are 6 tips for finding more time. They’ve been helping me rethink my own issues with time. I hope you’ll find them useful as well.

#1 MAKE it a Priority.
This activity that you would love to be doing, whatever it is, needs to be moved up on your priority list, whether it’s a creative outlet, exercising, reading with your kids, or serving others.

If you can’t figure out how in the world to fit it in to your already overbooked schedule, move on to Tip #2.

#2 Track Your Time
Track your time to see where you lose 30 minutes or an hour. I did this a couple of weeks ago and it was eye opening. I already knew I was losing time in front of the computer but to track it and see it go was helpful.

#3 Pencil It In
One of the things I want to do but never get around to, because there is always so much to do, is to spend “fun time” with my kids. This is hard to admit because it seems so basic. Other families appear to have this family time down and we seem stuck as a family. We do the same thing day after day. The day seems completely booked with all of the to do’s. Over the summer, I wrote down HAVE A BONFIRE on my to do list. One bonfire led to subsequent bonfires and I learned if I want to have special time with my kids, I am going to have to plan those events. The same goes for my writing.

#4 Good enough
Good enough is a fairly new concept for me and I LOVE IT! Good enough is a POWERFUL weapon in the fight against PERFECTIONISM. It’s freeing to say, “The kitchen is good enough. The laundry is good enough.” We all know the house work is NEVER done. I don’t want to spend my children’s youth slaving to have a super clean home or checked out in front of the computer and miss out on any more time with them. Good enough will be the key that brings me balance and extra time.

#5 What’s possible for one POWERFUL woman is possible for another.
I know of women juggling the same set of circumstances as me, some of them with even more responsibilities than I have. If they can crank out a couple of blog posts, then it’s completely possible for me too. The only difference is that they’ve decided it’s a priority and I haven’t fully committed to it yet. I’m getting there.

#6 Put something down
I recently saw a quote that RUBBED ME THE WRONG WAY, but the more stressed I felt trying to accomplish EVERYTHING on my plate, the more I came to accept the truth of this quote.

“In order to pick up something new, you must first lay something down.” -unknown

I tried to beat the system because I’m rebellious like that. I went right ahead and picked up a business of all things. I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. To have a successful business means you have to be a product of the product. right? That’s only going to be an additional 30 minutes to an hour of working out a day. No sweat.

Well actually, there is quite a bit of sweat involved. On top of that, it’s a business. I’m discovering that they don’t work themselves.

After a month of trying to hold all of that, in addition to what I was already holding, I eventually found something to set down.

“You can have it all. Just not all at once.” ~Oprah Winfrey

I guess Gloria was right.

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” ~Gloria Steinem

If you‘ve tracked your time and there is seriously not a spare minute in your day for the thing you’d love to do, what can you put down?

So…what are you waiting for? Get busy doing the thing you’ve been putting off. It’s time.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning more about the 12 week conversation What One Person Can Do or in one on one coaching with Sarah, you can get in touch with her here.

Are YOU Fed Up?

July 4, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Are YOU Fed Up?

I am looking for 5 women who are fed up with feelings of overwhelm, fear, worry, and low self esteem and are ready to kick all of that negativity to the curb. It’s hard to imagine life without all of that inner turmoil, but I have experienced life both ways, and know that it is possible to struggle less even when outward circumstances are rough.

I will spend 2 hours a week for 12 weeks with five of you, starting July 22nd having one of the most powerful conversations you will ever have. You will leave this 12 week program KNOWING that you are loved, valued, and capable of creating a meaningful, joyous life for yourself and also that you are able to create an environment where those around you experience their own ability to produce the same result in their lives.

The cost of this 12 week program, plus daily access to me Monday through Friday, via a private fb support group, is $740.

In addition, I have asked Bill Cumming, the creator of this powerful conversation, if he would kick off our 12 weeks together in a group call, as well as a call at the end of the 12 weeks, to make sure I delivered the goods. When Bill works with clients in corporations, he charges $800 for an hour of his time so this is an incredible bonus for all of us!

If you are fed up, ready to break out of the daily struggle you have been experiencing, and commit to a more peaceful future of your creating, then send me your five paragraph application…Your who, what, what, why, and when.

Who are you? — tell me a little bit about yourself.

What is it you struggle with most?

What do you REALLY want your life to look like?

WHY should you be one of the first five women to go through this 12 week conversation with me?

And…

When is the best fit for you…Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 9:30-3:30 pm ET, for your weekly appointment? It is super important that you are free of all distraction during these calls. If I can manage it with five…

Send your letter to sarahboucher@iamapowerfulwoman.net

I will review the applications and contact you to set up an introductory call before our July 22nd kick off call with Bill. If 30 people submit applications, I can put you on a waiting list for the next 12 weeks, or if you are READY to have this conversation with another convener before then, let me know that in your letter as well. I will do my best to get you connected with someone.

As a busy mother of five children, I simply do not have time for a full client load. My space is very limited and I want to give the BEST support possible to those who sign on to go through this conversation with me.

I ABSOLUTELY love supporting other women in seeing possibilities. I’m THRILLED to be starting this journey with those of you who are ready to invest in yourself and serious about changing your experience of life.

Love,
Sarah Boucher

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there.

You Are Not Stuck

May 12, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

You Are Not Stuck
I hope you are having a very happy experience of life, but some of you are in a different place than that. Your thoughts are filled with pain, worry, and maybe even hopelessness. You are not stuck.

I was greeted this morning with the terrible news of a suicide. A sweet, red headed woman who always had a big smile on her face. I barely knew her but the news hit me like a ton of bricks.

POWERFUL woman–listen to me. There are ALWAYS choices available to you in ANY situation. YOU ARE NOT STUCK! YOU ARE NOT TRAPPED! HELP IS AVAILABLE ALL AROUND YOU. Reach out and take the hand of a stranger even. MAKE THE CALL. People all around the world care about YOU and we are cheering you on.

There are so many stories of success–of women who took that first step to make the change for herself and her children.

Depression
If you suffer from depression, please call your doctor, get free counseling, and even learn techniques to change your thinking. If your depression is not severe, look for something you can do for someone else or look for the next thing that needs to be done. Get up and get to work. Find the next thing that needs to be done and do it. Don’t sit and think for hours (I’m a thinker, so I know how easy it is to get stuck in this place. I struggled with depression for about a year, maybe longer than that after my fourth child was born. I didn’t want to accept the fact that I was depressed. Learning that I had more control over which thoughts I put energy into, proactively filling myself up with grounded, positive thoughts and a daily Self Care routine made a world of difference in the way I experience my life whether the circumstances around me are “good” or “bad”.)

Single Moms
You are definitely not alone. There are many resources available to single moms–grants, state programs, single parent groups in your community and in churches. I did a search for single moms on Pinterest and found all kinds of encouragement there. Check out this article as a jumping off place if you are feeling overwhelmed or need extra encouragement. 10 Single Mom Secrets.

Addiction
If you struggle with addiction, check out Sisters of Serenity and Sobriety for daily encouragement and start your journey to recovery. Katie has quite a survival story.

Physical or Emotional Abuse
If YOU are being abused or your children are being abused, call the police, get into a shelter, and start rebuilding your life.

Human Trafficking Victim or Prostitution
If you are in either of these situations, you are not alone and help is available to you.
How to Know if You Are a Victim And for those of us who want to fight for our sisters, here’s 20 Ways You Can Help Human Trafficking.

Hookers for Jesus Their desire and goal includes providing transitional support and assistance to the youth and women seeking to leave the sex industry.

Loss of Loved Ones
If you are dealing with the loss of someone close to you, first of all, I am very sorry for your loss and secondly, I hope this site helps you make sense of your grief. MedicineNet.com

Take Action
If the action is calling National Suicide Prevention Hotline, then make the call now. Be your own hero by taking that first step today to rescue yourself. GET HELP! I believe in YOU! YOU are a POWERFUL woman. YOU are not STUCK!

Please comment below if you have encouragement or a resource to pass along to anyone who might feel alone in any of these areas.

All my love and POWERFUL thoughts being sent your way!
Sarah

www.facebook.com/IAmaPowerfulWoman

Find Your Power

April 21, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Find Your Power

Do you feel like all you have ever known is struggle? Even though you can count your blessings until you are blue in the face because you do realize you are blessed, at the end of the day, you still feel like you are struggling–struggling to live peacefully with your spouse, to be consistent with your parenting, to encourage your children to get along, to stay on top of things at work, to keep the house decent, to pay the bills, to make ends meet, to ever get ahead? Are you ready to Find Your Power and move beyond struggle? I sure as heck am.

I have written blog posts that talked about the reality of my situation where I said, if you want expert advice in finances, organization, business, or healthy eating, don’t come to me. When J.K. Rowling said, “And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life,” I can relate. I know my situation could get worse, but I’m at rock bottom of what I have experienced in my life so far. I am 34 years old and I feel like someone just handed me an encyclopedic sized book entitled How To Be A Grown Up.

I feel ridiculous when other women compliment me on my parenting, “Girl, I don’t know how you do it? Five kids!” The whole time we’re conversing, I’m thinking how glad I am that they can’t see what a wreck my house is or my bank statement. My neighbors know all about my parenting because they see the ugliness my kids display in the front yard as they yell all sorts of obscenities over who gets shotgun. Guess what? My teenagers aren’t allowed to cuss but they do it anyway. Compliment me now. Since my husband left 8 months ago, my children and I have had more McDonald’s $1 menu meals and bowls of cereal for dinner than I care to admit. I make $100 a week babysitting. Yep, that’s right. The face behind I Am A Powerful Woman is a babysitter probably making less than my teenage colleagues.

All of that to say that I don’t have it together. I’m surviving, but I don’t want to survive. I want to give my life my best shot. I want to have a plan for my family’s success and if I don’t make it, who cares. I will have tried my best and had fun doing it. I am ready to find my power in each area of life that needs work (which is every area honestly, and I think we all would agree that parenting needs to be first on the list of areas to tackle, what with the cussing kids in the front yard and all that) and excel.

Find Your Power

My strengths going into this Find Your Power phase of life are that I use Self Care daily to stay grounded in my well being in the midst of some pretty major trials, and I REALLY believe in possibilities for myself and others. If there was a Queen of Possibility, I would be it or next in line for the throne behind Oprah.

My focus for the rest of 2013 is Find Your Power! I will be sharing my own journey in finding my power, resources that I find useful, and ideas that I implement that work. If you also are on a journey to Find Your Power, please stay connected. Comment below or come to I Am A Powerful Woman and share where you are and what has worked for you.

I Am A Powerful Woman was never about me and how powerful I am. It was always my intention to encourage others to grow in their power as I was growing in mine, because this power is in all of us.

This is our year POWERFUL woman! Find Your Power!

I believe in you!
Sarah

I’m Not Listening To Experts

March 1, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

I’m Not Listening to Experts!

I’m not listening to experts! You can’t make me! I am so stubborn when it comes to making changes even if the change is going to revolutionize my life. Why is that? Why do I think I am more intelligent than the experts in a particular field? It does not matter what area of my life will improve, I’ll have some excuse (maybe more than one) as to why I can’t follow their method to victory.

My mom said that I was such an obedient girl until I reached my teen years. Maybe I am making up for all of those years. The teenage rebellion wasn’t enough to satisfy the rebel within.

When it comes to applying an expert’s knowledge in my life, I turn all infantile. I throw myself to the ground and a tantrum ensues.

But I don’t want to get up early to…pray, meditate, plan, write, clean…

You name it, I don’t want to get up early and do it–even if it is something I really would like to do at some point in the day. I do not want to hit the ground running and be productive for whatever reason. I do not want to get my life more organized so I can enjoy peace. I prefer lugging around this bucket of stress and chaos. I don’t want to exercise and eat healthy . I would rather age and feel it.

How ridiculous is my stubborn will?

Unless I am committed to _______, I am going to fight it with every bit of my being.

Time to Change

To quote the Brady Bunch, “When it’s time to change, then it’s time to change.” Peter Brady could not keep his voice from changing and I must not keep my life from changing. I know too much now. Knowledge is power and, “and with great power comes great responsibility.“ (Thank you Peter Parker’s uncle.)

“Knowledge without application is meaningless.”
Thomas Edison

It is so true. You can hear about Dave Ramsey, take his Financial Peace Course, and know the program inside and out, but unless you take action to control your finances, they will remain a mess. You can learn all about Flylady’s Fly Journal, but unless you take action and practice organization, your house remains a mess. Knowing “more more” about Jesus doesn’t make you a Christian. Any change requires knowledge and action.

It’s time to listen to the people who have been there and done that. That is why they are called experts. This week I am going to think about the different areas of my life (mind, body, spirit, finances, relationships) and follow some expert advice. I can be obedient. I have done it before. I just have to embrace my inner one to twelve year old.

To sit back, know what I know, and continue to not change is a crime against myself and my family punishable by being at the end of my life, looking back and saying, “If only I had_______.”

I am on a mission to get on top of my life. I’m pretty sure if I quit saying I’m not listening to experts but seek their wisdom instead, that I will accomplish this goal.

That’s what the experts say to do anyway–to start listening to experts.

Comment below or come over to facebook and tell me whose expert advice you followed and how it changed your life.

My photographer/oldest son is so much fun to goof around with.

Take Action! Mother Teresa Did!

July 14, 2012 / Sarah Boucher / 1 Comment

It was time to take action!
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

An excerpt from my journal two years ago. This was the turning point in my life–when I finally decided it was okay to be me and that it was time to take action.

February 8, 2010

I have too many thoughts racing through this mind of mine.

Is it wrong to pursue your dreams or are we supposed to live quiet lives doing the work of Jesus?

I know that success is measured differently. A lot of people measure success by “stuff:” How big your stuff is, the amount of stuff you have, being well known, and what mark you’ve made. Others measure success by the goodness of a person: she was such a servant, she was such a hard worker, she shared with others, she was a good…

My goal has never been to be the most well known this or that person but we all have dreams of greatness. I read today on Steve Chandler’s website that some people choose to play it safe and never “do” anything so they will never fail. His view and that of James Barrie is that the most successful people are failures.

My struggle has for years been is it wrong to strive for something that doesn’t seem to have a holier purpose or is it a waste of time? Is Blue Cotton a “waste” of time? What is holy about the business of t-shirt printing? God has used that business to bless many families. Does everything under the sun have to have a divine “purpose?” Are we all selling ourselves short? I am more and more under the opinion that God made every person creative. He gave us gifts and we shouldn’t be afraid to use them?

I have chosen to be a stay at home mom. I’m not very good at it and it shows. My husband is worried, my in-laws are worried, and my mother who has always been supportive is worried. I love home schooling. At the same time, I have dreams upon dreams. Dreams of volunteer work, t-shirt sales, photography business, writing, motivational speaking to women and teenagers, dreams of real estate, and living in a house shaped like a foot, dreams of living outside the box. Dreams that will not let me be.

There is the “prosperity gospel” that some Christians embrace and others think is hogwash. Maybe there is a balance in there somewhere.

Take Action! Mother Teresa Did!

My big thought for the day is whether someone is a Mother Theresa or a Donald Trump, a Joel Osteen, a Madonna, or a Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar–whether a person is famous for wealth or well known in a community for good deed doing–all of these people are doers. They all took action at some point. They may never have had lofty goals of wealth and fame but they are recognized because they are people of action. Anyone we may admire, we admire because they did something. They adopted a child or children, they worked with broken marriages, they wrote an inspirational book, they lived out their faith in spite of ridicule, they lived selflessly. That Mother Theresa–did she ever! But SHE TOOK ACTION!!! She was a nurse, a teacher, a nun. She made decisions and SHE ACTED.

I am going to use success tools to be the best I can be at the job I have chosen. It may look foolish. I am going to challenge myself to be more than just a loving mom and wife. I am going to learn how to use my time wisely and serve those God has placed in my life. I am going to practice photography and writing. I am going to one day motivate other women to be able to stand on their own, to be women of joy, to not struggle and be weighed down by worry. I am going to motivate my children to be successful people. They will love God first and as a result make good choices for their life. First, I have to figure out how to stand on my own, to believe in myself, to do the things I want to do, to create what I want to create not to be a creature of reaction. I will do these things if God allows me to do them. My first priority is to my family.

Steve Chandler says the people that think about money the most are those without any. It is so true. I am tired of going without. I have lived the quiet and humble life. I want to be pleasing to God but I don’t think stifling the passion he gave me is pleasing to him at all. I was meant for action! I will take action! I wish everyone could see the condition of my home at this writing. They would laugh and say, “You are going to do these things? Ha–Good luck!”

Tag: Take Action

Comparing Apples to Giraffes

What Are You Working For?

6 Tips for Finding More Time

Are YOU Fed Up?

You Are Not Stuck

Find Your Power

I’m Not Listening To Experts

Take Action! Mother Teresa Did!

LET’S CONNECT!

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