deb's sparks! - september update!

It's been awhile since you received a newsletter from me.  2017 has been a different sort of year, nudging me to practice what I teach: allow the Universe to present options then follow my intuition.

In January, I decided I needed a break from the magazine and radio program hustle and bustle.  It was a great experience for me and I could feel the need to move in a different, unknown direction.
Also in January, I received a call to increase my participation in Rummage.  I am now a Vice-Chair of the Rummage sale which means I rummage full-time for six weeks, twice a year.  It's a big time committment and it continues to fill my heart.

In February, I joined Toastmasters and in July agreed to serve as our club's Vice President of Education.  I love the supportive environment of Toastmasters, the opportunity to help others in their Toastmasters journey and the possibility of honing my speaking and presentation skills.

At the end of Spring Rummage in May, my mother fell and broke her hip. She endured surgery, 5 days in the hospital and nearly a month in rehab.  My father was happy to have her home but there were new challenges.  I spent part of my summer helping my parents.

With a big trip to Disney planned, I was motivated to find caregiving services for my parents.  I was relieved to find a Home Health Aide that could support Mom and give Dad some relief.  I was also thrilled to share my Disney Vacation Club experience with Kevin and his family.  We had a fantastic trip and it was exactly the break that I needed.

When you are in the middle of caregiving or supporting a caregiver, you start to think that there must be resources and perhaps a better way. I discovered a Certified Caregiving Consultant course. I hope to finish the certification this year and be able to help others with their caregiving journey.

Earlier this month, as Fall Rummage arrived, Mom had another fall, breaking some ribs and requiring a chest tube.  She was back in the hospital for 6 days and then home (no trip to rehab at my insistence!).  She's had a challenging summer but she is a tough cookie or as one of my friend's said: "she's like a cat with nine lives"!  Her progress is slow and steady and we continue to pray for good health!

What's Next?
In the beginning of the year, I started to build a new program called "Revive Your SPARK".  Common themes for myself and my clients are a lack of time and focus on self-care.  How can you Discover Your SPARK if you don't allow time for it?And as I explore supporting caregivers, the themes of self-care and life transitions are present.  There are phases of caregiving, just like the phases of our career, or personal growth.  There are lots of similarities.
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So where does this lead? It's not abundantly clear, yet.  I'm in the midst of a Personal Year 7, that's a year where you typically go within and reflect.   Here's a snippet from Sue Frederick's book "I See Your Dream Job" about the personal year 7: In this quiet introspective year, you'll do best spending lots of time alone allowing change to occur naturally rather than forcing it. Your intuition will be at its most powerful - rely on it for all decisions. Pursue nothing; you will naturally attract what is meant to be in your life.

Sounds like I'm right where I need to be, allowing the Universe to guide me, acting like a sponge to soak it all in and using my intuition to guide me to my next step. Practice what I teach.

How can I best serve you?  I would love to hear your thoughts.  You can simply reply to this email and share your ideas or click the button and complete a brief 2 minute survey!  Survey

Thank you for reading this long update and your continued support.  My plan is to get back to monthly newsletters!  Stay tuned!

​Wishing you peace, love, and sparks of inspiration!  Deb