personal growth

Focus…

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

Have you ever been so busy your brain just cannot focus? That is how I feel right now in regards to my blog. My schedule just changed as it normally does in September but it takes me time to adjust even though I know it is going to happen. Then add in Jack adjusting and we are in for a good time! For over a week I have been trying to get ideas of what to write and its just not coming to me. So I have decided to write just about that. I may have told you in past blogs that I am going to college. Well, I have seven more classes and I will have my bachelor’s degree. It is so close yet so far away. It is in my sights for Spring 2017. This is my focus yet the rest of my life needs to move on too. So, I ask you how do you handle things when life is going in ten different directions?

I can tell you that Jack is not pleased with these schedule changes. Dogs are creatures of habit just like us humans. There are a few days of the week that have not changed and yet he is still off kilter those days too. Progress not perfection as they say. I am working on getting in my groove and in the meantime am plodding through. I guess you could say Jack is doing the same thing. Part of me feels as if we have regressed in his training because of the schedule change. I felt like I was going a little crazy for a while until I figured it out. Those “ahah” moments get me every time.

Admitting mistakes or in this case, a loss of ideas. In this world for the most part people are not given permission to admit mistakes without repercussions. In other words people are not allowed to be human. Why can’t we be allowed to be human, make mistakes, and learn from them? It is usually “society” or “work” that puts these pressures on us. For me if I do not admit my mistakes I do not grow and improve myself. Maybe I am delusional in my thinking but I am looking just for this humanness. What are you looking for?

I am making this posting short and sweet. I hope you can relate or know someone who does. Please share this with them if it can help.

 

Until next time…

~Lisa

Finding Balance With Jack…

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

Well it has been about four months since Jack has come into my life. I have had to make some changes to my schedule to ensure Jack is taken care of. This brings me to the topic of balance. I have many layers to my life and work as so many others do. I have a “job,” school, self-employment in multiple businesses, self-care, and care of others within my businesses. Jack has played an important part in those changes. I need to make sure I am home to feed him, exercise him, train him, and most of all to enjoy him. Because of that I need to schedule around him. This was a personal choice for me. I love having a dog in my home for me it completes my home. What completes your home?

For me schoolwork is structured and I know when I need to accomplish tasks. I know Jack’s schedule and what I need to do. I have set schedules with some clients and others I work around my schedule. When it comes to building my businesses I have no set schedule. As an entrepreneur scheduling time is on me. Sometimes this goes well for me and other times not so much. What about you, how do you manage your time? This can be a blessing and a curse for the self-employed. Time freedom needs balance, as does life itself. I need to build my business around Jack and myself.

Right now I am looking at and assessing the common threads of all of what I do. Synergism is very important to me in all aspects of my life. I find when I have continuity I have momentum and this is a great feeling. When I do not have continuity I can get in my own way. Does this happen to you? I would love your feedback on this. I love that each part of my life has a common thread. Jack has helped me see this. I have been given lessons and continue to have lessons with Jack. I love to learn even if frustration comes through. Once I am through it I appreciate it so much more.

Balance can mean different things to each person. It is what drives us although sometimes what drives us takes us completely out of balance. Some people are laser focused, others middle of the road, and others not so much. Where do you stand on balance? A little pun on words there! As I sit here writing I am looking at my vision boards. I am noticing a common thread of simplicity. My balance is within simplicity. Gardening, meditation, music, animals, yet finding balance when adding work is where I am at right now. It is daily work to keep balance in all areas of my life. As I have been told many times and truly believe it is in the journey that we find our balance. The road may be bumpy at times but it will lead to the place of balance we all need and want.

 

Until next time…

~Lisa

What is Next for Jack?

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

Well I can tell you it will not be any more encounters with the groundhog! OMG that was an experience I do not want to repeat. As I have mentioned I have a groundhog living underneath my garage. Come to find out he has made a few homes in the neighborhood. This past Sunday evening Jack was out in his area while I was having dinner. I had cleaned up and he was ready to come in when he spots Mr. Groundhog and goes after him. Well the groundhog does not go through his escape hatch and they are nose to nose. Without thinking I run into the pen. Then the groundhog comes running my way! Needless to say what came out of my mouth was not pleasant! I got out and Jack corners it. Well my screaming gets some of my neighbors out to see what’s happening. They kept me somewhat calm. I honestly did not know what to do. I have dealt with rabbits, birds, and skunks but never a groundhog. I threw treats, his ball at Jack but no luck. I called the police to try to get animal control but it would take an hour. The officer on the phone probably thought I was crazy for calling. He asked me if I could get the leash around him and I told him I was calling because I had no idea what to do. While on the phone with him I had a light bulb go off. I grabbed Jack by his big fluffy tail and dragged him out. Mind you he did not react well but I got him out. Phew what a workout that was. Adrenalin pumping and relief all at once, luckily Jack had no bites and no blood on him.

Have you ever done something that put you in a corner or panicked and made a decision you regretted? Then of course fear kept you nose to nose and pride kept you from pulling back. I think this is where Jack and the groundhog were. Defensive and reactive all at once; this is quite draining. What lessons have you learned from past situations that help you in the present? I am so appreciative of my experiences whether it is a lesson learned or a successful event. But in the thick of things I do not always see it that way. Today I have gratitude around my mistakes and the growth I gain from them. It is helpful in business to have this attitude. I know that even though many have said no to me I will have those who say yes. It can be frustrating at times and I work on not taking it personally. Most times it is what is going on with the other person and not me is what it comes down to. I need to remind myself of this and keep moving forward. Tenacity is a powerful tool to stay focused on my goals. How about you? How do you use tenacity to keep you focused?

I had someone come this morning to set a trap for the groundhog. I will keep you posted on how it goes. For now Jack’s area is off limits until the groundhog is caught. Hopefully soon as this is putting a damper on daily life for us; I am a little ticked off but will get over it.

Until next time…

~Lisa

Hope For Jack…

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

Well the consultation with the dog trainer went well. We have signed on and I have hope for Jack and I. We meet next week for the first time and I have some tools to use in the meantime. Jack has a very dominant personality and this trainer is a behaviorist, which gives me hope. With the few tools I have I am already seeing a difference. I have been able to sit down for longer periods of time and it has only been one day. Jack is not very happy with me at the moment but in the long run I think we will have a wonderful life together. It feels good to have hope.

For me when I have hope my entire outlook on life changes. The mind is an amazing tool. It can be dangerous and amazing all at once. When those positive vibes start flowing you never know what will come next. I just had a session with my business-coaching group on the inner voice. This all connects for me. I am so concerned about what Jack has been through that I am overcompensating and he is one smart dog. He knows how to work his momma. How do you overcompensate in your life? Recognizing the signs and having those “ahah” moments can change my direction.

These past three months have thrown me off my compass. Introducing Jack into my life, working with him, helping him feel safe and loved even though I feel he has been fighting it subconsciously. His fears come out in different ways and he does not have control over his circumstances. Acting out is his only way to protect himself from the unknown. This training will help the both of us. I will be trained along with Jack. So I still have some learning to do.

Ah, learning this is something I love to do. It is not always easy changing how I do things or how I think but the end result is usually quite beneficial. How do you learn and grow from your experiences? Is it difficult or easy for you? I think when I am accepting and embrace the learning it goes so much easier. When I fight it all I do is hurt myself. I think when Jack learns he still is loved and cared for the training will go much easier. I am excited for our next journey together.

Just this one visit with the trainer has calmed me. I am not as crazy with Jack. I hope I can keep this up until Wednesday. There have been times I have been a crazy person and I do not like myself when I get this way with him. I was at my wits end and had no idea what to do. I was referred to this trainer through this blog. One Facebook message and I have hope. See what a little sharing can do. Amazing happenings here in the world of the Internet. How has sharing information helped you? I love when people share information and it helps someone out. We do it everyday. What information have you shared that has helped someone? Food for thought…

 

Until next time…

~Lisa

Just Jack…

~ lisagangone ~ 2 Comments

Well it has been two months since adopting Jack. Each day he is improving. Let me explain why. Jack is from North Carolina. He was rescued off the streets. He is a little over two years old. He still has puppy in him and a bunch of survival skills from living on the streets. I sense he has been abused as well. A retired couple adopted him and returned him because they could not handle his energy. This is how Jack came to me; he was sent back-rejected. Bottom line Jack has had a rough beginning in his life. I am determined to change this. Sometimes I question my determination because of where it takes me sometimes.

Jack is a collie/shepherd mixed breed. He is a herding dog and in his eyes he needs to herd me and this has been difficult. I am his pack. There have been times in the past two months where I have “lost” it when it comes to his biting. I was talking to an old dear friend last night that went through the same thing. She told me to hang in there because it does get better. It already has but I still want this behavior stopped yesterday. Progress not perfection. Since he was on the streets he has food issues. I cannot eat with him in the room or even in the house. Ugh… It is getting better I have been able to prepare food somewhat. Hopefully we will tackle this before winter arrives. I think he is in a constant state of what if I don’t have any food? He does not quite get the concept he is being taken care of. Hmm this could relate to me on so many different levels. What about you? Fear of the unknown it can be debilitating and when you have no control over your circumstances such as a dog that fear can fester and come out in behaviors that are not so enjoyable to the recipient.

I have this really big fenced in area for a dog pen. It takes up most of my backyard. At first he did not understand the concept of having his own space. I needed him to walk him in there daily for him to understand. Now he goes in there and hangs out. Not quite getting the concept of doing his “business” but we will get there.

On a positive note I am walking between three and four miles a day. I am in pretty good shape thanks to Jack. My nutrition is great but I had not been exercising. He gets me walking in my neighborhood. I have met a few neighbors I did not know; thank you Jack. Having a dog can boost your social life in your neighborhood. Unfortunately he has taken to jumping after ongoing cars. Another dog owner who is a trainer recommended taking treats to distract him. It has helped. Movement affects him. Movement can affect anyone who has experienced abuse of any kind.

It was recommended to me to blog about Jack. What I can tell you is the last few months have been difficult and enjoyable all at once. I am having awareness’s along the way. Everything can parallel in ways we would never think of.

So I ask you this. This blog may be about a dog but what I wrote about can be relatable if you take the time to reflect upon it. What can you reflect on, be aware of, and say yes this makes sense…

 

Until next time…

Lisa~

Our Past Propels Us to the Present, Then to the Future…

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

The past propels us to the present, which then propels us into the future. Ah, the past it can be so convoluted yet just what helps us move forward to the present. Life has not always been good for me. I have had my share of struggles just as everyone else has. I choose to acknowledge my past, learn from it, and see where it takes me. I have written a little bit about my past so here it comes again. But in this light I will write about what it has given me. What has your past given you? A friend posted a blog on Facebook this morning challenging the “Everything happens for a reason” quote in a blog. Sometimes I believe that but other times I know it is me who has brought me to a particular point. Whether it was me being in fear of “what might happen if I take a chance” or struggling and losing myself in hanging on to something that will eventually go away of my own making or of things out of my control. Thank you Mom for reminding me of my past. It has me reflecting of how far I have come from this past experience.

Today I choose to acknowledge what part I played and how I thought if I just tried harder and worked harder I could fix this! I am smiling right now because there was nothing I could have done to change the outcome. The only change I could have made to change the outcome was to walk away. But I was not ready for that step. I needed the proverbial kick in the butt to move me in a new direction. What kicks in the butt have you had to move you in a new direction? It is funny in a philosophical funny kind of way of where this experience has taken me. This experience has given me the opportunity to be open in ways I had never imagined were possible. I was still fearful but had made peace with my fear and welcomed what was to come.

The people I have met in the present have been propelling me to my future. Those little miraculous steps of taking a chance brought me to these people. I have so much gratitude for this. My present is nothing like I imagined it to be. I still have struggles; who doesn’t? But today I surround myself with people who care, who have similar experiences, and can help with solutions. How is your present propelling you to your future?

The future, well it is still uncertain. This is okay because I can work towards my goals and dreams without hesitating about the future. I look forward to the future because it is always bringing me to new possibilities. I can acknowledge my fears then send them on a coffee break as my business coach tells me. What do you do to send your fears on a coffee break? How has your past, present, and future changed your life?

Until next time…

~Lisa

Preconceived Notions, Assumptions, Perceptions Oh My!

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

Ahh, preconceived notions, assumptions, and perceptions… The human race has so many different variations of these. These seem to pop up on a daily basis. How do you overcome these? How have come to handle these three anomalies? It can be tiring and draining. What I find that amazes me is you do not even realize it is happening and when it happens it throws a curve in that is difficult to bounce back from. But you can bounce back!

Bouncing back is self-care and forward motion. I do not need to sit in these three notions, assumptions, and perceptions in check. It goes both ways, as does anything else. Lately this has been happening to me and I need to look at my part in each situation. It is important to me to be a better person, a trustworthy person, a credible person, an ethical person, and a person who is open to hearing when I am wrong and have the ability to change for the better. I live in the mindset of self-development on a daily consistent basis. It is important me to grow mentally and spiritually. Learning something new everyday inspires me to improve and be a better person.

We need these reminders to help us stay in the moment, for me it is looking at myself but not beating myself up, but to see where I can improve. It is not always enjoyable but it does bring me back to me and to work and learn on how to improve myself. I can embrace my imperfections, acknowledge them, and move on to what I need to do for myself.

My goal is to attract positive people and influences into my life. I cannot do this if I do not move away from my misconceptions. I choose not to do the blame game. I choose to bring awareness, acceptance, and action into my life to help me move in the right direction. Wouldn’t it feel great to surround yourself with goodness? It brings my vibrations into a positive light and propels me to continue to work towards my goals and dreams.

Life takes us I so many directions and I know I can get caught up in “stuff.” What about you, how do you get “unstuck from the stuff?” I would love to hear from you and have you share what tools you use to overcome these.

How Do You Keep Moving Forward?

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

How do you keep moving forward? It does not matter whether it is for work or home. There are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week but there never seems to be enough time to keep up with life. It can get overwhelming and sometimes I think the heck with it. That is when I need to take a step back and see what is really happening underneath the chaos of my life. I ask you what do you do when this happens to you?

There was a time when I was not so busy and having that idle time can be dangerous for my mind. Idle time can mean getting into my head and not into my w. My head tells me one thing and my heart another. It is usually my heart that has the right answer. How does this work for you? The big difference for me now is that I need be even more specific with my priorities and sometimes the insanity of life skews my sense of what is important. I can feel a shift in me when this happens. My goals take a back seat and that is not healthy for my business or me. This is a little spin off of my blog juggling acts. Everyone is juggling, the difference is some people are just so organized and others well not so much.

It is when I step into the chaos that what I have for organization crumbles. I was on a business coaching call last week and we talked about how some of us are piling and others of us are filing. Which one are you? This is when I bring my toolbox out and use the tools I have learned to get me back on track. What are some of the tools in your toolbox?

The thing is it is okay to get off track once in awhile as long as it is not on a daily basis. We are all human beings and cannot be on our “game” all of the time. That would be quite tedious and draining don’t you think? Taking down time to regroup, refresh, recharge, or whatever you name it makes us so much stronger to continue our journey of discovery and success. I think for me one of my recharging tools is writing this blog. I am finding it brings out the creative side of me, gets me thinking on the right track, focuses me, and inspires me to keep moving forward. My intention is to reach as many people as possible and help as many people as I possibly can. Walt Disney wrote, “Around here we don’t look backwards for very long… We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things because we’re curious… And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” This is what I want for myself. To keep moving forward, opening myself up for new experiences, and keeping myself curious because being curious means to me that I am alive, growing, and learning. So, I ask you how are you staying curious?

 

Until next time…

~Lisa

Finding Your Tribe

~ lisagangone ~ Leave a comment

How does one go about finding their tribe? That is other than your family. I have a few different tribes depending upon what part of my life I am focused on. I have my long time friends from growing up. This tribe is the one that no matter what happens to me no matter the circumstances; this tribe sticks by me through thick and thin. We may live thousands of miles apart but when you need them they are there for you.

Then there are those friends I have developed through different work I have done. I have one tribe that gets together a few times a year to catch up and to just enjoy each other’s company. Others getting together is rare but always a good time. Others I have met networking and have developed friendships because we connected in another aspect of our lives. These connections are real, authentic, and can help bring me to new awareness’s that I would have never imagined.

One particular tribe that has dramatically changed my life is through one of my businesses. One that happened per chance-I talked about this in my last blog regarding my health. The people I have met and work with on a weekly basis continue to challenge me, support me, and inspire me to grow beyond my wildest dreams. I do not believe our paths would have not crossed had it not been for me taking a leap of faith. This tribe has helped me in so many different ways I am eternally grateful for each and every one of them. From this tribe I have come to grow and expand my mind, body, soul, and spirit.

This tribe has allowed me to bring amazing people into my life. One’s whose support of me continues to help me grow and expand. These are people who I can relate to and bring added value to my life personally and professionally. I wish this for anyone who is open to expand their ways of looking at life and what amazing gifts can come from adding to your tribe.

 

 

What is even better is finding like-minded people-they don’t even need to be in business with you but you have an amazing connection and you recommend one another’s businesses. I find the connections I have made do just that. We support each other in business. In fact one of these connections posted links to my website within her blog. I find that when I meet people I can truly connect with and their business is one I can support then respectfully I can support them in business by sharing my knowledge of what they do and how they can be of service to others. When I recommend people who I know practice what they preach I know from there my world will expand exponentially.

So I ask you, do you have a special tribe who supports you and helps nurture you to be a better person? What does this tribe mean to you and how did you find them? I would love to hear from you on how this manifests for you. Take a leap of faith, find your tribe, and hang on for an amazing journey that will raise your vibrations to a higher level of consciousness.

 

Until next time…

~Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juggling Acts

~ lisagangone ~ 1 Comment

Life is a juggling act of the many different directions our lives take us through. We grow up thinking about all the adventures we will have when we are adults. Then what happens? We become responsible, get a job, fall in love and get married, buy a home, have children, and settle in to a routine. What happened to the adventures we were going to have? Well for me the only part I did not do was having children. I did not go on those adventures my friends and I dreamt of. I do have fur babies. In fact I just adopted a new fur baby and this is where the juggling act begins today for me.

Working from home, keeping focused and motivated, keeping a schedule to stay on target with goals are some of the struggles we all go through. Now I just added a new fur baby and my juggling act gets larger. Don’t get me wrong I am excited and feeling blessed I finally have a pet in my home once again. It has given me an added purpose and once again that word responsibility comes up again!

I started out by talking about what we think about growing up and what we actually do for a reason. I know for me since I have started my journey of entrepreneurship I have made so many business acquaintances and friends who stay on the path of routine and others that have taken the path of adventure. I believe I am on the cusp of both. I am dipping my feet in to test the waters. But what I have also found is my views of what is important to me have changed. So I ask you what has changed for you? Do you want to test the waters or dive in feet first?

What has changed for me? The first big change is I am no longer materialistic. Granted I like having things but these things are different and there are less of them today. I am living simplistically and am enjoying this change. Because of this I feel I have more opportunities to bring to my life. I know you are thinking what does this have to do with juggling life? Well as we grow in self-development, change our priorities, and open ourselves to opportunities we bring more into our lives. So how do we juggle life?

Okay you can probably tell from my writing that I am not a planner. So how do us non-planners juggle? The planners have this down pat; well at least it looks like they do. From the suggestion of a friend I carry a notebook to write down things I need to do as they come up and then schedule them into my week. This is a great tool for me. I carry a planner as well as inputting into my phone because it seems to help me stay on point. Some may say its not needed in our digital world but it helps me.

So my ask of this blog post is to please comment and tell me what works for you in your juggling sphere of life…

 

Until next time…

~Lisa