My Whys for Starting a Business with Plexus

I am a feelings girl, not a business woman. I care about things that I'm passionate about. Starting a network marketing business isn't really my style. So, why am I doing it?

Really, my story starts with my mom. When I was a little girl, I remember my mom baking cookies, working in the yard, visiting with the neighbors, swimming, and having picnics with us in the front yard under our beautiful magnolia tree. Mom seemed pretty happy. When I was around 10 years old, Mom started getting really tired. She was just tired all the time. She took naps, and she took us out of school to home school us. Getting up in the morning and driving us to school was getting to be too much for her. That year she home schooled us was amazing. We spent so much time together. Mom made it so special, and my little brother and I did very well. We went back to school the next year, and mom started getting really stressed. She would break down more and more frequently, and it just got worse as time went on. After a few years of this, she was finally diagnosed with depression and started taking an antidepressant. That started bringing our mom back to us. Whenever she would forget to take her medication or try to go off of it, the darkness would take over again. My mom and I have been through a lot, and I am proud of the relationship we have today despite the dark times we went through together.

I got married when I was 22 years old. We were pregnant with our first child a few months after our wedding, but spent our first Christmas in the hospital because I miscarried at 8.5 weeks. After a few more months, I was pregnant again, and we had our firstborn in February 2004, second in February 2006, third in December 2007, fourth in November 2009, fifth in September 2011, sixth in August 2013, and seventh in November 2015. I've breastfed each of these children between 15 months and almost 4 years. Postpartum depression has gotten worse with each one.  I started seeing myself go through what I had lived through with my mom, and it scared me. After our sixth child, I finally saw a doctor and started an antidepressant. In a few weeks, I started feeling like myself again! It was amazing. When I got pregnant with our seventh, I stopped my medication immediately. I was afraid it would hurt my baby. That pregnancy was the hardest pregnancy I've ever had emotionally. After I had her, I got back on my medication, and that's where I am now: 37 years old with 7 children ages 13, 11, 9, 7, 5, 3, and 1.

When my friend (also Sarah) started talking to me about Plexus, she invited me to learn more by joining a 7 day challenge group. In this group, I tried a 7 day sample pack of their signature product called Slim. Slim is a blood sugar stabilizer, and it's delicious! I watched the videos they posted everyday, and was so inspired to hear other moms like me who found themselves again after taking Plexus. They got their energy back and were able to be the happy wives and mamas they wanted to be! That's what really sold me, and I made the decision to join Plexus as an ambassador, and start my journey to a healthy gut. I cannot wait to see the healing this could bring! I want what these other people have.

The initial reason I joined as an ambassador was cost. If I paid the $35 membership fee, I would get a nice discount on my products. 2 weeks in, I am getting quickly inspired by my very energetic team to go for it with the business.

As a family of 9, money is always tight, and if I can bring in an income from this, that would really help! Here are my goals/dreams for my Plexus business:

1. I want my mom to find true healing and have a happier life because of better health.

2. I want to become my healthiest self, and be a better wife and mom than ever before. I would love to not need my antidepressant!

3. I want my husband to be his healthiest self and have more energy.

4. I want my business to completely pay for our Plexus products, and soon earn over and above that to help with our finances.

5. I never want to be defined as a "business woman". I want to help people, and if these products are going to bring physical and emotional health to me and my friends and family, that's something I can be passionate about!

How My Mom Saved Me From an Eating Disorder

See how fat I was. . . ?

I remember the first time. I had scooped up some of my mom's white fluffy frosting with an Oreo, and ate it. It was so good, but I immediately felt a panic inside me. You see, I was fat. I was SO FAT, and that Oreo with frosting was going to add to my fat. I had to get it out! I had to run. So, upstairs, in my bathroom, I gagged myself and got it out. I felt a huge rush. I had control over that Oreo and frosting. I ate it, but I got rid of it before it hurt me.

I was maybe 16 or 17 years old, and I was about 105 lbs. I ate very little, and I purged several more times over the next few years. My mom and my sister noticed first. I was already thin, but still losing weight. My jaw and collarbone were really showing it. I was afraid of food.

My mom was amazing. Instead of crying or scolding me or lecturing me on how wrong I was for thinking I was fat, she took me in to a hospital that had a special machine that measured body fat. I got my swimsuit on, and got in the machine. It was a large glass box with a bench seat. I sat down. Water filled up all around me. I breathed all the air out of my lungs, and put my head under. Then, jets of air shot all over me from the walls of the box. Soon, it was done, I lifted my head, breathed in, and the water receded. The test results measured a very healthy body fat percentage. My mom knew that nothing less would help me believe that I was not fat.

I didn't immediately recover from my eating disorder, but I'll never forget what my mom did to save me from myself.

Older, wiser, and getting stronger

Twenty years later, I am learning the correct way to think of food, weight, and my body. Good food is my fuel. I am loving working out, and I am seeing results a lot faster than I thought I would. FYI: I am down a pant size!!! My large workout pants weren't fitting as well. So, I tried on the mediums that I haven't been able to wear yet. They fit!!

I am not only getting healthier and stronger in my body, but also in my mind. I know that I can control and change my body into what I want it to be. I can control my food choices. I can control my portion sizes. I can control my activity level. Taking control of my health and fitness is teaching me self control, and I am excited to see what else in my life will start to flourish as I develop this character trait.

I want to end with thanking my mom. My life could've been shortened or very different if she didn't handle things with such gentleness and wisdom back then. Thank you, Mom. I love you so much, and it still means the world to me that you went to all that trouble to show me the facts about my body. You will never know how much that impacted my life.

This is the Year I Take Care of Me.

When I was a little girl, I was the very happiest when I saw my mom take care of herself.  My heart was glowing with joy when Mom came home from a ladies' retreat with her sisters.  All the stories she had to share, the things she brought home, the songs she sang, but the loveliest was the smile on her face.  I loved seeing my mom in a new dress or a new blouse. I thought the bathroom smelled the most beautiful after she took a shower with her pretty soap. I even felt warm fuzzies when I would see her filing and lotioning her feet. When mom thought she was important enough to care for, my world felt right.

As a mom, I see my children wanting to see me happy all the time, and they are happiest when I am happy.  I don't know why most of us choose to deny that it is important to care for ourselves and do what makes us happy.  Up until now, I've only felt justified in taking care of myself while I was pregnant.  Granted, that has been a lot of the time, but that's just not a right mindset.  Even if I was a single woman, it would be important to take care of myself.  That only helps make me stronger and able to care for others better.

So, this year, I am taking a stand.  I am standing up for me, not just for "Matt's wife" or "my kids' Mom", but for me, and the ones I love most will be the ones who are blessed the most because of it. I named this blog "My O2 Mask" because like the stewardess teaches on an airplane, you have to put on your own oxygen mask before you help anyone else with theirs. Otherwise, you will be passed out and unable to help anyone!

This started when I chose to get help for my postpartum depression. That was about a year and a half ago, but a couple months after I started treatment and actually started feeling like myself again, I found out I was pregnant. Happy news, yes! I just had a very hard time emotionally when I stopped taking my medicine. So, after our newest little sweetie was born, I recognized the warning signs and saw my doctor. I plan to stay on my medication until Selah is 2 years old, and I am past the PPD risk window. It helps me a lot.  My head is clearer, and I can look at things more objectively. Stress comes from the outside, not the inside now.

The next thing I did was join a bellydancing class.  This may not sound like a big deal to you, but it's huge for me.  I grew up believing that dancing was sinful unless it was with your husband in private.  I've never even danced at a wedding. I love my class! The ladies are so sweet and gracious to me as the new girl. We encourage and inspire each other. It's wonderful. I am so excited that I am learning to dance and I get to dress up like a gypsy! So fun!!

The latest thing I've done is get a gym membership and a personal trainer.  I was terrified to do this because the gym is really not my scene especially a gym that has guys.  I don't even like playing sports. I was actually shaking when I signed up. But, the thing is, I will never be self motivated to get myself where I want to be. I didn't lose those last 10lbs after Evangeline "Daisy" (#6), and I'm 36 years old now. Also, I don't just want to be skinny again, I want to be strong.  I want to have visible muscle tone.  I've never had that. So, I've gone to the gym and done some cardio a couple times, and my first training session was this past Monday.  Holy cow, I am weak.  To be fair, I forgot to eat, and I had just nursed the baby a lot before I went.  Not the smartest move, but I got through it!  Today is training day #2.  I'm pretty excited, and I've lost 6lbs in a week already! My trainer is putting together a meal plan for me that I can use for the whole family and a home workout plan for when I can't make it to the gym.

So, I'm on my way!! I am very excited to see how my life and my family's life changes with these decisions I'm making.  I started this new blog to share my journey and hopefully encourage others.  I could not do this without my husband's support. He's got my back all the way, and he has always encouraged me to go after my dreams.