Travel Hacks from the Captain - Packing Cubes

"Just in case is the curse of packing". Alexandra Potter

Packing a bag has become an art form to me.  I am constantly refining what and how I organize my suitcase for long trips.  As a airline captain flying long haul cargo, our schedules have us out 16 days straight.  Yes....we leave and return home over two weeks later.

    Yes....it takes getting used to.

    Yes....my family actually prefers it since when I am home, I am really home.

    Yes...my bags are HEAVY!

Back to packing....let's chat about my favorite packing tool, packing cubes.  I was introduced to these gems years ago but didn't fully appreciate them until the last couple of years.  

What are they?  Different sized, usually fabric bags that all you to control clutter.  You might be thinking, it's just a suitcase but think of how you can throw all your undergarments in a small bag, a couple outfits in the big one and then add your toiletry bag.  You arrive at your destination and need PJ's, instead of tearing through the whole bag, you grab the small cube and viola!  

Here is the real big thing for me...the compression you can do with your clothing.  I cannot travel with a vacuum sealer so compression is the way to go.  I can get an extra outfit or take a cardigan with me where it might not have fit.  This allows me to have another option on a layover that I might not have had before.  Let me tell you, after seeing the same outfits for 16 days, you are ready for some change.  

Below is is picture of a typical set up minus my toiletry bag that I drag all over the world.  My bag is by Strong Bags...a 23 inch crew bag.  It's great for flight crew but for the average traveler, opt for something lighter.  We just need indestructible bags for frequent use.  

You will see I always travel with a doTERRA diffuser....hotel rooms need a good refresh to feel like home.  

Do you love packing cubes or is this something new for you?

Right On Time

I have heard that phrase before...."things come right on time" and usually they are directed to pregnant women who are super uncomfortable and tired of pregnancy. Hearing it in referfence to other facets of life wasn't as common but let me tell you when you hear at just "the right time" it hits a bit differently.

In the past few years, I have to say life has felt a bit of upheaval. We have moved and moved again. All in pursuit of better things. Sometimes we found them and sometimes we found all the things we didn't want. 

But truly the phrase "It comes right on time" implores you to trust. Anyone else struggle with trusting that all you dreams, wishes, hard work come to fruition? I am certain is isn't just me but it can feel really lonely in the dark moments where doubt creeps in. When you do all the things "they" tell you to do, in the perfect way, at the perfect time and nothing shows up, the hope and trust erodes just a bit. 

This has been the cycle for me for a few years. I work really hard doing all the right things but feel like there is so little to show for it. Quite honestly, it's why I took so many years off blogging. Who wants to hear how I am trying yet another diet and exercise routine to get myself in shape?! I know I am sick of trying it and really have no desire to write about it while NOT addressing how every other way so far has failed. #keepitpositive #pourmesomewine

Today, I listened to TiffanyPeterson's Gratitude Series.  www.gratitudeseries.com. She started to talk about how some of her big projects have been delayed but she remained in a grateful state knowing that things will come right on time. While admitting that she had to choose being grateful through the disappointment was not easy, it was a choice she knew she needed to make. The more she referred to this, the more it hit me over the head.....get back to being grateful. Gratitude..like exercise is a practice and you have to keep trying.

On top of all the moving, diets, exercise plans and business endeavors that I have been working and waiting, I have lost the gratitude and trust. Being filled with doubt and frustration is never the recipe for a thriving life. That's what I want is a thriving life. 

So her message to me was "right on time" to help me review, reconnect and revive some of the things that make me happy even if they don't always produce spectacular results. Maybe they just make me a better me and that's enough. #keepontrying because life shows you the results "Right On Time!"

Emotions & Physical Health...you are enough

Emotions.  Motion....you feel and it goes it motion.  Do you let it flow through you or find it getting stuck on your like tree sap?  We are more than our feelings.  Let me repeat that....we are more than our feelings.  

As humans on this planet, we are complex.  Our emotions are just one aspect of who we are, what our make up is and how we will thrive.  So many fall into the trap that their emotions call the shots when it is directly the opposite.  How you respond to all these events, items that trigger you, people that push your buttons is the real key.  

Am I perfect at this process.  NO WAY!  But I am committed to the process of improvement.  I oil up, I learn a bit each week and practice what I teach.  Do I get it right all the time.  NO.  I am human.  So are you, so don't expect to read a blog, read a book and viola' perfection.  It is a process of learning and growing.  

Give grace to you and others.  Apply a little Helichrysum to your forehead, maybe a little Douglas Fir to your heart, or a little Cypress where ever you feel stuck....just take a few deep breaths and you will know.

When you stop, listen and really calm the mind it is amazing how much you will start to notice within your own self.  It isn't everyone else.  Be the best you and the world will adapt.

Enjoy this video from 2017....so the specials aren't available but the message remains.  Allow the emotions to flow.  You are amazing.  You are totally worth it.

Influence. Success. Do the small steps really count?

Influence.  As I have traveled across the country, teaching classes to introduce essential oils or on how to launch your doTERRA business, that question of influence always creeps into my mind.  You see, I have been on lots of airplanes.  My influences have been through the books I have read, the coaching programs I can do on the road, the fabulous movies I watch on all my Delta flights. 

When you look at yourself and your impact, often the actions seem so small at the time.  At least for me it seems that way.  Maybe you can see your global impact with each action.  As I watch movies about Walt Disney to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, one thing always sticks with me  - they dove into something they were truly passionate about, rarely took no for an answer and only when a few other people would stop them to really look at their impact would they see it.

Each and every influential person went through their ups and downs.  It is part of the growth process.  Walt started out with almost nothing, grew a fortune, lost almost all of it and started the process over a whole lot smarter.  Justice Ginsberg, like so many women in a man’s world, fought an uphill sexism battle to rise to the ranks of the Supreme Court.  Luckily, both of these rock stars were surrounded with amazing people who supported them, balanced their strengths and allowed them to never do life alone.

As you grow your doTERRA business or just go through life, there are so many ways to use your strengths, meet people, teach your friends and their friends to grow but one thing remains absolutely true.  You have to love what you are doing to really convey your message.  That energy will convey your message far more than the words you speak.  Don’t get me wrong, you need a clear and concise message too.  Your heart is how you have the influence.  Now, that might sound like some mystical, magical thing but have you ever heard of a performer being “flat” on a performance and when they are interviewed later (and honest) they will say “I just didn’t feel it tonight.”  They were lacking heart and passion. 

Your passion is jet fuel to your influence.  If your energy is lacking….it is like having an empty tank.  So many of these things build on each other to give you influence. 

So you want more influence and energy….don’t we all. 

Here are some of the things that work for me (and keep in mind, I have spent 3 months with a tough travel schedule and lots of emotional ups & downs):

• Watch a movie that allows for an emotional release...either laughing or crying, whatever you need
• Exercise, even it is 10 minutes of walking, stationary bike or a good stretch in the morning
• Get a journal and write down all the junky thoughts you think are holding you back, THEN write why they have served you so far
• Sing really loud in your car with or without anyone else
• Practice Ho'oponopono  Click this link here to learn more

Getting Inline with Prime Meridian

doTERRA offers so many amazing opportunities to those who go out and grab it.  Natural solutions for health, financial health for those who grab the opportunity and run, and now they have partnered with Board Certified doctors to create Direct Patient Care Clinics all over the country to serve everyone.  You don't have to be part of doTERRA, although it gives you a discount.  I would be happy to help you there.  Click here for a great way to start with a great discount.  You don't need insurance.  Yes, you read that correctly.  

So what is this place called?  Prime Meridian.  Yes, I went and here is a bit of my own experience.  

First, let's talk about what they offer.  They offer you a real doctor, board certified who can prescribe the medicine you have been used to but they can also offer you natural solutions, and nutritional options.  Appointments are not how you are used to though.  Did you know the average time you spend with your doctor is 16 minutes?  At Prime Meridian you have either a solid 30 minutes or 1 hour.  Undivided attention.  It is almost so shocking that you as the patient aren't sure if you are talking too much.  Maybe that was just me.

If you need to follow up and chat but you are out of town, there are Video or Telemedicine appointments.  My next appointment will be done while I am on the road.  How amazing!  But that isn't the coolest part, I have already heard personally via email from my doctor over a dozen times since my first appointment a week ago.  To compare that to my current "insurance based" doctors, I recently went the ER and was instructed to contact them for a followup.  I did, and two weeks later I still have not heard back from them.  It is my job to pester them to receive healthcare.  When you are not feeling well, it is all on you which to me is a cycle of sickness.  Who really wants that?  I am sure I don't feel confident in being the annoying patient and I imagine it is annoying for the doctor to have patients badgering them all the time.  Again, maybe that is just me?

So the in person appointment is probably something you might be wanting to know more about.  I went in for a 9 am appointment and was actually seen at 9 am!  Novel concept.  All the normal vitals were checked then the doctor and I chatted for 45 minutes.  He wanted to know what my biggest issues were.  Why did I seek out help from him?  What had I tried up to this point - medicines, oils, supplements, diet, etc?  No eye rolling to alternative options.  In fact it was quite the opposite.  He was curious why I chose those options, how they had worked and if I was continuing them.  He even noted some of my oil protocols down.  I have to admit it felt nice to have a doctor appreciate my efforts and not dive right into "your problems are just simply that you are fat."

         

 

Then came the on table exam.  Suggestion for some of my common stuffy nose and fluid behind the ears was "You need Triease.  Everything is in bloom."  We

proceeded to look at my thyroid and a few other issues leading to some

standard tests I could have done when I got back home to Florida.  See, I went to the clinic in Nashville, TN.  This process has allowed me to see more of my results without so many hoops to jump through.  

I have been asked a few times "Is this set up even legal?"  "Do you really feel comfortable doing care this way?"  Both answers are absolutely yes.  I am a firm believer that doctors are great people looking to care for their patients.  Many things keep them from doing their jobs they way they desire. I am always looking for a doctor who wants to partner with me on my health journey.  I know I have to do my part and I want them to do theirs.  If they are trapped and unable to do that it makes it almost impossible to solve issues.  If you happen to be a doctor reading this and thinking, I would love to be in a DCP facility, message me.  I will help connect you to the right people who will let you love your profession again.  

If you are looking for a great way to care for your health, check out a clinic near you.  We have the ability to make change by our choices.  Choose your health, choose yourself.

Don't Ya Love a Great Surprise!

After 6 years of using, sharing and loving my oils, I am still surprised at the successes I have with their many uses.  For those who are just starting to look at essential oils for their homes, let me just state this one fact: they do far more than make things smell great.  Well, that is if you use a high quality, pure, therapeutic grade oil.  Ensure the oils you use are highly tested by a third party to ensure there is some distance between testing results and pressure to sell.  

What have been my most recent surprises…..so many.

Let’s start with what I will call the unsung hero of Thyme essential oil.  For years, this oil was my “other Oregano”.  Thyme is a fabulous oil to support your immune system.  I adore it diluted with Wild Orange when that cough is just lingering a bit longer than I want.  But the surprise……

Thyme…diluted because it is a hot oil…rubbed over your liver can chill you out in a matter of minutes.  Yeah, seriously.  All the oils have both physical and emotional properties and Thyme helps you let go of all the negative feelings and release the anger and rage you might feel when frustrations escalate.  A little Wild Orange isn’t so bad to add to this mix as well.   Wild Orange makes just about everyone happy after all.


My second surprise came as I have been searching for some answers to overall wellness.  See, for the last few years my body has been acting up on me.  Doctors are a bit confused but I am still firmly in the camp of “hey it’s my thyroid misbehaving again.”  As I looked up help for this option, I learned a few new oils that supported my body.  Balance & Geranium.  I have always heard Lemongrass, Myrrh and Clove but never Balance & Geranium.  I adore these two so this was a huge win for me.  Balance does have Frankincense and really does do more that just help our mood.  Geranium is excellent for hormone support, liver & kidney support as well as supporting your circulatory system.  Guidance also suggested that if there was discomfort to apply Deep Blue right over the thyroid gland. WOAH what?  

Yes, Deep Blue over the the thyroid.  I thought for sure this would be a bust but I was happily proven wrong.  When I tried this method, my body was full of little aches and pains.  Within minutes, they eased and I felt better.  Just 2 drops over the thyroid and a full body solution.  I am thrilled and shocked.  Yes...the Deep Blue Rub would work well too.  I just prefer the oil.  

As I am heading to see the Prime Meridian doctors in Nashville, TN, I plan to share all of these things with them.  For one, I think these might be clues to help them help me.  I love the fact they have a philosophy of incorporating Western medicine with our doTERRA essential oils. The other reason I will share is maybe it can help someone else.  Just like this blog.  
My hope is that my surprises help you and you will find a way to share these with others.

Enjoy 

Welcome….or for those of you who remember our old blog Essentially Savannah, welcome back!  Yes, it has been 4 years since I last blogged.  That sounds like a confession but it is more than that.  I didn’t quit my business.  In fact, to give you all a bit of an update, my last entry was January 3, 2015.  I had just been accepted into my first round of doTERRA Diamond Club  then we received news that our blog needed to stop.  It was the “dark times of doTERRA”.  The compliance days.  My blog was one of the first shutdown due to the fact I was not going to have an enormous amount of time to rewrite 53+ posts (I think I flat deleted some) while traveling and meeting people face to face to share my love of oils.

Two more rounds of Diamond Club, my kids have gotten older….so have I and well, I really want to blog again.  For those who don’t know me, I am a mother of 3 kids who have embraced acting, a former airline captain who loves all sort of crazy music from The Beatles to Green Day to Rixton to Carrie Underwood to King & Country.  We homeschool to accommodate crazy schedules and embrace the individual.  I love an independent thinker…even though it frustrates me when they don’t clean their room.

You will hopefully experience some of the great content you loved before such as The Spot but with some extras.  See, through all of this struggle, I have learned some serious lessons about myself, these fabulous oils, my team and the power of being grateful. 

I hope you will stick around to experience the love I have for essential oils but also learn ways to kick the toxins out of your home and out of your mind.  My hope is to also inspire a few of you to start seeing yourself as your best self.  In the words of the great Dusty Crophopper from Disney’s Plane, “I’m just trying to prove that maybe, just maybe, I can do more that what I was built for.”

Glad your here!