My Husband Got the IVY...

For the first time ever, my husband Jesse was plagued by a massive case of poison ivy this summer. Being that we are from Nevada, and luckily poison ivy does not grow in the desert, he had never had the pleasure of the experience and boy was it a horrendous few weeks for him. From the mutated blisters that took over a quarter of his body, to being kept up all night with pain and scratching, the cortisone shots that felt like lead entering his body, and the all over yuk feeling he had, suffice it to say this will hopefully be his first and last case ever as he has boycotted yardwork for the rest of our lives, and I certainly don’t blame him. Jesse is back to pretty much normal now, not a trace of the reaction on him. If there is such a thing as poison ivy P.T.S.D., I am pretty sure he has it as every itch gets him a little nervous, but for the most part I think he’s ok.

While Jesse was in agony with his affliction, I too was itching. No, this wasn’t a case of sympathy scratch - my itch was incessantly deeper and no amount of calamine could mask it.  I was itching for a change; I was itching for something different. I was itching to break free of my daily routine of wake up, down the caffeine forty, play in traffic (for what always seemed like an eternity), go to work, come home exhausted, set the alarm just to do it again for all my foreseeable tomorrows.

What did I do with the itch that wouldn’t quit? I scratched it. I scratched it and it felt good. It felt selfish, it felt scary, it felt crazy, but it felt good. I took the proverbial leap of faith and handed my boss my resignation.  “I am going solo I told her, it is time to follow my bliss, live my passion. I am going to change the world!” I was sure she thought I had lost my mind, but with a hug, she wished me well on my new adventure.

Now, not every itch should be scratched, and I do not recommend abruptly leaving your job, but for me, being fortunate enough, combined with great timing, and an amazing supportive family, I am for the first time in a very long time living my dreams, vision, and passion. I look forward to my work days now because my passion and my work have finally become one. Will I be successful? Of course I will because I am a firm believer that if you live your passion, the money will follow.

With every life changing event whether by choice or by chance even under the best of circumstances there are moments of absolute panic, stress, and maybe even a little shock as a new life before you unfolds.  I have had all of those moments and more and I offer you some tips to help you on your journey if you find yourself with the “Itch”.

1. Have a plan. Having a plan is key. For me I knew for quite some time what I would do and how I would do it when the day came. No plan? No problem, now’s your chance. Take a moment and honestly answer this question. What, if money were no object would I be doing for my life’s work? Got your answer? Good, now build on it.
   
    
   
   
2. Stick to your schedule. We are creatures of habit. If your work days have had you getting up at 5am every day, keep it going and maintain the same days “off”. Fill your work hours with meaningful activities that bring you closer to your goals.  Staying on the same schedule helps as you make the transition by keeping your “work mode” brain in focus and you will be less likely to fall into the lazies.
   
    
   
   
3. Share your vision. Get excited, get other people excited with and for you. Tell your friends, share your excitement with your family. Share your dream with everyone you meet and you will be building your own personal cheering section! The combined positive energy will help you maintain momentum and a positive attitude during this time.
   
    
   
   
4. Read, write and  ‘rithmetic. Read motivational books that apply to your vision, Take notes, write down thoughts, ideas, and ramblings or whatever. Do the math and figure out how your passion + vision = income. When you can see your goals in writing you will be more apt to realizing them.
   
    
   
   
5. F.E.A.R Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything and Rise? As the adage says “Rome wasn’t built in a day” You may and probably will have those dire “fear of failure” moments. It’s ok!  But that is all they are, just moments. The fact that there is fear is a good thing because it means what you are doing something that is meaningful to you. We don’t have fear for things we don’t care about. So let those feelings just come and go and trust yourself enough to forge ahead with your plan.
   
   

So, if like me you have decided your itch is much more than skin deep, and have already taken or thinking of taking your own leap of faith, I hope this article will help you as you make way towards your new fulfilling life! 

Yes, my husband sure had the Ivy, yet I was the one with the Itch!