The single most meaningful verbal exchange recently, aside from “I Do”, occurred on a 90 minute shuttle ride from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
Our driver said there was only 1 thing we needed to know to have the best trip ever; to realize there are only 3 speeds at which ANYTHING happens in Jamaica – Slow, Dead Slow, and Stop. I smiled as I took in his words. It was time to Power Down.
Crackberries tucked away in the room safe, the days leading up to our beach wedding and blissful honeymoon could be best described as fluidly tranquil. All attention was on each other, the natural beauty of the seaside, and pure contentment.
Slow took on a new meaning for me. It meant time to laugh, time to meet new friends, time for afternoon tea. Dead Slow meant time to learn more about our surroundings, time to master stand up paddling, time to meander in the sea snorkeling. Stop meant time to breathe, to think, to savor the spoken vows that my husband and I exchanged at our wedding, to stretch, to lie in savasana on the pier.
Upon return to home, to work, to life I’ve held on to the Slow, Dead Slow, and Stop lesson. I’ve dropped the frantic pace. I schedule fewer daily appointments, and schedule them further apart to avoid rushing. I’m enjoying the new pace.
Nothing reduces your brain to jello faster than a live podcast interview. Unless of course it’s filmed. In the nude. Which it wasn’t.
My company is Just Say It! because that is what I do for a living. I help businesses achieve their growth goals through providing compelling (and sometimes provocative) content and directing it through appropriate media channels.
Today I participated in an LIVE interview with Carlos Scarpero, of #daytonpulse fame, on marketing & advertising. The upside is that I thoroughly enjoyed talking to Carlos, and he did a great job keeping the conversation rolling along. The downside is that I struggled to just say it. If at some point curiosity gets the better of you (like it will me) and you log on to http://www.daytonpulse.com/ to have a PodFest and I sound totally inarticulate please forgive me. Blame it on the nerves. Or my traumatic childhood.
At least I didn’t have to think about what to wear:)
Here in the States we have a day called April Fool’s Day – the 1st of April where people prank one another. I am happy to say I did NOT get pranked and so I will pay it forward by not pranking you. Everything I am about to share is the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God.
After working with clients on a marketing campaign today I was happy to end my business week and head off to enjoy another glorious 90+ minute treatment with Marta today. Obviously I find the entire Microdermabrasion European Skin Care Treatment news worthy or I wouldn’t be blogging about it. I just can’t figure out why it took me so long to 1.) Meet Marta! 2.) Hear that European Skin Care Treatment was available in Dayton, Ohio www.martareyskincare.com 3.) Learn what European Skin Care Treatment is and how it is totally different than ’spa facials’ 4.) Improve my vocabulary by adding skin care treatment terms to it – spell Microdermabrasion
Today as dead skin cells were sucked off my face with rapid fire precision I really paid attention to all my senses. Marta explained to me about the tool that she said is the most valuable in her skin treatment arsenal. It is a high frequency neon gas filled wand that heats up (and lights up too!) that she moves slowly over my skin to remove any remaining bacteria from the surface of my skin following the Microdermabrasion. I watched it with fascination. Each step of the Microdermabrasion treatment is amazing.
The facial skin massage helps rid the skin of toxins, and afterwards you can really see the relaxed appearance and softened expression.
The DIBI skin care line (#1 in Italy) that Marta assigned me to use are fabulous and easy to integrate into my morning and nighttime cleansing routine. A creamy cleanser, soothing tonic, day or night moisturizer, eye cream, and SPF 25 for day time completes my regime. Marta said that some of her clients only use a cleanser, toner, and one moisturizer and skip the eye cream and night cream, but for optimal results of skin care treatment and product she recommends the full “Ferrari”. Having been a believer of using good quality skin care products all my adult life (since my teens) I trust Marta to steer me in the right decision. My skin has already shown massive improvement so that validates the two extra products IMO.
Here is the best part – my youngest son returned from Spring Break (safely thank God) and noticed how great my skin looked. I had NO make up on. I’m one who rarely walks out of the house without make up. It’s kind of my security blanket. But every now and then I find myself enjoying my real face, sans all the extra coverings. It’s a real sense of freedom. Hmmmm, maybe that is why some people (like my friend Patticakes) who dig nude beaches. Now that, you’d never catch me on. There’s not enough Dermabrasion tools, high frequency wands, or fantastic skin care in the world to make me want to bare THAT.
Last Friday found me back in the soothing skin care treatment room at Marta Rey European and Clinical Skincare http://www.martareyskincare.com/ for my third treatment. My workouts during the week produced a lot of sweat and because I couldn’t cleanse my face immediately afterwards TROUBLE ensued in the form of 2 tiny face invaders!
Marta knew exactly what to do to combat the unwanted visitors…a thorough cleansing, then a swift extraction to drain the swelled area. After close inspection Marta suggested we forego the Microdermabrasion and do my first chemical peel. Lucky for you because I promised I would blog about my next new skin care experience. Micro Peels done at Marta Rey are customized according to what the client’s skin dictates. Each persons skin has its own PH and characteristics and Marta Rey prescribes her treatment for each client. In my case, a salicylic peel was used on my forehead area to combat oiliness while an anti-aging Jessner peel was used on the rest of my face to eliminate fine wrinkles. But prior to either of those peels being applied to my skin Marta first used an enzyme peel to prepare my skin for the next level peel.
Marta explained what my skin would experience as the peel was carefully painted on my face. It had a distinct fragrance and tingle but nothing about the peel was uncomfortable. I imagined it would hurt, or that my skin would look raw and red afterwards but not at all.
After the wonderful facial massage and steam hydration that followed the peel removal my skin appeared rested, even toned and line free.
All in all, my latest Marta Rey skin care treatment was totally A-Peeling.
I’m constantly reminded that life is just one big Fantastic Voyage. Things change on a dime and regardless of how much checking and re-checking one does, things large and small simply slip through the cracks.
I’m not too sure that this doesn’t happen on purpose to check ourselves. What’s really important? Is this issue do or die? What will my life look like with or without this happening?
Last Saturday night at the American Red Cross “Putting on the Glitz” fundraiser, every models anticipated strut to Fantastic Voyage became a slow runway walk to an alternate music selection. This model (me) adapted immediately to the alternate song and ambled down the runway smiling and concentrating on staying vertical.
Off stage, as I wind my way through the audience a local celebrity spots me and starts shouting to me that the Emcee announced me as a VP at my prior corporate position, not as the independent small business owner that I am today. She was really honked off about it and made quite a scene on the spot which I found more embarrassing than the Emcee’s error!
Later I checked the program model Bio and it was correct, while the publicly announced Bio was not, as previously stated.
It didn’t matter to me. My Fantastic Voyage to small business owner, and Fashion Level sponsor of the event wasn’t dependent on one error by a well-meaning Emcee with old copy. It wasn’t dependent on the music that was played during the fashion show either.
It’s in grabbing the joy of the moment and extracting that – and letting go of the small annoyances.
Three years ago I let my hair go gray. The sparkling strands that kept appearing tempted me to accept them. Instead of color, I used shine and control products and a good occasional cut to keep a somewhat contemporary look.
Many people would compliment me on my gray hair. And some even applauded me for my brave efforts at resisting the cost and maintenance of professional color application. But there was 1 big objector to this. And that objector happened to be my Mother.
She hated my gray, citing many reasons why I simply needed to submit to the process of color. For one, I would look 20 years younger. I was ‘too young’ to be gray, and I had the rest of my life to decide ‘much later’ to go that route. But the most compelling reason that my Mother gave me for coloring my hair was that she loved me. And that she would never tell me anything to hurt me. And I know that to be true.
So upon my return to Ohio, I called my favorite hair dresser Cindy and she listened patiently while I reiterated the entire conversation with my Mother. And she booked my appointment immediately, saying that I made her day.
My son Daniel accompanied me to the salon (he was the color model) and waited patiently while the transformation took place.
And when we were done a big smile crept across all 3 of our faces.
I must admit I walk with a bit more spring in my step. I feel lighter and younger. And I’m grateful to my Mother for loving me enough to make a suggestion that she knew would be met with resistance.
So ‘hair we go again’ on the color wheel of life. If you’re lucky enough to still have your Mother, and you trust her to have your best interest at heart, listen.
At some point in life you’re going to get hit with a major disappointment. It may be not making the cut on the school team, not getting into grad school, not getting the coveted internship, or not getting called back for the final round of interviews.
Or it could be finding out that the one you love doesn’t love you, or your employer no longer finds you valuable, or you get that singular call from the Doctor that you feared but never really believe could happen to you.
Or you lose someone so dear to you that you just can’t breathe, and you wonder if it is possible to hurt any more than you do.
When these things happen reach for the closest person to you and hug them with all you’ve got. Weep the tears that need to come, or run like there is no end to the path in front of you, move so that you can actually FEEL something, because if you sit still for too long you may become immobilized.
Look back to the time when you can’t remember being sad or disappointed, and try to imagine yourself that way again. Because resiliency is what will get you through life. It will keep you from becoming bitter, and you will recover from disappointments with remarkable grace.
Everyone believes in something – whatever your belief is hold on to it. Pray for strength and for direction on a new path if that is what might need to happen. Seek out new experiences, for they will enrich your life.
Disappointments come to everyone, as does joy. Choose to focus on the joy.
Carlos Scarpero AKA "Mr. Leads" is an internet marketing consultant. who provides internet marketing, SEO, LinkedIn training and much more to business owners throughout the Dayton metro region. He can be reached at www.Mr-Leads.com.
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