As many of you may or may not know I am in the midst of expanding from a small Southern California Location to a muli- regional one. We raise cattle in Multiple areas here in California as well as Oregon and soon further east, Specifically Oklahoma and Kentucky. There have been numerous setbacks in the expansion process not the least of which has been the lack of available funds. Lawyers tend to take their sweet time! Add to that the frustrations of all of those involved in such a monumental undertaking and nerves get frayed rather quickly.
I'm learning who actually fits and who doesn't, which brings me to the focus of today's post. Attitude!
I caught myself buying into a ton of negativity the last few weeks, It affected my workouts, my eating, my sleep schedules, the works! Everything was OFF! The only thing that remained unchanged was cattle needed to be moved and water provided. That's my bread and butter, and cannot be left untended No matter how I feel.
I have amazing people in my life, don't misunderstand, and I really owe them a lot, BUT when one person throws a monkey wrench into the works tough decisions have to be made. NO you may not insult me to make yourself feel better, NO you may not threaten, NO you may not use guilt, or try to cause unrest.
I caught myself sliding back into destructive habits and had to pull myself up by my Bootstraps and get a firm grip!
How did I do it?
I focused on what had to be done and let the rest go. I had to find one thing every day to give me joy, and I had to NOT turn to food for comfort. I worked harder at the gym, spent more time at the ranch, worked on getting my messy little house in order, surrounded myself with positive people, and the next thing I knew, that Major Upheaval was just a little thorn. I surprised myself by not falling into the Poor Me Syndrome. I'm better for it!
Sure things are tough, they always are, but damn! Let's work together to fix problems, let's help each other grow and flourish, let's not turn unimportant things into major Tragedies. Drama belongs on the stage or in the pages of a book, not in the daily running of a farm, or in our daily lives for that matter. Find the good, Embrace it, and the negative things will fall in line in due time.
The biggest thing I want you all to GET is that one person can make a huge difference, for good or bad, Had I not had people saying, "I'm proud of you" "you Matter" and "you make me happy" or taken the time to laugh, It could have been Bad. Really Bad.
I love Ranching, I'm the 4th traceable generation of my family to be doing it, I wouldn't change that for anything, and NO ONE can have the power to make me doubt myself and my abilities ever again. SO the next time someone asks me if getting my hair and nails done makes me think I'm sexy, the answer is Not particularly, but it makes me feel worthy, It's a treat to myself, it helps me put my best face forward and Smile! Oh and I like my eyelashes and new compression gear too! By the way, can you change out a Pivot or fix a six strand fence by yourself? Can you pull a calf? can you move hay bales by yourself? Neither could I 275 pounds ago!
Next time, lets talk feeding, both the cattle and ourselves for optimal health and happiness.
Keep smiling my loves! This IS ranching awesome!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Where it all began....
I grew up raising cattle and horses, was in 4-H and FFA, took my passion to College and earned multiple degrees in the field of Agriculture. I lived my passion, openly and with my entire heart and soul.
My world Crashed in January of 2001 when my husband died suddenly from a parasitic infection Contracted in Argentina, My best friend and dance partner literally bullied me to keep going, working and dancing. I was going to be okay! I could get through the bad days, handle business and even smile once in a while. That went down in flames on Sept. 11, 2001. My anchor was at Windows on the world when those towers fell, Randy was gone, and I wanted to die....
I tried to commit slow suicide, I ate....and ate and ate and ate. Until I hit 504lb. I looked at my cattle rather than working them, my horses got fat and lazy, I was out of control. That pretty girl was a mountain! 10 years of self loathing and trying to hide the pain in a bag of cheese puffs manifested as a sick, obese, angry woman.
In late 2010 two of my customers asked me to try Robb Wolfe's whole 30 on the same day. I did! 30 days and 45lbs later I was on my way to a permanent lifestyle change. It wasn't easy, sure there were setbacks, the worst of which was a doctor who prescribed the wrong medication and turned me into a raving lunatic! But we'll save that story for another time.
What I really want to share with you is my journey back to health, I've dropped over 270 lbs to date and am still moving forward. I have great people in my life, my cattle are some of the best in the country, and the work I do every day is important. I can show you how I do things, my Choices, as well as the trials and tribulations that go with it. I hope I inspire some of you to visit a farm or ranch, learn that those of us that raise your food are real people with real issues, and most of all that the Choices are yours, I choose health and happiness. You won't get the candy coated version here my friends. The struggles have been very real, and so have the successes. It takes HARD WORK, DEDICATION, and developing a thick skin! I've been called every name in the book, accused of crazy practices, and I've come through it, Stronger, Smarter, and wiser. Stick around! you just might learn something about yourself in the process!
m
My world Crashed in January of 2001 when my husband died suddenly from a parasitic infection Contracted in Argentina, My best friend and dance partner literally bullied me to keep going, working and dancing. I was going to be okay! I could get through the bad days, handle business and even smile once in a while. That went down in flames on Sept. 11, 2001. My anchor was at Windows on the world when those towers fell, Randy was gone, and I wanted to die....
I tried to commit slow suicide, I ate....and ate and ate and ate. Until I hit 504lb. I looked at my cattle rather than working them, my horses got fat and lazy, I was out of control. That pretty girl was a mountain! 10 years of self loathing and trying to hide the pain in a bag of cheese puffs manifested as a sick, obese, angry woman.
In late 2010 two of my customers asked me to try Robb Wolfe's whole 30 on the same day. I did! 30 days and 45lbs later I was on my way to a permanent lifestyle change. It wasn't easy, sure there were setbacks, the worst of which was a doctor who prescribed the wrong medication and turned me into a raving lunatic! But we'll save that story for another time.
What I really want to share with you is my journey back to health, I've dropped over 270 lbs to date and am still moving forward. I have great people in my life, my cattle are some of the best in the country, and the work I do every day is important. I can show you how I do things, my Choices, as well as the trials and tribulations that go with it. I hope I inspire some of you to visit a farm or ranch, learn that those of us that raise your food are real people with real issues, and most of all that the Choices are yours, I choose health and happiness. You won't get the candy coated version here my friends. The struggles have been very real, and so have the successes. It takes HARD WORK, DEDICATION, and developing a thick skin! I've been called every name in the book, accused of crazy practices, and I've come through it, Stronger, Smarter, and wiser. Stick around! you just might learn something about yourself in the process!
m
Thursday, May 9, 2013
And Away we go!
Welcome! Folks have asked me to share my story of ranching, and my journey back to health. I will concentrate mostly on telling that story, introduce you to the people that have impacted my life, and hopefully inspire you to take a look at the world of Agriculture and the faces that feed this nation. My belief is that we all have choices, some good , some bad. and if we share our experiences maybe, just maybe we will make a difference in one persons life. Over the last 3 years I have dropped over 270 lbs. no doctors, no surgery, just a shift in perspective, renewed pride in myself, and a driving need to debunk myth and disinformation. I hope you enjoy my story, and engage in a positive way.
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