My friend Amy is a rep with Once Upon a Charm® another direct sales business with gorgeous sterling silver charms created specifically so you can “wear your scrapbook on your wrist”.  It’s a great concept. She sent me this email today which reminded me of my Horses and Direct sales post here in my blog…wanted to share it with you.

One of my favorite charms on my bracelet is a measuring tape... each time I look at this it reminds me of this quote:  

Life is not measured
by the number of
breaths we take,
but by the number of
moments that take
our breath away.

What takes your breath away? Take a peek at our charms and find one that reminds you of your favorite quote

Want to check out Amy’s charms?  Email her at ONCE UPON A CHARM for more details!

Had our first annual convention this weekend.  We all had a great time.  I have to tell you, I’m very proud to be associated with Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop.  I know, I know, everyone in direct sales would say that about their own company – and you should. If you’re not proud to represent your company, you shouldn’t be a consultant with them! J  Pretty simple!

That said - Here’s a company with heart.  The final awards night was a tearjerker for me.  The founder’s father got up and told a story of how our founder just 2 years prior had suffered a stroke (she’s in her 30s) and was blind… but through persistence and determination and a lot of prayer, she’s now running a rapidly growing successful company, is a great wife and mom and looks fantastic!  We were all a puddle to hear her dad lovingly tell the story with pride in his voice and heart.  And it was another reason that I’m in for the long haul!

I joined Noah’s Ark in July, knowing full well that this was THE home business for my family.  If you read my past posts on how I got started you’ll see why that’s the case.  As I’ve worked in it for over 9 months now, I’m even more convinced.  I see, already, how my friends who trusted me enough to join the fun (Hi Laura, Tammi and Cheryl) have taken the business and just run with it. Two of those friends walked the stage during awards night several time… and I was proud…not because of anything I did, but because of how they’ve taken this and run with it.  I’m convinced the third one will be walking the stage with them next year…she just didn’t start soon enough! J

I felt a bit like Miss America when they put a crown on my head for “Leader of the Year.”  I tried, as a blubbering buffoon, to say what my heart was feeling at that moment but I just couldn’t get it out. I wanted to say that everyone there in the room can be sitting up there too, if they just stick with it. I wanted to say this company offers such a unique opportunity that anyone… yes anyone who puts in some effort can really find success with Noah’s Ark.  I wanted to say that if I, just a normal, stay at home mom who loves being with her kids and wants to have daddy home with us full time, can do this, each and every one of them can – just because they were sitting there at that moment, the beginning of the company – with all the growth still ahead of us.   I wanted to say I’ve been to so many conventions with other companies…and watched the folks cross the stage… and I knew that it was POSSIBLE to be one of those people… and here I was… and they could be too!  I wanted to thank each and every person who trusted me to join this business with me because if they hadn’t done that, I would not be sitting there with a tiara on my head!  But instead I said, ‘Um, I know… choke… I’ve seen…choke… this is so…choke….” Hand back the microphone.

And it’s all on videotape!  Aaaaah!

Oh, and I got a life sized teddy bear as a trophy too!  How cool is that?

Join me and my friends at Mommyfest!!!  May 24-26, 2005

www. Mommyfest.com

MommyFest is giving away PayPal CASH for MommyFest!

Make sure you come and join our contests and tell everyone you know to join our contests too. Below are some contests my friend Marie is running for MommyFest and prizes for the winners!

A drawing for each day of the event - just a simple drawing where visitors can enter the contest at least once a day – a lucky name will be drawn each day for $20.00 PayPal Cash - you can enter once each day for all three days of the event ... but, winners can only win once. So .... I am choosing 3 winners (one for each day)

A Trivia contest- Marie will post questions on the site about exhibitors and visitors can answer questions via email. All correct answers will be placed in a drawing for one winner - the prize - $30.00 PayPal Cash (only one winner).

Attend and participate in the most chats/online workshops - - make sure to use the same user name each time you attend the chats- the Prize - $40.00 PayPal Cash

Refer the most people to join our contest ... When you enter a contest, put my name (Annette Yen). Then when you refer other people to the MOMMYFEST contests, have them put YOUR name in- there will be a place where they can put who referred them to MOMMYFEST - the one person who referred the most visitors/guests will get $30.00 PayPal cash

A scavenger hunt, and a few more games which will be held during open chats/discussions ... the contest/s will be posted on the site by May 24, 2005

I can’t wait to see you at MOMMYFEST 2005!  Check out my vendor page there at:  www.MOMMYFEST.com

More About Balance

About a year ago our family decided, rather radically, to take the truth of a Sabbath rest seriously, mostly because we believe the 10 commandments are still that – commandments and the fourth commandment of “remember the Sabbath Day to keep it Holy” falls between the third and fifth commandments so it’s just as valid as “Thou shalt not commit adultery”.

This wasn’t as easy as it sounds… but it was one of the most freeing things I’ve ever done personally and business-wise. Saturday night, when it’s time to hit the pillow, I make a deliberate effort to make sure all “work” is done and shut down the computer until Monday. Since many of my advertisements have my Instant Message addresses on there, I put in a quick auto response that says something like, “Sorry I missed you. I’ll be back at the computer on Monday.” My voice mail message is the same.

Imagine, a whole day, spent in rest and enjoyment. No thinking about work. No “to do” lists. No endless emails, checking inventory, filing paperwork, making up hostess packets…. Nothing at all having to do with work.

Even if you’re not one who believes in the bible, that just makes a whole bunch of sense. Your family needs to you take a rest from the work… your customers need you to refresh for 24 hours so you can serve them with gusto starting again on Monday morning. YOU need the break to renew your mind…however that looks for you.. and to take time to watch the horses or smell the flowers… or even plant them if that’s relaxing for you.

The focus of the biblical command is that of holiness…focusing your mind for that whole period on God and His glory. I have to admit, that is still a struggle for me. My mind is still working on the rest part… I still spend much of my Sunday thinking about what I’m going to do on Monday. But I can’t even describe how wonderful it is to not even have the option to act on it. Instead of running up to my computer “just one more time”, I can take a nap. Instead of mulling over a design for a flyer or even an entry to a blog, I can read the bible or another great book… one that has NOTHING to do with Direct Sales, stuffed animals or RSS feeds and Blogs! J

And you know what else? On Monday morning I get up READY to hit it hard. Yes, my inbox is full of emails, but it’s a delight to look through them, actually read them instead of skimming, and answer with a refreshed mind. My family is happy, my customers are happy, I am happy… and I like to think that God is pleased at my efforts as well.

I’d love your thoughts…

Annette