Beware... The Dream Snatcher

"Moooooom, we want to go to Hawaii."
"Oh, woooow! Really?  Good for you... me too?  Lemme ask you something, how are you going to come up with the money to pay for this amazing trip to Hawaii?  Do you have an extra 5 THOUSAND dollars... yeah, didnt think so.  You're nuts."

"Mom, I wish we had a pool!"
"Do you know how much a pool costs?  And then how much it costs to take care of that pool?  Not gonna happen."

"Mom, I need new sneakers."
"Sorry kiddo, I dont have money for new sneakers, I'm sorry you left them on the bus & they got stolen, but I can't just run out and buy you $80 kicks because you're irresponsible."

You've just had the displeasure of meeting, Misty Solomon, the dream snatcher.

I wasn't always like this.  I used to be a dreamer, but when the going got tough & I was faced with the obstacle of a diminished paycheck at my old job, I became her and for a good 2 years, my kids lived with her narrow minded philosophy.  Sure my husband had a great job, but when you remove 10k -15k a year from the equation, shit gets tough and I couldn't see beyond where I was.  At the time, I thought I was being practical, and in some circumstances, I was.... but what I failed to realize is that somewhere along the way I gave up on the idea that we would ever have better things.  I got mired down in this place where I thought, we're poor now, the older these kids get, the more expensive they become, how are we going to do it?  It was an ugly place and I didn't really see it until one night.  The kids were once again complaining that all of their friends go on vacations and we don't.  In traditional fashion, I chalked it up to them being ungrateful, and sent them to bed.  Later that night I came to the startling revelation that I was the problem... and honestly, I was disgusted with myself.  It was ME that had stopped imagining better things.  It was ME that no longer even went into stores to shop because I didn't want to see all of the things I couldn't have.  It was ME that stopped planning for the future because I was cemented to my misfortune and it was ME that poured the concrete around the ankles of my family.  It was all of the sudden very clear, I stopped dreaming myself & wasn't content until I made the family I claimed to care for realize that the things they hoped for & dreamed of were absurd.  Nice huh?

So that night I decided I was done with her.  Misty the Dream Snatcher served no purpose, she failed to make things better and she was the one person standing in between us & a better life.  I quit my job, held my breath & jumped on board with ViSalus.  It took some time to rebuild, but I was excited to once again imagine that I could achieve things I hadn't believed were possible in years.  The fact that that I could do it while being instrumental in giving others the opportunity to regain their health was icing on the cake.  Now when they ask for things, I say.... let's write that down & figure out if we can do it.  Truth is, if we aren't teaching our children that better things are possible, who will?  If we think we don't deserve the good life, who does?

Do you really want them to enter adulthood thinking only other people deserve the finer things?

In the last 6 months, I've had the opportunity to help over 100 people lose weight & feel great.  In the process, I was rewarded financially & earned a BMW...  Last year at my old job, after 11 years of managing a team with annual sales of over a million dollars, my January 2012 bonus check was $1600.  After 6 months with my new company, my January 2013 my bonus checks were over $2500.  Why do I share this?  Not to brag.  Not to say "Ohhh wow, look at me, I'm so great, look at what I can do".... I tell you this because I know many of you are in a similar situation, or know someone who is.  Money is an issue, lack of money can be crippling... and maybe, just maybe...  you've taken up dream snatching as a hobby too.  It doesn't have to be that way.  You are the only one that can change what's in your head, but you have to take action.

Life is about taking pride in what you do.
It's about being able to hold your head high.
Life is about being able to say, I did a good job.
It's about saying, I gave my all.
Life is about family.
It's about helping others.
Life is about saying I contributed positively to society.
It's about inspiring those around you.
Life is about chasing greatness.
It's about being better tomorrow than you were yesterday.
Life is about love.
It's about teaching the ones you love that dreams are the seeds you plant for your future.

Dream on!

Misty Solomon
ViSalus Regional Director
609-929-8214
www.mistysolomon.bodybyvi.com