Stressed? Yes? We Must Form a Circle of Care!!

Calling All Moms, I know you are stressed, but I have another question for you.

Who has the most stress filled job in America?

Is it the astronaut?
Is it the air traffic controller?
Is it the firefighter?

No, it is Us!

Yes, it is Mid Life Moms!

Like you and me, these Mid Life Moms, strive to balance the needs of our young adult children, our husbands, our aging parents, our jobs and a healthy life style.

While I agree that all Mid Life Moms have stressful jobs, I believe Moms with Young Adults who have Special Needs, have the most stressful job of all! While Moms with Young Adults can often envision a time, when their adult children will be grown and gone, the Mom with a Young Adult with Special Needs, may not be able to see an end in sight.


While juggling elephants and carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders, who is caring for us???

Check this short video clip out and learn what we typically juggle and what we can do to fortify ourselves!

If you are like me, your days can be difficult and it sometimes we feel overwhelmed. At such times, is tempting to crawl into a ball and shut the world out. While we all need rest and alone time, when we have succeeded in feeling a bit better, we must reach out to our circle of support.

It is for this reason, that I have created the Individualized Empowerment Plan (IEP) for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs! This telesummit is coming at the end of September and will help you to:

Create ME Time;

Learn from Self Care Experts;

Develop Self Care Practices;

Tear Down Barriers;

Access Services to Enrich the Life of your Young Adult;

and

Form Circles of Support!!

For more info on the upcoming free telesummit: Individualized Empowerment Plan ~ for Moms of Young Adults with Special Needs , follow this link and contact me at 703 371 5682 today to secure your place in the circle of support.

You are worth it! Your families are depending on you and looking to you to be around for the long haul.

In the meantime, let's begin today to:

Make Me Time,

Tear Down the Walls Between Us;

Pause to Reflect on What You Need; and

Form a Circle of Support!


In the end, I leave you with additional questions.

Do you need additional support?

What else do you need?

What works for you?

What do you do to keep showing up?

Please leave your comments and suggestions below.


With Hugs, High Hopes and Belief in YOU,
D

P.S. If you know experts that have programs/services designed to help Moms for the long haul, I want to hear from you as I am still adding to my speaker line-up. Thank you so very much!!

What the Experts Know - A Free Telesummit - Empowering Mom

Are you a Mom

* watching your young adult with special needs struggle in life?
* suffering with your child?
* feeling helpless?

If so, I would like to recommend that you listen to a special interview with Peter Tongue. Peter offers a message of hope and the interview is free for the next 24 hours and is powerful!

You can listen to it, by signing up for the Telesummit series at the following link:

What the Experts Know. You can find out more about Peter at the website and see his special offer there too.

There is absolutely no obligation and you need not purchase anything.

The telesummit series is designed to empower us to listen to our children, to question the status quo and to lead by example. Peter's message complements the IEP for Mom summit that I have designed for you.

As the interview is about to end, Peter offers us a special offer at a very reasonable cost. As part of the special offer, you can secure a 1 on 1 counseling session with him and special audio recordings that are designed to help you get into the flow and sleep soundly.

As I was listening, I thought of you all. Astrid has lined up some wonderful educational experts and I look forward to hearing them over the next couple of weeks for free.

Join me by signing up now. Simply click the link below, provide your name, email address and learn from the Experts for Free!

What the Experts Know.

Let me know what you think.

Do you now have:

More information?
More options?
More hope?

When Life Isn't Fair, How Can You Make a Difference?

LIFE ISN'T FAIR!
THERE ARE NO JOBS FOR ME!
I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH!
I CAN NOT NAVIGATE THIS TRANSITION ALONE!

In an effort to address these challenges, and to help my children to thrive, rather than survive, I decided to approach the transition process from a different angle and with a unique focus.

As a mother with three young adults with learning challenges, I have many people counting on me to “be there.” I have learned to be there for them, I had to first be there for me.

I knew that I had to work tirelessly and with purpose and resolve. I had to work smarter, not harder. Rather than focus on the challenges of my children, I decided to focus on my own competencies, my own resources and my OWN desired outcome.

In short, I decided to focus on my strengths and the strengths of my children and the teachers who were guiding them.

Like Marcus Buckingham, I had to:

First, Break All the Rules!

I had to switch gears and focus on me, rather than my children. I had to turn inward and assess my strengths. Rather than focus on the faults of the education system, the failings of my children, and where I had made mistakes, I had to focus on the beauty in me, around me and the beauty in all of us.

Take a moment to watch the short video and let me know if you are ready to focus on your Strengths, to take Action, to
ENROLL in an INDIVIDUALIZED EMPOWERMENT PLAN (IEP) FOR MOM!




Are you willing to dream?
Are you willing to take action?
Are you willing to focus on your strengths?
Are you willing to switch the focus from what is wrong, to what is right?
Are you willing to enroll in an IEP for Moms like you and me

Register today: http://believeinarayofhope.com/31101/index.html

Mom's Day of Reckoning is Coming! Will You Be Ready?

You have just read the title and you are wondering, "What does she mean? Where is Doreen coming from when she says the day of reckoning is coming? Let me explain.

If you are like me, your child has been on an IEP, for years. The years have flown by. You have become accustomed to the support of educators, tutors, and advocates who have helped your children in moving from grade to grade.

Before you know it, your children, like mine, have become young adults; you see them suddenly approaching adulthood and graduating. At this critical time, you are caught off guard and feel very much alone and ill prepared to help them make this transition smoothly. You wonder: Will they live in your basement forever??? How can you move forward, with this heavy load?

I know how you feel, as I have been there myself and I was shaken enough to take action! I have developed an IEP Summit (Individualized Empowerment Plan) for us, Moms and you are encouraged to join us, as the change we want begins with us!

Find out why I say, "If Mama Ain't Transitioning, Ain't Nobody Transitioning." Mom's Day of Reckoning is Coming and I want you to be ready!!

Read more about it at my website.

Music and Quotes Conspire to Inspire and Lift YOU Higher!

Somedays, we feel blue.

Somedays, we feel down and out..

Somedays, are filled with despair too...

Somedays, we just need to pout and shout....

Somedays, my halo falls off and my horns begin to sprout....

At such times, I like to sit down, to pray, to reflect, to journal, to talk to a dear friend and to find a way to believe that it is going to be all right. I like to take a nice hot bath, to read, and to listen to soothing jazz. I find music and quotes quite comforting on those tough days.

I found the following youtube offering on a friend's facebook posting and wanted to share it with you Mamas in Transition. It's hard work trying to balance the many demands before us. I know somedays, we need music and quotes to lift us up. On other days, it's just fun to be further inspired.

Whether you are feeling tired or inspired, the following music and quotes will lift you higher!



I believe my dark days will be followed by days of light. I believe that God is with me and that I can ask for guidance. I believe my failures make me wise, humble and more compassionate. I believe that my days of woe, make me enjoy my successes more. I believe that my grief, strengthens me and helps me to become more empathetic.

What do you want to hear, when you are facing adversity and need encouragement?

If you are like me, you want to hear, "It is going to be all right!!"

My Miracle Baby Turns 24 and Continues to Delight and Surprise Us!

Today, I reminisced alot, thinking over the last 24 years and what a joy and pleasure it has been to watch my children grow. Greg, my oldest, is celebrating his 24th birthday today and I am celebrating his life.

It seems like only yesterday, that we brought him home and called him our Gift from God. To read more about how his life with us began, please read My Favorite Christmas Story.

He began as a miracle from God and even today, he keeps me on my toes, keeps me guessing, and keeps inspiring me to be the best me possible.



Today, Greg and his bride to be are contemplating buying their first home on five acreas of beautiful VA countryside and he has dreams of developing his own chicken farm.

Growing up in Northern VA, I would never have guessed that his interest would take him down this road. As he was growing up, we made sure that he had the opportunity to play baseball, football, and soccer. We provided tae kwon do and piano lessons. Each time, we were sure he would want to pursue one of these pastimes on a deeper level and each time we were wrong.

While he enjoyed each extracurricular activity, when he entered high school, he surprised us and went out for Lacrosse. We wondered where the inspiration had come from.

When he moved to Christiansburg, after pursuing college life, he happily reported that he loved the slower pace and the country life and I wondered where this fascination had developed.

As I looked through old photographs, a lightbulb lit up. I came upon a few pictures that both surprised and delighted me. When he was little, we enjoyed taking him to the Reston Petting Zoo. We introduced him to horses, goats and chickens. Looking at the pictures now, I can see now how his early fascination began.

As we begin a new year, I encourage you to think about the memories you are making. I encourage you to take time to reflect. I encourage you to enjoy your discoveries, your loved ones, and every day miracles!

That's Incredible!! Four Pounds in Four Days while Eating Normally!!

I woke up today full of energy, quickly got on my exercise clothes, and jumped on the Wii board for a body check. Much to my delight, I found that I had met my two week goal earlier than anticipated. The Wii screen screamed, that's incredible!! And indeed it was!

4.1 pounds lost in the last 4 days!!

What have I done??? First, I proclaimed my desire to loose 30 pounds in 90 days and began at the end of November. With encouragement from many of you, I got into action, exercising most every day, drinking lots of water, and eating less. Still the weight seemed to cling. Then I decided to pick up Marianne Williamson's book on weight loss, and do as she suggested.

Let Go and Let God!

First, I had to admit that this weight problem was bigger than me, but not bigger than God. I began to pray, confront issues of fear, anger, resentment. Not easy for me to do, as I try to stuff these feelings inside, but I figured I needed to do things differently, if I wanted better results.

With God by my side, I began expecting a miracle and envisioned myself thinner, lighter and happier and decided to embrace the good, the bad and the ugly in me and those around me. They have all been doing double duty and trying hard to get me to acknowledge them. Well, I finally surrendered, embraced all of me and the wonderful people around me, and my weight shifted.

My journey is just beginning. I am excited and I would love to have company on this journey. I still have 23 pounds to shed between now and the end of February. I know I can do it with you and God in my life. Please join me if you are inclined.

What are you doing in the new year?

What will you do differently?

Will you join me in getting healthier, happier and more at peace?