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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

New Year - New Home :)

Wow - It's the end of January already! We have packed in so much to the month that it has disappeared in a blur. Just before Christmas we found the perfect house to move to on the East Of Christchurch. And it's not that easy to find the perfect house on the East since 4th September 2010.
So we grabbed it and moved on Friday the 13th of January - The Livingstones always like to add a bit of drama to everything we do!
We had exactly 3 weeks, from the day we signed up to the day we moved, to pack our house. And these 3 weeks included a 6.0 After Shock on December 23rd, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Our Anniversary on New Years Day. So we had to be organised and we did it!
So here I am sitting in our lovely new home typing this blog.

Everything is ready for the first day of school tomorrow. It's a bit further to school now so I'll have to be organised - I'm not known for being early to school :)

Last Saturday my second baby turned 18. And she went out to a bar with all her girlfriends who have turned 18 before her! It's hard to believe that my older babies are becoming young adults.
Happy 18th Birthday Kirsten - you are turning into an amazing young woman xx. Enjoy starting University this year! You will love it :)

Wow - February - another month of new beginnings ahead! Isn't Life exciting :)

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Year of Endings and a Year of New Beginnings

2011 is finished and 2012 has begun. I wonder how many other people feel as if last year disappeared in a blur. It certainly was a year of endings. Huge Endings for some! I know I've said it before but the families of the 182 people who died in the February 22nd earthquake are often in my thoughts and prayers. Moving on from that will take a very long time. The number could and probably should have been higher than 182 – if you look at the destruction in the central city.

After February several of the consultants in my team left Christchurch because they didn’t feel safe anymore. I understood – there were times when I didn’t feel very safe either. Many of my consultants told me they didn’t want to go out at night to do parties any more. I understood – I didn’t want to go out at night either. Suddenly selling lipstick didn’t seem so high on the priority list any more. Many of my customers lost their jobs, or their husbands did. Skin Care and Cosmetics were now a luxury item. Although I was still using Skin Care, I wasn’t wearing much makeup for quite a few months after February. It was more common place to be wearing gumboots!

New Zealand is such a small place and it came to my attention that someone in Mary Kay had said at the end of May that apparently I simply gave up. One of my consultants from the North Island was attending a retreat in Wellington and said to this person. “I feel so sorry for Anthea, it’s been so difficult this year?” and the reply went something like this “Well it’s been hard for all of us but the rest of us didn’t quit!”

Perhaps if this person had given me a phone call after they heard I was resigning, they would know why I chose to move on. I did a lot of soul searching in those first few months after February. I wasn’t here on the 22nd. And the most important thing for me now was to be close to my children, for as long as it takes for all of us to feel okay about being apart. I knew that I didn’t want to go to Wellington to the retreat and I knew that I couldn’t be the best Director I wanted to be.

So I chose to resign. It wasn’t easy but it felt right. I have much to be thankful about in my time with Mary Kay. It was the perfect job for me with pre-schoolers. It was a privilege to be able to guide and train my consultants. Mary Kay paid for our family trip to Australia in 2007. It paid for all of eldest daughter’s orthodontics and most of my middle daughter’s orthodontics. I made some awesome friends and enjoyed some wonderful trips. I was able to work but still be at home for my family when I needed to be. But suddenly it didn’t feel right anymore. Time to move on! Scary and exciting at the same time!

And I would like to say to this person who said that they were able to hang on while I chose to quit – "Maybe saying that about me that helped you to feel better about your own situation. You are welcome to borrow strength from me. I have plenty. I’m so pleased that you made the choice to move forward with your business. I wish you every success now, and in the future. Cosmetics certainly can make a woman feel great and Christchurch women certainly are in need of that. And you are offering a career to those who have had to move on from their jobs. How fantastic!"

My wise Mother always said that when one door closes, another one opens. With every ending comes an opportunity. And I have been grabbing opportunities with both hands. And it feels good and it feels right. 2011 has come to an end. And 2012 will bring new beginnings and isn’t that a wonderful thing J

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone and Happy and Peaceful 2012. May it be filled with many positive moments and few shaky moments :) x