Isak Dinesen | the iGnite blog

Roots:
I say I am from Seattle, as that is where I spent the longest amount of time growing up. My father was in the military, and my mother liked to travel, so we moved around a lot. I moved from Seattle to Austin, sight unseen, with two of my sorority sisters in 1995. I said I would give it a year…it’s been 22 years now. 🙂

Family life:
I met my husband, Sean, when we moved from New York City and he lived next door to me at the Gables on Lake Austin Blvd in 1996. We have been married almost 17 years now and have three AWESOME -most of the time- kids! Max is 14 and will attend Westlake High School next year! Ben is 11 and then “WE GOT THE GIRL!” as my husband always says. Olivia is 10.

Work life:
Currently, I have the privilege of being a stay-at-home mom. I feel like I am a full time uber driver (but without pay) for my kids and their teammates. I also do some inspirational speaking on occasion. Before kids, I was a top sales producer at several telecom companies and later ran two sales offices as a District Sales Manager.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned through my iGnite experience…
The biggest lesson I have learned through my iGnite experience is how valuable the friendships, connections and community through iGnite are. Neissa and all the amazing women that help lead iGnite are some of the best women out there. Neissa has always had a gift of inspiring others and of bringing women together to share their gifts and talents. I highly value these women and the lovely ladies I get to iGnite life with.

Who or what inspires me most…
The ocean inspires me. There is a quote that I love by Isak Dinesen, and our own iGniter Olivia Osborne, found it for me in a magazine at the Re-New Year San Diego iGnite Retreat. She says “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” Thanks to iGnite, we get to sweat. Sometimes we just need a good cry. And the sea, although it has almost taken my life twice, is my happy place. I would also like to mention our fellow iGniter and my awesome cousin, Nikki McCormick, who inspires me to laugh! You know the belly laugh that makes your cheeks hurt kind of laugh!

I am looking forward to…
The day my book I have been writing gets published. It’s not ready yet – it needs a great editor – but I have been enjoying finally writing a book that has been 25 years in the making. Many of the seasoned iGniters know “my story”, and if you have ever been a newbie in one of Kathleen’s classes that I have shown up for have heard it too, because she lovingly brags about me! In 1991, my new friend and love, Larry, set me up on the railing of an Italian ferry. I fell backwards and plummeted over 40 feet into the Adriatic Sea, and he jumped in after me. At 1:00 am, no one saw us go overboard. It was 18 hours that I floated in and out of consciousness, fighting for my life, before I was miraculously found by nine Austrian men on their 47 foot Clipper who saved me. Tragically, Larry did not survive. I share my story of love and hope in hopes to inspire others.

My guilty pleasure…
Would have to involve hazelnuts, whether it’s a French crepe with Nutella, a Hazelnut Latte or a Kinder Bueno Bar, a candy bar from Italy with a chocolate covered wafter and hazelnut filling. Yum!

I have never been great at simply spending time, unless of course I am on vacation and forced to do nothing but spend time. I am a ‘busy body’ and feel most successful when I am multi-tasking and crossing things off my list. Since having my son Durant, I’ve definitely slowed down, at least when I’m with him, but the second he goes to sleep, BAM! I’m at it again.

During the evening, I take just enough time to eat dinner and then I’m back to my list. In the event that I can’t muster the mental or physical energy to tackle my to-do’s, I simply crash on the couch, at which time my husband Russell has to peel me off of in order to go to bed. Wide open and transparent, that’s my life and my poor husband (with the exception of Durant) gets all of the leftovers, which don’t add up to much.

To say that my husband is understanding is an understatement! I’ve mentioned this before, but at times poor Russell asks me to, “Treat him like a Monarch.” Unfortunately, he is the recipient of my sarcastic and snarky comments, and while I think his request is funny and we both laugh, I know he’s sincere. We are an interesting pair, because his work requires a lot of time! He travels a ton and oftentimes has to work during the evening hours as well. Honestly, we could both work 24 hours a day and we would still have plenty to do, but there comes a time when enough is enough and we must spend uninterrupted time together.

iGniters taking time after class to catch up on life.

iGniters Syd S and Jane H taking time after class to catch up on life.

We live in a culture where there are plenty of distractions. From work, social events, school activities and constant stimulation that keeps the brain wired. While each of these distractions have a place in our life, they are not so important that they can replace the necessity of time together.

I’m always amazed at what spending time together can do. It creates a magical bond that ties hearts together and it always adds enthusiasm to the relationship and life. Therefore, this week I encourage you to set aside uninterrupted time every day to spend with someone you love. If you are unable to set aside time together, be sure and let them know how much they mean to you. Who knows, maybe your time together will land you a spot on the Ellen Degeneres Show, like the dynamic duo of Sophia Grace and Rosie. Enjoy- you are going to LOVE this!

JOIN THE DISCUSSION– What can you modify in your life to make it possible to tackle this week’s Action Item? Take a glance at our Weekly Intention Guide for a little assistance and some ideas.

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