Just Write: #100Days100Words

I've been seeing talk of #the100dayproject on social media recently and wasn't sure if I wanted to participate. It seemed to be more of an arty thing - paint 100 self portraits, take 100 photos, make 100 thingamabobs, that kind of thing. The premise is simple. If you show up day after day, inspiration will eventually find you.

And y'all, I would love to be that kind of person. I want to be more creative, to just chill in the backyard with some paint and a canvas and create some gorgeous masterpiece. But I'm just not that kind of creative. For example, let's check out my first attempt at a Wine and Palette event:

Yeah, it was supposed to be a fashion painting. I started out ok, but somewhere along the way she became the bride of Frankenstein. And there is no need for 100 of these kinds of disasters in the world.

I might could pull of the 100 photos thing. I like taking photos, but I'm trying to teach myself how to edit them and I'm struggling. So I was afraid 100 days of photos would drive me cuckoo.

I could do 100 days of crafts. I'm a solidly decent crafter, but after doing a billion and three crafts for the wedding last year (it was only like 10 or so, but it felt like way more) I really didn't feel up to 100 days of that.

So I decided to do what I do best. I committed to 100 days of writing. More specifically, 100 days of writing 100 words.

My only rule for myself is that I have to fill up one page in this gorgeous Caroline Gardner journal I picked up yesterday.

That's it. I can write in the morning, at lunch, or before bed, whatever works that day. Ideally I will get into a habit of writing first thing in the morning, (I'm super intrigued by this Miracle Morning idea) but for now I'm just committing to 100 words a day, anytime and anywhere.

Oh, and here's the awkward part. I'm supposed to Instagram each day. Which sounds great when you are making a physical product, but Instagramming my writing each day will be challenging. But I'll figure something out!

Are you participating in #the100daysproject? If you are intrigued and want to find out more, you can learn about the project here. The project started yesterday, but it's not too late to jump in. And come back tomorrow for another installment of the #WhenIGrowUp series - it's going to be a good one! 

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...

*So that's not exactly the journal the journal I bought, but Amazon doesn't have the one I bought. But it looks like just like it! And that is an affiliate link :)

When I Grow Up: Working with the Oklahoma Mothers' Milk Bank

Ok, I know it is April Fools Day and I'm writing about a milk bank, but I promise the two aren't related! No, today I'm featuring Lesley Cottrell, a nurse who works at the only human donor milk bank in Oklahoma. I went to high school with Lesley, but didn't know about her job until I saw a story on the local news about the organization! That's when I decided I had to see if she would share her story here. And thankfully she agreed.

As a child, I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up.  

 How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? That dream became a reality.  I am currently an RN with my Bachelor's degree in nursing.  After graduating high school, I went right to college to pursue my dream.  After graduating college, I moved to Oklahoma City in order to work at a larger hospital where there are more learning opportunities available.  After 7 years of working as a women's and newborn nurse, I interviewed for a job at the Oklahoma Mothers' Milk Bank.  My passion for breastfeeding came about after I became a mom myself.  Becoming a mom completely changed my outlook on so many different things.  I have been at OMMB for a year now.

 What is your official job title? My official job title is Clinical Assistant.  That does not even come close to capturing what I do.  We are a nonprofit organization that provides safe, pasteurized, human donor milk to NICUs throughout Oklahoma.  We have only been operational for a little over a year and a half now.  That being said, we are very small!  I am the first and only full time employee at OMMB.  That means that I pretty much do everything, ranging from donor screening to working in the pasteurizing lab to attending events for community outreach.  I do it all :)

 What is a typical day like? Every day is different at OMMB.  I really don't have a typical day with all that I have to do.  Some days are spent talking to donors and working with them to get their screening completed and others are spent sending out a ton of emails to hospitals that are submitting orders for donor milk.  It makes my job interesting because there are so many different things that I can do in a day.

 How did you end up in this career? I started working as an RN at the OU Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City.  I worked as a postpartum and newborn nurse for most of that time, but I also spent a short time working as an RN in the NICU.  After I had my daughter in 2012, my world changed.  Being a breastfeeding mother, my passion for breastfeeding emerged.  I also wanted to be able to have more "normal" work hours and get away from working weekends and holidays.  Our clinical director at the milk bank is also an IBCLC at OU, so I knew her from working over there.  She put the word out about a position opening up at the milk bank.

 What kind of education or training did you complete for this career?  I completed a four year degree and obtained my Bachelor's of Science in Nursing.  I, then, completed my boards, also known as NCLEX, to be able to practice as an RN.

 What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? My current position is very unique, especially here in Oklahoma, due to the fact that we are a fairly new nonprofit organization and that milk banking is still growing in the United States.  My advice for anyone interested in pursuing a career in nursing or lactation would just be to stick with it.  It can be a long road, but if it's your passion, it will be well worth it.  Do what you love!

Thanks again for sharing your career with us, Lesley! Your family is gorgeous :)

Previously on Mrs Robbins Sparkles...
 

When I Grow Up: Becoming a Freedom Catalyst

Today I'm happy to introduce you to Lauren Dobey! I "met" Lauren in one of the many Facebook groups I'm in, and I was intrigued by what she does. I mean, have you ever met a freedom catalyst before? 

As a child, I wanted to be a ­______ when I grew up. I had always wanted to be the next Nancy Drew. If you aren’t familiar, Nancy Drew is a detective book series for girls. I LOVED reading those books and trying to figure out who the criminal was. I even had a little detective kit that I would carry around. I loved all things about mystery and piecing the clues together to solve the crimes.

How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but my childhood interest in detective work influenced my adult desires to help women uncover the parts of themselves that they’ve kept hidden. I am like a detective for your soul!

Tweet: "I am like a detective for your soul!" #whenigrowup #mrsrobbinssparkles http://ctt.ec/fKb48+

What is your official job title?  I like to call myself a Freedom Catalyst.

Ok, now what does that really mean?  I believe Freedom Catalyst paints a picture for the way that I wish for every woman to feel—free. I desire for each and every woman to live a life that sets them free and that is an expression of their true, authentic self. As women we are often told to “follow the rules” and be the “good girl” and I think that really limits our dreams and visions. Our life journeys do not need to follow a linear path and it can even be totally opposite of what we “think” we’re supposed to be doing. Our evolution does not have to look like anyone else’s; it is our unique life to live. The only truly right path is the path that is in perfect alignment for the individual. During client sessions, we look at all areas of their lives to determine what is out of balance, underwhelming, or just plain-old sh*tty and to discover new possibilities for them.The work that I do with my clients has led some of my clients to create a new business, leave an unhealthy relationship or to quit their unfulfilling day job. Ultimately, the results that they receive during our work together affects all areas of their lives. My goal is to help them fall in love with their lives again.

Tweet: "My goal is to help them fall in love with their lives again." http://ctt.ec/aj1vu+ #whenigrowup

What is a typical day like?  Being an entrepreneur means that my days can vary and can sometimes be very hectic. To give you an idea of an ideal day, it would begin with me waking refreshed and energized without an alarm around 7:00am. After I get out of bed I take my two dogs for a walk. Then I begin my morning practice which consists of a green juice made with organic ingredients, some journaling and some meditation or self-hypnosis. These are the foundations of a grounded and balanced day for me. On most days I try to get to the gym in morning. I begin working at 9am or a little later. My working hours can vary day-to-day. I take client coaching calls, work on my marketing and connect with potential clients. I try to take a break from my office and meet up with a friend for lunch. Since working from home can be really isolating, it's important to me to put an emphasis on personally connecting with friends.Throughout the day I will take breaks almost every hour to do some grounding breathwork or mindfulness meditation. I like to wrap up my workday by 6pm, unless it is one of the two days per week that I take client calls in the evening. Often I have a social event or activity in the evening out in Manhattan. But, if I’m home at night, I wind down by making a healthy dinner- I love to cook! After dinner, I fill my bathtub with tons of bubbles and lavender essential oil to ease myself into further relaxation. I may watch a little bit of TV (I love Scandal!) or read some inspiring books for the remainder of the evening. I have an gratitude practice that I complete before lights out at 10:30pm.

How did you end up in this career?  This career found me. I had been on a path of self-discovery after first a painful divorce and then the illness (and eventual death) of my best friend. I knew that there was more to life that working hard in unfulfilling work. I began to really, truly understand the mind-body connection. I immersed myself in books, seminars and programs that eventually led me to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) to become a Health Coach. After some time, though, I decided that I wanted to focus on other aspects of a woman’s life, not only their health, and that led me to begin my work as a Freedom Catalyst.

What kind of education or training did you complete for this career?  After IIN I decided that I would love to learn additional, deeper transformational coaching skills so I enrolled in the Transformational Coaching Method program by Holistic MBA. This program gave me a broaded skill set to help me facilitate much deeper change work with my clients.

What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career?  My advice it to follow your own guiding light and try not to follow what others are doing. If you do, it might feel like you are wearing a pair of pants that are a size too small. Follow your truth, your dreams, your desires. Do not be afraid to change directions, or even quit something that doesn’t feel right, because it doesn’t have to be viewed as failure. You can choose to view it as a learning experience. What you’ve learned will likely serve you in a way that you might not understand at the moment. I deeply believe that life is made up of building blocks of experiences and each one of those blocks is shaping us to be a well-rounded, fully lit up women.

Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up?  My dream is to continue to share my message with the world in an even more visible way via television or media. I also have the intention to create global events for women to have unique, profound experiences that nudge them step outside of their comfort zones so that they see just how amazing and capable they are.

Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”?  Just keep taking steps forward, no matter how small the steps or how scary it may feel. You will astonish yourself when you realize what you can accomplish when you set the intention to push yourself slightly outside of your comfort zone. You’ll look back and think “wow, I’m pretty f***ing amazing!”

And that's Lauren! What an awesome career, huh? If you'd like to learn more about her and her services, head to laurendobey.com. 

Previously on MrsRobbinsSparkles...