Warning: Adult content.
I woke up this morning feeling a bit groggy. I applied some peppermint essential oil to my chest and under my nose to alleviate some sinus pressure, and then loaded Pandora on my phone before hopping in a hot shower. (Hot is a relative term, I take lukewarm showers according to my boyfriend.) One of my favorite songs came on as soon as I got out of the shower: "Butterfly" by Jason Mraz. For those of you who haven't heard this song before, listen to it now. It is super sexy. It got me in a mood... I took my sweet time drying off and then danced around naked because I COULD. I continued to fold my laundry without getting dressed. I made some lunch in the nude, too. I love naked time. It is freeing, empowering, exhilarating, and relaxing. It makes me feel sexy. Unfortunately, naked time does not feel the same to other women. Many women dislike, or even hate, their bodies. (There are definitely men with body issues, too, don't get me wrong. The recent Glee episode titled "Naked" illustrated this.)
Why am I talking about naked time? With an increasingly brazen culture of sex-ridden media (Fifty Shades of Gray, sexy Go-Daddy models, Glee episodes, advertisements, Victoria's Secret, etc.), there seems to be a lot of focus on our bodies but little conversation and real "talk" about sex. So, I wanted to write today about another passion of mine: SEX. No, I'm not a sexual deviant nor am I a nymphomaniac. I happen to be a woman with a healthy sexual appetite. I really enjoy discussing sex. I think sex serves many purposes and can, and SHOULD, be a wonderful act. I've thought about becoming a sex therapist before, and may still consider it as a career down the road. Several of my friends have come to me with concerns and sex issues, and I've written a lot of sex-related material. I've dedicated a lot of my mental energy to determining the role of sex in relationships. I filled six pieces of bright orange looseleaf paper during my senior year of college about whether or not I wanted to lose my virginity before marriage. Some would say I was a prude. To each their own. I just think sex is a really special expression and shouldn't be frivolously engaged in, that's all. That's another topic for another road... I could write forever about my thoughts on sex, but today is for those ladies looking for "5 ways to rev up your sex life" and "the secrets to make him want you."
With Valentine's Day coming up next week, I got to thinking about relationships, sex, dating, and all that wonderfully delicious blogging material. Women everywhere are researching creative date ideas, romantic gifts, and the latest and greatest sex tips with fervor. I have filtered through a lot of that garbage on google for you, checked with Christian Carter, Dear Abby, and Dan Savage, and I'm here to tell you the answer to all of your sex (and relationship) problems. Yup, you'll finally have the answer and I'm giving it to you for FREE. That's right, no credit card. It won't even cost you your email address to sign up for my pesky newsletter. REALLY, TRULY FREE. The answer is:
Confidence.
You know the other great thing? Confidence can be free, too. No $29.97 for an expert's relationship book, no $99 gym membership fee, no $250/mo of sex therapy, not even $3.99 for that issue of Glamour magazine with the article "Let's Get Dressed: How to Look Skinny in Everything." GET UNDRESSED. Metaphorically... but literally for some of you! Get vulnerable! Confidence comes from within, and it starts with loving yourself, your body, and your personality. Easier said than done, right? Of course! That's why there's an entire market out there making millions off of those looking to increase their performance in bed, when in reality most people are looking to increase their confidence. If that gym membership is going to help you get there, though, then do it.
Or... you could take a risk. Don't wear underwear on Valentine's Day and walk around like you own the ground you walk on. Initiate sex (if you don't usually)! Make him pull the car over on the way to dinner and fool around for a bit like hormone-driven, high school teens. Step out of your comfort zone, laugh at yourself, get playful, and enjoy your body. Start small, start SOMEWHERE, and reap the benefits of your new-found sexy confidence.
Showing posts with label women's health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's health. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Thursday, January 3, 2013
An essential passion of mine
I've heard that if you're going to blog, you'd better blog well. And blogging well means a few times a week. I have also heard that a blog associated with your business should post at least twice a month, according to social media research. I seem to have missed an entire month somehow... Oh well. I don't call myself a blogger. In truth, my past few blog postings were lacking in passion, excitement, and positivism. I figured I should take a break before putting more negative energy out there, since the point of starting this blog was to chronicle my passions as I navigate how to keep living out all of them!
A forgotten passion of mine popped up in December. Prior to December, I knew I was interested in this passion, but hadn't yet pursued it. Well, I'd run into this woman outside of Liquid Assets in Sartell, where a weekly networking group I'm a part of meets. I was introduced to her by a mutual friend and discovered that she is a massage therapist but also sells Young Living essential oils. I invited her to come to the networking group, and a couple weeks later she did a presentation for all of us. She was incredibly informed about the amazing benefits of essential oils and had so many life-changing stories to share. She's been a distributor for over a decade and loves it.
You should know that I've been invited - no, pressured - to be a part of just about every single Network Marketing business known to (wo)man. From Lia Sophia, Mary Kay, Thirty-One, Avon, and Premier Jewelry, to Xanga, WorldVentures, Alphay, Tastefully Simple, and Pure Romance, I've seen 'em all. And I could probably sell all of them successfully if I really wanted to. The consultants I meet know this, which is why many of them have repeatedly tried to win me over. I'm a charismatic person, and I know how to sell. Whoop-de-do. What sells many of these businesses is the networking part, not so much the product. I didn't care for that kind of business. I am not the kind of woman who even USES products. I scarcely use anything. Do I wash my face at night? Nope. Do I worry about eye wrinkles? Nope. Do I wear jewelry? Yup, but I make it. Do I cook? Yup, from scratch.
Back to the story. This Young Living essential oils lady is awesome. She and I became friends. I mean real friends. I went to a free oil class she offered and discovered that one simple oil, Basil, would really balance out my body. I figured, for such a small cost, what's the harm in trying it out? It is good for sinus issues, ovarian cysts, mental fatigue, aching muscles, and a variety of other things. (No wonder my body liked it so much!) While buying, this is where I was sold on the idea of joining and becoming an independent distributor, it was clear that the wholesale pricing was significantly lower than the retail prices of oils. Duh. For the small price of $50, I could join for a year to get wholesale pricing AND get their starter kit. That's like a Sam's Club membership but I get product too! Annually, I have to spend $50 to maintain my membership (still getting product for that fifty bucks). No additional fees. And if I wanted to sell it to friends or family, I could make a commission. If you want to join my team, click here!
Now I understand why many people join these kinds of companies. When you actually USE the product, and LOVE the product, it is really easy to justify the worth of your membership. It also makes it easier to sell because you see value in what you're selling! When you are simply selling product to make money off of other people, it shows.
What I love about essential oils is that I don't think of them as a "product." I think of them as part of my health care. I don't take OTC medicines or go to the doctor or even use aspirin. Pharmaceuticals scare me and they should scare you, too. Essential oils have no negative side effects (just make sure they're 100% and therapeutic grade, meaning they can be ingested) and have been around for thousands of years in medicinal remedies.
Now for the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for: my oil testimonial. I have suffered from cold sores for a couple years. For those of you who have them, you immediately cringed I'm sure. They're unsightly, they hurt, they take at least two weeks to heal, they spread, and my lymph node under the right side of my jaw gets inflamed and hard. In the past, I've tried Abreva and a number of other off-brand cold sore treatments. Recently, I've stuck with Lysine, a natural treatment that is inexpensive and under researched. It typically shaves off a few days of healing time. While reading about essential oils, I discovered to my delight that my favorite oil, lavender, is good for cold sores! So yesterday morning, with the first tingle of a new nasty sore, I dabbed lavender oil directly on the corner of my mouth. (By the way, the lavender oil came in my starter kit!) I dabbed lavender on again last night and used Lysine cream a few times during the day. It is now Thursday night, and my cold sore hasn't spread to any worse than one bump, it's not very noticeable, my lymph node is smaller than usual, and it's not painful. Crazy awesome, I have to tell you. If it's healed in a week, I may actually be able to kiss my boyfriend goodbye before I leave on a 15 day work trip.
I have also been ingesting or rubbing basil oil on myself once a day for the past week, and I have to say, the increase in my mental alertness is very noticeable. I would not recommend rubbing Basil on just before you go to sleep though, that kept me up until 1:30am the other night. ;)
A forgotten passion of mine popped up in December. Prior to December, I knew I was interested in this passion, but hadn't yet pursued it. Well, I'd run into this woman outside of Liquid Assets in Sartell, where a weekly networking group I'm a part of meets. I was introduced to her by a mutual friend and discovered that she is a massage therapist but also sells Young Living essential oils. I invited her to come to the networking group, and a couple weeks later she did a presentation for all of us. She was incredibly informed about the amazing benefits of essential oils and had so many life-changing stories to share. She's been a distributor for over a decade and loves it.
You should know that I've been invited - no, pressured - to be a part of just about every single Network Marketing business known to (wo)man. From Lia Sophia, Mary Kay, Thirty-One, Avon, and Premier Jewelry, to Xanga, WorldVentures, Alphay, Tastefully Simple, and Pure Romance, I've seen 'em all. And I could probably sell all of them successfully if I really wanted to. The consultants I meet know this, which is why many of them have repeatedly tried to win me over. I'm a charismatic person, and I know how to sell. Whoop-de-do. What sells many of these businesses is the networking part, not so much the product. I didn't care for that kind of business. I am not the kind of woman who even USES products. I scarcely use anything. Do I wash my face at night? Nope. Do I worry about eye wrinkles? Nope. Do I wear jewelry? Yup, but I make it. Do I cook? Yup, from scratch.
Back to the story. This Young Living essential oils lady is awesome. She and I became friends. I mean real friends. I went to a free oil class she offered and discovered that one simple oil, Basil, would really balance out my body. I figured, for such a small cost, what's the harm in trying it out? It is good for sinus issues, ovarian cysts, mental fatigue, aching muscles, and a variety of other things. (No wonder my body liked it so much!) While buying, this is where I was sold on the idea of joining and becoming an independent distributor, it was clear that the wholesale pricing was significantly lower than the retail prices of oils. Duh. For the small price of $50, I could join for a year to get wholesale pricing AND get their starter kit. That's like a Sam's Club membership but I get product too! Annually, I have to spend $50 to maintain my membership (still getting product for that fifty bucks). No additional fees. And if I wanted to sell it to friends or family, I could make a commission. If you want to join my team, click here!
Now I understand why many people join these kinds of companies. When you actually USE the product, and LOVE the product, it is really easy to justify the worth of your membership. It also makes it easier to sell because you see value in what you're selling! When you are simply selling product to make money off of other people, it shows.
What I love about essential oils is that I don't think of them as a "product." I think of them as part of my health care. I don't take OTC medicines or go to the doctor or even use aspirin. Pharmaceuticals scare me and they should scare you, too. Essential oils have no negative side effects (just make sure they're 100% and therapeutic grade, meaning they can be ingested) and have been around for thousands of years in medicinal remedies.
Now for the part I'm sure you've all been waiting for: my oil testimonial. I have suffered from cold sores for a couple years. For those of you who have them, you immediately cringed I'm sure. They're unsightly, they hurt, they take at least two weeks to heal, they spread, and my lymph node under the right side of my jaw gets inflamed and hard. In the past, I've tried Abreva and a number of other off-brand cold sore treatments. Recently, I've stuck with Lysine, a natural treatment that is inexpensive and under researched. It typically shaves off a few days of healing time. While reading about essential oils, I discovered to my delight that my favorite oil, lavender, is good for cold sores! So yesterday morning, with the first tingle of a new nasty sore, I dabbed lavender oil directly on the corner of my mouth. (By the way, the lavender oil came in my starter kit!) I dabbed lavender on again last night and used Lysine cream a few times during the day. It is now Thursday night, and my cold sore hasn't spread to any worse than one bump, it's not very noticeable, my lymph node is smaller than usual, and it's not painful. Crazy awesome, I have to tell you. If it's healed in a week, I may actually be able to kiss my boyfriend goodbye before I leave on a 15 day work trip.
I have also been ingesting or rubbing basil oil on myself once a day for the past week, and I have to say, the increase in my mental alertness is very noticeable. I would not recommend rubbing Basil on just before you go to sleep though, that kept me up until 1:30am the other night. ;)
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