Welcome!

Thank you for reading my first "inspiration" blog post!  This is going to be a great adventure for me, blogging that is.  You see, for over a decade now I have been one of those people who aspires to be a writer, thinking I have some inner writing voice that hasn't found any direction.  Yet have I taken time to really sit down and write?  Heck no, with 3 boys, a business, a job, a house, husband, etc etc I have not written in years.  I have had some great thoughts, but we all know thinking doesn't count unless you jot it down.  Well it's finally time to do something with those thoughts.  Hence this blog. 

My life has changed dramatically over the past 6 months.  I went from moving at an insanely blinding speed of an "I desperately need to earn money" self-employment attitude, to a "wow I can actually sit and read a book now" calmness of a paycheck.  For years I pursued every possible avenue to earn income while holding on to self-employment through home businesses (sometimes 3 at at time!), massage appointments, booths at events, meetings, conference calls, team trainings, home parties, and on and on.  I get all anxious just thinking about all that!  I worked my own hours but really never had any time for anything in my life, it was truly all a blur. 

So many people aspire to leave their jobs to work a home business and/or become self employed, but the current economy has changed the dynamics dramatically for me.  I have personally come to realize that having a balance of a regular paycheck and a little self-employment on the side make for a happy me.  I have downsized my massage practice to one night a week and no more new clients, and am maintaining a healthy client base with the great skincare line of L'Bri Pure n Natural, whom I have worked with for 6 years. As for my "job", I have been fortunate enough to have a great career to fall back on, as an Occupational Therapist.  After having been out of formal clinical practice for over 8 years, I was thankful that a local hospital took their chances and brought me on.  It's a wonderful opportunity, I work about 6-8 days a month, earning enough solid pay to balance our budget, and I can then pursue my other interests without the desperation of making ends meet.  I love working with people, especially the older population, as their stories hold lessons and inspiration of their own.  And mostly, I am able to challenge myself professionally within structured work hours, and leave that hat behind when I punch out without having phone calls to make, appointments to confirm, fliers to produce, and a zillion people to please all night long.  Just me, my family, and my time. 

As I approach the big 4-0 next year, I feel I have had my major mid-life turning point ahead of schedule!  I am suddenly grounded, calm and incredibly thankful for my life and everything in it.  I look at the business I have created over these years, Village Wellness, and feel it may be time to finally downsize it and let go of the overwhelming goals I had unrealistically created, as most business owners occasionally do.  And let go of the daily inner pressure to do this and do that, and the "wow that could be big" attitude, investing time, money and energy in trying to sell everything and provide services to everyone.  Not that any of that is bad, really!  But for me at this point in life, it is time to evaluate how I want to spend the energy I may or may not have for the second half of my life.

So back to this blog.  If I ever truly want to be a writer, I need to be a writer.  And since I no longer have the daily pressure to make ends meet and now have income coming in to keep our household balanced (yes my husband works too but , like many of you, we need a double income), I have a clearer head to pursue the things that will likely help me feel I am cultivating my true inner self.

"Inspired in Wisconsin" has several meanings to me.  I have lived in WI all my life, and the beauty of this state inspires me in many ways-to relax, write, read, photograph, travel, sit in awe, admire, listen, create, share with my husband and boys, and learn.  There are also so many wonderful people, places, things, businesses and events here in WI that have been inspiring to me and my family.  This blog will be my avenue to share with all of you what inspires me, share photos and thoughts and promote events, people, businesses and places that proudly call WI their home.  This blog will inspire me to get out more, find more and explore more as my creativity grows, and be a voice for the obscure and little known things. 

Thank you so much for taking time to read my very first blog!  Please follow me, check back often, watch me grow, close your eyes and feel inspired too.

Be inspired today!  ~ Aimee