Passionately Managing Life

Panic. Anxiety. All I felt. For a 4 hour period I experienced one of the most mentally debilitating experiences of my life. Never would I have ever thought that I would have a panic attack. But I did. And it wasn't the textbook panic attack that people read about. I was actually out in the world interacting with people. Even driving. I started to feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety as I was leaving my house to pick my kids up from school. The sense grew bigger and bigger wrecking me with both thoughts of overwhelm and physiological signs of distress. Hotness in the face, difficulty breathing, inability to concentrate. I sent my husband a text saying that I was in the midst of some kind of anxiety attack while driving on the highway. During this episode I was still able to function in the world which above all else made me the saddest. I drove, greeted people, saw my parents. I acted and functioned "normally" but the entire time I felt overcome. I couldn't place the...

I have 4 main goals in my life right now. Most things that I do relate to achieving one or all 4 of these goals. 1. Establish an emergency savings 2. Get current on all bills 3. Get completely out of debt (credit card installments loans, student loans) 4. Finish construction work on my newish house First things first, these are goals that both my husband and I agree on. Finances are literally one of the top reasons for divorce and discord in marriages. We both agree that these goals (yes all financially based) are important to us, our family and our lifestyle. Let's explore them one by one. 1. ESTABLISH AN EMERGENCY SAVINGS Before any other goal we need cash in case of emergency. In the last 3 weeks we have had 3 pipes burst, furnace stopped working, flooded first floor of house and that's all in the first two weeks of the year. Emergencies happen (though usually not to this scale) and money is needed to fix things. If you have no cash reserve for emergencies then you ta...

I get mad sometimes and that's ok. It took me a long time to be ok with my feelings. The way I used to process feelings was extreme. Either I was REALLY happy, EXTREMELY worried, WAY OVER THE TOP angry or totally underwhelmed. Yeah I know it sounds manic but everything resonated with me. I'm still pretty emotional but I have found a few ways to cope (writing being my fave). 1. I talk about how I feel. It took me a long time to realize that talking about things helps me to process them. When I'm angry, frustrated or confused being able to talk about a situation helps me to see it clearer and move forward. 2. I sit with my feelings. Every emotion doesn't need a reaction or even a name. Sometimes I get an overwhelming urge to smile out of nowhere and that's fine. I revel in those moments. Other times I get a negative feeling that I can't place so I sit still. Not worrying or trying to figure it out. I just notice the feeling and then let it go. The reason for the...

I've always been a reader. Like I will pretty much read anything. I love to read almost as much as I like to write. With my schedule and life lately it's been hard for me to read as much as I'd like so I've turned to the world of audio books. My commutes can be 2 hours daily and in that time I listen to books to ease my mind. There is just something about reading that makes me feel like I am increasing my flow of knowledge. I have lofty goals to finish 2 books a month and so far this year I am half way done two books already. There isn't a better way to learn than to read. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I can not fully grasp a concept until I have studied and read about it for at least an hour. I love discovering the newness of a once obsolete topic by just reading an article or publication. The fast paced, instant information age we live in is no match for the age of studying information to have a deep understanding. I'll take my books anyday over a half...

Over the past year I have learned so much about myself. I used to think I was strong. I used to think I had it all together. Married to the love of my life. Mom to two girls. College graduate. Great career. I started two companies as a way to do more in my community. Family go to person. You need help with something? Call Dana and she'll fix it. But I stopped. Stopped cold. You see I experienced a series of huge life changes all in a short amount of time. Became a published author and bought a house all in February 2017. Such an exciting time in my life. A new income stream in addition to small time city fame. Interviews, radio, tv, appearances all over. It was a lot all in a short amount of time. On the family front we started doing small work on our house, but that stalled quickly. My career was in an upward swing while personally my family was drowning. The new home became a nightmare that we are still reeling from. Bad contractors, borrowing from the bank to finish repairs, mor...