jgoode

Challenges

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I just recently learned something new about myself and challenges. I just returned home from a 60 mile breast cancer walk. We walked basically 20 miles a day for 3 days. Although this was physically difficult, quite painful at times and it was extremely wearing, tiring and trying on an emotional level, this is not the challenge that was hardest for me. Where I struggled was choosing between where my heart wanted to go and where my group wanted to go.

Every person has their own reason for getting involved in an event like this. Each individual has their own goals, expectations and hopes for accomplishment. I arrived hoping I would make it to the end. I left realizing that just making it to the end wasn’t the full goal. I really was wanting to learn more about what inspired people to get involved to begin with. I really wanted to hear the stories of those touched by breast cancer. Those walking for a loved one. Those hoping to make a difference. I wanted to hear their stories and I wanted to stand beside them. I wanted to get a glimpse of what it was that was driving their own path.

seattle space needle and the breast cancer 3 day walk dreams banner

This doesn’t sound that difficult. Just walking, I would be near hundreds of others with their own stories… all I needed to do was talk to them. However, what I discovered is that the more places I didn’t go, the less opportunity I had to cross paths with these stories. So instead of following my group in all the directions they went, I stood by my gut instinct to find the direction that was right for me. This was hard for me. I’m all about the group. I want to be apart of the group and support the group. What I learned from this was, we can be a part of group with a group goal, but still have our own path within that group. Thats what makes a group so fantastic. I struggled with the idea of diverting, but in the end, I felt better about me for standing up for what I knew I needed to do. I felt glad I didn’t ignore my own path.

Moral of the thought… believe in yourself and your goals. Listen to your heart and don’t put yourself last. Follow your dreams.

Breast cancer walk day 2

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Today was another fabulous day! The first half just flew by. We got started earlier, had fewer stops for traffic and started at a better pace, so we made it to the lunch stop before we even knew it. It was great!

I was blown away by the cheering stations today. There were so many people, entire families, grandparents, toddlers… everyone standing and cheering and smiling and handing out candy. What brought a big tear to my eye every time was the thank yous. These complete strangers stood out there for hours, cheering and encouraging.. and then thanking me, someone they didn’t know, for walking. They sincerely are grateful I was there… and that makes me cry, even thinking about it now. It’s inspiring and truly breathtaking to merely grasp.

me and my breast caner walking toes

The second half of the day was a little tougher. There were a ton of hills, both up and down. It as hotter.. and stopping for lunch just gave my body time to coordinate with my blisters and my muscles so they all knew it was time to harass me. So the second have of the day I stopped longer at the rest stops to tape my toes or let my feet rest. But it was good!

One more day… it should be fantastic!

End of day one at the Seattle 3 day

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So today was fantastic. It started off around 4 am, bus came to get us around 5 – hit the Bellview campus for the opening ceremonies where we encountered a plethora of joy and happiness… gratitude and complete and utter love for our being there. It was an amazing way to start the day!

There were pit stops/break sites about every 2-3 miles. We’d stop, grab a snack or a drink or tape our toes and then press onward. I think today we walked about 23 miles… there abouts.

My toes have a few blisters, but the rest of me feels pretty darn fantastic!

I’m looking forward to another day… just hoping my feet ease up on the painful reminders now and again.
😉

Penguin and I are in Seattle

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I have no idea where the time went, my 3 day breast cancer walk is tomorrow! With your help I’ve managed to raise $3135.00 – Besides requesting direction donations, I’ve sold mini buttons at a local shop, my little stuff pink ribbon penguin through etsy.com, pink ribbon themed gear through my website and helped sell buttons at a conference last month. As a team we’ve raised (as of today) $47,528.00.

That is incredibly amazing to me – thank you so much!

I left Denver this morning and arrive in Seattle just after lunch. The walk begins at o’dark thirty (check in starts at 5:30am) on Friday – please laugh quietly to yourself, I’m positive I’m going to be walking via out of body experience until lunch each day. If you’d like information about the walk area and route, updates on the event (there’s a live web cam, I hear), etc.

I do indeed have penguin here with me :D. That is, penguin AND my new pink ribbon penguin pal as well.

I will hopefully be able to blog a bit and keep everyone up-to-date on my own experiences with the event while I am there. I plan on trying to take as many photos as I can… So I can share the view with you when I return home on Monday.

I’m really looking forward to this experience. I thank you for your so very much for all of your support, encouragement and involvement!

Happy Monday!

Jen

JGoode Designs in the News

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I had the privileged of sharing my designs, my business and my love for internet retailing with a few people this week. All the talking has now resulted in a wonderful story at Baby, Kids and Family and a fantastic article spot in U.S. News.

Can you believe it? Me, lil’ old me and my smiley doodles – in the news – WOW I’m so delighted!

It still amazes me every day that my images that I love to create so much are loved and appreciated by others. I never would have thought… and now, to have someone – two someones – want to share my story in official news – I’m overjoyed.. tickled pink and purple!

I couldn’t ask for a better ending to my week. This, this right here – the sharing of the inspiring smiles, is exactly why I do what I do… every day!

JGoode Designs in U.S. News

4 years ago I could never have imagined this is where I would be or what I would be doing. Thank you to all my encouraging supporters –  I love my job!

Rest, renewal and possibly rediscovery

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I’ve now missed two weeks worth of my regular Tuesday blogging, yet I’ve actually had more than enough to talk about. Each week I’ve sat here trying to decide exactly which topic would be best, what most applies and where to start. Now, this week, after an extra day of weekending, I thought “perfect! I definitely can talk about weekends and relaxing and all that fun that is sunhiney”. Here I am, a day later and no sunshiney babble to attempt to entertain you.

This is exactly how and why I am where I am right now. Muddled chaos of brainstorming bliss…

A fairy in my second life

There are so many new ideas, good ideas, exciting ideas and vivid ideas for fabulousness running around in my head… so many angles to choose from, I just can’t decide. So instead, I’ve been rediscovering my alter ego through my Second Life me. It’s not helping me accomplish anything in the here and now – or is it?

Sometimes I think this does help. I wander around my virtual world. Talking with real friends, building virtual places, exploring virtual wonderlands. It’s inspiring. Like walking into a dream, while you’re awake and actively playing a role. I’m building a virtual shop to really sell my JGoode doodles — to whomever happens by.

To add to my dreamy state of unproductivity, I am listening to The Time Traveler’s Wife on audiobook. I listen while I walk… training for my upcoming breast cancer walk. Today I’ve been listening while I’m attempting to work. My brain doesn’t function at that level very well. I can’t think my colorful thoughts and listen to someone else’s stories and grasp both at once. I tried none the less.

So what does all this have to do with anything? Well, not much, and everything all at once. This disarray of half thoughts is where my mind keeps going. I start a new idea, get side tracked and move on to another idea… only to find myself at the end of the day with a tornado zone mess around the house and nothing else to show for my creativity. This is where creativity starts isn’t it? Or maybe where it gets lost. For me, this is where creativity ages, grows bold and bright; and maybe… after a little molding or fermenting or whatever it is that it does… it will blossom and flourish.The creativity that is. It goes into the chaos to come out magnificent and delightful.

Until that happens, I’ll keep doodling in my virtual playland – I’m building a garden there so I have a quiet place to sit and ponder with the fairies and the roses and the willows…

Oh sure, some will giggle or even hardily laugh, long and loud at my current past time. It’s keeping me away from the mundane and helping inspire ideas I forgot I had… I’m not in a place in my life that I can travel and explore and venture off on a whim. So virtual reality fits perfectly.

Soon, hopefully, I’ll find myself surrounded by a garden of brilliant blooms – ideas of sparkling greatness.

That’s the plan today.

Be a Winner!

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Winner: “achiever: a person with a record of successes”. I personally don’t think you need a “record of successes” to be a true winner. You need a goal of reaching success and a interest and effort level to achieve that goal. Besides, we really need to define “success” before we can define a record fo success, don’t you think?

Let’s skip that for now…

A friend of mine is holding a fun little contest – you post a comment on her blog about your favorite tshirt from cafepress or your favorite CNN tshirt design and you’ll win a free tshirt. So it got me thinking.. people love to win – why? DO they just love free things? Or maybe people love to win because they love free things AND winning gives a sense of accomplishment on a level different from anything else. If you’re a winner, you have accomplished something great just for being you.

So my thought is, maybe we are all just winner waiting for someone else to tell us so. So, why not just tell ourselves? Dangit, I am indeed a winner! Sometimes I am a dorky, goofy, silly, or as my mom puts it “unique” girl.. but that doesn’t make me any less of a winner than Joe Blo the quiet, reserved oh-so-serious guy… does it? I’m just a different kind of winner. So are you – We all are!

I think this calls for corn..

You’re a winner
I’m a Winner
We’re all winners –

woo hoo!

yay.

— glad I got that out of the way, aren’t you

We are currently all surrounded, to some degree, with the Olympics. The ultimate in competitions and winning. Only a minuscule percent is able to be present, in person, to watch this phenomenal event and a tiny percent of that is even “good enough” to participate. These are the best of the best in so many ways. yet, that doesn’t mean those not involved are less.

Everyone is a winner in their own way. We need to give ourselves a little trophy and “way to go” once in a while. AND, Sometimes we need to take a minute to stop and remind each other what champions we are, because being pat on the back by a friend or collegue or family member is so much more valuable, many times, than patting ourselves.

Now, I’m writing this as I’m watching the women’s gymnastics in the Olympics… I remember watching these events when I was a little girl, and thinking – wow! I’d like to be one of those — not in the sense of participating in the sports, but more that I wanted the flowers and the medal and the sparkly moment. I have those sparkly moments, they just aren’t televised for the rest of you to see. I could go on an on about my winner-ness and winning moments, but I think I’ll leave it here for you to ponder your own winning greatness.

I’d love to hear about your winning moments!

Some fun contest infos in case you feel as though you really need to win something today:

My friend’s contest- win a free t-shirt from 365gear

Contest Alley – a great list of contests, sweepstakes and freebies

The “Contest Guide” – a fun list of current contests you can enter

If you’d like more fun “winning” designs, you are invited to visit my online store.