Everything Happens For A Reason

As a child, I always said "Everything happens for a reason" and always told people to think positively because good things will happen to you.  I'm realizing now that although I promoted this ideology, I never fully believed in it myself.  I always wondered why bad things always happened to me and how I had amazing advice for all my friends but could never reciprocate it for myself, or most honestly, could never follow my own advice.  WHY? It's because I didn't believe in it.  More or less, I didn't believe in myself.

It took a lot of struggles and heart ache in my lifetime to sit and ponder why life had chosen to treat me so poorly when I try to be a model citizen.  I treat people the way I want to be treated, I am an honest person, I am not fake to people or talk about them behind their backs.  I think of myself as a decent friend, so why on earth do bad things keep on happening to me.

It wasn't until this recent event in my life that made me realize the truth behind all of my beliefs that I never truly believed in.  Everything really does happen for a reason no matter how big or small it is.  I am not trying to start a debate on whether fate is real or if religion exists etc.  I am merely stating my opinion on a situation I have recently been put in. For those of you who follow me or know me, know that I was recently evicted unjustly three days after moving into an apartment for July 1st.  I had many supporters who tried to give me their advice and words of encouragement to fight for what was rightfully mine.  I agree 100% you should always stand up for what you believe in and never let people walk all over you.  What I learned is that sometimes there is a time and place for everything, and sometimes being the bigger person is truly the best approach in life.  It isn't about winning, it isn't about always being heard and having the last word.  Sometimes, being polite and choosing the right time to say things or not to say them is the better choice.  I will be honest, it's not always as fulfilling as saying your peace and making sure you get heard; however, I feel that Karma is reciprocated back when you are the bigger person.

I didn't understand or even fathom a reason why I had to move.  I saw it as a huge burden and set back.  The real reason was revealed to me when I finally moved into my new home.  I found that I feel more at home, my dog is more relaxed, she's welcomed there and feels it.  The town, even though it is small makes me feel less isolated from the world.  I can picture the nice evening walks I will be taking with Rose.  I am only an hour away from everyone who matters to me in my life.  I realized that moving farther away isn't always a bad thing. When you allow change to happen in your life, as scary as it can be at times, it usually ends on a good note.

I am happy to say that Rose and I have found our haven.  It took a lot of sweat and tears and patience, but it was all worth it.  I am looking forward to what this new chapter will bring us.

Be positive and be open to change.

What Grinds My Gears

Its been a little while since my last post.  I have been having such a grand ole time and super busy that I just haven't found the time to sit and write.  How quickly that all changed for me.

It all started when I decided it was time to move since the cost of commuting from Ottawa to Kemptville was killing the bank account.  So I did what any person would do, find a new place to live.  This time though, with my fancy new job I wasn't settling for anything less than I wanted.  My checklist was as follows:

1- Must be between Ottawa and Kemptville since I don't want to leave the city but can't afford to stay
2- Must have some sort of green space so that Miss Rose can run around and be a dog finally, no more of this apartment B.S.
3- I want to be happy!

Well I found all of that! With the help of my wonderful friends and boyfriend, I was able to get everything moved in one shot and did it in impeccable timing.  It was a good day had by all.  Two days later, I find out I have to vacate the premises at the request of the landlord because he's not comfortable with my dog. Yes, she is a Pitbull but the sweetest thing alive.  It breaks my heart that people can't open their eyes or even their minds to change.  His reasoning is that hes responsible for the various people that work there and feels that its best if we moved on. Le Sigh.....

Here I am, sitting around wondering how I am going to pull off another move when I went for broke to move this time around. I know that it will all work out in the end as everything always does, but its getting harder and harder to stay positive.  I took a day and let myself blubber like a fool.  Now its time to pick myself back up and fight back with a vengeance.

I always believed everything happens for a reason...I just wish I knew that reason right now.  This opportunity just wasn't meant to be for me I suppose.  Slowly I'm finding that fire in my belly and I will ROAR once again...soon.  I just have to come up with a game plan and fast!

Keep your fingers crossed for Rose and I.  I know we will be ok, its just disappointing that  people are still so ignorant toward one of the most loyal and loving breeds I have ever known.

Here's to moving forward!

Raisin River Canoe Race 2014

We started our day off on the right foot.  A great big breakfast, we got our #1 boat sticker, we had our family and friends for support.  But for some reason, when I was on the water, all the wrong songs kept coming to mind.  For example, "Just keep swimming".  Now these are not the songs you want to be thinking of while in a canoe during a race at the end of April after a long ass winter.  No, instead I should have realized it was an omen of what was about to come.

Our first mishap was being nice to other contestants and allowing them to pass.  To our demise, we got pushed up against some rocks and our boat was lodged between some pretty hefty rocks.  With the current running as it was, that boat weighed a million pounds...I swear!  At least it felt that way after paddling for a couple of hours at this point and being waist deep in iceberg water.  After a good 5 minutes, we managed to free our boat, empty it of water and continue walking down stream with it until we found a clear spot to jump back in and continue on with the race.  We still didn't see any all female boats pass us and we didn't waste much time freeing ourselves, so we still stood a chance at placing in top 3.

I remained overly optimistic about the race this year.  My partner, +Robyn Poore kept bringing back to reality saying we have a 50/50 chance of making the dam.  I knew she was right but I was trying to blow her out of the water with my optimistic views of us potentially finishing the race and possibly coming in 3rd place. (our outstanding goal now for the past 3 years) Well, let me tell you this!  I was fine up until I saw the sign that read "DAM" then all that could come out of my mouth was "Oh crap!" "Oh CRAP!" It's like I knew right then and there.  We lined ourselves up properly, we had the perfect set up! We were doing great, people were cheering us on, then I don't know what happened but we flipped! Went completely under water.  The moment I realized we were going under, the only word that came to mind was "F#$*".  Nothing I could do about it but embrace it.  When I finally managed to get up out of the water I looked back to make sure my partner was still alive and well.  The look on her face was of pure shock.  I think she was in shock after inhaling ice cold water haha.  Poor girl!

Being that cold with the shock to the body makes it hard to think straight.  I was running on pure adrenaline and tried to grab our boat that was pleasantly floating away down stream at a somewhat quick pace.  I had the boat in hand but I couldn't feel it..I was numb! My hand was stuck in a somewhat closed position and trying to run in ice cold water....proved to be futile.  I managed to pass off my paddle to one of the cute by standing fire fighters, continued running down stream until I found a clear passage of shore to get up on to and continue my sprint down stream to catch up to our rental canoe.  I managed to gain up on it and had to get back into the water.  Thankfully, a nice old man who was watching the race and no doubt watched me struggle to catch up to our boat went out in the middle of the river in just his jeans and rubber boots and helped me bring back the boat to shore.  If it wasn't for him, I was giving up on the high speed chase.  He was kind enough to bring us in his home so we could call for back up.  Our families were on stand by with towels, blankets and our dry clothing but they had no clue where we were.  At this point, I shook so violently that the house and its contents were shaking with me.  We didn't even get to making the call when our rescue team showed up at the door and guided us back to the vehicle where Robyn and I immediately started to get out of our clothes.  I think I can honestly say I put on the least sexiest strip tease on earth at that moment.  haha But at least the bystanders had a good laugh and it was all in good fun.  I wasn't even disappointed that we were unable to finish the race.  It's all in the adventure, so next year, we try again!

Self Reflection

When you put your mind to it, you really can accomplish anything.

If you were to ask me 5 years ago if I thought I would be where I am today, I would have told you it was simply a dream that I hoped to have one day.  If you were to ask me 1 year ago if I thought I would be where I am today, I would have said not a chance.  I lost hope back then, I didn't see the possibilities that could have been, instead I allowed negativity to overcome me.

Its truly amazing what can happen to one individual when you change your thought process, your inner thoughts.  When you start to dream big and create goals for yourself and put them on paper and actually think about them.  When you finally say F-U World!! I deserve more than this.  I put myself through college, I paid for it all on my own (With the help of OSAP of course).  I am one of the few in my family who actually finished high school and graduated College with not only one diploma, but three.  The day I sat back and realized, I AM a somebody! That was the day that I decided to BE a somebody.  That's when I stopped making excuses for myself.  That's when I stopped allowing negative thoughts to enter my brain, when I didn't allow others to influence my own personal decisions.  Just because it didn't work for them, didn't mean it wouldn't work for me.

I've realized that there is no helping someone who doesn't want to be helped.  I stopped trying to help those people because all they did was suck the life out of me.  When I finally took the stand to stand alone and think of myself for a change, my life turned for the better.  It's not that I am insensitive now compared to before.  I simply stopped allowing other people to dictate my happiness.  I found happiness in letting go of the past and breathing in the future.  I kept with me the lessons learned from past experiences and used that knowledge for my future choices.

I challenge those of you who feel stuck in a rut to stop putting so much emphasis on negativity and finally taking a stand and doing what you believe is the best thing for you.  I challenge you to take chances and make mistakes but learn from them.  I challenge you to be a better you! Be true to yourself and the rest will always fall into place.

Risk always comes with set backs, but its those set backs that bring you forward.

Challenge on to a better and more happier world. Once we can be happy with ourselves, the rest doesn't matter.

First Time for Everything

I cannot express the excitement I hold working for Yazdani Family Dentistry.  It was a short two and a half weeks ago when I started in this position as a marketing director.  I've now had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, GA for a marketing technique workshop that I learned so much from.  Not only did I learn more about marketing, but also about the joys of flying and navigating myself through an airport for the first time.

Let me tell you, when you don't know what to expect or know where to go, things can get a little hairy.  For a first experience though it was a great one and one I will never forget.  It started off with trying to get my dog settled and into her crate before leaving.  The plan was to have my friend +Robyn Poore pick up Rose when she was done work.  I think Rose knew something was up because she would not go in her crate for the life of her and she loves that thing!  I did everything I could from bribery to downright blackmail. Even if she didn't understand my threats, she understood that I was not going to work and that I was going to be leaving her as she noticed she had her own bags packed.  Poor thing, she knows how to play with my heart strings.  It's hard to let your baby go when you're leaving the country, but damn it! I wasn't missing my flight.

Robyn dropped me off at the airport and gave me some detailed instructions on where to go and what I could expect.  Needless to say, I will still a little nervous.  I wasn't so much nervous about the idea of flying, I was nervous because what if I got on the wrong flight, or didn't make it through security.  The most random ideas were going through my mind.  I got to the Air Canada desk and spoke to the agent.  He was quite surprised that it was my first time flying (I'm guessing because of my age, but then again who knows!) He was super helpful and offered me window seating instead of aisle seating which was very exciting to me as I wanted to see the action first hand. Knowing me though, I would have just leaned over some complete strangers lap to see what was going on out of pure excitement :) He gave me very detailed instructions on where to go.  I used the term "first time flyer" quite often and noticed to my benefit that it helped a lot.  Everyone was so informative.  I get to security and I asked the guy a million and one questions on if I have to take my shoes off, where I have to put them, do I need to take my sweater off too? Will my jewelry set off the scanners etc. I think he got a kick out of it but he answered them all calmly and professionally. Picture this, I am in line waiting to go through the security check and I'm waiting on the guy in front of me.  I watch carefully what he does and I mimic what he does so that I look like a pro.  He goes through no problem so I figure I got this! Piece of cake.  I go through the scanner and all goes well.  Then the guy that I mimic gets stopped and security asks to go through the contents of his bag because something questionable came up in the scanner.  HAHA the thoughts that went through my head were priceless.  I immediately think of the movies and am half anticipating a S.W.A.T. team to show up with guns and approach it like its a BOMB. By the way, the thought did cross my mind to yell this at one point or another.

I had a 3.5 hour lay over in Toronto and really what is there to do?

I Facebooked my friends, people watched, scoped out my gates, charged the phone and of course ate some food.  Count on Swiss Chalet to quench that craving though, it was a great lunch spent solo.  Flying surprisingly makes you hungry, or is it that I love food too much?  

Once I got on my plane headed for Atlanta, I knew the real excitement was about to begin.  Its a freaking huge airport! Thank god for the detailed instructions Dr. Yazdani left for me because I am not sure I would have made it to my destination.  There were signs indicating where I should be going, but I swear I was seeing double.  There were two signs and they both were saying the same thing only they were pointing in opposite directions. Maybe I was tired, but I managed to figure it out.

I had to go left, then right, then down an escalator and take a train and stay on it for six stops then go right then up an escalator and go outside and cross the street.  Take an elevator up so the Skytrain.  This thing was kind of cool :) I would say the easiest part of the entire trip haha

Once I arrived, I was in heaven.  Not only did I get to stay in the Marriott hotel, it was all paid for! One lucky girl I am.  The room was beautiful.  Once I walked in I was in awe.  I literally dropped my bags on the floor and did a backwards fall on to the bed.  I could have passed out right then and there!

I met up with Dr. Yazdani and the team for some dinner before hitting the hay for the big day!

Not only did I learn a lot, I never went hungry.  The food they serve there is to die for!  It started off with breakfast, then a break, then lunch, then a break, then one more break and they finished it off with wine and beer for after the seminar! All for free! Can you believe it! I was mentally exhausted by the end of it and could not for the life of me think of eating another bite.  I know right, me not want to eat food? Pfft, ya right! But I simply could not fathom the idea of it.

After the seminar, I had to take full advantage of the nice weather.  The sun was shining, there wasn't any snow on the ground and I had two hours to kill before our dinner reservation.  I maybe wanted to rub it in everyone's faces a little bit that it was so nice out and everyone back home was stuck in the middle of a winter wonderland...oops ;)

Unfortunately, as I quickly realized, the Marriott is the nicest thing that was around.  I took a walk and tried to make the most of it but really, there isn't anything that was nice enough to really look at.  It was kind of sad to be honest, how poor it really is.  Buildings were abandoned or taken over by the bank.  Even the dirt looked dirty. But still, I enjoyed the fresh air and the exercise.

On the way home, I was less stressed about traveling as Dr. Yazdani and I travelled back together.  I had to commit to memory what I had to do though because I am on my own when I go back for the Marketing Masters Program in February.  We were up super early and I was amazed at how quiet an airport can be at 6:00 in the morning.  It was a peaceful trip home :) 

I was quite happy when I finally got home but was NOT happy about how cold it was.  Everyone kept telling me how it was more mild then when I was away.  Its truly amazing how quickly your body adapts to warmer weather.  I couldn't shake the cold all day.  All I wanted was to curl up into a ball with my little pup and fall into dream land.  

Thank you to +Audrey Poore for taking care of my little rascal while I was away.  I think she enjoyed her time because she slept from 4:00PM until 7:00AM the next morning.  Snoring and all :) 

Reaching for the stars

When you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. 

Starting a new year always makes me reflect on the previous.  2013 had its ups and downs for me, sometimes it felt like more downs than ups but I learned a lot from it all.  Never give up because you never know whats around the corner.  For those of you who have followed my progress, you know that I went from job to job and seemed to be all over the place.  I encountered people who were all wrong for me but at the same time each person that came into my life and stayed and those that didn't make the cut have all taught me something.  They all brought something positive into my life that I can still cherish and hold dear to me.  I realized that it's very important to hold on to the good and look for the positive outlook in every situation instead of letting it bring you down.  That's one hard task to do on a regular basis.  

In December, I scored the job of my dreams.  I became a marketing director for Yazdani Family Dentistry in Kemptville.  I started in January and am loving it all so far.  Only three weeks in and already he is sending me to Atlanta for training :) In February and June, I get to go back for a Marketing Masters program.  I can't express how excited I am to be involved in such a great working environment.  I was losing hope for awhile that I wouldn't be able to find a job in the field I wanted.  I felt the longer I waited to get it, the more outdated I was becoming.  Dr. Yazdani is definitely making sure that I stay up-to-date.  In just a few short weeks I already know that I am going to love working here.  The staff are super friendly, everyone is easy going and willing to take the time to explain things that I don't know about.  They even invited me out to their Christmas party in December just so I could get to know the team.  How awesome is that :) 

I must say, I am particularly excited for this trip to Atlanta this weekend as I have never really been outside of the country except for one trip to Disney Land.  I've never flown before and I get to for the first time this weekend.  I am a little scared to be honest but I love adventure.  Let's just hope I make it to Atlanta and don't end up somewhere else...but then again, I don't think I would mind that so much either. It's like a mini vacation even though I have to work.  

Stay tuned and I'll let everyone know how it all went.  

This could get interesting...

Time Flies

It's amazing what can happen in two months.

Now that I've had time to find some clarity, everything seems to be falling into place.  It honestly feels like 4-5 months have passed since I've sat down to write.  When I started this blog, the intent was to write about my experiences on becoming an entrepreneur with bookkeeping and social media.  To depict the obstacles and challenges that I would come across or even talk about my random canoe races at the beginning of Spring.  What I have learned is that life gets in the way of everything. Its up to us to not allow it to distract us from what the ultimate goal is.  Ultimately, I wanted to find better employment.  I wanted to be happy when I went to work and not dread the idea of it. Now, I'm working for EZ HVAC as a bookkeeper and I just got a job as a manager at Za Za Za Pizza, its "pizza with pizazz" haha I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out in the end. I always hated the first day at a new job..but I'm really looking forward to it this time. The uniform is different also.  I get to wear jeans, Converse shoes and a funky tie.

This should be interesting!

Even though the original idea was to be self employed, I still get to do everything I originally planned on doing anyway.  Win, Win!

A Closed Chapter, A Lesson Learned

Well, that was quite the ride if I do say so myself.  Sometimes life throws you random curve balls and you have no choice but to take them in stride. That being said, I am now on my own and ready to take on this thing we call life. My problem with all this though, is that I knew where I was heading 3 weeks ago. Now that my whole life has been turned upside down (both a curse and a blessing in disguise) I now get to choose a completely different path to walk on.  Im not only stuck at a fork in the road, no, instead my fork has a million and one paths I could take.  Which one is the one for me is the question?

I have a lot of soul searching to do that is for sure, but one thing I do know is that I get to move into my own little apartment in July! That is quite exciting. Something can be said about new beginnings, they sometimes are quite refreshing.  After being in a relationship for 4.5 years, you pick up your partners characteristics and mannerisms. Although I love him for everything I've gained, I find myself now wondering who I really am.  Its  time to start putting the missing puzzle pieces in the right spots in my life.  Im excited to get started on my new routine, whatever it may end up being and make something of myself.  Im dreaming big here people, like really big.  Im not quite sure what that dream is just yet, or how exactly Im going to get there, but its going to happen. I can feel it :)

I am Woman! Hear me ROAR!

Torn

After some time of serious thinking, pondering, crying, screaming, pulling my hair out and pretty much just sulking; I have realized I am not 100% happy with my career choice.  Don't get me wrong here, I do love being self employed; however, not like this!

Bookkeeping in all honesty is quite boring to me.  When I quit my job as a bookkeeper I immediately went into damage control by deciding "I can do this on my own, eff you ex boss!" and I know that I can do it.  But it doesn't peak my interest enough to stay motivated and BE on top of it all. As a matter of fact, I found myself withdrawing as much as possible from doing it.  So that being said, I realized that bookkeeping isn't for me.

So what do I do now? Well, I went from having five jobs and no time for me, to having two jobs and peace of mind.  But I am very restless.  I started throwing around ideas of getting into Real Estate (which I am still considering).  But now, I have been looking on Job Bank and am finding opportunities to get back into marketing - my love!  I recently applied for 3 marketing positions and am waiting to hear back.  If that doesn't work out for me, I think I may just consider a career in Real Estate.  The idea of selling houses isn't the best in my mind just yet, however, I am looking forward to being self employed and being able to manage my own little business that I get to market and advertise the way I see fit.  The reward will be in the work itself.

I am quite a personable individual and am trying to find my place in this world.  I think once this summer is over with, Ill finally have a better idea of where life is taking me.  I need some sort of stability and routine (as much as we all dread it).  I am realizing more and more that indecisiveness gets you nowhere.  It's time I take a stand and finally decide what Lisa Leduc is all about and where she is heading in life.

Stay tuned and Ill keep you posted on my chosen career path as I slowly dig my way through this fog in my head and find myself an answer. :)

Raisin River Canoe Race 2013

Fun was had by all this year for the 41st Annual Raisin River Canoe Race.  The water levels were up in our favour creating fun rapids to paddle through.  With water levels up it wasn't so hard on us to get to the finish line. The dam however was closed due to the water levels as it could be potentially dangerous if anyone capsized.  Regardless, everyone had fun including the spectators.  Let me begin by telling you the adventure I had while being in the race.

This year was my second year participating.  After last year being my first time, I was super eager to try again this year.  Everyone thought I was crazy especially since Mother Nature kept pounding us with snow.  Originally the race was scheduled to run April 7th, but as we all know we got a huge amount of snow/ice rain  as a one last "hurrah" before Spring decides to kick into high gear.  So, Sunday that just passed was our big day.

Last year +Robyn Poore and I were at the front of the line waiting to register and be boat #1 until some guy from behind us pushed his way through and left us with boat #2.  (This wasn't a huge deal it was more or less the principle of the matter, you don't push through lines! Come on people!) In any case, this year we were determined to be boat #1 and we were.  We did see that guy from the previous year, and me being me of course had to rub it in a little and shout "WOOO we are #1" haha.  I was excited to be the #1 boat because realistically it was going to be the only #1 we were going to get this year. I think he caught on as to why I was trying to rub it in :) Im not too worried about it though.

We were all waiting in the yard at St. Andrew's school waiting to launch our boats into the water and begin the long 35KM journey ahead of us.  Let me tell you something about nerves.  No matter how much you empty your bladder before a big race like that....it seems like once you reach the point of no return your bladder plays tricks on you and makes you believe that you have to find a washroom immediately.

We had a decent start to the race this year.  We were able to keep the boat straight and we followed the mantra "slow and steady wins the race". We didn't want to burn out too quickly as we had several ways to go still.  At one point though I managed to lose my paddle and I thought for sure that our race was done.  Luckily, the other participants are really nice and one guy through back my paddle to me.  Thank you anonymous racer for not being a total douche and helping a fellow racer out :) Its nice to see community coming together for a common goal....winning a race! haha  Right after losing my paddle though we came up to a large tree....on the most part the branches had been quite forgiving and bendable.  You would duck one way or another to get out of the way.  One tree didn't like me so much and as I tried to dodge and lift it out of my way, it decided not to move at all and throw me backwards onto my back in my boat leaving my feet dangling in the air.  Tree branch 1; Lisa 0.

We eventually came up to our first set of rapids and my heart started to pound.  I didn't realize that the entire time we navigated ourselves through it that I was holding my breathe.  It was my first time going through any rapids like that.  I felt like Christopher Columbus sailing the Ocean blue.  You could feel the boat lift straight up with each wave and crash back down.  Your whole stomach is doing somersaults, your heart is beating like crazy and your adrenaline is rushing through your whole body.  What a rush I tell you.  Robyn and I were both determined not to capsize.  Although most made it through the first set of rapids, some unfortuantely fell in.  Let me tell you something, when I lost my paddle earlier in the race, I was using my hands to paddle and within a minute I lost mobility in my fingers.  I can't imagine being completely submerged in that ice cold water.  Mother Nature decided she was going to play devils advocate by throwing everything at us.  We paddled through wind, snow, rain, sleet and hail.  What a ride I tell ya!

As we moved along the river, it was nice to see our families go bridge to bridge to cheer us on.  It was also a way for them to keep an eye on us incase we did capsize.  I found that because we were a female boat, the spectators would really cheer for us to keep on going.  Its a nice feeling. Makes you feel important and famous :)

As we pulled up to the dam we were slightly disappointed as we remembered we weren't allowed to shoot it.  It would have been a lot of fun but lets be safe rather than sorry.  Besides, I had to work the next day and really, I wasn't interested in getting soaked to the bone.  When we finally got out of the canoe, we had a brief moment of realization that we were half way done.  It was a relief to know that we were half way there. Portaging a canoe with jello arms and legs is very difficult.  My partner +Robyn Poore's mother met us at the dam and walked with us as we portaged.  Robyn felt like she was in a marathon because her mother handed her a coffee to sip on for warmth and rejuvenation.  It was fun to have the right away crossing the street as people cheered you on and shouted out words of encouragement to us.

As we set up our boat to launch back into the water, we were heading right into rapids.  We had to take a moment to catch our breathe before we jumped right back into it.  Its a little nerve wrecking when you have to jump right into it instead of having the time to prepare and set yourself up for it.  There was a chance that we would capsize if we weren't careful enough but we managed to persevere. GO TEAM!

As we rounded up the final KM's of the race we were eager to be finished.  We were absolutely exhausted because the rapids really demanded all of your attention, strength and focus to remain upright in your boats.  One of the biggest rapids of the race as well as the biggest I had ever rode through was right at the end.  It honestly looked like a big hole/whirlpool mixed with a wall of water/wave that we were heading right for.  In my head I knew we weren't going to make it.  Thankfully Robyn had the best idea to hang back for a moment to watch how the guys in front of us were going to maneuvre through the obstacle then make a hard left turn to get to shore to finally finish the race.  Im not sure how we found the strength to get through it but we paddle as hard as we could using every last ounce of strength and stamina we had left and made it to shore finishing the race.  I was super impressed with our team since last year we both fell in the water right at the finish line.  Once we brought our boat to shore and collected our finisher medals, we watched some of the other participants paddle their way to the finish line.  I saw how most capsized right at the end.  The poor souls.  What a heart break that would be.  It made me realize how lucky we were to have been able to get to  the finish line mostly dry.  When everything was all said and done, Robyn and I placed 77th overall out of 153 boats and placed 6th place for women's rec.

This was one of the best experiences of my life.  It really is quite rewarding when you get to the finish line.  You think back to the endurance it takes to make it to the end of that race.  You also get a really big sense of accomplishment. I highly recommend this race to all you outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers out there.  You wont be disappointed.  We will definitely be in it again next year and I hope to see you guys out there too.

Confessions of a Procrastinator

It has been at least a month since my last post.  To all my faithful readers, I apologize.  I had a lot going on and in the end I let my blog slip.  I can say however, that I have completed one of my five jobs.  Its quite liberating to feel this way.  My contract for the fashion log has ended. It is all said and done and I can say I am a little happy to have it over with.  I didn't mind working on it, but straight data entry kills my brain at times.  It feels like a small weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  I can now breathe a little easier, I don't feel as distracted nor am I constantly thinking to myself " I have to get this done".

My jobs now consist of my desk job at Parson Refrigeration where I answer phones and dispatch service calls (I don't know how people do it in call centres, the sound of a phone ringing now bothers me), I also enter the maintenance contracts and create some of the service invoices. I am a server at Summerhays Grill which I enjoy simply because I get paid to socialize.  How great is that! Serving is my money maker right now, I mean making up to $30/hr for bringing people food, refilling their drinks and chatting their ears off seems like a pretty good gig to me.  I'm still working on my own company with the bookkeeping services but I'm noticing that working at Parsons and Summerhays while doing this is cutting into my time in getting it up and running sooner rather than later.  What's stopping you might ask? I have a couple of big bills I have to pay off first.  So let's get the formalities out of the way and then I can really start to pave my way into success.  I am still working on the logistics of my business but I find I have the time to dream it up right now and organize myself and my thoughts on where I want to go with this.  I have many ideas, and limited time to make it happen. haha

Time management was one of my skill sets I realized I needed to pay attention to. Although I have put processes in place to ensure I get things done, there still isn't enough time in a day to accomplish everything I need to.  I'm realizing its a common problem for most entrepreneurs, mothers, families, etc.

All professional things aside, I enrolled in the Raisin River Canoe Race again this year. I entered into it last year with my best friend +Robyn Poore and we placed 4th in women's rec.  We missed out on 3rd place by 10 minutes!! Can you believe it!?! Our first time out and we almost make 3rd place. The water levels were low, the water flat, and this out of shape body of mine endured the whole 4 hours it took us to finish the race.  This year our goal is to make top 3 and hopefully not tip into the iceburg water.  With all this precipitation this year, I know we will be moving a lot faster.  If we fall in, we may as well call it a day since the water levels will be up and there will be no chance of us catching our canoe and climbing back in.  I just hope that we can manage to steer that boat and cross the finish line.  We start in St. Andrews and finish in Williamstown. You should come out and cheer us on from bridge to bridge.  I could use the support! and who knows, if I fall in, I give you permission to laugh - I will be!

Feng Shui

I find when you have a lot on your mind, cleaning helps to organize your thoughts.  This weekend, I decided it was time to clean up our downstairs den.  We never use it, its main traffic is the dogs coming in and out side to do their business. I found myself these past couple of weeks dreaming up what I want my home office to look like.  Of course, I can't afford the one that I see in my head, but I have some supplies to work with at home such as a desk, a filing cabinet and a nice den to work in.

We already have a TV and a couch down here, but this space is in some serious need of tender love and care.  I started off by moving everything away from where it was and sweeping in places I'm sure I haven't touched in a year.  I should have taken a picture of the pile of dirt I accumulated after everything was said and done, but I was embarrassed to see the lack of cleaning that hadn't been done.

Check it out:

In the end, I came out with a decent little spot.  I washed the couch cushions and febreezed it like crazy, then I dusted the TV off (there was about an inch of it on there) and set up the old Ikea desk I've had for a few years now. Its a cozy little spot and its mine.  Oh, did I mention I have my own bathroom down here too :) Im set!  Now I get to work in peace and watch my favourite girly shows in peace haha :)

There's something to be said about having your own office...in your house :) Makes me feel just a little more important. All I need to get now are some plants to give it some life and perhaps a picture or two to put on my walls.  It's pretty bare down here.

"Be Prepared"

I find myself these days reflecting back to my roots.  I've been in a couple of situations this week where I am in a conversation with a person and get a flash back of my childhood. For example, I attended Ottawa Fashion Week on Friday February 8th and was in conversation when I realized as I was talking about my business, that I didn't have any business cards with me.  - Now, I should know better.  When I was a kid, I was a girl guide. Their motto is "Be Prepared"! How could I have gone more wrong! haha It's amazing the amount of times I hear my own mother in the back of my head. :) It's saved my butt a few times.

Speaking of Ottawa Fashion Week, it was my first time seeing it ever and it was amazing.  I got front row seats to see bernice & barclay.  You can check it out yourself on their facebook page :) I got so many pictures of the event but unfortunately, I got into a fight with my alarm clock/phone one morning....and let's just say "Lisa 1, Phone 0". :( I am still going to try and retrieve them, but no promises. I can't wait to go shopping ;)

More than you can chew

As a business student, I was required to buy one of those agendas you can get at Staples and highlight the hours your were occupied in classes, the time spent working at your job, the tests and exams that were coming up.  Well you get the idea, basically highlight your every move of every day of every hour and every second.

I got the concept.  I think I have excellent time management skills.  At twenty eight years old, I've gotten myself this far.  I get myself up and out of bed each morning even though it begs me to stay.  I get myself to work on time for two of my scheduled jobs (the other three jobs are done in between the hours of those scheduled jobs). What I didn't expect was how unorganized I feel.  Like I have no concept of time management what so ever.

We all know procrastination.  I'll admit, this week I procrastinated a bit but still got a lot done.  I took the time to focus on the work that was getting the least amount of attention but needed the most amount of my time.  My plan from this point forward is to go back to the basics.  Get myself another agenda and block out my hours and plan a week at a time of what needs to be accomplished.  I will set goals in place in order to keep myself motivated to work more.  I think this is the beginning of a beautiful work-aholic relationship.

Let's see if I can keep myself on track this week.

A Good Start

When you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything!  :) I got the job at Parson's refrigeration.  Say "hello" to their new admin/bookkeeper!! 

Despite wanting to celebrate the whole week, I got a lot done.  Working at Summerhays doesn't feel like work at all.  I think its great that I can get paid to socialize.  Mind you it comes with a price!  If you are a server, you may experience the following side effects:

• Lower back pain
• Wrist pain
• Feet pain
• Knee pain
• Dry, Brittle hands
• Toned legs and butt :) (My favourite)

I guess the beer and wings after work doesn't exactly help matters too much.  

I was able to buckle down this week and get some data entry done.  We all know how tedious data entry can be, but I find this one slightly interesting.  First of all, This book was started in 1973.  I'm holding a piece of history that documents fashion pattern logs. The fashions are for professionals such as Military Officers, Fire Fighters, Instructors, Cadets etc. I just finished entering 1985 this week.  Let me tell you, it was a busy year for fashion that is for sure.  

I had a meeting on Thursday, I am happy to announce that I have gained a new bookkeeping client.  Business is starting to pick up :) Speaking of which, I need some help coming up with a business name.  I want something that sounds professional but will illustrate that I am a multi-service company offering bookkeeping services and social media marketing.  Let's hear your suggestions, who knows you might be the one to name my company.

The beginning

Hi there,

So this is my first time blogging, bear with me here! I am no guru by any means, nor did I ever think that this girl would be blogging.  I guess the best place to start this is to introduce myself.

Hi, my name is Lisa Leduc, and I have a problem.  I quit my full time job because I couldn't stand to listen to a boss who couldn't take the time to hear me out or listen to me.  I felt like I was a kid and no matter what suggestion I gave or idea I had, it was never good enough.  Who likes being yelled at every day?? Not this girl.  That is when I decided to say "screw you" full time employment, "hello" self-employment.  Now I know what you're probably thinking, why give up security and regular income? Why take unnecessary risks? What makes you think you have what it takes to be successful on your own? To be honest, I'm not sure I have an answer for you.  Why did I give up a secure job and regular income? (which was really nice by the way), that's easy to answer.  I know that I have a lot to offer a company who is willing to listen to me and give me a chance.  I have three diplomas; one in Small and Medium Enterprise Management, one in Business Marketing and finally one in Advertising and Marketing Communications.  Why did I graduate 3 times? because I love to learn!  Call me an educated bum :)  I am confident I have the skills I need to get myself going on my own, risky yes, but I always learned "big risk, big reward".  Cliche I know, but heck, its true.  For the first time in my life I feel that I'm finally on the right path to success.  When I will see that success....is yet to be seen, but remember! I'm just starting out :)

I was expecting to be unemployed as of February- March of this year (2013), but my boss decided that he was going to find my replacement immediately and my last day was December 2012.  Hmmm....not part of my plan but an excellent opportunity to switch things up a bit.

I took one day to myself to be sad, angry, pissed off at the world for lack of a better way to explain it.  Then decided, enough is enough.  I spoke to my old boss at Summerhays Bar & Grill and he was more than happy to take me back. I like to think of myself as a pretty decent server that provides excellent service.  On top of that, I provide bookkeeping services to small businesses.  Currently, I am doing EZ HVAC's books.  He is a good friend of mine that trusted me to keep him on track and organized.  I also am working for an Ottawa based realtor, Nick Cripps, as a marketing specialist.  The funny thing about all of this, is that when I was young I never wanted a job in finance or selling houses!! Who would have thought that my life would end up here.  To be honest, its much more enjoyable than I could ever imagine.  On top of financial and marketing, I am doing some data entry for a fashion log for a friend.  Tedious, I know! However, at the end of the day it pays the bills so who can really complain about that.  That being said, I am currently waiting to hear back about a job offer as an admin/bookkeeper.  Pretty much just the extra hand around the office to take care of the work that the rest cant get to.  But its a start don't you think?  I'll be happy when things settle down a bit more and I get back to some sort of routine.  The adjustment from full time to various part time work has been trying on me, but I have to remember that change is needed.  In order to move forward, sometimes you have to take a step backwards.

So until next time, thank you for your interest in my blog.  I will be back next week with an update.  Hopefully I'll be able to talk your ear off about new opportunities :)

Take Care!