Archived Issues

Follow Your Dreams While You Follow the Military!™
Join us to learn how to Increase Your Energy,
Decrease Your Stress, and Go for Your Dreams!
An "as we can get to it" newsletter/ezine with
ideas, resources, stories and inspiration so you
can Follow Your Dreams While You Follow the Military™ written by military spouses for military spouses!

Volume 13, 2003

In This Issue:
Jump Up & Down...what did we tell you?
Statistics that could change your life
One valuable tool for dealing with anger & depression
Call for very specific stories for our book


Jump Up & Down….what did we tell you?
For those of you who have been in our sessions, you know we share an idea from an early workshop participant. That idea is that for a bit of energy and joy when you need it most, just jump up and down. We always invite our participants to try that out during the workshop.
We recently received an email from a participant in one of our workshops in Germany this past May. We thought you might be interested in what she says.

When you were here doing a workshop in Vilseck Germany you told us the story about the man who suggested to "jump up and down" as a way to increase energy and feel better. I never took it too seriously. How could I jump up and down in the middle of a store? But the other day in my kickboxing class the instructor wanted us to do something new. She wanted us to do full jumps, arms up in the air and all the way back down to the ground. She suggested we try for two minutes. I don't think we even got thirty seconds before the whole class was incapacitated because we were laughing so hard. That was the most fun class we had ever had. Just because we "jumped up and down" I think I might be doing it a little more often — at home anyway. Thanks, Jennifer

Statistics that could change your life
Did you know that:
… You’ll spend 6 months of your life waiting at stop lights? (Why not do what we do and take that time to do deep breathing and simple stretches like shoulder shrugs?)
… You’ll spend 1 year of your life just watching commercials on TV (That’s if you fit into the American average…so why not do simple exercises during each commercial. You’ve been saying you have no time to exercise — we’ve just given you an extra year!)
… You’ll spend 5 years waiting in lines. (Why not do what Kathie does…go up and down on your toes, balance first on one foot and then the other…hey, you’ll thank us when you retain your balance as you age, AND you are working your gluts and calves.)
… You’ll spend 4 years doing housework (So make it ACTIVE. Put on lively music. Stretch actively as you unload the dishwasher and washing machine. Dance as you dust. Sing out loud. You’ll have more fun, get a little exercise, and it won’t seem like such a boring chore. And by the way, stop thinking of it as housework or chores. Consider it as homecare and you’ll approach it with a different attitude.)

One valuable tool to deal with anger and depression
Let’s face it. Who wouldn’t be dealing with some anger and frustration during these long deployments, especially when the return date keeps changing. And there are lots of times in our lives outside of deployment that many of us deal with anger and a low level of depression.

Unaccompanied tours, recruitment duty, remote assignments can do that to us. Moves can do it to us. Overload can too. So can "under-load."
One great tool is a journal. Write out your thoughts. Vent. Reflect. Often, the writing process itself will turn up solutions. If you don’t want anyone to read these entries, you can always write them on loose paper just to vent and then burn them. That’s one way to get your problems and worries down and to then let them go, especially when they are things you can’t do anything about.
Studies show the value of doing this. Kathie is a confirmed journaler who can’t even imagine how she’d ever figure out her life without journaling.

For ideas and inspiration, read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (and don’t worry, it’s not just for artists). But you don’t have to read anything. Just get a journal and start recording your thoughts. Kathie prefers getting journals that appeal to her in looks and feel. They have to bend back on themselves so she can write anywhere. But you can use a simple school spiral notebook just as well.

Don’t let this stuff fester inside. It can cause a sudden unexpected explosion — and it can lead to a stress-related autoimmune or other disease. Get your feelings out in a safe, constructive way.

By the way, if you are clinically depressed, you need more than journaling. There are confidential resources available to you. Check our resource page on our website for more details at: http://www.jumpintolife.net/mil_resources.html We are revamping and expanding the Resource page, so go ahead and check it out now and return later and see additional resources we find to help deal with the challenges of military life.

Contact Us:
Kathie Hightower & Holly Scherer
Follow Your Dreams While You Follow the
Military Seminars
kathie@jumpintolife.net
2908 N. Warner Street, Tacoma, Wa 98407;
Tollfree: 866-569-5695;253-761-8161;
fax253-759-4009

Or contact Holly directly in Memphis at
901-756-7391 or email her at
schererjh@earthlink.net

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Specific stories we need for our book:
Share your story: As part of our research for the Married to Military: Take Command of Your Life! How to Follow Your Dreams While You Follow the Military™ book, we are collecting stories of military spouses who have done just that - created a life, a program, a business, a career that allows them to pursue their passion as they live this military life. We’ll share some of these stories in future issues. Email us at kathie@jumpintolife.net (and you’ll get a free Joyful Living booklet in thanks for writing.)

Some specific stories we are looking for right now are based on the chapters we are writing currently. We’d love to hear your stories or to have you pass these on to friends who have stories to share.
Passions you've discovered because of a move with the military. Example: Kathie would likely have never tried kayaking if they hadn't gotten assigned to Ft. Lewis 13 years ago. Now kayaking is a central part of her and her husband's lives and will be as long as they are able to get in the kayaks!
--Life highlights that came because of a military move to a different country or different state — or just because of something that happened during your military life. Example: Linda is an Army wife and harpist. Because they lived in Germany when the International Harp Congress took place in Prague, she was able to afford a train trip there and ended up connecting with top international harpists.
Creative things military spouses have done to make even not-so-great living quarters more livable. These can be things you did or friends/neighbors did. Example: One stairwell in Germany where everyone joined together to make the stairwell itself inviting, with plants and paint and crafts all up and own the stairwell--not to mention around the front doorway and garden area to the side of the door stoop.
A PCS move that seemed particularly horrible at first and turned into one of the best for some reason. Example: Janette a Marine wife moved to a remote location that she immediately hated--no shopping, no culture, no jobs for her. She ended up volunteering in her sons’ school and was then paid to create an art-in-the-school program they'd never had. Now she's looking to pursue that field of work, something that would never have occurred to her in the past.
Seeing a problem and finding a solution/creating a solution. Example: Holly got to Germany and found herself immediately unable to be independent. She didn't know the language or customs and her husband was gone all the time. She partnered with another woman to create an orientation program for all military spouses new to the community, to teach them the skills they (and she) needed to survive and thrive in Germany.
Children's life highlights because of military life. Example: Greg, an AF civil service brat, got to go on an educational cruise to Egypt, Morocco and other places during high school because they lived in Germany
Energy enhancing and stress reduction tips you have learned to help you deal with this challenging and demanding lifestyle. Example: Brenda, a Navy spouse, listens to books on tape while unpacking moving boxes, sometimes she puts on loud dance music and dances her way around the house while unpacking.

Thanks in advance. And remember, email us a story and we’ll send you a free Joyful Living booklet with 75 ways to add more joy to your life. Just be sure to include your snailmail address when you email us at kathie@jumpintolife.net.

Fun Products
While we work on our Follow Your Dreams While
You Follow the Military‘ book, we have some other
products that can help you create and live your
dream! To order any of these call Kathie tollfree at
866-569-5695 or email or fax in an order— see
contact info at the bottom. And, yes, I can take Visa
or MC (does that make us professional or what?)

The easiest way to order is to go to the product part
of the website, www.jumpintolife.net, and download
an order form to fax or mail or call in.

Creative Living Audiotape Set: (2 tapes,12 minutes)
- on the joyful living concept & goal achieving
tools, tips & resources) $12

Your Enchanted Life: A Journal of Discovery &
Delight (a playbook full of exercises & action
steps) $18

Simple Joys: Little Things That Make a BIG
Difference (a pocket-size book with one idea per
page) $6
*similar ideas in a booklet that can mail in a #10
envelope are in the Joyful Living Booklet $3

Magic Rainbow Glasses
(see the good in Everything) $6

As Is (pewter pins)
Show the world you are already quite wonderful just
the way you are – faults and all! $25

A Follow Your Dreams While You Follow the
Military Workshop at your post/base?
We do four-hour workshops for military spouses.
(These have been called different things in the past
— Joyful Living, Creative Living, Jump Into Life —
we’ve finally settled on what it’s really About —
Follow Your Dream While You Follow the Military.)
We’d love to do all day sessions or 2-3 day retreats
someday too. We have LOTS of information to
share.

Here’s what other military spouses are saying:
"Wunderbar! I have gained worthwhile & valuable
information on how to turn my dreams into reality.
I wish I had a seminar like this to attend 15 years
ago." –Gwendolyn A. Williams

"This was the best thing that happened to me
in Germany!"—Alicka Ampry-Samuel
If you know someone who hires trainers for your
base (often the Family Advocacy Office or ACS),
send us a name and address and we will mail a full
information packet. We’d love to come to your
location.

Feel free to forward this ezine to other military
spouses. We are also happy to have you use any of
the articles in your newsletters providing you ask us
first and then provide us with a copy for our records
and celebration!


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