PP 129: I Woke Myself Snoring on the Redeye

Earlier this week, I took a red eye home to Ohio from San Diego. This is the first time in my adult life that I’ve taken the red eye and I am embarrassed to say that I woke myself up snoring on the redeye.

You may be wondering, “Why is she sharing this with me?” and I’ll explain right now.

I do not snore on a regular basis, or at least I don’t think so. My husband Dave always tells me, “No, you didn’t snore.” But I don’t know if he’s just saying that to make me feel better.

However, I know that when I’m really exhausted, that sound  just comes out. And in this flight, I was mortified to have woken myself up by making it.

I woke myself snoring on the redeye.

I share this with you, because it’s one of those humiliating or embarrassing things that so many of us can relate to, but we’re often scared to share those realities of our lives with the people around us.

While I was at the New Media Summit this past weekend, I shared a story with the audience that I don’t know that I’ve even shared with you my listeners, before I’m going to share with you right now.

How the story went down, so that you have a better idea, was that when I was invited on stage, I was asked to share how investing in a coach and mentor had changed my business, and I decided to share some of what had been going on in my past with the audience.

The first words out of my mouth were, “Raise your hand if you, since you became an entrepreneur, have ever received a utility disconnect or an eviction notice.“

There were 200 people in the audience.

How many people do you — and yes, I’m talking to YOU on the other side of the speakers – think, raised their hand.

I am not low balling this when I say that there couldn’t have been more than a half dozen people that raised their hands and that shocked me.

I continued sharing my story. I shared that just 10 months ago — and I know I’ve shared this story on the podcast in the past, but I’ve never shared how recent it was — just 10 months ago, our water was shut off. This was because even though I had been working my butt off for years in my business, I was still chasing too many things, and I was getting overwhelmed on everything around me.

I was chasing multiple goals, and in the end, not enough money was being made to cover all of our expenses.

So on this morning, the utility company came around and shut off our water. Coincidentally, and this doesn’t happen all that much in Ohio, that very day it snowed. So my husband told my older boys, “You can go pee in the backyard in the snow standing up. Bring in snow for mom so she can go pee in the toilet.”

I know that’s gross, but I’m just giving you a glimpse of what the reality was for us.

For me, it was mortifying, knowing that in order to use my toilet, I needed to put snow in there. And I knew that although I had already been making so many changes in my life and in my business, I needed to take it to the next level.

Before going any further, I just want to let you know this episode is not trying to pitch you on any of my programs. But I just want to give you an idea that you are not alone with whatever struggles you’re going through. You may have utility disconnect and eviction notices. You may have pain in the butt clients that drive you up the wall. You may have issues with your significant other or your ex significant others. You may be juggling 15 children — that’s sometimes how it feels to me — and you’re just trying to make sure that no more screws fall out of your head.

I know. I’ve been there.

But we’re not going to be able to overcome these struggles if, number one, if we can’t be real about the struggles that we’re dealing with. And number two, if we get so down about those struggles that we can’t move forward.

I had days in my past where I was so overcome with the anxiety caused by everything that was going on around me that I hid back in bed. I seriously felt on those days like as soon as my feet touched the ground, that vines of anxiety climbed my body and were literally choking me. And that is not a place that I want to live.

However, as soon as I shared with what I was going through with other people, whether it be my friends, or my coaches or even my husband, who I hid these feelings from for the longest time, as soon as I shared these feelings with my support network, my life began to drastically improve.

No part of our journey in life is meant to be walked or endured alone. Every part of our journey is something that we should enjoy in some way, even when it’s the hardest thing imaginable.

Looking back on the experience with the water right now, we laugh. Is it something that we ever want to have to endure again? Absolutely not.

I like to take a shower. And just so you know, our water was turned on within 24 hours. By setting our focus on what we needed to do to get it back on, we were able to do so. But in total transparency, our water was shut off over a matter of $40. It’s not even like we owed $1,000. But we did not have even that extra $40 to put towards our bills.

Snoring on the Redeye

We all may feel ashamed sometimes to share our struggles, because we may feel like they’re tiny little things or don’t deserve the attention that we really should give them. But if you’re struggling right now, and you’re feeling that anxiety, and if you’re trying to figure out how to take it to the next level, don’t be afraid about opening up to somebody.

Again, I’m not trying to pitch you on anything right now. Someday I would love to see you in one of my programs. But if you are searching for somebody that you can reach out to and get those positive words of encouragement, then please visit my website at thekimsutton.com and just let me know that first you heard this message. Number two, let me know what you’re going through.

I can’t promise you that the words that I return to you are going to help you take your life to the next level. But I can promise you that you will be heard, and I will respond.

This podcast is not all about me. This is about trying to help my community and you as a listener are part of it.

Again, you can go to thekimsutton.com click on the Contact tab and send me a message.

Now with that said, go forth and have a positive and productive day.

Snoring on the Redeye