So this year (and by year, I mean 2016, LOL) has brought a lot of changes in my life. A lot of amazing changes, but it's been a whole lot of changes. And none so more than in this past week! 

Yup - the big one is that I quit my government job. It's crazy and it's taking a huge leap of faith, but it's definitely been one of the most freeing decisions I've ever made!! I knew that focusing on being my own boss, owning my own business, being an entrepreneur, is *exactly* what I needed to do!

So my first week of being my own boss started out really well. I had a busy schedule, but one that I planned and *wanted* to do! And on that first Monday, I got an email that stopped me in my tracks. I won't go into a lot of details, because it's not 100% necessary, but let's just say that it's one that had me contacting attorneys and working on changing my business name.

So I spent the first several days of my first week trying to think of a new business name. It took me a long while to think of Wellness Wisdom with Whitney, so trying to think of yet another name was proving to be difficult.

I'll be honest, it was stressing me out. I was beyond frustrated that I was kicking off my first week of entrepreneurship with having to change my business name! 

Until I realized this was exactly what I needed. I needed the fresh start. Something to kick off my new business ventures! I had closed myself off to any changes....and it was wreaking havoc on my stress levels!!!

It's sad to admit how long it took to think of my new business name. I won't even tell you how many different things I threw out there, working with my friends and family and business partners. I was googling the heck out of everything, and they were ALL taken!!

It was getting more and more frustrating as the days went by. So here comes Friday...I'm at home washing dishes and it hits me. Literally. My Instagram name, thanks to my beautiful best friend, is 3dub_wellness. Duh. Why shouldn't my new business name be 3DubWellness?! 

I started this process on Tuesday morning and it took me until Friday to figure it out!! I was lovingly asked, "Why didn't we think of this sooner?!" It makes me laugh thinking about it now!

Once I embraced that this change was a good thing, it all started coming together. And once I walked away from trying to force a new name, it came to me so easily!

I'm even more excited for these upcoming changes! New business name, new business logo, new marketing techniques, a whole new me, a whole new business! 

Here's to the success of 3DubWellness and a beautiful 2016!!

Oh, and how could I possibly forget this other HUGE change?! I am now the Strength Instructor/Coach at DeSel Fit here in Virginia Beach!! You *HAVE* to come check them out!! It really is a place where the workout is the party!!

Try out one of their classes, or come join me for some strength training Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m.!! 

I am beyond excited to add this to my schedule, as it's such an awesome experience!! It's a great environment, great coaches and instructors, and an amazing place to workout!!

Here's to my health coaching business, sharing essential oils with everyone (because they really are THAT amazing!), working at DeSel Fit, and yep, even sharing Thirty-one with people! I started using Thirty-one bags to tote around my oils and other supplies to my oils classes and events. And now I am IN LOVE!!

Just another change I've added to my repertoire! Check out my essential oils website to learn more about them, check out DeSel Fit to see what they're all about (I promise, you won't be disappointed), and don't forget about Thirty-one!! From bags to organization for your home to beautiful pillows and jewelry, Thirty-one has it all!! 

I hope you have a fabulous week! Yes, it's Monday, but make today the best Monday possible!! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney

Whitney Cumpson
Certified Health Coach and doTERRA Essential Oils Wellness Advocate
3DubWellness
703-622-3564
3DubWellness@gmail.com
www.3DubWellness.com
www.mydoterra.com/whitneycumpson
www.mythirtyone.com/1812623

So it's my first week being technically "unemployed." I was told that I would miss going to work...that I would miss going to the office. Let me just tell you...ummmm, NO!! Not even in the slightest. 

I definitely haven't been sitting around doing nothing, let me just tell you. And I know that starting my own business, being an entrepreneur, is going to be work. But I am so excited to be doing it on my own, and to know that I am working for myself!!! I even had wine with lunch yesterday!!! Yes, I definitely got a kick out of that :)

I was also told that I was super stressed for leaving my job and "having" to make doTERRA and my health coaching work for me financially. The funny thing is that once I made the decision to leave the government, my stress level dramatically decreased.

Yes, it was stressful to make the decision to leave the government. It was stressful trying to figure out if I was leaving and when, and whether I was going to take leave without pay or just quit altogether. And it was stressful sitting down and telling my boss. But once I made the decision, once I chose a date, and once I talked to my boss, my stress level dropped much, much lower!!

The last three weeks at my "day" job were the busiest I've been in awhile, mainly because I had to do a lot of turnover, meetings, and cleaning out my office and case files, etc. However, it was also the most successful I've been with my oils business since I've started!!!

​It's crazy how that works!

I put the intention out there...I told the universe what I wanted, and It. Is. Happening. Just as the picture says, energy flows where attention goes!! Yup. True.

I've had so much fun doing my own thing, and it's really been a blessing how everything has fallen into place, exactly where I want to be. I know that it won't always be peaches and cream, but I also know that waking up and doing exactly what I want to be doing has been amazing!

I love my life and the direction is has taken!

I also recently started reading this book called Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, and two chapters in and it's already changed my life. Seriously. Get it. Read it. Live it.

​Let's just leave this right here:

"Once an Australian nurse named Bronnie Ware, who cared for people in the last twelve weeks of their lives, recorded their most often discussed regrets. At the top of the list: 'I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.'"

The hardest part about leaving the government was wondering what other people would think about it. Let me be clear, I didn't care what others thought, but staying with the government til retirement was what was expected of me. Right? You go to college, graduate, get a job, work your butt off for someone else, stay until retirement, then hope you have enough saved to actually retire and also hope to get Social Security payments.

But I didn't want to do that anymore. Nope. Not for me. So here I am, having the courage to live a life true to myself! I am doing what *I* want, not what is expected of me. Yes, it takes courage, and yes, it is scary. But I. Am. Loving. It.

​Boom.

I also got some amazing news last night...I won't share it just yet (keep an eye out for next week's post), but let's just say it's exactly what I want!! Once again, I put out the intention and these amazing opportunities keep coming my way!!

Oh - and one last thing. I know this weekend is Easter, but we are hosting an Easter Egg and Oils Hunt party on Saturday afternoon, starting at 4 p.m. Come on out and spend Easter with us! Let me know if you can make it and I'll send you the address :) So much fun!!

I hope you all have an amazing day! It's been such a great week so far, and I am so looking forward to what this next chapter has to hold for me! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney

Does this look familiar? ^^

The other night, we went out to dinner after a longer than expected day and spending longer than expected at the gym. I always used to comment on the couples that spent their dinners on their phones. Until I realized we were that couple that night (**note that we don't allow phones/electronics at the table at home, but we don't extend that to restaurants...not sure why, but it may be a new rule to implement).

I said to Scott, "You know...we should be talking to one another instead of on our phones." What a concept, huh?!

But let's face it... Life is busy. You're going one way while your spouse/significant other is going the other.

Sometimes it's like you're two ships passing in the night.

There are kids' events (sporting and otherwise), business meetings, unexpected late days at work, dog issues (ha), and any number of other things that pop up in a day/week/month.

It becomes easy to take one another for granted...to stop appreciating each other. And it becomes easy to grow apart or to find that other person to talk to (you know...the one that understands what you're going through).

But that, I promise you, is *not* the answer!!

For me, it is hard to recognize that everything else can wait (within reason). I tend to be insanely focused on what I'm doing and don't put it down, even to have a meaningful conversation with Scott...to be 100% present.

Scott and I actually just recently made a promise to one another that we take one a night a week for us...for date night. Now it doesn't have to be as romantic and elaborate as above, but it's a night away from work, Netflix, the house, responsibilities, etc. It's a night for us...to reconnect...or really, to stay connected.

We text all day long, but there's nothing like an amazing face-to-face conversation with the person you love. It's personal and you can hear and feel the emotions/feelings behind it. We definitely take texting for granted (all of us, not just Scott and I). It's become so easy to just text one another instead of actually talking.

It's actually pretty sad. 

We let life get in the way. We rely on texting instead of actually talking. Things get misconstrued or misunderstood. We put other things first (even inanimate things like the computer or iPad). 

Make the resolution to change that. Today. Start now.

Put down your smart phone or iPad or computer...whatever you're reading this on, and go have a meaningful conversation with your significant other, your mother or father, your children, your best friend. Make that personal connection...re-establish it if it's been far too long...stay connected!!!

I know it's not easy...and sometimes talking about our feelings or what's going on is scary. But it is so fulfilling. Having those conversations will help your relationships grow deeper and you'll be closer than ever.

Yes, life gets in the way. But don't let it. I promise, on your death bed, you won't be wishing for more time on your computer or iPad or X-Box or whatever. You're going to want your loved ones there, holding your hands, telling you they love you. 

Spend that quality time with them now!! You won't regret it!!

With love and wellness,
​Whitney

​Are you a yes-man (or woman)? Do you have a hard time saying no when you are asked something or invited somewhere?
 
I used to be a yes-woman. I felt like I *had* to say yes…like I was letting that person down if I said no. In fact, I still struggle with it sometimes.

And you see that to do list?! ^^ Yeah - that was me...I was over-taxed and stressed and unhappy!!
 
But let me tell you how freeing it was when I realized the only person I was letting down was myself! And NOT when I said no!!!
 
I used to over-book myself…over-extend myself past the point of exhaustion. I would look at my calendar and become overwhelmed just looking at all the things I had scheduled. And I would start to resent the things I had going on…they would no longer be fun. The things I used to love would become chores…painful and boring.
 
How does that sound any fun?!
 
It. Was. Not. Fun. At. All.
 
This came up for me this week when a friend asked me to dinner. My original response was a resounding YES! I haven’t seen this friend in MONTHS!!
 
However…after a longer than originally planned Monday and a very packed Tuesday (think getting home late both days), I was looking ahead in my schedule and realized I needed to be home Wednesday night in preparation for a full schedule on Thursday and Friday (whew…that’s a lot even just writing that!!).
 
And I knew that while I would have fun seeing my friend, I wouldn’t be 100% focused on catching up with her and be in the moment…and that wouldn’t be fair to her! So I asked her for a rain check…and she was perfectly fine rescheduling to next week (when my schedule is far less busy!!). And by doing this, I will be fully in the moment, fully engaged with her, and in the process, be a better friend to her and a happier me! :)
 
Before I learned this very valuable lesson, I would have crammed it all in…I would have been stressed and grumpy and tired (because I would have to stay up later to get everything done). And in the end, the only person that hurt was ME!!

​​I understand that it is hard to say no…I hate feeling like I am letting people down.
 
But let’s be realistic here. *Everybody* is busy…and saying no doesn’t mean you are letting anyone down. It means you respect and value your time enough to know your limits!
 
Now, there’s a difference between saying no and being rude (that’s just no bueno), and saying no respectfully.
 
Like with my friend, I originally said yes (thus over-extending myself), but had to go back and dig myself out of the hole. But I did it in a way that let her know she was totally worth my time, and that I wanted to be able to give her my full attention when we did end up getting together.
 
In the end, we both win. And I am so excited to see her!!!
 
Learning to say “no” is vitally important to your sanity and health. Often when I say “yes” to too many things, it is at the expense of my down time and/or time with my family.
 
Here’s another important point about saying no… “No.” is, in fact, a full sentence. You don’t have to explain yourself. You don’t have to justify it. If it doesn’t fit in your schedule, say no.
 
I want to say yes to everything…I wish I could be everything to everyone and be everywhere all the time, at the same time. But there’s only one of me. And I can only do so much. I don’t like admitting it, but it took me far longer than it should have to learn that I can’t be everything to everyone or be everywhere all the time.
 
This 100% bears repeating: There is only *one* of me. Just as there is only *one* of you.
 
So you have to take care of *YOU* first! If you are overbooked and over-extended and unhappy and drained, how can you possibly be anything to anyone?! You HAVE TO put yourself first and learn that saying “no” is absolutely, 100% okay!!
 
No ifs, ands, or buts about it!!
 
This will be so freeing and powerful for you and in your life. Try it out. Start small if you are nervous or feel bad about it.
 
“No, thank you,” is okay!
 
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not interested,” is okay!
 
“I can’t then, but I am available X day,” is okay!
 
Even if you have NOTHING scheduled during the time you are asked, it is still okay to say NO!!! It is okay to put yourself and your schedule first!
 
I hope you’ve had a beautiful day, and are enjoying the beautiful weather we’re having in VA Beach!
 
I’d love to hear about your experiences with saying no. Comment below your thoughts! :)
 
With love and wellness,
Whitney

It's taken me a long time to learn this incredibly hard lesson. And yes, I say hard. 

For many people, we do what is expected of us...each and every day. We get up, go to work, put on a happy face, come home, eat dinner, go to bed. Then we get up and do it all over again the next day.

Do you know how incredibly draining this is? Especially when you're unhappy and what you're doing is based on what you think you should be doing.

Take a look at the below picture. Yep - that's about how I feel... Every. Single. Day.

So I decided to make a change. A huge change.

I am quitting my day job. Yep - you read that right. I gave my notice with the government today and as of March 20th, I will no longer be a civil servant.

It's been a huge decision to make....and it's not one I've made lightly.

But it's one that has needed to be made for many years. I have been unhappy for awhile. And I kind of just went along with it. Day after day. I got up, went to work, put on a happy face, came home, ate dinner, then did it all over again the next day. 

I am exhausted. And drained of my energy. And completely unhappy.

When I started health coaching and working with my essential oils, I found my passion...and in the process, I found my true, authentic self. I found who I truly am meant to be. 

It was a struggle at first because I was going against the grain...I was changing up what was "supposed" to happen. I thought I was crazy for wanting to leave the government...and so did everyone else.

But this decision, it has been life-changing. I have a sense of freedom and happiness that I haven't felt in a long time! I know that what I'm doing is right for me, for my family, for my sanity!!

I'm looking forward to a new adventure. To my new outlook on life and what I'm supposed to be doing! My passion is nutrition, health, fitness, and sharing that with the world! 

And you know what? It may be against the grain and not what I'm "supposed" to be doing, but it is absolutely perfect for me and what I'm meant to do in this world.

And whatever it is that you're meant to do, find it and do it with unapologetic joy and happiness! Because you are meant to do what is perfect for you! And remember this! You are perfect no matter what it is you do!

Be the "authentic" you in a world full of people just going through the motions, day after day.

With love and wellness,
​Whitney