A Friday Story and Final Prize Reveal

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Today I will be revealing the final prize in the Back to School Giveaway!  I promise I will reveal it soon, but first, I want to tell you about Cents of Style’s line of Tribe necklaces.  If you follow me on social media, you may have seen this picture:

The necklace you see in the picture was given to me by Cents of Style along with the one below in exchange I just had to share why I chose these necklaces.

My Friday Story

A little over 3 years ago, my life received a jolt.  I was working 50 to 60 hours a week plus taking care of my household.  The days were flying by and things hadn’t been so great at my full time job. For a long time I had felt the pull to move on, but I had convinced myself I needed this job.  I had to help support my family and not having a full time job was just unacceptable to me.

One day, during my regular bathroom break, I noticed a lump at the base of my neck.  I’d had swollen glands before, but never in that location.  Since I hadn’t been feeling the greatest anyway, I made an appointment with my ENT doctor.  That’s what started my journey with thyroid cancer.

This was my first jolt, which was around February 2013.

Let’s jump to September 2013.

I was dealing with the after effects of losing my thyroid and waiting to see what kind of treatment I had to have.  The day I found out what I would need to do next, my boss called and said the plant was closing for the week.

Then it closed permanently.

I had been working there for 13 years.

I felt like my whole life was being yanked out from under me.  Not only did I lose a vital part of my body but I had lost a job I’d dedicated 13 years of my life to.  My husband said “Stay home and recover, I’ll work, don’t worry”.  As sweet as this was, this was a foreign concept to me.

I was at a crossroads of sorts.  What to do next?  I didn’t want to continue with my previous career because it had left me so burnt out.  Plus, not having a thyroid really slowed me down.  I was starting over, but I didn’t know where to start.  I’d always had a passion for creating and dreamed about having a business one day.

At the beginning of this year I finally broke through the wall that was holding me back.  It was made up of “what ifs” and second guessing myself.  I started creating more and worrying less.  Then I took the plunge and started a blog.  I’ve had to learn new things and figure out how to work around obstacles, like my computer dying this summer.  It’s the first step towards realizing my dreams.  I find myself saying “actually, I can…”  quite frequently while working on blog posts and projects.  When I saw this necklace, I knew it was perfect for me!  A little reminder when I’m having a rough day that “actually, I can”.  I can move forward, conquer my self doubt, and start each day with a smile.

Life without a thyroid is certainly not something I would choose.  Having to depend on a daily medicine to keep me alive is a little scary.  I have to pace myself and maybe take a nap (or two!)  When things get tough, I take a deep breath and say “you got this”.  Which is why I chose the 2nd necklace.

I also thought there are so many women I know that need to hear this.  Daily life can become stressful and tedious.  You may feel like you’re running on fumes and have no more left to give.  I could wear this and share it with people that way, or I could pass it on to help spread the message.  That’s why I decided to give it away.

{{This giveaway is over}}

You heard me, right?  This necklace is the 3rd part of the Back to School Giveaway!!  One lucky person will win the Super Mom Bag, matching travel pouch, and the “You got this” necklace from Cents of Style’s Tribe Necklace line!

I’ll be counting votes on the Super Mom Bag design choices until the end of Saturday, so make your choice known before
then.
Today you can get another entry by telling me what your favorite necklace is from Cents of Style’s Tribe Necklace line.  They have so many different styles and phrases to choose from!  I’d also like to know why you picked it!  If you find one you really love, you can use the code TRIBE4 and get it for just $11.99 + FREE shipping!  These would make great gifts for women in your life that need a little reminder of how awesome they are.  I hope y’all enjoyed my story and I cant’ wait to hear some of yours!  Until then remember: