Tye and Ann Rustrum Blog

Dominated by Mt St Helens

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 23:52:55 GMT

DOMINATED BY MT ST HELENS

BY: TYE RUSTRUM

Ding…Ding…Ding!!! The green numbers of the alarm on my phone glared 2:25AM at my squinted eyes. As early as it was, I was relieved it had finally gone off. It had been a tossing and turning type of night – the kind where I didn’t actually know if I had ever fallen asleep because I was so excited, anxious, and scared all at the same time. As I wiped the sleep from my eyes, the clarity of what stood before me today caused me to jump out of bed. The view from the summit of Mt. St. Helens was in my future today. The volcanic mountain that had erupted the year I was born would be both my nemesis and my friend all in the same day. All of our gear was laid out the night before. I grabbed my backpack, a cup of coffee, a couple of pieces of toast with my favorite jam, a couple of bananas and Ann and I were off. The nerves started to sink in as we played uplifting and positive music during the 2-hour drive to Mt. St. Helens National Park near Cougar, WA. This was my “just in case I die” music list that I play when I think my plane is going to crash because who knew what could happen – we were climbing a mountain! This hike is 9.7 miles with a 5,577 elevation gain (yes – I Googled it) and even though it’s considered a beginner’s mountain, I had never done anything close to this before.

We lost cell phone reception about 30 minutes out and I realized things were about to get real. It was us, the snow, the mountain, the freezing temperatures and nature itself. We crept through the windy roads, which were surprisingly very well plowed, until we reached the parking lot at 5AM. The lot was nearly empty as it was a Tuesday in February and most attempt the climb when it’s not the dead of winter. Four other cars were in the parking lot. They had probably decided to sleep over night in the parking lot versus getting up early in the morning to drive – not a bad idea. By 5:20AM we were headed to the trail with all of our gear on. I put my headlamp on, upside down at first, and took 10 minutes to strap on my snowshoes. No joke, Ann and I had never used a headlamp or snowshoes before. I don’t even know if I had the snowshoes on the correct feet!

Within the first 10 steps, I realized 2 things: (1) My back pack was way, way too heavy and (2) these snow shoes felt like lead weight in quick sand. Obviously, it would have been worse if I was just wearing hiking boots as the snow was several feet deep, but this was unexpected. I can easily run 10 miles with no notice, but half a mile into this hike, I was exhausted. As a visual, we were a team of 3, our friend Richard, my gorgeous wife, and myself. I was the rear caboose because as beautiful as nature is, nothing beats my wife’s cute butt!  She is going to hate me for saying this. Lol.

Another problem soon sauntered in like a swarm of wasps in solitary confinement. My right quad muscle started screaming at me with every step. I had pulled the muscle about a week ago while playing soccer with the kids, but inaccurately thought it was all healed up. To make matters worse, I started sweating like a pig. I mean, I felt like I was carrying a dead person on my back (and started imagining that would be Richard carrying me in a few hours). It was a couple of miles into the hike, and I was totally drained. I was lagging behind and Richard came back to check on me. He looked like a gazelle on an easy run through the African countryside. He realized I was not doing the greatest and was falling behind. He watched several of my huge steps in my snowshoes and said, “You’re doing it all wrong man. You have to almost shuffle your feet across the snow so you can conserve your energy. This is a great warm up for the real climb!” Multiple thoughts raced through my mind, including a barrage of not so nice words.

By the time the sun started to come up, we were almost to Chocolate Falls and about 3 miles into the hike. I was drained, mentally and physically. I paused and my head started to spin. I sat down in the snow and Richard asked me what I had consumed so far. Apparently downing only two huge bottles of water had thrown my electrolytes way off. He gave me 2 salt tablets and some miracle drink that ultra marathon runners use. After about 15 minutes, I had my composure back, but the combination of sweaty, soaked through clothes and sub-freezing temperatures had my body quickly cooling. I slowly realized, “I’m done.”

I didn’t want to let Richard and Ann down. I could see them up ahead of me and shockingly I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was Ann… I could see her wave but she was too far away to be heard. I knew this was going to be her attempt at a pep talk. She tried to encourage me to keep going, but I knew my body too well from playing competitive sports and running marathons. I was officially done, defeated. There was no way I could complete this hike to the summit. The problem with being “done” on a mountain is that I still had to hike the 3 miles back to the car!

I’m sharing what most would consider failure, because it’s only failure if you don’t learn from it. “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn,” as leadership author John Maxwell puts it. There are countless things in life that try to bring you down. This is especially true when you attempt something new for the first time like starting a new job, starting a new business, or trying a new sport or hobby. I learned that I was way under prepared. I overestimated my other fitness since I can easily run 5 to 6 miles a day and crank out a half marathon if I want to. This was different, you use different muscles, different movements with the hike poles, different elements that I hadn’t experience before.

I also learned:

My 40-pound backpack was way too heavy
I shouldn’t have had so many layers of clothes on in the beginning.
I should have done several other hikes to build up my muscles for this type of fitness.
Practicing ahead of time in snowshoes would have been smart.
Body temperature and pace are incredibly important.

The overall experience was crazy but amazing at the same time. I have chosen to use it as a learning experience and go back to the drawing board. I’m now excited to train for something new in my life and mix it up.

The moral of this story is don’t quit when things get tough. Failure is part of the process of success, not in the way of success. Be excited about the times you fail. The more failures you have, the more chances you have to learn and improve. We live in a culture where if you fail you think you won’t be successful. It’s like the student who has gotten D’s and F’s and has been told they are a failure. In reality they just have an opportunity to grow and learn. What determines your success is your drive, your will to want to win, your motivation, your hunger to want to grow, your integrity, your morals and your values. You have to have the spirit to never quit and keep pushing forward, even when things get tough. It’s just like when we failed at our business early on. I’m so glad we didn’t quit because the options we have today are incredible. For me… it’s time to go back to the drawing board, to train and study how to conquer Mt. St. Helens. Beast mode, here we come!

Tips & Tricks For Budgeting

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 23:52:54 GMT

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BUDGETING

BY: TYE RUSTRUM & ANN RUSTRUM

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Where does all of my money go? Why don’t I have more of it? Am I ever going to get ahead in life? I’m working SO HARD and I still have no money.”

These were all feelings that Ann and I had until we finally got on a budget and put together a game plan to tackle our debt. I know, I know, just the word “budget” causes a lot of people to cringe. Trust me on this, there is actually great freedom in telling your money where to go rather than having your money tell you where you can go! It’s crazy to think that with two accounting degrees we didn’t have a personal budget a year out of college, but that’s where we were at. We were giving financial advice to people and our own finances weren’t on track!

It wasn’t until after we teamed up and asked for guidance from some very successful business owners that we were taught the power of a budget. Our own experience and struggle has created a passion within me to help people become financially literate at the youngest age possible. In school, we are taught about the nucleus of a cell, mathematical theories (that most people will never use in real life), or inadvertently how to cram for a test. I’m not totally against these things, I just think it is equally, if not more so, important to teach practical advice on real life – like budgeting. That’s why I decided to write this article, to give tips on how we were able to get out of debt, put money away for a rainy day, and put ourselves onto a solid path when it came to our finances. With that said, here we go – 5 steps to get your budget on track.

STEP 1: FIGURE OUT YOUR REAL INCOME

Oftentimes if you ask someone how much they make, they will tell you their gross income, not their net income. In order to know what you’re really working with, you need to know your net (“take home”) income. In other words, how much is your actual paycheck or what is actually deposited in your bank account? Net income is simply your earnings minus taxes and other deductions (e.g., contributions to a retirement account, health insurance, garnishments, etc…).

If your net income is not consistent and fluctuates each pay period, a good tip is to always round down. You want to be conservative on your budget. Any extra income from overtime hours, commissions, bonuses, etc… “is all gravy”. For years, I was in outside sales and my pay was a base salary plus commissions. We learned to create our budget based off of my base salary and never off of the commissions. We did this because we knew that income was coming in no matter what. It’s like the game of Monopoly:

– Base Salary or Hourly Rate: Like passing Go and getting $200 every time, it’s set.
– Commissions, Bonuses, etc…: Like landing on Community Chest and getting a positive card.

Hopefully you can avoid being thrown in Monopoly jail, which is like losing a job or other income stream.

Example of the “Income” piece of your budget:

STEP 2: GET REAL WITH YOUR EXPENSES

The next step is to establish what is REALLY going out. I recommend looking at your bank and credit card statements for the last 3 months and adding up your actual spending by category. Divide this number by 3 and you have your actual monthly spending habits. We thought we were spending WAY less than we actually were, especially on our “fun” expenses (eating out, clothes, coffee, entertainment). Again, we had to get real with what we were actually doing. Similar to your income, you want to be conservative, round up on fluctuating expenses.

There are 2 types of expenses, Fixed and Variable . As the titles suggest, fixed expenses are the same each month and variable expenses fluctuate each month.

Examples of Fixed Expenses:

The most common problem I’ve seen in “Fixed Expenses” is people living beyond their means when it comes to their rent or mortgage. You don’t want to be house poor by overextending yourself on your rent or mortgage. I recommend this category to be no more than 20-25% or your expense budget.

The other thing that we were shocked by in our own budget was the amount of fixed subscription based fees that were chipping away at our income. For example, we had signed up for plans such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, iCloud storage, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, Apple Care+ (maybe while Apple is so wealthy), ESPN+, Disney+, Pandora, Fit Radio, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz, thinking “It’s only $10 a month”. The problem was that $10 a month multiplied by 20 subscriptions was all of a sudden $200 a month that we could have been putting toward our goals of paying off debt and/or saving money.

Examples of Variable Expenses:

The biggest holes we see when it comes to “ Variable Expenses” are eating out, alcohol, entertainment, and those famous Starbucks or Dutch Brother coffee runs in the morning. We found the “cash envelope system” to help immensely in controlling our variable expenses. The cash envelope system is where you put money aside each month in an envelope for each one of the variable expense categories. Once the money is gone, you’re done spending on that category for the month. It is quite the eye opener when you open your “Coffee” envelope and the money is gone. Cash is tangible and holds you accountable. It is nearly impossible to do this when using a debit or credit card because it’s not as visible.

Once you get the totals for each category of expenses, you can move on to step three.

STEP 3: HOW MUCH DEBT AND SAVINGS DO YOU HAVE?

The next step is to compile each debt that you have and the amount of money you have in savings. Debt is simply the money that you owe to someone else. Savings is the amount of money you have saved (usually in a bank or other financial institution).

Examples of Debt:

When it comes to debt, list each debt separately including the minimum monthly payment and the remaining balance owed. For example:

Auto Loan #1- $359/month (outstanding balance $18,500 and interest rate 6.5%)
Student Loan #1- $215/month (outstanding balance $6,000 and interest rate 2.5%)

When it comes to Other Debt make sure to include money you have borrowed from people. I borrowed money from my parents for Ann’s engagement ring in college. This was the first debt we paid off as they were doing me a major favor and I didn’t want that debt to have a negative impact on our relationship.

Examples of Savings:

List how much money you currently have saved by account.

STEP 4: PUT YOUR BUDGET TOGETHER

Now it is time to start bringing everything together in your budget! Your budget is simply:

Net Income

– Fixed Expenses

– Variable Expenses

– Minimum Debt Expense

Money Left Over to Reach Goals

BAM, now you have your monthly working budget! You are now taking control of your life and telling your money where to go. I know that this will take time to put together; however, it will be a game changer for you and your family. There is power in knowing what it costs to live and how much money you need to bring in!

STEP 5: COME UP WITH A REAL SOLUTION TO YOUR MONEY PROBLEMS

If you are like most people, you don’t like what the numbers have revealed. For us, we were left with a negative number at the end. In other words, we were going backward each month. This is where the real work begins. Your budget will be a work-in-progress over the years to come. You may even have to make some tough decisions on how to move forward. If you, like us, are in the negative each month, there are 2 main solutions:

Solution #1 – Decrease Your Expenses
Figure out what line items you can cut or get rid of. We started with decreasing our variable expenses. For example, did we really need Cable, Netflix, and Hulu? Based on our goal of getting debt free, it was an easy decision to remove 2 of the 3 (if not all 3 for a short time)! Did I really need to go out to eat or grab coffee every day or could I cut back to twice a month? These slight edge decisions add up over time and are necessary to get on track if you are in the red.

Solution #2 – Increase Your Income
A few ideas to increase your income:

Pick up more hours of work. You can either do this at your current place of employment or adding another job.
Find a higher paying job.
Sell stuff on OfferUp or Craigslist – Are there things you don’t need anymore?
Start a side hustle like driving for Uber, Lyft, or Grubhub, doing landscaping, helping someone move, refereeing sports, or making stuff and selling it.
Start a business on the side of your job, and take your down time to build it.

These ideas above have worked for thousands of people and they can work for you. You have to realize there are 168 hours in a week. If you work 40 hours a week at a job and sleep 8 hours per night, you still have 72 hours a week of downtime. Take that downtime and make it productive!

We have incorporated many of the above ideas into our life to balance our budget and ultimately accomplish our goals of paying off debt, putting money into savings, and having leftovers to live a life of adventure. For us personally, the greatest positive impact to our budget was building our own business. I truly believe entrepreneurship is where it is at. We have received the greatest return of our time and money by building our own business versus working for someone else. I realized that if I could work hard for someone else, I could work even harder for my own dreams.

I wish you much $UCCE$$ as you go after your financial goals. Please drop a comment if this was helpful! We would love to hear from you!

Emotional Stability with a Gallon of Gratitude

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 23:52:51 GMT

EMOTIONAL STABILITY WITH A GALLON OF GRATITUDE

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

I am going to share on a topic that I am continually growing in and learning about and that is emotional stability. I added “with a gallon of gratitude” because a grateful heart is a key way to keeping things in perspective. I’m going to start with a memory of a Christmas 3 years ago.

I remember it well… I was holding my hot cocoa and after tromping through the same Christmas tree farm that our family goes to every year for what felt like hours, our kids spotted it, the perfect tree! We didn’t realize the problem until we got home. The problem: when we cut down the tree, even though it was a straight cut, the tree had grown with a big time lean. No problem! We can jimmy rig it in the stand. Although not perfectly steady, we brought it in the house and pushed it in the corner so you couldn’t really see the lean. I decorated it for hours (this one is Momma’s tree to decorate – the kid’s tree is upstairs) and it was beautiful. I’m not kidding – Pinterest worthy! All those clearance Home Goods bulbs from the after Christmas sales last year were just perfect. That night my husband, Tye, went out with some guy friends and I put the kids to bed. I went down to admire my tree, in all its glory, and headed to bed. About 30 minutes later, I heard the garage door open and to my absolute horror I heard another noise. A huge crash followed immediately by shattering glass. You know when you know something, but you are in total denial. That was me. I ran downstairs and there she was, my tree, lying on the floor, glass bulbs shattered, ribbon everywhere, water pouring out of the base. I heard Tye’s car door shut and I opened the door to the garage. There was Tye, happy as ever, until he sees me. This is where my lack of emotional stability kicked in. “You made the tree fall when you opened the garage!!!! I’m sooooo mad!” I proceeded to fully display my lack of emotional stability for the next 30 minutes.

We all have things in life that throw us for a loop, especially this year. I’m going to give you 4 simple tips that have helped me with emotional stability.

4 Simple Tips that have Helped Me with Emotional Stability

1. Adjust your Perspective – Practice Gratitude Every Day
For those of you who are parents, do you ever find yourself being extremely convicted when you’re guiding your kids? I sure do, but there is a trick that we’ve implemented with our kids that works for us as adults as well. Practicing gratitude. When my kids are upset because of the dinner we made them, it’s immediately 5 things they’re grateful for. When there is a conflict with each other or with friends – before resolving the conflict – 5 things they’re grateful for about each other. Gratitude is a magnet for miracles when it comes to emotional stability. Trust me on this one; it is much easier to be positive when you are coming from a perspective of gratitude.

2. Know you’re in Control of your Actions, your Thought Life and Input.
Emotions ARE valid, but they don’t have to control you. Sometimes our 7-year-old son, Brody will say “You’re making me throw a tantrum because you won’t let me have 10 pieces of leftover Halloween candy”. My response is, “You can feel your emotions Brody, but they don’t control your actions, you do!” What tantrums do I throw in life when I should be in complete control? What is the input I’ve been getting? How did I start my day? One small positive thought in the morning can change the whole day. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. I like to be very intentional with this. For example, am I opening a news app or my devotional app? Am I immediately opening my 57 new e-mails and reacting or am I taking 5 minutes to breath deep and have gratitude for a new day. Am I listening to a positive audio or music or a negative audio or music. Control your input and it will lead to your thought life and eventually your actions. I heard this story years ago and it is such a good visual that I wanted to share it with you.

What’s in Your Cup?

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? “Well because someone bumped into me, of course!”

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is inside the cup, is what will spill out. Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It’s easy to fake it, until you get rattled.

So we have to ask ourselves… “what’s in my cup?” When life gets tough, what spills over? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?

You choose!

Today let’s work towards filling our cups with the good stuff. That leads to my next tip…

4. CHOOSE Happiness

We have a big sign in our hallway that says, “Happiness is not a destination. It is a way of life.” The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they make the best of everything. Remember, no one has the ability to control your actions unless you let them. YOU are in control of your actions. I’m not saying to be numb. God created, especially us ladies, to be emotional beings. My prayer for myself and for you is that we can channel that emotion into happiness, kindness, encouragement, gratitude, joy, and above all LOVE.One of my favorite quotes, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelo. Especially during this holiday season, let’s put on those positive pants!! Merry Christmas everyone!

Overcoming Opposition and Moving Forward

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 23:52:49 GMT

OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND MOVING FORWARD

BY: ANN RUSTRUM & TYE RUSTRUM

Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” Now I am definitely not a genius like Albert Einstein, but I interpret that quote as not your brain or book smarts, but your spirit, that deep-rooted part of your soul that yearns to do more. If you want to step out and live a life that most people will never live, than you are going to encounter opposition. Think about it though… why do you take their advice anyway? Are they going to love your kids, are they going to love your spouse, are they going to provide for your family, better your spiritual or emotional walk, or better your life in any way? If not, then don’t let people’s criticism get in the way of you living out your value system.

It is important to distinguish between opposition from:

Those who do not know the core of who you are and why you do what you do versus
Those who have a vested interest in your success in all walks of life and who love you.

In other words, understanding the difference between those who are likely cynical of any type of success (for example, spiritual, emotional, social, physical, financial, etc…) compared to those who share common values and goals of striving to be better. If you determine that the opposition is from a negative cynic, you have to learn to have the emotional capacity to not let it interfere with the activity that moves your goals and dreams forward. If the feedback is from someone who has a vested interest in your life take the constructive criticism and apply it to help you move forward.

Zig Ziglar said, “There has never been a statue erected to a critic.” Through my experience, this is absolutely true, but the question you have to ask yourself is, “Have I erected a statue in my own heart to a critic and allowed it to hold me back from greatness.” If you have, I encourage you to emotionally tear those statues down. Break those strongholds over your life. Listen and apply the feedback from those positive influences in your life. Don’t let anyone steal your dream.

When Tye and I first embarked into entrepreneurship, we were the definition of status. We both had great degrees and great jobs, but we were completely miserable and scared of getting out of our comfort zones. The problem was, my heart had started to become hard in corporate America. I had started to accept that my life was just going to be the same as everyone else that had a degree and a job. But then a little spark was ignited.

Mark Twain said, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.” Education doesn’t stop once you stop going to school, unless you choose for it to stop. You have the ability to educate yourself every single day from people who live the life you want to live or who have accomplished something that you want to accomplish. It’s not about the financial success for Tye and I, it’s about every other area of success in life, our faith, our marriage, our relationship with our kids, our health.

It took me a while to take a look in the mirror and admit that I was miserable and I would have to do something that I didn’t like doing in order to change our situation. Your current work habit shows your belief in the future. If you believe that something will provide the life that you want to live, than your work habit will back that up. If you want a different ending, you have to change the beginning. I have been there and Tye and I are no better than you. We simply decided to not just watch the time click by, but to continually do what it does and keep going.

To you millenials, you do know that one day you will be 36 years old. To you 36 year olds (like me), we will one day be 56 years old. You 56 year olds will one day be 70. The time is going to pass no matter what. You have to do things purposefully to move forward. Although we have taken action to move our entrepreneurial ventures forward, there were years of time where we just let the time tick by. It just kept on going as we did everything except put in the action to make it happen. For example, we did house projects. I remember an entire summer flying by as we redid our hard wood floors, painted the trim, removed wall paper, spackled the walls, replaced our countertops. We pretty much remodeled our whole house because we wanted it to look different, not because it needed to be done. And we justified our inaction in our business.

If you’re not confident in your abilities now, just put in the action. Take one step at a time. The effect of doing what is right will be quiet confidence forever. You won’t have to be loud about your confidence. It will quietly grow, and people will see it through your actions and results. Stop talking about it and do it. And remember; don’t worry about your critics. One day their criticism that hurt your heart so badly, will be a reminder that you are so grateful that you are not one of them. My hope is that you eventually get to the point of forgiveness because that is the first step in tearing down the statue in your heart.

#ghosting: Why You Should Not Do it

Thu, 01 Oct 2020 22:52:42 GMT

#GHOSTING: WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT

BY: TYE RUSTRUM

The other night Ann and I were at a trendy restaurant in downtown Portland. As we ate the most delicious Peruvian food I’ve ever had, we couldn’t help but notice a sharply dressed gentleman sitting at a two-person table by himself. The server had placed menus and poured water at both table settings. The gentleman had ordered a drink and continued to nervously (almost obsessively) look at his phone. Appearing to double check the time, his text messages, his calendar. We weren’t trying to be nosy, but as he was in our line of vision, we couldn’t help but notice this go on for more than 45 minutes until he quickly paid his bill and left with a defeated look. “Oh no, he got ‘no showed’ by his date”, Ann grimaced.

Now I don’t know the exact circumstances that led up to this scenario, but we’ve all experienced a situation or two where someone ceased all communication without warning. You may have been left wondering what you did or said wrong. You may have even tried asking what happened. But in spite of your best efforts, your contact went unanswered. This painfully common phenomenon is termed “ghosting”. Official definitions describe it as “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly, and without explanation, withdrawing from all communication”. While ghosting happens most often in romantic relationships, it can also occur in friendships and business relationships. Not only is the practice extremely impolite but it can also cause long-term consequences for its unfortunate victims. Decreased self-confidence, inability to trust and hesitancy when entering new relationships are all possible side effects of being ghosted. Here’s why you shouldn’t repeat this unkind act and the steps you should take if it has happened to you.

Why You Shouldn’t Ghost People

In our increasingly disconnected society, we are more likely to avoid face-to-face interactions in exchange for less authentic means of conversation. Modern generations grew up relying on technology to conduct social interactions while finding less need for traditional soft skills. Consequently, fewer and fewer people (especially millennials) are well versed in conflict resolution, conversational diplomacy and the art of having uncomfortable discussions. We’ve grown accustomed to hiding behind our computers and phones. We’ve learned we can logout when things become too stressful or even take it a step further by avoiding logging in at all. The ease of avoidance naturally lends itself to creating a community of people who use ghosting as an acceptable means of closure. However, it definitely is not.

“What goes around comes around” is an adage that holds a lot of truth. One day, you may be in management and someone may “ghost” you by skipping out on their interview or shift. You’ll have to go into work on a weekend (or even worse, your vacation) and you’ll experience the same level of inconvenience you once put someone else through. Instead, skip the negative “come around” and do the right thing. People of integrity pick up the phone and have those tough conversations. If you aren’t interested in dating someone, a proposal you asked for, a certain job offer, a business project, or whatever it may be, be honest. Don’t cause uncertainty for others because you lack the ability to face your problems head-on.

What to Do if You’ve Been Ghosted

If you’ve been ghosted, hurt feelings and frustration are normal reactions. While you can’t force someone to communicate with you or give you the answers you seek, you can take back your power. Try to remember, the more energy and thought you pour into the situation, the harder it is to move on. Don’t allow the offender to have undeserved control of your feelings from afar. Their decision to abandon you is in no way a reflection of your worth. If you find that the terminated relationship is consuming your thoughts, refocus that energy toward a more productive cause. If gaining closure is necessary, try drafting a letter detailing your unexpressed feelings. Then, instead of sending it, find a therapeutic way to dispose of your letter. While you can’t control or change the other party’s actions, you can control your own. Remember that you hold the power when it comes to you mental health and happiness. Focus on yourself and the people who are worthy of your attention.

Mentors, leaders and principled people inspire others to behave in good conscious. Use this as a coachable moment, even if listening to this truth hurts. No matter how you spin it, ghosting is wrong. It takes courage, maturity and honesty to conquer tough conversations; but everyone deserves the respect of transparent communication. Next time you find yourself on the brink of a difficult conversation, use the advice above to take the high road.

Gratitude Over Comparison

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 18:28:45 GMT

GRATITUDE OVER COMPARISON

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

As I reminisce about our journey over the past several years, I am so incredibly grateful for the abundance of blessings. Our mentors and team raised the lid in our lives and motivated us more than anything else has. Few people would even know our names if it weren’t for the unique privilege that has been given to us, not because of how great we are, but because of how great our support system is.

Through mentorship, we’ve accomplished incredible things. Nine years ago we paid off the last of our $100k in debt outside of our home. Seven years ago, I walked away from my career as a CPA when our first daughter, Lexi, was born. Two years ago, we played Tye’s retirement video for the first time and showed what financial freedom as full-time parents can look like. Today we’ve come full circle as very proud mentors ourselves.

Despite the excitement that our accomplishments brought about, another feeling slowly crept in – the feeling of comparison. I remember one night in particular, sitting on the edge of my bed, feeling bitterness in my heart. I was playing the comparison game. When I compared myself to other entrepreneurs and speakers I felt incredibly shy, unattractive and inexperienced. I then began beating myself up for the goals I hadn’t hit and the progress I hadn’t made. After several of these “self-pity” sessions I realized that comparison isn’t just the thief of joy, it’s the thief of everything. It’s easy to look at all the things we haven’t done, instead of focusing on all we have done.

After that night, I decided to cultivate gratitude over comparison. I had to give it to God. Comparison and gratitude could not live within my heart at the same time. Once my will to please God outweighed my will to please myself, my heart became full. I acknowledged that if comparison was found in the valley of my journey then gratitude was at the mountaintop. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life and turns what we have into abundance.

Today, rather than comparing myself to others, I have changed my attitude. If I’m going to compare myself to anyone I choose to compare myself to my old self, while being grateful for how far I’ve come. The Ann Rustrum that entered entrepreneurship just over ten years ago was totally lost. “Old ways won’t open new doors”. And I had to open a new door. If you hang around positive influences enough, you’ll be brainwashed (like I was) into believing in yourself and knowing you can achieve anything . My brain needed a good washing. A dear friend of mine always says, “Growth is change, not time.” Compared to my old self, because I’ve changed, I’ve grown. I am confident. I am outgoing. I am secure in who I am. My marriage is phenomenal. I’ve learned what genuine, healthy relationships look like. And I’ve learned to see the good in people instead of being easily offended.

I’ve also learned true leadership means not worrying about who gets the credit or who is edified. What matters most is the benefit to the team. We are all in different seasons in our lives. We should embrace where we are and grow through it. It’s possible to admire others’ accomplishments without questioning our own. If you are a candle with a flame, does your flame diminish because you light another? No, you create an even bigger light than you ever could on your own.

My journey has been this: I’m Ann Rustrum, flaws and all – I am good enough. I am worthy of my success and share my story to encourage others. I am here to reflect light into what may be a dark place in your heart, where you’ve been telling yourself you’re not worthy or don’t have the right personality. Remember, you are comparing your worst to someone else’s best. I’m here to encourage you; you have what it takes deep within. It’s worth it. Don’t give up. There’s an incredible life waiting for you on the other side of fear and unworthiness. Allow your mentor to grab your hand and guide you to the mountaintop. Once you’re there, be grateful.

Six Ways We've Included Our Kids in Building a Family Culture

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 18:22:36 GMT

SIX WAYS WE'VE INCLUDED OUR KIDS IN BUILDING A FAMILY CULTURE

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

What does your last name stand for? What is important to you? What are the top words or phrases that describe your family culture? When your children are faced with difficult decisions or have to overcome obstacles, what has been engrained in their subconscious mind from a young age?

Growing up on a farm and having a lot of time with my parents and older sister, I (Ann) remember my parents saying phrases like:

“I am yours and you are mine, you are a part of this family for a reason”
“You are a child of God, you are created for greatness”
“Our family doesn’t quit something we’ve started”
“Shine your light brightly”
“No one is lonely in our presence”

I also remember that my parents had high expectations of how we behaved and the decisions we made because we represented my last name. I have faced numerous situations in my life where I had to remember who I was, and then the game changed. It’s not always about how I feel, it’s about what I represent.

As Tye and I have started to raise our children (and trust me, we have a lot to learn and a long way to go), we have an even bigger sense of defining what the Rustrum name means. That includes who we’ve come from and the values we’ve inherited from our incredible family lineage and what we want to carry on in our family tree long after we’re gone. Below are four ways we’ve included our children in building a family culture.

1) CREATING A FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT

Writing out your family mission statement, like writing down goals, is the first step to embodying it in your family’s life. If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it. Where do you start? A few thoughts that helped us:

Think of the top 5 to 10 non-negotiables in your life. Those values that you stand for and believe in, that no one can shake because they are engrained in who you are.
How do you want people to feel when they’re around you?
If you need ideas, do a quick Internet search for family mission statements. Grab those that resonate with you and put them in your own words.
Talk to your parents and grandparents about what they stand for. Talk to your kids about what’s important to them – include them in the process!
It helped us to keep it relatively short (think of a long paragraph) and in simple language for our kids

After writing out your family mission statement, print it and frame it. Put it in a place that you and your kids can read it often. If your kids can’t read yet, put it in a place where you can read it to them. Ours is in our bathroom where we help them brush their teeth every night.

2) SPEAKING OVER YOUR CHILDREN

What your children hear from their parents becomes their inner voice as they grow up. Therefore, the power of the spoken word is real in developing who they become. Speak positive over your children out loud, in front of them and in front of others.

We’ve experienced the positive impact of this firsthand. Our son Brody is naturally – I don’t even want to say it as it goes against exactly what I’m writing, but for the sake of teaching what I’ve learned, I will – timid and grouchy. He had a natural tendency to be cautious, to the point of being paralyzed by fear when it was not valid. On top of that, he was grouchy every time we introduced him to a new person. Tye and I recognized these traits, but rather than validate them as acceptable, we did the exact opposite. Every time we introduced Brody to someone new we would say, “This is our son Brody and he is happy and brave.” We did it so many times that eventually he would do something like swinging high on a swing and shout out, “Look Dad, I’m brave!!” He internalized that spoken word.

Unfortunately, the converse is also true. Growing up the “shy one”, I definitely internalized that as my truth into adulthood. Although I have a natural tendency to be introverted, people constantly saying I was shy magnified this. The good news is it’s never too late to grow and change!

Be careful parents, the tongue is a powerful force. However, if used correctly, it can change your child’s world for the better.

3) THE VALUE OF HARD WORK

“When I was your age, I used to walk uphill in the snow both ways to school,” I remember hearing my Grandpa say. He talked about “When he was a kid…” more times than I can count. As much as we laughed and joked about it, one of our greatest burdens as we raise our children is for them to understand the value of hard work. Nothing is free. If it was free for you, that means that someone else worked for it so that you can enjoy the blessings.

Rather than give our children money or things, our goal is for them to earn it. This could be by picking weeds in the yard or helping us clean the garage. Not simply buying them toys, but having them pay for a portion so that the bouncy ball equals five buckets of weeds. At the risk of sounding like Grandpa, I want them “To learn the value of a dollar.”

4) AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

As Lexi and Brody grow older, Tye and I want to teach them an entrepreneurial spirit. Tye remembers running a candy store during the summer when he was in grade school… OK, OK, it was really a candy stand at the entrance of the neighborhood with a bucket of licorice and lemonade for sale. That little candy stand taught him about investing in inventory and making a profit. He even had a few employees (his younger brother and sister), who he would occasionally catch stealing the inventory as red licorice lined their teeth. Those simple lessons learned have carried into Tye’s adulthood.

How does this play out in real life in terms of teaching our kids? As an example, rather than giving our daughter money for a necklace that she wants, we loan her money. However, she cannot use the money to buy the necklace, she has to use the money to make something (e.g., bracelets to sell to her friends), so that she can buy her necklace with her profits. If she wants to make more money she can hire friends to make bracelets, pay them a portion, and keep a portion for herself. She then pays us back for the loan plus interest. Thinking from the neck up and duplicating herself rather than simply thinking from the neck down. Business ownership is alive and well in the Rustrum household!

5) BEING GRATEFUL

Did you have to worry about where you would find clean drinking water today? Or where you would find your next meal for your child? Or where you would lay your head tonight to sleep? My guess is that if you are reading this on a computer, you are far more blessed than most people who live on planet earth. Without getting into statistics, we know that if you have access to a computer with an Internet connection and you know how to read, you already live a life that many could only dream of.

Complaining is advertising your lack of gratitude. When our children complain because their cheese sandwich is a little too toasty or the flight to Disneyland is a little too long, our family has a rule. Complaining means you immediately have to state 5 things that you are grateful for. It’s impossible to complain and be thankful at the same time. Don’t just try it with your kids, try it yourself Mom and Dad! Five things you’re grateful for… and try to make them different every time. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.

6) MODELING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO GIVE BACK

It is truly more rewarding to give than to receive. As parents, it’s important to instill this idea of giving back, even at a young age. Begin by first explaining the meaning of giving back with your children—in order to fully benefit from giving back they must understand the concept of making a difference for those around them. Children have some of the biggest hearts in the world, and with a little direction and guidance from their parents, they can make such a big difference. Although there are tons of different ways to give back, here are a couple of great ways to initially get your children involved.

Donating Clothes And Toys: Children grow like weeds and change their mind on toys by the day. This results in lots of clothes that are no longer being worn and toys that go unused. Instead of letting those items sit around the house, take this opportunity to involve the kids in donating to the less fortunate. Ask each child to choose the items they want to donate specifically, and explain the importance of giving back to others. Once the donation bags are packed, take a trip to the charity or drop location and allow the kids to make the donation themselves.

Make Simple Acts of Kindness Part of Your Daily Routine: Children are inspired by their parents. What they see Mom and Dad doing, is what they want to do. Make a conscious effort to include at least one daily act of kindness towards another in your daily routine, and soon enough your children will follow your lead. This action doesn’t need to be a large gesture, or consume a lot of time, it can be as simple as helping an older citizen to put groceries in their car, raking the leaves up in your neighbor’s yard, or baking cookies for service men and women in town.

As we write this, we are humbled to even have a platform to share some of the things we’ve learned on our journey of defining our family culture. As I first mentioned, we have a long way to go. We would love to hear some of your ideas on this topic! Feel free to reach out.

3 Factors That Hold People Back From Great Blessings

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 18:08:19 GMT

3 FACTORS THAT HOLD PEOPLE BACK FROM GREAT BLESSINGS

BY: TYE & ANN RUSTRUM

FEAR

Fear of the unknown is one of the most common factors that hinder success. If you want your dreams to come true in the biggest way possible, you have to go after them with enthusiasm and without fear of failure. There will be hiccups along the way, but you have to overcome this fear of failure so that you can get right back up again in your pursuit of your goals. If you want to experience the greatest blessings in life, you have to be willing to put yourself out there, get comfortable in uncomfortable positions, and bust through your fears. Start talking about your dreams fearlessly and unapologetically to anyone and everyone. When your mouth is open, opportunities open as well.

STATUS

No matter how old we get, there will always be people in life judging you, your decisions, and your success. The only way to overcome the inevitable judgments and criticism from other people is to stop concerning yourself with the thoughts of others. As long as you’re out there doing whatever it is that makes your dreams come true, that’s all that matters. Most times, when people pass judgments, it comes from a low self-image, ignorance, or a trace of envy. So stop worrying about how your dreams and goals look compared to other people in your life. Instead, focus on what these goals can produce for yourself and your family. Forget the way it sounds or looks to others and take a chance on your dreams even when other people don’t believe in you.

LAZINESS

Lastly, if you want to truly go after your goals and experience the blessings they can bring you, you have to get out there and do something about it every single day. Most people would rather socialize with friends, play video games, or just relax in their free time. However, you have to devote all of your time and energy to making your dreams come true if you want to see the greatest results. There has to be a short-term price for long-term benefits. So don’t be lazy. Get out there, take action, and give everything you have to make your goals become your reality.

Pay attention to how you respond to life’s up and downs. If you notice any of these 3 factors sneaking their way into your life, do everything you can to combat them to achieve the greatest blessings.

Tips to Make Your Family's Bucket List

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 17:58:21 GMT

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR FAMILY'S BUCKET LIST

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS INVOLVED.

The most important tip is to make your bucket list as a family. Make sure everyone’s goals and dreams have a spot on the list, and the only way to ensure that is to make sure everyone has a voice when the list is created. List every item on the same list perhaps color-coding group goals versus individual dreams. Listing everyone’s input on the same list creates a sense of teamwork and unity.

DISPLAY YOUR BUCKET LIST IN A COMMON AND VISIBLE AREA.

It doesn’t do your family any good if you make a list of everyone’s dreams and goals, and then tuck it into a junk drawer that gets covered by to-do lists and never gets looked at again. Make sure your family’s bucket list is a constant source of inspiration and improvement by placing it in an area of your home where your family frequently gathers or in a place where it is sure to be seen every day. Maybe hang it on the refrigerator in the kitchen, or perhaps place it by the door you use most frequently, so everyone is reminded of their goals when they head out for the day .

KEEP UP WITH IT.

The only way to make sure the bucket list stays effective is to actively keep up with it. Make sure to mark on the list every time a new bullet point is checked off, and then go out for a celebration. No matter how big or how small the celebration is, make sure everyone knows the importance of reaching their goals.

Now that you know these tips to make your family bucket list, what are you waiting for? Go get started!

Questions You Should Ask When Defining Your Family Legacy

Fri, 01 May 2020 17:33:13 GMT

QUESTIONS YOU SHOLD ASK WHEN DEFINING YOUR FAMILY LEGACY

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY LEGACY MEAN TO YOU?

Make sure you consider how your legacy gives you and your family purpose because it becomes the way you define your life. Your family legacy represents you and your family’s work, achievements, values, beliefs, traditions, and experiences. So, what does it mean to be a part of your family? Maybe your family legacy means that you establish a foundation of purpose that promotes a sense of belonging and identity in future generations. Or, maybe your family legacy means living a meaningful life in a way that inspires others. Whatever it is, you have to be confident in what your family legacy means to you before you can consider how your legacy affects the lives of others.

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR YOUR FAMILY LEGACY?

Once you have defined what your family legacy means to you, determine what you want your legacy to stand for. What do you want your family’s mission to be? What do you want people to remember you for? Consider what your goals are for your family going into the future, and decide what you want your family legacy to mean to others. Do you want to serve people in need in a way that aligns with your values? Or, maybe you want to make an impact in your own community?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE OUT YOUR FAMILY LEGACY?

The final step to ensure a lasting legacy is to actually put it in motion. Consider how you’re going to make your family legacy come to life and live on for future generations. Get involved in your community, make plans to make a difference, and become the person and the family you defined in the beginning.

Defining your family legacy is important if you want future generations to continue living out your family’s idea of a purposeful life. These questions will help you in defining your family legacy.

3 Small Ways to Make Yourself a Better Person Every Day

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 17:25:03 GMT

3 SMALL WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON EVERYDAY

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

HERE ARE THE SMALL WAYS YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON EVERY DAY

1. KEEP OTHERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR THOUGHTS

When you wake up each morning, decide to go through the day with every intention to put others before yourself. Although sometimes it’s necessary to think of yourself before others, the world would truly be a better place if everyone thought more compassionately about those around them. Offer to help the person in the parking lot unload their groceries into their trunk. Let the car next to you in your lane on the expressway. Try to adopt a more selfless mindset each morning, so you make more selfless decisions throughout the day.

2. PRACTICE FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is not always easy, but if you’re quick to forgive in the right circumstances, it’s easier to grow as a person. The only thing resentment does for you is hold you back. So, challenge yourself every day to be an example of forgiveness. In doing so, you will move past small, insignificant situations with grace and be able to grow into a better person because of it.

3. REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE

If you allow yourself to make excuses when you catch yourself not acting as you know you should, you will never completely grow as a person. Be mindful of how you are treating others and hold yourself accountable when you mess up. Everyone makes mistakes, but instead of making an excuse for yours, recognize the fact that you could have done better, and make an honest effort to do better the next time. You can only learn from your mistakes after you admit that you’ve made them.

Trying to make yourself a better person is no easy feat, but if you follow these three tips, you’ll start making progress in no time.

Learn by Doing

Sun, 01 Mar 2020 18:15:41 GMT

LEARN BY DOING

BY: ANN RUSTRUM & TYE RUSTRUM

On November 22, 1963 John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. I learned about this date and tragedy as I studied for a test in elementary school. It came to life as a 23 year old adult standing in the former Texas School Book Depository building looking at a sniper’s perch and rifle staring down at the white “X” on Elm St. where the parade route went.

“Millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust” had a new meaning as I stood in one of the boxcars that carried them to concentration camps and smelled their shoes piled high at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. I can only imagine the emotions evoked being at Auschwitz concentration camp in Germany. The conviction to never forget.

Watching the planes crash on September 11, 2001 was a moment in time I will never forget. But watching a 5 minute remembrance on the news is not even a comparison to seeing the man place a single white rose by the name of each individual’s name inscribed on the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on their birthday. Seeing the water pour into where the foundation of the World Trade Centers once stood.

Seeing with your own eyes the oil bubbles continue to rise nearly 70 years after the demise of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. The only time in American history when an entire military band has died in action, 1,177 crewman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOjvttpMwD8

On a lighter note, drinking Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, the best coffee I have ever tasted, while having our dear Jamaican friends point and say, “Yawman, those are the Blue Mountains over there”.

Taking our kids to the life size Noah’s ark in Kentucky. Watching their little faces look up from the bottom of the ark to the grandeur of what actually happened in that Bible story. Causing our faith to come to life.

Or even the smaller things:

Counting how many flowers you can find on a nature walk instead of counting numbers on a chalk board.
Learning the alphabet by spotting words that start with each letter of the alphabet while driving to school.
Visiting a local dairy farm or u-pick strawberry patch to teach where our milk and fruit come from instead of reading about it in a book. Or even better, having a small strawberry patch on the side of the house that the kids are in charge of watering and taking care of, so that they learn the value of our food sources.

TRUST ME – IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT!

Does it take effort to do these things instead of turning on an educational show on TV? Absolutely, but I think you will find the greatest rewards from experiential learning. I had never hear the term “experiential learning” until I started writing this blog. It’s always funny to me when there’s an actual term for what we value for ourselves and our family. Experiential learning is a fancy term used to describe the hands-on approach to exploring new topics. Professional educators have adopted this practice to help learners of all ages digest information by doing rather than merely reading about what others have done.

Experiential learning, also referred to as project-based learning, replaces traditional methods of sharing knowledge through less interactive means. Although hands-on learning has made a huge impact in the education world, there’s no reason it has to be limited to the classroom or be employed strictly by professionals. Nor does it have to stop when school is over, keep it going!! I love the quote by Mark Twain, “Don’t let your schooling interfere with your education.”

FEED CURIOSITIES

Now for you parents, grandparents, or future parents, if you’ve ever spent more than a few minutes with a young child, you’ve undoubtedly encountered the never-ending curiosity that consumes most developing minds. This childlike wonder can be a source of unexpected entertainment and humor.

“When raising children, it’s important to instill in them not only a love of learning, but a sense of initiative when it comes to diving into topics that spark interests. “

-Tye Rustrum

However, serving as an endless fountain of knowledge for your kids’ curiosities can become a tiring part of parenthood. After days, months, and years of questions, many parents find themselves habitually mumbling “I don’t knows” or mustering up the quickest answer that won’t lead to further probing. But why not turn some of those natural curiosities into opportunities to learn through firsthand experience?

When raising children, it’s important to instill in them not only a love of learning, but a sense of initiative when it comes to diving into topics that spark interests. What better time to show your children that being inquisitive is a good thing and finding answers can be fun? The next time your kiddo has a burning question, feed the fire by helping them use their resources to immerse themselves in project-based learning. If your son has been obsessing over the science of plant growth, help him start a small kitchen or backyard garden . If your daughter has shown an interest in aircrafts, try guiding her toward an aviation program (like this one ). Use hands-on experiences to make the answers to their questions more thorough, meaningful and long-lasting.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

And remember… experiential learning shouldn’t stop once you become an adult (whenever that happens to be), it’s a lifelong process of learning. Until next time everyone!

Tye and Ann Rustrum Blog

Dominated by Mt St Helens

DOMINATED BY MT ST HELENS

DOMINATED BY MT ST HELENS

BY: TYE RUSTRUM

Tips & Tricks For Budgeting

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BUDGETING

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BUDGETING

BY: TYE RUSTRUM & ANN RUSTRUM

STEP 1: FIGURE OUT YOUR REAL INCOME

STEP 2: GET REAL WITH YOUR EXPENSES

STEP 3: HOW MUCH DEBT AND SAVINGS DO YOU HAVE?

STEP 4: PUT YOUR BUDGET TOGETHER

STEP 5: COME UP WITH A REAL SOLUTION TO YOUR MONEY PROBLEMS

Emotional Stability with a Gallon of Gratitude

EMOTIONAL STABILITY WITH A GALLON OF GRATITUDE ﻿

EMOTIONAL STABILITY WITH A GALLON OF GRATITUDE

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

Overcoming Opposition and Moving Forward

OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND MOVING FORWARD ﻿

BY: ANN RUSTRUM & TYE RUSTRUM

#ghosting: Why You Should Not Do it

#GHOSTING: WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT

#GHOSTING: WHY YOU SHOULD NOT DO IT

BY: TYE RUSTRUM

Gratitude Over Comparison

GRATITUDE OVER COMPARISON

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

Six Ways We've Included Our Kids in Building a Family Culture

SIX WAYS WE'VE INCLUDED OUR KIDS IN BUILDING A FAMILY CULTURE

SIX WAYS WE'VE INCLUDED OUR KIDS IN BUILDING A FAMILY CULTURE

BY: ANN RUSTRUM

1) CREATING A FAMILY MISSION STATEMENT

2) SPEAKING OVER YOUR CHILDREN

3) THE VALUE OF HARD WORK

4) AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT

5) BEING GRATEFUL

6) MODELING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO GIVE BACK

3 Factors That Hold People Back From Great Blessings

3 FACTORS THAT HOLD PEOPLE BACK FROM GREAT BLESSINGS

3 FACTORS THAT HOLD PEOPLE BACK FROM GREAT BLESSINGS

BY: TYE & ANN RUSTRUM

FEAR

STATUS

LAZINESS

Tips to Make Your Family's Bucket List

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR FAMILY'S BUCKET LIST

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR FAMILY'S BUCKET LIST

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS INVOLVED.

DISPLAY YOUR BUCKET LIST IN A COMMON AND VISIBLE AREA.

KEEP UP WITH IT.

Questions You Should Ask When Defining Your Family Legacy

QUESTIONS YOU SHOLD ASK WHEN DEFINING YOUR FAMILY LEGACY

QUESTIONS YOU SHOLD ASK WHEN DEFINING YOUR FAMILY LEGACY

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

WHAT DOES YOUR FAMILY LEGACY MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL FOR YOUR FAMILY LEGACY?

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE OUT YOUR FAMILY LEGACY?

3 Small Ways to Make Yourself a Better Person Every Day

3 SMALL WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON EVERYDAY

3 SMALL WAYS TO MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON EVERYDAY

BY: TYE AND ANN RUSTRUM

HERE ARE THE SMALL WAYS YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF A BETTER PERSON EVERY DAY

1. KEEP OTHERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR THOUGHTS

2. PRACTICE FORGIVENESS

3. REMAIN ACCOUNTABLE

Learn by Doing

LEARN BY DOING

LEARN BY DOING

BY: ANN RUSTRUM & TYE RUSTRUM

TRUST ME – IT’S WORTH THE EFFORT!

FEED CURIOSITIES

NEVER STOP LEARNING

EMOTIONAL STABILITY WITH A GALLON OF GRATITUDE

OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND MOVING FORWARD