
The story I share is not an easy one for me, but finish reading for my happy beginning to my new ending. What I am about to tell you is painful but leads to beauty in the making.



The story I share is not an easy one for me, but finish reading for my happy beginning to my new ending. What I am about to tell you is painful but leads to beauty in the making.
Happiness happens. It does! But only if we want it. But who wouldn’t want it? Well, the reality is that we’re not happy 100% of the time, and that’s completely normal. Is there really a formula to being merry no matter what? It seems there is.
Researchers around the world have made many experiments in the past few decades to study this marvelous phenomenon called ‘happiness’ and the findings have been quite remarkable.Turns out, we can activate our hippocampus (you know, the area of our brain responsible for happiness and positive memories ) to achieve true joy mostly when we are the creators of it ourselves. When we are the cause of our happiness, instead of being the effect of an external happening, the satisfaction we get is greater and lasts longer.
Knowing our life’s purpose, being respected, having good relationships, feeling safe, and fulfilling our basic biological needs are common triggers to our happy feelings because we are the direct recipients of such pleasures. But what happens when we don’t get what we want? We feel sad, frustrated, disappointed… meaning that we are being completely dependent on these external factors.
But what if we learned to create our own reality? What if we knew how to feel bliss and peace despite difficult times?
August is Happiness Happens Month so we thought we’d list our favorite 10 findings from studies circulated worldwide by several respected publications* that provide a deeper understanding of why happiness happens and how we can actually generate more of it in our lives.
These elements can alter the way our neurons are wired and can awaken emotions that make us feel cheerful, peaceful, or gloomy. The fragrance from essential oils and flowers can lift our spirits or relax us. Music can motivate and inspire us. Spending a day outside in sunny weather can broaden our thinking, improve our memory, and boost positive mood.
They are loyal, noble, non-judgmental, and unconditional. They amuse us and they’re always there when we need unbiased comfort. Impossible not to love them and cheer up around them!
Joy is as infectious as sadness. So choose your social circles wisely and connect more with people with an optimistic outlook on life.
Despite an increase in responsibilities, many people shift their priorities as they mature, from the physical, material things to the intangible, more spiritual experiences. Older people tend to value and appreciate ordinary moments and are able to reach feelings of wellbeing and harmony with the simplest things in life.
The right nutrition, regular exercise, and good rest play important roles. To boost your serotonin and dopamine (neurotransmitters that help regulate learning, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite, the brain’s reward and pleasure centers, movement and emotional responses), add more poultry, fish, milk and bananas to your diet. Just 20 minutes of exercise per day will also rise serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, along with proteins and endorphins that make the brain feel happier. And don’t forget to have a good-night’s sleep. Studies showed that sleep-deprived individuals have a harder time remembering positive ideas and an easier time remembering negative
Worrying about the past or the future steals our peace of mind. If we insist that our happiness will depend on getting a brand new car, owning a house, winning the lottery, or finding our soulmate, we limit our capacity to experience happiness here and now.
We frequently miss the blessings because they come in disguise. But when we practice gratitude, feeling appreciation for everything come what may, our mind gets unclogged, we receive more clarity, and we gain access to see the big picture beyond what our limited five senses might be perceiving.
This is a tough one, but totally achievable nonetheless. Having the capacity to choose happiness, though, comes from having certainty and surrendering: trusting the natural course of things that sometimes may seem illogical or unfair and embracing these difficult experiences, events, and changes. These conscious actions are actually the pathway to our growth and evolution and open the doors to new useful wisdom in our lives.
Being generous for the right reasons and with the right intentions gives more pleasure than receiving. Random acts of kindness, altruism and volunteerism are 100% natural and side effect-free “medicines” that help rewire our brains. In many experiments, doctors have prescribed actions like these to treat depression and patients have had outstanding positive results, including complete recovery from their ailment.
Regardless of religious beliefs, a spiritual person is someone who applies universal principles, such as selflessness, compassion, and unconditional love towards their neighbours, not to be nice and polite, but to transform into a better version of themselves.
*Results revealed by the Journal of Positive Psychology, the British Medical Journal, the United Kingdom’s Open University, San Francisco State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Cornell University, University of Illinois, and The US General Social Survey, among other sources.
B ecause of MONAT, I was able to travel to Europe to meet up with my husband during a port visit while he is deployed with the U.S. Navy. Without MONAT, there’s no way our trip could have happened!
It is not a stretch to say those things would not have been possible without MONAT, as I would have been working 40+ hours a week in my former career as a licensed Insurance Adjuster.
My husband’s job is about our freedom as a country. Mine is about freedom, too, just on a different scale—the freedom to live my life, be there for my kids when they need me, and having the means to meet up with my husband in Europe!
I joined MONAT four months ago and I have already made enough for four student loan payments. The company itself offers an amazing compensation plan and allows us to gain the most from working our own business.
Because of MONAT, I have been able to retire from a 25-year court reporting career. I am extremely happy with my life, and I am filled with gratitude. I have the most amazing people in my life. I have learned to dream again, and I am able to follow my passion of helping others.
One night in the fall of 2014, I prayed a very specific prayer. I prayed to God for “a new opportunity in network marketing.” The next morning, while still in bed, I saw a post on Facebook about MONAT. There was zero doubt in my mind that this was a sign for me from God and from my Grandma Robinson. (She raised six children on her own as a director with Avon, and I just know that she’s behind this journey ☺).
I emailed MONAT and received some information. I quickly learned about the company and products. I got my hands on some samples and—Oh Em Gee—there really are no words to describe that first shampoo. It was magical! Seriously.
Picture a woman with very unruly, coarse, kinky hair but who loves silky, smooth hair, and it took her two hours to do her hair. Well, that first magical wash…30 minutes to do her hair. 30 minutes. Sign her UP!
On to sharing MONAT. What really made this experience different was that it was so simple. People loved this “hair crack.” People wanted MONAT. People wanted to be a part of MONAT. We were helping people with ANY hair concern they had. We were helping people regain their confidence. We were helping people gain financial and time freedom.
Within two months of joining MONAT, and with the help of my awesome upline mentor/friend, Toni Vanschoyck, I had earned the first of many trips. Every day I was making new lifelong friends. Even the Urdanetas, the family behind MONAT, became friends. They are the most loving, genuine people you can imagine, and they truly want what is best for us working in the field.
On New Year’s Eve 2014, I hit the rank of Market Mentor. I was in the family room with my family working MONAT, watching the New Year’s Eve ball drop, when, with the help of one amazing team, I became the ninth founder of MONAT. I will never, ever forget that moment!
And at this point, three months in, I had exceeded my court reporting income and was starting to let that go. I was one happy girl, let me tell you.
So what does my life look like now? I am still one happy girl. Happier. I have paid off all of my credit cards. This summer will be the first summer where I can truly enjoy every single minute with my boys, and they are now 10 and 15. This winter my family is taking our first cruise together. We are also looking at new houses, which seems like a complete dream. I’m actually considering taking all the laundry off of my desk and donating it. All I need is WiFi and my iPhone. I can work from wherever I am, wherever the day takes me. Life is good ☺
Because of MONAT, I have a business that allows me to be a mom first; a healthy balance between time and money; I’ve made life-long friends; and I get to utilize talents I never realized I had!
While I endured my pregnancy my husband was also a full time student and was only able to work part-time grave yard shifts making $9 dollars an hour. Needless to say, we were broke as a joke! With all of life’s expenses, medical bills, and a baby on the way, times were very tough. Although I knew the circumstances were out of my control, I still felt awful that I could not do more to help. We tried doing everything on our own for as long as we could, but eventually the money ran out and we had to move in with my parents.
This certainly was not ideal and a major shot to our egos. I knew once our baby was born I needed to find a good job to help provide for my family, but I also needed to finish my degree. I had worked on it for four years and only had a semester left. I wasn't going to leave my degree unfinished when I was so close to completing it. But how was I going to have a job, finish my degree, recover from my awful pregnancy AND be a first-time mom?
Considering our circumstances, it seemed like a "no brainer" to jump on board. However, I was still very hesitant and nervous to join as a Market Partner. I was only 22 years old, going to school, taking care of a newborn, with zero direct sales experience, no knowledge of hair care, and NO MONEY to get started. But something felt right so I decided to at least try.
Fast forward a year, and here I am a Founder in the company, typing my story on a shiny new computer, in our own beautiful apartment, with a brand-new family car, and a debt-free bachelor’s degree! Plus, after three years of marriage my husband and I went on the honeymoon we never had and enjoyed a seven-day cruise in May! All of which has been provided through my MONAT checks.
While the generous paychecks have created a whole new sense of financial freedom, that isn't even the best part! I’ve been able to stay home with my daughter each day and experience her first year of life! I don't have to rush off to a 9-5 job and I get to help other moms do the same thing! I am eternally grateful for MONAT and all the opportunities it has provided, friendships it has created, and the talents it's allowed me to utilize—most of which I never realized I had until now!
I read a quote recently that made me very emotional because it states exactly how I feel. It says, “I still remember the days I prayed for the things I have now.” MONAT has truly changed my life and at only 23 years old, I have found friends, an income, and products that will last a lifetime. And on top of all that, I have beautiful hair!
Interested in joining MONAT? Click here to learn more + sign up today.
Because of MONAT I've found purpose in my life that I didn't know I was missing! Succeeding and watching others succeed fills me with excitement and motivates me to accomplish things I never thought possible!
While the income has been such a blessing, the personal growth I've experienced over the last eight months has been just as rewarding. I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years, and MONAT has given me a purpose in life that I didn't know I was missing.
Helping other men and women set goals and realize their dreams has been more gratifying then I could have imagined. This company is constantly opening doors to new opportunities and life experiences. It offers new friendships while enriching lifelong ones and treats us like an extension of their family.
To be a part of a company like MONAT, which wants so much for us to succeed, has been a life-changing experience and one that I will forever be grateful for!
Interested in joining MONAT? Click here to learn more + sign up today.
Through MONAT, I have discovered a level of confidence and self-worth that had been missing for a long time! It has helped my family start to add back hopes and dreams that we had put on the back burner because of financial strain. This “shampoo business” has changed my life!
MONAT has gone so far beyond just putting more money in the bank. I have discovered a power in myself that I let die long ago. I now know that I can be a powerful, passionate, confident, fun, and successful woman. I know that I have worth! I know that the plan for my life is so much more than making payments on time or just surviving the day! Life is about living! Living to the fullest! Finding yourself in the things that make you happy!
The things that bring you joy!
So yes, MONAT is a shampoo company, but to me it is so much more! MONAT is a hope builder, a confidence finder, a family. Stop letting life get in the way of living. Start living life on your own terms. Get out of your own way and take a chance. Dare to dream bigger! And, with MONAT, do it all with some kick-butt hair!
Interested in joining MONAT? Click here to learn more + sign up today.
Remember, happiness is a state of mind. Be the strong, proud-standing flower you are made to be. Give yourself the benefit to bloom, beautifully.
There are a few common habits of highly successful people who have turned their dreams into reality. People who have a vision or goal don’t always get there from having financial means, but actually a few common habits that have helped them get to where they are. The best part is that you, too, have the opportunity to do the same!
As the famous quote by Wayne Dyer goes, “Change the way you look at things and things you look at will change.” Life is all about perspective, and if there’s one thing that all successful people have in common, it’s their perception on life’s challenges.
So what makes highly successful people different than everybody else? Here are five, surefire ways they manifest their own positive outcomes.
A current crisis offers the chance to re-evaluate how you live your life, to be more mindful and strategic, and to take stock of your values and priorities.
How you respond to crises has a lot to do with the lens through which you regularly perceive the world.
If you tend to see the world through a “gloom and doom” lens, you may be reacting to current events with feelings of fear, anxiety, or a sense of despair.
The solution? Change the lens from which you view the world! Below is an example on how to do this.
Challenge: Sales are down and business is slow. Opportunity: Use this slow time to get your office organized, update your marketing materials, and reconnect with past customers you’ve had no time to call.
It’s important to recognize that there are some challenges that are simply beyond your control, so turn your attention to those challenges with opportunities you can act upon.
Everyone has a talent—leverage yours. Self-evaluation is the key to staying confident during rejection and failure. You can’t be great at everything, but you can build a team to compensate for your imperfections.
Highly successful people know what they want, and they find a way to get it.
Doers are so committed to making their dreams a reality that they banish any possibility of a backup plan.
They don’t think things like, “If it doesn’t work, I’ll just go get a job.” Apply this mantra to your professional life and see the odds go in your favor.
Successful people recognize what it takes to be excellent, even if they haven’t made it yet.
They know that most hurdles have already been solved, and having a mentor helps.
Successful people know they have blind spots, and they are humble enough to ask someone to look for the flaws in their thinking.
By seeking advice from ‘mentors’ you’re opening up the door for thoughtful, unbiased advice to help point you in the right direction.
To grow, these like-minded individuals embrace the discomfort. It feels awkward. It’s uncomfortable. You’re out of your comfort zone.
But if you stay in your comfort zone, that’s not where your growth is.
Your growth is where discomfort is. You grow your greatest by exploring and expanding your capabilities. You have to leave the nest to spread your wings.
To unleash your potential, and expand what you’re capable of, you have to embrace change and discomfort is a part of the path.
There’s no precise formula for success, but if you take a hold of these simple ways of life, you’re headed on the right track.