What are non-negotiables ("NN's")? When my daughters were growing up, I talked a lot about this topic. They knew from an early age that I would be asking them if they have determined any non-negotiables for themselves. I used to tell them that the beauty of this exercise is that it takes all the pressure off you once you have determined what is, or what is not, non-negotiable in your life. These are constants, we don't dabble in or waver or move them in and out of our lives. Once you have decided, you never need to make this decision again ~ wall-la! Life is full of decisions to make and it can be exhausting trying to determine "yes or no, should I or shouldn't I, will I or won't I, are they or aren't they..."

The day starts with my alarm going off at 4:45 AM.  It’s early, but I get dressed and head to boot camp or go out for a run.  After my workout, I get home and make myself a cup of coffee.  It’s still quiet in the house, and I enjoy my coffee in peace and catch up on the news, followed by a quick shower.  My kids and husband head downstairs at 7:00 AM, and it’s a whirlwind of activity – eating breakfast, making lunches, getting backpacks packed, and everyone is out the door by 7:25 AM.  Everyone except me.  I’m fortunate enough to have a home office, so I head straight to work and can usually comb through emails and plan my day before most of my co-workers even log in.  It’s 8 AM, and I’ve accomplished a lot already and am ready to take on the rest of the day. 

At the start of 2018, our President and Vice President of ProSolutions, Jana Love and Katie Scheer, emphatically encouraged our executive team to take two work days out of the year to step away from our desks, emails, computers, and phones in order to volunteer in any manner of our choosing. Our mission was simply to select a cause we are passionate about, take a photo, and report back on our experiences. I looked forward to receiving our internal company newsletter each month so I could see pictures and read about my comrades philanthropy passions and experiences. Because ProSolutions is home-based and our executive team is spread across five states, it was amazing to see the many diverse ways we were able to make an impact in our communities, while serving a variety of different causes: from volunteering with an organization who supports those with Downs Syndrome, to the homeless or hungry, to raising guide dogs and natural disaster relief. There were so many ways our team made an impact over this past year. We have found that this positive impact extends past just those people and organizations that we are helping, which is another reason why Jana and Katie implemented this new volunteering program.