Why I THRIVE

Any time I undertake a new endeavor, I generally like to explain the reasoning behind it.  I'm not exactly sure why this is, but it is.  So I embrace it.

I can honestly say that being (and becoming) prepared has been important to me since I was in my mid-twenties (which may feel like it was eons ago, but, really, was only a decade ago).  I always had the ideal of having a store of food for my family in the event of an emergency situation of some sort.  I believe we have been counseled by Prophets of the Lord to do this, which is why it has always been a goal for me.  But in recent years, I've learned that the Red Cross and FEMA are also encouraging people to do this.  And in light of some of the events of the last decade, I can totally see why:  hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, overwhelming job loss.  The reasons for being prepared are many.  And I don't think we've seen the end of these things.

So having a long-term supply of food has long been important to me.  And I would start putting forth efforts to accomplish the goal.  And then I'd get bogged down.  I was at a loss as to how to figure out what I needed:  what kinds of food?  how much of those items?  And so it would fall to the bottom of my priority list.

Then I got married.  And my husband had come from a home where having food storage was done.  And he was very good at rotating through the food -- using the food storage in everyday cooking and eating.  That way none of it went to waste.  And so he started teaching me.

Together we started working on obtaining the staples:  wheat, flour, sugar, macaroni, powdered milk.  And we started labeling things with the date so as to know how much we would need for a year or two.  This has given me so much peace of mind.  We feel confident that our family can survive for a time in an emergency situation (whatever that situation may look like for us).  We aren't exactly where we want to be...  But we are somewhere.  And that's a good thing.

Over time, though, I started thinking about our long-term food supply.  And I thought about some of the things that we use all the time, but which are not as easy to store long-term.  Eggs.  Butter.  And, truthfully, the eggs were the first thing that drew me to THRIVE.  I wanted eggs in my long-term food storage -- eggs that would keep for longer than 3 months and wouldn't require a refrigerator.  I attended a THRIVE party, I bought eggs, and I learned about all the other awesome stuff THRIVE has.  It was fun and exciting.

But I didn't decide to become a consultant.  And I didn't order more stuff.

I was at a different point in my life then.  Newly-wed.  Working full-time.  Preparing to start a family.  Food storage was still of great importance to us, though.  And so were our 72-hour kits.  So we worked on those things.  And honestly, I could kick myself now for not joining THRIVE sooner as a consultant!  The perks are amazing.  But, like I said, I was at a different place in life.

But life changes.  We change.  And a little seed had been planted at that first THRIVE party where I ordered whole egg powder.  A little seed that started to sprout about 3 1/2 months after my daughter was born and I was feeling a need to contribute financially to our family income (I'd quit my job to be a stay-at-home mommy).  Still, life was in upheaval then, and the timing still wasn't right.  But the little seed sprout was still there.  And almost a year later, I attended another THRIVE party, and that seed just started growing and growing and growing -- right then and there!  I knew this was something I wanted to do.  I wanted to bring in some income while being home with my daughter.  But at the same time I wanted to have an opportunity for me to get out and do something fun for me.  I wanted flexibility to do a job on my schedule.  THRIVE offers me that.

If someone had asked me a decade ago if I'd ever consider being a consultant for a company -- going into people's homes to introduce them to a product and earning a commission...  I'd have said heck no!  I didn't feel like that was something I'd ever be comfortable doing.  I don't ever want people to feel like I am pressuring them.  I don't ever want people to feel like I have an expectation that they will purchase something through me.  But like I said, life changes.  We change.  And while my feelings about not wanting people to feel pressured are still there and still true, I feel like I can represent something -- share something -- without offending or pressuring others.  But only if it's something I believe in.

I was introduced to THRIVE, and I liked it.  A lot.  Enough to choose to represent it and introduce it to others. I love that these foods have a long shelf-life so I can create a home store full of variety.  I love that these foods are healthier because they are freeze-dried to make them last longer, and there are no added preservatives to make them that way!  I love that the foods come "user-friendly" -- ready to use!  It saves me so much time when I don't have to rinse and chop veggies!  And I love that so many of the items are helping me to reduce waste because they won't go bad before I can use them!  (I'm notorious for not using my cilantro, green onions, and mushrooms before they start going slimy and ick on me...  Then I just have to throw them away :(...)

So I knew I loved the products...  And the more I thought about building my home store with THRIVE, I knew becoming a consultant was just a smart decision for our family.  I love the perks of being a consultant, and I am excited about the opportunity of helping others learn how to prepare through this new adventure.

So that is why I THRIVE.  It's easy to THRIVE!  And it's fun, too!