It’s All In The Way Someone Cares

This blog was originally posted on December 5, 2017 on http://myworldofwords.over-blog.com/it-s-all-in-the-way-someone-cares by the very talented Courtnie Newcomb. Please go to the link provided and check out this blog and many others. 

Everyday someone struggles. Life is hard. Sometimes harder than what feels necessary and it is in the single moment when you feel like giving up that you usually find that one person who makes a difference. Maybe it is a small difference. Maybe someone pays it forward and you are the lucky customer who got their morning coffee paid for. Perhaps it is a community who reaches out and says,”Hey! You are not alone, we are here to help!” It is in those very moments when unexpected kindness is shown that makes you hold on just a little longer. Gives you a little more strength to fight the day. To keep going. To find a new way to survive in this crazy world.

Compassion happens a lot more than we sometimes realize it. It comes from people who know struggle. Who have had to overcome things in their life and want to help others overcome their struggles. Kindness is often shown by the very people who have had kindness shown to them. That is why compassion and kindness matter. Not just sometimes, but all the time! How we interact with people make a difference in how they interact with people and how those people interact with people. A movement that calls for people to come together creates drastic effects of kindness and compassion. When we reach out to help those around us, we start to make a difference in not just our communities but our towns, states, and whole country and beyond. The struggle to find employment, to find housing needs, to make your dollars stretch, are real struggles. In a world that is full of greed and money hungry companies, it is often hard to find compassion and kindness in areas such as the job market, real estate needs, even buying a car (used or new) has become something of a nightmare.

Luckily for those struggling now, there are those who have struggled with moves, jobs, and surviving themselves and have overcome dealing with the anxieties, stress and even the depression life brings on us and who now are reaching out to try and make a difference. There are those who understand the difficulties that life can throw at you and want to help you through those difficulties. People who will take your hand and walk you through the very processes of getting you where you need to be whether it is finding a job, getting you off the streets or out of the hotels and into your own home, giving you a community to be a part of that’ll lend you support, or simply finding you resources or giving you tips to help you succeed. People who care are out there. Compassion is like breathing for some people who know that the struggles of life are real.

Lindsey Litton is one of those people. She is a military spouse, mother of two little kids, and co-founder of The MilHousing Network. She has been through several moves, deployments, and even job loss. She’s struggled with anxiety and depression. And, she’s overcome it all. As a licensed realtor she helped many San Antonio military families find homes and sell homes in quick time frames. She knows how difficult it is to find a realtor who truly understands the needs of military families. Now with The MilHousing Network, her and her business partner and military spouse, Karina Gafford, work to make families transition a little easier. Since starting The MIlHousing Network, they have built a team of people dedicated to walking along side military families as they move from one place to the next. Their Network, The MilHousing Network, is an online community for military spouses bringing them not only PCS and housing resources but also employment and training options. Through the online community there is a place for people to come together and find support. They offer everything ranging from DIY to employment and real estate needs–their pre-screened and vetted MilHousing Agents can help you buy, sell or rent anywhere in the country. The best part, it is not only for active military families. Her and her team are just as dedicated to helping veterans as well as those transitioning from military life to civilian life. Lindsey, Karina and their team are committed to providing you with the best housing and employment options in real estate. The fact that she has a team of people who know both military life and civilian life is the biggest plus. They are people who really take the time to get to know your family and you and the needs of your family. They aren’t in it for the big money or the big name, they are there to help make your life a little easier.

It isn’t always easy to find realtors these days who stand out from the crowd and make a difference with the compassion they show. That is why Lindsey and Karina deserve the recognition and the word on them passed around. They are a team worth taking your real estate needs to. Whether it is for employment, real estate or the simple need to find people who know and understand the struggles of life, they are a movement of people to be reckoned with and who stand out. The resources Lindsey and Karina have to help you are just the start of what makes them so great. Their connections and collaboration with other businesses who are as equally dedicated to bringing you and your family the best services are what also makes them different and unique. They work along side teams like 10,000 Strong. Another amazing group of people committed to helping and honoring our active military, veterans and their families.

Why go to anyone else when you can have a team of dedicated people on your side who want to be the very reason you succeed? Lindsey and Karina don’t want you to only survive, they want to help you overcome the struggles of military life, employment, and everyday anxieties and depression.

I’m sharing about Lindsey Litton and her inspiring story because while I personally do not know what it is like to have to deal with deployment or constant moves, I am now the spouse of an Army veteran whose struggles transitioning from military life to civilian life has not been easy and I have rode this crazy part of his life with him. He’s found stable employment in the oilfield where he is gone 2-3 weeks every month, sometimes even longer when the jobs calls for longer hitches. So I am left to tend our home, take care of our kids, and find ways to manage life by myself. Luckily, I am never without the support and love of my husband. Without his support, I’m not sure I could constantly face the struggles of being an oilfield wife. It’s much similar as being a military wife. Only I don’t face 12-18 month long deployments. But I am without my other half for anniversaries, birthdays and holidays sometimes. His job is often just as dangerous and I fear those middle of the night calls, never knowing what it might bring. Always hoping it is my husband calling to tell me he loves me and not his work calling to tell me there’s been an accident. Because of his job and how often he’s away, holding a real job is near impossible. I found Lindsey’s story to be extremely relatable and I feel many others can relate as well. My husband, knowing the struggles of transitioning from military to civilian life and the struggles of many veterans today, now strives to help other transitioning military families and veterans struggling to find decent paying jobs. He’s gotten many people jobs working with him. We are now in the process of starting a foundation so we can help even more people coming out of the services find good paying jobs in the oilfield or even veterans who have been out for some time and are still struggling to find good paying employment.

Together with groups such as The Litton Group, The MilHousing Network, MilTribe and 10,000 Strong, we hope we can make as big of an impact on others. We are not just reaching out a hand for military! We are wanting to help find oilfield jobs for those who are healthy enough to take on a job that requires physical strength but also mental strength. I personally want to help build a strong community for oilfield wives to connect and share our triumph’s and struggles because, God knows, being an oilfield wife is hard work.

Below I am sharing only a portion of Lindsey’s story and I hope that those reading can relate. If you or someone you know is a military spouse or veteran spouse needing employment and are interested in real estate where you can work from wherever you need to move, reach out to Lindsey and her team. Or if you or someone you know is needing to sell your home or find a new home quickly due to a military move or transition, contact Lindsey and Karina. I promise, you won’t find people more dedicated to serving you and your family’s needs with more understanding, care and compassion than Lindsey and the committed team of people beside her. If you are a transitioning military family or a veteran or simply in need of a good job and can work the brutal hard work of the oilfield industry, my information is provided as well. We are committed to helping you find and prepare for employment in the oilfield industry. I am dedicated to bringing oilfield families support, tips on survival while your other half is on hitches, and a community so you don’t ever have to feel alone.

Take a minute to read Lindsey Litton’s words and feel free to checkout their website and join their movement. Be sure to spread the word as well.

Be inspired.

Love,

C.

From Lindsey Litton,”I have to tell you, sharing my personal story (failures included) wasn’t easy. It’s easy to look at someone’s successes and assume that it has always been smooth sailing–yet we all know that’s not reality. I’ve been publicly silent about my personal battle with depression and the many failures. After loosing my job, I felt lost and purposeless. It wasn’t until I found real estate did I start to feel my drive, spark and energy again.

I never talked about when we learned we’d be moving to Colorado that part of my depression crept back in–I was scared of loosing my career again. I didn’t want to share my insecurities publicly because I didn’t want others to know that deep down inside I was struggling to keep up appearances. It was easier to show them the good things.

And so last night, in a (very) tight formal dress, I stood before 200+ people and I told them my story–the good, the bad and the ugly that got me to be the leader, the mom and the friend that I am today.

It isn’t the successes that make us great, it’s the failures.

As I stood up there last night, and as we called upon our team to stand with us, I can’t help but reflect upon the changes we are making (slowly yet surely) for other military spouses so they too don’t have to feel alone like I once did.

Military life is isolating. However, the true power comes when we work together. If you’ve ever thought things are hopeless or why start a career–Karina and I ask you to join us. We are starting a movement that will change the way military spouses think about careers. I feel incredibly blessed to have found my calling, my mission and my purpose in life. Last night put it in perspective–I must share my story and the stories of my fellow military spouses so others can join us.

This wouldn’t be possible without the support of our team, fellow military spouses and veterans championing behind us, my family and my husband, Reuben.

Without the consistent love, support and encouragement Reuben provides none of this would be possible. He sees me at my best and at my worst (literally carrying me at times). He consistently reminds me that I need to keep going. He tells me daily how proud he is of me and when no one else stands with me, he’s at my side. I’m forever grateful. It’s people that transformed me from a woman on a mission to a leader creating a movement. I’m honored to be on this journey and to share it with so many special people.”

WEBSITE: MilHousingnetwork.com HELP LINDSEY AND JOIN HER MOVEMENT!!

For me, you can comment here or reach me for more information on how you can find oilfield work or take part in our foundation at MyWorldofWords@Yahoo.com. If you would like to speak directly to my husband, please email me your name, phone number, email address and good time for you to be reached. Please note, he’s active oilfield so if he does not respond right away, it is because he is on hitch and will do so when he gets home.