Chapter 1 of the Yager Youth Leadership Conference 2016

The bus pulled into the parking lot of Limestone College, Gaffney, South Carolina. 

The campus was full of green grass, and brick buildings. 

As we exited the bus, I was starting to fill with curiosity and excitement, yet still completely clueless as to what I should expect to feel, see, hear, touch- EXPERIENCE. 

All campers had to congregate in a building called, "Dixie". 

I entered Dixie, and didn't expect to immediately see Crown Ambassador in the Amway business, Jay Kim jumping around or something. 

For a couple of years, I have only seen him over social media, and we have interacted here and there and I felt a good virtual friendship, but now it was him in the flesh! So cool! 

I also spotted immediately the grandson, and my other really good virtual friend, of legendary network marketers, Dexter and Birdie Yager.

Finally, everything started to make more sense as to why I was there. 

Excitement really started to flood into my heart. I was excited for what I was about to learn and experience, the people I was meeting. I felt a force take over me. 

I knew that being there would be the adventure of my life thus far. 

Aaron Yager & I

Jay Kim & I

The staff at YYLC were extremely enthusiastic, and excited to be there, greeting campers from different parts of the US and the world. I felt right at home immediately. I can hardly remember what happened that first day. 

There was so much one takes in. 

From new friends from Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, different states of the US, Greece, Latvia, Slovakia, Canada, Ukraine, etc, to soaking in the environment around you- a complete immersion into a period in one's life that would be unforgettable, invaluable, and filled with immense love. 

I felt that God was truly present there. Watching over us. Passing His Love, Peace and Joy to us. Thinking of it now brings me to tears. 

When you arrive to the first session, you are thrown into a dance party, and you're kind of like, "What do I do?" But then, you start to join in and let go and just dance and laugh with the campers around you. I will never forget those moments. 

"YYLC" <3

Doyle & Holly Yager greeted us on stage. I had seen Doyle & Holly on stage at the Yager 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2014. It was surreal being able to see them again, but much closer!

To be able to attend YYLC is a major investment. The Law of Association is at work, and you grow significantly just by being around those who are at a high level than you, but who are pushing you up as well! You can't hide from it! You can't stop it! 

Doyle & Holly Yager

The next morning, we went on a morning run. It was fantastic! It felt great to get back on the pavement and just run. I had put aside running daily and long distance for a while to commit time to olympic weightlifting. So it was so refreshing (and painful!) to run again. I felt I did quite well!

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

My Life Coach during my Uber Drive + My first YYLC friends | My Journey to YYLC

After Mass, I called my Uber driver to take me to uptown Charlotte. His name was Jeremy! 

He was so sweet and personable, and we had a great conversation about his life during the ride which inspired me and got me really thinking about this lifestyle blog- Sirena of Guam.

That conversation was such an affirming experience for the path I chose to be on- entrepreneurship. 

He told me that he had just left his job in the hotel industry after being in it for nearly 10 years.
He hired a life coach to help him discover what his purpose was in life, and he found that he as well wants to be a life coach. I admire the leap he made, and I hope he continues on with that plan.
Because just from getting to know him, I believe he can do succeed as a life coach!

We exchanged contact info to stay in touch and keep up with each other's progress, but unfortunately, I accidentally deleted the note I made when I was copying and pasting another text on to my notes!
I'm trying to get his info from Uber or contact him via my Uber account. It's a bit hard, and I understand that due to privacy policies or whatever.
I just hope I get in contact with him soon!


This same day, I officially started my journey to YYLC.
We took an hour and a half long bus ride from the Charlotte Douglas Airport to Gaffney, South Carolina.

We waited at the airport for bit before heading to Gaffney, and I sat next to a young girl named Kaitline :) I believe this was her second time attending the camp.
And she was very sweet and kind. Her parents are a part of the industry I am in as well. And generally speaking, we are all about helping others become entrepreneurs, chasing their dreams, and touching the people around them. I was glad to see that this young girl was attending a camp that would help grow her into a beautiful young driven leader.
I hope to see her again and talk to her more next year. : )



Then, we were joined by a tall, pretty girl named Katerina.
She was all smiles, and asked if she could sit with us because she was excited to meet new people.
She is from the Czech Republic, and we talked about her life there.
I was fascinated about how much she knew. From the airport, to the bus, all the way to Gaffney, we talked about how much she felt it was important for her to build a business in the Czech Republic as well as to help other people do the same thing. She believes in a free country like America because she knew of the sufferings that the Czechs experienced from a Communist and a communist government.



These are just two of the incredible young people I met at the Yager Youth Leadership Conference.
They are great examples of the type of leaders we will see in the world in the near future.
We believe in helping others achieve their dreams and goals with the free-enterprise system. <3

Although I am no longer travelling, this experience has taught me to open my heart to others and make friends wherever I go.
Did you make new friends today?

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Mass at St. Ann's + the missing Poor Clares | My Journey to YYLC

It was my second day in Charlotte, and I had already managed to drop by a crossfit gym, make a handful of lifelong friends, and was about to head to morning Mass at St. Ann's. 

Upon entering the church, I felt that I was transported back in time. 

The church interior is beautiful! 

Photo Credit: Regina Magazine

The Mass was celebrated very solemnly. There wasn't any music. 

It was just you and the priest who was unfolding the beautiful sacrifice about to take place. 

The Gospel from that day was Mt. 11, 20-24 (Click on verse to be taken to the full Gospel). 

I got to walk around the beautiful church's property a bit.

On my GPS, I saw that there was a religious community there called the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.
But was later informed that they were no longer living there.
I wish I had met them because watching the video below shows how beautiful this community is and what their mission is about:

It's funny because I initially thought they were in a building a couple minutes away from St. Ann's Church, so I planned that I would call my Uber driver to take me there before dropping me to uptown Charlotte. 

We kept driving in circles until we realised that it was literally within the same property. I thanked my Uber driver for tolerating the confusion. And asked one of the church workers about where the Poor Clares were, and they informed me that they had moved.

After that little pickle, I eventually called Uber again to take me to uptown Charlotte. 

My driver for this trip was a wonderful young guy named Jeremy, who shared with me about his life and what his pursuits were. This Uber trip conversation was actually one of the most valuable conversations of the trip before heading off to YYLC.
But we'll save that for the next post : ) 

Outside of St. Ann's, the sky was beautiful!

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Crossfit in Charlotte, NC | My Journey to YYLC

While I was touristing around in Charlotte, I got to stop by two CrossFit gyms. 

The first one I stopped by was one called CrossFit Eternal.

I'm so glad I stopped by this box. I didn't know what to expect, but upon arrival, I could tell I was gonna have a good workout, and meet cool people, which I did. 

Here are some photos and a short video of our WOD <3 I definitely plan on coming back to this box when I stop by Charlotte again. 

Crossfit Eternal, Charlotte, NC

The next day I stopped by another awesome box called Metro CrossFit in the afternoon. 

The facility was so nice and our WOD KILLED ME. lol. 

I also will definitely drop by this box again! They were so friendly and great to workout with. 

Barbell at Metro Crossfit

If you haven't tried CrossFit, you definitely should. And don't listen to all the naysaying out there!
 It is a great method of getting fit and staying fit! And you workout according to your fitness level, so get out to a crossfit box and try it asap!
I train out of Chamorri CrossFit in Pick-A-Nail road in Tamuning!
If you're ever interested, let me know, and we can arrange to a date and time for you to try out a session.

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Let Someone Be Christ to You Today | My Journey to YYLC 2016

As I was sitting down in 7th Street Public Market, two young ladies sat on the table across from me. 

They had ordered pizza for lunch, and just before eating their food, they put their heads down and hands together and prayed over their food. 

I thought it was a beautiful thing to see. It's rare you see people pray over their food anymore in gratitude to God for providing. 

I wanted to go up to them and let them know that what they did was admirable, and to encourage them to continue to do what they did. 

I got distracted after that thought by a message from the AirBnB website from a BnB I was interested in staying at. 

So, I was trying to figure out taking a bus to my AirBnB, and then, the girls came back with dessert. I decided to ask them if they could help me. 

We then started to get to know each other, and just like that- we hit it off. 

I mentioned these two girls in my first post. Their names are Michelle and Christian. 

As we were discussing how to get to my BnB, Michelle and Christian both looked at each other, and Michelle said, "We'll take you." 

My heart dropped. I couldn't believe it. They were willing to give me, a stranger all the way from an island they've practically never heard of, a ride.

To this day, I owe them my life.

It was an amazing time getting to know both of them. 

As well as being invited to Michelle's house and getting to know her sister Catherine. 

And this was only the beginning of my journey, and I felt like I had been vacationing for a month already. Time did not exist! 

We had to drop Christian off earlier in the day :( so we didn't get to talk as much.
But just from the short time I spent with her, I must say that I loved being around her. She was full of joy and laughter. She was sweet, and caring. And I honestly am so glad to have met her.
In my time with Michelle,
we realised how similar we are to each other and how much we love God! 

I felt like God sent them to me to let me know that He will always keep me safe,
and that I was right to trust in Him. 

Initially, I didn't want to let Michelle take me around and practically be my chauffeur.
But one thing she said struck me- "Sirena, let me be Jesus to you." 

Wow! What a lesson I learned. Many times, people want to do good things, but we are so guarded and suspicious of people, that we end up pushing those opportunities for them to do good deeds for others. 

So, today, if someone offers to do something for you, says something nice about your hair or outfit, or even smiles at you, respond back with a smile, a gesture of love and compassion, words of gratitude, and assurance that what they're doing is appreciated and received. 

Michelle is a photographer, and a very awesome one for that matter. 

Michelle

And Christian is a very talented singer and actress! 

Christian

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Sirena of Guam in Charlotte! | Journey to YYLC 2016

July 11, 2016
For those who don't live in Guam, ya gotta know that travelling from Guam to the East Coast is truly an adventure in and of itself.

I've been travelling literally for a whole day just to get here- Charlotte, North Carolina. 

You're probably wondering what a little Guam mermaid such as myself is doing all the way out in the East Coast. 

Well, I am travelling all the way out here to attend the Yager Youth Leadership Conference!

YYLC is a weeklong event where young adults go to learn from leaders in the industry that I am in. 

I am so stoked for it!

So far, I've already made amazing friends here:
Wonderful, talented women, Michelle and Christian!
Michelle is a photographer here in Charlotte, and Christian is a singer and actress!
I am so blessed to have met them here!
God has really shown me that if I trust in Him, things will come together!
(more to come on Michelle and Christian in next post!)

Update as of July 19, 2016 
I wasn't able to complete this post when I was writing it! But that's okay!
Here is the rest of my journey in a nutshell.
I got to eat drink my favourite kind of drink- Match Green Tea Latte at a fantastic place called
Not Just Coffee which is located in the 7th Street Public Market the uptown part of Charlotte.

I found it amazing that not only was there a fantastic coffee shop, there were also several food shops/restaurants within this studio area (I suppose you could call it that- a wide room space).

There was a pizza and sandwich booth which had a vegan sandwich that was to die for (picture below), an acai bowl booth, a crepe stand, and even a little farmer's market.
I was fascinated by this one small space within Charlotte!

Lastly, there was a booth called  VIVA RAW- a local juice brand.
I think there was lot of "law of attraction" things going on.
Not that I believe in that kind of stuff in a way that subtracts God from the equation, but simply, God telling me "Hey- remember this idea you had? Yeah- it's being done here. And I believe you can actually do it for yourself."
I got to speak to the actual founder and owner of the brand. He was manning the counter that particular day I was there, which was awesome. Scott is a great fellow, and simply wants to spread the goodness of drinking juiced fruits and vegetables.
Read his story here.

Loved this one. : ) 

The man himself with his back facing the camera.

Bought a lovely tote and a shirt. <3 

TO BE CONTINUED :D
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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Don't Let It Affect You the Wrong Way... | Your Quote of the Day

I'm not going to make this post without acknowledging the current events of our country. 

Mainly the Dallas police shooting. 

Even though in my #qotd Dexter is speaking specifically about the economy, we should apply this to everything in life.
The quote I am sharing with you today is one of strength, and is a reminder that though we live in times where bad news is concentrated all over the internet, the news outlets, the world, etc, we mustn't let it affect HOW WE AFFECT the world. 

Whatever happens out there is a result of how people are currently letting events affect them. Therefore they affect the world negatively by causing evil upon others. 

Don't be like them. 

Don't spread the same evils because of your fear. 

Don't talk about it only for the sake of having to talk about it. Most especially don't let that fear turn into violence. 

If you're going to talk about it, then also have a plan of action to better the situation to bring hope and light to others. 

Whether it's your personal life, your financial situation, the economy, or in society, don't let whatever bad things that happen in the world affect you. 

You affect the world by doing good things because that will wash out the bad. The bad will always be there, but you don't have to drown in it. 

The secret is in always wanting to give good by showing love to all those you encounter every day. 

So today- even though we will be seeing bad news online and on TV, go help someone who needs helps. Go tell the person you are holding unforgiveness toward that you forgive them. Go start that business you've always wanted to start that will help others. Go inspire a homeless person to get a job and provide for themselves. 

Go do something with love that combats the evil we are seeing today. 

Dedicate your life to this mission. 

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Snappy Chatty 👻 crownsirena | IG @sirenaofguam  

With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Do Not Be Worried About Your Life... | Your Quote of the Day (Matthew 6: 25-27)

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single h our to his life?” (Matthew 6:25-27) #prayhopedontworry #qotd#LiveLikeNoOneElse

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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

"Preparation, Disorganisation, & the 100 THINGS CHALLENGE" | Your Quote of the Day

This quote of the day is pretty personal to me because I have to be transparent about it. 

I haven't been good at preparing for my goals lately. 

The big question is 

Why? 

Well, If you don't know me quite as personally as my parents know me, 

then this might be a shock to you. 

The thing is- I am one of the most disorganised people I know. 

Naturally, I'm disorganised. I'm impulsive. I'm indecisive. I'm all over the place. 

I'm discombobulated. I'm always in "react" mode. Sometimes, even in panic mode. 

Why I feel organisation is key to preparing for achieving goals 

So, this year, I've been really trying to intentionally work on being more organized.  

I know that if I'm more organised, I can see my goal more clearly, 

and from there be able to prepare accordingly. 

I was listening to the Michael Hyatt podcast, Season 3: Episode 5 called 

"The Top-10 Characteristics of Lousy Leaders." 

Click here to listen to this amazing podcast episode. 

Michael pointed out that disorganisation is one of those characteristics. 

Yes. I was pretty embarrassed as I sat in my bedroom trying to figure out what to do with my things, where to put them, and panicking about where I am going to find the time to take care of this all and get it to where I want it to be- minimalistic...immaculate, even. 

Ok. So now that I know why being more organised would help me, I need to take the first step to being organised. And what is that first step? 

DECLUTTERING. 

Yeah, I'm being really honest. I need to declutter. I need to throw away the things I don't need.

From my bedroom, to my car- it's pretty bad. 

It's clear that if I decluttered, I can be rid of the frustration of clutter. 

Therefore, I will have the energy then to organise all the areas of my life. 

Once I am able to get that right- I know that the path to my goals will be more clear 

because I don't have all this frustration and clutter built up in my mind or in my bedroom/house/car/etc. 

Alright, so how am I, Sirena, going to achieve decluttering and organization?

First, I decided I am going to take the challenge from a fellow Chamorro, Leo Babauta, from http://zenhabits.net/minimalist-fun-the-100-things-challenge/. 

This will be a 30 day challenge. 

Below are Leo's reasons why we should take this challenge that I copy and pasted from the article: 

Why go through the challenge?

A few reasons:

To help you declutter your home.

To make you realize what’s necessary, and what you love, and what you don’t need.

To free yourself of the burden of possessions.

For fun.

To force you to stick to the limit, even if you get new things.

Do you want to join me in this challenge? 

Comment or email me at sirenamafnas@gmail.com to join this challenge to decluttering.


P.S. 
Please keep in mind that any references I make to other articles from other websites
 does not mean I hold all the views and opinions expressed on the referred article and website or condone all tips, strategies and/or practices that are suggested on the article or website.   
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding any specific article or website that I refer here on my blog. Thank you! 

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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Where Evil Draws Its Power | Your Quote of the Day + Reflection

Today's quote of the day is taken from the Catholic Apolos apologetics group. 

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI hit the nail right on the head with this point. 

It's such a simple, practical lesson and that is what really boggles me about the spiritual life.  

Maybe most of us haven't yet realised it yet, or maybe we knew about this but have forgotten. 

Either way, mustn't take this lightly. 

Have you ever read C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters?  

If you haven't, you should. You MUST. 

Here is a quote:

It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. 

― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

As you can see, it's in the little things like indecision and concern for what others think that evil has the most power. 

Don't forget this. 

Apply this to every moment of your life.

Everyday is a spiritual battle from the moment we awaken. 

Fight the good fight with holy decisions and concern for what our Lord will think. 

 

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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

True Greatness | Your Quote of the Day + Reflection

I always struggle with myself about what it takes to reach the same level of sanctity as the saints we read about. 

For as long as I've known this after hearing talk many talks from Catholic speakers and from priests sermons, I constantly have to remind myself that there is no secret at all in being holy. 

There isn't any magical fairy dust that changes you in an instant. 

If there was a secret- 

the only secret about it is that their greatness is in simplicity- 

and it is in the quote you see above. 

"True greatness of the soul is in loving God and in humility." 

Who said this? Jesus. 

Actually, it was the baby Jesus who said this to St. Faustina. 

Faustina asked the baby Jesus how He could know this since He was not yet old enough to read. 

He replied, "I know; I know all things." 

Then, he disappeared. 

I was reading this in the pews of the St. Fidelis Friary chapel after the 12:10 PM Mass, and it gave me chills. I get chills everytime I think about it. 

The things is, Jesus didn't even give Faustina a road map with check points and this and that, etc. 

Our Lord just says 

"True great of the soul is in loving God loving God and in humility."

#divinemercy #God #JesustoFaustina #DivineMercyinMySoul 

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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth 

Are you glad to be alive today? | Your Personal Growth Quote of the Day

Are you glad to be alive today? 

If you haven't thought about it, give yourself a second to be grateful for your life and all the treasures the world has to offer us. 

Save this photo and share it on your social media accounts! 

#anneofgreengables #quotd #personalgrowth 

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With Love, 

Sirena Elizabeth