Ready, Set, Glow! Stories to Spark Your Glow

Goal Accomplished: Diva Dashing for Me…What is it for YOU?

09 10 12
Ready to Rock the Diva Dash, September 8, 2012
(photos courtesy of Debbie Chuckran)

All dressed up and an incredibly special place to go…the culmination of a summer’s worth of commitment, sweat, and determination to get in the best shape of my life.  A day (to be shared with 7, 799 other women) that shimmered with the promise of fun, adventure, friendships, and the opportunity to show myself of what I am now made.

On June 28, knowing I respond well to an externally-driven, time-sensitive goal, I signed up to run the Diva Dash, a 5K run with obstacles along the way.  I had never been a runner, and it was on this day that I decided to expand my identity and become one.  On the same day, in the final weeks of recovering from a nasty sprained ankle, I started running a humble 2 minutes in intervals with 4 minutes of walking.

Diva Dash Hula-ing

Flash to two days before the Diva Dash, on September 6, 2012, and there I am, ready and eager…running 40 quite ‘glistening’ minutes on my treadmill and practicing my 2-minute plank (up from 15 seconds).  I knew I was as ready as one summer of commitment without fanaticism (which I well knew could turn me off to exercise forever) could make me.

On September 8, sporting hot pink tutus and bright rainbow striped socks, we smiled for some goofy, fun photos to commemorate the day, piled into my friend’s van, and made our way to the Marshfield Fairgrounds with plenty of time to spare before our 10:45 wave began.

Rumors of pits filled with hot, sticky marshmallows, of mud, of water had us all guessing…but really how hard could an event called “The Diva Dash” be?

Rope Wall

Thousands of brightly dressed people swarmed the fairgrounds, licking free samples of Yasso Frozen Yogurt Bars, twirling their hips in hula hoops, and jumping on stage with their teams for the photo opportunity with the Shape Diva Dash logo.  I felt like a kid let loose in a mall with a bunch of friends – so many things to explore, so many people to look at, and no place else we had to be.  No children, no laundry, no responsibilities calling our name.  We talked, we wandered, and we carefully noted the bling and accessories we admired for our next foray into running.

The hot sun beat down on us, broken by occasional and welcome clouds.

I wish I could report I ran the whole 5K, but alas, I can’t.  I finished the whole race but didn’t run its entirety.  It included a LOT of hills running over roots in the woods…and did I mention the hot sun?  The obstacles were fun and didn’t present much in the way of challenge, but the hills…well, they were a different story.  I can tell you that I fared far better than I would have at the beginning of the summer, and that I am immensely proud of what I have accomplished.  I am in the best shape of my life, and now I know what additional training I need to add for next time so I’ll be in even better condition.

Finish Line!

Next time, you say?  Absolutely.

Next time, I will find a way to train on woodsy, hilly terrain.  I’ll drag my son Ben and our dog Stuart with me if I have to!  Next time, I will train in the blazing hot sun.  Next time, I’ll know that the obstacles, though not intimidating, add to the wear on your body, so I’ll run intervals with strength training in between.

I love that I’m already thinking about the next time.  Creating goals, big, hairy audacious ones (like running a 5K when you haven’t ever been a runner)…well, that’s for me the spice of a really happy life.

But today I will still myself for a moment and revel in a milestone completed, the feeling of connection amongst new friends with shared experience, and the new look and feel of a much leaner body.  Is that really me?  It totally and completely is.

I’m pretty sure the days in which most of us might have looked fetching in hot pink tutus are firmly in our past, but the days in which we can have fun in them are clearly not numbered.

Victory Pyramid!

Today’s Ready, Set, Glow Question for YOU:

What time-sensitive big hairy audacious goal can you put in place that will drive you to a higher level of confidence and satisfaction with your life?  And, equally important, what can you do TODAY to start moving you toward that goal?  Do that thing NOW then tell me about it in a comment on the blog or on Facebook if you’re willing to share!

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Expanded Identity, Health and Vitality

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I Don’t Do Boards

08 29 12
Moel Famau streaming sun breaks through the he...

(Photo credit: jimmedia)

Picture a classroom full of teenage girls who so don’t want to be there. They stare at the floor or the wall, contemplate their pregnant bellies, roll their eyes, drum their fingers on the table…anything to avoid eye contact.

The energy is stagnant. Stuck. Nada. Zip.

They won’t engage, and their lives as they know them, depend on it.

I patiently scan the room for zones of warmth, tiny sparks of energy, and settle on the sweet-faced girl in the front row, about to blossom into real beauty, her heart still constricted by whatever events led her to this classroom.

I draw her out, engage her in a small conversation…she appears to relax.

I ask, “Would you please come up to the board? We need your help with something.” I hold out a white board marker, willing her to take it, to change the trajectory of her days by engaging, even for a moment, in a world beyond her teenage suffering.

Sudden, awkward moment of stillness in an already too-quiet room.

She looks up, makes clear eye contact, and utters the phrase that reverberates in my head for days: “I don’t do boards.”

I realize instantaneously how adequately that sums it up. The decision point came long ago (which can yet still be changed in a heartbeat!): I don’t do boards. I will live in the safety of the square foot of space around my chair. I will not venture beyond my comfort zone, which is achingly, crushingly small. I will not step into the world of possibility out there. I’m safe here, even in my misery. Here I will stay. I own this part of my identity with clarity and strength: I don’t do boards.

I scan the room…some girls alone, surrounded by hazy touch-me-not space, some girls sitting in pairs, focused only on the content in the space between them…and hear the silent chorus: “We don’t do boards.”

The wounds they carry are deep, their expectations of any adult in their midst, low.

How could we, two adults from different worlds, in one night, make a difference? We’ll likely never know for sure if we did, but we had to try.

I choose to believe that being willing to expose our vulnerabilities, our private griefs, our previous limitations…and caring enough to spend a beautiful summer night urging them to participate in the very making of their lives, in forging new and expanded identities, did make a difference for some. The difference could be small, a momentary shake up of their world view, a sun’s ray breaking through a dark cloud for only an instant, but an instant can change everything. And we had to try. We’ll NEVER make a difference if we don’t TRY.

So here’s a question for those of us (including me!) who, ideally, would know better by now: Where in your life do you “not do boards”?

And is that the path you will continue to choose?

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Expanded Identity

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Moments of Joy 4

08 28 12
Camel ride at Marshfield Fair

We’re pretty high up there! Every time the camel swayed it felt like we were going to slide right off. Ben found another “ride” he likes at the Marshfield Fair!

Remembering that when I count my moments of joy, my moments of joy count more…

My hope is that as you read these, they remind you of moments in your life – little and large – that brought you joy and will do so again when relived and remembered.  Studies show that the more you think about happy times, the more neural pathways you create in your brain to happiness!

  1. Achieving my goal of doing a two-minute plank!  It took me weeks and weeks to work up to it, but I did it!  (A plank is when you’re holding your body off the ground with your arms, like at the beginning of a sit up.  When I first tried it, I lasted 15 seconds, and my arms were already shaking like crazy!)  I am THRILLED at my progress.
  2. Being able to get into Hero’s Pose during yoga.  This has been a problem because of the healing of my sprained ankle, and I still can’t stay in it, but I can get in it for a moment – that, too, is huge progress.
  3. Stuart’s (our puppy) captivating enthusiasm when we come home after even a short time out.  He wags his entire back-end, beside himself with excitement!  The unconditional love of a dog – who wouldn’t want to be loved like that?!
  4. Running for 36 minutes straight!  (Again, it took a lot of working up to it!)
  5. Riding a camel with Ben at Marshfield Fair – we were both so in the moment and loving it.  His laughter as the camel swayed side to side was magical.
  6. Watching Ben snuggle with a rabbit the same black velvet color as our dog (almost came home with it but my better sense prevailed).
  7. Ben and I on the bumper cars – since we were the only two people the man let us go for an extra turn.  Ben laughed and laughed and laughed when we collided.
  8. Seeing my sweet joyful friend Kelly’s smile at the fair.
  9. Meeting Ben’s new teacher and feeling the sense of excitement and enthusiasm in her about her new venture at his school.
  10. Continually recommitting to getting back on track when I don’t journal or don’t do my breathing.  The relief of letting go of past transgressions (no beat-my-self-ups!) and just re-charting the course gently.  Making constant small improvements to how effectively I follow my “rules” for being more organized, more healthy, more happy.
  11. Seeing less than 142 on the scale for the first time since early teenage years.
  12. The luscious taste of a fresh farm stand tomato.
  13. Hearing Ben’s voice on the phone from Grammy’s during a sleepover.
  14. Experiencing brother Rob’s potential new house – such an amazing feeling in the outdoor space.  It moved me to tears more than once – happy tears, ahhhhhh tears.
  15. Sinking into the world of a good book, The Chaperone.
  16. The many golden moments of practicing Present Time Consciousness with Ben!
  17. Fun night reconnecting with friends we haven’t seen in a long time.  Easy conversation…lovely friends.
  18. Working with my life coach, Carol…who helps me release limiting patterns and beliefs and create pathways to an increasingly happy and abundant future.

Ben, looking over my shoulder, volunteered some of his moments of joy:

  1. Going back to school tomorrow!  ”I feel proud that I’m moving up a level to 4th grade!  I’m happy about a lot of things like seeing old school friends and experiencing a bigger classroom this year than I would have expected.”
  2. “I loved putting all my stuff together for school! I can’t wait until tomorrow!”
  3. “Playing with two of my best friends, Jack and Johnny, in the pool!”

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Moments of Joy

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Searching for Charlie

08 19 12

Flowing Water

When darkness nestles around our house, and my blond-haired wonder has drifted into sweet slumber, I tuck into my office chair, boot up the computer, and resume my search for Charlie.

I don’t actually know my Charlie’s name, I only know that he is out there. I caught a glimpse once of what that flow of energy could feel like — even just online and through texts (imagine endorphins in a crazy swirling, swishing, playing happy dance), and I know now I will not settle for less than a Charlie. It is my baseline request to the Universe. I want what THAT feels like, only in a flesh-and-blood person I can touch and kiss and laugh with.

The man I felt that flow with was actually named Charlie. According to his photos, he was handsome, with an athletic, rugged boy-next-door kind of look, and his written profile was quite captivating. It reflected intelligence, kindness, and thoughtfulness. Plus, he could spell, and he knew how to punctuate his thoughts (not as common as you might imagine!).  Our initial Instant Message session zoomed and zinged with bright energy, in counter pose to the dark black night outside.

I should say I’ve learned the hard way that there are sharks in these waters, and people are not always what they seem, so it’s best to be cautious. And who knows whether the energy present in our IM’ing would translate to chemistry in person? Even so, there was promise.

But there was bad news too.  Charlie had met another woman just before me, and although he felt the pull of energy and flow between us — and appeared to be intrigued, he felt the right thing to do was to see where “Option A” (as I call her) would lead without adding Option B (that’s me :) ) to the mix. Honorable, too, then?! *Sigh*

My ego screamed, “He’s not your guy! Your guy would recognize you right away! He’d know what a find he had! Other women would fade from view as the sun burned through the clouds, illuminating…YOU!”

And my wise old soul responded, “Wait, young one. Do not jump to conclusions. You would, of course, love to be recognized that fast. Who wouldn’t? And perhaps you’re right, and he’s not your guy. But perhaps his nature calls him to handle life, and decisions, differently than the firebrand of your Leo.”

The following day, while doing asanas…in the quiet and space of my yoga mind, the question came: “What’s the gift in this?”

THAT is the question I always hear when my yoga mind finds an opening in the debate. ALWAYS. It is my guiding principle, my grounding and centering question, and has been since the day my late husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. There is GREAT power in that question. It assumes there is a gift, and there ALWAYS is a gift, though it may take weeks, months, and years (not to mention sometimes mountains of faith) to discern it.

And one gift in meeting Charlie is already clear…”Hold out for YOUR Charlie, dear girl, whatever his name may be. Hold out for the partner the wise and benevolent Universe brings to you.  Your frequencies will resonate so clearly, so strongly, so brightly, that you will KNOW it is in flow to pursue…You will feel THAT energy.  He IS out there. You will recognize him. He is unmistakable. Your hearts will collide, connect, and glow brighter when you meet.”

And so, with thanks, once again, to my yoga mind, I sift with discernment, with faith, and with optimism.  I sift, I sift, and I sift, an anticipatory grin in my heart, wondering on which magical day I will find my Charlie – or he will find me.

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Relationships

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Moments of Joy 3

07 29 12
Image

Precious Rain Puddle Day (2005)!

Remembering that when I count the moments of joy, the moments of joy count more:

  1. Watching Ben ride his bike for the first time with tears of joy in my eyes! I have a theory that a mom teaching a child to ride a bike is an oxymoron. My strongest drive (which I must often tame so he can grow!) is to protect him…it is totally counter to my nature to send him hurtling into possible danger (because who doesn’t crash when they first learn to ride a bike?!) But I had been working on teaching him…for hours and hours and hours. I asked our kind neighbor Jeff if he had any suggestions. He threw on his sneakers, came over to us, told Ben to pedal and that he totally had this since “You play baseball and soccer and you’re an athlete…this is going to be easy for you.” Then he ran behind him, holding the seat while Ben got his balance, and let go at first briefly, then longer. Within 10 minutes, he had Ben riding (no crashes!!). My cup spilleth over!
  2. My friend and Uplifting Connections’ customer favorite, Maureen Hancock sharing my last blog entry (my tribute to my late husband, JT) with her 13000 fans – resulting in 848 hits on this blog in one day!! So much lovely feedback, and even a person who was inspired to start transforming her life (which is EXACTLY why I write – I aspire to inspire!). Does life get any richer than this?! And now I’m up to 12 “followers.” :) My goal is 25 followers by the end of July. If you’d like to “follow” this blog see upper left corner to sign up to get notices of when I post entries.
  3. Seeing 145 on the scale :) . Fitting into my size 4 jeans!
  4. An incredible birthday, beginning with Ben, eyes still closed, curled in a ball singing me “Happy Birthday” and ending with dinner with Kathy and Maggie then shopping sales and finally Kathy cutting my hair! Brave on both our parts, but it looks great!
  5. Seeing the BEAUTIFUL flowers from the Uplifting Connections team. Thank you!!
  6. Realizing that, no matter who I had been with on my birthday – or if I had been alone, I still would have been happy because that’s just who I AM now – content, centered, in the moment, joyful. Bliss!
  7. Handling a difficult situation at work directly and clearly, though angry, and then realizing I had totally released the emotions of it within minutes and would carry none of it home with me.
  8. Having a client list of 30 people willing to have a free sample life coaching session! They are sharing their dreams with me in email, and I feel so honored, touched, and blessed that they have opened their lives like that – and ecstatic with the belief that I can help them attain those dreams! My goals is 100 free sample sessions, so if you’re interested, email me at ellie@elliebt.com.
  9. The 84 birthday wishes on my facebook page! The fact that that many people thought of me for long enough on my birthday to write just touches me so deeply.
  10. OMG! I can’t forget my new red rain boots! I’ve always wanted rain boots, always wished when the rain came I had boots to splash around in puddles. One of my favorite photos of little Ben is doing just that. But I always forget between the rain, when I am actually out shopping, that I want them and NEED :) them. And then, tonight, back-to-school shopping at Target, and what do I see but RED RAIN BOOTS! (Red being my absolute most favorite color!) I stopped, gasped with delight, laughed. Ben didn’t know what was wrong with me! I CANNOT wait to splash in the rain! In fact, he’s tucked in bed right now, and although I’m in my pajamas, there are puddles out there if I’m not mistaken…Gotta go!

What was YOUR favorite moment of joy today? Please share in a comment!

Love and Light,

Ellie BT

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Moments of Joy

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For JT on What Would Have Been Our Ten Year Anniversary: In Deepest Gratitude…

Aside

In the mountains of Vermont at the Von Trapp Family Lodge Celebrating Our First Anniversary…

In deepest gratitude

For awakening the core of joy inside me

In that crystal clear moment

Standing belly to belly with the late day golden sun painting our faces

In deepest gratitude

For the wonder of a growing boy

with your twinkly blues eyes, your athleticism, your math skills,

and my fire.

He erupts in a torrent of giggles echoing your giddy chuckle.

And touches the deepest recesses of my soul just as you did

Challenges me daily to further evolve,

Sighs with contentment when he spies a hawk soaring above, watching over us and keeping us safe.

In deepest gratitude

For the lovely stepdaughter you brought into my life.

Kind, smart, intuitive and loving,

Her visits bring sunshine and the reflection of you

We paint our toes and talk of boys, of Ben, of friendships, challenges, and love…

I feel you in the space between us.

In deepest gratitude

For the stability and confidence of your unconditional love…

Your unwavering love and support

For hearing me,

SEEING me

and nurturing my gifts

And for honoring even my shadows.

In deepest gratitude

For all I learned by knowing and loving you

And for all I continue to learn by losing you

In deepest gratitude

For being my knight in slightly dented armor

For opening me to the possibilities of new love, and for your cheering of my quest

For your assistance in my continual evolution and transformation

For guiding me on my butterfly-filled path to freedom and light

In deepest gratitude

For the great honor of loving you,

supporting you,

smiling with you,

laughing with you,

nursing you,

playing with you,

snuggling with you,

exploring with you,

defending you,

admiring you,

respecting you,

adoring you…

In deepest gratitude

For your blue eyes twinkling

When I touched any of your FIFTY ONE tickle spots

And for your shimmer sparkle love light

On the eve of what would have been our 10th anniversary – and my birthday,

As I reflect on our shared journey and mine alone,

Gratitude expands my heart, feeds my soul, and fills my eyes.

“It was no accident,

me finding you,

someone had a hand in it,

long before we ever knew,

and now I just can’t believe you’re in my life,

heaven’s shining down on me

as I look into your eyes…

I tip my hat to the Keeper of the Stars,

he sure knew what he was doing

when he joined these two hearts.”

I love you, JT.

Forever Grateful,

EBT (Ellie Bassick-Trovato)

Written

on 07/27/2012

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The Magic of Being in Flow: The Skull and Crossbones

07 23 12

What’s that Black Flag in the Middle?

Sugar used to be my poison of choice until the Universe had something to say about it.  And, well, my life coach who got the ball rolling.

Here’s how it went.  Carol (my amazing life coach) and I were discussing my plan of action, my RPM (Tony Robbins’ brainchild – can’t recommend him enough!).  My homework had been to craft the Results (my vision) and my Purpose.  They were strong, and I was on fire!  Carol was helping me design my MAP (my Massive Action Plan), and I realized if I was going to overcome my biggest weakness I was going to have to own it and ask for help.  At that time (notice how I’m not longer owning it?) my biggest nutritional weakness was sugar.

“Carol, my biggest challenge is that I’m addicted to sugar.”

Carol asked what I most liked to indulge in.  Yikes, I knew she was going to ruin it for me for forever, but I was committed, so I leaped.  Sugared cereal – any really, but Frosted Flakes and Fruit Loops were on the list – and Purple Cow frozen yogurt from the ice cream stand down the street – with chocolate jimmies on it.

(BTW, this dialogue attempt most likely does not do Carol justice since I can’t remember the exact words, but I want to give you the sense of the conversation…)

“Okay, Ellie.  What does sugar do to your body?”

“Well, it’s not good.  I’ve read that it contributes to depression.  It makes your brain foggy and circuitry faulty.  It sends your body on highs and lows.  It’s definitely not helping my memory or my mood.”

“So close your eyes.  I want you to imagine sugar being poured into that cereal and that ice cream during the manufacturing process…just poured and poured.  Can you see it?  It’s endless, it just keeps going and going.”

“Got it.”

“Okay, now I want you to imagine it’s being poured out of a huge container, a bag.  Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Do you know what the skull and crossbones is?  It’s a symbol for poison, and that’s what that sugar is to your system, Ellie, poison.  I want you to stamp the skull and crossbones on that HUGE bag of sugar in your mind.  Got it?”

“Oh boy, got it.”

I knew it was a powerful moment, but I had no idea yet how the Universe would move to seal the deal.

Not even five minutes after Carol and I finished our session and my MAP, I was sorting through some papers on my desk.  Part and parcel with decluttering my body is decluttering my life in every way (it feels sooo liberating!), and every day I go through something that’s been cluttering my brain by its mere presence – a pile of papers, a messy closet, clothes that don’t fit Ben anymore, music we don’t listen to…

I picked up a crumpled piece of paper, saw a child’s drawing on it and knew it wasn’t Ben’s.  As I contemplated how to “sort” it, something told me to open it and smooth it out.  Smack in the middle of the paper?  The skull and crossbones symbol.  The boys had been creating treasure maps and had crumpled them to make them look old, and what else would be on a treasure map but a skull and crossbones smack in the middle?!

I laughed out loud, thanked the Universe, said “I get it!  I get it!  Sugar is poison.  No more,” and cut out the drawing to put in my Life Coaching folder.  Wow, the Universe moves powerfully when I am in flow.  I sometimes forget that feeling, but it’s been happening more and more lately as my life and dreams come together.  But that wasn’t all.

The next morning, I picked up my iphone and saw that Jen (my stepdaughter) had taken her turn in Draw Something (a game like Pictionary).  I was going to tell Ben (he usually played back and forth with her), but I decided to take a turn with her.  I clicked on “Guess” and watched the video of her drawing…a skull and crossbones!  I chuckled and thanked the Universe again.  Wow, it was really conspiring on my behalf so I’d get this seared into my brain.  Sugar = poison.

Later that day, Ben and I took my mom on a cruise in the Boston Harbor to see the Tall Ships.  It was a beautiful, picture-perfect blue sky day.  As we neared one of the tall ships at their dock, the tour guide said, “Does anyone recognize that flag they are flying?  That’s called the Skull and Crossbones!  It’s the flag that pirates fly.  Usually the Coast Guard would be boarding a ship that was flying that flag.  We don’t know why they are flying it!  We can’t figure it out.”

“I know why!” I thought, laughing.  Wow, the magic of three, the amazing power of the Universe in motion, the beauty of being in flow and paying attention.  Love and support from every corner.

You won’t be surprised to hear my craving and desire for sugar is gone.  It’s been 3 weeks.  No sugared cereal, and no desire for any.  No Purple Cow, and no desire for it.  I indulged in a dessert (a cranberry apple crisp) while at a rehearsal dinner last week, not because there was any sense of urgency, but just because I don’t want to be a nut about it and deprive myself when I do want to try something (that deprivation thing doesn’t go well for me!).  Four yummy bites in, I was all set, and pushed it to the side.  Though it was indeed delicious, that’s all I needed to have the experience and move on.

Life is kinder, happier, and freer without my “addiction” to sugar (BTW, labeling it as “addiction” wasn’t helping me – a word of advice: Be oh, so careful, the labels you apply to yourself – or allow others to apply!).  My brain is working better, my mood is loving and expansive, and I feel blessed to claim one more aspect of my new identity: woman-who-takes-care-of-her-amazingly-smart-and-wise-and-strong-body-and-brain.

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Expanded Identity, Health and Vitality, Uncategorized

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Moments of Joy 2

07 14 12

Remembering that when I count the moments of joy, the moments of joy count more:

  1. Running further and further each time I run!  Oh my sweet sweet body…how fast it’s learning!
  2. The pleasure of an awesome, reliable and sweet and kind babysitter who plays with Ben, takes him places…someone who he says is “on [his] team”!
  3. Putting the finishing touches on a new workshop on Expanded Identity.  Teaching the workshop to the hardest audience we’ll probably ever have and still enjoying the process.  Kathy’s idea to introduce the workshop in the fall at Uplifting.
  4. Laughing like crazy in a pool when Kathy couldn’t get the noodle under her and it kept popping up every which way.  The joy of slipping into the pool when the sun’s rays got too hot.
  5. Huge endless hug from Ben when I picked him at his grandmother’s house.
  6. The joy of Ben’s giggle and pleasure when we’re horsing around.
  7. The pure confidence of being on a path that’s filled with light and forward movement, KNOWING I’m on the right path, KNOWING I’m on it for GOOD.
  8. Setting clear boundaries by letting someone know I did not want to talk about my ex-boyfriend (although I needed to state this several times, I remained calm and clear, which made it a double victory).  Why should we ever talk about things we don’t want to talk about unless there is something to be gained from it (like a new perspective, etc.)?
  9. The fluidity and joy of honestly getting to choose where I want my energy to go in any given moment. The bliss of bringing it back to here and now and focusing in on my highest priority, even if in that moment it’s just taking care of some boring task that’s been on my mind.
  10. Realizing I REALLY have stepped into my expanded identity of taking care of myself.  No sweets in over a week!  Lots of water.  Alkalizing.  Eating only when hungry.  Not letting myself get hungry.  Listening to my intelligent body.
  11. Falling in love with yoga again with the DVD of Wai Lana on Flexibility.  Remembering how amazing the human body is and how much mine responds to my TLC.  Moving deeper and deeper into a stretch that at first felt impossible.
  12. Seeing 147 on the scale again. :)
  13. Realizing the coaching program I have signed up for to earn my certification was exactly the right choice for me as I sifted through the student manual.  I feel like I’ve been coaching for so long but just not calling it that, that I wasn’t sure if it would be a waste of time and money to pay for classes to get certified.  It wasn’t a waste.  There’s a lot of information in the course that’s already part of my arsenal, but there is some that is new, and I LOVE to learn from people I respect.  And I’ll get lots of opportunities to practice!  (Let me know if you want to be a practice client for me!).  AND, they have a whole section on developing your unique brand of coaching, which is absolutely critical to me.  I don’t want to be a cookie cutter coach…I have so much growth and evolution from my own process I KNOW will be valuable to share.
  14. Enjoying the clarity of being on purpose and listening to my intuition about men I meet on match.  The ability to NOT make it a full time job to sort through all the possibilities, but remembering and KNOWING I can turn it over to my angels and guides and my gut to tell me who to pay attention to – and when to stop paying attention.
  15. Taking the time to write this puts a huge smile on my face.  Because it is by writing that I remind myself I am a writer!  And I love it, even when it’s not perfectly written, and even if it just serves to remind me of my moments of joy.

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Moments of Joy

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Moments of Joy

07 09 12

Remembering that when I count the moments of joy, the moments of joy count more, here are some from the last few days:

  1. Stuart (our puppy) eating normally after his trip to the hospital (threw up most of day on July 4th, then threw up blood on July 5th).  Knowing he’s going to be OKAY!
  2. Blogging!  This is just so fun.  I don’t know if anyone will ever read it, but it’s such a commitment on my part to my new expanded identity.  I see it unfolding beautifully and with grace and ease.  I’m addicted to something great!
  3. Working on a puzzle filled with beautiful butterflies.  I love puzzles, and I love butterflies!
  4. Snugglehugging with Ben while he talked about Ninjago.
  5. Ben in 5 feet of water in the ocean for the first time.  Big time stretch of his comfort zone!
  6. Spending time at the beach with friends R and R and 2 other young ladies…beach volleyball and R falling over…laughing so hard it hurt!

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Moments of Joy

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Expanding My Identity: Joining the Diva Dash

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Obstacle Course (Photo credit: tiberiogonzalez)

Those who know me know I’m not a runner.  Slash that.  I wasn’t a runner, but the day I decided to register for the Diva Dash, I became one.  That’s the beauty of expanding your identity.  You just decide on a new aspect of your identity and then, act as that new identity.  Sometimes momentum comes from unexpected sources or events, and you just need to be ready to notice it…the slow build of opportunity and interest where you’re paying attention to things you wouldn’t have noticed before.  And then, before you know it, you’re in flow, heading to glow!

I sprained my ankle a few months ago.  Excruciating really.  I’d prefer not to go back to the details of the story because they bring me right back to the feelings: fear (OMG, I can’t get up…do I need to go to the hospital?  Who is going to take care of Ben?  Of Stuart (our puppy)? Am I going to faint?  No, maybe throw up…), pain, isolation (after the incredible support of the moms who rallied around me at the baseball fields where it happened, I came home to an empty house and literally had to crawl around the house on my knees to find ice, to search for an ace bandage — one of the times I miss my late husband horribly).  But, it led to this great gift, this opportunity to rethink my identity around health and vitality.  Here’s how.

I started physical therapy twice a week.  Suddenly I was moving again because I had to, and I remembered that I loved it!  Warm ups on the treadmill, balance exercises, tons of movement to train my brain and my ankle to remember how to communicate again.  I loved the movement, the paying attention to my body parts, the accountability of having an appointment I had to keep and the blessing of having a person who would tell me exactly what I needed to do to get my ankle healthy again.

As I began enjoying paying attention to my body (and not the derisive attention I had been giving it when I couldn’t fit in my jeans anymore), I started thinking about what else I could do that would give me a GOAL (I do well with specific, time-sensitive goals with some sort of external accountability) and more JOY in my life – the kind of joy that comes from mastering something new and having fun in the process.

Then I heard some cousins talking about a crazy obstacle course they did that day that really pushed their bodies, and I thought the challenge of something like that sounded fun.  That obstacle course was already over, but the seed was planted, and less than 3 days later, back at the baseball field, I heard some moms talking about something called The Diva Dash.  Hmmm, that sounded interesting, and with a name like that it didn’t sound tooo intimidating.   A 5k run with obstacles every 1/2 mile.  Music, fun, and friends at the end.  I was intrigued.  Enter opportunity.  Time to do a little research.

First, did I have any close friends who weren’t already runners who would take the challenge with me?  I was a bit intimidated to join in with the moms who already ran…they already had the toned, athletic, lean bodies I was looking for.   I asked my two closest friends.  One graciously declined, saying “I love you dearly but my desire for a life of grace, ease and flow prohibits me from signing up for anything with the words obstacle course in it.”  LOL, guess she was out.  The other was busy the day of the Dash.

I had to decide whether I was going to dive in the pool alone.

While I was contemplating that, I tackled the next order of business…would my ankle be ready?

I asked my physical therapist, and she not only said yes!  but also gave me the start of a training plan.

Knowing one of my three main goals for the next 3 months was to get in the best shape of my life, my life coach, Carol, had given me several pieces of homework.  One was to listen to Tony Robbins PowerTalk on Expanding Your Identity.  Man, that guy amazes me!  It’s not that he’s always saying something new or earth-shattering (though sometimes he does), it’s the way he says it…totally clear, totally passionate, totally inspiring.  And as I listened, and did the exercises on who I WAS and who I was now choosing to be, it became clear.  My expanded identity includes being athletic, toned, lean, and strong…and registering for the Diva Dash was the perfect way to step into this new identity.

I registered and immediately began the training process.  4 mins walk, 2 mins run, 3 times…then fast walking to get to 32 minutes.  One day on, one day off, one day one, one day off.  Then I switched to 3 minutes of walking, 3 mins of running, 4 times, and fast walking to get to 32 minutes.  One day on, one day off, one day on, one day off.  On the off days, I planned to do 20 minutes of yoga and 20 mins of strength training to get started.  I’ve been religious about the running/walking days but let life get in the way in 2 of the 3 yoga/strength days.  But tomorrow starts the 2 month countdown, so tonight I create the full out training plan.  I’ve got the blank calendars ready to write on and shape.com’s training plan in hand.

And I’ve got tons of Tony Robbins CD’s on hand to keep my brain busy while I work out!

I am thrilled to say, “Last week I became a runner!”

I can’t yet tell you I love running, though I’m hoping that will come, but I can tell you I LOVE the feeling after.  There is nothing like the sweaty, exhausted, I-am-an-athlete-hear-me-roar feeling – that wonderful feeling of stretching your body beyond its limits, suddenly able to imagine new possibilities.

Category:

Health and Vitality

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