HungryForLife

Do Nothing But Read Day

...was yesterday. And for the most part I spent a good portion of my day reading with a little painting of Christmas ornaments in between. I'm reading Angelology by Danielle Trussoni and so far it's been a fascinating blend of history, mythology, religion, and fantasy.

It felt blissfull to curl up by the Christmas tree and snuggle with a good book. Treat yourself to a little 'me' time today if you missed yesterday—take a few hours and give them to yourself and practice some excellent self-care this holiday season. You deserve it dear reader!

San Diego Women's Get-a-way

My wise and wonderful coach and client the fabulous Sharon Day is in San Diego for a few weeks. One of the things she’s up to is to offer a sneak peek at her upcoming October two-day workshop Connect More Deeply, Unleash Your Joy in a two hour free mini workshop! Love offerings are accepted. ;)

Sharon says, “We all yearn for deeper connections, especially with our children and family members.  But the busy-ness of life blunts access; connecting can feel SO out of reach, for so many reasons. I'll share with you a few simple, powerful tools from my new workshop, Connect More Deeply, Unleash Your Joy, to pierce through life's roadblocks and dip below the superficial level.”


She’ll be joining Life Success Coach Cathy Northcutt at the Extreme Self-Care Women’s Getaway at Questhaven in Escondido, CA on June 18th-20th.  Cathy is offering this weekend retreat at an incredibly reasonable price that only has a few slots open. You can join these amazing and inspiring women for the weekend or for two hours. A few generous participants will be offering additional services on a love-donation basis including yoga, reflexology, and art therapy.

Synchronicity is in the air, you’ll never know who you’ll connect with or what lesson may come your way by taking advantage of an opportunity like this. If you have friends in San Diego area please share this post and encourage them to take time to celebrate themselves this month. Email Cathy for more info!

Planet Fitness

I am resistant to change. So what else is new—I’m a human ‘bean’ as SARK would say! After two years of working out and losing weight with the help of our local YMCA I was not open to the thought of attending another gym. But my budget couldn’t stretch to accommodate the Y anymore and I wasn’t using any of the amenities like classes, daycare or the pool.    

Internally I made the shift to be open to change before I was even aware and as soon as I did that people in my life told me about Planet Fitness—three people actually over a period of a month. Synchronicity? The Law of Attraction? The Universe tapping me on the shoulder? Yes, yes, and yes. They mentioned how inexpensive it was and how non gym-like it was. My inner critic warned me not to fall for it, ha a gym that’s non gym-like. As in the people there are not walking around showing off perfectly formed abs and quads? Sure.

Despite my critic I went to take a look. I was greeted by a young woman who was attentive, but not pushy, and was fine with me walking around and looking. It was a busy morning and although there were lots of people working out there were still plenty of machines and space. The facility was particularly clean, the layout inviting and mostly...they had me at PURPLE! Counters, walls, and many of the machines are purple which is a power color for me—it energizes and inspires me. A huge arrow inside the front door asks you to: Leave your egos here! The vibes felt right and although I did see several perfectly toned bodies I didn’t get the swagger feeling from these folks and there were definitely more normal looking bodies like mine.

Planet Fitness operates as franchise opportunities and this location is owned and operated locally and that appealed to me. Once I read their mission statement, a giant purple and yellow sign over customer service, I was willing to commit to ten bucks a month and have shifted easily into my biweekly visits:

We at Planet Fitness are here to provide a unique environment in which anyone – and we mean anyone – can be comfortable. A diverse, Judgement Free Zone® where a lasting, active lifestyle can be built. Our product is a tool, a means to an end; not a brand name or a mold-maker, but a tool that can be used by anyone. In the end, it’s all about you. As we evolve and educate ourselves, we will seek to perfect this safe, energetic environment, where everyone feels accepted and respected. We are not here to kiss your butt, only to kick it if that’s what you need. We need you, because face it, our planet wouldn’t be the same without you. You belong!

My New Health Coach

I participated in a Considerably Huge telesummit series of free coaching calls over the past three months. In April Debbie Schroeder and her partner, Lynn Smith, from Health Coach Team spoke about feeling your best to achieve your best and gave some great tips and information for weight loss, fitness, and self care. 

Under stress I’ve realized I have been taking infinitesimal steps back into my old habits of eating emotionally, sitting instead of moving, sleeping but not feeling rested, making unhealthy food choices. You get the picture?  I’ve gained three pounds so far this year and I realize that may not sound like much but that’s exactly how we gain weight; so slowly that we don’t notice until it’s ten pounds or more!

It’s a red flag that I’ve slipped in my support systems and need to put good habits back in place. Enter Debbie and Health Coach Team, we had a discovery call so we could connect and I could share my progress so far along with the challenges I’m currently facing. Debbie and I hit it off and I have signed up for three months of web-based coaching with one phone call per month. Health Coach Teams coaching agreement states: The coach’s role is to accelerate the client’s progress by providing greater focus, awareness of choice and accountability.

Here are my goals for the summer; I’m saying them in print as a demonstration of my commitment to reaching the next level of fitness for myself:

•    Lose the final ‘five’ pounds
•    Participate in a Walk/Run (crawl) challenge locally
•    Practice strength training that I will embrace/enjoy
•    Trust myself to become strong and fit

What do you do when a red flag is raised? What helps you get back on track with your fitness and health?

White Space

I colored a mandala again last week. As I looked at the artists outline I wasn’t sure which were the petals and which the leaves. I reminded myself there were no rules this was now my art—color whatever I wanted. It’s a detailed mandala and I realized my first instinct was to color it all, fill in every blank with color, even the background. Then I stepped back and looked with my inner eye. I opened my mind and stretched myself a bit. Yes, all this from coloring!

I realized it needed the ‘white space’ to help the color pop off the page. Interesting. What exactly is white space and does it apply to more than coloring?  I looked around at my walls and bookshelves. I discovered yes less is more—the empty space allows the painting or photograph to exist in balance with its surroundings. I have a tendency to put too many things on a shelf and so I tried a clearning experiment. I chose a bookshelf I’d already organized/decorated. I took away books and decorations that I was no longer deeply connected to and filled another donation box. The result was white space, or in this case empty space. Room to breath.

What about white space in my life? How does it apply to non-physical space? Space between tasks—breaking up client work and balancing it with self-care or home caring. Space between reading books—so I sit with the experience before diving into another story. Space between giving and receiving. Space for asking and gracefully accepting another’s offer of help. Acknowledging that accepting help is giving a gift. The white space represents balance, harmony, natural flow, and even stillness.

In my practice and life it feels as though I am at a standstill but I realize I am taking action by creating balance and discovering a new way to live and work. Weaving white space and balance into my daily living blends the line between who I am and what I do quite nicely.

Creating Joyful Systems

Part of the process of being organized has been my yes list, clearning, letting go, and keeping my word to myself: my integrity.  I schedule work and personal appointments and tasks on my Outlook calendar, but this system didn’t work for me for personal activities, i.e. exercise, writing, journaling, and other ‘me time’ items.  I’d put them on my calendar and then not do them.

I wanted to implement a fun and inviting system rather than a ‘have to’ or ‘should’ list.  Here’s what I came up with: a variety of business size cards with a graphic and the name of the activity.  Some activities are scheduled for 45 minutes and others for only ten or fifteen minutes.  I schedule the time block into my days/eves on my calendar and before that time block I choose a card from the appropriate bowl.  So I might do the same activity for 45 minutes or three 15 minute activities in that time slot.

My integrity cards:
45 minutes: Journal, Exercise, Write (Screenplay/Novel), Read
15 minutes: Walk outside, Color, Be still, Type, Life Journal

After lunch when I pick read for 45 minutes I’m delighted to take a break in this way and love that my schedule allows for this flexibility.  First thing in the morning I may pick walk outside and then be still for fifteen minutes.  I’m fully participating in my commitment to myself, my health and well-being—and embracing the joy and playfulness in the process!

What do you do to keep your word to yourself?

I Am An Artist

I am an artist

I wrote, “Me an artist?” when I submitted my artwork for Patti Digh’s new book. Since then I had to provide a better quality digital photo for publishing so I shot it again and I think it’s even better!

My art was chosen to be included in the book Four Word Self Help which will be published in September!  I am so psyched!  The website is not quite ready but you can preorder the book at Amazon already. And here’s the cool book cover!

 

Me an employee?

I’ve taken a part time J-O-B.

Don’t panic it’s a positive move for me and it’s not replacing my being a business owner. I wanted to make a bigger commitment to give back and inspire others to lose weight. It’s a company I believe in. I am now a trained receptionist for Weight Watchers and if you are a member who visits the Six Gun or Heathbrook Plaza meeting locations in Ocala, FL on a Friday or Saturday morning, you may be lucky enough to have me greet you and weigh you in! ;-)

I’ve enjoyed the face-to-face interaction and laugh often with members and co-workers. I set my terms for becoming an employee and gave an availability that would work for me without overpromising myself—which is a direct result of having high standards in my practice and knowing my value. Employee is a new hat I’ve donned on my journey and my intention is to connect with and motivate women to live their best lives now! 

If you do stop by a meeting I’m working you might overhear me talking up the Weight Watchers Walk It Challenge on June 6th. Come out and walk three miles with us—or find an event near you.

Didya know Jennifer Hudson is our new spokesperson; doesn't she look FAB!?

 Just sayin’!

Queen Of Your Own Life

I’ve joined in the fun with Stacy Brice’s Self Care Salon and we’re reading Queen of Your Own Life by Kathy Kinney and Cindy Ratzlaff.

Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 1 "The Awakening or Why We Wrote the Book"...

"Here are seven gifts you’ll give yourself by reading our book:

1. Claim your beauty and feel your power
2. Clean your mental closet and find your Queen voice
3. Admire yourself for who you’ve become
4. Build deep, fulfilling friendships with other women
5. Establish firm boundaries that will strengthen all of your relationships
6. Discover the simple trick to finally being happy
7. Proclaim yourself Queen of Your Own Life

Join us in our simple guide to laughing, crying, healing and easily making the transition into what will be the best half of your life.  Remember, you don’t have to be twenty to have your whole life ahead of you."

I’m absolutely ready to embrace my Queen-ness! ;) 

Clearning

March makes me think of spring cleaning; that month in between winter and spring when I’m antsy from being cooped up indoors (yes even here in Florida!) but the perfect weather days are still fleeting. So I find myself making room in my life for what comes next—it’s the perfect time to clean, clear, and learn: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Visit 31 Days of Clearning to read the definition and then Clearning Made Easy and don’t miss the Clearning Salon!

Stacy Brice is an amazing coach and communicator and I am thrilled to be able to participate in these free calls. If you don’t know Stacy give her a shout on Facebook or Twitter and come join the clearning!

 

Stacy wrote this on her blog about why she offers the 31 Days projects:

Yesterday, in a conversation with a beloved friend, she asked me why I do this thing every month--especially since it takes a lot of time, and I've not monetized it.

The only answer I have is, I love it. I love it and I believe in the power of what can happen when people commit to taking action in one specific direction for a certain amount of time. 

And what's worth more than that?