New year, fresh perspectives
This is a post dedicated to that girl on the left. That girl who is stressed, overwhelmed, defeated and tired. That girl who woke up and somehow was 35 pounds heavier than she should be, felt inflamed, couldn’t seem to recover or perform athletically like before and generally living life on auto pilot.
That mom, wife, and athlete who has a body that fights it’s own immune system. The gal who woke up with headaches and coffee and went to bed with cold hands, feet, and a lack of hope.
That girl who thought weight loss was about depriving her body and putting in hours of cardio; and who thought it was fate to have to live this way because ‘I was older.’
That girl on the left was me, is me. I love her.
I love her for:
- Birthing and nursing 2 of the most amazing human beings ever.
- The ability to move, dance, swim, motivate, inspire, teach, coach, train, breathe through countless years of synchronized swimming, Jazzercise classes, training runs, 10 full marathons, countless 10Ks and half marathon courses.
- The wife and mom she is when times feel hopeless yet endures through it.
- The resiliency and perseverance to never ever give up on the hope that there was a better feeling body on it’s way in the future.
- The spirit and mindset to keep trying, researching, and putting in action every single day knowing there was better health, increased energy, and optimized athletic performance on the other side.
- The personality to shy away from asking for help; an introvert that felt no one would understand yet crushing through that barrier to seek out people who knew the way.
That girl on the left is the reason there is a girl on the right. The girl on the right is older, wiser, fitter, more adventurous, hopeful, and kinder. The girl on the right is here to stay because she’s found a different way and approach to stay this way. It’s not a ‘before and after,’ it’s a ‘past and here and now.’
I’m grateful for that girl on the left and all the ups and downs she went through. Without that girl on the left, the girl on the right would not exist and I love that. “Three things will last forever: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love.” What will you do differently in this new year in the name of love?
My Memorial Day
Just like clockwork, it happens every year.
We honor the fallen.
War and conflict between nations kill people — there’s no sugar coating it. And the fallen have families — wives, children, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and future generations — all with a perpetual empty seat at the table.
This weekend every year I honor and remember my biological father, Air Force Captain Gary Bitton.
I’ve been told my dad was liked by many, was a natural leader, and a phenomenal athlete. Booyah! He loved flying but more importantly loved his family. His face would light up when he talked about my mom or us kids. And he knew all the words to ‘Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Poked Dot Bikini.’ Yup.
When his plane was shot down in South Vietnam, he was the true hero until the very end. He made sure the crew was out before he left the controls.
Do me a favor. Find his name when you visit the massive black Vietnam memorial in DC, bow your head, and simply say ~ thank you. Then after you do that, stay in gratitude for all the blessings that have been bestowed on you.
Second favor is for you to hang your US flag in his honor. And you are welcome to do it more than this ‘holiday.’ Fly it, honor our fallen, and remember.
Why tell the story? Because it’s important to acknowledge that life is wrought with really crappy stuff sometimes. Yet ironically, it’s the crappy stuff that many times makes us stronger, more empathetic, humble, and true.
Instead of focusing on all the ‘things’ you don’t have, try focusing on all the relationships, people, and experiences you have had.
My wish for each of you is to dig down in your stories and tell them out loud. It’s through our stories that we understand and have more compassion for one another. In the end, that is really what life is about — compassion, love, and experiences.
When we share, we learn. When we learn, we are able to be better. When we’re better, we’re better together.
Perhaps it’s through loss and stories that I’ve learned to live more out loud and not shy away from asking questions, being curious, exploring more change and newness with the potential of a failed attempt or odd look. What I know for sure is nothing would be nearly as bad as this so why the heck not?
Today for the first time ever I attended the memorial service held at the national cemetery where my dad rests. How comforting to know that people cared enough to show up to honor and show appreciation for the ones that didn’t make it out alive. #memorialday
Being Memorable
Regardless of influence, status, title or years in life, we all know people who when we first meet them or are in their presence, we feel this energy – something you really can’t describe in words – but a knowing that there is something about them that you just want more of. A drawing in.
Here are a few traits I’ve found common in these individuals:
Confidence
These people typically exude an extremely high confidence factor. They hold their bodies with their shoulders back, their head held high, a positive look on their face, and will look you in the eye, say hello, and be open to what life has to offer.
These are people who admit when they messed up, are people who are humble, are definitely not ‘know-it-alls’ but add value to a conversation, and who answer questions with a sense of assuredness in their delivery. It’s not an arrogance, but a knowing of themselves from the inside out.
Confidence, really, is the new sexy.
Engaged in Life
To be memorable, you need to be interested and engaged in life. Being interested in life will make you interesting. Being interesting, having curiosity, asking questions, learning new things, will spark energy, conversation, and knowing which will draw others to you.
And for the life of Pete, can we stop labeling ourselves. Labels are so last year. Truly. If you are a person that is engaged in this thing called life, you are certainly more than ‘a mom’ ‘a student’ ‘a nurse.’ If all you did was describe yourself by a label, you are really undermining your worth as a human being.
Ask yourself, ‘If I removed the labels in my life, who exactly am I? What feeds my soul and life?”
That’s who you are. You are spirit, you are an inner being and that’s what should drive your daily habits, behavior, and actions. That is what the people above all have. And being multi-dimensional drives the interesting needle up the curve.
Generosity
When you are generous, you are a person that radiates energy. But this isn’t just monetarily, although that is certainly wonderful. I’m speaking about ideas, time, and positive emotions (by the way emotions are energy in motion – e=energy + motion). By delivering those repeatedly every day, people want to be part of that. Generous people are the first to help, serve, mentor, and give. Giving generously of your ideas, time, and positive emotions is like the most perfect juicy summer peach, and people will remember you.
Maya Angelou said it best:
People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
The next time you meet someone with that energetic force, evaluate. Are they confident, interesting, and generous?
Tactics to Deal with Pain
Robin Sharma says that “Crisis comes to serve the person so they may use it as fuel to their advantage.”
He further states that we can either let pain cover us in victimhood or we can use the darkness of pain as a way to grow and be wiser.
I choose growth and getting wiser.
Robin claims that when crisis hits, and it will, it’s there to teach us a big lesson. We are meant to listen, learn, and use the learning as a foundation to elevate our life even greater.
Have you ever had a moment of woah? huh? WTH? confused?
If so, I’ve rode that same bus. I get you. It’s heavy, it’s painful, it feels unbearable.
And the natural tendency is to quickly put on the victimhood hat and wallow on your bathroom floor with a pint of your favorite ice cream. Good solution? Maybe short-term, but clearly not one to result in wisdom or growth.
During this week, I was met with a sudden crisis. After the initial shock and the dark clouds of this faded, I realized I was going to rise above the smallness of the situation and maniacally focus on being greater than the decision of someone else’s scarcity. For what I put out in the world is huge, it’s valuable to others, and boy do I have a lot of good in my life to be grateful for. On the other side of this crap was hope, love, kindness, trust, knowing, worthiness, believe, abundance, gratitude.
Dark clouds are temporary. And on the other side of those dark clouds is usually bright shining, warm sun. Light. Radiant and beautiful.
As Robin Sharma shares, “Gratitude is the antidote to pain.”
So here I sit so grateful. Not just of this lesson but for what is on the other side of that door.
Robin Sharma has come up with some tactics to ease pain. He calls these insights the 5 ‘ings’ of overcoming pain.
- Journaling. Allows us to process through the pain. Write out confusion, hurt, misunderstanding, blessings, talents, what’s good in life.
- Talking. Find a trusted advisor, great friend and talk it out. Open yourself up and take off the social mask. If not, you repress creativity and you block emotions that can lead to disease down the road. The reason there is so much anger in the world and toxicity out there – even in our workplaces – is because people have so much pent up pain they never let out.
- Communing. Nature walks, flowers in your house, etc. Be gentle with yourself. Get one with nature. Breathe. By doing so, you gain perspective and are better able to truly think. This allows us to not see the bars of the prison cell but the stars of the universe. I love that. And really, will this crisis you are in now really matter 2 years from now?
- Moving. Get off the couch and move. Get to the gym. Go for a run. Ride your bike. Do yoga. Science tells us that movement changes our neurobiology, releases dopamine, and makes us feel better.
- Resting. Our world says, move, learn, achieve, produce, and produce fast. But there are seasons to life. And if you are in pain sometimes you have to slow down to speed up. Use the time to read great books, think, produce new insights, new ideas, new energies. This allows us to move from fear to love.
So if you are facing a difficult time in your life, I’m so sorry. Unfortunately, this life we lead has pain in it. It sucks sometimes. Life isn’t fair. But know that you, YOU, have the ability to react how YOU want to react. YOU have the integrity to face the situation head on and be a leader in your thoughts and actions. YOU are enough.
Story maker art is born
We’re all creative. Creating is instinctual for children. Children pick up pots and pans and quickly discover the unique sounds that are made through the use of their hands or utensils such as a spoon or lid. Curious and fearless. They push their little fingers through the gooeyness of acrylic paint to create something of their own.
And as these children age, something happens to their creativity. It either is encouraged by a seemingly artistic ‘talent’ or discouraged because their ‘art’ isn’t conformist or someone pursed their lips in such a way to let them know they weren’t living up to an expectation. Perhaps that led to a path of channeling their energy into other areas which masked the magic of creating and what it does for the soul.
One day they wake up as an adult and – boom – have no idea what it means to live a creative life.
Mixed Media Original by K Flynn, 2014
As a child, teen and adult, I was around creativity and encouraged it with my own children. My grandmother, mother, father, uncle, cousins were/are so very talented — quilting, painting, knitting, sewing, cooking, car assembly, bus troubleshooting and repair, bamboo fly rod making, making dry flies, creating music.
Personally, to live a creative life means to look at the world in a non-conventional way. Having a hunger for expression.
Expression to me equates to curiosity. Curiosity equates to fresh ways to life live. New and fresh ways to life live equates to pureness of knowing you. Knowing you equates to being truly happy.
So if the end game to this life is to live it happy, we must create.
Mixed Media Original K Flynn, 2014
That is where story maker art was born.
During my transformation a few years ago, I was told that making a ‘vision’ board was a good thing to have. So I did it. But I didn’t do it like everyone else, I made it my own.
During that process, I explored using other techniques and just, well, dabbled (samples seen here in this post). I journeyed on my own with no instruction book or mentor. Just me, my thoughts, and my creativity — my happy.
This past weekend, I came together with a room of 300 awesome women to explore more on the topic of finding that ‘happy’ and to crack open hearts a little more through story telling and connection. Then it hit me. Why not a visual representation of our story or story maker art?
I’ll be working with a few of the women from this retreat on their story pieces and hope to grow this as a way to not only express myself more but to also serve those of you who would like to have their own visual story as a marker for who they are and what they represent. Stay tuned! I can’t wait to see where this goes.
Keep your eyes open. Listen. Follow your curiosity. Ideas are constantly trying to get our attention. Let them know you’re available. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert
Turn your Desert into a Sea
Have you ever listened to a song and thought, ‘huh, that sounds like something I can relate to.’ Do you remember the song “A Horse with No Name?”
A Horse with No Name | America
I could sing this song word for word yet today was literally the first time I’ve really ‘heard’ the lyrics. As we open ourselves up to who we are, I’ve found this happens more and more.
“On the first part of the journey
I was looking at all the life
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
There was sand and hills and rings
The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz
And the sky with no clouds
The heat was hot and the ground was dry
But the air was full of sound”
[Sounds like the beginning of a transformation]
“I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain”
[Then you are alone in your desert of change but it feels good because you know the other side will be better than where you began]
“After two days in the desert sun
My skin began to turn red
After three days in the desert fun
I was looking at a river bed
And the story it told of a river that flowed
Made me sad to think it was dead”
[The process of change causes you to seek new resources and feelings]
“After nine days I let the horse run free
‘Cause the desert had turned to sea
There were plants and birds and rocks and things
there was sand and hills and rings
The ocean is a desert with it’s life underground
And a perfect disguise above
Under the cities lies a heart made of ground
But the humans will give no love
You see I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain”
[However long it takes – nine days or nine years – it doesn’t matter. Your desert can morph into new beginnings if you allow enough time to pass. Love the process. We each get to our happiness differently.]
2013 – 2015 brought to you by a change in mindset, dense nutritional protocol, and daily movement
My transformation isn’t over. I view my physical change as a direct result of the internal work and people I’ve associated with – my choices – in the last two years. I didn’t join a ‘program’ for 30 or 60 days and close the door although I did follow some new ways to health based on science.
I have dedicated the last few years to re-learning about mindset, learning about the new research in nutrition, and building what I lovingly call my ‘angel army’ of people who are there to cheer me on, pick me up when I need it the most, and genuinely care about my happiness and success.
As an athlete my entire life, I had the mental fortitude for success, but I needed a new army of supporters who believed in me. I also needed to be more open to alternative methods of nutrition that wasn’t part of my day to day.
To live a healthy lifestyle, you have to commit to a practice, a way of being. It’s not a quick thing. It’s gradual. And it’s so very satisfying to feel as though I am aging backwards.
And now I luckily get to offer what I’ve learned to others – consider me having a gift for you if you’d like to receive it.
I’m here when you’re ready to turn your desert to a sea. Paddle on friends.
14 Healthy Habits of the Fit
Have you ever wondered what the best practices / habits / mindsets are of people who are fit?’ Kudos here to Chalene Johnson who created the list below. I’ve added my own spin to provide color and personality based on my lifestyle, but the habits themselves are her own work. Yes, integrity is important so credit those that create original content.
One caveat as you read through this list: know that individuals are — well individuals — meaning that there is no one size fits all. This isn’t a short-term fix but a way of life. So what do these type of people have in common?
Healthy Habit #1: They don’t ‘diet’ — they follow a specific lifestyle diet
The concept of ‘dieting’ is bogus. It causes a state of lack and want rather than a state of knowing your body. A life of chicken and broccoli is unsustainable and once the body figures things out metabolically, it will boomerang so crazy that you’ll find yourself driving to every donut shop for an eating frenzy. Most super fit people generally eat the same types of foods as their primary stash, at the same intervals, and then add in supplementary foods to satisfy and satiate. In my case, I stick to primarily lean protein, whole fruits and veggies and water, then supplement in with a starch to satisfy. If I have a desire for something sweet, then I’ll take a bite or two of that. This is how I eat every damn day.
Wine is a trigger for me to indulge more in starches, so knowing that about myself, I either avoid it entirely or I dial down on another meal earlier in the day if it looks like wine is in the plans for later than evening.
These people discover their core foods. Foods that they eat daily.
Here’s some my ‘go to’ snack options: a high quality protein bar, a bag of veggies, raw almonds, cashews or even a hard-boiled egg. My gut can’t handle dairy well, so I avoid that. I know this because I eliminated it for 2 weeks, re-introduced it, and had symptoms of bloating and gas. So again, the only way to tell how your body responds to foods is to remove it for a period of time then reintroduce it and see the effect. By sticking to the same core foods, healthy fit people are able to predict and stay true to the same calories (generally) over time.
Now if you are hungry, have low energy, and are craving foods, this indicates a metabolic issue and needs to be addressed. Mood and sleep should also be watched. If you’re moody, can’t sleep well, or have broken sleep patterns, those are all indicators of a metabolic issue.
Research tells us that weight loss is a combination of two factors: metabolic health and caloric deficit. You need both for weight loss success. Most healthy fit people don’t need to worry about that because their weight stabilizes over time; however, if their training program is adjusted, additional or fewer calories may need adjustment.
These people don’t necessarily obsess over the number of macros or calorie count. By virtue of this habit, they don’t need to because they are eating similar foods in similar quantities day in and day out.
Healthy Habit #2: They don’t start their day with breakfast
Wait, what? Yes, most healthy fit people aren’t cooking up the bacon and eggs at the crack of dawn. They may have a little protein or complex carbs pre-workout if they’re working out in the morning, but a ton of people workout in the morning and do it on an empty stomach (fasting) or very little food. Their first meal is typically 11am – 12pm. Shocked?
Personally, I don’t eat much breakfast either. I workout in the morning, fasted, and have a high quality complete meal replacement shake that blends high-quality, undenatured whey protein from grass fed cows from New Zealand or a vegan option, low-glycemic carbs and healthy fats mixed with some frozen berries, half a frozen banana, and some slivered almonds about 11am which is my first meal. I’m just not hungry until then so I honor that and go with it.
During my workout, I have a custom mixed drink with cold-pressed fruits, greens, and an herbal-based tonic infused with vitamins, minerals, and adaptogens (for stress, fatigue, endurance, performance) and a green tea, yerba mate, naturally sourced caffeine energy ‘shot’ (to kick-start my workout and give me clarity/focus and help with recovery). It’s important to keep your body in a state of alkalinity and the cold-pressed fruits and greens do that for me.
Healthy Habit #3: They hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
Water, replenishing, water, replenishing. Individuals who are healthy and super fit are constantly rehydrating with water.
Healthy Habit #4: They eat smaller meals more often
Yes, these type of people are eating a little all day long and then go without eating in the evening after their last meal through their first meal in the morning.
They are eating approximately the same time, and eating enough to keep their metabolism revved up but they aren’t eating a ton at night. Healthy, fit people stop eating about the same time each night and they generally stick to it.
Healthy Habit #5: They eat whole foods
This means foods that resemble the natural state as close as possible. So, yes, grill your own chicken, bake your own veggies, create your own turkey meatballs, fix your own salads and put your turkey meatballs on top, some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Pack your own snacks. Yes, I did buy my daughter her own lunch box for Christmas – LOL. Sorry, not sorry. It’s my job as a parent to teach my kids a healthy lifestyle.
Stop with the all or nothing approach. It’s not. Start to learn about nutrition, enlist help of others that went before you, implement some of these practices and adjust.
Healthy Habit #6: They become experts in nutrition
There is so much information available to each of us. It’s a shame not to take complete advantage of all of the free resources out there to learn something new. Download a podcast, an audio book and listen during your time in the car, on your walk, doing laundry, while you’re preparing dinner.
Knowledge gives us confidence. Knowledge changes our beliefs. When we change our beliefs, we change our habits — Chalene Johnson
The more you become an expert in nutrition, and understand what is going on with our bodies because of food, you’ll start to make changes not because someone told you to do it, but because you want to.
Healthy Habit #7: They aren’t picky eaters, but careful eaters
Healthy, fit individuals have balance. They understand how to read a menu, how to modify what is in a dish, etc. to honor habit #1. These individuals aren’t obsessive, but are careful with what they eat, how much, and when. They know what is happening in their day and plan in their mind how to maneuver the food for the day. For example, if there is social event that afternoon, the healthy fit person would probably eat beforehand and then navigate the food table as needed.
As for alcohol, most healthy fit people would either avoid it all together (especially if there is an activity early that next morning) or they would have one along with lots of water (habit #3). Why avoid alcohol? That’s another blog post coming soon, but there are a plethora of reasons.
A careful eater is reading labels, cares what’s in the foods they are choosing, and uses the whole foods as the core of any meal (habit #5) to get ‘full’ then uses the complex carbs as that satisfying tool. A careful eater also thinks about how certain foods play into their energy. For me, I cannot eat donuts. Well, I can, but when I do, firstly, I want more than one, and secondly, about an hour after eating that delicious fried yummy round ball of flour, water, and salt, I need a pot of coffee to get me off from the floor. My energy levels literally drop hard and it’s not pretty. How do I know that? I’ve experimented and I pay attention to my body.
A careful eater is aware of what happening the next morning. If I have a long run in the AM, I avoid certain foods and gravitate towards others. How do I know that? I’ve experimented and I pay attention to my body. I know what fuels my body and what it needs to endure and perform.
Healthy habit #8: They shop and fill their home with healthy, whole foods
Wash, clean, and cut (if necessary) veggies and fruit, and put them eye level in your fridge. Cut lemons and put them in a Tupperware container so you can easily throw one in your water (habit #3). Carry a water bottle every where you go. For Christmas I bought 4 new S’well bottles and gave them out as gifts. Yes, I’m obnoxious like that. But, I also want all my family healthy and promote that with the gifts I either make or buy for them.
Prep some food on the weekend, so during the busy week, you have choices to pick from. Freeze some of your prepped food so you have lunch options. Get out that lunch box (remember the one I bought for my daughter?) and fill it with healthy snack foods and carry that little lovely thing with you in your car, in your backpack, etc. Take it to meetings if you have to. Yes, I do that. Many days, I can be in back-to-back meetings and I refuse to let someone else dictate my health. I know, I’m a bit sassy.
Healthy habit #9: They stop eating at a specific period of time
Go to bed with an empty stomach. Instead of satiating yourself with food, why not satiate yourself with knowledge? Pick up a book. Call a friend. Color. Give your body a time to rest. It’s actually a good, healthy thing to do and the super fit healthy people do it consistently.
Start craving the feeling of rest, feeling recharged, a flat stomach. This is opposed to a body that is tossing and turning, a feeling of bloat and waking up feeling like you haven’t rested all night due to the food you shouldn’t have had. Once you begin to think in your mind what you want, then it’s easier to make healthier choices.
As you can see, healthy, fit people aren’t made overnight. They are made with repeated actions and habits.
Healthy habit #10: They know how to be politely picky eaters at restaurants
Yes, I’m one of these. Be extra polite. Chicken or fish? Ask them how it’s going to be prepared. If its pan fried in butter, ask them if there is an option to having it baked, perhaps un-breaded with sauce on the side. Easy peasy. All they can say is no or give you the stinky eye.
Healthy habit #11: They know when they are triggered by emotional eating
You all know those times. Mindless eating, picking at food in the kitchen etc. If you aren’t stomach hungry, then you’re not eating for fuel, but eating because of emotions. Identifying those times, then switching your brain in knowing you are eating not because you are actually hungry, but because you need a break from an activity or are under stress is the first step to change the behavior.
Healthy fit people are able to know this because they are in touch with their bodies. They use their bodies daily. They honor their bodies and know that with a fit healthy shell, they are more capable of performing other necessary activities than the unfit individual.
Healthy habit #12: They practice intermittent fasting
Yes, research is now validating that intermittent fasting (a practice that practitioners have promoted for centuries) is good for bodies. In fact, one of the key factors that got my metabolism back on track in 2013 was a weekly 24 hour nutritional cleanse — not a poopy cleanse or a water/lemon/cayenne pepper concoction, but a cleanse that is supported with nutrients.
This gives the digestive track a rest, helps rid the body of visceral fat and other nasty elements that make their way into our bodies on a daily basis and with the nutrients that are in the cleanse drink I use, the body is completed supported through it all.
Healthy habit #13: They move their body every day
Our bodies are made to move. You don’t need to be an endurance athlete or spend hours in a gym lifting heavy weights to get the benefits of exercise. Walking is one of the best forms of movement a body can have. In fact, I’ve added walking into my schedule because it helps keeping stress at bay.
Healthy habit #14: They have daily rituals
Yes, once rituals are established, habits are formed. Once habits are formed, consistency is built up and there is progress. Once progress is made, success and belief happens.
They wake up early. Many meditate, write, journal, and move their body first thing in the morning. They plan the night before for the day ahead so they know exactly what needs to get accomplished and also use the morning hours to front end their day of success.
They are lifelong learners. Learn something new every single day. In the age of information overload, there is no reason why anyone shouldn’t be learning. Go to YouTube, watch a video, stream a podcast, and listen while in the car to appointments. Ask a mentor or person that is in the field you are interested in. Just learn and don’t be afraid to share what you’ve learned.
Sleep is also a key component to any fit individual’s lifestyle. It allows for recovery of the muscles and it is through sleep that human growth hormones are produced. You can read all about the effects of sleep loss here.
So there you have it. Inside the kimono of a few habits of the fit individual.
It’s not magic, it’s not special, it’s not hard, and it’s not a quick fix. It’s a lifestyle of experimentation and adjustment.
The Whole Enchilada
How we do one thing, is how we do everything.
Think about your life for a moment. Although you play a variety of roles – parent, entrepreneur, employee, wife, athlete, friend – how you handle yourself in one area, is probably how you handle yourself in all areas. Your behavior and approach to life isn’t this fragmented operation, but rather an integrated whole experience. You can’t expect to thrive in one area yet be totally different in another area.
The more I learn about this topic, the more I know this is accurate.
This notion of poverty versus abundant consciousness is powerful and if you really are honest looking in your life mirror, it’s eye opening.
A good example would be your closet. Close your eyes and envision what lies behind that door. Are there items in there you never wear? They may be old, may not fit any longer or may have been gifts. Whatever the reason you are still holding on to them yet those things take up space. Empty space. Space that could be used for new items that fit you well and you feel great in.
Now shift that same thinking to relationships. Are their people in your life that no longer support you? Are they taking up empty space? Maybe you feel as though you need to continue the relationship because they have been in your life for a long time but they no longer align with your thinking but you continue to use your energy for them because you fear being alone, fear they will judge or talk negatively about you. Or you don’t open yourself to new relationships for fear of rejection.
How about a job that you don’t love but you settle because of fear of change?
The thread that runs through all of this is the same energy – poverty consciousness. When your mind is constantly being reminded that you are coming from a limited existence, guess what will appear for you? Limited energy, opportunity, and lack of all the things you desire.
When you are stuck in the past and don’t progress, you are unable to see all the new possibilities before you. When you are feeling like the victim, rather than taking responsibility for your life, you will never be able to succeed. If you begin a phrase with ‘I’m too ____” that usually means you are coming from a poverty consciousness because it’s limiting right off the bat.
Conversely, when you look at your life with an openness of skills and talents, and are open to constant learning, are open to new energy and a new way of being, you will evoke a life of new positive and progressive activity.
In 2016, I plan to focus more effort in the abundant consciousness mindset which includes getting rid of all the crap in my closet, garage, house. Bye bye stuff. I will continue to be work on being more deliberate with my time and the relationships I cultivate and the reasons for each. I will say yes to more things that scare me, I’ve never done, and interested in. As they say, if it’s not a ‘hell yes’ then it’s a no. No is a complete sentence.
Life is just like art. You explore, you course correct, you start again reapplying what you learned, and eventually you find a niche that works for you. But you can never get to that niche if you don’t explore in the first place.
Hand painted torn paper, acrylic, original @KFlynn, Dec 2015
New year = continued new energy = new abundant, joyful activity, people, experiences.
2016: The Year of Openness and Giving Up to Get
Ways to start small? Take 30 minutes each day to handle things you’ve been putting off. Clean out that junk drawer, clean out the pants section of your closet, research a new workout plan for the week and write it down, call someone and apologize or say hello and ask them how they are. Sign up for an Ironman in July 2016 and develop your plan. Take out your paint and explore on a canvas. Get outside and move your body. Put your phone down and look up at people and smile. Be open to the possibilities in front of you. Say yes more. Say no more. This is your life so get your hands dirty and live it for you. Be in communion with people. Be transparent how you feel. Stop being a nice-aholic. Nice-aholics never succeed because you never get what you truly need.
Old Ways Won’t Open New Doors
By focusing on connectiveness, I bet you’ll find a pattern emerge. Think whole enchilada. And on the topic of enchilada’s, here’s a favorite recipe that is the bombdiggity.
Jump In and Figure it Out Later
Lately I’ve been restless.
Expansion and curiosity has been part of my new norm ever since my renewed health focus a few years back. If you’ve ever set out to achieve something, achieved it, and then wallowed in thinking what’s next, that’s been me for the last year.
When and if you feel as though you’ve maxed out and aren’t learning new things, it’s time to change.
When you wonder, what if, it’s time to explore.
When you have done the same thing over and over and realize it doesn’t have the same allure any longer, it’s time to shake things up.
In the back of my mind I’ve always wondered ‘what if’ I could actually do that thing.
So this week an annual opportunity presented itself and I pondered it for awhile. I sat with it, ran with it, and rested it on it.
Then, I pushed submit and that was it. I was in.
I’ve got 8-1/2 months to prepare.
No bike. No wet suit. No experience with the sport. But I jumped in with both feet and will be figuring it out along the way.
For those that think they shouldn’t, can’t or won’t. For those who’s heads are now spinning from disbelief, we all have have our own road and path to go on. This is mine for a portion of 2016.
July 30, 2016 I’ll be covering 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and 26.2 miles of running — all in one day. If successful crossing the finish line, I’ll be adding Ironman to my list of accomplishments.
Anyone got a used bike to sell? Wetsuit maybe?
Happy Birthday to me next week. I give myself the gift of adventure and achievement.
The Stand Out Recipe
So much information, so little time. What’s going to make you stand out and get noticed?
It’s simple: originality, having an opinion, and showing up (a lot).
Here’s the stand out recipe
- Create original content
- Have an opinion and be … (oh wait for this one!) — honest — and WHO you are
- Be consistent
If you do all 3 and repeat them over and over, something ‘magical’ happens. You begin to build relationships. And what happens when you build strong relationships? That’s right. You build trust. And then what happens when you build trust? People buy from people (and brands) they know, like, and trust.
And bonus points go to the person (or online brand) who can shine a light on a problem, struggle, situation, issue, and offer a solution.
After you repeat this over and over and over, your audience will come to you. ‘Hello, is it me you’re looking for?’ Remember that lyric from Lionel Richie? Haha. Showing my age again.
Now get to it.
Karen S Flynn 