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Monday, August 5, 2013

12 Days til 40 ~ Living the Healthy Life!

So the countdown is on!  I have 12 more days in my 30's!  What the????  How in the world did it go so fast?  I used to think 40 was old.  Hell, I used to think 30 was old, 24 was old!  So now, am I old?  I don't feel like it!!  In fact, I feel like I'm just getting started!  Yesterday I shared my post from last year, 39 Things I've Learned in 39 Years and How They Help Me Live My Best Life Now on my facebook page and re-reading it has made me reflect on the past year, and how my life has changed since becoming a mom.  

I've been reminiscing about everything that I've done and been through; the past 7 years and my journey through pregnancies and being a mom, my journey as a teacher, consultant, blogger, stay at home mom, work from home mom, life coach, and fitness coach, my experiences as a wife, a friend, a daughter, and moving from one side of the country to another, and of course, my health and fitness journey through the years. There are so many things that I've learned and I'm excited to share with you!

My goal over the next two weeks is to post 
something every day about what I've learned in the past, what I'm doing and learning each day, and what life really is like when you're stepping into your authentic self and creating the kind of life you dream of!  My hope is to inspire you to continue to take your own steps and make your dreams come true!! 






So today I wanted to start with what life was like about a year ago.  We were enjoying our summer and I was preparing myself and Allison for kindergarten.  I was kind of nervous but pretty sure we were going to have a great year AND I was beginning to do more things for myself, outside of being a mom.

When I became I mom, I dedicated myself to the role.  I absolutely ADORE babies and children and ALWAYS knew that when I got to be a mom, it would be one of the most perfect, beautiful, and wonderful things that I would ever do.  And it has been!  I have been blessed beyond measure with two healthy, loving, creative, smart, funny, awesome little girls!  I LOVE being a mom, just like I knew I would.  I appreciate that I've been able to stay home with them and be there for them just like I always wanted.  That being said, I could also feel this deep calling that it was time to make a shift and do something for me!  

I was at my parent's one day and noticed an ad on the back of the "Star" magazine that comes in the Sunday paper.  It said, "BE our Cover Model!  Seeking San Antonio women with a passion for living a healthy, balanced life!"  I was like, that's me!  The contest was for a new local magazine called Healthy Life Body*Mind*Spirit.  





I had never entered a contest like this before and I was kind of surprised how bad I wanted it!  Me??  A cover model?  Where did this come from?  I was excited to represent myself as a "fit mom" and thought about how I wanted to inspire other women, especially those that are constantly caring for others, to take care of themselves too.  I brought the Star home and got right to work on my essay.  It flowed easily and I felt good about it. They also wanted a picture of you showing your healthy lifestyle.  I sent them this one:





A few weeks later I received an email saying I was chosen as one of the finalists!  WOOHOO!!!!  I was so excited!  I had to go downtown for a test shoot for final selection.  Oh...my...gosh!  It was one of the coolest things I've ever done!  I hadn't had a photo shoot since my wedding and it was so much fun getting all prettied up and taking pics.  It was so much fun doing something for me and it inspired me to dream bigger.  

I didn't hear anything for a while and then found out in September that they were going to change the format a little.  Instead of it being a magazine, it was going to be a section in the newspaper.  Time went by and I got busy.  Kindergarten was a lot busier than I anticipated and we needed some adjustment time.  I never forgot about the contest but I figured if it was meant to be, it would happen.  In November, (maybe early December?) I got a call from the San Antonio Express News...I was chosen to be the January Cover Model!!!  AHHHHH!!!!  I was so excited!    This meant I did NOT overindulge over the holidays and I stayed on track with my exercise!  Yay me!  ;)

It was an AMAZING experience!  I felt like a princess!  Everyone was so kind and made me feel so comfortable!  I was introduced as "Kristie, our cover model" and I could NOT stop smiling!  I have never had anyone pick out a wardrobe for me and it was interesting to see what they picked!  I had ladies helping me with my make-up and jewelry.  It was so much fun!  I felt so honored and so happy!  For just a few hours, I felt a million miles away from juggling meals, dishes, laundry, and homework.  From having sticky hands squeeze my legs and boogers being wiped on my shirt.  It was an awesome contrast and because I had some special time to make things happen for myself, when I came home, I appreciated the boogers and tears and chocolate kisses that much more!  It's all about the balance, right?!  

Here is the cover:  



This is what the section with the article looked like:

Not very good quality!  I need to take a better pic!


Here are some more pics from that day:







Remember when I did that 30 Day Video Challenge?  
This is the video where I talk about my Cover Model experience!  



Talk to you tomorrow!  

Love to You!
~Kristie


Monday, February 4, 2013

A Matter of Perspective


When I was a consultant I came across this story and instantly fell in love.  
It has such a powerful message!  
I used to read it to my groups and I always got choked up.  :) 

 I wanted to share it with you, too! 

Please enjoy The Frog Story and let me know what you think!  



The Frog Story

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, 
going about their froggy business, 
when two of them fell into a deep pit. 

All of the other frogs gathered around the pit 
to see what could be done to help their companions. 

When they saw how deep the pit was, 
they agreed that it was hopeless 
and told the two frogs in the pit 
that they should prepare themselves for their fate, 
because they were as good as dead.


Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, 
the two frogs began to jump with all of their might! 

Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, 
and that the two frogs wouldn't be in that situation 
if they had been more careful, 
more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible.


The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting 
that they should save their energy and give up, 
since they were already as good as dead!


poor frogs!



The two frogs continued jumping with all their might, 
and after several hours of this, were quite weary. 

Finally, one of the frogs 
took heed to the calls of his fellow frogs. 

Exhausted, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, 
lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died.


The other frog continued to jump 
as hard as he could, 
although his body was wracked with pain 
and he was quite exhausted. 

Once again, his companions 
began yelling for him to accept his fate, 
stop the pain, and just die.  


The weary frog jumped harder and harder and, 
wonder of wonders, finally leaped so high 
that he sprang from the pit!


Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his freedom 
and then gathering around him asked, 
"Why did you continue jumping 
when we told you it was impossible?"


The astonished frog explained to them 
that he was deaf, 
and as he saw their gestures and shouting, 
he thought they were cheering him on!!!!! 


What he had perceived as encouragement
 inspired him to try harder and to succeed 
against all odds!!


This simple story contains a powerful lesson. 

Your encouraging words can lift someone up 
and help them make it through the day. 


Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; 
they may be the weapons that destroy 
someone's desire to continue trying


Be the light!  Be conscious of your words.

Speak kindness to others AND to yourself!!





Love to You!

Kristie




I googled this story and found it at:

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Been Thinking Too Much...

So the last couple weeks have felt very heavy to me.  I finally had to sit with it for awhile 
and think about why I was feeling this way.  So many things are happening all around me. 

There's been lots of changes.  Allison transitioning into kindergarten 
has meant a transition for the whole family.  

It seems so ordinary because almost everyone goes through it, but if you pick it apart, 
there are so many changes!  A new schedule, changes in our sleeping, our eating, 
our interaction time, our down time, our shopping, our just about everything!  

Not to mention, the new attitude, the new behaviors, the new tests of my parenting!  Whew!  
I need a glass of wine just thinking about it!  :)  But everyone goes through it, right?  
So I just keep doing my best and moving right along.





Then there's the big election that's coming up.  I AM NOT political.  However, 
I want to be informed.  I want to be educated.  I want to stay in touch with what's going on 
in my country and I want to use my voice as an American and a woman to stand up 
for what I believe in.  So I've allowed a lot more time for articles, 
and tv time, and things that are helping me to be informed.  

Since I've exposed myself to this bombarding of so many negative messages, 
I've felt a little disconnected from the light.  And the truth.





I've never been able to see in black and white.  
To me, it's always a shade of gray. (or is it grey?  :)  
I actually prefer to see things in rainbow colors.  Makes more sense to me that 
things fall somewhere along the spectrum.  My brain can't rest in trying to believe that 
there's only one "right" way of doing and being.  It's just not true.  

There's exceptions to almost all of it because so much of it is opinion and perspective.  





My dream is that we could all start to focus on how we're connected, 
how we're the same, and the common goals we all share.  
Even if you're a die hard lefty or righty, could we give up trying to prove 
to the other how much they're wrong and how much we're right?  
Don't we have a common core that we could all focus on?






Oh, and have you heard of GMO's?  
I can't even get started on this one because it gets me so... so.... 
disturbed?  disgusted?  frustrated?  So many emotions!  
Isn't this what government is for?  
To protect it's people?





All this heaviness, all this seriousness, 
is starting to feel like too much burden.  

If I'm feeling this way, I know others must be too!  
Are you feeling this way?  

Being educated, being informed, and being called to take action is one thing.  
Feeling anxiety, worry, overwhelm, and fear is when you know 
you've shifted away from the truth.  

So it's time to lighten up!  





Take a break!  Have some fun!  Have a drink!  Blow something off!  




Do something spontaneous!  Or crazy!  Or both!!!  

Call an old friend!  Take a dance class!  Take an art class!  

Go buy a new book!  Try on some new clothes!  

Go for a walk!  Ride your bike!  Do some YOGA!!!  





Laugh with friends!  Enjoy your family!  Go for a drive!  Go to the beach!  

Sit in the park.  Listen to the sound of life all around you!

Let go of the clutter!  Connect to the stillness.  Trust in yourself!  Trust in mankind.






Restore your faith.  Remember your truth.  Allow peace to envelope you.



~HDR Photography of Doyle Lake, Midforest Lodge - Michigan




Let it all FALL AWAY!!!!!!  Isn't that what fall is for?  
To shed the exterior, get to the core, and prepare for new life?

Ahhhh.....I'm feeling better already!


Love to You!

Kristie




Tuesday, September 4, 2012

39 Things I've Learned in 39 Years and How They Help Me Live My Best Life Now!

I turned 39 a couple of weeks ago and I've had so many thoughts about my life running through my head.  For one, I can't believe I'm 39, because I feel at least 10 years younger!  It seems like just yesterday my friends and I were all turning 30 and we were excited to move out of our 20's and into a more stable 30's kind- of- life!  For me, the 30's have been awesome!  Lots of dreams coming true, lots of realizations, and finally feeling like I've become the person I set out to be.  I've learned so many things about myself and so many great lessons about life.  I have one more year left in the 30's and I'll be consciously practicing each one of these 39, making this year the best one yet!!!!  :)




Here are my 39 things in 39 years in random order:  


1. The Golden Rule.  Treat people the way you want to be treated.  This one is easy when people are nice to you but when they're not... well, you should still do it!  :)  If you want respect, be respectful.  If you want people to listen to you, be a good listener.  If you want love, give love.  I have watched the crankiest, moodiest people transform by getting a random compliment or an unexpected gesture of kindness.  BE the change you wish to see...

2. Thoughts are things.  When you think about something, different areas of your brain fire up.  This can actually be observed and measured during a brain scan.  When you think of something good, you feel good.  When you think of something bad, you feel bad.  When you become conscious of your thoughts, you have the power to change your thinking for the better and when you do that, it changes your life for the better!

3. You can have everything you want, just not at the same time, and it's better that way!   What if all of the sudden you got everything you ever wanted all at once?  Do you think you'd be happy?  How long would that last before there was something else you wanted?  Enjoy the things you have in your life today and look forward to more great things in the future.  Learn to prioritize.  Ask yourself questions, what do I want more?  What do I want now?  We don't really want it "all" anyway, it's just a saying!  We want everything that would make our lives feel happy, full, satisfying, and inspired!  Find out what that means to you and you will have your own version of having it all!

4. Letting go is hard, but let it be easy.  This applies to everything.  People, places, stages in our lives, our stories, houses, relationships, feelings, guilt, worry, everything!  In order to make room for something new, we have to let go of something.  Learning that letting go is a necessary part of living and growing can be tough.  Let it be as easy as possible and keep moving forward!  I'm experiencing this now as my first baby goes off to kindergarten to create a life of her own!

5. Babies and children are magical, like fairies.  They're beautiful, sparkling little miracles, full of pure potentiality!  They need to be loved, they need to be cherished, they need to be respected, they need to be loved!  They remind us everyday how to live life in wonder and excitement!  Let's remember to nourish that spark.  Let's learn from them, while also teaching them to believe in themselves and in the good of the world.

 sweeties
                                     


6. Marriage is a choice.  It's so awesome to have a sizzling falling in love story with lots of romance and fun, but after time goes on and life gets real, what really matters is that the two of you are in it together.  And by in it together, I mean you keep loving each other, listening to each other, supporting each other, and growing together.  It's "I've got your back," and "I'm here for you."  It's "We can do this," and  "We're a team."  It's "I love and accept you for who you really are," and "I will help you be the best you can be!"  It is NOT always perfect, but there are many magical, beautiful, perfect moments to enjoy and to look forward to creating in the future!

7. There's nothing like a good girl's night!  Us girls need time to get together and just be girls!  We need to get all dolled up, talk about everything, eat fantastic food, drink lots of drinks, laugh til we cry and/or pee our pants, dance like we're Britney, and do really embarrassing things that we'd probably never do in the daylight but it's totally acceptable and in fact, encouraged on girl's night!!!  I love love love them and now that I'm thinking about it, I need one soon!

channel your inner britney!


8. It's your show and you're the star!  This is your life.  You write the script.  You can be the lead in a fun, exciting, adventurous and fulfilling romantic comedy, or you can be the lead in a dreadfully sad horror/drama where the hits keep coming.  Most of us live somewhere in between.  Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but we always have a choice.  We are responsible for ourselves and our lives.  We all have the power to create the life of our dreams.  The question is, will you go for it?  :)

9. Sleep is your friend.  I have always felt better, performed better, and achieved more when I've had enough sleep.  I'm not talking about everyday having to be 8 hours because I know some days it's impossible  especially when you're excited for something happening in the morning, but getting a good nights sleep most days is ideal.  Not only do you feel like smiling more and doing more, there are many health benefits associated with getting enough sleep.  I hate when people say, "You'll sleep when you're dead!"  Um, no you won't!  You'll be dead!  I appreciate having a zest for life but living it like a zombie or a cranky b*#$%  isn't cool.  Try to get the sleep you need to be your best as much as possible!

10. Dogs are awesome!  I love dogs.  My dog, Peanut, is my first baby.  She's been in costumes and hats and sweaters and sleeps in our bed under the covers.  She wakes up every morning excited to start the day (and get her treats).  She is always happy to see me and has been there for me through so much in the last 14 years.  She's faithful to our family and loves the babies.  I've cried in her fur and she's licked my tears.  She never judges me, even when I'm wrong.  She doesn't even care if I haven't showered yet.  Dogs are the best!  I'm so lucky to have her in my life!


our angel and lil devil


11. Sometimes life hurts.  If you want to better yourself, you need to open yourself to the possibility of it and when you open yourself up, you may get hurt.  Being vulnerable and allowing yourself to fall, make mistakes, and even fail, offer you some of the greatest opportunities for growth.  Don't let your fear of getting hurt hold you back and don't let the fear of hurting someone's feelings keep you from doing what you need to do to be your best self!

12.  "Up North" Michigan is one of the greatest places on earth!  Anyone who's from Michigan or has visited Michigan knows that "Up North" is a little piece of heaven!  Michigan is, of course, surrounded by the beautiful crystal blue waters of the Great Lakes and it's also full of many inland lakes, rivers, and creeks. You can find fresh water just about everywhere in Michigan which means up north could be a lot of different places to a lot of different people!  As a child, I wished I could live up north and I feel so happy and blessed that I was able to make that dream come true!  Up north is permanently engraved in my heart!


  lake michigan near petoskey
                                                       

13.  It's not all about getting "there," you're already there!  At one point in my life I realized, when am I going to feel satisfied?  When do I get to feel good about what I've accomplished and where I'm at?  Then the answer came...anytime I choose!  Celebrate the steps!  We tend to ignore how great right now is and wait to be happy when we do this and accomplish that.  Celebrate each step on the way and once you do reach a goal celebrate even more!  Celebrating the steps also helps you to keep going when things get tough and when you're trying to do something great, there's always going to be at least a few (or many!) shaky spots!

14. Take life seriously, but not that seriously.  I used to worry, A LOT!!!  I used to try so hard to plan and control everything and be perfect.  I thought I should be able to do everything and anything I thought of and that I could always do better.  I felt like I was slowly torturing myself with this incredibly high standard of perfection that I could never live up to.  I was taking life too seriously and I had to stop because it was affecting my happiness and my health.  The good news is, I did stop!  It's great to have goals and high standards but if you're spending too much of your life worrying instead of enjoying it's time to reflect, refocus, and redirect!  Life is good!  Life is fun!  Don't worry, be happy!

15. Three words that changed my life:  small - frequent - meals When I was in college I met a person who had lost over 100 pounds doing one simple thing.  He ate 5-6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 (or 2) big meals. At the time I was skipping breakfast, eating a small to regular lunch and eating a huge dinner because I was so hungry by the end of the day.  Instead, I started eating a small breakfast, a snack, a small lunch, another snack, and then dinner.  I would have a small snack in the evening if I needed it but I didn't always need it.  I lost 15 pounds in a month doing this and now it's become my lifestyle.  Whenever I get off track and need to lose a few, I always turn to this and it works every time!

16. Quitting my job to stay home and raise my daughters was the scariest, riskiest thing I've ever done but it allowed for priceless, immeasurable rewards!  It was a dream I needed to fulfill but I had no idea how it was going to work out.  I still don't know how we've managed to pull it all together but we have and we're so much happier for it!  Not only have I been able to spend this precious time with my daughters, I've learned so much about faith, love, trusting myself, being open to help, enjoying the simple life, and stretching every penny!  And there is no doubt, even when it's gotten really really hard, for sure, it has all been worth it!

 proud big sister!
                                       
                                                    
17. YOGA is one of the best things that has ever happened to me!  I tried my first yoga video about 15 years ago.  It was way too advanced and I didn't really get it.  I tried again a couple years later, using a yoga routine printed in Shape magazine.  This was a little more my speed, just enough of a challenge, but totally doable.  By the time I went to my first class a year later I was already in love.  The benefits of yoga go on and on.  It's calming, it's strengthening, it's challenging, it's grounding, it's centering, it's exhilarating!  It reminds me to stay open and present during my practice and in life.  I'm a stronger, more confident, open and flexible person.  It has taught me focus and has helped calm my busy mind.  What I love about it most is that anyone can do it!  There are variations to every pose so you can always honor your body.  I could go on and on but I'll save it for another post!  :)

18. I have the best family and friends a girl could ever ask for!  My family and friends are so supportive and loving.  I grew up with a family who constantly encouraged me and helped me become the person I am today.  I'm grateful that I always have someone to turn to when I need it and I know that I've been blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing, giving people.  I realize that not everyone has been born into the kind of family I have, but I believe that if you seek out people that are loving, kind, and supportive, you will find them!  

19. Perfect is a matter of perspective.  This was another big one for me!  I used to be such a perfectionist that I felt super stressed, had frequent migraines, and feelings of depression.  I still have high standards for myself and my life, but since I've broadened my horizons, I've learned that everyone's idea of perfect is different.  This really surprised me!  I don't know why but somehow knowing that perfect is in the eye of the beholder really allowed me to let go of some of the anxiety I had about doing everything so perfectly.  Now I just do the best I can do in the moment and let any worries about doing more go.  As a result I'm rarely over-stressed, have very few headaches, and only have blue moments when I don't get enough time to myself.  (which I take care of asap!)

20. Never give up!  Sometimes you gotta do things you don't want to do so you can get what you want in life.  This means pushing yourself through when things get tough.  It means having faith even when others may have doubt.  It means taking a break when you need one and getting back up as soon as possible.  Whatever you do, don't ever ever ever EVER give up!  EVER!  :)  Your dreams coming true may be closer than you think!


ever!


21. Value yourself!  People might not see the value in what you do and how you see things.  You have to do that for yourself!  Don't look to others for validation.  Validate yourself.  You do matter!  What you think, say, and do matters!  Instead of trying to convince others that you are valuable, value yourself.  You'll feel more confident because of it and others will respect that in you!

22. Being a Mom is harder than I thought.  I love being a Mom more than any other role I have and I knew that being a Mom wasn't going to be easy.  But let's be honest here, until you know, you just don't know what being a mom is like!  The love you have for these beautiful babes is unbelievably huge and in all of that loving and giving and caring, you can so easily forget all about yourself.  Taking time to be myself outside of being a Mom has been an important part of my staying a happy, healthy person and it's definitely made me a much better Mom!  And of course, I appreciate my Mom even more now and am so grateful to her for all she has done for us and still does!  Thanks Mom!!!

happy moms!


23. Living in the Now  It took me a while to understand living in "The Now."  I thought it was a way for people to be irresponsible and ignore that their actions were affecting other people.  Then I read a book called, "The Power of Now," by Eckart Tolle.  When I opened my mind to what it really meant, I realized that it's a simple truth.  The past is gone, the future has yet to arrive.  Be the best you can be and enjoy the beauty of life right now.  Someday, you'll be gone.  Everybody dies and we don't know when. Don't let another minute pass without saying I love you.  Don't let another minute pass without doing what you can to make the most of your life.  You never know what's going to happen tomorrow.  Live your life now!

24. I'm more of a beach bunny than a snow bird.  So there's a saying up in Northern Michigan, "It's never too cold, you're just not wearing the right clothes!"  So I've done my fair share of layering up (and sucking it up) and investing in cold weather gear so I could be somewhat comfortable when there's 2 feet of snow and a windchill of -15* and I will admit, it does help.  But I LOVE my new outfit of a t-shirt, shorts/skirt, and flip flops!  I can wear this 85% of the year, maybe more!  My feet and hands are hardly ever cold anymore and I get to enjoy seeing the sun so much since it's out most days!  I will always have a special place in my heart for my gorgeous home state of Michigan,  but I LOVE living in Texas and the weather is just one of the many reasons!    

25. I love pink.  I can't help it.  I just do.  There was a short time in my life when I tried to toughen myself up a bit and I kind of denied my "pink-ness."  I wanted to be taken seriously and didn't want people to think I was too soft.  It didn't last long though and now I fully embrace it!  I love being feminine and I love doing things that are considered tough and if I can wear pink doing something tough, even better!  I'm not one of those moms who decorates their house with Hello Kitty or anything like that, but if something comes in pink, I probably like it!


allison's pretty pink big girl room


26. Breathe  When in doubt, when you're stressed, when you're scared, when you need help, when it gets to be too much, when you're running, when you're happy, when you're frustrated, when you're meditating, when you're praying, when you're loving, when you're appreciating.  Breathe.  Just breathe.

27. Listen to your body.  I can do the things I put my mind to but it's important to listen to my body and how it's reacting to it!  This is a big one!  It's great to push past limitations, but it's important to be respectful of your body and where you are physically.  I'm talking about how your body feels in daily life as well as how it's reacting to exercise.  If you have headaches, backaches, digestion problems, or other pains, your body is signaling a problem.  I used to have all of the above on a regular basis.  Now I have an occasional headache, but that's about it.  Don't accept that your fate is to live a life of pain!  Changing your diet, changing your stress level, having fun, living a life of purpose, doing things that are good for you and feel good to you, are all ways to relieve pain.  Listen.  What is your body trying to tell you?

28. Sometimes you just gotta dance!  I love to dance!  I think it would do everyone good if they did it more in their lives!  My favorites are: dancing with my besties at girl's night, dancing in the living room with my two girls (and sometimes 4 if my nieces are over!), dancing with hubby - anywhere!, dancing at someone's wedding, dancing in the classroom, dancing in the kitchen, dancing while cleaning the house, dancing at parties, dancing on stage, dancing on the couch (that was back in the CMU days!), dancing in my best friend's basement, dancing on the table, dancing on the bar (though it's been a long time!), spontaneous dancing, dancing where you're not supposed to dance, and dancing to forget it all for a while!  Oh, and don't forget to sing too!  :)

29. Be.  Just Be.  Sometimes, I get really caught up in the doing.  I used to feel like I always had to keep going, keep moving, keep thinking, keep doing, always always always, without stopping.  I really wanted to enjoy my life and I knew in order to do this, I had to slow down.  Moving up north and being in nature, being near so much breathtaking beauty allowed me the perfect opportunity to do it.  I would lay in my bed at night and gaze out the window at all the magnificent stars, amazed that there were so many more stars there than any other place I'd ever been!  I saw more shooting stars and made more wishes in those 5 years than in my whole life combined!  We would take long peaceful walks through the woods and along the beaches of Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay.  I learned to let go of the to do list, the pressures, the chores, everything, for at least a while and long enough to appreciate and thank God for the magnificence of the moment.  When I learned to do that, to just be, I learned what freedom felt like.  That's where the name for my business was born.  I felt happier and more at peace than I had been since I was a child when I learned how to Be.  Just Be.  

my bestie and I in our "be" shirts
(right before we went wine tasting!)


30. You must make time/space for what you want.  If there's something you want to accomplish and your life is already full, then there's no room for it, is there?  It's important to carve out time in your life to do the things you need to do to get what you want.  I'm still mastering this since I have a million things I want to do everyday, but I've learned how to prioritize better and I'm able to accomplish the things I feel are the most important.  This also applies to other things.  If you want to renew your life, clear out the clutter!  Let go of things that aren't helping you meet your goals and make room for new blessings to arrive.  If you want to have loving, supportive people in your life, let go of toxic relationships and focus on allowing great people in.  Make room for what you want in your life.

31.Teachers are amazing people!   I'm so over people blaming teachers for what's wrong in education today!  Are you kidding me?  Anyone who thinks that has NO IDEA what teachers are really all about!  I have met hundreds of teachers who give so much of themselves to make sure that our children are loved, encouraged, and prepared with as many of the skills they need to be successful in life.  Teachers sacrifice their time, money, health, sleep, and general sanity in order to give big to our children!  Teachers are always working, even on vacation!  I have met so many amazing teachers that teach me, inspire me, humble me, and make me a better person.  Even the ones that people think are crappy, often have done lots of awesome things too!  Let's give our teachers a break and support them.  Without them, where would we be?

32. Big dreams+ Faith + Inspired Action = Amazing Life  Once you stop limiting yourself and allow your dreams to get bigger, things start to change.  When you start to really believe that your dreams can come true and you take that leap, and you trust yourself, and you trust that you'll be guided by something much bigger than you, things begin to manifest.  In some ways I can't even believe all the dreams that I've made come true in the last few years but then again, I can!!!  It wasn't just me, it was many things coming together and an ultimate faith that dreams can and do come true!  Try it!  You'll see!  :)

33. The quickest way to my heart is through my funny bone!  I love people and things that make me laugh!  I love that kids find so many things in life hilarious and a person with a big hearty laugh is always my friend!  Laughter eases stress, releases endorphins, changes your state, and just plain feels good.  I get a great dose of it everyday from my funny man Brad and his two silly sidekicks.  One of my favorite things to do is go to comedy shows and my hubby surprised me on my birthday with tickets to the beautiful Majestic Theater in San Antonio to go see Brian Regan.  (He was super funny, if you get the chance, check him out!)

34. Guilt and worry won't change anything!  Guilt and worry are two things that indicate you're not living in the present moment.  Instead of wasting your time feeling this way, take action!  Do something about it.  Sometimes, the only thing to "do" is to let it go because nothing really can be done.  Remind yourself that you're here now and all any of us can really do is make the best of right now.  I've become a lot better at letting these thoughts drift right out when they pop in.  Practice letting go and keep moving forward!


  truth
                                                                            


35. Pushing my body past limitations has strengthened every part of my life.  The biggest examples I have of this are having my babies and running the half marathon.  When you challenge your body physically, you learn what you're made of.  So much of what's happening in our physical body is related to what's going on in our minds.  If you can push past your mind's nonsense..."I can't do this, this is too hard, I can't breathe, this hurts too much," you can achieve a greater physical strength and endurance than you ever thought possible.  There's no way that I would've thought that I could run 13.1 miles, IN A ROW, ten years ago.  Now that I have, I know I can do so much more!  I'm empowered by that accomplishment and my body looks and feels the best when I'm taking good care of it.  This empowered feeling trickles into all other aspects of my life.  I know that I can accomplish other things that are challenging if I set my mind right and just do it!

36. Writing and Reflection are two of the most effective tools for personal development.  I started journaling when I was about 10.  I wish I still had some of those journals.  The journals I do have begin in 1997.  Through reflection, I have been able to identify some key areas in my life that I needed to improve.  I also have documentation of personal growth.  It's weird to read some of the things I wrote 14 years ago.  I've learned so much.  I've changed so much.  It almost doesn't even sound like me, yet I remember feeling that way.  Writing and reflection has been a really important part of my transformation into a healthier, happier person.

37. Gratitude and Appreciation  I have always appreciated the people and things in my life but about 4 years ago, I started writing in a gratitude journal.  Every night I would write 5 things I was grateful for.  I did that faithfully for a year.  That could have been one of the most difficult years of my life because so many crazy things were going on, yet it wasn't.  It was a great year and I think a big part of that was because I was very focused on my blessings and the things that I appreciated in my life.  Take time to appreciate what you have. Be grateful for all the wonder and beauty in your life and your life will begin to feel beautiful even through the hard times.  I still keep a gratitude journal though I'm not as consistent in writing, but I do take time every morning and every night for thanks and gratitude.  


i love jack canfield

38. God is everywhere.  God is love.  God is peace.  God is light.  God is good.  God is infinite.  God is the Creator.  God is in all of us.  God has many names... Spirit, Universal Oneness, Source, The Universe, Father, Infinite Wisdom, etc.  A super big A-ha for me:  God is NOT an elderly Santa Claus looking man lurking around everywhere, waiting for me to screw up, judging me, so he can write it down in his giant book of the life of Kristie and hold it against me.  This was a conflicting limiting belief that I held since I was nine and had my first confession.  The sinning thing really got to a sensitive girl like me and letting go of worrying about sinning all the time has transformed me!  It's allowed me to be so much more connected, so much more in spirit, and so much happier and freer in my life!  And no, it doesn't mean that I feel free to run around and do a bunch of bad things now but it means that I live my life consciously and free of all that guilt and worry.

39. Happiness is a choice.  If you truly want to be happy, it's simple, be happy.  If you're unhappy, try to figure out why.  What are you missing?  What do you need?  What do you want?  Focus on the good things around you, dream big, love much, and know that you can make a positive difference in your life if you decide to Just Do It!!!!


Love to You!

Kristie

P.S.  If you like this and think someone could be helped by some of these things please share!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Never Good Enough

It's been awhile since I've written, but I've had a million posts run through my head!  So many things have happened in the last couple of months and it feels like finally, after throwing all the glitter in the air and taking another leap, the pieces are slowly falling beautifully into place.  Or something like that, depending on how I'm choosing to look at things in the moment!

Remember how happy and perfect everything fell into place in my last post?  I was literally walking on sunshine!  I was so totally excited!  When we first moved in, it was perfect.  I put everything in the room it needed to be in and the move was pretty easy.  I scrubbed and cleaned and organized.  I was in heaven.  But it didn't last.

The girls got sick for a couple of days so I had to slow down to take care of everybody.  Then Peanut, our little dog who will be 14 in August, followed me up and down the stairs too many times and started limping.  She needed to be carried up and down the stairs, outside, etc.  She lost her appetite and I seriously had some moments where I thought, "Oh No!  Don't die now!  We just moved into our new house!  I can't lose you now!"  Allison didn't help with her questions.  "Is Peanut going to heaven soon?  Should we give Peanut a bath to get her ready for heaven?"  Seriously, I am NOT ready for Peanut to go to heaven yet so can we please talk about something else?  

Then I noticed how the windows needed to be cleaned and the blinds looked dingy and the weeds needed to be pulled.  I needed to go shopping, do the laundry, and clean out everybody's drawers.  I had to steam clean the carpets, wash all the floors, and the bathrooms needed cleaning again.  Oh and there were birthday presents to buy, and Brad went out of town a few times and this is all in addition to normal everyday life which includes crafts, books, songs, nagging (me: get dressed, brush your teeth, eat your lunch, be nice to your sister, etc.), playing (we had some fun too!) and all the other stuff that we do everyday.  Not to mention the challenges of having a five year old and an almost two year old who are both in their own stages of learning, growing, whining, and testing!  :)  In normal everyday life the days are pretty full.  In "we just moved into a new house" life, there's a million extra things to do and well, the days don't get any longer just because I have more to do!

I kept going but was starting to feel stressed.  I skipped yoga a few times.  Okay, I actually skipped it more than a few times.  I just didn't have anything left in me to do it.  At night my feet were feeling sore and a couple of my toes felt numb and tingly.  Finally the day came where I just couldn't keep the tears at bay anymore.  So I cried.  Then I cried some more.  This doesn't happen too often but when it does, I know I've gone over the edge and I thought, what am I doing to myself?  Where in the hell did all my happiness go?  Why am I letting myself get all whacked out?

I decided I needed some clarity and took some time for reflection.  I grabbed a glass of wine and read some old journal entries.  I love how this happens!  I opened a notebook and found just what I needed.  I came across an entry from 2002.  At the time I felt overwhelmed by life.  I felt like I could do my best all day everyday and it would never be enough.  I could always do more.  I could always do better.  Which led me to feel like I could never do enough and I would never be enough.  This, of course, wasn't good.  It scared me.  It made me wonder if this was what being an adult was going to be like forever.  I definitely didn't want that!

Although I believe that sometimes you need to push yourself to do things in life in order to achieve success, I know now that there's a line that can be crossed.  There's a fine line between motivation and self- sabotage.  I didn't even realize it until I found this book called, Never Good Enough:  How to use Perfectionism to Your Advantage Without Letting it Ruin Your Life, by Dr. Monica Ramirez Basco.




This book was the first "self help" book that I purchased and it really helped me!  I learned how the thoughts I was having about myself and my life were connected to how I was feeling and how I could change.  It helped me to understand where these feelings were coming from and also led me to seek out a deeper connection to the bigger picture in life, to God, The Universe, and spirituality.  Obviously, I'm continuing to learn this because here I am, ten years later, revisiting these lessons yet again!

Why am I suddenly struggling when I was just so happy?  I'm striving for perfection.  I still hold onto the thought that if my house is super clean, and everybody eats perfectly well balanced yummy meals, and my kids are super smart and creative, loving people, and I blog regularly and grow my business, and I see my friends and family regularly, and I pursue my passions, and I do everything PERFECTLY, then I will be satisfied.  I will feel complete.  People will see me as successful and I will see myself as successful.  But I know better than that!  I know life is about the journey!  I know it's about the process!  I know perfection is really a matter of perspective.  I know this stuff!  Hello!  UGH!  Relapse!

My life is what I make it everyday.  I get to choose which lens I will view my life through each day, each moment.  The windows need cleaning, yes, and they will be dirty again as soon as they are clean.  They are windows.  Accept it.  It's not a big deal.  The dishes need to be done, yep, they are dishes.  As soon as they're clean we will eat again and they will need to be washed again.  It doesn't mean I'm a horrible mother, homemaker, person.  Whatever.  If someone comes over and I have a sink full of dishes then they will know we eat.  (How awful!  Really?)  If they judge me, I can't do anything about it.  I probably won't even know!  So I didn't blog for a couple of months, this is true, but my mind is overflowing with ideas and insights.  I'm excited to let them take on a life of their own and here I am, taking the time.  It's all going to happen, it just can't ALL happen at the SAME TIME!!!  It's all good.  No worries!  Things could be so much worse...

When I take away all the self- induced pressure, I feel free.  When I let myself enjoy the process, I do.  When I celebrate the steps, it feels awesome!  When I appreciate my blessings, I see more things to appreciate.  When I let go of the negative judgement, I feel like I can do anything!  This includes my own negative judgements and any judgement I think others may impose on me.  Remember, what other people think about you is none of your business!  Nobody's life is perfect, even if it seems that way from your perspective.  It's all in how we choose to think about our life and it's circumstances that make life wonderful or overwhelming.  It's hard to see sometimes but it really is a choice.

So instead of spending any more time being annoyed with myself for these transgressions, I choose to celebrate the steps.  We really have gotten so much done around the house and had a great birthday party for Allison!  I made it to yoga and have been out for a couple of runs this past week.  I've spent quality time with family and look forward to spending some time with friends.  I have major plans for this blog and my new website that will be coming soon!  We have come so far in the last few years and life keeps getting better.  Now that I know better, I'm doing better.  I'm doing the best that I can.  I am good enough.  I am doing enough.  I am enough.  Period.  And so are you!



Can you relate?  Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed in your life?  Do you fall into this trap where you feel like you're never doing enough?  I encourage you to take some time for yourself to see what's up.  Be still.  Meditate.  Write.  Read.  Pray.  Reflect.  Seek.  Whatever it takes.  Life is meant to be beautiful!  You might find you want to do a complete overhaul in your life or maybe all you need is a simple shift in perspective.  Allow your life to get better and it will!  Know that you are worth it and that it's never too late to make a positive change!  :)  You can do it!

Love to you!
Kristie

P.S.  Peanut is doing much better now!  She has almost stopped limping and is her normal happy self again.  I'm grateful she's not ready for heaven quite yet!  :)