Survivial Archives

Tapping into the power of appreciation

Hey there, amazing souls!

Today, I’m diving into a topic that turned my life around – the magical journey from survival mode to whatever success feels like. I used to be caught up in the daily grind, stuck in a loop of expectations and procrastination. It felt like life was dragging me along, and I was surviving, not thriving.

But guess what? I found the secret to opening up a whole new level of living, and it starts with a simple yet incredible shift – trading expectations for appreciation. ????

Expectations: The Silent Stress Creators

Let’s rewind a bit. I was your classic perfectionist, always setting the bar ridiculously high for myself. Every project, every goal, every day had to be flawless. But here’s the catch – chasing perfection is like chasing a rainbow’s end that keeps moving. You never quite catch it, leaving you feeling burnt out, stressed, and constantly doubting yourself.

Once I realized I was setting expectations for myself higher and higher so that it was never reachable, I was so blown away at the AHA moment!!!! I had been blind to it! I just called myself “ambitious”, “hard-working,” and a person with “high standards”…..well, I called BS on myself!!

Real life rarely matches those expectations….it simply brings on anger… stress… frustration, and, yes…more disappointment. And maybe even complete burnout before we realize what we are doing to ourselves. Yup…i was there too…

The Turning Point: Embracing Imperfections

One day, it hit me – expectations were the root of my suffering. I stumbled upon some motivational podcasts, and they talked about the beauty of spontaneity and imperfections and the freedom of letting go. It was like a light bulb moment. What if I was OK with imperfections and appreciated the journey instead of setting the bar higher and higher with crazy or unrealistic expectations?

I also learned that my overworking, really poor life balance and obsession with achieving was a direct result of my low self-worth and a need to prove over and over by achieving that I was actually worth something. How do you think it felt to discover this one?

OMG! I thought I truly was a “hard worker” and a “high-achiever”! and yes I certainly was…but not for the reasons I thought!! I was delusional!

Breaking Free from the Perfectionism Trap

I took a deep breath and decided to break free from the perfectionism and overworking trap. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t an overnight success. I started small, setting realistic goals and learning to appreciate each step, no matter how imperfect. Slowing down for me was painful…to stop and sit still was so difficult!!

The Procrastination-Procrastination Loop

Expectations and procrastination are so interconnected… feeding off each other’s negative energy. I found myself hesitating to start projects, fearing imperfection. But here’s the truth: expectations fuel procrastination. It was time to break the loop.

I also had such huge expectations for myself that I was causing myself to screech to a halt, and I could often get started, but then I would get stuck in the “how” and get caught in procrastination.

Mindful Living: From Expectations to Appreciation

So now…speaking of “mindfulness,” which is simply just getting quiet, breathing into your heart space and being in the present moment… I started practicing being present in the moment, appreciating what I had right now.

Mindfulness was like a reset button, helping me silence the noise, breathe, and appreciate the simplicity of the present.

To get to that state was VERY hard for me. I literally had to start with 1 minute, then gradually increase until I got to 10 min, 12 min, then 20 min and once I was actually able to quiet my mind…I was blown away by how peaceful I felt. It was like a feeling I never had my whole life since I was always working, thinking, on the hamster wheel, and NEVER sitting down!

The Power of Small Goals

I switched my focus from huge, ridiculous, unachievable goals and expectations to small, realistic ones. Every little achievement became a cause for celebration. It was so freeing to realize that progress was about enjoying the journey, not just achieving and reaching the end goals. So much less pressure!

From Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion

Most importantly, I learned to have grace and patience and to be kind to myself.

The cycle of self-criticism and fear of failure was replaced with self-compassion. I understood that I deserved breaks, moments of quiet introspection, and appreciation for who I am. This did NOT happen overnight and certainly NOT until I was able to relax and do nothing for at least 20 min! Hypnosis was a HUGE factor for me in getting to this point. It’s a very powerful tool!

Transformative Results

The results? Life-changing. I felt a profound sense of peace, freedom from the heavy burden of overworking, perfectionism, and being so focused on achieving and increased productivity! (yes, i was focused on that…literally ALL the time!)

I could breathe, relax, and, most importantly, appreciate my life journey and even get back to enjoying the other areas of my life that had been neglected while overworking. friends, family, and so much more had been totally neglected!

Join the Journey of Transformation

So, here I am, sharing my story with you. If you’re tired of the survival mode, the stress, and the constant chase for achievement and perfection, it’s time for a change.

It may be high time for you to go on that journey from the hamster wheel of achievement, perfectionism, frustration with procrastination…and finally go on this journey from survival mode to whatever success means to you, from expectations to appreciation.

And hey, if you want a helping hand to kick procrastination out of your life and tap into the transformative power of relaxation and appreciation, I’m here for you. Let’s change your story and those delusions. Hypnosis combined with coaching works …and FAST!

Life is too short to be in survival mode. take a good hard look at your life…It’s time to thrive. ????

Cheers to spontaneity, relaxation, imperfections, small victories, and a life of many facets (spiritual, family, friends, work, health, financial, relationships and more) that we can actually enjoy!

Warmly,

Diane

Contact me: Email: Support@dianegudmundson.com

PS. If you prefer to watch this topic being presented on YouTube, CLICK HERE

The Critical Link Between Health and Success after age 50.

Have you ever found yourself putting in a lot of effort towards self-improvement, trying various techniques like coaching, therapy, and more, yet still feeling like something’s missing? Especially if you’re over 40 or 50, you might have noticed that the transformational journey isn’t as smooth as it used to be. This blog post dives into a game-changing realization: achieving your goals and finding peace and joy is intricately tied to how you treat your body.

The Turning Point: Resetting Your Approach

Despite all the inner work, a crucial factor often gets overlooked – how you nourish and care for your body. The foods you eat, the liquids you consume, and how you move your body play a pivotal role in your transformational journey. It’s no longer about age-old methods of pushing through; it’s about resetting your entire approach.

A Matter of Input: What You Consume Matters

What you put into your body becomes the building blocks of your energy and overall well-being. Over 40 and especially over 50, your body undergoes significant changes, making it far less forgiving of unhealthy choices. Processed foods, excessive sugar, artificial additives, and trans fats wreak havoc on your body’s delicate balance. These substances are foreign to your system and can lead to various health issues.

Exercise: More Than Physical Fitness

Physical activity is not just about looking fit; it’s about igniting your body’s natural rejuvenation process. As you age, circulation and metabolism slow down, making regular exercise vital. It’s not about running marathons; even simple movements can stimulate sweat glands, detoxify your body, and improve your overall vitality.

The Foundation of Transformation: Health

Picture your health as the solid foundation on which the house of your dreams stands. Just as a shaky foundation affects the entire structure, neglecting your health can hinder your personal development journey. Whether your goals involve relationships, wealth, energy, or well-being, health is the cornerstone. It’s the catalyst that propels all other parts of your transformation forward.

Introducing the 8-Week Health Reset Challenge

Imagine a program designed to empower you to take charge of your health, regardless of your lifestyle. Whether you’re a traveller, nomad or a camper-dweller, this program accommodates everyone. It’s not another impractical diet plan; it’s a toolkit for shifting both your body and mind towards positive transformation. By aligning your health with your goals, you’ll witness the layers of inner work peeling away faster than you thought possible.

Embracing Holistic Well-being

Chasing quick fixes and relying on chemicals (think pills!) can lead to more harm than good. Instead, consider the wisdom of holistic well-being. Your body has an incredible capacity to heal and balance itself when provided with the right conditions. One example is…Why resort to risky medications when you can holistically manage cholesterol and heart health by making simple dietary adjustments? The same applies to weight, hormones and energy

OK….what now?

Your journey towards realizing your goals and finding inner peace doesn’t have to be a complicated maze. By prioritizing your health, you set the stage for holistic transformation. The 8-Week Health Reset Challenge is your ticket to a revitalized mind and body, accelerating your progress in EVERY area of your life!

** Remember, transformation begins inside of us, and your body is more than capable of responding positively if given the right conditions. Don’t wait; take the first step towards a brighter, healthier, and more peaceful and joy-filled you in only a few short weeks.

Are you ready to go on this transformative journey?

Reach out to me now on social media or email at support@dianegudmundson.com to join the upcoming 8-Week Health Reset Challenge. It’s time to kickstart the mind and body cleanup process that will definitely lead to rapid and profound changes in every part of your life.

Sh-t Happens (Adapt and Keep Going!)

With repeated power failures, I had to get creative between power surges

It has been quite the morning so far… I was downstairs doing HIIT training and the power to my video kept turning off in the storm repeatedly… ?

I finally gave up on exercising in the basement to video and came upstairs where I at least had battery powered light and then got creative and did my own creation of HIIT in my kitchen ?. I will have to save my lift section for tomorrow’s workout but that is ok??

I then realized how lucky I was that I had a full hot water tank and water pressure to allow me to have a hot shower even if there’s no power… I was careful not to use any sharp objects in the shower considering that I couldn’t see in the dark. And then the lights/power came on just in time for me to put my make up on, blow-dry my hair and quickly make my icy superfood shake for breakfast! LOL

Sometimes, when things don’t want to work out for you … Just remember there’s always a way to adapt, smile, and to keep going to continue to enjoy life and to achieve your goals. Getting upset about the power would not have helped me at all, so I’m glad I was able to keep a stiff upper lip and keep going and now feel accomplished ?

Thankfully, last night I printed all the papers and lab requisitions that I need for my many house calls today! So I’m good and prepared for my workday despite my morning challenges!!

Have yourself a wonderful day… And don’t forget to adapt, smile and keep moving forward despite the challenges we face on a regular basis ??

#PowerFailure #Adopt #NeverGiveUp #KeepSmiling #HIIT #AthleticGrandma #NursePractitioner #Health #Fitness #EnjoyLifeNow #Nponwheels #lifehappens

To apply to become a client with my next upcoming fitness and nutrition program… APPLY HERE…

Beat the Weight and Perimenopausal symptoms (So worth it!)

An early morning cardio core workout really got the sweat moving and the core burning! These exercise sliders are the total bomb!??. Feeling accomplished today with this workout. Officially done day 23 of 80✅ of current challenge!

I remember when I was battling with my weight over the years… 190-200 lb most of the time on my 5’9” frame was too much to carry around! My knees and my back suffered big time and I felt like I would never get better. I went through SO many diets like atkins, Somers, Mediterranean and so many more in a yo-yo fashion and was never ever able to keep the weight off!

I thank god for the day 3 years ago that I realized how truly out of shape and miserable I was! I did some cartwheels on the lawn then suffered with severe pain for more than 2 weeks after that! At that time, I knew I was about I become a new grandma and did NOT want to be a fat, lazy, boring and out of shape granny! No way! I wanted energy and to be fun to run around and play with!

I discovered p90x through a friend and ended up losing over 40 pounds and keeping it off by using superfood nutrition and by staying on track with different fitness challenges and nutrition plans to keep things interesting! (I get bored easily) …I even started running and did a number of 10 km runs and my knee and back pain got completely better!

Getting into shape and losing weight totally changed my life!! I am now pain free, have energy to run with my grandson and am keeping the weight off. It not only transformed me on the outside, but the biggest changes are on the inside! Being happy all the time is a great way to live! …and totally getting rid of all those perimenopausal symptoms this way!

If you are looking for a much better way to get into shape and feel the best you have ever felt in your life, message me and I can help you get started. Seriously, the accountability, support and success with this program is totally worth it!

contact me here

#success #accountability #fitness #superfoodnutrition #perimenopause #beattheheat #moodlift #changeyourlife #athleticgrandma

Beginners Have to Start Somewhere (The Time is Now! Starts May 29)

You may be wondering a little about just how I ended up being here like this with you today.

Let me tell you a quick story about a couple years ago, I was so tired, sore, miserable and unhappy….had sore back, knees and whole body pain issues. Was overweight and living cheque to cheque and was truly in a bad place in life. .

At the time I was trying to find a way to pay bills as a single mom, eat clean and get into better shape..

I was struggling with juggling kids, grandson, work, looking after an acreage, horses, dogs and trying to get the bills paid. It felt like I had no time and certainly no energy to exercise and no money to buy the proper healthy food..

And I was getting more and more disgusted with the extra weight i was carrying around and realized just how out of shape I had become. I was frustrated with never having any money left over after payday. .

Then something really bad happened: I went outside to play with my kids on the lawn and suffered severely with body and back pain after that for weeks, and realized something had to change. I saw my doctor and every medical test was normal, which told me clearly that there was something seriously wrong with my lifestyle and habits..

Being in crappy shape like this meant I couldn’t be the kind of mom, grandma and friend I wanted to be and to be able to afford to do fun things in life like we deserved to do..

As you can imagine, I was in bad shape and desperate, but I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream of having my own business to build financial freedom and getting healthy again with the ultimate goal to be in the best shape of my life..

Then I discovered something called Team Beachbody, which has superfood and professionally designed fitness programs…and an opportunity to build financial freedom at the same time!

At that point, everything changed!

I discovered / finally figured out how to:

– Regain my energy, zest for life and be able to feel good again

– Working out at home with professional programs really gave amazing results (check out the muscles!)

– Eating clean and superfood is NOT expensive at all if you learn to manage your grocery budget and do not eat out

Because I discovered Team Beachbody, superfood and professionally designed fitness programs and the business opportunity, I was able to:

– Run and play with my grandson with energy and without getting tired or sore,

– Lose 40 pounds and maintain weight easier and have the effective tools and expertise to help others to get healthier as well

– Look younger, feel younger, and pay off debt which had been plaguing me for years and finally feel HAPPY!

Now I’m living my dream of having my own business and getting healthier to be in the best shape of my life and I never have to worry about suffering ever again.

And that’s why I’m so passionate about our upcoming 21 day beginner superfood and fitness challenge where we provide the free coaching so you can successfully experience getting back into shape to be in the best shape of your life too! ..and even grow your own fitness business if you want!

To join the upcoming beginner 21 day challenge starting May 29, contact me HERE asap to get started.

Your BS Story is Preventing Achievement (So Change It!)

The only thing between you and your goals is that BS story you keep feeling yourself as to why you can’t do it!! This is what my personal trainer told me this morning during my weighted cardio workout and she is totally right!! How many times did we make excuses and even what we believe is “good reasons” as to why we didn’t achieve our goals! Far too many! …and in fact we tell ourselves these things do many times that we actually start truly believing they are facts! Scary if you really think about it!

I have learned to recognize it when I have come up with a story… such as being too tired, having no money, not enough sleep, not enough time, telling myself I am just an emotional eater (which then somehow made it OK?), sore muscles, feet aching, sore back from a busy day at work, stress from having a 2-year old, lack of sleep, too young, too old, no good at it, not capable, can’t trust the opposite sex, don’t know how…and the story list just goes on and on and on…!! The sad part is that we believe these things, identify with them and let them rule our lives!

I have been through all of these excuses and stories myself! Sometimes when you come from a background of abuse, the stories can get pretty bad. For example, you may believe you are worth nothing, are useless, not loved, not important, not worthy of love and so many more horrible things! You can imagine, that if a person lived with those beliefs (stories) that their life would not be very good, successful or full of happiness! I have had to work hard to overcome many of these stories. It was not easy, but I am proof that it is totally possible to change your perception of yourself and to change how you perceive your past experiences too!

How do I work on overcoming these stories? Keep in mind, this is always a work in progress. My mentor (the late Jim Rohn) speaks about those stories, beliefs and thoughts and uses them as a metaphor like “weeds” growing in a garden. This is a great metaphor because if you think about it….you cannot ignore those weeds because they will totally overtake the whole garden (weeds of the mind). Those weeds need to be removed and even once you get the whole garden cleared out of those weeds…what happens? YES!…those weeds keep trying to come back, so you have to continuously keep pulling out the ones that come up.

This is the same way with those stories…

Once you realize (finally gain insight into yourself) the numerous stories (lies) you have been telling yourself about why you cannot do things or achieve things…its like suddenly noticing your beautiful garden (mind) is packed solid with weeds!! AHA! This was definitely an AHA moment for me. I got myself a coach and started working at getting those weeds pulled out. It took months of work, emotional turmoil and challenging times…but, believe me, I got that darn garden mostly cleared out …out of pure determination. However, I realized that a person has to be well-aware that those weeds (stories, lies) will keep trying to come back and keep an eye on the garden at all times to remove them once they pop up! The lesson here was for me NOT to ignore those feelings, but rather allow them to happen, recognize them, and realize where they are coming from and correct them immediately.

Having this kind of awareness can totally change your life. Often, to develop this awareness and clean out the garden takes extra help. Don’t hesitate to get help with this (remember, asking for help is a sign of strength). Once you take the time to learn this, then you will start to recognize the stories (lies) once they happen. Once they are recognized, you can stop, identify the lie and replace it with the truth that you know is there. Its a magical process and is definitely worth learning about! Once you get to work on this, you will be blown away at what you are capable of achieving in your life!

TO download 7 tips to improve your self-discipline, enter your name and email HERE.

To ask any questions, learn more about how a coach can help you, dont hesitate to CONTACT ME anytime.

The Comfort Zone is Not a Good Place to be (Its Really True)

I have to admit…the workout this morning was a killer one! 9 rounds of hopping, jumping, twisting, pushing, pulling…on the floor, then off the floor …yup, not an ounce of energy left by the time I was done this 38 minute workout!! ?. I guess a person can think of it this way…by pushing yourself to do something that is difficult and outside what would be considered “easy” that is how you grow and improve! Bonus…I guess it was worth pushing myself today …I will be stronger for the next time and I am building my self-discipline ‘muscle’ which will help me in many other areas of my life too! ??

Wait! …Isn’t it just easier to stay in my comfort zone?

NO!

Each of us has our own “comfort zone” which is far more than a describable place. It is a mental, emotional and behavioral place that kind of is all about the routine of our daily life. When we are in our “comfort zone”, it suggests the place of safety, familiarity and security for us. Being in this place has us comfy and calm, has minimal emotional change, and even is somewhat free of worry. People create a comfort zone at times to have a healthy place to go to relax and enjoy life, which is fine. BUT, stepping out of our comfort zone is what it will take to actually change, grow and transform our lives!!

Experiencing some stress here and there and facing fears is actually a good thing. If all you ever do is strive to stay wrapped up in your little cocoon, keeping warm and cozy, you may be missing out on quite a lot in life. Perhaps you will have little to no new experiences, minimal challenges, and take no risks.

Taking no risks and not facing fears = ZERO progress in life!

Be sure to take time to look at the big picture in your life. It is important to look at every area when thinking about this concept… such as business, personal, family, health, fitness, financial, emotional etc… If you have a hard time stepping out of your comfort zone you may experience difficulty making changes, growing in life, and ultimately, improving your life in amazing ways! Remember, growing as an individual actually helps you to keep up with the times, define your passions and to help give your life personal meaning.

In simple terms, what we fear most about challenging ourselves is that we may fail and/or get hurt in the process. IF we let this stop us, we will never achieve anything! Consider this one…the majority of us totally have the ability to rise up, face fears, overcome obstacles and totally succeed in accomplishing new and challenging things! We just have to WANT to!

Be open minded, face your fears and for heaven’s sake…life live to the fullest by taking chances, challenging yourself and making progress and growing as a person…you will be so HAPPY that you did !!

PS. If you have trouble moving out of your comfort zone due to extreme fear, it may be time to recruit the help of a coach to help you to overcome those fears… life is too short! Time to LIVE!

To join the Athletic Grandma community, and to get a FREE download about 7 ways to increase your self-discipline, click HERE!

How to Reduce Arthritic Joint Pain Naturally (Exercises To Decrease Pain and Increase Mobility)

Tai Cheng is slow and gentle exercise, but effective for joint health. — Tai Cheng is slow and gentle exercise, but effective for joint health and pain reduction.

Illness and injury can make it feel impossible to move, much less work out.I know.

I injured my hand recently, and it makes exercising difficult sometimes.

I’ve had to adapt. Thankfully, the sports medicine doctors said my hand is healing well and won’t need surgery. Still, I need to be mindful of the limitation while it heals.

Working out is possible, even when we have pain. Actually, working out can actually help with our pain. We just have to adapt.

Today I want to talk about a specific kind of pain; arthritis.

The joint inflammation of arthritis causes can be painful and exhausting. While medication is often used to manage pain, it’s really not enough.

As a Nurse Practitioner and zealous proponent for prevention, I often see the element of exercise is overlooked as an effective management tool for many kinds of arthritis.

Physical activity is critical, even for someone with arthritis.

Regular exercise maintains and strengthens muscles, keeps them flexible, and even helps control pain and swelling in the joints. Beyond the physiological benefits, exercise has its psychological rewards too – decreasing stress, improving mood, and having a relaxing effect. Exercise is a powerful tool.

Exercises to Decrease Pain and Increase Mobility

There are a lot of different ways to approach exercise for pain management. (People with arthritis are much more capable of activity than they often think.) Here are a a few exercises to reduce pain and increase mobility, among other benefits. Key thing to remember – many exercises can be adapted to your strength and fitness level. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Chair Stand

Stand in front of a chair, with back of knees touching chair. Place your hands on the arms of the chair, shoulder width apart. Then, supporting your weight on your arms, bend at the elbow, lowering yourself a bit and then pushing yourself back up. You will be able to dip your butt down lower to the seat of the chair as time goes on once you get stronger. You can even start this exercise by lowering yourself to the seat of your chair slowly and deliberately each time you go to sit. This activity alone will strengthen your arms more than you can imagine!

Yoga, Tai Cheng, Pilates/Piyo

Did you know stretching strengthens muscles? It does. And methods like yoga, Tai Cheng and piyo/pilates are fantastic programs for it. Can’t get out to the club? No problem – they can come to you in at-home DVD programs! Caution: as with any of these options, check with your doctor or NP first. It is important to start slowly and gradually increase the exercises as you get stronger. Be sure to do this and don’t overdo it too fast or you may be vulnerable to injury.

Walking

Don’t underestimate the power of going for a walk every day. Movement gets our blood flowing, muscles working, and the body functioning more optimally. This is essential for reducing pain and inflammation in the joints. Whether you do it on a treadmill, out on the road, or on an Elliptical machine for reduced joint impact, the point is to get moving.

Aquasize / Aqua-therapy

Check your local pool or YMCA for aqua-size class times. You may be fortunate enough to have a therapeutic pool in your area, which is even better for arthritis. There, water is kept at a warmer temperature (25.5 – 28°C), and the pool has access ramps for easier entry.

Weight Lifting

Yes, weight lifting is not only possible for someone with arthritis pain, but highly beneficial. As with many of these options, it’s best to get professional advice from your medical practitioner or fitness coach about how to proceed, but don’t let that stop you!

Cycling

If walking impacts the joints too much, or you just happen to enjoy cycling, it’s a great alternative to get that blood flowing to muscles and joints. Hit the road for a scenic trip, or hop on a stationary bike at home or in a gym. It is a good idea to combine this with yoga or Tai Cheng to ensure you have good balance before heading out on the road!

Recreation

A wealth of active recreation options can be beneficial too, if done carefully. Such activities include golf, hiking, raking, curling, bowling, or gardening. The important thing is to do something that’s both comfortable and enjoyable.

Benefits of Exercise to Arthritis:

The physical benefits of exercise to someone with arthritis are huge. Low-impact aerobics, strength training, and other activities listed above can help reduce joint stiffness (and prevent stiffness too!), build muscle, improve endurance, and benefit your heart and bones. Plus, you’ll feel great too – your mood will be improved, stress and anxiety reduced, and you’ll feel more relaxed.

Don’t know where to start? I can help.

Find out which at home fitness programs would benefit you most, or how clean eating will transform your health too! (join the facebook clean eatery group by clicking HERE).

Take a few minutes to watch this Tai Cheng Video.… To do this complete program may totally change your life!!

Once you get stronger and want to build up your core strength, you may be ready to move on to Piyo, which is an incredible program that combines pilates and yoga to help with back pain and create a solid core and strong muscles!

To get set up on a home-based programs or if you would like further information about options and recommendations, please CONTACT ME.

To join the community, and to get notifications of blog post updates to your email, enter your name and email here…(and learn 7 ways to improve self-discipline at the same time!)

Don’t Accept Defeat (7 Ways I was Able to Get Stronger)

How many challenges do we face every single week of the month? Real life contains emotional tests like disappointments, tragedy, societal issues, stress, injury, divorce, death, unemployment and even choices we make with an unknown future. So how do we keep moving forward without being totally defeated with life?

There are several ways we can do this that are truly effective if we are determined to move forward and intentional about facing the issue. By intentionally facing the issue, it builds on our strengths and makes us even more resilient for the next challenge. If we don’t face it, it weakens our capacity for the next time.

Boy did I learn these lessons the hard way…

Despite my hand injury and pain slowing me down, past abuse, and the huge commitment of raising my grandson full time (some days I feel too old for this!), I refuse to let myself get defeated. Through my emotional fitness journey, I found some strategies that I put into practise that really helped me to learn to experience the inevitable challenges, have normal feelings about them, yet find a way to move past them quicker so that they have less impact on my life.

Here is what I learned…

I learned to enjoy my life as it is, instead of wishing it was different. I learned to be present in my current life, enjoy what life has to offer now and not constantly be feeling like I need something different. Having those feelings of wanting something different than what you have now is a huge stress, worry and constantly gets you down. This is a hard habit to get out of, and I need to remind myself of this at times, but it is worth the work!
I learned to be thankful. Wow, this made a huge difference in my life. It is so easy to count our troubles instead of counting our blessings, but focusing on trouble completely eliminates our ability to experience the good we have been given in life. A change in my perspective here made all the difference. I learned to recognize the good and to be very thankful about it.
I learned to slow down. I was constantly in a rush every minute of every day. By being in this state of mind, I was constantly making mistakes, cutting corners, getting ahead of myself and missing out on so many important moments in life. Not to mention that being in a rush all the time was driving my kids crazy! I learned to slow down and remembered what my mom always told me…”slow and steady wins the race”…dang it she was right! Slowing down and being intentional about what I was doing improved my state of mind, I was more relaxed and my life was less stressful and (no surprise), my relationships improved!
I learned to face the truth and the real emotional issues. It was always easier to turn away from life challenges instead of facing them. I was a master avoider!! The fact is, these emotions and truths will catch up to us eventually! I learned that when I faced reality, I was much more capable of dealing with life effectively. Seriously, when you do this, what once seemed difficult, now seems so much easier! Things that seemed scary, now feel more comfortable and familiar. I felt the difference this made in my strength and it helped me to build a much deeper confidence in myself. Feeling capable is a great feeling! ….and once on this path, you just keep getting stronger all the time!
Further to facing the truth, I found that NOT pushing emotions away or packing them away in the “little black pandora’s box” of my mind was the best idea! Seriously, I have learned that we need those feelings in order to have satisfaction, meaning and absolute pleasure in our life. Packing away those feelings in the black box actually drained my energy and had unconcious impact on my personality! Sounds scary, but its very true. We need to experience our real emotions to have satisfaction and joy in our lives!
Another thing I learned is that things cannot be perfect all of the time. I had to really believe the fact that no one is perfect and no one gets things right every time. If we have too unreasonable of expectations of ourselves, there is a constant feeling of failure and inadequacy. This is NOT a good feeling, but had become a bad habit for me. Perfectionism actually leads to anger and lack of confidence and has a negative impact on relationships. This is a tough one to get over since I have had this issue since childhood, but it is an essential one to work through in order to be happy with yourself. I learned that I was able to gain confidence through the process of trying, succeeding, failing and trying again…It built my power, resilience and confidence over time.
The last thing I learned that was a critical shift for me to avoid defeat in life was to realize that relationships in our life need to be nurtured and cared for. This includes coworkers, intimate partner, kids, family…all of these relationships need to be given attention and commitment to keep them alive and positive…and not just occasionally…this is something to work on consistently. The other thing I had to learn was that I am 100% responsible for my contribution to the relationships and for my happiness. No one else was responsible for any of this. Forgiveness, making amends, accepting forgiveness, being open and vulnerable about love and talking about concerns were essential to realize and to apply to my life.

There was a lot of things to talk about today! These were all things I learned by being committed to personal development, being determined to deal with past issues of abuse, focusing on becoming a better person… Ultimately, developing personal strengths in multiple areas of life and thinking bigger like this really does make accepting any kind of defeat in life totally optional. We have the choice and we don’t have to let life’s challenges get us down!

I am feeling happy, successful and accomplished right now since I got day 13 of my 30 day Fitness Challenge DONE! I hope you have a fabulous day!!

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Feel the Fear, do it Anyways

Good advice for myself this morning. This advice applies to so many areas of life since our fears and choices set the direction of our life! How many times have I chosen NOT to do something because I was afraid to look foolish! How many times have I avoided doing something that I knew darn well would be good for me, but I was too afraid! Countless times! I shudder to think about it!

This morning, I was afraid to put myself into one arm burpies…afraid of failing, falling or hurting myself. I gritted my teeth and just told myself I could do it! I in fact did them and now that I have made myself do it, it has reinforced the positive belief I have in myself that I totally CAN and I will not be afraid the next time! ?? A torn ligament in one hand will not stop me!

Think about this today! What is it that you want to do or accomplish where fear is holding you back? Take the leap of faith, do it anyway and you will be surprised at how you feel!

#brave #feelfeardoitanyway #nevergiveup #loveyourself

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