Stop & Enjoy the Holidays

Now is the time to slow down!!!! Once all the shopping, cooking, preparing, wrapping, decorating, letter writing, packing, cleaning, oh and did I say wrapping is done...then my favorite time arrives!! Now I get to play Santa-traveling around with that satisfying joy inside delivering gifts, trinkets and treats to everyone that has touched my life. Whether it is a personalized Christmas card or a thoughtful gift-now is the time to passionately give from your heart! I understand we all feel the financial crunch at the holidays, but that is no excuse not to share with people you adore...share a used book, put a cute photo in a frame, make homemade snacks or desserts-there are tons of things to do. But, please don't take the fragility of life for granted and the precious people that surround you-really appreciate your family, friends, loved ones that have passed and new relationships to be made in the future. Don't get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of life and not stop and enjoy the holidays-that my friends would be a travesty!

Bootcamp Madness

Where do I begin...I have started on an amazing journey into physical health, emotional well being and a lifestyle change through a motivated Bootcamp created by my friend Jennifer, Certified Personal Trainer and Master Life Coach. I find it a privilege to be embarking on such a profound and fulfilling journey with such a wonderful group of women. What I love the most is, "were all in it together philosophy" we all push one another even in our most trying times of resistance, pain and vulnerability. In addition, Jennifer takes us to a whole new level by creating an ever-changing environment that not only stimulates our physical being, but also our spiritual and mental. We meet three times a week, mostly at Centennial Park-my personal favorite, but also on occasion at a gym, and our exercises are never the same and believe me-never easy. Through her stern, yet soft and encouraging ways we find in ourselves the strength to push on, in order to gain that rare and personal sense of accomplishment as well we are trying to make our trainer proud. I can not even count the number of days I could not get out of bed because I was unbearably sore, walking around like "tin man" making agonizing noises along the way. But with every whine, cry and ache I realized just how out of shape I truly am-fooling no one but myself. Currently, we are half through our journey and the focus now is on diet, making us accountable Jennifer has us maintain a daily food journal-which does work! Seeing the items we put into our bodies written before our eyes makes a huge difference. I find myself not wanting to eat that brownie now, just because I have to write it down for the world to see. She gives us healthy alternatives and identifies problem areas and inquires until she finds out why and how to help correct it. I feel so motivated and healthier already that I wanted to blog about my experience thus far. I will keep you posted on my Bootcamp Madness and might even share the inches lost at the end of the 4 weeks?? Wish me luck and if you want to get motivated too let me know or just click on Jenn's blog link under my followers list~

Resistance~

So, I have come to a pass and have not blogged because I was influenced by the proverbial word resistance. Resistance rears it's ugly head in many forms such as excuses, procrastination, justification or simply an "easy way out". For me recently it has been an increased commitment to work, obligations and daily "errands" that must be complete or else! Okay, so these errands we speak of that are so detrimental-what are they really...pressure put on ourselves to achieve or maybe a sense of accomplishment? I once became so obsessed with list of things to do, that as I checked them off I would add two more to create an even bigger challenge for myself. I strive on adrenaline, love to be productive and my personal belief is that there should be more hours in a day and naps are a wasteful use of valuable time.

Tireless efforts went into these daily errands until now...today is the day that I want to restructure my life so that it is more meaningful and balanced. I am learning that the concept of slowing down indeed has it rewards and that it is okay to stop and smell the flowers, taking time for ourselves does not mean we are being lazy it simply means we are taking care of our physical and spiritual well being. This new lifestyle has been very difficult for me to wrap my head around and I have been truly resisting the day that I wrote this blog and said, "enough is enough all I need to do is change by living a more congruent life". With the holidays quickly upon us, my intentions are to slow down by pulling away from a hectic, counter productive lifestyle. I will do this by creating tranquility and peace through meditation, writing and outdoor exercise. This will ultimately lead myself and others around me to a future of calm serenity and inner peace, opening the gates to a more fulfilling life. I will no longer allow resistance to dictate my life.

Life is too short

Erica--as you see in your life as a nurse, life is too short to be encircled by ego. Your journey inspires me to remember who I am and what I accept in my life. My hope is that I can remind myself, as well as to lead and join others in realizing this life is full of joy. Let's walk through rays of sunshine each step along this journey.

Pam

Personal Mission as a Life Coach

As a life coach I am a motivator and a confidant, who is eager to help guide clients as they develop a positive mindset to reveal their own personal power and fulfillment. As a Registered Nurse of ten years in a critical care hospital setting I have witnessed unimaginable pain, heartache and despair. While on the other hand, I have had the privilege of seeing indescribable miracles and sharing the last breath of one’s existence as they transcend into the unknown world of the afterlife. Through these intense experiences and a personal lifetime of hardships I have gained a deep appreciation for life and value each day as a gift. My mission as a life coach “is to inspire one client at a time to live a more abundant life personally, professionally and spiritually.” I hope to open the gates to a place of inner peace, success and unparalleled happiness while acknowledging each individual’s gifts, uniqueness and inner beauty in a safe and unbiased environment as they become empowered to grow and change.

Beautiful Beginnings

Erica,

What I call new thoughts/ideas for self improvement is "beautiful beginnings". By remembering this daily, my progress soars and motivation stays high. It is so hard some days with personal struggles of daily life, but I truly believe I will find who I am and I will love me for accomplishing that. All people are unique and need to find their beauty so the world can be more beautiful for it.

Sharon