To master your life, show up with a front row mentality.
I talk to women every day who are struggling with their bodies, their weight, their health. They struggle with binge eating, emotional eating, life stress, self loathing, grief, fear, anger....
The struggle is real. The suffering is palpable.
And it breaks my heart. Every time. When I see a woman in this place...who shares her story, yet won't step out of it.
She is in fear, but she puts other things in front of her - no time, no money, no plan - to justify not moving forward.
In my world, when I wanted something, I moved heaven and earth to get it. I didn't care about not enough time or money or resources...I would always promise myself that I would find a way. Because I did not want to continue living from where I was living.
My motto has been 'there is a way and I will find it." And I always did. And I never, ever regretted investing my time and dollars into that very thing that I asked for (and the Universe delivered to me) and that I knew would change my life.
To barter or ignore an offering from the Universe, I feel, is throwing mud in the face of the Universe, or whatever that grand force is that operates everything. And it is less likely to show up for you the next time you ask (I have no proof on this really, because I show up front row seat for everything I ask for, no matter how challenging it is to step in. After all, I asked for it, right? I figure that I won't mess with the bigger forces at play, otherwise
they might turn my back on me!)
And I dig in....because that's what the committed do.
When my health went south, for 8 long, hard years, I spent my time investing in people, programs, events, walkabouts, chakra parties...you name it, because I was committed to healing my body and to learn everything I could about the magic behind the veil.
When I suffered intense panic attacks for 18 months, housebound and unable to work, I invested in a counsellor that opened up a whole new world to me, a metaphysician who helped me to reframe my dilemma and take the fear away from my body and brain. I lived on a deep line of credit for that time, paying for counselling 3x a week. I didn't put a line on what I would spend, because my life, my future was at stake.
When I fell hard into drugs and alcohol, I packed up my stuff, my job, my life and hit the road. I had no money, no plan really, but I had to leave the life I was living, and trust that there would be something out there for me. I trusted I would not be homeless and living under a bridge. Faith kept my feet moving forward, and faith, and an undeniable desire to live, free from addiction, were my stepping stones.
When my son was diagnosed with a terminal condition that would eventually leave him without use of his body, I died 1000 deaths over many years, my body was deteriorating right alongside his, my spirit was broken, and I wanted to commit suicide because I didn't know how to live with such pain, and to watch my only child become weaker every day of his life.
I took on a spiritual teacher (who is still a dear friend and mentor 25 years later, an important part of my world) who helped me to pick up the pieces, and introduced me to various mentors, teachers and leaders that went through insurmountable odds, challenges, and were living from this highest levels of joy, inspiration and freedom. How could this be?
So I dug into her teachings, driving 8 hours and hundreds of miles over many snowy winters to sit in her teachings, soak up the knowledge, and learn and experience the lessons that would turn my life around, and allow me to live this life, with these family challenges from a very different place, from deep in the heart.
My son's path, his life path as I see it now, was and is a gift to us all, and he has become my instrument of truth, faith and self love. to live under such duress with a degenerative condition and no longer be swayed by the challenge, and to feel joy and peace and acceptance every day....it is these lessons I pass on to my clients in every day in my work, my coaching. Why? Because life was kind enough to put hurdles in my way for me to circumvent, to learn and
grow from, so I could pass it on. Because I do believe we are all here to serve and to pass it on.
Life is hard.
It is the first noble truth in Buddhism.
But it is not as hard as staying in the struggle, in a life that is calling on you to change it. yet that fear of stepping outside that comfort zone is what catches alot of people, and holds them back, staying in their unhealthy ways, whether it's drugs or alcohol, food, an unfulfilling job or a bad marriage... many people would rather choose the familiar yet unhealthy, than the healthy step-out-of-your-comfort zone plan.
I have never understood this, because for me, when the poop hit the fan and I was 'sick and tired of being sick and tired', I asked, and the Universe delivered that person, that book, that program...and I took it upon myself to Do the Work.
I can only imagine if I didn't take the gifts, the teachings offered to me at those moments when I most needed them - I would still be in drug and alcohol addiction, or sitting with unrelenting panic attacks and fearful of going outside (or maybe taking pharmaceuticals to try to manage it all), I would still be crying over my son's condition, counting down the days, and feeling angry at God for such a hard life, and thinking that suicide would be the only option
to stop the relentless pain I was in....
I am 61 years young.
I'm still here. And I am thriving....
I am thankful for every hard lesson, every dark road I have walked (and likely there will be more, but I am ready. Because I have changed beliefs, my inner conditioning has changed. Gone are the bad thinking habits, the misery, the check-outs).
I am thankful that I have grown the backbone and built my courage muscle to take on hard times when I need to, and to continue to commit to something that will change my world and my life.
All that I have lived and learned I pass on to many clients over the years, hundreds or perhaps thousands of them, the desire to Rise Up, to claim their lives, their bodies, their health. Because we have one life, and it is going by fast. And this is what makes me a great coach.
So when I look at the pile of intake calls, of women who have said no to their dreams, who talked to me in desperation about wanting to better their health, their bodies, their lives, but who said no because it would mean spending time or money or will change things (perhaps relationships or they were fearful of failure, or even of their own success-in-the-making), I feel sad for them, because I know what is on the other side. I know what sad, fear, angry looks
and feels like, and swimming in those stress chemicals in your body ages you fast, draws your energy and leaves you living half a life.
What do I know for sure? I know I am here to serve. And all my life experiences over the last 61 years have been tough and deeply painful, but I have risen up, and I am celebrating my survival, my strength, my courage, and all my learnings I bring forward to each and every woman. Because I want her to know I know how she feels. And I know what it feels like to lose faith, to be in fear, to not want to change things because the comfort zone has been there for so
long. But I also know that she has showed up because something in her told her to...and I am here to tell her to have faith, and that there is a better way.
There is a way out of the darkness and into the light of day, a New Day. This I know for sure. I've lived through it. And so I know that she can too.
Know that you are worth it ladies. Know that you can survive anything, and you are so worthy of living a grand life, a life of health, freedom, self love, confidence and joy.
So when the Universe answers your prayers...that new job, that new course, that health program, that teacher or mentor, dig in. Do what needs to be done. Consider where you are living now, and where you could be living if you just took the gift....
Take a front row seat in your own life. Our life is meant to be lived at the fullest.
XO!
I teach women over 40 a progressive and sustainable way to lose unwanted pounds, embrace ageing, reclaim our health and look and feel
amazing!...and stay on track no matter what life throws at us! www.warriorwomanfitness.com
Book a FREE 45-minute Wellness Call with Karen at www.warriorwomanfitness.com/apply and start moving forward in your health and fitness goals today!
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