Hi There, my blog has moved...

Click here to find me :-)

Giving Up or Letting Go

I had a poignant conversation with my brother the other day. It struck a chord because of its loving honesty. We were talking about life and how often it seems to turn out nothing like we think it will when we are young.

When the stress of creating the life we dream is too much we act as if we have no other options. The truth is, most of the time, we have this beautiful thing called choice.

Being in a place of choice requires forethought and consciousness. It means having self awareness and facing fears. It is about asking tough questions of our inner self and listening to it when it answers.

We all have a choice to “give up” or to “let go”. Giving up means resigning yourself to something, usually a negative outcome. Letting go is intentionally acknowledging you are choosing something different, even when you don’t know what it is yet. It’s therapeutic to let go. Giving up tends to be the opposite. Giving up seems to happen in an instant. Letting go is a process.

When we let go of what is not working finally, finally there is room for a new outcome. Even better when we have the courage to embrace what we truly want and need, letting go seems like the most natural thing in the world.

How do you live in a place of letting go instead of giving up?

Anything Worth Having Is Worth The Wait Right?

It’s taking longer than expected...I was supposed to be finished my motorcycle course by now, but I was so, so, tired last Sunday I didn’t pass the skills test. I took it again Thursday and it was a breeze.

The training has been amazing. Pacific Riding School has surpassed my expectations and I am honoured to learn from such professionals.

The most interesting part of this experience has been the discovery that I can relate these lessons to the bigger picture in my everyday life.

I have researched spirituality and taken classes in it. I have rock climbed and hiked. I have meditated, practiced deep breathing etc. In part I have done these things because I wanted a sense of peace, of oneness with my surroundings and “what is”. In day to day life I believe I challenge myself to be in the present moment. Going through this training shows me how much more focused I can be. I need to be.

The handlebars of the motorcycle are extremely sensitive. They go where my mind does. If I see something out of the corner of my eye or am not focused and turn slightly, oops I am headed in that direction. No room for error or emotional overwhelm. Just being in the present moment.

This course has also given me tools to add to my kit for overcoming fear. Fear causes me to freeze up. It creates tension and then I forget to enjoy the ride. Yes, I've been there before. When I am anxious I get off the bike aching, my shoulders are sore, as is pretty much every set of muscles on down. When I let go and relax the ride is everything I hoped for.

The most striking thing I have learned is to trust the bike, even though it goes against everything my mind is telling me. Instead of using my legs to balance by putting them out or down, they have to hug the bike. I must not lean on the handlebars. I have to guide them ever so slightly with my arms. While in a turn I have to move the opposite way my body wants to AND not look down. Can anyone else relate to this?

I have more practice to do at being present, at letting go of fear and trusting.

The brain is designed to keep us safe in emergency situations. All to often we think we are in danger, when we are not. When we overcome our automatic and sometimes misleading responses it is a more fulfilling experience. It's one that brings a sense of peace and feels like home. That is worth waiting for.

A Dream Realized - The Adventure Begins

Just like the clients I work with, I have dreams. I set goals, focus on what I want, take actionable steps and create accountability so that I will follow through. Right now I am committing to do something by writing about it in this blog.

Sometimes I am afraid of what I want. Other times elated by the possibilities. In order to get there I must move. A friend of mine likes to say “any action is good”. I agree. Coaching focuses and targets your actions saving you time and energy and creates positive, motivating feelings of success.

Since I was in my early twenties I have had a secret desire to learn to ride a motorcycle. I won’t bore you with my family history, but I will say it was not a popular idea. It still isn’t. I bought into other people’s fear and silenced a voice inside of me to make others feel safe. All the while this want has stayed with me.

Thankfully, I have come to a place where I trust my inner voice and listen to it. Over the years, my excitement about learning to ride has only gotten stronger. That’s how it is when you want something, when you are meant to do it. It’s almost a calling.

On Monday April 13, I start my lessons with Pacific Riding School. It's extremely well known and is run by the highly accomplished pro’s Dat Louie, Mark Kruger and their ever efficient office manger Rose.

Mark promises they are going to put me through the paces over the next few weeks and work me hard. Hmm, almost sounds like a coach. The training involves classroom time, lot practice and a few trials on the road. Thirty hours in total. Yippee!

I am most grateful to Neil Johnston who is the editor of OneWheelDrive.Net. Neil has been very supportive of this endeavor. Kevin Miklossy from One Wheel Drive took the fantastic shot of my dream bike above. Thanks for letting me use it guys! I want my bike blue though. Do you hear me BMW Motorrad?

Within a few weeks I will have fulfilled a dream. That’s what coaching is about. It’s listening to that part of you that won’t be silenced. It’s saying what you want out loud and making the commitment to take action and then actually doing it.

What is your inner voice saying? Are you listening?

5 Favourite Things - Connection

The Fennec Fox- What is it about cute animals? We use pictures of them as avatars, send images along to friends via email and post them on our Facebook pages. If we see one up close we'll approach complete strangers to pet their dog or get concerned when we see a cat roaming free. Somehow, a cuddly little fuzz ball, connects us with a vulnerable part of ourselves. It allows us to feel soft and fragile. Who can't say awwwwe when they look at the Fennec Fox?

Dark Chocolate! - I knew dark chocolate had great antioxidant properties, recently I found out it reduces swelling, can help with headaches, have a positive effect on blood pressure, balance hormones and on. Dark chocolate has all of this going for it and while we're savouring it, letting it melt on our tongues, making noises of delight, it also connects us with our wonderful, undeniable sense of taste.

Question Of The Day- I started asking a question of the day on Twitter and Facebook earlier this week. I wanted to do this for a while, but wondered "what if people think it's dumb,what if no one answers or what if I can't think of a question one day?" Lol. Like anyone is going to notice. This has brought a whole new level of interaction with my friends and network. Surprise! I am so delighted at the feeling of connection it brings me. By asking a simple question I am rewarded with the genuine human desire to share and be known.

Explorers of the Infinite: The Secret Spiritual Lives of Extreme Athletes-and What They Reveal About Near Death Experiences, Psychic Communication, and Touching the Beyond. - I always have at least three books going. I heard about Explorers of the Infinite when Maria Coffey, the author, was on Oprah's Soul Series some time ago. I ordered it right away, but am just now getting to it. I was hooked from the first page, reading about these superhuman athletes connecting with the great unknown.

Deepak Chopra Speaks on The Nature of Love - Even if you think he is kind of "out there" or all this spiritual stuff is a bit much, what Mr. Chopra says makes a lot of sense. He equates love and spirituality. This is the most important way we connect with each other and Deepak says it eloquently.