Hi readers! I am back! You don’t need to hear my excuses (“life got so busy”, lack of time, inspiration, yada, yada) but my life has been blessed, my days have been happily occupied, and my heart has been full.
I am swelling with pride over the accomplishments of my family and friends recently. I WANT TO SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!
What have my family and friends done lately???
WORKED HARD. They set a schedule and timeline to see their goals and crushed them.
HAD PATIENCE. Their results did not happen overnight; they had to (and you will have to) persevere to work for what you want.
HAD FAITH. Peter Pan said it best:”All it takes is Faith and Trust…and a little bit of pixie dust” and you can fly, you can fly, you can fly!
WERE DEDICATED. Some days it hurts. Some days your muscles ache. Some days life happens and you truly don’t have the chance to lace up your shoes. Stay focused, stay dedicated; the end result is so, so sweet.
FORGAVE. They forgave themselves when training did not go as planned. They stayed positive when the job didn’t pan out. They forgave mistakes and remained hopeful and hungry for success, for happiness.
HAD PRIDE. They were humble; they did not boast. Yet when the moment showed itself, my family and friends demonstrated blissful pride in themselves for what they worked towards and accomplished.
My family and friends’ accomplishments have been INSPIRING. Their happiness and pride is CONTAGIOUS.
I hope through this quick read that you will feel my pride for them, my goosebumps when I hear and see their accomplishments, my tears of joy over their success. My family and friends have been kicking a$$ and I could not be more inspired and PROUD.
Accountability (noun): the quality or state of being accountable; an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions
Who holds you accountable? Who takes responsibility for your actions? Your choices? What I teach my students, is “YOU are in charge of you. No one is forcing you to do anything that you don’t want to. You have the power to study or read when you’re supposed to. You have the voice to suggest what foods to choose. You have the knowledge and tools to avoid drugs and peer pressure. You are in control of the choices that you make every single day, that effect your life, for better or for worse.”
This is all well and good and important to teach a young child. Hopefully, their lives  contain a type of structure, any semblance of structure. Structure is important in developing good habits. Strong practices. Positive coping and management skills. The habits that we develop in our childhood have the power to shape our futures.
But what often happens when we get older? More independent? More financially settled? We can fall out of our previously stable structure.
Falling out of our structure, our former norm, can cause topsy-turvy in our lives. We may feel chaos, anxiety, low motivation. We may feel freedom, comfort, heightened excitement. We may feel a mixture of these emotions at any moment of the day. Topsy-turvy indeed!
How can we create new habits? How can we build a new, yet sturdy and stable structure? How can we take responsibility for our actions and choices and hold ourselves accountable again?
It is important to remember that our choices are only as good as the TEAM surrounding us. As children, our parents/guardians, siblings, extended family, friends, teachers, coaches, and instructors made up our team. They were rooting for us to succeed. These wonderful people showed us the skills that we needed to build our structures and supported us in our quest to find our personal successes.
When our lives become topsy-turvy and we are open and ready and committed to regain balance, we need to call upon our team to guide us, show us, teach us, and hold us accountable for crafting our structure of The Now.
Accept that you want to make a change (i.e. financial savings, increased fitness, dietary substitutions, spiritual realignments)
Reach out to supportive friends or family members with SIMILAR interests or goals in mind
Your teammate/s will feel honored that you asked them for help on your journey in building your structure of The Now
They may ask you for help in keeping them accountable on their own, similar journey
You are the strongest learner when you can create and develop from what you know
Set a SMART goal or goals and share that goal with your team
Remember, SMART goals are safe, realistic, and timely
Update your teammates with your successes, complications, set-backs
If chosen appropriately, your team is rooting for you no matter what
Enlist professional assistance when needed
Seeking consultation from a financial planner may be the person you need to talk to if financial savings is what you strive for
Joining a gym may be the first step in reaching your fitness goals if working out at home is not the best practice for you
Hiring a personal trainer, nutritionist or registered dietitian, or health coach may be the professional teammate that you need to reach your health, nutrition and wellness goals
Have open an communication with your primary care physician before engaging in strenuous or increased physical activity and extreme diet plan if this is not already your norm
You have the power, the skills, the knowledge, the tools to make the best decisions for you and your life IN THIS MOMENT.
Lean on a friend. Recruit a spouse. Talk to a health coach.
Set goals. Work hard. Stay committed. Remain focused. Believe in your abilities. Trust in your team. Be kind to yourself.
I learned a valuable lesson this afternoon and I had to share.
My husband, bless him, knows how much I love to dance – around the apartment, in the car, moving down the street – and I’m ALWAYS trying to get him to partner dance with me (but really, it’s dangerous for all parties involved). For our anniversary he got us ballroom dance lessons to boost his confidence on the dance floor and to quell my lofty ‘Dancing With The Stars’ dreams.
Since I’ve been taking dance lessons for most of my life, I feel like I know a thing or two about rhythm. I instinctively become the dance leader when we are dancing at weddings, parties, and when my husband gives in and dances in the kitchen with me.
Leading has become a common theme in my life. It was second nature to me to come up with plans and carry them through, so naturally I became a teacher, an instructor, and a coach. But recently, I recognized the incredibly important need to still be a student, to continue to learn from others, to close my eyes and LET SOMEONE ELSE TAKE THE LEAD.
There is something so therapeutic about letting go of thinking and planning and just being. Allowing others to lead you through a workout, a flow, a routine, a lecture, a meeting, a class, a mass, a meditation, a conversation. You don’t have to be “on”, you just have to be present.
So today, I closed my eyes and let my husband take the lead around the dance floor. Tomorrow, I will close my eyes and let my instructor lead my workout or my practice. The next day, who knows! That’s the beauty of allowing yourself to follow! I do know that each day, I will consciously be thankful for all of my blessings and my opportunities to learn, to grow, and to follow.
