From part of a conversation I had tonight, with someone who’s walking the walk…
“Bottom line: Life is not for sissies.”
Ain’t that the truth.
What are you putting up a good fight for?
#PhotosFromTheBlueLollipopRoad #FreeYourMind #AlwaysLookingUp
And I don’t usually punch things, any things…especially in the face.
I felt abnormally blah all day yesterday, just yucky, even though I kicked off a brand-new (and very exciting) BLR collaborative project that’s a big deal. (More on that in an upcoming post.)
I couldn’t shake the funk, so at the end of the work day I came home and laid right down on the wood floors in my apartment on my back and closed my eyes in hopes to exorcise my funk demons. My arms and legs were right out straight as if I was trying to make a snow (ahem- dust angel.) After a few minutes of lying there I knew I needed to get outside, so I got up, strapped on my sneakers, and went for a 2 hour walk:
…doing my best to hide behind sunglasses and a hat, and just disappear.
Being in nature in the quiet is a wonderful magical medicine.
After sharing about my funk with a friend this morning who knows all too well, the hell that life can bring sometimes, I got this in my inbox:
“There are three things you can do when life sends a wave at you. You can run from it, but then it’s going to catch up and knock you down. You can also fall back on your ego and try to stand your ground, but then it’s still going to clobber you. Or you can use it as an opportunity to go deep, and transform yourself to match the circumstances. And that’s how you get through the wave.”
~ Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs
What I learned on my walk last night and from that friend today:
1.) Exercise has saved my life, mentally and physically- and more times than once. I could never advocate enough for moving your body in any way, shape, or form. Every. Day.
2.) I am increasingly thankful for love and support around me. Being loved and feeling loved is pretty awesome. Feeling lonely is awful.
3.) I feel incredibly lucky to have a healthy body and legs that can walk for two hours, even though the past year or so has been by far the most challenging one of my life, and often left me feeling paralyzed head to toe.
4.) No matter how broken I ever feel, I will always believe that this world is one big party train full of possibility, and we all have the choice to hop on anytime we want to.
Life is always unfinished. Look up, and just keep walking…
#GetUp #GoDeep #AlwaysKeepLookingUp
“If everyone only liked vanilla ice cream, the world would suck.”
Well I think so too, sir!
#VarietyIsTheSpiceOfLife #EntertainingClients #FridayFunny
This Jerry McGuire scene is one of my absolute favorites, and pops in my head weekly when the same conversation with everyone in my personal and professional life, seems to play on repeat mode:
“Do other people think about this stuff?”
(Forget the sports specific theme here, and roll with this for me.) And scene:
Many of us live in pain, locked in and loaded with fear of being judged at every turn, we suppress huge parts of who we are or what we want because we think we’re going to disappoint someone else. We’re convinced the wheels will fly straight off the bus of life going 100 miles per hour if we speak up about what we really think is right. We’re adults. We’re supposed to stay in our lane, act like it, and not ruffle any feathers.
What a bunch of crap that is! I’m thinking we should all be a little more like Jerry.
“I had lost the ability to bullshit.”
“It was the me that I’d always wanted to be.”
“I was 35. I had started my life.
We should bullshit a lot less, be who we want to be, and start life now if we haven’t already, at 35, 45, or 85 because we can and It’s never too late. We should shout from the rooftops about what we’re passionate about, stand up for what we believe in and speak up about what matters. When a “who’s with me!” fails (because it sometimes will) and when it seems like everyone around us thinks we’ve lost our minds (which they sometimes will), we will at least sleep good at night knowing we left it all out there on the dance floor.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a beer bellied old man at the end of his life on any porch I’ve ever sat on, who’s told me he wished he’d never spoken up.
Today is the day. Show yourself “the money,” baby!
#ThinkItSayItDoIt #LessFearMoreActionHappyLife #ThanksJerry
This TED Talk popped in my inbox this morning. (Thanks, M!) I watched it as I sipped my coffee on the porch, cheering YES! and laughing through the whole video.
This woman is awesome. I’m a big fan of people who cut straight through the bs:
This makes me think of one of the books I just wrote about in my top 5 read this now list; The War of Art. I wholeheartedly agree with the theory that every single one of us has incredibly special things about us and unique ideas that can change the world.
Let’s all keep forcing the covers off to spend our days going for what we want.
“Get outside! That’s where the magic is.”
#Jump #CarpeDiem #BeMoreThanJustFine
I went floating today. Blue skies, perfect temperatures, peaceful setting, poofy clouds…as nice as it could be. It was great to just lean back, breathe, and be in nature on the water, taking in the scenery:
I kept looking up and thinking of a certain few people I know, who would’ve given anything to be spending a beautiful day on the river.
Here’s to never taking any days for granted.
“Beginnings are usually scary, endings are usually sad, but it’s what’s in the middle that counts. So when you find yourself at the beginning, just give hope a chance to float up. And it will.”
~Steven Rogers
#Thankful #CarpeDiem #Remembering
Read this:
10 Things To Do To Change Your Life Forever
“It is our power of choice that enables us to activate positive change in our lives.”
Can a sister get an AMEN?!
Let’s step out, do something “crazy”, and start living while we’re living.
#InspireYourself #Choices #WakeUp
A voicemail just came in from a friend I haven’t talked with in quite a while. A cheery long message that made me smile, including “Peacock! (my last name in case you didn’t know) “I appreciate your tenacity!”
I went to my iPhoto for an image I remembered taking when I was in Alaska 5 summers ago thinking It’d be funny to share here, illustrating sassy bad-assness & tenacity- then immediately thought of something else. Mind shift and a few minutes of scrolling later, I ran across this random scribble from an old Moleskin notebook:
I can’t remember if that date is when I wrote this or when someone else sent this quote to me.
I spent time with a very special person yesterday, a very tenacious person who’s very sick, but definitely being nothing but positive about getting better. (I’ve got nothing on tenacity compared to this guy.) Impressive and humbling are not even the words. You think you get it, have respect, or appreciation for a situation, then you spend a couple hours staring straight into the face of a fight you can’t in the slightest, imagine taking on. You think you’re strong & mighty, then you see someone who just blows your mind having the strength in spirit that could crush a concrete wall with the brush of a fingertip. You think you’re spending your time wisely, and realize you could be spending it even more wisely.
Perspective.
Lucky me to spend time with someone who might be afraid, but would never let himself stay that way if so- because tenacious is the only way to be. I am forever inspired.
Be tenacious, people. Be tenacious. Be unafraid to look like a fool for love, for your dreams, and for the adventure of being alive.
#TodayIsTheDay #GameOn #MojoAlwaysWins
***(My wonderful friend Laura called me after posting this and reminded me the above was an excerpt from The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer, and she read it at her wedding. Love that.)
This spring I worked with a business coach who needed Pro Bono clients to finish up a leadership program for her Masters Degree. To say she helped me is a serious understatement. It was a fantastic experience that I would highly recommend to anyone feeling a little bit stuck on an idea or needing some accountability to kick their butt.
During my sessions with this coach, we talk a lot about my book theme. After we wrapped up working together, I got an email from her:
“I saw this today and it made me think of your safety net analogy.”
…with this photo attached that made me smile:
Amen!
Here’s to building a safety net by building yourself, and to not being afraid of the adventure.
#Adventure #Exposure #Courage
Photos from things I read:
Believe!
On the hustler note, I challenge you to NOT dance during this ridiculous song:
Here’s to the hustling, the moving, and the (booty) shaking, to make life what you want it to be.
How are you making things happen?
#LifeOfAHuster #DoIt #GameOn