Hiking the trails

Yesterday we went for a hot afternoon 20km walk/hike and a mini dinner picnic.

#familygoals #trailrunning #hiking #walking #rivervalley #sunnydays #getoutside #inNature

 

What do you apply daily that help you navigate life?

 

Good morning!

I know that I share this and that about mindset, perspective, spirituality, and health, but what are some of the things the YOU feel are holding you back in any particular area of life? (Feel free to chime in)

I watched a documentary yesterday with the boys and one thing (among many) stood out...."He wanted them (the students) to evolve and teach, but it was not a thing where you have to teach what I taught,...you have to teach what you learned and that is going to be more than what he taught, hopefully...for those students that understood what he was doing..." To some degree, we must make it fit into our lives to be applicable.

Okay another... "rehearsed routine lacks the flexibility to adapt." ...At some point, you would take your routines, dive deeper into why you have them as a part of your life and how they are serving you and then, that will allow for more flow..and more sustainability. Layering in the practice OVER time AND pushing with more curiosity and refinement on how to improve just a bit each day, makes this an amazing process to be a PART of.

What are some of the "how's" that you apply daily that help you navigate life and direction in a positive way?

So stay tuned...there is more to come as this journey unfolds. BIG love to you all!

#thankyouGod #gleaningwisdom #alwayslearning #trusttheprocess #improveeachday #simpleandconsistent #dothework #Lovefirst #sharethelove #buildupANDencourage #oneanotherlove

Connect in with gratitude and joyful living.

 Good morning!

It's been almost 6 years since the car accident...

And what was the first thing I made sure to do to get back at truly LIVING again?

Connect in with gratitude and joyful living.

Some people tried to impose worry, caution, and other fear-based "protective" responses when they heard about it... out of love. (Can fear and love be in the same space?) They tried to bring me back into the situation to make different choices and run different scenarios.

But when you are aware that you did everything that you could do in that moment AND that the moment was no longer active in your reality, then you realize, such practices just keep triggering threat and dread and don't even help you access the part of your thinking that can learn and move on from a situation. It not a serving practice.

Do you have a situation or scenario in your life that you feel a constant sense of threat from?

It's very possible, especially in our current experience in society. But if I did learn anything from another NDE in my life is that.... in order to truly LIVE in our lives, there must be gratitude and joy present.

We are designed to have gratitude and joy. Our brains are wired and ready for it. And our optimal functioning and experience kinda depends on us being and perceiving safety and allowing ourselves to appreciate it.

So what things did I do? I went back to my original plan of enjoying summer vacation with the boys. Out adventuring, playing, riding bikes, and enjoying nature and the sun.

I meditated. I enjoyed the healing and soothing feeling of being present in my own skin. Deep breaths in and slow breaths out and smiling.

I reminded myself of my ability to do things well, including driving. I trusted myself to make good and informed choices, because I learn from my experiences (and the experience of others) and I enjoy growing and learning each day.

I smelled the flowers, felt the sun on my face, listened to the birds, soaked into my daily experiences and successes and continued a bit more and a bit better each day.

I continued in my LIVING and LOVING as I awoke each day

Check in with yourself....are you experiencing a level of heart-filling love and joy each day. Even if it is just one deep breath of gratitude in a small moment... are you grateful for YOUR presence in THIS life?

Living life full. John 10:10. I love that scripture... and live that reminder. AND...I see where there is room to grow even MORE into that fullness.

We are not done yet, so we get to reach in and see how we can delight in this experience of life just a little bit more each day.

We inspire children to do it...so why not the same as we continue?

#thankyouGod #youareSafe #ItsOkayToFeel #Joyanddelight #livinglifefull #Lovefirst #gratitude #biggerpicture #weAre #greaterstill #INjoy

When we bring acceptance and compassion to "our" frustration

 Good mawning.

This is what it is...for now.

As I was doing my son's hair the other day (yes, the mythical proportion head of hair ), we had many chats.

First was to address the issue of his tone toward his brother. Heavy with expectations and frustrated with "non-compliance" to those expectations.

LOL can you relate with being frustrated with people? To how they are NOT living up to your expectations of and for them? And if they would just_______ (fill in the blank), everything would be better?

I understood his frustration. Also knowing that his "expectations" were coming more from a space of control instead of collaboration with his brother.

So I stated that I could relate and shared the story of potty training an eager 1 year old. Always wanting to sit on the potty and sometimes would do something...but most often held the best for last just after getting his pull up on. It went back and forth like this for....3 years.

I expected of him to just "get it" already! If he could just be trained, we could all get on with our lives. Even the mom shaming of not being "able" to train my kid from others who didn't realize I had an older child and had successfully been through this process before.

It wasn't until one day I said to myself "Fine. If he was to be diapered for life, would that be fine?" I accepted the possibility that it would be permanent. I put him back in diapers...no more prompting. Pressure to train and change him was gone. And then I could freely love him with compassion "as is", not as an annoying or frustrating child in my life.

Loving acceptance allows compassion to enter in.

Are there people in your life that you wish would "just change"? Are there those who you feel have ruined your life and you avoid because even the mention of them brings it all raw and real?

Needless to say, my son is almost a man now, and he wears "big kid undies". I released the struggle. That was all mine. To my surprise, I showed up in love and observation. The picture was bigger than I was allowing myself to see (and be).

Yesterday, he spoke to his brother different. He got to see the response he was hoping "he" could force him to do.

If you notice an area in life in which you find resistance or you feel like you are struggling....What could you bring acceptance to in your life? Where would compassion help you right now?

Just a side note, we got his hair done in almost record time

#ThankyouGod #gratitude #acceptance #mindfulness #compassion #Sawubona #oneanotherlove #Lovefirst #lifetothefull #pottytraining #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mindsetmatters

Immunity as it relates to mindset

 This was yesterday. We are gonna get out again today.

Our conversation at this point in our walk was around keeping in "step" with our immunity journey.

We were all diagnosed with Celiac years ago. My doctor had suspected after I had tried an elimination diet. My bloodwork had improved for certain things and when I reintroduced progressively with rye (my favourite bread), and then spelt...didn't go well. Don't even get me started on the barley .

Anyways, before that I was struggling with immunosuppression. Couldn't figure out what or where, but that ride was a rollercoaster. You overlook "little" things at first until you look back after a crazy infection and realize...the little things should NOT be overlooked.

It was never just "allergy season", or I didn't sleep "well", or I'm just a little "tired" today or even that food was "funny" and my tummy hurts. Those were sign posts. And truly, how do we "really" know right?

We actually can know. Through mindful and daily observation and self check ins. Through being honest with ourselves especially...I've built up a relationship of awareness for myself over the years. And as things changed for me, I adapted. Even though now it's an autoimmunity experience, I'm still mindful of triggers. My immune system is extra ready to fight is the way I like to put it LOL.

And, what I do to manage our immunity now is the same that I apply in managing our mindset too.

Constantly staying mindful and aware of our environment (we try and keep it toxin free), our foods (primarily whole food plant based diet), our hydration, our relationships (keep them loving and compassionate) and where our thinking is at (non serving thoughts affect our bodies).

We were doing that check in yesterday. We'll be checking in again today.

Do you check in with yourself and listen/notice? How are YOU doing today?

#immunitycheck #simpleandconsistent #dailycheckin

#mindfulness #autoimmune #glutenfree #celiac #immunesupport #mindset #mindsetmatters #listen #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmonth

Navigating the cave.

 Good mawning.

Navigating the cave...

He was done. Tired of a job and industry, this pic was taken the day after he got laid off.

And this was only minutes before he drove away and set out across the country to see his parents.

I don't usually share in this way, but I feel that people right now may need to hear this.

This departure wasn't simply a trip to visit his folks before the holidays...he was in the "cave" of his journey (again) and needed space to sort himself out.

If you haven't heard of the "hero's journey", I suggest you give it a search. I may expand more on it and how I use it to help others navigate their perspective (and subsequent actions) in relation to where they find themselves on that journey.

Each of our journeys are our own. And we will cycle through the aspects of the hero's journey many times in our lives as we continue to grow and expand.

For our household, as we continue to grow and expand, we also experience going through the ups and downs. Due to a variety of health issues, including mental, we find that navigating depression (or being in the cave) comes more often than not. Or at least that's how it feels.

When we are in that space which feels constricting, dark, uncomfortable....many feel that it is "wrong" to be there. Then we make it unwanted, wrong, shameful, and give it meaning that we are broken and we need to fix it.

But what if it is just part of the journey. What if...it is where you were meant to be? What if it is that cave and that internal work you alone must go through, that part to collect your unique learning, reward, awareness, and growth on the other side?

What if you're being born into YOUR "new" on the other side, and although uncomfortable and unknown, you know it's temporary and worth the process.

On the other side of his month long trip, he came back with more "space" to process. And in the months that followed, more acceptance and contentment. More appreciation for what and who he had in his life....including himself.

It's not about the "not okay" moments, but maybe moreso allowing it to be "different".

And it's okay to experience different things in life...emotions and states too.

#ThankyouGod #lifejourney #steppingintogrowth #makespace #expansion #depression #notalone #mentalhealth #mentalhealing #intothecave #itsokaytobedifferent #entrepreneurlife #fromoldtonew #fromold #personaldevelopment #wellnesscoach #herosjourney