Monthly Archives: April 2011

SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE: Week 3 Wrap-Up & Week 4 Goals

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Week 1: ACTION
Week 2: DETERMINATION
Week 3: INTENSITY
Week 4: PERSEVERANCE

Hello, my Spring Fitness Challengers! Thought I forgot about you, didn’t you? No way! Sorry to be a couple of days late with this update but life got in the way. ;) But… I’m back. Here’s the low down.

 

Our theme this week is: PERSEVERANCE.

 

per·se·ver·ance
–noun. steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Week 4 is going to be all about remaining steady on our course of action—no matter what difficulties or obstacles get in our way. We are halfway through, guys. We have to push through this thing and succeed. Now is the time to step it up. No matter what happened in weeks 1 – 3—injuries, binges (see below), disappointment—we’re putting it all behind us. We are going to find a way to move forward, work around our challenges, and reach our goals. End of story!

Week 3 In Review
Week 3 was a great week for me. I hit all of my goals. I got up with the sun every morning and power-walked my ass off! I stuck to my Intermittent Daily Fasting (IDF) plan like a champion. I lost (almost) 2 pounds and noticed my clothes fitting even better than before. I felt incredible.

And then the weekend came…

I messed up, guys. There’s no other way to say it. I was doing so good, but then from Friday to Sunday, things slowly started to unravel. The real kicker came on Easter Sunday. I knew that I would be going off the path a little bit at family brunch, but the day turned into one enormous binge. I completely lost my self-control.

Am I disappointed with myself? Of course. But I am not going to beat myself up, feel sorry for myself, and mope. I’ve picked myself up and I’m back on the horse already. We all make mistakes. There is really no way around it. I can put this into perspective. It’s a setback but also a reason for me to try even harder now.

Week 4 Goals
Despite last week’s setback, I’ve started Week 4 off on the right foot. I’ve been power-walking and sticking with my IDF plan. However, this week presents another significant challenge for me as I am headed to Atlantic City today for a 3-day conference. Travel tends to lead to nasty habits and lots of cheating, but I am determined to persevere! Last week, Leo at Zen Habits shared a Simple Fitness Plan for Travelers. The advice was spot on and I am going to do my best to follow it.

His tips include:

  • Lots of walking.
  • Practicing bodyweight exercises like: pushups, squats, lunges, pullups, burpees, planks, jump squats, and shadow boxing.
  • Eating vegetarian.
  • Eating in moderation. (Remember this one, Dena!) ;)

Accountability Pictures
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve embarked on plenty of fitness challenges in the past. Many of my efforts failed because of my lack of accountability. This challenge is different because I am 100% accountable to the other challenge participants and to my entire Evolution You community!

Here are my Week 1 vs. Week 4 “Accountability Pictures”. Note: Yes, to be fair, these pictures were taken after the Easter Sunday binge! (I did take a bicep shot but I’m having trouble uploading, will try to add it in later.)

Overall, despite Sunday’s slip up, I am still happy with these photographs. My dedication in the first half of Week 3 obviously paid off. This motivates me to push harder! :)

Call to Action
I love the quote featured in the image at the top of this post: “If at first you don’t succeed, then try, try again.” It is such a simple idea, but it’s also incredibly powerful. My mother used to say this to me when I was a young girl. It’s about not giving up. It’s about remembering that it’s alright to fall down so long as we get back up every. single. time.

Week 4 is all about PERSEVERANCE, friends. Whatever throws itself in your path, push on. Do what you have to do. Climb over it. Swim around it. Fight right through it if you have to. I’ll be right there beside you, rooting you on!

In love & light,
Dena

Celebrate Earth Day — April 22nd & Every Day

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Watch this:

The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Do this:

Remember this:

Only when the last tree has died,
and the last river been poisoned,
and the last fish been caught,
will we realize we cannot eat money.
—Cree Indian Proverb

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd & Every Day!

In Love & Light,
Dena

Optimism Attracts (or How to Be Attractive)

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Many of the life coaching clients that I work with have a similar problem. It tends to come up over and over again during my life coaching sessions. RELATIONSHIPS: finding them, keeping them, and thriving in them.

Would You Hang Out With You?
It sounds a little silly at first, but it’s an important question to ask. We make all kinds of judgments about the people that we surround ourselves with. Is she generous enough? Is he interesting enough? And so on. But how often do we stop and take ourselves into consideration?

What sort of traits do you look for in a friend or partner?

  • Kindness
  • Generosity
  • Sense of humor
  • Patience

Have you ever stopped to consider whether or not you are in possession of all of these traits? Have you ever wondered if, given the choice, you would choose to hang out with you?

I’ve written about how I used to suffer from terrible anxiety. Like all anxiety, my anxiety was mainly characterized by negative, irrational thoughts. That negativity pervaded every aspect of my mind, and my personality. In short, I was a negative person. The sad part was that at the time, I didn’t realize it. None of us seem to have trouble identifying the negative people in our lives. Yet, when we are the negative person, suddenly… we’re clueless.

Self-Realization
The reason many people are completely clueless about the fact that they are negative is because they are entirely lacking self-realization. Self-realization simply means how well we “realize”—or know—ourselves.

Many people view themselves in an entirely different light than the rest of the world views them. It is not a deliberate misunderstanding, it’s simply a matter of ignorance. The disconnect between how we perceive ourselves and how we actually are is a result of a disconnect between: what we think/say and what we actually do.

In our minds, we may have every intention of being a wonderful, positive person. We may tell ourselves frequently that we intend to be great. We intend to influence the world around us, creative positive change, and spread love & light. However, there is an enormous difference between: intention and action.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” —Mahatma Gandhi

Therein lies the problem. Because so much of our reality exists inside of our minds—we believe that our intentions are real. We unknowingly become delusional and end up with an entirely unrealistic picture of ourselves.

Overcoming the Delusion
The fact is, that you can’t depend on anybody (even your best friends) to tell you that you are a negative person. Most people will avoid conflict at any cost. If you are negative, they will simply avoid you or deal with it. In fact, some people may even enjoy and encourage your negativity. Remember, misery loves company.

If you really want to become more self-aware, you will have to become conscious of your thoughts, words, and actions. My favourite way to do this is by writing things down. It can all become very jumbled in your mind. However, by writing things down you can gain a clear, logical picture of you. Jot down conversations and make a note of what you add to them.

  • Are you constantly complaining about the weather?
  • Are you regularly gossiping about co-workers or family members?
  • Are you frequently repeating disturbing/sad stories from the headlines?
  • Are you always sick and whining about stomach pain/headaches/allergies/etc.?

Also, jot down your thoughts and actions a few times a day. If your thoughts are consistently different than your actions. You will become aware of that disconnect. You may find that you’ve been meaning to volunteer at your local animal shelter for months. But in reality, you’ve been spending five nights a week on the couch, streaming Netflix.

All of these behaviors are signs of negativity. You may be a negative person and not even know it. I know I was.

Become a People Magnet
The best way to attract people, is to be a person that you would be attracted to. Once you have become more self-aware, this is easy to do. Replace all of your old, negative behaviors with positive ones. Instead of focusing on the bad in your life, focus on the good.

  • Instead of complaining about the weather, tell people how much you are looking forward to Sunny Summertime.
  • Instead of regularly gossiping about co-workers or family members, point out people’s positive attributes. (Yes, every body’s got at least one!)
  • Instead of repeating disturbing/sad stories from the headlines, spread the good news that you hear.
  • Instead of moaning about sickness/pain, let people know how grateful you are to have two legs that walk, and two eyes that allow you to see this beautiful world around us. (Of course if you can’t make the legs/eyes statements, I’m sure you can think of others. The point is gratitude.)

If you just love to be around kind, generous, patient people with a great sense of humor—be a kind, generous, patient person with a great sense of humor! Now that you are aware of what you want to be, take the necessary steps to actually be that. Align your intentions with your actions.

Negativity Repels—Optimism Attracts
I am constantly amazed by the positive transformations that my clients see in their relationships, simply by transforming their thoughts. If you’ve been struggling with relationships or just trying to become a better person, give the ideas in this post a try. Let me know how it goes.

In love & light,
Dena

SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE: Week 3 Goals

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Our theme this week is: INTENSITY.

Once again, I got up as the sun was rising this morning for my A.M. Power Walk. It felt great! It was chilly, but it’s definitely Springtime. Everything is budding & blooming. There are splashes of yellow, pink, & purple in the grass & on the trees. Such a lovely time of year.

As I walked, these colourful signs of life motivated me to give it my all. I thought of the incredible amount of energy that it takes for all of the flowers & the trees to bring forth their beauty. I remembered that that same energy exists within me. The same silent, invisible energy that pushes the petals open is the same energy that pushes the blood through my veins.

“…the spirit reveals itself to everyone with the same intensity and consistency, but only warriors are consistently attuned to such revelations.” —Carlos Castaneda

This thought inspired me and I pushed myself further and harder as I moved—tighten the core, swing the arms, squeeze the glutes. Just by observing nature and staying committed to my goals, I am bringing more INTENSITY into my personal FITNESS CHALLENGE this week. We’re nearly halfway through now. No matter what challenges we are facing, let’s make Week 3 the most intense, productive, and positive week yet!

Goals for the Week
The challenge this week is going to be to find new and exciting ways to keep our energy levels up and bring more intensity into our challenge. While this goal ties all of us together, we also have our own unique individual goals. My main goal for the next 60 days is to lose 8 pounds. Each week I also share my weekly individual goals.

“Your intensity & determination to succeed lies first within your mind and then within your heart. Utilize both your mind & body to attain your goals, and you will be triumphant.”

Here are my goals for this week:

  • Five minute meditation each morning before I do anything else
  • A.M. Power Walk: Monday – Friday
  • Intermittent Daily Fasting: every day
  • No fried food (except for stir fry)
  • No eating out (I am joining my friend & fellow challenge participant, Brad, in his challenge to stop eating out so much in April)
  • Lose 2 pounds

Intermittent Daily Fasting (IDF) Update
So far my IDF experiment has been going really well! I have lost 1.5 pounds since I began late last week and I haven’t changed the foods that I’m eating or the amount of exercise that I’m doing. It has been easier than I anticipated, too.

With IDF, I eat all of my meals for the day (usually two + a snack) between 12 noon and 8:00 P.M. I do find that I am hungry in the mornings, but it’s completely tolerable and tends to fade so long as I keep busy. I’ll let you guys know how it progresses. I’m going to stick with this for awhile.

Accountability Pictures
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve embarked on plenty of fitness challenges in the past. Many of my efforts failed because of my lack of accountability. This challenge is different because I am 100% accountable to the other challenge participants and to my entire Evolution You community!

Here are my Week 1 vs. Week 3 “Accountability Pictures”.

There is no doubt about it, I am starting to see positive change! I’ve already started to notice my clothes fitting better, too. :) Remember, if you want to post your own Accountability Pictures, head over to the forum and get to posting!

Call to Action

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them—a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina. They have to be a little faster. They have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” —Muhammad Ali

I love this Muhammad Ali quote. I love that he acknowledges that champions are not made in gyms. It is so true! Being a champion is about living with INTENSITY every second of the day: in the gym, in the kitchen, in the car, everywhere. It does not mean that we have to run ourselves ragged. It just means that we have to be present, aware, and focused about every action that we take.

Good luck this week, friends! Let me know how your personal challenge is going so far.

In love & light,
Dena

SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE: Week 2 Wrap-Up

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Week 2 Challenge Theme: DETERMINATION.

Morning Power Walk
Today, I woke up earlier than usual at 6:00 a.m. It felt heavenly to wake just as the sun was rising. I got up early because today was the day that I started power-walking! I’ve been wanting to start since the beginning of the challenge, but bad weather & useless excuses kept getting in the way. But this morning, everything was perfect. I woke, did some light stretching, and off I went!

It was gorgeous. The birds were singing their special song reserved for the early morning hours when most of the world is still asleep. Even the trees seemed to whisper happy thoughts to me as I walked by. The sun was shining and the morning dew caught glimmers of light and made the grass sparkle like crystals. It was perfect and I was so grateful. What a wonderful way to start my day. Yes, I could use a habit like this. :) Exercise and the beauty of nature.

Intermittent Daily Fasting
On Wednesday night I was browsing through some of my favourite blogs and Twitter streams when I came across Matt Madeiro’s blog, three new leaves. Matt lives a simple, healthy lifestyle and one of the ways that he does this is through Intermittent Daily Fasting (IDF). See here and here. I was completely fascinated by this idea. I love fasting. A few years ago, I did the Master Cleanse for four days with incredible results. Since then I’ve tried to do a few more fasts, but haven’t had much luck. Going full days without real food is a challenge for me.

Intermittent fasting is different though, in that you fast every day for shorter periods of time by implementing eating windows. For example, many people choose to eat only from 12 noon to 8:00 p.m. every day and then fast the remaining hours of the day. Now this is something that I can do! When I read about the amazing results that Matt has had, I did some more research and found similar success stories. The Spring Fitness Challenge is a perfect time to give this method a shot and if I like it, who knows, I may have just stumbled upon a new lifestyle choice. I’ll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, here are a few more posts about IDF that I found useful: one, two, three.

Simple, Healthy Recipes
As a part of the challenge, I’ve been experimenting with simple, healthy recipes. I am all about simplicity. My cooking skills have vastly improved over the past few years, but I’m not one to happily spend hours in the kitchen. In fact, my favourite meals are the ones that I can whip together in 25 minutes or less. Here are a couple of my favourites that I’ve been enjoying since starting the challenge.

Simple Broccoli, Mushrooms, & Cashews Stir Fry
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil
Broccoli crowns
Sliced mushrooms
Minced garlic
Artificial crab meat
Raw cashews

Instructions
Heat up a skillet with the olive oil & garlic. Break the broccoli crowns into pieces and throw them into the oil. Let them cook for a few minutes until slightly tender. Add in the crab & mushrooms. Drizzle soy sauce over the ingredients. Simmer until mushrooms are cooked. Throw in the cashews & one more splash of soy sauce if needed. Cook until the cashews are slightly tender & veggies are slightly browned.

STIR FRY

STIR FRY

Meat-Free Meatballs
Ingredients:
Chick peas
Bread crumbs
Egg (cage-free, organic)
Olive oil

Instructions:
In a bowl, mash the chick peas with a fork until you have a thick paste. (Doesn’t have to be perfectly mashed, some chunks are fine.) Add one egg for every can of chick peas that you use. Add in bread crumbs and olive oil and mix everything together. Consistency should be thick enough that you can make “meat” balls. Form your balls.  Finally throw them into the frying pan with olive oil and fry until golden brown on all sides.

CHICK PEA MEATBALLS

CHICK PEA MEATBALLS

I realize that there is a lot of pasta on that plate, but not to worry. That portion stretched out over a few days with more meatless balls added each time. Head over to the forum to check out recipes from the other challenge participants and to share your own.

Week Two Reflections
Week Two has been a bit of a roller coaster week for me. Some days I’ve been a rock star and other days more of a fading firefly. ;) But overall, it’s been a good week. I’ve stuck with most of my goals and feel a lot better about Week Two than I did about Week One. So far, I haven’t seen too much progress in terms of actual weight loss (my goal for the challenge is to lose 8 lbs. total) but I have faith that experimenting with IDF will give me results. If I stick to my morning power walk, that will be another positive. And finally, while the scale has remained pretty consistent, this morning I really liked what I saw in the mirror. Progress? Optimism? Either way, I feel great!

Reminder: Weight loss is as simple as burning more calories than we consume. Remember this week’s theme: DETERMINATION and finish out the week strong!

In love & light,
Dena

He Sacrifices His Health In Order to Make Money

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The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Recently, I read this quote and I’ve been reeling from it ever since. It was as though someone took a giant microscope and placed it over my life. For the first time, I could see everything perfectly clearly. I could see the big picture and… I was horrified.

This: He sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. It reverberated over & over in my mind like I was between two gongs and someone was slamming them both with the force of a freight train. Dramatic imagery, I know, but that’s how it felt. My reaction was visceral like I was kicked in the stomach.

I had this reaction because it was like everything that I thought I “knew” was turned upside down and shook empty like a jar of pennies. See, I’ve been teaching about “Creating the Life of Your Dreams” for awhile now. I had even convinced myself, that I was creating the life of my own dreams. I thought I’d done a pretty good job of ignoring societies rules and living by my own. But then I read the Dalai Lama quote and everything came crumbling down around me.

The Truth, Light
I’ve been living with the wool half pulled over my eyes.  Yes, I was creating the life of my dreams—but only marginally!  I created this site.  I started life-coaching & motivational speaking.  I was living my passions. But I was still worshiping the almighty dollar and as many times as I said, “I don’t care what other people think…” I still cared what other people thought!

I wasn’t intentionally lying (to myself or to others).  I was in the dark, unaware.

When I read the Dalai Lama quote it was like a light bulb went on after a long time in the darkness.  I could finally see.  What did I see?  Here is a short story that I read a few years ago.  Of course it stuck with me then, but somehow I let its wisdom slip away.

The Fisherman and the Businessman

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village. As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish. The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”

The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”

“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.

“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.

The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”

The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman. “I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”

The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”

The fisherman asks, “And after that?”

The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with your kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”

The fisherman smiled.

(story from)

Icing on the cake. Straw that broke the camel’s back. And all that jazz.
As if I was not already completely over the edge about all of this, then my co-worker was listening to Howard Stern yesterday and I overheard this: Jobs that require sitting increase risk of death regardless of diet/exercise.

Since college, I’ve spent my life sitting at a desk working on a computer. I spent three years chained to sitting at a desk, responding to emails, and fighting sleep listening in on conference calls. And then, I started blogging/speaking/coaching (which I am so passionate about) but still sitting at a desk staring at my MacBook 99% of the time.

Fact Vs. Excuse
It just really hit me that the reason that I do all of this is because I feel like I should or I have to and it’s all a complete load of bullocks. Right now I work in an office Monday – Thursday, 9 – 5. I life coach whenever possible, typically before 8 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. I tutor on Mondays & Thursdays after my office job. And I take every motivational speaking gig that’s offered to me (paying or not).

I am running around like a hamster going nowhere on a wheel—exactly what I tell everyone NOT to do—all because I think I have to. Why do I think I have to? Because I am confusing excuses with facts. And there is one fact excuse that keeps popping up over & over: I HAVE TO PAY MY BILLS.

I have to pay bills. REALITY: IT’S AN EXCUSE, NOT A FACT. I don’t need my car, my clothes, my cell phone, my Internet connection, or half of the other crap that I spend my money on. My credit score doesn’t matter all that much either. Despite the fact that it’s great right now, I’d get along just fine even if it wasn’t so great. If I stopped paying my bills, I wouldn’t have all that much trouble finding food & shelter or continuing to LIVE. IF I STOPPED PAYING MY BILLS, IT WOULDN’T KILL ME. Also, I would probably wind up with a lot less useless crap that I don’t really need!

I Know Where I’m Going
And so now that I’ve gone off on a quite a rant, I have to tell you that I can’t wrap all of this up in a nice, little package with a pretty pink bow on top. I don’t know the answer yet, but… I’m getting closer. What I do know is this.

  1. I do not want to spend the rest of my life sitting behind a desk. I love blogging, coaching, and speaking; but I’m going to have to be more creative with my medium. My passion is creating positive change in people’s lives and there are ways to do it away from the computer. (For example, I love working with children & I’ve honestly always dreamed of becoming a nanny.)
  2. The desk job thing isn’t going to cut it for me. Yes, at the moment there are bills with my name on them, but using those bills as an excuse to do stuff that I hate isn’t going to fly anymore.
  3. And finally. I am going to stop giving a damn what other people think—Right now. I value constructive criticism immensely. I welcome opinions, discussion, and insight with open arms. But, my life is not the Hotel California. You can check out anytime you like and you can always leave.. ;)

To close this, I’ll quote my hero (who—as I’m sure you’ve noticed—I never get sick of). Enter Tyler Durden, “You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fuc*ing khakis.”

In love & light,
Dena

SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE: Week 2 Goals

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Welcome to Week 2 of the 60-Day SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE!

Our theme this week is: DETERMINATION.

In Week 1, our theme was ACTION. In Week 2, we’re going to continue to take action and we’re going to add DEDICATION into the mix. It’s easy to start any challenge with energy & enthusiasm, but often we see energy levels drop off as move further into it. If we start to lose interest or get tired, we call upon our secret weapon—DEDICATION—to keep us fighting strong for success!

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently. —Anthony Robbins

Goals for the Week
The challenge this week is going to be to keep our energy levels up and keep our eyes on the prize!  While this goal ties all of us together, we also have our own unique individual goals. My main goal for the next 60 days is to lose 8 pounds. Each week I also share my weekly individual goals.

Discipline is an exercise of repetition. Not once or twice but until completed. —Unknown

Here are my goals for this week:

  • Five minute meditation each morning before I do anything else
  • Twenty minutes of non-stop movement each morning (stretching, light cardio, light weights)
  • Yoga (Wednesday & Friday)
  • No fried food (except for stir fry)
  • No eating out (I am joining my friend & fellow challenge participant, Brad, in his challenge to stop eating out so much in April)

Accountability Pictures
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve embarked on plenty of fitness challenges in the past. Some have been successful, but the majority have not. Many of my efforts failed because of my lack of accountability. When I know that no one is watching, I tend to slip—cheat a little bit and it’s a slippery slope from there. This challenge is different because I am 100% accountable to the other challenge participants and to my entire Evolution You community!

Here are my Week 1 vs. Week 2 “Accountability Pictures”. It’s still scary, but I know that this is a necessary element of my journey.

Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile…initially scared me to death. —Betty Bender

I can see some minor differences already, but I am definitely going to step it up in Week 2 to produce even greater results! ;) Remember, if you want to post your own Accountability Pictures, head over to the forum and get to posting!

Call to Action

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen” —Frank Lloyd Wright

As we move into the 2nd week of our Spring Fitness Challenge, let’s focus intently on what we hope to accomplish. Creating positive change can be challenging, but we can always look within to find the determination to move us forward. Some days will be harder than others. It’s alright if we fall down once in awhile; the critical thing is that we get back up—every single time.

Remember that our theme this week is determination. Write the word DETERMINATION in big letters and put it somewhere that you will see it every day—the bathroom mirror, your dashboard, the refrigerator door.

I can’t wait to watch you make great things happen this week!

In love & light,
Dena

SWAN Saturday: Educated Risks

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SWAN (Stop Wasting Away Now) Saturday is a weekly dose of inspiration from me to you. Each week I will make a short video post about something on my mind. The posts will be unscripted & shot straight from my soul. Stop wasting away now, life’s too short!


Click here if you can’t see the video.

This week, my SWAN post is about taking educated (or calculated) risks. Basically, I think that we should all be taking more of them! It’s been about six months since I left my secure job of three years to pursue a life that I am a lot more passionate about than sitting behind a desk for 8 hours/day, 5 days/week. When I decided to make that major change in my life, it was really scary; but I can honestly say that I do not have a single regret!

I’ve made some other educated “risky” decisions in the last year, too. In September, I went to Paris alone. It was the first trip that I took overseas by myself. Some thought that maybe it wasn’t such a great idea. Maybe a young woman should not travel alone in a foreign country. Maybe she should not couch surf and stay with strangers. But looking back, that trip was one of the most incredible experiences of my life!

In the next month, I’m about to take some more educated risks, too. And I feel really good about it! I’m not doing anything foolish. I’m not putting myself in danger or quitting a job to live on the streets. I am just taking steps to live the life that I’ve always dreamed of living. I am making decisions with my heart, my soul, and my gut. I am doing things that really mean something to me and things that I am really passionate about. My decisions may not live up to everyone’s expectations about how we “should” behave and how we “should” live. A lot of people seem to think that we are supposed to go to college and get a job with good benefits and stay at that job and not take any risks. But that life is not for me! I have greater expectations for my life than simply doing things because that’s what society says I “should” do. I would rather do what I want to do in an educated and informed way.

Today, I want to ask you to do whatever it is that you have been dying to do. Whether you’ve been wanting to hire a life coach to help you deal with your anxiety or start working with a personal trainer to shed those pesky 20 pounds or move to the other side of country to do what what you’re really passionate about—today I am telling you to go for it! Do your research. Make your plans. Make sure that this is what you really want and that this is something that you can achieve. Then make it happen! Don’t wait any longer. Start making it happen right now. Life is way too short to be miserable. This is such a great SWAN post, because I am literally telling you: If you are not happy with the way your life is going, stop wasting away now! Make your dreams come true. You are totally capable. I have complete faith in you. I can’t wait to hear about it, so get going and let me know how it goes!

Thanks so much for tuning in. See you guys next time!

In love & light,
Dena

SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE: Week 1 Wrap-Up

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Week 1 Challenge Theme: ACTION.

Week 1 of the challenge is quickly rolling to an end. It’s been an awesome week of: ACTION! This time last week, I was so nervous knowing that my “Accountability Pictures” would be going live Monday morning. But obviously I had nothing to worry about. You guys have been so supportive.  Posting those pictures was exactly what I needed to hold myself accountable this week. Every time I felt myself starting to slip, I thought about those pictures and how proud I want to be of myself when I post my final set. If you haven’t posted your own pictures yet, head over to the forum and get to it.

It has been a great week! I am so proud of myself. Based on the conversations over in the forums, it sounds like you guys have been doing awesome, too. I want to give a big shout out to three challenge participants in particular—Stephanie, Michelle, and Brad—who have been kicking ass & taking names. So proud of you guys!

No action, no change. Limited action, limited change. Lots of action – Change occurs. —Catherine Pulsifer

Week 1 Progress

My goals & results for the week:

  • Five minute meditation each morning before I do anything else – YES!
  • Twenty minutes of non-stop movement each morning (stretching, light cardio, light weights) – YES! (except Wednesday)
  • No fried food (except for stir fry) – YES!
  • No eating out - Almost! ;)

Here are my accomplishments from Week 1:

Stopped eating out. Eating out has been an ongoing issue for me.  In the past, I’ve tried to eat breakfast at home every morning, but sometimes I run late and it’s “so easy” to stop at the convenience store & grab a buttered roll and juice.  It’s unhealthy and it makes me feel like crap.  Eating while driving is wrong on so many levels, too.

I knew that if I wanted to stop this habit, I had to find a replacement that would really satisfy me.  So I did.  Every morning this week, I made myself a delicious bowl of 100% Whole Grain oatmeal made with soy milk, a scoop of natural peanut butter, and a handful of fresh blueberries.  Delicious!  I had to leave myself a few extra minutes to make it each morning, but it was so worth it and I had no temptation to stop at the convenience store!

Eating out at lunchtime has been another problem for me.  I love running out on my break and picking up a bowl of soup from the grocery store or a couple of sushi rolls from the Japanese restaurant.  But this week, I made it a point to bring my lunch from home every day.  I made sure to pack something delicious & nutritious.  Again, this took a little extra time in the morning but it was so worth it—not only for the health benefits but also for the benefit to my wallet!  ;)

Trail mix. Trail mix was my secret weapon this week.  One of the reasons that I tend to overeat during meals is that I allow myself to get so hungry.  However, this week I made myself a delicious trail mix every morning—dried bananas, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds—and snacked on that throughout the day.  As a result, I never got hungry during the day and I did not overeat during any meals!  This is a huge accomplishment, because I typically overeat all the time.  In addition to the appetite control, the light snacking throughout the day seemed to help keep my energy up, too.  Bonus!

Exercise. I really wanted to devote twenty minutes each morning to continuous movement.  I feel good about the progress that I made because I hit my target every day except for Wednesday (because I had a life coaching session from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m.)  What I found, however, is that even with waking up an hour early, it was still difficult to squeeze the morning workout into my schedule.  I’m going to re-evaluate my exercise goals & plan for Week 2.

Week 1 Slip-ups
I’m really proud of my Week 1 progress.  I feel at least ten times better this week than I did last week.  Just by cutting out fried foods and eating out, I feel lighter, healthier, and more energized.

However, I did have a couple small slip-ups.

  • I had a box of Girl Scout cookies in my cabinet and had one too many of those this week.  Luckily, they’re gone now so that won’t be an issue for Week 2!
  • On Wednesday, something really wonderful and important happened to me (more on that later).  And as a result, I went out for a celebration dinner on Wednesday night.
  • And finally, I’m not 100% content/impressed with my exercise routine for Week 1, but I will improve that going into Week 2.

Looking Ahead to Week 2

The SPRING FITNESS CHALLENGE is off to an amazing start.  I am truly overwhelmed by all of your positive feedback and participation!  I’ve got a lot of fun & exciting things lined up for the rest of the challenge, so please stay involved & stay pumped.

Action was our theme this week, and we nailed it.  We are implementing positive change in our lives.  We are getting healthy.  And we are getting happy!  I am so proud of myself and so proud of all of you.

In Week 2, we are going to step things up another notch!  I’ll be posting my next set of goals on Monday.  In the meantime, start thinking about your own individual goals for Week 2.  Have an awesome weekend.  Stay strong & keep up the great work!

In love & light,
Dena

Be Like Water

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My new mantra came to me during my Monday morning meditation: Be like water.

It was during my first reading of the Tao Te Ching, that I realized the true supremacy of water.

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. —Tao Te Ching

I think of this quote often, but have not done enough to live this wisdom in my own life. The miracle and strength of water is that it does not resist. Resistance is the source of much sickness, weakness, & unhappiness. I have found that when I resist, I suffer. When I accept, I live true happiness.

Many things cause us to resist. For example, I tend to resist when I am having a disagreement with a loved one. I want to fight back, defend my stance. Yet this resistance serves no purpose and only causes me more frustration. However, when I accept the disagreement; state my purpose; and then move on—I experience no frustration. Another example of how I resist is housework. Often when I know that I have housework to do, I become extremely resistant and rigid. I act stubbornly and put off doing my chores. I cause myself unnecessary turmoil. I may even develop a headache or stomach ache because I cause myself so much stress. Yet when I stop resisting, and just do the housework, I feel fine. If I play my favourite music while working, my housework can even be enjoyable & fulfilling.

These are minor examples of resistance and acceptance; but there are also much larger ones. As I’ve previously mentioned, I lost my cat back in October. Recently, the pain of her loss has resurfaced. I cried for nearly an hour on Sunday morning. Again, I was resisting. In my resistance, my mind grew irrational. I even thought of going out to the yard to dig up her body just so that I could hold her one more time. This resistance caused me extreme emotional pain. The emotional pain caused me physical pain, too. My head and stomach ached. I was pinned down to the bed unable to move for awhile. I know that I should have allowed acceptance to enter my heart. With acceptance in my heart, I could rationally understand that Mika is at rest now; that she was brought into my life to show me love; and that she has now entered another phase in the cycle of life: which is death.

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. —Tao Te Ching

Water is the supreme example of acceptance. It never struggles, it simply flows. It does not resist its path. It does not resist The Tao or the way. It just is. And even though water is the most humble of things—offering no resistance—it is also the strongest of things. By simply flowing, it is capable of wearing away even the most solid rock.

The Grand Canyon

When we practice acceptance—when we act like water—we are capable of being our greatest selves. We embody strength and grace at once. Take a few moments to reflect on the things that you are resisting in your own life. What are you resisting? Is your resistance serving you? Or, would it benefit you to behave like water: to accept & live happiness.

In love & light,
Dena