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Passion Into Action Conference
Join us for a day of learning, growing, sharing, laughing, and loving. See you on January 23!
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Moss
I dig moss. Not with a trowel, but with my heart. What a tenacious plant! Moss practically dies off in the summer heat, becoming a dried up, brown-gray, dormant plant, but once the rains start again in the fall, ahhh, moss comes into it’s own. It’s a miracle to behold; as the plant fills with water, it plumps up, turns an exquisite green, then dazzles the universe with indefatigable beauty.
In my reverence for nature and living entities, moss has always earned a high level of respect from me. Taking daily walks in the woods, I keep track of the status of the numerous varieties that grow on the tree trunks and rocks near my house. The abundant precipitation of the fall and winter brings out the luscious texture, iridescent color, and moist plumpness of this odd and amazing plant.
Do you know what I mean?
Pals
I have a friend who is also a Facebook buddy, with whom I now share a new element in our friendship. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, before 9 PM, we engage in a common activity, then send an e-message to each other about our accomplishment. That activity is push-ups, and we have become Push-Up Pals!
The agreement is to do 3 sets of 10 push-ups, in proper form, and not the bent knee kind, either. The real thing. After our first day of participation in the push-up pal program, I suggested that we add in crunches. After all, we would be waiting a few minutes in between sets of 10, so why not throw in crunches? 3 sets of 50 crunches, 5 different leg positions to work the range of abdominals. That’s 150 crunches, 30 push-ups, and a great little workout!
Sunday Splendor
Today–Sunday, January 3, 2010–is the last official day of the holiday season. What a day of splendor it was for me! I slept in until 7:30, pure heaven. My morning walk with Grace brought the glow and warmth of the sun as it illuminated the trees, the green moss, and the madrone trunks, creating those rich colors that are found only in nature. I got some work done, updating my website and writing an article. Yippee. John, my true love, invited me for a bike ride; initially I hesitated, thinking I should accomplish more on my site work, but I gave myself permission to let that go, and off we went on a glorious late morning ride! The cool air, warm sun, rich smells of winter, legs pumping, all contributed to a hootin’ and hollerin’ ride that left me feeling exhilarated and grateful. I took a business call for 30 minutes then ate an apple with fresh ground peanut butter (my fav snack). The afternoon was already planned and turned out to be spectacular… we went to the Marysville rice fields and to Gray Lodge to admire, photograph, and enjoy the winter birds. Today was a record hawk sighting day–we saw dozens and dozens of these magnificent birds. We also saw several kingfisher, two peregrine falcons, two bald eagles (any day I see a bald eagle is a good day), gaggles of snow geese and tundra swan, and one very cool great horned owl. The stunning sunset followed by the eerie fog in the valley as we drove home rounded out a perfect day. Ah, I live a truly gifted life.
In what way was your Sunday splendorous?
Acceptance
Molly Fisk recently shared an interesting notion via Facebook. She wrote a beautiful story about selecting a word–for the year–that beckons personal exploration; a word that would open up the year ahead. There is no need to rush into selecting my word, she wrote, and to contemplate my intention before choosing the word that I wanted to reflect what I would invite into my life–at least for 2010. Please enjoy Molly’s rich and inspiring words here: http://tinyurl.com/yhxayo5
My word is ACCEPTANCE. Acceptance.
1. The act of taking or receiving something offered. 2. Favorable reception; approval; favor. 3. The act of assenting or believing.
Molly further writes about learning the derivative of the word: ac.cept.er, noun. Late Middle English; from Latin ‘acceptare’; “to take something to oneself”.
“To Take Something To Oneself”. This captures perfectly my intention, my invitation, my truth for 2010.
Resonate Words
The Tree Of Life Blessing
written by Shiloh Sophia McCloud
May you choose outrageous actions that challenge who you are and encourage who you are becoming.
May you take one step, however small, toward that which you have always longed for.
Now is the “right time.”
May you recognize the unique and powerful contribution that you bring to the people whose lives you touch.
May you be as wonderful as you really are, and do things because you want to, not just because you should.
May you celebrate your creativity and believe that you are an
artist with a unique vision that no one else has. Read the rest of this entry »
Year End Musings…
2009 will go down in the history books as a big year of change: President Obama, the incredible surge of local farm and food support, the debate on health care reform, to name just a few. But for me, on a professional and personal level, WOW, it has been a very big year. I took stock of the consequences of my leap of faith–leaving a secure, well-paid, and successful career in the Cardiac Rehab Center program that I created and managed for 20 years–and set my sights on developing HeartMatters, an optimal life management program. I left behind the medical model of disease management to focus on health management and primary disease prevention.
What an expansive 12 months it has been! Little did I know that my passion for the work, although it would prove to be enough to keep me going, was insufficient in regards to building a business. I had and still have so much to learn about marketing (totally new experience), pricing (can’t be givin’ it away!), setting limits (I want to help everyone!), and just the daily grind of maintaining a business and business profile. I have felt exhilarated, terrified, grateful, worried, wise, and overwhelmed at various times this past year.
So many people have helped and supported me: in addition to my family, I have met dozens of successful business professionals who have offered guidance and advice, and encouraged me to stretch to my full potential. What an honor that some of these wonderful people can now be called my friend. It is amazing to me to know of the incredibly rich world of compassionate and like-minded professionals in my own Nevada County, as well as on the planet. I have been able to get involved in local groups that are making a difference in the world, write articles that others find beneficial, participate in Toastmasters, join Facebook (my oh my, how I resisted that opportunity!) and Twitter (still figuring it out), create a bi-monthly online newsletter, and blog to my heart’s content. I even learned how to work on my website, a skill I never thought I would cultivate (Ok, wordpress makes it easy!).
I truly feel that I have something special to share–a mix of enthusiasm, life-management coaching skills, clinical expertise, a genuine commitment to the planet which includes eating real food, and doing my part to minimize my use of resources. That others wish to be benefit from my knowledge is a blessing. To be able to motivate others to create change in their lives that will lead to their optimal health and well-being is a gift that I cherish and will promise to tend to each day.
