2014 Week 17: Here's To Your Health!

Have you ever taken the time to be grateful for your health?  I’ll be the first to admit that I tend to value my health the most when I’m not at the peak of it.  Why is that?  I’ve been thinking about that the last few days as I’ve been sick and working from home.

I miss the little thing, things like the smell of fresh baked cookies, or fresh rosemary or cilantro…or being able to smell anything really.  A full night of sleep—heavenly.  The ability to swallow—never really thought about that until it hurt.  Breathing deeply, having energy, speaking with a voice that doesn’t sound like a man.  :)  Yes, our bodies are pretty amazing! 

So if you were able to smell the roses today, breathe in the fresh air, swallow some delicious food (that you could taste), and have a full night of sleep tonight—consider yourself truly blessed!  And a week from now when I’m back in tip top shape, remind me just how luck I am!

2014 Week 16: Rebirth

This past week was not a great one for me.  I won’t bore you with the details, but needless to say I’ve had better....much better.  It was the week I can safely say I fell off the intentionality wagon.  Though I did manage to keep up with prayer and meditation and exercise, I also fell into many of those numbing habits—time wasting tv, over processing and worrying about the future, negative thinking, etc.

I woke up Easter morning however, and was reminded of the concept of rebirth.  It’s the central story of Easter—death and resurrection.  It’s vividly portrayed by the seasons, taking us from Spring through Winter, and back to Spring again.  It’s played out in nature, reminding us each and every day as the dawn breaks out of the deepest darkness.  It’s the story of life and maturity as we learn to release the habits, activities, and relationships that are not life giving and embrace those which are. 

Though at times it seems counter-intuitive, some of our greatest gain is often reborn out of our deepest loss.  As Rumi says, “the wound is the place where the light enters you.”  So with that in mind, I guess rather than chalking this past week up as a loss I should receive it as yet another invitation to be on the lookout for rebirth, a chance to embrace the lessons and as a result to rise.

36 Weeks Left Y'all! 

2014 Week 15: Birthday Celebration

To all of you who made me feel so special, celebrated, and loved on my birthday—THANK YOU!!!

Confession—I used to be one of those people (you know, thoooooose people) who didn't let others know if my birthday was approaching.  It was fine that my friends and family knew and celebrated, but it wasn't something to announce to the masses.  And then I met my friend Lisa.  

Lisa loves birthdays—LOVES them!  She has an absurd birthday cake hat (like the one pictured above) that she pulls out for birthdays.  She celebrates others ridiculously on their special day.  One time with a little help from others she filled my office full of balloons and hid in them.  I got stuck chatting at the front door, but finally my coworkers forced me inside, and with the hallelujah chorus playing in the background Lisa popped out with a huge grin. 

Quickly I noticed that Lisa’s birthday was best of all.  She approached her birthday like we all did when we were five years old—do you remember that?  You woke up excited, you eagerly anticipated the magic that would inevitably occur in the day ahead, and rather than awkwardly pushing it away you reveled in the celebration of others.  My goodness it’s fun to celebrate Lisa on her birthday and see that joy pulsating through her.  I soon realized that when it came to birthdays, I wanted to be just like Lisa when I grew up.

Now I have not yet reached Lisa status—but I have definitely grown in my ability to intentionally embrace my birthday.  As my birthday week now draws to a close (or perhaps I’m a day over), here are some ways I’ve moved to at least junior varsity status in birthday celebration:

• No Secrets—There was no hidden birthday this year.  In fact I publicly announced the dawning of birthday week on Facebook for all the masses to see.

• Birthday week—You heard that correctly; why celebrate for a day if you can enjoy a whole week?!  Throughout the entire week I took time to drink in life, enjoy some of my very favorite foods and activities, and approach each day anticipating great things.  Who knows, maybe next year I’ll pull off birthday month.

• Release expectations—Now the anticipation that I mentioned in my last point needs to be balanced by the releasing of expectations.  I don’t want you to go out and anticipate that the heavens will open, the sun will shine, work will be effortless and everyone will be overly kind to you all week.  That’s an easy way to get disappointed.  I’m just saying pay extra special attention to the phenomenal gifts that surround you each and every day—celebrate what is already there.  If your bus arrives on time—it’s probably because it’s your birthday.  If there’s extra pizza in the lunchroom—birthday blessing.  And if someone saw your Facebook post and wishes you a happy week—WINNING!  

• Gratitude—Similar to the item above, birthdays provide a great time for us to pause and take an accounting of how much we have to be thankful for.  How have you changed for the better this year?  In what ways have you grown?  What were the highlights of the past year, both expected and unexpected?  What joys might the future year hold?  I’m grateful that birthdays provide a marker to reflect on how we’ve impacted the world and how the world has impacted us in the previous year.

• Family and Friends—Though it is fun to be celebrated, one of my favorite things about birthdays is truly reflecting on how much I appreciate those who come around me to celebrate.  It can be as simple as a birthday Facebook message or text. Or maybe it’s hearing from someone you haven’t connected with in awhile.  It’s your Australian Aunt who without fail celebrates your birthday by sending you a hand crafted card. (Ok ya, that last one’s pretty specific to me, but you get the point.)  This year I also enjoyed the company of a high-spirited motley crew who got me to leave town for a weekend and create some lasting memories.  

Each and every kind word, birthday wish, present, and created memory reminded me that in the ways that truly matter, I am rich!  So again—I thank you for celebrating.  Though every week isn't birthday week, we still have 37 to celebrate!

 Week 14 2014: Gratitude

Regardless of what religion you adhere to, what doctrine you study or what creed you choose to follow, I’ve noticed that one major element seems to span them all: Gratitude.  Gratitude not only improves your outlook, adjusts your perspective, and makes you feel good, it has also been scientifically proven to improve your health.  As I approach the beginning of my birthday I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude, and how very much I have to be thankful for over this past year.  To name just a few:

Family—with you through thick and thin, the highs and lows.  They may not look like you, think like you, laugh at the same things, enjoy the same activities, or live in the same town—but oh my word they love you!  I am so very grateful for my family, and for the unconditional love they have showered on me my entire life.  I have never doubted that I am loved.  NEVER!  For any of you who have noted that I am confident, my family is a huge reason for this….annnnnd for those who say I’m over confident, well blame the fam.  Just kidding.

Friends— I posted on friendship before here, so you can tell how incredibly important friends are to me.  Looking specifically at this past year, I have old friends who have loved me and faithfully supported me through some crazy valleys.  I also made new friends who have brought such refreshing perspective, laughter, and love into my life. For friends both old and new I am so incredibly humbled and thankful!

Work—How grateful I am to work with a team who I actually miss on vacation!  Ok true, I can’t say I missed them riiiiight away (I was gone for the full month of December).  BUT STILL, I was excited to come back to work after my Europe trip, and that is saying something!  I’m so grateful to work beside brilliant people—people who care about the same things I do and share similar passions.  Here’s to serving in a career where our mission is to help others become more!  Tell me that’s not worth getting up for each day!

Challenge—Challenge isn’t fun, it usually doesn’t feel good, and it is often painful.  As I’ve shared before, this past year has held a whole host of them for me to walk through personally.  What I’ve learned in experiencing these many challenges is that each one presents a golden opportunity to learn, to develop, and to rise.  I am not the same person I was this time last year.  I can tangibly see where I have grown in grace, humility, compassion, and courage (and the good Lord knows I needed to expand in all of these areas).  So I bless all the events and happenings that tested my metal, pushed my boundaries, and inspired my growth.

Hobbes—Do you seeee how cute he is?  I mean really, it’s hardly even fair.  On a more serious note, Hobbes makes me smile when I’m happy, licks my tears when I’m sad, and gets me off of the couch to take him for a walk time and time again.  He is quite the companion, and I’m grateful he’s mine.

As I said, these are just a few and barely seem to scratch the surface when I think of the many reasons I have to give thanks.  Reality is I don’t have a six-figure income, a huge house, or wear designer clothes—but my word I’m rich in all the ways that truly matter!

What are you grateful for?  What blessings are currently counting?  What gifts do you have that can sometimes overwhelm you and make you wonder how you ever got to be so lucky in this life? 

Here’s to 38 more weeks filled with immense gratitude!

2014 Week 13: What are your Values?

Over the past few months I’ve been privileged with the opportunity to serve on the Vision Council at InsideTrack.  It’s an exciting time in the company as we are trying to determine our aim and direction for the next 20-30 years.  We’ve been asking all the big questions—what are our values?  What is our unique purpose? What big audacious goals do we have, and what would the future look like if we accomplished those goals?  Of course being the over processor that I am, this makes me contemplate the same questions for myself.  In truth I haven’t even come close to answering all these, but I have at least started on the first question.  What are my values—the principles by which I navigate my life?  Though I won’t bore you with all of mine, here is one value that always shows up on my list:

Growth/Life Long Learning—Isn’t it an awesome thing that in this lifetime we will never really arrive?  There will always be new lessons to discover, fresh lands to explore, different challenges that arise, and moments that test and expand our edges.  Every human being we meet has a lesson to teach if we have the eyes to see it, and the desire to learn. I highly value being a student of life, and I try to approach each day looking for those opportunities to grow and develop. 

...well except for Mondays.  Those can just be rough sometimes right?  But I digress....

So here’s to continual learning!  May we approach the next 39 weeks with an open mind, a willing heart, and an eagerness to grow!