by Carol deLaski | Jul 7, 2012 | Business, Fitness, Health, Linda Norris, Success
Years ago, I participated for a short while in a group to ease a bout with panic disorder. It was called Co-Dependents Anonymous, and one of their signature themes was the statement above, among the familiar 10-step process.
It was a real challenge for me, because I tend to hold onto my life tightly, certain that if I work hard enough, try hard enough, manage things closely enough, everything will turn out OK.
Yet there are times when I have to push myself to just trust, and close my eyes, and undoubtedly, good things will happen.
- Despite closing my heart and feeling I would never truly fall in love after my first marriage ended in divorce, I decided to let go and trust that good things might be allowed to happen for me, and with a wonderful man I met named Eric. I am now married and in love in a way I never dreamed I could be.
- After I was laid off from a job and a company I loved, I let go and refused to allow myself to fall into the despair that is so easy and normal for people who lose their job through no fault of their own. I consciously decided to let go of the anger, the self-victimization, and was able to progress immediately into positive space—job interviews, first clients, and a business that is slowly but steadily growing.
There’s another kind of letting go that made me mull over these control issues. It’s the physical letting go of fear when you’re faced with a more “in your face” challenge—and we have the perfect example available to all of us wholistic women this month, skimming down a zip line. I had only done one short zipline on a Girl Scout challenge course before the lengthy zipline we did at the 2011 retreat, which allowed us to fly down a hill and brush over a small lake.
Taking that first step off the platform was the scariest part, but I closed my eyes, Let Go, and Let God. And She came through—what a ride it was, and Her hands —in the form of the half-dozen other women waiting to help break my landing—were waiting to congratulate me! (You can see me near the end of my ride in the photo).
If you want to have a very real experience with Letting Go and Letting Your Self Control give over to something greater, consider our summer activity. It will expand your possibilities in ways you will always remember!
(For more info on the event, visit here: https://wholisticwomenliving.com/zip-into-summer-zipline-event/)
Linda Norris, NW Communications
[email protected]
240-315-8876
Check out our new website: www.nwcommsyourstory.com
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by Carol deLaski | Jun 26, 2012 | Fitness, Health, Nutrition, Sandie Lynch
Have you or heard a friend say, “I just can’t lose weight!” Most likely a more accurate statement may be “I just can’t keep off the weight I’ve lost.” Almost everyone who tries to lose weight can, but after the diet and/or exercise program they were following ends, the weight creeps back on twice as fast as they lost it. How do some people lose it and keep it off? Here are a few tips if applied consistently helps keep the weight off for good.
- Starting your day with a balanced breakfast. When we sleep our metabolism slows way down. If you tend to go most of the day without eating, you are losing precious hours that your metabolism could be much higher. Those who eat a balanced breakfast within an hour of rising burn more fat in the hours that follow then those who don’t eat or eat just starch alone. A balanced breakfast may include; some whole grain cereal, low fat milk, maybe some walnuts on the cereal and a little protein like an egg or peanut butter toast So eat up and burn more fat!
- Eating extra snacks may help you stick to the plan. Avoiding the hunger gremlin is one of the best ways to prevent sabotaging your efforts. Often individuals are “too good;” not snacking all day. So when they finally eat, being starved, they over do it; overloading the system and creating a fat building situation. The very last thing we want! Eating small frequent meals and snacks helps the body and mind stay in control!
- Cleanse the body naturally without the need to “detox” it. The body is extremely efficient in removing waste and eliminating it. Eating foods that are naturally high in water and fiber assists the body be more effective in the natural cleansing it does every day without the need to go on a diet that eliminates healthy foods to “detox” it. Eating high fat and processed foods slow you down and are slower to move through the digestive system making you feel heavier and slow. Therefore, eat high fiber and water content foods for normal and regular elimination, this will help you feel lighter and more energized to live an active life which will help keep the weight off
Today’s author: Sandie Lynch MS, RD, LDN, PFT, Registered Dietitian, Personal Trainer, and Wellness Life Coach. For more tips to maximize your metabolism and burn more fat for good, attend Wellness Workshops in the area by ATP Consultants, LLC with Sandie Lynch. Don’t miss Sandie’s next workshop sponsored by KRB Customized Training Solution’s BYOB at the Wine Kitchen in Frederick, Maryland June 27that 5:00 pm.
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by Carol deLaski | Jun 20, 2012 | Carol deLaski, Family
My favorite word lately is confluence. It’s not a word I typically use but I find myself describing my life with it more and more of late. In aquatic terms it means “a flowing together of two or more streams” and in more general terms it is defined by the coming together of people or things. For me, it’s the realization that there are multiple streams, or areas of my life, that are converging at this particular time, and I don’t know how it’s going to turn out.
Perhaps you have observed the joining of two streams or rivers and have noticed that when they combine there is turbulence; a jumble of waves where molecules twist and turn around each other. The tangle of waters eventually smooths out into a combined river that flows onward now bigger and stronger than either could be alone. It’s almost mesmerizing to stand and watch the confluence of streams as the water sorts itself out and decide how to flow together.
Due to several near drowning experiences in my life it’s easy for me to panic and feel threatened by churning waters. Therefore, I find it interesting that confluence is the image I have of my life right now. What I notice is that I’m not panicking. I admit that I sometimes wake in the night trying to sort out the decisions that need to be made but ultimately I recognize there is a larger plan at work.
I have learned to trust that a Divine guidance exists and intuitively know that an overall plan for my life is unfolding. We are each called to fulfill a purpose. In its purest form I believe that calling has to do with relationships. Whether it’s the relationships we have with others through our work, or our families, or communities determines if that calling presents itself as a career, volunteerism, or at home.
As I learn to trust inner guidance more and more, believing that there is a divine plan for my life, I know that I can observe the confluence calmly. In the past the uncertainty about my future and the stress to make the “right” decision would have had me in a snarl of emotions literally bobbing on the waters of the merging streams. Now I notice, however, that I can quickly step back from the converging streams of my life and say with interest “I wonder what’s going to come from all of this.”
Approaching ‘life confluence’ with inquisitiveness instead of panic is new to me, yet feels good. Unlike before, I am not frantically trying to make something happen nor passively just letting things happen to me but I am somewhere in the middle. I am trusting that it will become clear what steps I am to take next.
In the meantime, I gather information and pray for guidance. I show up in my relationships with others and share openly my thoughts and feelings. This includes my relationship with myself (knowing my own heart) and with my God (connecting to divine guidance for my life).
I don’t know what the merging of the professional and personal streams of my life will be yet but I know that I can ride through this confluence in a boat constructed of connections: to myself, my God, and the people in each stream. I daily release my doubts and fears, choosing instead to embrace expectancy and trust. Approaching change in this way makes it a great adventure and a thrilling ride.
Today’s author: Carol Hayes, [email protected] or 301-371-7460. Through her company, Clear Choices Coaching, Carol shares her expertise and skill fostering growth in people of all ages. She is especially energized when her coaching helps people experience “breakthrough” moments where they push through their personal edge and grow more fully into the people they want to be. Carol’s certification as a Life and Energy Leadership coach comes from The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC), which is accredited by the International Coaching Federation. She is also a dynamic speaker and workshop leader who facilitates energizing connections with groups of all sizes.
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by Carol deLaski | Jun 13, 2012 | Carol deLaski
We are preparing another fabulous women’s retreat for you at the ‘Lodges at Gettysburg’, 685 Camp Gettysburg Rd, Gettysburg, PA, 17325 . View this short video clip to see this beautiful space we’ve chosen just for you. Plan to join us to keep yourself fueled and aflame.
This year’s retreat will be rejuvenating and enriching for any woman who needs to take a break. If you’re like me, I can get so busy taking care of others, at work and at home, that I sometimes neglect to take care of myself. If I don’t slow down and refuel, I’ll run out of gas, just like my car.
If you can relate, know that you’re not alone. We all need reminders (and sometimes permission) to focus on ourselves. Here is your chance to slip away for some “me” time this fall.
Wholistic Woman Retreats mission is to provide a variety of retreat options for busy women to refocus, rest, and grow their whole self: body, heart, mind, and spirit Through mini-evening retreats, tele-retreats, one-on-one retreats, and our premier overnight retreat we provide enriching opportunities for personal and professional growth in an atmosphere that is relaxing, fun, and supportive.
We know how important it is to take care of you. We also know how difficult it can be to make your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health a priority when there are so many other demands for your time and attention. Our mission is to create a welcoming, safe, space where each woman can show up just as she is and grow in exactly the right ways for her. Our coaches meet you where you are and move forward with you to create the vision, action plan, and accountability you need to make your vision a reality.
At the fall retreat we will provide a variety of opportunities for you to choose from…
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The luxury cabins of The Lodges at Gettysburg are perfect to share so consider inviting one or more friends to join you for this enriching experience. If solitude is what you need, we offer private rooms to pamper yourself with peace and quiet.
Register now to enter your name in a special drawing for incredible gifts at the retreat. Payment options are available or consider becoming a member of the Wholistic Woman Community and receive discounts on our events, including $25 off the retreat.
Isn’t it time you made yourself a priority? Join us for this fun, enriching and supportive time away. You’ll be glad you did!
by Carol deLaski | Jun 12, 2012 | Fitness, Health, Linda Norris
There’s something to be said for the effects of stretching. It leaves you more limber for pushing your body even further in exercise. It leaves you feeling relaxed if you stretch after a day of tension.
Stretching: Good for the Body and the Mind
It works the creaks and aches out of your body almost as much as a hot shower. Close your eyes and think about how you felt the last time you had a good stretch!
We have a great chance for mental stretching here in Frederick.
The Maryland Shakespeare Festival gives us a chance to stretch every season with new shows when they present the Bare Bard series.
Full disclosure: I am a trustee and non-apologetic fan of the organization…but I was a fan before that.
There is a raw entertainment about the Bare Bards that you won’t find in other Shakespeare theatrical productions. It’s more like a page from “Whose Line Is It Anyway” than a curtained, traditional theater.
The actors and actresses are right there with you…on a stage in which audience and artists are equals. So as an audience member, you participate in the emotions, the story–and sometimes the improv if you’re lucky and you have an open face for the actors.
This is what I call mind-stretching! I don’t expect until retirement many of us have the kinds of extra time and resources to allow me to stretch my emotions the way I’d like to through the arts. But having Shakespeare in a way form as entertaining as the Bare Bards right in my back yard keeps me engaged and it’s not a stretch to say so!
Linda Norris, NW Communications
[email protected]
240-315-8876
Check out our new website:
www.nwcommsyourstory.com
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