Risky Business

images riskAt 4:00 AM, I woke up to the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof.  It was a raging downpour. I sat up for a moment and said to my husband, “It’s raining hard.” The alarm was set to go off at 4:30 so we could make it downtown for Ride Cincinnati

a bike ride to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. We had plans to ride 63 miles, but didn’t want to ride in the rain.

 

The next time that I woke up was 7:00 AM. I couldn’t figure out how I had slept in. I discovered that my husband had turned off the alarm when he heard me say that it was raining. He had assumed that it would rain all morning and he didn’t want to take a chance in the ride. I was willing to take that risk, but it was too late for that.

 

Disappointed in the turn of events, I suggested that we go out for our own ride. I checked the weather for the morning and the forecast predicted that there was a 0% chance of rain, continuing into the afternoon. When we left the house, the sun was actually out.  That didn’t last long as we biked further and further out.  I trusted the forecast, so we continued on our ride until I began to feel the sprinkles on my helmet.  “It will pass,” I said, trying to convince myself.  It didn’t pass— the sprinkles turned into a steady rain.

 

At first, it really didn’t bother me until the steady rain turned into a much heavier, cold rain. We stopped under a bridge and waited, hoping that the rain would let up.  It didn’t. Finally, we decided to just ride the two miles to the restaurant and eat lunch.  As soon as we got there, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  With my clothes dried and my stomach full, I felt much, much better.

 

The moment we got on our bikes after lunch, the sun went in.  We were 10 minutes into our ride back home when it began to rain again.  Yes, even with a 0% chance, the rain became steady, miserable and cold. I was unhappy, soaked to the skin and freezing cold. And then it happened.

 

My husband asked me to look at his tire because it felt “strange” to him.  I said that I was sure it was nothing— wishful thinking.  He stopped and assessed his bike tire, which was flat.  On cue, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour.  I accepted the fact that there was nowhere to take cover on the bike trail. There I was, trying to read him instructions on my phone while attempting to keep the device dry in the pouring-down rain. My hands were numb from the cold and my clothing was soaked. Fun was not being had by either one of us.

 

Now, here’s the irony of the whole situation: I found out that it never rained during the morning event. If we had taken part in this, we would have enjoyed beautiful weather. However, we made our decision because we didn’t want to take the risk.

 

Risk.  Everyday, you make decisions while weighing your risks buy generic propecia.  Often, this measure of risk holds you back from experiences that you would enjoy and benefit from in life. Sometimes, the risk appears much bigger in your head than it is in reality.

I’m not saying to ignore the risk, but be sure to take some chances. Don’t allow yourself to miss out on life.

Risky Business

images riskAt 4:00 AM, I woke up to the sound of heavy rain hitting the roof.  It was a raging downpour. I sat up for a moment and said to my husband, “It’s raining hard.” The alarm was set to go off at 4:30 so we could make it downtown for Ride Cincinnati

a bike ride to raise funds for Breast Cancer Research. We had plans to ride 63 miles, but didn’t want to ride in the rain.

 

The next time that I woke up was 7:00 AM. I couldn’t figure out how I had slept in. I discovered that my husband had turned off the alarm when he heard me say that it was raining. He had assumed that it would rain all morning and he didn’t want to take a chance in the ride. I was willing to take that risk, but it was too late for that.

 

Disappointed in the turn of events, I suggested that we go out for our own ride. I checked the weather for the morning and the forecast predicted that there was a 0% chance of rain, continuing into the afternoon. When we left the house, the sun was actually out.  That didn’t last long as we biked further and further out.  I trusted the forecast, so we continued on our ride until I began to feel the sprinkles on my helmet.  “It will pass,” I said, trying to convince myself.  It didn’t pass— the sprinkles turned into a steady rain.

 

At first, it really didn’t bother me until the steady rain turned into a much heavier, cold rain. We stopped under a bridge and waited, hoping that the rain would let up.  It didn’t. Finally, we decided to just ride the two miles to the restaurant and eat lunch.  As soon as we got there, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  With my clothes dried and my stomach full, I felt much, much better.

 

The moment we got on our bikes after lunch, the sun went in.  We were 10 minutes into our ride back home when it began to rain again.  Yes, even with a 0% chance, the rain became steady, miserable and cold. I was unhappy, soaked to the skin and freezing cold. And then it happened.

 

My husband asked me to look at his tire because it felt “strange” to him.  I said that I was sure it was nothing— wishful thinking.  He stopped and assessed his bike tire, which was flat.  On cue, the sky opened up with a torrential downpour.  I accepted the fact that there was nowhere to take cover on the bike trail. There I was, trying to read him instructions on my phone while attempting to keep the device dry in the pouring-down rain. My hands were numb from the cold and my clothing was soaked. Fun was not being had by either one of us.

 

Now, here’s the irony of the whole situation: I found out that it never rained during the morning event. If we had taken part in this, we would have enjoyed beautiful weather. However, we made our decision because we didn’t want to take the risk.

 

Risk.  Everyday, you make decisions while weighing your risks buy generic propecia.  Often, this measure of risk holds you back from experiences that you would enjoy and benefit from in life. Sometimes, the risk appears much bigger in your head than it is in reality.

I’m not saying to ignore the risk, but be sure to take some chances. Don’t allow yourself to miss out on life.

Readjust

images fish juumping

My son left the other day to go back to his on-campus house for the summer.  He has already graduated but he’ll be living in Michigan until he makes his big move to the West Coast.  He spent two weeks at home with my husband and I.  We enjoyed shopping trips, dog walks and nice dinners together. All in all, we had a wonderful time.

 

When he left Sunday afternoon, the house was eerily quiet and I felt a strange sadness.  He was gone and it had occurred to me that it was probably the last long visit he would ever spend at home. Things would never be the same. I thought about that for a while. And then I thought about how it was time to readjust.

 

By Tuesday, my husband and I were in a new routine and were busy focusing on our plans for a bike trip to Chicago. We were mapping out our route and finding a hotel in the perfect area.  Yes, it was definitely time to readjust and move on.

 

So what’s the option if you don’t readjust and move on?  Being stuck.  I’m sure you’ve been there a couple times in your life. It’s easy to recognize when you’re there: you know things have to change, need to change, must change, but you just can’t seem to find a way to dig yourself out from the mess.

 

You become bogged down with feelings and emotions that seem to get heavier and heavier.  Before you know it, you’ve become comfortable where you are and you stay. Being comfortable while not actually being content or happy is… at least, predictable. Readjustment is an unknown quantity.

 

Some people stay longer than others. Resilient individuals move on.

 

Readjusting your life takes energy and momentum.  Chances are, you might not feel like you have the energy to take on or accept a new situation. You figure that you’ll just get through another day, another week, and another month right where you are.  There is a risk in this approach: you can wake up and realize that for years you’ve been thinking about things while still hanging on to the past. And the truth is, the past really hadn’t been working for quite some time.

 

It truly doesn’t matter who you are or what part of your life you are struggling with right now.  It could be your career, your employees at work, or a piece of your personal life— it’s all the same.  In order to live a healthy successful life, the ability to readjust is crucial.  It directly impacts your overall resilience skills in life. This ability to deftly redirect and find a new path, new thinking, and not get stuck in the “way it was or should be” is your key to success.

 

So, are you investing energy into something when you really need to let go?  Have they proposed a new policy at work that’s difficult for you to accept and take the needed steps forward?  Are you tired of a relationship in your life that’s not working but can’t seem to move beyond talking about it? Are you feeling bored in your career and need to change your direction but can’t seem to get started? Do you need a lifestyle overhaul to become a bit healthier?

 

Then readjust.

 

Let’s get as many people on board as possible to readjust and move on. Make a pact to send this to just ONE PERSON that might need a little push in the right direction. You never know, it might just be the very thing that gives them the momentum to change.

 

Readjust

images fish juumping

My son left the other day to go back to his on-campus house for the summer.  He has already graduated but he’ll be living in Michigan until he makes his big move to the West Coast.  He spent two weeks at home with my husband and I.  We enjoyed shopping trips, dog walks and nice dinners together. All in all, we had a wonderful time.

 

When he left Sunday afternoon, the house was eerily quiet and I felt a strange sadness.  He was gone and it had occurred to me that it was probably the last long visit he would ever spend at home. Things would never be the same. I thought about that for a while. And then I thought about how it was time to readjust.

 

By Tuesday, my husband and I were in a new routine and were busy focusing on our plans for a bike trip to Chicago. We were mapping out our route and finding a hotel in the perfect area.  Yes, it was definitely time to readjust and move on.

 

So what’s the option if you don’t readjust and move on?  Being stuck.  I’m sure you’ve been there a couple times in your life. It’s easy to recognize when you’re there: you know things have to change, need to change, must change, but you just can’t seem to find a way to dig yourself out from the mess.

 

You become bogged down with feelings and emotions that seem to get heavier and heavier.  Before you know it, you’ve become comfortable where you are and you stay. Being comfortable while not actually being content or happy is… at least, predictable. Readjustment is an unknown quantity.

 

Some people stay longer than others. Resilient individuals move on.

 

Readjusting your life takes energy and momentum.  Chances are, you might not feel like you have the energy to take on or accept a new situation. You figure that you’ll just get through another day, another week, and another month right where you are.  There is a risk in this approach: you can wake up and realize that for years you’ve been thinking about things while still hanging on to the past. And the truth is, the past really hadn’t been working for quite some time.

 

It truly doesn’t matter who you are or what part of your life you are struggling with right now.  It could be your career, your employees at work, or a piece of your personal life— it’s all the same.  In order to live a healthy successful life, the ability to readjust is crucial.  It directly impacts your overall resilience skills in life. This ability to deftly redirect and find a new path, new thinking, and not get stuck in the “way it was or should be” is your key to success.

 

So, are you investing energy into something when you really need to let go?  Have they proposed a new policy at work that’s difficult for you to accept and take the needed steps forward?  Are you tired of a relationship in your life that’s not working but can’t seem to move beyond talking about it? Are you feeling bored in your career and need to change your direction but can’t seem to get started? Do you need a lifestyle overhaul to become a bit healthier?

 

Then readjust.

 

Let’s get as many people on board as possible to readjust and move on. Make a pact to send this to just ONE PERSON that might need a little push in the right direction. You never know, it might just be the very thing that gives them the momentum to change.

 

Let It Go

images kitten in mirror

 

I met a friend for lunch the other day.  As we talked, the conversation slowly turned to strong women “finding their inner sass”.  I was telling her about my presentation that I give on courage and confidence. During the talk, I spend time discussing why women struggle to find their voice.

 

I looked over at her and she had a funny look on her face.  I asked her what was confusing her— she stated that she can’t imagine that the women that she works with struggle with this concept of “finding your voice”. She shared that they are all strong women that are very clear on who they are and what they want in life.

 

I listened to her and reminded her that although she must work with some strong authentic women, there are still plenty that are working daily on this goal.

 

I thought about this off and on for the rest of the day.  After dinner, I went out to my car and began to clean it out. I found a big bin of supplies I had left in my car since I had last given a large presentation.  I brought it in the house and dragged it upstairs to my office.  I took out my props and then I saw the many crumpled pieces of paper covering the bottom of the bin.

 

During the presentation, I asked these very strong, professional women to think about the beliefs that were holding them back in life.  What are all those negative thoughts that come to mind when you’re feeling bad about yourself?  Those “go to” ones that swirl around in your head and play in an endless loop in your brain?  Most of the time, you rationally accept that they don’t define you, but when you’re at your most vulnerable, you believe every single word.

 

I asked each woman in the room to write them down on paper and ceremoniously let them go by throwing them in my bin.  I watched as the whole room got busy writing on their small pieces of paper and eagerly came to me as I walked around, dragging my bin.

 

Now, back to the present— I’m sitting on the floor of my office and seeing the many crumpled pieces of paper. I decided that I would take a look and see what the women had written.  What I found, devastated me.  One after another, each woman shared that they were not enough. They weren’t smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough.  Over and over and over I read the same exact words until I had cleaned out my whole bin.

 

I thought back to my friend and her comment about the strong women in her workplace.  They could never have a problem finding their own voice, right?  Wrong. Here was proof of what was really going on inside of all of us.  Yes, most of the time we know who we are, we’re successful, and we accomplish great things.  But down deep, way deep, there’s that constant nagging doubt that no matter what we accomplish, it just might not be ENOUGH.

 

Most of the time, you probably appear as if you have it together, you know what you want and you know where you’re going.  But if you’re brutally honest, you’ll admit that it’s sometimes a great illusion for others to witness. There are obviously still things that are holding of you (and even me!) back from true greatness and success. There are still doubts in each and every one of us that hold us back from unbridled happiness.

 

I believe that it’s time to let this go.

 

 

 

 

 

Let It Go

images kitten in mirror

 

I met a friend for lunch the other day.  As we talked, the conversation slowly turned to strong women “finding their inner sass”.  I was telling her about my presentation that I give on courage and confidence. During the talk, I spend time discussing why women struggle to find their voice.

 

I looked over at her and she had a funny look on her face.  I asked her what was confusing her— she stated that she can’t imagine that the women that she works with struggle with this concept of “finding your voice”. She shared that they are all strong women that are very clear on who they are and what they want in life.

 

I listened to her and reminded her that although she must work with some strong authentic women, there are still plenty that are working daily on this goal.

 

I thought about this off and on for the rest of the day.  After dinner, I went out to my car and began to clean it out. I found a big bin of supplies I had left in my car since I had last given a large presentation.  I brought it in the house and dragged it upstairs to my office.  I took out my props and then I saw the many crumpled pieces of paper covering the bottom of the bin.

 

During the presentation, I asked these very strong, professional women to think about the beliefs that were holding them back in life.  What are all those negative thoughts that come to mind when you’re feeling bad about yourself?  Those “go to” ones that swirl around in your head and play in an endless loop in your brain?  Most of the time, you rationally accept that they don’t define you, but when you’re at your most vulnerable, you believe every single word.

 

I asked each woman in the room to write them down on paper and ceremoniously let them go by throwing them in my bin.  I watched as the whole room got busy writing on their small pieces of paper and eagerly came to me as I walked around, dragging my bin.

 

Now, back to the present— I’m sitting on the floor of my office and seeing the many crumpled pieces of paper. I decided that I would take a look and see what the women had written.  What I found, devastated me.  One after another, each woman shared that they were not enough. They weren’t smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough.  Over and over and over I read the same exact words until I had cleaned out my whole bin.

 

I thought back to my friend and her comment about the strong women in her workplace.  They could never have a problem finding their own voice, right?  Wrong. Here was proof of what was really going on inside of all of us.  Yes, most of the time we know who we are, we’re successful, and we accomplish great things.  But down deep, way deep, there’s that constant nagging doubt that no matter what we accomplish, it just might not be ENOUGH.

 

Most of the time, you probably appear as if you have it together, you know what you want and you know where you’re going.  But if you’re brutally honest, you’ll admit that it’s sometimes a great illusion for others to witness. There are obviously still things that are holding of you (and even me!) back from true greatness and success. There are still doubts in each and every one of us that hold us back from unbridled happiness.

 

I believe that it’s time to let this go.

 

 

 

 

 

Reaching Out

images reaching out

One trait that a resilient person has is the ability to stay involved and reach out to others during the low times. When you are struggling in life or going through a crisis, it’s quite easy to go inside yourself and spend time thinking.  Actually, it’s easy to spend way too much time thinking and overthinking, mulling things over.  You can become consumed with your thoughts and begin to descend into a negative spiral.

 

On the other hand, when you’re in this position you can make a point to fight this ingrained habit and change your behavior.

 

A couple weeks ago, I was coming back from Florida on a very early Monday morning.  The whirlwind of a weekend had included my son’s college graduation in Ann Arbor, where I stayed for less than 48 hours and then flew out to attend my nieces wedding in Marco Island. As you can imagine, by Monday morning at 6:00 AM, things were beginning to catch up with me. As can be expected from modern transportation, the trip back home would take all day.

 

If that wasn’t enough, I had an important keynote presentation to give the very next morning. Feeling exhausted and stressed while thinking about my impending commitment, I pulled out my notes to study.  To be honest, my head wasn’t in a good place as I focused on my work responsibility. I looked up from my notes and realized that the hurried professional woman I had noticed at check-in would be sitting next to me.

 

I tried to focus on my presentation notes like I had promised myself, but then quickly changed my mind.  Out of the blue, I reached out to the woman next to me.  I asked her where she was going and if she lived in Florida.  We began to talk and I quickly became engaged in the conversation.  She shared that she had served in Congress, had raised a family and continued to travel to Washington to work as an attorney.  We told stories about our careers, our children and life.  Before we knew it, we were in Atlanta and we were both searching for our next connections.

 

Ann had no idea how bad I needed to sit next to her that morning.  She did me a favor by engaging me in conversation and letting me take my mind off my own work to focus on her.  I say she did me a favor because I know that she had work of her own that she probably hoped to accomplish that morning.  And it doesn’t end there. When I got home later, I told my husband about meeting her and he inquired whether I had asked her to speak to my women’s group, 85 Broads— I totally forgot. I emailed her and told her that if she ever got up this way, we would love to have her speak. I truly didn’t expect an email back.

 

I was wrong. I got a long email back about how she would love to speak and how she had so enjoyed the conversation on our trip.

 

Let me recap what’s important about this story.  I was feeling stressed and anxious and focusing on myself was not aiding me in the preparation for my event the next day. My ability to recognize this as an issue was key.  I was able to change direction, reach out to someone else and be involved. In the process, I made a fabulous new friend and expanded my world.

 

The next time that you’re in a similar position at work or in your personal life, resist the urge to go inside your head and get lost in your own pain.  Issues often become much bigger and more muddled in your head.  Make an attempt to reach out to the people around you— it will help you move forward in life.