Throwback Thursday

 Throwback Thursday...feeling important, lol.  2013.  Paso Robles, California.  I managed a few trips--beer driven, wine inspired and destination race oriented.  This photo is from a market that carried this wine.  Sara Jo and I were exploring the area and stocking up on supplies.  I have sampled Harmony Cellars wines a few times in my life.  I do enjoy the Chardonnay and of course, love anything with my name on it!

Here is to a new Thursday and opportunity to travel.  The next few weeks, I will be staycationing around the beautiful state of Colorado.  I will check out Buena Vista with Maghan and then Keystone with Jenn the following week.  I am a lucky lady!

Til then, enjoy your day.  I need to return to teaching and planning out my day.  Cheers!

throwback Thursday (late, again)

 I apologize.  I meant to handle this yesterday but had multiple classes, lunch plans, dinner plans.  My day got away from me.  I seriously do not know how I have spent the last three days off.  Yoga, barre, meet ups, reading, hydrating, planning....this is my life.

I still have my memories of travel.  Actually, I made plans to have my passport renewed.  We shall see how long this venture takes.  I believe we will be able to travel again, worldwide.  My friend, Ven, always refers to me as sister.  It is such a term of endearment.  And, I love it.  He commented that he hoped I would return to Siem Reap, Cambodia.  My comment was that, yes, I would love to do that.  When I applied for my renewed passport, it inquired about upcoming travel.  I explained that 2021, I would be in Thailand in late March/early April.  I remember Maghan wanting three weeks to explore Thailand.  He seemed insistent about it.  I am trying to honor him.

This photo is from Italy 2012.  Agnese's grandmother, Marina.  A delightful woman.  Daily, she wakes up, drinks coffee, puts on lipstick and a dress and spends time at her house.  Mid afternoon, her daughter or son-in-law collects her for meals with them.  She sleeps at their home but wakes up early to return home.  

I spent five days with them in 2012 and they were amazing.  Fed me.  Sheltered me and put up with my lack of Italian.  Oh, and the espresso factor was incredible.  I have good friends.

I connected with Cody earlier and see a road trip to Utah in my future.  I have some travel plans in Colorado at the end of the month and hope to visit the Littles in Kansas soon.  It pains me to drive there.  I cannot help it.  However, my love of family outweighs most other things.  

Until then...enjoy your night, book and water.  Cheers!

mid week check in

How are you?  Have you remained committed to your goals?  Do you need motivation?  Or insight? A reminder?

Are you tracking your goals?  Journaling?  Taking photos?  What makes you accountable for your decisions?

I texted a friend from college to see how she is doing.  She wants to moderate her wine during the week and increase her movement.  I called her Friday and she was not quite ready to commit.  Today, she seemed more open to having the check in.  I am trying to be accountable with us to motivate myself to make videos.  I have promised videos, loosely, to two people, that I admire and respect.  I cannot let them down.  I need to have integrity in how I manage myself.  I committed to the Motivation Monday and slowly, I am easing into the video aspect.  New video that is....I have been sharing TRX videos and putting myself out there. I am thankful for that.

Today was a great day for me.  Initially, I thought it was jammed pack of things I felt I needed to do.  Teaching, lesson planning, figuring out my passport renewal, stamps...I stepped back and wrote down what was manageable and what I was capable of doing today.  I spread out what was priority and what I could do tomorrow or Friday.  It felt fantastic!  I threw in a mid-afternoon nap.  Glorious.  Yesterday, I felt great but knew that my sleep was depleted.  I tried to hydrate.  Truly, I did.  Yet, thirteen hours can be a beast!

I skipped my daily walk but figure I taught three sessions today and could use two days off of the walk.  I listened to podcasts. sent in my passport renewal and treated myself to sushi for happy hour.  A fantastic day off.  Happy hour was a 30 minute barre session.  I can enjoy some wine, relax and think about the next two days off.  I love my life.  I have always chosen the unconventional life.  I didn't do what I was supposed to do.  My parents hoped I would go to law school after I proclaimed at six years old that I wanted to be a lawyer.  That thought lasted til I went to college. Quickly, I leaned I wanted more from life.

I still don't know that I have grown up or know how to proceed.  What I do know is this....I want to be happy.  I want to feel passion for what I am accomplishing.  I want to feel alive!  I prefer helping others on their path.  Perhaps, I am fully ready to embrace being a healer/teacher.

Figure out what makes sense to you.  Hydrate.  Get outside and most importantly, breathe some life into your world!  Happy Hump Day!

Staying consistent

I listened to a podcast this morning.  I have been pretty consistent with that particular routine.  I enjoy walking with Christine or walking while listening to a podcast.  There are a few that I enjoy--Entrepeneurs on Fire, Unemployable and Millionaire Mindcast.  They are inspiring and help me along my path to being my own boss.  

I listened to an episode today about Covid-19.  Although, really, it seems that every conversation makes its way back to this at some point.  With friends, scrolling through social media, the news (which I force myself to not watch to dive into the rabbit hole) and of course, podcasts.  The guest today pointed out that this could be a time of opportunity.   It is all based on how you react.  Not from a position of starting over; but perhaps, transitioning.  Or, pivoting.  I prefer the pivot!  

In addition, how you respond determines where you will end up.  I liked everything this man had to say except he got sort of preachy on binging netflix or drinking wine.  I do not appreciate the judgement.  Sometimes, I want to completely let go of my responsibilities.  I don't want to plan, organize, coordinate.  I just want to be.  And maybe that includes drinking wine.  And streaming some b.s. show.  Does this make me a bad person?  I don't think so.

The guest on the podcast, twice, referenced checking out to external factors and was quick to point out--I'm not being an asshole....um, yea, yes, you are!  Get off of your soap box!  Not everyone responds to stress in the same way.  I did enjoy the majority of what he had to say.

I appreciated the stress on the pivot, making choices and acting.  I think this is all resonating with me.  I honestly do not know what I am doing, financially.  I don't invest in real estate and I go back and forth on that importance.  I have always paved my own path.  Not conforming to the beliefs of others.  Sometimes, I doubt my choices.  Right now, I am concerned about my relationship with money and how it has limited my position.  I could be in a different place if I had different beliefs about money.  I never used my credit card, regularly, until three years ago.  I think about all of the plane tickets I could have paid for using points instead of cash. I was taught to believe that you live within your means.  Pay in cash.

It has served me well. I cannot lie.  However, I could be in a much more secure place.  Having my  money make more money for me. I am still learning how to do this.  

The pivot. 

Believing in myself, enough, to make it work.  Knowing that I provide a good service to my friends and intending on expanding my circle. I see how I can help others.  Most importantly, I see how staying consistent is essential.  Following up with people.  Sending reminders, cards of encouragement and providing workouts, tailored, for the client.  Making it all work out!

Cheers to Saturday.  Enjoy your weekend. Stay consistent in your hydration, haha!