First and foremost: thank you SO much to everyone who sent birthday wishes! This past week has been incredibly special and I’m grateful to everyone who was a part of it.
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If you didn’t see on Facebook or Instagram, or hear on the podcast, July 12th was a pretty big day for yours truly and for Primal Potential.
I finished the first (of many) draft of my first book!
To get some serious writing done and to spend my birthday with my family, I spent the week at our family beach house in York, Maine.
We were walking along the beach in the early evening on my birthday and I saw a bunch of kids doing something that struck me in a new way.
These kids were visibly excited to be at the beach. They were so excited to get in the water and were running full speed up to the water’s edge. As soon as the first wave came at their feet, they’d shriek and run back towards dry land.
As soon as it got a little uncomfortable or unfamiliar, they turned and ran back.
Have you ever done something like that?
You’re so excited to make a change – start working out, eat clean, lose weight, pay down debt – and you start charging forward. Then, it gets uncomfortable.
Maybe it’s uncomfortable because you’re tired or under the weather. Maybe you’re emotional. Maybe you’re stressed out or facing temptation or it’s a birthday or holiday.
As soon as it gets uncomfortable or unfamiliar, you run right back to the familiarity of your comfort zone.
Here’s the rub: life begins to look a lot like that. First comes enthusiasm or determination. Next comes forward progress. Inevitably, you run into the unknown, difficulty or temptation. At that point, you have a choice.
Will you charge forward into what is uncomfortable and unfamiliar or will you run away, more interested in the comfort of the familiar?
“What does improving feel like? It has a telltale emotional flavor: struggle. In order to improve, we have to stretch ourselves beyond our current abilities. We have to, by definition, reach and fail, then do it over and over again. You can fear the struggle, or you can embrace it for what it means: growth.”
Friend, you don’t have to be an athlete to grow from this message.
When things get uncomfortable, like it does for those kids who feel the cold water rush over their feet, you have two options: turn and run for comfort, or press on for progress.
Which will you choose?
Love you! Here’s to the next 500 episodes and another amazing day to become better versions of ourselves.
At your request, today I’m sharing an incredible client success story. When Louise first found Primal Potential, she felt out of control. Her marriage was in trouble, her finances were on the rocks, she was overweight, stressed out and turning to food & alcohol for comfort.
In the last (almost) two years, she has created transformation in every aspect of her life. She would tell you that her 60 pound weight loss is the least of the changes she’s made. She infinitely calmer, happier and more in control. Her marriage has improved, her business has improved and she’s enjoying her life more.
I can’t wait to share our conversation with you in today’s episode!
Think about your most common thoughts.Think about the things that stress you out, overwhelm you or make you sad or angry.
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In fact, the next time you catch your mind wandering, I want you to ask yourself a question.
What energy is this creating in me?*
Let’s say that you’re driving to work and find yourself replaying, in your mind, a conversation you had with someone that left you frustrated or annoyed.
You’re choosing to think about that interaction and revisit it in your mind.
What energy is it creating in you?
I’ll confess. That example comes from my own life, just the other day. I was driving to the gym when I noticed I was re-living a conversation that had frustrated me. I was thinking through all the things I wanted to say & all the points I wanted to make to this person.
I thought about the energy it was creating in me: frustration, annoyance, anger. Nothing good.
Since I certainly don’t want to feel that way, I switched my attention. I looked at the clear blue skies. I put on a song I love. I thought about the energy I’d bring to my workout.
Just for kicks, I asked myself again, “What energy is this creating in me?”
In a matter of seconds, my energy had changed. I felt peaceful, grateful and in control.
This is a tool we can use not just with our thoughts but also our words and our choices.
When you’re worried about what someone will think of your outfit, what energy does that create in you? When you’re being snarky, dismissive or short-tempered, what energy does that create in you? When you’re having your 3rd glass of wine or turning to the cookies when you aren’t hungry, what energy does that create in you?
What choices, thoughts or words create a lighter, happier energy? What people bring out that energy in you?
You are not your thoughts. You are the thinker. You can redirect your attention in any & every moment to create the feelings you want to experience.
Don’t wish for a peaceful day. Don’t wish for a good mood. Create it.
If your thoughts, actions or words aren’t creating the energy you want for your day or your life, you always have the power to make the change.
The other day, I got a wonderful question via Instagram direct message. Here’s what it said:
You’re younger than I am and you have your stuff figured OUT!!! How did you get to the point where you stopped binging, stopped making excuses and got consistent?
I still make excuses. I just have a practice of challenging them and demanding of myself the whole truth.
In today’s episode, I’m giving some examples of how I do that so I can be stronger than my excuses. Don’t miss it!
In October 2019, our relationship with Thrive Market changed. They decided to put their marketing dollars in avenues outside of podcasting but we still think they’re a good choice if you’re looking to save money on health & personal care products.
In episode 490 of the podcast, I talked about the power of enthusiasm and my past struggles with darkness & depresion. I came back to the topics in episode 492, specifically because of two comments I got in response to episode 490.
The listeners reached out to express that depression is not a choice. I agree. Interestingly, I did not say in the episode that depression was a choice. Of course I didn’t, because I don’t believe it to be true. But, I have no control over what others feel I implied. That’s dangerous business, for any of us: thinking we know what someone meant to say.
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So, for the sake of clarity, here is what I believe: we can change.
No matter what we are facing, we have the power to change, heal, improve and grow.
You can be different today. Change is available to you. Today.
You can avoid past patterns, today.
You can find the good in your day today.
You can be happier today.
Sure, there are things in life that can make change harder. We all have those things. Some of them are circumstantial. Some of them are hormonal. Some of them are biochemical. Some historical.
None of them take away our power to choose incremental improvements.
You have the power to eat a little better today, or smile a little more. You have the power to move with more intention or take a pause for gratitude and prayer. You have the power to get to bed earlier or stay off social media. You have the power to ask for help or read a book for support & encouragement.
I refuse to accept that we are powerless because we aren’t.
