Attuned Life

A new meaning was brought to many last year on April 27th in the South East.

My experience was a mix of not wanting to “over react” but feeling the uneasiness in the air, the severity of the day wouldn’t even become clear to us until the following days. All day the tornado sirens where going on and off. We were hit with storm after storm. I watched the Coleman tornado live on my computer screen at work. We were told to move into the hallway with other employees, waiting for the next storm to pass over our building. I was texting my husband who was safe within a vault and my best friend who was also working. I messaged my family out of state letting them know I was ok and that I didn’t know if I’d lose communication.

When we woke the next morning I had a call from a longtime friend who had seen all the destruction on the news. At this point we still had no idea the severity of the storms. All we knew was we had no power. Suddenly the radio became our main connection to the outside world.

The first day the neighbors in my apartment complex pulled out large grills and invited everyone to bring their quickly defrosting food to cook and share for all. We laughed, connected and looked up to the sky that showed more starts than I’d seen since I’d seen in an Alaskan night. Its amazing how dark the night is when the whole county is without power.

The radio said we’d be without power indefinitely and for 6 days my home would be without power or hot water. I was grateful for water that flowed from the faucets. The words “power out indefinitely” filled my ears, my head, my heart. What would this all mean? What could we do? Like many we left for a few days. Packed up the car, the cats and headed to Memphis, Tn. Shopping in a Target I filled our cart with canned goods, candles and batteries, and a camping stove not sure what we’d be returning to.

Life stopped as we knew it for days. Time stood still. Neighbors shared meals. Entertainment was by candle light. As the power came on street by street, and life started to return to its previous rhythm, I found myself looking again at the CoachU web site. The same excitement was there for me, even after a life changing week. Here I am working with my passion, growing at it each day and grateful for the opportunity to do so.

Everyone has their story, I encourage you to write yours, let it be shared.

Love the life you live.

~Crystal

“I seek your approval so I won’t notice I refuse to give it to myself.” From Guide Lines to Relationships by K. Bradford Brown

Whether you’re a professional, a parent, an employee or all of the above, when things get stressful do you acknowledge what you’ve accomplished? Until recent years I thrived off driving myself to the ground for a cause. I let it fuel my biggest accomplishments and some of my greatest falls as well.

The difference I’ve found between passion and vision verses driven and expectations are boundaries and honesty. When I’m pushing myself on deadlines, demanding long uninterrupted hours of work and offering little room for encouragement or fun in my life, I’m living outside of my real boundaries. I used to accuse myself of being weak and now I see that the real strength is knowing when to put the laptop down, to stand up and stretch. To take a step back and look around at all the things I’ve accomplished for that day, even if not a single one of them is completed just yet. Sometimes my body needs sleep, food or water. Instead of ignoring these needs until there’s a logical break in work, I honor my body with 5 minutes of what it is asking for. If I’m feeling over whelmed with a task, sitting in meditation for 1 uninterrupted minute refreshes my senses and enables me to refocus quickly. Try out some simple ways to take mini breaks from your work and see how it supports you. Give it a week!

Finally, each night I choose at least one thing to acknowledge myself for. I state the personal qualities that I connected with to accomplish my success and visualize me creating it. It’s an excellent way to end a day and slip into a restful sleep from.

What will you acknowledge yourself for today?

With Gratitude,

Crystal

My favorite time of the day is morning. The sun awakens the earth, the birds sing their sweet tunes and the warmth of the sunlight fills my living room. In the long dark days of winter, I find myself longing for this particular type of sunshine. Today it was in full bloom. The house finches were on my balcony singing sweetly and building their nest. My hands itch to go dig in my patio garden. I’m enjoying the breeze flowing through my home.

Now what is the flip side to spring? Allergies, array of super bugs, and the wood bees coming back to dig more holes into my porch. The thick layer of yellow pollen that is covering everything right now.

When it comes down to it, it’s always about perspective. Could I choose to dislike the sunshine that pours into my windows and wakes me from sleep? Of course. My take on it this morning, no at 7 am I wasn’t ready to accept its welcome, but at 9:30 I was. And I did.

So much human suffering is self-imposed. I implore you evaluate what suffering you have control over and make the necessary changes to alleviate it. I believe in you, now believe in yourself and see the possibilities open up for you. And today, find at least 3 things you love about Spring!

Be good to yourself and each other.

With Love and Gratitude,

Crystal