Move Past Your Thoughts

"Anxiety and fear strip away courage and makes great performances impossible. Doubt makes even the best decisions feel difficult and causes procrastination. Anger rips your focus away from your goals. Frustration can only serve to make you quit. Guilt makes it impossible to enjoy any successes you achieve. Jealousy and envy create dishonesty, hate and corruption."

After reading that, did you notice that the only thing that can truly stop you are your own thoughts? The reverse is also true, that the only things that can propel you into doing, being and having anything you want in life are also your thoughts and emotions.

I read the above statement in a book quite a while ago and wrote it down. I reflect on it often. When I am experiencing frustration, for example, it causes me to realize that my frustration will only cause me to want to quit. It forces me to take a look at where the frustration is coming from. Sometimes it is simply a distraction, a negative thought or something I am tolerating. By taking a look at where the frustration is coming from it helps me realize I live in choice. Choice to remove or change action to continue on my journey and not fall into my frustration.

Likewise, when I made the decision to compete in triathlons I realized I had to face my fear (phobia) of water. My fear and anxiety were the only things that stood in my way of achieving my goal of competing in a triathlon. Once I realized that, facing my fears, understanding what they were, finding new ways to handle them...enabled me to get into the water and compete in the triathlon. It also enabled me to release and experience the wonderful, empowered life that awaited me at the other side of my fear.

I have not always been a positive person. In fact, it was not long ago that I was very negative. Through my triathlon training and goal setting, I have realized the value of changing my negative thoughts to my positive thoughts. Not only to I apply positve thinking to my sports training, but also to my life. I continue to find ways to challenge what I believe I can do. It keeps me positive and on my edge.

We do experience what we believe!! If you believe it you WILL achieve it.

What do YOU believe about yourself? What do your thoughts and emotions tell you?

The Art of Possibility

I am reading a terrific book called, "The Art of Possibility" by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. Throughout the book the authors intertwine stories. One such story describes a dinner table scene. Each night at the table each child was asked what they had done that day. The author, being one of the younger children, felt the question was really, "What did you achieve today?" Having to listen to his older siblings answer with all they had accomplished he felt he grew up with an "undertow of anxiety..." He felt he did not accomplish or achieve anything of significance.

Moving forward in his life, he decided to rename the "dinner table game" to one he called, "I am a contribution." So, instead of what did I do or achieve today, he would ask "How will I be a contribution today? or "What contribution did I make?" After reading this I decided to give the exercise a try.

I was at the beach this weekend with my family for an annual reunion on the Jersey Shore. It was unseasonably warm and we found ourselves building a huge sand castle. While taking my turn at digging and designing, I asked myself the question, "How will I be a contribution today?" I decided my contribution to the grand castle would be the entry bridge. Complete with sand drippies. My son, was busy sculpting the center of the castle, my niece happily digging the moat. As I began producing the sand drippies for the bridge, my very shy niece came by with my brother. Usually, my young niece does not talk to me but was intrigued to learn how to make a "drippie." Together we made the drippies on the bridge. It was a special moment.

As I laid in bed that night, I reflected on what contributions I had made today. More importantly I saw how that sand castle stood as a reminder that we all contributed in some way to make that sand castle a very special one. Some dug, some designed, some found shells, sticks and decorations, some patted down the walls, some made drippies....together is was a mighty fortress!

We all have something to contribute to this world. How will YOU be a contribution today?

Life is Like a Sailboat

"You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction." -Jim Rohn

I gave this quote to a group of women the other day. It's one of my favorite quotes. I remember a time in my life that I felt I had no control over my destination. I was (and still am) a mother of five living a very busy, full life. Yet, I was yearning for something more. Yes, I love being a mother. But at the time, not only was I questioning who I was, I wondered who my kids thought I was. Did they see me as someone who cooked their meals, walked them to the bus stop, did the laundry, the shopping, etc, etc, etc? Did they know that I had other talents that I no longer made time to pursue?

The day I chose to change my direction, was the day my life took on a new destination. While I won't go into the details of my transition, needless to say, I am happy I chose to do something about it. I now live empowered, confident and full of passion for my life. I am a woman, mother, a wife, an athlete, a musician, a life coach, an entrepeneur! My kids see me capable of creating a life I love.

I no longer live my life letting the wind blow my sails wherever it may. Instead, I live focused on the destination of my choice and I maximize the winds to sail on. I enjoy the gentle breezes and the brisk winds.

How about you? What's your direction?

Setting Goals

I was at the Coaching Super Summit this past weekend in Baltimore, MD. It was a fantastic learning experience. We were introduced to a number of concepts that enabled us to think more outside of the box. I took home many new ideas.

As a Life and Sports Performance Coach I help my clients set realistic goals for themselves. Often times, goal setting is new to them. While at the Summit, Ramon Williamson, one of the guest speakers and author of the book, "Six Simple Things That Can Change Your Life," said to us, "People set goals based on what they don't have, not what they want." Uhm...that thought has stayed with me.

Take some time yourself to reflect on that question. How do you base your goals? What do you want?