A reminder about course-correction and not being able to do it ALL

I posted these 2 pictures on social media recently. The picture from the Ab Challenge post (left) was from about a year ago. The picture in the blue sports bra (right) was from a few days ago, and whether you can tell or not, I’m actually about 10 pounds heavier currently than I was in the Ab Challenge picture.

Here’s the thing. I often hear people talking about how they’ve gained weight as if they’ve somehow “gone backwards” in their life progress. My philosophy is this: YOU HAVE NEVER GONE BACKWARDS! Impossible! I CHOOSE to believe I’ve never been better than I am today. And neither are you! And you know what else? We just keep getting better!!! With each new day comes more experience, wisdom, memories, and life lessons!

I might not be quite as fit as I was at this time last year but we HAVE to stop looking at this as an isolated category. I’ve grown light years in my own personal development, my business, and new friendships. I’ve gone on several amazing trips and made AMAZING memories! I saw 2 new countries in this past year. I joined a leadership group, a toastmasters group, and a business mastermind group. I’ve made incredible new friends and built upon the friendships of the awesome people already in my life. I’ve learned some good lessons and some tough lessons and I’ve GROWN because of it. I’ve been exposed to new experiences, connections, and opportunities. I’ve been able to coach more people than ever and hopefully have helped them see their OWN WORTH (which means more to me than anything)!! I’ve watched the Pens win and Stanley Cup and got to celebrate with the whole city! I’ve spent time in nature! I’ve spent quality time that I wouldn’t trade for the world with my family! I’ve tested my limits physically and tapped into my adventurous side. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve failed, I’ve learned, I’ve succeeded, I’ve EXPANDED! I’ve met new people who have given me new perspectives of life and what’s possible! I’ve done lots of great work on my health and my digestive system. I’ve read books and listened to countless hours of motivational personal development! I’ve expanded in my meditation and prayer practice and grown my faith because of it. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve had fun, I’ve made incredible memories, and I’ve been grateful about ALL of it!!

If you aren’t exactly where you want to be in your health and fitness, I want you to take a second to think about all the EXPERIENCES you’ve had, what you’ve LEARNED, and what you’re GRATEFUL for! A number on the scale pales in comparison to what really makes up a LIFE WORTH LIVING!!

Any time I feel a little too far off track with my health and fitness, I remind myself of these things that I’m grateful for. I also remind myself that it is OK TO NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT *ALL*!  We HAVE to stop holding ourselves to that impossible standard then crumbling under the pressure then feeling guilty if we don’t succeed at being EXACTLY where we want in ALL areas of our lives. Let’s start being gentle with ourselves and loving ourselves right where we are! Then, once we are in that space of love, we can evaluate where we want to COURSE-CORRECT! In my book, it’s not about perfection. Sometimes I need to reel things in a little in certain areas of my life, let go of things in other areas of my life, and remind myself that I’m doing the best that I can. For example, after the Pens playoffs, I had to let go of eating at restaurants (and drinking wine) so frequently and focus a little more on my workout routine. Was it an extreme, drastic change? No. Just a little course-correction! If we’re gentle with ourselves, we can make this whole “life” thing EASY!

No matter where you think you’re at in life, remember, you’ve never been better! Keep on shining, rock star!!!!!!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Why it’s so important to me to make sure nobody ever feels alone in this life: Part 2

Every single person on this planet has immense value to offer.

As I said in part 1 of this post (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/05/why-its-so-important-to-me-to-make-sure.html), every single person on this planet has immense value to offer. Whether you realize it or not, you have the power and potential to be a world changer. There is HUGE power in the simplest gestures of love and kindness. Small spoken words can change the trajectory of another person’s life and there is an incredible ripple effect produced by that. I’ve learned that it’s extremely important in life to create a support system that will empower you in the tough times and that it’s just as important to BE one of those people who will do that for others in their tough times. It all starts with a willingness to be open, show that you care, and show love in whatever ways you can.

When I was going through a REALLY tough period in my old job (I was stressed out a lot, feeling disconnected from myself, dealing with constant anxiety, and wondering how much longer I could go on - you can read more about it here if you’d like:

http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/03/gratitude-for-my-story-as-coach.html), I had a lot of friends who really stepped up to show me support in that time. I had friends who frequently called or texted me to check in. My friends that I hung out with most frequently were so supportive and accommodating in dealing with a lot of the control issues that had developed for me because of all the anxiety I was going through, especially due to a lot of the work traveling I was doing at the time. They knew that if I was going to hang out with them, I had to feel like I could leave anytime I wanted. If I felt anxiety rising up and wanted to go, they knew not to push me to stay out. They were extremely nurturing and made me feel safe and supported. And despite all the weird rules I had at that time about what I had to do to make sure I could feel ok in social situations, they stayed by my side as friends anyway. My friend, Chelsea, constantly reminded me that “your struggle is your struggle” and even though I knew I had not been through anything that society would have considered tragic, I was allowed to feel how I was feeling about it. I had my go-to friends who I could call anytime that would make me see the lighter side of things and remind me to relax. My friend, Nilo, talked me through some tough things I was dealing with with some of the people I had to work with at the time (these were not people who worked directly for my company; my coworkers and bosses were great and always had my back). He taught me some important lessons about setting boundaries and being assertive. My friend, Diego, shared with me during a marathon training run a list of 50 life secrets and tips (http://highexistence.com/life-secrets-and-tips/). The books I read because of that list were some of the first to set me on my journey of personal and spiritual growth.  

Some of the people who REALLY helped me through some tough times may not even know how big of an impact they had. During this time of personal/life/identity crisis, I remember OBSESSIVELY wanting to figure out my purpose in life. I contemplated daily what I would do with my life if I had to quit my job if the stress became too much. All I wanted to do was help people. I did a ton of research on starting a nonprofit but felt stuck in finding a cause that felt like the “right” one (not surprising since my approach was a little backwards- I was really seeking fulfillment and purpose more than anything, not necessarily starting with a cause that was close to my heart). I remember a HUGELY impactful conversation I had with a friend of mine who at the time was going through a tough battle with cancer. I was talking to her to try to get ideas for ways I could help or what I could do with my life. She said to me, “Katelyn, what I’ve learned is that if you’re the type of person who wants to help people, you will help people no matter what you do,” then shared with me the story of how much her hair dresser helped her by giving her support and comfort when she was going through the process of losing her hair during her chemo and radiation treatments. In an instant she gave me peace over my obsessive search for finding my life’s purpose with that simple statement and story. I will never forget how much of an impact that had. I share that story all the time. And I always remember that no matter what I’m doing in life, whether I’m doing everything perfectly or doing a terrible job juggling priorities, I don’t need to be doing everything “right”, but there is ALWAYS an opportunity to help just by showing the people I come in contact with that I care. BE LOVE, and you will always be helping, you will always be living a purpose.

Some of the people I learned from were not people that I knew personally. I listened to a Tony Robbins CD on repeat just to get through the day sometimes and ended up going to his incredible Unleash the Power Within conference. Through a Wayne Dyer book, I discovered the world of Hay House publishing company and the wonderful other authors that are connected with them. I went to several of their conferences as well and listened to their Hay House Radio app anytime I needed a boost. Several times a year they host a free online world summit (there is one coming up on May 7, 2016- https://www.hayhouseworldsummit.com/). The first one of these that I listened to back in 2013 was life-changing and extremely spiritually opening. I am so grateful to these authors for sharing so openly about their lives in a way that has made such an impact on me that I am determined to pass that on with my own willingness to be fearlessly open, even when talking about things that are tough to share.

In more recent years, I have had friends willing to spend hours on the phone with me helping me grow my own self-awareness. We learn together and from each other. We share our struggles so openly and we create an environment where we feel heard and understood and safe. These friends are willing to challenge me in a safe way. They make me feel incredibly understood while also suggesting other perspectives or other things that I could work on. They are real, they are honest, and they don’t hold back. They love me for who I am, all that I am and all that I am not, while also empowering to live to live aligned to my highest truth and my higher self.

I learned some of these lessons all over again just this past week. From what I could tell, it seemed like a LOT of people were struggling this past week or so- definitely some intense energy and things happening in the universe. But what kept me grounded was the love and support from people who I know always have my back. A little over a week ago, I ran into an old friend who REALLY spoke a lot of belief in me. I wrote about the experience here: http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/04/baby-steps-releasing-pressure.html. It really made  a profound impact on me. On Wednesday we had our bimonthly L3 Leadership small group meeting. Just being in the presence of the people in that group remind me of my value and what I deserve and that I’m supported. It’s incredible. Later in the week, I got the exact clarity and reminder I needed from a blog post on my friend, Doug Smith’s website (http://dougsmithlive.com/what-if-you-knew-it-would-happen/ - read it, trust me). I got to spend the weekend connecting with some really special friends who were in town who have always reminded me of what’s really important in life. They are the type of people who truly CARE about people. Being around people like that reminds me that there will always be people in life who support me no matter what. It makes me feel connected and loved and special. I hope I am able to do the same for them.

Interestingly enough, I also got to spend some time with my friend who had originally told me that big message about helping people. I’m happy to report she has made a full recovery and her cancer is gone and her health is excellent. But she told me it took her a long time after that experience to emotionally heal. And of course she had a big message that completely hit home for me again. She was passing on the words of a yoga teacher of hers who told her when she was trying to figure out what to do to help herself get better emotionally, “Heal first. Then you will know what to do.” Wow. Let that sink in. How many times have I struggled in life where I obsessively tried to fix it and feel better?? That statement reminded me that the healing process of whatever we’re going through IS already taking place. We just need to trust in the process and know that we will know what to do as it all unfolds.

Those were just some of the people who have helped shape my life in big ways and make me who I am today. I am so incredibly grateful for ALL the people in my life who show others, including me, care and support. And it is so incredibly important to me that I am able to do that for others as well. Cheers to the world changers! And know that we are ALL world changers! You absolutely have the ability to change someone’s life (and the world!) as much as anyone else on this planet! I hope you see your own incredible, unique value!! And like I said in my previous blog, whatever you are going through in life right now- whether it feels like a complete struggle or a total high point, know that we are all on this journey together!! You are never alone!! And I care about each and every one of you reading this!!!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk and http://beachbodycoach.com/katelynlesk for more info!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Why it’s so important to me to make sure nobody ever feels alone in this life: Part 1

It has always been extremely important to me for others to not feel alone in whatever struggle they are going through in life. I find deep connection in the vulnerability that comes with sharing struggles with each other. I have become even more conscious of that in the past 4 or so years, both in struggles that I’ve had personally and experiencing first-hand the incredibly impactful and supportive effects of having someone reach out a hand to me and show me that I’m not alone and in having others come to me as a coach (I’ve been an online health and fitness coach for the past 3.5 years) and confide in me about what they are going through- I can’t even begin to describe the amazing feeling I get when I can share something with them I’ve struggled with and we BOTH shift into a better place knowing we are more similar than we realized. I am also very cognizant of the role that social media plays in this platform. I take my job as a coach very seriously and it is important to me to do my best to not just share my triumphs but my struggles too.

Because I struggle too.

When it comes to my coaching, I try to show my clients that I rely as much on them as they do on me! My workout routine isn’t always perfect. I fall off the wagon. My healthy eating sometimes gets side-lined by trying to balance social activities that include frequent meals at restaurants. It has taken me years to realize that there may not be such a thing as “finding a balance” but rather I can be ok with accepting the ebbs and flows and doing my best to course-correct as I go. Life gets in the way of this all the time for me. And that’s OK.

I struggle in relationships. It’s the area of my life where I have the most trouble believing that what I desire is possible. I have baggage in the form of limiting beliefs based on past experiences. I have a fear of being left. On the one hand, I am at a point in my life to have the confidence to know that I am fine either way. I love my life on my own. I’ll be good no matter what happens. But when I care about someone, I care very deeply and with that comes the worry of it somehow being pulled away. I have a natural resistance to that feeling of disconnecting from someone else’s energy. I care about all people. I have compassion for whatever someone is going through that is driving their behaviors and their goals/priorities in life. I know that doesn’t always align between two people and that is ok. I can have love for a person even if a relationship doesn’t continue and I know I’ll be ok on the other side. But my heart naturally still wants to show that person I love and that pull-away can be very challenging for me.

I struggle with anxiety. I have anxiety over traveling, over being overwhelmed, over being out of routine and my good “flow”, and sometimes I have anxiety for no real reason at all. It often manifests physically in a disorder that I struggle with (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/02/by-far-scariest-post-i-have-ever-written.html). I often have vivid, stressful dreams and I get frustrated waking up feeling like I’m already behind in dealing with the day. I worry about little things that don’t seem to bother most people- typically those things revolve around the worry of not feeling well if I’m on a trip or out somewhere. It’s not a big worry, just a nuisance that I resist. I have digestive problems and I know my stress plays off of that and vice versa. It’s a cycle that I struggle to control and release and surrender. My default is to try to control and I’m still learning to trust in the surrender. I’m getting better. I’ve learned to become friends with my anxiety. I like what it teaches me. I’m proud of the coping mechanisms I’ve learned because of having to deal with it.

When I am in the grip of any of these things, it is hard to stay grounded and at peace. What helps me is the knowledge that I KNOW when coming into this life if God would have asked me, “Do you want the easy way or do you want the hard way that is going to grow your soul more than you ever thought possible?” I know I would have responded with, “Bring on the hard way!!” I would rather be pulled through the fire than go through the motions of life asleep. Any time in my past where I’ve really struggled with anxiety, heartbreak, or finding purpose in life have also been the times that I have grown the most. Struggle challenges me to increase my faith and spiritual connection. I love how I can share what I’ve learned with others, especially the people I coach who are so WILLING to be open with me and share what they are going through. I admire people SO MUCH who are willing to be open and willing to grow. We are all in this together. It is a learning and growth experience for all of us. Every single person on this planet has immense value to offer but we have to be WILLING to let our walls down, to share our truth, to be vulnerable, and to trust. THAT is how we discover the oneness- step by step, each moment of vulnerability, seeing that we are more alike than different.

In part 2 of this post (http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2016/05/why-its-so-important-to-me-to-make-sure_3.html) I will be sharing some of the lessons I’ve learned from the people who were willing to reach out a hand when I was struggling and show me that I was not alone. I am eternally grateful for their support and I want to pass their lessons along.

And my biggest message of this is that YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Whatever it is you are going through, I am here, walking beside you, and rooting you on in this beautiful, crazy, painful, incredible, challenging, enlightening journey of life. Together we can remember that it is ALL for our greatest good (what we label the good and the bad). Though the growth and expansion can feel hard, we can make it ok TOGETHER. Our challenges may look vastly different on the surface but the EMOTIONS are the same. We are all seeking love and understanding. We all struggle at times to feel good enough or to believe that things are ever going to work out. Struggle is struggle. It is all relative. There is no need to downplay the tough emotions that come from even what we consider small situations in life. You never know what is going to feel hard until you’re in it.

So please know that I am virtually sending you all love, lots of big hugs, and stretching out a hand for you to hold in your hardest times. Love and compassion are what it’s all about. You are not alone. And you will never be alone.

I post frequently about my struggles here on my blog as well as my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/kate37721 (specifically under “positivity project, tips for personal growth”). I also have more info about what has helped me along the way in my fear-releasing workshop, which can be found here on my blog http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/11/fear-releasing-workshop-and-lantern.html or on my youtube under the “workshops” section. Feel free to connect with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachKatelynLesk!

I would be honored to help you with your fitness journey :)  Here is a link to sign up for a free account with me as your coach: https://www.teambeachbody.com/signup/-/signup/free?referringRepId=183908. Or you can go to www.teambeachbody.com, sign up for a free account, and enter any of my info in when it asks if a coach referred you: screen name: KatelynLesk, coach ID: 183908

Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.

Embracing anxiety out of a desire to FEEL

I woke up this morning with a surprisingly high level of anxiety with no apparent cause. I've had my fair share of stressors lately, as we all do, but nothing abnormally out of the blue. There's a lot of things I could try to blame this on or try to work through in an effort to "rid" myself of it. I tried to just sit with it and let it pass, which I like doing, but I was having trouble shutting my brain off so as not to attach meaning to it (which of course keeps it stuck there). But then I came to the realization that I always eventually do... the one that is always able to bring me some peace no matter what I'm feeling. I CHOOSE to feel. I WANT to feel. I want to feel life in all it's "good" and "bad" glory. I'll take pain and sadness if I know it means it also brings me love, bliss, and joy. I KNOW how much I learn and expand in those emotions that we deem "bad" or "negative". I APPRECIATE sadness knowing that I allowed myself to really care about something or someone. I APPRECIATE anxiety for it teaches me to course-correct to paths that are more aligned with my truth and needs and it teaches me to build my faith so as to be able to feel peace. I APPRECIATE any negative emotions that allow the good ones to feel even better. I will ALWAYS be someone who wants to feel. I know I would have picked this coming into this life. I have never wanted to go through life numb... I want to feel ALIVE! I want to experience life and emotions in all of their forms! I want to know fear, sadness, and pain so I can know love, bliss, and excitement! I believe THAT's what we're here for- to FEEL! To experience! That doesn't mean there's a right or wrong way to this life, but it does mean that I ACCEPT MYSELF as I am. I believe that joy, bliss, excitement, and love can only be felt FULLY when our walls are completely obliterated! I am WILLING to lovingly feel fear, anxiety, anger, jealousy, sadness, pain, or anything else that wants to come up because I REFUSE to have walls up to ANYTHING! And I am learning to believe that ALL of these feelings have their own raw beauty to them. There is love and joy that can be found in all of them. A humanness. I believe suffering happens when we are in resistance to those feelings, or at least that is what my experience has taught me. I now find excitement when these emotions come up- the ones I used to resist- because I know it means I am learning, growing, releasing, or expanding in some way that leads to more good in my life and experience. As for the walls, I will have none. I am just me. And I am completely, totally, inspiringly ok with that. MORE than ok with that. I am in love with that. Bring it on!! I am ready for you, life, in all your glory and experience! I love life and I am willing to love it all!!!

This picture is from a calendar that my incredible friend, Alisa, made for me. The quote seemed especially appropriate and empowering today :)

Food indulgences, life pressure, and how to deal with it all!

Real talk story for all of you.

Yesterday, not even sure of what triggered it, I got a huge craving to order some food. I think the busyness of the Halloween weekend put me in the mood to just stay put yesterday and some comfort food seemed in order. I knew deep down this was not a good idea- my digestive system has been off a little lately, I’ve been eating at restaurants a lot as-is, and quite frankly, I don’t even like the term “comfort food” because I associate it with some sort of weakness to be turning to anything outside of myself for comfort. But see? That’s exactly where the problem is. The fact that somewhere deep within me, I believe it’s “bad” to not be able to make myself feel better. Do we ever even stop to recognize how much pressure we all put on ourselves these days? I’m great at delegating work, I’m great at saying no to plans, I’m great at setting boundaries with my time, and yet still, somewhere in me is this need to figure it all out… to get it all right… and to do it now. I know I’m capable of whatever I set my mind to and yet when I see something I can improve or make better, I want to make that happen immediately. I do not consider myself a perfectionist- I think I’m pretty good at discerning what tasks need to be done with excellence and when it’s better to settle for “good enough”. But when it comes to my own internal state, I passionately seek improvement. And for as much as I feel I have a good perspective when it comes to work and the limits I put on it, there is still always a pressure I put on myself to accomplish the huge amount of things that are hanging over my head (I am definitely guilty sometimes of the “once I get that done, then I’ll be happy” mentality).

Anyways, how does this relate to food? I think we are ALL plagued by the pressures and demands on our time and energy (often self-inflicted). Even if I’ve gotten better at saying no to things or letting things go that just aren’t as important, it can still be exhausting to make those decisions all day long. I never *like* saying no to plans with a friend I care about, I don’t *like* having to throw in the towel about organizing the files on my old laptop even though they just aren’t that important anymore, and I don’t *like* putting extra work on someone else even if I truly can’t handle it all. In this modern age of go-go-go or say no-no-no, there is not a whole lot of emotional energy left by the end of the day to put towards the habit change we are trying to make. We’ve all done it- how many times have we said, “I’ve got to work on my eating habits,” “I’ve got to stop spending so much money,” “I need to get back in my exercise routine,” “or my old college favorite: “I’m never drinking again.” Haha. There’s plenty of things that we do because it feels good in the moment but doesn’t feel so great after. Sometimes it’s just a matter of recognizing the benefits we DO get out of it. For example, I eat at restaurants a LOT but I appreciate the social aspect of seeing friends regularly and taking advantage of all the cool new stuff this city has to offer. Sometimes, I recognize that I need to throttle it back, and I do. Sometimes it’s a matter of taking a step back and SEEING the bigger picture- where am I feeling tapped-out? And what can I do right now to begin to make that better?

World pressure:

For as much as I talk about the demands the world puts on us, I certainly don’t think it’s helpful to go into a victim mentality of feeling like it’s us against the world. It’s also the same world that offers us a limitless amount of incredible opportunities, wonderful people and connections, and beauty all around. It’s not the world’s fault- the world is just offering up a variety of stuff saying, “here you go! take it or leave it!” It is our job to remember that we have a choice of how we process, react to, and incorporate these constant stimuli. Not all of these pressures, or even the things we consider to be urgent and important, are truly life-or-death matters. Sometimes even recognizing that helps to take the pressure off and allow us to APPRECIATE all that we GET to do each day. I’m a huge fan of having a regular gratitude practice. I put links to several youtube videos I made at the bottom of this blog- feel free to watch if you’d like to know more about my own story and how I apply gratitude to each area of my life (including work, workouts, and the tough emotional stuff in life)!

Self pressure and limiting beliefs:

I think another reason it can be so disappointing when we feel like we’ve “fallen backwards” is the MEANING we bring to it. Think about it. Would splurging on a junk food meal be so guilt-inducing if we KNEW we would never do it again? Of course not! But instead, we tell ourselves things like, “I’ll never overcome this pattern,” “Why do I always do this to myself?” “I just can’t stop.” And we use it to reinforce every limiting belief that it will ALWAYS be this way, we will always carry the extra weight, be in debt, succumb to addictions, or whatever it is that we’re dealing with. “Always” is a harsh word. Sure, I still have patterns that I fall into and I still get disappointed when I do, but I have made a HUGE amount of progress in the last couple years. My whole outlook on life has become radically more aware. I feel more alive than ever. I do have a ton of healthy habits in place. And I seek improvement (mostly) from a place of self-love as opposed to shame, guilt, or self-hate (I wrote up some strategies about the emotional side of that here http://katelynlesk.blogspot.com/2015/09/love-yourself-to-where-you-want-to-be.html). We ARE making progress. It’s just in those moments when we’ve taken a step back that the sneaky fear voice is the loudest. Shut that sucker up and move on! (more on how to do that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Seg1IcDr9M).

How to deal with it all:

If I have one mission in life, it’s to help each person I work with see where their fears, stresses, pressures, doubts, and blocks are and to slowly but surely replace those with love. This is something I am CONSTANTLY working on with myself as well. It all starts with awareness and then perspective.

It’s important to remember we are exactly where we need to be. Every choice we made, we needed. We know this simply because we made them. We may know better now, but then, we needed it for a reason. Even seemingly “bad” choices are for our greater good. They are beacons to point out certain things in life. Discovering what we don’t want sends a rocket of desire to that which we DO want and motivates us to work towards it. It illuminates the path. Yes, my Thai food is illuminating the path to enlightenment :) Don’t you wish you would have gotten take-out now too? ;)

So for today I will eat my leftovers guilt-free (from Smiling Banana Leaf, by the way- if I was going to order Thai, at least I did it right) and use it as an opportunity to take a step back and see where I’m putting too much pressure on myself, where I am taking life too seriously, and where I can take back some of my power and rediscover my inner goddess :) And if I can help someone else discover their inner power along the way, then it was definitely worth the mild heartburn and stomach fullness :)

Don’t forget to remind yourself of your AWESOMENESS regardless of ANYTHING else!!!!!! I love you and I’m rooting for you!!!!

Gratitude, staying present, and first world problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa0oqC1aCzw&index=29&list=PLXiky4MOw2FgchAG5-bDiEkDMPrCn70P_

Gratitude for the tough stuff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsur7nrcsxc&list=PLXiky4MOw2FgchAG5-bDiEkDMPrCn70P_&index=1

Gratitude as it relates to work, why I don’t treat my business like a business, also workouts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJb-OAJSjE8&index=15&list=PLXiky4MOw2FjF0FZLuTXQeT__IwOADo3n

Doing things out of inspiration versus obligation, what to do when you get discouraged

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DNqEUZa_x8&index=17&list=PLXiky4MOw2FjF0FZLuTXQeT__IwOADo3n

Gratitude for the tough stuff

There is always room for improvement, but I have to say I am proud of the point I’m at in my own growth. Instead of being impulsive and reactionary in tough situations, I can handle them with peace and grace. I mean this relatively because I am far from perfect in this regard, but I can FEEL my own progress. And that feels good :)

One practice that has helped me develop this and keep the big picture in mind when handling, processing, or reacting to any tough/sad/disappointing/frustrating situation is to be grateful for the tough stuff that comes along. It instantly pulls me out of fear and reminds me that these labels (“tough,” “sad,” “disappointing,” “frustrating,” “bad,” etc) are only the meaning I’m giving to it by thinking the situation *should* have unfolded in a different way. When I can pull myself out of the emotion of it and into observer mode through this gratitude practice, I am able to remember that EVERYTHING is happening for my greater good and expansion. If it’s happening, it’s because on a soul level, I needed it to happen.

While it is often initially difficult to utter the words, “Thank you for [insert difficult situation/person/outcome],” the resistance seems to fade almost immediately once the full thought is expressed and given a voice and it is replaced with a peace and awareness and understanding and calmness once the bigger picture is allowed to come into sight. I sometimes can even start to feel the tingly excitement of my energy and vibration raising as I do this. I urge you to give it a try too!!

Here is a video where I explain more. I also included some pictures below of the lake I was at when I recorded this. They instantly make me feel peaceful :)

Having gratitude for the tough stuff

Pictures from the lake- enjoy!

Stress, worry, dreams, and sleep

I get a lot of incredibly sweet comments and messages about how positive I am and my outlook on life, and while I absolutely appreciate those messages and do my best to see the brighter side of life and the best in other people, I also intend to be fully real with you guys when life gets tough in the hopes that if you can relate to this, that you don't feel alone and that you perhaps you may also be able to find comfort in what helps me.

Let me start by saying that I can be very laid back and light about most things, but I can also be very high-strung/high anxiety about other things. I can immediately tell when I'm stressed/anxious/down about anything that that starts coming out in 2 ways: 1. I worry more about things that don't normally bother me (finances, for example) and have a more lack-focused mentality than I normally do; and 2. my sleep is either very restless or I start having crazy, stressful nightmares or incredibly emotionally-draining dreams. The past week or so, my dreams have been absolutely insane to the point that I wonder how my brain even conjured up such horrible dreams/thoughts. Or like last night, I spent the whole night dreaming about horrible emotional situations to the point where I've had to spend a good chunk of my morning so far processing and dealing with the residual stress of it.

So for the first issue (lack mentality, other surface fears), my strategy is to go into what's bothering me (it also helps to remember that these fears and worries aren't REAL, it's just stress making itself heard in whatever way it can). If I just push it away, it keeps nagging me with either lack-based thoughts or just a chronic low-level anxiety and icky feeling. I need to sit down and journal to get to the root of what's bothering me. I KNOW we are busy people, but TRUST ME, it is worth the 5 minute time investment to deal with the problem so that you can move on with your day in a much more effective way (not to mention that YOU and your emotional health are WORTH IT)!! I created this method I call a "fear-crusher list" a long time ago for my beachbody customers and coaches. It's a technique that I use for everything and helps me a TON:

As for dreams and emotional stress, this excerpt from Teal Swan's, "The Sculptor in the Sky" ALWAYS makes me feel better. I've re-read it a couple times this morning already :)

So no matter what you are going through, whether that be big emotional tough stuff or just the day-to-day stress of life, remember that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Sending you all HUGE HUGS today!!

Love, Katelyn

Thanks for the support through the good times and the not-so-good!

I have been super stressed, overwhelmed, and emotionally tapped-out lately. I apologize to anyone I've taken longer than normal to respond to. But I'm also going to take this opportunity to say thank you for the supportive, wonderful people you are! I am far from perfect and appreciate you all for loving and accepting me just as I am- flaws, fears, insecurities, failures, and all. Well, I never really believe in failure. I believe we're all doing the best we can. Sometimes that means we come up short. But in those short-comings, in those weak moments of vulnerability, in those moments of revealing our true selves, the good and the bad, I believe that is where we all find connection and the ONEness that unites us all.

I am grateful for the people who pick me up when I'm not at my best. For friends who will tell me the truth of their opinions. For friends who always have my best interest at heart. For friends who will get me outside in nature when I need to de-stress. For friends who will stay up late just to be there for me. For friends who will do a meditative, healing, prayer ceremony with me to help me reconnect to my truth and my higher self. For friends who will give me a kick-ass workout and sweat session to release some anxiety. For friends who will hug me and tell me everything is going to be ok. For friends who will help me decipher what my priorities are and help me give myself permission to table what once seemed important but is maybe not my top priority currently. For friends who will have 5am FB philosophy conversations about life when we can't sleep. For friends who are there for me no matter what.
***So I think that covers all of you haha. So if you're reading this, thank you for loving and understanding me and having my back through all the ups and downs of life. I appreciate YOU!***

And one last thing. Throughout the last few days, I've gotten news of several friends and family members who are dealing with some major tough stuff. Everything from scary health diagnoses to watching a precious loved one fight for their life to news of a special little one getting some wings before ever seeing the light of this world. My prayers and love go out to all of these strong souls and I hope you know that I am always there for you the way you have been there for me.

Much love to all of you,
Katelyn