I often get asked about my favorite personal growth books and how I stay so positive. They go hand in hand. Forcing positivity without true inner peace is temporary. I believe that any sustaining joy and peace comes from a true knowing of your beliefs. And the easiest way to figure that out is to open your mind to other perspectives, to learn what is out there, and to feel what resonates with you as truth. YOU get to decide.
It's nearly impossible for me to pick a favorite personal growth book or tool that has done this for me because SO MANY books, authors, conferences, speakers, youtube videos, podcasts, etc have helped me SEE more and have positively impacted my life. It has also come from my own vigilant application of these concepts, prayer, meditation, and a practice of compassion and self-love. Not once in a while. All day, every day.
I've pulled out my favorite books that were each turning points in my life when I read them. While there are many others, these are the ones that I am constantly coming back to. These books are completely devoid of judgment and teach only love.
"Conversations with God" by Neale Donald Walsh taught me that there is no good or bad; there is only the meaning we bring to each experience/circumstance.
"Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao" by Dr. Wayne Dyer taught me to learn through the powerful examples of nature to allow, to be one, to be flexible, and to live without attachment.
"A Course In Miracles." If you're familiar with it, you know it's a life-long process of untraining ourselves from our conditioned thought patterns of illusion, ALWAYS choosing love over fear. No exceptions. "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." -ACIM
"A Man's Search for Meaning," written by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl about his experiences in the Holocaust taught me I can ALWAYS choose my attitude no matter what the circumstances.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. Regardless of politics, external circumstances, or anything else that we may feel is affecting our lives, we should always be striving for our own personal growth. External circumstances are always changing. We develop a kinder, more peaceful, more joy-filled world by first cultivating that within ourselves. We ARE love. Peace already exists. And we can tap into joy anytime we want. It only takes remembering that it is all already there.
I care far less about the number on the scale than I do about how you FEEL about yourself. I want you to love yourself so radically that you see only the beauty of your inherent perfection when you look in the mirror. I care about what you eat ONLY because I know that good-feeling thoughts come from physically feeling good, from nourishing our bodies, from health and vitality and ENERGY! I want you to feel so good about who you are that it transcends any self-doubt that used to be produced by a number on the scale or the way your clothes fit. **I want you to look in the mirror and EFFORTLESSLY cherish the person staring back at you.** Your worth will NEVER be defined by any trite physical attribute. There is so much of a bigger picture than that!!!! Do you know who you are?? Do you know that you MATTER to the world?? Do you know that you are wholly loveable right here, right now?? Start NOTICING the things about you that are so special! Start NOTICING what you like about yourself! Start NOTICING the good you are doing in the world, the way you make other people feel when they are around you, and the further ways you can let your light and love shine! When you really FEEL that, through and through, to the very core of your being, it will just stop MATTERING to you what anyone else may think. You will naturally begin to attract into your life people who know their worth and see yours. True soul connections. Awareness. Belief in yourself and the greater good. The little things that used to plague your inner dialogue begin to fade away. And in that, you give others PERMISSION to do the same!! You empower those around you. EVERYONE begins to feel relief, to feel better about themselves, and to realize their inherent worth!!
No makeup, just a hoodie, nothing fancy- still worthy! Love and light to all of you!!
What comes with that is NATURALLY feeling better physically, more health, more vitality, FEELING the life force pulsing through your veins with every heartbeat!! How can the small day-to-day worries about a few pounds or your most recent meal or your jeans EVER compare to that?? I know those thoughts come up! You are not wrong or bad for thinking them! I just ask that you REMIND yourself of the bigger picture!! Because in the bigger picture, you ALWAYS matter, and you are ALWAYS good enough, and you are ALWAYS pure love!! Get to that place and share that love with others!!! And feel good along the way KNOWING that you matter!! You make a difference!!! You are INCREDIBLE!!!!
Yesterday was World Peace Day and it got me thinking about how we could apply this also to our health and well-being. The question from the official video (link at bottom of blog), “who will you make peace with?” triggered the immediate intuitive response inside of me saying, “ourselves.” How much of our day to day conflict is self-imposed? What can we do right in the here-and-now to create more peace in the world by making our OWN energy more peaceful? Here were some thoughts that came to mind:
The scale. That number has the power to elicit an emotional response in us. Why not try this week to make peace with whatever number shows up, reminding yourself that that number also contains the weight of your heart pumping your blood; the lungs breathing the oxygen you are currently inhaling; the weight of your eyes that allow you to see your child or a flower or a beautiful sunset; the weight of your arms that can embrace someone you love; the weight of your hands able to grasp another in a sign of respect, high-five a friend, or create beautiful works of art.
Food. So often we associate food with guilt or deprivation but it is something to be cherished for the nutrients it provides our body! This week, practice mindfulness with your food. There is a type of zen that comes with eating leafy greens or a juicy piece of fresh fruit :)
Workouts. This is not punishment. This is training your body to be more efficient and getting you to a healthier state! This is a chance to appreciate moving your body and all that it can do! Your body is in it’s highest glory when it is moving joyfully!!
Our bodies. How much are you appreciating your body and truly loving yourself? I wrote a blog on this recently to explain how much of a critical role this plays in our journey and progress:
Work. Make peace with looking at how we get to SERVE. If you’re someone who desires to help people, you can do this no matter what your job is. Here are some ways I have trained myself to APPRECIATE what I GET to do rather than viewing it as a “should do” or a “have to do” dreaded obligation (this applies to workouts too):
Other people. Sometimes this may be an apology or a conversation to work things out. Sometimes this may be setting boundaries or expectations. Sometimes it may be letting go of relationships that no longer serve us or being more intentional with who we spend our time around. It can also be making peace with other people in our own soul. If the other person is not ready or willing, a conversation or resolution may not be possible. But hanging on to resentment, uneasiness, unforgiveness, guilt, hard feelings, or general bad vibes does not serve us. It causes stress and reinforcement of the negative patterns and contributes to the overall negativity in the world. Working on forgiving the other person and ourselves for any wrongdoing, having compassion for how the other person might be feeling, recognizing that we don’t know their full story or what pain and fear might have been driving them to act the way they did, recognizing that any wrongdoing to us has nothing to do with us and everything to do with their pain, accepting and forgiving ourselves for any hurt we may have caused and learning from it moving forward, mentally releasing toxic energy, and sending love and blessings to that person can literally CHANGE YOUR LIFE!! We cannot control other people, but we do have power over our own thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions as well as the energy that surrounds the situation. Instead of feeding the situation onward with negative energy, let it resolve with your own peace and love about it. Say a prayer of gratitude for any tough situations like this, recognizing that even seemingly unwanted situations like this are all for our greater good, growth, and expansion.
Our time. Let’s make peace with time knowing we only have so much time in a day and be gentle with ourselves, doing what we can, surrendering to the universe what we can’t. Let’s ease our minds with the mantra: time expands, life is long.
Our life. This has a LOT to do with what I described in the video above: accepting what is and recognizing that the “wanted” stuff and the “unwanted” is all working for our greater good.
Not to mention, we have a TON of things in our lives to be grateful for! No matter how bad things might be right now, I know you have at least SOME things to be grateful for! For example, right now, I know you have fresh air to breath, you woke up this morning, you have electricity and internet access, and you have at least one person who cares about you and your happiness and is rooting for you (me!). Start with those little things if that’s all you can muster! And build up to the AMAZING things that completely surround us with beauty and wonder in this world!!
Ourselves. What are you not forgiving yourself for? What resistance could you let go of? In what ways could you be a little more gentle with yourself? In what ways could you be a little more accepting of yourself, flaws and all? In what ways could you take a little more of a chance on yourself? We can at times be our own worst enemy and critic. Make the world a little more peaceful by starting with yourself!! In doing this, you also give others permission to the same!! How can you be a little more authentically YOU today??
Got this message from a client-turned-coach, a wonderful mom and role model, an amazing friend, and an absolute inspiration. I'm sitting here tearing up in a "this is why I do what I do" moment. She first texted me to tell me how excited she was about a new dress she fit into and how great she physically feels (which I am incredibly happy about), but then this message... wow... really got me. I am completely humbled. Completely touched. And completely grateful for all of my hardest experiences in life, for those were the situations that taught me what I am now able to pass on to others. But I've had teachers too. They have come in the form of good friends and family support and incredible parents. They have come in the form of heartbreak. They have come in the form of authors whose books I dove into in times of on-the-floor-in-a-ball-hysterical-crying desperation. They have come in the form of people who on the surface we don't see eye to eye, who have been challenges in my life and I in theirs, but deep down share the same essence and the same oneness. They have come in the form of soul sisters and people who I consider in my "spiritual tribe". They have come in the form of seemingly miraculous coincidences revealed to be divinely orchestrated destiny. They have come in the form of clients and of course has come in the form of the same person who wrote this message to me.
Think of the kind of world this could be if we could recognize clearly how similar we all are... If we could have compassion for the struggles we all are going through... If we could all be reassured with true faith that the work we are doing through the challenges is worth it... If we could all cooperate and strengthen each other and lift each other up, knowing that we live in a universe of abundance and there is enough for all if we are just willing to share and see... If we could recognize that even the toughest of situations are a benefit to us, aiding in our learning, growth, and expansion... If we could use those lessons to help each other... If we all could lend a few more helping hands knowing that there will always be hands there to help us. That IS the world we live in. We need only awaken and SEE it.
Today, lend a few more helping hands. We are all each other's teachers.
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 :)
On social media these days, I see a LOT of people posting about haters. My heart goes out to them. It really does. NOBODY should ever be made to feel like less than the awesomeness that each and every person inherently is and I commend them for standing strong despite any negative feedback. But I must say that the other thing that comes to mind when I see these types of posts is how GRATEFUL I am to have such incredible friends, family, social media friends, and networks who have been nothing but supportive- not just with my coaching journey but who have supported me my whole life. I’m not just talking about close friends and family, I’m literally talking about EVERY SINGLE ONE of you on here. If you’re reading this, I’m talking to YOU! And I thank you.
I’m not saying that every person has to like me or agree with me- we all have our own opinions on lots of different topics and I LOVE that! That’s what makes us UNIQUE! But can I just pause for a second and say how incredible you all are for doing what you do?! I literally don’t know that I’ve EVER gotten any kind of “hater” message before (I did get one really bizarre comment on one of my youtube videos once from a stranger but literally before I could even report it to Youtube, other complete strangers had stepped up and were sticking up for me all through the comment thread on the video, which I actually thought was really cool that I got to see and experience… “look for the helpers,” Mr. Rogers says). I respect all of your opinions but you’re all either super supportive or kind/polite enough to at least not talk down on anything I’m doing. And that’s why I love you all! You’re all too busy rocking your own awesome stuff in life to bother with nay-saying anyone else!!!
So to literally EVERY SINGLE PERSON reading this- my friends, my family, my beachbody supporters, and my peeps that NEVER WANT TO HEAR THE WORD BEACHBODY AGAIN haha- I LOVE YOU ALL TO PIECES!! And I appreciate each and every single one of you for being kind, classy, compassionate, supportive, encouraging, incredible souls!!! All ships rise with the tide and you all sure know how to make the tide rise! Keep on rocking with all the awesome stuff that YOU all are doing too!!
CHEERS TO YOU ALL!!! Disclaimer Copy: Katelyn Lesk is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
In the summer I turn into a hippie by the river. I literally walk along releasing or recycling any negative energy and mustering as much good, loving, compassionate energy as I can. Every person I pass gets a huge smile and I literally try to project love and light and good energy to their soul. Good luck if you ever pass me, you won't know what hit you :-D
The mantra of the Light of Compelling Radiance seems like a good one to practice today :) Also, the Hay House World Summit is going on online!!! Amazing interviews with amazing people to listen to over the next couple weeks (and it's free)!!
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.
