When you work in the weight loss industry, January is a busy, busy month! Lots of new clients with high hopes and goals they want met. A mind-boggling number of email requests for info. The whirling energy of new beginnings.
Yet, a few weeks later, not even a full week into February, and many of my newbies are already gone, programs postponed, dreams shelved, goals forgotten. Those of us who work out in the gym, call this the February Phenomenon: how all those new gym membership cards never see the light of the laser swiper after February 1st.
If you are one of people I am talking about (but probably you would not be reading my blog if you were), please do not take offence. I mean none. Yes, as a coach I am disappointed when people allow excuses to block their progress, but I have been there myself and in many areas, still am there! I am not one to judge. Change is hard. Excuses are SO easy to believe! However…
Ouch!
So now that I actually have time to blog again (see, there is always a plus side to things!), I want to tell you about some of what has been going on with me personally.
If you have read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I have winter slumps. Maybe it is S.A.D. and all to do with diminished sunlight, or maybe it is a sort of natural cycle of hibernation that I should respect more and worry about less. But worry I do, because I don’t much like the me who feels a bit lost, fuzzy, sleepy, and most definitely un-sparkly come January and February.
But I do like it when magic happens.
On January 16th, I was writing whining in my Morning Pages about some life issues I am confused on and I penned:
I need help with this. I can’t do this alone. I need someone who can see it from the outside. Please put that person in my path today.
Later that morning I got a normal email from twitter telling me that someone named Káren Wallace was now following me. I use social media to be in contact with people I am genuinely interested in – not just to collect random noise – so like always, I clicked through to Káren’s website. I saw that she is a life coach specializing in self-care and clarity for women and… what is this… she happens to be offering a scholarship to her Soul Intensive Care Coaching Program for one lucky person.
Now, when you ask for something as specifically as I asked, and then a possible answer drops into your lap, you would have to be dumb to turn away. (Yet how many times do we in fact brush it off and turn it away?). I applied for Káren’s scholarship immediately, and not surprisingly, I won it.
I had my first session with Káren last Thursday and already my personal rain cloud is brightening. Káren is in Australia and we have our sessions via Skype. My unbelievably generous scholarship will include 4 one-hour skype sessions, and just as I believe Káren is the person I asked for, I saw right away that she exudes calm, peace and love right over the computer wires, 8 time zones and half a world away! That is some amazing gift!
As I spent an hour absorbing Káren’s calm over Skype, together we set up some doable, FUN, goals for me to accomplish this week, and I hung up with just a teensy bit of my usual sparkle feeling buzzing around my heart. By evening the buzz had grown to a hum so loud I actually had trouble sleeping. This from the previously hibernating bear!
By the next day, I felt back to my old self again and that sparkle in my step carried me through a 24km training run on Friday! (I will write a more comprehensive training update soon as we are now getting closer to race day and the excitement terror is ramping up).
Moral of the story:
1. When you’ve got the blues, ask for help and then open your mind WIDE to see the answer you are handed.
2. Please don’t be a victim of the February Phenomenon! Excuses or Results, take your pick.
3. Do me a favor and go to Káren’s Facebook page and click “like”. She is one smart lady and I know you will enjoy her content. You can tell her Emily sent you as a way to thank her for putting the shazam back in your favorite blogger’s blog!
Glad to hear you’ve discovered the pleasures of working with the lovely Karen!
There’s more to come but by god there’s a velvet covering over an iron-toed boot when you need it too!
Have fun making your discoveries and nourishing your soul.
Chris in Oz
Thanks for visiting Chris! I cannot imagine this woman having a boot, but I will do my best to avoid it!
I hear ya. the weather lately has been repressive, even though I know we need the rain. I got a recharge the other day when we drove up north. The first glimpse of the Hermon (white capped) from Rosh Pinna was a jolt of “wow!” – shabbat was so extraordinarily clear and crisp.
Don’t forget the ginger and chilies!