Sustain: Heart

Musing…

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Charise’s Turn:

For seventeen days in September I did something every day that was out of my comfort zone, beginning with flying 20 hours to Australia. The trip was a gift, benefit of my husband’s work assignment. A year ago this would have been inconceivable, when I was undergoing treatment and testing for sudden hearing loss with resounding tinnitus (ISSHL). Without a cure for this condition, it's up to me to set parameters for what is manageable. Needless to say, I had doubts about the long haul via air to Australia and whether I would enjoy myself. There was no way to know how I would feel until the moment I boarded the plane. Crossing that threshold was a revelation of my capacity for happiness; I was smiling in a way that permeated my whole being. 

Maybe the endurance garnered from living with ISSHL was a boon to my Australian adventure, who knows, but I relished the demands of exploring the natural world. From hiking in the Outback to snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, I was on a pilgrimage of wonder. There were no limits as long as there was respect for nature and wildlife – rewarded with encounters with sea turtles in the reef, and with the endangered, powerful cassowary of the Daintree Rainforest. And more...kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, camels, emus, mangrove forests, salt lakes that bear your weight to walk upon, the majesty of Uluru, the clarity of stargazing, the storytelling artistry of the Aborigines. All to say (and I wish I had said this): "opportunity dances with those on the dance floor" (Anonymous). 

Get Fired Up:

Be your wild heart. Thinking isn’t the same as knowing what you’re capable of.

www.coachingmoves.com

Sustain: Flow

Musing…

"Heart is the place through which energy flows to sustain you."  - Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul

  

How do we keep generating the energy needed for the duration…of a project, a goal, a relationship, a career, a lifestyle? The strength of our commitment lies at the base, but we need fuel for the journey. When we’re engaged with something we love, something that is intrinsically satisfying, it generates the energy flow needed to sustain us.

Kate’s Turn:

My friend, Kim, began trail running in a nearby state park, because she loves the outdoors and loves to physically move.  She was invited to review a 10 mile trail run event, using a GoPro camera.  The distance far exceeded her experience, as she had only begun trail running 6 weeks before the event was scheduled.  She focused on her enjoyment and love of the experience rather than performance.  Kim states, “ I ignored my fears. I had only started running again at the end of July; I knew I couldn’t be a competitor or even finish. I just went into it with the attitude of doing the best job I could, and to try and enjoy the experience.” And how does she sustain herself? “Jump in and join that beauty (art, nature, music) or try. And … enjoy feeling strong and balanced." 

She is being fuelled by her state of being, her love of what she is doing…..it keeps her going to finish strong. And how does she continue to be in the energy flow? She says, “ I think it’s an experiment – you practice letting go of definitions and emotional or physical boundaries and just try. Sometimes it doesn’t work out the way I thought, but that’s because I created some idea of what I thought it was going to be. It’s a marvelous feeling to go moment to moment, fully engaged and responding. It’s okay to not know outcomes.” Clearing anything that blocks the flow, like an expectation, can open to all that is available in the moment to sustain the journey.  Let go, and be in flow! Follow your heart.

Get Fired Up:

As you enjoy Kim’s photo of William O’Brien State Park scene, bring to mind what you love that contributes to your energy flow. Nurture yourself with all that you love to sustain you in any project that requires a consistent generating of energy…allow your heart to carry you through.

"You live in love and it feeds and strengthens you."  –Michael A. Singer, The Untethered Soul

www.kroskalifecoaching.com