Do you ever feel like an old version of yourself has a message for today's struggling You? Like maybe you knew some pretty great things & then forgot them?
As I sat here pondering whether to write a blog post today (as I move towards reprising the Lead Like A Girl brand yet again...wondering if this time will be different), I found an blog post of mine.
Although today's dilemma has nothing to do with fitness (I did a kick ass spin class yesterday (at 29 weeks pregnant) & started today with a healthy breakfast...soon to be followed by healthy lunch. Nice to see some changes I've made have stuck), I am experiencing a dilemma nonetheless...and it has similar undertones to the one in this post:
As I sat here pondering whether to write a blog post today (as I move towards reprising the Lead Like A Girl brand yet again...wondering if this time will be different), I found an blog post of mine.
Although today's dilemma has nothing to do with fitness (I did a kick ass spin class yesterday (at 29 weeks pregnant) & started today with a healthy breakfast...soon to be followed by healthy lunch. Nice to see some changes I've made have stuck), I am experiencing a dilemma nonetheless...and it has similar undertones to the one in this post:
Will this time be any different?!
The funny thing is that deep down, I know it will be.
For one, I'm not starting off at this new adventure at a breakneck pace worried that if I don't get started I'll lose my momentum. I have learned from many failed attempts that started out like that.
And for another, I'm doing it for me this time...not to please anyone else. Every other attempt to build this brand has been with a partner. I've tried to make it work in 3 different configurations with 5 different people, all of which either fell flat or just plain didn't work.
But now...NOW I know what I really want to do with it. What it really means to me. And so, it is time to get a move on (or as much of a move on as my pregnant waddle will allow).
Watch this space for more sharing, more laughing, more silly inspiration about what it means to Lead Like A Girl.
Ok...that's enough about what's coming for now. SO...without further ado, here is some inspiration from my old self to my new self. And best of all, to YOU!
For one, I'm not starting off at this new adventure at a breakneck pace worried that if I don't get started I'll lose my momentum. I have learned from many failed attempts that started out like that.
And for another, I'm doing it for me this time...not to please anyone else. Every other attempt to build this brand has been with a partner. I've tried to make it work in 3 different configurations with 5 different people, all of which either fell flat or just plain didn't work.
But now...NOW I know what I really want to do with it. What it really means to me. And so, it is time to get a move on (or as much of a move on as my pregnant waddle will allow).
Watch this space for more sharing, more laughing, more silly inspiration about what it means to Lead Like A Girl.
- To tap into that place inside of us where joy meets focus.
- To know that as women, we lead in a lot of different ways & a lot of different places--at work, in our communities, & definitely at home.
- To remember what we forgot (that our inner 7-year old is happy to re-share with us...preferably in a tiara at a fancy tea-party)
- To honor exactly the phase of leadership we are in now (for me, that means pregnancy & mommy-dom for the near future)
Ok...that's enough about what's coming for now. SO...without further ado, here is some inspiration from my old self to my new self. And best of all, to YOU!
Originally posted as "Friday Fun: Up Until Now..." on June 27, 2014
I feel like the theme of last week should be "Lost: Motivation & Good Habits. If found, please return to owner."
Anyone out there with me?
It felt like I was kiboshed at every turn. And where did all this catering, cookies, & birthday cake come from? I've had temptations waved in my face more times than any mere mortal can turn down. And so I caved. A lot. You'll notice I'm only showing you the "before pictures" of these cookie jars & not the "after" in which they are down by half.
In my defense, I DID ride 60 miles on my bike that day! NOT in my defense, I used that excuse all week. And into today when I had a huge-ass waffle for breakfast. I'm pretty sure I've eaten back the calories I expended on that ride and then some (and then some more). Just sayin'. I can now safely return to my normally scheduled eating program.
This seems to be the point in my journey where I throw in the towel. Where I let my current circumstances dictate my future. Where I let one bad day turn into two. Then three. Then a week. Then two weeks. And after two weeks, well...that's practically an eternity...and I'm right back where I started.
Well...at least that's how I handled weeks like this UP UNTIL NOW.
It's amazing how powerful a little shift in language can be. Rather than writing my story with an opening line of "Yep...I knew I'd quit this challenge just like I quit everything else when it gets, well, CHALLENGING" I've decided to write a different opening line. Feel free to borrow it until you have your own version of "up until now."
Here goes nothing...
I feel like the theme of last week should be "Lost: Motivation & Good Habits. If found, please return to owner."
Anyone out there with me?
It felt like I was kiboshed at every turn. And where did all this catering, cookies, & birthday cake come from? I've had temptations waved in my face more times than any mere mortal can turn down. And so I caved. A lot. You'll notice I'm only showing you the "before pictures" of these cookie jars & not the "after" in which they are down by half.
In my defense, I DID ride 60 miles on my bike that day! NOT in my defense, I used that excuse all week. And into today when I had a huge-ass waffle for breakfast. I'm pretty sure I've eaten back the calories I expended on that ride and then some (and then some more). Just sayin'. I can now safely return to my normally scheduled eating program.
This seems to be the point in my journey where I throw in the towel. Where I let my current circumstances dictate my future. Where I let one bad day turn into two. Then three. Then a week. Then two weeks. And after two weeks, well...that's practically an eternity...and I'm right back where I started.
Well...at least that's how I handled weeks like this UP UNTIL NOW.
It's amazing how powerful a little shift in language can be. Rather than writing my story with an opening line of "Yep...I knew I'd quit this challenge just like I quit everything else when it gets, well, CHALLENGING" I've decided to write a different opening line. Feel free to borrow it until you have your own version of "up until now."
Here goes nothing...
" Up until now I've quit when things got hard. ESPECIALLY in relation to diet & exercise. I didn't quit on challenges or diets or programs. I quit on ME. But NOW...well, now I know that I am worth it. "IT" being life. MY life. The life I always wanted. And in reality, the life I am living most weeks. Except this week, apparently. But that's ok. Everyone gets a vacation now & then...even "healthy me." But she dropped me a line from Cookieville. Turns out she's really excited to get home & sleep in her own bed. And wake up to protein pancakes, a house full of veggies, & 90-minute long runs at sunrise. Yep, up until now I've quit. But I'm learning not to do that any more. And this choice to recommit feels different than all the others... so I'm gonna go with it!"
Up until now I've quit when things got hard.
ESPECIALLY in relation to diet & exercise.
I didn't quit on challenges or diets or programs. I quit on ME.
But NOW...well, now I know that I am worth it.
"IT" being life. MY life. The life I always wanted.
And in reality, the life I am living most weeks.
Except this week, apparently. But that's ok.
Everyone gets a vacation now & then...even "healthy me."
But she dropped me a line from Cookieville.
Turns out she's really excited to get home & sleep in her own bed.
And wake up to protein pancakes, a house full of veggies, &
90-minute long runs at sunrise.
Yep, up until now I've quit. But I'm learning not to do that any more.
And this choice to recommit feels different than all the others...
so I'm gonna go with it!
ESPECIALLY in relation to diet & exercise.
I didn't quit on challenges or diets or programs. I quit on ME.
But NOW...well, now I know that I am worth it.
"IT" being life. MY life. The life I always wanted.
And in reality, the life I am living most weeks.
Except this week, apparently. But that's ok.
Everyone gets a vacation now & then...even "healthy me."
But she dropped me a line from Cookieville.
Turns out she's really excited to get home & sleep in her own bed.
And wake up to protein pancakes, a house full of veggies, &
90-minute long runs at sunrise.
Yep, up until now I've quit. But I'm learning not to do that any more.
And this choice to recommit feels different than all the others...
so I'm gonna go with it!
Is it the perfect answer? Well, no. That answer sailed ship when I double fisted stacks of cookies because "hey...I rode my bike a long way today!"
Is it the right answer? Uh...not sure. Is there ever really a "right" answer to this kind of stuff? A manual that's worked for every living soul who's ever fallen off the proverbial wagon & wanted to get back on but was embarrassed about falling in the first place & couldn't stop thinking about those freakin' cookies that tempted her off to begin with?! I'm thinking not.
But you know what it is? It's MY answer.
Up until now that was never enough. But I'm learning that MY answer is actually the best one. For me. In this moment. So I'm gonna try it out & see how it goes.
What's YOUR answer?!
For a look at where this idea started...check out how inspiration struck me as I swam laps in the "Motivation Minute" below:
Is it the right answer? Uh...not sure. Is there ever really a "right" answer to this kind of stuff? A manual that's worked for every living soul who's ever fallen off the proverbial wagon & wanted to get back on but was embarrassed about falling in the first place & couldn't stop thinking about those freakin' cookies that tempted her off to begin with?! I'm thinking not.
But you know what it is? It's MY answer.
Up until now that was never enough. But I'm learning that MY answer is actually the best one. For me. In this moment. So I'm gonna try it out & see how it goes.
What's YOUR answer?!
For a look at where this idea started...check out how inspiration struck me as I swam laps in the "Motivation Minute" below:
Thank you for reading!! If you enjoyed this post or think a reminder that "this time it CAN be different" might help a woman you know step into her power more fully...PLEASE SHARE!! Special thanks to my amazing friend Katie of KatieTassone.com for spending almost two whole weeks in my home sharing her Aussie wisdom with me & reminding me about all the unique things I have to share with the world, thus inspiring me to get sharing via my blog!
This post brought to you by Leslie Riley (formerly known as Leslie Stein) & the ever growing human in her belly who reminds her every day that life is about moving forward & giving birth to what's next...not just staying with what's comfortable today.
Ready to POP, indeed!!
This post brought to you by Leslie Riley (formerly known as Leslie Stein) & the ever growing human in her belly who reminds her every day that life is about moving forward & giving birth to what's next...not just staying with what's comfortable today.
Ready to POP, indeed!!
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