a whole new twist.

here i am, (left) after leading a "primal body painting" workshop.

when i started this blog a few months ago, i knew one thing, that i felt weighed down. i wanted to walk on this earth with lighter footsteps and suspected that letting go of the stuff that wasn't serving me would lead to a life filled with more passion. i focused first on my own physical weight. i figured that would be the most obvious place to start. i could see that. i could change that (i thought). so i studied nutrition, walked, exercised, breathed, juiced, dieted and everything else i could think of to "lose something", (weight). and i did lose something, and in the process, gained something. i gained a new way of being that was new and different, and one that i was maybe not ready for. 

changing can be scary. it takes you out of your comfort-zone. and that's great. it's where you need to be. but you also have to be aware of what is happening. the trick is changing on all fronts, all at the same time. not just body, but mind and spirit too. because the more fabulous you become, the more fabulous you have a right to be. 

but just as in the "cargo" poem i posted the other day, there's more to it than letting go of the stuff you don't want. you have to unload the stuff you love too! you have to give your gifts, your cargo, away! because carrying the "good stuff" around with you can weigh you down just as much as the other stuff can. 

this is such an important lesson to learn. one that has had me blocked for weeks. finding your passion means giving it away (as fast as you can). it gives "50 pounds to passion" a whole new twist. It means unload 50 pounds of art every day. It means deliver your cargo! Lighten the vessel so you can fill it up again with something new. 

Yes, the other "to do" list is still there. Of course you are going to care about what you eat, how you think and the daily practices that keep your spirit in tune. But now add those things to the mystery of giving of yourself to others in an unbridled way. Unleash your creativity. Be present. And become the embodiment the best person you can be: vibrant, vital and filled with a passion that only comes through giving.

Cargo

Cargo
A Poem by Greg Kimura (for Malidoma Somé)

You enter life a ship laden with meaning, purpose and gifts
sent to be delivered to this hungry world,
and as much as the world needs your cargo,
you need to give it away.
Everything depends on this.

But the world forgets its needs,
and you forget your mission, and
the ancestral maps used to guide you
have become faded scrawls on the parchment of dead Pharaohs.
The cargo weighs you heavy the longer it is held.
Spoilage becomes a risk.
The ship sputters from port to port and at each you ask:
"Is this the way?"
But the way cannot be found without knowing your cargo,
and the cargo cannot be known without recognizing there is a way.
It is simply this:
You have gifts.
The world needs your gifts.
You must deliver them.

The world may not know it is starving,
but the hungry know,
and they will find you
when you discover your cargo
and start to give it away.

50 Reasons Why Being Fit is Awesome

1. because it gives you back your childhood freedom of being able to run, jump, and PLAY
2. because it gives you confidence
3. because confidence is sexy
4. because exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy
5. because being fit tells the world that you care about yourself
6. because it feels awesome to know you look good in clothes
7. because it feels even more awesome to know you look good naked
8. because it feels damn good to put your mind to something and achieve it
9. because knowing that your body can handle just about anything you throw at it is powerful
10. because you will inspire others
11. to do what others think you can’t
12. to do what YOU think you can’t
13. to feel comfortable in your own skin
14. because exercise helps control stress
15. because healthy is the new skinny
16. because good nutrition will stack the odds in your favor
17. because doing something for your health right now feels better than “someday I will”
18. because you’re worth it just as much as anyone else is
19. because putting the right foods into your body makes you feel amazing
20. because you will have more energy than you ever thought you could
21. to sleep soundly at night
22. to wake up every day ready to face the world head on
23. because becoming fit will give you what it takes to tackle any challenge
24. because your children look up to you and will model what they see
25. because fitness and good nutrition is the ultimate anti-aging treatment
26. because you will be able to keep up with your kids and grandkids
27. because it feels amazing to climb a flight of stairs and barely be out of breath
28. because exercising teaches you to live in the moment
29. because healthy food fights cancer cells from ever forming
30. because your chances for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer will plummet
31. because it feels so good not to have “get in shape” on your New Year’s resolutionlist every. single. year.
32. to feel proud at a doctor’s check-up instead of fearful
33. because healthy food makes you feel energized and satisfied instead of run-down and stuffed
34. because sex is more fun when you’re fit
35. because busting through your own walls and limits feels so good
36. because it makes you feel like a badass.
37. to live a long and fulfilled life
38. to open up a whole new world of experiences
39. because it feels powerful to know that you are in control of your body
40. because you are not sentenced to poor health just because of your genetics
41. to know what the best version of you looks and feels like
42. because having muscles makes you feel strong
43. because you might find a physical activity that brings you great joy
44. because it will teach you to make time for yourself
45. because excuses are just fear
46. because real courage is being afraid of something and doing it anyways
47. to know what it feels like to set your mind to something and achieve it
48. because good nutrition and exercise are natural anti-depressants
49. because it makes you stronger on the inside, too
50. because good health is FREEDOM

Written by Deanna Schober 

Today

cloudy morning reflections.

pay attention to how you feel. notice what works and what doesn't work. stay focused on your goals. drink water. walk. hear the birds and smell the air. make a point to meet new people. spend time doing something ordinary with an old friend. make plans for the future that are fun and challenging. borrow something and then return it. treat yourself from time to time. be content with who you are and what you have, then work to make things better. say thank you for dinner. listen to a child. learn to sing a song. take the long way home. adjust your expectations. be carefully what you wish for. be as generous as you can. don't be afraid to change who you are. change who you are.

we should dance

we should dance, we should travel, we should get out of our comfort-zone and try something new. know what that means? scaring yourself. feeling awkward. moving ahead, into uncharted territories. giving the gift that is you. being creative. taking chances. being dramatic. looking someone in the eyes and smiling. :)