GRIT | June 2022
Day of GRIT: #1 of 28
CONTEXT: “StoryAthlete Finds a Way… ”
I am trying to think of ways to wake up with a smile. Not just a grin from ear to ear but a spring in my step, take on the day kind of S.M.I.L.E.
Here is what I have come up with as an acronym, but not necessarily in this order:
Sustenance: I have tried intermittent fasting, restricting myself on foods etc. I get cranky and nauseous. What I have found is that getting some protein in my body first thing seems to help regulate something in my body that gets my brain engaged rather than slogging through the morning and dragging butt the rest of the day. I have some supplements as well like magnesium, Vitamin D, chlorella, oregano, and ACV gummies that I take fairly regularly and those seem to assist in my overall well being.
Movement: Whether it is just some stretching, or doing the leg flutters part of workouts before I get out of bed. It is best to get my whole GRIT workout done first thing so I don’t have that “frog” weighing on me all day and then post late. I would like to continue getting more walking in this month as well, not just on 5K days.
Inspiration and Integration: Inspiration for me is in the form of reading all of my Story Athlete teammates posts and practitioner forum posts. Then Integrating what I have learned adds to my knowledge and skills as a energy balancing practitioner and this is my business as well.
I am a self proclaimed Ladybug Cheerleader. Honestly though, I have been falling behind on a few things. I need to find a way to get my own stuff done every day by shutting off notifications instead of allowing myself to get distracted all day.
Lavish: Shower and lavishing myself with self care. I do not function well until I have had my morning hot shower to wash off all the sleep and energetic dirt I have picked up through the night. Taking care of self first means I have a full cup with which I can better serve others.
Energy: The best way to handle anything is to keep my own Energy in check and balanced so I can fully be present and functional to be look after myself, my family, and my clients.
Of course, this is all in my own ideal world. As a Story Athlete, I strive to keep SMILE-ing but I also must be prepared to expect the unexpected and still SMILE each and every day. Always a work in progress…
Joe Tedesco: Great post! And I love that acronym!!
Day of GRIT: #2 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Know the Importance of a Tribe…”
I definitely know the importance of a tribe because I am the one who sticks out like a sore thumb in most circles.
As an energy balancing practitioner, I am blessed with a network of amazing practitioner friends and several forums where we can talk shop and understand each other with all the terminology of the world of energy healing, biology, psychology, and everything to do with holistic health.
Outside of those circles, I need to watch what i say because I get some pretty “deer in headlight” kind of looks along with rolled eyes from those not accustomed to daily miracles and taking charge of our own health and well being.
In a similar way, I have this beautiful community in Story Athlete where we strive for interdependence, personal growth, accountability, and responsibility in our journey to become our Heroic Self. Outside of SA, I get similar rolled eyes and misunderstood looks from those who would rather live a stagnant unproductive life of whining about their lot in life.
I appreciate the like minded souls I have found and continue to connect with in these circles. These are my tribe and soul family.
Day of GRIT: #3 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher F2
CONTEXT: I Know How to Differentiate…
Today’s context is about WHY anyone would want to work with ME over someone else. I think this is more of an important principle in generalized careers such as sales where the market is flooded and you really need to promote your “why” to stand out from the crowd because there is so much competition. The factors there are that a client will be more attracted to authenticity rather than a greedy snake oil salesman.
There is no competition in the field of energy healing. We all have own our unique gifts and skills even when we work with the same techniques. Clients are attracted to the energy practitioner that feels most comfortable to work with.
The Law of Attraction applies in all careers though in that the clients who most resonate with a particular person’s energy will be moved to work with that person.
This is my reason for continuously working on myself to project the best attracting energies so clients can find me and choose to work with me. I do find that since my background is overcoming trauma and I have several years of experience and skills in this field, that this a differentiation factor in why someone would choose to work with me.
Day of GRIT: #4 of 28
METRICS: 5K Day Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Win the Day…”
To be an effective energy practitioner, the healer needs healing too. First thing this morning, a family friend who is also a Reiki student, came for a visit to “play” with energy. We did Black Pearl Technique sessions for each other. Super deep healing that processes for two weeks. My awesome plumber guy stopped by to install the new toilet which has never been replaced in my 16 years in this home. He’ll be back tomorrow to install a new furnace that has been on a lengthy waiting list. Also never replaced in all my time in this home. Looking forward to a more energy efficient model.
Next, my son’s daily thing is to go biking but his bike is in the shop so he came along with me for a more than 5K walk and played Pokemon Go along the way. Good time to chat and spend time with him and his game breaks along the way were great for small rests for me. It was a beautiful sunny day and +21C here.
Now I find out the context for today is I win the day. Oh heck yes!
Healing/ self care, movement/ body, relationships, writing/ mind, and my evening can be spent working on business stuff.
Got a new throne and new heat coming. I would say YUP I definitely won today.
Day of GRIT: #5 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Challenge My Beliefs…”
As we go through life, we learn life lessons through our experiences. We cannot possibly learn everything there is to know in one lifetime. Sometimes life lessons are pretty brutal and leave an indelible mark our lives in the form of hidden beliefs. These hidden beliefs are not always conducive to living a good life. It is much easier to learn through the experience of others by reading books and watching documentaries. Sometimes we can learn something new that challenges a previously held belief.
I love learning. I love collecting quotes, sayings, poetry, etc. Tidbits of wisdom that resonate with me, that challenge my beliefs and create a new way of thinking that can make my life better. My website is full of these kind of shared quotes etc. This was the original reason I started a website many years ago.
Through my own life experiences, I developed many beliefs and I have been quite strongly opinionated. A little bit of my German heritage coming out there in being unwavering in my indignant righteousness.
As I have matured, and as I have cleared my energy including releasing detrimental hidden beliefs, I have become more open to the idea that I am not always right.
These days I tend to align myself with Divine Truth constantly and to trust my intuition before accepting any new information as facts and new beliefs. Intuition is God Consciousness speaking from within.
More recently, I found a quote here in the Story Athlete community that I absolutely love and it is a good one to apply to life: It is from Ryan Sloper “I have strong opinions that are loosely held.”
Day of GRIT: #6 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Lead By Example…”
I used to tell everyone that I was a great example of everything to not do in life because I did it all backwards. I had a child at age 17, got married age 18, then graduated at age 19 when I was 6 months pregnant with the second kid. Then I went back to school for a degree in my 40s.
But did I really do everything backwards? Or did I just do things MY way and still led an interesting life.
I wouldn’t recommend having a child in teen years. I do recommend vetting out a life mate much better than I did jumping from frying pan to fire. Graduating wasn’t all the hype it was made out to be but I did learn a lot that has been beneficial to my life lessons and knowledge.
These days I prefer to lead by the example of just being genuine and living an authentic life of becoming my best self.
Day of GRIT: #7 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Pursue Non-Consensus…”
Of all the courses that I was required to take to earn my Associate of Arts degree in Psychology, the “Research Methods In Psychology” was probably the most influential on my life. We learned that absolutely any data can be skewed according to the narrative of who is paying for the research. Always look at the fine print.
I come from a background of walking on eggshells, watching for ulterior motives, anticipating “the other shoe to fall”. This was not necessarily a good thing through the first part of my life as it adds to anxiety and paranoia. Once I worked through personal healing and overcoming trauma, these traits become skills in critical thinking, and I am truly grateful for what is now a gift.
Critical thinking means I do not necessarily follow what everyone else is doing, but look for what is going on behind the obvious before I blindly follow along. I am human, I still can make mistakes in judgement and poor choices, but for the most part I feel like my life is in a good place because of looking beyond the smoke and mirrors for other solutions and ideas which would be considered “non consensus” in today’s world.
I love the quote, “Be careful when following the masses. The “m” may be silent”.
Day of GRIT: #8 of 28
METRICS: (FoF)- AMRAP Gun Show Palooza F2 Finisher (4MOL)
CONTEXT: “I Don’t Have to Wait… ”
You may or may not know that I am a rock concert fanatic. Years ago, I hear that AC/DC had been in Vancouver but I missed that show. I was determined to make the 10 hour drive the next time they got any where close to British Columbia where I live.
Tickets went on sale in May for an August show. Sold out immediately. I missed it again yet I was determined to go. My shifts at work had changed. I was on rotating afternoon shifts which doesn’t allow for much planning ahead.
I kept hearing the radio playing AC/DC and promoting the upcoming concert, taunting me constantly.
How would I get there? How could I get tickets? Who would go with me? Nothing seemed to look like I would be able to get there.
I had given up on counting on any friends to accompany my last minute excursions. No one was quite as determined or as crazy as me.
The date was coming ever closer and I had all but given up on getting there. I was working until 1030 Friday evening. One of my coworkers knew about my plight and how upset I was. She asked me if I had heard that 200 more tickets were released that day. NO????? As soon as I went on coffee break, I was on the phone with Ticketmaster getting a single ticket. Just get me in the building!!
I let my kids know I was off and running with my plans and they made some calls between themselves. When I got off work at 1030, I picked up my 3 year old granddaughter, went home to sleep just a few hours, got up and showered and was on the highway by 4 am. Granddaughter got to sleep most of the ride until we got to my other daughter’s place near Vancouver. She got to visit Auntie for a few hours anyway. We took in the Science Centre, then I went off to the concert by myself.
My last minute ticket was an “obstructed” ticket since there was a huge speaker hanging down but I still had a pretty good view, and a better seat than our local radio guys who were also at that concert. Ya, one of their songs is “highway to hell”, but I was in heaven! I got my wish and the concert was awesome with pyrotechnics and drums!
After the concert, I picked up my granddaughter at almost midnight and gunned it home through the night. I was back in Prince George by 8 am in time for my next shift at work.
Yeah that was one of my crazier road trips only spending 11 hours in Vancouver and flying on limited sleep but the adrenaline was high and I had fun. I proved to myself that sometimes waiting can get last minute awesome tickets, but I don’t have to wait for anyone’s approval or anything else. This is the way the best memories are made!
For those about to rock, I salute you!!!
David Brown: It’s a long way to the top……
Jackie Rioux: David Brown one of my fave highway tunes!
Day of GRIT: #9 of 28
METRICS: Sunday-Stretch-a-Palooza
CONTEXT: “I Optimize My Environment…”
I keep ongoing spring cleaning rituals so I keep clutter at bay and my house appears fairly clean.
I try to keep my office tidy so I can work efficiently.
I keep my bedroom cleared of clutter so I can maintain optimum sleep.
Everything is energy and physical clutter and belongings can, and absolutely do, affect our energy.
But do you know what is the bestest way ever to optimize my environment? My INTERNAL environment.
Sh*t, Shave, Shower as my main morning routine.
Sh*t: Yup. There’s that old adage that you should always bet on the horse or dog that does its business at the starting gate. Know why? Because when you dump all the excess garbage and lighten the load, you can focus on full speed ahead!
According to Chinese medicine meridian charts, our bodies process through certain organs during specific times of the day and night. Sleep time is healing time and this is when our bodies go through a “defragmentation” in a human sense. Our energy is at rest time and not being used up for motion or thinking etc so it can focus on cleaning up all the accumulated toxins and purge them in the morning. This is why that morning dump feels SOOOO good.
Toxins in our body can contribute to lethargy, brain fog, and general listlessness. Fat cells also form around toxins to protect our body, so all the more reason to purge all that garbage. Including fiber and bone broth in my regular diet, and a dollop of coconut oil in my favorite hot drink always assists with the process.
Shave: well, professional swimmers shave every bit of hair on their bodies so they glide through water easily. In a similar manner, either getting defuzzified regularly or at least getting my hair tied back so unruly curls are not flying in my face as constant distractions is me getting down to business.
Shower: This is a non negotiable for me. I need my hot shower in the morning to wash off all the sleep, and energetic and physical “dirt”. This gets my mind and body in optimal shape for my day ahead. When I optimize my self-care environment, everything else just flows better, including all the internal sludge purge.
Day of GRIT: #10 of 28
CONTEXT: I Flex My Imagination…
Back when my daughter was in high school, she thought she was being pretty smart playing a psychology trick on me that usually ends up one way due to human nature. Unfortunately for her, my brain didn’t play along properly.
Name a European country that starts with D.
Name an animal that starts with E.
What color is that animal?
Normal people usually choose Denmark, elephant, and grey. My answers were Deutschland, ermine, and brown. I guess my imagination and brain processes don’t work as predictably as “normal” people.
I have since found out that there is more to this mind trick, but at the time I thought it was pretty funny when I dashed her expectations inadvertently.
This is just one of the many examples where I flex my imagination and think critically beyond the obvious. Who wants to be “normal” anyway?
Day of GRIT: #11 of 28
METRICS: 5K day Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Nurture an Abundance Mindset…”
I learned years ago that tithing opens the floods gates of heaven in abundance in ways you cannot even predict or fathom. It really is better to give than receive, and karma does come back to you in wonderful ways.
I remember being on social assistance with my kids as a single mom. I tithed my meager monthly cheque and I never had to go in for end of month food stamps. We always had food, shelter, and paid bills. Ok well maybe the bills I juggled a bit many times in my life.
The post office job was paycheck to paycheck but still, we had enough. I do remember though the first time I bought school clothes for my kids from a department store. I also remember the first time I took them for haircuts in a salon rather than “Mom’s snip and flush barber shop”. I learned to stretch a dollar sufficiently and our basic needs were always met.
Thankfully those days are long behind us. I have cleared all I can find of ancestral poverty issues and other money issues. Abundance mindset is much closer to me now.
I do tend to bitch and moan about rising gas prices along with everyone else concerned about global issues, but honestly, I do not look at the price of gas when I go fill up because I know I can afford it anyway and it is a necessity for my independence. I do my part to give back and pay forward where ever I am able to keep in the flow of abundance. I have the knowledge and skills to nurture an abundance mindset and I am ever grateful.
Robert Bell: Jackie Rioux amen to that sister!
Day of GRIT: #12 of 28
METRICS: (FoF) – Total Body Accumulation F2 Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Take Advantage of Flow…”
Energy healing is all about addressing the blockages that impede the flow of life. I am so glad I am a energy practitioner because I definitely take advantage of my own skills to get in the flow for myself, my family, and my clients.
Being in the flow allows for unexpected miracles. It is a great way to live life.
Day of GRIT: #13 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher- Hub-Spoke F2
CONTEXT: “I Have Not Begun to Peak…”
Eons ago I used to keep a daily journal, from my teen years to early married years. Go to school, go to some activity, nap, watch TV. Then it turned to mundane daily married life. At one point I looked back through and realized it was the same boring stuff day in and day out. I tore up and burned most of those journals. Then I got divorced and went out and lived life. I was the DD in party days, the one everyone counted on to get them home safely after dancing the night away.
I went on road trips with my kids and created some fun adventurous memories.
I wrote a beautiful poem for the man I loved when I had to let him go because of outside factors keeping us apart.
I have had an extensive bucket list: rode an elephant; drove fast in a race car around a track; held a snake; swam with dolphins and sting rays; married and divorced twice; raised 4 kids to be productive adults; went on 3 cruises; went to a long list of concerts; I went back to school and earned a psych degree; retired after 26 years and now live my passion running my own wellness business; I have amazing stories of energy shifts with clients. Just so many things that could be considered a peak in my life.
For my recent birthday, my mom and kids teased that I am now considered senior for the Denny’s menu. We have flamingos decorations out in the yard.
Next week is Darrel’s birthday. I am having a hard time with that because for years I have always either at least thought of him or sent a message. Last year for his birthday, he was almost in tears with my endearing birthday wishes and reminding him of the poem I wrote for him. Little did I know that just 3 months later he would transition and my soul would want to leave too. I had felt like my life was over then and the last several months I have been trying to find my way again to see a future without him on the physical plane.
I have had so many peaks in my life. They are all now just treasured memories. I am still trying to find another peak to see the light in the future. It will come…
Day of GRIT: #14 of 28
CONTEXT: “I See Cause & Effect…”
Have you ever heard of the Darwin Awards?
According to Wikipedia: “They recognize individuals who have supposedly contributed to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool by dying or becoming sterilized via their own actions. The project became more formalized with the creation of a website in 1993, followed by a series of books starting in 2000 by Wendy Northcutt. The criterion for the awards states: “In the spirit of Charles Darwin, the Darwin Awards commemorate individuals who protect our gene pool by making the ultimate sacrifice of their own lives. Darwin Award winners eliminate themselves in an extraordinarily idiotic manner, thereby improving our species’ chances of long-term survival”.
Now, we all have done some “stupid” things in our lives in moments especially when our brains were not fully engaged to intelligence mode, but the Darwin awards are cases were someone did not see the cause and effect of their actions and ended up dying because of it. Ya, it’s unfortunate that people died, but if you read through some of the posts in their website, you cannot help but laugh. Many of the stories were people caught up in emotions of anger or revenge and reacted in ways that ended in tragedy. Many of them were “instant karma” kind of situations. Some were just plain stupidity.
I have always said that lack of knowledge isn’t necessarily ignorance, but I also agree that you can’t fix stupid.
I do my best to see the other side of situations before taking any regrettable actions. Part of my learning is sometimes reading through the Darwin Awards and learning from others’ mistakes so I can add to my knowledge of extreme cases of causes and effects.
Day of GRIT: #15 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Know Quit is a Parasite… ”
I have never been a quitter. Always pushed through when I needed to keep my word. There’s been times that I have changed course and not necessarily finished a particular trajectory, but I still kept going no matter what. If I quit one thing, it might turn into a pattern of quitting other things. That is not my character!
I remember dropping a course from my psych program schedule, but the career counselor told me I didn’t “quit”, I only audited the course so it didn’t count against me as a quit. That made me feel better.
Right now I am kicking myself though. Last summer I signed up for an Akashic Records Reading course with a fellow Emotion Code practitioner. I listened to a couple videos and honestly, her voice was not resonating with me right then. But I had already signed the contract for an $800 CDN commitment. It is a self study course and looks like it covers a fair bit. Just days later, another Akashic course came up. This one was all bells and whistles. A 12 week interactive course with a member portal that tracks progress and a deadline date. I contacted the instructor and explained I already signed up for a course and spent lots, but this course looked more extensive. There was a retreat that was quite promotional explaining the benefits of this course. The instructor sent a few personalized videos saying, “well, see if you can get out of the other contract”. I told her that is not my integrity to back out of a signed contract, but I signed up for this new course anyway to the tune of $2700. CDN!
I figured both these courses would add to my already extensive toolbox of energy modality skills as a benefit for clients. On a personal level though, I wanted to learn more about my soul connections with my soul mate. This instructor told a few stories about things she has learned about her own life purpose and how this new knowledge improved her life.
I told Darrel about this course in what would be our last conversation as he passed away just a couple weeks later. I was a wreck for a while and didn’t touch anything with either of these courses.
About half way through the live calls part of the course, I figured I better get back in the saddle. I realized in the private group there were some vocal victim type people. I actually blocked one person as I could not stand the energy resonating there.
I got on a couple calls and listened in at least. There was a lot of repetitive promotional talk about the courses offered and how to start your own business. Great information for beginners, but a lot of what I already know.
Over Christmas I again put everything on the back burner and got busy with everything else but these courses.
In January they announced an actual deadline for certification June 30 2022. I worked with some of my practitioner friends on my own resistance to completing this course. Interesting imbalances came up. The biggest one being the resentment of paying so much for this course when so much of it is so repetitive. They do have great marketing and all the bells and whistles. I guess I have been feeling gullible yet trying to find something in this course to learn and put to good use.
I ended up starting from the beginning several weeks ago and getting my nose to the grindstone in getting it all done. The member portal is great to track progress, but the content… I am still having a hard time with aligning value to cost.
There is not much for meat and potatoes, and there is a whole lot of fluff and promotional talk. I now realize that those original stories that enticed me to sign up for this course are actually part of the second level in this program, not this beginner level. I am not willing to pay another few grand for the second level though.
I am not quitting, as I only have days to completion. I know I can get it done and over with. I’ll try to find some nuggets of wisdom and at least the certification means I can offer a new paid service to my clients. I have my practice sessions lined up and the finish line is on the horizon.
Day of GRIT: #16 of 28
METRICS: Sunday-Stretch-a-Palooza
CONTEXT: “I’m Not Afraid to Get Dirty…”
Years ago I did a lot of local fashion modeling shows just for fun. I grew up in redneckville though, and I also love mud bogging, trail riding, camping, etc when I get the chance. We used to joke around that we’re make up to mud in 60 seconds or less.
I am not afraid to get dirty cuz that is where all the fun is!!
Sharing a fave video from years ago. I am NOT that kinda girl 😛
Day of GRIT: #17 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher- Countdown Workout F2
CONTEXT: I Identify My Lies…
How many of us were told that if we swallow gum, it will take 7 years to break down in our tummies? Or that our eyes will get stuck that way if we cross them too many times looking at our siblings? Or that we’ll go blind if we sit too close to the TV?
Our parents did the best they could with the knowledge they had, but as we grow up and often use these same mistruths on our own children, we realize the lies we tell out of frustration are from repetitive programming from our own childhood.
Then we realize that we have been programmed by society into believing all sorts of things about the food we eat, the environment around us, our bodies, just everything. What is the real truth?
I have found that the best way to discern truth and what is best for ourselves is to remove the energetic blocks to our own progress. Yeah we can remove physical things from our environment but the energetic imprint is still there and until that is fully addressed, the issues will still be festering under the surface.
Energy balancing is the method I use to identify hidden detrimental beliefs I have acquired through my life that no longer serve me. This method makes way for clearer thinking in releasing brain fog and confusion which in turn gives me better discernment skills to know what is truth and what is not good for me.
Day of GRIT: #18 of 28
METRICS: 5K Day Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “My Preparation Pays Off…”
The other day, I was pretty choked and resentful that I signed up for this course and it really seems like a beginner course more suited to people that are new to energy healing and are just starting business service offerings. So choked about spending so much money. Just not in a good head space about it all.
I am almost at the finish line though, just need 15 practice sessions to submit for certification. I got quiet, went within and kept asking why, what for, and what am I supposed to be learning or getting out of this process and this course? There are energy activations for practitioners and then the fancy certification at the end as well. Apparently, that is what I am supposed to get out of this course.
I resolved to get down to business with it and get ‘er done. Yesterday I had the first 2 practice sessions. I have worked with all sorts of clients for several years, but this is a different process and I was quite apprehensive of what would come of it all. My intuition has been pretty on point for a while now, but I have never been particularly visual. Our spiritual gifts are called “clairs”. My gifts have always been claircognizance, a sense of knowing and clairsentience, a sense of feeling. Clairaudience (hearing) has heightened in recent years, but clairvoyance (seeing/ visual) has never been a skill for me.
With both of these practice clients yesterday, visuals came through in flashes that surprised me and were spot on for these clients. One of my regular clients yesterday told me that something with me has definitely up-leveled. Today, I feel much more accepting that despite my impressions the other day, this course must have done something to shift my energy vortex in miraculous ways for others to notice this much.
I guess my preparation thus far in all my other trainings and finally getting through this course has paid off in bigger ways than I imagined. Onwards and upwards!!
Andrew Cline: Jackie, this is so interesting to read. I’m happy for you that there is another level you are achieving.
Day of GRIT: #19 of 28
METRICS: (FoF) – Total Body Accumulation F2 Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Optimize the Process…”
I have realized and healed many poverty patterns through my family lineages. Early on through childhood, I learned to be very resourceful which was a skill needed when I raised four kids on a shoe string. I also learned that Quality is so much more important than Quantity. This means that I am willing to pay a little more for a product that is well made, functional, and won’t need to be replaced in the near future. This philosophy extends to caring about the global environment,
wildlife, and our personal impact on others as well. Disposable items affect our world detrimentally.
I despise clutter. I know too well that everything holds energy and our environment can affect us energetically so best to keep our home, sleep, and work environments optimized as a important part of self care.
We often talk about optimizing our environment already, but what about processes? Our environment is thought of more as tangible, but we can have other kinds of clutter as well. Digital clutter, brain fog, toxicities within our bodies, excess body fat, etc can affect our processes as blockages and hindrances and can hold us back in the bigger picture in the process of life as well.
During my time in this Story Athlete community, I have learned and solidified the reasons that systems are crucial to amplifying our Return on Time and Investment. Having an organized and efficiently condensed work space using effective systems can optimize not only our environment but also our processes.
Paperwork, finances, and my penchant for hoarding extensive energy healing and personal growth information can be a mundane project to keep optimized. I am so glad I have finally learned to use Excel docs to my advantage to optimize the process of keeping my business running smoothly and being able to serve my clients more effectively. Yes I have extensive information, a Quantity. By optimizing my environment, my processes, and my systems, I have created condensed Quality that I can easily share with others to assist them in their own journeys.
Day of GRIT: #20 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher- Hub-Spoke F2
CONTEXT: “I Don’t Need Permission…”
For 26 years, I booked my holiday time by weeks available on the work calendar. My life revolved around being a corporate slave. It took me several months to finally let go of that “jump when I say jump” feeling once I retired. I felt lost quite honestly. Yesterday was the 6 year anniversary of my retirement date.
I lived so many years of having to plan my road trips, family activities, just everything around my work shifts and schedule.
Now I look back and wonder how the heck I ever held a job for so many years. Now I am free from that prison of a life. I make my own rules and my own schedule and I don’t need permission!
Day of GRIT: #21 of 28
METRICS: (FoF) – Leg Day Complex-Palooza F2 Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Commit to Do Hard Sh*t…”
I have been coasting along making my own schedule and enjoying life for a while. I love my scheduler. It takes care of time zones for me and my clients can book in wherever they like according to the parameters I have set up to allow me to have my own life and take care of other responsibilities.
Normally I only allow for four appointments a day so I can give each client my full attention for the time slot allotted for their session choice. Thankfully all what I do with energy balancing benefits me as well.
Some energy practitioners get severely drained in working with clients. They call themselves empaths. I say they have bad boundary issues. The methods I use in my toolbox benefit my clients tremendously, and I have respectable boundaries for myself so I do not get energy drained.
I left this Akashic course to the end and close to the deadline for certification. I am kinda kicking myself on that now as I have 15 practice sessions to complete and submit by June 30th in between other booked appointments.
To accommodate, I opened up my schedule to allow for 6 appointments a day, which I know from past experience is a busy heavy day for me.
Thankfully this work is so rewarding and encouraging. My scheduler this past week, and next week is full of pretty colors and booked solid with different appointments.
I have committed to a lot of other versions of hard sh*t in the past. I am so grateful that my life has come to a point that a full schedule is my “hard sh*t” for today, and it is more intellectually exhausting than energy draining. A restful sleep is in order and back at ‘er tomorrow. The course finish line is in sight. Goodnight!!
Day of GRIT: #22 of 28
CONTEXT: “I Celebrate Small Victories… ”
I remember reading in a John Gray book years ago how he explains that men and women “keep score” differently. According to his philosophy, men tend to give massive points for one effort of action, while women tend to add up points for all sorts of little things. This is apparently why there are so many jokes about how some men brag about taking out the garbage as there big effort for the day that allows them to put their feet up for the rest of the day, while women tend to have a lengthy list of chores before they feel they have earned the luxury of ever putting their feet up.
Of course these are all stereotypical generalizations, but I find the psychology of it all intriguing. This philosophy did make sense of my marriage 30+ years ago.
I still take to take on a fair bit of responsibilities, but I make it fun by celebrating small victories when I cross items off my to do list or complete a goal.
Day of GRIT: #23 of 28
METRICS: Sunday-Stretch-a-Palooza
CONTEXT: “I Diligently Document the Journey…”
There’s meme going around social media that says “I am glad I was born before the time of internet and video so there’s no record of all the stupid sh*t we did”.
I can agree with that sentiment in that there are some things we may want to leave in the past, but when we have kids and grandkids, some of those stories become family legends. Reminiscing of those times are reasons for belly laughs way into the wee hours of the morning. Some things were written down back then, other events weren’t. I am not one for too many techie things and apps but I found Otter app that transcribes conversations so when I decide to tell one of those tales again now, I can add the transcription to my ever evolving memoir that my kids can cherish as my legacy long after I am gone.
Thanks to my time here in Story Athlete, I have become more aware and more diligent with recording my stories effectively.
Day of GRIT: #24 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher- Countdown Workout
CONTEXT: I Trust Myself…
Years ago I read a book called, “The Gift of Fear” by Gavin deBecker. This was my first realized that my inner voice was an innate truth detector. While the book doesn’t talk about intuition and energy particularly, it describes this innate safety feature we all have but most people ignore.
It’s that vibe when you make a last minute turn in a different direction but not sure why and later find out there was an accident along that path.
Or, for me, it was sensing something very wrong when I was in the company of certain people and I didn’t feel better until I removed myself from their presence. Only to find out later there was some deceitful or otherwise harming towards other kind of behavior they were involved in.
Energy doesn’t lie. As long as I am grounded and tuned into positive energy and Divine Truth, I trust my inner voice to navigate my life and to keep me safe.
Day of GRIT: #25 of 28
METRICS: 5K Day Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Learn From My Mistakes…”
I am about at the finish line here. After 2 weeks of fully opening my schedule to accommodate 20+ practice consult sessions along with my regular client schedule, I am finally ready to get 15 of my practice consults together for submission. This has been an interesting process and not at all what I expected to learn from this course. The member portal is set up wonderfully to track success. There are all sorts of bells and whistles with lots of videos (which honestly are a whole lot of repetitive fluff, and all sorts of fancy PDFs you can download, nice music etc.
But where is the “meat n potatoes” I was led to believe was available in this course? I now understand that what I was hoping to learn is in the next level choices of three different courses with promotional propaganda that is reminiscent of the QVC shopping channel. Special deal for you for an assortment of prices, act now and save more except for these hidden costs, but you’ll get bonuses as well.
A whole lot of double speak.
Yup, I am frustrated and pissed at myself for signing up for this course. Where the hell was my head? Being gullible to the fancy and enticing promos obviously.
I am blessed with a wonderful network of experienced energy practitioners, proficient in several modalities. I have connected with several of them in the last few weeks and each one has reiterated that I should have tested for the level of truth and benefit I would get from this course. Yes you can do that with energy and being intuitive. I didn’t do that process, even though I KNOW I should have. But here we are, and “should” is a low vibration guilt ridden word in itself. This goes back to my original early reading of Power vs Force where it is explained that a business focused on money and greed is a very low vibration.
Of all the trainings, courses, modalities, books, memberships, etc that I have ever paid for, this is by far the most expensive course ever. The value of return comparatively, in my opinion, is almost nil. I know a fair bit about marketing: Creating urgency, exclusivity, etc. But how they calculate the value of courses, I have no idea. This one was on steroids though in their claims of value.
What am I going to learn from this mistake? A repeated lesson of listening to my intuition and inner guidance rather than allowing my head to be swayed by fancy bells and whistles that amount to a whole pile of fluff.
To find the silver lining here, I do think this course would be great for an absolute newbie that has no experience whatsoever to compare experiences to. It would be great for someone who loves sales and marketing and excessive promotional work.
For myself, at least a course is a tax write off for me. There has been some interesting information develop with some new clients, but the best thing of all was that I got to work with several amazing potential clients and many of them were interested in becoming clients for other services I offer. So that is a win for me.
Day of GRIT: #26 of 28
METRICS: (FoF) – Total Body Accumulation F2 Finisher- 4MOL
CONTEXT: “I Supply My Character with the Needed Tools…”
I took an Excel course eons ago but obviously didn’t retain much. It was only two years ago thanks to ideas I have picked up from entrepreneurial business minded friends that I figured out how to use Excel to my advantage. Have you got any idea how beneficial this has been for me and my business, and my personal digital files? Ya, I know I have mentioned this before, but OMG what a life changer having everything organized, easy to find, and easy to share.
it really is true that when you have the proper tools that life can be so much more efficient in all areas freeing up my time for more important things… like enjoying summer!!!!!!!!!!
Day of GRIT: #27 of 28
METRICS: 12 MOL (FoF) Finisher- Hub-Spoke F2
CONTEXT: “I Reflect on My Results…”
My focus this past month has been getting this course completed. Today is the deadline to submit all my practice session notes. I feel like all the stress is coming to an end. Like Alice Cooper’s School’s Out song lol.
Ironically this course is all about quiet and meditation and tuning into our inner guidance.
The last two weeks, I have opened my schedule full on to accommodate everything I needed to do for this course plus my regular client and family obligations. It has been a good reminder why I usually have my scheduler set to much less responsibilities in one day and why it is always best to get things done much earlier rather than cramming at the end.
I have been like a loaded freight train the last few weeks with a 1000 watt headlight heading for today.
Now the load is being lifted and I feel like I can enjoy freedom a little more for the summer.
I know I can just drop everything and go have fun, but I also know that fun will be weighted with guilt if I don’t prioritize my goals first then have some freedom and fun as my reward.
So, while this load is lifted, it is time to take on another goal/ load and keep on track to whatever new goals pull my heartstrings.
Day of GRIT: #28 of 28
METRICS: June 2022- FINAL GRIT Workout
CONTEXT: “I Expect the Unexpected..”
Today is Canada Day! After a hiatus for obvious reasons, we are now back to celebrations in the park. My daughter has, for many years past, participated in the vendor fair at our local LTM park. This has always been wall to wall people, music, food trucks, and a whole lot of opportunity for visiting and networking.
This year, daughter is now offering mini reflexology sessions so she needs someone to man her creative artisan side of the booth while she spends time with clients. That is usually my job. We have learned in the past that I am a really good chatterbox that keeps potential customers around long enough that they’ll usually buy something just because they didn’t skim by the booth.
Well, the other night, I received a message from a family friend coming into town and their family needs a place to hang out and sleep for the night. I have always told my friends that where I live is a hub that they need to pass through to get anywhere. Our home may not be five star lodging, but it is great for a pit stop, potty stop or overnight. We’ll make room and have a great visit too.
Time to juggle responsibilities again to accommodate vendor fair and company coming. Getting Vitamin M completed and GRIT posted first off is #1 priority today. Integrating Mind, Body, Business, and Relationships. I wonder where I learned that concept…
Got ‘er all done earlier and forgot to post…