I shot this photo in Sedona, AZ at sunrise. ❤️
Today, let’s just say thank you.
Focus on what you have instead of what you don’t have.
Say I can instead of I can’t.
You’ve got this.
XO
Author: Tracy Blowers
-
lessons
I bought this awesome box of 365 quotes at Hummingbird House in Sedona designed by Sugarboo & Co. I’m so excited to read one every day!
We are here to learn lessons, and the world is our teacher. When we fail to learn a lesson, we get to take it again and again. Once we have learned the lesson, we move on to the next one. And we never run out of lessons. – Andrew Matthews
I love today’s quote and it resonates with me.
There is one lesson that I’ve been ignoring the last couple of years and it’s the one thing that stresses me out every day. While I was in Sedona, I felt better and I know exactly why AND that is my lesson. I need balance and self-care. I’ve known that deep down and honestly, it’s why I planned this trip…to escape, to find balance and to take care of my health.
I wrote an article once for a Dystonia magazine. At that time in my life, I had found balance and realized how unhappy I was when I was bouncing around like a ball in a pinball machine. How unhappy I was when I let others constantly pressure me or make me feel bad for not doing what THEY wanted me to do. I know this is a challenge for many.
If you’re someone who pressures others or it bothers you that they aren’t doing what YOU want, take a look at yourself. I know we have all been guilty of this at one time or another. If you’re doing that, something inside of YOU is not happy. Ask yourself, why am I doing this? It can be hard to face but it’s important that we all look at ourselves so that others can live their intended life and so that WE can live our intended life.
My health and Dystonia have not been good. It helped to be in Sedona and now I just need to find a way to carry that over to life in Minnesota. I always say that’s one good thing about my Dystonia, it’s my alarm clock reminding me when I need to slow down, listen to my body and take care of myself.
As we start the week, listen to the gut…are there lessons that you are ignoring?
XO
-
running vibes
I’m sitting in my hotel in Sedona, AZ and right outside my window, they are setting up for the Sedona Half Marathon, 10k & 5k. It’s only 6:30 AM and I can already feel the excitement and energy. I find myself with a lump in my throat.
There is something about running a race that brings up so many emotions. I think it’s seeing a group of people all aiming for the same goal, supporting each other along the way. It’s also the feeling of accomplishment…challenging yourself, pushing hard and going beyond what you thought possible.
In 2017, I ran the Twin Cities 10 mile. I wouldn’t have been able to complete it without the support of the Lifetime Fitness Run Club. The women in this picture helped me keep my pace as we talked, laughed, and cried.
I have Dystonia and I never thought that running 10 miles was possible. BUT…I took it one step at a time. I trained slowly but surely and before I knew it, I ran 10 miles!
The next time you question if you can do it, WHATEVER it is….if your negative voice is telling you that you can’t, if you have anxiety, if you have ANY disorder, if you don’t have a support system, or if people tell you that you can’t…
let me tell you…
YOU CAN!!!
XO
-
the fog
There’s something about February that makes me feel lighter, like a heavy fog lifting. January is a hard month for me. Anyone else? I feel pressure to start the new year with a bang, to set new goals, work harder, do better. All while reflecting on the previous year. The good and the bad, what I want to change and do differently. Part of me loves the feeling of the new year, starting fresh and all the new possibilities. At the same time, it’s almost too much. How do you find a balance?
This year we decided to travel. We are very fortunate to work from home which allows us the freedom to live anywhere. We left Minnesota and spent the month of January in Sedona, Arizona. Changing my views, being able to spend more time outdoors in January, getting more sunshine, and having fewer distractions helped me find balance.
BUT…I’m also reminded that it’s a state of mind. The same negative voices haunted me. The same pressure.
That’s the answer!
If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell her over and over to find her happiness. Don’t cave to the pressure of others, don’t do what you think you “should” do. Do what makes you happy! When you do, it will fill you up, allowing you to be a better, more complete person. It’s not selfish if that runs through your head like mine. If you give and give and give, you end up with nothing. Nothing for yourself and nothing left to give.
Find what stirs your soul! Try different things until you find YOUR thing. Try and fail, try and fail, try and fail until one day it’s all clear. That is life. No one has a perfect life or has all the answers. It’s never a straight line to success, it’s a wobbly messy line.
Find everything Sedona travel >> https://solsiteco.com/tag/arizona/
©What Stirs Your Soul
-
let that shit go
My motto for 2019 – let that shit go!
I’m exhausted from worrying and over-thinking. Do you ever feel that way?
My life and brain are chaos. A kind of chaos that moving forward, I want to embrace. I love to dabble and try new things. Even at 50 years old, I never want to stop learning, exploring and growing. I’m always hard on myself because I’m not focused on ONE thing. Sometimes I think that’s the only way to be successful? BUT…it doesn’t work for me and in the grand scheme of things, I am successful so why do I worry?
I’m a photographer and social media manager. A perfect example of what I’m saying is that there’s always pressure for my social media platforms to be aesthetically pleasing. I see so many beautiful accounts that every picture is edited exactly the same and there is an overall theme. If mine isn’t or if it’s all over the place, will I lose business? Or would I gain more business if it was?
This year I’m going to test my theory. Instead of fight it, I’m going to go for it. I don’t want to worry if I have the perfect picture or the perfect words. I want to be unapologetically me.
Wish me luck!
Do you have a motto for 2019?
-
The Wickhams – Jungle Theater
Jungle Theater presents the rolling world premiere of The Wickhams – Christmas at Pemberley now through December 30th!
I love seeing behind the scenes, don’t you? Especially when it’s a story that you wish would never end. The first time I saw Pride & Prejudice, it took my breath away. I wanted to know more, did Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy live happily ever after? Did the rest of the Bennet sisters…Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia? Last year, I was so excited that Jungle Theater continued the story with Miss Bennet. Again, I wanted to know more and thankfully, Jungle Theater delivered!
This year, the story continues with The Wickhams, giving us a peek “downstairs” in the Darcy kitchen, where the servants are preparing for the holidays and the arrival of their guests.
Photo credit: Rich Ryan Photography All good things happen in the kitchen, right? 😉 We learn family secrets and more about the complexity of the sister’s relationships and their loyalty to each other. We get to watch young love grow and the beginning of new dreams. We get to see how when someone believes in you and doesn’t hold you back, how your whole world can change and grow.
Roshni Desai – Cassie and Jesse LaVercombe – Brian. Photo credit: Rich Ryan Photography This show is magical! The theater, the acting, the story. It’s full of love, laughter and the craziness of family dynamics. It’s the perfect way to kick off the holidays!
For tickets and information, click HERE.
Dear Jungle, please keep this story going!!! It’s our new favorite holiday tradition!
Photo credit: Soul Photography