truth bomb

In both my personal and professional life, I subscribe to daily "Truth Bombs" from the always lovely and inspiring Danielle LaPorte.  Some days, they are too true to contain, and I want to share them with everyone I meet - and all of you!  Today is most certainly one of them.

the autumnal blues

Despite that it is, in fact, one of my most favoritest times of the year (yes, I know, I made up a word), there is something about fall that brings out the blues in me.  Every year, without fail, October brings out a change in me that somehow mirrors the seasons -- a little chillier, a little more overcast.  A sneak peek into what it's looked like when I have, in fact, struggled with the creature that is depression.  And every year, I find that I try to deal with my blues by trying to hide them behind something else.  Shopping.  Eating.  Chick flicks.  Eating.

As you can see, in addition to my yearly patterns, my stress, anxiety and sadness cause me to call on my all-too-familiar coping mechanisms -- the ones that provide a surface-level mask to my emotion.  And I know that I'm not alone.  Maybe work is driving you crazy and all you want to do is bake and veg when you get home after your commute.  Maybe the chill in the air makes you want to stay in bed a little longer.  Maybe you're like me and the blues drive you to eat... well, anything.  Maybe you dive into a little retail therapy after a long week.  Maybe it's the couple glass of wine before bed. Whatever it is, you're not alone.

This year, foreseeing the annual autumnal blues, I've made it my personal mission to - rather than hide behind my coping mechanisms - to muster up some courage to feel and deal.  For me, that means being conscious of when I am feeling the most vulnerable, reaching for my support system, and sitting in the power of just feeling.  For me, that means taking a minute to think about why I'm reaching for that box of Junior Mints or craving that coffee or yearning to, well, escape.

Health is more than just what I eat and how often I workout.  It's more than the nutritional make-up of my lunch or how much protein I build into my day.  It's emotional, physical, spiritual, relational.  And to work for holistic health, healing and building every dimension of my life -- while there's no denying that it's very real (and sometimes painful) work to unmask and reveal -- means creating the space to reach my biggest, craziest, most wonderful dreams.  It's courageous, miraculous and the beginning of possibility.

How do you hide your blues?  What's stopping you from letting them be felt and seen and healed?  What dreams are yet to be explored in the unveiling?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

For more like this, visit Wellness by Kate at www.wellnessbykate.com.

because of the sadness

Louis C.K. explains, as only Louis C.K. can, why he won't give his children cell phones, and, in the midst of it all, visits the beauty of vulnerability, authenticity and the power of sadness.

**Be forewarned, profanity is present**

cultivate a better world

Whatever you think of the brand marketed through this video,

I think it's a pretty brilliant illustration of the world of factory farming.

The fact of the matter is that this is a glimpse into the reality of conventional large-scale farming practices in the United States... and with every dollar, we support and become what we consume.

wellness by kate

I can't believe it's finally happening! After studying with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition for the past six months, I am launching my own health coaching business, Wellness by Kate!

As a Holistic Health Coach, I support my clients to make manageable, step-by-step changes to their nutrition and lifestyle to help them permanently reach their goals.  Together, we journey towards transformation in a way that's enjoyable and easily integrated into their lives.

You're invited to check out my website (admittedly under construction in some areas), like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter!  If you are ready to make some real changes in your life and learn how to reach YOUR goals, I have a special invitation for you.  I'd like to invite you to a free initial health consultation, where you'll have the opportunity for undivided attention from someone who wants to support you to look and feel better!

Thank you, as always, for your incredible support!  I love being a part of the To Live Boldly community!

belated blog-iversary

"People change all the time and forget to tell each other."

Lillian Gershwin

A little over a week ago, on a wholly blessed trip back home to the Pacific Northwest, I did it.  I chopped off my hair.  It was a spur of the moment decision, one only made at a trusted salon and with my super supportive sweetheart by my side.  I have no idea how to style it each morning (Have I mentioned that I have the lowest-maintenance beauty regimen ever?), but the change was made. 

You're probably wondering where I am going with this.  It's not often that I choose to talk about my hair (it's pretty unspectacular, as far as I am concerned)... but stay with me. For the first few days, I was deeply aware of the transition -- trying to find my way around a blow-dryer again, grateful for excited comments from family and friends.  But, after a few days, after returning to Flagstaff and daily routines, I found myself completely forgetting that, just last week, I had a set of long, luscious locks.  Co-workers and friends would comment about my "new do," and I would find myself searching for a few moments to remember that I did indeed look strikingly different from the last time they had seen me.  The novelty, the conscious recognition of change had worn off, and it took friends, family, the outside world to remind me that there had indeed been a transformation.

Last week, on my Facebook page (have you had a chance to "like" it yet?), I shared a link to a blog post by Danielle LaPorte on Celebrating Your Evolution.  In the post, she speaks about recognizing our transformation, acknowledging our changes and, as the title would suggest, celebrating our evolution! 

I am regrettably about a month behind in recognizing this, but, in August, To Live Boldly celebrated it's one year anniversary! Can you believe it? One year of reflection, 365 days of self-disclosure, 12 months of transformations in vulnerability and wellness.  A year of experimentation, of introspection, and of growth. A year of falling on my face, of risk-taking, of blunders that lead to joyful self-discovery.

Danielle's post inspired me to think about this past year of life in Flagstaff and the transformations, both painful and natural, that have occurred from taking this big, fat risk.  How do I see the world differently?  Where have my priorities changed?  How do I look at myself differently now?  My partner? My loved ones?

My world has changed dramatically.  I still seek and search and honestly have no idea what the future will bring, but I have discovered passion and self-acceptance and greater depths of joy.  My relationships have transformed, growing deeper as they change shape.  My desires for myself, my future, my health have shifted, and my ability to prioritize my joy is finally taking form.

I have been anxiously awaiting the shift into a new season -- there is a refreshing newness that comes with the turning of the leaves -- and what better time to take a moment to celebrate all that has transformed since we last welcomed Autumn?

What about you?  Whether in the last month, last year, or last ten years, take a moment to appreciate your transformation.

monday inspiration

 

Photo Credit: P. McCarthy

Hello, my dearest of friends!

Happy Monday! As I am sure you have noticed over the past few months, with school, work and the crazyness of life, it has been difficult for me to write consistently -- something that I assure you has been a sorely missed piece of my daily life.  However, thanks to those brief moments of reprieve each day, there has been no lack of inspiration and daily learning!

Each week, my search for inspiration shifts.  One week, I am emboldened to seek out ways to be more creative in my daily life.  In another, I can't help but learn more about physical health and wellness.  And still others require a search deeper inside for healing and stress relief.

Please know that you are all in my hearts and mind -- and so, in leiu of a longer post, I wanted to invite you, on this lovely (albeit sleepy for me) Monday morning, to begin with a little Monday morning creative inspiration to get your juices flowing! 

.:Revolutionizing your relationship with "doing":.

.:An Open Apology to All of My Weight Loss Clients:.

Do you have videos, links or articles that you love?  Post them below!  We want to see!