The Art and Humility of Eating My Own Words

I thought you all might get away without hearing allllll about my full on 2 week business travel extravaganza that capped off January, but no. Today it must be shared. I’ll make it brief, I promise. Kinda.

I had to eat my words today. I spent the last 4 days back home basking in the gratitude and energy of my accomplishments and most of all the connections I made while away. I coached 300 people, led over 80 segments on Personal Leadership, and our team hosted 23 classes in 5 days. WOAH! We laughed, we cried, we danced, we set goals, we defined healthy well-being habits, and we shared the gift of gratitude through Strength Centered Comments, of which I thank Dale Carnegie. We dove deep into Personal Leadership. I was on a roll. Okay, fine, I was totally high on life in the best and most natural way possible.

Yesterday reality struck. I’m back home. To real life. Reality. And guess what? I wasn’t all that jazzed about it.  I am certain I was blindsided. Laid out cold by an emotional two-by-four that hit around 3pm yesterday. It was all I could do to politely excuse myself and go home to get it together. How could life be so fun and exciting, exactly what I love only days ago and the next day feel like nothing makes sense! Then, of course, I said, “Lacy. Stop. Get it together. You’re a Life Coach. You don’t need to do this. Maybe you used to, but not today. Not now. What would you tell your client?” Yes, self coaching does work.

I reached a pivotal moment, I was either going to put myself to bed at 5pm, or go out and watch the Sabers Hockey game with the nice fellas I met on the plane ride back from Chicago last week. I chose the wiser of the two, and went out for some social time. Thank God, or whatever higher power you believe in, I did. The guys lifted me up and I drove home happy I’d chosen the empowered route rather than the crumpled up on the couch self-defeated basketcase I could have ended up as. In fact, one of my favorite songs came on the radio and I sat in the car outside of my house for an extra two minutes car dancing until the music finished. Ah yes, things were looking up.

I went to bed at about 9pm and woke up to my alarm at 5:15am. Yes, I am still living on east coast time. I admit it, have some idea that getting up early is the new “cool”. I rolled over, looked at my phone and thought to myself, “Why do I get up this early for yoga?” Quickly, the logical somewhat sassy part of my brain jumped in to answer, “Because you’d drive yourself crazy without it.” It’s true. Yoga is my little slice of sanity. I don’t over think, I focus and I have two intentions: to connect and feel good. Best of all, so does everyone else. I can’t help but feel good in a place like that!

Now yoga was over and again reality called. I caught myself literally eating my words as my mind wandered around as if from room to room, “I’d be happier if….” and “If only I was doing…. then I’d feel more like myself.”

Just last week I reeled off these self-talk reminders to 300 people:

“Your attitude determines your outcome.”

“If you’ve been stiffed by 5 customers in a row, know that you’re that much closer to one who will tip you!” I even got fancy and offered an acronym SWSWSWN… Some Will, Some Won’t, So What… NEXT.

I challenged them to think about what they DO have: Like the fact that they all have jobs, that they got up that morning, that they are able, that they had the potential to affect their income in ways many professionals do not.

Donna, one of our wise and wonderful participants, taught me a little something too. She said, “Some people just don’t get it. They think they’re working here until their lives start. They don’t realize that life is happening right now. THIS. IS. IT. This IS life.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

So, as I sat eating my own words this morning, I regained my own power and promised myself that I didn’t need to venture down a rabbit hole I wasn’t invited to. I asked myself if I trust that life is working in wonderful ways for me. The answer is, yes, I do.

With that trust, I move from fear and lack onward, knowing all necessary things fall into place in ways that are beyond anything I could have imagined. As they already have, had I stopped to see the beauty in it all to begin with. Do you know how many great things have happened for you this week that you haven’t realized? Think of it all… The close parking spot at the grocery store, the compliment someone paid you, the smile of a stranger, the love of your family, the loyalty of your dog. All of these matter.

Do you walk your talk?

Do you believe your life works out, that it takes care of you? Do you believe in the power of your passions, dreams, and talents? That’s the core of what we need to be asking ourselves, because the answer to this one question is the crux for which all action is taken… or not.  We move forward when we truly believe we are capable and able. We stutter, stop, or run backward, when our deep beliefs don’t support our actions. Do you walk your talk…?