Archive for September 2009

You’ve heard it before. That in order to succeed, you’ve got to “surround yourself with the best.” This philosophy finally hit home for me one evening in my cardio kickboxing class, and I saw first-hand how important this is.

Previously in my class, I didn’t really exert myself or even break much of a sweat; basically, I’d been a pretty mediocre participant. We routinely paired up with a partner and one of us wore boxing gloves while the other held up pads to hit. And then we switched roles. Up until recently, I paired up with someone who was pretty much like me—strong and in-shape, but not really one to go all-out. My partner and I always had fun during our sessions and laughed a bit and talked about our personal lives in between punches. No big deal, no big sweat, and then class was over.

Each week, though, I noticed another woman who really intrigued me. She was incredibly lean, super strong, visibly very fit. During class as I practiced my punches and jabs and watched my form in the mirror, my eyes were always drawn to this same woman. She was fierce like a tiger. Beautiful with a blond pony-tail, her face was intense and her eyes laser-focused when practicing her moves.

I had a longing to be her partner to see what it would be like (even though I was actually slightly afraid because I knew she was probably capable of some pretty powerful punches!). So one evening before I left home to head for class, Read more »

One of our best vacations last year was a trip to Northern California where Bill and I spent time hiking in the Redwoods, driving along the coast, exploring the wine country, connecting with loved family members, and just being. Ten days of fantastic vacationing.

I recall being at the airport before boarding the plane back to Minneapolis. From my cell phone, I checked in with a few family members back home, and each call eagerly began with the voice on the other end saying, “So, what was the highlight of your trip?” And each time, my mind raced, struggling with a battle inside of what an appropriate response might be…you know, those “should’s.”

I felt like I should respond with, “Being in the presence of those magnificent ancient Redwoods” (which, they were magnificent!) or “Feeling moved to tears as we saw Mount Shasta making its presence known in the horizon” (which really did move me) or “Driving along the rugged California coast and looking out at the ocean” (yes, what a sight!).

But I knew that if I were to give the response that came straight from the depth of my heart and soul, it would be even “bigger” than any of those other canned answers. Simply put, my honest answer to our vacation highlight would be Read more »

If you’re going to be following the things that bring you joy, then you’ve got to know when “enough is enough.” Just because you start something, doesn’t mean that you need to finish.

All of my growing up, I learned about “discipline.” My dad was a bodybuilder who stuck to a strict regimen and routine, which earned him a room full of trophies and a state full of admirers. He was certainly following his joy! Similarly, in school I learned that “winners never quit” and you’ve got to “stick with a task until it’s done.”

I’ve come to understand that some rules, however, are meant to be broken.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to learn how to salsa dance. And through the years I’ve paged through Community Education catalogs looking for just the right class to attend with Bill. And then it finally happened earlier this year: All the stars aligned, and Bill quietly surrendered and agreed to attend the “Hot Hot Hot!” salsa class with me. I was elated!

Part of me was excited to finally Read more »