Please join me in celebrating Cynthia or as I call her Cyn this week for our WOW. We met in 1996 I believe when we both worked for a small start up airline in Seattle. We have stayed in touch all of these years. She was the first person to tell me not to try to "drive it" and the first time she said that I didn't understand at all. Well I was still a lot clueless in my 30's. She's been a touchstone and a guide and confidante for all of these years. And Cyn, I left the last part you included because I felt it was as important as all the rest of the wisdom that you shared. Love you large!

1: If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it, what would it say and why?

Do it – but check and alter your attitude if need be.

Always do anything with love and by choice.

2: In the last five years what have you become better at saying no to?

I say “no” more to myself actually. “No Cyn, you don’t want to skip Tai Chi this morning. No Cyn, you need to get to your massage, the other things can wait for 90 minutes.” So I’ve been saying “yes” to self care by saying “no” to that little voice that tries to get me to focus on things that truly can wait.

3: What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the "real world"?

Focus on what you want in 5 years from now and keep that focus yet stay open to twists and turns you might find even more interesting as you go. Nothing is cast in stone unless you say it is.

Keep a budget and plan for some fun within it.

Network, network, network.

Exercise and eat right.

4: What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you've ever made? (it doesn't need be financial in nature)

The time I’ve spent with my daughter, grandchildren and friends and family. The time I’ve spent studying coaching.

5: In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life?

I don’t have to do it all. Ask for help. Be ready for it to come from anywhere, even if you ask one person and they won’t or cannot, keep looking for support.

6: How has a failure, or apparent failure set you up for later success? Do you have a favorite failure of yours?

All failures have taught me oodles. Everything is connected. Fail fast and quick, learn and adapt from it. Stay curious, even when you think you can’t. My favorite failure is more about failing and staying ‘stuck’ and not moving up and onward. It’s okay to sit down by the side of the road and throw a pity party and blame everyone, but the less time you spend there the better time you will have giving yourself your power back to move it on and kick it up a notch. Lean in to it – learn from it.

7: What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months or in recent memory?

Seriously, Alexa – Echo Dot. She keeps track of my grocery lists, to do lists, appointment reminders better than even my iPhone does – because I can holler at her and review later, end of day, start of day. That $30 was a good choice.

8: When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?

I breathe. I sit in as much silence as I can find. I get up and move about and change my physical view of things, do the dishes, play with the dog. I take a break – whatever that looks like. Then I come back, reprioritize using a list or a self-talk and get back on it or reschedule.

9: What is the book (or books) you've given most as a gift and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influence your life?

What You Think of Me is None of My Business – and The Power of TED – Einstein’s Dreams – and many many more. The Bible has been a great guide, especially Roman’s, the Corinthians and a few others. There’s an old Sufi book I loved, but can’t find it right now!

10: What is one piece of advice you would give to a woman that you wish you knew earlier in life?

Love your body, love your mind, be kind, manage your anger (it’s just your fear in disguise) and absolutely be your best self, every day.

11: What do you think about the theory of "the love of your life", what does that phrase me to you?

I have a hundred loves of my life if not more. Life is one long continuous stream of consciousness and as I’ve moved through it, I’m not afraid to have as many loves of my life (that life in that time) as is warranted. Is there “one” love of my life? So many ways to show and be and receive love – grandchildren, children, partners, co-workers – I have oodles of loves of my life. As to the spouse/mate kind – I’ve seen it for others but not for myself yet – every man I’ve ever loved, during the time I’ve loved him – is/was the love of my life. I think, throughout it all, I am the greatest love of my own life.

12: What is something that you would find most helpful in your life right now? (what would be the best problem solved for you)

Aged, ailing parents and the system is so far beyond broken. If someone could project manage and gain the right staff and people and surroundings for our elderly – that would solve about 100% of my current issues.

It’s 722 am and I can’t think of anything else – Thanks for asking Digi-goddess – not sure it will help or do anyone but me any good to have gone through your questions – but it was insightful and made me think. Thank you sweetie – hope you are feeling better soon. More littlest lovey pics with you – and beach reports when able – LOVE to see you and hear you!!

Please join me next week for a brand new feature, Monday Muse. I will be reaching out to women who inspire me that I have met through various points in time in my life and from all walks of life. I hope to help compliment the Woman of the Week series and keep introducing amazing women from all over the world.

Titanium

Yoga

There is a lot of controversy these days in the yoga world. Should it be regulated, who should regulate it, sexual harassment, power dynamic between teacher and student, what is safe and what isn't and the list goes on and on. I am no yoga newbie, after 25 years of practice and 16 teaching I have a pretty good handle on a lot of the aspects of yoga as they pertain to my personal practice and I continue to educate myself on host of things to bring to my students each week. No one has to tell me to do this, I do it because I am someone who has always been curious, loved to learn new things and in the yoga space I test it out on myself before I ever present it to my students.

I willingly admit that I do not know everything there is to know and the older I get the more there is to learn about longevity in practice, not just the power or peak poses. I prefer a more slow and intentional practice that explores body placement and noticing how your body moves through space, modifications as needed and truly listening to what your body has to say in each moment you step on your mat. I had to learn that my practice would change each time I stepped on the mat and to let go of expectation and to truly listen deeply to what my body was telling me in the moment. There is something to be said for some life wisdom and a long term ongoing yoga practice. Many times I wish that I had been smarter about this practice at a much younger age.

While I understand that in the last several years that most yoga studios realized the way to make money is to host a teacher training. I also understand wanting to teach for whatever reason you have personally. I never would have pursued that course without encouragement from my instructor all those years ago. I don't teach because of ego, I teach because I want to help others live a better life with yoga. I have had it change my life for the better and have seen so many of my students over the years have the same thing happen. I aspire to a healthy mix of practice and staying present in your body. I have personally witnessed so many people who are not present in their body, who don't live in their body so to speak and it is such an amazing thing to watch them find that presence.

In many things in life there is a power dynamic and yoga is included in that. I seek to pass on knowledge, have a sense of humor and to approach your practice from a space of humbleness and I never portray myself as the most knowledgeable, I am forever a student of yoga. I desire with every class to create a safe space for my students to practice and know that I am there to guide them and that I trust them to know what is best for their body in that moment in time we are together. I seek to serve. Sometimes I wonder about teacher motivations when I take classes from other instructors, any number of personal things can drive someone to teach and some of them are less than noble. As a student and an instructor I seek to everyone, including myself trust their intuition, know what feels right and what doesn't and not be afraid to speak up should they need to. It is always good to try different instructors, there is always something to learn, even if it is that you don't ever want to take from that specific instructor again.

Yoga, it does a body good.

Titanium

Woman of the Week: Cynthia

Thoughts on the Day 3/29/18