Super Woman Slowing Down
May 29, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Self Development, Whole Health, personal growth, self empowerment
I’m proud to be featured today in fellow Retreat Coach Judith Geiger’s blog with an interview.
Our conversation revolves around a long time ally that I am now choosing to not be so controlled by; The Super Women persona! She’s been around awhile and has gotten me through some really rough times by being a powerful drill sergent that kept me going, but mostly she just tires me out now.
Super Woman might be pretty, and she is one hard driving soul! She expects everything to be perfect, requires no mistakes, allows no rest till it’s all done, leaves no time for healthy eating, has high expectations that are often unreasonable and unattainable, and is critical and demanding.
On the other hand, she doesn’t accept no for an answer, which often can be a positive thing as she gives support and encouragement to push through the fears. She believes anything is possible and that she has the strength and personal resources necessary to push forward. She says, “we can fly to the highest places, handle anything that comes along, and still look pretty in the end”.
I have to admit, she has been a good friend. However, there comes a time when the opportunity to choose a gentler path comes our way, and it’s looking pretty inviting to me! Having developed the 17 Elements to achieve a Life System of Whole Health, I am acutely aware that there are other options now. These possibilities allow for life to weave it’s magic through the day, for me to honor my bodies needs as they come up, to give space for feelings and emotions, and to follow the murmurings of my heart versus some predetermined goal that may not make sense anymore.
While I am letting go of my own personal Super Woman, I am not completely saying goodbye. I know that there are elements of her that are useful and important to keep around. Knowing the difference between the positive and negative attributes of her allows for choosing empowering ways to have her work with me, rather than against me, and allows me to lead a much more sustainable life. I’m happy to have her back me up, and I am no longer willing to have her run the show!
Perfection Is Not Sustainable
May 7, 2009 by Coach Margie
Filed under Life Coaching, Self Development, Whole Health, emotional energy, relationships, sustainability
True sustainability causes things to bloom!
Today I am launching my blogsite: Bliss101-Encouraging the Design of Sustainable Relationships, Lives and Environments.
This is a big deal. I have been in this process for a couple months now, waiting for it all to be perfect before I let the world in to see. Each day or so I tweak it, change this or that, get frustrated by technology, or ignore it all together. The process has neither been satisfying or very energy producing. I have held onto the idea that that it needs to look a certain way, say all the right things, project the perfect image, appeal to the right market, and with each passing day I found myself with less juice for actually launching the whole thing.
How funny that a blog focusing on sustainability of relationships, lives and environments would be depleting my energy versus producing bundles of positive energy on many fronts! Something needed to change. But, I was stuck and uncertain. (Yup, even Life Coaches need a good swift kick in the butt once in awhile to get off the bench and back in their game.) Mine came in the form of an innocent conversation with a friend where I realized that striving for perfection was about the most unsustainable thing I could be doing.
In the natural world, there is little perfection. (Or, as I like to say there is so much wonderful perfection in all the imperfection.) Right now sitting at my desk, I look out my window on a half dead pine tree that stands just over the fence in our neighbors yard. It’s craggy, tipping over and has only a few green boughs on it. Most people would cut it down, sighting dangers and aesthetics as reasons. Personally, I think it is just perfect! It provides a wonderful resting place for birds, some character to the landscape, and a reminder that beauty and form and aliveness and life has no rules, really.
So, who am I to judge the perfection of anything in it’s current form? While my blogsite is not perfect in my eyes with regards to how it looks, or even what I think it says, there may be something here that is exactly the most perfect thing for someone who visits.
So, welcome all to Bliss101! I hope you will stick around and join me on the journey of designing sustainable relationships, lives and environments in our lives. Not perfect ones, just sustainable ones! My hope is that something here inspires you to live life on your own terms, to remove the blanket of shoulds holding you back, to get healthy and strong in all ways, and to find your special path to joy, fulfillment and Whole Health. Thanks for being here.
Also, big thanks to Kathleen Sullivan of the SavvyVA who got me going on this project ad helped out lot!!
