One of my clients kindly loaned me a book last week. It was called, The Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Emma Carey. It's a story of a 19 year old girl who goes sky diving in the Swiss Alps and her parachute doesn't open. And she survives the fall from 14,000ft (4km!!). What happens next is a story about her recovery and amazingly, her ability to walk (not a spoiler, it's on the back cover!). But what is truly inspiring about this book is the way Emma views life. She has an incredible outlook despite facing insurmountable challenges in living with a disability.
One of the quotes that resonated with me was her saying:
If you can, you must
She wrote this down three days after her accident. She was a runner and was meant to go for a run in a beautiful Swiss town before her sky dive. But she chose not to go and greatly regrets that choice. So she decided from now on, if she could do something, she would do it.
Have you ever experienced this? The "I will do it later" or "I will get X done but I have to finish Y first".
It's very easy to put things off until later. One thing I am hearing lately with clients is putting other things before their health. The clients who want to come to Pilates but take an extra shift at work or work back late, deal with a family situation, take kids to school activities and so on. We know this way of life is only going to get more manic in the lead up to Christmas.
I GET IT. And I hear you. You are not alone in the push-pull demands of life.
There is no magic solution for life. We are all trying to balance careers, children, fiscal challenges in these economic times, aging parents, illness, keeping our house clean, grocery shopping, the dentist (don't start me on this, I've rescheduled three times in the past month!), stay fit, nurture friendships, be a good partner. It's endless. But what I can say is, if you put your health first, everything else will seem just that little bit easier.
I have a few clients at the moment that are injured and would LOVE to be back at Pilates. They realise they need Pilates in their life so they can do the things they love. Whether that's skiing, coping with back pain, running, playing golf, sleeping better at night, anxiety - the list is endless. We all know the benefits of exercise but if you don't carve out the time for yourself, no one will do it for you.
I want you to prioritise YOU. Put your own oxygen mask on before helping others. It doesn't have to be Pilates - although I do love to see all of you. It could be going for a walk, simple stretching or doing some other form of movement that you love. Just imagine, if this choice to do the things you love was taken away from you, would that motivate you to do it?
One other point the author raised in this book was identifying the things that make you happy. And I mean truly happy. That feeling of joy that washes all over your body.
5 things that come to mind for me:
the sound of the ocean. The waves crashing lulls me into a sense of relaxation
the feeling I get when I put my cheek next to my girls' cheeks when they are asleep every night and then I smell their hair and wonder how I got so lucky to have them
the warmth from my fireplace and gentle crackling (when it's not 30 degrees in Spring!)
the look in my husband's eyes when we both think something is funny and we check to see the other's reaction
that feeling of lying in bed by myself when it's really quiet before I start my day. I wonder what amazing things will happen (I am working to shift my mindset from how busy my day is to wondering how it could be incredible)
So reset your day. Think about 5 things that you make you feel amazing. And next time you aren't sure if you should do it, go by the mantra, If you can, you must*
See you in the studio, Wellspringers,
Love Holly
xx
*Act responsibility, Wellspringers!! Not permission to do dumb stuff.
PS Do yourself a favour and get your hands on this book. It will change your mindset for the better.
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