Every spring I come back to Big Star Lake and its surrounding areas with a sense of anticipation. Not only for the warmer weather and the summer of fun to come, but to see spring renewal at its finest—or what I call the pop-up swamps. Low lying areas in the woods where the spring waters pool and become instant swamps teeming with new life and sound.

This year there were fewer pop up swamps for me to enjoy on my first walk through the woods. Maybe because we didn’t have a lot of snow to melt along with the first spring rains? Everything looked a little different to me, and yet a lot remained the same. The sounds around me for sure alerted me to the arrival of spring, as did the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, so welcome after winter’s chill. 

I wrote this blog post last year and never posted it, so I thought I would share it now.

Pop up swamps teem with the sounds of spring.

Amidst the frogs, birds, and insects I hear the wind whisper: Renewal. Resolve. Rejoice.

I feel it, too in my bones. Renewal, I mean. I feel freer as I walk down the dusty path my cloak of troubles billowing out behind me.

It can happen overnight this change from the quiet and safe of winter, to the jubilant and wild spring life.

The shift from hibernation to growth and change.

Like people, swamps house crazy potential within.

In just moments they can leap forward and take off, nearly out of nothing, to become vibrant pools of life.

The quiet work that has gone on underneath during the quiet of winter, paves the way for quick spring expansion.

If you listen closely you might hear the question in your ear: Who Are You Now?

Like the pop up swamps that form from the spring’s heavy rains and winters quiet snowfall—you are ready to burst forth in all your alive glory.

Don’t hold yourself back. There is no time like the present to burst forth with the real you.

Conditions are right for forward motion and incoming joy.

The lowlands are the birthing spot of the swamps—just like the low times in our lives are opportunities to learn soul lessons we not only recover from, but flourish from after we get through the tough parts.

Without darkness there would not be knowledge of the light.

It helps if you stop resisting or constricting during times of darkness and instead allow yourself to be open to the feelings that come. Scary, yes. Uncomfortable, yes, but it is not necessary to rid yourself of them immediately. Accept the emotions, sit with them for just a little to uncover their true lessons. The heartaches of your low times will help you appreciate the upcoming moments of joy, and help you fully understand your journey later.

We build things from the ground up for a reason. Rock bottom is, if nothing else, SOLID ground to grow from.

When you feel stuck in life or in your progress:

1). Do not be afraid to ask for help, to take help or to offer help.

2.) Be open to other perspectives on your situation but remember no one outside of you can “fix” you.

3.) Expect to have some internal work to do to be able to let it go and get through to the forward motion part.

4.) Let go of all planned outcomes and surrender to organic change.

5.) Give yourself a break.

Maybe this spring will be the season of your renewal, your growth, and your expansion into the best version of you. I am eternally hopeful that it will be mine.

Outside right now there are birds chirping, the snow is melting and some early and hopeful sprouts of green are peeking out of the post winter gray. We are so lucky to have a distinct change of seasons here in Michigan. It is exactly what I need to get me moving again. I have let so many things sit on the back burner while I turtled in this winter and stayed safe and warm. 

The change of season into Spring after the long cold dark days of winter is a kick in the pants for me to come out of hibernation and to begin anew. That means trees, walking, writing, taking photographs and soon-- going to my happy place at the cottage.

It also means I feel the need to step up my game as well. I have been held back in recent months by fear (maybe even as my friend Marcy says--the fear of too much success). All winter I could have been recording meditations. I could have had my friend Sue Ann type up the hundreds of blog posts I have written over the past couple of years and never published (she even volunteered) to see if there is a book in there.  I could have looked for a steady writing gig where I would share my words with a bigger audience and not just with my personal blog followers. But until yesterday when I recorded a few free meditations, I hadn't done any of those things.

I will put myself in the shoes of one of my personal coaching clients and ask: "What is holding you back?"

My answer: Failure. Indecision. And a fear that the simple life I have created for myself in the past two years might get complicated again if I do any of them.

I was proficient with deadlines when I had a business career. I made a lot of lists, judged the success of my day by what I got done, and I was extremely efficient --( I always knew the fastest way from point A to B). But back then the fear of losing control, of dropping the ball, of letting someone down, of failing to live up to my reputation --- pushed me so far into Type A control freak mode, I lost the real Terri.  And I do not ever want that kind of life again.

I love my life now. Both the days I have without many commitments and the days I am traveling from yoga class to yoga class. I am rarely rushed anymore. I have time to smell the roses and enjoy little moments, and just because I can, on occasion I take the long way "there". I dislike pressure and stress and can feel it so strongly in my body now, I do everything in my power to avoid it. Even to the point of stopping my own forward motion...

As I help others tune into themselves, feel better in their bodies, breathe deeply and open their hearts, I also continue to blossom into the best version of me. Not a day goes by that I don't learn something new--or smile in awe at how lucky I am. And I recognize that change leads to growth so I know I cannot coast forever. In order to grow fully into myself, I have to stretch myself. So I am currently getting myself "off go".

One way is to tell you (and the universe) that I am ready to take on more personal coaching clients. At first I doubted that I could flourish at life coaching because deep down I thought I had to get certified so that people would trust me to help them. I see now that I already have the skills I need to help others move forward. I've been building them for years and testing them out on myself --I know what has worked and what hasn't, as I am always my own harshest critic. So my advice to me is to take a step forward.

If you are looking for a catalyst to get you "off go" as well--let me know. I am ready to help via personal coaching and/or I am open to suggestions for workshops that you would like to attend. Let's get off go together.

Here is a little exercise I wanted to share to get you moving forward and thinking positively. It is Spring after all: the season of renewal, growth, and new possibilities. Enjoy!

The Path to Positivity Starts Within You

• Stop trying to please everyone
• Stop trying to be a star at the expense of your life
• Stop trying to do everything perfectly
• Stop doing everything yourself
• Stop relying on adrenaline to get you through

Instead, start saying "no" to others and "yes" to YOU. Please you. Let something slide or do your best even if it is less than perfect. Give yourself a break. Ask for help. Slow down. Smell the roses that are soon to bloom. And move in the direction of your best self.

ACTION PLAN:

The first ball I'd like to drop is :

__________________________________________________________________________

The first thing I'd like to do for myself to renew my spirit and give me energy is:

___________________________________________________________________________

The first step I will take toward getting unstuck and moving in the direction of a better me is:

__________________________________________________________________________

Now GO!

--Namaste,

Terri

Balance is important in life.

Most days I spend time interacting with people, lots of people. Some need coaching help and ask for it, some don't. I meet new people every week who have a great sense of themselves, and I meet others who are lost. I've learned (sometimes the hard way) that a coach's job is not to "help" everyone they meet -- it is to assist those who are ready to find what is missing in their life.  

Part of being a good coach is being able to operate from a calm place; which is hard for someone like me who not only gets energized by others, but who energizes others. I can get incredibly fired up just talking to someone. Watching a growth moment unfold for someone else is like opening a present for me. Those moments of watching another person's eyes glow with self realization are among the best moments of my life. Helping others find clarity makes me feel alive, but the converse is also true. The ability to connect dots and draw conclusions quickly can be frustrating when you encounter people not quite ready to move forward --- it can be draining.

I am slowly learning that I need to keep my emotional distance and retain my personal balance in order to be fully ready to assist those who come to me for help.

One of the ways I have found  to restore my sense of balance is to get outside and be among the trees. Trees soothe and ground me, and reconnect me to my center of peace and calm. It is unhurried time for me, I need it, I know it and yet I have to work to build it in my schedule. Time with the trees has become a necessity for me.

My fascination with trees started at a young age when I would head north every weekend to our family cabin. It is surrounded by trees, sits next to a river and has virtually no human neighbors. As a first born I was often alone in the peace and quiet of the forest. The trees were my friends, and since it feels really natural to "talk" to them now as I walk amongst them, I am pretty sure I also did that as a kid. My love of trees has stayed with me all my life even though for years my control freak self took over and drowned out their effect on me.  

This summer of stepping back from that controlled life, and not working a full time job, allowed me to be among the trees again at my own cottage. It was there that I realized how much I had missed quiet walks (no mp3 player) listening to the magic sounds of the trees rustling in the breeze. It was there I rebalanced.  

Teaching yoga I almost always add tree pose to the practice. I find it personally grounding and believe we all need to learn balance. When I talk a class through tree pose I remind them of the beauty of trees, how they are solid,  and remain stationary at their roots yet flexible in their branches. Tall and strong from the ground up and yet able to bend with the flow of the wind and the elements or the weight of a squirrel in their uppermost branches.

When I mention that trees speak to me, I am not exaggerating. I chose the photo for this post because it is a beautiful representation of nurture. Look at how the big tree is cuddling the little tree (with the long legs). Reminds me of a momma and her baby. I cannot see this as just trees in the forest--it is an example to me of life. Whether I see a stand of trees or a forest of trees, or one tree standing alone, I see them as representative of the people I encounter daily and their challenges and strengths.  So many lessons to learn from them, so much clarity to glean from their wisdom. 

I will be closing my cottage this weekend and I will miss my trees. Knowing how important they are to restoring my balance, I will either find others closer to home to "talk" to and learn from this winter, or I will make the drive up to see mine. They are necessary to balance me and keep me operating as the best version of me. 

Question of the Week #43 / Where Do You Go to Restore Your Balance? 

If you haven't found a place, I encourage you to do so. We all need to create time and space to renew, rebalance, and recharge. See you in the forest?