Soul sings every little thing gonna be alright

my soul sings every little thing gonna be alrightIt’s amazing how if you open your mind and allow your spirit to expand your soul speaks.

I have woke up for the last week, maybe two, singing Bob Marley’s, “Every little thing gonna be alright.”  It’s amazing how if you open your mind and allow your spirit to expand your soul speaks.

I have a lot of pretty intense things going on in my world. I’ve always been a pretty good stuffer. Stuff it, keep your head down and plow through. Alcohol was extremely effective in achieving this level of stuffing.

That strategy can get you through, but eventually, you will hit a wall.

What I had not realized until writing this morning is, I have stopped watching my regular smut tv and started listening to inspiring and uplifting books. I started running again. I started organizing my office and writing like crazy.

These at one time were things I would have to be intentional about and have an end goal. Listening to a book because I want to learn something specific; running because I’m training for a race or trying to hit my weekly miles; organizing my office because – it’s out of control. I had no end game this time.

My soul took over.

I have a couple of close family members currently going through cancer treatment. One of them a second bout with lung cancer. I have experienced a bit of a betrayal in the last week. And a few other emotionally charged events.

It was a wild epiphany to know just as I had used alcohol to medicate stress in the past; my subconscious has these auto-pilot coping strategies that hi-jack my life and keep me healthy. I have replaced a habit that would compound the problem with habits that continue to move me forward.

I have used many of these activities as ways to get through pain before but never have I been so oblivious to the process. It’s cool on one hand, and kind of a heads up that I’m not as present as I try to be.

When you’re going through a storm how do you cope?
Is your coping strategy helping or hurting you?
What needs to change?

Just because you struggle with alcohol (or any other vice), it doesn’t make you alcoholic (or addict). Sometimes we just need to create new coping strategies and practice them enough to replace a harmful habit.

I’m always available for a chat to discuss how together you can learn to LetGo2TakeCharge

Click here to schedule a time to talk.

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A Woman Divine – Much Has Changed, But Remains The Same

I came a across an old newsletter article I wrote in 2009, when I did coaching and consulting under A Woman Divine.  At the time, I was going in too many directions.  I led women’s networking groups, created groups for professional organizations, held Think Tanks and Coffee Talks for Fempreneurs, trying to coach anybody for everything, and I was confusing the hell out of everybody, including myself.

Raise your hand if you know of a coach who wants to help women step into their power.  Right?!  Unfortunately, although it seems clear enough, it’s not.  And there are quite literally a saturation of coaches, mentors, or authors, who are vying for that role.

There is nothing that brings me more joy than holding space for a woman to emerge from the confines of parental grooming, societal influence, and peer pressure.  This could definitely be interpreted as, “stepping into your power”, but it’s such a deeper and richer experience to release the struggle from food or alcohol.  And it has a lot to do with letting go of control, which could be viewed as power.

My vision, mission, and focus has definitely evolved, but my heart remains the same as it did many years ago.  I enjoyed reading how, although much has changed, my heart has remained the same – to be a witness, encourager, and to simply love.  Enjoy the read!

From the heart of
“A Woman Divine”

Every woman has a story.

This is something that I have had the immense pleasureA Woman Divine experiencing in the last few months.

The woman who feels like she just needs a minute for herself from the constant push and pulls of being a single mom.

The woman who fights the loneliness of being left behind by her husband’s passing.

The woman who fights the urge to burst into tears simply because she is overwhelmed with the ever increasing demands of the modern day woman.  Including but not limited to:  Mother, Wife, Aunt, Business Owner, Employee, Volunteer, Sister, Good Neighbor, Dog Walker, Banker, Cook, Cleaner, Lover, Christian, and the list goes on.

The interesting thing is these women are not my clients.  These are women whom I had never met before, who literally stopped me while walking my dog, all at different times and different places that just needed someone to hear them.  I’m grateful I was able to gift them my time and be a quiet listener.

So, remember to be kind and always keep your heart open.  You never know when someone might need to share their story.  Consider yourself blessed if someone finds comfort in your company to tell you theirs.

Sometimes all we need is just to be heard to make the grit not so gritty.

Keeping an open heart ~

Teresa Rodden, CPC

A Woman Divine

5 Steps to Motivate Yourself

Finding Motivation

Return to Self

How to return to self from the land of meh.

Have you ever been stuck in a place of “meh”? The land of not interested, uninspired, and lack of enthusiasm? Maybe you’ve been in this space for a while. Maybe for the last few days, weeks, or months you’ve been moving like a sloth through life and nothing feels alive.

What I’m describing here can be mistaken for depression, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a space of meh. A place of emptiness and why bother. A space of what the hell and who cares. A land of lost and void of self. The big difference of meh and depression is specific steps can break the pattern and get you feeling better and moving forward in no time.

More importantly, I’m talking about my own personal experience and process.  If you can relate and it helps you, double zinger, triple awesome, exponential flips over the moon, fabulous.

If you can relate and it helps you, double zinger, triple awesome, exponential flips over the moon, fabulous.

 

5 Simple Steps to Motivate Yourself

Step 1: Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.  

Awareness is where the shift begins. You’d think this is obvious, but it’s surprising how we can talk ourselves into ignoring the truth.  Once you acknowledge you’re in meh – no excuses – only acceptance and proceed to step two.

Step 2: Kindness matters    

Handle yourself with tender loving care. There is no use in beating yourself up or using demoralizing language.  Speak kind words to yourself and leave the “should haves” at the door.  Treat yourself like you would your best friend when she needs support.

Step 3: Resist the “why” stop

Don’t get off at the “why” stop. Don’t spend time trying to figure out why you arrived at meh. It will delay your return to self.  It’s best to approach why, if you feel the need to, from a happy, healthy, whole space.

Step 4: Finding Norm

Get back to your regular activities now, even if you don’t feel like it. I know when I’m in meh, I don’t want to exercise, take time to juice, do my hair, or go anywhere.  I – j u s t – d o n’ t – w a n t – t o – d o – i t (period). Do it anyway. It’s the fastest way to get back to self from meh.

Step 5: Return to Me

It may take a few intentional norm activities, but keep moving forward. Before you know it, you’ll be rounding that corner and self will be there waiting for you. The clouds will break, the sun will shine, and the angels will sing. Okay, maybe that’s a bit over the top. But, you’ll get back to feeling yourself in no time.

One word of warning…

It’s easy to want to avoid acknowledging the land of “meh”, by using food or alcohol to blur the landscape. The land of meh is where many habitual activities and behaviors begin.  Be careful.

Be-In Purpose

Be-In Purpose

This! “Be In-Purpose”

That’s my 2015 intention, focus, mantra, phrase, dedication, goal, commitment.

It took some time for it to surface and hit me like a brick wall when it did.

I had to take it to God on the trail. I was reeling with something shiny and new and got distracted from my purpose.

What started as an exciting new supplemental offering, quickly turned into an energy draining fixation.

I began feeling frustration, resentment, and disappointment.

With each step on that trail, I was more convicted to do nothing unless I was in-purpose.

My purpose is to provide a soft place to land for the woman who is silently suffering in her struggle with food or alcohol through Pink Cloud Coaching‘s programs and processes developed from years of hard work, experience, research and study.

What is your purpose?

Have you lost your way?

We are all capable of losing focus.

Especially when a shiny new exciting prospect presents itself.

The beautiful thing is – You can return to your purpose more exhilarated, invigorated, and impassioned.

‪#‎Beinpurpose‬

Drunk, Sick, and Tired – Part Two

…I threw up. I never throw up. It’s a curse and a blessing. What happened next scared me more than what I had just experienced.  I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, got dressed, and…

I numbly followed the old hallway, crept down the narrow staircase, made my way across the dining room, through the kitchen, and into the beer cavern.   Where I proceeded to open a beer and drink it.

I felt like my soul surrendered to the drinking.  Could you imagine feeling like even your soul is giving up?  I felt so disconnected and eerily enough – I don’t remember anything after that.  I’m not sure if just too much time has passed or I had a black out?  I don’t remember having “black outs”, very often.  Hahaha, it sounds funny, but it’s true.  I would usually be a bit hazy, maybe miss a couple specifics of the evening, but typically not blackouts.

Trying to piece the night before together is probably one of the things I most celebrate on a continuous basis.  Even almost 12 years later – I celebrate. F*ck I just hated that.  Especially, when I was single and hitting the clubs.  Or when I started dating Prince Harming.  Ughhh…it’s hard to believe what I allowed myself to accept and endure.  Rather than face it, toe to toe, and get through, rise above or blow it up, I chose to drink in excess on a regular basis to numb my choices out.

Here’s the thing… it completely freaks me out to this day, that I could have such an “out of body” experience with complete awareness, through the entire shower scene, only to completely shut down only moments later.

Ladies, your choices don’t magically balance out.  If you know you’re numbing out to avoid making things right, sober up, put on some cute shoes, and start walking.  Not sure how to do that?  I might be able to help.  And if I can’t there are other resources available to you.  No more ignoring what you know is truth for YOU.

Deep love,

– Teresa Rodden, Certified Life Coach

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