Tag: growth

Edginess of new media

~ meximinnesotana ~ 7 Comments

Hello Friends,

Hope your summer is going well.

I’m on the verge of completing my first 10 podcast episodes for the Somatic Wisdom podcast! There are about 8 “in the can” as they say in the movie business, and two more concepts on the way that I’ll record or re-record.

Right now I’m going for a twice-monthly “minisode” format because I always feel like I’m making progress when I take small steps but do them more regularly. I realize many people release weekly, but given my personality, I have so many ideas for episodes, and weekly feels WAY too slow.

Yep. It’s a little messy. And it works surprisingly well!

But of course, I reserve the option to cut back if needed. While consistency can be appreciated, I have often found that I respect podcasters or bloggers or people who go “on hiatus” now and then. It is a noisy world out there, and if we think people are going to be wondering where we are if we take time off, we are likely to be disappointed. Of course, if your listenership is relieved when you’re gone, then maybe you need to examine your motives… 😉

My favorite part of podcasting rather than You-Tubing is that I don’t have to get ready for the camera. Of course, not that I did a lot to get ready for it before, but I at least made sure there wasn’t anything on my teeth, and that I wore a decent shirt and brushed my hair. But with podcasting, nobody cares that I’m growing back my long hair and it’s in this icky stage of needing barrettes like my 7-year old self used… they have no idea!

And I’m sharing a photo of the makeshift podcast “studio” here because it’s currently either my dining room or my closet (lots of padding to avoid echoes and weird sound stuff). While I someday hope to “go pro” on it, right now it serves. My biggest goal is to serve my audience and any potential clients who might feel as though they know me better through the podcast.

What about you? Have you begun to explore other types of “edgy” media in your creative lives? How has that gone? Do you like it more or less than blogging?

Take care & be well,

Cristy

P.S. If you might be willing to give me some feedback on the Somatic Wisdom podcast, I would truly appreciate it. And if you would like to receive a free copy of my book (either eBook or paperback format) for doing so, I am happy to provide this as a thank you gift for your support. Mil gracias!

Unexpected blessings

~ meximinnesotana ~ 8 Comments

I received some news at work yesterday which was surprising at first. It took me a few minutes to process it, and I am still deciding how to approach this news.

My emotions went from disbelief to amazement to sadness. Then I felt quiet recognition that this was not actually unexpected. My intuition had been nudging me here but I had been reluctant to fully see and acknowledge what I was seeing.

So my current emotion is relief. There is some uncertainty in the process of moving forward after big news. And there can be a delightful freedom in it, a chance for something new to burst forth.

Unexpected blessings

I thank my yoga training for allowing me to sit in the “heat” of any situation in my life and recognize it is here to teach me something. My resilience and resourcefulness come from within, and I am so grateful that I know this.

Over the weekend I received news about a yoga teaching opportunity which was energizing and exciting. After my “desk chair yoga” class in February I have been wondering what is next along that front, and some new options are emerging. I felt like I had been pushing, pushing, pushing on some projects that had felt stuck. And now I feel a sense of ease at understanding that planting seeds was more important, that growth and harvesting are a later part of this particular project.

Grateful for all the the wisdom I continue to receive.

***

cristy@meximinnesotana.com

 

 

 

On heroes and mentors

~ meximinnesotana ~ Leave a comment

In my next yoga teacher training, I get to give a presentation on my favorite sociologist, author and teacher, Martha Beck.

Last night I started creating the required 1-page handout, which will be 2-pages double-sided so I can fit in as much yummy goodness as possible.

martha-beck-collage.jpg

Eventually, I will likely share that handout on this blog, but for now, let’s just say it is important to acknowledge the mentors who have “held” us in our lives. Typically these are living people who have helped guide us along our path. And sometimes they are authors, people who share their wisdom on the pages we read and digest.

As I consider how to give back in this phase of life where I feel I have been successful and want to help mentor future leaders, I am enjoying going back to what I learned and reflecting on its impact on my life. I may share some of those nuggets here as reminders to myself more than anything.

Do you have mentors who have influenced your life in a positive way? Try sending them a note or give them a call to thank them for their contributions. It will surely brighten their day to know they made a difference to you. Then pass it on, and pay it forward.

cristy@meximinnesotana.com

Comfortable with uncertainty?

~ meximinnesotana ~ 9 Comments

How comfortable are you when you do not yet know the eventual outcome of a particular decision or choice you have made in life? 

You know it was something you wanted to do, for multiple reasons, and yet it did not turn out exactly as you had planned. For some reason though, you trust that is is still the direction you are meant to follow, and that each bend in the road helps you master new a set of skills for the next part of the journey.

Unsettling for a while though, isn’t it? 

Especially when all of the advice you are getting leads you back to the place you left. It is well-meaning advice, but it simply does not satisfy the place in your heart that yearns for growth in a different direction.

bend in the road.JPG
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So you politely thank people for their advice, which may be based on their own fears about their situations more than an accurate assessment of yours. Then you continue doing what you know you must do, following the intuition that will lead you to the next right thing. It is not for the faint of heart, this uncertainty. And yet it can open us up to the types of growth we are meant to experience.

When the doors start to open and your path becomes more clear, you again begin to trust that inner compass. You know that you can choose to remain in your wholeness, and approach your life with presence and lightness every day. And all of these gifts and lessons travel with you to the next place where you will face new trials, and traverse new territory.

Uncertainty can feel uncomfortable. But ultimately knowing that you have the resourcefulness and resilience to meet the next challenge with grace, or at least with a willing and curious spirit, can make all the difference.

Keep your heart open to those moments of knowing, even when your inner critic starts voicing the doubts that others may speak openly. This is that nexus where your vulnerability joins with courage (thank you, Brené Brown). This is where the magic happens.

cristy@meximinnesotana.com

 

 

Travel haiku – 2 verses

~ meximinnesotana ~ Leave a comment

I travel to Guadalajara today, so time is short before I will complete my packing here in Mexico City and leave for the airport. But because I have an unbroken streak of posting every day since October, I really cannot resist at least a haiku, even if it is not Sunday.

***

Packing for a trip.

Why did I bring all this stuff?

Lightening the load.

**

Each time I travel

I learn, grow and change myself.

Good experience.

cats in suitcase
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