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October 2017

Viewing posts from October , 2017

31 Oct 2017

The Intersection of Masks, Costumes, and the Real You

By admin

Americans get giddy for costumes. We throw on masks, dress up like zombies with the look of death in the face or recreate a sassy version of James Bond or another movie character. We let loose. We let our guard down. We don’t care what others think about us. We socialize with friends and meet new people. We enjoy a little ruckus, share in fun times, and let our guard down.

Too often in life, we wear a mask to put on a façade of what we’re supposed to be. We dress a certain way. We talk a certain way. We do the things we think will get us accolades and validation from others. Yet on the inside we’re broken and constantly feel like something is missing. We yearn to be who we are without judgement and critique from others. Yet, we’re so afraid a gremlin is around the corner coming to get us that we don’t dare show our truest self.
What mask are you wearing? What part of you are you covering up, keeping all packaged up like a nicely wrapped holiday gift?

If you took off your mask and showed the world your true colors, what would happen?

What would you say?

How would you show up in the world?

How would you act?


I’ve seen this transition first hand. My male coaching clients aren’t afraid to be vulnerable. They will cry and get in touch with their heart. My female clients are willing to speak their voice and boldly step into their career, life, and relationships they truly desire.


It’s time to take off the armor and break down the brick wall of self-protection. To truly live is to be seen for your scars in battle, your triumphs and losses, and for the belief you have in yourself to figure out life’s hiccups along your path.


Step onto your courageous path without the mask. Begin a life full of wonder and excitement.

Wishing you an abundant, joyful and prosperous day!

 

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Courageous Path LLC

23 Oct 2017

Is the Sky Really Blue?

By admin

How many times in your life has the sky been a color besides blue? And, how does this relate to your perspective? Check out this story.

It was a beautiful fall day. The gentle breeze cooled the skin from a sunny day. The tree leaves were turning into a deep rich red that popped among the evergreen trees. Two good friends, an engineer and an artist, decided to take their dogs for a walk and get away from their significant others for an hour.

The engineer started complaining that his wife does all these things that irritate him. It drives him up the wall and makes him become angry.

The artist said to the engineer. What color is the sky? The engineer said, “The sky is blue.” And he rambled off facts, figures, and recent statistics on what makes the sky blue.

The artist said, “Hmmm. Let’s take a seat.” As they continued talking, the sun dropped below the horizon and the sky lit up. The clouds turned pink. The sky changed to shades of orange.

The artist asked, “What color is the sky now?” The engineer said, “Pink, orange, red.” The artist, smiling with joy said, “So, the sky isn’t always blue then.” The engineer smiled, laughed, and acknowledged his friend.

Where in your life are you holding on to a certain perspective? It may be something you’ve believed for days, month, years or even decades.  How can you look at that “fact” differently?

Nothing remains the same. We all grow and change every day. What aspects of your life need a shift?

 

Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day!

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Courageous Path LLC

16 Oct 2017

How a Run Gave Me Life Perspective

By admin

It’s truly amazing what happens when we take the time to observe our surroundings. My short 45 minute run opened up my eyes to 5 valuable life lessons.

I pulled into the parking lot and threw on my running shoes. As I was shutting the door, I heard an excruciating horrible sound. I looked around and found a guy who opened up the driver’s side door, leaned over and hurled puke onto the pavement. Yuck. Is the guy sick? Does he need help? He was drunk. Ughh. I recognized that’s the type person who I never want to be.

Stillness moment #1: Know who you don’t want to be. Recognize you have a choice in how you handle life when things don’t go as planned.

As I began my run, the array of green, yellow, and brown grasses stood tall from the summer rains. As I looked out, a bright purple flower stood out.

Stillness moment #2: Don’t be afraid to stick out. Be who you are and stand radiant in the light and shine brightly.

As I continued running down the path, dodging ducks and listening to the soft sounds of a creek and calm stillness on the pond, I saw an older couple holding hands and walking along the path. It warmed my heart to watch a couple in their 80s show affection and enjoy each other’s company. I stopped and told the couple how much I admired them for being a symbol of love through decades of being together. All 3 of us teared up.

Stillness moment #3: Tell others how they positively affect the world. Most people have no clue how they are showing up in the world and what that impact is. When others are told this it lightens up who they are and they show up even more.

Further down the path, a tall lady, whispered to be quiet. Our eyes locked and she drew my attention and pointed my eyes to the distant field. She pointed over to the right. In the distance there was a mother deer and her 4 small fawns. The deer were out searching and eating food in the field.

Stillness moment #4: How are we supporting those around us? The mother deer was supporting her young fawns showing them the way. How are you being a guiding light to others?

As I looked down at my watch, I realized that even with a couple pit stops, I shaved over 15 minutes off the distance I ran. In the past 3 months, I committed to a different exercise routine and the results paid off.

Stillness moment #5: Celebrate the successes of your hard work. Recognize that success takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight.

If you go for a walk outside, where can you get still and gain life perspective?

Wishing you an abundant, prosperous and joyful day!

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Courageous Path LLC

11 Oct 2017

How to Stop Making Life Complicated

By admin

Are you prepared for what’s about to happen? Let’s make it easy instead of complicated. Let’s take a closer look.

While on a hike, a fellow hiker was coming up the fully covered snow packed trail. He forewarned me, “Its treacherous! Be careful with your footsteps. I almost slid down the hill.” I replied with “Thank you.” In my head, I was saying something very different. Here’s how it went:

The prior day, I went for a short hike to test my breathing at altitude. I was planning on going for a very long hike the following day and wanted to see if that was a good idea. I’ve been at sea level for most of the past month so hiking at 10,000 ft elevation might be challenging. I noticed there was considerable snowfall around the 11,000 ft mark. I realized I would need microspikes to keep my footing. I rented a pair that night at a local mountain shop.

When I encountered the fellow hiker who warned me, I thought to myself,  you’re unprepared for these conditions. I took the time to assess what I needed for the day-  microspikes and hiking poles to keep my footing and an extra couple layers for windy conditions as a storm would be coming at the end of the day. Spraining an ankle or breaking a bone due to a fall on snow and ice is not ideal when you’re not in a cell phone zone and on a trail with few people. I prepared myself for the day. This can be applied everyday at work and personally.

How do you prepare for the day? Ask yourself these questions:  

  1. What obstacle might I encounter today?
  2. How can I prepare to handle the obstacle?
  3. What attitude do I need to handle the obstacle and not let it ruffle my feathers?

Wishing you an abundant, joyful, and prosperous day!

Lora Polowczuk
Chief Energy Officer
© Courageous Path LLC

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