Want to be lighter in 2017?

Be Light. Shine like a LIGHThouse.

Every year, I have the ritual to choose a "word of the year."  Last year, for example, my word was "adventure."  That led me to a year of weekly adventures (many of which I blogged about on this blog).  The year before my word was "joy" because I was feeling depressed and needed more joy in my life.   This year, I struggled and struggled, and stuggled to come up with my word. Nothing seemed to fit or feel good for my theme for 2017.  I even attended a  full day-long retreat in Sacramento hosted by some amazing wellness coaches designed solely to reset, renew, and come up with my theme word for the year. 

I had NO IDEA how hard of a time I would have with the process this year. It's not like this is a new thing for me! Wellness Coaches, Nikki Stern, and Tami Hackbarth hosted a retreat called Restoration, Not Resolutions, on Jan 1, 2017, and I signed up at first word of this retreat.  I knew, if nothing else, this would be a powerful & positive way to start my year.  As the day went by, and we went deep into thought about the past year, and what we want for our upcoming year, I got more and more frustrated. The burdon of life fell on my shoulders. I was frustrated that I couldn't come up with my "word."  I began questioning my entire life.  Am I in the right business? When will all of my hard work finally pay off? What am I doing wrong? How can I be more successful? What's missing?  Who am I if I'm not "The Trainer In Your Back Pocket?"

At the end of the day, I felt so heavy.  And that's what finally sparked my word. "Light."  I'd been feeling so heavy with self-imposed pressure to be everything to everyone.  That I SHOULD be more successful.  That my clients SHOULD have better results (when in reality, they aren't seeing results because they aren't following the program, not my fault).   That I SHOULD be far beyond where I'm at in life.  So, when I realized how heavy I had been feeling lately, LIGHT was exactly what I need to focus on.

Not only do I need to release the self-imposed heaviness, but I also need to be a brighter light into the world.  This year, my goal is to be more like a LIGHThouse.  I need to shine my light out more for lost "sailors" to find.  My new light will attract those who are in search of hope, to join me in the Trainer In Your Back Pocket programs that I host, and into my life as friends.

If you've been feeling "heavy" this year with imaginary (or real, legitimate) burdons, maybe you can share the word "light" with me this year.  Or, do some self-reflection and come up with your own guide word for the year.  Even if "light" isn't necessarily your word, as women, couldn't we all stand to remove the heaviness that society places on our shoulders?

So, how am I exactly going to be "light" this year?  First and foremost, every day, when I get out of bed, I plan to remind myself that my word is light.  I've set a weekly reminder in my phone to "Be Light."  When I eat, I am to remind myself if the food I'm eating is going to "weigh me down" or is it going to make me feel light.  When I show up to work, I plan to be the lighthouse for my clients, a place where they find safety and guidance.  And every night, before I go to sleep, I plan to reflect on how my light positively influenced the world that day. 

So, if you see me around this year, remind me to SHINE BRIGHT!  I'm sure I'll need as many reminders as I can get, and I will be there to remind you to shine bright too.

Love you all,
​Abby

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Shine bright with me in the upcoming 42 Days to Fit & Feeling Good course that begins on January 15, 2017!  If you're feeling lost, this course will help guide you along your path.  We'll go deep into self-reflection, physical health, fitness, and nutritional health.  You will exit the 42 days with a new outlook and a healthier perspective on life.  Step into spring LIGHTER with me!

Read more about 42 Days to Fit & Feeling Good Here