I took a much needed break and spent some time in Hawaii; half work related (which is not a bad place to work), but also for some R&R. During my vacation, I went on one of the hardest hikes I have ever done…and probably will never do one that hard again. It took me 9 hours! It was a 10.5 mile hike, 5,000+ feet in elevation, and it downpoured! So, we were hiking through mudslides on a tiny little ridge, trying not to get blown off the mountain. Well, I lived to tell the tale! But, I bring this up because as you know, I am like a 95% positive person. On this hike, I certainly had a mind battle. Some of the thoughts that crossed my brain were: It’s too dangerous, we may die; my legs weigh 5,000 pounds each; I should turn around…and the list goes on. But, because I try to be positive and practice gratitude, every time I had a bad thought, I replaced it with a gratitude thought: Thank you universe for this beautiful scenery; Thank you God for my capable body; Thank you divine for getting my husband and I up and down the mountain safely. I also added things like, my legs are like clouds…they are moving swiftly up the mountain; I am light as a feather; I am like a flamingo, long legs, and graceful. And with each positive thought, there was like a wave of positive light energy that made me feel lighter and softer to move more quickly up the mountain, and down…of course. Sometimes I said some of my negative thoughts out loud, and my husband encouraged me to continue going, which was also very helpful.
So, I say all that note that I realized a few things:
- Positive thinking really does work! Every time you have a negative thought, replace it with a positive one. Words truly have power.
- Without a support system, life would truly be hard. So, stop trying to do everything by yourself. It’s nice to have someone who believes in us when sometimes we don’t see it. They help to remind us of how deserving and capable we are. Don’t have a support system? Well, that’s one of the many reasons why the DDF community was created 😉
- Facing your fears is hard, but totally worth it! Facing your fears allows you to overcome feelings of self-doubt, and move closer to self-confidence. You don’t need constant approval and permission to take a risk. Take the risk, face your fear, and you will most likely be pleasantly surprised.
So, tomorrow when you are with friends and family, it’s easy to remember to be thankful, but try to incorporate gratitude in your daily routine. Remember, words are powerful. I am grateful for all of you that have been with me on this journey we call life, thankful for all of you that support the studio and are part of our community, and thankful to those who are looking to join us.
XOXO,
Tash
P.S. That picture up above is some of the views caught while on the hike…when it wasn’t raining. 🙂