If I asked you when was the last time you practiced any self care was, would you be able to answer me? Would you even be able to identify what the self care would look or sound like?

For years people would ask me if I was practicing self care and I would say, yes, of course I am. I brush my teeth, I get over six hours of sleep at night and I occasionally take myself for a walk. I recognize now these are all a survival thing not necessarily self care. I'll be honest and say I thought it was all a bit of  hooey. Being raised in an environment where feelings were not discussed and you just dealt with things yourself, the idea of talking about taking care of myself was foreign enough without actually doing it. Then I hit the mother of all walls. Owning a business, raising family, husband illness and home renovation. If you want to plan a meltdown, that combination will do it.  Then the self care concept became, hmmmm, maybe people are on to something. 

I'd rather you not have to experience the level of stress I did to get to the place of understanding what self care is and then learn to apply it. 

One way to tell if you are not practicing taking care of you is to see where your shoulders are right now. Are they so far up they look like a new form of earring? Is your stomach in a knot? Is your head so busy the stock exchange ticker tape looks tame in comparison? Do you have a recent diagnosis from the medical profession that doesn't thrill you?

Any of these can be an example of holding the stress of everyday life in your body and an indication a little observation and a plan are necessary.  

One of the things I used to let get in my way was the idea that "if I don't do it, no one will."  Sound familiar? Over burdening myself in the attempt to get an Oscar or some kind of award after I croak is what I see it as now. It was an impressive line to tell myself but it wasn't true. Which is often the case for any of our excuses. Other people, family members, business associates, hired professionals or friends could absolutely handle whatever it is I thought I was the only one who could. The need to be needed can be annoying can't it? 

I'm here to tell you that if you have any of the symptoms above or any others that may manifest in your life, then you need you more than you need any fake award for martyrdom. Besides, who wants something else to dust?

For this weeks call to action, how about you take five short minutes and ask yourself what would I really like right now? What would fill my emotional gas tank and help me lower my shoulders to where my skeletal system believes they belong?  Would a massage, a bike ride, a coffee date with a friend, a hike in the woods, a good book in a hammock or singing at the top of my lungs in the car or living room fill me up? What would do it?

Be honest about needing care and then do something to fulfill it. Your body will thank you and so will those around you. I promise you, there is no award for suffering and the only payoff is illness, so does it make sense to keep doing it?

I wish you the best in creating your care plan. If you could use help, give me a call, I created the Self Care Package for just these reasons. 

Take care of you and life will too. 

Caring for self, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

Are you attributing the feeling of stress lately to the holiday schedule and the perception of obligations for this time of year? While this may be a contributing factor, there is a lot going on in the energy of the universe that is assisting in the perhaps less then tolerant feelings you are having lately. 

Now, we are all responsible for what we do with the feelings we have and how we conduct ourselves through behavior, but when you know there is something kicked up energetically, you can be a bit more conscious about your choices and respond rather than react. 

There is always an increase in the speed of energy at the end of a calendar year. It really has nothing to do with the calendar and the numbers that we follow, but more to do with the reaction we have to that. Every being in this universe contributes to the vibration of our world. That includes you. So if you think you being in a mood, depressed or generally cranky is only affecting you, think again. Everything that we do and thought we have goes out into the collective and creates a ripple effect. I am not saying this to have you be in constant observation of your thoughts, but rather to have you connect to self and realize you matter; a great deal. 

All emotions are valid, what you do with those emotions are up to you. Feel, please feel, as I know that will help us to be nicer to ourselves and others, however, at the same time, be willing to choose how you want your energy to go out and be a contribution. It's fine to be frustrated and even valid to be angry or sad, but how long you are willing to be in those feelings is up to you. Feel them, then move on and up in vibration so we can help all of us to really connect with what this season is about; love. 

Yes, another year is closing and for some reason we feel we have to fill up every space with something to do or buy in order to avoid the feeling of time passing. I am suggesting we slow down and that will in fact slow the energy down and have this time of year be one of celebration of what we have learned thus far and give us a calm space to contemplate what we would like to create in the next year. It is like driving a car at 65 miles an hour and expecting to be able to handle a hairpin turn without any consequences. Chances are if you drive like that and try to round the corner, you are going off the cliff. Slow down and take it with skill and appreciation of the built in message of care and being present will get you to the next place in one piece and aware of the journey. 

The energy right now is one of pushing, there is no doubt, but it is pushing us to appreciate where we are in the moment and not to rush so far ahead that we can't even remember what the heck we had for breakfast. You did eat breakfast didn't you? 

When we feel pushed we may want to push against another. We may want to call names or talk louder to be heard. Please know that the others aren't pushing you or pushing against you. Your soul is placing a guiding hand at your back encouraging you to recognize that anything another person does is not a direct reflection of you; what you do is though, so stop and consider how you can use this energy to your benefit. Do you really want to be a better person or are you just saying that because you think you should? Would you want to be an example of compassion and acceptance or does that seem too hard so you will continue to complain and blame others for the way you feel? 

Yes, it feels like someone is squishing us when we are growing but if you give the acknowledgment and ask what can I do to expand and take responsibility, it eases and you can go ahhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Now, having said all of this, you may want to have a way to release the squished feeling and a way to release energy in your tool kit, as not everyone is going to take that leap and ease into the next year because they have gotten used to drama and the feeling of being rushed. That is ok, everyone in their own time. Be the example yourself and when others ask why you are so calm during all of this, you can say, I have learned that I don't want to feel torn up and I can fight energy or I can go with it. I choose to go with it and enjoy my life here! 

Having the ideas at the ready will give you a place to go when you want to explode. During the next few weeks the best course of action is going to be to move that body! Think of yourself as that caterpillar leaving the chrysalis to become the butterfly. You've got to move and groove to be able to leave it with your wings ready to fly! 

Releasing pent up energy is not only great for kids, we adults are still wired in the same way we were as kids, so get out there and boogie! Let's dance through the next week of this energy and be able to say, man, I really loved the way we spent the holidays this year! 

See you on the dance floor, 

Vicki

www.vickibaird.com

"If you are trying to find balance in one plate while spinning twenty others, eventually, they will all fall and that will be ok, because then you will truly be able to access the situation at hand." vicki

I heard myself say this to a client last week and thought, well that is pretty good, now do you think you can listen to it Vicki? I have always been someone that does well with a lot going on around me, or so I thought. Once I realized the chaos was causing stress and a feeling of being that proverbial hamster, I knew I had to do something to change how I saw my life. Just because I was busy didn't mean that I was productive or happy about what I was doing and that is what I really wanted, to be happy being busy and being still.

I also realized that the busyness was really a procrastination method of not getting to know myself. If I kept going and putting out fires and making sure everyone else was ok I didn't have to admit I wasn't completely satisfied with myself or my life. Sound familiar?

Now having done this coaching thing for a while now, I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere this way except to more stress and an eventual end of my rope where I hoped there was a knot but a sneaking suspicion, call it intuition if you want, knew there wasn't one. So, I had a meeting with myself and asked just what the heck are you afraid of learning anyway? Once faced I had no real answer, which became my answer. I was afraid of nothing, of there being a nothing, of there being nothing to do, to take care of, that needed my attention or my help. This was where the whole balance conversation came into play. I had to become good with the nothing in order to have something. In order to have that peace I was looking for and that happiness and the space to create the life I really want. I understand energy and know that creating the life I wanted meant there had to be space in the one I had to allow other opportunities to happen.

So, that is what I did, nothing. I did nothing for a whole weekend. A WHOLE WEEKEND! Anyone who knows me well knows this was not easy to accomplish and it wasn't. I chose to use the yin yang symbol as my return point. It represents balance to me so each time my thinking head said "Vicki, there is always laundry to do, blogs to write, classes to create and oh yeah, what about that software you bought to revolutionize your coaching, you could be learning that", my knowing self or soul self or the smarter part of me said, what was your intention? What did you want to create? aahhhh space, aaaaa balance, aaaaaah yin yang.

This is when the picture of the guy trying to balance all the plates came to my minds eye as well and I had a good laugh because if you have all those plates, you do not have focus on any of them. It is not possible. I don't want to be a plate spinner, I want to be a plate connector. I want to know that plate is in my life and that whatever time I had with that plate (you get that the plate is experiences in my life right?) I was present and I was able to connect and enjoy the process without worrying about the potential crashing of another plate next to me.

Now you don't have to drop out of your life and do nothing, although I highly recommend it, but where does your life want to be balanced? Are you even in your life or are you reacting to the current fire and not able to enjoy your experience here on Earth?

What is one thing you could do to bring balance to your day? How about right now you take a deep breath in through your nose, out your mouth with a little sigh at the end. Go ahead, no one is looking. Didn't that feel good? When we breathe like this it aligns the mind, body and spirit, creating balance. Pretty cool, huh? Now in the space that created, what is your spirit asking of you? Do one thing today that will help fill that request and then thank yourself for being a plate connector. :)

The spring Equinox is March 20th for those of us in the northern hemisphere, a perfect time to reflect on balance and to create the support for that balance so you may completely enjoy your spring and summer season.

Happily in a balanced state today,
Vicki

www.vickibaird.com
info@vickibaird.com
www.vbairdconnections.com