Action Negates Fear.

USAP Events: South Bay Duathlon 3/12/17

Action negates fear. Prior to any race, it's always the nerves and the 'what if' thoughts that flood the mind. Did I pack everything? Set up my transition station correctly? Eat enough calories and drink enough and give my body adequate time to digest so I won't get cramps? Are my tires pumped? Is my Garmin charged?

Once the gun goes off, it all fades. You're in the zone. You concentrate on the moment, on your breath, your leg turnover. Action makes the noise fade, your focus intensify, and your senses sharpen. 

We spend most of our time brainstorming all that can possibly go wrong, why we would never be able to do something, how we are too old/too young, how it's already been done before, why we're not pretty/handsome/smart/charismatic enough, fill in the blank.

This, my friends, is what Steven Pressfield calls The Resistance. 

“Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.

Remember our rule of thumb: The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.

Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there’d be no Resistance.”
— The War of Art, Steven Pressfield

The Resistance dies a slow death when we START. When we take action.

Maybe it's that non-profit you've always been dreaming of starting. Or that blog you've been talking about writing. Or that person you've been wanting to reach out to. Take tiny steps of action each day and you'll find that the fear begins to fade.

And perhaps it may be a triathlon you've been wanting to complete. But you're not sure where to start, what to eat, and how to train. In that case, I'd love to help you. I've been there, at the very beginning, and my favorite feeling is helping someone new to the sport accomplish his/her goals. Check out USAP Events and register for your first one using my code JKUSAP in the checkout, and save yourself 15%. Then contact me and we can get you started on a customized plan so you can cross that finish line. I promise you, it's one of the BEST feelings in the world!

Whatever The Resistance may look like in your life, today take action.

And notice how the fear begins to fade when you take that first step.

The World I Live In.

“I have refused to live
locked in the orderly house of
reasons and proofs.

The world I live in and believe in
is wider than that. And anyway,
what’s wrong with Maybe?

You wouldn’t believe what once or
twice I have seen. I’ll just
tell you this:
only if there are angels in your head will you
ever, possibly, see one.”
— Mary Oliver, Felicity

(Not-So-Secret) Big Dreams.

My old college friend Brian was in town visiting this weekend. We did the math. It had been 15 years since we'd last seen each other. The events that have filled the past decade and a half of our lives is a surprise to both of us. We laugh about how we met. He was a muscular college senior and the first person to introduce me, a fairly plump freshman, to weight lifting. At the time, I would much rather comfortably pass the time sweating over an elliptical machine than doing Russian twists and chest flies with free weights. But the confidence he instilled in me and the lessons he taught me about strength training changed not only my body, but my mindset. I remind him that he had a profound effect on the trajectory of my life, my health, and my well-being. He humbly smiles and changes the subject by showing me a video of his 5-year-old son. It is endearing to see him as a dad. I can only imagine where we'll be in 15 more years.

This crazy idea comes over me while we are hiking today. I turn to him and say, "Let's describe to each other in excruciating detail our dream life in 15 years. We'll write it down and save it and read it back to each other in exactly 15 years." He agrees. After lunch, I grab my notebook and pen. I lean in closely. "Tell me where you're living. What you look like. How your day unfolds." He speaks slowly. His face is contemplative. I carefully record each word in the notebook. I ask him to summarize his life in three words. I write those three words down.

We switch. I gush free-flowing thoughts and dreams of the projects I'm working on, who I'm collaborating with, the activities I'm doing. What I'm writing. The groups of people I'm serving. What my relationships are like. It feels silly and yet profound- imagining an ideal world that I can see only from a distance. But the fact is, it is clear and I can see it.

On March 18, 2032, we will read these letters back to each other. When that day comes, I hope we feel surprise and certainty all at once. I hope we can laugh at the absurdity of our big dreams that were recorded outside of a Berkeley cafe 15 years earlier, scribbled in a lined notebook and tucked away for safe keeping, while also having an unshakeable knowingness that we took deliberate and intentional steps to cross the chasm into a life we had always imagined for ourselves. 

The Light In Your Eyes.

“There is light in your eyes
when you talk about what you love
the way you explain the path of
pursuing your dreams
and laugh in pride when you
tell the story of how you overcame
the obstacles

There is light in your eyes.
Go on.
Don’t stop.”
— Anis Mojgani

A year ago while still working at the hospital, I was talking to a friend about how much I enjoyed the nutrition and wellness coaching I was doing in my free time. I explained how I loved creating a holistic long-term nutrition and wellness plan for each client after examining their current diet, stress levels, and the mental obstacles they had. It was like putting together a complicated puzzle and making sure all the pieces fit together. It was meaningful and fulfilling work since I enjoyed seeing others become healthier and happier.

I stopped talking, my cheeks still flushed with excitement. My friend stared at me dumbfounded. "You need to go do THAT full-time," he said. "It's so clear. Your entire demeanor changes when you talk about that work. That's what really lights you up."

The more people I talk to, the more I am noticing this. When the topic shifts to something they truly love and passionately believe in, it transforms them. Their head nods with enthusiasm and their eyes dance and they are physically changed by the energy pulsing through their heart. All I can do is hope they follow their intuition, knowing that the path before them will be illuminated by the radiance in their eyes.

 

The Three Zones.

Are you familiar with the three zones of proximal development? I've experienced all of them within the past month of quitting my full-time job and pursuing my own dreams of helping others outside of the hospital setting.

The first zone is the comfort zone. We all know this one. It feels safe and secure and monotonous. It's smothered in boredom. Things are easy and at the same time, largely unfulfilling. 

The second is the learning zone, where you're putting new information and pieces together. You're stretched, constantly expanding your knowledge, and experiencing deeper levels of growth. This is where we make meaning, forge new paths, and feel inspired.

The panic zone is similar to when you're pummeled by waves in the ocean. The gap between what you currently know and what you need to know feels too wide. You've lost your bearings, you have no idea which way is up, and the fear is screaming at you. Learning is halted. Your natural instinct is to contract and pull back and quit.  The survival mechanism kicks in full-blast. You.Must.Get.Back.To.Safety.Now.

So what prevents someone from heading straight back to their comfort zone and hiding there forever? Friends. Mentors. Teachers. People who push you up to that razor thin edge up against the panic zone yet keep you anchored in the learning zone. They reaffirm who you are, what you desired long before the fear started screaming, and believe in your potential. They remind you how much you love to swim. And that you're right where you belong, going after your big dreams and refusing to play small in your life anymore.

The most exciting thing? The more you continue to push up against the panic zone without fully getting submerged into it, your learning zone actually expands and widens. And this, my friends, is the whole point of learning!

So examine the different areas of your life-  your career, your relationships, your health, and how you contribute to the world. Which zones are you in? And who can you be an anchor to? 

I'll meet you in the learning zone. That's where I plan on staying for the rest of my life. Because I love to swim.

The Good and Bad News.

“May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.”
— Neil Gaiman

The Bad News: Pretty much everything has already been done before.

The Good News: It has not been done by YOU before. With your unique voice, with your particular skills, and with your heart.

Go.Make.Art.

Togetherness.

“I feel beautiful
knowing
that something of
me,
is shared
in
you.”
— Tyler Knott Gregson

We meet different parts of ourselves in our different friends. The quirky, humorous parts of my personality are turned on in the presence of one friend, while the more introspective and philosophical parts come out in the company of another friend. It's beautiful to notice this- the diverse and unique little pieces of our personalities that are illuminated only in the magical presence of another. So be curious about other people who are not like you, who do not look like you, who may not believe what you believe. You may uncover parts of yourself through the fusion of their personalities with yours, and together, you'll discover a sense of shared delight.

Keep Expanding.

“We are so afraid to change careers, to end relationships, to outgrow people or places- and that’s just growth. To me, choosing to go toward the cracking in order to keep expanding is the only way. The only way to get out of pain is to go through it. Pain is information.”
— Sophia Bush

In her book, "The Crossroads of Should and Must," Elle Luna describes the snake as being the ancient sacred symbol for transformation. The snake must shed its skin in order to mature and grow. It's a painful process, but its very survival depends on this act. The snake's insides are literally outgrowing its outsides, and it must shed the outermost layer or risk becoming malnourished and possibly blind.

Perhaps you're in this process of shedding your skin. It's painful. It's hard. But we must trust the process, and the transformation that is magically taking place from the inside out.

Little Bites of (Strawberry and Cashew) Love.

A simple, delicious (and nutritious) treat for you and your loved ones.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 12 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 oz freeze-dried strawberries
  • pinch of sea salt

Directions:

  1. Pulse the cashews in a food processor until finely chopped.
  2. Add the dates, vanilla extract, and salt. 
  3. Mix together in the food processor until the dates are minced and the mixture is thoroughly combined.
  4. Add the freeze-dried strawberries and pulse a few times to blend everything together.
  5. Roll into 1-inch balls. 
  6. Enjoy! 

You can store these in an air-tight container, or alternatively store in the freezer for a firmer texture (my absolute favorite).