who the eff I am

I’m reading The Source, by Dr. Tara Swart. She explains the science behind visualization and manifestation (spoiler alert: you do not just sit there, thinking about things, and then they happen- you still have to take action). 

Through one of her exercise prompts, I remembered that I can do hard things. I AM kick-ass. A few of the things I’ve done: 
~ moved across the country, 
~ taken a solo cross-country road trip, 
~ helped raise a child, 
~ fought infertility, 
~ saved my marriage, 
~ quit a successful professional career, 
~ followed my heart, 
~ said yes, 
~ said no, 
~ gotten me into better alignment, 
~ established a healthier relationship with alcohol (read: little to none). 

Now, I continue to remember who the eff I am while I create the life I dream of. I remember that hells yes I can do this, because I can do hard things (see evidence above) AND ain’t nobody else going to do it for me!

a very smiley picture of me, just before I walked into a talk that I bombed. That's OK b/c I can still do hard things.

how to not worry so much

Four things you can do to help shift yourself out of worry. 

1. First, have an AWARENESS that thoughts, fear, worry, and story are totally normal. It’s your brain doing its job of keeping you safe. Nothing has gone wrong; it’s just part of the human experience. 

2. Get to the TRUTH- what are the facts? No added story, no opinions, provable in the court of law. Answer the question for yourself: is it true? Is it happening right now? Are you in imminent danger? 

3. SHIFT your focus to something else. I use the analogy of dangling a toy in front of a baby. The best way to get your baby not to touch a hot stove (for example) is to distract it with a toy that is more interesting than the stove.  What are you more interested in focusing on your worry or how to be a loving family member? Your choice. 

4. Lastly, the way to solidify this is to take ACTION. One small way you can demonstrate that which you would rather focus on. 

Let me give you an example. Let’s say you have a new job. You are worried that you are not doing it well; you’re concerned that your co-workers don’t like you; you are not sure you can learn the job fast enough.  

What are the facts? You have worked there for one week. No one said, “I don’t like you.”  It takes time to become proficient at a new job, get to know the staff, and have a thorough understanding of your new role. 

What are you more interested in- continuing to worry or being a well-respected professional?  I imagine you chose to be a well-respected professional. 

What might this look like; how could you demonstrate this? What is one small action you can take toward being a well-respected professional? Perhaps doing some additional research; maybe requesting a meeting with your boss to clarify a few points.

What would it be like to have answers, rather than spending your time, energy, and effort worrying? 

Be aware, 
get to the truth, 
shift your focus, 
take action. 

close up of my face, standing outside Amazing Crepes in Whitefish, Montana.

worry

There have been several times in my life that I have sworn off worry. Yep, I went cold turkey. It was usually in the “heat of the moment” when I’m tired of the energy suck of worrying about- whatever!  On more than one occasion, I thought to myself- what is today’s day?  Then out loud, I would proclaim: Today, January 9, 2021, I will no longer worry! I’m done! 

And it would work, and I would feel better… for about 5 minutes, until when the next worry would pop up. 

Then I’d be all back in it- worrying and now additionally mad because I just swore off it!

Here’s the thing. Worrying doesn’t just go away. Our brains are wired to worry- it’s what has kept us alive this long. 

Quick story, taken from Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hansen. 

Picture this: it’s 100K years ago, back in caveman days. It’s time to go out hunting and gathering; time to eat. We’re walking in the woods, we round the corner, and then there’s this curvy thing on the ground. Our brains quickly process the visual information and categorize it as either a threat or an opportunity. The amygdala, or the primitive part of our brains, where our fight, flight, or freeze comes from- quickly determines that it’s a potential threat, so we stop walking. It’s vital to be safe while taking the time to process this information through a more sophisticated part of our brains- the pre-frontal cortex (PFC). The PFC is now further sorting it out: well, it’s not moving; everyone else has walked by and been OK. They haven’t said anything; I don’t hear a rattle, etc. The PFC determines that it is a stick and not a snake- we’re safe to pass by, so we continue. 

Our brains are vigilant- constantly scanning for danger. Those of us who have survived to this day and age have brains that look for danger first. Today, we’re not going to get taken out by a wooly mammoth, so danger shows up as anxiety, fear, and worry. 

These are totally normal reactions. And tomorrow, I’ll offer some solutions because trying to ‘swear off’ them alone does not work. 

Photo of me, holding cross-country ski poles and standing on a bridge in Glacier National Park. In the background is a river, trees, and very large mountains.

anxious

Just today, one of my clients said she feels less anxious. 

She knows how to think things through and how to process her thoughts.

She is able to look at just the facts. 

She is aware that many of her anxious feelings are really just her mind doing its job of keeping her “safe.” 

She now has the power to decide if maybe her worries are valid or not. 

She sees that she has choices, for example, to dwell on being tired or to chose to be happy. 

And she has less tension in her body at the end of the day. 

Y’all- this is pure gold. 

It feels so good for me to support someone else to get to this place in THEIR life. 

I keep saying it, but I’ll say it again for the people in the back: 

LIFE DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SO EFFING HARD!!! 

But you don’t know what you don’t know. 

So, I’ll say it again: 
HEY!!! I’M A LIFE COACH. I CAN HELP YOU. 

Do you want to feel less anxious in your daily life? Call me. 

Do you want to know how to really, REALLY let your worries go? Reach out.

Do you want to know how to choose happiness over feeling tired? Book a consult. 

Do you want less tension in your body at the end of your day?? You can text me, too. 

Image: our dear dog, Max. We love him, but if ever there were an epitome of anxiety and worry, it's him. He works hard to be in the right position for whatever *might* be happening next. He inspects every noise happening outside, even those that are actually in his head. He does everything he can to ensure he is never, ever left behind, even though he can't come with us ALL the time, and even he knows this to be true. He wears a gray bow-tie with black spots on his proximity collar.

to my healthcare peeps

I see you. Actually, I miss you. While I love coaching,
I miss serving the healthcare community, so I’m stepping up.
I firmly believe you have to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others.
Are you doing that?
Do you feel like you CAN do that?
There are so many demands.

You might feel like you will snap if you are asked to do one. more. thing.
And you just want to do your job- providing excellent care for your patients.
And then you are asked to do not just one, but FIVE more things.
And you don’t have a choice.
Your life, livelihood, bills, and family depend on you, and this is what you have to do.
So you put your head down and get it done.

AND then COVID-19. ‘Nuf said.

I want to offer that there is another way.

Nothing, and I mean ZERO outside of you, has to change.
Not your job, not the people around you, not your patients.

You will slow down to increase your work productivity.
You will have enough energy at the end of your day for your family.
You will have better relationships with your peers, the front office staff, the surgical crew, and everyone else in your life.
Guilt-free.

How?
Through coaching.
Book a consult, and I’ll gladly show you.

@upworthy. photo of healthcare workers in scrubs masks and hats holding signs that read, "We stay here for you, please stay home for us," from early in the COVID-19 global 
pandemic.

it IS possible

Do you want to change your life? 
Call me. 
Seriously. 

I don’t make promises I can’t keep. 
I am professional and honest. 
It’s a free call. 
You can have a better life.
I have done it myself. 
You can, too. 
I can help you. 

Do you see this photo below? 
It’s of me- 
no sh*t, genuinely happy, 
on a beach, 
for a long weekend, 
in September. 

Y’all know I live in Montana, right? 
There’s no ocean here. 
I had to go GET it. 

I went after my dreams and made them happen. 
It’s an ongoing process; I’m still making them happen, 
even now, in a global pandemic.

If I can do it, you can, too. 
If you’d like help, 
I’m here for you, and I will not give up on you. 

You start by picking up the phone and calling me. 
Then we set a date & time to talk. 
You tell me what’s going on with you, where you are now and 
where you would like to be. 
I tell you, specifically, how I can help. 
We make a plan. 

If you like how this sounds, and you want to continue to work together, 
we meet once a week via phone. 
We step towards your goal/s together,
in small do-able steps. 

We’ll probably talk about what usually holds you back 
and how to work with that. 
At some point, I’ll most certainly remind you of the bad-ass you truly are. 
And we’ll celebrate. (Celebrating is my favorite.)

Then, one day, in the not-so-distant future, you will see for yourself how easy life CAN be. 
Like one of my clients recently said, “Oh my gosh, my week was so good. EVERYTHING went well this week. I wasn’t as tired or stressed; everything just fell into place.”

It IS possible. 

who the eff you are

This is so fun! 

One of my clients said coaching helped her land a man! 

It was just coffee in a park, no big deal, but she was stressing about what to wear. 

She wanted to be comfortable and not look like a bum, and she didn’t have anything good to wear… 

But then, she remembered who the eff she is;

That she is so much MORE than just her appearance! 

She is sweet, determined, loving, adventurous, independent, and smart, to name just a few. 

“I was able to take it outside of what I look like. I remembered I am all these things- just go for it!”

So, she did just that and went for it! 

And she had a great time. 

And there was another date. 

I wish I had these tools when I was dating!

Who doesn’t want to live in the power of “who the eff I am?!” 

If you are interested in finding or tapping into your power, I can help. 

Pictured: me & my sweetie back in 2004, when we were dating. Boy, am I lucky he stays with me while I figure out who I am, b/c I sure as heck didn't know back then.

time

I see you there. 

You think you don’t have time. 

You work all day, then come home and start working there. 

You cannot imagine how to take on just one. more. thing. 

You’re barely keeping up as it is. 

What if you give me one hour (a week), I’ll give you ten back? 

This is a true story.

One of my clients wanted a better work-life balance. 

She cut her work by 10 hours a week, without losing her work’s quality or her customer volume. 

As a matter of fact, this month, she is working remotely, from a beautiful tropical location, 

with this view. 

She is stepping into the life of her dreams, and you can, too. 

photo taken by one of my clients of her legs on a table on a balcony with a beautiful view of palm trees, the ocean, and hills in the distance.

your own answers

“So, if I coach with you, are you going to make me get up at 7:30 every morning because I like to sleep in.” 

I laughed out loud; this was a new one for me. 

I first explained that no, I was not going to “make” her do anything. All decisions are hers. 

Second, whether she gets up at 7:30 AM or not is her choice. I just want her to be down with her decision.  

Does she like how she shows up to life when she gets up at 7:30 AM? If so, great! 

Does she like how she shows up to life when she gets up at 10 or 11 AM? If so, also great. 

Maybe when she wakes up at 7:30, she is crabby and sleep-deprived. I don’t know; I’m not around her that early. 

Regardless, what does SHE want? When does SHE feel best? What works for HER? 

My favorite part of coaching is having my clients get to THEIR answers, reflecting back on what THEY want, and then supporting them to be solid on whatever that is.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Pictured: a grainy photo of me because it was dark and in the early morning. Getting up at 5:30 or 6 AM and journaling is what works best for me, and those of you who know me personally know that this was not always the case. I was one of those- don't talk to me until it's after 10 AM- type people. Not anymore. Now, I'm awake & ready to go at 5:30 or 6 AM, and I love it.

you’ve got what it takes

Truth.

If you are not sure about the statement, “You’ve got what it takes.”- reach out. 
If you know there is something for you to do, but you don’t know WHAT it is- reach out. 
If you know what that something is, but you don’t know HOW to do it- reach out. 
If you know how to do it, but you wish it could be EASIER- reach out.
If you’d like support- reach out. 

I’m Christine. I’m a life coach. I can help you
~ see that you do, in fact, have what it takes. 
~ determine what you would love to do.  
~ decide how to go about doing it. 
~ make it all easier.

design by Marie Forleo/ Team that says, "Fact: you've got what it takes."