Archive for March, 2012
Embracing the “no”
A Note From Sara
Whoo hoo! EXCITING NEWS!!! I’m proudly writing this post from my new office space, which I’ve dubbed “The Lux”. On Monday, Brian and I moved over a half-ton of furniture out of our home (some of it found a new home here, but most of it went to the dump). We got our work-out in, that is for. SURE. And I started seeing clients here on Tuesday! It’s been a BIG WEEK! I’m so grateful to be moving forward with my work as a health coach and cannot WAIT to be doing this FULL TIME! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!
Let’s get to this week’s featured article, shall we?
“No.” One hundred times.
Are you freaked out by the IDEA of someone telling you “no”? Do you come up with a bajillion reasons to put off asking something because you fear rejection? Um, hello and welcome to my world! Before I came across the idea of embracing “no” and turning the experience of hearing “no” into an exciting moment, I trapped myself in an anxious state of fear, planning, perfectionism, and worry.
And then I learned to embrace “no”. To look FORWARD to hearing that little, tiny, POWERFUL word. How? I decided that I will not plan my trip to Paris until I’ve heard “no” one hundred times.
Talk about motivation! I’m stepping OUTSIDE of my comfort-zone and asking people all sorts of things that I NEVER before had the courage to ask. Why? Well, I really, REALLY want to get started on planning my Parisian vacation. And the excitement behind planning my trip gives me the strength I need to (wo)man up, put myself out there, and ask for what I truly want and desire.
And an odd thing happened. It’s been challenging to get a “no”. I’ve actually set-up a spreadsheet to track each and every “no” so I tell how close I am to Paris. So far, I have just four…FOUR. That’s it. From the ENTIRE MONTH of February. But, on the flip side, I’ve had a TON of new opportunities and amazing situations come my way as a result of stepping out of my comfort zone and asking.
Apparently, it’s time to ask bigger things. I suggest you do the same.
“No matter where you go or what you do, you live your entire life within the confines of your head.” – Terry Josephson
It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this blog post to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it. – SH
Is your thyroid healthy? Really?
A Note From Sara
Hey there ladies and gents!
It’s been FAR too long, hasn’t it? Long story short, MUCH has happened since my last post in early January. I’ve moved back home to Wisconsin from Arizona (yay!), my business now has a brand identity (“the lux”…more on that later! But trust me, it. is. FABULOUS and I cannot WAIT to roll it out for you!), I’ve started taking on clients, AND I’ll be moving into my office space on MONDAY.
Holy shmoley…it’s been a BIG couple of months.
Time to come up for a breath of air and get back on track with posting here. Because, let’s be honest, you guys are freaking awesome and I’ve TONS to share with you! That said, expect a fresh-off-the-press post here every Thursday. Yup, EVERY Thursday. Awesome sauce, right?
Here we go…
Healthy thyroid?
Recently, through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I was introduced to the work of John Douillard. He’s into Ayurveda, a traditional form of medicine native to India. And by traditional form, I mean it’s been around for thousands of years. Instantly, I was intrigued. So, I joined his email list.
And sure, I’ve heard that people have thyroid issues. Who hasn’t? But scrolling through his article on the subject was EYE-OPENING…to say the least. In fact, here’s his “Step Two”:
John Douillard’s Step 2: Take the following yes-or-no questionnaire.
• Are you fatigued or lethargic compared to how you’ve typically felt in the past?
• Do you have aversion to or intolerance of cold?
• Does your mind feel foggy?
• Has your memory declined recently?
• Do you have an increased need for sleep?
• Are you experiencing slow and steady weight gain?
• Are you constipated?
• Do you have dry, coarse skin?
• Have the outside thirds of your eyebrows become thinner?
• Are you experiencing hair thinning or hair loss?
• Do you have high cholesterol?
• Is it difficult to get out of bed in the morning?
• Is it difficult to enjoy life because it takes too much energy?
• Do the muscles in your arms and legs cramp for no reason?
• Do your joints hurt?
• Do you find it difficult to concentrate?
• Do you just feel “off” and can’t really explain it?
• Are you fingers and toes always cold?
• Are you feeling depressed?
• Do you find yourself cancelling evening or weekend plans regularily because you just don’t have the energy?
All of the above are signs and symptoms of a low-functioning thyroid. If you answered “yes” to 5 or more of these questions and your first morning axillary temperature test is below 97 degrees, you may have a thyroid condition.
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Here’s the questions that hit-home with me:
- Have the outside thirds of your eyebrows become thinner?
- Are you experiencing hair thinning or hair loss?
- Do you have aversion to or intolerance of cold?
Of course, this isn’t an end-all questionnaire. And just because a person answers “yes” to some of the questions does not mean he or she has a thyroid issue. However, isn’t it interesting?
I’ve yet to take my morning auxiliary temperature (honestly, I’m not even sure I own a thermometer at this point). Add THAT to the list… But the outside thirds of my eyebrows are definitely thinner AND I’ve been shedding like crazy for months and months. Poor Brian. He’s had to unclog the shower drain how many times? (Yes, our lives are glamourous!) Just keeping it real folks… just keeping it real.
Definitely check out John Douillard’s video and article on Home Thyroid Screening. Totally free. Totally worth the time.
The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine OR the slowest form of poison. – Ann Wigmore
It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this blog post to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it. – SH
