Messy Monday: Messy Month

What Do You Do with an Idea?

This was one of my most very favorite of all time Christmas gifts this year! I have always been fully loaded with ideas, and this story made me smile so deeply I think my toes sparkled! I will be spending this year using the really great insights in this book.

January is always my messiest month. It is the time of memories, melancholy, and missing motivation.

This year (so far) has been my least messy January. I know it's not quite over yet but its already light years from this time last year.

January comes fully loaded with melancholy memories:

• I had to give baby Joy back to Heaven.
• My Uncle (who I was super close to) went missing, later to be found in the bottom of a ravine.
• Our marriage hit an epic level speed bump.
• My best friend's Dad (from my childhood), who was like a second Dad to me passed away suddenly.
• I was betrayed by a trusted friend.
• My faith took a spectacular hit and started an entire year of suicidal thoughts and traumatizing fear.
• I began a migraine that would last for six miserable months. 

Depressed yet?! Right?!

Here is what's different THIS year:

• I miss my baby Joy, but it's finally like she's just tucked in my heart, the agony of losing her is a memory but not a crushing loss.
• My Uncle, I miss him. Often. But the relationship I have with his sons blesses me like crazy and I can hear and see so much of him in them, it's almost like he's still here.
• Our marriage is stronger, better for the painful struggle to recover and makes me smile when I think of it. 
• My best friend's Dad. I still miss him, but if, I stop, in the quiet moments, I can still hear his voice calling me Jenn-aaa-fur (emphasis on the aaa).
• My friend and I, we've worked it out. We're going to be okay.
• My faith is tougher, pretty close to unshakable (seriously knocking on my wooden head!). It's power is limitless and my passion for loving "Everybody Always" is freaking awesome!
• The migraine is over. Extracted with all my girl parts this past summer. No sign of anything like it happening again! Correctly monitored hormones being replaced as needed and watched over carefully. 

How did this transition happen? 

I took this advice VERY seriously. 

AND

I have a few big goals, a great job, and an opportunity to finish my education. These things are keeping me busy, challenged and happy. Our sons are changing in really cool ways, growing taller than me (2 of 3), making voice crack jokes and we're finally starting to pay them for grades.

If you have reached this point in January, still feeling discouraged or beginning to feel that way, reach out. To me. To someone. You don't have to do it alone. 

But What Do You See?

POTENTIAL is a tricky thing. It's something people say they see in you but you don't always see in yourself.

God sees potential in us, we see it in each other and yet.seeing it in the mirror is crazy stupid hard.

But what if you looked in the mirror, right after you finished reading this and suddenly saw it.

YOUR very own POTENTIAL - waiting to come out.

Your ability to live a life of purpose and passion fulfilling ALL of God's amazing plans uniquely crafted for you. Places for you to show up. To be a light. To be the presence of comfort without words. To bring blessing into an atmosphere of destruction. Having the courage to show

up puts our POTENTIAL in play. Our POTENTIAL is revealed in relationships.

I have a friend that calls me Jennifire. I have never had anyone call me that. What she sees in me is something no one else has. The potential to burn bright for the things that I am called to. The people I'm called to. The life I am called to live. When I talk with her, listen to her, receive texts from her, something in me burns a little brighter. Her POTENTIAL is connected to mine - she fulfills hers when calling me to mine.

Be that person. Live your POTENTIAL by inspiring someone else to do the same.

The Five Minute Friday writers that show up, read my blog, and give me feedback. Thank you. You too are impacting and calling me forward into my POTENTIAL.

Why Live Courageous?

I Live Courageous! because

Two years ago, December 2013 I wrote THIS.

And to break out from that horrible place, one of the things I did was THIS.

Then I decided to learn to ski. 

COURAGE.

My first ski instructor had one leg. "Lefty". 

But then:
December 26, 2014 I wrecked my knee. I was practicing before my second ski lesson with my Love on the beginner hill. I fell and heard a pop. I assumed since I was over 40 my body would make noises when I was learning a new skill. I got up, fell, got up, crashed, got up, slid down the hill and decided to take the lift to the top and try some more. I fell down again. And again. This time he said it didn't even look like I was trying to stay upright. Turns out, I didn't have a ligament to stand on (I didn't know that yet). I kept at it until I hurt too bad to clip into my skis anymore.

Several weeks of crutches (while my Love had to travel for work), tests, evaluations, and an MRI, I had someone else's Achilles tendon (I am grateful for those who donate their parts when they don't need them anymore.) installed as my new anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It was a major endeavor and required many hours, weeks, months of pain, stretching, physical therapy, etc. It essentially took over my entire life and I already had a busy one!

EVERY YEAR is going to require some amount of COURAGE. 

A few big things required me to Live Courageous! in 2015:


I worked hard to rehab my knee, including admitting I needed to do something to control my downward spiral into another bout of depression due to spending the winter on my butt and on crutches. Once you go into remission in clinical depression, it is extremely hard to admit you are sliding back into the hole. 

COURAGE.

I walked with my best friend through a breast cancer diagnosis, double mastectomy, reconstruction surgery, a new relationship, proposal and marriage. Keeping my head (and encouraging them even when I was afraid she would lose her life) focused on God and His provision for that season. 

COURAGE.

I did my fifth sprint triathlon - these pictures - posting them.

COURAGE. 

Best swim time ever.

Headed out on the bike ride.

About to cross the finish line!

And finally, I quit my job at a place I love with people I love to start a career doing what I love - COACH! 

COURAGE.


In 2016 I know COURAGE will be required of me to do these things: 

• Building a business actively cheering you to Live Courageous!
• Remaining transparent and professional - a delicate balance for me
• Training and Finishing the Half Ironman Coeur d'Alene June 26, 2016
• And... only God knows what else... 

I Live Courageous! because I want to squeeze every drop out of life. I've survived feeling stuck and I never want to feel that way again. 

Now it's your turn. 

Do you want to Live Courageous! ? 

What Courageous plans do you have for 2016?

Please answer one or more of these questions in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you!

Can I help you Live Courageous! ? Don't hesitate to email me  if you would like a free 30 minute consultation. My introduction rates will expire at midnight (PST) on January 1, 2016. I can Skype anywhere in the world, so don't let location put you off of moving forward. 

What's your "Why?"

I have wrestled with what to say here, my first post on Live Courageous! In order to break the blog-jam in my head, I start here... 

What's my "Why?"

I started Live Courageous Coaching because I want to help people thrive in their lives. 

I spent countless years feeling stuck or helpless to change my circumstances. I am a woman of faith and spent hours in prayer and Bible studies trying to break loose from those feelings. I tried time management, self-help, and motivational books only to discover at the end of it all  --- wherever I go, whatever I do, there I am! I was exhausted from getting in my own way, trying to "fix" myself and my circumstances so I could feel better about being me.  

And then, I crashed.

Crushed by my own efforts to reinvent myself, I broke. 

The writing on the wall just said STOP!

Which was fine. I couldn't function anyway. 

I will blog about the season that began this life altering shift another time. The key point for today is: Back then I would have said my "Why?" was to "make me feel better about being me (and being brutally honest - to make you feel better about me)". I didn't believe God when He said I was valuable - See Psalm 139. After quite a length of time I can only describe as "re-calibrating", my "Why?" is no longer based on ME. 

My "Why?" is 

Helping YOU pursue YOUR passion. 

I thrive because I am no longer focused on ME. My hard-wired God-given design is to call out the greatness in YOU. 

I need to show up. For YOU. 

Because YOU matter and YOU need to know that there is someone out here who believes in YOU. Even when you don't. Regardless of how stuck you feel. You don't have to stay there. I can help you, because I know the pain. I know the process. I know the other side -- well, okay, I am on the other side but new challenges arise daily. 

Like the airplane safety manual says, you must put your own mask on first before you assist others. Getting yourself "unstuck" by discovering your purpose and pursuing your passion will free you to attend to the people and responsibilities in your life. I am clearly focused on my beloved ones, living my purpose in my home first and then beyond. 

What is your "Why?"

Why do you do what you do? 

If you don't know, I'm happy to help. Please contact me at jennifer@livecourageouscoaching.com

One of my favorite verses is the beautiful simplicity of Micah 6:8 in The Message:

"But He's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don't take yourself too seriously -- take God seriously."