Karen Simpson – The Girlfriend Takeaway
Who wakes up at the age of 50 and decides to start climbing mountains? Karen Simpson, that’s who, and she’s here to advise that we all do the same. Maybe not literal mountains – although she’d like to see the number of female climbers go up from 10% – but step-by-step movement toward the summit of our greatest fears.
Karen admits to have been out of shape before strapping on her first backpack, which threw her headlong into some serious lifestyle changes. Now, she’s not only climbed mountains, but she’s jumped off of them, biked long distances, slid around in the mud (yes, mud) and mastered running.
The latter of these, running, was never her forte – in fact, she admittedly had a “hate on” for the sport – but she did it to train for the climbs. This has culminated into a series of completed marathons and this week’s takeaway:
“You learn things about yourself that aren’t positive when you take on fears and things that you don’t like to do. On the other side of that, when you pull it off – heck, even if you don’t pull it off, but you try – is a big arm in the air. ‘Yay! Wow! I did it! I didn’t think I could, but I did!’ It really makes you feel badass.”
So true! Anytime I kick fear to the curb, I do a badass Rocky Balboa dance complete with theme song (oh, you think I’m kidding).
As for only 10% of climbers being female, I asked if we’re just less adventurous. Her observations suggest otherwise:
“From the minute we’re born, we’re expected to be perfect, and we’re protected like a little gift package. That kind of carries through our lives a lot of times. So, unless we have a family that encourages us to roughhouse and take on different risks, it’s all about us and our self-motivation to throw ourselves out there. Then we might discover at 50 that, hey, I loved all of those mud obstacle races!”
We can all find our own version of mud obstacle races, and so we should. Little gift packages can keep their bows intact and still be badasses. It doesn’t mean we’re any less special for taking risks. It actually means we’re even more so. This is about personal growth and pummeling regret, not protecting someone’s preconceived notions of who we are.
Regardless of your approach to fear, you can’t help but be inspired by this unstoppable woman. I, for one, got on the treadmill this week, and I even broke into a run! Who knows what’s in store next.
Check out Karen’s inspiring interview on iHeart Radio, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or by clicking here.
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As Good As Rest
I crave for one thing more than most
That leaves me in a quandary,
Apart from doing nothing with
The groceries, chores, or laundry
It’s change I love in all its forms
Some minor, few would care,
But mostly on a grander scale
By choice or on a dare
A blissful state of joy it brings
When moving someplace new,
Where cityscapes and brand new drapes
Can frame a changing view
Or traveling far so I can see
The world in all its splendor,
Meet strangers who are not like me
And taste all things worth savored
And challenging long held beliefs
At education’s hand,
Expanding possibilities
For loving fellow man
I simply cannot get enough,
It pains me sitting still,
I always must defy routine
And try new things at will
Although I live outside the box
I’ve still but to inquire,
If change is as good as a rest
Why am I so damned tired?
~ Leana Delle
Sunday, May 26, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number twenty of fifty-two
Melanie Teed-Murch – The Girlfriend Takeaway
Melanie Teed-Murch exudes passion. She’s passionate about family, work, and life in general, and you can’t help but get swept up in her enthusiasm.
During her interview, we focused on her leadership role as President and CEO of Toys”R”Us Canada, and on her path to success. But you don’t have to be a leader to glean a wealth of inspiration from what she had to share. Of course, success is something we all gauge on a personal level, but being happy in your work, regardless of what that work is, certainly classifies.
My favorite take-away from Melanie?
“If you don’t love what you do when you get up in the morning, you’re doing the wrong thing, because life is just too short.”
Not that I didn’t realize this before, but we can always use a reminder. And remember, sometimes it’s trial and error to discover just what that thing is. Always be patient and never be afraid to explore. And most importantly . . .
“Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle.”
Wow, do I love that! That should be on a T-shirt (or a Teed-shirt, as the case may be). 🙂
And thank God she didn’t let anyone dull hers. She’s a literal shining example of what a life well-lived looks like.
Girlfriends, let’s all mirror this woman’s glow, and display those inner diamonds!
You can hear Melanie’s inspiring interview on Heart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Castbox, or by clicking here.
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A Promise
A promise made; a promise kept
A rarity we find,
More often there’s a soft tear wept
A broken heart or mind
Intent may live; intent may be
But that does not fulfill,
The smoldering want or scorching need
That scars a person’s will
To whom we make, to whom we break
Our promises you ask,
To young, to old; ourselves, our souls
Such disappointments cast
Does guilt reside, does guilt remain
Within us when we fail,
To keep our word, to hone our pride
To do all that’s entailed
Or have we changed, have we become
Complacent for guilt’s sake,
To shoulders drooped and eyes downcast
The drowning in our wake
For most I’d guess, we’d want to see
A strong example set,
A follow-through, a moral code
A value system met
But maybe there is just one place
Important whence we start,
Ignore the whispers in our minds
And promise from the heart
~ Leana Delle
Sunday, May 19, 2019
2019 Sunday Poetry Challenge – Number nineteen of fifty-two
Dr. Betty Edwards – The Girlfriend Takeaway
Dr. Betty Edwards is the NY Times best-selling author of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (DRSB). Now in its fourth edition, it has sold over 3 million copies worldwide since its release in 1979 and been translated into multiple languages.
Impressive? You bet, and even more so when you consider how it has revolutionized art instruction and given hope to generations of want-to-be creatives.
When asked if she anticipated DRSB’s success, Betty stated, “No, absolutely not. In fact, in writing the book, I would say to myself, ‘No one’s ever going to read what I’m writing. Why am I doing this?'”
See? We all have self-doubt. Thanks, in large part, to the incessant yammering of our left-brain hemispheres. But this is something that DRSB can help put to rest.
“It actually teaches you how to shut that up. And it’s such a relief, you know, to be free of language and all of its complaints for a short time. It’s a lovely state.”
I bought my first copy of Betty’s book in the mid 80s and can speak to its deliverable of a peaceful, in-the-zone experience. She, however, describes it best:
“What you have to do is to present your brain with a job that the left-brain, the verbal brain, will say, ‘I don’t do that stuff, and if you’re going to be doing that stuff, I’m out of it.’”
And once we’ve mastered shutting that out, we also become better problem solvers. Logic can be flawed by not perceiving the whole picture, according to Betty, and our focus has shifted dangerously too far to that logical left side.
Betty presents numerous arguments for exercising the right sides of our brains, far beyond just a yearning to be creative. It is, as she emphasizes, half of our brains that are basically being ignored. Just imagine what we could accomplish with a healthy balance between both.
And here’s an argument for you to try drawing on the right sides of your brains, girlfriends:
“Women are good at this stuff.”
Yes, dear Betty, they most certainly are.
Check out her amazing interview on iHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, or by clicking here.
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