I wish this was a pic of me perfectly styled, laughing on a beach, but it is me in my bed Saturday morning – angry and sad.

I’m not sure where to start.

All I know is I feel angry and sad, and so I am turning to the one thing I always turn to when faced with powerful emotions-  I write.

It Reduced Me To Tears…

Here goes.

I was enjoying a leisurely Saturday morning lie in, sipping my tea in bed and flipping through the papers when an article caught my eye.

‘Disgusting’ bullying: Boy with cerebral palsy made to lie in muddy creek as human bridge for laughing classmates

– The Washington Post

This story, that took place in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, reduced me to tears.

Deep Breath 

A young man with cerebral palsy, fourteen year old Brett Corbett, was sent to the school office when he turned up in class soaking wet, and when asked what had happened, he told the Principle that kids had dared him to swim in the creek behind the school.

The true story only came out when video of what actually occurred started circulating on social media.

Here is an excerpt from the WP story:

“In one video displayed with this article, Corbett, a high school freshman with cerebral palsy, is seen standing in the middle of shallow, murky water while more than a dozen kids stare down at him from the top of a small hill. He lies down on his stomach, keeping his palms flat in the mud to steady himself as the current rushes past him.

 Then, a moment later, a girl leaps from the bank, steps on Corbett’s back as if it were a springboard, and launches herself to the other side – turning Corbett into a human bridge.

 In another video, the teenagers are laughing hysterically. They yell at Corbett to get back in the water after he stands up. He doesn’t want to.

 “Do it, you f….. b….!” one classmate screams, and Corbett did.”

  Then three more students walked across him.

To Post About This Or Not?

Do you feel awful reading this?

I thought twice about writing this post because there is already so much negativity and pain in the world, and did I really want to inflict more on you through my newsletter?

Of course I don’t, but we need to balance the “ostrich hiding it’s head in the sand” impulse with taking a realistic look at what is going on in our world and examining our own actions in it.

So I am sharing it as a jumping off point to think about what the heck we are all doing with our lives.

How are we producing children that think it is ok to order a disabled boy into an ice cold stream and walk over him?

What the hell is wrong with our society?

And yes, I am a mother of a sweet young man who has a disability, and so this story hits me hard. But even without one of my sons’ having special needs I would still be angry.

I wonder about these bullying kids and their parents, because children as we know, emulate their parents.

And I also know that sometimes despite all good intentions, children can go off the rails.

In my view however, a child by the age of 10, maybe even younger, realizes the difference between right and wrong, so the responsibility in this case truly lies with the teenager instigators and bystanders.

How do they define a successful life?

What do they value as they move throughout the world?

In My ‘Hood

In my neighborhood there is one family who from the get go, pretty much shunned us from the moment we moved in.

At first I thought it was because of my son’s disability but after a few years I realized they avoided most everyone, and from sports teams to the school crossing guard, to the principle at our elementary school, they left a trail of conflict.

As an almost decade long observer of this family I have watched how those children have grown into ‘mini me’ versions of their parents, picking up what I can only describe as, negative and petty traits in the process.  And it wasn’t too surprising to hear that the mother and father recently went through a bitter divorce.

How does the individuals in that family define a successful life? I have often wondered.

It is certainly not through creating strong relationships in their community and giving back to others, and that is sad, because that is where the good stuff of life resides.

The World We Live In

Today our word is so visual, hyper paced, and focused on getting more.

As we prioritize making money and achieving status, over the care and nurturing of our children, we are instead creating a generation of self – centred, callous youth whose only goals are getting rich or famous and and to seeing how many ‘likes’ or followers they can get on the superficial world of social media.

Why did so many of those students film the awful treatment of Brett Corbett?

And they not only recorded it but seemed to have proudly posted it on social media?!

It’s hard to get your head around.

I know there are many decent young people out there to counter those, like the students above, who have clearly sinned, and by sinned I am not saying it in a biblical sense but am referring to the Latin meaning of the word which defines sin as having “missed the mark”.

These students have ‘missed the mark’ because they thought that by behaving like a group of screaming monkeys throwing rocks at a vulnerable member of their tribe for fun, that they would be cool, or be accepted.

And by not speaking up and saying “No that is not right!” they all hoped to avoid being on the receiving end of such abusive treatment themselves.

Superficial World, Superficial Goals 

What they will realize as they age, is that they will carry their shame and remorse for the part they played in this spectacle for many years to come, and this story for them, will never go away.

And for the victim?

Well there are people in their eighties that still experience nightmares over bullying that happened to them when they were kids.

It is so, so damaging.

But Brett Corbett, who said he did as the kids ordered because he wanted to be “accepted” says he has forgiven them. And that he hopes what he experienced will help prevent some other person from being treated so terribly.

This kid clearly has a big, bright, loving spirit and I believe he will do well in life. And it certainly has been heartening to see the outpouring of love he has received from people all around the world who, like me, feel so badly about what he had to go through.

My hope is that the young people who stood and watched Brett Corbett be humiliated will feel true remorse, embarrassment and sadness over how they have treated their fellow human being, and that they learn some important lessons from it.

But regardless I can’t shake the sense that we are all getting off track with our focus on all the “shiny things”, the flashy cars, big houses, the jet set lifestyle etc., because when we stop focusing on what really matters – our relationships with others, kindness and service to our community, we ALL lose.

What Will People Say About You When You Are Gone?

Think about it.

• What would you like people to say about you at your funeral?
• What would you want written on your gravestone?

That you had 20,000 Instagram ‘likes’ at the time of your death?

Or that you died with a million dollars in your bank account?

What about your children, or nieces and nephews, or your friend’s kids?

• How would you describe them?
• If they are still small, what type of individual would you like them see to grow into?

Not like one of the teenagers involved in the Glace Bay event, that I am sure of.

In the wake of this story, I know that I am going to be spending a few days thinking about how I define a successful life, and what I would like a successful life to look like for my children, and I’m going to further consider how I am showing up in the world and what I could improve upon.

After reading this, I hope you consider what a successful life means for yourself and your family as well.

Because I think we can all do a little better.

Until next time.

xo

Eliz

On Social……

On a lighter note, if you want to read about how the movie ‘The Princess Bride’ helped me deal with a demanding boss and get my ‘happy’ vibes back, click HERE

and look for the ‘As You Wish’ post.

The post It reduced me to tears. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Practicing radical self care! -7:30AM post gym selfie from Friday

(*Todays message was originally posted on my Instagram account Friday morning- hence the emojis!). https://www.instagram.com/elizturnercoach/?hl=en

Burn Out 

This is a subject that comes up again and again in my line of work. I have seen so many women juggling full time work, their families, supporting loved ones who are ill or disabled, striving to be perfect at work and home (the topic of perfection I will leave for another day as that is a meaty one!) – all while putting themselves on the back burner. A few years ago I did this as well.

But I learned some hard lessons and I do this no longer! ?

Why I practice radical self-care?

Because it is key!

If you aren’t functioning at 100% how can you best support others?

We want to be functioning from a soulful place of strength not operating out of fear, right? You can only run on the fumes of anxiety and stress for so long and then you will hit a wall.

How to prevent this?

RADICAL SELF CARE!

and…

… for me, going to the gym consistently is one of my RSC pillars.

My alarm went off at 5:30am and I did not want to get up as I was tired from a busy week, and the bed was so cozy, but I thought about how good I would feel after. So I went and took some of my micro aggressions out on the medicine ball! ?

Now as I write this I feel less stressed about events that before were bothering me, I feel calmer and stronger and I sleep better. ??

Exercise, restorative sleep, massages with an RMT, play, family time, things to look forward to, and eating food that comes from the ground, not a box or bag, are other key pillars of RSC ?.

The Daily Check In

So today please check in with yourself and ask what you are doing in terms of RSC?

How are you feeling in your body right now?

What would feel good to you to do today?

-Coffee with a friend?

-A nap?

-A stretching class?

-A hike?

-A long soak in the bath?

Do it!

Put yourself first and watch how everything else falls into place!

You deserve it!

xo

Eliz

The post Radical Self Care appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Feeling like your life is stuck in a rut? Then this is for you. Keep reading to find out 7 sure fire methods to help you get unstuck.

Hello friend, September is upon us, and after the back to school flurry things are starting to settle down in our household. And this weekend, along with hockey tryouts, a piano lesson and grocery shopping, we will be beginning to pack up a few things here at my parents farm, as it looks like our renovations are finally nearing completion! Woot!!  After almost 10 months away from home, I hope to be sleeping in my own bedroom by the end of the week. Yipee!!! The house looks fabulous and I will be sure to post some pics in the next Fullflight missive. But back to what to do if you are stuck in a rut…..

I was working with a client recently and she was describing her mood when she returned home from work. Going to work uplifts her, she enjoys her job and the people she works with, but returning to her house is a different story. She described driving home from work and rounding the corner to see her house with her front yard strewn with junk, and once inside, being greeted by more mess. Certainly not an uplift.

The family dynamics are such that my client ends up being responsible for most everything, walking the dogs, grocery shopping, getting the meals, looking after an ailing relative, and ALL the cleaning. There are other grown ups in the house but for one reason or another they aren’t pitching in. (And that is a whole other discussion).You can see now why coming home weighs so heavily on my clients shoulders.

Rules to getting out of a rut-

1. De-clutter / clean up / throw out the junk:

Heck hire a maid service if you have to! This is the suggestion I gave my client, and I do this myself when the ‘stuff’ of life starts piling up around me and I can no longer see my counter tops. Maybe it’s just a quick tidy that your place needs, but if it is a big job, pay someone to help you out. It’s worth it.

2. Try the fresh flowers cure:

This goes hand in hand with Rule #1 above. Once you have tidied up an area, and the surface is clean place a vase of fresh flowers there. Instant mood boost!

3. Shift your perspective:

Instead of looking at what is wrong in your life, start look at all that is going right. For the client above I suggested that she write down 10 things she is grateful for, every night before bed. Maybe there is junk in her front yard but she has a grassy, big lawn. Her house may need cleaning but it is hers, and she loves the neighbourhood it sits in. I like to greet the morning like this as well, noting all the things I am grateful for just after waking up. This is my way of ensuring that the day starts off on a peaceful and positive note, before I am swept up in the ‘to do’s’ of the day.

4. Start with the easy.

Let’s say you are feeling so overloaded at work or with your life, that you are frozen, you don’t even know where to begin. Start with one small action. If you are at work, at your desk, start with something doable. Maybe it’s calling a customer you know will be friendly as opposed to calling the grumpy one.

Or maybe your being hard on yourself for getting out of shape, or putting on some extra pounds? If that is the case, again start with something easy. Lace up your kicks and go for a walk around the block. If you want to get to a gym class in the morning, pick out your exercise clothes the night before and lay them out, so when the alarm goes off you will be ready and your morning will run smoothly. Just take one small action in the direction of where you want to go.

5. Be your #1 cheerleader:

When I ventured out into the coaching / entrepreneurial world I had the expectations that my friends and family would gather round me and give 110% in supporting this new venture of mine.

Nope.

Did not happen.

There are only a couple of my close friends and family members that helped me out when I was in that fledgling stage, and I so appreciated it, and do till this day!

But I did expect my cheerleading section to be bigger. But you know, people are busy, they are focussing on their needs, and maybe they don’t even know what you want from them.  What I have realized is that you need to be your own biggest cheerleader first. It doesn’t matter what goal you are trying to reach, the number of set backs along the way, or the number of ‘likes’ you get,  what matters is how YOU feel about what you are doing. I have put up blog posts and released work into the world that has been greeted with …crickets. But you know what, I don’t care, because I love what I do, it is my way of ‘serving’ and I would do it even if no one paid me, and to me that is a BIG win.

Be your own biggest cheerleader, ‘nuf said.

6. Try something new:

Hip hop dance class, wake boarding, poetry slam contest, motorcycle lessons, whatever. Find one thing that lights you up and go for it. Go for it even if you feel like a ‘shlumpadinka’ (lazy person in yoga pants on couch), go for it even if your roots are showing and you haven’t shaved your legs in weeks. Go for it even if you feel silly, scared or self conscious. Move through that fear and you will discover the goodies on the other side and suddenly you won’t feel so stuck.

7. Consult a professional:

If you have tried some of these suggestions and you still feel stuck, or you can’t contemplate even attempting any of the above, then it might be time to consult a professional. Depending on your level of need you could hire a coach, see a counsellor or therapist, or book time with a psychologist. If money is an issue check out free counselling resources in your area or inquire about ‘sliding scale’ payments.

This is your one life and you don’t want to be living it from the ‘in the ditch’ position on the side of he road, watching everyone else zooming by enjoying themselves.

You deserve to zoom too!

Getting to ‘zoom’….

That being said, everyone’s ‘stuckness’ is different, so different strategies will be employed for different people, but the above techniques I have shared are guaranteed to give you a quick jump start, they will help you see things differently, and hopefully get you out of the rut you are in and back on the road of life.

And if you have any tools you employ for when you are stuck in a rut, I’d love to hear about them- so put them in the comments, or if that is too public for your liking, contact me at admin@fullflightlifecoaching.com

Until next time my friend,

xo

Eliz

The post Stuck in a rut? Here are 7 ways to get out. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Best Podcasts! 

Hello from Powell River BC!

Woo hoo! My list of favourite podcasts is here! Coming to you direct from our summer place by the sea where we are enjoying a relaxing family vacation.

Hello my friend, how did it come to be August?

What the what?

I know it has been awhile since I have put out a Full Flight update but its been a busy time. With my new consulting gig, coaching clients, kids out of school, and the fact that we are STILL living away from home due to our house renovations (it’s going on the 9th month now!) life has truly been a blur.

But as mentioned I have a GEM of a missive for you today, all about podcasts. It has taken a bit of time to put together but I know you will appreciate it and I am happy to share!

Maybe you are stuck in traffic or you have dinner prep to do and you just aren’t feelin’ it? These podcasts are for those moments when you need a little help to get from point A to point B, they are the best I’ve come across and chances are you will get lost in them just as I did!

On Relationships

 Esther Perel ‘Where Should We Begin?’ https://www.estherperel.com/podcast

Every wondered what it would be like to be a fly on a wall during a couples counselling session? Well with Esther Perel’s captivating podcast series you can listen to it ALL.

In this series brave couples share their most intimate issues, everything from a lack of passion for their partner, to the buzzkill children can put on a relationship, to impotence and adultery. Listening to this podcast deepened my understanding and compassion of all that we humans struggle with and led me to consider aspects of my own relationship with my husband. 

We do a lot of this when at the beach.

On Creating Your Best Life

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/learnoutloud/id1264843400.  

As a life long Oprah admirer for all the good work she does in the world, I would be remiss to leave this excellent podcast off my list. Clocking in at about 100 episodes (so far!) there is no shortage of quality listening material.

A couple of my favourites; 

No. #9 – Dr. Shefali Tsbary, Clinical Psychologist: ‘Conscious Parenting Can Change The World’

No. #10 –Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhist Monk, Noble Peace Prize Nominee: ‘How To Listen With Compassion’

No. #94 – Glennon Doyle, Best Selling Author: ‘The Power of Embracing Your Beautiful Messy Life’

No. #98 & #99 Brene Brown, Professor of Social Work and Best Selling Author: ‘Daring Greatly’ (Part 1) and ‘Living With a Whole Heart’ (Part 2) 

On Spirituality

Tapestry – Mary Hynes CBC Radio http://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/tapestry

The website blurb for Tapestry – “Tapestry exists to go deep. We investigate the messy, complicated, and sometimes absurd nature of life, through the lenses of psychology, philosophy, religion and spirituality. Tapestry is your radio/audio home for all the big questions: Why are we here? What does it mean to live a good life? Will the Leafs make the playoffs in your lifetime?” (FYI* the Leafs are a Canadian hockey team for those of you outside of Canada)

Tapestry has been on for years, and there are hundreds and hundreds of quality podcasts that cover everything from forgiving the school shooter who killed your child (‘Hope and Mercy in Chicago and Newtown’)  to a ‘Door Knob Meditation’ to ‘The Dharma of The Princess Bride’ (remember that movie?). 

 If you want to dig deep into the how’s and why’s of the human condition, and come away loving the complicated family you are part of (the human race), then this program is for you. 

On Writing… & Food…& Art …& Life

If you love to write, love to read, are an author, or just love to hear writers discussing their craft then you will love Linda Sivertsen’s ‘The Beautiful Writers Podcast- Talking Shop With Creatives, Up Close and Personal With Your Favourite Writers’. http://www.beautifulwriterspodcast.com

One episode I really enjoyed was the one where  Linda Sivertsen and her guest host Martha Beck (one of my coaching mentors)  interviewed Geneen Roth about her new book ‘Messy and Magnificent’.

Geneen is known for her books about eating, like (‘Women, Food and God’ and ‘Feeding The Hungry Heart’) but this interview is really about EVERYTHING- food, money, heartbreak, etc. basically it’s about life.

She speaks about experiencing that low level panic / anxiety that causes one to turn to food for comfort, and  how at the heart of it, it is not about the food. Geneen, Martha and Linda also talk about how to get out of that panic ‘trance’ and become conscious of our actions, what food we are putting in our mouths and what actions we are taking out in the world. Hint –  To get out of that ‘low level anxious trance’ look at what’s NOT wrong in your life, aka practice gratitude.

FYI Geneen and her husband lost ALL the money she earned on her best selling books through a Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, which she also talks about in ‘Messy & Magnificent’.

On Creativity

Elizabeth Gilbert – Magic Lessons https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/

I have mentioned Magic Lessons before on the Full Flight blog, and there is good reason for this. With over 200 episodes from best selling writer Elizabeth Gilbert of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ fame, I have barely scratched the surface in terms of listening to all this goodness.

Elizabeth and her guests help artists (poets, writers, musicians, dancers…) move past their fears and find the courage to share their art / talent with the world.  If you have been fearful about sharing your art with the world, whatever that art may be, and are looking for support and inspiration to do so, than plug in and enjoy!

Coffee or tea with a true crime podcast? Yes please!

On …The Dark Side  

I’m an avid murder mystery reader. Nothing too gory, I prefer suspense. But over the past couple of years I have been gripped by variations on the ‘Who done it?’ theme, including true crime.

Serial Season 1, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Find it at https://serialpodcast.org

Maybe the best podcast in this genre is Serial hosted by Sarah Koenig. I recall making my Christmas gingerbread a few years back while mainlining Season One episodes. It was told week to week but I came to the party late so was able to download a bunch and listen to them back to back.

Talk about a Christmas treat!

Season One was about the investigation into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and it is gripping. This podcast won a Peabody Award in 2015 for its innovative story telling and Serial’s episodes were downloaded a total of 175 million times, establishing a world record. If you haven’t already listened to this it is a MUST.

A good podcast helps makes commuting or doing the dishes, or dinner prep better!

And For Something Darker…

Criminology Season 2, hosted by Mike Ferguson and Mike Morford – the Epicentre of Fear (Golden State Killer) Find it at: https://criminology.libsyn.com

I debated about whether to include this podcast because this is some rough subject matter. However, I am all about being transparent and it was a podcast I found gripping, so it made it on the list. I, like millions of others, have been strangely captivated by the case of the Golden State Killer. This was an elusive criminal of the worst kind, who terrorized California for over ten years.

If you have been following the story you will know that this was, for many years, an unsolved case. However in recent months the GSK has been captured and now awaits trial. I’m not going to sugar coat it, this guy is a monster and this podcast is disturbing but like any good murder mystery, the podcast gets its hooks into you and you want to learn more.

*Side Note – If you are looking for an excellent read about the GSK, (written before he was caught but still a page turner), I highly recommend ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer’ by Michelle McNamara. Michelle was the wife of the comedian Patton Oswalt and she obsessed over the capture of the GSK for years, and tragically died at the young age of 46, before she could see him captured.

Someone Knows Something hosted by David Ridgen.  https://www.cbc.ca/listen/shows/someone-knows-something

David is a Canadian award winning filmmaker and writer and when you listen to this series you will understand why he deserves the accolades. Each season is great, but to me the standout series was Season 3 about the Mississippi cold case about the 1964 deaths of two teenagers, Charles Moore and Henry Dee.

Season 2 covers the disappearance of Sheryl Sheppard in Hamilton, Ontario and it is also excellent.

Summer time and the livin’s easy.

On Beauty (Outward and Inward)

Because I can’t leave this post on such a dark note  I’m bringing the light with this next recommendation.

The late Irishman John O’ Donohue, is one of my all time favourite sages. He is a beloved poet / philosopher and is best known for his book Anam Cara (Gaelic for ‘Soul Friend’). I have loved every interview I have heard with him – that voice!

In one of his last interviews before his sudden death in 2008 he spoke about his Celtic vision and how it is both the visible and invisible that merges to create the experience of being human. You will come away from this podcast seeing with different and kinder eyes.

John O’ Donohue The Inner Landscape of Beauty, interview with Krista Tippett –https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty/

So there you have it, all my faves so far.

I hope these podcasts speak to you as they have done for me and that you have an EXCELLENT August.

xo

Eliz

The post The Best Podcasts You Need to Be Listening To appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Sunset the other night -looking from the back porch of my parent’s home towards the peaks of the Golden Ears basking in the alpenglow – amazing!

Happy 2018!

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season had some reflective time over the holidays to consider your New Year’s intentions and aspirations. New year equals blank slate! Wheeee!!!!

I have only started getting clear about my goals for 2018 this past week after a very hectic holiday season and seems I needed an extra week (last week) to recover from moving out of our house and in with my parents -the week before Christmas!- Nutso!  Then I need a few more days to recover from a bad cold.

Now that we are settled into my folks place I continue to unpack and shift things around finding places for our stuff, and I’m doing A LOT of driving, pretty much a one hour round trip to and from the boys school. Luckily it is only for a few months until we can move into our renovated home.

Looking forward to that day!

My husband and I have also been quite involved in the renovation details and last week I was picking out the tile and changing my mind about a tub for the ensuite, and reconsidering how much storage we will actually need, which resulted in new orders for the framers. It is a work in progress.

So lots going on and you can see why I haven’t  been putting out my newsletter or running any coaching events lately!

A view from our family room looking into what was the kitchen and dining room. #renolife

BUT…

…I have two things for you today!

1.  THIS VIDEO on how I did with last years ‘word of the year’ (‘lean’) and thoughts on this new year’s intentions. And speaking from my personal experience one of the KEY THINGS that is required if you want to achieve your goals and without this one key thing well, you ain’t gonna get there….

…AND

#bestquotesofourtime

2. A short post I created for social media (Instagram and FaceBook) about the above Martin Luther King quote that never fails to uplift and encourage me when life or the news (current U.S. President I am looking at you!) is bringing me down. This quote has helped me big time and I think it will help you too.

Here is the post;

Martin Luther King Uses the ‘moral arc’…. 

***

End of post….

Hope January is treating you well and that you find some time to set out your New year’s intentions and dreams for 2018.

Let’s make this our BEST YEAR EVAH! 

xo

Eliz

The post New Year’s Intentions and why you won’t reach your goals if you don’t do this one KEY thing! appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

We are half way through November and the the holiday season is upon us! Yikes- How did THAT happen? Who needs some ‘holiday survival tips’? I do!  lol

For me, the last couple of weeks have been a whirl of work, hockey, piano, costume parties, kid’s field trips and fairs. Whew!

In fact, it was so busy that I ended up putting my group coaching / cardio program ‘The Club’ on hold, which I was so looking forward to rolling out, but I have learned the hard way that there are limits to what I can manage at one time, so I stepped it back.

So are YOU ready for the holidays?

I am quasi ready.

I say ‘quasi’ because although things have been hectic (which seems to be the norm in my life!) my life will soon be going into WARP SPEED, and by ‘warp speed’ I mean moving out of our house as the renovations begin. (No they have yet to start…I thought we would be half way through by now!)

These aren’t just little renos either, I am talking about having to remove every light fixture in our house (with the exception of the boys rooms), and remove all major appliances, and completely clean out the garage and storage room type of reno.

Our pricing meeting with the renovation company is this Tuesday which puts us a step closer to demolition day (Good riddance blue powder room with the angel wallpaper!), and OF COURSE the reno will coincide with the Christmas season- Murphy’s Law!

So given the above events, this year my intention is to be as mindful as I can and use all my coaching tools to make sure December is full of peace and joy for myself and my family, and not chaos and overwhelm.

How to ramp up the peace, joy and fun this holiday season!

Here is to a peaceful and joyous holiday season! #nooverwhelm #nostress #noillness

On that note, I am now going to make a hot cup of tea and watch (again) the final installment of my  ‘Holiday Survival Guide’ videos which I made back in 2014.

I just watched videos 1 & 2 and took notes because I had forgotten a bunch!

Now if you have been a Full Flight insider for some time you may have watched these videos before, but don’t let that stop you from viewing them again because they are as relevant as ever, and are full of tips such as setting an intention for your holiday season, saying ‘no’ to events that drain you, and scheduling into the calendar ONLY the stuff that lights you up.

You can check out all three videos (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh) out HERE.   Make sure you start with video number 1 (Gold).

#selfcare

Today I am off to do some holiday shopping downtown, followed by an overnight stay at one of my favourite Vancouver hotels, The Sutton Place. I am going solo and along with taking in all the bright lights and Christmas decorations, I am looking forward to some quiet time too, some alone time where I can gather my thoughts and energies for the festive season ahead, and for the new year, which is just around the corner.

Hope you enjoy the videos!

I also hope that you make the most of your holiday season, and if you don’t hear from me for awhile you will know that I am deep in ‘reno mode’.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

xo

Eliz

I try and make a solo trip to the Sutton Place 1x per year -this shot is from last year’s stay. #selfcare #reflectivetime #dreamingandscheming

The post ‘Holiday Survival Tips’ – and why I am checking into a hotel today… appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre Photo by FloCombat

In this Full Flight post I’m going to address the hard things first, followed by three uplifting things that I know you will appreciate -so be sure to read all the way through ok?

No way around it.

This past week has been devastating.

I CAN. NOT. GET. MY. HEAD. AROUND. what occurred in Las Vegas.

I watched the news last night and they showed pictures of all 58 of the victims.

Beautiful, caring people of all ages, bright lights of their communities, mothers, father, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, all gone…..incomprehensible.  My husband pointed out that the loss of their lives will affect their families and neighbourhoods for generations to come.

Only someone with no experience of true love and connection could unleash this kind of horror.

And then amidst all this, the news that beloved rocker Tom Petty had died as well. Gone too soon at age 66.

‘You and I will meet again, when we’re least expecting it.

One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face. I won’t say goodbye, my friend, for you and I will meet again’.

– Tom Petty

Yep it was an awful week and it shook me, as I am sure it shook you as well.

I had all this pent up, angry energy and felt-off kilter.

But I also know feeling this way doesn’t serve anyone.  It doesn’t serve me, my family, my clients, my friends, it just isn’t helpful. And all that energy has to go somewhere, so what to do?

I started by channelling my dismay into Facebook Posts. After doing that for a day or two, I still felt sad and unsettled, so I took a different tact.

I did 3 specific things to get myself back into balance- and it worked!  And I posted a video about it on social media.

I called it:

‘3 Ways to Raise Your Vibration and Restore Your Equilibrium’

If you are feeling off balance or despondent after this awful week, or due to any other challenges you are experiencing in your life, then I recommend that you watch this VIDEO (click on the word ‘video’ for the link) because I know that if you take these steps, you WILL feel better!

If You Are a Local Women This Uplifting Group May Be Just What You Are Looking For! 

And for you local ladies (Surrey / Vancouver, BC area) – exciting news!!!

I have a new in- person coaching group starting soon! It’s called-

 ‘The Club’

(Coaching, Cardio and Coffee Club that is!)

‘The Club’ kicks off later this month and is a 4 month group coaching program that will meet up twice a month -once for group coaching and a coaching presentation in the evening, and one time a month for an ‘action’ oriented event (snowshoeing, private hip hop dance class etc…) on a Sunday.

If you are looking for fun group of like- minded women and want to be inspired, empowered AND break a sweat, you can find out all about this new fun coaching group HERE.

Need More Laughter? 

(and who doesn’t?)

And because we all need more laughter in our lives, check THIS trailer out – Steve suggested we watch this show last night and I was uplifted because it was HILARIOUS (especially the bit about the socks!!!!).

You do need a subscription to NETFLIX however to access it…and I recommend that you do as it does not disappoint!

That’s it for today lovely.

Sending you peace, love, light and laughter after a tough week, and to my fellow Canadians – Happy Thanksgiving!

We ALL have so much to be thankful for don’t we?

xo

Eliz

The post After a tough week, 3 uplifting things for YOU! appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

Surf board art at Islands Cafe- I’m dreaming about Hawaii…

Aloha!

Hope you are having a great weekend!

I snapped this pic while thinking about one of my current dreams and enjoying a hot Kona coffee at Islands Cafe, a Hawaiian themed coffee shop near my house. It was one of those mornings where I felt the need for a change of scenery (this is a by product from working from home- you get cabin fever from time to time!).

This past week I have divided my time between all things coaching including creating this video (scroll to bottom), organizing for my son’s birthday, and continuing to pack up the house as we get closer to our move out / renovation date.

It felt good to visit Islands Cafe as it reminded me of essential life ‘survival’ tip number 6 from the video, which I think is a MUST if you want more JOY in your life. It has to do with creating ‘anchors’ in your life, which tether you to, and remind you of, your big DREAMS, and we all need to have dreams if we want to live a joyful and fulfilled life.

Anyhow I talk more about some of my dreams and anchors in the video (below) so I hope you check it out.

Also!!!!!!

I have extended the date of the special offer ($100 off!) on my 6 week e-course Passion Dream School until Sunday, October 1st at midnight as I was a wee bit slow in getting the information about the course out. I put the baking of my son’s birthday cake (9 years old!) before my social media posts so decided to extend the special offer through to the end of the weekend.

#priorities #familyfirst #always

Will’s birthday cake -baked and decorated by moi (but he picked out the candles)

If you liked what I share in the video and want to take this work further, then Passion Dream School is for you! Chock full of videos, audios, meditations, worksheets etc. and I have to say this program contains my BEST stuff and is priced really well. Click HERE for more info about Passion Dream School.

$100 off until midnight SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1st!!! 🙂

Ok thats it lovely, take care!

xo

Eliz

The post Spilling some secrets (new video about anchors, dreams and more!….) appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

And so September draws to a close. What a blur! One day I will experience a calm and quiet September but I don’t think it will be for many years! lol

Back to school, kids sports and lessons kicking off, prospective clients calling about booking strategy sessions, clients booking coaching sessions after taking the summer off, business meetings ramping up, and on top of this typical September activity I am trying to pack up the house as we prepare for our move out and upcoming renovations. Last week,  I was feeling overwhelmed by it all.

However I am an old hand at feeling overwhelmed AND getting myself out of it, and I willl share six techniques I used this past month which got me out of overwhelm and helped save my bacon.

1. Having a meal plan-

Ideally having five days of meals planned out, or at the very least, three.  Know what you are preparing and make sure you have all the ingredients in house. This will save you time and and energy, keep things running smoothly on the home front and ensure that you are eating nutritious foods.

2. Early bedtimes-

During the last few weeks of summer my husband and I got into a habit of staying up late watching TV. This caught up with us in early September when my eldest son was waking up at 4:30-5:00AM anxious about the coming school day (which meant we were waking up at 4:30-5:00AM!). We started going up at 9:00-9:30PM so we could do some quiet reading, wind down and fall asleep at a decent time. This made for much better mornings!

3. Keeping up the exercise-

During stressful times regular exercise can be the first thing to go. However, it is when we are at our busiest and most harried that we need to get our heart pumping and move our body. Since January I have pre-booked and pre-paid, a bi-weekly workout at my gym. This means I will get out of bed and get to that 6:25AM class on a consistent basis.

This arrangement has been working really well for me and since January I have only missed two classes due to illness. When I attended my old gym which was a ‘show up when you feel like it’ and ‘work out on your own’ arrangement, it was much easier to take a pass or go, but not work out to the best of my abilities. Pre-booked and pre-paid small group training is the way to go for me now.

4. Doing a ‘Mind Dump’ and using a ‘Priority / ‘Non-Priority’ list when overwhelmed-

If you participated in the Passion Dream Challenge or have been following me for awhile you may remember these two tools. I had to use them last week as I was getting bogged down by all my ‘To Do’s’.

I took all the thoughts swirling around in my head and captured them on paper. Immediately I felt lighter. Then I sorted them into one of the two columns. Was this item a ‘Priority’ or a ‘Non-Priority?’ Seeing my ‘To Do’s’ noted in their respective columns instantly made me feel more organized and capable and I knew I could handle all I needed to do.

5. Use a ‘Daily Compass’ every day-

The second step after doing a ‘Mind Dump’ and a ‘Priority / ‘Non-Priority’ list is having a ‘Daily Compass’. From my ‘Priority’ list I then take the top three items I need to get done today and I write them down and put the paper where I can see it.

If I am working at my desk my ‘DC’ is next to my computer, if I’m in the kitchen it’s taped to a cupboard, if I am out it’s on my phone. Then, regardless of how nutso the day gets I will not be thrown off track. I can look at the ‘DC’ and be reminded of my true priorities and focus on what really needs to get done.

6. Have an ‘Anchor’ to remind you of your goals-

Keeping our eyes on the sweet things in life helps us to stay joyful and not get bogged down in the day to day minutiae. I have a friend who said she always has to have something to look forward to like a holiday to keep her feeling good.

One of my big goals is to go on a safari in Africa and there is one specific company I want to travel with and the cost of their safaris? Well let’s just say you would not call them inexpensive! 🙂  I am not in a position to go on this trip anytime soon but regardless, I have signed up for their e-mails and love getting their newsletter and being reminded that this is a treasured goal of mine.

Newsletters or e-mails from this safari company act as an ‘anchor’ to my big goal and reminds me that this is what I want to do, and that there are delicious things in store for me if I stay on track with my dreams. I had one of their e-mails pop into my in-box yesterday, with news about three new leopard cubs and it was a welcome treat!

If you haven’t done so already, I recommend you create some kind of similar ‘anchor’s in your life. This can be a vision board with pictures on it that represent your dreams or having a password on your work computer that reminds you every day of one of your wild and juicy goals. Use these ‘anchors’ to keep your dreams alive and present in your everyday life.

Want more tools like these? 

There you have it my friend, six essential survival skills that will help you get through ANY month with joy and ease.

If these tools resonated with you and you want to take things further, check out Passion Dream School my 6 week e-course all about creating a more beautiful and peaceful life. It is chock full of techniques like these as well as videos, audios and more!, AND I am offerring $100 off until Friday, September 29th at midnight. Correction! – Now extended to Sunday, October 1st at midnight as I was slow to get the information out on social media 🙂 !

If you want to de-clutter your world (mentally and physically), get some more awesome coaching tools like these, and create a more gorgeous life, get my fun and easy e-course HERE

xo

Elizabeth

The post Six Life ‘Survival’ Essentials You Need to Be Using appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.

TGIF!

Hope you are having a fantastic day!

I’m talking about goals today so keep reading to find out what my pant size has to do with my current goals and my ‘word of the year’!

Well it is the end of the week peeps and we finally seem to have seen the back end of the winterish weather. It is sunny as I write this but more spring rains are a coming apparently, on par with living in a rain forest I guess!

I am in a ‘fabulous Friday’ kinda mood as I am off to see U2 and Mumford and Sons at BC Place tonight with Steve!

Cannot wait!

I think the last concert we went to together was Coldplay about 5 or 6 years ago, we are well overdue.

And yes I did pay WAAAAAYYY too much for these tickets through a ticket resale site (thinking I was purchasing in Canadian $ when it was really $US-gulp!) but I am going to put that aside and enjoy the show, and for the record I am TOTALLY going to lobby for legislation to out- law ticket re-sales, I cannot believe that this is allowed! What hasn’t anybody done anything about it? I will be contacting my MP this week (I don’t know why I didn’t do that at the time I got fleeced, but will do so now!).

I am also feeling particularly pumped this morning as I am on an endorphin high from my workout at Thrive Fitness Studio. The instructors there really know how to push you (so much so that you can barley lift a loaf of bread the next day) but overall I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

I need to give my friend Erin props for suggesting it to me;

‘Thx Erin!’.

I have a bunch of updates to share with you today – related to my ‘Word of The Year’ so be sure to keep reading because there are some points I am hoping you can take away and apply to your own life.

Let’s go! 

Passion Dream School is Underway!

This week I am fine tuning Module 3 of Passion Dream School, my online course that is all about creating a more peaceful and gorgeous life.  I can’t believe it is Week 3 already, we are about half way done! And the feedback about the course so far has been good. Yay!!!

As I review the information contained in the first 3 weeks of the modules – about owning your worth, creating your ideal environment, and goal setting, I find it is helping me recalibrate my daily practices and improve my focus as I continue to work towards my goals.

‘Word of the Year’ Update

If you have been a Full Flight Insider for awhile you will know that every year I like to choose a ‘word of the year’ (WOTY) -a word that represents how you want to feel in the coming months, and for 2017 I choose ‘LEAN’.

I liked ‘LEAN’ as it represented what I aspired to, not just in my body and overall health and wellness, but in my home environment, business and finances too.

So that means for this new year I intended to;

• lose some weight and gain muscle (become ‘lean’ in my body)
• de-clutter my home and create a more uplifting, peaceful environment (make my space ‘lean’)
• weed out unnecessary expenses, fees, charges etc. from our financial investments and ensure that we only hold worthwhile vehicles  (make our finances ‘lean’)
•  in my coaching business, get more specific about what I provide as a coach and who I can best serve, while paring down programs that no longer resonate with me, or my overall business model (make my business ‘lean’)

We are now four months into 2017 and let me tell you, for the first two months I really wondered about the wisdom of choosing ‘lean’ as my WOTY AND announcing this publicly on social media!

February was a dismal month as the kids were sick and then there were snow days so school was cancelled, and it all felt like two steps forward, one step back.

By month three though, I found my stride, and I want to share with you a few things that helped me stay on track with my WOTY, as my experience may help you as you focus on your own ‘WOTY’ and your own goals for the remainder of 2017.

SO ABOUT ‘LEAN’

Why I quit my gym…

Although I liked the gym I was going to (and had been going to for about 15 years) I quit last month, because in January I started a small group training exercise class (as mentioned above) at a studio close to my house. Going to my previous gym and working out on my own wasn’t getting me the desired results, so I knew I needed to change things up.

When I first started the class (1x per week each Wednesday)  I could barely get through the 45 minute circuit (and my ongoing plantar fasciitis didn’t help matters either-still not cured of that BTW), but over the next few months I saw an improvement in my cardio and strength, so a few weeks ago I decided to add a second class.

I am happy to report I feel like a different person!

Here are some changes I have noted;

-I went for a bike ride with my kids and my youngest said “Mom slow down you are going too fast”, where as in September I was huffing and puffing, trying to keep up with them. *That was my first big clue that I was making gains (I have not weighed myself since January and I have NO CLUE what I weigh right now).

-Last weekend I went in for my 3 month assessment at the studio and instead of holding the plank for 40 seconds I held it for a one minute 15. Instead of lifting an 8 pound weight like I was doing back in January, I was now lifting 15 pounds. I could not even do a proper burpee when I started and now I can do 10 in a row.

-I went shopping the other day for new summer pants and bought two pairs that were both a size smaller than what I was wearing last summer.

Improvements!!!

Why I didn’t care that I irritated our financial planner…

So you know how I was focussed on making our family finances ‘leaner’?

Well in February I spent TWO WEEKS, (yes two entire weeks) reviewing every aspect of our financials- mortgage, debt, investments, RRSPs, RESPs and Oliver’s RDSP (registered disability savings program) AND doing research on the best investment vehicles for our family. (Handling the family finances doesn’t really turn my husband’s crank, but I actually enjoy it and I think I am pretty darn good at it too!)

This financial overhaul meant talking at length to our advisor and asking him any question that came up. My advisor is a patient man and he responded to all my emails and spent a couple of hours over those two weeks on the phone with me explaining anything I didn’t quite get.

There would have been a time not so long ago where I would have just accepted the advisors recommendations and not spoken up about anything I was confused about, but I can’t live like that anymore. I am at that point in my life that I don’t care if I ‘make waves’ (and it has taken me a long time to get here!).

I figure it is our money and I need to understand where it is going and what it is doing, and I don’t care if my many questions irritate someone.

Because I spoke up I now have a much better understanding of what is going on with our investments and the market,  and once I had the information I needed I instructed our advisor to move money from funds of their choosing to funds of MY choosing and in the process switched over some $ from mutual funds to index funds (lower fees).

Last month our investments had a great month, so so far so good!

But really, regardless of what happens in the market, I feel it is a big WIN, because spending time and energy to understand what is going on with our money and then making our financial investments ‘lean’, turned out to be a very empowering experience.

The state of my office

Welllllll……, it hasn’t come along as far as I had hoped but my husband is almost done with scraping the ‘popcorn’ off the ceiling, so I am hoping that by next weekend we can start prepping to paint.

Once painted I can move out of the laundry room (where my desk and computer currently are) and set up shop again. When I moved into the laundry room several months ago I did a big purge of old papers, files and books and I will do another before moving back in.  I am slowly getting streamlined and creating a beautiful new space to work in, and I bought a new picture for my office wall which I can’t wait to put up.

So in terms of streamlining my home (making it ‘lean’) it is coming along!

The state of my business

As mentioned the Passion Dream School course is underway and I am having a blast with it !!!

I discovered the I really love creating audio trainings (a big part of PDS), and this is something new for me. This course is all done on-line which is fabulous as the participants can work on it on their own time, and re-listen, review portions as need be.

Due to scheduling conflicts, I decided not to run another round of the ‘live’ Power Posse group this spring, but I am looking forward to catching up with the last PP group next month for a coffee, a hike and coaching ‘brush up’ session (if the gals are interested in a ‘brush up’ that is).

We will also be stopping by Vista D’Oro winery, as Lee, who was part of the last Power Posse group, has just published a cookbook ‘The Preservatory’ all about her delicious preserves and I am looking forward to getting a copy and taking home another jar of her delicious vanilla rhubarb preserve.

As usual I have other ideas percolating in regards to Full Flight Life Coaching so watch this space for info about more about future offerings…

What I learned about this ‘word of the year’ process – in a nutshell

I’m sharing all this with you because I think choosing the right (for me) WOTY helped keep my focus in the above areas of my life.

So that being said I recommend;

-That you have choose a ‘WOTY’ that is right for YOU, and if you have chosen one, now would be a great time to review it and see how you are making out in terms of your progress.

-That you have the necessary supports in place to help you achieve your goals. (I could not have made progress on my health & wellness goal without enrolling in a new exercise group, or trying something new)

-Don’t be afraid to ‘make waves’ and ask the questions that need to be asked. Women have a particularly tough time with making themselves heard but when we stay small and quiet we lose our power. Don’t accept the status quo if you are uncomfortable with it.

-Make changes if you need to. Just as I quit one gym and signed up with another you may need to juggle things a bit too.

-Listen to your gut but do your research as well. I knew that in terms of our finances our fees were too high, so I asked to move our money, but before I did I made sure to do all my homework so I could stand my ground with my advisor and not get ‘talked out of things’.

As we approach the half way point of the year, take a few moments and check in with yourself and see what small adjustments or tweaks you might like to make in order to get closer to making your goals, (your dreams really!) a reality.

Hope this helps my friend!

And now I must dash, get my kids over to my Mom and Dad’s and head downtown for the big show!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo

Eliz

PS

The below clip is from a social media post the other day (word of the year update on Instagram).

The post U2, my pant size (lol), going after your goals, and more …. appeared first on Elizabeth Ritchie Counselling & Coaching Services.