Loving Lately // "Powerful Beyond Measure"

Do you need some inspiration, do you need to get pumped for today, for the weekend?

"Powerful Beyond Measure" by Anders Carlson has got it. This video is jammed packed with some of the most inspirational speeches of all time. The film may be of paddling, but even if you don't paddle the message can be applied to all aspects of life. It is listening to the words that are uplifting.

If you like paddling or would to learn more about it this is great film to watch, but if you are just looking for the inspirational aspect of it, I suggest just listening to the audio. It will get you wanting to go that extra mile to shine, to better the world, it will make you feel like you were born to go out and do whatever it is that is driving you. What is that passion you are striving to seek?


"Powerful Beyond Measure" Paddle from Anders Carlson on Vimeo.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” 

― Marianne Williamson

Last Friday, I wrote about our Catalina crossing and why I paddle. This video captures it, in a nutshell, this is why I paddle. But it also captures my ambition in life, to be a better person, to learn from myself and others, to go get what am worth, to shine. It won't look the same as the person next to me, but it will be my own, my journey to explore and I am thankful for it.

So how did our Catalina Crossing go?

We were the 7th women's boat across the line. We had a great race, the sun was out, the water felt good and we gave it our all. I am so proud of us this season. You look at our crew and we are one of the younger crews on the water. We have a head start, if we stick it out, stay together and work through it all, we can only get better. I have no doubt we will exceed our expectations again and again. We are going up against strong women and great crews.  Here are a few photos from last weekend.

Photos c/o Chris and Cody Silvester.

Saturday - what a change sequence looks like...

Sunday - hanging on the boat, enjoying the sun with my girls!

xo,

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Setting 2013 Goals

This year I want to make them into something I can really reach for in 12 months and I want to make them simple, straight forward and to the point.

Here is a great post on how to do just that on Navy Wives Unite.

Krista Wells explains that we should set three goals, one from each category.

The Categories:
1. Health
2. Wealth
3. Wise

She also explains that we need to ask ourselves, "Who do I want to become in the process of reaching these goals?" and "Why do I want them?"

I think this is a very important idea, because what is the point of setting a goal if you don't want to change, aspire, or act.  We need to dig deep and find what it is we really want to accomplish (who you want to become) and how we are going to do that (which would be your specific goal) early on in goal setting.

By only picking three goals, we can really concentrate on them.  We are starting small and working our way that "Who"we want to become!  Whether you concentrate one one at a time, splitting up your year into three different goals, or you work gradually on all three together through out the year, I think you will see the results you are looking for.

What if you accomplish all three before the end of the year? Wells says to focus on three goals at a time and once you have reached where you want to be through those three goals, that you move onto your next three goals.

Here are my three goals for 2013!
I will report back on how these are going throughout the year or when I do actually meet them.

1. Health: Cut out most processed food. Don't buy them or bring them into the house, look at ingredients before I buy things, look for natural ingredients and alternatives to artificial ingredients.

2. Wealth: Take online business tutorials and put some jewelry in my shop. Make time to watch tutorials and to make jewelry, prepare a good business base, shop, and blog for Craftcation in March.

3. Wise: Camp more! I would like to see more places in California, so I can experience and know where I live better.  I want to find all the prettiest spaces in Southern California in 2013 and enjoy them, document them, and share them.

4. I am going to add this goal because I just cannot ignore it in 2013.
Plan my wedding! :)

Share your goals, write them down, let others help keep you accountable.

Enjoy!

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CAF San Diego Triathlon Challenge

One of my favorite events of the year is the ocean swim I do at the CAF SDTC at the end of October.  The SDTC takes over La Jolla for a whole Sunday.  They have swimmers swimming 1.2 miles in La Jolla Cove, bikers tackling the notorious Torrey Pines incline during their 44 mile trek and runners looping around La Jolla in their 10 mile run.

If you are on a relay team, like I am every year, you only have to endure one of these amazing feats, but if you are a triathlete then you are taking on the biggest challenge of doing all three of these! I find that amazing in it self, but what is even more amazing about CAF and this triathlon is that a lot of these competitors are challenged athletes, missing one or more limbs.  Now that is inspiring and something to appreciate.

My favorite things about SDTC are the pictures, the moments, the accomplishments and the supportive atmosphere.  New records are made, new personal best times are had (I was able to shave off a good 5 minutes of of my time from last year!!), and new stories are told.  It is great to be apart of this event and I am so lucky to work for the title sponsor of this event, Aspen Medical Products.

Aspen Medical Products and CAF have been working together for a very long time building awareness and funds for challenged athletes through the San Diego Triathlon Challenge.  This a cause that is very close to a lot of us and has become a company wide en devour.  We fund raise, we hold luncheons, we get to know CAF staff, we get to know challenged athletes, we participate in relay teams, we volunteer, we walk in the 5K walk, we take tons of photos, we provide, we ride, we swim, we run, and we support.  Aspen makes this a weekend event and gets everyone together for one cause that couldn't be more empowering to me as an athlete.

I was so excited to have my boyfriend, Jimi, my Uncle Jeff, and my younger cousin, Jenna, join me for my morning swim and be my support group.  Mom and Dad followed along with a play-by-play from my uncle, and I received encouraging texts from my sister, Lily, and friends!  Seriously so blessed to have such a great group of people in my life!  Thank you all for your support, whether you came out to cheer me and the other athletes one, had words of encouragement, or donated funds through me in order to support CAF.  It all makes a difference and it made for a great event and a great swim!

P.S. I was super lucky the water was warm enough to go in with out a wetsuit...free as a bird with a suit and rash guard! Here are some great photos from my Uncle Jeff!

CAF Swim start from top of the hill

Jenna and I pre-swim

Me surfing a little wave in at finish

Jimi, Me and Jenna after my swim

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Influence, Vision and Beauty

Both of the these videos are done by Karen Walrond of wildly convinced that you are uncommonly beautiful and the author of the bestseller The Beauty of Different.

The mission is to change the perception of beauty and accept the fact that we are beautiful in our differences and that the only way to change the world's perception and definition of beauty is finding the beauty within ourselves and in our differences.  

She has found her calling and how she can contribute to the gift of life through the spirit she was given by showing you how to love yourself.  It is inspirational and amazing.  We are all here for a reason, we all wish to influence some or many people, but the question is how?

This comes to a book I am reading by Jessi Connolly Be Quiet & Say Something.  She talks about how we need to look past ourselves and our own lives to see the greater picture, to see the bigger plan that is dealt to us.  The plan that gives us purpose and that allows us to share our gifts and spirit with the rest of the world...to make the world a better place, a beautiful place.  Her vision is equally inspirational and amazing.

I have not finished her book and I have not read Karen's book, but I can tell you right now, that these are the kind of women I want to read with, learn from and maybe someday actually be living proof of their influence.

I too want to influence, maybe in a smaller way, to capture the attention of the few and make this world a better place.  I have an idea of what, but I am not sure of the when, the who and the how.  I am for sure still learning, and have so much work to do...but I at least hope I am on the right track.

That is what influence does.  It gives you hope for something better, something bigger, and something beautiful.  We all have it, we can all find it, and we all get to contribute, but we all get to do it in our own beautiful way if we allow ourselves to go out and get it.

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