Buckle Up, Buttercups —it is going to be a Wild Ride this month. This month, I am focusing on Gratitude & Reflection. Why? Ok, Captain Obvious... but really, it is because I use
November to Reflect,
December to Plan, and
January to Implement.
That is the full package, and it’s been my life for almost 3 years. What is a plan without implementation? An excerpt from a recent conversation with Carena reminded me of this.
“I love planning . . . . and EXECUTING with you.” back at you, partner.
The link to this month’s Book Chapter is here. I would love for you to read it and comment.
Some Updates: The Book Proposal was not accepted. Yes, it was REJECTED. But as I have shared with my inner circle, I am excited. The book proposal process has landed me here, giving me a clearer vision, and I am resubmitting in April 2026. The publisher has also committed to commenting on the submission next time.
What?!?! Feedback, my geeky writer heart is singing.
Comments, feedback, criticism. BRING IT ON!!!!
Do you see what I did? It wasn’t so much conscious. You just read how I look at life these days. (My process is to freewrite first and then edit; I was surprised how I instinctively reframed the book rejection, Growth Baby.)
What you just read is the result of a consistent Gratitude Practice. It changes how we see things. A gratitude practice rewires the brain and increases resilience.
Want the science? Check out Andrew Huberman. He is the Bomb Diggity on this topic, and his brain is so hot-lol. Keep in mind, I came to a Gratitude Practice because, well, I needed to do something — anything. So in turn, if you need help/support, or want to dive deeper? Contact me, both Carena and I are seeing clients privately.
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So fast forward to today. I am grateful for my community, for my friends, for my clients. Read on to see how gratitude has infused my world.
. . .
As most know, I broke my shoulder in January. Skiing, of course.
Here are some perspectives on that experience -
My orthopedic surgeon —“You can’t always win against physics and gravity.”
A close friend — “It is the Summit County Tax. Everyone pays it for doing what they love.”
Me- “It had to happen at some point, and gave me a chance to slow down.” I have been skiing for the better part of 10 years.
My shoulder is healed, but Thursday was my first day back on the snow. To say I was nervous was an understatement. I had told the inner circle I was going out to the local resort. A friend reached out. He, too, was returning to sport. Let’s do this together, he said. (Wow, I am grateful for his friendship and our shared path.)
On Thursday, as we were meeting up, he texted
“Are you excitedly nervous?”
“Fuck, . . . Yes,” was my response.
Earlier that day, I had taught yoga, and a new client had shared that she had broken her shoulder in the same way. (Wow, I am so glad the universe put her in my class.)
Her advice:
“I ugly cried when I fell for the first time. You just have to get through it. Make sure your ski partner knows that and doesn’t freak out.”
The conditions were perfect, especially for so early in the season. A Blue Bird day. My ski buddy and I had great runs, got caught up, and we both felt great. Then, our second-to-last run. And before anyone says anything, we hadn’t talked about it being our second or last run.
BAMN
I was hit by a snowboarder from behind and went down, HARD.
The border was wrong and behaved very poorly. My PSA on that is below. But here is what happened...
My friend picked up my gear and slid over.
“Are you ok?” he asked tentatively.
“Yes”, I responded tentatively. Moving all the body parts, focusing on my newly healed shoulder.
Pregnant Pause
“Well, I am glad I got hit today and got it over with”. I said next. And I meant it. We did another run to erase the bad juju, and it felt sooo good to be back AND to be supported.
I am obviously a little sore after the collision. But I am not broken. Not being able to ski or being so afraid of falling was my fear. I was afraid that my fear would cause me to fall (bad ski mechanics). Also, while I may be an emotional Pisces, I didn’t want to be so fragile that I broke every time I fell.
Do I wish that the Snowboarder in question had followed the rules? Yes, of course. It could have turned out much worse. Do I wish it had not happened? Maybe not.
I needed to fall to know that I could have an amazing ski season. I needed to be reminded of all my hard work. I needed to know that I was going to be OK. So, thank you, out-of-control snowboarder. I am grateful for you, too.
PSA - Skier’s Responsibility Code
If you ski or ride at ANY resort. This is the code to which you agree to adhere. If you get hit. Get the person’s contact information, then share that information with Ski Patrol. They will pull that person’s lift ticket.
If you are new to the sport or don’t know what you are doing, take a lesson. I can’t stop, or I don’t know what I am doing,” is NOT an excuse or OK. If you are a skier. I will help you. Here is a link to the lessons where I teach. You DO NOT have the right to hurt someone. RANT OVER, for now.
Up Next: Why Reflect? I am so glad you asked . . . .
Glad you got up and kept going!