"The time is always right to do what is right."
..... Martin Luther King Jr.

The last year has been many things. It's been painful, scary, never-ending feeling at times, a one thing on top of another year. It's also been clarifying, illuminating, a time to slow down and reflect, a time to connect in a new and different way with one another, and a time to examine all that has been shown to us that we really and truly need to work on, not only in society, but within ourselves. 

It was a year that showed us very clearly who we are as a nation, as a people, as a community, and as a person if we were willing to look. The last year has been a wake-up call. This year is about how we will heed that call. 

We are waking up to who we have been as a nation, as a people and as a person. The awakening has been painful, but here we stand still. It's time to be fully awake. It's time to heed the call each of us feels inside us to be the change we know we can be - the change so many of us have talked about for so long. How will we do that? Let's start with ourselves.

Be authentic. Be you. You have so much to give the world just as you are. Believe that. Believe in you. Wake up to who you are with all your talents and all that you really have to give. Know that what you were given to share with the world is exactly enough. You are not broken. You are not missing anything. You are just right the way you are. There is something you have to give now, and there will be something else later when you have learned more. Whatever it is you have to give now, give that to whomever is there to receive it – hopefully you are at the top of that list. I’m here to hold that space for you. I’m here to hold that space for me! 

As you encounter hate, confront it with love from that deep space within you that holds love to be greater and more powerful than hate. Don't allow hate to take up the space where love should be. Believe in your fellow humans as you would want them to believe in you.

As you encounter deeply embedded beliefs that do not serve you or the greater good, confront them with new ideas and perspectives that uphold truth and goodness as so much more powerful and uplifting than anything else. Do not allow lies and misguided beliefs to take up the space where truth should be.

As you encounter inertia, confront it with movement; any movement in a positive direction is far better than stagnation. Don't allow inertial to take up the space where flow should be.

Build community. You can start with the community you already have with your friends and family, and go from there. You don't have to be a dynamic leader or have a megaphone, remember you already have something within you to contribute, and tiny contributions are cumulative!!

Be part of the raising of our collective consciousness in whatever way you were meant to BE! You've got this. We've got this. We are strong. We are resilient. We are love.

​Peace to you my friends.

Several months ago I joined an online group that works to create community and increase communication within neighborhoods. I quickly saw that a good portion of the posts were complaints and concerns of one kind or another about the neighborhood, or even life in general. Thinking that I could do something to help, I asked people on the site if they would like to have a neighborhood community meeting. I got lots of enthusiastic responses saying Yes! I took a poll of the best day and time and excitedly went to my local library and booked a meeting space once a month for the next several months. I then announced it online. Over the last few months, I've met only a few of those enthusiastic responders. The online complaints haven't stopped.

​That's not the end of the story though, because our group continues to meet, and I have hope that it will grow. Some come still complaining, others come with big smiles on their face ready to do whatever it takes, but all come wanting to help somehow. 

What I realized is that the neighbors around me were really asking for things: to live on a quieter street, have some peace, feel safe, live in a clean environment, and have beauty around them among other things. I want the same things, so I had to ask myself how I could go about being part of the building of what we all seemed to be wanting. It just took a few simple steps to get going.

​I realize not everyone wants to start a neighborhood community meeting, but everyone can do some thing, even one thing makes a difference. Just going to a community meeting is being part of something positive; who knows you might be inspired to build a community garden, or at least plant a seed in one! You might be inspired to march in a parade, or go to a city council meeting! There are so many things we can do in this world to be part of growing it instead of being on the outside complaining about it.

​You know what I discovered in this process? I discovered that meeting my neighbors and community building isn't all hard work, it is fun (we even make it a potluck - I mean how fun is that?)! I'm getting to know people that have lived in my area for years and we've never even spoken - some live right down the street. I'm realizing that if we can do this on this small level, we can be a positive part of this ever expanding global community.

​So I ask you my friends, what kind of community do you want to live in and what will you do to help build it? What will you do to make it happen?



​

Are you looking for a Coach, and have no idea where to start? Well, you're in good company; most people find themselves confused and find that it leads to procrastination. Here's a few tips to get you going.

5 Tips to pick a great Coach:
 
1. Look at the Coach's website and profile: this is the place to start; a Coach that is established will have a good profile and well-developed website. Many questions you might have will be answered there. Don’t miss this great opportunity of discovery about not only the Coach, but coaching, what to expect, and cost.
 
2. Be wary of the cookie cutter or one size fits all approach:  By this I mean Coaches that tell you they have a 10 week (or 8 week etc.) program that is guaranteed to get you results. This cookie cutter type of approach tends to allow little room for listening and for tailoring to the specific needs of the Client, and rarely get the results a Client is looking for. Change takes time and some level of commitment to happen. Look for a Coach that hears your goals and has time in their schedule to help you get to them.
 
3. Take advantage of the free consult/test drive most Coaches offer: This is your time to get to know the Coach a bit so you can know if you are both a good match. Speaking to the Coach is going to give you a lot of information as to who they are and how easily they communicate with you. Come to the consult prepared with questions or a topic you want coaching on; 20-30 minutes goes by fast!
 
4. Ask where the Coach has studied coaching: There are some great coaching schools out there. Ask where the Coach has trained, and what the model is that they have been trained in to know if their approach resonates with you. If the answer is that they have no training, you probably want to look elsewhere. Life experience counts big time, but a good Coach knows the importance of training. Don’t waste your time and money on an untrained Coach – I’ve had many Clients come to me after having done this, and regretted they didn’t hire a trained Coach right away.
 
5. Know what you need in a Coach: List the 5 most important aspects in a Coach that you feel will help you connect more readily with your goals. Do they need to be straight-forward, or do you prefer someone that has a soft approach? What kind of support works for you, etc?
 
*Bonus Tips* –

Educate yourself. Most people begin looking for a Coach before they've really done any research on what coaching is, how it will benefit them, and what the costs will be. Do yourself a favor and do a little research first. Find out what a good Coach costs, what coaching really is and what realm of coaching you need, and ask yourself what you believe will be the benefit it will bring you before you begin. 

Ask the Coach how long they’ve been practicing and what other experiences they bring to the table. While you may come to the Coach originally for Health Coaching for instance, there is a high probability that you will find yourself working on other goals and obstacles that come up along the way; finding a Coach that is well-rounded with lots to offer increases your likelihood of success in your goals.

Most of all, be ready to do the work. You can hire the best Coach in the world, but if you’re not ready to make discoveries and work on obstacles as they appear (and they will appear), then you’re wasting your time and money. Be ready for an exciting time of transformation in your life. Embrace what’s ahead and you’ll discover great things about yourself!!! Happy Coaching!!

Last year I told you about my best friend passing and how much she meant to me in my life. I told you I'd keep you posted about my journey in grieving this loss in my life, but as you can see, I haven't talked about it since; I've been avoiding it. 

In the last few months I've realized more and more what my friend and our friendship meant to me and how different my life has been without her. I've also been reminded once again how grieving is such a process; one that isn't the same with each passing of a loved one and one that gives me a new lesson each time someone in my life passes on (unfortunately, too many people I love have died in the last few years). The last few months I've been sad, really sad. I've been incredibly cognizant of what a blessing my friend was/is/will always be in my life, and I miss her. I've worked on balancing my Spiritual beliefs that she's on another journey right now, with my very human condition of missing her and needing to talk to her. My life has been an adjustment in navigating the world without the ability to call her daily and process life with her. I loved hearing what was going on with her and having her input into my life; she had such a great ability to combine clarity of head with heartfelt empathy, I really admired that. I just missed her, and I talked to her about it. Oh, we haven't had long conversations mind you, just short ones in which I found myself letting her know I understood she was elsewhere right now, but I really missed her presence. I found myself telling her about things that were going on in my life and listening for how she would respond when I needed advice. I realized that somehow I felt like I was cheating on her if I had other good friends in my life, and let her know that. That seemed to change everything. 

Slowly but surely a space began to open within me. I began to see that I needed friends again. I saw that I had been avoiding a very important part of my life; love and vulnerability that goes with deep friendship. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been living without friends at all, but I saw that I was avoiding vulnerability; losing friends is painful, but life is so much emptier without that special bond of sharing I experience with good friends. This time I've taken to be alone has given me the space to see my strengths and what is truly important to me, I needed that time, and I also knew I needed to allow my friends back into my life in a bigger way once again. I released the fear and asked for help from my friend.

What has happened since then has been incredible. The space has grown and friends I haven't seen in years have been reappearing in my life. It's been truly amazing. I can feel the hand of my best friend in this; it's as though she is giving her blessing and showing me love in a new and profound way. These friends have been expressing how much our friendship has meant to them and how they missed it. They've not only told me they want to be back in touch, but have been following through on that. It's all been exactly the healing I asked for and have needed in my life. I feel so blessed.

The last time I talked about my friend I told you that while she may have passed away, the friendship has not left, just changed. I'm reminded of how true that remains, and what love really is. Love endures my friends. It never goes away, and it always has something to teach. 

I'm grateful.

If you can't find joy in the path you're on and what you are working towards now, how do you expect to find joy once you get there?.....................Ashley Turner

Have you ever been around someone so joyful it's infectious? You find yourself smiling and laughing with them; even smiling just thinking about them right? If joy is infectious, so is anger, sadness............. and negativity. All of these things serve us in some way. Often anger, for instance, can be a call to action; we realize we're unwilling to accept anymore of whatever the situation is and we need to do something about it now. How does negativity serve us and call us to action?

Perhaps part of how negativity serves is by merely being able to feel more clearly and deeply its opposite. Perhaps there are other ways negativity serves if we were to examine it more closely. Negativity in of itself serves as a reminder of what needs attention in our lives. If I'm being negative on a regular basis, I find I have to ask myself some very important questions about what I surround myself with daily and who I choose to be around and connect with. Negativity is a wake-up call for what needs my attention: where am I putting my energy and what am I missing? If negativity pops up consistently about the same issue, then what about that issue do I need to address? If negativity is an overarching energy that consumes me, then I've probably fallen into a habit of unbalanced focus.

We're all here to serve in some way: whether it's our family, ourselves, a cause, a career, or the world at large (or any and all combination of these and much more), and we have to ask how our energy we put out serves our lives and those we're here to serve.

 So what can you do when you find that you're out of balance and negativity is consuming your life?

 Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

~ What is it that needs attention in your life?

~ How much energy has that been taking up?

~ What type of people have you chosen to surround yourself with regularly?

~ What do those people bring to your life and what do you bring to their's?

~ How is your negativity serving you and how is it serving the world?

What does all this have to do with my opening sentence about joy? Well.......Once you've asked the questions and connect with your answers, you'll have in your hand exactly what it is you need to do to bring about more joy in your life. Just try it, and tell me what happens. After all, if we keep denying the lesson in what we're living, we can never get to the next step!

With love,
Angela

How to get started on your weight loss resolutions!

Losing weight or creating a healthier lifestyle is year after year the number one New Year’s resolution people choose. “But Angela”, I hear you saying, "this is Spring now not the New Year”. Indeed, and that is exactly why we’re talking about New Year’s resolutions, because by now you probably have forgotten all about them or put them aside. Well, it’s not too late. I say Spring is the real beginning of the year anyway so let’s get started!!

 
Identify the big picture:

By this I mean what are the reasons you want to lose weight? Of course there are going to be health reasons, and you want to list those, but what are the other reasons? What are the things you can’t do now that you want to do? What are the ways that you feel you’re holding yourself back due to making unhealthy food and activity choices? And yes, be sure to list all those health reasons too; how you feel now and how you hope to feel.

 
Move your body in some way everyday – everything counts. :  

Whether it’s walking (mall walking is great on a rainy day, walking the dog for 20 minutes will make both of you happy, take a walk with your kids or partner or use it as a moment to be by yourself and be present in your day), running, riding a bike, or simply going up and down stairs an extra time or three, movement is going to help you in so many ways. It lifts the spirits, burns calories and raises your metabolism – move that body! Start with whatever you can muster, but do something and make it just a bit more challenging than what you’re currently doing. If you can walk 10 minutes now without tiring, then walk 11 minutes tomorrow and 12 minutes two days from now. Just move!!


Change your attitude; this isn’t temporary, this is your life! :

Are you thinking: I’m just going to lose 10 pounds in time for summer, or your best friend’s June wedding? While temporary goals are a helpful kick start, long range thinking is what leads to a permanent healthy lifestyle and weight loss. Remember to keep the big picture in mind. In fact, put up a picture of yourself at a healthy weight doing something you love, or cut out some pictures from a magazine that include a beautiful place and doing something you want to do that you can’t currently do. Connecting inspiration and action will lead to a positive mind connection with what you’re setting out to do. This step leads to the next step on our list.



Choose whole foods over processed foods and eat often:

This is probably one of the biggest obstacles my Clients have to deal with as it seems to trip them up often. Processed foods tend to be a trigger for many people. After all, when was the last time you binged on baby carrots or plums? Processed foods are not only full of salt, sugar, fat and generally empty calories while being calorie dense, they also tend to have things like natural flavors that cause us to crave more and more of it. That is what the manufacturer is seeking to do after all; get you to eat more without feeling as full so you buy more.

Instead, decide you’re going to make eating an adventure; discover the world of beautiful colors and whole foods. There is infinite possibility in choosing foods that are not only colorful and packed full of vitamins and minerals; there is nothing in the processed food world that nature didn’t invent first. Why eat artificially flavored strawberry yoghurt for instance when you can eat fresh strawberries with a drizzle of honey over organic yoghurt you make yourself or buy? Try an experiment; put the two side by side and see which one is not only more visually appealing, but tastes better as well. Come on, I dare you!!


Eating often will keep your metabolism revved, help you avoid getting too hungry which will keep your blood sugar more stable, and you won't feel you're missing out on something. Eating 3 smaller meals and 3 snacks per day will accomplish all of this and you may be surprised how much better you'll feel!

 
Acknowledge how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go:

This is about changing the direction of your journey. If you’re forever looking ahead at the distance in front of you, how much are you enjoying where you are currently and realizing how far you’ve come? Remember that this is a travel to be enjoyed; yes really, you can enjoy this!

 
Keep a food and encouragement journal:

Studies have shown that people that write down what they eat lose up to twice the amount of weight as people that don’t keep a food journal! Buy or make a beautiful book or pad of paper and put it somewhere that is easy access; maybe the kitchen table, or your night stand, or in your car if you travel often. Wherever it is, use it regularly and see what a difference it will make.

While you’re writing, make a note each day about how you feel and give yourself a word of encouragement. Inspire yourself to continue!

 
Stop eating after 8:00 pm or at least 3 hours before bedtime:

You want to give yourself time to digest well and use those calories before you lay down to sleep each night. If you make it a rule, then you no longer have to argue with yourself about it each evening; it simply is. When you find yourself reaching for that comfort food after 8pm, pull out your journal and write, or distract yourself with an activity knowing that the craving will pass with a few minutes of interruption. Ask yourself if you’re truly hungry and what about that food is pulling you forward. Remember your big picture and replace the image of food in your mind with your reason for wanting to become healthy.

Remember, you can do this. Your Higher Self is always stronger than a momentary craving. Tap into the Source of your true power and you’ve got this!!

Be well!
Angela

Are you ready to claim the growth that’s yours, but still need some help getting started? 
Text, call or email me for a free consult today to discuss Life, or Health and Fitness Coaching – [email protected]  
Angela 206-954-2310, Monday – Friday 10:00am – 7:00pm Pacific Standard Time

Happy New Year to all of you! Last night I chose to watch the movie 'Promised Land' to ring in my new year - while that may sound like an odd choice to many, it was exactly what I needed to end one year and begin thinking about what I'd like to focus on for 2014. As some of you know, I am passionate about caring for our planet in a sustainable and responsible manner. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is none of that and I'm going to boldly begin my year by asking some tough questions and hopefully shedding some light on the subject. As I learn more I'll post here, and hopefully as all of you learn more you'll share your knowledge here as well.

Fracking is the process of fracturing shale rock by pressurized liquid - usually a mixture of sand, water and chemicals for the purpose of extracting oil or natural gas. This is a super simple explanation for a complicated process involving drilling and injecting the water, sand and chemicals into fissures in the rock. Why am I concerned about fracking? Among many concerns I have is that it is highly unregulated right now due to an exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act pushed through in the 2005 energy bill. For now, to make a complicated subject simple I ask: is this a sustainable practice, and is it bringing us closer or farther away from relying on clean energy sources and leaving behind a planet that is fit to inhabit by those that come after us? The answer is very clearly an emphatic NO! I have yet to see an argument for fracking that leads me to believe it is a viable solution to our energy problems or economy problems; and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

I highly recommend 'Promised Land' as a movie to begin your research on fracking if you haven't done so already. While it doesn't teach on a deep level the technicality of fracking, it gives a basic overview and examines the subject on a very human level, as regards jobs, homes, farms and the still flat economy.

Here's another place to begin education: http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking This link has lots of great information and while I haven't yet watched this movie, everything I've read on it says it educates greatly. It is next on my list to watch.

I realize this barely scratches the surface of a deep subject, but we have to start somewhere right? Again I ask the question of us: what are we trying to become as a nation, as a people and how are we protecting and nurturing the planet that is currently in our care so that we may pass it on to the care of many generations to come?

Be well. I look forward to hearing your thoughts throughout this year.

In health and love,

Angela

I hope this day finds you all well. I just wanted to take a minute to remind you (and myself) to stop and be conscious of the beauty that is exactly where you are in this moment. It doesn't matter what you're doing or where you are, there is always an opportunity to have a still moment and see what is beautiful about where you are right now. I wish you peace throughout your day.
Angela

The struggle we seem to be having in the country currently with the shut down of the government has gotten me to thinking about leadership, what we expect from our leaders, how we support - or don't - our leaders and who we are trying to be as a nation. I find myself looking back at how we got here and what our next steps might be. Let's begin with what we expect from our leaders.

I want to start by saying that I am no expert in politics; I can only give you the perspective of my own life experience, what I want from a leader and the concerns I have for our country and our world. I see the changing climate around me as needing someone that can navigate through different points of view and help different 'sides' to instead see there are other perspectives and while one may not agree with the ideologies of another they certainly should be respected as having the same weight as one's own. What I want from my leaders is to do their very best in representing the people they are leading and to keep a calm head even when they feel passionately about what they're trying to do. I don't believe I'm alone in this. I want my leaders to be good, honest, caring people that are there because they love serving the public. It doesn't mean I don't want them to stand up for what they believe in, but that doesn't mean I want them to back themselves against a wall screaming that their way is the only way, I want them to instead work at figuring out how we can be one nation with a mission greater than one person, one party, or one way of thinking. Sound ideological? Good, we aspire to the highest!! I want a leader that will aspire to be great not self-serving, that aspires to be a conduit for positive change and looks after our very best interests. I want someone out there that cares about the long-term consequences of what we're doing now; someone that understands what we decide now will impact our children and children's children. I want someone unselfish and loving - that is what I want from a leader. What do you want?

How do we support our leaders? I often hear people talking about all the things that our leaders do that they don't agree with; all the 'mistakes' if you will, they are making. I hear criticism heaped upon criticism for our politicians and rarely hear about the great things they're doing. Now don't get me wrong, I believe we should absolutely look at what we are doing as a nation - and thereby our leaders are doing - that needs changing, but if we only look at the negative and never support the positive what is the outcome going to be like, what is the energy of our nation going to be, what are we creating? Let me use the example of a teacher and student; if the only tactics used for teaching are those of humiliating and pointing out mistakes, what kind of results will that teacher have, indeed what kind of student will they create? Will there be a love for learning or an attitude of anger, fear, polarization even hatred? Sound familiar? How much criticism have we had in our lives for our own parents, clergy, and more? Is this not where it starts? Are we judging ourselves as harshly as we seem to be judging our leaders? If so, perhaps this is where we need to start; having compassion for ourselves, supporting ourselves with kindness while we're leading our lives, making mistakes and growing. How are we supporting our leaders? What kind of messages are we giving them? How are we letting them know what we like and what could use positive change? How involved are we really in our government and how apathetic are we until something goes terribly wrong? 

Which leads me to the question: who are we trying to be as a nation? Isn't that the real crux of the matter here? Perhaps in reality we are still children trying to figure out that very thing, and are struggling to know who we truly are. So that brings me to what I do know: I know that though we may argue and struggle, we are a nation of people from all parts of the world that have come here to create something better, something different, something to give our children a better life than what we have known. We are a nation of people that care deeply no matter what our politics. So on our path of discovery of who we are as a nation, and what we want to be, let's ask ourselves how would learning to get along with people no matter what their politics change the world? How would finding our common ground change the very soil we walk on? And how would learning to listen and care about one another's needs help us to be a better and stronger nation?

Death ends a life, not a relationship.  Mitch Albom, Tuesdays With Morrie


Almost two months ago my best friend passed away a mere 7 months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I don't tell you this for any other reason than perhaps to process my own grief and understand the transition, even drastic turn my life has taken. I tell you this because as so many of us have come to realize, our lives are precious and worth living completely and consciously every moment. Life is going to take us in many directions; some we've planned, some we haven't even been able to imagine, and we can consider ourselves blessed when we have people with whom we can share, process and experience our lives with; for me that person was my best friend.

I find myself torn almost daily between my Spiritual beliefs knowing that my friend is on the next part of her journey and faced her death without fear, almost welcoming the 'adventure' (her words) of what was ahead, and the very human and earthly grief I experience at her absence from my daily life. We truly shared one another's lives each and every day talking on the phone (she moved to Portland, Oregon several years ago) and visiting one another when we could. We kept each other company sometimes for hours as we went about our tasks through the day. I find myself yearning to pick up the phone and call her and sometimes am just not sure what to do with myself not having her to process the moment with. It's a new life these days without her in it. 

So as I said, I'm torn. I miss my friend terribly, and I feel truly blessed that she was in my life and yet I know our relationship isn't over it's just changed. I will figure out new ways to process my life, and new ways to honor the friendship I had for 14 years. I'll keep you all posted. The grief is fresh, I'm still getting used to this new life, but I can tell you this - love never goes away and true friendship is an incredible gift. Thank you are the only words I have to express what is in my heart. Thank you.