“I found happiness for myself. And it’s because I desire nothing.” – Tina Turner
If you’ve found your way here, then you’ll know I’m passionate about health and wellness and I love sharing what I learn with you. 🙂 It’s why I decided to become a Certified Health Coach! To me, nothing else matters more than my health; our health; the world’s health.
Nothing.
And I keep getting signs that remind me I am on the right track.
Like, the other day, I went to go and look at a bike that was for sale. I couldn’t seem to find the right address, and when I stopped to ask a woman if she knew where I could find the house with the bike-for-sale, she pointed across the street but told me it had already been sold.
While I was disappointed that I’d missed out, I said to her, “Oh well! It obviously wasn’t meant for me. I’m sure something else will come along”. We ended up chatting for a while and she explained how she’d made her way to Parksville, B.C., where we both live. She told me she used to live on a very small island off Vancouver Island (called Lasqueti) and that she’d worked to get to Parksville since she was a young woman. She explained that her dream in the 1970’s (with a group of other young women), “was to be old ladies living in Parksville!” She started making fishing nets and then began her own fishing net business and then met a guy who was visiting Lasqueti. They fell in love, married, and built a life on Vancouver Island and now she’s grown into her vision of being “an old woman who lives in Parksville”. She was so happy! She beamed telling me her story and I relished every bit of it. I’m terrible for guessing ages, but, doing the math, I’d say she’s in her late 60’s (hardly an “old woman”!!), and it inspired me so much to hear how she’d accomplished what she’d set out to do with her life.
There is power to our thoughts.
Thoughts truly do become things.
We finished up our conversation, and as I was walking back towards my vehicle, she said something that stopped me in my tracks. She yelled out, “BUT…You HAVE to be healthy!” I spun around and smiled, nodding. She continued, “None of it matters if you don’t have your health. We see the difference with our friends who didn’t take care of themselves and it reminds us to never stop working at it.”
If you know me at all, you’ll know this was music to my ears! I couldn’t agree more with what she said and it’s why I will be forever grateful for my addiction, for my rock bottom, and for God, the universe, source energy, whatever-you-call-it for pushing me towards my best life. At the time, it felt like hell to quit booze and change the way I’d lived my life, soothed my emotions, celebrated, commiserated, coped. But with grace, I was able to re-set my course and chart a new path for myself. Yes, it took effort, time and a vision of what I wanted, but I’ve been able to pull myself out of a dark, miserable place and work to create the life of my dreams.
And I am constantly reminded that without my health, none of it matters.
Our health truly is our wealth! Without it, we don’t get to fully enjoy our time here and I have a desire to live a very long life. 104 if I have anything to say about it, and I’m always inspired when women–and men–older than me show me what’s possible at every age.
I’ve been a fan of legendary rock+roll icon, Tina Turner, since she came out with her hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?” in 1984. I was 12 years old at the time, and saw this “older woman” killing it! I thought she was sexy and bold and fabulous and I wore the denim shirt with the collar flipped up, teased my hair and sung along into my hairbrush. I went on to enjoy more of her music as the years went by, and she’s been inspiring me–and so many of us–for decades for not only her music, but for her tenacity. Her grit. Her strength and determination to do life on her terms (she walked down the aisle to “My Way” by Frank Sinatra!).
I was inspired again while listening to Oprah’s interview of Tina after her wedding (to her long-time life partner, Ivan) 7 years ago, when Tina was 73 (she’s now 80!!). If you didn’t watch the interview on OWN back then, I highly encourage you to listen to the podcast or watch the show, below, and enjoy a little time with Tina.
What gets me so excited is the way she talks about her life; about “managing the journey”, where she worked her butt off to get to where she is now; truly happy with what she has and not wanting for more. She worked her whole life to get to these “glory days” as she calls them, and I get so excited thinking about her living her BEST life at age 80. What an inspiration! Tina reminds us that when we hold a vision for our lives, and work every day to achieve it, anything is possible.
And Tina lets us know that “the course” for her was living a healthy lifestyle. Not drinking, smoking or doing drugs. She continues to maintain her physique by eating well and, not surprisingly, dancing.
Health has been “the secret” to her success and the vision she held for herself. She says she was always “on the journey” and prioritized her health every step of the way, knowing that THIS place–where she is now, after all the work and sacrifice and effort–was what it’s always been about. Yes, enjoying the journey, but having an eye on the REAL prize. Getting to an older age feeling wonderful, having mental, emotional and physical health, energy and vitality, without excessive stress and without wanting for more, more, more. THAT is what all the hard work has been for.
To get here.
And I want to be like Tina.
I think a lot about how I want to live. I think a lot about how I want to age. And I think a lot about how (and when) I want to die. And I live my life according to the vision I hold in my imagination. Doing so helps me to keep my eye on the prize, to stay the course, and to keep going.
And while we certainly don’t all have the same opportunities, there are things we can all do for our health. We can take a deep breath. We can drink a glass of water. We can eat something made by nature. We can talk to a friend. We can ask for help.
And we can all use our imagination to create our own definition of success, and we can work a little every single day until we achieve it.
Health is not for “other people”.
And neither is success.
Let’s remember we create so much of our reality and it’s up to us to design the health–and the success–that we desire.
Because I want you to love your life one bite at a time.
P.S. I’d love for you to join my private (and FREE) Facebook group called One Bite At A Time, where we share tips, resources and inspiration within a community of like-minded people on the journey. Join us!
Here was Monday's motivation!
P.P.S. If you’d like to prioritize your health for 14 days, I’d love for you to sign up for my FREE "14 Days of Wellness" email course. Simply enter your name and email address on the home page to begin receiving the messages today. It’s FREE, with no diets, products, challenges or catches…just a chance to remember how amazing you and your body are…for 14 days.
P.P.P.S. Registration for my One Bite At A Time (OBAAT) Group Coaching program is open for the fall session! If you’ve been curious about the program and want to learn the BEST of what I've used in my own life to live with more food and body freedom, then I invite you to learn more. We start on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020. I’d love to schedule a call to chat and you can visit OBAATCoaching.com to view the curriculum and read testimonials.
P.P.P.P.S. Join ONCE, stay FOREVVVER! That’s right! Once you join OBAAT ONE time, you get lifetime access to ALL future rounds of coaching. FOR FREE. Some of my students have been with me since the very first round as a way to go deeper, learn more, connect with others and continue to stay on the path. I love that. 🙂
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