The image with this Blog of my favourite shots ever taken of me because it captured the confident, not-thinking-about-my-flaws, loving-how-I-feel "me".

·       And it wasn't due to just things like working out. Or eating right (both areas I *totally* promote, of course).

·       It wasn't the clothes I was wearing or the makeup I had to don for the photo session.

It was how I felt. It was my mindset. It was my happy place.

And at the time it was new. Very new.

For me to not think of the jiggles, to not have a care in the world about what others thought. Was huge.  And just 'one' of the many, many reasons I do what I do to help other women feel this good - is because I've been where they are in voicing the flaws first; in staying small. And I can help you to feel vibrant, confident, fabulous in your own skin too.

I have been working with women to help them find their sparkle for years now; evolving into also helping women with their menopause journey; capture their MIGHTY MIDLIFE.

We all see the videos online finally giving voice to the aging woman; the menopausal journey etc - and I’m thrilled.  It reinforces too the work I’ve been doing is the RIGHT work. Yet still too many are uncertain, have questions and stay where they are because they think well, “this is it”.

Not so.

Helping women re-define what THEY want. Now. Is important.

Helping some show their power - ESPECIALLY as they age - to the world with pride and confidence…sparkled with some sass.

Helping women understand they are NOT alone with what they are going through.

What do I LOVE about being a coach; health coach…behaviour change coach? I don’t just listen to clients and commiserate with them offering them solace in their moments of challenge. I take them past this. I offer my hand and say “I hold space for you and hear you in your pain. I also offer you steps forward despite what is happening so you can move forward" and….whether they feel it or not at first; learn the power of their resilience at having weathered the storm.

Believe me. I’ve known challenge these past few years and one thing I have learned is we CAN dig deep, take steps forward DURING the pain and hardship…and each step, even if hard…takes us toward better times.

I love the saying “be it til you feel it”. Powerful. Just be the person moving forward until you FEEL in your happy, confident, sassy (or whatever description works for you) place.

And this is resilience my friends. The strength you feel from moving through and creating action during hard times is second to none (Again. Speaking from experience).

A few strategies to help:

• Move your body to change your mind. Oh how I LOVE this line! When we are “in” our head…feeling the hardship and challenge; moving our body is what is needed. Study upon study has been done on how movement acts on cortisol and helps us de-stress.

• Change your focus: as an example to the woman who thinks “this is it” (menopause) and nothing will change how she feels or her weight won’t shift, etc….Instead switch the thinking:

  • Do I want to feel better? (or stay the same)

  • Do I want to live a long, quality-filled life? (or a challenged one?)

  • Do I want to be cognitively healthy with age? (we don’t want the alternative.

  • Do I want to be able to do all I can? (or be limited in my actions?)

  • Have I tried everything? (Or if honest is there SOMEthing worth trying.).

  • Will future me look back, thanking me for all I tried? Or…will she wish in that moment in time I’d done something differently?

• Go deep. As in look within. "Listen" to your thoughts. Reflect on them. Question them. And if needed....*change* them. (Only YOU have the power to change how you feel about yourself). Have you ever stopped to really “hear” what’s going on in your thoughts?

I always say:

“Life happens in the pause”.

When we truly stop between actions and think about what we are doing, about to do, thinking, feeling….THEN we can create action plans for change.

To all those women feeling alone, invisible. To feeling the challenge of the world with where they are at and feel there is no way out; know there IS a way out. There IS a way to sparkle again. Just reach out and ask me and together we’ll find yours.

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