by Taru Fisher on December 4, 2010
I recently had an “ah ha” moment. For the past six months I’ve had one upper respiratory infection after another as well as some other troubling symptoms. I didn’t understand it; I’d never been ill like this. I had Rheumatoid Arthritis, but somehow that overactive immune system of mine had always taken care of other invaders. What had changed?
I realized that for years I’ve been treating my body like it could handle anything I threw at it. Rushing from here to nowhere, pushing myself to succeed, ignoring my inner voice, and most importantly, my body’s voice.
First it was just a whisper, than somewhat conversational, then a shout, and finally, a scream. Don’t let your body’s voice turn into a scream…that takes a huge effort, pain, and lots of regret to fix. Listen to the whisper, and honor your body’s wisdom immediately.
If you are coming down with something (and we all know when that’s happening), rest and take care of yourself. If you already have a cold, flu or any other health challenge, STOP doing, find out what your body needs to help it heal, and take care of yourself. Be present, aware, alert, and tuned in to your body. It will reward you with a quick recovery and a longer, healthier life.
How do you honor your body’s voice? If you’re not, what will it take for that to happen?
Tagged as:
Aging,
health,
presence,
rest
by Taru Fisher on September 18, 2009
A few days ago I was driving back from picking up some flyers I had printed for my BNI meeting when I realized I had more important things to do. I had an “ah ha” moment about how I try to do everything and how it is physically and emotionally impossible. I had thought that before, on an intellectual level, but today I felt it in my entire being.
There is no way I can be successful in our fitness business, with my coaching/training business or in my relationship. Doing everything leaves no room for “being”, no room for creativity, no room for spending time with family and friends.
Last January, to cut expenses and stay in business, I took back the bookkeeping, let my VA go, and put my nose to the grindstone–OK, you youngsters out there may not know that metaphor, but just visualize it and see how much fun (NOT) that is. I stopped going to events that cost too much money, and began to shrink instead of grow.
In mid-August, I became ill with some unknown virus and was knocked flat on my back for a couple of weeks. Today, a month later, I am still exhausted and have no stamina, and often feel like I am “coming down with something”. This illness has also been a wake up call to STOP doing and return to being with what is; to find those places, people, events that bring joy and growth and go for it.
I feel a certain sense of freedom now, and much less stress as I let go of things that don’t serve my purpose, and add back activities that bring me joy.
I’m making FUN my middle name.
Tagged as:
anti-aging,
health,
presence
by Taru Fisher on September 12, 2009
Aunt Gerta
On Wednesday, I had the extreme pleasure of re-connecting with my Aunt Gerta and Cousin Sandy after 55 years. Yes, I said 55 years; that’s how long since we had last seen one another.
Several months ago Sandy found me through Ancestry.com. It was very fortuitous as I had been lamenting the fact that I didn’t feel like I had a family. I was really missing a connection to my Father’s side of the family. Sandy called me at the exact moment I needed and I was more than thrilled. When we were young girls, Sandy and I spent a couple of weeks together each summer at our Grandmother’s home in San Francisco. I always looked forward to these visits because Sandy was such a sweet girl and we got along so well. Those memories are some of the best I can remember.
Aunt Gerta is 87 years old and is a beautiful person, both physically and mentally. I felt such a strong connection to her and I remembered how much I had always admired her. She began dancing when she was 13 and continued dancing until a few years ago when a hip replacement finally stopped the dance. Well, it stopped the physical part of the dance, but she still choreographs for others. She’s a delight to be with and quite amazing.
My Cousin Sandy
Sandy, three weeks younger than I, is also a beauty and I felt the same sense of kinship and love I felt with her so long ago when we were girls playing together. She reads a lot and seems to have read some of the same books I have. There were other similarities and I felt so comfortable talking to her…like the sister I never had. I was an only child, so Sandy was, and is, very important to me.
I also got to meet John, Sandy’s husband. It’s good I brought James along because Aunt Gerta, Sandy, and I were totally engrossed in catching up. James and John hit it off too, and had much in common.
They looked me over and declared I had the Ogletree genes. After being with them again, seeing how physically and spiritually beautiful they are, I am truly grateful I have those genes!
Tagged as:
Family,
presence
by Taru Fisher on April 1, 2008
My mind was racing – again – as I thought of the thirty odd things I had to do; all of them seemingly critical to our success. As I talked on the phone to my friend Patty, I whined about how much work I’d had to do on getting her courses up and running on our online scheduling system; I whined to my other friend, Carol, the organizer extraordinaire, about a visit from an old friend that had created more unfinished work for me to do. In retrospect, It seems like I whined to every unfortunate soul I came in contact with today – ick!
As I listened to myself, I began to feel uncomfortable at how un-resourceful I sounded, how I sounded like a freaking victim — which I definitely am not! I stopped in my tracks and looked at what work I was doing and realized how much I had accomplished and that much of it I actually enjoyed; I could even say it was fun and challenging.
I had allowed an old habit of not being present to what was actually happening sidetrack me from noticing what I was doing in that very moment, moving from one task to the next intuitively and gracefully and enjoying myself.
As I let my ideas and old habits drop away, I became still and saw the absolute perfection in what I had chosen to do in that moment. Past moments dropped away, future tripping stopped and I took my dog, Max, for a walk — I simply let go and followed the flow of what was right in each moment, and it was perfect and effortless and fun.
The older I get, the better I get at seeing the unconscious moments and moving out from them. I really like aging!
Tagged as:
dogs,
presence
