Go Ahead...Eat Dessert!

Hello, friends! 

Have you ever ordered dessert first or instead of a meal?  I do every once in a while, just because it makes me feel good.  One of my favorite desserts ever is the chocolate souffle cake at California Pizza Kitchen.  Those that know me well know that California Pizza Kitchen in Walnut Creek, CA...CPK...is one of my favorite hang outs.  Great staff, yummy food, and a chill place to hang out and read a book or catch up with friends.  Their chocolate souffle cake (with vanilla ice cream, of course) is sinfully delicious.  Once every couple of months I order it as my lunch or dinner.  Soooo delicious and makes me feel so good!

  

After all, dessert must make you feel good; otherwise why would you crave it?   

I know I can't eat this every day.  I don't even want to.  But having it once every couple of months won't hurt my health or my waistline.  

In fact, I've lost 35 pounds in the past 15 months just by listening to what my body and mind is craving--skating, healthy food, yoga, making jewelry, and, yes, sometimes even chocolate souffle cake.  I feel better than I have in years. So I'm not about to start arguing with my "deep wise mind."  The occasional dessert is an important destressor for me.

"Stressed" spelled backwards is "desserts."  Coincidence?  I think not!

There are other ways we can "treat" ourselves...a new book, a new candle for your home, jewelry, a fine bottle of wine.  Letting yourself indulge in an occasional splurge may be just the mental and physical respite you need in your hectic life.  

Last week was an especially busy week for me.  I had my first jewelry trunk show of the season (okay, I know nobody wants to think of this time of year as the start of any "season" but do you realize that Christmas is now only 90 days away, Chanukah only 73 days, Kwanzaa only 91 days, and Festivus only 88 days?!).  I also had several personal challenges piled on top of a busy time jewelry-wise.  The result: not enough time for exercise, sleep, or eating right and a little too much time for cookies and chocolate.  

I got to thinking, how can I feel like I'm giving myself a treat that is actually good for me?  Today I found the answer...go skating.  After a busy day today, I felt like I still had too many tasks ahead of me and not enough time...certainly no time to spare for skating.  But that's exactly what I did--strapped on my skates and took a short but intense skate along the Lafayette-Moraga Trail.  It actually felt kind of sinful...like I was doing something I couldn't quite justify.  And you know what?  It was exactly the indulgence I needed.  By the end of 30 minutes, the endorphins were flowing and my heart was soaring.  Yeee-haaaa!

And what's not to like?  The early-fall evening was sunny and warm.  The waxing moon was just rising over Bollinger Canyon.  The bells of Saint Mary's College were pealing sweetly.  The sky was clear.  The dogs, runners, walkers, and bikers were friendly.  My iPhone camera doesn't do it justice, but here it is:

So remember to treat yourself with some kind of "dessert" on a regular basis--a nap, a cappuccino, a small purchase, or time for yourself to exercise.  Moderate your indulgences, but not too much!  Just remember what Julia Child said:

“Everything in moderation... including moderation.”

Keep skating! 

Nancie ♥ 

Click here to see my online jewelry shop

9/26/12 

Skate #130

Lafayette-Moraga Trail 1.7 miles

Skating Beyond My Comfort Zone

Hello, friends! 

In my jewelry newsletter this week, I had a quote:

"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." - Neale Donald Walsch

Limiting yourself to only activities that are comfortable means that you will keep yourself stuck repeating familiar patterns, never straying into new challenges and opportunities.  I know this all too well.  For many years, I had avoided taking the steps I wanted to take with my jewelry business because I was afraid of venturing into unfamiliar areas.  Now I know I can actually enjoy the rush that comes from doing something I am fearful of.  Pushing myself past my comfort zone while skating has made it easier for me to push myself past my comfort zone in all areas of my life.

Skating beyond my comfort zone has a very immediate payoff--an adrenaline rush that becomes addicting, causing me to continually push myself to try new techniques and paths.  I seek out new challenges because it is so exciting.  

In the process of 

skating, I have found that I like that scary, slightly-out-of-control feeling.  I feel alive, excited, slightly invincible.  Recently, for the first time, I skated down the steep downhill of the Lafayette-Moraga trail near St. Mary's College without braking once.  It was a rush, let me tell you!  If I add my battle cry "Yee-haa!" then I feel like I can do just about anything.  Skating beyond my comfort zone is addicting.  The fact that I have such a sublime view at the same time is a bonus!

Another way I push myself is with my new Rollerblades that I call my "Badass" skates.  These are more of a high-performance skate and force me to use my muscles and balance in a new way.    They provide plenty of challenge for me even on a flat trail, but at some point I'll hit the hills with them.  Here they are:

Why am I writing about pushing past my comfort zone while skating?  Because that same adrenaline boost I get from pushing into new territory when I skate, I can get anytime I try something I had originally been fearful of.  This is a huge, huge step for me.  

Before I started my online jewelry shop, I had so many areas that seemed unfamiliar and scary--learning the Etsy site, writing a newsletter, photographing my jewelry pieces, and on and on.  I used to feel fear when confronted with the unfamiliar.  But now I have taken that butterflies-in-the-stomach, unsure-of-myself, doubting-my-capabilities feeling and reframed it:

That feeling is exciting!  Learning how to do something new is a rush!  There is so much to learn and I view every challenge now as something new I get to do, something new I get to learn.  I embrace the feeling, because it brings a similar adrenaline rush as skating does.   I am grateful for the opportunity. 

Here's what I've discovered: 

If I'm willing to let myself be okay with that uncomfortable feeling of trying something unfamiliar, the distance between conceiving of an idea and acting on that idea becomes much, much shorter.  

Keep skating! 

Nancie ♥ 

Click here to see my online jewelry shop

9/12/12 

Skate #124

Iron Horse Trail 5.18 mi

When You Can't Skate Your Way Out of a Funk

Hello, friends! 

I'm been so busy getting my jewelry business off the ground...long hours, late nights.  It's all been so exciting, truly a labor of love.  When you have your own business that's mostly online, there are not really any "normal business hours."  I'm a bit of a night owl anyway, and there have been far too many nights lately where I don't hit the sack until 1 or 2 AM only to hit the ground running again at 7 AM.  Here is a new piece I just finished:


Normally, skating is a great way for me to deal with stress.  I've come to count on this regular exercise to keep my mind calm, my moods happy, and my energy level high.  

Last Saturday after too many late nights in a row, I woke up in a funk.  The weather had turned cold, I had a bit of a sinus headache, and I just felt blah...not just body blah, but mentally blah as well.  Full-blown funkiness.  I didn't really feel like skating, but I made myself go anyway.  I was hoping it would lift my spirits and put me back on track.   


Because the weather felt so chilly, I even got out my silly snowman socks to at least give my feet a chuckle:

I managed a short 30-minute skate on the Lafayette Moraga trail, usually one of my favorite skates.  Here's my view of St. Mary's College as I skate:

Besides the view, the uphill sections are usually just the thing to get my endorphins cranking, the downhills just exciting enough to give myself a bit of an adrenaline rush.  A hilly skate is usually just the thing to turn a funky mood around.  But not this time.  




So, if skating wasn't going to banish the funk, what would?  I tried the following:

• a nap

• a night out with friends Liz and Scott at Prima in Walnut Creek (a belated thank you for them rescuing us from a jam when we were out of town in the spring)

• quarreling with my daughter (haha...didn't really think this would work, but somehow that's where we ended up!)

• a friend's light-hearted incantation attempting to banish the funk 

• meditating

Everything helped a little bit, but nothing quite eliminated that dark-cloud-over-my-head feeling.  What to do?  Where were the negative thoughts coming from?  Why was my inner critic (I call him "Joey Nickels") screaming so loudly while my inner goddess ("NamiZuni") wasn't uttering a peep?

Finally, I stopped trying to fight it.  As soon as I did that I realized that I had just been pushing my body to do too much with too little sleep for too many days in a row.  A large part of me was just physically exhausted and it was showing up in my mood.  I gave up on fighting the bad mood and realized that it was just my body's way of saying, "Um, hello...you're not really doing so hot at taking care of me right now...how about paying attention?"  

Once I realized the source of my funk, I realized that I could interpret it a different way.  I didn't need to give the negative thoughts any real weight.  No cosmic significance to the negative chatter, just my body trying to tell me what it needed.

Sunday morning I woke up with a fresh new outlook.  Sunday morning yoga class with husband Marty, hanging out at Starbucks with our favorite "stalkers" Marie and Ken, and a fun family dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, Swagat in Concord.

The next day when I hit the trail in Moraga, I was skating with a new attitude.  It's funny how when your attitude is positive, all sorts of guidance, wisdom, and even entertainment comes your way.  Here is a picture of the wild exercise shoes a woman was "running" on the trail with:

Click here for the official Kangoo Jumps web site

They are called "Kangoo Jumps" and look like running on the moon.  They looked so fun, they made me laugh.  I think I might need to get a pair for a change of pace from skating.  Thank you, stranger, who let me photograph you in your cool footwear!

Click here to see a video of them in action

Keep skating!  (But don't forget the other self-care as well.) 

Nancie ♥ 

Click here to read my jewelry newsletter

9/5/12 

Skate #120

Iron Horse Trail 5.43 mi

Skating Your Way to Bliss

Hello, friends! 

This week has been an incredibly exciting week for me.  As many of you know, I sent out my first email newsletter announcing the opening of my online jewelry shop.  

Click here to see my jewelry shop, NamiZuni Jewelry Design 

The newsletter took me far longer than I thought possible, requiring me to learn a bit of HTML in the process (which was much more than I really wanted to know!).  But I know it's all personal growth!  It has been my dream for more than 5 years to have my jewelry available online.  So, having that dream come to fruition in a big way has made me feel like I am exactly where I should be.  An amazing feeling!

How does this relate to skating, you may ask.  Well, it made me think about self care and what we each do that helps us feel happy, grounded, and at peace during what can be stressful times (for even positive change can be stressful).  For me, an essential component of keeping myself mentally on track is to go skating.  So, even though I did not find time to blog about skating this week, rest assured that I made sure I found the time to skate.  

This last week, I skated 6 out of 7 days (rested today and instead had lunch at Corners Tavern in Walnut Creek with husband Marty and, by chance, friends Marie and Ken--just what I needed to have fun and relax).  But I know I'm truly addicted to skating when there are days I actually contemplate going a second time in the same day!  I know, some of you think I'm mental.

Here's what I get out of skating:

1. Endorphins:  I think the more you exercise, the better you are at finding that zone where you are optimizing the endorphin production in your brain...the best natural drug around!

2. Calm: I feel so much more resilient to handle problems if I'm skating regularly.

3. Joy: I smile almost the entire time, even when working my tail off skating uphill into a headwind.  It is one of the happiest time of my day (haha...okay, I know, the endorphins, but it's more than that).  On the downhills, I literally am dancing down the hill.  Such childlike exuberance!

4. Energy: the more I exercise, the better my body feels.

5. Insight: I've started writing ideas down in the "Notes" app on my iPhone as I skate, because the most amazing flashes just leap unbidden into my consciousness as I roll along the trail.  For instance, I often think of jewelry pieces I want to create, ideas for my jewelry newsletter, even the idea to create this blog came to me while skating...so many, many bits of inspiration.  

Recently, while I was skating, I had the thought that I'd like to show a jewelry piece from beginning to end and document it in my newsletter week by week (see the first photo below, which was in my first e-newsletter).  I just try to listen and honor the messages my deep wise mind sends my way, even if I don't immediately know what the message means.

Some beads on my bench that are calling out for me to create a new piece.
I think they will become a necklace, but don't hold me to it!

I know these are not new ideas to those of you that would consider themselves athletes.  My friend Tricia, for instance, has transformed her life as she's gotten into running over the last couple of years--it is so inspiring.  I consider her an athlete.  As for me, until about 7 months ago I would never have considered thought that way about myself.  Sure, at times I've been regular at exercise, but something has now changed in my brain and I no longer consider exercise optional, particularly joyous exercise.  Feels pretty darn good, I have to say.

I hope that you also have something in your life you enjoy and depend on like I do skating, especially as you go through tumultuous times.  If you have something like that, bravo and keep it up!  If you feel like that part of your life is is somehow missing in action, give something new a try!  If you think inline skating might be that thing for you, leave me a message here and maybe we meet up on the trail. 

Keep skating! 

Nancie ♥ 

Click here to read my newsletter


P.S. I think in my next blog, I'll have to explain who NamiZuni is and why my jewelry business has that name!

8/24/12 

Skate #113

Lafayette-Moraga Trail 2.8 mi

5 Ways to Shake up Your Routine

Hello, friends! 

My son's driving instructor advised him to take a different route every time he drives to prevent Alzheimer's; now that my son has his license, he seeks out different directions and unfamiliar streets.  I don't know about his instructor's claim that it will prevent dementia in later years, but I strongly agree in the need to stimulate our brains.  As we age,  most of us have the tendency to settle in to familiar, safe routines, to fossilize a bit.  

Here are 5 ways that I try to shake up my routine:

1. Try a different route

Like my son's driving instructor, I try to explore different trails, different terrain.  Sometimes it can be as simple as parking at the opposite end of my trail and doing it in the opposite direction.  Sometimes it can be going off the trail and onto the street.  

2. Change your equipment

Recently, my sister gave me a pair of skates that no longer fit her.  I had been used to my 10-year-old pair that I call "Old Faithful."  These new skates were a different brand, different style, different sized wheels.  The first time I used them, it felt so awkward.  Now they don't, but they still feel different.  I have to use slightly different muscles.  My balance has to be adjusted.  I have to brake differently.  They stretch my abilities.  I love that about them.

3. Learn a new technique

I've used the same technique for years when going over bumps and curbs.  I try to relax and usually step from one skate to the other, in effect, stepping over the obstacle.  A few weeks ago I wondered if I could instead lift my body up out of my skates, in other words, "jump" over the obstacle.  Lest you think I'm trying some Evel Knievel or Tony Hawk maneuvers, let me assure you that I am not!  My wheels may not even leave the pavement, but I skate easily over the obstacles because my weight is not pressing down on the wheels.  I'm continuing to practice and practice this.  Who knows, maybe at some point you will see me clearing hurdles!

4. Push yourself a bit farther than you thought was your limit

Skate further, skate faster, skate on a day when you think you may not feel like it.  All of it helps train your brain that you are not locked into your preconceived limitations.

5. Look at obstacles as opportunities

Look obstacles not as messages that you cannot or should not do something, but instead as an indication that you need to change something: ice that sore knee, try changing your equipment, try a different technique, persevere through a challenge.  As my business coach Joan Silva says (Your Money Dream), the biggest frustration comes right before a fantastic breakthrough.  

All of this is to say that the more you apply these techniques to one aspect in your life (in my case, skating), the more you can implement growth into other parts of your life.  As I get better at skating and better at shaking up my skating routine, the more I feel comfortable stretching myself into all my endeavors--my jewelry business, my relationships, other goals and challenges.

Try picking one of these techniques in your day-to-day life...even if it's just taking a different route driving to the store!

Here's my goal while skating:  in 10 years, I want people to see me zooming by them on the hills and comment, "Wow, that old broad is still skating!"


Keep skating! 
Nancie ♥ 



 P.S. Here's the jewelry I was wearing while skating:

These earrings are super light, recycled paper beads that women in Uganda make.  The sale of their beads help these women and their families succeed.  In addition, I donate 10% of the purchase price to Kiva and other organizations that help women around the world lift themselves out of poverty.

Click here to visit my "Beads for Hope" section of my on-line shop

Click here to visit Kiva.org



8/17/12 
Skate #106
Lafayette-Moraga Trail 5.0 mi

Rumble Strips...Conquered!

Hello, friends!

You know those little yellow bumpy strips they have at intersections?  They look like Lego dots with more rounded tops.  I call them rumble strips, but they are formally called "detectable warning surfaces."  Usually yellow, but occasionally red in some areas, they are designed to meet Federal Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The bright color combined with the raised bumps allows walkers and bicyclists of all abilities to have a better idea of where the sidewalk transitions to a road.  They apparently are also designed to thwart easy crossing of streets by skaters!

Here is a picture of the new, extra bumpy strips that were recently installed on my favorite trail:

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but the strips are installed nicely parallel with the road, but not necessarily with the path.  That means when I skate across them, I get a very bumpy, very insecure ride.  Not what I'm going for when I'm also negotiating traffic and a bumpier surface on the roadway.

For weeks, I've been slowing down almost to a stop and then gingerly pick my way across the strip.  My other option is to try to skate around, but as you can see, there's not much room.  

This week I decided I needed a new approach, an opportunity for growth, if you will (trying to look for growth instead of annoyance).  First, I paid attention to how I could hold my body differently: if I stopped fighting the dots and let myself feel light in my skates, the vibration was less.  Then I tried having a bit more speed: the skates floated across more easily.  Finally, my aha moment brought it all together: if I skated parallel with the dots (which required me to skate not straight across the street but at an angle), my skates naturally found the grooves between the dots.  Voila!  

That's one thing I love about skating--always something new to learn that also teaches me lessons about other parts of my life.  If I go with the flow, relax, stay centered, be willing to try a new approach, and not be so afraid of "what if," I more easily glide over the obstacles in my path.

Next blog: how installing my new wheels and brakes allowed me to turn 3 fairly serviceable pairs of skates into zero pairs of skates.  

Keep skating!
Nancie  ♥


P.S. If you want to see the jewelry I was wearing while skating, here it is.  (Yes, I even wear nice pieces when I get hot and sweaty!  I like pretty things and peridot is August's birthstone.)

Click here to visit my on-line jewelry shop

Peridot and Sterling Silver Necklace

8/15/12
Skate #105
Lafayette-Moraga Trail
5.2 mi

Head in the Clouds

Hello, friends!

What does the universe do when you have your head too far in the clouds?  Why, bring you back down to earth just a little bit!

After a day off from skating yesterday, I happily hit the Lafayette-Moraga Trail early this morning.  My mood was sunny, dreamy, a bit romantic.  Here's the song by Naturally 7 that I was listening to, which fit my mood perfectly:

Gone with the Wind by Naturally 7:

Gone With the Wind
(#LoveLustandLonging, song #3)

(Tie in to Song #2, Sway by Michael Buble: Naturally 7 opened for Michael Buble during his 2010 tour.  Naturally 7 makes every sound with just their mouths and hands...not a gimmick, just good music, but impressive when you stop and think that the music is totally a cappella.)

After strapping on my gear (no socks, you'd think my last blog about preparation would have had a better effect on me), I stepped carefully through the new extra-thick layer of gravel that was just added to the parking area, and I stepped onto the trail, thinking how gracefully I had negotiated the walk through the gravel.

Without realizing what happened, I found myself sitting on the pavement.  I wasn't hurt, just surprised to find myself at ground level.  I'm not sure even how I fell.  I dusted off my pride and stood up again.  Whoom, back on the pavement.  A little chuckle at myself, another pride dusting, and I hoisted myself back to standing again.  

A bit of dreaminess is a wonderful thing (and I do enjoy my dreamy side), but skating reminds me to also stay centered and solidly in my body as well.  It's all about balance.

Keep skating!
Nancie  ♥

Shameless plug, here are the earrings I was wearing while skating...no socks, mind you, but I did remember to look good!

Turquoise teardrops and sterling silver

8/13/12
Skate #103
Lafayette-Moraga Trail
4.5 mi