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A few years ago and you never would have seen me anywhere near a paddle board let alone cruising around the lake on one.
Just take a look at that bottom left picture of me in November 2014. But the woman in the September 2017 pictures to the right and on top rocking the paddle board is living life today wihtout self imposed limitations.
Why's that? It's becasue since I made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle with balance and moderation, I have lost weight, reversed and come off all medications for my type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol, I feel more confident in my skin and in my ability to challenge myself to do things that a few years ago I never would have thought possible.
This past weekend along with a group of amazing business leaders we had the blessing of being treated by our mentor and her husband to a luxury retreat with insightful, dynamic and thought provoking speakers, wine tasting, cocktail party, catered dinners and meals and so very much more. We were spoiled rotten with so many delightful treats and gifts by our hosts generosity. One of the activities planned for us was a morning of paddle boarding with a twist on the beautiful lake outside the mega mansion that we were staying at. The twist was paddle board yoga.
Can you imagine me on a paddle board ? Let alone doing yoga on a paddle board. I know, my thoughts exactly, no way. I was hesitant to do it and if truth be told did not want to do it at all. I posted a video on my facebook page that morning. I may not have really wanted to do it, but I was excited to do it anyway and I was going to make myself do it because no matter what I am constantly challenging and stepping out of my comfort zone to grow. And growis what I waned to do.
I don't see coincidences, only God incidences and it is a little ironic the theme of the weekend and our Luxury Diamond Retreat was "Keep Growing".
Growing up my older brother had a house on the lake and I spent many summers there boating, water skiing and swimming. But since I have put on weight I don't go swimming as often and am not as confident as I once was in the water. And although I went kayaking a few years go, the fear of falling into the deep waters of the lake and what lurked beneath unnerved me. So paddle boarding was not even a consideration. But I am determined to rise to every challenge, step out of my comfort zone at every opportunity and to overcome my fears so I agreed to be included in the paddle board yoga. And dare I say I was looking forward to it.
But then came the trip to the to cove around the bend and paddle boarding over deeper water. more I moved along the more confident I became and as we turned into the area for the cove and back in to shallower water I thought I might give standing a try.
One of my friends was so kind and patient staying behind we me encouraging me and showing me how to make the transition. But I was very unsteady and did'nt want to fall over so I decided I would stay on my knees even though they were getting sore on the hard board.
The instructer lead me to an area close to the shore so I could go on shore to then step onto the board from the shore. But when I got off the board to walk it up to the shore I ended up in the water and sinking down to my knees in deep suction pool of mud and leaves. The lifevest I was wearing hiked up and made it more difficult to get back on the board and the suction of the mud that I in over my knees made things a little scary as I wasn't able to get my footing because of the depth of the mud and had a tough time getting back on the board. With a little help from the instructer once she was able to wade through the muck, I was able to climb back on the board.
Our group was a short distance away waiting for the yoga to begin and she suggested that I could stay there close to the shore and they would come by and get me on their way back. To be honest all I really wanted to do was get onto the shore and out of that water and walk back to the house. Everything in me wanted to give up and sit the rest out. And you know what, that would have been perfectly fine to do.
But I couldn't. The first throught that came to me was "No Quit" and it kept repeating in my head, I thought of my dear friend Kate, also a coach on my team because this was her mantra and her team name and there was no way that I was quitting and sitting it out. I may not be able to stand on the board but I was sitting on it in the water and my fear of falling into the deep and the little episode that had me struggling in the mud was not going to deter me or keep me on the sidelines.
Once I got my bearing I started to paddle out to where my friends were. Their encouragement and support touched my heart deeply as I paddled out to them. I may not have been able to stand up this time, but I could modify, like I do sometimes with my workouts and staying the course and not giving in, gave me a deep sense of accomplishment. I may not have been standng on the board but I was still in on the board in the water. No Quit! I even got a little yoga in myself, despite someof my poses being limited and little akward.
When we got back to the house I took a picture with my awesome and inspiring coach. This woman believes in me and it was because of her belief that I started my journey and was here experiencing this amazing weekend and gaining the tools and insights that I need to continue to be accountable to my own journey, help others on thier journey to a healthier lifestyle and mentor a tribe of like minded women who are not afraid of hard work, serving others and working towards thier own goals of self employment and financial freedom.
If you want to learn more about my team, go to this link http://www.lindasousa.com/join-my-team/
I purposfully wore this tank that says " She believed, and so she did" on my paddle boarding adventure. My actions on the lake that morning actually brought those words to life.
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