Derailed

Two weeks ago, my family and I went on a long-awaited trip to Disney World. This trip was really a big deal. We had scheduled the trip for nearly a year ago, but had to postpone it when Grant’s tumor was discovered. His tumor was found on a Monday; we were to have departed for Florida that Friday. So once Grant finished chemo and was doing well, we decided to make the trip.

We went to the happiest place on earth along with nine other family members and played hard. We rode the rides, watched the parade, enjoyed some treats, met some characters, danced on Main Street USA and got wet on Splash Mountain – and that was just one day of the trip!

In spite of the fun we had, it has taken me two weeks to recover from this trip! I realize that vacation tends to throw one off-kilter in terms of the normal cadence of their routine, but this was a bit extreme. When we returned from FL and perhaps before we even departed, I felt incredibly imbalanced, anxious and out of sorts. I felt this imbalance physically, emotionally and spiritually. My train of balance and centering had truly derailed.

While on the trip, I thought I was doing a good job of keeping some of this balance intact; I was doing daily yoga and making mostly healthy choices when dining. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to keep me chugging along in my happy zone. Too much food (although mostly healthy), too much wine, too much caffeine, too much stimulation (not enough downtime or introspection) and a complete disruption to my circadian rhythm all led to the derailment.

I’ve taken lots of trips before and played similarly or even harder, but hadn’t experienced quite this significant of a derailment. What changed? What was different this time?

Perhaps it was due to my aging self. I fully recognize I am not 29 anymore…nor do I care to go back to that age. I like myself and my life better now than I did then. I am continuously creating the life I want to live.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that I’m healthier now than ever before and this deviation from the norm created a more acute recognition of the changes?

Perhaps it was just clear feedback from my body, mind and spirit saying “I don’t like what you’re doing to me! This isn’t good for any of us. Stop!!”

All in all, this derailment has reinforced to me the delicate balance between my mind, body and spirit. While I do have room and flexibility to push or stretch in these areas at times, I clearly pushed too hard and too far while on vacation. This experience has also shown me once again how intertwined these three parts of myself are. If one is out of balance, the others easily and soon follow.

Now that I’m back chugging along in the land of Homeostasis, I am grateful that my mind, body and spirit communicated the imbalance. Next time, I’ll be more mindful of the potential impact of my activities and actions (or lack thereof).

When you look at your own train of life, what needs adjustment to keep you on track? To what degree is your train chugging along toward Homeostasis?

Tigger and Tracy

Recently I was encouraged to bring more of my “inner Tigger” to my life. Yes, I’m talking about that lovable, playful, sometimes annoying, bouncy friend of Pooh. Curious about what that might look like; I decided to explore it here related to three elements that call me forward – leadership, balance and inspiration.

So join me on this wonderful, magical exploration…

The first question that came to mind is: how would Tigger lead? Tigger would joyfully engage his friends on some type of adventure – one that brings out the best in everyone. The Hundred Acre Wood would forever be changed. He would lead with a smile on his face and bouncing the entire way, but with compassion and care for his friends.

How would Tigger inspire? His own lust for a playful life would spread like wildfire. That energy would spill from one person to the next. What would Tigger do to inspire his friends and others? His energy would be a visible and audible invitation for others to join him in his play.

And how would Tigger stay balanced? Tiggers require great physical prowess to be able to bounce and playfully pounce. Without Tigger’s attention to physical strength, he would lose these trademark abilities. He likely takes lots of catnaps too.

So if I adopted Tigger’s approach on these three elements, what might they look like in my life?

As a leader, it sounds like I need some type of a fabulous adventure! Or maybe it’s just shifting the way I see my current life. I’ve recently started coaching multiple clients and I’m really enjoying it. I feel like I’m on a fabulous adventure with each of them, supporting each as they are creating their ideal life. Fun is definitely present here; maybe I just need to pull it out a bit more. Not only is the journey with my clients a fabulous adventure, I need to remind myself that the life I’m creating for myself is too! A delicious journey for all!

On the balance front, I’m doing pretty well although my pendulum does swing between the two sides. I’m doing daily yoga and run every other day. What more might I do to gain more physical balance? Get more sleep, kick the sugar habit (or at least move past the temporary sweet tooth), and get back on track with more fresh fruits. Maybe I need to take more cat naps. That’s what Tigger would do.

And finally, how might I bring out the inner Tigger more from an inspirational side? I’d embrace my own lust for life and joy in whatever adventure might be in front of me. I’d let go of my worry and replace it with curiosity and wide-eyed wonder. The inspiration that results will come from authentic actions and not from a forced message.


I’m inviting these Tiggerish facets of living into my day-to-day. I shared with my husband yesterday that I’d like to do as such. I confessed to him that perhaps I’ve taken my job and myself too seriously in the past. He nearly drove off the road with laughter. This declaration was clearly NOT a news flash to him.

So what might happen if you released the inner Tigger in you? What facets in your life are calling for Tigger’s playful guidance? Perhaps it’s time to schedule a play date with your inner Tigger today!