Heidi Reagan's Blog, page 4
September 24, 2015
July 21, 2015
May 9, 2015
Self-Love this Mother’s Day – a Personal Challenge
Tomorrow in the United States, people around the country will take time out to celebrate Mother’s Day. Florists and restaurants will be bustling with patrons as children everywhere endeavor to show Mom just how much she is appreciated. Even those whose mothers have passed will take a moment to reflect and remember times gone by.
My mother transitioned from this stage of existence nearly 10 years ago and within the first few months of her passing, I discovered and purchased a beautiful pottery vase for the specific purpose of filling it with flowers each year on Mother’s Day and her birthday. You see, Mom had an extensive array of glass bud vases, all shapes, sizes and colors that proudly held cherished rose buds from her rose garden. Each room would have at least one vase proudly displayed in a prominent spot and if it was an especially good season, often two or three vases would adorn any given room. Even now, I can close my eyes and imagine the fragrance permeating the air.
This display of colorful, happy, little vases strewn around the house represented one of the very few ways my mother indulged herself. Like so many women, mom made her family and friends the priority often putting their needs and desires before her own. It comes naturally to a mother to be self-sacrificing and filled with unconditional love for her children, especially when they are young and even after they have grown and my mother was no exception. However, as a young adult it became apparent to me that my mother’s unconditional love did not extend to herself. In spite of my mother being a stunningly beautiful woman (a model), naturally thin (no matter what she ate) and incredibly talented (a professional musician and singer at one point) her self-worth was lower than one would imagine. No matter how often those who loved her showered her with expressions of affection it couldn’t/didn’t change how she ultimately felt about herself.
Looking around and as I communicate with women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, I realize how pervasive this theme is in today’s culture. With tremendous access to a plethora of self-help tools at our fingertips, how is it that so many still struggle to honor personal needs, desires, and successes? And how can we as women shift this way of being? Could we shift this by simply taking a moment each day to acknowledge our individual uniqueness?
Let’s begin with this special day, dedicated to women. I challenge every woman reading this to take a moment on Mother’s Day to honor themselves. We will all be sending waves of gratitude to other women in our lives but how about taking a few more minutes to do the same for yourself. Here is my challenge: identify one thing you appreciate about yourself and perform a meaningful act in celebration of YOU. Whether you place a vase with a rose from your garden next to your bed or you indulge in a hot bath, take a few minutes out of your day to remember that before we can effectively spread unconditional love to those around us we must first focus that love on ourselves, amplifying and reinforcing our own inner strength.
My mother transitioned from this stage of existence nearly 10 years ago and within the first few months of her passing, I discovered and purchased a beautiful pottery vase for the specific purpose of filling it with flowers each year on Mother’s Day and her birthday. You see, Mom had an extensive array of glass bud vases, all shapes, sizes and colors that proudly held cherished rose buds from her rose garden. Each room would have at least one vase proudly displayed in a prominent spot and if it was an especially good season, often two or three vases would adorn any given room. Even now, I can close my eyes and imagine the fragrance permeating the air.
This display of colorful, happy, little vases strewn around the house represented one of the very few ways my mother indulged herself. Like so many women, mom made her family and friends the priority often putting their needs and desires before her own. It comes naturally to a mother to be self-sacrificing and filled with unconditional love for her children, especially when they are young and even after they have grown and my mother was no exception. However, as a young adult it became apparent to me that my mother’s unconditional love did not extend to herself. In spite of my mother being a stunningly beautiful woman (a model), naturally thin (no matter what she ate) and incredibly talented (a professional musician and singer at one point) her self-worth was lower than one would imagine. No matter how often those who loved her showered her with expressions of affection it couldn’t/didn’t change how she ultimately felt about herself.
Looking around and as I communicate with women of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, I realize how pervasive this theme is in today’s culture. With tremendous access to a plethora of self-help tools at our fingertips, how is it that so many still struggle to honor personal needs, desires, and successes? And how can we as women shift this way of being? Could we shift this by simply taking a moment each day to acknowledge our individual uniqueness?
Let’s begin with this special day, dedicated to women. I challenge every woman reading this to take a moment on Mother’s Day to honor themselves. We will all be sending waves of gratitude to other women in our lives but how about taking a few more minutes to do the same for yourself. Here is my challenge: identify one thing you appreciate about yourself and perform a meaningful act in celebration of YOU. Whether you place a vase with a rose from your garden next to your bed or you indulge in a hot bath, take a few minutes out of your day to remember that before we can effectively spread unconditional love to those around us we must first focus that love on ourselves, amplifying and reinforcing our own inner strength.
“Behind all your stories is always your mother’s story. Because hers is where yours begin.”
~ Mitch Alborn
February 4, 2015
December 7, 2014
We are more than….
Recently, I attended a social occasion and witnessed a small group of women talking. As introductions were made, the usual question came up: what do you do for a living? Answers to this popular question were varied. “I’m a banker.” “I work at Target as a cashier.” The list went on; I’m self-employed, I’m an insurance agent, I work in real estate, I’m “just”a stay-at-home mom, I’m a housewife, I’m an attorney.
Overhearing these responses my body stiffened and contracted. I became withdrawn and lost in my own thoughts, bothered by these mundane responses from every day women just like me. I wasn’t even involved in the conversation, just a bystander who couldn’t understand why this exchange bothered me so much. I moved away from the group and took a chair by an open window, trying to breathe in fresh air and clear my thoughts. My mind was so jumbled I couldn’t even pinpoint why I was so deeply troubled by the conversation I had overheard. I did manage to regroup and mingle afterwards, but that unsettled feeling remained with me the rest of the evening.
It wasn’t until later that evening when I was alone and replaying the conversation in my mind that it became clear; I had responded to the energy in the group. In my mind’s eye, I pictured the women and I noticed their body postures were slumped. Standing next to them in my memory I recalled the question, “What do you do for a living?” and their simplistic, matter of fact answers. Why did the responses affect me so negatively?
And then, it became crystal clear.
How we present ourselves in public is an extension of how we feel about ourselves. Were the simple, flat and dead answers a direct insight on how little the women valued themselves?
This was a light bulb moment for me because I’ve been guilty of this, too. People ask me all the time what I do for a living and my normal short answer is “I’m a coach.” But wait, I am more than a coach, just as you are more than the any title you’ve adopted! We are women first and foremost! When did we decide to label ourselves by the standards set by some stuffy old men? Working in the corporate world for decades, people are defined by the title of the job they hold. That title is what makes them “important.”
News flash: titles or labels do not define a person. We are so much more than labels!
Ladies, let’s shake things up a bit. How about a different answer? You aren’t a waitress, you are a bringer of sustenance to hungry masses! You aren’t a stay-at-home mom, you are a woman who loves adventure and chooses to stay home and raise healthily, well-balanced mini- people. I’m not just a coach, I am “a woman who is passionate about assisting people identify and discover what is preventing them from achieving greater success, fulfillment and balance in their lives.
I have a friend who does not work outside of the home; but instead of saying she’s a housewife she refers to herself as a Domestic Goddess. That my friends, is a bold passionate response! She values herself and what she does. Taking care of her husband, home and pets brings her great joy.
Living in the Passion Zone as the vibrant, radiant women we are means owning and claiming the brilliance we create. Celebrate the deliciousness of being a woman!
What words will you use to define what you do for a living? I would love to hear what you come up with, let’s get the conversation started!
Overhearing these responses my body stiffened and contracted. I became withdrawn and lost in my own thoughts, bothered by these mundane responses from every day women just like me. I wasn’t even involved in the conversation, just a bystander who couldn’t understand why this exchange bothered me so much. I moved away from the group and took a chair by an open window, trying to breathe in fresh air and clear my thoughts. My mind was so jumbled I couldn’t even pinpoint why I was so deeply troubled by the conversation I had overheard. I did manage to regroup and mingle afterwards, but that unsettled feeling remained with me the rest of the evening.
It wasn’t until later that evening when I was alone and replaying the conversation in my mind that it became clear; I had responded to the energy in the group. In my mind’s eye, I pictured the women and I noticed their body postures were slumped. Standing next to them in my memory I recalled the question, “What do you do for a living?” and their simplistic, matter of fact answers. Why did the responses affect me so negatively?
And then, it became crystal clear.
How we present ourselves in public is an extension of how we feel about ourselves. Were the simple, flat and dead answers a direct insight on how little the women valued themselves?
This was a light bulb moment for me because I’ve been guilty of this, too. People ask me all the time what I do for a living and my normal short answer is “I’m a coach.” But wait, I am more than a coach, just as you are more than the any title you’ve adopted! We are women first and foremost! When did we decide to label ourselves by the standards set by some stuffy old men? Working in the corporate world for decades, people are defined by the title of the job they hold. That title is what makes them “important.”
News flash: titles or labels do not define a person. We are so much more than labels!
Ladies, let’s shake things up a bit. How about a different answer? You aren’t a waitress, you are a bringer of sustenance to hungry masses! You aren’t a stay-at-home mom, you are a woman who loves adventure and chooses to stay home and raise healthily, well-balanced mini- people. I’m not just a coach, I am “a woman who is passionate about assisting people identify and discover what is preventing them from achieving greater success, fulfillment and balance in their lives.
I have a friend who does not work outside of the home; but instead of saying she’s a housewife she refers to herself as a Domestic Goddess. That my friends, is a bold passionate response! She values herself and what she does. Taking care of her husband, home and pets brings her great joy.
Living in the Passion Zone as the vibrant, radiant women we are means owning and claiming the brilliance we create. Celebrate the deliciousness of being a woman!
What words will you use to define what you do for a living? I would love to hear what you come up with, let’s get the conversation started!
“Imagine in vibrant, wonderful detail your heart’s desire— a reality only you can envision, an adventure only you can direct. Then cradle your creation. Caress it. Mold it. Coddle it until it comes to life. And when your precious treasure grows so grand as to steal your breath away, set it free for all the world to experience. For that is how you live your dreams.”
~Richelle E. Goodrich
November 26, 2014
November 13, 2014
November 10, 2014
Richelle E. Goodrich Quote
“Don’t simply exist in this world, but grasp life’s potential by the jacket. Dare it to be all it can. Make life historical—a gripping account of accomplishment. Make life a mystery—a challenging, bold adventure. Make life heartfelt—an enduring, poetic romance. Whatever it is you make of your world, live the fairytale.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich
