THE DONKEY AND THE WELL

One day a farmer’s donkey fell into a well. The donkey cried and cried while the farmer tried to think what to do. The farmer said to himself, the donkey is old and the well needs to be covered up anyway.

The farmer asked his friends to come over and help him cover the donkey.  They each helped to shovel dirt into the well. At first the donkey cried. Then after a little while he stopped. The farmer looked into the well. As every shovel of dirt hit the donkey’s back he shook it off and took a step up. As the farmer and his friends went on shoveling dirt into the well the donkey shook it off and took another step up. Pretty soon the donkey stepped up out of the well and freely walked off.

Lesson 1 of the story: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.  The trick is to shake it off and take a step up.  Each of our troubles is a steppingstone.  We can get out of the deepest wells by never giving up!

I hope you have a blessed day and that you're taking those steps to Choosing YOU!


~Cherie

Spring Awakening!

Sunday was the first day of spring and what a wonderful God given day it was! Spring is such an empowering time as new life begins all around us in nature. And what a delightful way to begin anew inside each of us. How can you use this time to re-connect to the Being-ness inside of you? How can the life affirming changes happening all around you right now help you to take that first step towards losing the weight and obtaining and maintaining your ideal body? Remember, a flower doesn't bloom all at once. A tiny bud appears and through careful nurturing and tenderness, it opens it petals and blossoms forth up and out into the sunshine. Look to your village to help support you. Look to your Being-ness to help guide and nurture you. Here's a few quotes I like:

...there is no rose garden without manure!  

We can let our lives be directed by the same force that makes roses bloom--or we can do it ourselves!

And from Anais Nin:

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.


A new post tomorrow: The Donkey and the Well—A Fable.

Happy Spring!!! 

Past, Present and Future

I’ve always been taught to live in the moment. Why? If God gave me the ability to go into the future using my imagination, and the past though memories, then those must be some really good tools for life.  Are we really meant to live only in the past, the present or the future? Why do we have to choose just one?  I think all three are wonderful assets we human-beings have! I like to live in all three! I know we are multidimensional but to remain totally in the now?? Why sometimes it’s a living nightmare! To not live at all in the past—what about all those grand memories, the laughter, the love?  To not live in the future I could not plan the next now WOW! 

You’ve heard this before right? "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that's why they call it the present." To me they are all gifts, all presents if we use them properly.  That is the key. Spending too much time and energy in any one area will just drive you crazy but remember at one time “history” and “tomorrow” were and will be the “present.” We need to really make use of all our human-being gifts, not just the ones we’re comfortable with. 

I do believe we need the past to guide our future and our present to feel and create the contrast of our hearts desire for our next future now Wow!

I know I need the past to create the contrast of what I want and what I don’t want. When I was 260lbs busting out of a size 24 I focused on the end result! The future!  And that future became my now next Wow! Size 6!! For over 20years!

During my workshop, When It's On The Plate, It's Way Too Late! ~Flipping Your Thoughts to Weight Loss, I have everyone do a “Get out of the nightmare and into the fun!” writing exercise. It’s a great tool to help you identify where you’re at and where you want to be. If you would like a copy of this self directed writing exercise e-mail me at Cherie@CoachCherie.com and request workshop form “Get out of the nightmare and into the fun!”

Where are you right now?











        

Success!

I want to thank everyone who attended my workshop on Saturday! You inspire me with your hard work and commitment to YOU!

The Person in the Mirror

I was recently working with a group of people who were struggling with emotional overeating. One woman who was part of the group had recently lost her son to a long illness. The stress was visible on her face and her body. At one point, after some time, I held up a mirror and said, “Look in the mirror and say I want to get to know me.” She said, “ I can’t.” The tears flowed.

“I know exactly how you feel,” I said. We find it so difficult to just look at ourselves, to look into our eyes. When we do, we see all the fears and anxieties surrounding our lives. But that’s exactly when you need to pick up that mirror and look straight in your eyes. We all need to pick up the mirror and say “I want to get to know you. I don’t want to fight anymore. I really want to be there for you. I’m here for you. You’re not alone. You can do whatever you want to do. You must answer all your heart’s desires. You’re right where you’re meant to be.”

To become is to release; release which allows your being-ness to come through. You can start to find the love for you. And believe me, it’s life changing when you do.

The password to peace is thank you. Whatever happens in your life, think of it as a pathway for growth and give thanks.

Today, look in the mirror and say, “Hello. I’m here for me.”

The Life of an Eagle

This is such a powerful story that I just wanted to share it with you. Sometimes when we think that life has dealt us a tough hand, all it really is, is the time to give birth to our truest, most powerful selves. It’s not a do-over or second chance. It is the blooming and growing into our most powerful selves.

I hope you enjoy this little story.  I wish I could give a heartfelt thanks to the author but he or she is unknown to me.

The Life of an Eagle

The eagle has the longest lifespan of its species.  It can live up to 70 years.  But to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision in its 40's.  Its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey, which serves as food.  Its long and sharp beak becomes bent.  Its old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, become stuck to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

The eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of CHANGE, which lasts 150 days.  The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountaintop and sit on its nest.  There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it falls out.  The eagle will then wait for a new beak to grow back and when it does, the eagle will pluck out its talons.  When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking out its old feathers to allow them to grow back healthy.  And after five months, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for ...30 more years.

I look forward to seeing you at my workshop March 6th so together we can make the radical decision to re-choose the life we were meant to live!

It Takes a Village

When we’re confronted with addiction challenges, oftentimes we feel we must do it alone. Whether it’s shame, embarrassment or any other reason, we approach our healing like a lone hiker climbing to the top of the highest peak. The path to recovery looms above us seemingly unattainable.

Let me tell you right now that recovery TAKES A VILLAGE!

I can tell you from experience that my recovery has taken a village i.e.; seminars, workshops, 12-steps, therapist, self help book, cd’s, coaches, church, gym, nutritionist, commercial weight loss programs, doctor, lawyer, Indian chiefs! Anything that helped close the gap between me and God, so I am not stuffing the gap with food. Without my village there is no way I could have gone from Obesity Survivor to Obesity Thriver and from Cancer Survivor to Cancer Thriver. How else could I have maintained my healthy body weight and undergone 5 cancer-related surgeries this past year and not put on a hundred pounds! Thank God for the village I have built up around me.  I am just a villager surrounded by an extended family of caring and helpful people. The very first step in creating your village is simply reaching out.

So today ask yourself, who’s in my village?