This was my recent commissioned painting. It is my niece. I love painting the homestead and had to include the animals that are always there to greet us. As fall is rapidly approaching, I always seem to turn inward and focus more on family, nesting, and all things home. I love the breeze and the change of colors that NC brings. We have been Floridians for 20+ years, but for a time in Fall, going into Christmas, I feel a draw to North Carolina and all things fiery red, burnt orange, and golden yellow.

Of course, as soon as things get icy and require snow tires, I am thinking warmly of Florida again.

I am getting a few orders for homestead paintings, and have made my prices very reasonable to accommodate the economic changes. it would be nice to have painting projects to keep me busy until the holidays. So if you have a special place, the one you long for when you think of thanksgiving, wherever you find family and an open door, contact me, and we can capture it, place the kids there, and take an artist’s license to make any changes.

for instance, on this property, the carport actually is so close to the house, we would not be able to see the barn or cabin. I gently shoved it over to the left, cleaned out a LOT of foliage, and insisted the wild barn cats come out the same time that the dogs are out.

They are getting braver about that.

That’s the nice difference between photography and painting. I LOVE photography, and need great reference to paint. But I also love creating my own clouds, moving items around, changing a position, or redesigning the palette entirely.

Which is really what we do with precious memories of places and people and home,. Isn’t it? We remember it the way we want to.

We clean out the foliage, maybe set aside the less significant (altho we do appreciate the little carport!) and remember the parts that have a special place in our hearts. Like pets, or people, or even a century old cabin that tells some great stories.

Whatever your significant items, contact me to find out how we can capture them before the holidays. info@daringlifewellness.com

One of the key categories in my Stress balance course, and a commonality we have learned from centenarian communities is CONNECTIONS and the importance of home. The connectedness and relationships we establish and value are so KEY to helping us with our identity, our peace and longevity.

So I LOVE to help others recognize and honor their home.

I was hired to paint a homestead/lanscape for a large company’s client. They happen to have over (well, lotsa) acres of gorgeous farmland, but this is what they value most. Their home, their sweet family, their pet. Their place of peace where they gather and love.

It makes me long for the holiday season again, when we will return to our roots in NC and the homes of our parents and siblings. when the weather is crisp and cool and the colors are magnificent. We will be there soon.

In the meantime, I enjoyed this painting, and wanted to post it for others who may have a gift in mind for a family member, a painting of the home they love. I know so many in this economy are strapped with their finances, unable to move or to sell, even if they desire,  but maybe this season can help us value even more, the places we are blessed to have, the home we build and nurture, wherever our loved ones gather.

If you are interested in finding out more about the paintings, or getting an estimate, email me at info (at) daringlifewellness (dot) com

photo credit: amiefedora

Well, I am back in the acrylics again. In the middle of an incredibly busy summer, with appointments stacked, and a wellness program that is having amazing results, I find that I still cannot get away from the acrylics for long.

I waited for a season for the client to send me the references needed to paint their homestead, and now it is here. So now I must paint. Get the job done. And even though I was not in an “express myself” mode, I am pleased with the way this picture is turning out.

Good thing. I have another commission assignment waiting behind it.

After at least a 6 month hiatus from painting, it is good to get my hands messy again.

I am currently teaching a workshop on Stress Balance, encouraging others to take care of themselves, and get back to what centers them the most.

In all of my program writing, class teaching and appointment setting, I had forgotten how much a messy palette, lotsa brushes, and classical music helped me feel centered again. In all of the busyness – keeping active boys focused during the summer, and building a growing business, I still need to take time to do things for me. As a mom and wife, sometimes I get so busy, I forget me. Funny how I have written a program that teaches self-care.

funny.

Like reading a good book. Self-help books and biographies are what I pursue most, since I feel more productive reading them…but what if we took the time to enjoy a novel? fiction?

What is we dared to put together a puzzle? (The only time we get them out is during holiday.)

I know we all have some major demands being put upon us in this economy, and we need to keep priorities to get the job done.

But part of my teaching, (and what I am having to recognize myself) is that part of THE JOB is to take care of ourselves along the way.

What are you doing to take care of you today?

Open a book.

Get out a 1000 piece puzzle.

Go buy a white canvas.

Express yourself, today.

We are all an artist at heart.

Gimme a Plan

I am finally finishing a 2 week compilation of meal plans from Dr. D K Layman’s Book “The MetaboliQ Lifestyle“. My clients have been asking for it for a few months. People are so stressed nowadays, needing not only guidance, but a 1-2-3 plan to quickly and easily implement without rocking the already over-committed schedule they are juggling. I understand it, can relate, and thank God for Dr. Layman and his 30 years of clinical studies. The meal plan is easy and comprised of most of the things we already eat, just different proportions to keep us in protein synthesis.

Protein Synthesis

If you are not familiar with “Protein synthesis”, then you need to know…and quickly. After 30 years of the most advanced studies on protein, muscle building, diabetes and obesity, Dr. Layman, who won the 2009 National Leadership award for nutrition and metabolism research has discovered what is the spark that gets your Metabolism UP and naturally burning Fat. This is KEY information that he is sharing across the US at dietitian conferences, so they can pleeeze teach something besides the outdated, debunked food pyramid.

Diets are Temporary

The Key is to remain in protein synthesis at each meal. Dr. Layman teaches us that if you cannot implement a DIET  for the rest of your life, then it is no good. Being temporary, as soon as you quit, your body will go back to a “store Fat” mode. Most of us are usually remaining in that mode anyway if we are involved with starvation “calorie-counting” dieting. It causes us to lose weight-yes. We lose weight in our fat, in our muscles, in our vital organs, in many areas that we do not want to lose.

Anti-Aging Researchers

The main thing most all anti-aging specialists agree on is the importance of MUSCLE MASS. It is your longevity secret. If you can find a way to naturally build muscle quicker, burn “the right ” fat naturally, and have the incredible health benefits of a higher metabolism, well that would be a good secret wouldn’t it?

You can feel free to go to pubmed, and look up all of the 90 peer-reviewed articles that Dr. Layman has published. He is the world’s expert in diabetes, and obesity.

Or you can contact me.  a simple wellness coach.  I’ll tell you what i know about protein synthesis, how it is controlled by our food intake, and a great program that will literally change your life… in Layman’s terms.

Upcoming schedule at life’s journey Wellness

We have put together a schedule for the series of Care4U Stress Balance workshop classes, over the next few months. Each class covers a category of the life balance assessment chart. Every participant will go home with great resources, tools, and personal assessments to be more empowered to accomplish, with a focus on what they want to accomplish. There is also a great incentive “self-care” contest to carry us through the next 30 days, until the next class. We will have some great rewards for those that participate. How awesome is it to be rewarded for taking care of ourselves??

But the reality is that we do not. So many I speak with are care-givers in some capacity, whether at work, as in the medical industry, or at home with family. Many ladies I meet are so overwhelmed with the many obligations they feel for others, that they place themselves last.

This series is designed to help us realize how much more we can offer to others when we take some time and prioritize taking good care of ourself. We will be  a better mom, wife, business-owner, employee, friend, and we will have peace through ANY storm we may encounter.

Check back with my calendar here, or with Life’s Journey, and join us for a Friday eve once a month at 6 pm.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do for others around us, is make sure are taking proper care of ourselves.

As I am introducing my new Care4U program, I am breaking down the 6 categories of life balance into class sessions. The first is on Identity and Career. It is easier to find balance in that area when we understand our own temperament, and how to read them in others. I am teaching on the basic four, that date back to Hippocrates, and found a site that offers an easy test to give you a start. Most of the time, we are a combination of two, but usually can spot the dominant side. Based on my findings (which I have known for years but this site really makes it simplified)
Here are my results:
The Idealist (melancholic) Temperament

“Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic” (AdvisorTeam.com).

The Idealist type prefers superiority and disprefers inferiority. The Idealist prefers:

Superiority.
Perfection.
Meaning.
Purpose.
Acceptance.
Approval.
Altruism.
Aesthetics.
Accomplishment.
Accuracy.
Completion.
Culmination.
Faultlessness.
Improvement.
Intimacy.
Self-actualization.
Social justice.

David Keirsey, In Please Understand Me (1984), he defined one group as the Idealist temperament:

Idealists want to search for Self, to become themselves, to have a goal, a purpose in life, to be self-actualized, to be and become real, to be what they are meant to be and to have an identity which is uniquely theirs, to become self-actualized into a perfect whole and to have an identity which is perfectly unique, to have meaning, to have their significance appreciated, or at the very least, recognized as existing, to have integrity, that is unity, with no facade, no mask, no pretense, no sham, no playing of roles, to be genuine, to communicate authentically, to be in harmony with the inner experiences of self, to avoid a life of bad faith, to live a life of significance, making a difference in the world, to experience life as a drama, to be sensitive to the subtle gestures and metaphoric behavior in relationships, to help others become kinder, warmer, and more loving human beings, to reform the world, to romanticize their experiences, their lives, and the experiences and lives of others (Keirsey, 1984, pp. 57-66; cf., Heineman (NF)).

Areas of interest: Acting, Arts & Humanities , Education, Horror (not), Idealism, Issues and Cause, Journalism, Language, Linguistics, Literature, Mental_Health, Music, Mystery, Mysticism, Mythology and Folklore, New Age, Personal Growth, Philanthropy, Religion and Spirituality, Social Science, Teaching, Theater, Theology, Writing

achieving a goal, actors, actresses, actualizing potential, Apollo, attitudes, awareness, bearer of truth, becoming a person, becoming oneself, biographers, brings out the best in others, clinical psychology, communicating with people, communications media, counseling psychology, creative efforts, cultivating human potential, dedicated to helping others, desire for self-actualization, devoted to a cause, divinity, dramatists, encounter groups, gestalt group, greater intensity in relationships, guilt, having a goal, having a purpose,

And here is the site.

I’d say he got me right.

I am looking forward to sharing more on this in the new class. Follow Life’s Journey for a calendar of classes.

The Significance event for Women, was a wonderful evening of connecting and teaching some great stress management skills. Kimberli and I were pleased with the evening even though I have been told that June is traditionally a bad month to plan an event.

In comprising my notes for the evening, I narrowed down my coaching life balance wheel to be more succinct, and added a few tips from each of the categories.

In doing this, and after the most recent proposal I did for a large NPO here in Jacksonville, I have developed a packaged program called Care4U-Preventive Incentive _TM.
It covers 6 courses on the most impacting areas that we all search for balance and peace in our life, with a proactive self-care activity contest to make it more fun. I am excited about introducing this program to some of the wonderful companies we have already connected with.

We will be comprising it into an Care4U E-book and a Care4U workshop, for those that need a smaller initiative.

You can email me for more info at sophiadare (at) lifesjourneywellness (dot) com.

Consumed and Overwhelmed

I finished out the week by calling on businesses, meeting the owners and managers and informing them of the upcoming Significance event. I was pleasantly surprised that although there is a high amount of stress out there, and although the economy has dramatically affected so many businesses, there is still a great proactive attitude of resilience and servitude.

They all recognized that our topic will be very impacting on the guests that attend. We are teaching some valuable tips on stress management, longevity, and life balance skills for home and work. Most people I met said, “This is sooo needed!” and then proceeded to ask how they can be involved.

The only objections I had were a few that were so consumed and overwhelmed that they were not able to even think of taking the time to learn how to handle being consumed and overwhelmed.

And its okay. I have been there too.

Proactive to change

I have discovered the same results in my world of coaching. For someone to be a coaching client, they have to be at a point where they take responsibility for their life so far, and say, “If I want change, it is UP to me. Now what can I do to move forward?” Then take proactive, risky, and sometimes uncomfortable steps forward to change.

It is the same with business. During the great depression, many companies downsized, cut their hours and recoiled in response to the circumstances around them.

But there were a few others that decided this is a great time to advertise MORE, and invest in expansion, and GROW. They refused to let the surrounding circumstances dictate their outcome. They are the ones that are still around today. Here is a great  article to explain more.

So I am hoping that we will be able to help grow the businesses that are proactively participating for visibility and connections. I am hoping our teaching we will be able to empower our guests to be more proactive with the stress and challenges in their life at home and work.

And I am hoping to build some great connections myself, with the wonderful new friends I am making.

It’s going to be a great night!

What is it that causes some individuals to become so consumed with their painful circumstances that they just decide to check out?

I just heard of another executive tragedy in our area, and altho taking our own life may seem unfathomable to the average person, those of us who have walked through seriously grievous situations may have stood at the edge of that precipice before.

Sometimes checking out of marriage or even of life itself may look like the easier option, than dealing with the hopelessness and despair of the moment. There have been times when I thought it looked pretty tempting myself.

I also know what are the few factors in our life (my husband and I) that held us together and kept us from throwing in the towel.

Our most tragic family season was 7 years ago, and it has been a walk of faith for us to press on and find the purpose for these experiences.

Now in 2010, while offering wellness initiatives to the community, my friend, Kimberli, and I are seeing how desperately others are needing to be educated and encouraged to take care of themselves, learn how to manage stress, learn to invest in themselves and their own health. It is so important that we feed our mind, spirit and soul with the right stuff, so that when we (inevitably) will be facing an unsurmountable challenge, maybe even standing on the edge of that precipice, we will choose to hope. and choose to stay.

and press on through another season.

Everything is that…just a season.

So we are passionately sharing our hearts and our skills on the 24th of June for a night of Significance.

We are expecting great things on that Thursday night. It will be a night of closer relationships in the community, encouragement in each guest’s gifts and significance, and valuable teaching on self-care.

I hope you will checkout the information on this incredible evening, and pass along to all that you think may really enjoy it, and even need it, in their life.

Some of the things we will be teaching on:

-Longevity tips we learn from centenarians (you may be surprised at some of these)

-Office Yoga, stretching and breathing exercises we can do right there in our office!

- Stress management tips on staying balanced thru ANY season

- and of course, as our name suggests, encouragement in your own Significant value, gifts, and all you have to offer. It will be a great night for developing new and meaningful connections with others in our community.

Did I mention all the food, desserts and gift raffle??

We are looking forward to a sweet night….

In designing programs for companies, I was researching what is currently the most impacting for sedentary clients. The program I am most impressed with is the pedometer 10,000 step challenge. Studies have shown that it is beneficial to have 10,000 steps per day, approximately 5 miles.  Most of us do not come close to this in our everyday routine, but it is eye-opening to buy a pedometer, wear it for a few weeks, and just observe how many steps we truly take.

In working with so many people that lead sedentary lives, this can be a real change. But the health benefits of getting physical, starting with 30 minutes per day of moving, in any way, can be greatly beneficial to our health.

Here are a few suggestions to getting started:

• Purchase a basic pedometer (see sidebar). For it to work accurately, you will need to clip it to your waist.
• Wear a good pair of running or walking shoes.
• Observe your normal routine, then set a goal of increase each week, based on your tolerance, and work it up slowly. You do not want to injure yourself so consult your doctor if you have any concerns for your joints.
• As we age, we contain less lubrication in our joints. Anti-aging specialists highly recommend taking a joint lubricant like glucosamine and condroitin, (if over 40)
• If you are trying to compare with running on a Precor or stationary bike, 2,000 steps is the equivalent to burning 100 calories.
• Keep a written log of your progress
• If you get bored, find a buddy. Get creative with a more comprehensive program.
• Hire a coach to hold you accountable.
• Above all, make it FUN!