Hello hello and happy Thursday listeners! Coach Kate here with another Minute Motivation this beautiful day. I host this space weekday mornings to give some reflection, share some quotes or passages, and even dive into things I come across that I find interesting and want to share along the way. If that sounds like a space you want to be a part of too, feel free to give me a follow or subscribe and follow along these weekday mornings. 

Today I wanted to dive into this feeling of being stuck. This feeling can manifest in many different ways but it can feel all consuming and even hopeless. Maybe you feel stuck in a situation you don't like, a relationship you've grown out of, maybe it's a dead-end job, or that the scale isn't moving. Maybe it's debt that is stacking up month after month, or it could even just be that you've had chicken for dinner every night this week and you are over it. The thing about being stuck is that it's an acute awareness, and we cna reframe it as a door instead of a wall. I say that because we cannot change the things we don't recognize, and recognizing that you are unhappy and not liking your current situation is often the first step to making changes instead. Sometimes the door is obvious, for example, you can probably make other things for dinner from what you already have on hand, or go to the store and get it. Other times, we have to bulldoze down that wall to create that door and this all goes back to the tolerance we carry for our situation we want to change. Often complacency prevents us from taking steps towards actionable change. But we can change that if we start askign ourselves what is it that we want out of life and start calling ourselves out instead.

Today's quote that inspired this talk is from Steve Jobs, a tech visionary with a relentless work ethic that brought us most of the apple products we know and use today. 

“For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” 

Steve Jobs

There are a few parts of this quote that really stand out to me when I think of making a change and getting unstuck in my own life. One, the ability to ask yourself is this what you want, or even to ask yourself if you are happy is a great opportunity to be honest with yourself about your current situation. Sometimes complacency gets swept under the rug and we will go with the flow until something forces us to confront it. By forcing ourselves every morning to confront ourselves with the hard question, we give ourselves the ability to make intentional choices on how we live our life-- and that is powerful. One scenario is passive-- letting life happen to us, and the other is intentional-- letting ourselves take the reigns and responsibility not only for our life but our happiness as well.

The other thing that stand out to me in Steve Job's quote is the grace he gives himself to say no multiple days. We all have moments of disatisfaction, and sometimes they are fleeting or are eveloped in the tedious things we must do to survive. It's totally okay to have a few days where you are unhappy or that you are not satisfied with your life. What Steve Jobs is saying here, is that if you zoom out, and you recognize that that answer No is governing your life, it's time to make some changes. 

So, today, if you are feeling stuck in your life, I hope you tap into that brave part of you that is willing to confront yourself and start whatever it takes to get you a little bit closer to your dreams. It can be hard to get unstuck. And often it can feel overwhelming and even scary to take actionable steps to put new things in motion-- but one day you'll look back at this moment, and you'll be so proud of brave little you who decided to get scared and do it anyway. 

I'm Coach Kate, thank you for joining me again today for another Minute Motivation. If you liked what you heard today, feel free to give me a follow. Tomorrow I'll be back for more of a conversation style talk later in the morning so that you can bring some of your ideas, thoughts, quotes, and intentions to the table too, and we can all go over them together. 

Thanks again for listening, and don't forget to ask yourself: if today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today? 

And then don't be afraid to answer it with action. 

If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Hello and good morning listeners. Happy mid-week! Coach Kate here with your minute motivations this glorious Wednesday morning. I host this space Weekday mornings to give you all a boost to start your day, offer some deep thoughts and ramblings, and even some perspectives and quotes as we go. If you like to start your day with some mindful explorations, be sure to give me a follow as we explore this space together.

Today I wanted to touch on self-acceptance and even advocating for yourself and how that can open the door to not only let yourself shine, but let others like you shine as well. The inspiration for today's talk was found in this lovely quote from Maya Angelou, who was a brilliant poet, author, and speaker. And speaking out for both herself and others was a staple in her body of work over the years. Here it is:

"I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me." - Maya Angelou.

So often we put ourselves up against ourselves, and today's quote really asks us, what would it be like if we are on our own side? Self-betrayal can look like several things. Self betrayal can look like the words we tell ourselves, it can look like the promises we break to ourselves, it can look like following a trend or idea that doesn't align with our core values. By asking ourselves, am I on my own side? We allow ourselves to acknowledge the power within and create space to know ourselves as well. It doesn't serve anyone to betray ourselves. And when we decide to align ourselves with our values, our words, and our actions we are able to not only live authentically and mindfully towards ourselves, but we allow others like us to thrive in that space as well. 

So this mid-week check in, ask yourself:

Am I on my side today?

What ways can I be on my own team?

How can I talk to myself like a friend, an ally?

The opposite of self-betrayal is self-acceptance and often that starts with figuring out what you want to stand for and what life you want to lead that aligns with you as a person. We have to get to places where we feel comfortable rooting for ourselves and others like us too. So start choosing you and getting comfortable with being on your side. 

I'm Coach Kate, thank you all for listening and tuning in today. If you liked what you heard, feel free to give me a follow. I'll be back again tomorrow morning with another Minute Motivation.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Hello and Good Morning and Happy Tuesday listeners! Coach Kate here with another Minute Motivation this lovely Tuesday Morning. If you are just finding this channel-- Welcome! I host this space weekday mornings to help get your day started with some quotes, some literature, or even some findings I come across along the way. If you like a space where we dive in daily to interesting things and words and motivations, and explore it all together, this space is for you-- so feel free to follow along and subscribe!

Today's quote comes from Cory Muscara who is a monk, a motivational speaker, and an author among so many other things. He really dives into what it takes to build the life of your dreams, and it's not what you think! If you are a perfectionist, an all-or-nothing thinker, or feel like you need to work the hardest out there to reach your goals, you're in luck, because this quote is for you. Also, if you're trying to focus on the small steps along the way, and aren't seeing that progress, or that it feels too small and insignificant, you are also in luck, because this quote is also for you. Here it is: 

"If you want to build a great life, slow down. Anyone can caffeinate and push hard towards their next goal, but it's not sustainable. Long-term energy comes from alignment. And alignment requires feeling the subtle difference between energy created from anxiety and energy created from inspiration."

What a great affirmation here. When we focus on inspiration instead of falling behind or making up progress, we really focus on that big why for us. So next time you feel like you're falling behind, or that you need a giant push towards those goals, realize that slowing down, taking your time, and focusing on the small steps speaks volumes about long-term success and alignment towards your goals. 

So today, this bright Tuesday morning, ask yourself, what inspires you today? Use what inspires you to align your life towards your goals, and don't be afraid to start small to get there. The small steps we take along the way also bring us towards our goals all while enjoying the journey, and the journey is the here now, and it's the part we carry with us. So slow down, align yourself, and enjoy the journey.

I'm Coach Kate. This has been another Minute Motivation. If you liked what you heard today, feel free to follow and subscribe. If you can't get enough, feel free to dive into my other talks underneath the talk tab in my profile. If you'd like to read this or get a text version of these talks, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter in my bio to get these delivered daily right into your inbox. 

Thanks again for listening. I hope you find more of what inspires you today. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Good Morning Listeners and Happy Monday and happy EARTH DAY. Coach Kate here with another episode of Minute Motivations-- I'm glad you're here. I host this space weekday mornings to explore some quotes, motivations, and thoughts about life in general. So Today: EARTH DAY. Those who know me know that I am a huge fan of space and science, and because of this, a lot of people ask me when they find out this fun fact, they ask me what my favorite planet is, and I always, always have the same answer: Earth. It is not lost on me that we live in a very special place in the Universe. For all we know, it's the only planet with trees, with cats recharging in the sunshine, with chocolate... even as we unfold the universe around us we still haven't found another Earth out there. Or anything like it. Or life as we know it. I studied Biology as my undergrad degree because not only do I love Earth, but I love the life and the stories it carries as well and I wanted to immerse myself in this reality where we take care of the planet and each other. 

So this wonderful Earth Day, I wanted to share a quote with you all from the mesmerizing and brilliant Carl Sagan about this pale blue dot we live on from his book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space. If you haven't had the chance to read any Carl Sagan yet-- you are in for an immersive treat. Not only does he cover science and the beauty of it, but he also taps into our humanity and responsibility through it all as well. This quote I am going to read for you is a longer one than the usual for this show, but since it's Earth Day, we can dive a little deeper to recognize the brilliance of the place we live in the universe. Now there's a photo I'm going to share from NASA that goes along with this quote, and I've included on the newsletter that accompanies my talks. You can read this, and any of my talks through my newsletter. Simply go to the link in my bio and follow the link towards the Coach Kate Minute Motivations section and you can read, listen, and even subscribe to get these delivered right into your e-mail inbox. 

With that said, here is the famous Pale Blue Dot Quote from the immeasurable Carl Sagan:  

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”― Carl Sagan

This beautiful quote is accompanied by a photo of a distant Earth, that shows up as nothing other than a pale blue dot caught in a sunbeam. And it's a beautiful reflection of time and space and our place in it.

CreditNASA/JPL-CaltechHistorical Date February 14, 1990

I know for a lot of Earth Days out there, today is about planting trees, cleaning trash up from beaches, and making steps to maintain and even restore the beauty and uniqueness that this planet has to offer us, and it should be. Today is also about what we need to do take care of each other as we recognize in ourselves the responsibility of stewardship to the only place we know of in the Universe that harbors life. 

So today, as you think about our planet, also think about our place in it and how we can lead the way to the beautiful bright futures of our generations ahead. I'm Coach Kate. Thank you all for listening to Minute Motivations this beautiful Earth Day with me. I hope you all take some today today to be kind. Be kinder to the Earth, be kinder to the life and people in it, and be kinder to yourself too. If you like what you heard today, feel free to subscribe. You can also listen to any of my previous talks underneath the talk tab in my profile. I will see you all again tomorrow. 

Don't forget:

We are of this Earth, and we are also made of star stuff. So go live it. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Good afternoon listeners! Coach Kate here with another Friday Let's Talk session. I host Minute Motivations weekday mornings, and Fridays, I like to start a little later and open up this space to others, bring people in, have a chat about some of the ideas of the last week, and to bring in a new idea to talk about before we get the weekend started! 

So today I wanted to dive in talking about the dreaded scale, and give you a quote about what the scale actually sees. Then I will open it up to you all to chime in some ways you take care of you, share some personal stories of how the scale has affected you, and maybe even share some ideas on how to love yourself and acknowledge growth without that scale dictating what your worth is. 

After we talk about that scale, if we have time, I'll do a recap of ideas we talked about from this last week's mornings sessions, and keep the conversation open as we go, so that we have some time to talk openly and if anyone wants to jump into the conversation as we go, we can. 

So! The Scale! I have been a health and wellness coach for the last four years, and I have had the wonderful opportunity to work with hundreds of people and the number one most common subject people bring up to me, is their scale. In fact, sometimes people avoid whole relationships with themselves or their health because they don't want confront what those numbers their scale is telling them. We let that little tiny device with those little tiny numbers dictate so much about our happiness, our progress, even our self worth, and I just want you to know, that that scale, doesn't get to tell you who you are. That's why this quote by Steve Maraboli from his critically acclaimed book, Life, Truth, and Being Free, is so powerful and timeless, and I want you all to carry it with you now too. Here it is:

“Get Off The Scale!

You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. Day after day, countless people across the globe get on a scale in search of validation of beauty and social acceptance.Get off the scale! I have yet to see a scale that can tell you how enchanting your eyes are. I have yet to see a scale that can show you how wonderful your hair looks when the sun shines its glorious rays on it. I have yet to see a scale that can thank you for your compassion, sense of humor, and contagious smile. Get off the scale because I have yet to see one that can admire you for your perseverance when challenged in life.It’s true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!”

This is such a great, powerful, affirming quote and also-- 100% true. We put so much value on the scale, and not enough value on ourselves. The only thing that scales measures is our gravity on earth at a point of time. And reality check here: gravity does not make us human, our souls are what makes us human. So if you are just tuning in today and listening about what the scale tells us, just know that the scale is only used to measure one thing, our weight on earth at a particular time. The way we find value in our lives is not through weight, but through connection and compassion and even love. This is true outwards in our relationship with others, the environment, and also true inwards, with the sacred relationship we carry with ourselves

So if you are out there, and you would like to chime in today with some thoughts on your value, your weight, the scale, how you love yourself, how you love others or even how you learned to do any of these things along the way. feel free to come up and share. I know this space can feel scary sometimes, but who knows who will benefit today from your words, your perspective, and your story. We all are searching for a place of meaning, and value, and often that can start from within.

If anyone would like to share, let's talk about the relationship you have with your scale. Is it complicated, angry, motivating, resentful, sad, hopeless, obsessive, or even avoidant? A lot of people ask me how to create a better relationship with the information on their scale, and so few people ask me how to create a better relationship with themselves, not knowing that this is the real question. This is the real meaning to your journey. This is the key to figuring out what ways you can release that expectation of weight loss and the scale, and dive deeper into yourself to let you lead the way to your goals instead. 

Looking at the scale as a source of information-- and information only, will help you make calculated steps towards your goals, rather than emotional ones. 

So today, ask yourself what kind of information am I going to get from the scale that has power over me and my thoughts, and my happiness today? When you realize that the answer is zero, you are ready for the next question, what has power over me, my thoughts, and my happiness today? YOU. You have power over you, your thoughts, and your happiness today. How can you measure your talent, your beauty, your resilience, your life force, your strength, your love? Those are the bigger, better questions, and only you have answers for those. 

I'm Coach Kate. Thank you for listening today and tuning into our Let's Talk Friday Happy Hour. If you like what you heard today, please feel free to give me and our other contributors today a follow. This has been an in-depth overview of the scale, including quotes from Steve Maraboli from his book, Life, Truth, and Being Free, and our other listeners and wonderfully insightful contributors today

Thank you all for sharing this space with me. Looking forward to reconnecting again next week as we explore our Minute Motivations weekdays, and share this interactive space again next Friday. 

You are beautiful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Good morning listeners. Coach Kate here with another minute motivation this beautiful Thursday morning. I host this space on weekdays and typically dive into a quote or a passage and explore different ideas as we start out our day with the hope we find balance, meaning, reflection, and perhaps a bit of joy as well. 

Today I wanted to dive into the idea of letting go. So often we surround ourselves with worry and fear about what has already occurred in our lives, and learning how to let go can be a superpower we can cultivate and even tap into over time. The past no longer serves us, so figuring out ways to serve our present selves with peace, love, understanding, and even forgiveness over our past can be a way to love ourselves as well. 

Today's quote is a highly manicured version of a letter Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote to his daughter in 1858 about letting go of the past. The sentiment of the original letter was broken down over the years by several editors of Emerson's work, and this quote, although diluted of the overall work, is what you get when you simmer years of Emerson's work and intent into something relatable not only for his daughter, but now for all of us too. Here it is:

Finish each day and be done with it. . . You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it well and serenely.

What Emerson teaches us here is that worry is part of that great big human experience, but so is the day ahead of us too. One thing we can control, and the other, we can let go of, if we choose. In this passage, I see Emerson wanting this hopeful and beautiful future he sees for his daughter. When we are older, and we look at our children, or even those younger than us, we know how much potential awaits them. It's kind of magical really. I feel like with this, Emerson recognizes that magic, and doesn't want his daughter to bring in the muddiness of the past into the possibilities of the future. 

So today, dear listeners, is a brand new day. The possibilities of today lay before us all in immeasurable ways. So today, ask yourself, and if you are a journal-er, go ahead and journal this too:

What ways is the past impeding your progress?

What ways can you lean into the sheer possibility of today instead? 

I'm coach Kate-- thank you all for listening. If you liked what you heard today, feel free to follow me as we explore these mornings together. I host this space weekday mornings with ideas, quotes, passages, and things I come across that I love to explore along with you all. If you'd like to listen to more of my past talks, you can access them under the talk tab of my profile. Also-- if you want a text based version of this or any of my other talks, feel free to subscribe to my newsletter linked in my bio and these can be delivered to you into your e-mail inbox daily.

Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday, and that you begin it well, and serenely. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Hello Hello and good morning listeners. Coach Kate here with another Minute Motivation to get your day started. I host this space weekday mornings and try to start the day off with some insight, some reflection, some quotes, or even just some questions to start the day. 

Since today is mid-week, mid journey through this passage of time, I thought we could dive into routine and direction and offer some perspective on switching directions. We often can get stuck in our routines and not want to change, just because of the time we spent or the money we spent sinking into an idea, trajectory, or even place or person. The truth is, we can change our minds at any time, and offer ourselves a wildly different future, mid life, mid relationship, mid career, even and even just a wildly different mid-week.  

So this wonderful wednesday, mid week check in, I am sharing a quote with you all from the Screenplay The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which was written by Eric Roth who adapted the wonderful and brilliant short story that shares the same name by F.Scott Fitzgerald. This story dives right into what a normal trajectory of life looks like, and also what it can look like instead. Here is Eric Roth's quote on the direction that life takes us, and where we can also take ourselves in life too:

“For what it’s worth … it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

We aren't so tethered to our life trajectory as we think. We have the ability each and every day to wake up to a whole new direction, a whole new life, and whole new world if that's what we choose. I know it's wednesday. I know it's mid week, and we feel tethered to finishing out this week a certain way. So today, I encourage you to think, if this was a Monday, or more largely, if this was a new year, or a new chapter for you, what ways would you choose to live it, today? What ways can you grow? What can you do today to align with your biggest, most glorious goal? Or maybe, what can you do today to align yourself with those small goals that you envision for yourself too? Sometimes the only limits we put on ourselves are from ourselves. Today, I encourage you to not only think of this as a new opportunity for yourself to align to your greatest purpose, but as your opportunity to take that leap ahead and go live it too. 

I'm Coach Kate. Thank you all for listening today. If you liked what you heard today, feel free to follow me as we ask ourselves big questions, hold ourselves accountable to our dreams, and even explore our place in the universe during these weekday sessions. If you would like to dive into any of my other talks, you can do so under the talk tab in my profile. Thanks again for listening, and see you all again, tomorrow. 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Good morning listeners! Coach Kate here with another Minute Motivation for you all this wonderful Tuesday morning. I host this space week day mornings to give you all a little boost to your day, a little perspective, or even just to explore the worlds around us and within us as we go. 

Today I thought we would dive into hiking and getting out in nature and what it means to walk, hike, and even saunter as we go. 

Years ago when my son was a lot littler, he had an acute disdain for hiking, often telling me that it was just a fancy word for walking. It took a few years for him to slow down, realize it's not about the destination, but the experience and connection to each other and the world around us as we go. When we're little, we have this focus on the end-- our dessert after eating, our presents at a birthday party, playtime after homework-- the art of slowing down and taking in the world around us and enjoying the journey for what it is, can be a learned appreciation that can take time to cultivate and even appreciate.

I found this lovely quote by John Muir today, who was a great environmentalist, explorer, and lover of nature-- and in fact, he is often associated with being one of the foundational people that influenced the preservation of America's State Parks. 

Here is what he said about hiking:

“I don't like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not 'hike!' Do you know the origin of that word saunter? It's a beautiful word. Away back in the middle ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going they would reply, 'A la sainte terre', 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them.”

― John MuirI love what John Muir says here. It really puts the art of the hike into perspective just by changing out the word hike, to saunter. It has a completely different meaning, a completely different feeling, and most importantly, a completely different goal. So today, this early Tuesday morning, if you are thinking of going for a hike, but can't feel motivated. Ask yourself instead-- can I go for a saunter? 

Thank you all for listening. This has been a minute motivation with Kate. If you liked what you heard today, be sure to give me a follow and subscribe. If you want to dive into more of my past talks, you can by visiting my profile and clicking under the talks tab to listen in. 

Enjoy the Saunter.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com

Good morning and happy Monday listeners. Coach Kate here with another episode of Minute Motivations to help get your day, and even your week started too! I host this space weekdays to start your day off with some quotes, some perspectives, and even some explorations to hopefully open your mind for questions, and find what answers are meaningful for you as well. 

So Today. Today. Today is not only Monday, but Tax day here in the US. So today I thought we could dive into the things we don't want to do and even talk a little bit about reframing these obligations into joy or less optimistically, even just reframing them into simple acceptance. 

We are on this path in life to chase joy and happiness, and not settle for anything but. The truth of it is, life is a balance, a dance within itself. And the sooner we choose to accept the hard, the sad, the annoying even as a part of life, the more we allow ourselves to open the door to peace and acceptance too, and even that joy of the difficult passage. You see, the faster we acknowledge that this is also a part of life, the faster we allow ourselves to carry both the good and the bad. We don't need to carry these things or emotions, we just need to carry ourselves through. Sometimes that looks like acceptance, sometimes that looks like joy, and sometimes that looks like just trying again tomorrow. 

Something that helped inspire this talk today, and also helped me finish the mundane task of completing my taxes-- was this wonderful quote by Ram Dass

"you can do it like it's a great weight on you, or you can do it like it's part of the dance"

- Ram Dass

Not only do I love what Ram Dass says here, but I love the idea of thinking of life as a magnificent dance. Sometimes we take steps forward, and sometimes we spin out, but the thing about life that I love most is the opportunity to live it. Sometimes I lead, sometimes I follow, sometimes I don't like the song, or I get a blister and everything hurts-- but if I think of life as an opportunity to dance, I know I'll want to dance it, I know I'll want to live it. The good, the bad, the mundane, the magnificent. And I know, deep down, I'd want to relive it all if I had the chance: the falling in love, the birthdays, saying goodbye, watching those first steps, the heartbreaks- -I'd do it all over again as a dance, even the taxes. 

We don't get to choose when we have our happy moments, or our hard moments, but we do get to choose ourselves, and how we carry what we have to carry. So, this fine Monday, if you're staring at a pile of paperwork you don't want to do, or you get stuck in traffic, or if you watch your kiddo win the state championship-- I hope you look at it all as a beautiful thread to your tapestry of life. The setbacks in life help us taste the sweetness of the joys we encounter too-- and all of this can be an exquisite dance if we choose to dance it. 

I'm coach Kate, Thanks for listening today. I host this space weekday mornings here on NoomVibe. If you liked what you heard today, feel free to give me a follow. You can also dive into some of my older talks under the talk tab in my profile. A text based version of this talk will also be available under my link in my bio, so if you'd like to get this talk in your e-mail, or to read it later, feel free to check that out and subscribe there as well. I will see you all again tomorrow. 

Enjoy the dance my friends. 

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Hey Listeners, Happy Friday to you all, and thanks for joining me today as we kick off the weekend ahead. For today's segment, I have something a bit fun and a little more lighthearted for us to dive into together. So today I want to talk about the keys to life. Sounds big and mysterious, right? Well, I'm going to share a speech with you all that breaks down the keys of life into two simple things you can do to set you up for success. The ideas I'm going ot share today, are simple, but also deep. First I'm going to share a very special speech I heard years ago, then share my take aways from that speech, and then, open it up to all all to see what keys of life have helped you set you up for success in your life.

So few years ago, 2005 to be exact, I was caught off guard by an amazing speech given by Will Smith on none other but the kid's choice awards Nickelodeon, and it struck me because it was very simply stated, but so very profoundly deep too. And I had no idea at the time, that this simple speech would set a framework with how I structure my life from that point forwards. It's something that lives rent free in my head, and that I have spent nearly 20 years using it as a backbone to start, and restart the things in my life that have propelled me forwards. I hope you all take this speech in, and see both the simplicity in his words, and the value he teaches us about setting a foundation for ourselves, no matter where we are, or what age we are in life. Here it goes:

I’m gonna say something that I want you to remember for the rest of your lives, okay, I want you to listen closely. I’m giving you the key to life right now. This is the key to lifeThe key to life, the key to life, is running and reading. Alright? Now listen, I’m very serious. The key to life is running and reading.

Alright, now, why running? When you’re running, when you’re out there and your running, there’s a little person who talks to you. And that little person says, “Ohh , I’m tired, my lungs are about to pop up. I’m so hurt. Ohhh, I’m so tired, there’s no way I can possibly continue.” And you want to quit. Right? That person–if you learn how to defeat that person when you’re running–you will learn how to not quit when things get hard in your life. Running–alright–that’s the first key to life.

Reading! The reason that reading is so important: There have been millions and billions and billions and gazillions of people that have lived before all of us. There is no new problem that you could have–with your parents, with school, with a bully, with anything–there is no problem you could have that someone else hasn’t already solved, and wrote about it in a book.

So, the keys to life are running and reading."

I remember little me, watching this on TV and feeling like I was called out and also given a blueprint on not only where to go when I need to figure out life, but how to talk to myself when the little voice inside of me was trying to control an outcome. It had never been presented to me that I had a say or that I could also empower myself with information. It was exactly what I needed to hear to know that I am in control of me, and I get a say in my life. That doesn't just start with outward circumstances or people, but it starts with conquering that little voice inside me, and knowing there are people out there that have gone through it, and can help guide me towards a solution, the future, and new choices I can make for myself as well. Now, 20 years I have carried these keys with me in my life, so I wanted to share them with you too. I also wanted to open it up for our listeners today, so you could share some of the keys to life you have carried with you as well. So if your out there, listening, feeling like you'd like to share some advice, some perspective, or even some knowledge you needed at some point to help yourself out, feel free to hop in and share: what keys do you all carry? 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katebomb.substack.com