i he(art) seattle

This past weekend… and yes, time has been flying by for me… I experience two polar opposites. The easy breezy tranquility of a Lavender Festival on Saturday and obstacle laden glory of the Warrior Dash on Sunday. It was actually awesome.

The Lavender Festival was nice, the only beef I had was with the weather it was overcast all day and about 60-65 degrees, and it rained a few times while we were there. This weather has also effected the lavender itself and we saw smaller stalks and less overall, but it still smelled great and was very pretty. I love lavender for it’s relaxing scent and its healing, calming properties overall. The festival had all things lavender from spicy chicken rub seasonings, lavender and raspberry pancake mix, to spicy mustard with lavender. Of course there was the lavender lemonade (which sadly used a premixed lavender syrup), lavender ice cream, oh and other fun stuff like BBQ Oysters and Corn on the Cob.

The Warrior Dash was also on a cloudy overcast day but I was a bit warmer out, maybe 63-68, so I pulled myself over to the event. My friend had a computer malfunction that morning so I was not sure if we were going to make it but we did! We ran in the 4pm wave and I thought I’d have less energy that late in the day but by the time we finally arrived all the crazy costumes and music and fun going on got us ready to roll! I wish I’d have taken more pictures didn’t want to get my camera too muddy. Next time, I will need a friend that just wants to watch and take pics come with. It’s really fun even if you don’t run.

So the Warrior Dash itself was only 3 1/2 miles but there were 11 obstacles in between the start and finish line some of them being as simple as a field of tires and busted up totaled cars and as difficult as flames (yes, I had to leap over fire!). My favorite obstacles were the climbing wall, the web of ropes we had to climb over, and the planks we had to slowly walk over (with great balance!). Overall it was awesome… I think I am ready to move on to something a bit more serious like a triathlon which has been my not so secret desire for the past few years. I’ve always been worried about my swimming skills not being up to par but I think I should maybe just do it! I’ll probably need to stick to 5 or 10Ks for awhile while I’m in grad school though.

We shall see!

Today I attended a Get Motivated! Seminar in Seattle WA. At first I was not going to attend but the lure of seeing Bill Cosby and Colin Powell speak in one day won me over. Those two were not even the only greats that spoke there… it was a full line up of business, leadership, team building, and finance focused folks that motivated and inspired a full house in Key Arena to get up get out and get something. Motivation is good for the soul!

Here are 8 top tips I learned from this even that I’d like to share:

1. Persevere. This was touched on by mostly all the speakers but Colin Powell said it best when he reminded us, “It isn’t where you start, it’s where you end up.” I would add to that that it’s not even where you may be right now… it’s where you are headed. Make that vision for yourself and keep at it daily.
2. Recognize others. Powell also said he writes notes on index cards with his name on them to people often just saying “Job well done” and “Thank you for your service.” That personal touch and appreciation can go along way and it makes you feel good to notice others giving it there all. He also mentioned discipline in teams and if a person is not caring their weight calling them on it. I think so many times we let people get away with things and it effects us. Stand up for yourself and your values and speak your mind to others. At least you and they know where you stand.
3. Laugh at yourself. Bill Cosby joked, “So you guys need to be motivated. You need us to come up here and tell you to get motivated.” His entire speech was full of quips like that and it helps me to see that, well, it’s funny to be de-motivated. I mean, this is my life and it’s my job to stay encouraged and get myself back on track if I’m not. BUT it’s also not the end of the world if I need a little help… just smile and dust yourself off and keep it pushing.
4. Believe in yourself no matter what. A very weird white guy (he’d love that I said that) named Jack Smith had a lot to say about confidence. He told us how he didn’t do too well in school and his teachers said he wouldn’t amount to much. They gave him the typical speech on how he wasn’t qualified for this and that as a career and he said he really didn’t listen to them. He said the difference between people who never gave up and people who did was that they didn’t listen to any naysayer’s and just did it anyway. They just believed in themselves no matter what. Sure we always have our down days but after you take the blow… don’t throw in the towel.
5. Walk with your passion. Powell spoke on this and how important it is to walk with an intensity of belief in yourself and what you do.
6. Trust others to follow. Powell again spoke on how a good leader empowers his troops to have what they need to get the job done. This is even helpful in finding mentors or people to follow… do they empower their troops?
7. Keep someone in your corner that challenges you. Funny thing is, all the men, Cosby, Collin and Dan Rather talked about their wives and how these women challenged them. They spoke on how their wives keep them humble and reminded them of their humanity even when the rest of the world saw them as perfect. Its so important to have a partner that inspires you to do and be better and reminds you from where you came. It’s great to see great men speak of the great women that are in their corners and not at the door playing the mat.
8. Change every day. Krish Dhanam spoke on spirituality, love and God. He was a student of Zig Ziglar and said that Zig had a prayer basically asking God to work in his life each day changing him in the ways that he needed them. This speaks to how everyday we wake up with a new chance to move forward and grow and be changed. We are works in progress with the privilege of growth with God (or whomever we believe in).

This weekend was amazing! It was a 4-day extravaganza filled with some of favorite things and favorite people… I got some sun, didn’t get rained on, and had a blast! Check out my review, some pics and some links too:

• Yoga at Sound Yoga in West Seattle
• Coffee break with my planner pad
• Friday night Comedy Show and dress up with the girls
• Early morning run on Beach Drive
• Cloud staring and sunbathing near Alki Beach overlooking the Puget Sound
• Tea time with the ladies at Healing Garden Tea Room in Tacoma
• Rare and out of print bookstore finds in Tacoma
• Sorting and organizing of art supplies
• Entire box of art supplies ready for garage sale
• Mid-day relaxing yoga sequence
• Lazy Sunday of obsessively watching Ancient Aliens History Channel series on my iPhone Netflix App
• Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch (YUM)
• Early morning dance party with Raphael Saadiq’s Pandora Channel
• Family Seafood Boil Potluck (Double YUM)
• S’mores!!!!!

I had a joyful, magical moment in The Olympic Sculpture Park the other day. It was sunny and beautiful out. I saw mountains, trails, art, chairs and water. Oh and the clouds were gorgeous! If you work downtown or are visiting the City, please check out the far North edge of Belltown… it’s a transformed nine-acre from industrial site into open and vibrant green space for art. This lovely waterfront park has not only beautiful outdoor sculpture but also incredible views and beauty of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound. And admission is free!

Enjoy the photos:

I’ve started 2011 off with a boom… diving straight into a daily morning prayer and mediation practice, eating more fish and greens and no red meat, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and also enrolling in many different types of learning programs. These programs have been both online and off, in the creative realm and in business. I am soo super excited about where I am right now in 2011! And am ready for the world…. I guess you can say I am FEARLESS!

I’m just getting back for a weekend in Shelton Washington. A dear friend and I went up to stay with our mentor‘s mentor or our “grand-mentor”, as my friend would say, Dr. M. Her place is a wonderful, artsy, quiet, cozy lakeside home… it is so peaceful there. I relaxed in her sauna, got threw session 1 and 2 of Inner Mean Girl (IMG) reform school, listened to some India Arie, ate some yummy lentil soup and sweet cornbread, and gained wisdom from our 82 year young grand-mentor.

Each morning, right before sunrise, I headed outside to the water for my prayer and mediation. It was beautiful! I love the pre-dawn air.

Saturday…

Sunday…

The past 14 days I have been on a fast with a few wonderful ladies from a Luminous Women’s Retreat I attended in January. The retreat was all about letting your light shine and we were blessed with a sugar-free and meat-free diet during our stay. This was a unknown to us… this diet, as were many other wonderful surprises during the weekend. This for me was a huge challenge because on my way there, I did not have a chance to grab my signature caramel macchiato with whip from Starbucks! But those oh so sweet white grapes had to satisfy me until I got home.

Debrena Jackson Gandy, my mentor and our retreat leader, suggested after the empowering event that we all go on a 14-day morning prayer and meditate challenge and an extra bonus of sugar-less and meat-less, if we could stand it. I jumped to the challenge as I have been struggling to get up in the early morning and follow my morning ritual which included prayer and mediation. I was so happy to be given such an opportunity to join forces with other luminous women in the journey!

My words for 2011 are Faithful, Fearless, and Focused. And this challenged pulled in towards those concepts every step of the way. My plan was to wake up 40 minutes earlier each morning, I headed up the rooftop of my apartment… my building has one of the best views in town… do my prayer outloud and to the heavens and then come back down for my meditation at my alter in my bedroom.

Day 1: I woke up and eagerly bounce up the 6 flights of stairs to the rooftop (I also decided to take the stairs in my building and at work each day) upon reaching the top, I was a bit winded and flung open the door to see… well, I was in the clouds! As I caught my breath, I was amazed, stunned, and honestly quite fearful… I mean, I felt like I was walking to the gates of heaven! I could barely walk to the middle of the roof and say my prayers… seriously, I was in heaven DAY 1. I humbly walked to the middle of the roof and softly said my prayer and thank God for showing up for me on the first day. I knew this would be a special journey and as I walked down the steps I didn’t realize how special it would be… that day at work, there was candy every where! It’s a main stay in the office, I didn’t realized how much I partake each day. I am now mindful of that.

I made it through the day, candy-free but when I got home I was so tired I just wanted to grab some rice and beans from Taco Del Mar and actually continue that diet for the rest of the 14 days. A dear friend encouraged me to head to the grocery store instead. As I walked past the frozen food section into the produce section my eyes opened wide… I can make salad, guacamole, snack on kiwi and grapes… I filled my basket in like 15 minutes with yummy eats and the confidence to make the meals each night and at work.

Now that day 14 is here and the challenge is almost complete, I feel more energized then ever and I honestly don’t want to go back to my old sugar whenever diet, although the occasional cupcake will be OK! I now have my eyes set on a 40-day Challenge that will include my morning ritual but allow for sweets. I am so blessed to have enjoyed this challenge with the luminous women I met back in January and feel great going into 2011 with my new diet!

My favorite places to chillax and enjoy the sunset is Lowman Beach Park. It’s is small, but has some surprises… it includes about 300 feet of rocky, saltwater shoreline a few blocks north of Lincoln Park. Above the beach is an acre of grass with tennis courts, swings… view of the Olympics, Alki Point, and Williams Point.

I waves are gentle but restless, the air has a chill but is fresh and breezy… I enjoyed the sunset along with a cute couple and their dog playing fetch, an older woman paddle surfing with ease, sun bathers, and snorkelers.