Good Riddance…

When was the last time you tried something new?

Not that long ago, I got sick and tired of letting old stories keep me from going places, doing & trying new things. I have been challenging myself to question when I start letting old stories creep in:

• I can’t because I’m scared of heights.
• I can’t do that alone.
• I’m too fat to do that.

Let’s see if I can explain what I mean better about questioning these old stories that have ruled my life for so long.

I can’t because I’m scared of heights

Sure it’s high, but do you really want to miss that view from the top? Are you really afraid or is it nervous excitement that you’re really feeling?

The first time I questioned this was back when I was in Atlanta, Georgia with my friend Kelly and she encouraged me to challenge this story I had been telling myself for so long. She booked us a hotel room, at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, way up high with huge glass windows in our room. I was nervous as I lay on the bed looking out, but oh my goodness that view:

And why stop there? Why not take the GLASS elevator to the 72nd floor (with another friend that was scared too!) of the hotel to eat lunch at the restaurant up there? That was a little more brutal than the elevator ride to the room (that was an inside, non glass elevator). I was weak in the knees, just about hyperventilating and wanted to throw up by the time we stepped off the elevator.

If you wanna have a little chuckle, here’s video footage of the ride up.  I look at that and laugh now! But in the moment it was happening, holy shit that was freaking scary. But not scary enough that I didn’t do it one more time 🙂

And here’s a picture of all of us at the 72nd floor, after surviving the glass elevator:

And since then I’ve been doing more things that are high and scare me:

• Driving over the Mackinac Bridge (many many times now)
• Driving through the Rocky Mountains as I road tripped to move out here to the West Coast
• Going over the Astoria bridge (several times)
• Going over the Bridge of the Gods
• Going up in the Seattle Space Needle…but taking it a step further and getting on the glass floor while up there!!! The picture is’t the best but I actually laid down on the glass floor to get proof a picture 😉

I can’t do that alone

Really? Who says so? People go solo all the time.

I had been wanting to try Yoga for a few years but didn’t want to go alone and I certainly didn’t want to walk into a class where there were no other bodies like mine and they were doing poses my body couldn’t do. In the very small town I came from, they didn’t have any Yoga classes geared towards larger people.  Here on the West Coast body positivity is a huge thing and there’s a big community so you can find all sorts of things for large people and I was thrilled to find Body Love Yoga.

I was nervous and scared to go to a class alone. I didn’t know what to expect. But I sucked it up and did it anyway. Alone. And guess what? I fell in love with it! The instructor was awesome. The group of gals there were like me – large bodies! But more than any of that, the tribe of peeps and community of love, support, and empowerment I found was even more fulfilling!

And that one brave action led to new possibilities!

I got to be in a video shoot for Body Love Yoga! Yep, me and my big beautiful bodacious body were in a video! It releases tonight but because it’s part of a paid program I can’t share it. But I do have some video footage of a little fun we were having during the shoot. If you watch it, I’m in the blue tank top.

I’m too fat to do that 

You’ll never know until you try, right?  For example fitting in an airplane bathroom. When I was doing the long distance thing and flying back and forth from Michigan to Oregon and back, I had some long flights (about 4, a little more, hours) and would be miserable from holding my pee for so long. Once, by the time I landed back in Michigan I didn’t think I could walk off the plane I had to pee that bad (thankfully the bathroom happened to be right next to my gate when I got off)! And it was all because I was fearful that I wouldn’t fit in the airplane bathroom.

Then one day I said screw it, I have to flippin pee & there’s a reason there’s a bathroom on the plane! So I walked my happy ass to the bathroom…and guess what?

I fit. Barely, but I fit! Let’s just say there was a lot of wiggle wiggle wiggle going on when I was done 😉 (yep that probably just crossed the line of TMI!)

Aren’t you tired of missing out?

I say good riddance old stories! You’re no fun anymore & you’re certainly not serving me any longer! And besides, I want to continue letting my bravery be an invitation for others to show up big, bold and brave too…just like my friend Kelly said (this was about the glass elevator ride to the 72nd floor mentioned above) it best:

So, how about you? Any old stories you need to say good riddance to? Please share! Leave a comment below…