Celebrate By Saying Yes to You!

oct9_2016

Point to Ponder:
What self-care or passion action have been putting off? And, what friend/s can you invite to iGnite who have been unable to make themselves a priority, lately?

By Neissa Brown Springmann

Around our house the word “work” comes up a lot. Durant (5) and Malaine (3) often asked why both my husband, Russell, and I work. We continue to give them the same answers: 1). We work so we can have food, water, clothes, a house, a car, t.v., toys, etc. etc. etc. 2). We like to work! Fortunately, our work is our passion. Going to work is fun for us and because we love what we do, we feel like our jobs allow us to use the gifts that God has given us.

Then, as it came up again this morning, under my breath I jokingly (but seriously) told Russell that work gives us a break from them which is what keeps us sane and them safe. In all seriousness, and as it relates to the quote above, I love what I do and am fed by iGnite. When I am able to spend concentrated time living my passion I am a much more patient, fun and happy person. This “me-time” allows me to give the best of me to everyone. It nurtures my mind and spirit.

In terms of the body, I think every woman would agree that any amount of time we are able to move our bodies and exercise, our whole world changes. Our confidence, perspective, outlook and mindset completely shifts. It’s a game changer!

For both men and women, taking good care of you is critical, however for women, I find this to be especially challenging because we innately put everyone and everything first and in front of our own needs and wants. We are nurturers by nature and between the changing life seasons, life stressors, and the ongoing needs of family and friends, our health is always the first thing to become compromised. Then, following a derailed healthy routine comes guilt and shame from getting off track, which makes starting again feel daunting and even impossible.

I can speak to this gender-specific phenomenon because for the past sixteen years in which I have worked with women in the health and fitness field, when a woman I know gets off of her exercise routine and she sees me, she shames herself and apologizes. She often tells me how “bad” she’s been and how “fat” she’s gotten, at which I always tell her that life happens, timing is everything and as it relates to her attending iGnite, iGnite will always be there so when the time is right for her to iGnite again, we will be there for her and would love to see her.

The longer I live the more I am learning that we are all doing the best we can, and while I wish I could say that making and keeping our personal health and passions a primary focus is a cinch, it’s not. In addition, the demands on women are only increasing and we are wearing more hats than ever. This is why having an encouraging, uplifting and loving tribe is critical. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a tribe of like-minded women to help us stay committed to taking care of ourselves: physically, mentally and spiritually.

“Taking good care of you means that the people in your life get the best of you rather than the rest of you” is the basis on which I founded iGnite ten years ago, and as we continue to celebrate our birthday month, I encourage you to keep saying “yes” to you! Keep iGniting (even if all you can fit in is once this week), choose a self-care action and/or passion project that you have been putting off. Then, because it’s our birthday month and therefore ‘bring friends for free”, grab a friend/s who have been unable to make themselves a priority and bring them to class with you so we can encourage them, lift them up and love on them, together.