Well, hello there! It’s been a few weeks since I’ve checked in. I’ve been occupied with finishing up my health coach certification, traveling, and having an existential crisis about buying a new car.
I’ll start with the last one first.
We bought a new car. We were planning on getting a used car, but when we started doing research on the used-car market and interest rates, we soon determined that for about $5,000 more we could have a brand-new car with a full warranty and no sordid mysterious past. So we chose that option. That option, however, pushed me out of my very conservative financial comfort zone. I was intellectually confident that we could afford a new car, but my visceral response to the purchase said otherwise. I was ANXIOUS and racked with self-doubt. Did we do the right thing? Should we have negotiated better? I’m almost 50 years old, why can’t I be more articulate and forceful with my needs and expectations? What happens if one of us loses our job? Will people think I’m getting too big for my britches by getting a new car? Would Mr. Money Mustache be ashamed of me? Why didn’t we do this better/righter/more perfectly??
In the middle of this whole car-buying saga, I did a session with one of my most favoritest doctors. She is a chiropractor who does functional medicine and muscle testing/energy work where she communicates with my body on a subconscious level. I don’t understand it; all I know is that her treatments always make me feel SO much better. I was working with her on hormone/digestive issues and happened to mention that I am still struggling with low back pain as well. She said, “Huh,” and then did her magic and asked my body why my back was hurting. And here was the answer, “You need to believe in yourself and what you are doing.”
LIGHT BULB MOMENT – I DON’T HAVE MY OWN BACK!! I don’t support my own decisions. I constantly doubt myself and the steps that I take. No wonder my back hurts. It’s like, “Hey – Heather. USE ME!! RELY on me. Notice and appreciate me!!”
What is the point of questioning a decision that is already made? The papers are signed. The car is ours. I can choose to keep questioning the decision and being anxious about it.
OR
I can choose to be excited about the opportunities for travel this car opens up. I can be proud of us for choosing a car that has excellent reliability and that could easily be with us until we are 70-YEARS-OLD. I can be proud of myself for making sh!t happen and finding a great, beautiful vehicle for us just in time for us to take our Surlys to South Dakota for an epic ride through the Black Hills. I can choose to be the friend to myself that I need – the friend who is like, “You are so smart, Heather! You are wise and logical. You made a great decision for your family. You are going to make so many good memories in this sweet, handsome Rav4. You are fearless to commit to a purchase that is aligned with your life goals, even though it’s scary and uncomfortable. You are bold!”
In others words, I can choose to have my own back. Low back pain is very mysterious. I heard from one of my teachers that there are over 200 known causes of low back pain, and research has proven that our thoughts and feelings can dramatically impact chronic low back pain. If this concepts resonates with you, here are some questions you could contemplate: How could you shift your narrative about yourself and your choices in a way that enables you to support YOU? How can you choose to believe in yourself and your capabilities? How can you have your own back more fully?
And now I’ll circle back to the first two things on my list. I’m in the last section of my Health Coaching Certification, and hopefully by the end of July I will be a Master Certified Health & Wellness Coach. And what does that mean?? Here is an excellent description from the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching:
Health & wellness coaches partner with clients looking to enhance their well-being through self-directed lasting changes, aligned with their values. In the course of their work, health & wellness coaches display unconditional positive regard for their clients and a belief in their ability to change, honoring the fact that each client is an expert on their own life while ensuring that all interactions are respectful and non-judgmental.
Isn’t that a beautiful approach to change? Essentially I will get to partner with clients – I will have their backs, and I will help them have their own backs as well! I’m planning on rolling out a 3-month program within the next couple of months. If you would like to improve your wellbeing with a compassionate coach who is in the trenches with you, let me know. I’ll add you to my mailing list and send out more details when my program is finalized. 😊
And lastly, travel. I was able to spend the first weekend in May with my brothers, my sister-in-law, and my mesmerizing niece, Keke. And soon Tim and I are heading out to South Dakota for a week. We’re taking the Heuheunito with us, so please wish us luck. His favorite thing to do is to plop down on his belly in cool grass, meld with the Earth, and people-watch. So getting him UP and HIKING can be a challenge. Good thing he is so cute.
Happy Sunday My Friends, and thank you for reading!!
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Existential Crisis and Notes from Your Back
