Guest Post: Fully Alive 101

Adventure
10/12/2016

Guest Post By Kimberly Babin

Fullyalive101 is a conversation about health and wellness in mind, body and spirit. We believe that joy, success, and happiness all come from curating a life that explores fun, unique and creative ways to live FULLY ALIVE, to live the life you were born to.

When I was a child, there was this really unique series of books called Choose Your Own Adventure. They didn’t have one set outcome, they didn’t have one ending, and that is how we can view our lives, because we largely are capable of writing our own story, we are essentially the author of our own lives.

Yes, there is going to be the unexpected, the thing we never could have planned for, but when we look at it with a sense of adventure, we can see it as a plot twist rather than a setback, and it is always that curve ball and how it is overcome, how it’s dealt with that makes for a really great story. That’s the kind of book we want to read, and that is the kind of story we can write for our own epic journeys.

The human spirit is filled with a sense of longing, a thirst to explore, to take on new adventures, not to just visit unknown territories, but to see sights with new eyes. It is when we act on our desire to explore, to grow, to change, to become better… we begin to develop a sense of awe, of wonder, and we begin to gain an understanding of our infinite possibilities.

Our passion and drive and curiosity expands with each step. We aren’t here to submit to the mundane, to resign to our circumstances, we're here to change and transform them and to become more alive each day. When we develop a sense of adventure, of seeking, of doing, of curiosity we develop our power to choose, to create to curate.

We have this innate power to become fearless, to replace stagnation with forward movement. Our fears become transformed into faith, our limiting beliefs that once told us we must resign to the mundane, break down and are left at the side of the path as we journey forward.


Guest Blogger: Kimberly Babin
“When we begin to tap into our human spirit, our own unique potential, and our divine nature of resilience, we can begin to uplift humanity; that is living fully alive”
Kimberly Babin is a writer & blogger, inspiring speaker, and the creator of Fully Alive 101. A firm believer in the human spirit and human potential, she has immersed herself in the art of becoming greater: greater than our fears, greater than our limiting beliefs, greater than who we were yesterday. An avid researcher, reader, yoga & meditation enthusiast, Kimberly believes that everyone can live a vibrant life in mind, body & spirit.

How To Make Every Day a Great Day... Even This One.

Recently, I was stuck in a dreary place.
You know the feeling... Tossing and turning at night, getting up to turn down the air, then kicking the blankets off, drinking some water, finally getting comfortable, then having to pee, only to hear the dreaded alarm in the morning and press snooze until it's too late to take a shower and do your hair.
You'll just have to wear it back again.
Going to work, staring at the computer, wondering how you're going to survive another... 7 1/2 hours without a nap.
Finally leaving work, coming home to a sink full of dishes, a dog that needs to be walked, dinner that needs to be made, and a shower that needs to be taken. Feeling unattractive, not initiating sex, getting upset when your partner doesn't initiate it either. Feeling a constant longing for... something... you don't even know what.
When the weekend finally arrives, you're excited to try to finally be able to relax, but when Saturday comes, you feel restless and unsatisfied. Should you clean? Go outside? Exercise? Watch more TV? Catch up on work? Socialize?
You don't even feel like getting out of bed.
Your partner already left the house, meanwhile, you feel like a lazy bum for coming back to bed after breakfast. You're lonely, even when you're not alone and you can't shake the feeling of dread for the upcoming week.

We've all been here and we've left this feeling too, only to return back to it again and again.
But I've figured out how to climb out of it.

These things (sometimes slowly) work for me, and I want to share them with you too.

Cherry pick your favorites:

Put One Foot In Front of the Other.
Taken from Wikimedia.

• Get Out of bed. Promise yourself that you can return to it again soon, then put one leg out and let the other one follow it.
• Go Outside. If it's summertime, step outside, or go to a park. If it's winter (yes, this is much more difficult), go to the bookstore or coffee shop.
• Compliment a Stranger. Don't be a creeper, and don't be inauthentic, but find something you like about someone around you (their eyes, shirt, purse, shoes, glasses... something) and tell them you like it.
• Go A Step Further. Pay for someone's order, smile at people around you, buy a stranger a cookie (preferably right in front of them... on second thought, this might not be a good idea), but do something that showed that you went out of your way (if only a little) to bless them.
• Find Something To Be Grateful For. Post what you're grateful for on Facebook, or write it on a note, or in your journal. Make it your phone background or say it out loud. Even if you're not feeling particularly grateful, I promise you that you have at least one thing to be grateful for. You're welcome to join my daily gratitude group on Facebook.

  

  Make that call.
  Thanks for the image Flickr.

• Call Someone. You may not be a phone talker, and this may be super unusual for you, but pick one person that you appreciate, call them up (don't text, email, or message them) and tell them how much they mean to you. Ask them how they are, don't make them worried that you're depressed, and don't make the conversation about you, just tell them how much you appreciate them. If you don't have anyone to appreciate, tell your bus driver how much they make your
  
  
  day.
• Hug a Homeless Person. I hope I don't lose you on this one. Admittedly, this one is a bit extreme, but it has never failed to turn my shitty day into something manageable. Homeless people are often not treated as human, and I don't like to hand out money to everyone I see, but I do like to just extend a small kind human interaction with them. It's really not as "unsanitary" as some might make it out to be. And if a homeless person is too extreme for you, hug someone else. Studies show that human contact will make you healthier (Eight hugs a day? Whoa, I need to increase my hug ratio).
• Watch a Commencement Speech. This works for me almost every time. Watching commencement speeches get me pumped up about the potential that life has, not just for recent college graduates, but for people at any stage in life. I have made a playlist of my favorite ones here. 
• Meditate. Meditation doesn't have to be the whole process. You don't have to join a mediation group (although you could, I recommend this one), find a guru, or go to a yoga session. You can mediate wherever you are for as long as you have. Just close your eyes, breathe, focus on your heartbeat, calm your thoughts, express your gratitude, sit in silence, watch something extremely funny... whatever makes you feel centered and fully present, because that's what meditation is for.
• Talk About Your Feelings. I know, this probably makes you cringe, but don't let it scare you away. You don't necessarily have to voice them aloud, but maybe it's time for a journal or a therapist? The stigma of therapy is falling away, and it's a good thing too, as an increasing number of adults actually need one. If there is something wrong in your relationships, your friends, family, or significant other probably can't read your mind (that would be kind of scary if they could), so maybe it's time to talk about it.

  

  It's time to say yes.
  Pic from Flickr.

• Start Saying Yes. There will be times when you do not feel like going out to get a drink with an old friend, or go to a networking event, or even attend your kid's seventh soccer game, and sometimes it is okay to say no, but other times, you will not regret pushing past that immediate impulsion and just saying yes. Don't forget how short life is. You are given a very limited amount of time to live, so why say no to experiences and opportunities that might just make your life even more worth living? Plus, maybe you'll get a good story out of it, and what is life if not accumulating a bunch of good stories to tell?
  
  
• Create Your Own Happiness Ritual. What makes you happy? Do that, all of that. Take a bath, watch your favorite movie, re-read your favorite book, pick and choose some of the things on this list... whatever and make that part of your Happiness Ritual.

I hope that these tips can help you make you every day great!

Let me know what works for you and don't forget to subscribe to my blog to get more fun updates and tips!

Why I wanted to go to Jury Duty..

Yes, it's true, I wanted to go to Jury Duty this week. Once I realized I had been picked, it felt like I had won a lottery of sorts. No, it's not just about the idea of being apart of one of those juicy court hearings that you see on tv (admittedly that WAS in the back of my mind). It wasn't about being able to miss work, although I did look forward to catching up on some research and reading I've been meaning to do. It wasn't about being able to step away from all my stressful day-to-day thoughts. 

I was excited about Jury Duty because it is one of the reasons why I love this country.
Now, I don't want to give the impression that I am a huge patriot and I ignore all of the injustices taking place daily here, and I'm not trying to romanticize all of the terrible, tragic things that are happening to undeserving people.
But, regardless, there is a lot to love about America.
To me, Jury Duty represents democracy, justice, and freedom of the people.
Of course it could be implemented better, of course! Everything could, really. But there is something so beautiful about looking around me and seeing people of all different races, ages, education backgrounds, classes, opinions, wealth, and opportunities sitting with me as peers, getting 100% of the same say as one another.
Isn't that just a little beautiful?
Okay, so it is scary that all of these strangers might have totally different morals and biases than me and we may be deciding on very serious consequences for someone, but it all comes back to what makes America so wonderful.
Who's to say that my one option is correct or that my individual bias, or education has given me the right answer in a specific case? Nothing. But with 12 minds, morals, backgrounds and options working together, we can reach the most balanced decision possible.

It's a beautiful thing.

I don't really get to see how my individual vote changes an election, or how my tax dollars really make a difference, but when I sit in the chair at the courthouse with all my peers, I feel like I am making a teeny difference in what makes America a democracy.

Each of us will probably have to serve on a jury at one time or another, why not change your perspective about the whole thing and instead see what an instrumental part you get to play that week.

Of Course I Forgot to Post Yesterday

One single, pitiful day after I committed to posting everyday, I completely drop the ball.
It is difficult not to get frustrated at myself for not being able to keep a habit for even one day, but you know what? That's okay. I am back on the horse today, and even though it is a Friday and weekends are not terribly routine driven, I will try to post again tomorrow.

This is going to be more of a journal entry type blog post-just a warning.

So yesterday was a fantastic day, really this whole week has been great for networking, learning, getting empowered, inspiring others, and enjoying myself.

Last Friday, I went to a Chamber event and a wonderful marketing consultant. Beth, talked about effective communication. I loved her talk and was secretly hoping that she would be my marketing mentor. I accidentally introduced myself twice, an hour apart, which was quite embarrassing.
I ended up getting my first press release gig that day, and found out that a fellow member of junior league, chamber, and leading ladies was trying to freelance, and I tried my best to inspire her to go for it.

On Monday, Mary gave me permission to go to a Book Launch Conference in LA! By myself! Next month! She paid for the ticket, airfare, and hotel! And then I found out that a friend I have never met (a fellow wanderlusting, gut following, 'fuck it' tribe member) lives in LA and wants to meet up! And then my cousin (who I also have never met,except through Facebook) asked if I wanted to get together. Yes!

Tuesday, I went to a Jon Gordan seminar and was blown away by his talk. I wrote so many notes, that I think my pencil was smoking. I will have to transcribe all of my notes in a future blog post (note to self: keep track of future blog post promises). Then I asked him a question that he had posed to us earlier (and was later told that I won for questions that day... I know, I need to practice more humility). Because I asked a question, I got a free book and he signed it at the end! :)
Mary then introduced me to a fellow local motivational speaker, Lesley, that I was going to see on Thursday.
Then I went to a lunch that a colleague had won from the radio station. A local speaker, Habeeb, gave a wonderful presentation about the talk. At the end of this, I gave him my card, told him about Mary and told him that Ryan would be applying for a job at his organization.
Later that night, I went to my first Junior League event. We were given tshirts, and asked to go door to door passing out "Kindergarten preparation kits" to kids. I met wonderful people and forgot how much I loved volunteering and making a small impact on others.

Yesterday, I went to a real estate thing to see Lesley speak. Since I work for Mary's personal development side, and not her debt collection agency side, I felt a bit out of place representing Midstate... at first. Then Lesley recognized me and sat right next to me. We talked for a while and when she (nervously-- yes, public speakers get nervous too-Eeek!:)) went up to speak, she asked me to take some pictures for her.
Then at the end, I made my rounds, exchanging cards and catching up with people, when I came across the owner of a local nonprofit. She had gone up to speak before Lesley and had ended up crying when she talked about the children that her organization helps. She also caught my eye a couple times during the talk. I ended up telling her about my own attempt at starting a nonprofit, Stand Up Illinois, to raise awareness for sex trafficking and such. She got so excited. She gave me her book and told me that maybe our organizations could partner, and she could pay me to be the director of Stand Up Illinois within No Child Unloved. Whaaa...?! Yes! This would be a dream come true, given, but I told her that I had no intention of leaving Mary yet, so she suggested part-time work, and told me to think about it. I certainly am!
Then after work, I went to a chamber event to network and I met so many new people! And got to catch up with old chamber connections. Everyone I knew and talked to said they got my marketing consultant email (which I sent to about 300 of my contacts). On lady I had met at Leading Ladies told me that I was "unforgettable" and after she met me, she was trying to figure out if she could give me a job somewhere at her bank, then she said that I was too creative to work at a bank. Haha
This creeper dude, Mike, that I met at the Rotary bar crawl told me that I had been "bitchy" last time we met because I (fairly politely) had told him that he was "in my space" when he consistently leaned too close to me at one bar. I apologized for coming off rudely and told him that I was just honest. Later, in the middle of my conversation with an old PR gentleman, he very rudely, shrewdly and inappropriately violated my personal space by coming out of no where, and pulled my sitting body close to his groin area. It was completely fucked up. I was shocked he laughed it off and told the old man, "Don't worry, it's an inside joke" then walked away. I was so caught off guard. I tried to re-orientate myself and told the old man, "He violated my personal space and apparently thinks its funny to do it again. Anyway, where were we?"
I just moved on from that and continued networking and connecting, later meeting a great older gentleman that runs a retirement financing and accounting (or something?) company. Jeff called himself a "one-man BCP" which is hilarious, because that is where Ryan just applied.
We had wonderful chats about his road trips last year, and my own adventures, and aliens and what not.
It was really great.
I also looked down at my phone and Lesley had texted me, thanking me for taking pictures and telling me that I have a "bright future". Eek!
Everyone else went to a bar afterwards, but it was already 8:00p and I wanted to go lay in bed and watch Parenthood. So I took off and when Ryan got home, I was so excited to tell him about my day and the communication skills I had learned that we didn't stop talking until after midnight.

Today, I got into the office and promptly had a conference call with Beth, the marketing consultant I saw on Friday, to discuss branding for Mary. I sent her my 12 month marketing timeline, and the website proposal I had sent the website designers to gauge our brand. She was blown away. She told me that she wasn't trying to give me a big head or pander to me, but she had never seen anyone detail the marketing plan and do so much research. And she told me that she didn't want to talk herself out of a job but that I didn't need her help with this brand. She told me that she would be happy to mentor me wherever I needed help! EEEK! And told me that she would send some examples of branding statements that she had made for my reference. THEN she told me that she is constantly hiring freelance writers and she was so happy to have met me. Yippie!

I really think that I have been put on this Earth to connect people, and to remain positive, passionate, honest, humble, and empowered in order to empower others to do the same.

Life is so great when you say yes to opportunities, meet everyone there is to meet, genuinely care about them, persevere, and stick your neck out as much as possible!

Go, kick some ass peeps! And leave me a comment about what you're up to! :)

One Post Everyday

As you can tell, I am terrible at posting one blog entry every single day.
It is so difficult to fit it in-between the networking, workshop attending, Netflix watching, headaches, working, socializing and so on. It just becomes lost in all the noise and all of the priorities that seem to creep up the list.
I just don't feel inspired, or I want to write the perfect post instead of just crying out in mediocrity. And to be completely candid, I also don't know if I'm a good writer, and I am afraid of the feedback... or even lack there of.
But then I did some research for how to get motivation to blog and I found out that *GASP* I am not alone in my struggle, worries, procrastination, and insecurities.
The number one piece of advice I got was to just SUCK IT UP and write one thing everyday. And when you hit the publish button on that one thing every single day, it becomes public and you have to suck it up even more.
Because life is going to be over in the blink of an eye, and so why not just put yourself out there and JUST DO IT.
Do I want to be a writer? Yes.
So how does one get better at writing? They write. Duh.
Every single day. It's called discipline and I am going to prove that I have an ounce of it.

So here I am, having adventures and journeys, but not exactly leading the life I want, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to suck it up and write about all my days anyway.
So welcome to Summer's New Epic Journey.

The one where she has many mini journeys, thoughts, desires, tips and stories.

My posts will vary:

• Some of these posts might be fiction (I will add a disclaimer to those) because I would like to write my first fiction piece.
• Some of these entries might seem journal-ish.
• Some of the entries might be stock full of tips.
• Some might just talk about my motivation that day.
• Some might talk about the inspiration I got that day or the people I met.
• Some might be memories of my previous adventures.

I do hope you enjoy this journey with me, but ultimately I will need to remember that this blog is about loving what I'm writing about, not getting praise and comments from my readers.

That being said, feel free to leave me a question, comment, or feedback.

So wish me luck!

#OnePostEveryday #SummersEpicJourney