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Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:29PM | Amy C As you think, you travel, and as you love, you attract. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; You will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you. ~ James Lane Allen
Where are your thoughts taking you today?
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 3:27PM | Amy C 
Love is defined as “an intense feeling of deep affection.”
We love our families, our lovers, our children. And we love our passions and our sports and hobbies.
But when’s the last time you either heard someone say, or said yourself, “I love my body.” (And really meant it.)
How many people do you think have an intense feeling of deep affection for the skin they’re in? I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that number’s pretty small.
Loving your body isn’t about looking good or performing well. It’s about connecting to our body as part of who we are.
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 6:03AM | Amy C 
Bracken | Prescott, AZ
Last week I posted about what my mountain bike taught me. As a beginner, listening to my body and stopping to catch my breath have turned out to be good things to remember.
As I was writing the post, I’d asked my husband for a link or two to a good video that would be fun to include in that original post.
Instead (because that’s the kind of guy he is), he sent a bunch of great videos, each with their own lesson. And clearly, I had to share. Here's wisdom from Bracken.
Enjoy!
That once you’re really good, you can casually talk while you do things that most would find terrifying:
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 6:19PM | Amy C 
I’m hurling down a steep descent, gripping the handlebars of the hunk of steel beneath me and roots, rocks and trees blur past. I’m trying desperately to remember everything I’d been taught to do: look ahead, relax, watch for rocks as you pedal, don’t hit a tree, don’t look down, don’t hit the front break too hard, remember what leg to have down on the corners.
I’m quickly consumed with the overwhelming sense that I’m losing—no, by this time I’ve lost—control.
Instinctively, I slow down and then stop. My breath is heavy and my heart is racing. I look behind me at the terrain I’d just covered (whoa! I rode down that?), and then I look ahead and assess what’s coming up.
It only takes a few minutes for my breathing to calm down and my heart to settle into a more relaxed beat. The adrenaline slowly leaves my system and my mind clears.
I sit back on the seat, point the front tire downhill and breathe in one more time before taking off again to meet up with my friends. This time I’m not going quite so fast. And I’m not merely hanging on for dear life. I’m enjoying the rush of the wind against my cheeks. I can smell the damp soil of the loamy trail mingling with the pine trees.
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 1:13PM | Amy C 
Keep moving forward one step at a time.
Some wise words I wanted to share today:
You are not the product of your circumstances. You are a composite of all the things you believe, and all the places you believe you can go. Your past does not define you. You can step out of your history and create a new day for yourself. Even if the entire culture is saying, ‘You can’t.’ Even if every single possible bad things that can happen to you does. You can keep moving forward.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 6:04AM | Amy C At the beginning of January, My friend Lydia and I launched 31 Days of Adventure, a project where we emailed participants every day for the 31 days of January a small, daily adventure meant to challenge and encourage them to find adventure in everyday life.
We had no idea what to expect, but as we brainstormed and fleshed out our ideas, we hoped there would be a few folks that would join in. We brainstormed adventures, built a website, and then invited folks to join. And BAM! People started signing up, sharing the links, tweeting and blogging about it. Whoa.
By the end of December, on the night before our first adventure went live, there were way more people than we expected on the list. And within the next few days, that number almost doubled.
Can we talk about how cool that was? So. Freaking. Cool. Flurries of emails traveled back and forth through cyberspace as Lydia and I watched the numbers grow.
I’m not usually that concerned with numbers, but boy, they can really be addicting!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 3:03PM | Amy C Title IX turns 40 today. For those of you unaware, Title IX of the Education Amendments to the 1964 Civil Rights Act which was signed into law on June 23, 1972 by President Richard Nixon, declares that:
We’ve come a long way (there’s still a long way to go), but today, let’s celebrate shall we?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 6:03AM | Amy C 
January hiking | Boulder, CO
The days are finally getting longer! Yes, I realize that the lengthening process began back in December, but to me, it always starts to feel more “real” during January, when you can look out the window at 5:00pm and the sky is still blue and you haven’t yet had to turn on the lights inside.
Yes, the days are getting longer and the new year is growing up.
It’s time to re-evaluate and re-assess the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the month. I know for me, I was a bit too ambitious about what I could get done in a month.
If you’re feeling the same, or feeling like you need a little extra guidance, there’s one day left for my life coaching special to kick-start your 2012 goals. I know I’ll be adjusting a few of mine and I’d love to help you with yours.
Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 5:04AM | Amy C 
Smith Rock, OR
There is a certain place in the outdoors that speaks to each of us directly. It’s one place over all the others that holds a certain magic. A place where we feel we unequivocally belong.
When we’re there, we feel totally and completely ourselves; we bask in its simplicity and grace; and we become the strong and capable person we know ourselves to be.
This place sees us. It brings out our strengths and encourages us to break out of our old patterns and habits and pushes us to grow and spread our wings.
We feel an abundance of joy and a vibrant energy soaking into our pores as we breathe in the fresh air.