Dream Big: Make Your Days Count

by Jenny on January 18, 2010

Dream Big

Today, on the day that we celebrate the powerful man who encourages us to DREAM, Martin Luther King, Jr., I was given a great gift by an old friend.  This gift wasn’t material in nature or an experience of any sort, rather it was a REMINDER of the importance of MAKING YOUR DAYS COUNT.

My friend shared with me a poem called DREAM BIG.  He shared this with me after watching a video I made and posted to Facebook about my son’s first year on earth.  (You can watch the video here.  Note it was my FIRST time playing with iMovie … and give the program two thumbs up for novices like me.  If you are thinking of making a movie, do it!  It’s very user friendly and you’ll be amazed by your creation.)

The last scene of the video was the message: DREAM BIG (words on a shirt [pictured above] given to my son by another amazing friend Kelly Newsome.  I have great friends!).  This 2-second clip inspired him to share these amazing words with me … which then inspired me to share them with you. Don’t you just love the domino effect of sharing?

This is what life is about, folks … spreading ideas worth sharing. Standing up for what you believe in.  Having the audacity to hope, to dream, to take a stand, to hold people up, to encourage people to LIVE the LIFE that they dream about, to inspire yourSELF to live a life that you are deeply, madly, passionately in love with.

And there will be naysayers out there who challenge you, who want to hold you back, who are nervous about you having a larger vision of yourself, of humanity, of the world.  They’ll ask WHY?

When they tell you it can’t be done, that you’ll fail, that there is NO way, what will you do?  I encourage you to muster up your strength, courage, vision and passion and say: Watch me.

Dream big. Trust. Persist. Do it right.

I share this poem with you, passed on to me from my old pal from New Smyrna Beach High School Patrick Heaton.  Thanks, friend.  And my deepest gratitude to Dr. King for continuing to remind us that ANYTHING is possible.

DREAM BIG

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference
To embark on something worth doing
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily –
But for something that tugs at your heart
Something that is worth your aspiration
Something that is your dream.
You owe it to yourself
To make your days count.
Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though,
That things worth doing
Seldom come easy,
There will be times when you want to
Turn around
Pack it up and call it quits
Those times tell you
That you are pushing yourself
And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
Determination and the right tools,
You can do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect
And let your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
Of the human mind
Of doing something that makes a difference
Of working hard
Of laughing and hoping
Of lasting friends
Of all the things that will cross your path
Next year
The start of something new
Brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible
There is only one you
And you will pass this way but once.

Do it right.

-Author unknown

** Dear reader, how will YOU dream big today?  How are you making TODAY count?  Please share in the comments section below.  See you there! **

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Scaling a Mountain

by Jenny on January 5, 2010

Childbirth

Today marks the first anniversary of the most painful, excruciating and fantastic experience of my life: the birth of my son Sean.

As we celebrated a huge milestone in his life – one year on earth – I couldn’t help but go back in time to one year ago.  Labor pains have a way of staying with you … and I went back to that cold January day in 2009 when I scaled the biggest mountain possible: natural childbirth.

The whole experience for me was a lesson in setting my intention, preparing, getting my support team in place, creating my vision, and then surrendering.

Childbirth is the most humbling, primal experience. It’s the great equalizer.  It brings you to your knees and forces you to come face to face with your biggest fears.  It forces you to go inside yourself and muster up all of your strength, all of your fortitude … and have ROCK-SOLID faith in your body and in your baby.

That’s what happened for me … I moved mountains.  I surrendered to the experience and rode the waves of the pain, rode the waves of my contractions to get one step closer to meeting my child.

But surrendering was not my approach at first. What was my initial reaction once the contractions quickly went from “ouch” to “WTF”?  FEAR, FEAR, FEAR! I was freaking out that there was no way in HELL that I could handle this.  All of my preparation and vision and years of yoga training went flying out the window.  I felt like I was holding on for dear life.  I distinctly remember looking at my husband and saying: “I don’t know if I can do this.”  I felt very alone, very vulnerable, very much in over my head.

And just when my mind was shifting into massive overdrive, I LET GO.  I gave in … and started really TRUSTING my body, TRUSTING my baby, TRUSTING that I had EVERYTHING I needed to bring my child into the world EXACTLY the way I wanted to.

By the time we made it back to the hospital (I was sent home earlier that day when I thought my water had broken and told that the baby may not be ready for days), I was fully dilated (the hardest part – transition – was over!) and ready to push my baby out.  This little one was ready to enter the world, 2.5 weeks earlier than expected.

I remember the whole pushing part of labor SO well.  My doctor wanted me to push my baby out rather quickly because his heart rate was dropping during contractions.  With all of the hoopla of rushing to the hospital and getting a room in the birthing center and dealing with the most excruciating pain I had EVER experienced, I kind of wasn’t ready to push that intensely.  I wanted a break, but I did like I was told but knew it wasn’t enough to help this soul enter the world.

After about three rounds of pushing, I remember my doctor looking at me in the eye and saying, very seriously: “Jenny, on your next contraction you’re pushing your baby out.”  I knew she meant business … and so did I.

I gathered up EVERY ounce of strength in my body, soul, mind and made a conscious choice to GO TO THE PEAK of the steep, scary mountain … and enter into the magical, wild world of motherhood.  There was no turning back.  Old life over, new life is here.

At 10:51 p.m. on Monday, January 5, 2009, my son Sean Logan Fenig took his first breath … and took my breath away. He was so … beautiful, peaceful, full of love, full of energy.   He was – and is – amazing.  He is a gift from God.

A few hours later,  after the doctors, nurses and doulas had left, it was just my husband, my son and I.  Our new family.  As my husband and newborn son slept soundly next to me, I was wide awake thinking about the miracle that happened in our room.  Mindblowing.  Otherworldly.  I looked out at the moonlit New York City sky and heard a voice loud and clear in my mind say: “Life will never be the same.”

So. True.

Happy birthday, sweet Sean. Together, we move mountains.

**Dear reader, wishing you the gift of strength and fortitude as you climb the mountains of life.  Where do you find your deepest strength during your toughest moments?  Please share.**

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What Doesn’t Fit You Anymore?

December 29, 2009

I was cleaning out my son’s closet today and filled a few bags worth of clothes he’s outgrown. He’ll be one (!) next week and we go through this cleansing process every few months.  It’s amazing to see this little person growing before my eyes.
Cleaning out his closet is wonderfully cathartic.  The act of [...]

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When in Rome (or Colorado): Skiing … An Extreme Metaphor for Life [PART 3]

December 27, 2009

I was 28 the first time I put on snow skis.  I “learned” to ski on man-made ice in the  Poconos of Pennsylvania.
When I went to Aspen two years ago, I learned why skiing out west is different – A LOT different – than skiing out east.  I’ll break it down to the difference between [...]

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When in Rome (or Colorado): Sleighs [PART 2]

December 20, 2009

Let the Colorado fun continue …
On the evening of Day 5 of our family adventure, we had the quintessential holiday experience in snowy Colorado: a horse-drawn sleigh ride.  It. Was. Magical.
Imagine, pulling up to a wooden and stone lodge glistening with twinkle lights and full of holiday spirit.  Then, being greeted by the host of [...]

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When in Rome (or Colorado): Spas [PART 1]

December 17, 2009

I’m enjoying the sights and sounds of Colorado this week. My family and I are enjoying a getaway … ahhhh.
I find it interesting that when I go away, it takes me a few days to really “get” that I’m not at home anymore.  I really have to work at disconnecting and appreciating all the “newness” [...]

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Subduing the Demons: Be Uninterruptedly Aware

December 2, 2009

So, I’m going through a tough time right now. I won’t go into what my particular challenge is during this blog post, but suffice it to say I am learning a great lesson.
And sometimes learning BLOWS. It can really shake you at your core, make you question all that you know to be true.
In [...]

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If You Want to Go Up, You Gotta Show Up: Top 10 A-Ha’s From SHINE

November 12, 2009

I’ve been in somewhat of a fog since returning home from Ali Brown’s amazing SHINE event in Las Vegas.   Sure, part of me achieved brilliant clarity, but another part of me was thrown for a loop emotionally, spiritually and physically.  (What can I say? I’m a Gemini.) Being tossed around is a good thing though [...]

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You Get What You Ask For

October 27, 2009

Greetings.  How are you?
So, I’m really excited right now.  Why?  Well, lots of reasons … one of which is that I have the honor of attending an amazing women’s entrepreneur’s conference called SHINE next week in fabulous Las Vegas.  In preparation for my attendance, I am re-reading the legendary “Think & Grow Rich” by Napoleon [...]

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The Magic of “Me” Time

October 18, 2009

Busy much? If you’re like most women, you are running faster and faster just to keep up with the demands of modern living.  How often have you reached the end of the day and not known where the hours have gone?  You blink and poof, the day is done … but you still have lots [...]

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