Christine Howard Blog

  Hello everyone!  I have a question for all of you - How well have you been taking care of you?  By that I mean, are you actively participating in activities and mindsets that Nurture You?  Hmmmm...... good question, right?  OK, if you find yourself answering with less than an enthusiastic YES, then let's take some time to regroup and refocus on nurturing you! Today, right now, I need you to STOP – stop what you are doing, stop what you are thinking, stop your excuses.    Now DROP – drop the phone, drop the laundry, drop the TO DO list!   OK, now that you are in this pause mode, I need you to sit down, somewhere comfortable, somewhere quiet.   Take three deep breaths – inhale, exhale, that’s one.   Inhale…. Exhale… that’s two.   Inhale… exhale… that’s three.   Great, you’re ready to get to work on Nurturing You. Sitting here right now, feel how your body feels.   Feel each limb and organ.   What...

Actually, you may not realize it at all.   It may be so subtle that you accept it as truth without blinking an eye.   What am I talking about?   I am talking about your mindset – specifically your mindset related to Nurturing You! It may be happening in a very subtle way. Have you ever said “I just don’t have time” or “Taking time for me is selfish” or “I have to do X before I can take time for me”?   If you’ve said any of these statements or ones similar to this, then it’s time to step back and look at your mindset, your attitudes and your beliefs related to Nurturing You.   Beliefs like these are holding you back from taking care of yourself in a nurturing way and therefore are preventing you from creating the Best Version of You.   Because your attitudes and beliefs were created over many years, there is a very good chance that you accept these attitudes and beliefs as TRUE.   They may be true for you NOW, but that does not mean...

As an adult you may have lost touch with your inner child.   Being all grown you may be living with a mind-set of responsibility, productivity, and accomplishment.   This mind-set may be keeping you from honoring and nurturing a very important person in your life – your inner child, your true self! Think about a time when you interacted with a small child – maybe it was your own child, a niece or nephew, or a child you met in the course of your day.   What kind of feelings did you have for that child?   Love?   Warmth? Care?   If you had a long enough interaction with them, how did you feel about meeting their needs?   If they were happy, did you share in that joy with them?   If they were sad, did you try to understand what made them unhappy?   Did you find yourself trying to cheer them up or did you scold them and shame them for their feelings?   If so, how did you feel afterward? When thinking about our in...

Have you ever stopped to think about your motivation for the many choices in your day?   Have you ever stopped to think about how your motivation affects the results you have in your life?   Here are a few scenarios to think about: Do you workout because you are afraid of being overweight and out of shape or do exercise because you love and respect your body?   Do you eat organic food because you are afraid of disease or because you love to give yourself the best nutrition you can?   How about with your family – do you help your kids with their homework because you are afraid they will fail on their own or do you help them because you love them and want to see them succeed?   Finally, do you say “yes” to something because you are afraid of letting the other person down, afraid of how they may react if you say “no” or are you saying “yes” because you enjoy the activity and spending time with that person? Fear and love cannot exist together....

When I decided to train for the May 2013 NPC Figure Competition I was so excited about my commitment.   I was flying high for that first week as I visualized myself in lean, muscular shape, all tanned, walking up to accept my trophy.   I saw my achievement clearly!   Within a week that high vanished and I found myself feeling overwhelmed and scared.   On the one hand I deeply desired to achieve this goal, but on the other hand I realized that I had MANY (hundreds) things to accomplish over the six months leading up to the competition.   There were changes to be made in my diet, in my workouts and my supplements.   I needed to learn about and perfect the poses, the tan, and the makeup.   The scariest tasks were those that required me to step up and ask for help from my family and friends.   The more I thought about all the different steps, the more scared and anxious I became.   Stopping the mind chatter One morning I sat qu...

It's well after January 1st, so while my wishes may seem late, I bet some of you are just getting into the groove of the new year.  You are not alone! If you are like many people (myself included at times), you have a pretty easy time "seeing" what you want to DO in the new year, who you want to BE in the new year, or what you want to HAVE in the new year.  The problem arises, however, with taking action to achieve these things.  "Life happens" as they say and before we know it, the first year of the month is almost over! If this is you, are you ready to get to moving in the direction of your dreams?  Now is the perfect time.  Today is the perfect day.  You want to make changes, and you are ready to CHANGE!  A Life Coach such as myself can help you do this! If you would like more information about Life Coaching or want to schedule a free introductory coaching session, please email me at yourcoachchris@gmail.com. Stay HIP (Healthy, Inspired, P...