As I was filling out my "Articles of Incorporation" to start this new venture I struggled for weeks on a name. You see I've been in the "Coaching" industry for over 20 years. I mentored through college, I trained horses and taught riding lessons from the age of 15, I started my own business Cornerstone Farm Equestrian, in 2002, and have coached a Collegiate Equestrian Team for 19 years as well. If I have any fellow coaches out there, you know that your "craft" is only a small portion of your coaching. The tools you help build, and contribute to your mentees, students, community...that's the whole reason for coaching, your 'craft" is secondary. I was, and still am, a well respected horse professional, but if I'm being honest, the thing that I loved most about my profession was the impact on the animals lives I was able to have, and more importantly the peoples lives. It has always been a pleasure to help and see others succeed in life, and that has always gone way outside of the barn and title of "Horse Professional" for me. My home is always "open" and I strived for my farm to be an outlet, and home away from home, for others. With my clients, and students...I always loved nurturing them, feeding them, and adding value to their lives. It's really no surprise my life, experiences, and obstacles have led me here. Because of the warm attachment I had to my farm I kept trying to implement Cornerstone, or Cornerstone Farm into my new Coaching career, but it just didn't feel right...no matter how much I wanted it to.
One night, I was up cleaning out a book case and I came across a notebook with lots of handwritten pages. For a moment, my anxiety spiked, and I closed the book. I mentioned my obstacles leading here...through most hard times in my life, I wrote. Honest, raw, heartfelt emotions, poured onto pages. It is a tool that helps me heal, forgive, process and move on...but I wasn't in the mindset to revisit those pages. I took a breath, paused, and curiosity got the best of me.
Before I continue on with my story, I'm going to add that I am a big believer in everything happening for a reason, and that God, the Universe, etc (whatever phrase you are comfortable with) puts things on our path to receive them. Now whether we remain open to receiving is a whole other conversation for a different day, but something led me to this moment in my hallway cleaning out this bookcase.
...And again, curiosity got the best of me. So I took a big breath and I opened the book back up. On the top of the page that I had opened it to said, "Blog Notes." **exhale** this wasn't a painful notebook :)
I'm going to share with you that first Blog I ever wrote below. After I read it that night I cried...this was what my new Coaching Business was meant to be called. I knew it all along, but 5 years ago when I wrote this blog, I wasn't ready yet. I needed more lessons, I needed to re-find my "Why," and I didn't know it then, but I needed people and mentorship to help me figure out "How"
I am so excited to be a part of your journey!! Welcome to a bit of mine...
I've thought about starting a blog for quite sometime. My friends and family have regularly encouraged it...but where to begin?!
The part I seem to get stuck at is the very beginning...this page, "About Me." Advice I often find and receive about this, is to "share [my] story," "...people need to know your story"
I'm a very open person so I imagine you'll hear plenty about "my story" throughout this blogging experience and I'm always happy to answer any questions, but I recently realized why I'm still stuck here at this point, the point where I'm supposed to draw you in with "my story," tell you "about me," and it's because My story, is Her story, it's His story, it's Their story...it's YOUR story. It's conflict, growth, illness, health, failure, success, depression, elation, loss, love...it's all of it! We all share that, it's just that sometimes the scenery is different.
So instead of trying to convince anyone, especially myself, that my story is any different than yours I'd like to tell you how the name Eat.Love.Live.Heal. came about and what it means to me.
Without gushing and going on and on about food, in simple words, I love to EAT. Actually that's a gross understatement. There aren't appropriate words to fully describe my love for food lol... I think you get it.
You would think that my love for all things delicious would go hand in hand with a knowledge of the ingredients going into all of that deliciousness...but, not so much. Not until a few years ago, not until my body and my mind said enough is enough.
I began to research food and water and all that we put into and onto our body and how it effects it. It was eye opening, and shocking, and devastating. I was betrayed by my life long first love...food :(
It's been my mission to recreate many food favorites in a healthier, more natural form, and I love taking on this challenge for others who may have food allergies or sensitivities, or just want to avoid something specific. Grain free, dairy free, vegan?? bring it on, I've got your back, and I love experimenting in the kitchen because I love to EAT and I love to share it with others.
It's probably silly to say, but I love to LOVE. I love sharing who I am with people and animals that respect and enjoy me. I love cooking for people, I love nurturing, I love snuggling, I love animals, I love trying new things, I love creating. Someone once said to me, "you 'love' a lot of things," my response? "I know!"
One thing I have learned about this part of me is that it makes me happy. Yes, sometimes when you love, you get very hurt. It's only when we invest in the pain and not the love that this becomes a problem. This is something I've only recently come to understand. Now that I do, I can feel the pain, acknowledge it and release it, allowing the memories of the love to shine through. We all lose things that are important to us, people, animals, jobs, etc. Love them completely while you have them and remember them fondly with a light heart when they are gone. Give love with out the intention of receiving and it will amaze you.
I have a big heart, yes it makes me a little more sensitive to being hurt, but I wouldn't change it for a thing. The experiences and relationships I would miss out on if I did?? NO way! LOVE makes life worth it.
I think all of us at one point in time in our life aren't choosing to LIVE. I don't mean this literally, although it depends on your definition. I mean that we all probably go through a point where we get stuck, we take on an assumed role we think others expect or we ourselves do, we stop doing those things that we love, we stop enjoying the people that we love, we stop learning new things, we stop growing as a person, we stop asking questions, we stop being awed by the unexplainable... we stop living!!
When I was young I did everything I possibly could, and loved it all! I loved being challenged physically and mentally in any capacity. Somewhere along the line, I lost that. Combined with piling in foods and EATing stuff that hurt me, and losing my focus on LOVE, I forgot who I was and what it meant to LIVE. One day I looked in the mirror and thought WTF are you doing??!! I started thinking about all of the things that I used to love and all of the new things I always wanted to try and I vowed to start living again. It was a humbling experience at first. I was out of shape, feeling like crap, and depressed, but a little spark was back and I tried tirelessly to stoke that fire. I am so grateful I did because I love to LIVE again and that is a blessing.
I EAT, and LOVE, to LIVE so that I can HEAL...and that is basically "my story"...it's Her's... His... Their's... it's Your's.. .and I'm honored to share the journey with you.