Trying is Contagious | Week 52 | Confidence Revolution
You have grown by leaps and bounds this year and I am so thrilled for you!
The stories you've shared with me via email are heart-warming, inspiring, and all the fuel I need to keep going.
There are so many things I'd like to share with you before I go on hiatus (guys, I have 3 weeks left until our due date but contractions started last night!)
But for now I'll say keep trying. Trying is underrated. The ONE thing that all the greats ( no matter how one defines 'the greats' ) is that they all TRIED.
The more you try, the more you will believe in yourself and then - and then this domino effect happens with those around you - and they also begin trying. It's a beautiful thing to watch unfold.
You can positively impact your life and your corner of the world - just by trying.
Enjoy today, you deserve it! Happy New Year!
love and grace, catia
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Joseph Schooling + the GOAT | Week 40 | Confidence Revolution
This was Joseph Schooling in 2008. He was 13 years old and at that point had lived in Singapore his entire life.
As a young boy, Joseph began training as a serious swimmer and in 2008 when the US Swim team trained in Singapore, Joseph got to meet one of his heroes, Michael Phelps.
In 2009 Joseph Schooling moved to Jacksonville, Florida and began more serious swim training, setting his sights on one day competing and beating Michael Phelps. RIDICULOUS, SINCE HE WAS ONLY 14 AND MICHAEL PHELPS HAD ALREADY SECURED 22 GOLD MEDALS.
We all know Phelps just retired as the GOAT (greatest-of-all-time -- you see, I keep up with trends!) decorated with 28 medals, but what happened to Schooling?
Well, Schooling is now 21, attends The University of Texas at Austin ( Hook ‘Em!) and most recently earned the FIRST EVER GOLD MEDAL for his home country of Singapore. You see, he swam the 100m butterfly and oh yeah, BEAT MICHAEL PHELPS.
The headlines read:
“Joseph Schooling, the boy who beat Michael Phelps eight years after meeting his Olympic hero.”
“21-year-old Schooling was just 13 when he met his idol. Now, he's beaten the most successful Olympian of all time and become Singapore's first ever gold medalist.”
“Joseph Schooling rocked the swimming world when he defeated the most successful Olympic athlete of all time in Michael Phelps, eight years after he met the 22-time gold medalist as a young boy.”
“21-year-old Schooling triumph in the thrilling 100m butterfly final that saw Singapore claim its first ever Olympic gold medal.”
“Phelps was beaten by a 21-year-old who grew up idolizing the most decorated athlete in Olympic history.”
When asked about his triumph, Schooling responded, "That's pretty crazy, what happens in eight years.”
Yes, yes it is.
Guys, I dream BIG.
I’ve watched 5,674 hours of Oprah. I have watched so much I know that when she interviews authors, she picks a few sentences she loves from their books, flags them and reads the prose back to them. Oprah will read the sentence and say something like, “ I love that!,” or “Tell me more about that,” or “That’s good.”
And when I was writing my book, The Courage to Become, (out in December!), once in while I would write a really good sentence and I would see Oprah sitting across from me. And I would hear her reading the sentence back to me. Just as I have seen her do with other authors. Just me and my gal, Oprah, discussing The Courage to Become.
That sounds insane right? I know.
But so does a 13 year old trying to beat the most decorated Olympic athlete of ALL TIME.
So many of us fear dreaming BIG, seeking BIG, reaching BIG – because we’re afraid of what happens if we don’t reach the top of the mountain.
But, I would encourage you to flip that and ask yourself, what happens if I dream small, seek small and reach small?
If Schooling didn’t beat Phelps would we have looked down on him? NO. If I don’t ever sit across from Oprah will I be a failure? NO -- because I will have tried and stumbled and tried again and enriched myself and others in the process.
Don’t be afraid to dream BIG and to dream OUT LOUD. The only thing standing between you and the top of your mountain is a clear goal and devotion. If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.
love and grace, catia
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Controlling your Negative Inner Chatterbox | Week 15 | Confidence Revolution
I was with my Austin Mom's Blog sister/writers last night. We were taking head shots with the amazing Laura Morsman and we were all wound up. "Do I look good?" "How about this angle?" "That's not my good side." The pressure was mounting! We were putting so much importance on the way the photos turned out. Like we were going to be judged ONLY on how we looked, like ALL the other things we do in life -- love, care, work, mother, volunteer -- didn't matter. We HAD to look spectacular or else everything was for not.
But then after the pictures were over, we enjoyed food and champagne and everyone let their guard down. And that's when things got really good. When we relaxed! Why couldn't we be relaxed the entire time?
The other day I read a post and it said that Gloria Steinem gave Melissa McCarthy a bracelet that said, "Linked, not ranked." And I thought, "that is the answer!!" Someone needs to get all women together and teach them in Woman 101 that there are not gold medals given out for being the prettiest, or smartest, or most sacrificing, or most frugal, OR... the least imposing or least disruptive or least opinionated.
We are unable to be ranked. Linked, not ranked.
Today's video is about how my negative chatter box felt outranked - on LIVE TV! And I detail how you can address your negative chatter box.
We are human, we have souls AND egos. Our soul is our higher self, an inner knowing, our essence. And our ego is part of the psyche that experiences the outside world and reacts to it. It thinks, feels, and it wants to distinguish itself from others. Part of the ego's job is to want more. That's it's job! So it's not about eliminating the ego, but about balancing it's power our lives.
With all my heart, you are worthy.
Culture tells you that you need more, different, bigger. Culture is lying, culture has ulterior motives.
You are beautiful and gifted.
No one is you, and that is your power.
Learn to speak LOVE | Week 13 | Confidence Revolution
Have you found that love comes in all shapes and sizes? There’s BIG love, spontaneous love, platonic love, fizzle out love (you know the kind), forever love, unconditional love (my favorite!) and intentional love (okay – really my favorite!) just to name a few.
And have you also found that no matter the label placed on it – you KNOW when you feel loved? It’s an undeniable sensation, you know you are welcome to be your authentic no-is-home-and-you-can-do whatever-you-want self. :)
If you're in a long term relationship with someone (a spouse, a friend, a girlfriend/boyfriend, children, family members), you have a wonderfully unique opportunity in front of you. You have the chance to GROW in love as well as GROW the love between you and the other person.
Relationships are not easy, even challenging at times, but they don’t have to be a slog. They are supposed to make us feel good! They can bring us joy, laughter and a sense of security. Relationships can even be the unwavering foundation we stand on when we look into the big bright world. But before they can be all that, they have to be tended to.
In this week’s Week 13 Confidence Revolution lesson I am introducing two books.
1) The Zimzum of Love and
2) The 5 Love Languages
Marriage is different for everyone, but for me, it is my center and so I don’t just wish it well, I invest in it. I enjoy tending to it, and these books have helped fortify my marriage.
If there’s a relationship that you’d like to strengthen, that you’d like to see flourish, that you’d like to get more out of, watch this video for some guidance.
The great news is that tailored love can be satisfying, fulfilling and uplifting. When you love someone well, you give a gift from the heavens.
You deserve to love and be loved fiercely.
love and grace, catia
Hey guys - if you're looking to feel better, feel happy and feel confident - I have something for you.
I 100% wrote this in service of you. I want you to find joy in everyday life!
Love!
Confidence Is... | Week 12 | Confidence Revolution
"Am I wearing the right outfit?" "I wonder what he thinks of me." "Does my coworker think I'm cool?" "Is this picture going to look good?" "What are people going to think of me when I post this photo? I hope they think I look good."
I have missed entire evenings, vacations even -- because I was so worried about LOOKING a certain way, worried about what people were thinking of me. In hind sight I think, what a shame. What a shame that I was so self absorbed that I forsook amazing experiences. But I needed to go through that to get where I am today. Growing pains, I suppose.
As I age what's really important in life becomes more clear and I move away from superficial things like appearance -- and move more toward looking at the person sitting across from me. And not only looking at them, but appreciating them for their beauty. There is so much to take in, to learn and to hear from others. God lives me and God lives in everyone else too.
Life is so much more satisfying when we look outward, connect and invite people to be their authentic selves.
Take a butterfly - adorded by many. Beautiful and graceful. But butterflies BECAME. We must be willing to crack open and change the way we exist to experience this life in all it's richness.
love and grace, catia
Funny blooper about minute 4! The show must go on. :)
Hey guys - if you're looking to feel better, feel happy and feel confident - I have something for you.
I 100% wrote this in service of you. I want you to find joy in everyday life!
Love!
How Gratitude Transforms | Week 11 | Confidence Revolution
Gratitude is not always easy. But learning how to practice gratitude and consistently expressing our gratitude transforms what we have into more than enough.
How Gratitude Transforms
Gratitude is not always easy. But learning how to practice gratitude and consistently expressing our gratitude transforms what we have into more than enough.
Not only giving thanks but actually expressing it helps keep us in the present moment of our lives. It keeps us from living in the past and from worrying about the future. We have the power to control our thoughts and consequently our emotions.
We can be grateful for things large and small. From a fragrant flower on our evening walk to getting through traffic to our appointment on time, it all matters. And when we are aware of our surroundings, we inevitably practice being present. And being in the RIGHT NOW opens our eyes to the brightness of the world.
Most nights I walk Beau (12 and going strong!) and I pray. But the other night I was so overwhelmed with life that I couldn't really eek the words out to God. I thought he'd understand - and so I just said, "thank you." I thanked him for everything I could think of. As Master Eckhart says, "If the only prayer you say is, thank you, that will be enough."
Practice gratitude in the good days and when the tough days come along, you will have built up so much gratitude muscle memory that it will automatically take over. Even in the terrible, days when life seems like too much, there is something to be thankful for. Personal example here.
love and grace, catia
Hey guys - if you're looking to feel better, feel happy and feel confident - I have something for you.
I 100% wrote this in service of you. I want you to find joy in everyday life!
Love!
What are Your Gifts? | Week 10 | Confidence Revolution
Your gifts are worth celebrating.
Let's Identify Your Gifts
Your gifts are worth being celebrated AND they are worth being explored AND they are worth being shared.
There are legions of us out there who don't feel like we have gifts to offer the world, but we most certainly do.
EACH of us is worthy of being heard, of being honored and of taking part in the conversation. All that life asks of us is that we show up.
Last night I forced myself to go to a neighborhood mom's meeting. It always makes me a little nervous because I don't really know anyone and I know I'll have to stretch and have some 'blind date' type of courage. But during the meeting a fellow mom kindly sat down next to me and we started talking and it went like this... "I get you!" "Me too." "Me too." "I know, right?" My heart could have burst. And I came home thrilled to have met a new friend. But if I would have stayed home in my pjs, I wouldn't have experienced any of it.
It's okay to be scared. We CAN walk with fear, into the unknown because we CAN handle it.
Let's turn our attention inside and realize that we are full of gifts and skill and one-of-a-kind qualities. People will like us and pay attention to us, not because we are the best, but because we see them and we allow ourselves to be seen.
PS. In this video I recommend the book Carry On, Warrior, you can find it here. I finished the book last night and I'm lamenting not having it for a few minutes before I go to sleep every night. Ladies, you're going to love it!
Hey guys - if you're looking to feel better, feel happy and feel confident - I have something for you.
I 100% wrote this in service of you. I want you to find joy in everyday life!
Love!
How to Accomplish Goals | Week 8 | Confidence Revolution
A few years ago I ran a marathon with my brother, Carlos -- a full one! 26.2, guys. It was crazy.
The thing is, I am the least athletic person YOU will EVER meet. I have trouble catching a highlighter yellow softball. So when I signed up for the marathon I knew I had my work cut out for me.
Instead of getting overwhelmed with the thought of running TWENTY SIX POINT TWO miles in a row, I broke it down into tiny increments. Tiny. For example, I would tell myself, "You only have to run to the next mail box," or "You only have to make it to the next stop sign." And somehow I always managed --because if my goals were running 100 or 200 yards at a time, it was no problem. But if my goal was running for 4.5 hours straight - I would just cry.
And since then, that's how I have approached life. Teeny tiny increments. And at every point, I congratulate myself and set the next goal. This strategy has helped me eat better, nurse my baby for a year, run a marathon, write a book, and even re-organize the kitchen!
Set a goal, break it down and let your goals craft your decision making. Sometimes we can take two steps forward and one step back, and that's okay. But sometimes we have it in us to take 2 steps forward and then 1 more step forward and then 1 more step forward.
Don't be afraid to give up the good, to go for the great. -Steve Prefontaine
Take some deep breaths and make this week count. :)
Guys - if you want to feel better, feel happy and feel confident - this gift is for you.
I made this 100% to be of service to you.
Love!
What would Kate Middleton do? | Week 7 | Confidence Revolution
What would Kate Middleton do?
Nice to see you today!
Do you wish other people would treat you better? Are you tired of that old friend or family member disrespecting you?
Today's mini lesson is one tactic that helps build standards for the way YOU treat yourself and for the ways OTHERS treat you. I didn't quite know how to do that - so today I share with you how I pulled myself out of a streak of junky relationships.
We experience the universe at the level that we are at. If we rise in thought AND in action, the universe rises to meet us. Let's make the decision to rise!
We all learn a few different ways. I am a visual and social learner - as evidenced by today's video. If you're not sure how you learn best, click here and do some exploring. This may help when you're taking on new challenges!
And don't forget we're building a library of video goodies. You can go back to them whenever you need a little life boost! Video library here. If you're on You Tube be sure to subscribe!
You are blooming into the fullness of your best self.
Do you wish other people would treat you better? Are you tired of that old friend or family member disrespecting you? Today's mini lesson is one strategy on how to build boundaries and expectations for the way YOU treat yourself and for the ways OTHERS treat you.
You are ENTIRELY loveable | Week 6 | Confidence Revolution
You are entirely loveable.
I know you're busy and I am so proud of you for taking time for yourself.
By participating in the #confidencerevolution YOU are bridging the gap between who you are and who you want to be.
This week I bring you Tattoos on the Heart and I talk about how when I found unconditional love, it transformed me.
Unconditional love allows us to set down our armor and exist without looking over our shoulder. Unconditional love is the foundation of courage. Unconditional love melts away who we are not and leaves us feeling safe about who are.
When we know that we are loved unconditionally, we are set free. And unconditional love starts inside each one of us.
Oh and some great news -- you are not only loveable, you are WHOLLY loveable. How awesome is that?
This 8 minute video is information for your heart. Maybe take a short walk around your neighborhood tonight and absorb the nurturing and encouragement OR listen to it with a hot cup of coffee OR chocolate. :)
By participating in the #confidencerevolution YOU are bridging the gap between who you are and who you want to be. This week I bring you Tattoos on the Heart and I talk about how when I found unconditional love, it transformed me.
Would you like a ham or turkey sandwich? | Week 5 | Confidence Revolution
Is your week going alright? I hope so! I had Mexican food last night so I'm a happy camper.
Today I am sharing with you what two things you can focus on that will help you make decisions you feel good about and that you are proud of. I describe how you can build a life you LIKE and even LOVE.
When a decision is on the table, listen to your inner voice, you are wise beyond your years. Your mind and body KNOW what to do, you just have to have to get still enough to listen and have enough courage to follow through.
This is kind of turning into an online classroom, who knew? Podcast coming soon in April! Let me know what you like and love and things you're looking forward to!
And let's all say a prayer for Mr. Peyton Manning! :)
Today I am sharing with you what two things you can focus on that will help you make decisions you feel good about and that you are proud of.
Don't feed your subconcious Hot Cheetos | Week 4 | Confidence Revolution
Friends!
So far we've talked about what the #confidencerevolution is, why I'm pumped about it and why we will succeed. If you're new, welcome! Take a few minutes to watch videos 1-3 and soak in the goodness.
In this week's episode I talk about our mental chatter box and just how much power it has over us.
I also suggest a book that CHANGED my life for the better and how I think it can help you too.
With every teeny tiny modification you are changing your life for the better. I am proud of you!
If you're new, welcome! Take a few minutes to watch videos 1-3 and soak in the goodness. In this week's episode I talk about our mental chatter box and just how much power it has over us.
More is Caught than Taught | Week 3 | Confidence Revolution
Guys, week 3! I hope you're making the most of your time today. Love the ones your with, it all goes by in a flash.
This week's video is a peek into WHY I started all of this in the first place (I'll give you a hint, she's tiny and has crazy bed head from her nap) and how I think it can be of value in your life.
"The wound is the place where light enters you." -Rumi. Y'all, the light entered big time for me. Don't be afraid of hurting, it always pushes us further along.
Airport encounter | Week 2| Confidence Revolution
Why you will succeed.
We're on the road to increased self-esteem! I'm thrilled to be trekking together. Guys, increased confidence relieves so much.
This week's video has to do with originality and success and real life.
Let me know how you're feeling and about any progress you've made. And as always I'm available for specific questions.
