Stacey Shipman» Feel Good Living

What I Learned from a Weekend at Pacemaker Camp

Stacey Shipman — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 21:16:17 +0000

Last year I played camp councilor for the first time at Pacemaker Camp in Duxbury, MA. I had so much fun I went back again this year. Each year I’ve learned a tremendous amount and I wanted to share a few of this years lessons with you today.

Be Yourself

So often we’re told to be ourselves, be authentic, show the real you! Who is the real you, anyway? During the weekend I heard a few of the girls talking in the bathroom asking questions like “Do you have a pacemaker?”, “How big is your scar?” and “How many surgeries have you had?”

Imagine if we were able to live our lives completely open about the good and not so good in our lives? Freely and without judgment? Sure it helps to be surrounded with like-minded people (bonus lesson!). It’s also nice to imagine a world where we communicate freely and aren’t afraid of sharing ourselves.

How can you let go of who you think you should be and simply be you?

Do Something Different

When did you last do something different? Spending a weekend in a sleeping bag, on a bunk bed watching over 10 girls between the age of 10 – 13 living with pacemakers, needing medication, special attention and lots of love, not to mention creating a tie dye shirt, wearing a duck hat and eating ice cream for breakfast! That is different. And that difference changed my life.

I don’t even consider it stepping out of your comfort zone. That’s uncomfortable. Just do something different.

What can you do that’s new and makes a difference not only in your life but the life of someone else, too?

Worry about what really matters

As my co-councilors and I prepared the girls for the Saturday evening activities, we gathered coats, sprayed bug repellent and made sure they had their water bottles. One of the campers didn’t budge. When I asked if she had everything she needed, she looked at me and said, “The only thing I care about is that my pacemaker doesn’t get disconnected.”

Wisdom from an 11 year old.

What are you worried about? The small stuff or what really matters?

Pacemaker Camp is a fun filled, fast paced weekend that I look forward to year after year. The campers appreciate it, the camp organizers appreciate it, and I learn so much from this very kind, very loving group of young people.

Pacemaker camp is definitely a weekend of feel good living.

Your turn: what activities do you participate in that make you feel that good?

My Favorite Things About Summer

Stacey Shipman — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:48:08 +0000

Summer is officially here and so far the weather is perfect in the Boston area. Low humidity, bright sun, windows open. I couldn’t ask for anything better.

To celebrate the start of my favorite season I thought I’d share a few of my favorite things about Summer. At the end I hope you’ll share yours. Enjoy your summer season. I know it’s a season that definitely makes me feel good!

The Beach! Day or Night

Nantasket Beach, Hull, MA

Boogie Boarding Nantasket Beach

Ice Cream! Our favorite place is Nona’s in Hingham

Summer hikes, both local and within a few hours.

Stacey Hiking at Blue Hills

Trips to The Nauset House Inn in Orleans. Heading there in August.

: Living Room, Nauset House Inn

Sunflowers (and other wonderful items) popping up in the garden. Not to mention time spent on the deck writing or hanging with Michael (Photo from last year)

Backyard Sunflower & Bee

Whether from the heat or the fact that people are on vacation, the Summer just feels slower and happier to me. I’ll take it.

This summer I hope to utilize that slower pace to work on some new projects – a book and a locally based health and wellness publication.

What do you have planned this summer? What are you looking forward to about the warmer weather?

With the exception of the ice cream, all photos taken by me or my husband Michael.

If it Feels Good, Why Not?

Stacey Shipman — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:25:10 +0000

“ ‘Why not?’ is a slogan for an interesting life.” – Mason Cooley (1927-2002) American Aphorist

Sometimes I think we worry too much about what we should and shouldn’t do in our lives. Eat this, don’t eat that. Do this work, not that work.

When it comes to the health of your mind, body and spirit – who knows what you should or shouldn’t do better than you?

So here are some thoughts I have – if your actions feel good for you and your life, why not?

If eating that extra piece of pizza on movie night feels good, why not?
If skipping the pizza and opting for salad with grilled chicken or fish feels good, why not?

If spending more time at work feels good today, why not?
If using a personal day and spending more time with your family feels good, why not?

If not exercising feels good, why not?
If exercising feels good, why not?

If there is a book you want to read and spending the first 30 minutes of your day reading it feels good, why not?
If reading your favorite gossip magazine or blog feels good, why not?

If sipping an extra glass of wine on the deck with friends feels good, why not?
If skipping wine and alcohol all together feels good, why not?

If starting a part-time entrepreneurship activity nights/weekends feels good, why not?
If working full-time for a larger entity feels good, why not?

If staring too long at the cute guy/girl in the cube across from you feels good, why not?
If you stare too long and get caught and it still feels good, why not?

If walking around barefoot feels good, why not?
If it doesn’t, put shoes on.

If splurging on that new outfit feels good, why not?
If saving your money for that upcoming vacation feels good, why not?

What if, instead of worrying so much about what you are told or what others think, you lived your life based on what you think is best for you?

We’re all individuals with our own interests, thoughts and goals in life. What feels good for me, may not feel good for you. And vice versa.

I know a woman who lived to be 99 years old. When asked about her “secret” she said, “I eat a scoop of vanilla ice cream every day after dinner.”

I say, Why not!

BUT: if whatever activity you participate in stops feeling good for your body, mind and your soul, it might be time to re-evaluate your actions and try a new path.

What do you think?

Dealing with “Head Trash” aka Negative Self-Talk

Do you Need to FUEL up your life? (A free ebook)

Stacey Shipman — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 22:57:15 +0000

David Trotter over at Launch52.com released a new ebook to help you FUEL your life. Last year he interviewed me and several others for his weekly video interview on Launch52 TV. Now, he’s taken those interviews and created an ebook. FUEL: 11 Passionate Voices Empowering You to Launch Yourself is filled with tips and inspiration from the following folks:

01: Quit Conforming to This World – Colleen Wainwright
02: Go After What You Want – Jenny Blake
03: Clear the Clutter and Get Organized – Monica Ricci
04: Stop the Stress Before You Make a Mess – Stacey Shipman
05: Tame the Thoughts that Run Wild – Dr. Amy Johnson
06: Master Your Wild Monkeys – Dragos Roua
07: Escape Mediocrity – Sarah Robinson
08: Fall in Love With Yourself – Lori Race
09: Initiate Fierce Conversations – Jevon Perra
10: Start Gathering Momentum – Katie Tallo
11: Savor and Serve the World – Jennifer Louden

The best part? This ebook is available FREE. To download your copy go here: www.launch52.com/fuel. And feel free to share it with friends who might benefit.

Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day: A Reminder to Trust and Soften

Stacey Shipman — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:55:35 +0000

All around the country people are celebrating their loved ones. Are you?

I’ve never been one to fall for Valentine’s Day. Do I really need one day out of 365 to remind me to love someone? If there is truly love, shouldn’t we love them all year long?

And in the end I can see the irony.

For many years my heart was closed to other people.

I didn’t trust or see the good in people or the world around me.

Because I didn’t trust or see the good in myself.

I created a wall that kept people out. And those I let in, I let in slowly.

As a result, I closed myself off to friends, family and colleagues. I kept a distance with an attitude that said, “I don’t care.” And “So what?” This is how I kept myself “safe”.

Because of that same fear, I closed myself off to a world of opportunity.

In 2006 I met my first coach. She suggested two words that changed everything.

She told me, “Stacey, I want you to trust and soften.”

I’ll never forget the impact of these two simple words.

Soon after, I was reminded of my high school year book quote: Before you can learn to love others, you must first learn to love yourself.

Our younger selves know a lot.

I spent a good part of the last five years learning to trust and soften. It’s not easy to undo almost two decades of work. Strong support systems combined with practices like yoga, meditation, and journaling made a big difference in how I viewed myself and the world around me. I woke up.

Just the other day I sat with a colleague and as we shared updates and stories about our lives and our business she said, “Stacey you’ll be successful in your endeavors because you’re easy to be with and people will want to join you. I can see the excitement in your eyes.”

I smiled back and said, “Funny, I haven’t always been that easy to be with or relate to. I spent a long time living behind a wall, and a good part of the last 5 years taking it down.”

It’s an ongoing process and practice to keep it that way.

Learning how to love and appreciate me, I realize, allows me to love and appreciate those around me. Feeling good about yourself allows you to give fully to others, without expectation. It’s not arrogant when giving to others comes from a genuine place. In fact, it’s necessary.

On this Valentine’s Day I offer two questions in an effort to create more genuine interactions between people:

What one thing can you do today to show love and compassion to yourself? Whether you exercise, eat well, share a hug with a loved one or notice your self-talk, (or something else) what can you do for yourself today?

What one thing can you do for someone you care about (or maybe someone you don’t know yet?). Something as simple as a smile, a quick phone call or a “thank you” may have more of an impact than you think.

When you feel good about yourself, you feel good about how you can help, support and love others. And that is feel good living.

How do you spend Valentine’s Day? Do you see it as a special day to share love, or is it just another day?

No related posts.

Local Resource: ZYP Fitness Plus, Hanover, MA

Stacey Shipman — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 10:24:01 +0000

I’m bringing the weekly local resource post back! In an effort to support all of the wonderful health/wellness centers and professionals, I want you to know where to go. I also provide a little review to give you a little flavor. If you’ve visited and have a different opinion, share it (kindly – mean comments will not be posted) in the comments. I do not get compensated for sharing this information, I do it because I want people to know their options and what to expect when you get there.

Have you tried Zumba yet? I did a few years back and was hooked on the idea. Dance, fun, pulsating Latin rhythms and I get to call it exercise. That’s my style. I even got certified. I no longer teach, but I love to take class.

Most recently I attended a class at ZYP Fitness Plus located inside the Hanover Mall. Darlene, the very fit and muscular owner, taught the class. I was the newbie among her regular crowd – an estimated 20 to 30 women. (photo below from her website, not the class I attended)

The room is huge and she kept the lights low. That is with the exception of the large disco ball hanging from the middle of the ceiling. I felt like I was in a dance club and it was only 9:15 in the morning!

Luckily I am familiar with dance and with Zumba. Darlene taught a great class with very limited (if any) verbal cuing. The music was loud enough that we wouldn’t have heard her any way. She stood elevated on a small platform stage and we followed her every move.

If you’re new to Zumba and thinking “I could never do that”, first, you’d be surprised. Second, she offers plenty of beginner classes throughout the week. Start with one of those.

With more than 4000 square feet of space she has an enormous Zumba room, a little further down the hall is the small fitness center where she offers personal training sessions and at the end of the hall is a massage therapy room. (Services purchased separately.)

When class finished the ladies stayed to chat and enjoy complimentary coffee. Talk about creating an environment people want to spend time enjoying.

You might be thinking 4000 square feet? Disco balls? Massage? This place has to be out of my price range!

The Zumba classes are very affordable. With a drop in rate of $10 per heart pumping class, you can’t afford not to do this for your body, mind and even your spirit. She even offers a coupon you can print to try your first class free. Bring a friend for twice the fun.

For $75 a month you can attend unlimited classes, or buy a 6, 12, or 24 class punch card and save big (with the 24 class card each class is $6.25).

With classes 7 days a week, I’m sure you can fit something in. Check out the schedule.

With a variety of price options, there is something for all budgets, learn more about pricing.

I loved it. I might buy a pass, especially to get me through winter. Any chance to dance is a good day. Zumba and dancing is definitely a big part of feel good living.

What about you? Have you tried Zumba? Have you visited ZYP? What did you think?

Do You Know Your Vitals & Blog Your Heart Out

Stacey Shipman — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:43:00 +0000

February is American heart month. And today is the 2^nd Annual Blog Your Heart Out to raise awareness of heart disease. I first published the following article in my February 2008 newsletter. (Appropriate edits have been made where necessary.

Without a healthy heart, what do you have? A lot of time spent at the doctor’s office, money spent on medications, and increased stress about your health. Not to mention when you’re at the doctor’s office you can’t get things done.

Why should you care?

For starters, heart disease is the #1 killer of American adults today. Need more data? Try these statistics on for size*:

Approximately 81, 100,000 (more than 1 in 3) Americans have one or more types of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Of those, 38, 100,000 are over age 60 (read: majority are UNDER age 60!)
74,500,000 people have high blood pressure
Nearly 2300 Americans die of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) each day, approximately 1 every 38 seconds.
Estimated (direct and indirect cost) for CVD in 2010 is $503.2 BILLION

Assume it takes you 5 minutes to read through this newsletter. In that time 7 or 8 people will have died from Cardiovascular Disease.

So what are you doing about it?

I come from a family with a history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and bypass surgery. It’s very important for me to know my vitals and take preventative steps as part of my healthy living plan. I want to be part of a generation that doesn’t have to rely on medication or surgery to live a long, healthy life.

Do you know your vitals? When was the last time you had your cholesterol or blood pressure checked? If it was recent, great. If it’s been a while, perhaps it’s time to make an appointment to see your doctor.

What are the risks?

Some risks you can modify, some you cannot. Regardless, there is something that can be done to help decrease your risk. How are you doing?

Risks you cannot change

Increasing age

Gender – men have a greater risk than women.
Heredity (including race) – Most people with strong family history have other risk factors. Important to maintain and treat any other risk factors.

Risk Factors you can modify

High cholesterol
Tobacco smoke (Smokers and non-smokers who inhale other’s smoke)
High Blood pressure
Physical inactivity
Obesity and overweight
High levels of stress

What you can do TODAY

Exercise – This will help you manage blood pressure, cholesterol, weight issues
Eat well – More fruits/veggies/fiber, less sodium and oils (fried foods) and fats. This is not meant to be all or nothing.
Relax – Take time out of each day to sit, relax and decompress even if you have only minutes to spare!
Drink alcohol in moderation - If you drink alcohol, limit how much you drink to no more than 2 drinks a day.
Quit smoking – I know it’s not what any smoker wants to hear…but…
Get Support – Help is available through doctors, coaches, fitness specialists, local hospitals and non-profit organizations to name a few. An online search will probably yield more results than you need.

Instead of focusing on weight loss, consider a focus on taking care of your heart. Read up on heart health and maybe in your efforts to help your heart, you will actually see some weight disappear.

Ask yourself “Am I doing the best I can to ensure my heart is healthy and efficient?”

There is no quick fix, there is no magic potion. It takes a lifelong commitment to incorporating healthy habits into your regular routine. When you take good care of your heart, that is feel good living. Isn’t your heart worth it?

*Statistics taken from the 2010 American Heart Association Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics Report.

How about you? How do you take care of your heart on a daily basis?

How Will You “Go Red” Today?

Stacey Shipman — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:44:29 +0000

Today is National Wear Red day sponsored by the American Heart Association to promote their campaign goredforwomen.org. Each year they have a special day to raise awareness of the # 1 killer of women in the US – Heart Disease. The month of February is American Heart month – so feel free to raise awareness and be good to your heart all month long.

Heart disease runs in my family, so when I exercise and plan meals, heart disease is always in the back of my mind. This is personal for me.

This is how I’m going red this year:

Wearing Red. From my red shirt to my red boots. Will go red by wearing red.

Exercise. Today I took a 60 minute Zumba class. Good for my physical and spiritual heart. So much fun!

Yoga. To relieve my stress and let my heart relax.

Connect. I’ll do a little networking, and then spend some time with my family.

Think about the men, too. I realize Go Red is targeted to women, however heart disease affects men, too. I have an uncle who had a heart attack in his late 30s, and another uncle who just went through open-heart surgery. I will be thinking about the men, too.

Write this post and share it with others. To continue raising awareness about the importance of heart health.

Exercise, smart eating, managing stress, creating strong connections are all simple activities you can do help prevent heart disease. After talking to my uncle who recently went through open heart surgery he agreed, 30 minutes a day of preventative exercise is much less time consuming than the alternative.

Learn more about the American Heart Association and their Go red for women campaign. Or tell 5 friends.

Last year I had the privilege of creating a Public Service Announcement with my local chapter, used on their website. You can watch that video message here.

How about you? How will you celebrate your heart or the heart of someone you love today? Do you have a regular routine to keep your heart healthy?

Snow Day: Feel Good Living in Pictures

Stacey Shipman — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:44:35 +0000

There was a time when I didn’t like the winter season. Truth be told, I still prefer fall/spring/summer to the frigid cold and exorbitant amount of snow we’ve been getting in the northeast. When I met my husband, an avid outdoorsman, I learned how to enjoy the cold weather. I needed two things to do so: The right gear and the right frame of mind.

If the temperatures dip much below 25 degrees, I’m homebound (as much as possible!) otherwise I’m game for gearing up and strapping on my snow shoes for both exercise and a scene you don’t see very often around here. And having the chance to sneak away at lunch time today to enjoy newly fallen snow, that is feel good living.

The combination of snowfall and drifts almost buried the bench.

Plane overhead heading out of Boston.

Water frozen heading into Hull, MA

Pretty and quiet along the path

On our way out.

I can honestly say I enjoy snow shoeing. It’s great exercise, gets me out into nature to enjoy the scene and breathe in fresh air. Today was no exception.

How do you make the most out of the weather – rain, snow, sleet or shine? Do you hibernate or gear up and go for it?

Meditation: Your Secret to Success (A podcast interview)

Stacey Shipman — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:05:28 +0000

Colette Ellis, a coach, consultant and host of the podcast Today’s New Normal recently interviewed me about the benefits of meditation. During this podcast interview we talk about how to start a practice (hint: keep it simple, start with a few minutes!), how to manage distractions and some of the many benefits you might experience if you start a meditation practice.

You can listen to the podcast by clicking this link: Meditation_ Your Secret to Success in the New Normal

or download in iTunes and take it with you.

Meditation is challenging, no doubt about it. At the same time it is an incredible tool for managing stress, feeling more balanced and in control. And that is definitely feel good living. What do you think? Do you have a meditation practice? Is it useful?

Learn more about Colette:

on Twitter: @coach_colette

Her business: In Step Consulting

Her podcast on iTunes: Today’s New Normal