Carol Schulte

Get Your Brave On!

Brave

Why you might want to start taking cold showers…

by Leave a Comment

Happy Friday!

This morning, my shower was cold. 

But you don’t have to feel sorry for me – it was actually on purpose. 

In fact, I take a cold shower every morning. (Well, if I’m honest, I first take a lovely warm shower…) And then when I’m about ready to get out, I turn the dial all the way to freezing and proceed to force myself to stand under there for a minimum of 60 seconds. And let me tell you, some days it is BRUTAL! (especially during our crazy Toronto Winters!)

Now I do this for two reasons: 

1. It’s good for the body, mind and soul.

(So I was told it was good for you, however wasn’t entirely sure on the actual benefits it provided… until a friend very kindly sent me this article…who knew?Worth the quick read!)  

2. It forces me to be brave right out of the gates!

While I do think it’s important to do things for your health (hence the reason I’m currently drinking hot water with lemon and apple cider vinegar, and was pretty excited to read that article,) I’m actually more excited by reason #2.  

You see, just before I go to turn that dial to the right, I have a moment of hesitation. It’s the exact same feeling you and I get before we do something that scares us a little, or will take us out of our comfort zones. It’s called the ‘The Hesitation Trap’ – and it’s a legit thing! (And if you’re interested in learning the science behind it all, watch this video with Mel Robbins explain in more detail!)

But then I say to myself, if I am brave enough to get under freezing cold water, where else in my day could I get my brave on? 

And so I do it. 

And even though I’ve been doing this now for years, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve gotten more used to it! (Although I will say once you’ve gotten into the habit of doing something, it does get a little easier – which speaks to the power of habits!) That being said, it never ceases to make me feel more awake, more refreshed, more alive. 

It’s a small action, and yet it can have a big impact on my day. 

And isn’t that always the case.

You see, too many of us are waiting to feel confident enough, or competent enough, or ready enough to go after what we truly want or to do the thing we really want to do. 

The truth is, we may never ‘feel’ confident, competent, or ready enough to start anything. 

And so we don’t.

We don’t do the thing, sign up for the race, apply for the position. We don’t take the first step. 

And yet here’s the thing:

You don’t need to feel confident before you choose to be brave. 

Being brave means you take action before you feel ready, even when you’re full of fear… especially when you’re full of fear. 

And the interesting thing is, once you take that action, the confidence comes!

Don’t wait to feel. Simply do. 

In the amazing book ‘The Confidence Code’ by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, they define confidence as shortening the gap between your thoughts and your actions. 

Totally makes sense. 

But instead of shortening the gap, you could choose to ignore it all together and just DO IT!

Because in the end, it’s the action that is going to build the momentum you need to feel more confident, competent, ready. 

And all it takes is one small brave act. 

Like taking a freezing cold shower. 

So, if you’re ready to get your brave on this week, I invite you to do one small thing that makes you just a little bit uncomfortable, scares you just a little bit, brings on just a little bit of the butterflies.

Here are some examples:

  • Say hello to someone in the elevator. 
  • Be the first to smile at that cute person in the cafe.
  • Have that difficult conversation you’ve been putting off.
  • Try something new – be it an activity, sport, instrument or dish.
  • Shake up your daily routine, try decaf instead. 
  • Dare to try a new flavour of tuna.
  • Send that email.
  • Apply for that position.
  • Share your big idea. 
  • Volunteer to help with that project. 
  • Say no to something you would normally say yes to.
  • Say yes to something that freaks you out. 
  • Take a cold shower!

Have fun getting your brave on this week.

And then I want to hear from you in the comments below… let me know what you choose to do, and how it makes you feel afterwards!

Have a FAB week!

Carol

Reflections on The Regrets of the Dying…

by 2 Comments

T

Do you know the most common regret of the dying?  “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

Bronnie Ware spent years working in palliative care, caring for patients at the end of their lives. She wrote an incredibly moving article – which has now become a best-selling memoir – entitled ‘Regrets of The Dying.’ And her experiences and findings are moving, thought provoking, powerful.

If you haven’t already read this article, you need to. And even if you haven’t yet, I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve read or heard or thought about the shift in perspective that takes place when people are facing the end of their lives. (And if you really want to be moved, check out The Last Lecture with Randy Pausch, it’s also pretty darn powerful…)

Not to go all morbid on you or anything, but one day you and I will be in this exact situation, looking back on our life and reflecting on how we chose to spend it. 

And I really hope neither one of us will have any of the following most common regrets that came up:

  1. I wish I had lived a life true to myself, instead of one others expected of me.
  2. I wish I had worked less.
  3. I wish I had allowed myself to be fully self-expressed.
  4. I wish I had stayed better in touch with my friends. 
  5. I wish I had allowed myself to be happier.

Sharing vulnerably here, one of my own biggest challenges is living my life true to me. Not only because of others’ expectations, or others’ expectations I have chosen to take on, but also because of the expectations I have placed on myself. 

Yup, I thought I would be in a very different place in my life right now. 

I thought I’d be married. Have a couple of kids. A dog. Maybe even a house with a white picket fence. (Actually, I’ve never really wanted a white picket fence, but I did want a front porch with a swing… still do!) 

And yet, I have very few regrets with how I have chosen to live my life up to now. 

And I hope it remains that way for the rest of my life.

But in order for that to happen, I have to live my life my way. I have to be me, and attempt to be even more me every single day. 

I had a conversation with my female entrepreneurial mastermind recently, and one of the wise women shared with us her daily goal that sits on a sticky note on her bedside table:

To be authentically me in a world that is constantly wanting me to be something else. 

YES.

It may sound simple, but it’s definitely not easy. 

And yet, to me, that is what being brave is all about. 

Brave enough to be YOU.

To show up in the fullest expression of YOU. 

Boldly, bravely, unapologetically YOU.

Not trying to be anything other than you, for anyone. No pleasing. No pretending. No pretence. 

What would that look like?

What would you be doing that you’re not doing now?

What would you not be doing that you’re doing right now?

How would you be feeling?

How would you be spending your time?

Who would you be spending your time with?

What fears would you be facing?

What dreams would you be dreaming? 

What dreams would you be fulfilling?

What one action would you be taking today to move the dial forward in the direction of your dreams? 

And if you can identify that one piece of action – why are you not doing it now? Will you do it?

The harsh truth is, tomorrow is not guaranteed. 

And tomorrow never comes, anyhow.

All we have is today. 

And today is the first day of the rest of your life. 

How will you choose to be even more you, to live your life even truer to you, today? How will you be even braver today?

Big questions. Big life. 

Have a FAB week!

Carol

 

      Do you know how fabulous you are?

      by Leave a Comment

      Happy Friday!

      And Happy International Women’s Day!

      Today, and every day, I celebrate YOU.

      Even though I hope we don’t need a special day to realise how fabulous we are.

      (And you know what, I don’t necessarily want to exclude the men today. I really don’t think today should be about a battle of the sexes. There are so many incredible men who have supported, encouraged, been our cheerleaders on the sidelines, and continue to be.)

      But it is a day to recognise the incredible achievements of women, and to empower each and every one of us to continue to go after our dreams, to help us see and believe that anything and everything is possible.

      There have been some incredibly brave and extraordinary women in our history that paved the way. Women who believed in the power of their dreams. Women who didn’t take no for an answer. Women who were prepared to fight for what they truly wanted. Women who really did make things happen, despite their circumstances, their age, their sex, their naysayers, their sometimes extreme battles.

      We’ve come so far.

      And maybe we still have a long way to go.

      But I think it’s time to focus less on what we don’t have, and more on what we do have.

      And moreover, less about seeking external validation, and more about realising we have all the power to achieve whatever we want within.

      It’s about being brave enough to be ourselves in a world that all too often wants us to be something else.

      In past blogs around this time of year, I’ve spoken about how fabulous women are. And let’s be honest, we ARE!

      If we’re lucky enough, we can give birth and create new life. We are mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, aunts, girlfriends, powerful professionals, caregivers… and sometimes all at the same time. We can rock it in anything from leather pants to yoga pants, from short cocktail dresses to jeans and a tee. We have big hearts. We nurture. From suffragettes to style icons, women inspire others to fight for their rights and go after their dreams. We have vision. We come from a place of love, compassion, and caring. We put others before ourselves. We have spirit. We have grit. We are beautiful. We have the power to bond pretty profoundly with one another. We take care of each other. When we see someone crying, we sit with her and find out what’s wrong and we comfort her. We have a natural ability to look after those needing comfort, support, love, friendship. We care. We are strong and capable yet gentle and kind. We come together and help each other. We are each other’s cheerleaders. Women fill up each other’s buckets. We can roar. We are brave and vulnerable and real. We can raise society up to a higher level by making value-based choices. And we women empower other fabulous women to step into their fabulousness.

      Now you may not resonate with each and every idea above, but chances are you’re feeling you deserve a good ol’ pat on the back right about now.

      And you DO! So go ahead, I’ll wait.

      You really are pretty amazeballs. I hope you take a moment to realise it.

      But you don’t need me to tell you that, your boss to tell you that, or the world to tell you that.

      And we don’t need a special day to remind us of that.

      You need to KNOW that. And believe it.

      However, it is International Women’s Day. So take a moment to celebrate YOU today. And take a moment to celebrate the other special women in your life today, too. Reach out and tell them what they mean to you, and express how fabulous they truly are. And then reach out to the special men in your life, and let them know what their support means to you also.

      I shall leave you with some inspirational quotes from some pretty inspirational ladies.

      I shall leave you with some inspirational quotes:

      “If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.” – Katharine Hepburn

      “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin

      “When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another.” – Helen Keller

      “If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” – Margaret Thatcher

      “The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn

       

      Have a FAB week, you fabulous woman (or man!) you!

       

      It’s time to get your brave on.

      by 1 Comment

      Happy Friday!

      Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

      That was a big theme in the conversation I had yesterday with one of my brave coaching clients.

      There are numerous things you could do… today, this week, this lifetime.

      But that doesn’t mean you should.

      Now there are some things you absolutely should do. And, there are likely a whole lot more things you shouldn’t do.

      Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about saying yes. Saying yes to opportunities, yes to things that scare you, and yes to life. It takes a brave person to say yes, especially when it’s something that’s going to make you uncomfortable. And, it also takes a brave person to say no.

      And when there is something you could do, but know you shouldn’t do, it requires you to dig a little deeper and be a little braver, speak a little louder and stand a little taller, and say NO.

      I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be brave.

      Having just been to Africa with an incredible group of women to spend time volunteering with the Dare Women’s Foundation, and then a week climbing Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, I have to say these 12 ladies were absolutely displaying what it means to be brave. (Read more about our epic night to the Summit HERE!)

      But you don’t have to go to Africa, or even go any further than your front door for that matter, in order to be brave.

      I’m pretty sure there are lots of areas in your life where you are braver than you give yourself credit for. I also bet your bottom dollar there are areas in your life where you could be braver.

      Today, I’m more interested in the latter.

      Could you be braver in your work? In your relationships? In your commitments?

      Where have you been playing small, and where could you be playing a little bigger, a little braver, this week?

      Here are some ideas: 

      • Get in touch with that person you’ve been avoiding
      • Have that difficult conversation you don’t want to have
      • Apply for a position or an opportunity you might not get
      • Tell that person you find them cute
      • Start that thing even if you don’t feel ready
      • Say yes to something that scares you
      • Say no to something that you could do, but know you shouldn’t do

      When was the last time you got your brave on? Perhaps it’s time to get your big girl pants on, and your big girl brave face on.

      And if you’re looking for some inspiration, check out my friend Jana Stanfield’s song, ‘If I Were Brave.’

      Cheers to you getting your brave on this week!

      And then tell me how it went! I want to hear from you in the comments below.

      Have a FAB, brave-filled week!

      Are You Brave Enough?

      by Leave a Comment

      Happy Friday!

      What does it mean to be BRAVE?

      I don’t know about you, but watching people getting their brave on gets me pretty jazzed.

      And that’s why I was on such a high last weekend, after witnessing first hand 4 incredibly brave women cross the finish line after their first Give-It-A-Tri triathlon (saying yes to a challenge I put out there less than 2 weeks previously!) It was pretty darn exciting.

      There’s something about watching people being BRAVE.

      Growing up, I wished I was braver.

      Or just brave enough. 

      Brave enough to be ME. 

      Brave enough to say yes to the things I wanted to do and no to the things I didn’t, brave enough to stop trying to please everyone, brave enough to stand up for myself (I’ll share a personal story in the video about boarding school!)

      Having the honour and privilege to have worked with and spoken to thousands of women over the years, I’ve come to discover what I call The Brave Zone. The place you can access when you want to be even braver.

      Watch this week’s video to learn how to get into your Brave Zone!

      If you and I were to live in our brave zone, just imagine what would be possible… 

      If you were even BRAVER than you are today, what action would you be taking that you are not taking right now?

      And when are you going to DO IT?!?

      I want to hear from you in the comments below.

      Have a FAB week!

      P.S.  Ready to get your BRAVE ON? 

      Come and join us at IGNITE! on  Sept. 26th,  Live B.I.G.GER + Pole Fit Nation Dance & Mingle  on Sept. 28th, and IGNITE! : Take The Leap (we’re going to iFly!) on Oct. 27th!

      Here to make an impact? Get over yourself already.

      by Leave a Comment

      Confession time. 

      Over the weekend I almost, kinda, had a ‘woe is me’ moment. 

      It was the long weekend, and everyone and their dog seemed to be escaping the city for a fun getaway or good times up at the cottage. 

      And I was ‘stuck’ at home. 

      Boo hoo. 

      (enter the almost, kinda, ‘woe is me’ moment!)

      As it turns out, I ended up having a pretty amazing weekend.

      A few of us went over to Toronto Island and went stand up paddleboarding followed by a lovely picnic. And the next day we had a great day with some pool party action followed by a delicious BBQ with family and friends. 

      If only I realised in the moment just how much fun I was having.

      If only I didn’t get caught in the comparison trap. 

      If only I wasn’t making it all about me. 

      You see the problem is, we can get a little too self-consuming.

      We’re worried about not doing enough, not making enough, not having enough, not contributing enough, not being good enough…

      We want to make a difference, and an impact, and yet we’re too caught up in our own ‘stuff.’

      And the irony is, even though we want to make it about others, we’re making it more about us!

      If we truly are going to make the difference we are here to make, we need to get over ourselves already!

      So, how are we going to solve it? 

      Start recognising it’s less about us, and more about the people we want to impact. 

      You can’t make it about YOU if you’re here to make a difference. 

      And you’ll start moving forward when you choose to be ready to make that difference. 

      And I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re here to do. 

      So here are three ways to get you started.

      1. Identify what impact you want to make. 

      It may sound trite, but it’s a terrifying world out there. Now I gave up reading the news regularly a while ago, but you don’t have to look very far or wide to acknowledge all of the injustices, atrocities, tragedies, sickness, and sadness that is all around us. 

      It may be overwhelming to know what to do, and where to start. 

      Start by recognising the gifts you have to bring, and who – what group of people – is going to benefit the most. 

      Are you a horse whisperer? Are you amazing with children? Do you have a knack for solving complicated logistical challenges?

      Whether it’s working with the UN, serving food to the homeless, or cleaning up the streets, choose what cause, or what population, you want to impact. What do you care about? What are you passionate about? Start there. 

      2. Make your impact more important than your insecurities

      It’s scary to put ourselves out there in an bigger way. To put a stake in the ground. To declare what it is you want to do here with the time we have on this planet.

      I’ll be the first to admit I get stuck in feeling not ready, not good enough,  not you-fill-in-the-blank here on a regular basis. And, I’m a work in progress! I have to constantly remind myself I have to get over myself if I’m really here to make an impact. 

      3. Start Small 

      It’s a little too daunting to think we can eradicate poverty or cancer or war overnight. 

      And, it’s too foolish to think we can’t make a dent in anything at all. We can. You can. 

      So choose the cause/population/person you want to make an impact on, and identify ONE SMALL THING you could do, starting today. 

      Maybe it’s picking up garbage while you run. Or giving subway fare to the next homeless person you see, so they can get to a shelter. Perhaps it’s making time to listen to a friend in need. 

      Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ~  Margaret Mead

      I’m human. You’re human. We’re human. 

      We’re going to have fears, doubts, insecurities. 

      And so I’m inviting you to be brave.

      Brave enough to admit you are here to make an impact. Brave enough to choose the impact over your insecurities. And brave enough to take the first small, imperfect, step today. 

      [ctt title=”Choose to be brave. Choose your impact over your insecurities. Choose to start small today.” tweet=”Choose to be brave. Choose your impact over your insecurities. Choose to start small today. #livingbig #impact https://bit.ly/2KScB4G” coverup=”29yq7″]

      And then I want to hear what you’re committing to in the comments below.

      Have a FAB week!

      How brave are you? Take this quiz and find out!

      Once complete, you'll receive your personalized results, complete with 3 challenges to get into brave action right away!

      CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR BRAVE ON & TAKE QUIZ NOW!