Change is so simple...Pt.1

It has been a while since I wrote a blog. I have so many ideas, so many concepts I want to share. Here I am, committed to write more and I hope you share your thoughts and feedback. That will inspire me to write even more. Can I count on you?I have a story about a lately battle with my thoughts. Do you ever battle with your thoughts?Last year I got back on my mountain bike. I felt it was time to reconnect with nature and spend more time playing. Being a solo entrepreneur can be stressful not because of the work, but because we put so much pressure on ourselves that we stop playing. I knew that was unhealthy for me, I was feeling out of balance because i was not doing something that really mattered to me, being active in nature.I got myself this gorgeous new bike back in March, it cost me more than a hot used motorcycle! But what that heck, we buy toys for the experience. The experience I always have riding a bikes is freedom, play, child feelings and joy. So it was worth every penny.Few weeks ago I decided that I needed a challenge. A race from Aspen to Crested Butte in September 2018. 7000 elevation gain, 40 miles of hell, 7 plus hours on the bike - yikes! Why not. So I started training. First ride I did for training I went with a group of fit riders. We started the ride on a hill that was blasting with high heat. I got overheated  and got dropped by everyone right away. We were planning to ride 30 miles. I thought, this is going to be a long ride.For 2 hours all I could think of was how slow and out of bike shape I was. I was biting myself up, I was tired and even angry. I managed to finish the ride and even have some fun on the last 2 hours, after having to deal with my attitude which was a battle I must confess. Me, the coach, the one that can always shift a thought in 90 seconds. I explored that later... I understood why the battle.Few days later I did this ride by my house that I love. Quick 10 miles loop, easy stuff. I was angry, in pain and hating my bike. The bike I bought to have fun, to play like a child, to have joy. WTF? I came back from that ride defeated and strong about a decision. "I am not racing". I realized this event was putting stress and pressure on me that I did not need. That battle in my head was happening because that goal was not meaningful to me. I was doing to simply proof something to myself. Not all goals are good for us. They need to have high value and in congruence with the life we want to design. If they are not, we get stressed out because of the inner conflicts in our head.I did that ride again on Sunday and I was high in joy. I was back, smiling like a child, playing. That is the goal - joy. That is congruent and it is a core value for me.I am sharing this story with you because it is a great metaphor for the "sometimes" stressors we impose on ourselves. I rode the same ride, same bike and I had a completely different experience. My world did not change, my thoughts and beliefs about riding  to be fit and have fun changed.I was going to do a race because I had this belief that in order for me to feel like an athlete again, I had to race. Said who? ME. All our actions are fueled by our beliefs. I have a totally different life today than 2-3 years ago because my thinking habits are different. Not because I had any major change. The bike story is a small one.I had a client last year that literary came to me hating her life. She had everything to be happy. Plenty of money, great job, family, big house...and still she was anxious and stressed out. After 3-4 months she was stunned to see how different she felt - same life, same job, same house but different thoughts. She was happy, anxiety free, working less and loving life. She changed her perception, and with that all her experiences changed. People started coming to her for advice.This cliche phrase "change your thoughts, change your life" is for real!I get clients who want to change jobs, cities, careers but they need a plan, time, strategies. The first strategy to learn is to find joy now in what you are doing. Find meaning, find a link to your dream or goal. Then everything falls into place.I tested this law of changing our thoughts so many times. Next blog I will share the strategies I used when I was burned out on my last job and I found meaning and joy that lead me to live this dream life right now.Stay tuned!Love and peace, Alex.