The Good Life

I’m so thrilled to share that I’m finally going to be back on the coaching staff at CrossFit New England starting in April. Yes, the Home Goods Marathon is over…and, I’m committing to using the tiny intellectual side of my brain again. It’s actually terrifying and wonderful all at the same time. One of the perks of being back on staff is that I get to start attending the weekly Coaches Meetings when the entire…

How ass-backwards is the phrase, “Do as I say, not as I do?” Totally fair if your coach has mobility issues and is trying to demo overhead squats to a class and wants them to know that he or she is doing their best, but is moving poorly. But, in most other cases, it’s the opposite of the life lesson that I’m currently trying to drill into my young kids these days. “Lead by example.”…

While we’re on the topic of empathy, I think it’s more than fitting to address the age-old difference between “empathy” and, what I consider, it’s ugly twin sister, “sympathy”. Sympathy isn’t all that ugly; it’s better than not caring at all. And, it’s a totally fair reaction to those commercials you see on late-night TV asking for donations. But, sympathy is a very disconnected version of caring. It’s having pity for someone who is struggling…

I may not be on the coaching staff at CFNE right now, but I still can’t get away from the perspective that a coach has when taking a class. As an athlete in a CrossFit class, I notice EVERYTHING: the way a coach moves around the room, how they use their voice and body language, whether they actually make quick corrections while running through warm-ups, if they use people’s specific names when addressing them, the…

A good friend of mine wrote to me the other day after she had read my recent post on ‘Vulnerability’. “Lately, I feel like a failure as a mom/wife/friend. I can’t say I’m not trying, but sometimes it just doesn’t feel like I am doing anything right.” I mean, who doesn’t hasn’t thought those exact thoughts more regularly than any of us would like to admit? Yes, there are times that I’ll fully admit I’m…

Ben and Patrick recently invited me onto their podcast, Chasing Excellence, to talk about the idea of vulnerability. As with most things, my opinion on this is something that I think a lot of people share: the more someone acts like they have it all together, the less I trust them. Consequently, the more someone puts it out there that they have no idea what they’re doing, admit that they are a hot mess, and/or…

Bode and Harley Love had a really great playdate the other day. They each had a friend or two over for a few hours on an early release day. Now, we do have a lot of kids in our family, but the age spread is so wide that I will fully admit that I get a little anxious having 5 kids under the age of 6 in the house with only me to keep the…

Generally speaking, I can get along with almost anyone. What I mean by that is I can hold a conversation with people that I not only have almost nothing in common, but people that make me uncomfortable. That is to say, I can “get along” with them. That is not to say, I can “be myself” with them. Big difference. You don’t need to be able to “be yourself” with everyone, but I will say…

We watched a show on Netflix the other night that has potentially changed our lives in so many ways. Seven Days Out is a show that documents the 7 days leading up to major events including a world renowned restaurant re-opening, a Chanel fashion show, the Westminster Dog Show, the Kentucky Derby, the League Of Legends Championship, and NASA’s Cassini Mission. I guess the thing that had me mesmerized, and coming back to watch the…

I don’t know what’s worse: experiencing pain and hurt yourself, or watching someone you love and care about experience pain and hurt. I’m talking about real pain, though.  Not like your Fran time was 15 seconds slower or a friend hurt your feelings because of something he or she said.  While those things aren’t great, they’re not the sort of things that, literally, make your heart hurt and make you feel empty and hopeless at…