Take time for yourself!

I was not in the studio much October and  I too get nervous about coming back to take that first class. I was nervous because I am supposed to be able to do everything but the reality is, why I should I get nervous. I am human. I thought I would plank while away, and I did not. I walked a lot as we toured Ireland, but that was the extent of the physical activity.  But here is the deal.  It is okay to take a break but it just as important, even more important to come back. and not to delay in coming back.  I took Calla’s T-Barre-X Circuit Class on Monday morning. Wow! Great class! She has such positivity, encouragement, excitement and energy, that it made me work hard, challenge myself and give me the confidence I needed to say that I could do it. But most of all, we had fun!  So the days of  “I have to much to do” are over and I will commit myself to come in and get back at it. “Barre all excuses.” I took that first class and now I just need to keep going.  I felt a little weak, but I AM strong and my muscles remember that strength and are building back up to it.

Last Wednesday, I had the honor of being a speaker at the Duneland Chamber’s First Annual Hatta Girl Event.  I spoke about having time for yourself, which is basically a speech reminding myself of what I need to do. For those of you who were not able to go,  here is a little bit what I wrote…

 

Hatta Girl 2017

 

Every January, I take some time to set resolutions for the New Year and on my list is to find “balance”; balance between work and life. This was a goal before having children and is even more so now with a family. I never felt like I could do it all, pulled in many directions. I still feel that way, however, now, I finally feel better about the idea of Balance, this idea of Balance will not be on my New Years resolution list. Why? Well, because there is no such thing a perfect balance; it is an idea not a reality. As women, we instead jump from one task to the next and that is the key; we are not “multitasking” rather we are just good at doing “multiple” tasks. We can be mom and be wife and be successful in any career choice as well. There is no reason to choose one role or the other. It just so happens, that in my life, I switch from one hat to the next quite a bit but at one single moment, I am either mom or the next minute Barre + Beyond owner. In addition, I wear many more “hats”

So this year, “balance” will not be on my list. Rather my goal is to BE PRESENT. Be in the moment and focus on the task at hand; to stop planning and stop stressing. So when my children are talking to me about a friend at school, I will put my phone down and listen and be present. When my husband calls in the middle of his workday, to stop what I am doing and be present. When I’m taking my beagle Ellie for a walk, to be present and just walk, not on the phone and not thinking about anything but feeling the air, watching the birds.

So the question is how we, yes, us, the women in this room, wear all the hats we wear? The answer is focus. But how do we achieve that focus when we are challenged with so many tasks. For me, it was ballet. By the age of 15, I was dancing 30-40 hours a week at a top pre-professional ballet school, on top of attending a prominent All- Girl’s High School. I had to learn the concept of time management on an extreme level. I learned how to focus. Dancing talk me how to focus; not just the idea of how to focus on my muscles but how to channel that focus from movement to studies. Personally, the exercise was an outlet physically and mentally and I needed that time for myself in order to be able to sit down to study. I needed dance even more during my years at Duke University, when I added a whole new social aspect that I steered clear from in high school. I met my husband, then just a guy I like to chat with, now my husband of 12 years. He taught me more about focus at the task at hand in order to be the most efficient. He taught me how to have fun and work hard. He has given so much of himself to our family and me and when we moved to Chesterton 5 years ago, I found myself with an opportunity to do what I love.

I opened the studio when Liza, my youngest, was just 6 weeks old. The goal for the studio was and is to empower women to achieve not only physical strength but also mental strength; a toughness that carries beyond the barre into everyday life. Now, I understand even more as I wear all my hats, that I need barre, just as I needed dance back in high school. It is like you may need your run, or your bike ride or your alone time. I need that time for myself to be able to focus; to be able to be present.; to be a good mom; to be an active community member; to be a Hebrew teacher for our temple’s children; to be a best friend to my husband; to be a role model for my children; and to be here today.

I’m honored to be up here with all the other ladies today. Hats off to all our ladies and thank your for sharing barre love with me today. Let’s scratch The Idea of balance. Take time for yourself to help you focus; to help you just Be present; Be Beautiful; Be You. Cheers!