Super Angie... believing in Self

 

Let's be honest here. Satan doesn't like your accomplishments.  He hates it when you are happy and feel good about yourself. He LOVES selfdoubt and HATES Self confidence.

So I have been a competitive figure skater for not very long. And yet I have accomplished all my goals. Why? Because I didn't let self doubt creep in.

Self doubt comes in slowly-- often as stress and panic.
"I have so much to do! "
"That's an impossible task"

Often self doubt comes from our "friends"
"That wasn't very pretty"
"Why did you pick to do that?"
"You won?  That didn't seem very difficult"

FACT- All self doubt, no matter who is bringing it into your life, is based in Satan.

Everyone faces self doubt. Everyone gets freaked out or panics because of an upcoming event or goal. Its natural. If it were easy, everyone would be accomplished.  Look around you...how many true SUPER STARS do you see? Not many, right? Why? BECAUSE IT'S HARD!!

So here are some steps to believing in yourself. Try one or all. Let me know how it changes your hour, day, week, month, life...

1.Stop taking yourself so seriously and stop trying to please everyone!  Here I am with two time Olympian, Johnny Weir.  Johnny is well loved because he skates for himself and the fans.  He goes against the grain of the stereotypical figure skater. He fights the status quo. Johnny isn't afraid to put on some makeup and perform.  BUT at the same time, he isn't puffed up and vain. He is so down to earth and humble.  Johnny stopped trying to fit into everyone else's mold and found HIS voice. 

2.Try Something NEW!  You will be amazed what happens when you break out of your day by day and try something new. Now I'm not saying you have to go to extreme and try ice climbing. But how about try a book club? A cooking class? Visit a ceramic painting place and learn to paint! Pick up a new hobby. You'll meet new people AND your self confidence will grow. Be Un-stoppable!

3. Participate in a Charity.  Giving your time to a charity just feels good. Here I am with National champion, Max Aaron.  By participating in Skate for Hope every year, I raise money for Breast cancer, and I meet some incredible people who continue to inspire me. Serve others and find yourself!

4. Remember past accomplishments. Here is a pic of me from 2009. I competed at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO and I won the bronze medal. Amazing!  Wow. If I could compete at such a huge and inspiring event, and do so well, what else can I do?

5.  Focus on those who are uplifting and who believe in you.  Here I am with Olympic bronze medalist, Jason Brown.  I have the extraordinary opportunity to train with him once a week. Jason LOVES my skating. He tells me everytime he sees me. He isn't so caught up in the fact that he has an Olympic Medal and I'm a 38 yr old housewife. He seems me as a beautiful skater- no matter that I only jump singles and he jumps triples!  There are so many people around us that LOVE to tear us down. Stop hanging out with them. Just stop it! You don't need that toxic attitude in your life. Focus on those that uplift and believe in you!

6. Be a friend to ALL!  Can you have too many friends? No way!  Open your heart to all-  no matter the age.  Here I am with my sweet friend Rachael.  I have known Rachael for 4 years now and I just adore this girl. I get to see her when I attend SKATE FOR HOPE in Ohio.  She sees the beauty in me, and I see the beauty in her. Try branching out in your friendships. Who out there has something that can add some sparkle to your life? And in turn, watch how the friendship blesses both lives!

7. Walk on Sunshine! Too often people walk around glummy, finding fault in all situations and just being miserable.  Learn to be happy. Fake it till you make it, like they say. If you aren't happy, put a smile on your face anyway.  Learn to see the beauty in ALL things!

Start focusing on the beautiful, wonderful things you have done and accomplished. Stop focusing on what you can't do, or what hasn't gone right in your life. JUST STOP IT!

You are a beautiful child of God.
Believe it. Live it.
Stop letting Satan tell you are otherwise.

Super Angie...Origami Owl living

Good Monday Morning ladies! I'm running and rushing around- unpacking, cleaning, packing my lunch for work. PHEW! One thing I learned at convention is...SLOW DOWN!

The "founding fathers of Origami Owl talked about hard it was in the beginning. Did you know they personally sat at their dining room table, HAND STAMPING every single plate? Amazing dedication they had. Sacrifice is apart of being a business woman, but so is striking a balance. Finding a balance in life is so very important.

Have you read the START LIVING YOUR DREAM booklet that came in your starter pack? If not, find it and read it this week. Start filling it out. Start scheduling yourself- How much time will you spend on your business each day? Find your balance! Striking that balance in your life is so very important. One of the speakers at Convention was Dr. Casey Reason. He talked about Knowing your Priorities and Knowing your Purpose. Today, please draw 6 circles on a paper. Write in each circle, ONE THING that is most important in your life. Our minds and physical bodies can only manage 6-8 things at a time. If you try to do too much stuff, you will burn out. You'll over heat. You'll fall into depression. My circles: Family. Spiritual Life, Origami Owl, Fitness/health, Human networking and my work at Keystone.

Notice how keeping my house Martha Stewart clean wasn't on that list? Making sure I was in perfect shape for a figure skating competition wasn't on that list. Cooking gourmet meals was not on that list. Those things aren't bad. Infact those are all really great. BUT they can't be on my list right now because I physically and mentally can't handle it. If I tried being in top form right now to skate and compete, something else on my list would need to go away. It's about balance. Love you ladies so much. I'm here for you!

Super Angie...get control

Lesson for this week... when life is spiraling OUT OF CONTROL and you feel like everything is fighting against you, turn your focus on what's most important.

Example:  I've been working 8-10 hour days (on the 4th of July I worked 13 1/2 hours). I'm so tired. My schedule is such that I go to work at 9am and come home at 7:30pm.  I don't have time to run the errands I need to and I feel like everything is slipping away from me.  I want to do laundry and shop, and go to the post office and get my hair cut and I haven't skated in a month (I fired my coach) and and AND!!!!  But there is no time. And I just start freaking out.  Then I remember- What matters most. Prayer. Scripture Study. Church attendance. Family.  When I put my focus on THOSE things, suddenly everything else takes a back seat and I can handle life. It doesn't mean I suddenly have time to skate, or that my errands get done, but what it does mean is that my soul is at peace.

Super Angie...being Anne Shirley

 I took one of those silly Buzzfeed tests today. "Which character from Anne of Green Gables are you?" and....I'm ANNE!!!

"You live more inside your own dream world than out; you're imaginative, intelligent and always look for the best in each person you come across (unless they’ve personally insulted you, of course). You're a dreamer who makes the best of every situation even when there doesn’t seem to be much hope. While you put on a happy face to the world, you often find yourself in the depths of despair where you struggle with loneliness. And while you can talk the hind leg off a cow, you do need time for inner reflection so you can recharge. You are loyal, hot tempered, and the most idealistic kindred spirit."

 This made me so happy.  I LOVED growing up watching all the Anne movies on PBS. We recorded them and I watched them all the time.  I read the books, but I REALLY Loved the movies. I really connected to Anne. I'm not an Orphan. I didn't live back in those days. I don't have red hair (well, I don't have red hair right now.. hahah).  But I have often felt like Anne.

Just in the past two months, I have broken out of my shell here in Summit County and I've started meeting more and more people and making more and more "Kindred Spirit" friends.  I haven't been this happy in a long time. 

I love this quote by Anne.  When I lived in Utah, I felt out of place. While I did make lots of friends whom I am thankful for, I felt like an outcast and like I didn't belong.  I no longer feel that way.  I never knew I could make so many amazing new friends...right here in Summit.

Super Angie...the balancing act

So often I get stuck in a rut. "I'm a mom" rut. "I'm a wife" rut. "I'm a skater" rut. "I'm a designer" rut. and so forth. When I'm in a rut, I may think that I'm moving forward, but really, I'm not.

"Even if you fall on your face, you are still moving forward"- Victor Kian

Falling hurts. But it is necessary for growth.

Sometimes you have to realize that the person you were two years ago, isn't who are you right now. It's not right. It's not wrong. It's simply what is.

Sometimes we let life get a head of us. We freak out (I especially freak out), instead of relying on faith and prayer and God. Sometimes we let others dictate what we are supposed to do- this job, or this skating thing, or this home thing or this kid thing. Sometimes the opinions of others become so strong that we are no longer in charge of who we are, or where we are going. Sometimes what others think of us becomes so stronge, that we no longer see our self worth.  I find, it's at these times that my freak outs happen more.

Sometimes we have to let go of something that we love. Sometimes we have to take a step back and really look at our life. Is this "thing" that was soo right for me two years ago, still sooo right for me?


The other day, as I started my job on Keystone lake, I found myself the center of much laughter.  I have NO BALANCE.  Now many people would think this is hilarious, since I'm a figure skater.  But it's so true. I can balance on those tiny, thin blades, on a slippery surface going fast, but put me on a stand up paddle board, and let the laughter begin!

Here is the story... Two of my co-workers and I were in charge of getting the boats from one side of the lake to the other. At first, we moved the paddleboats. These are sit down boats that you peddle like a bike. Its easy. You are sitting the whole time and you just move your legs. No problem.

Next we had to take the Stand Up Paddleboards over. I had never used one before. These are basically like a big surf board, and you stand on it, and use a paddle to move. I got on it and almost fell into the lake. Immediately! My co-workers were stunned.  I just laughed.

"Man maintains his balance, poise, and sense of security only as he is moving forward." Maxwell Maltz
When I am on skates, moving, I can balance. But just standing on the board, I was a mess.

Moving forward often means taking a few steps back, changing directions slightly and experiencing set backs.   But it is moving.  You aren't standing still in that rut.

Let's look at this incredible pic of my friend Jana. Please note. Jana is a professional. She has her own circus and she tours the country, getting paid to juggle fire, while hanging perfectly balanced in the air. FIERCE.

Let's imagine for a second that Jana gets distracted by someone in the audience. Would she lose her balance? Could she possibly fall off the trapeze? What about those flames she is juggling?  Jana has to maintain her focus and balance the entire time. One small misstep and she could get hurt.

Okay, so we aren't like Jana...hanging from two ropes, high up in the air. BUT we are constantly striving to find the balance in our life. Like Jana, one small distraction and our balance can go all out. We can wind up wet and having our co-workers laugh at us in the lake. (this didn't happen, thankfully!)

What are some of the balance distractions we have in our life? For me... thinking about things I have no control over. Worrying about what other's think of me. Freaking out instead of finding my balance and RELYING on that balance.

Relying on our SUPER POWERS instead of focusing on what we can't do is so important. I think that is how Satan gets a hold of our hearts. "Mary is so much better then me"
"Bill can do my job faster then I can" "Julie seems to have all the luck". 

"My trust in a higher power that wants me to survive and have love in my life, is what keeps me moving forward." Kenny Loggins

Two key parts of this: SURVIVE and HAVE LOVE

When you find yourself getting out of balance try this: count your blessings, find your super powers, rely on those things that haven't let you down and EMBRACE the love that you have in your life.

And remember... you need to be moving forward to have balance in your life.

Super Angie...Origami Owl

I'm very excited. I'm now selling Origami Owl.  You can shop online at :  http://superangie.origamiowl.com

My kids had SO MUCH FUN helping me put together a few lockets. I let them choose all the charms and they just got so creative. It was a lot of fun. I'm excited about this new business.

Super Angie... Skate for Hope

This past weekend I attended Skate for Hope 2014. The 11th annual one. Its the 5th show I've attended, the 4th I've skated in.

Each year as I an re-united with special friends backstage, I am reminded of why I LOVE this show. Its the people. Yes, its so fun to skate in a big arena. Yes, its so great to raise money for Breast Cancer. Yes, I will admit, I LOVE hearing the crowd go NUTS when I do my hydroblade.  Its awesome. But it still comes back to the people.

Here are some pictures of some of my favorite people from the show this year.

Super Angie...super changes

Goals...serve more.
Grow closer to God
Have more quiet time.
feed my soul not just my body
attend the temple monthly
Love more

Super Angie...being mom

Its hard you know. Its hard to be super mom, super wife, super neighbor, super cook, super homemaker, super volunteer, super skater, super homework helper. Its a full time job!

Lately, scripture study has been going well. We mostly always study 10 verses or so before school...most mornings. We try. That's all you can ask for, right? TRY.

Homework has been a struggle but I'm happy to report that the kids are doing great. Fantastic in some cases, just ok in some classes, but over all-- Great. They TRY.

Housework-- well, i found this cool thing called 40 Bags in 40 Days. I'm doing it with a FB friend and its awesome. Google it. Its cool. I'm TRYING to do it and stick to my calendar. I mostly do well. I've made a lot of headway and gotten quite a few bags of trash taken out, and so far, two bags of donation stuff. Plus just felt good. That is the best outcome.

Skating is progressing. The lake closed early March so now I have free time to skate and train. Six weeks until Skate for Hope. I'm really excited. I'm TRYING to lose some lbs for that- gotta look good for the show, right? I'm counting calories, training hard, and making progress. Working moves and dance right now. Hardly any freestyle- doctor's and coach's order. My knees are doing good and my back is happy.

Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna TRY to do Family Home Evening. Its important. I firmly believe this.  I'm making it simple though- just reading an article from The Friend.  Its a good start. Give it a TRY yourself...let me know how it works out.

I feel like life is all about trying. Try new things. Try to be a little bit better. Try to be nicer. Try to eat less. Try to move more. Try to not yell as much. Try to train harder. Try try TRY.