“Joy is increased by spreading it to others.”

— Robert Murray McCheyne

Seth Godin, a world-renown marketer and blogger, once stated “Recent changes in the way that things are made and talked about means that big is no longer an advantage. In fact, it’s the opposite. If you want to be big, act small.”

Often when people think of joy or happiness, they believe they have to experience it in big amounts, but what if joy can be experienced in small amounts and still have a profound effect?

I’ve personally found that experiencing joy in small doses often gives me enough boost to be more productive, more resilient, and have greater energy.

According to Dr. Earl Henslin, author of This is Your Brain on Joy – shares that multiple studies show that there are many health benefits to joy, including increased blood flow to the brain and overall improvement of your immune system.

It also helps us to experience greater alignment with ourselves, others and our work. It can help us be in a calmer ...

Dale Carnegie said “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

I would add to that, “and while you’re conquering fear, have some fun.”

I was inspired to write this blog after facilitating several ‘Kayak & Coaching’ workshops on the Rappahannock River of Fredericksburg, VA with River Rock Outfitters. 

Our main goal is to take these women through a guided coaching experience to help them get clarity on their next bold move in life. They initially start with getting comfortable with being out in the water and getting to know each other.

I've noticed over time there has been a common pattern for many of these women. They each had some type of fear they want to overcome. For some, this included the fear of the water or being in a kayak.

I remember one lady, Jamie, signed up because she wanted to overcome a fear of kayaking. She explained that years earlier she had a near drowning experience in a kayak with a group of friends.

I kept a watc...

Change begins the moment you get the courage and step outside your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
― Roy T. Bennett

When we were young our parents probably took considerable measures to protect us. They keep our hand from touching a hot stove, walking out in the middle of the street, and talking to suspicious strangers.

While these are done with responsibility, love and protection, often the lines can become blurry and this can translate into other areas beyond physical and emotional safety.

Sometimes our parents unconsciously transfer their fears onto us. Maybe they didn’t want us to get hurt with relationships or experience failure or disappointment. Maybe they wanted us to be happy, and this was the best way they knew to teach us.

And so they became too protective and cautioned us to not make mistakes or encouraged us to stay away from painful experiences, the very things that could help us learn and grow. Maybe we heard “better to be safe than sorry...