I may have shared this with you last month, but in case you missed it… here goes. In June my family and I went to Washington DC to participate in the Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Overnight Walk. This is an 18 mile walk through the streets of DC to raise awareness, research, and education on suicide.

Now while my sister, mother, and I participated in and completed our first overnight walk in NYC in 2011, this walk was a different story. I’m proud to say my mom and sister finished strong… I on the other hand cannot celebrate the same.

It was the first really hot and humid weekend here in Maryland. My parents came into town late Friday night. Saturday we got up early to get mulch, flowers, and other things for my home. All day Saturday I was outside working on the lawn and garden. While I was pushing fluids on my mom and dad- I forgot to do the same for myself!

I became severely dehydrated, threw up on the walk path, and had to ride in vans all night- smiling, talking, and catching up with the actual “walkers” every two miles.

How embarrassing! How humiliating! How disappointing…

Instead of wallowing in the blame and shame of my own weakness, I decided to learn from this- which is what I share with you today.

Where in your own life have you relentlessly given to others? How do you continue to insist on putting other people first? When was the last time you did something just for you?

This constant giving isn’t just found in the physical realm. We can apply this to financial stress, emotional overwhelm, and/or social pressure.

Many of us have been taught that when we give, we receive. Or giving is the “good” thing to do. We want to be “nice” people, heaven forbid we come across as selfish or self-absorbed.

Over the past few months I have been surveying my tribe- asking them things like:

• What keeps you up at night?
• What do you want the most?
• What are your biggest challenges?
• How do you want to feel?

While several themes have surfaced, there’s one topic that keeps leaving a lasting impression on me: letting go.

How can ‘letting go’ apply here? What does it have to do with this relationship of giving and receiving?

If you want to improve your physical health, relieve mental/emotional tension, unburden your financial stress, or adopt a spiritual practice- you’re going to have to learn to let go.

What’s the opposite of letting go? That’s right: holding on. When you hold on too tight to your attachments you create unnecessary stress.

Now to apply this concept to giving and receiving. Giving is what you’re used to; it’s what is familiar, natural, and routine. But giving all of the time, without also receiving, is holding onto the attachment of old thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

Can you allow yourself to let go of these patterns that have you stuck?

If you’re reading this and a voice inside is whispering (maybe shouting): “Yes, Yes, I’m ready…” then consider joining us for my upcoming course: ‘Rejuvenate ME! Six Weeks to Worrying Less and Enjoying More’.

In this action-packed course, you can expect to (on top of many other things):

• Receive several spiritual practices to help you let go of attachment;
• Learn stress reduction tools for the mind, body, heart, and soul;
• Allow for growth and transformation in order to fully accept yourself and others.

I do hope you’ll consider joining us. ‘Rejuvenate ME!’ is open to six participants so if you are interested and have questions, I’m happy to respond. You can leave a question/comment below or contact me at coachscala (at) livingsublimewellness (dot) com or (410) 929-0081. For more information and to sign up for the course, visit ‘Rejuvenate ME!’ by clicking here.