Another IHRSA Annual Conference and Trade show has come to a close and it was by far one of the best show's I have ever attended!

Two weeks ago I shared with you about what I was looking forward to regarding the show and the ILC experience being my number one driver around my anticipation of the show.   I will tell you, the ILC experience was by far one of the best investments I have ever made!  If you have not looked into this lovely opportunity, I would highly recommend it.  Not only is it an elevated way of attending the show, having access to the keynote speakers but also having a quiet place to sit in the ILC lounge was a huge plus as well.  Especially being 5 months pregnant, having a meeting place to sit for a few minutes and then re-join the show, was a fabulous bonus!  

The trade show floor was buzzing, the energy as always is so high and positive and the education sessions were so very insightful.  I really enjoyed the Women's Leaderships Summit event, both empowering and inspiring with female leaders from all over the globe.  Another highlight was that my friend Bryan O'Rourke was welcomed to the IHRSA Board of Directors, a very exciting accomplishment for him,  IHRSA is lucky to have him.  An event I have now come to look forward to is the annual Augie's Quest Bash to defeat ALS, and this year was beyond exciting where over 3 million dollars was raised at the event to apply towards research to find a cure!  Two and a half years ago my father passed away from ALS and being able to put my energy towards this important cuase means a great deal to me. 

Outside of all the other excitment that came with this year, I am beyond grateful that I was recognized as a IHRSA Rising Star and was able to share in this video.  Please check out the video and share if you'd like. 

As always IHRSA is such an enjoyable event, seeing people that you only get to see once a year is such a pleasure!  

What about you? What are some of your favorite IHRSA moments this year? Please do share, I would love to hear what the show meant to you! 

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Lindsey Rainwater, also known as Lindsey RainH2O, is a sought-after business consultant, leadership coach, writer and presenter to the fitness and wellness industry. For more information about Rainwater, follow her on Twitter@LindseyRainH2O

Two weeks ago I wrote about Emotional Intelligence, if you missed it click here to read the post.  

Once an understanding is reached about Emotional Intelligence, the next step in peeling the onion is moving from awareness and into action.  If being emotionally intelligent means that we understand our emotions, then how do we go about doing that, literally? 

When feeling happy, sad, angry, fearful or sexual sensations, what happens next? 

This weekend I began to read a new book, The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership a new paradigm for sustainable success. I was reminded of the topic of feeling our feelings and I really love the way they broke it down. 

What are you feeling right now?

Discerning between thoughts and feelings and locating the feelings in your body to best describe your experience. 

 "The core emotions show up in certain regions of the body.  For example, fear often manifests as a sensation in the belly (like butterflies inhale stomach), whereas anger appears in the back, shoulders, neck and jaw, as well as down the arms to the hands.  We typically experience sadness as a sensation in the heart area, the front of the throat and face, and in the eyes.  Joy is often experienced as a rising, effervescent sensation in the core of the body or up the spine, and sexual feelings are typically experiences as tingling sensations in the erogenous zones... Learning these emotional zones of the body can be a shortcut to emotional maturity.  When you feel a sensation in one of those areas, check to see if the corresponding emotion is present.  Let the body lead your awareness." -The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership 

The most genius fact about your feelings in connection to your body is that it is all connected.  We feel feelings and think thoughts and our body shares with our minds how the feeling is showing up so that we can send our attention towards the sensation.  Powerful stuff when you really think about it.

Here is an example from my own life.  When I am not traveling I work from my computer a lot and I often notice that my shoulders and upper back can start to ache.  When I recognize that sensation and check in with my thoughts, add breath and ask myself what am I feeling, typically something has me feeling angry.  My upper back and neck do not just start independently aching, there is a reason I created that sensation. Not always is there a big "thing" to be undone, it could be as simple as too many notifications are dinging, creating irritability while focused.  The point being, when I bring my sensitive awareness to what I am experiencing my energy is refreshed.

My invitation this week is when you find yourself feeling achy or feeling a feeling, check in and ask yourself; where is the feeling landing in your body? 

There is so much to be discussed on this topic and I just barely skimmed the surface.  Please check out The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership or Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks live workshops to learn more about your feelings and the body's intelligence. 

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Lindsey Rainwater is an experienced consultant and coach  to the fitness and wellness industry.  She specializes in business development and leadership. Currently she is working with the Fitmarc Team helping club owners all over the south central region of the united states propel their business forward via group exercise solutions.  For more information about lindsey, follow her @lindseyrainh2o 

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to monitor one's own and other people's emotions, to discriminate between different emotions and label them appropriately, and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior. (Wiki) 

So why does it matter?

How does knowing how you are feeling and being aware of how others are feeling play a role in your day to day life? 

Your success (specifically at work) can be directly linked to your ability to be emotionally intelligent.

 Studies have shown that people with high EI have greater mental health, exemplary job performance, and more potent leadership skills. 

 "It is proposed that this may be even more important than your knowledge or skills on your job. The Carnegie Institute of Technology shows that 85 percent of your financial success is due to skills in “human engineering,” your personality and ability to communicate, negotiate, and lead". -Daphne-Scott Podcast episode 30 

Learning the art of feeling your feelings and being sensitively aware of the feelings of those around you is a skill.  Research has proven that your academic and on the job training while being very important is only part of what you can bring to the table.  The art of reading a room, knowing if someone is having a bad day by watching their body language and most importantly, knowing when you are having a bad day and how to take exquisite care of yourself.  

 If the topic of EI is of interest to you check out the Super Fantastic Leadership Show Podcast, specifically episode 30.  Daphne Scott  and Kathlyn Hendricks collaborate about articulation between feelings and thoughts.

The next few weeks I will be publishing a series of articles circulating the topic of Emotional Intelligence.

Look for the tag #WakeUpWednesday to see more about ways to enhance your lifestyle with consciousness tools. 

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Lindsey Rainwater is an experienced consultant and coach  to the fitness and wellness industry.  She specializes in business development and leadership. Currently she is working with the Fitmarc Team helping club owners all over the south central region of the united states propel their business forward via group exercise solutions.  For more information about Lindsey follow her @lindseyrainh2o 

When you were a kid, did your parents ever use “big words” and you made up what they meant instead of ask for a definition? Well I did, and one of the words I made up my own meaning for was the word Responsible or Responsibility.  I always heard the word in the context of “once you are responsible” or “you need to be responsible before you can have a phone”.

I made up that Responsibility meant “be a grown up,”.  Whatever grown up means, at the time to me that meant take care of yourself and be a resource, ask fewer questions, figure it out vs always asking for help.

Looking back on the way I started to define responsibility, it’s no wonder to me that when I was offered a new and refreshing take on the word that my universe was totally lit up by the prospect that the idea of responsibility could actually enhance my life not bog it down.

I have adopted a new definition as follows:

Healthy Responsibility, grounding myself in what’s real (present) , owning, rather than being affected by and Open to feedback. –The Hendricks Institute Definition

Being present with what is actually happening and taking full ownership of my reality instead of feeling at the affect of circumstances!

When I connected the dots between my reality and the option to choose, my world turned on its head! Instead of feeling like I “had to” do anything, everything started to feel like opportunity instead of a demand. 

I decided to share this particular view point with you here because it is the number one mind shift that has single handedly changed my life for the better!

When I filter my choices through the lens of being present and then taking ownership of how I want to experience life, the rest falls into place.  Choosing Love feels easier, breathing deeper becomes available and my eyes soften to see others as my ally instead of the enemy.

My encouragement to you is to try it on.  When you find yourself having thoughts that sound like “She totally made me do that, she doesn’t listen” or “I had to, there was no other option”, swap those for “I wonder what I am not communicating to her” or “I Wonder what other options are here that I could discover”.

Please share with me your experience around playing with this powerful concept!

Cheers!

Lindsey

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Lindsey Rainwater is an experienced consultant and coach  to the fitness and wellness industry.  She specializes in business development and leadership. Currently she is working with the Fitmarc Team helping club owners all over the south central region of the united states propel their business forward via group exercise solutions.  For more information about lindsey, follow her @lindseyrainh2o 

Do you take yourself too seriously? 

What does it feel like? I stop breathing.

My shoulders come up to my ears, my jaw get's tight and eyes narrow. Do you know the feeling?

I believe the sensation I am describing is adrenaline fueled by fear. 

why do we take ourself so seriously? 

one word.

FEAR.

...Afraid of getting it wrong, afraid of not knowing enough, afraid of being too much.

the list goes on...

Today as I was journaling the notion came over me that for today I am NOT going to take myself so seriously.

Instead, I am going to look at the world through my childlike lenses the ones that see love, not fear.

Because really, everything I need to know for right now, is inside of me and far more accessable when I am seeing life through the lens of love.

Today, even though its Monday, I am going to take myself less seriously. Join me?

cheers!

Linds

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Lindsey Rainwater is an experienced consultant and coach  to the fitness and wellness industry.  She specializes in business development and leadership. Currently she is working with the Fitmarc Team helping club owners all over the south central region of the united states propel their business forward via group exercise solutions.  For more information about lindsey, follow her @lindseyrainh2o