Sarah Maxwell and Marie Andree Lessard: June 2013

June 2013

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"Newsletter oh newsletter, why do I avoid you so..." I actually wrote out half an April newsletter then avoided getting back to it until now, June 12th. Does anyone else feel like the year is racing by? Do you get so immersed with what you're doing that you rarely pause to take a breath and reflect? Well, clearly I can relate to all that as I am 2 months overdue & was considering how I could postpone even further. Reminds me of University days when I used to lay in bed in the morning debating how I could miss class that day without much impact. Even if there was an exam, I came up with some pretty persuasive reasons that staying in bed was the most important thing! Oh how the mind can weave its tales...

So, what the heck has been so compelling that I haven't lifted my head up you might be asking??? (Or maybe you're not but you can feel that I'm about to tell you anyway :)) My April half newsletter was about the most amazing wedding I attended in Maui of a friend who I played Varsity Volleyball with at UBC. This meant that it was a reunion of sorts of one of the best times of my life - 4 years of University action in Vancouver! It warmed my heart to be with friends that are so easy to be with - there are partners and kids to add to the mix but everyone has so much to contribute. I then flew to Fiji for the Oceania Olympic Committee meetings where I was once again drawn in by the passion & commitment of islander athletes. From there, my time has been filled to the brim with my new cleansing business with Isagenix. It has been an amazing honor to bring more than 60 people through the 30-day transformation I experienced at the beginning of the year. It's one thing to go through it yourself, but to then be there with others who's lives are changed because their eyes have opened to a whole new version of themselves. I have created a new Cleansing Meditation & my compilation product of individualized meditations due to be launched on August 1st in Vegas (did I mention we won a trip to Vegas?) Body cleansing was one thing but along with it came a financial cleansing that has allowed me to buy a new car with some of my new found cash flow. I had a Birthday mixed in there & I feel more alive and well than I did years ago, which is a big call considering I should have been in my prime as a pro athlete. It's amazing how age can uplift or draw you downward, it really is a choice! The only downward I do these days is downward dog at my hot yoga classes!

Retreating in Hawaii

Volleyball nets adorning the beautiful beaches of Fiji

I know you must be thinking that's all there is but wait...there's more! We traveled to Perth & where I ran a Gold Medal to Rio session with my Olympic archer. My boss from Australian Archery resigned & therefore my future with them was uncertain. The best thing happened, the athletes I connected with most have individually hired me as they did not want to wait on their slow federation to act. Yay for me as it's exactly what I wanted! Nat & I then drove to Margaret River which is beautiful Australian wine country. Vineyards dotting the landscape as your curl around bends to see the expanse of where the Indian Ocean meet the Southern Ocean. We stayed on a Farmstay which I invite you to take a look at because it's organic farming tour blew our socks off (http://burnsideorganicfarm.com.au/). Did you know that capers are picked by hand? They grew avocados, zinfadel wine, had olive trees for oil pressing, fresh eggs layed by their chooks & had fresh honey from their hives! Incredible to watch how nature CAN work. It inspired me even more as to what's possible in the coming years rather than the destruction that's often focussed upon. We are required to change and evolve with the new landscapes but that seems natural too.

The Organics in Margaret River

My game for this month is about helping to deal with overwhelm...the sort that leads to tasks being put off for two months :) It helped me write my newsletter so it does work. You just have to get over the story "I'm too busy" & actually play the game! I've also included a BLOG about the value of taking a retreat every once in a while in order to bring yourself to your own attention. That's what Hawaii was for me & in giving back, I am hosting a retreat on relationships with World Renown monk Dandapani (http://dandapani.org/corporate-wellness/content-material.shtml) in the Hinterlands of Queensland in November of this year. Single men & women desiring relationships or those wanting to understand more about where they currently reside with their relationships will be invited to attend this weekend retreat. One of my favorite quotes of his that he shares with thousands of Corporates around the world is "You are your own greatest asset". He moves beyond speaking about time management to the powerful practice of energy management. Isn't that what the focus of this entire newsletter was about? Time management is like pushing crap around in a circle (being "busy" all the time) vs having the practice of shifting awareness with volition and intent. This is what being present is all about & being able to focus your energy in a meaningful way. Meeting Dandapani in New Zealand of this year while he was teaching to a room full of 300 accountants led me to immediately want to work more with him. He is so relevant in our day & age and now that he has left the monastery in Hawaii, he is married in New York City. This wise man surely has something to teach us all!

The spirit of Dandapani

For someone who was putting off writing, I had lots to say. That's generally how it works, once you sit down and bring your focus, things flow from there. I invite you to play the game for this month & feel free to email me if you want to know more about the retreat with Dandapani in November. I can assure you, you will shift the way you attract within relationships!

LiveWell LoveWell MaxWell xoxo

MY PLATE RUNNETH OVER...

Here is a great way to get back on track when you're feeling overwhelmed. The expression "my plate is just too full at the moment" is what inspired this one.
read more

Give something back to yourself

Posted Monday, June 17, 2013. By Sarah Maxwell

As I fly over the Pacific Ocean from Maui back to Brisbane, I am exultant about the value of removing oneself from the everyday into a fresh, love-giving environment. This comes in many forms but for me, the wedding of a college volleyball teammate brought me to my own best attention! read more