The Fire Starter Sessions

NYC Book Launch

I attended The Fire Starter Sessions NY Book Launch last night from 8P-11P at Greenhouse in Soho. It was to celebrate Danielle LaPorte's new book. I've never read her, but I really like how she writes -- blogs and such. Very clear. Inspiring. She'd be a great strategic planner in an agency, but she's bigger than that. Good for her!

$25 bought me a ticket to event, her book and a drink.

I invited my new friend Jen, who is fun, reflective, lovely, spunky even. The evening was billed to have speakers I really like: Marie Forleo and Kris Carr, in particular. Gabrielle Bernstein, too, but I don't "know" her as well. The event sold out. 500 angry women attended.

Well, maybe not all 500 were angry. There were lots of us who just wanted to be part of this energy. I go to the negative first, which is something I'd like to work on. But it's what I saw. My first trigger was in line outside, a line that wrapped the building. As I got closer to the front, Jen was still a few blocks away, so I started letting people go in front of me. One woman (half my age) obviously thought I cut in to the line in front of her and informed me, "Love, the line starts back there." 

TRIGGER> "Love?" How about if I pound you straight into the earth with one hard pop on the top of your head?

I let her know I was already in line and was actually letting people cut in front of me. I said, please, go in front of me. I'm waiting for my friend. She look indignant. She'd rather that I had been a cheater and cutter and someone to fight than have to deal with her own misunderstanding. Yuck. I tried to shake the energy, but carried it with me inside.

There were a lot of ego-charged women here actually. Chests all puffed out. Self-righteous claims to the seats they were holding with their purses in the back. I didn't like them. I was glad to have Jen with me.

The speakers who I really wanted to hear didn't really speak. They all just introduced and gushed a little about Danielle. Too quick. I wanted more! But OK. I get it. It's a book launch.

Then Danielle spoke.

She shared a poem of sorts. A real message about finding your space in the universe. More poetic than that, but. Anyway. I was all -- I hope there's more space out there for me. There's a woman standing on my foot. Danielle went on to share the foundation for success, which includes kindness and love. I tried to find little miss "Love - the line starts back there" and point in her face to make sure she got the message. Man, these women have a long way to go.

OK. Me too. I get it.

When the speaking part was over, everyone dogpiled to the front where we were standing to get their free book.

TRIGGER>Wouldn't it have been smarter to give you your book when you showed your ticket at the front door?

Like two salmon swimming up a menstrual stream, we pushed our way toward the Exit sign. Oxygen! With our new orange hardcovers in hand, we found space and nibblies and red wine at City Wine across the street. All told, a lovely time.

Today I'm going to dive into this book -- knowing very little about it -- with the intention of rewiring the junk in my head to land a job I love in the next 30 days.

Let's get this fire started!

Getting Healthy: First Me, Then Tyler, Now David

A lot has happened in the past month. We successfully transitioned my stepson to a 2-yr training program called Chapel Haven in New Haven, CT that helps young adults w/Asperger's develop the skills they need to live independently.

Here I am admiring Tyler's schedule in his new apartment. "Meditation"... "Hiking".... "Veggie Palooza?!" What great classes! He's already off to a good start. He lost 30 pounds (and I lost 15) during his time with me! It was a lot of small stuff, really. I'd put out a cup of carrots and raw veg daily. He was good about chomping them down. And he really enjoyed walking miles on the beach every day. He started to lay off the junk food, too. His choice. Not sure what prompted it other than a deeper sense of peace; no need for junk to fill the void. I believe he's in the right place now for the next stage of his growth. The structure of a program is sure to be a big help on his continued path to health and happiness. Keep up the good work Tyler! 

During these past eight months, in addition to providing Tyler with assisted living in Myrtle Beach, I took the time to reconnect to my source with the intention of holding my center when I moved back to New York. Now that I'm back, I'm stepping right in to my own "healthy" appointments and dragging my husband David along with me.

I bought two Groupons for Colon Hydrotherapy at Suite Retreat http://www.suiteretreat.com/for $55 each (reg $150). They also encourage tips (about $30). We had our appointment this past Saturday. I came skipping out of my room only to find David sitting there grouchy-faced, looking like he was about to flip a table over. 

I'll start from the beginning. We both got briefed by our separate therapists about their sterile equipment. They assured us they disgard the butt probes after every use. David clarified, "You mean, you don't give them out as souvenirs?" Fortunately, no, they don't.

I'll spare you all the details. But if you're curious, check out some videos on YouTube. People --  literally -- post the weirdest shit! It helped me know what to expect, anyway.

My session went well. My therapist said I had one of the best colons she'd ever seen. I'll bet she says that to all her clients. Even so, things moved very smoothly. At one point, she said that an 8" piece of solid material came through the tube. I couldn't see the tube, but could feel the movement. She thinks this was from the transverse area of my colon. How crazy! I asked her if I had just waited, would that be something that would come out this afternoon? She said no. It was dark colored, so probably there a couple years. A couple years!!!! She told me then about another client, 26 years old, who also came in with a coupon. A dime came out during that session! Evidently, this woman had swallowed it when she was four! My therapist says she and Rose, the owner, joke that they could open a toy shop with all the parts they collect in their business. Good God people! We've got to clean our colons out! I am now a convert.

So anyway, me and my awesome colon came skipping out of the room when the session was over. David was already in the waiting room. He was angry. He said it was a waste of money. He felt backed up and constipated now -- way worse than when we arrived. Apparently, his junk was slow to move. 

I just spoke with his therapist to get the scoop and set him up for a follow-up appointment. First off, she prescribed:

- Dr. Ohhira's probiotic. Take two in morning on empty stomach

- Super Cleanse - take only at night; follow instructions

She says it's cheapest to order online. I found both on Amazon -- and treated myself to Aloe Vera and Life's DHA Omega 3 supplements that I've been meaning to buy for a while. 

Rose (owner/therapist) confirmed that David was too impacted to see results on his first session. She'd like him to clean up his diet, take these probiotics and come back in a couple weeks. I think David wanted good news and felt frustrated that this is just "one more thing" that doesn't work. Listen, I told him. This is simply a result of your choices. That's what you're dealing with. Make better choices and get better results. You need to start a cleanse now. 21 Days. Can you do it?

He said he can. He said he is starting now. So, Sunday night (4/15) I captured his commitment on video. He looks a little tired. A little bloated. No matter. David can lose weight really quickly when he focuses, so let's do this! 

Here's his promise for the next 21 days:

NOTE: After further discussion, we decided to skip the "gluten-free" restriction. There is already so much that he has to give up from his current diet no point in overwhelming him with itty bitty details. Most importantly, he will be cutting out: alcohol, caffeine, meat and animal products (milk, diary, etc.) sugar (not a weakness for him) and processed foods. 

STATS

April 16, 2012

256 lbs

45" waist

DAY TWO STATS: Weight: 253.6 (already down 2.4 lbs!)