I just returned from a expedition into the Alaska winter wilderness with one of my soul sisters, Luzy.  Luzy is an Alaskan Husky who is wise and merry.  We flew from my home in Talkeetna over the Susitna Valley in a sweet Cessna 185 on skis and landed on a snow covered lake 85 miles from the nearest road.  From there, we reached my Homestead cabin.  Luzy and I journeyed out each day exploring and being.  The plan was to skijor; wherein Luzy pulls my sled and I ski behind.  It looks like this with one dog.  The snow was very deep and I had to create trails by snowshoeing.  It was intense, it was joyous and the energies of the universe came out to play with us.

Raven visited, we slid down hills with Otter, and gazed into Wolverine’s eyes.

Then I had sourdough hotcakes with John Muir.

Okay, a John Muir twin.  I will share even more on these particulars of the trip in my next blog coming out in a week.  Todays’ post is about how I got my ass out there in the first place (and some of the events that happened while out there) – because I think it is integral to my journey and I hope it may help support you in some way.  It involves Wolf.

I believe we are ALL crazy-brave living our lives on a moving planet.  I want to be transparent here, there are times I have very un-brave thoughts.

The key for me is in living my soul and not my thoughts.

There is this thing that happens before I embark on many a new adventure, be it an expedition, career move, heck, even deciding what to do for the day.  My lizard thoughts can come out to play.  These are the thoughts coming from the prehistoric part of my brain concerned most with survival and they echo many cultural norms.  Seth Godin describes this part of our brains well.   These lizard thoughts are not evil, but they can stop you dead in your tracks if you do not handle them.  Martha Beck taught me some great tools to use with lizard brain and she writes poignantly about this.

I call my lizard brain Penelope and this is what she looks like,

 

She is a darling isn’t she?  In the month before this trek, Penelope trotted out a parade of thoughts designed to keep me safe, and keep me from going.  Here are the top 10, which she shouts in a high pitched panic and always in capital letters:

THIS IS DANGEROUS

YOU ARE SELFISH

DON’T YOU LIKE PEOPLE?

WHAT IF YOU BREAK YOUR LEG?

WHAT IF YOU ARE KIDNAPPED BY ALIENS?

YOUR HUSBAND IS GONNA BAIL

YOUR FAMILY THINK YOU ARE AWFUL

FRIENDS WONDER WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

YOU WILL DO SOMETHING STUPID AND DIE AND YOUR MOM WILL BE SO SAD AND EVERYONE WILL SAY HOW STUPID YOU ARE

SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL SIT OUT THERE IN THE SNOW AND CRY

Believe me, the alien one is a real fear, because, well, I have seen some strange and wondrous things in the middle of the wilderness…but that is for another conversation.

I am familiar with these top ten and they now only come to play when I am stressed.  I recently resigned from my education work and feel very good about my move into full-time coaching (YAY), and, I also know that any change causes some stress and it is best to recognize it and heal it.  I have done a releasing ceremony and a gratitude ceremony for all that was and will be.  These thoughts were quite easy for me to influence because I have worked with them before and I bring them up here because I would like to share a few of the things I do to take control of my thoughts.

Most of us have learned to ignore our lizard in order to get out of bed each day, but I think it is worth listening to your lizard for insights into yourself and this can further ground you in your power.  Also, by paying attention and taking control, you can alter your lizard thoughts.

Penelope doesn’t stop my progress, she DOES inform me and I have grown to expect her outbursts and I listen with interest to what comes up for her.  What are your Top 10 lizard thoughts?  I bet yours are just as wacky as mine (please tell me it is so).  And, Penelope HAS been helpful.  Once, she started shouting as I prepared to ski down a big mountain with 2 dogs pulling me and a hundred-pound sled to the icy river below.  I mean, I still went for it, but because of her I used the brake and really paid attention!

Listen to your thoughts, but respond with SOUL

Daredevils, bakers, astronauts, 7th graders, mountain climbers and you and me have Lizard thoughts. Everyone.  I want to share a few of the methods I have found to direct these thoughts so that we may embrace this beauteous world and do the things that delight us.

3 tools I use to steer my thoughts and unleash my soul

1.  Address each thought

Listen and decide if it is worth listening to.  Can you settle this fear?

THIS IS DANGEROUS – Yep, and so is crossing the street.  And, I am bringing all my experience and awareness and an emergency communication device.  AND, I kinda like a little danger.  AND I have lots of chocolate in my sled bag.

DON’T YOU LIKE PEOPLE? – I love people, and I love trees and the great wild just as much, and sometimes more.  I want to bring that love back with me to share with people.

YOUR HUSBAND IS GONNA BAIL – Oh for crying out loud, Penelope, Rick loves me and he makes me homemade moose jerky.

YOUR FAMILY THINK YOU ARE AWFUL – This is simply not true.  But really, that is their business.

FRIENDS WONDER WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU – And that is okay, they love me anyway, also they can think whatever they want.  And this may not be true.

SOMETHING BAD WILL HAPPEN AND YOU WILL SIT OUT THERE IN THE SNOW AND CRY – Well, this actually DID happen on day 3 of my journey.  It wasn’t that bad.  The snow was over my knees, on snowshoes. It took me two, 7-hour days, snowshoeing a trail toward the Tordrillo Mountains to get only 16+ miles.  I set up camp and got in my down bag exhausted and it started to rain.  Even a 40° below bag is no help if it is wet.  I didn’t have my tent.  I could have created a makeshift shelter with my sled bag and a tarp, but Luzy stood by the trail to return back the way we had just come and stared at me.  Smart girlfriend.  That cry actually felt good, lasted only a minute and then I packed up, followed Luzy, and had a wondrous night ski to my cabin (video on my night ski coming).

2.  Check in with your soul

Ask yourself why you want to do this thing that is freaking out your lizard.  Make a list of what lights up your heart, pay attention to what excites you when you are out and about and sit with that feeling, let it grow.

A month ago, I was on a training run with Luzy.  It was near sunset, the snow was a perfect powder and we were flying through the birch woods with our nostrils flared and our tongues hanging out (Luzy’s a bit more than mine).  And THEN,

Wolf materialized between the trees

Luzy stopped and we all stared at one another.  We breathed each others essence for a bit.  I felt gifted and seen.  Wolf faded back into the woods.  An hour later, we looped back past this spot and saw by his tracks that Wolf had come over to smell our trail.  He followed for a few paces and then crossed us going south.  THIS.  This is what lights my soul.  I cannot even explain to you what being with a wolf in the wild means to me, but

I WANT THAT, I CRAVE THAT

This is my soul sauce and I must follow it.  And when I do, while listening to Penelope but not being stopped by her, when I do this, then Magic happens.  What I hear from Wolf is, “YES, come play in the wild”.

3.  When you have made your heart up, give your lizard something to do

Give her a pacifier or ask her to go play by herself because you have some packing to do.  Know that she will return and be ready for her.  As soon as I start packing, Penelope gets quiet.  Ahhhhh

If there is something you want to do, enlist the help of your soul and it will feel magic.

This journey was a gift I had to give myself.  Calming Penelope allowed me to feed my passion for exploring.  Exploring helps me create magical moments with mountains, with wildlife and with Luzy.  I spoke to trees and sang songs all day in the great silence and felt connection with you all.  What is it YOU can gift yourself?

 

You can read about the rest of my adventure here

 

Interested in more support with your lizard thoughts?  

Would you like to control your lizard thoughts and access your souls’ wisdom?  Animals do not have lizard thoughts!  My time in the wilderness and around wildlife brings me closer to the energies in the universe.  Check out a few of the ways we can work together toward your relief from Lizard brain.

 

Do your Lizard thoughts run like this?  

I wish I looked different

I hate my body

I am not happy with my weight

Check out BARE, my process for weight loss and permanent lovegain.  The BARE Method is about getting connected to your best self so you can live the life you crave.   More information please