S.H.E Summit 2016 Day 2 Recap
S.H.E Summit 2016 Day 2 Recap for Inspirational Role Model Month
Last week, I shared a recap of Day 1 of Claudia Chan's 5th Annual S.H.E. Summit (missed it? Head HERE to catch up). While this event focuses on a multitude of topics designed to empower women to rise while lifting others, I'm focusing my summary on the tips you can apply to your fitness routine.
At least on the blog...
I'm sure you'll find me tweeting some additional insights from my notes the next few weeks as I work to implement all I've learned.
I hope you enjoy my Day 2 summary of tips to extend the empowerment of S.H.E. Summit 2016 and help you continue to celebrate National Inspirational Role Models month!
Fitness Relate Tips from Day 2 of S.H.E. Summit 2016:
Cultivating Happiness as a Key Ingredient of Leadership:
Gretchen Rubin, the author of one of my favorite books, The Happiness Project, was the first speaker for day two.
Her talk focused on her Four Tendencies Framework from her book Better Than Before. She shared that she uncovered this framework during a lunch conversation with a friend who lamented:
"Here's the weird thing about me - when I was in high school, I was on the track team and I never missed track practice so why can't I go running now?"
Can you relate?
Gretchen went on to share that each of us falls into one of four tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Rebels, and Obligers.
Gretchen's friend's behavior can be explained by the obliger category. Obligers readily meet outer expectations, but they struggle to meet inner expectations.
Is she doomed, if she wants to reach her fitness goals?
Of course, not! If she knows the strengths and weakness of her tendency and uses them to her advantage, Gretchen's friend will do REALLY well. Especially, if she has a Fit Armadillo personal trainer to work with!
To learn more about these tendencies and uncover your own strengths and weaknesses, you can take Gretchen's quiz HERE.
Struggling to find your #WorkoutMotivation? @gretchenrubin shared tips at @SHESummit that might help: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2 #FitTips
Women & Money: Why We Struggle in the Relationship & Practical Steps to Financial Empowerment
So many awesome lessons here! Ladies, if you haven't given your financial health an overview yet, let this be a reminder to start looking at your budget.
While the talk focused on women and money, Lisa Nichols shared a few insights that can be applied to your fitness goals. For example:
"Action is the prescription to success." @2motivate @SHESummit #WordsofWisdom more: #FitnessMotivation
Another wonderful contribution from Lisa Nichols came from her explanation of how she got to where she is now (her reply after someone said what she did was too hard):
"Did you think there's an elevator to the 35th floor? You gotta take the stairs! That's why you have hamstrings and glutes and biceps and triceps. Are you willing to develop the muscle that's been waiting to give you the result and the life you've been waiting to have?"
.@2motivate on why we have hamstrings and glutes, biceps and triceps @SHESummit #SHEDECIDES: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2 #FitTips
Women & Technology: Women as the Creative, Consuming, & Connective Force
This was such an informative session! During it, I was most struck by Reshma Saujani's comment. She challenged us to consider why we would never go into an interview and say we are bad at or hate reading or writing, but we might say we hate or are bad at math.
Words have power! @SHESummit @ReshmaSaujani challenged us to consider this point. More: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2
While this example isn't about fitness, the same concept definitely applies to our health.
What we say to ourselves and each other might seem harmless, but it can definitely have an impact.
Something to think about the next time you call yourself fat, say you have to go on a diet, or feel like you're not good enough to try a certain fitness activity. Are you saying or thinking these things because they are true or because they are popular to say?
Perhaps more importantly, ask yourself what impact these words might have on any young ladies in your life.
As I share in my upcoming book, the next generation is listening! When I was a high-school teacher, I had many female students talk about diets they were going to try that they found out about from their own mothers. I'm pretty sure their moms didn't tell them to try out these eating plans. It all goes back to the power of what we say and do!
Why Dropping the Ball Leads to Unlimited Success
The title of this session might seem difficult to believe, but definitely freeing if it's true - am I right?
Truth moment: When I first typed the heading of the talk into this blog post, I wrote it as "unlimited stress!" Yikes! Looks like I have some work of my own to do in this area!!!
Listening to S.H.E. Summit keynote speaker, Tiffany Dufu, had me laughing out loud (I may or may not have some similar home related quirks) and also breathing a huge sigh of belief.
During her talk she shared three things to release, her three ways to drop the ball:
1. To release the unrealistic expectations of who you are supposed to be.
. @SHESummit @tdufu challenged us to #DroptheBall: 1. Release expectations of who you are supposed to be. More: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2
2. To release the unrealistic expectations of what you are supposed to do.
#DroptheBall Tip #2: Release expectations of what you're supposed to do @tdufu @SHESummit more: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2
3. To release the fear of asking for help..@tdufu #DroptheBall tip #3: Release the fear of asking for help @SHESummit More: http://FitArmadillo.com/SS2
By dropping the ball in these three ways, you should find that you have more time for things that really matter TO YOU. Like, treating yourself and body to an enjoyable workout 😉
Rise to Your Highest Potential By Learning How You Can Serve and Lift
Claudia Chan, the CEO and Founder of S.H.E. Summit, took the stage for this session. During it, she explained how to be part of the women's empowerment movement.
Of course, Claudia had a lot of inspiration and advice to share with us.
One idea that could become part of your fitness routine is Claudia's advice for starting your day:
"Start the morning by getting out of that ego and getting into 'how can I serve today.'"This intention could be a wonderful addition to your yoga practice or any morning movement practice.
Love running? You could use this thought as a mantra timed to your breath. Breathing out the ego and breathing in a focus on serving.
.@SHESummit @ClaudiaChan advised us to start our morning by getting into "how can I serve today" More:
Claudia went on to explain:
"There's something about being driven by lifting and serving and helping others that takes the attention away from us and I feel that is one of the most liberating things we can do."
As an entrepreneur with a never ending to-do list, I've found that the time I carve out to serve as a volunteer in local schools to be proof of what Claudia related. I always leave my Read Houston Read sessions less stressed and with a better perspective.
I'm excited to use Claudia's advice to more consciously include the goal of serving others each morning.
Seeing the White Space to Achieve Extraordinary Entrepreneurial Success
This panel was one of my favorites! As a female entrepreneur, it's always motivating to hear how some of my personal role models went from idea to empire.
Carrie Hammer, fashion designer and founder of Role Models Not Runway Models, is a female entrepreneur who created her own fashion line after having trouble finding professional attire with a contemporary fit. Her goal is to empower women inside and outside of the workplace.
Her fashion shows feature, you guessed it, real life role models. These are women who would actually be wearing and making things happen in her outfits instead of just looking cute in them on the runway.
Carrie shared that:
"That's the kind of beauty that we should be looking up to...it's three-dimensional not one-dimensional!"The kind of beauty we should look up to is 3D NOT 1D" @CarrieHammer @SHESummit #WordsofWisdom #RoleModels
Also on this panel was Lauren Wesley Wilson, the President of ColorComm. Lauren shared advice that applied to an entrepreneur's journey, but also to anyone on a fitness journey:
"One of the things you have to do is just start. I think sometimes you hold yourself back by not staring."
"Just START... you hold yourself back by not starting." @ColorCommntwk CEO @SHESummit 2016 #MondayMotivation
Melissa of Baked by Melissa shared similar advice:
"You can do it PERIOD. Embody who you want to be.""You can do it PERIOD. Embody who you want to be." @BakedByMelissa @SHESummit 2016 #WordsofWidsom
I love this quote, because it reminds us that we are capable of achieving anything we want, if we get over our fear.
It also reminds us that to become who we want to be we need to act that way.
If you want to be your most energized, focused, healthy self ask yourself when you think about skipping your plans to take a movement break or reach for processed food instead of something more nourishing whether or not that action is getting you closer to who you want to be and how you want to feel. All of those small actions add up to who you are or who you will become. Choose wisely!
Miki Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder of Thinx, was also on this panel. She really is what her bio described, "a force of nature!" One of my favorite quotes she shared was:
"1% inspiration 99% perspiration and you'll get there""1% inspiration 99% perspiration and you'll get there." #WordsofWisdom @twinmiki @shethinx CEO @SHESummit
Love it!
360 Degrees of Abundant Living
S.H.E. Summit 2016 ended with Lisa Nichols' speech. One of the other attendees of S.H.E. Summit shared that she wanted to have this speech to re-play each morning. I couldn't agree more!
I'm excited to share that Lisa tackled how we look at our physical health in her speech. Her two main questions on this topic were:
"Are you willing to invest in your physical being so your body, your temple, can sustain your life purpose?Are you willing to be physically responsible for your future?""...Invest in your physical being so your body, your temple, can sustain your #lifepurpose." @2motivate @SHESummit #WorkoutMotivation
Can I get an Amen?
Lisa is a woman after my own heart! Moving more isn't just about looking cute in your skinny jeans. Taking care of your body by moving more will help you sustain your life's purpose and help you enjoy a better future.
Just over a week out from S.H.E. Summit 2016, my mind is still buzzing with inspiration!
I hope this 2-part series inspired you to look at your fitness routine differently and check out some of the many inspirational role models who shared their advice during this event.
I can't wait to see what's in store for S.H.E. Summit 2017 and I hope to have the honor of finally attending in person!
Did you attend S.H.E. Summit? What were your main takeaways? Share with a comment:
