I share my July 2nd birthday with Lindsay Lohan, and although technically we've never actually celebrated together, I think we both feel the connection.
I simply follow Lindsay's twitter feed to see what she's up to while I simultaneously spend part of the day doing a crazy, bravura yoga practice called Dropping Back.
Specifically, I stand, then fall backwards into a wheel, and then spring back up,
performing one for each year of my life. 
This year my friend
Sarah Herrington photographed me doing them in the rain on my NYC terrace. (I tossed away the mat for better photographs and I have the calluses to show for it.)
Perhaps even more important than this, however, is the fact that
my birthday July 2nd happens to be the precise midpoint of the year.
Exactly 182 days have gone by and 182 are left.
Thus, July 2nd represents for me the perfect time to take stock of exactly where I am with all my
creative dreams.
I can evaluate and appreciate what's been achieved and also look at what's been neglected or put on the back burner, or even whether certain January goals still feel inspirational.
For me, it's a day of "Checking In," something that's often the subject line of emails with my
Creative Clients.
These moments of taking stock and evaluating how things are really going is one of the greatest benefits of working together.
An honest "check in" combined with willingness to transform
is really the first step for any great achievement.
If you want to have a F*R*E*E "Check-In" Chat with me about your Creative Life, just CLICK HERE. With all the book tour activities around the paperback release of
DOWNWARD DOG, I had to postpone the retreat I was schedule to lead in Mykonos until 2015.
Truthfully though, as much as I wanted to float in perfect azure waters in the Greek Islands, what I really wanted was a break from my wonderful yet jam-packed, fast-paced "normal" NYC life; I guess you could say I wanted to checkout so I could check back in with myself.
So I created these
mini-retreats as a way of experiencing that without having to fly to Greece for a week.
Over 5 or 6 hours we do some yoga, play the board game Transformation (I've added a
short video explaining this), and share some inspired brainstorming.
Since the June and early July Staycations have all sold out--and honestly, they are as restorative and inspiring for me to lead as they are for the folks who attend--I keep adding more.
(Belle demonstrating the Staycation Philosophy;
Click
HERE to learn more.)
However you choose to spend these mid-point days of the year, I thoroughly encourage you to take a little time off--whether it's over a glass of wine or a day trip to the beach--to evaluate just where you are with 2014.
Depending on how you look at it, it's half over...or there are another 182 days remaining for you to spend creatively.
Note: your moment of introspection may include looking at your calluses (physical and mental) to see just how your adventures are evolving...and confirm that you've fully
and creatively engaged with Your Life.
Namaste for Now,
