Located in historic Inglewood – Calgary, Alberta

From Setbacks to Success: A Fresh Approach

by | Dec 6, 2024 | Health Goals

Sometimes challenges lead to the best opportunities.

I’m sure there have been times in your life when a plan fell through, a goal wasn’t achieved, or an expectation wasn’t met and although this may have left you feeling rejected or like a failure, it is sometimes, in fact, a great opportunity to innovate. By teaching us that making an impact isn’t confined to one outcome, we can find other ways to still contribute meaningfully, support others, and bring our unique strengths to the table.

Every November, Calgary’s Avenue magazine publishes a list of 40 professionals, all under the age of 40, who are making a difference in our city with their work and volunteerism. Aptly called the “Top 40 Under 40”, I have both admired the people chosen each year and also aspired to be one of them. This past April, I received the exciting news that thanks to family, friends, and clients, I was nominated to potentially be part of the class of 2024’s Top 40. I truly felt (and continue to feel) so much gratitude and at the time, was convinced that this would be MY year to be featured in my beloved magazine, especially since I would be turning forty shortly after the issue’s release. I saw the feature as being a valuable platform to get the word out about my business and highlight my strong desire to treat, educate, and empower people in their health. Fast forward to the Top 40 list coming out and my name not being on it.

There is no question that I felt disappointed about not hitting this goal, but I can honestly say that after that initial feeling subsided, it was replaced with a renewed sense of optimism and inspired action. Now that I am the wise age of 40, I feel I have been able to reframe this outcome as an opportunity to evaluate and evolve both myself and my business. I will continue to not only focus on my work but my time within my community. Whether this is as a reading mentor at the library, volunteering in my clinic’s neighbourhood of Inglewood, or prioritizing support for veterans and seniors, I appreciate how assessing what I have been doing (and can do) can create more connection, resource, and positive impact.

So, whether you’re striving for personal goals or prioritizing your health, now is the perfect time to reset and refocus. Instead of focusing on what might not have worked out, I encourage you to focus on what can be worked on. Build healthier habits, improve your strength and mobility, and invest in your well-being so you can rise to future challenges with confidence. Consider booking a session at Theralleve today because I’ll always be here to advocate for a stronger, healthier you.

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When opportunity knocks twice, answer!

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Uncategorized

Have you ever said “no” to doing something but really wished you’d said “yes”?

I did.

Back in late February, a mentor of mine advertised the opportunity to speak at one of her upcoming online events. The event was called the Women’s Spirit Festival and it would be a massive gathering, bringing together thousands of women in the wellness community. Having never done any formal, public speaking before, but with a long-standing goal to do just that, I instantly recognized this as a serendipitous opportunity and knew my answer should be “yes!”…

But I said no.

With 4 years under my belt as a business owner and almost 6 years as a massage therapist, I didn’t feel my experience, skills, and topic were good enough to hold the attention of my peers. I ignored the spark inside me that glowed brighter at the idea of speaking and resigned myself to the self-made assumption that I wasn’t ready.

Fortunately, God/the Universe/Fate (whatever resonates with you) had other plans when one week later, that same mentor reached out to me personally, asking if I was going to join her speaker’s group. Again, I rattled off the same excuses, but this time, I didn’t believe my narrative. My inner voice knew that my decision not to speak was not aligned with who I am and who I want to be and within minutes of my initial no, I changed my mind, signed up, and spoke.

Fears of not being ‘good enough’ or ‘ready’ are commonplace for many of us. Keeping safe within our comfort zones, we tell ourselves that “playing small” is the best option and that choosing to ignore confronting the parts of ourselves that actually wish to change where we are is “fine”.

“If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.” – my dad

That quote holds a special kind of wisdom that I have often joked (and also considered) getting made into my next tattoo. It explains why saying yes to my talk felt so good. When we embrace opportunities that can both resonate with our well-being and ask us to evaluate where we are, it can be such a powerful catalyst for personal growth and vitality. When we say yes to experiences that bring joy and fulfillment, we nourish our mind, body, and soul. Whether it’s showing up for an exercise class, exploring different ways of understanding and healing our pain, or learning something to ‘level up’ our contribution, each positive choice contributes to our wellness journey.

When we practice silencing the doubts, taking that leap of faith, and trusting in our ability to rise to the occasion, we invite transformation and empowerment into our lives.

In all of my work at Theralleve, I believe in helping my clients, like you, find their “yes” – your well-being awaits!

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2024: Focus on what matters

by | Jan 9, 2024 | Health Goals, Self-care

 

It’s January 4th and I just put the finishing touches on something I have tried to do every year since opening my business, and that is: create a vision board.

For me, a vision board is a collection of visual cues that help align my intentions on the inside with my actions on the outside. After identifying what experiences I want to have in the new year, I gather specific images and/or phrases that I feel will inspire and motivate me daily and then reflect on who I will need to ‘be’ in order to receive them into my life.

Often synonymous with ‘intentional manifesting’, vision boards are far from a “sit-back-and-wait” past-time. They invite us to take a much more active role in understanding who we are (our limitations, our strengths, our fears, our aspirations, etc.) and implore us to relish in the present moment. As a “living” document, the process of becoming is emphasized as more important than focusing only on the end result.

Fine tuning who you want to be is an ever-evolving exercise that opens you up to being vulnerable, messy, and curious – basically the best and most demanding parts of the human experience.

Let’s say, I want to be known as a valued contributor to the massage industry – inspiring my clients, peers, and the public to recognize the power of massage in healthcare and understand its healing is both intuitively-based and clinically-grounded.

How will I gain such a reputation?

For starters, I might create content addressing the myths and benefits around massage. Then gather testimonials from my clients whose health has improved since seeing me for treatment. Finally, I’ll post this information on my social media platforms and encourage sharing.

This plan is not rocket-science but at its core, it may very well challenge my current way of doing things. For instance, as a recovering perfectionist, the idea of recording (and then posting) an instant and imperfect video of myself is asking me to step into a more confident version of myself. Scary, yes, but “worth the risk” if I want to move closer towards my goal of being esteemed in my field.

Now you may be asking what happens if I don’t follow through on my vision board items. Have I failed? Here’s the thing (and I really want to emphasize this to my fellow high-achievers), it is like the quote that says: “it is not about the destination, but the journey.” Whether you create a vision board, make a journal entry, or write down some bullet points on a napkin, if you want to improve what is, becoming aware really is the first step.​

Life is not ready-made, it is not fool-proof, and it certainly isn’t predictable but remember, the goals you make for yourself are not meant to exhaust or berate you, they are meant to inspire and grow you.

Try things on for size, put back what doesn’t fit, start small, take time for rest, compare only to the last version of yourself, and focus on what makes you feel good. These are the things that move you forward.

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