Embrace Holidays: Heart to Heart

I once read somewhere that hugging another person allows a sense of relaxation, the slowing of the heart beat and a warmth from the exchange of love.

Holidays bring so many hugs and I have to wonder if this feeling of less stress, an open + vulnerable heart and very clear skin are a direct result of all the hugging.  I do wonder.  And well, I do believe so.

Every embrace has been nourishment to my sweet soul this holiday season.

I wrote about my sweet friend, Sarita last year and how she taught me to hug, like this:

“…I mean, hugs all around….to a full on, heart to heart, close your eyes ‘embrace’.  The embrace goes about 4 seconds longer than any normal hug you may be used to.  Almost to that point of awkward, questioning if this is still happening and why is it taking so long as I will see her tomorrow type hug.  And then you realize that its Sarita, making sure you truly feel loved in a moment.  And you are forever transformed to hug everyone four seconds longer.  Thank you for teaching me the beauty of human embrace and for the extra four seconds.”

And thus, I send you a hug that lasts four seconds too long.

I send you love, deep and scary + vulnerable love.

I send you honest conversation and a commitment to rock 2013 together.

And as we close this holiday season, it is not too late to hug longer, love harder and feel it, for real.

 

 

Hug Me into a Life Check

Flashback story:  I was working in Santa Monica, riding my cute beach cruiser the 12 minutes from my apartment door to work every day.  I had recently ended my lease and given up four wheels for two, in order to save money and go green.  After about a month of bike bliss, I was transferred (laterally) to work at the Beverly Hills store.   I tried the bike to work thing and it was over 8 miles up hill on a 1 speedncruiser.  I was a sweaty, hot mess upon arrival, exauhsted and grumpy.  No thanks.  Enter, adventures on the LA bus system.

So there I was one day at the bus stop, miserable, feeling bad for poor little me and being really snobby about riding a bus.  Feeling shitty about my new life space, feeling annoyed that the bus was taking so long and even more frustrated that I had not been promoted, I had embarked on a full on ego rage, if you will.  As I am waiting at the bus stop, this homeless woman in maroon sequins pants, an oversized white t-shirt on backwards and her shopping cart rolls up next to me.  She smells something fierce and her eyes looked tired, yet curious.   I peer down the road to avoid conversation, no bus.  So she strikes up a convresation about water bottle treasures and fashion trends for a good amount of time.  She asks me for money and I decline, being honest that the quarters I have are getting me to work.  She understands.  And then all of a sudden, she leans in real close and asks me if she can have a hug?

Up close and personal, the smell is suffocating and I somehow get out a yes and lean into her for a nice quick squeeze.  She wraps one arm around me, as I realize the other arm doesn’t seem to be mobile.  She doesn’t let go for a long time.  She finally backs away and thanks me sincerely and the bus arrives.  She waves as I hop on and we never cross paths again.

Looking back now, that woman in the maroon sequence pants with her shopping cart saved me that day.

She reminded me there is more to life than being shitty about a promotion that never was or a lengthy commute.  She reminded me that the human embrace matters, all the time.  She reminded me to get the hell over myself and make a choice to get back to living the great life that I have.  Right now.  She reminded me to smile and be grateful.

From meeting that woman, I actually started my first blog called Snob on a Bus, tracking my life adventures and chance meetings on the city bus system in Los Angeles.  I committed to the Beverly Hills team and evolved as a leader and human being.  Go figure, I was promoted shortly thereafter.  I was featured on the front page of the LA Times for said blog and became a writer.  And somehow, in this short time frame, I fell in love with my boyfriend and created a beautiful life.

So perhaps, this is my thank you, dear sequins-wearing bag lady at the bus stop on Lincoln and Ocean Park.  Thank you for the bold request you made in a hug.  Thank you for holding on a bit longer and hugging me into a life check.  Thank you for reminding me to get over myself, and re-commit to this life and stop being angry about the yesterdays.

I say, get real today, get into the now and be in wonder about what might be right around the corner for you.  Take a minute to get present and hug someone.

Go find your bag lady and make a choice.

Project Inspiration: Sarita Louise Moore

As I dig deep and look into who I really am, I look into who I invest my time with and how they have moved me in what I have called Project Inspiration.

I wanted to take this time to tell you how my dear friend, Sarita Moore has inspired me and been a part of my life evolution. Sarita is that drop-in-your-life-like-a-huge-love-bomb-endless-hugs-endless-smile-blissful-being-that-speaks-directly-from-her-heart-and-lives-her-life-dancing type of human being.

Dear Sarita Louise Moore,

Our life paths crossed at lululemon athletica Santa Monica.  My memory bank immediately pulls up the file:  Clean Your Beach, Clean Your Soul event planning.  We were sitting in the backroom, sharing and planning some quarterly plans and you asked me what I wanted to create.  Being about three weeks into my role, I start word vommiting and sharing this whole beach clean up, yoga class idea.  Not one minute later and you say, “okay, do it.  Go. Just let me know what you need from me”.  And like that, you believed in my event, stood for me and rocked my World!  And I feel its been the same conversation ever since, “Go. Just let me know what you need from me”.

What I wanted to let you know is that who you are has and continues to shape who I am every day.

I came into this amazing company of lululemon that was more touchy feely than my past cubicle life might have ever known.  I mean, hugs all around.  And Sarita, I do not even think we can deem your hugs a ‘hug’, you kick it up a notch to a full on, heart to heart, close your eyes ’embrace’.  The embrace goes about 4 seconds longer than any normal hug you may be used to.  Almost to that point of awkward, questioning if this is still happening and why is it taking so long as I will see her tomorrow type hug.  And then you realize that its Sarita, making sure you truly feel loved in a moment.  And you are forever transformed to hug everyone four seconds longer.  Thank you for teaching me the beauty of human embrace and for the extra four seconds.

DANCE!  Sarita, you feel life in a beautiful rhythm that vibrates throughout your body in this radical movement.  Be it yoga, dance, hip hop, breathe…I believe in your goals and hold a space for you to succeed in changing the World through movement and creating a space where everyone dances!  I cannot wait to live in that World.  Be bold and check her out here:  www.saritalou.com

You are someone who wears your emotions on your sleeve, in your smile and in your movement.  If you are lucky enough to have a Sarita Louise Moore in your life, you literally get to visually experience what love, humor and openness look like.  It reminds me and truly inspires me to make sure everyone around me feels love and feels life through me.

Finally, you are a connector in a double threat kind of way.  You meet someone and insanely connect heart to heart.  Then, you connect people with other people so that they can better live their goals and their amazing lives…together.  Running into you is like running into ten amazing people at one time, because all of a sudden you have introduced me to nine life game changers.  I am inspired to stand for people’s goals and keep on connecting heart to heart, and then people to people.

Sarita, thank you for inspiring me from LA to NY.  You are a dear friend, a true human experience and one beautiful and talented dancer.  I am forever grateful that I met you, that I learned the four second longer embrace and that whenever I see you, it feels like just yesterday that we were sitting by a pool in Palm Springs goal coaching one another.  So inspired by you and everything you create.

As you continue to rock in this life, keep being who you are. And I promise that I will do the same.

Inspired,

Jacki Carr