“The sweet is never as sweet without the sour.” ~Vanilla Ice
Sometimes in life we need to feel bad so that we remember how good we can feel.
I am admittedly a pretty freakin’ happy person. Ask my beautiful girlfriend- or any of my friends really- and they will tell you. Truth is, up until 2 months ago I couldn’t remember a time when I wasn’t happy at least 95% of the day.
It was a state of BEing for me to step into on a daily basis! As a coach, it is required that I be at optimum performance for my people so they can step into their Best Self.
Having a disempowered coach would be like having a personal trainer that had a keg instead of a 6 pack; it just wouldn’t work!
Shifting my life path over 18 months ago, and working alongside some amazing people to help raise the consciousness of our planet, fuels my fire on a daily basis.
The combination of a growing impact on the planet coupled with an amazing girlfriend, deep friendships, and money to travel and have unique experiences is more than I could have ever asked for just a few years ago.
So for the past 2 years I have been in a perpetual state of bliss (with blips of havoc I must admit), and as 2013 came to a close, I could feel that tide shifting.
Like a car running out of fuel, I could feel my energy waning.
What was I doing different?
How can I turn the tide back in my favor?
As my training suggested, I went deep within for answers.
For the first time in a long time I couldn’t figure it out. I could feel something stuck within the energy circuits of my body, and like a clogged blood vessel, it was depleting my vitality. After spending many hours in meditation and breathwork a couple themes started popping through; Surrender… Think infinity… Express yourself…breathe…
These would become the foundation for which I set all my goals in 2014.
During this same time I relied heavily on my support system for, well support. My two coaches, my girlfriend, my mastermind group, and all my amazing friends and family were there for me to see my reflection.
As I dove deep to release some old limiting beliefs it brought up a lot of my “old stuff,” and it was a very interesting process. For me, I enjoy getting coached as much as I like coaching, so the process was actually pretty fun 🙂
For a stretch of about 4 weeks I felt “off” and rarely during that time did I feel like my Best Self. There were even a handful of days I almost didn’t get out of bed! I remember thinking to myself “I don’t want to do what I HAVE to do today, just stay in bed”
Since when did my life become something I HAVE to do?
I was in reactive mode instead of creation mode! Life was happening TO me without any of my creative input, and it sucked.
After the first week of January passed the fog began to lift and I could feel my energy returning.
Each day I felt more energy than the previous and after 4 weeks of climbing, I feel as though I am born again/new lease on life/any other cliche about feeling great.
The point is, we all have our own shit.
Trying to act all high and mighty not only keeps us mired in it, but it alienates us from those around us. EVERYONE goes through roadblocks from time to time, and it is the way we choose to approach it that separates those who are happy and successful, from those who feel stuck and continue to spin their wheels.
I can only take partial credit for getting through this chapter in my life. I owe so much to the support system that I have in my life! Surrounding yourself with supportive people is imperative to reach the next level and be your Best Self on a consistent basis.
Having recently gone through all of this I feel called now more than ever to help those that are struggling on their journey.
If you are feeling stuck and need a breakthrough, join me on a 4 week journey through the Best Life Road Map. The only program available to help you get clear on what you want and create massive acceleration toward your goals. Right now, I’ve got a free video series up about the program and how it can help you. Check it out!
Let’s make 2014 our best year yet. Whether you join me or not, know that I have your back.
Much love!
Matt Ritchey
We definitely ALL have our ‘stuff’ to deal with…me included, but those struggles and bad times just make the good times even sweeter! Very inspiring, Matthew!!!
Love the start on the Be Happy shirt! My take on these times is to be kind to ourselves. As you mentioned, surrender. For me, stepping away from everything for a few hours, going for a drive, is like a week vacation and I come back renewed, whereas we often feel like we need to push through and accomplish something. I find stopping briefly is far more effective. 🙂
Matthew, I think we can all relate to your experience. I applaud you for sharing that with all of us. When I catch myself feeling like that, I listen to what the contrast is telling me because it’s a great sign that I’m out of alignment with what I want and gives me the opportunity to birth clarity from the contrast so that I can re-align with what I do want. It’s great that you recognized it and started releasing it so that you could continue moving forward with what you do want.