Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Author: Karen Putz

On Being Positively Positive

A few months back, Eric Handler from Positively Positive reached out and asked if I would write a guest post for Positively Positive. The site is filled with wonderful posts that are raw, authentic, and real–offering advice and tips to focus on the positive side of life. Positively Positive features authors such as Seth Godin (Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us), Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project), and Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup for the Soul books).

It is an honor to contribute. No sooner did my post go up and my daughter informed me that my title was grammatically incorrect. Oh well. The perfect imperfection of being human.

How the Worst Thing in My Life Became a Blessing Instead

August 6, 2014
Barefoot Water Skiing Featured in DevinSuperTramp Video

Barefoot water skiing goes mainstream in the latest video by Devin Graham, aka DevinSuperTramp. Devin is a guy who truly is living a passionate life doing what he really loves, capturing action on film. Here’s more of Devin’s story: DevinSuperTramp Behind the Scenes Interview.

The video features the World Barefoot Center crew, Keith St. Onge (co-author of Gliding Soles), David Small, Ben Groen, and Keith’s wife, Lauren. Take a moment to watch barefoot water skiing captured every which way:

Barefoot Skiing Behind an Airplane

I love the behind the scenes video (no captions yet). It’s fun to watch Devin and Todd Nyman from Vooray barefoot water ski for the first time.

Behind the Scenes Barefoot Skiing with Vooray

In less than 24 hours, the video captured over 100,000 views and it’s just now making its way across the web:

Barefoot Water Skiing Behind a Plane is Too Extreme for Words – Mashable

DevinSuperTramp’s Latest Video, Barefoot Skiing Behind Airplane

Devin’s Video Captures the Unusual

Man Tethered to an Airplane Casually Water Skis

Well That’s One Way to Do It – Daily Mail UK

Barefoot Water Skiers Get Towed by Airplane

Water Skiing Behind and Airplane and Other Insane Tricks – Fox News 13

July 30, 2014
The Dance of Communication

There’s a famous quote of Helen Keller that gets to me. How it rubs me depends on whether I’m having a challenging day or feeling on top of the world.

“Blindness cuts you off from things. Deafness cuts you off from people.”

The quote is believed to have come from a letter to Dr. James Kerr Love (1910), published in Helen Keller in Scotland:

The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important, than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus — the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.

I never know if I’m lipreading someone correctly. This was apparent during a recent conversation in the boat with a friend, when he realized the conversation was way off the topic. I completely misread what he was communicating and he stopped the conversation to clarify my understanding. Turns out, I was indeed way, way off.

Some days, the communication flow is completely ON and the back and forth banter is easy. Other days, the communication dance is an awkward one, especially in group conversations where words shoot back and forth at the speed of light. Without communication access and adaptations of some kind, whether text, sign, or lipreading, there are times when I feel completely alone in a room full of people. That’s what Helen Keller was referring to about being cut off from people.

I feel this every time I come across a video that isn’t captioned or a podcast with no transcript. A piece of the world is cut off.

The one that hurts the most is the “never mind.”

Sometimes it is hard for others to comprehend the communication challenges that come with being deaf or hard of hearing. “You’re not really… deaf, are you?” is a question that pops up now and then. More than once I’ve shown up at an event or workshop with an interpreter, much to the disbelief of friends who’ve communicated with me just fine one-on-one. Lipreading a room full of people is impossible. I attempted this at a workshop given by a well-known motivational speaker. I think I walked away with about 15% of what was said. Think of it this way–you wouldn’t want to listen to the radio when it’s full of static and fades in and out, would you? An interpreter makes my world come in with surround sound.

Any time two people dance together, they have to be in sync to make it work. And so it is with the dance of communication. So the next time we’re together, I’d love it if you’d reach out and do this dance thing in sync with me. I’m always thankful for the people in my life who understand the communication challenges and do what’s needed to make the dance a smooth one.

July 16, 2014
The Speaker Journey

A year ago, I embarked on a journey of becoming a speaker. In reality, I had been speaking for years and years, but I shifted my focus to specific topics and audiences. I especially wanted to target the areas of parenting, overcoming adversity, and passion. It’s been a year of travel, learning, and lots of fun in the process. The best reward of all always comes in the form of feedback– smiles, laughter, or tears. I especially love it when teachers share their amazement at having their students captivated and engaged, because that’s a tough audience to entertain!

I’ve been doing a lot of speaking at schools with deaf and hard of hearing students as well as parents, due to two books geared to those audiences, The Parenting Journey, Raising Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and The Passionate Lives of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. I also have a presentation designed for all students called “The Gift of a Different Ability.”

More and more, I’m getting requests to do a two-hour “Unwrapping Your Passion” workshop. This is a fun, interactive session geared toward discovering your top five passions and creating a life around what you really want most. As a certified Passion Test Facilitator and Passion Coach, I especially enjoy this topic!

If your school, organization, or business would like a speaker who walks on water (yeah, my other passion is barefoot water skiing!), contact me at karen@karenputz.com or 630-405-6262.

June 25, 2014
When You Hit a Major Slump

Regular readers of this blog will probably notice it’s been quite some time since I blogged here. This has been one long, dragged-out winter in more ways than one. My normal, “energy on spin cycle” has hit an “off” button. I feel as if life is moving in slow motion. When that happens, I know it’s a time of transition and a time of growth. It’s a time for me to pull back and reflect on what really matters.

The longer I took to get back to blogging, the harder it became to find the energy, drive, and the resolve to get back into it. It was the same with my fitness routine–I had stopped working out and it was showing. So this morning, I got myself off my duff and marched to the gym. Action is the first step. Always. No matter how small of a step it is, it’s a step in a forward direction. That’s why I’m finally pounding out this blog post–because I needed to take some action in the right direction. So I’m throwing my thoughts out in random fashion– and this could very well turn out to be one of the most unpolished blog posts ever.

But still, “relentless forward motion” as my friend Adam Fitzgerald always tells me. He should know–he does ultramarathons.

Whenever I’m in a major slump, it’s all too easy to pull away from people as well. It’s a slippery slope–of getting into the old bad habits of negative thinking and letting the good stuff slide. So today, I thought about some of the people who have touched my life and I haven’t heard from them in a while. I spotted Lorelle Van Fossen in my chat list and fired off a greeting. We ended up having a wonderful chat–what a great way to launch out of a slump! If you haven’t met Lorelle, she’s the WordPress Blogging Queen. If you’re an author, take note of her blog post on WordPress for Writers.

On Twitter, I came across an article by Tony Robbins, Career Curveballs. This little piece caught my eye: “I think part of what has guided me is the belief that life is not happening to us, but rather it’s always happening for us. It’s our job to find the perfection in it all. Even in our darkest times we are able to find the seed of our future greatness if we look. Everything happens for a reason. Yes, even problems are gifts. Perhaps God’s delays are not God’s denials.”

So this slump I’m in, I’m going to see it as a mere delay, the “downtime” that defines the happier, smoother moments of life. It’s the space in life that makes the joyful times even more joyful. I have to continue to trust the passion deep within me and know that it will guide me through the days ahead. Like Wayne Dyer says, “It’s the space between notes that makes the music. You must take the time to become silent each day and enter that rapturous space between your thoughts.”

April 29, 2014
The Growing Bolder Lifestyle

Back in 2011, I discovered an awesome website called Growing Bolder. I stumbled upon the Growing Bolder segment on Banana George while doing some research for the Gliding Soles, Lessons from a Life on Water book I was writing at the time. “It’s not about age, it’s about attitude,” was the Growing Bolder tagline. “It’s an attitude. A mission. A passion. A team of people who believe in the power of hope, inspiration and possibility.” The site was filled with one inspiring story after another featuring people living passionate lives. Marc Middleton, the founder and CEO, left his job as a reporter in 2006 to form Bolder Media Group. He was tired of constantly reporting news that was physically, emotionally, and mentally draining day after day.

Intrigued, energized, and inspired by all the stories, I connected with Bill Shafer, the Executive Vice President and introduced myself. Like Marc, Bill also left his job as a reporter and shared the same mission and vision of creating positive, uplifting content. I boldly invited Bill and his crew to come to the World Barefoot Center. We ended up having a great time together and Growing Bolder produced two segments which were shown on PBS stations:

A Mom Who Walks on Water

The Barefoot Competitor

I loved the mission and vision of Growing Bolder so much that I told Bill, “I want to come and work for Growing Bolder.”

And now I’m the lucky one. I recently joined the Growing Bolder Blogging team. I get to share inspirational stories, thoughts, and ramblings with a passionate group of Growing Bolder Elite Bloggers. Of course, it was only fitting that I introduced Judy Myers, The Barefoot Competitor, in my first blog post. Four years ago, Judy was pivotal in helping me to unwrap my passion for barefoot water skiing again. I want to pay it forward in encouraging others to pursue their passions, no matter the age.

If you’re at a point in your life where you’ve become stuck in the “same old, same old” routine, I invite you to come over to Growing Bolder and hang out with some truly amazing people, because as Jim Rohn says, “You’re the average of the five people you hang out with.” Get a daily dose of passion on the Growing Bolder Facebook page. Adopt the Growing Bolder lifestyle. You don’t have to settle for growing older. Grow bolder instead.

March 2, 2014
More Pain Relief from Tommie Copper

Ever since the Tommie Copper infomercial hit the air, I’ve been crossing paths with others who are experiencing aches, pains, and injuries and finding relief from Tommie Copper products. I always love hearing those stories of pain relief because I remember all too well my own journey with a painful recovery from ACL surgery.

Recently, my barefooting buddy and Tumble Turn Coach, Bob Kraft shared his own journey of pain relief using Tommie Copper products:

I bought my FIRST Tommy Copper Sleeve after I injured my knee during an early 2013 barefoot waterski run. I could barely walk. No surgery required but 12 weeks of physical therapy was recommended. After two weeks of therapy my knee was a better but I still wasn’t back on the water for fear of re-injuring the knee again. My friend Karen suggested Tommie Copper so I ordered it online and got it in no time. I swear I could feel a difference almost immediately but I figured once I worked out the pain would return. To my surprise, I still had discomfort but I wouldn’t call it pain. The sleeve gave me the confidence and comfort to workout AND get back on the water. Within 2 weeks I shed the sleeve and now I wear it only on occasion. On one of my final barefoot runs of last season, I got a little careless and caught my arm in the rope handle during a fall. I thought I might lose my arm from the elbow down – fortunately I was told NO serious damage. BUT it hurt like H#!! just to hold a drink in my hand (we can’t have THAT!). So I immediately ordered a Tommie Copper Elbow sleeve. I have had virtually no problems this off-season and I can’t wait to get back on the water this Spring! Thank you Tommie Copper!!

February 21, 2014
MORE Magazine Article Inspires Passion

Judith Swankoski reached out and connected with me via Facebook to share her thoughts about my story which appeared in MORE magazine. I didn’t discover her message until recently. Judith went on a passionate adventure of her own so I asked her to share her journey:

As often happens when you move toward your heart’s desire, situations and people appear in your path to help illuminate your way. Karen Putz appeared in my path in the form of her inspiring story in MORE Magazine.

Reinvent Yourself After Misfortune

After reading about Karen, I felt a renewed sense of enthusiasm about what is possible. She had rediscovered her passion! Now, how was I going to uncover mine?

Sometimes you’re not sure what something is, but you know what it is not.

Passion is not half. Of anything. It is not half a thought. Nor, half a feeling. It is not the emotion you feel when you spend time with a half a friend. Or, are half in love.

Passion is what grabs you, hooks you and propels you forward with the firing of all the positive, life-affirming synapses in your body!

Passion is how I recently found myself in Spain; stumbling down a mountain in the dark and rainy early morning hours on the eighth day (of 36) of my Camino. Ahead of me that day are 15 miles of hiking to my destination. Behind me are the Pyrenees I climbed across and an idea that had taken hold when I watched the film, “The Way.” http://www.theway-themovie.com/
“The Way” is about the Camino de Santiago; a 500 mile “walk” across Spain.

As the film ended and the credits rolled, I knew I would one day make the pilgrimage as thousands had for hundreds of years before me. How this was going to happen didn’t occur to me. Passion had grabbed hold! I remembered Karen Putz. Something she said kept resonating — “I didn’t know I had it in me to learn this at age 45.” “I’m 45”, I thought. “It’s not too late. I can do this!”

And two years later, here I was. Doing this. Which is how I found myself stumbling down a mountain in the rain.

I slipped on a rock and skinned my knee. As I struggled to right myself with my pack on, I began to cry. It had been a physically demanding and emotional week and I was overtired and missing home. The rain was not a gentle rain and soon it was pouring. I cried harder. We were all under our rain gear though, so nobody noticed. I wondered why I cared if some stranger saw me crying. I wondered a lot of things as we trudged for hours through mud and farmland. Suddenly, I stopped. I had the familiar feeling that flooded me when I sat in that theater and watched “The Way.” “This is really happening,” I thought. “I am following my dream!” In that moment, I realized there was no place I would rather be. No place. Pure joy!

Shortly after, the rain ended. It always does. A rainbow appeared and I walked in that direction. For days. Weeks. Finding my way.

At home now, I often gaze down at the scar on my left knee and smile.

Passion. Never settle for half.

February 20, 2014
Sometimes You Just Need To Get Away

This winter was getting to me. While I enjoyed the glistening white of freshly-fallen snow on most days, the cold was finding its way deep into my bones.

I was struggling to write each day. The flow had stopped. I was way out of “the zone.” Despite having three books to create, I couldn’t find the words nor the enthusiasm to bring them to life. The winter blues had arrived and I was just slogging through the days waiting for the change of seasons.

There were a few bright moments of enthused writing, especially the story from NFL player Derrick Coleman’s mom and my article on Banana George for WaterSki magazine. I also created a writing journal inspired by my favorite quotes: In Pursuit of Passion.

Yesterday, I arrived in Florida with my mom, sister and niece to spend a week at the beach. We were pretty tired when we finally settled in. I decided to take a quick walk on the beach before the sun went down. The shift in energy was measurable. The moment I placed my feet on the sand I could feel the heaviness of winter escape me.

Sometimes you just need to get away.

February 16, 2014
Tommie Copper: All in the Family

“I got up at 4 a.m. and couldn’t sleep so I turned on the TV and saw you barefooting,” my father-in-law said the other day. That’s probably the first time he’s ever seen a video of me on the water. No one on my husband’s side of the family is into water sports, so I’m probably the oddity in the family. Or heck, in my neighborhood too. I often forget that barefoot water skiing is a fringe sport reserved for those who like physical torture of the extreme kind.

But everyone can relate to experiencing pain and the desire to find relief from it. I have several family members sporting various Tommie Copper products and I wanted to share one story involving my nephew, John Putz.

Back in high school, John loved to play football, but he tore up his knee and had to quit the sport. He ended up with torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap. His physician advised a full knee replacement, but John opted not to go down that route at such a young age. Pain was a constant thing in his life. After college, John took a job as an Emergency Medical Technician and enjoyed the work. One day, he was helping to lift a patient over 500 pounds and suffered an injury. “I was lifting a very large patient who had fallen in the bathroom and while unloading her from the ambulance, the weight of her and the stretcher, even with others helping, yanked my shoulder right out of the socket, tearing my labium and doing some damage to my rotator cuff as well,” John explained.

John with his Tommie Copper wear.

While on medical leave while waiting for surgery, John decided to try some of the Tommie Copper products to see if he could obtain some relief. He used a wrist band, compression shirt, and a knee sleeve. After the first week, I asked him how he was feeling and if he was getting any relief.

“Hey, Aunt Karen, the wrap for my wrist really seems to be working. I’ve been wearing it 24/7 since I got it and not only has the pain gone down significantly but my range of movement has increased and it really supports my wrist well. As for the shirt, it’s hard to tell. As far as sleeping, it seems like I sleep better through the night when I am wearing it and I don’t wake up from pain or discomfort as much. I have torn ligaments, so sleeping through the night is always tough as it’s hard to relax comfortably. All in all, I’m very happy with the Tommie Copper products and they’ve definitely helped.”

I always enjoy hearing stories of relief from people who have reached out after seeing the Tommie Copper #LifeRecharged segment on TV. If you have a story to share, I’d love to hear yours. Share below or email me at karen@karenputz.com and let me know how you’re living a #LifeRecharged.

February 1, 2014