Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

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Inspiring Mom Bloggers Virtual Summit: 21 Inspiring Interviews

As a mom of three kids, I often find myself trying to juggle 20 things while typing a text and cooking dinner–all at once! And oh hey–look, a kite! No, wait, make that a squirrel flying a kite!

If you find yourself juggling parenthood and you’ve lost yourself in the process, then you need to sign up for the Inspiring Mom Bloggers Summit!

I am honored to have been chosen by the summit host, Elayna Fernandez ~ The Positive MOM, to be able to share my journey from pain to passion, give some insider tips on unwrapping your own passion, and inspire you to live a life of fun and joy! I met Elayna at a Passion Test training and I’ve been completely inspired by her journey–Elayna built her business as a single mom and rose to incredible success. She is now married to an amazing fellow and she helps others with their entrepreneurial dreams.

On this summit, you will also hear 20 of the most inspiring moms in the blogosphere share their stories and how they overcame obstacles in their way and turned their pain into their purpose.

I know that when you sign up for the Inspiring Mom Bloggers summit you will laugh, cry, and learn from all the inspiring, motivating, and uplifting messages that will be shared and that many lives will be touched.

This summit starts January 5th and there will be a new speaker each day sharing their trials and triumphs with balancing mompreneurship, motherhood and everything in between! Topics include Balance, Finances, Conquering Fears, Health, Fitness, and Weight, Empowering Thoughts and Words, Marriage and Relationships, Grief, Single Motherhood, Postpartum Depression, Unexpected Life Changes, Handling a Miscarriage, Healing Autism, Finding Joy in Physical Pain, Overcoming Obstacles, No Regrets SAHM, Overcoming Abuse, Homeschooling Expectations, and much more!

There is NO COST for this online summit. Transcripts will be available. You can join the summit here: Yes, count me in!

December 30, 2014
In Praise of Vulnerability

I was on the phone with a Tony Robbin’s coach, a 30-minute session that I received as gift during the launch of Tony’s new book, Money: Master the Game, 7 Simple Steps to Financial Freedom. (I’m halfway through the book and have learned more about money than anything I’ve ever read before.)

After going over the questionnaire I had filled out earlier and talking about my goals, the coach asked me a question. “Do you have a fear of being vulnerable?”

At first, I didn’t want to answer that question with the truth. The strong, confident part of me wanted to say, “Oh no, I’m open and vulnerable all the time. For crying out loud, I teach other people to open up and reveal the beautiful, imperfect parts of themselves!”

But the raw, dig-down, lets-get-real part of me knew the answer. I was afraid to be vulnerable. To open up. To allow hurt, disappointment, and anger to creep in, and heck, bust out. To acknowledge the areas where I’ve failed, said the wrong thing, made the wrong decisions, fell apart, or generally screwed up. Vulnerability is a scary thing.

Yet, vulnerability is what connects us on another level. The more vulnerable we are, the more human we are. The more we show the inner depths of our being, the more we connect with others. In less than 30 minutes, this coach dug deep inside and came up with the reason I was dragging my feet on several things. The good news: fear of being vulnerable is simply a mindset. And a mindset, as we all know, is something we can change in an instant. A slight shift in perspective can change an outcome.

I came across this quote from Brene’ Brown that really resonated with me:

The truth is: Belonging starts with self-acceptance. Your level of belonging, in fact, can never be greater than your level of self-acceptance, because believing that you’re enough is what gives you the courage to be authentic, vulnerable and imperfect.

Brene goes into depth about the power of vulnerability in her TED talk. . And in the quote above, Brene expands on it as she wraps up her talk:

This is what I have found: to let ourselves be seen,deeply seen, vulnerably seen; to love with our whole hearts, even though there’s no guarantee — and that’s really hard, and I can tell you as a parent, that’s excruciatingly difficult — to practice gratitude and joy in those moments of terror, when we’re wondering, “Can I love you this much? Can I believe in this this passionately? Can I be this fierce about this?” just to be able to stop and, instead of catastrophizing what might happen, to say, “I’m just so grateful, because to feel this vulnerable means I’m alive.” And the last, which I think is probably the most important, is to believe that we’re enough. Because when we work from a place, I believe, that says, “I’m enough,” then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.

It’s well worth the watch!

December 4, 2014
The Power of She: Don’t Put A Limit on What You Can Do

Five years ago, my husband Joe sent me a link that forever changed my life. It was a TODAY Show segment featuring Judy Myers, a 66-year-old barefoot water skier from California.

Barefoot Water Skier is Landing on her Feet at 66

Judy inspired me to get back on the water and dive back into my passion for barefoot water skiing. The “Old Lady” taught me many lessons on and off the water, including the biggest one of all: don’t put a limit on what you can do. Age really truly is a number–and you can choose to grow bolder instead of older.

Catch Judy’s story (and mine) on “The Power of She” on Headline News:

Making a Splash: Senior Barefooter, 71, Inspires

Transcript included.

November 8, 2014
Sunsets, Synchronicity, and Beaches

The graffiti threw us for a loop as we drove closer and closer to our hotel on Venice Beach. Joe and I expressed some apprehension about the area. I had picked the Venice Beach Suites out of the blue–the ratings were good, the price was reasonable, and the hotel was on a beach known for great sunsets. For our 25th anniversary, we wanted to watch a sunset on the beach. From a quick look around, we discovered it was also known for a “high” lifestyle. We debated whether to move to a hotel in Santa Monica. After some discussion, we decided to stay.

“There must be a reason why we ended up here,” I said.

Why in the world had my intuition lead me to pick this hotel? I had reviewed several hotels, received recommendations for Santa Monica hotels from friends–and here we were–in an area more suited for the casual, freewheeling lifestyle.

“It’s getting late,” Joe said. “Let’s make the best of it.”

The 100-year old hotel was charming. The staff was friendly and welcoming. After we unloaded our luggage, we took off to explore the ocean walk. The energy was high (pun intended, as it truly was high, based on the marihuana we smelled here and there.) and color and movement were everywhere. A young man came bounding up, complimented me on how “fine” I looked and attempted to sell me a CD. The sun was beginning to lower, so Joe and I grabbed some beach chairs from the hotel and took off to watch the sunset.

It was beautiful.

Just as the last of the light began to fade, a man walked up to us.

“Hi! I’m sorry to bother you but I saw you taking pictures and I don’t have my phone with me. I wonder if you could send me some?”

We were happy to share the photos. Francis was a psychotherapist from Boston. He was out visiting friends. Spirituality, theology, and yoga came up in conversation. We told him we were celebrating our upcoming 25th anniversary.

When we arrived back at the hotel, we returned the beach chairs and struck up a conversation with Matt, the hotel manager. He gave us some history and showed us pictures of the renovation. Just as we were about to head up to our room, a woman breezed in. As she put down her luggage, I spied a bright blue bag with the words, “I Can Do It.”

“Were you at the Wayne Dyer event in Pasadena Friday night?” I asked.

“I was! I think I saw you there!” she said.

Beverly came from London to attend the weekend event to explore her purpose and future. It was the perfect time for her, as she was no longer working and she was seeking clarity and meaning for her next step. We laughed at the synchronicity that brought us all to the same place. After all, what are the chances of three people among 3000 attendees ending up at the same hotel miles away from the event, at the exact same moment, with one arriving and the other leaving?

Wayne Dyer talks about moments of synchronicity in his new book, which is part memoir, “I Can See Clearly Now:”

“If it excites you, the very presence of that inner excitement is all the evidence you need to remind you that you’re aligned with your true essence. When you are following your bliss, you are most amenable to receiving guidance from the spiritual realm. This is called synchronicity a state in which you almost feel as if you are in a collaborative arrangement with fate.”

When we arrived back into our room, a text from Francis popped up. As I read his text, suddenly all the dots of the journey connected. He sent us a beautiful poem about marriage:

A Blessing For Marriage

As spring unfolds the dream of the earth,

May you bring each other’s hearts to birth.

As the ocean finds calm in view of land,

May you love the gaze of each other’s mind.

As the wind arises free and wild,

May nothing negative control your lives.

As kindly as moonlight might search the dark,

So gentle may you be when light grows scarce.

As surprised as the silence that music opens,

May your words for each other be touched with reverence.

As warmly as the air draws in the light,

May you welcome each other’s every gift.

As elegant as dream absorbing the night,

May sleep find you clear of anger and hurt.

As twilight harvests all the day’s color,

May love bring you home to each other.

– John O’Donohue

Every day, I’m learning to trust God on this journey of life and to believe that each step of the path is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

October 31, 2014
Parenting During the College Years

Letting go isn’t easy.

Not even the second time around.

Today is Move In day for my daughter, Lauren. The little girl is now a college student and today’s the day I have to let go and say goodbye. Three years ago, the hubby was with me when we said goodbye to David. The tears started flowing during our final hug and the tears didn’t stop until well into the long drive home.

I’m lying here in bed with my daughter next to me and the tears are already flowing this morning. I’m thankful she has her older brother on campus to ease the transition for her. As for me, I’ve discovered the transition is even harder the second time around. The first time around, you have no clue what’s coming around the bend. You have no idea that the reins of parenthood keep getting looser and looser, until your child becomes this young adult who no longer shares the minute details of their life. You have no idea that one day, you’ll have to beg for FaceTime in between classes, clubs, and social engagements. You have no idea that they’ll eventually plan vacations without the family.

But the second time around, you know all this. The second time, you hang around just a little bit longer before letting go.

August 18, 2014
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