Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Growing Bolder Lifestyle

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    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.”

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    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.

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  • 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.

    KrafTC_SnowTraining

    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!!

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  • 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!”

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    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.

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  • 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.

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  • 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.

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    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.

     

     

     

     

  • Let It Go– in American Sign Language

     

    For three hours, we stood in the freezing cold filming one take after another.  We took a few breaks huddling in the car trying to get warm.  All this for a music video.  The song is “Let It Go” from the movie, “Frozen.”

    No professional filming. No expert editing. Just two deaf girls signing their hearts out to music that they love. The two girls, Ren and Keely, have been together since they were six years old.   Here it is in all its perfect imperfections:

     

    More Ren and Keely music videos:  Ren and Keely on YouTube

    Follow them on Twitter: @renandkeely

  • My Three Words to Live By in 2014

    It’s that time of the year when everyone starts out with new goals, new intentions, and new resolutions.  For me, what carries me through the year are three words to live by. I adopted this process after taking Chris Brogan’s Brave New Year course (affiliate).  Here’s Chris’ story of how he started this process and his three words for 2014: Chris Brogan: My Three Words for 2014.

    Last year’s words for me were Passion, Joy, and Imagine.  I definitely lived each one of those words in different capacities and I shared them with others as well.  All throughout the year, I continually reflected on the words and kept them front and center.  Mike Davenport, whom I met through the Brave New Year course, created a photo to keep me on course every day:

    imagine joy passion created by Mike Davenport

    This year, my three words are:

     

    Abundance

    Abundance is often associated with wealth, but that’s not my intention for this word.  Abundance is a profusion, a great plenty, an overflowing quantity.  When I have abundance in my life, my heart is overflowing with love, joy, and gratitude.  It is that state of mind that I want to carry with me throughout 2014.

    Focus

    I’m scatter-brained.  Anything and everything gets my attention.  One minute I will be talking to someone and wham-bam–my mind will wander off.  And oh look, there’s a squirrel!  No wait, it’s an alligator! Did I tell you how much I detest those reptiles?  Oh by the way, before I forget, I need to interview you for my next book. Oh, I’m sorry… what were you saying?

    Yeah, 2014 is the year of focus.  Laser-sharp focus on the moment at hand.  Laser-sharp focus on the conversations and connections.  Staying on track with my business, my work, my writing, and my relationships with others.

    Passion

    I love this word so much I had to include it again for 2014.  Everything I do centers around passion.  In fact, I’m so passionate about the word that I help others unwrap their passions through my coaching sessions.  I’m keeping this word front and center all year.  Whenever I’m deep into my passions or helping others, the whole world just lights up. Every time I choose in favor of passion, I cross paths with some really amazing people.  I want to keep that going.

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    How about you? What three words will you choose to guide you throughout 2014?

  • If You’re Deaf, How Can You Use the Phone?

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    “If you’re deaf, how can you use the phone?”

    For most of my life, the phone was my enemy.  Even though I grew up hard of hearing, my brain couldn’t interpret sound into comprehensible English over the phone. My dad tried for years to get me to practice by calling him at work, but all I heard was a bunch of sounds that made no sense.  Every once in a while, I’d get lucky and understand a phrase or two. We came up with a system where I’d ask him questions and he’d respond with a “No, no.” or a “Yes.”

    As a teenager, my dad handled all the calls coming in, including the ones from guys.  You can just imagine how fun it was to deal with that.  “Yeah, Dad, tell John I’ll go ice skating with him. What time is he picking me up?”

    When I first became deaf after a fall while barefooting as a teen, I had no idea at the time it was going to turn out to be a blessing. After a few months of struggling in my classes at Northern Illinois University, I had an epiphany one morning: I could continue to be miserable about being deaf, or I could change my attitude and become the best possible deaf person I could be.  I chose the latter and began to learn American Sign Language.

    Little did I know, that decision would lead me to be able to access the phone in a whole new way.  In fact, most days, I’m on the phone interviewing someone for articles or an upcoming book. ‘

    So, how does a deaf person use the phone?

    For me, it requires a sign language interpreter on a videophone. I simply dial the person I want to call and the interpreter appears on the screen.  I use my voice to talk on the phone and an interpreter signs everything the other person says.  I use ZVRS for this service.  Keith St. Onge (2x World Barefoot Champion) and I spent two and half years on the phone while writing his book, Gliding Soles, Lessons from a Life on Water.   When we first started working together, Keith and I didn’t know each other at all.  We spent hours and hours on the phone crafting his life story with interpreters switching places to keep the conversation flowing.

    The ZVRS team came to the World Barefoot Center in Florida to capture how a deaf mom and a World Champ wrote a book together:

     

     

     

     

  • Life Recharged, Stories to Inspire You

    When I first saw “Life Recharged,” the Tommie Copper TV segment on cable TV, I was completely blown away.  For the past couple of months, Keith St. Onge and I worked with the marketing team at Tommie Copper to film our stories for the TV segment. What the team created is beyond amazing. The 30-minute episodes are a true blend of storytelling, marketing, and product.

    For more information on how I discovered Tommie Copper:

    Solution for Knee Pain

    More Praise for Tommie Copper

    How I Landed in a Tommie Copper Commercial

    The Tommie Copper segment begins with an introduction by Olympic swimmer, Dara Torres. Dara shares her story of discovering a passion for swimming at a young age and her meteoric rise to become an Olympic swimmer. At the age of 15, Dara set a new American record in the 50 meter Freestyle and when she returned to the Olympics at the age of 41, she set another record in the same event. Dara inspires me because she did the “impossible” when others were calling her “too old” to make a comeback.

    Keith and I are in two different episodes featuring stories from people who overcame challenges to find pain relief from injuries, aches, and pains. Each story will captivate you or inspire you in some way.  You can watch “Life Recharged” on your cable station at various hours and on different channels.  Check your cable TV schedule to find the next episode or watch the TV segments (captioned) online here:

    Life Recharged (Female show featuring me):

    Life Recharged (Male show featuring Keith St. Onge):

     

  • My Form of Meditation

     

    Every day, I take some time to meditate in the morning.  I also practice what I call the “Stop, drop, and meditate” ritual.  Quite simply, I drop everything and go within.   If I’m outside, I often capture a picture of my surroundings and share it with others.  To my great delight, I find others sharing their meditation pictures with me as well. I especially love the photos I spontaneously get from friends.  In the middle of busyness, it is a wonderful reminder to pause and reflect on what really matters.

    You don’t need anything fancy to start meditating. There’s nothing mysterious about it, although you will find many variations, processes, and rituals out there.  For me, meditation is my quiet time with God.  I’ve heard it said that prayer is “you talking to God” and meditation is “God talking to you.”

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