Subject: Just Show Up and Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Welcome to Celebrating the Journey!

produced by Margo Chisholm
Coach, Speaker, Author, Adventurer
Monday, February 7, 2000
Issue #1
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Archives of Celebrating The Journey are now available for
viewing at https://www.tothesummit.com/CTJ.html.
They are not all there yet and will be by the end of the
week. Enjoy them and invite your friends to take a look!

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Just Show Up and Put One Foot in Front of the Other

Woody Allen said, “Eighty percent of success is showing
up.” I heartily agree with him. And to take it one step
further, 90 percent of success is showing up and putting
one foot in front of the other.

As an addict, alcoholic and compulsive overeater, I spent
many years of my life not showing up for much of
anything. Often I wasn’t able to show up at work or with
my friends or to play tennis or even to go to a party. I
broke commitments, invented illnesses and crises as
excuses, and had pretty much given up on any dreams I
might have had.

When I got into recovery, one of the first things I heard
was, “Just show up.” It didn’t matter how I looked or felt,
whether I was afraid or not, whether I thought I could do
whatever was in front of me or not. The point was to just
show up. The context then was about getting to recovery
group meetings.

When I started climbing, the concept of showing up grew
and became, “Just show up and put on foot in front of the
other.” Many times on a mountain I felt completely
exhausted and had no idea how I was going to get to the
summit or to camp or even to the next rest spot. But I
knew I could put one foot in front of the other. Just take
one step in the direction I was headed. That’s all, just one
step. That’s all I had to do: show up and put one foot in
front of the other. The context then was about climbing
very big mountains.

The context now is about everyday life. I learned about
showing up and putting one foot in front of the other in
early recovery and on very big mountains. The concepts
serve us all in everyday life. If we don’t show up for life
and put one foot in front of the other, even on those days
when we want to just stay in bed and turn the electric
blanket up to Mother, we have no chance at having the
life we really want.

But what if I fail? What if I look stupid? What if they
don’t like me? What if I don’t do a good job? What if…
What if… What if… We can “what if” ourselves right out
of our lives. All those things are possible. We might fail
or look stupid or not be liked. If we don’t show up and put
one foot in front of the other the best we can, it’s true that
we avoid the risk of failing or looking foolish. We also
eliminate any opportunity for success or joy or growth.

I invite you to choose the possibilities of what can be in
your life over the fear of what might be.

COACHING:

In what ways are you not showing up in your life?
What project are you putting off?
Which friend or loved one are you growing apart
from because of an ignored issue?
What ongoing problem are you blaming on
someone else so you don’t have to deal with it?
What dream do you have that you’re not moving
toward?

In what way can you show up for that piece of your life
today? What single step can you take toward having the
life you really want?

Life is not a risk free undertaking. Sometimes it’s scary;
sometimes it feels overwhelming; sometimes it doesn’t
look like we think it’s supposed to; sometimes we feel like
we can’t do it. Nike says, “Just Do It.” I say, “Just show up
and put one foot in front of the other.” You’ll find that
miracles happen.

QUOTES:

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just
show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.
You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.
Anne Lamott

Show up.
Pay attention.
Tell the truth.
Don’t be attached to the results.
Angeles Arrien

Show up, put one foot in front of the other,
and extraordinary things can happen.
To The Summit

RECOMMENDED READING:

THE LAZARUS CHILD by Robert Mawson
This is not a book on the topic of Just Show Up. It is
a book I happened to read in this past week, and was so
profoundly touched by it that I am drawn to recommend
it. It is an unforgettable novel of family love in the face of
tragedy; of the courage of self-sacrifice; of the unknown
mysteries of our unconscious.
A family’s life is changed forever when their
daughter falls into a coma after an accident. The family,
their marriage already in trouble, seeks the help of a
controversial neurologist who has dedicated her life to
coaxing children back from the darkness.
That is the essence of the plot but the strength of
the book lies in its ability to touch people in a way that is
profound. This book has changed the way I look at life. I
found it quite extraordinary in a most unexpected way.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553580051/tothesummit

Give yourself the gift of showing up this week.

Namaste, Margo

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TODAY’S OPPORTUNITIES:

FREE DEMO COACHING SESSIONS!
I’m offering any subscriber to CTJ a free half hour
coaching session during the month of February. Spend a
half hour on the phone with me – totally free – and find
out how coaching works and how your life can shift in 30
short minutes. Email me today at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com to schedule your
session.

Would you like the next 12 months to be YOUR BEST
YEAR YET? Who wouldn’t? Margo is now offering the
Your Best Year Yet workshop on a national basis. This is a
3 1/2 workshop, based on answering 10 simple questions
which will lead you to a one-page plan for having Your
Best Year Yet.
Find out more about Your Best Year Yet and about
how you can bring Margo and this great workshop to your
home town, earn one or more free spots in the workshop
and earn some cash as well by emailing
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com or visiting
https://www.tothesummit.com/YBYY.html.

Margo has a few spaces available in her coaching practice.
Every serious athlete has a COACH. Why not have one
for the most important game of all: Life! Contact Margo at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com or visit her website for
information and resources for YOUR life at
https://www.tothesummit.com.

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Copyright © 2000, all rights reserved, by Margo Chisholm

I invite you to share Celebrating the Journey with your
Mailing List, Friends, and Associates. We ask only that the
entire email with Copyright and Credits be included. The
author of this article is Margo Chisholm. You may contact
her at (970)704-9336 or at mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

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My purpose in publishing Celebrating the Journey is to
provide you with resources, motivation, inspiration and
energy for YOUR journey to creating success and freedom
in all areas of your life. CTJ will use stories from my life
and others’, coaching tips and resources, quotes and
humor to deliver a learning experience that can enhance
your life. I am always looking for comments, ideas and
ways to improve CTJ. I welcome your emails at
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com.

To receive your own free copy of Celebrating the Journey,
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Margo Chisholm is available for individual and group
coaching. Every dedicated athlete has a coach. Why not
have a coach for the most important game of all: the
game of life. Visit our website at
https://www.tothesummit.com for additional resources
and tools. To schedule a consultation, send an email to
mailto:margo@tothesummit.com

—
“At every moment of our life we have an
opportunity to choose joy.”
Henri J. M. Nouwen

Margo Chisholm
Coach, Speaker, Author, Therapist
Partnering you in having success,
freedom and joy in all areas of your life
970-704-9336 fax 970-704-9346
margo@tothesummit.com

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