Reflections For Today

We had another amazing hike today! The weather was beautiful and it was the perfect way to start a Sunday. A big thank you to the women who came out this morning and an even bigger thank you to Penny Hillier-Ward for becoming our trail leader midway through the hike! You were fantastic Penny!

I'm going to make this short and sweet! I've created a survey so we (all of us) can make the Walk and Talks even better. The vibrancy of this community and how everyone embraces each other is nothing short of spectacular. I can't speak for everyone who has come but I leave the walks feeling completely energized, and it's been pretty cool meeting so many new people (and reconnecting with friends I hadn't seen in awhile). Your input will help shape how we continue in the future. It's super short and I promise it will take you less than two minutes If you can please do three things:

1) Fill out the survey
2) Fill out the survey even if you haven't joined us yet!
3) Forward the link to the survey to any friends you think may wish to join us!

Take the survey now --> https://us1.list-manage.com/survey?u=3c028a7e05aeabdf4000f6562&id=0711885f4e&attribution=false

Save The Date! The next Community Walk & Talk will be on Sunday, October 6 at 9am. We'll be meeting again for a hike around Lion's Valley Park but it will be a different route.

I'll be sending out an email with details of when/where to meet and FAQs - if you'd like to be on the email list, please sign up here: https://reflective-fitness.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3c028a7e05aeabdf4000f6562&id=544e6e5293

Today's first hike was a GREAT SUCCESS!

Thirteen amazing women showed up and we did a 2-hour loop at a casual pace. Some came with friends, some came alone. All came with a huge smile! What was even MORE amazing is that all the women interacted with each other at one point or another. They switched up walking partners and got to know one another. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect inaugural hike.

It was a blast and I'm already planning the next one.

If you'd like to be updated on the next hike, you can sign up for my email update list: http://eepurl.com/hwHIrT

I sent out this email to my newsletter list on the weekend but I'm opening it up here too:

Hi My Friends! It's Been A While!

I turned 55 in August and I've been thinking a lot about friendship and community. I'm incredibly lucky to have a core group of friends who I get to hang out with - some of them are even on this email list. But I also know as we get older, and our kids get older, it sometimes becomes harder to meet new people.

I try to spend time in nature because it's good for us physically but also mentally. That's why I'm inviting you to come on a walk/hike with me in Lion's Valley Park on Sunday, September 8 at 9:00 am. We will meet in the baseball parking lot at River Glen Blvd and Neyagawa at 8:45am.

We'll be doing an 8.5km loop. Lion's Valley is a very easy trail and we will be taking it slow - the entire loop will take us approximately 1 1/2 hours.

You may be reading this and having thoughts and questions pop into your head so I'm going to write down some of the thoughts I had when I decided to send out this email and maybe it will help you.

1) What if I'm the only one who shows up?

Well, if you are the only one who shows up, that means there will be two of us! And we will walk and talk and get to know each other. Now, if I'm the one answering this question then it means I will be the only one there. Will I be sad that nobody showed up? Yes, and I'll allow myself to feel that sadness and then I'll do the 8.5 km loop and spend an hour and a half in nature. So it's kind of a win/win - feeling the feels and walking the walks.

2) I'm not good at trying new things by myself.

Me too! It always scares the s**t out of me when I try something new. HUGE ANXIETY. But afterwards I'm always happy that I did it - and proud of myself. But if that still doesn't convince you, bring a friend! You can show up by yourself and meet new friends or bring a friend and you both meet new friends. Again, it's a win/win.

3) I haven't really been doing any sort of walking and I'm not a hiker.

Please know that I'm using the term hike very loosely. We're going to take it slow and easy. This is more about breathing in the air and meeting new people.

4) Will this be a regular thing?

Yes, I'm hoping it will! That depends on you! I have no expectations and am just going to see what happens.

5) Is there any payment involved? Why are you doing this?

No payment at all! Just a gathering of people to enjoy nature! I'm doing this because I genuinely believe in the power of community, specifically the power of women! And the more we expand our circles, the better we are for it.

I hope to see you there next Sunday, September 8th. Please send me a message or comment below to let me know you're coming - but even if you decide at the last minute, I'll be there.

Have a great long weekend, everyone!

Sharon