Archive for the ‘Marathon for positive change’ Category

I am overjoyed to announce that my first fundraiser was a great success! Thanks to the generosity of my clients, colleagues, newsletter readers, friends and family, we raised $1177 to benefit three of my favourite charities: Evergreen Foundation, The Land Conservancy and Big Sisters. I am thrilled with the results and enormously grateful to all who contributed… thank you so much for your support!

This experience has been tremendously rewarding, and it has inspired me to conduct another fundraiser in the fall. I feel so blessed for the many wonderful things that have happened in my life and business, and it feels fantastic to “pay it forward” and help others.

If you feel inspired to sponsor your own fundraising event, you might consider working with CanadaHelps.org. The organization is an online “donation portal” that allows your donors to contribute directly to any one of Canada’s 80,000 charities. The process is easy, safe, and fast – it doesn’t get any easier!

CHALLENGE YOURSELF AND COME ALIVE!

by Julia James, Certified Life Coach

I recently completed a 30km cross-country skiing
marathon – a real stretch for a girl who lacked
confidence and skill in high school athletics. But this
journey wasn’t about competing; it was about
completing… and contributing. My efforts were
inspired by a desire to raise funds for my favourite
charities.

After four skiing lessons, I was armed with techniques
and mental queues to keep me going and make the most of
every stride: “pop,” “up” and “kick!” My excitement to
participate helped me push past lingering self-doubts,
and on the day of the race, not even the cold (-16 C!)
could deter me.

It took over four hours to complete the race, but I was
so absorbed in the gorgeous, sparkling scenery and my
constant self-cheerleading that I didn’t even mind
coming in last.

I learned several lessons about achievement:

Challenge Yourself

When we stretch beyond our history and perceived
limits, we step into a larger version of ourselves – a
stronger, more capable version that empowers us well
into the future.

Embrace Your Determination

Our most worthwhile goals take a serious investment of
time and effort to achieve, and when the energy begin
to wane, determination will drive you to the finish
line.

Use Positive Self Talk

When my body tired, I reminded myself to use efficient
ski techniques. I told myself to relax and enjoy the
blue sky, the crunchy snow and the joy of racing.

Celebrate Your Achievements

After the marathon, I noticed many participants talking
about past or future races. They had lost touch with
the day’s achievement. This reinforced one last lesson:
Savour today. Celebration generates energy and momentum
to take on the next challenge!

If my journey inspires you, I encourage you to:

1. Choose your own challenge, something that stretches
you beyond past experiences. Journal along the way to
help identify your lessons.

2. Consider making a charitable contribution to
celebrate my achievement. I’ve selected three charities
close to my heart; you can donate here.

Having troubles choosing a challenge? The mini-retreat
audio CD – Explore, Create, Succeed, can help you
explore and create what you would like to take on.
Visit www.juliajames.ca to order Guided Mini-Retreat
CDs.

Saturday, February 2nd was the big day. It was -16
degrees Celsius (3 degrees Fahrenheit), with sunny,
blue skies and almost no wind. Perfect conditions for
my first marathon! While I was getting into a rhythm,
all of the tips from my trainer, Georgia, came to mind.
I felt like she was skiing right there with me, telling
me the cues: “Pop!”, “Fly!”, “Up!” Amazing what you can
learn in only 4 ski lessons! There were times
throughout the race when my legs felt weak and my body
tired, and in those moments all of your encouraging
messages came back to me and helped me to push through.

I completed the 30km Cariboo X-country ski marathon in
4 hours, 5 minutes and 30 seconds! Crossing the finish
line was definitely one of the happiest moments in my
life so far.

Thank you so much for all your support along the way!

At your request, I am going to keep the donation site
up until February 24th. We are at $970 – help me reach
$1500 for the charities that have most touched my
heart!

Glowingly,

Julia

Just a little reminder: The x-country marathon is this
Saturday, February 2nd. Thank you so much for your
support!

I am excited about the marathon! We had a lovely and
uncharacteristic snowfall in Vancouver this week. I
took the opportunity to ski to my early morning
networking meeting. It was probably the safest way to
get there and was a great training opportunity.

This is your last chance to contribute before the race:

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=1062

Please send your warm thoughts my way to support me on
Saturday!

Warmly,
Julia

P.S. I will be interviewed on Channel M ( aired on
Channel 8 ) in German. The interview will be airing:

– Friday, Feb. 15 @ 2pm
– Saturday, Feb. 16 @ 4pm

I have been training hard for the upcoming x-country
ski marathon. In mid-January, I went away on a mini
retreat in the snow for my birthday with my good
friends. While they were still warmly tucked in bed, I
was up before dawn every day skiing. The feeling of
being at peace with the snow, the stars, and the world
at 5:30am as I was skiing through the magical quiet
winter wonderland was well worth it. I even surprised
myself by skiing a total of 28km in one day. I am
getting close to being ready!

Thank you so much for your generosity. So far we have
raised a total of $575. $215 of that was during the
donation matching event, so with $215 of my own money,
we have a great start.

But this is just the beginning. If you have been
sitting on the fence wondering if you should
contribute, now is the time. I chose these charities
carefully, and they need your support. With your
donations, they will be able to help girls in single-
parent homes build relationships with a friend,
sounding board, and mentor (Big Sisters); create
outdoor classrooms so that students can develop a
healthy relationship with nature (Evergreen
Foundation); and protect important habitat for plants,
animals (The Land Conservancy of BC). Even if you can
only give just a few dollars, every little bit counts.

Please donate here now:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=1062

Also, some great news – I am honoured to be featured on
http://www.wearewhatwedo.ca as the star of the month, for
“doing something for nothing”!

Warmly,

Julia

I will match your contribution until Dec. 31st!

Donate Now! (see the link below)

Thank you so much for your support for local charities!
So far $145 have been donated.

It’s wonderful to receive the encouraging messages for
my x-country marathon challenge. I know I am not alone
while training for my first marathon!

Thank you for sharing your volunteer and fundraising
commitments. So many of you are making a meaningful
difference with your time, talents and dollars. I was
especially touched by the first contributor to the
marathon challenge – someone who works for a non-profit
organization. Even though her budget is tight, she
still found it important to give what she could.

An important reminder that your intention is more
important than the $ amount of your contribution.

I would like to meet the $1000 milestone by December
31st. To help facilitate this goal, I will match all
your donations up to a total amount of $250.

Please help me give back to the community and embrace
diversity by contributing to three wonderful charities:

Donate now

Evergreen Foundation:
Evergreen helps schools create outdoor classrooms which
provide students with a healthy place to play, learn,
and develop a genuine respect for nature. Local
stewardship creates vibrant neighbourhoods, a healthy
natural environment, and a sustainable society for all.
Evergreen engages people in creating and sustaining
healthy, dynamic outdoor spaces – in schools and
communities.
http://www.evergreen.ca/en

The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC):
British Columbia is beautiful because of its vast
natural spaces. To keep it that way, TLC protects
important habitat for plants, animals, and natural
communities. The Land Conservancy achieves its
conservation objectives by working in a non-
confrontational, businesslike manner. TLC works with
many partners to ensure the broadest support to protect
important habitat for the long term.
http://www.conservancy.bc.ca

Big Sisters:
Quality time spent together is the most precious gift.
For young girls growing up in single parent homes, the
time to connect with a trusted adult is limited. Big
Sisters gives thousands of young girls the opportunity
to establish a relationship with a woman who becomes a
friend, a sounding board, and a mentor.
http://www.bigsisters.bc.ca/en/Home/default.aspx

My goal is to raise $6000 by February. You can help me
by donating to one of these organizations online. And
remember if you donate NOW, I will match your
contribution!

Donate now:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=1062

Thank you so much for your support!

Warmly,

Julia

This year has been amazing for me in so many different
ways, including my growing and flourishing business. I
am making a tangible contribution to people’s lives
every day. One way that I am expressing my gratitude is
by participating in a 30 km cross-country ski race in
February of 2008 to raise funds for my favourite
charities.

Please help me give back to the community and embrace
diversity by contributing to three wonderful charities:

Big Sisters:
Quality time spent together is the most precious gift.
For young girls growing up in single parent homes, the
time to connect with a trusted adult is limited. Big
Sisters gives thousands of young girls the opportunity
to establish a relationship with a woman who becomes a
friend, a sounding board, and a mentor.
http://www.bigsisters.bc.ca/en/Home/default.aspx

Evergreen Foundation:
Evergreen helps schools create outdoor classrooms which
provide students with a healthy place to play, learn,
and develop a genuine respect for nature. Local
stewardship creates vibrant neighbourhoods, a healthy
natural environment, and a sustainable society for all.
Evergreen engages people in creating and sustaining
healthy, dynamic outdoor spaces – in schools and
communities.
http://www.evergreen.ca/en

The Land Conservancy of BC (TLC):
British Columbia is beautiful because of its vast
natural spaces. To keep it that way, TLC protects
important habitat for plants, animals, and natural
communities. The Land Conservancy achieves its
conservation objectives by working in a non-
confrontational, businesslike manner. TLC works with
many partners to ensure the broadest support to protect
important habitat for the long term.
http://www.conservancy.bc.ca

My goal is to raise $6000. You can help me by donating
to one of these organizations online:
http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=1062

————————————-

Thank you so much for your support!

Warmly,

Julia