Post 2019 summer hoop tour. Wow~

It is the 29th of July and I have officially been traveling for 11 days. I am sitting in a Panera, getting ready for the next few days with family in IL, just regrouping and pausing to reflect on my travels and the seminar with Dr. Terry Wahls. I still have pictures to post with the Hoop Tour updates below from the Wahls Seminar and Retreat along with my last few events prior to speaking and working with my hero Dr.Terry Wahls. I do hope to get to those update later, once I am home. 

I am truly blessed by the gift I have been given through my MS diagnosis, I found a hula hoop in 2012 and in 2016 I made a commitment at the same seminar I just left, "To follow my hoop where ever it goes." The hardest part of that thought is to remove hurdles that creep in, because it is easy to say, "I'm not sure I can do that" when the real opportunity presents itself to follow my hoop. Let me give you an example, a librarian (I do event programming with libraries in Sarasota during the year) said she would like me to come back and work with a larger group of kids and families next summer. My response was, of course! She went on to explain she was talking about 100 plus attendees. I said with a smile, "Yes, I can do that!" And then my brain immediately went into the overdrive mode of questions, Can you do that? How many hoops do you need? How will that work? What would the program structure look like? and those are good questions. And then the next questions that dream killer question crept into my brain, "Can you really do that Amy?" Quickly thing, That is a lot of people! What if, you.... And I think you can see the slippery slope this thought process is heading down. That is the question that brings in doubt. The question that can stop creativity. That is the kind of thought, if you choose to listen to it, will shut down those dreams. So today I am pondering, next summer how to reach more people at events as I travel to my friend Dr. Terry Wahls. I have my brain noodling on that question. I know from what I have heard and read, moving forward is about asking your brain the right questions and removing limiting beliefs/questions. And I say questions because if I choose to go with, "Can you really do that Amy?" I might stop and believe that I cannot do a really large group activity. In my heart of hearts, I know I can do a large group activity. I am envisioning it RIGHT NOW. I am sitting here on a rainy day in IL, excited about making that opportunity work for next summer. 

For those of you who have just maybe landed on my site. I will give you a bit of background on this post. My name is Amy Raspiller Bradley. I am 56 and live with MS. I was diagnosed in 2012 and picked up a hula hoop at about the same time. My husband thought it might help me. I also heard a TedTalk by Dr. Terry Wahls and through food and movement transformed my life. I got stronger, put my cane down and lost 50+ pounds. In 2016 I met Dr. Terry and I returned to speak at her conference in 2017, 2018, and last week 2019 I once again shared my story and hula hoops with her attendees. My joy in being there is watch people realized that MS, or whatever autoimmune disorder  or health issue they have, does not have to define them. That movement can happen even if you have a walker, or a wheelchair. One lady Debi, told me she hoops everyday (we met last year) and she taught her 5 year old granddaughter how to hula hoop. And her grandchildren think she is a  cool grandma, because she hula hoops. I think she is a super cool grandma. I love that she told me that, because the ripples of what you say or do are not always evident. It leaves me kind of speechless. Another woman name Ann, told me she actually gained muscle in her arms as we were talking about her journey. It was wonderful to see because as we talked I told her that I noticed that she has more balance now and seemed stronger then when we first met in 2016. She is bright, strong and growing in strength and beauty each year. Ann inspires me to continue to work out and get stronger myself. I might added the arm strength is through her working out and I cannot say it is arm hoops that makes her arms stronger. But really - moving is the key. I just like it when people say they use hoops! 

I am going home to Florida to find that book where I wrote down, "Follow my hoop where ever it takes me," because I know that is why I am here now writing in my HOOG (HOop blOG) because I have a hoop to follow and I actually put it out there to the universe, Follow my hoop. 

Today I am pondering how blessed I am that my hula hoop has allows me to meet amazing people where ever I go. I get to hear stories about people and share my story. It was the story of Dr. Terry Wahls that made me believe that I had a choice to be involved in my own recovery. That I had a choice to make, regarding the foods I ate. She inspired me to be a better me! And I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves and the power of the mind and the choices they make. Because truly health eating is great, healthy movement is great, positive affirmation are so important, but none of that is possible unless a choice is made. And only person that can choose to eat healthy, move health and think healthy is YOU. 

Here is to your health - Today July 29th, 2019 - go out into the world and choose to be amazing.
​Amy