Embracing My Journey ~ Living with passion & purpose!

Welcome to the next interview in the  “Living the Life of My Dreams” series. This series is designed to introduce you to some absolutely amazing individuals who, like myself, have stepped outside of the box, ignored those who said it couldn’t be done and today are living the life of their dreams. Each of us has only one life to live and sometimes we just need that gentle reminder that YOUR life is what YOU make of it…

My wish for each of you is that by reading these interviews, meeting these individuals and hearing their stories, you too will be inspired to move forward into living the life of YOUR dreams!

So pull out your yoga mat, grab a bottle of water and prepare to relax & grow with Beth Shaw of YogaFit.

Living the life of one’s dreams is something many people believe to be a myth….yet; you are living proof that one can achieve this goal…Tell us about the path you traveled to arrive where you are today:

In the late eighties the job market in NY was gloomy. Taking and failing several typing tests left me working as an assistant in a media buying firm.  I developed great envy for the women who were in their thirties and had successful careers – I wanted to be just like them.  However I also wanted to excel a quicker pace than the company had a need for.  I soon found myself out of a job. I then moved to California where I worked in advertising sales for many years.  First for a militant company that had me there from 6:45 am to 5pm. I got written up every time I was late and tapped on the shoulder every time I was not on a sales call…. once again I found myself out of a job.  I was then offered the position of Western Advertising Manager for a trade magazine based of out Ohio.  My discipline was then tested, as I became MY OWN BOSS.  Of course I had to answer to a manager in Ohio, but like any salesperson, my income and my job depended on my productivity and my sales.  I became very thankful that I developed the tenacity from my first sales jobs when the beach and a lawn chair called my name every day.  It was during this time I got more into my yoga practice, taking certifications, and teaching and began working on YOGAFIT. I founded YogaFit in 1994 and when YogaFit started to grow, I lost that corporate job with its 6-figure salary, medical benefits and expense account. I was scared, but I did not love advertising sales. I loved yoga and I wanted to make a career out of it. YogaFit has grown into a multi-million dollar business and today YogaFit has trained over 90,000 instructors worldwide.

What kept you moving forward on the days things were not going exactly the way you were hoping they would?
The knowledge that all things are temporary, both good and bad. Also the inherent knowledge that things in life do grow and get better.

What special things do you do for yourself daily to maintain your momentum and energy levels?
Work out, walk my dogs, read an inspirational affirmation, eat well, take vitamins, drink green tea, do yoga (at least an inversion) and work.

If you could spend 3 days on a deserted island with two people of your choosing, who would they be and why?
Oprah – to teach her the powerful YogaFit style and hope that it would help her with her weight issue.
President Obama so I can share with him the importance of revamping our education system and making spay neuter laws mandatory for all 50 states.

What is your favorite reading material and what gives it that special place in your heart?
Anything by Osho- I find him inspirational, relevant and uplifting.

What do you see in your future?
Big things. YogaFit is poised to be the leader in Mind Body Fitness and will continue to educate the masses on all aspects of health and wellness.

Where is your favorite place in the world to spend time, what is special to you about this location?
Rishikesh India, the birthplace of yoga. It’s sacred, enchanting, spiritual and feels like home.  Also Palm Springs, CA, as it provides a place for me to relax and recharge.

Who has been your greatest support system and how have they shown you their support?
My mother, my loyal employees and my partner.

What is your favorite way to contribute or give back?
I like to give a lot of time and resources to animal causes, in particular spay neuter, anti-puppy mills and animal rescue.

Please share the top three things you feel people would benefit from doing if they truly desire to create the life of their dreams?
Have an intention and make a plan.
Take action and get your life in order- physically, mentally, financially and spiritual.  The universe likes clear space and no baggage.
Be 100% focused on creating and manifesting.

What products and services do you offer to assist others on their journey?
We offer tools for transformation- Mind Body Fitness Education (teacher trainings), DVDs, CDs, books, apparel and etc. Visit us at: www.yogafit.com

Thank you Beth for sharing your “Living the Life of My Dreams” story with the world!  I encourage everyone to visit Beth’s website and connect with her directly!

Be healthy, be focused and be the best you that you can possibly be!

In gratitude,
Caryn

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 at 9:14 am and is filed under Caryn's writing, Living the life of my dreams. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.