Balcony Women Christine

“I started using that phrase, "What if I can?".  I started saying it at work to get me through difficult days.” - Jennifer

Balcony Women it is import to speak positive words to others and YOURSELF!   “Positive words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Proverbs 16:24.  “A person's words can be life-giving water… Proverbs 18:4.

“My Balcony Woman is an American Cyclist, Peloton instructor, and public speaker. Her name is Christine D'Ercole.  I know about her as a Peloton instructor.

Anyone who has ever had a Peloton bike knows it is not about the bike. Peloton's appeal is about the instructors.  This is especially true with Christine D'Ercole.  It certainly wasn't about the bike for me as I bought the Peloton to help me become a better climber.  I had been stuck at the same level of climbing for the last 5 years.  I figured to move forward I had to become more lean and build more endurance.  I work 10 hour days most days, so 2 gym memberships just wasn't possible.

I bought the bike and started googling the instructors.  I chose Christine only because she was the same age as me and thought I could relate.  Christine is known for her word shop sayings and mantras which she uses with her instructing.  The most popular is I AM… I CAN… I WILL…I DO.   Most women are also inspired by her saying, "You are bigger than a smaller pair of pants".  This saying came from Christine's desire to be a dancer, but her body type wasn't the right fit.

The phrase of hers that has stuck with me the most is "What if you can?".  You have to tell yourself this to get through most of her rides.  She always says, "If you had to, you could.  If your life depended on it, you could".   I started using that phrase, "What if I can?".  I started saying it at work to get me through difficult days.  I started saying it in the climbing gyms to get me past moves I thought were impossible.  It actually worked! It turned out that I didn't need to be leaner or have more endurance.  I just needed to change the way I speak to myself.  Something so simple, but yet so powerful.

I know me climbing a wall doesn't change the world, but it is important.  It is important because my kids are typically watching. They always hear me say, "I can't do that route, it is too hard."  Then I would hear them say, "I can't do that, it is too hard."  Now they hear me say, " I can't believe I just did that!", or " I can't believe I finished that route!"

I belong to a Christine D'Ercole Facebook group with 11k members full of similar stories about how Christine has changed their way of believing what is possible and helping women find what they are made of.” - Jennifer