One of the books I am publicizing right now is Dr. Bernie Siegel's 101 Exercises for the Soul. He writes, “It is easy to get lost in our daily routines and lose touch with the things that are meaningful to us. We become human doings instead of what we are supposed to be—human beings. If this continues, eventually our true self will begin to die. By exercising our souls, however, we enhance our ability to live and love with enthusiasm and vigor, and increase our ability to overcome any difficulties or obstacles we encounter along the way.”

Skipping is a great way to exercise both body and soul, but the two aren’t mutually exclusive. If you skip just a few steps at a time you won’t lose weight, but it can offer a tremendous lift to your spirit. On the other hand, if you skip for miles and miles and hate every moment of it, your body would quickly get fit, but you wouldn’t be doing your spirit any favors.

There are no rules when it comes to skipping. It doesn't matter if you skip for miles, or just a couple steps. You can skip really fast, or really slow. Maybe you don't skip at all, or you occasionally skip a few steps with your kids. Some skippers alternate walking a block and skipping a block, others just half a block during their evening walks. There is a skipper who is doing full marathons and others who skip for a few miles at a time. It doesn't matter where you skip, or for how long, what truly matters is if you are enjoying yourself while you are doing it!! Skip on!

The biggest reason people tell me they don't skip is because they don't want to look crazy. But one of the main things I continue to learn through my skipping experience is that our world is much kinder, supportive, and encouraging than I ever gave it credit for being. For every negative reaction I have gotten about skipping, there have been 50 positive ones. People don’t laugh at me when they see me skipping down the street; they either ignore me or they smile, Every now and then people even flash thumbs-up signs my way. They don’t make fun of me...If anything, they seem to be intrigued and/or inspired by my ability to be so free, joyful, and not worried about what anyone else thinks about it!

There is a great quote that was written by Marianne Williamson and that Nelson Mandela used in his 1994 inaugural speech. It articulates perfectly the part of myself skipping strengthens...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that frightens us. We ask ourselves, who I am to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous. Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you! We were born to manifest the Glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone—and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

When you are skipping down the street, your light can't help but shine bright! What a glorious thing. So let's skip on, shall we? Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!

When I tell new people about my passion for skipping, most haven't skipped or given a second thought to skipping for most of their adult lives. Some think I am absolutely crazy for wanting to share the joy of skipping with others. But most, regardless of whether they would ever actually skip themselves, agree that the positive energy skipping creates is something our world could use more of.

I've met many skippers from all ends of the spectrum since I created iskip.com in 1999. There are natural born skippers who never lost the ability to skip freely in the first place. These people either say, “Right on! I skip too!” Or they have a hard time understanding what the hubbub about the skipping movement is all about. Skipping is a perfectly natural thing for them to do.

There are the anti-skippers who would never in a million years consider skipping a step in their adult lives. These folks know that skipping isn’t for them and are either open to the idea of others skipping or are extremely cynical and confronted by others’ skipping enthusiasm.

There are people who love to skip with their kids...or who love to watch their kids skip. Runners who skip to warm up...Skippers who skip to get fit...Closet skippers who only do it when no one is watching or are too afraid to even give it a try... and Extreme skippers who skip with an edge! :-)

Regardless of how or why you skip or don't skip, I'd like to request that after you read this you invite someone else to skip...Ask an unsuspecting friend or family member when the last time they skipped was....Then if you are a skipper so inclined, skip just a few steps with them...(or skip for them if they are an anti-skipper) and watch their reaction! Or invite a kid to skip with you and watch their face light up! Or when you are out in a big group, start skipping and get everyone to join you.

Seriously, give it a try....Then email me and tell me how it went (or leave a comment here)! I would LOVE to hear from you! Skip on!

I just love the all of the positive energy people I meet through iskip.com. Even people who can't or don't physically skip, still can have a skipping spirit!!

Last week I heard from one such man. He lives in Delaware and his name is Felix. Twenty-two years ago he started blowing bubbles to track the ground winds while flying kites. He hasn't stopped since. He is the unofficial bubble visionary for The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore and frequently makes bubbles at their events.

Here is a quote from my Felix's Bubble Manifesto you can read in its entirety on his website, "I cannot explain the attraction that people have for soap bubbles. It is beyond science and is somewhere out there on an intuitive and mystical plane. I just know I like to make bubbles. I like to watch bubbles. And I like watching people watching bubbles. It is unspoken harmony with the universe."

As an avid bubbler myself, I love Felix's enthusiasm...not to mention the great pictures on his website. My favorite time to blow bubbles is out of my sunroof when I'm stuck in traffic! It's a great way to pass the time and it makes people around you smile too! I also love to blow bubbles whenever I am around kids...Talk about pure magic!

I first got turned onto bubbling when I met my free spirited friend Esteban who is a bubbling fanatic who now lives in Chile! He used to bubble nearly everywhere we went. There are actually more bubblers out there than you might think!! I totally understand why! It's truly amazing to watch the faces of young and old alike as magical bubbles float joyfully through the air! So bubble on Felix!!!!! Bubble on! Bubble on!

Last weekend I attended "The Spirited Woman Workshop" that is facilitated by a lovely woman named Nancy Mills. I just love the work that Nancy is doing, so wanted to let you know about her mission of empowering spirited women everywhere!

This picture above is from the workshop. That's me in the bottom right hand corner throwing flower petals at the woman who is reading the pink paper...her name is Elizabeth! Nancy's workshops are a lot of fun, a little silly (in the best possible way), and extremely heart opening.

I love sitting in circles of women where the intention is openly and honestly sharing about our lives....The Spirited Woman workshop was one of those experiences. I love how I see myself in other women's stories. I love the way hearing other women speak from their heart helps me know I am not alone in this adventure called life.

Nancy gives workshops all over the country, so be sure to skip on over to her beautiful website and check it out. She invites you to post your thoughts and spirited women stories on her blog! The November question of the month is "What makes you Unstoppable!?" I posted my answer yesterday and would love to see yours there as well!

Skip on spirited women...(and men, too!) Onward and upward! Together we can change the world.

Back in 2000, the Wall Street Journal did a small piece about iskip.com and my skipping efforts. Shortly after, I got a vhs tape in the mail from a guy named Jeff Lester. He said I would understand why he sent it when I watched the tape.

Jeff is the producer of an amazing short film called The Last Real Cowboys starring Billy Bob Thorton. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was watching the film. Jeff and I clearly were inspired in similar ways by skipping! (You can watch it online by clicking here!)

It's unfortunate that the story ends like it does...and it is also unfortunate we fear a metaphorically similar fate in our modern world!

All the more reason for us to skip loud and skip proud! It's time to write new skipping rules as we joyfully and boldly exercise our right to freedom by skipping freely!!! SKIP ON! :-)

Yesterday I received this email from a European skipper...

I went on a mission to find fellow skippers on the internet and came across your webpage. I have enjoyed skipping very occassionally when amongst friends for several years but always forgot about it soon afterwards. Now I'm thinking it would be great to get involved in a group! I'm from London but living in Budapest at the moment- have any fellow skippers from here contacted you yet?

I have spent the last week or two realising/rediscovering how fantastic skipping is- it' s impossible to even think about it without grinning from ear to ear! I've been tring to convince others too and was delighted to see all of my reasoning set out on your website- the key one being- just try and skip whilst not smiling- It's impossible!! Happy Skipping! Jo

And here is my response...(By the way, if you are a skipper who would like to talk about your love of skipping in a skipper profile on iskip.com please email me and let me know!)

Yay! I love hearing from people like you who are so inspired by the magic of skipping....It really is magic! I'd be willing to bet just about anyone that if they skipped everywhere they went for an entire week, their lives would change for the better in powerful and unexpected ways!

Over the years, I have heard from various skippers in Europe, although I'm not in direct contact with any now (other than you!) I would love to do a profile about you and your enthusiasm for skipping on iskip.com...and then we could see if we could get the media there to write about your efforts if you wanted to start a skipping group?! Do you have some free spirited friends who would help you get something started there?

In Europe, I have found it is particularly important to mention that you are talking about skipping WITHOUT a rope. That's because most people there automatically think of skipping rope when they hear "skipping". I once did an entire radio interview on the BBC out of London...The very last question they asked me was, "Where do you buy your rope?" I quickly answered, "Oh no. I don't skip with a rope." The interviewers were shocked! In their most dignified English accent they say said, "What, no rope!?" I went on to quickly explain how I just leap happily from point A to point B like kids do before our time ran out, but they were definitely quite taken aback!!

Thanks so much for writing to introduce yourself! Let me know if you are interested in being profiled on iskip.com. SKIP ON!

Did you happen to see The Ellen Show yesterday?!? I'm not a bit surprised to learn that Ellen is a skipper!!

I was at work while the show is on, but thanks to Andrea in Florida, I heard that Ellen skipped at the start of the show....Here's Andrea's skipping report...

It was a short segment during the beginning of her show where she's walking down the hallway toward the studio and the voice over gives her stream of consciouness thoughts along the way. She just said something about how she likes to bounce along as she walks and then said, "maybe I'll skip" and did so for a few steps before going onto another line of thought.

Many thanks for Andrea for reporting this skipper sighting! And many thanks to Ellen for skipping on national television! Skip on Andrea! Skip on Ellen! Skip on! Skip on!