Meet Dawn Regnier Sibilia

We were lucky to catch up with Dawn Regnier Sibilia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dawn, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

In my early 20s I began to search for a philosophy to develop my well being and resilience in the world. My Catholicism, my family, my friends, nor my own life had given me the answer I was looking for. Sure I found useful “tools” reading books, attending workshops and in deep conversations, but I always felt like there was something missing. I didn’t want to put my trust in a higher being, I wanted to know how to thrive relying more on myself and less on the outside world.

In 2016 I discovered exactly what I was looking for: a philosophy that put the responsibility of my life squarely on my shoulders. The following story tells how someone’s small gift changed my life.

Tony was a guy I’d see in the gym and we would have the most amazing conversations about life, people and getting along in the world. One day he said he had a gift for me and said “Dawn imagine you come upon a castle that you find very intriguing and so you walk toward it. As you get closer, you notice a door and you curiously walk over to open it up and to go inside. As you get closer you notice something written on the door but it seems covered in thick dust and you are unable to read it. You reach up and wipe it off with your hand and you find the word “WISDOM”. Instinctively and quickly you try to open the door … only to find it is locked”. My friend, then, extended his gift to me and said “and I have the key”.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I love coaching people in ways they might not be looking for and as a trainer I get to use my art of coaching to connect people with their strength and possibilities in fitness and beyond. Our bodies are one gateway to build wellness but our bodies are also meant to be used and challenged in order to thrive. What’s exciting to me is pushing the limits with clients and what’s most important to me is that they feel “seen” each and every session. I really want to be the best part of their day. I coach people in person and online. The clients I am most proud of are my parents! Both are in their 80’snand every week they exercise! Their activities include weight training, balance work and floor exercise which is impressive at their age! They are role great models for many people.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Stoicism. Physical activity. Nature.
I need “tools” to thrive in my life and I never stop gathering. For me, a necessary tool is every morning I go thru the same ritual to start my day: gratitude, body/mind check and expectations for that day. At bedtime my ritual is I put my day up for review: How did I do? What went well? What would I like to do better tomorrow? By doing morning and night rituals I continue to address what’s important to me. No matter where I am in life, I want to be more present and when I do this, my quality of life stays rich.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Currently I moved back across the US, from Oregon to Michigan, to have an extended stay with my aging parents. It’s a opportunity and a challenge. I believe when I make choices in life it must make sense and it has to be the right thing to do. For me, it’s because I love my parents so much and I want them to thrive and not just survive. My dad, 87, with dementia makes it very challenging for either him or my mom to thrive. The real challenge, in this situation, is to uphold my integrity in being a good human with Stoicism as an anchor. Stoics say we do not have control on our health wealth or reputation but we have control over what we think. Similar to reps in weight lifting ideally makes me stronger; I am repping my practice in Stoicism.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dawnstrawng