Push THROUGH the End

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here

If you're like a good number of people, you've already given up on your 2016 goals, especially if they involve anything with your health and fitness.  I've seen steadily dwindling numbers in all of my group exercise classes since Halloween and I know in the last two weeks of the year the gym will seem like a desolate place.  The holidays seem to be the perfect time to take a break or give up altogether, with the idea that you'll rededicate yourself in the new year.

"Integrity is keeping a commitment even after circumstances have changed." -- David Jeremiah

Going through such dramatic changes is the perfect ingredient for disaster.  Don't fool yourself into thinking you can flip the switch on January 1.  The goals you set for your life should change your life.  Have you heard the words, "It's a lifestyle change," when it comes to reaching your ideal weight?  Well that statement really applies to any and every goal you are setting.

"You're always a student, never a master.  You have to keep moving forward." --  Conrad Hall

Yes!  You will have to overcome some tough challenges to reach your goal.  These tests are meant to mentally prepare you to accept the reward you wish to attain.  Remember, the reason the current you does not yet have want it is you want is because you are not mentally or physically strong enough to accept it.  Giving up now with the intention of starting again only proves that you are not ready to receive what you so desperately wish to have.

Regardless of the goal, you can still make progress during this time of year.  This will make the transition into the new year a smooth one; building on the momentum you set now.  Use these ideas to help you push through the end of the year.

1. Remember, all progress counts!  One of my virtual mentor's stated that "Life Is Movement."  Think about it.  Things are constantly changing and moving.  As long as you are living, your body continues to change.  You cease to change when you die.  Does this mean that when you refuse to change or when your stop changing, you are dead?  Well, essentially, yes!  It doesn't matter how fast you get there, as long as you get there.  Keep placing one foot in front of the other until you reach your destination.

"Even if you fall on your face, you're still moving forward." -- Victor Kiam

2. Push Harder!  It always gets tougher at the end or just before a big breakthrough.  When reaching your goal gets tough, it's time pick up the pace and renew your enthusiasm. It's time to revisit why you want what you want.  Ask yourself what achieving your goal will allow you to do.  Visualize what it will look and feel like to finish!  Use this to help you push harder.  Don't be afraid to fight for your goal. 

"You have to keep pushing towards those dreams no matter what setbacks happen." -- Anthony Hamilton

3. Get focused.  Staying focused may be difficult during this time of year.  With the changes in schedules and the addition of new or different activities, it can definitely be a challenge to stay on task.  Multi-tasking is a myth.  Your brain can only manage one thoughtful activity at a time.  Attempting to multi-task only leaves you exhausted with fewer accomplishments because you spend more energy trying to "context switch" between tasks that require though.  Instead of trying to tackle a lot of different important activities at the same time, try to set small increments of focused time to tackle the important items on you list.  Schedule small breaks in between tasks to allow for your brain to recover and pick it back up again.

"Never give up, and be confident in what you do.  There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your objectives and to win against all odds." -- Marta

The holidays are a great time to celebrate life.  Remember this as you consider quitting or taking a break from the work required to reach your goals.  It's fun to celebrate the life you have, especially while working to build the life you want.  Imagine the celebration next year as you continue to push through the end of this year.  Give yourself the best opportunity to truly enjoy that celebration by building momentum now.

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you don't stop." -- Confuscius

Celebrate Now and Celebrate Later

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here

I truly appreciate those 'random acts of God' that help to keep me on track and save me from myself.  You may think I'm terrible when I tell you why I'm so thankful and that's OK, because I know there are some folks out there right now who, like me, are concerned about keeping their health on track during this season where so many have every excuse to overindulge at their fingertips.  It seems that every organization uses the end of the year to celebrate this year's accomplishments as we certainly should.  It's just the way in which we celebrate that leaves me, in some ways, to feel like a scrooge.

"The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is: a miracle and unrepeatable." -- Storm Jameson

Last week, I was ecstatic for my excuse to avoid my office's end of year sugar-fest disguised as a holiday/year end celebration where everyone is encouraged to make their favorite holiday sweets to share.  We then gather right after lunch for two hours of sugar and games during the work day to 'celebrate' our accomplishments for the year.  Although the organizers included the option for 'healthy' treats this year as to not appear to force people to choose unhealthy desserts, it's historically been a dessert-fest and that's what people bring.

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." -- Mae West

Ecstatic may be the wrong word, because I was definitely not feeling well.  I was feeling a tad under the weather.  I believe I was just feeling run down as I have a difficult time keeping a reasonable sleep schedule.  I noticed my body was feeling much colder than usual and although we were experiencing a change in temperatures, my body was signaling me to take a rest.  So I listened and celebrated all my hard work for the year warmly nestled in my bed, instead of doing double damage with immune-system-weakening-sugar-filled treats I would have succumbed to had I chose to go to work and attend the treat fest.  

"Self sabotage is like a game of mental tug of war.  It is the conscious mind versus the subconscious mind where the subconscious mind always eventually wins." --  Bo Bennet

Believe it or not, many of the events we attend during this holiday season with the purpose of celebrating create a perfect storm for self-sabotaging behavior.  There is always an abundance of high calorie food and drinks, especially those loaded with sugar.  Even if we manage to keep things in check, attending these events may add to our busy schedules causing us additional stress or will cause us to sacrifice other activities we may normally participate in.

"Just imagine how much you'd get done if you stopped actively sabotaging your own work." -- Seth Goden

 

Self-sabotaging behavior is any behavior that gets in the way of long-standing goals. Many times, people engage in this type of behavior simply because they do not believe they are deserving of success. Here are a few ways to avoid turning celebrations into sabotage so you can truly enjoy the Holidays now and still celebrate later:

1. Make a workout schedule and stick to it. If you find you have an especially busy day, plan for a couple short times to get moving. No one needs to workout for hours on end. 30-60 minutes will do, but if you are particularly busy 3-5 10 minute activity sessions beats nothing at all. If you don't have access right now, get 30 days of free streaming workouts through Beachbody On Demand.  Planning and sticking to your workout schedule will not only provide you with the mental and physical energy you need to get through your busy days, but will also give you at least one thing you can have control over.  During this busy time of year, we need to feel in control of something in our day to avoid feeling burned-out or let down.

2. Get good sleep. We all know that it's hard to keep your stress and emotions in check without proper rest, but do you understand how minimal sleep disrupts your hormones? Studies show that even one night of poor sleep raises your insulin levels. If you're over indulging in sugary treats on top of that, you are keeping your body in a high stress state. This encourages your body to protect its vital organs by storing fat.  

3. Celebrate by focusing on the company and not the food. To do this, avoid showing up to events hungry and drink more water while you are there. Plan for any treats you may encounter at the event. It's OK to be a food-snob, or as I call it a "fit foodie." Enjoying great food is great, just make sure it truly IS great.

To celebrate yourself, you have to be your biggest cheerleader and avoid self-sabotaging behaviors. You must believe you are deserving of success. The best time to start getting in the best shape of your life for 2017 is NOW! It's not the time to toss your workouts until the new year or over-indulge in foods that will not benefit you. So many people attempt to hit the ground crawling once the New Year rolls around as they struggle to pull themselves out of bad habits they slid into during the holidays. It is difficult to pull a complete 180 and go from overeating and overindulgence to eating clean and exercising within a matter of a few days, even for the most dedicated individuals. Now is the time to truly celebrate yourself and set yourself up for more celebrating in 2017.

Movement Monday: Take Action Now!

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

We are nearing the end of the month I like to call "No Excuses November" and guess what?! So many people are making excuses about why this isn't a good time to focus on their health.  Especially this week, Thanksgiving week, where most Americans will literally eat themselves into a coma and Thursday and then stress themselves out racking up debt in the spirit of giving.  Sounds a little absurd when put this way, but it's true.


"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." -- Henry Ford

Many of us are stuck in the same cycle, year after year, vowing to miraculously make a drastic change at the beginning of the year only to find themselves making excuses again in "No Excuses November!"  The thinking that says, "I will start building my ideal future tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year," is fatally flawed.  The future you are going to live is the one you are creating right now at this very moment.

The reality is that every moment counts!  If you truly value what it is you have in this life, you understand the importance of living for today; not tomorrow.  It's important to understand that the results you obtain are a direct byproduct of the actions you take.

"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it." -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

This is a perfect week to start something new.  Today is the perfect day to take action on what you've been wanting for yourself, but have just been pushing it off into the future.  The fact that it's a major holiday week means in the US means your schedule will most likely be different than any other week in the year.  Use this change in your weekly routine to change something in your life.  Here are a few ways you can use this week to your advantage.

Eliminate distraction.  This may seem like a challenge if you are visiting family or family is visiting you, but you'll be the best house guest or hostess if you keep your own needs in mind.  Schedule time to collect your thoughts.  Take a walk, or schedule 5-10 minutes to yourself, even if it means taking a longer than normal shower.

Gain clarity.  It's hard to take action on what it is you want if you really aren't sure what it is you want.  If you've been holding off on taking action for a while, you probably have a million dreams and ideas of what it is you want.  Take time to write them down and get clear on what is a good fit for you.

"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage." -- Dale Carnegie

Set priorities.  Often times, there is so much to do, and we have so many great ideas, that we struggle to take massive action on any of them.  We feel overwhelmed with the changes we may feel we need to make.  Instead of targeting everything at once, focus on making 1-3 changes at a time and stick to it.

Avoid perfectionism.  Maybe we think that we can’t move forward with something without it being absolutely perfect. Many people falsely believe the perfect time to do something is somewhere in the future and this future never happens because it doesn't exist.  The perfect time to start is now!  Change is incremental.  Understand that you may not get it right the first time, but you won't know what works for you until you start.  So start now so you can find what will work for you.

Thanksgiving week is a great time to continue to move your life in the direction you want it to go.  I want you to benefit from this week and the biggest benefit of taking action now is the boost it will bring to your confidence.  Our inaction creates doubt and uncertainty. When we don't take action, we start listening to others about why something won’t work.  Lack of action causes us to tune in to the voice in our head that has become a breeding ground for doubt, fear and uncertainty. We become too afraid of focusing on the wrong thing or worry what will happen if we fail, not realizing that we are guaranteeing failure by not taking action now.

Movement Monday: Why Are You Afraid to Commit to Yourself?

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

Many people believe they know what they want.  They have a desire for the short term -- lose weight, have more energy, make more money, get out of debt, have more fun and the list goes on.  Deciding what you want is the easy part.  Having the desire to improve a part of our lives is the easy part.

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." -- Mario Andretti

But like the saying goes, "if it were easy, everyone would do it."  Wanting the improvement is easy, committing to the plan to achieve it is difficult, if not impossible, for most and thus many are stuck in a cycle of continuous desire.  We never attain whatever it is we wish to have or we greatly diminish the outcome, simply because we're afraid to commit to a plan to get us what we want.  Long-term the cycle of wanting and never fully reaching leaves us feeling empty and significantly reduces our self-confidence making us believe that we were never meant to have whatever it was we desired anyway.

As a health and fitness coach and an avid believer of living an intentional life, I see this time and time again with people that come to me for help with weight loss.  Even though I can spot it almost immediately in others lives, I too struggle with a lack of commitment when it comes to going for things I really want.  It led me to wonder why is it so hard for anyone to stick with a plan to help them reach their goal?

"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We all know that it's not enough to have the intention of changing; we have to act on that intention for things to get better.  Many of us know what it is we need to do, but how many of us actually do what we know to do?  Not only must we do what we know to do just once, we must do it consistently.  Consistent action on the planned and critical tasks needed to reach your goal is the key to getting what you want in life.  We must commit to acting consistently and it's that commitment that scares most people.

The term 'commitment-phobe' is typically reserved for people that are afraid to commit to a relationship, but in reality, it applies to everyone who is afraid to make a commitment.  At the heart of all fear is the dread that something might be lost. Noncommittal people in general fear being 'trapped' and losing, as they see it, their freedom.  Someone who has trouble committing may fear losing options, but every decision we make in life, by definition, means losing other options. No matter what you do, there is always another kind of life you could have lived. A commitment-phobe fears making the 'wrong decision'.

"Competing in sports has taught me that if I'm not willing to give 120 percent, somebody else will." -- Warren Farrell

When you are desiring a change in your life, you must make a commitment to the actions that will bring about the change and that 'loss of freedom' is due to that uncomfortable feeling of change.  It is human nature to choose comfortable actions over uncomfortable ones.  In fact, there is a portion of the brain, the amygdala, that reacts negatively when we are facing risks.  It's very helpful in avoiding danger, but when is desiring a better future for yourself dangerous?

The sad part of all of this, is that we sit in this never ending cycle of desiring and never attaining, afraid to make a commitment to ourselves and our dreams.  We believe we know what to do, yet we will not commit to doing it.  Why?

There are several reasons why I believe we choose to neglect our own desires and I promise to dig deeper into them next week.  Do you recognize this fear of commitment to yourself in yourself?  Some tale-tale signs of a fear of commitment:

1. Making the same 'New Year Resolution' every year 
   
2. Losing and regaining a large amount of weight
3. Getting into and out of shape

In the meantime if you can't wait until next week's edition, join me and a few of my friends who are learning how to commit to having a great holiday season in my #fALLDONE group.  Doing something for yourself doesn't have to be scary.  Working through change in a comfortable setting with all the support you desire can make it fun.  You deserve to have everything you desire and in this group, I'm committed to helping you get there.  

Movement Monday: Just Get It Done!

Welcome to Movement Monday!  This started as an email I sent weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After a big shift in my life, I am motivated to share my email with everyone!  My email subscribers will still receive an abridged version with a link to the full details here.

I'm just returning from a trip to Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India for work and it was an eye-opening experience!  It was a busy week and nearly every moment was utilized while I was in the office.  I barely had time to think about how jet-lagged I was.  I won't even count the number of cups of espresso I had the first day I was there, but to my surprise, by day 3, I was back to my regular caffeine habit -- a cup or two in the morning to wake me up.  

Besides participating with my co-workers in their experiences in the office and providing technical training as the team lead, I was interested in an entirely separate aspect of this travel -- could I set a workout plan a stick to it?  I knew the meals weren't entirely in my control due to the strong recommendation to avoid all uncooked items, like fresh fruit and veggies, if I wanted to keep my insides in tact.  I managed to add another challenge to this difficulty when I arrived at the airport and realized I managed to leave my Shakeology and Go Macro bars behind.

"The most effective way to do it, is to do it." -- Amelia Earhart

I became a fitness coach because I'm passionate about fitness and I love helping and supporting others become their best!  I enjoy sharing my life experiences as a working single-parent, whether good or bad, to help others.  Even with the numerous experiences I've had and shared, there was at least one situation that I couldn't seem to come up with a real answer for when current or potential clients rationalized business travel as a reason for avoiding starting a health improvement regimen or getting off track on their planned routine.  I always believe that if it's importantant to you, you will do it.  Since 'feeling good' about themselves is important to most people, having the right motivation to stay on track is the key to maintaining a reasonable portion of healthy activities while traveling for business.

In my workplace, it is common knowledge that I am also a group exercise instructor, so many coworkers feel very comfortable discussing their struggles and shortcomings in this area.  What most don't realize is my commitment to myself and my own health and fitness, but quickly find out when I share some of my strategies for just getting it done.

I had a couple opportunities to share with my co-worker I was traveling with during our 30+ hour journey after he expressed his frustrations with the way he was feeling about his health and exercise stamina.  Over the past 2 years, he had taken on more responsibilities at work that required him to travel to locations all over the world and really wanted to get his health back on track.

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action with without vision is a nightmare.” —Japanese proverb

So here are 4 things that helped me while traveling for business.

1. Have a Clear Vision of What it is You Want - We all want to live our life to it's full potential and that means creating a powerful vision of what we want for our lives.  The more powerful the vision, the more it will compel you to find a way to get it done, even when it is not comfortable.  I knew skipping a full week of exercise would add to my challenges when I returned home when I needed to teach classes, far beyond the jetlag and the attempt to get back to my normal routine.  I didn't want to deal with this additional struggle.  Even more compelling than this was the bridesmaid dress I wanted to slay at the end of the year.  I could not afford to get off track.
2. Set Realistic Expectations - Since I had 4 full days in India, it would have been great to get in 4 exercise sessions since I easily get in more than that over the same span of time while at home.  However, realistically, I knew I'd be dealing with jetlag and I wouldn't arrive to my hotel room until the early morning hours on the first day.  Instead of pressuring myself to complete something unreasonable, I planned for 3 days of exercise.  I wouldn't beat myself up if I only completed 2, but I knew if I got the first day in on Wednesday (day 2 of my trip), the rest of the days would be easy.  

   

   Day 3 - 2nd workout using BOD in my hotel room
3. Create An Action Plan for Success - I checked out the hotel ahead of time to see if there was a gym and thankfully there was, but I also knew I had access to Beachbody on Demand for plenty of great workout options.  I also made sure to pack my workout clothes.  Seems simple, but 'forgetting' workout clothes is a huge excuse for not getting it done!
4. Celebrate Your Success - I documented and shared my workout completions with my accountability group and on social media.  The goal was for me to share my happiness for getting it done.  It is so rewarding to share your wins, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem to others.  I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it for me!

   

   Day 4 - Finishing up my last workout session in the hotel gym

I am happy to say that I wasn't the only one getting my workouts in.  My co-worker was determined to make a change to his routine so he could start feeling better next year.  However, when I shared with him that I completed my first workout on day 2 and asking him about his plans for the Cap10K next year, he was motivated to get started while on the trip.  He successfully completed 2 workout sessions and was extremely proud.  I was super proud too!

My next accountability group is getting started today and there is still time to join us!  We're going to get it ALL DONE during this busy holiday season.  My goal is to help you maintain control over your busy schedule while taking care of you!  We'll all learn and implement simple techniques for managing our busy lives so that we can truly enjoy this holiday season and get next year started right.  Leave a comment here or connect with me on social media and I'll let you know how to get started.  Let's get it #fALLDONE!

Cauliflower is the New Carb

Who new Cauliflower could be such a trickster?  I've seen many uses for cauliflower on social media, but was always a little skeptical if I could really 'secretly' replace it for some of our starchy staples.  My go-to taste-tester, my teenage son, has grown up sampling many of my food experiments, both good and not so good.  He's typically a good sport and will not only give most things a try, but give me his honest opinion.  He was cool with my Roasted Garlic Faux Mashed Potatoes and even had seconds, but when my dad, who is a super stubborn carb-lover enjoyed them too, I knew I should explore a few more ideas.

I really wanted to try cauliflower pizza crust, but I was only searching halfheartedly because I was warned it was a ton of work and a lot of time for a single meal.  Although I enjoy being in the kitchen, my schedule does not allow for wasted kitchen time.  Plus, some of the pictures I saw of others pizza on the cauliflower crust really didn't look all that appetizing.  I really wanted my son to enjoy a slice or two and I knew that would not happen if it didn't look like a regular pizza.

So, I searched the internet and came up with this recipe: The Secret to Perfect Cauliflower Pizza Crust.  The title alone made me take a look, because it sounded like exactly what I was looking for.

Showing off the Sous Chef

Plus any opportunity to chop up things in my lovely food processor is exciting.  I highly recommend making the investment, if you haven't already.  It saves a tremendous amount of time.

'Riced' Cauliflower

If you don't have a food processor and want to quickly 'rice' your cauliflower, use a large cheese grater.  Just watch those fingers as you get close to the end!

Boiling the cauli-rice is quick and simple.  Straining it is not if you don't have the right sized strainer.  I ended up buying a super-sized strainer after making this crust because I knew I would make it again and saving time is a must!










If you peeked at the recipe link, you'll know the secret is right here; squeezing the cauli-rice dry.  The cauli-rice will be super hot, so if you have those rubber oven-mitts, use them.















Finally mix up your crust.  The recipe link used goat cheese.  Since I'm not a big fan, I used fresh grated Parmesan.

Crust Ingrediants

Raw crust

The crust was easy to mix and then press into my heart-shaped pizza pan.  You want to keep it pretty thin.  Mine was about 1/4 inch.

Voila!  I LOVE this crust!!

Baked crust

Most importantly, my teen did too!  Here's the pic from my social media post recreating an old Valentine's Day photo.  I know the nutrients in this year's heart crust far out-weight those in the past.  I truly know how to LOVE my family!  XOXO

Movement Monday: Life Lessons from 'The Greatest'

Welcome to this special edition of Movement Monday!  This is an email I send weekly to my customers and clients designed to motivate continued action to achieve a desired goal throughout the week.  My mission is to provide the "want to" when it comes to reaching YOUR goal because the "how to" is different for every body and every goal.  When you are constantly seeking the truth, you will find exactly what you need.  Each email contains a subject, practical suggestions or encouragement surrounding the subject and powerful quotes that support the weekly theme.  After the passing of Muhammad Ali, this past weekend, I was motivated to share my email with everyone... especially since there was so many inspirational quotes that my email would have been much longer than usual.  So I kept the email short and kept the unabridged version here.

To say Muhammad Ali lived a spectacular life is an understatement.  His charisma and charm was catching and he won the hearts of many across the world.  As a good portion of the world mourns his passing, we can take a look at the way he lived his life and the statements he made in life to leave a lasting impact on every person we come in contact with during our life, from here on out.  All quotes today are accredited to The Greatest, Muhammad Ali.

"Live every day like it's your last because someday you're going to be right ."

How many times do we go back on our own promises to ourselves and push things off until tomorrow?  You've been given each day to make the most out of your life.

"What I suffered physically was worth what I've accomplished in life. A man who is not courageous enough to take risks will never accomplish anything in life."

Yes, it will be hard getting from where you are to where you want to be, but it will also be equally as hard to stay where you are.  No one enjoys being stagnant.  Can you imagine looking back and wondering 'if only ...?'  Choose your hard.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be.  I'm free to be what I want."

Are you living life by design? Are you following your vision?  Are you living your dreams?  Don't worry if you're not quite there.  Just be intentional about living your life and not allowing life to just happen to you. Only you can define what your live should look like.

"I am the greatest.  I said that even before I knew I was."  

You've got to believe that you can achieve your dreams.  Say you are who you want to be every morning and watch yourself get there.

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wears you out, it's the pebble in your shoe." 

How many times do we let the little things keep us from reaching our big goal?  We want to lose weight, for example, but won't make the time to prepare our meals, schedule our workouts or invest in the proper tools we need.  The difficulty of the goal is not what keeps us from reaching it, but our belief that we can not and our unwillingness to get out of our own way. 

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain.  It's not something you learn in school.  But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

Life is measured by the quality of our relationships.  We were meant to be connected to others, so make it a point to take time to build quality relationships.

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

Your gift was meant to be shared with the world. Take the time to develop it and most importantly share it.

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best.  If you're not, pretend you are."

Sometimes you simply have to fake it until you make it.

This is my absolute favorite!  Take the time to explore your power.  Change impossible to "I'M POSSIBLE!"

Make movement this week!

If this message has helped you in any way, feel free to share with a friend.  Also, if this is something that could get you going weekly, but aren't interested in receiving weekly emails, leave a comment and I may consider this a weekly blog post.  With love...