Power of Persistence

Very few words needed for this blog! When you are consistent and persistent, all your dreams will come true. Just believe in yourself and remain patient. 

Thanks for stopping by! Until next time, may all your dreams come true. xo

HOME is where the heart is.

For me the word HOME has multiple meanings...

I generically use the word home when I reference the apartment I live in with John. This is a place of residency for us, a temporary holding spot. We have furnished this place with our belongings and have made it our own. It's a place of comfort and relaxation. This is the place that I'm happy to return to because I know that I have the man of my dreams, Diez (my cat) and my bed all waiting for me. I mean who wouldn't want to come home to a loving man, a loving cat, and the most comfortable king size bed ever? We are even growing a couple porch plants (tomatoes and peppers) as we both want to have a big garden someday when we own some property. We are taking full advantage of making this our home. We make this place the best it can be for us to be happy!


When I speak the word home (from my heart) I'm referencing a place that carries all its weight in gold. The place I knew as a child, teen, and young adult. A place of safety. A place where friendships emerged into life-long friends. A place where everyone knows your name like the show Cheers. A place of knowing, comfort, love, and memories. A place of family, strong bonds, lessons learned, first kisses, and so much more. I'm sure you have heard the quote, home is where the heart is. This is where my heart resides. When I'm having a bad day, I would give anything to be home. When I'm ready to celebrate for whatever reason, what I would do to celebrate at home. For this is where I will always refer to as HOME no matter where I physically live.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read! Until next time, from my HOME to yours - may you find a place of comfort and happiness in your home. xo

The Power of Support

“In your day, surround yourself with people who love you, motivate you, encourage you, and just make you feel good about being you!”

Tonight after work I went for a run with my love. I'm so thankful to have him in my life. It’s so nice to have someone who supports me, motivates me, and encourages me. What is so great about our relationship is that John and I do that for each other. I cannot stress enough how important a support system is. Whether it be a boyfriend/girlfriend, wife/husband, mom/dad, brother/sister, friend ... whoever it may be. Having a handful (or just one will do) of people who are there for you when times are tough, during times of celebration, and when you just want a friend to shop with is one of the best feelings to have. These are the people that will help you grow into the person you want to be, the ones that will make you better. They say you become who you surround yourself with. Make sure you choose wisely.

I know I quoted Jillian Michaels in my last blog but she just makes so much sense. She says everyone deserves to dream big and go for their goals!  Why, hell yes we do! If sharing your goals with people close to you becomes frustrating and upsetting because there is a lack of support then DO NOT SHARE with them! You must find other ways to have a relationship with these people. Only share with the people that support you. This will keep you on the path for achieving greatness.

Thank you for reading. Until next time, find someone who offers you support and be that someone for somebody else. xo

WHY not me?

Remember being a little kid and being asked, "what do you want to be when you get older?" Remember? Maybe you said a doctor, nurse, fire fighter, animal doctor, like your mom or dad. Whatever it may have been - it was your dream. You believed at that time that you would grow into a young adult that could achieve what you believed.

Someone who I draw great inspiration from, Jillian Michaels wrote in her book Unlimited, "We were all born with the desire and the right to be happy. But somewhere along the way many of us got trained - by family, friends, religion, society at large, whoever - to believe that the human condition is predominantly one of suffering. And if we're not happy, it's just because "that's the way things are." That is the greatest lie ever told."

She definitely hit the nail on the head. We grow up to learn that after high school comes college. We must choose a degree for our future at the ripe young age of 18-23. We are so young to make this kind of decision. For me I wanted to be in the dental program at UVM. My parents could not afford to send me there with little to no financial aid and put my older brother through four years at Bryant. Now outside factors play into the picture of how my future will be determined. I ended up going to Bryant for business. Not many of us get a job in the field we went to college for. And if you don't go to college, you are set at a disadvantage from those that did. Society has life pre-determined for you unless you challenge the norm.

I have been out of college now for 10 years. After graduating from Bryant, I went back to school for my masters. I now hold a masters with a hefty amount of college debt and work in healthcare. I have been employed in this industry most of my working life. I have followed the standards just like most people do... until February 16th. This was my breakthrough moment. I decided to follow a passion of mine - health and wellness. I became a coach for Beachbody.  I joined with the intentions of helping as many people as I can get healthy. Never did I imagine how drastically my life would change. It gave me the right to dream again. I have started setting goals and working towards achieving them. Why can't I have everything that I have always wanted? Why can't I live the life I daydream of? Why not me? I challenge you to ask yourself the same question! Learn how to dream again. And when you figure out what you are passionate about, does that align with what you do for work, for your happiness. Start to question what it is that makes you happy. You do not deserve to live an unhappy life just because "that's the way it is."

Until next time,  I dare you to dream ... dream so big that it scares you ... and then go after it!! xo

Until one has loved...

"Until one has loved a pet, a part of their soul remains unawakened." 

Diezel (I call him Diez)

A pet is one of life's greatest gifts. Whether it be a cat, dog, goat, fish, cow, or pig - animals make life more comforting during difficult times, enjoyable through good times, and just simply bring joy to everyday life. Are they work to care for? Of course! But anything worth having, is work. My cat has been with me through what I like to call my decade of learning! My 20's. If you've never had a pet what I'm about to say may not make sense to you but I'm going to say it anyway - having him with me during some of my more difficult days made it just a bit easier for me. Pets truly love unconditionally. They love you when the rest of the world closes the door. They love you when you've screwed up, when you have succeeded, they love you when you are happy or sad. You never have to worry about the love of a pet, if you treat them right. As you probably can tell, I am an animal lover. Animals prolong the life of humans. If you are curious, volunteer at an animal shelter. Rescue a dog or cat. Its so worth it.

 

Thanks for the reading! Until next time, find that part of your soul that is unawakened because you will be thankful you did. xo

 

S H A R I N G not S E L L I N G

Being a Beachbody Coach has been one of the most rewarding and challenging yet fulfilling opportunities for me to date. For so long I have wanted an outlet to help others. It is in my nature to want to help anyone that I can. I am a firm believer that I was placed on this earth for a greater purpose than the average 9-5 desk job. Now don’t get me mixed up. I am very thankful for my full time job that has afforded me my current lifestyle. With that said, I began Beachbody in February 2013 to share my story with others. To share what has worked for me, what hasn’t, and how I can be inspired by someone else. I plan to blog more about my journey of weight loss and goal setting so be on the lookout for that but for the purpose of this blog, I wanted to focus on sharing vs. selling.

When I began coaching for Beachbody, I literally wanted to scream from the mountain tops how excited I was to help others reach their goals!! I wanted to attract as many people as I could to share my experiences, all the knowledge I have gained over the years through my own journey as well as all the information that I was absorbing from Beachbody. I began to tell my friends and family about my new opportunity with coaching and how excited I was to get started. Little did I know how quickly my excitement would turn to fear!! Now understand, I have always been one to engage in conversation about ways in which we can be healthier and lead a more balanced life. This is a passion of mine and if you know me, I’m a very passionate person. I’m a scorpio, what more can I say? About 2-3 weeks into my new venture, I had someone totally try to deflate my excitement. It was not done intentionally but more for feedback purposes. I was told by someone close to me that I was too “salesy” and shouldn’t say this or that when I talk to people. At first, I allowed this person to take the wind out of my sail. For a moment I felt defeated at what I thought was going to be a life changing experience for me. It closed me off with fear of telling anyone about coaching as they would just think I'm trying to sell them. It made me very emotional and sad. I couldn’t understand why this person would think I was “selling” them on something and not know my true intentions of the conversation. I stewed in my own thoughts over this for a day or so after trying to repeatedly defend myself around the situation. Here is what I learned:

1.      If you are anything like me, you fear the gym. I hated being at the gym and felt like I didn’t know what I was doing so I mainly did cardio (since it requires little to no thinking). I did very little, to no strength training. How is this productive? I’m holding myself back out of fear that other people are going to judge me! I learned that Beachbody fitness programs offered me the opportunity to look like an idiot in the privacy of my own home. I could try and fail and try again without fearing that someone else was watching me. In the end I have gained confidence in myself and feel better physically than I ever have.

2.      Food is my arch nemesis. It consumes my thoughts all day, every day. I’m thinking about what to have for dinner even before I’ve had lunch. I have become very structured in my eating. I eat at the same times every day and typically I eat the same foods on a rotating schedule. Shakeology has completely altered my world when it comes to nutrition. This all natural, superfood meal replacement has taken the guess work out of 1 meal a day. This is huge for me and the health benefits from it are remarkable. I know from diet alone I would never be able to get this much nutrition without drinking Shakeology. It has helped me to lose weight, curb cravings and I’m regular for the first time that I can remember. And to top it all off, it tastes so good, keeps me full until my morning snack or lunch, and is healthier than any breakfast I grab on the go. With breakfast taken care of, now my thoughts only stick with lunch and dinner. Makes my life much easier. If you have ever struggled with weight, I'm sure you can relate to me on this.

3.      How can I not want to share with other people the benefits I’ve gotten from Beachbody? In my opinion, it would be selfish of me to keep this a secret. Here is the deal … I’m not here to “sell” anyone on anything. I am simply sharing what has worked for me. Beachbody workout programs and Shakeology have changed my life. The workout programs can be done in the privacy of your own home and Shakeology will help with your nutritional goals. Some people may take it as a sales pitch, but I’m living proof that the products work. I use the products every day. I’m not out promoting something that I don’t use myself. If you want to better your health and nutrition then of course I am going to tell you what has worked for me, that's how I've always been. Beachbody has worked for me. If you are interested at that point, then I can help you get set up. It really is as simple as that. Maybe too many people have been taken advantaged of in their life and constantly have their guard up about being sold on something? That is not my intention at all. My purpose for being a coach is to help others find inner and outer strength and beauty within themselves.

Thanks for reading! I didn't realize I had so much to say. Until next time, don’t always think that people have an ulterior motive. What they say could change your life...  xo

Don't wish for this... wish for that!

Today I am going to keep it simple with a couple of quotes that will give you some food for thought. I am a big fan of Jim Rohn. If you have never listened to him, I highly recommend you do. He will rewire your mindset, leave you believing, and inspire you that change is good. How your life pans out is up to you.

"Don't wish it was easier, wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems, wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom."

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"It's not the blowing of the wind that determines your destination, it's the set of the sail. The same wind blows on us all; the wind of disaster, the wind of change, the wind of opportunity. The difference in where you arrive is not determined by the wind but the set of the sail.“

Take a moment and really absorb the message in these two quotes. Re-read if you must!! Do you sometimes wish life was easier on you, do you wish that things didn't seem so difficult or challenging? Life is going to happen regardless of how you feel. Make yourself better and life will get easier. And to piggy back the second quote on the first, it is how we handle what happens to us that makes us better. We all face problems. It's not a matter of you or I being isolated from everyone else, but how we rise from the situation to make it better. To grow and to learn. I would love to hear how these quotes directly relate to your life and how these will impact you to make a change in your current reality.

Thank you for reading. Until next time, believe in yourself that you are worth any change that makes you better no matter how difficult it may seem. xo