Ready. Set. Work It Out!

Have you stuck to your resolution? Which one you ask? It’s the one that almost everyone makes. We’re more than halfway through the year and some of us are still going strong. If you happen to have fallen off, don’t be dismayed! It’s never too late to get started again! Read these healthy tips to help rev up your workout engine again!

Research Body Type- a lot of you may be surprised, but your body type has a lot more to do with the way you carry, gain, and lose weight than you think. The three main body types are Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. If you’re an ectomorph, you have low body fat, can usually eat anything you want without gaining weight, and have a fast and efficient metabolism. If you’re a mesomorph, you are naturally lean and muscular, you have an efficient metabolism, and your body responds quickly to exercise. If you’re an endomorph, you usually carry your weight in the lower region of your body (i.e. butt, thighs, and abdomen), have to work a little harder to lose weight, and can gain muscle easily. Knowing these things and a few others details about your body type can provide you with much insight on the most effective track to meet your health and fitness goals. To transform your body and renew your spirit, try this:  Body Gospel Workout

Eat to Live- Pizza. Burgers. Pasta. All delicious things, but not so good for you. The key is balance and the truest nutritional balance has many more healthy options consistently and overall. Allow yourself to indulge every now and then, but create a healthy eating habit that you can commit to on a daily basis. Drink more water, eat more unprocessed foods, and increase your fiber, whole grains, and protein. These small changes over a period of time will give you a lean and healthy look. Not to mention, you’ll also feel better. Eating “clean” will give you a boost of energy. For a delicious shake and boost in nutrition, try this: Shakeology


Work it Out- Ready. Set. Get active! There’s no way around it. Getting active, even in the most minimal of ways, does wonders for your body and overall health. Whether it’s power walking through the neighborhood, or a beach side boot camp class, you’ll get the most results when you increase your activity level. Not only will it aid in weight loss, but it helps to strengthen your heart! To get the heart pumping and that energy up, try this short and sweet workout:  10 Minute Trainer 

Until next time...keep the forward movement....

Letting Go...

“If you love something let it go free. If it doesn't come back, you never had it. If it comes back, love it forever.” Many a times, this quote is used in love. It narrates the anguish that comes from letting someone that you love with your entire being go. Though it may not feel good, it’s something that has to be done…and so you do. If that released love finds a way to re-ignite itself and find its way back to you, then you were meant to have it. As I lay in bed and pondered this saying, I began to realize that there was more to it than I thought.

It may be easiest to apply this quote in love, but it applies with everything. My sister got married a number of years ago. She was happy, energized by love, and a new mother. That little life that she and her husband brought into the world breathed joy into their spirits on a daily basis. Though he was ill since he was a child, their love and their child gave them the strength to move on and fight everyday battles…together. Never did she think that she would be a widow one year later. Her husband died suddenly and there she was…alone. I watched my sister become a former shell of herself as she went through the motions of planning her husband’s funeral. I watched the tears flow from her eyes and heard her silent cries. I watched the weight of life weigh her down as she thanked everyone for their help and condolences. I watched her connect to the only source of life she felt like she had to live for…my niece Kookie. As cliché as it sounds, time and only time, heals all things and eventually, with the everlasting piece of God, she began to live again. Though she will never let the memory of her husband go, she did let certain things go. She let the guilt surpass and the “what ifs” settle down. In order to live the best life for her child, she had to let the negative emotions go. Because she let go, she was able to find a new love. A new love that provided her an even newer more fulfilling thing to love….my niece Isabella. As she gazes upon her kids laughing and playing with each other, I often watch her only imagining the pure and everlasting love she feels for them. All of this is because she LET GO.
 For so long, there were so many things that I wanted to do, but got in my own way. I harbored such made-up ridiculousness that you would’ve thought I was a writer for an action packed dramatic film, lol. For every single thing that I decided to do, I created its negative counterpart as to why it wouldn’t or couldn’t work. I believe everyone hits a wall. This wall is the place that you finally run into that snaps you into a reality that has you thirsty for immediate personal action. No longer do you care about the reasons you’ve conjured up. All you know is that you need to act NOW. My breakthroughs have all come because I LET GO. In letting go, all these wonderful things have found their way back to me or are new to me. In the areas of love, entrepreneurship, success, my relationship with God, etc, all my stocks are up . It took me being obedient and LETTING GO.

I want to encourage you to truly let go of some things. Whether it comes back to you in the form of the insanely familiar or in the wave of something fresh and new, it will come back if it belongs to you.

 
Until next time...keep the forward movement....

It's Better to Give than Receive (article previously written for Fearless Magazine)

No matter how well you know someone, when the time comes to give him/her a gift, you’re usually left stumped. Take a look at some winning gifts for your love.

Gifts for her

1. Jewelry- when has a woman ever been upset over getting jewels? It’s a sure fire way to get the smiles and squeals of approval. Tip: Get something that can be personalized like a charm bracelet. Add charms that describe her and are reminiscent of the things she loves. No other gift will compare!

2. Make over- women are all about change; changing their clothes, their hair, and always their minds. A treat to the salon and having her make-up done will never go wrong because women love to be pampered. The way a woman look also affects the way she feels. Give her the gift of becoming even more beautiful, and she won’t be able to say enough thank-you’s!
 3. Shop till you drop- a gift card to her favorite store will definitely make her happy! What woman do you know that doesn’t like to shop? Be the reason that she gets to participate in one of her favorite activities!

Gifts for him


1. Electronics- men never get tired of electronics. They are forever fascinated with the latest technological release. Do a little digging and find out what he wants the most. Have the gift set up for him (if needed) and let him walk in on his surprise!


2. Plan a special night- the majority of the time, men do the planning when it comes to nights out. How about you give him the gift of being able to relax? You take charge and plan everything. He’ll enjoy the fact that he’s along for the ride!


3. Re-stock him- all the things that he needs, but doesn’t want to go buy...get them for him. They may be simple, but up the ante by getting nicer versions. He’ll be forever grateful!


Until next time...keep the forward movement.....

Keep the Loving Going (Article written for Fearless Magazine)

Whether some want to admit it or not, a lot of people show the most of their feelings on one designated day a year.  Yes, you may love the person everyday, but that day is the selected day that everyone goes overboard for.  In order to ensure that your lover knows you love them throughout the year, you must do things to show them.  Here are some tips on how to keep the loving going all year round.

Schedule a day- it’s easy to get caught up in your everyday responsibilities and ask yourself “where did the day go?”  You end up neglecting yourself and your lover.  A great thing to do is schedule a day/night.  That will show that you think the person is important enough to specifically take time out to make sure that you continue to show love throughout the year.

Words, compliments, thank you’s- words are powerful.  They can propel your day or compel your day.   A simple nice word, compliment, or “thank you,” can remind your lover of your appreciation for them.  Your words, appreciation, and compliments, will never, ever get old.  

Your wish is my command- Tending to your partner is another way to express love to your man/woman.  It’s a silent way because you’re doing things that, in a way, take care of them, but isn’t something major or always obvious.  Sometimes, it’s the little things that add up to something great.  

Now go forth and LOVE!

Until next time...keep the forward movement....

You're not lucky....You're PREPARED.

Luck.  Dictionary.com defines it as good fortune; advantage or success, considered as the result of chance. I started thinking about how often we rely on this so-called "luck."  The more I thought about it, the more I questioned it. How much do our accomplishments, desires, and daily happenings occur because of luck rather than preparation?

 

About a year and a half ago, I entered a constest.  I wanted to sharpen my public speaking skills, so I dove head first into my essay and video entry.  I wrote, proofed, and re-wrote my essay several times.  I filmed over a dozen entry videos and finally settled on one (that I still think is pretty awful, lol) and sent it in.  I made it past the first round, and answered a slew of additional questions from the judges.  A couple of weeks later, I was met with the awesome and quite surprising news that I won!  I received quite a few congratulatory messages including the phrase "you're so lucky!"  At the time, I didn't think much of it at all, but looking back now, I know that luck never had anything to do with it.  

A good friend of mine always wanted to attend law school.  Amongst other things, one of her main passions was law.  Well, life didn't necessarily go the way she planned.  Battling frustration and sadness, she made the conscious effort to push through the obstacles and keep working.  She studied, researched schools, sought out financial support, networked, prayed, and stayed focused.  She lined everything up and did all she could possibly do until there was nothing left to do but WAIT.  One day, she called me to to share her great news that she had been accepted into law school!  A couple of weeks ago, she completed her first year!  I know that so many people think that she's so lucky to be given the very thing that she's been hoping and praying for, but I think it's the furthest thing from luck.

I personally don't believe in luck.  I believe in full preparation meeting the perfect time and the sparks that ensue when those two things combine.  Things just don't happen out of nowhere.  You have to put forth effort and align your thoughts and actions all while waiting for the perfect time.   Oprah wrapped it up in one great sentence during her episode of Master's Class: "luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity".  She explains it perfectly below:

Above all else, God will align everything in your life and catapult you to where you need to be.  There's always a bigger hand at work.  Your job is to work and stay ready.  Your perfect moment will marry opportunity at the perfect time.

Until next time...keep the forward movement...

What are you REALLY saying?

If someone were to ask you what you would do to fulfill your dreams, you'd most likely answer "whatever it takes." When you realize your true passion and you have that fire burning deep down inside of you, you'll do anything you can to make them come true...or so you say.  Whether we realize it or not, we get caught up in the hum-drum routines of our days that create our habits.  You may say that you do one thing, but naturally do another.  What are your consistant actions really saying?

I'm a people pleaser....to a certain extent.  No matter what I'm doing, I always take the time to help someone else with whatever they need.  Whether I'm awake, asleep, busy, or in the midst of my own crisis, I will put it aside and pick up whatever you have going on.  Within the last year and half, I found myself wondering why it is that I can complete other people's tasks so quickly.  I felt that at the time, it took me too long to complete my own.   I sat down and started thinking about why this was.  What I came up with gave me an "aha moment."  I realized that even though I was helping people, I was inadvertently doing a disservice to myself.  My mind said that what I do and want to do is important, but my actions were saying that everyone else's tasks and issues were more important than my own.  The moment I realized that, I ceased my way of doing things.  Nowadays, unless it's an emergency, I will complete my own things first, and then go from there.  It may seem mean to some, but to my future, it's saying you're more important than anyone else.  Not tossing your own tasks aside unites the message that your head and your actions are giving. 

Another thing that people do that I notice that I was guily of as well is this: being too tired to work on their passion.  In the past, there were so many things that I wanted to do, but claimed that I couldn't because I worked all day and the evening didn't provide enough time and energy for me to complete a project.  Before you know it, days turn into weeks, weeks turns into months, and months turn into years.  You hold on to the same excuses and hold on to the same life.  The message in your mind remains the same however: My future and goals are important to me.  The message in your actions however are silently screaming something else:  My future and goals aren't important enough for me to make the sacrifice to achieve them.   Even though you feel differently, your actions aren't aligned with what you're saying and until that happens you won't achieve your goals.  


You must be clear about what you're saying and the message you're projecting.  Saying one thing but doing another will ultimately cause you to fail in what you want to achieve.  If you need to put some people and tasks on hold and prioritize your own goals, then you're going to have to do that no matter what the repurcussions.  If you have to go to work, drink a red bull, clock in at that second shift (working on your passion), and burn the midnight oil, then so be it!  The sacrifice will be worth it in the end and your message will be speaking loud and clear:  My aspirations of worth everything to me and I will work hard until I reach them!


Until next time...keep the forward movement...

Who Runs the World?

Girls! This is by far one of my favorite Beyonce songs.  The upbeat rhythm coupled with the powerful words, coerces even the most timid of souls to jump up and rock to the beat.  The top female entertainer of this generation always gives us music to dance to and heart wrenching ballads to belt out.  Love her or hate her, you can't deny her talent and the way she motivates others.  Throughout her music and career in general, she continues to propel this one message:  FEMALE EMPOWERMENT....and I love it. 

In a world where women are pitted against each other, it's refreshing to have many musical reminders that we should support one another, rather than plot and scheme to bring others down.  Since the beginning of time, women were bred to 'one-up' one another and do whatever it takes to be the 'queen-bee'.  Whether it's through rigging a contest so that you win by embarrassing another female, or going as low as taking her man (karma), our world celebrates the demise of the essence of sisterhood.  The very strength that we could use to build each other up is the very one we use to hold each other down.  I'm not speaking to every woman, but if we're honest with ourselves, you can name several off the top of your head who is exactly what this blog entry is talking about.

When I was in college, I joined a modeling organization.   The business of modeling can be very cut-throat, but we were a family that all had the same purpose.  Our main goal aside from our semester shows was service and we frequently gave our time to different organizations.  As I spent time with my new family, I grew close to several people and we truly became inseparable.  One of my close friends had a friend (we'll call her Stacy), who I spoke to and was cordial to, but was never really friends with.  I didn't have any ill-will toward her and thought she was a nice girl, but never really divulged my personal business to.  Well, months later, I heard that a certain woman (obviously Stacy) was spreading rumors about me and a young man I was dating.  The rumor was along the lines of him only dating me because of my looks and not really caring about me, etc.  The rumor was a little less diplomatic than I just stated, but I'm sure you get the drift. 

Initially I was mad.  Then I became hurt.  After some thought and some venting with friends, I decided to let it go.  What initially bothered me about it was the fact that I had never said or even thought anything negative about this young woman, but here she was talking about me.  I chalked it up to several things: low self-esteem, an obvious lack of happiness somewhere, and the virus that a lot of women unfortunately have that causes them to hate other women unnecessarily. 

That's just one personal example, but I have many more and I'm sure if we had a microphone and asked other women to share their experiences, the line would wrap around the world.  It's so sad that women in general roll their eyes at each other, whisper behind each other's backs, and deliberately sabotage one another.  If you don't like someone, actually have a legetimate reason/situation that causes you to feel that way.  That is more understandable, but hating for no reason, is so sad and a direct reflection of the sadness and inferiority that lies within you.  I for one, practice the rule of upliftment.  There's enough room at the top for us all as we will never serve the very same purpose.  In empowering others genuinely, you truly uplift yourself. 

Ladies...SISTERHOOD IS THE NEW BLACK. We can do so much more together than we can apart.  If you find yourself to be one of these women that "hate", work on your own issues.  Heal your own wounds and be an example not only for future generations, but for the existing generations of women.  Live. Laugh. Love. EMPOWER. 



Until next time...keep the forward movement...