Write the Vision...Make it Plain...

It's 2006 and everyone now knows.  Knows what you ask?...knows the secret.  This phenomenol movie comes out and let's you know how to not only take control of your life, but also  take control of your destiny.  Ask and you shall receive.  Truly believe and wait on what you know is already yours.  These are great themes throughout the film and if you haven't seen it, I urge you to get it as soon as possible.  

One of the parts of the movie involves writing down or making a collage of the things that you want.  It's actually part of the process of receiving whatever it is that you want.  You are to put the vision and yearning that is in your mind on to something that you can actually see outside of your mind.  That is in turn declaring your vision.  A man in the film did just that.  He had done a vision board years before and put it out of view.  He continued to live his life still believing and waiting on the things that he wanted to obtain.  One day, his son was sitting on and kicking a box that contained his boards.  His son asked what was in the box and he replied saying that it was a vision board.  Not knowing what that meant, he asked his father what it was and why he did it.  The man began to explain what this board was and what it meant and in the midst of that, he began to choke up with emotion.  He hadn't looked at that board in such a long time that he failed to realize the home that he placed on that board years ago, was the very home he currently lived in!!!!  Wow!  His dream had been realized!  He was living one of his dreams!  How awesome is that?!  

Something about that did something to me.  I was amazed by that!  All of a sudden, everywhere I turned, and everyone I talked to, had the same message of putting your desires in plain view.  There's even a BIBLE verse from Habakkuk 2:2 that says to "write the vision and make it plain."  No matter what you believe in, the message is still the same; Illustrating your desires will propel you into your reality as long as you truly believe.

Now, I had said to myself, and a whole slew of other people, that I was working on one for a long time and never really was.  I had tons of ideas, but never really put them into action.  I came up with a bunch of excuses and made-up road blocks as to why I couldn't complete it.  One day, I just decided to take the bull by the horns and committ myself to my dream book and  therefore my destiny.  I devoted myself to putting my all into my book, so it could really reflect me and the things that were important to me.  I not only documented with pictures, but with words.  I even wrote a letter to myself at the end.  It was a letter of encouragement, love, and motivation to myself.  At first, it felt a little awkward, but you have to be your greatest motivator, so I put my soul into it and it'll be a beautiful moment, when I can look back and see my dreams realized.

Since this is my outlet and you are here, I figured you'd be curious as to what my book looked like, so I've decided to share some excerpts of it with all of you.  Of course you can't see the words, but you'll get the jist.  Take a look....

Front Cover

Things that I like, describe me, or quotes

Photo Collage

Work and Wealth

Travel

Family & Friends

Peace

Faith

Houses/Cars

Love & Lust

I really recommend you doing a vision board and/or book!  It's so powerful!  I warn that if you do it without really believing you can get these things physical or nonphysical, don't waste your time!  It won't matter and it definitely won't happen.  For those of you who have a ton of excuses, especially the popular "I'm not creative" excuse, I've got news for you: neither am I!  Whether you think you can or not, you ALWAYS can if you really want to!  And for those who are really wanting to, but are still fighting it, I've got some tips for you in the video link below, so no excuses...just do it!....your world is waiting to see it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uku0oGSWh3o

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

Do YOU.....

Lately I've noticed something.  I like to help out in whatever capacity I can.  I'm usually the "go-to" person for a lot of things, and I usually do it.  I'm the type of person that whether I want to do it or not, if it helps, I will.  That's one of the ways I show that I care; whether I know you or not.  It's just me.  When you genuinely do things, you don't expect it in return, but in the back of your mind, I'm sure you want some sort of appreciation.  A simple "thank you" would suffice.  I've come to find out the hard way that sometimes no matter what you do, or how much you do, it may never be enough.  For whatever reason, people won't always be as appreciative as you'd like and often times, what you don't do is what they'll remember.  

This happens in other ways too.  For instance,  I have so many ventures that I'm actively working on and of course, naturally, I just know that everyone I know will be so supportive and completely on board with it, but they're not.  If some even show interest, it's minute or sometimes ingenuine though they think I don't notice.   Funny enough, strangers can be more supportive than the poeple you know.

In my celebratory moments, there are still some that cringe or don't fully celebrate my success.  It pains them to see me reach what they have not and probably won't.

Overall. there are things that you do even with the most sincere of intentions, and unfortunately, it can be received in a completely different manner.  It's out of your control.  If you've ever argued with someone about something they were 100% sure about even if you knew it was wrong, all that mattered was what they thought.  How frustrating, huh?  It makes you not want to share your success right?  It makes you not want to continue to reach out all the time and help right?  It makes it you not want to give your all right?....ABSOLUTELY NOT!

The fact of the matter is no matter what you do and how well you do it or what great intentions you have in doing it, everyone will not always be elated for you.  Some are guaranteed to forget all the good and hold on to the bad.  Some will allow their jealousy and low self-esteem to get in the way of their potential happiness and support for you.  Does this mean you stop being yourself?  Nope!  Whether you get a "thank you"  and are remembered for good or not, continue to still do it.  Whether you have 100 people celebrating with you or 1 person, you celebrate anyway!  Whether people believe in you or not, continue to realize that dream until it's a reality!

What I really want you to keep in mind is to never stop doing YOU.  Never allow people, places, or things, to get in the way of you continuing to be you.  Don't let situations determines the type of person you are or what you become.  Don't let them take the good outof you.  Don't let anything taint you.  At the end of the day, YOU will have to be happy with YOU and if you like who you are and know what you're about, that's worth so much more than anything else.

Surprisingly, in feeling somewhat annoyed with the fact that I felt a little underappreciated, I ran into this poem or shall I say, it found me.  While waiting in my doctor's office, a nurse made a copy and handed it to me not knowing a thing about my thoughts.  Coincidence....I think not.  Tonight, it's the perfect way to end.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfatihful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

Give the best you have and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

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

On the FAST track.....

I'm a firm believer in sacrifice, especially when it comes to getting something you truly want.  I personally don't think that you can get anything that's worth something without giving something up whether it's big or small.  Keeping this in mind, I decided to go on a spiritual fast called the Daniel's fast. http://www.christ-web.com/missions/farho/daniel-fast  This fast, if you do it whole-heartedly without personal exceptions, has many food restrictions.  For the most part, all you can eat for a time span of 21 days is fruits, vegtables, wheat-flour substances, natural juices, and water.  It takes a lot of discipline because it's for a long period of time and because it restricts a lot of things that you eat or drink regularly.  For example, I love all things coffee related and you can't have caffeine.  Now that may seem like something small, but if it's part of your everyday like it is mine, it's an obvious thing to give up.  A lot of people do it for spiritual and physical reasons.

As 2009 came to a close, I reflected on the year and decided to begin my new year with sacrifice through this fast.  As I told you in a previous entry, I wasn't into resolutions this year, but I still wanted to do something that reflected where I was and what better time to begin than at the start of the new year, so that's what I did.  So while everyone was toasting, kissing, & screaming "happy new year", I was in prayer and began my fast at exactly 12:00 am.   I made sure to choose a purpose that was so much bigger than me in order for me to stay on track.  I knew, no matter what, I'd never quit, but in doing something so great, I made sure that my reasons for doing it were so much more important than what I was giving up.  

Well, I just finished it on Friday at 12:00 and I must say, I was so proud of myself.  I had done this fast before, but I felt so different after this specific time.  Submerging yourself in prayer and focus allows to enable your tunnel vision and keep out all the things that are unneccessary for you.  Even physically I felt different and my body has been yelling at anything that has not been a part of the past 3 weeks.  It's allowing me to see what I truly should be allowing into my body.  A lot of the things that I gave up on top of the fast are also making their way back and mentally, I'm not receptive to them anymore either.  The funny thing is, prior to doing the fast, I didn't realize their negative effects.

When you take a risk or step out on faith, you have to know, that you know, that you know.  It's just that simple.  The greater the risk, the greater the reward.  

When you give something up with a pure intention and a focused mind, the end result will be exactly what you need, more than you wanted, and bigger than you could've imagined.  I urge you to simply wait on it.  It may not be easy, but nothing worth having ever is and sometimes, you have to suffer now to enjoy the fruits of your labor later.  Go ahead and take a step out on faith and get on the fast track...destination: wherever you want and need to be with whatever your heart desires.

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

Labor Pains...Prepare for Delivery...

Labor.  What do you think when you hear that word?  Usually, the first thing that comes to mind is a pregnant woman.  The next thing is probably the thought of  excruciating pain that you can't wait to be over, but recently, I started looking at it in a different light.  

A friend of mine and I were having a conversation about life in general.  It was one of those "catch up" conversations where you try to jam-pack 6 months of your life into 30 minutes.  Anyway, we were trading war stories about things we've been through and our new coping mechanisms.  Mine and what I found out later was hers as well, was adjusting our focus to positivity and not "sweating the small or big stuff".  I told her that I shared this with someone I knew and they asked me "well Steph, what if I keep a positive mindset and nothing happens that I want?  Then it was a waste of time."  My friend and I both started laughing when I told her this, because we had the same thought:

"It is much better to live your life with  positivity and the faith that you will receive your desires whether it goes your way or not, than to live your life negatively and never get what you truly want."

Think about that for a minute.  If you knew that no matter what your attitude, you'd get the same result, wouldn't it make more sense to choose the happier road?  I'll aswer for you...it does!  Whether your like or not, it rains, so choose to dance in the rain.  It makes life so much more enjoyable.  

As my friend and I continued our conversation, we started listing things we were grateful for despite what we've gone and are going through and I said "our labor pains are worth it; when we deliver, we'll be so overjoyed, we won't remember the pain."  Ladies and gentlemen, I must say, sometimes I amaze myself with my own growth because literally a few months ago, I wasn't thinking this way.  It makes so much sense when you think about it.  When I was younger, I once asked my mom how a pregnant woman can go from screaming, crying, and in extreme pain one moment and in the next instant, after that child is born, she is smiling and filled with utter happiness.  My mom calmy said "when you see that perfect little face, you realize the pain was worth it and you don't even feel it anymore."  Wow!  That gave me a new perspective!

A lot of the things that people go through, especially the tough things are the equivalent of labor pains.  It hurts and it's uncomfortable.  Sometimes, you feel like it will never end, but know through the pain that you are nurturing growth.  Just like a child inside of a woman's body, is nurtured, and prepared for delivery, you through the tough times, through your labor, are being nurtured and prepared for your delivery.  When it comes, it will be greater than you imagined.  It will come when you're truly ready for it to come, not just when you want it.  There will be a wonderful newness that arrives and you will have what you've been working and/or waiting for.  The pain will have been worth it; the labor will have not been in vain. 

Embrace the pain....enjoy the gain....

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

Love those that hate you...

"Love those that hate you."  So much easier said than done.  I have heard this saying before and I'm sure a lot of you have heard it as well.  Although, we all want to be this way, in the midst of something upsetting, I'm sure it's not the first thing you think of nor is your reaction reflective of this saying.  It's usually in the aftermath that you think of this quote.

I've noticed with the recent earthquake that occurred in Haiti how much people have really come out and have pitched in to be of service to mankind.  It's a beautiful thing to see how people can come together and help those who are suffering and in need no matter race, color, or creed.  Many people have been selfless, have encouraged, and have been an example for others to do the same.  Unfortunately, even in such a horrible time, there are many people have who done just the opposite.

Hatred had reared it's ugly head throughout this disaster as well.  There have been a lot of ignorant people along with their insignificant beliefs that have tried to infiltrate the positivity that has taken place.  Instead of being of service, they are ridiculing people and things, and have completely denied any empathy toward suffering people.

This morning during my usual breakfast stop, I heard two men discussing why they felt these people deserved this and their reasons to support their witlessness.  I went to work in awe and so upset that people like this, who could watch people suffer, die, and lay on the side of the road like cattle, exist.  It was extrememly disheartening.  The end of my day was no better with an ignorant employee stating something similarly as I loaded things donated by several people to send to those who were less fortunate.  In each situation,  I thought about stopping and giving them a piece of my mind, but you can't change people like that nor can you control them.  The only thing that you can control is yourself.

Though I was thinking this, I was still seething on the way home.  I called a friend of mine and she reminded me how much better than that mindset and how much better than blowing up I was.  She reminded me not fall off of the successful path that I was on because of asinine people.  She kept saying that over and over.  After we hung up, I continued to drive and stared straight ahead into the silence when I heard the thought in my mind...."love those that hate you."  It was like a light bulb.  I recited it to myself until I calmed down and at that moment, I truly felt sorry for those people.  My anger diminished.

No matter what the situation, you can't allow yourself to be pulled down as low as some people or things.  In moments, where you can't possibly understand how someone could be so heartless, whether it's to you or someone else, you have to find the mental strength to love them still.  This is obviously not in a literal sense, but the meaning is still love and rising above.  People expect you to argue back or get offended and be upset, but whether you know it or not, this is giving them and negativity control.  Then you end up feeling bad and defeated.  Positivity is so much more powerful than negativity and when you truly know and master that, you'll forever be flying high.  I leave you will love....

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

Check yourself....

Great travesties force us to realize how trivial and insignificant things are.  For example, a few  nights ago, my phone stopped working.  Just like that it stopped ringing and receiving messages, so in true fashion, I panicked, because like a lot of people now a days, your phone is your access to the world.  After a few minutes, I decided to just go to sleep and deal with it in the morning.  The very next day, I called, argued, and got a new phone shipped to me.  I repeatedly requested wanting a red phone.  I said it a few times to make sure that I received a red one and guess what?  I did not get the red one!  I got an ugly grayish & silver one.  I was so annoyed when I saw that!  That's not what I wanted and they were about to find out.  As I reached for the phone to call them, something stopped me.  All of a sudden, I was so ashamed of myself.  How dare I be upset about not getting the right color phone when people all over the place don't have food, water, or electricity?  With the devastation that has occurred this week in Haiti, dead bodies are laying on the side of the road and adults and helpless children are walking around aimelessly.  I felt so bad.  At that moment, I was grateful for the fact that I even had a phone.  I focused on the fact that one day I ask for a phone and the very next day I receieve it.  No muss, no fuss.  It helped me to realize that in life you have to choose your battles and in the greater scheme of things, the color of my phone is not worth it or even that important.  Sometimes we get caught up in insignificant things and forget to appreciate the good.  Don't focus on the one tiny black speck on the huge white wall.  There is so much more to see.  The next time you find yourself about to get upset over something so small, just check yourself......

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

Reflecting on the earthquake....help anyway you can!

 The sudden catastrophe that occurred in Haiti, put a lot of things in perspective for me.  I've been doing more and more learning new perspectives as I grow as a person.  Lately, I've been making sure that I appreciate everything and not allow anything to detour me from my positivity.  After submersing myself in news of the earthquake, I reached a point where I had to turn everything off.  Despite all that I heard, all the pictures of dead bodies, tear-stained faces, and ruined buildings, I forced myself to find something positive.  I forced myself to think of the good that still exists.  Do you know how hard that was?  Even as I heard my own parents cry about the state of our country, and the fact that they can't get in touch with their siblings, I had to stay positive.   That was probably the hardest part of not allowing my attitude to be derailed.  To see your own parents in pain is emotionally hard, but even still, I looked toward the horizons of positivity.  As I sent my prayers out to those suffering and the country itself, I was, in that same moment, elated to be able to be thankful for my immediate family who was safe and well.  I was thankful that I, along with many others, were in the position to find different ways of sending our help to those who are less fortunate.  You see, no matter how bad you think you have it, or how little you have, someone is always worse off than you.  You can always be a help to someone.  The mere fact that you are alive is enough to be happy, because every single day, someone loses someone they know, so when a natural disaster occurs, you can't imagine how many people are affected at the same time.  Think about it.  What if you didn't know where your family or friends were?  Of what if you didn't even know if they were dead or alive as the news continued to report an increase in the death toll?  It's so much easier to truly understand things when you put yourself in that position.  Things are alot different in your mind now aren't they?  Even though you know it's not your reality, the thought of it is disturbing.

 Today, I urge you to see what you can do and do it!  There are plenty of ways to donate and help!

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

Breaking News: Earthquake in Haiti

Close your eyes.  Calm yourself and breathe deeply.  Imagine yourself spending time with family and/or friends or even by yourself.  You're having a good time and are relaxed.  Maybe you decide to get up and go for a walk or you're on your way home.  No matter what you're doing, you're relaxed and going on with your day as usual.  It's a pretty good thought isn't it?  All of a sudden, the earth begins to shake.  Everything in sight begins to crumble and there is nowhere to run.  If you're with someone, you try to rush to each other and try to hide.  If you're by yourself, you do whatever to shield yourself from the tumbling things.  You may hear screaming and crying and crashing and there's absolutely nothing you can do until it is over.    Open your eyes.  What are you thinking?  How do you feel?  I'm sure everyone reading this is so grateful that they only imagined an Earthquake and it didn't really happen.  Too bad everyone can't be grateful it was just a dream.

On January 12, 2010, the first black country to gain their independence, Haiti was hit with a devastating 7.0 earthquake shortly before 5 pm.  What followed were two strong after shocks that had magnitudes of 5.5 and 5.9.  The damage has been devastating.  The country has been hit by natural catastrophe's before, but this is definitely one of the worst.  As of now, there is no specific dead body count, but thousands of feared to be dead in the aftermath.  In a country where 70-80% of the population lives in poverty, this earthquake is more devastating to the Haiti, then it would be in a country that has a lot more financial stability and support.  The US government has even set up a number to help people locate their family members (888-407-4747).  Not much more is known at this time, but as a new day comes, more questions will be answered and the true damages will be shown as it hard to see since it happened in the later part of the day.

This my friends, is yet another reason to be grateful for life. Things may not always be going the way you think they should and everything is not always perfect, but there are always situations that remind us of how blessed we are.  If you're not in Haiti, nor have people you know there, tonight you will just go to sleep.  You will not have had to fight for your life, nor are you worrying if anyone is dead or alive.  That alone, should be reason enough to maintain an attitude of gratitude.  

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

Don't judge a book by its cover.....Be encouraged!

If we could only see what's really going on in other people's lives....not the beneath the surface of what we see, but what we never get a chance to see.  The things that we are completely unaware of their existance.  The stuff that would change your whole outlook on them, if you knew.

Me and my friends always and I mean, ALWAYS are discussing where we are in life, our dreams and desires, and where we aim to be.  Up until a short while ago, we discussed our lives in comparison to other people.  You know the people you knew growing up or the people you went to college with.  No matter how we saw it, we always saw that our lives were not as good, or as successful, or as happy.  We kept bringing up certain names and certain situations and were baffled by the fact that we were nowhere near where we wanted to be or what our definition of success was, but these people who didn't work really hard, partied way too much, didn't give back, didn't think about others, had no belief system, etc. appeared to be more happy than we.  Now we knew we weren't perfect, but we just couldn't understand why it seemed that certain people had it so easy and we didn't.  I can't even tell you when, but within a moment, I started thinking differently.

I began thinking of all that I had been through in the past few years and remembered one very frustrating thing.  I felt the need to continue to appear to be as perfect and as well put-together as I always am.  You see, I've always been a perfectionist and ever since I was a kid, everyone expected that from me.  You knew you could always depend on me and I'd do what I'd say.  I always received good grades, and was very socially involved.  I've been writing for years and could provide a fabulous list of great things I planned to accomplish, so everyone just knew I had it all together.  When you show yourself a certain way, this is what people come to expect.  A huge part of my personality is to keep things in, so you'd never know if something was wrong or not.  The actress in me would never allow it.  So in a way, I helped to fuel the persona that everyone expected.  That's where the frustration came from.  No matter what I was going through, I couldn't even express it because people didn't know what to do with it, so I kept it all to myself.  This got me thinking: what if people were looking at me in the same way that my friends and I looked at them?

At that moment things kind of clicked for me and helped me to change the way I thought of things.  As far as everyone is concerned, I'm great and I'm not frustrated or have things going on that I'm not happy with and so on and so forth.  They would be feeling the same way thinking that everything was perfect for me not knowing what I went through and what it took to get me past that point.  The truth is, when you look at someone, celebrity or not, you should never just see what you see.  The fact of the matter is, you've never read a page of their story, nor have they read a page of yours.  Who's to say, that they are happy?  Who's to say that you are?  There are so many people out there with what appears to be the perfect life and they are literally dying on the inside.  The same thing goes for you.  People don't know what you've been through or are going through and vice versa.

As I write this, I am so thankful for the struggle.  It builds character and stretches you as a person.  I'm thinking so differently than I was a week ago, a month ago, a year ago and it's thanks to the pages in my book.  Because of those pages, there is now this beautiful cover.  I encourage you to not look at others but to focus and work on yourself.  Before you know it, everything you went through will have strengthened you for the beautiful cover that protects the pages of your book....

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

Lose Control....Let Go....

There's a famous saying that says "if you let someone or something go, and it comes back to you, then it's meant to be yours."  Now there are different variations of this, mostly including love, but the understanding and purpose of the quote is the same.  I really believe this.  People want things to go their way.  It's only natural to want what you want.  It's also natural to do whatever is possible in order to get what you want, but sometimes we hinder ourselves without even knowing it.  You need to get out of your own way.  The things we may be grasping for and controlling may not be for us to have or it may not be time yet, so no matter what you do to take control and make it happen, it just won't.  Great things happen at the time they're supposed to, so even if something is for you, until it's time, it won't.  Don't give up hope on someone or something just because it hasn't happened yet.  Some of the most beautiful and awesome things occur when you just let go.  Do you ever look back and wonder how it is that you got to the wonderful place that you are or how you got through a certain situation?  In the midst of it, you couldn't see a way out and the struggle was sometimes so suffocating to a point where you decided to let things unravel themselves.  You decide to continue to work hard, but to also go with the flow instead fighting against the current.  All of sudden, something shifted.....your focus is my guess.....and therefore everything else shifted right along with it.  You let go knowing that there is always something bigger than you at work, and there you are.  This year , this week, this day, this moment, I urge you to let go and see how things line up in your favor.  I'm sure it will be more amazing than you could've conceived....

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

Give and Receive

We're just coming off of the holiday season, so the giving and receiving of gifts are in abundance right now.  People are still giving late gifts from the season that passed and we are gearing up for Valentine's day.  For every holiday, there are many forms of gifts, but there is another form of gift giving that is so much more rewarding.  I'm talking about giving not to receive, but giving just to be a blessing to someone or something.  People give like this in many ways such as tithing at their local church, donating money to a worthy cause, helping out at a homeless shelter, donating clothes and other items to the less fortunate, and so much more.  This is the true essence of giving.  The definition of give is to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.  Genuinely giving without expecting anything in return will always compentsate you in life even if you didn't expect it.  Alot of times, it isn't from the source you gave to, but it comes from somewhere and when it does, it usually comes in an abundance.  This year, find a way to give to someone or something outside of yourself.  He will reward in more ways than you can imagine....

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

Get Moving!

When was the last time you worked out or went to the gym?  For a lot of people, especially at this earlier part of the year, they can cheerfully say "today" or "yesterday" because a huge percentage of people's resolutions are to start working out and to lose weight.  My question is, whatever happened to just being healthy?  Even if you don't want and/or need to lose weight, you definitely always need to remain healthy, and working out consistently will do just that.  Experts state that exercise is a simple solution for not only weight loss, but for stress, depression, boredom, and conditioning of the heart.  It contributes to lowering cholesterol and lowering the chance of, if not eliminating diabetes.  Exercise also releases endorphins.  Endorphins are proteins in the brain that are released during exercise that act as the body's natural pain reliever.  It is also said to cause a euphoric state and contributes to overall feelings of well-being.  In a nutshell, it makes you feel good!  Who would've thought that exercise did so much?!  I'm sure there are plenty of other great reasons to exercise as well.  If you are someone who exercises regularly, keep up the good work!  If you're not, here are some tips to get you going:

1. Pick a reasonable number of days a week that you can go consistently throughout the year.  There goes that word again..consistent...and yes I said YEAR.  If you workout for 4 months, stop, and then 5 months later you begin again, those initial 4 months meant absolutely nothing and you will forever be starting over again in terms of getting in shape and staying healthy.  
2. Find different interests and change it up.  No matter how much you like the gym, or anything else, it will get boring after a while which leads to ultimately stopping, so do different things.  Join a community league and play a sport, go to the gym, and take a class.  Try a new form of exercise that you've never done like pilates, hiking, yoga, spinning, etc.  How do you know you don't like it if you don't try it?
3. Enlist the help of someone else.  It helps when you have someone else to work out with.  It provides motivation. WARNING: Do NOT depend on them.  If they end up stopping or not wanting to start at all, you still have to maintain your committment to yourself.
4. Make a goal.  When you have something to work toward, it gives you more ammunition to continue on and work hard.
5. Make NO EXCUSES.  So, you can't go to the gym today...so what?  Walk around your neighborhood.  So you have no weights at home...so what?  I'm sure you have some heavy things around the house that you can substitute and they'll work just fine.  So you don't exactly know what to do or what will work for you....ASK!!!!  There are plenty of people who do know and are willing to share their knowledge.
6. Get your mind right.  If you're not mentally prepared and committed, it will never last and this will carry over into other parts of your life.  You will be inconsistent in all that you do and that behavior and mindset never. accomplishes. anything.

So what are you waiting for?  Get up and get going!  The new healthier and sexier you will thank you.

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

Selfish or Smart?

Selfish. Dictionary.com defines it as "devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others." What's the first thing that comes to mind when u hear that word?  Whatever it is, I'm sure it's negative.  Most people have a disdain for selfish people as do I, but lately I've started viewing it in a different light.  What if a little bit of selfish wasn't so bad?  What if a little bit of selfish was good?  What if a little bit of selfish was a necessary ingredient for you to achieve the type of success you wanted in life?  Would you think it was so bad then?  I've come to the realization that a little bit of selfish may be just what the doctor ordered.

Often times, we as people, try to be helpful and do whatever is needed in order to be of service.  Service is important in life and not only for family.  A lot of people give back by volunteering their time, and donating their things and/or money, but when does giving of yourself become too much?....here's the answer...when it takes away from the things you're trying to accomplish.  This mainly happens with time.  If you give money or things, chances are you are at liberty to be able to do that,  but time is a little different.  A lot of us don't have time management.  There are so many things that we could do but never get around to it.  Often it's because we just don't take the initiative, but a lot of times as well, it's because you're giving away your time.  It may be to a worthy cause, but when you find yourself unable to progress, it may be time to take back some of your time.

In order to accomplish anything, you need to be able to devote your energy, focus, and time to it.  Often enough, it's A LOT of time.  You can't choose other things or people ultimately over yourself.  Sometimes you have to be a little selfish because no one can live your life for you and no one can accomplish your dreams for you.  You have to have moments of tunnel vision where you're fixated on goals and are willing to attain them by any means necessary.  This may mean pushing things and people to the side for a while.  I'm not saying completely let them go, but there has to be boundaries and a balance.  The funny thing is, when you have a desire so important and the need to achieve it, the momentary true balance is unbalanced....and until you get to where you'll be, it may remain that way.

There's a way to do this without being completely unconcerned with anything or anyone else.  Proceed with caution especially when it comes to family, friends, and lovers.  They may not understand and feel rejected, but your job is to make them understand that by taking a little "you time" and by being what they may think is a little selfish, it will in the end, make you better for you and for them.

Time is not promised, nor are you ever able to get it back when it's gone, so use it wisely and don't feel bad when you take the time to focus on yourself.  When done correctly and with vision, it's not selfish...it's smart.

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

Shake it Off

This morning I was so unmotivated to get out of bed, go to work, or do anything else that I had planned for that matter.  I went back and forth about getting up and tried coming up with whatever believable, but not deadly excuse I'd come up with for just not going to work.  My whole day flashed before my eyes and I saw myself wallowing in the sadness and frustration that I felt at that moment.  I was letting people and things get the best of me and ruin not only my day, but all the plans I had for my day.  I laid there. And laid there. And laid there.  Until something told me to get up and shake it off....and that's exactly what I did.

All of sudden, I was so upset with myself.  I asked myself  "how dare you allow yourself to be so bothered by people or a situation that it stops you and your plans to greatness?" and "are these more important than you?"  That's what you're doing you know.  When you allow other things to stop you from what you're doing;  You're making the outside factors more important than your goals....more important than your dreams...more important than....YOU. Wow!  That puts things in perspective doesn't it?  When you realize how much control outside factors have over you...or how you ALLOW them to have that control. When you allow things to stop you from doing or feeling anything great, you have given control and until you realize that, they will keep control over you.  When you realize the importance of you, then you can take that control right back and seize it forever.

See, even if you are not important to anyone else, you have to be important to you!  You can't allow anything or anyone to detour you from anything!..not going to gym, not getting up early, not finishing that book, not trying a new thing, and definitely not achieveing your dreams! Guess what?  These things and/or people will never allow you to get in their way, so push them out of yours!  Your time is always going to be RIGHT NOW!  Don't ignore your daily blessings by focusing and giving in to your moment.  We're human, so we get frustrated and upset, but don't wallow in it.  Let it be what it is...a moment...and SHAKE IT OFF!  Get up and get going! 

As I write this I'm inspired and moved at the fact that I could get to a point in my life where I could not only write this, but live it, which allows me to genuinely share with you what I've done and what I know works!  What a fool I'd be to waste a day that I was woken up and healthy.  Don't you be a fool either!

Until Next Time....keep the forward movement....

New Year, New Things

The New Year is so refreshing. It births so many new things and promises to fulfill every request and desire made. It renews spirits. New possibilites show up and new attitudes come right along with it. You feel like you can do anything. The first month goes great! You have so much enthusiasm for all the things you desire to achieve and/or attain. Somewhere along the lines, that desire fades....and quickly. By March, you're looking forward to the following year! Why? Why is it that we start out of the gates with so much energy and gumption and lose it almost as quickly as it started? Is it because we didn't mean it or that we weren't ready for it?... My guess is that we weren't ready.


For instance, take a runner. They train year-round. They condition their minds, bodies, and souls to enable themselves to be a successful competitor in a race. They practice, eat right, and maintain their health in order to be in the best shape possible. This ensures that when they do run that race, they enter it with as much capability as they can acquire. Even with all of this, they sometimes still lose, but at least they know that they prepared....unlike a lot of us in terms of our resolutions. We desire to achieve so many things and our excitement fuels us to jump in the race without even a workout, more or less training and committment. We figure, with the new year, all the things will fall into place and magically happen. Guess what?....it doesn't. Things don't change, YOU change things. You just don't change, you make the effort and exhibit the discipline in changing yourself and it doesn't happen at the stroke of 12. It takes enlightenment, acknowledgement, humility, motivation, and discipline.


You must first recognize the fact that you may need a mental and emotional makeover and go about positive ways in doing so. You must learn to master the control of your thoughts. Initially, it'll be hard to do, but the more you do it, the more you recognize the negative thoughts and actions, and the easier it is correct, and before you know it, you'll be thinking and acting in a more positive way. Thoughts direct your actions which is why they are so important. When your thoughts and actions are directed in the right place, that's when you start to change and put effort toward the things you truly want to achieve.


This year, instead of listing a bunch of things you want to do and start with no preparation or true insight, take the time to self-evaluate. Search yourself to see what it is that you really want and will put consistent effort toward achieving. For example, if you want to be a singer, but don't like crowds, hate traveling, don't like to be put on the spot, and don't like practicing, then this isn't a realistic goal for you no matter how much you think you like it. However, if there is something that you like, that you can see yourself truly putting consistent effort in over a long period of time, then that's something you should seriously consider. Do your research on it and figure out if it's right for you. By doing this, you may be able to give a real effort at achieving one of your resolutions.


My advice is NOT to wait. Whatever it is, choose NOW. The only time that you can count on is the present...other than that, nothing belongs to you. Make this year the begining of resolving to start....and finish at all times. Make this the beginning of consistent efforts that are ruled by you and not the beginning of each new year. This way, you'll accomplish so much and will truly be able to celebrate a new year and new things.....

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