skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Consume: to enjoy avidly; to engage fully. Obsess: to haunt or excessively preoccupy the mind. The past week or so has magnified what being overly consumed with something does. I have watched friends and family as well as myself, be consumed by certain things and it does more damage than good. We are sometimes taught that to be consumed means to really care, but when does the art of productive consummation turn into dangerous obsession?
My business. Right now, I live in the space of doing whatever it takes to build my brand. As a life coach, motivational speaker, editor and contributing writer for several magazines, along with a slew of other projects, I AM MY BRAND. It will only go as far or be as successful as I am, so I work...HARD. There's never a moment that goes by that I'm not doing something or thinking of the next best thing. I live in the place of intensity because to achieve the goals that I have set for myself, it will take a lot. The only moment I'm not working on something is when I'm asleep, and every so often, my dream will find me in my dreams. In my mind, although I advise other people to know when to take a break, everything is fine. I feel that this is most certainly what I need to be doing. Well...sometimes, it isn't so good. Within the last few weeks, I felt extremely tired all the time. It didn't feel like I could catch up and actually feel rested. My friends and family constantly told me I needed a break, but I replied that for all that I had to do, I couldn't conceptualize what a break was at this point. No matter how I felt, I continued to plug along. Well, the body knows when it's too tired and it will let you know in a way that isn't so fun. I had a day where I wasn't able to focus at all. No matter what I tried to do, I couldn't really get into my work. I lost my voice. Normally when I get really tired, it will break, but this time I could barely speak. As I felt this enormous fatigued-filled weight, I actually chuckled to myself. I heard the voices of my family and friends that told me to simply relax. Now I had no choice. I'm a firm believer in plugging along, but sometimes when you force creativity, it ends up being a big mess, so I finally listened. A simple evening off brought me back to life. The next morning after having not worked till the wee hours, I felt rejuvenated, relaxed, and I had my voice back. That said a lot to me. My consumed spirit is great for success, but even successful people know when to take a break and if you don't, your body will inadvertently do so. My consummation turned into a dangerous obsession in the fact that I couldn't recognize when it was time to pull back, for the benefit of myself and the quality of my work.
Love is one of the greatest examples of being consumed. The butterfly feelings are so inviting and comforting and it's so easy to rest in that place. The harder you love, the more consumed your thoughts become and often, you equate the extreme consummation to loving better.
Coincidentally, a close friend and I found ourselves in the same place recently. With all that we had going on, we still couldn't get that one "love" out of our minds. Our conversations went back and forth between the projects we were working on, to these men in particular. Although when you love someone, your mind tends to rest on them quite often, I felt that in doing that to the extreme, it would unequivocally affect the other important aspects of life. That thought was damning. My friend remained quiet on the other end as she listened to my thoughts and revelation. She had her own as well. She said "sometimes, the person that you allow yourself to be consumed by, remains at a distance in your life at a particular time for a reason. In your desire to have them, you may miss out on who you are to become. Sometime, you have become who you are destined to be before the next step." This stemmed from a quote from the movie The Adjustment Bureau (totally great film you should see by the way). When she said that, I remained quiet. I really didn't know how to respond. Could it be that the person you desire remains at a distance in order for the master plan to be completed in the matter and time frame it should be? Maybe. What we do know if that to be overly consumed with something or someone is to possibly lose out on the present and the present is a "gift."
No matter what, even if it's the most important goal in your world or the love of your life, to be consumed to the point where you neglect other important aspects of your life will not prove to be positive. Learn the difference between working hard and pushing yourself to an unhealthy point. Learn the difference between loving hard and loving to the point of neglecting yourself and other important things. Nothing is ever worth your health or happiness. If you learn to balance, everything will fall into place beautifully.
Until next time...keep the forward movement...
Ahhhh, summer. The most anticipated weather season of the year. Well, for most people, it comes and goes in a flash. You spend 9 months looking forward to it and bam!....it's gone. As the end of summer approaches, make sure you do these last minute activities before the summer sun runs out!
Beach- if you live in a warm climate, you may not be running to the beach, but if you're like many, you take full advantage of this time of the year. Plan a day at the beach with family and friends. Take some food and drinks out there and have your own little beach party to end the summer with a bang! Don't forget your sunscreen!
WHITE hot- the rules of fashion have changed a lot and have even become more flexible over the years, but this rule still stands the test of time and most people still follow it: no white after Labor day! Summer screams light, airy, colorful, and WHITE. Many can't wait to break out their sexy all-white ensembles for the summer, so be sure to get good use and wear it before its too late! Turn the heat up by throwing a sexy summer bash; dress code: all white, of course!
Adventure- another thing summer embodies is outdoor activities. Daring souls will attempt white water rafting, hiking, jet skiing, camping, parasailaing etc. Those exciting things are best left for the time of the year when the sun kisses your skin. If your goal is to try something new or engage in your favorite outdoor activity, don't get comfortable in the fact that you have time because before you know it, summer will have passed you by! Get up and get active!
Until next Summer.....
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....
“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....
Posts
