What is the dollar amount that is holding you hostage?

For me, that number is minimal at best, yet, it has me in a prison I can’t escape from.

Who are my capturers? My thoughts, influenced by utter fear.

My thoughts jab at me on a daily basis reminding me how terrible it would be if I were to break free from my prison. It tells me how I would lose everything; ruin my life and those of my loved ones. It tells me I am being irresponsible by wanting to pick happiness over security and so and so on the jabbing continues.

When the capturer leaves me alone, and a moment of clarity is allowed to sink-in, I know those are all lies. I know that picking happiness would only make my days betters, I would have a better thinking life, and it would ultimately increase my wealth, thereby allowing me to provide an even better life for my family.
 

But those moments are few and far between, and so I willingly let my capturer tie my hands, and paralyze me, while I sit by, day after day watching my life pass me by.

If you find yourself in captivity like me, I think we should ask ourselves this question, what's the worst that could happen? Tony Robbins is the king of encouraging us to address this question. He reminds us that by asking this simple question it allows us to really put things into perspective, thereby releasing all apprehension we have. This exercise shows us that even if the worst thing you think could happen, happens, all is not lost. Secondly, it might permit for a 'plan to action' to where you don't feel unprepared.

For example let's say you are thinking of quitting your job and starting a new business, but you've convinced yourself you can't afford it. Well, this is where you ask yourself the question "what's the worst that could happen if I quit and go for it?" Your response could go something like this, if I have no money coming in, I will lose my home, car, and credit, I'll be forced to move-in with a family member until I get on my feet again.

Now with your fears clearly out in the open you can start to make progress. You can find a solution to your problem by providing options, "okay, what if, I were to work overtime for three months, or cut some of my luxury items for a bit, how much could I save that will allow me to quit my job safely and pursue starting my business?? See what I mean!

I think I will do the above and start putting my own fears into perspective so that I can move forward. I hope you do too, and by doing so you get a little closer to your goal, whatever it may be.

Till Next Time!




 

Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands, Inspired by Danielle Walker

I cannot explain how excited I get when I come across people that totally inspire me. Let me introduce you to  Danielle Walker the author of the cook books Against All Grain.

I will not go into depth about her sorry, because frankly, I won't give it justice. For her full biography visit her website linked above.



But I will give you very tiny highlights. She was very sick, at the age of 22 she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an autoimmune disease. She would spend about six months out of the year severely sick, and other half trying to recuperate. All this, while doctors consistently told her that diet had no factor on her disease.



Finally tired of living  in that way, and realizing that traditional medicine was not helping, she took matters into her own hands. After much research and listening to her body, she was able to nurse her body back to health.  It is a must that you visit her website to see photos of before and after and to read about her journey. http://www.daniellewalker.com/#/my-journey/

She is just one of millions that didn't just take the doctors word and sat around waiting for traditional meds to fix her.  Had she done this, God only knows what would have become of her.



Danielle is a Best Selling author and a very successful blogger that has been able to reach thousands if not millions, by simply sharing her story.  When she decided to share her story it was in an effort to help others! And I believe that is how success truly reaches you (no matter what success looks like to you). 



Today I want to encourage you to think outside the box; don't settle for the things you've been told.  I encourage you to follow your intuition, your heart, to listen to your body and see where it takes you.

I am not an expert on food at all but I do know this, my body definitely tells me what it doesn't like. After it does, it's up to me to listen. Are you listening to your body? Or are you ignoring it simply to get that immediate satisfaction.  If you are, make a deal that you won't ignore it anymore. Starting today pay attention to everything, like that knee pain you've been having, maybe it's due something you're lacking in your diet. Or that constant headache you have, don't numb it with over-the-counter meds, find a natural solution for it. I am not suggesting that medicine is bad, but it is my opinion that they are not always the best or only option. Danielle's story is just one of many that proves my point.



By the way, this goes for everything in your life. Is someone telling you it can't be done? Is someone in your life putting a ton of obstacles between you and a dream you have? You must not listen. You must take matters into your own hands, do the research, lean in and go for it. No one can tell you what's possible or not. So go for it, listen to that little voice inside you, it knows a lot more than those naysayers around you! That 'thing' inside you might be the very thing the world needs!

Till Next Time!

Why You Are Going Nowhere

The other day I came across a very insightful video by Tyler Perry. 

Basically, he addressed the question, "how did you make it?" He gave the answer I expected him to give, "by the grace of God" he said. But he continued to explain further. I could hear the voices of those watching bellowing "what did you actually do to get to where you are Mr. Perry?" Because that’s really what the question was right? That’s really what we want to know. Thankfully he answered.

He said the most important thing he did was FOCUS!

He said how there was ONE thing he really wanted, and it was to do a play. His sole focus became putting on and promoting this play year after year. Although he suffered many rejections and disappointments he stayed focused on this dream. Furthermore, he did not jump from idea to idea just because it wasn't happening yet (in fact it took years for his play to actually take off).

I know what you’re thinking, "I’m focused." Okay, here, let me give you an example on how I thought I was focused too.

I am a writer, therefore, I want to write for a living. I want share my stories with the world, make lots of money, and live happily ever after. So, I am writing a novel, I am blogging and I am writing a screen play. "What’s wrong with that?" you say. Let me tell you, the minute he said those words I knew that this was my problem. I lack focus. Just because all these things fall under the "writing" category doesn't mean they don’t each require separate focus points. For this reason, I have been running in place but going nowhere.

I am not sure exactly how I will go about handling my focus issues, because I really do want all three things. Or maybe I just simply want to write. No, it's not that simple... But one thing is for sure, I will figure it out. I will narrow my focus down to one and write my little heart out!

So now is your turn. How have you been misleading yourself? Is there something you want but you've been stuck like me, seeing little to no progress? I bet if you sort it out, you’ll find that lack of focus is at the root of your problem.

Do as Tyler Perry did, FOCUS and keep going until you attain the very thing you set out to get.

Have a listen to this song. This is how I feel about us as a collective body. We all have something to do and say, Go for it, we need you.

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Till Next Time!

Why you should challenge yourself

So do you yoga?  Well I do. I did this 30 day challenge with Erin Motz, from Do You Yoga and it was amazing. Although I've been trying my hand at yoga for the past two years, I've recently decided to give it my all. This is why this 30 day challenge worked out so well for me. It was the boost I needed to get me into the right frame of mind.

http://erinmotz.com/

Before I share my amazing experience, let me first preface by saying I have no experience when it comes to sports. In addition, flexibility is not something I was gifted with. So when I started this challenge I considered myself a beginner and therefore was worried about the challenges that came with this practice. But, I decided to just go with it, furthermore, I made an internal commitment to do, or at least try to do every single thing she was teaching.

This brings me to day seven! Day seven introduced us to the crow pose, I tried and tried and even cried because I couldn't do it, what’s worse is that I was really trying. But thankfully, with my daughter's encouragement I quickly wiped those tears away and I decided that I would not give up, but most importantly I decided that I WOULD DO IT. 

Believe it or not it only took 24 hours and I got both feet off the ground, it was only for like half a second but still... This was only a small victory, but it was a victory all the same. With this newly found confidence I kept trying, and trying until my wrist, arms and shoulders simply couldn't take it anymore.  Soon the challenge turned from getting myself off the ground to holding myself up for as long as possible and perfecting the actual pose.  Have I perfect-it you're wondering? Well here I am doing it!

Not even close to perfecting it, lol, but I will. What is most important is that I did it. Something I thought I could never do, I did. This small victory gave me the courage to even try a head stand. “Let me see it,” you say! Well that one, I’m still working on, but I will reach that goal too, and I will share it with you when I do.

My point is a couple things. First, challenge yourself, go for the impossible because you really don’t know what you’re capable of. And second, don’t be afraid to try new things, life is awesome, and it’s here for you to experience it fully. I recently came across this quote giving FEAR a new meaning, and I have fallen in love with it.

Visit  http://publichealthonline.gwu.edu/yoga-matters-invitation
 So you can share your yoga story too!

Till Next Time!

What is Hope?

What is hope? The dictionary defines it as: The longing or desire for something accompanied by the belief in the possibility of its occurrence.

Ladies and gentlemen hope is what life and living is all about, without it we don’t have a life. This little four letter word carries so much weight. Whether you realize it or not this is what fuels you, this is the reason you wake up in the morning, and without it you simply would quit on life. 

For no apparent reason, in the past I have experienced feelings of hopelessness, and I tell you this, I don’t wish this on anyone. It is truly the worse feeling I’ve ever had. It has frightened me because it has led me to a place where it all seemed lost. Luckily for me I have been able to rise out of the dark and into the light. But so many people are not as lucky.

Robin Williams is just another victim to this tragic feeling of hopelessness.



 

My message this week is short and simple. I pray that you always remain calm, that you’re always happy and that you’re always hopeful. I HOPE that you know that there’s always a way out of whatever problem you can’t seem to find a solution to.

Have no doubt that hope is what keeps us alive; the ability to want something in the hopes that one day it will happen is an amazing feeling that can keep you going your entire life.

Till Next Time!

 

Dear diary, I am afraid

Last month I finished reading May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein; in this book she has daily exercises that are suppose to move you closer to mental and spiritual clarity. Out of all the exercise’s I was told to write down, one stood out to me.

http://gabbyb.tv/

This particular exercise asked that I list five ways I've projected fear onto my life, and next to it I was to write the “love” responses to each of my fears.

But let me go back, before I go forward (some of my friends will get this) The other day I was going through my journal and I came across the above entry, and later while taking a bath I got this urge that I had to share it with you. 

I procrastinated for a while, (in fact I wrote this entry weeks ago) and almost talked myself out of it because these were my own personal, very personal thoughts,. The kind of thoughts I only share in my diary or with my husband. But I then  realized that if this meant this much to me, then I was definitely suppose to share. I will give you my example so that you have a guideline for when you do it yourself. My hope is that you do this exercise and that you can clearly identify your fears, but more importantly that you move past them. So here it goes (exhale).

Top five ways I've projected fear onto my life:  

                               

Dear Diary,

1. I am afraid I am not good enough                                    
2. I am afraid I will never be successful
3. I am afraid of making decisions I will later regret       
4. I am afraid of not having money
5. I am afraid I will never be satisfied

Love Response:

1. I am brilliant, made perfectly in God’s image, created to follow my heart’s desire. I am perfect just as I am.
2. I will achieve the very thing I strive for.
3. Follow your heart; regret nothing for every choice I make will teach me a valuable lesson.
4. I have more than enough, I have and always will be able to provide for my family.
5. Be happy today with everything I have, in every single moment. Striving for more does not mean dissatisfaction. Be grateful always, no matter how small. 

Focusing on the love responses instead of the fears will allow me to move forward in life, allowing for only the best results to enter my life. I have carried those worries far too long, and they have led me nowhere. So go on, write down your fears for a last time and leave them there on the page. But more importantly write down the love responses, and carry those feelings with you for the rest of your life.

 

Till next time

Free yourself!

I have finally done it. I have freed myself from the prison I had placed myself in . I blogged about this a few weeks ago and little did I know how guilty I was of the very thing I was preaching about. 

Have you ever done something that you really don’t like just because you think you should do it, or because it looks cool, or it sounds cool? I’m sure you have. Most of us think this type of behavior ends with our teen years, but I’m afraid that this is not the case, some of us carry this burden way into our adult years.. However, if you happen to be one of the few people that does only what feels right, and you never ever do anything just because you’re trying to be someone you’re not, then CONGRATULATIONS you are way ahead of me.

This brings me to my point. For about a year now I’ve been trying to be something I’m not.  People, I’ve been trying to become a runner. I thought it would be cool to participate in Disney’s marathon events and run 5K’s and so on and so on, but the truth is I HATE running, always have.

Now let’s put this into perspective, I once said that the mere fact that you “want” to do something means that you’re supposed to do it. But, what must follow this statement is that this “want” has to be for the right reason and come from the purest place. I “wanted” to be a runner, but not because it brought me joy or it fulfilled me in any way, but because I wanted to have that title, “I’m a runner,” “I run marathons,” “I’m an athlete.” It was more about the status that came with it than what I really wanted in my heart. See the difference? I hope so.

So I am happy to say that I have finally let myself off the hook about this running thing. There are other things I really enjoy, like yoga, and not because I’ll be part of some elite group, but because I really do enjoy it. So, a very wise person recently told me, “Commit to yoga then, set goals, attain them and set new ones. You will succeed at the thing you enjoy!” And so I shall!

Now it’s your turn, what are you forcing onto your life that really doesn’t fit you? Once you discover what it is, do as I did and take it off.  Be only who you want to be, not who you think you should be. 

Till Next Time!