Happy New Year!

"Health is the thing that makes you feel
that now is the best time of the year."
-Franklin P. Adams

Happiness - A Journey

This unknown author did a great job of putting my thoughts from this year into words. I found this on a website with motivational quotes and I wanted to share it with you:

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one...

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

- Author unknown -

Here is to enjoying the journey. Happy New Year

An Operation Beautiful Christmas

HAVE A VERY BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS

 

AND MY OWN MOMENT ON OPERATION BEAUTIFUL:

Lindsay wrote, “I am a personal trainer who works mostly with women and I also HATE fat talk. I love positive post-it notes. My roommate and I actually have had one on our bathroom mirror for almost a year.”

EAT. DRINK. AND BE MARRY. XOXO

Any day is a Good Day to Start

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot

And it is never to late to decide that you want to be or do something different! With the craze of New Year's resolutions coming just around the corner, I want to remind everyone how much I dislike NEW YEAR's resolutions. I believe that any day is a good day to set a goal for yourself and just because a new year is starting, it dosen't mean we have to commit to doing or being anything different. However, if on January 1st, March 5th (or December 23rd!!) you decide you are wanting to make a change, that's as good a day as any!!

And if your change happens to have to do with exercise or dare I say weight loss, any day is a good day to make a change. Start small, make small goals. If you want help with this, I am always available!

Some final words of wisdom: If you want to lose weight, really LOSE the weight, not just misplace it for a while, your changes have to be maintainable. Instead of focusing on numbers on the scale, look at ways to increase your fitness level and improve the quality of the calories you eat. LIFESTYLE CHANGES. Here are 4 examples to get you started:

1. Increase the amount of walking you do in a day, minimize sitting and riding - emphasize standing and moving.

2. Add in one more day of activity, for 20 minutes - I believe 4 days per week is the magic number. But starting with 1 day a week is a success.

3. Drink more water - it will keep you hydrated, it is good for you, and it will keep you from putting other liquids with higher calories into your mouth.

4. Don't change anything about WHAT you are eating - Just eat HALF of what you normally would. If you are still hungry in an hour, eat the other half as your snack.

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” - George Eliot

5 Lists You Should Check Twice

This time of year is perfect for making lists, and if you are a go-getter like I am, you probably have lists piling up all over the place and you are pressuring yourself to get to them checked off before 2010 gives you 2,010 more things to do. So, I say throw those lists aside!! Instead, enjoy the list I put together below of some fun and helpful "lists" I have come across this holiday season. I love reading other blogs and seeing the creativity that people come up with, I am so jealous that I am not as witty as they are! Happy reading... you can get back to your lists later, like always... they'll be waiting.

1. What I Learned From the Grinch - by Joanna Sutter, Fitness & Spice

2. 10 Steps to Getting What You Want - Tara Stiles

3. 15 Ideas for Dates, Dates With You That Is - Misty Gibbs, My Inspiration Lounge

4. 28 Glorious Christmas Traditions - Marelisa Fábrega, The Abundance Blog

5. 5 Ways to Survive and Thrive During the Holidays - Mallika Chopr, Intent

Beautiful Friday

Beautiful today, tomorrow, and always. Just the way you are.

HAPPY FRIDAY

Leaps of Faith

I am so excited for big changes in my professional life and I have to share my enthusiasm. It is amazing how much I have been inspired and energized just from taking a moment to really go for something I have been wanting for a long time... more on that later...

BUT! I have a card that hangs above my desk that says "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail" we have all heard that many times, and have probably tried to repeat it in our heads as our personal mantra more than once, right?? However, easier said than done! I am a self proclaimed perfectionist who has a VERY hard time failing. Therefor, it is often hard for me to make big decisions or put myself out on a limb because I am afraid to fail. I never really understood how powerful fear was as an emotion. For me, it can be paralyzing. Thanks to a lot of opportunities to stick my neck out and an amazing therapist who has taught me more about myself than I care to know, I think I am finally getting the hang of taking a leap of faith! This last year has bombarded me with numerous opportunities to stare fear right in the face and say "I am not afraid," and I am so grateful that I have.

With that in mind, as my mission is always to inspire others, I just want to say - JUMP. If there is something you have wanted to do, big or small, life changing or just a new hair cut - GO FOR IT. The feelings that will come after the fear has passed will carry you through and motivate you to succeed. If you need more encouragement, send me an email and I will be happy to talk you into anything.

Happy leaping, let me know how it goes!!

And if you need extra motivation, both because Kris Allen is so fun to look at and because the lyrics are so fitting:

Inspiration of the Day

Because words can move us sometimes better than we can move ourselves:

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do. " ~ Henry Ford

Operation Beautiful: Post-It Pick Me Up

Here's to finding your inner nerd!!!
HAPPY FRIDAY. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

A Few of My Favorite Things

I am so proud of me and my burst of motivation!! On Sunday while I had some time to veg I finally put together my "Favorites" page on my web site. If you know me well enough you are probably very familiar with the things I have listed so far, but stay tuned as I will continue to add more...

AND - If you have a "favorite thing" you think I should add, let me know and I will be happy to put it on our list and share it with others. The more favorite fitness things and inspirations we can pass around, the better!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Operation Awesome

In my new commitment to my blog, I decided I should brush up on some of the blogs I like to follow (but have ignored the last 3 months!! Sorry guys), and see what is new out in the blog world. After blog hopping through a few of my favorites I came across Operation Beautiful, and I nearly danced with joy!

Here is the concept:

"The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL. You are enough... just the way you are!"

Caitlin (the Operation Beautiful editor and concept creator) states: "One of my biggest personal crusades is ending Fat Talk. If my little blog only does one productive thing, I hope it helps readers realize how truly toxic fat talk is — it hurts you emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I want to reach as many people as possible with my End the Fat Talk message."

How it works:

All you need is a piece of paper, a pencil, and a positive comment to leave. Jot down an uplifting saying, "You are beautiful" , "You look amazing just the way you are" whatever you think of. Then, leave your post-it on a mirror or object in public places where women will read them - office, gym, restroom, school, etc. A random act of kindness that will definitely make someone's day. Don't forget to include www.operationbeautiful.com on the note so others can join in on the mission!

For example:









































My Favorite:














How awesome is this?!! I love opportunities that help people feel GREAT about themselves. Just browsing her blog will make you smile and feel good about yourself. To read more about this fabulous mission and how to participate in Operation Beautiful, follow this link:

Be a part of Operation Beautiful

So inspiring!

Its beginning to look (and feel) a lot like the holidays

It must be the holidays, I am INSPIRED!!! Finally!! Oh how I have waited for this day... Well, it could be the spirit of the season, the soon to be new year, or just the simple fact that I gave myself a much needed mental health day that has sparked a few creative ventures in my mind. Either way, I had to share my excitement!

In celebration of my upcoming one-year "blogiversary" I choose to toast myself and all of you who have hung in there with me over this year of blog initiation, progress, falling off the blog wagon, getting back on, and falling off again. What can I say - fitness IS like life. Much like an exercise program that has been abandoned, I wont give up on my blog - I will just get back on and do my best to stay committed, again! I am not a fan of New Years resolutions, I like to think that any day of the year can be a resolution. So today, I am starting again. AGAIN.