One Baby Step at a time

As I have been on this summer journey of redefining myself, I have realized some secrets to my progress that I want to share with you.  It begins with intentionally retraining your brain.  Remember, your brain's primary function is survival so it does not always tell you the truth.  It will tell you things to prepare you for a threat even though that "threat" may not be accurate.  This pertains to what it tells you about your abilities as well!  Nobody likes to fail at something, right?  So your brain will tell you things that may keep you from trying something new so that you won't have to experience failure.  What your brain is not telling you is that you could be missing out on a life changing experience!

 So we begin with reprogramming your thoughts.  You already know what you are NOT willing to do towards a prospective challenge, so you have to ask yourself, "What part of this am I willing to do?"  For me, I "knew" I probably would not become an active coach with Beachbody, but I was willing to listen to what they had to say.  I "knew" I wasn't ready to fork over tons of money on my graduate degree, but I was willing to go to UNT and ask for the details "just in case" I ever did want to get it.  (And for the record, I did!)  I "knew" I wasn't ready to start working out as avidly as my husband did, but I was willing to just "try it out" for a bit. You have to figure out what you ARE willing to do towards that new something rather than letting the "I'm not's" or "I can'ts" get in your way.

Another thing you have to do is listen to your desire for something over your negative inner voice.  That's the only way you are going to change that channel in your brain.  You're the one in control of that remote so you are the only one that can change that channel.  You don't have to tune in to the fear that keeps you from trying new things. Besides, the only failure that counts is the one in which you don't get up and try again!

I also pray about any new big adventures I am wanting to try.  If prayer isn't a part of your regiment, then you can use meditation to take some time away from the world to think through what you can gain from this new opportunity.  What drives you to be curious? I believe you are often presented with a new challenge because it is designed to help you grow and fulfill your purpose to help others in their journeys.  The greatest gift you can give yourself is to honor your calling.  

Lastly, when was the last time you read something motivational?  Did you know that just by reading something motivational during the first 10 minutes of you day can be a game changer?  It has done wonders for me.  I read a short devotional and about 10 pages of a book of my choice (it must be inspirational for this purpose).  Right now, I am beginning The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, and just recently finished The Compound Effect which I highly recommend for this purpose.  Both books are great for your early morning read.

So what is stopping you from tackling that new dream?  Stop dreaming and wishing and just take one small step towards it.  That first step is the hardest!  As you take more steps, you begin to feel your potential and it becomes easier.  You will most likely find that you are reaching heights you never dreamed possible and you are feeling happier as a result!  After all, you could be only one baby step away from discovering a new you!

I am Comfortable! No, Thank You!

So you already know that this summer has been dedicated to redefining me, much to my surprise. Where did this idea come from?  It was not planned at all.  After all, who doesn't like to be comfortable?  We like comfort foods when we are stressed.  We pay a lot of money for comfortable beds to sleep on.  We watch TV in our comfy chairs.  Comfort is a wonderful word.....with one exception.   When it keeps us from fulfilling our purpose and helping other people do the same. Well, this summer, I was nudged to go "there".

I was tooling along one day, minding my own business.  I did my morning workout, drank my shake, was scrolling through facebook and saw a message from a coach from Beachbody.  She asked me if I wanted to join a coaching 101 class.  No pressure, just to get information to see if I would be interested in helping others with fitness and health since I had already incorporated those things into my life.  I reluctantly accepted with the thought in the back of my mind acknowledging that I would never be an active coach.  I was comfortable with just the discount on my shake and had no intention of moving forward.  During this online class, I had to watch daily videos regarding the tasks of coaching and what it entails.  Then a fleeting thought went through my head.  Could I really do this someday?  Then came THE day.  "Someday" didn't wait.  One of the "tasks" we were given was to INVITE people that we know to join a free 5-day accountability group that I LEAD!!  OMG!  There was no way I was doing that!  This is where this ship sails and I was done.  No way!  But as the day went on, I felt something inside of me telling me to just try it.  Then my negative voice would follow saying, "You probably won't get any interest anyway".  So I developed a plan.  I would go ahead and invite people, but if nobody was interested, I could say I "tried".  Fool proof!  So I invited my friends from facebook to a 5 day accountability group that I called The Summer Slim Down.  Pushing that "post" button was the hardest thing to do, but I did it and walked away.  By the end of the week, I couldn't believe it!  I had 28 fabulous ladies interested in joining my accountability group!  Great.... now what was I going to do?  The foolproof plan had just failed!

Shortly following this group formation, I woke up really early one morning with  ideas for this group popping into my head like popcorn! I had to get up because they just wouldn't stop flowing to let me sleep.  I sat down and made a list of my thoughts and how I could apply them to this group I now was running.  The coach leading my intro group sent us a 5 day meal plan to share with them so that was made easy!  BAM!  It was happening!  I thought since it was just 5 days, I might be able to handle this "group" thing.

I will never forget how much that first group of ladies inspired me to help them as well as others.  They interacted in the group by sharing recipes, making healthy food choices, some were getting active for the first time in awhile, all stepping outside of THEIR comfort zones, too!  It seemed easier for us all because we were not alone in our journey!  We were a group aligned with a common goal.  Guess what they said when it was over?  "Wish this group was longer!"  What? It had been a success!  My confidence in whether or not I could actually do this skyrocketed!

Ironically, the thing I loved most about this group of ladies is that I got to reconnect with them in a way I could not do by just hitting "like" on one of their posts in facebook.  My lack of confidence kept me from reaching deeper into relationships outside of my normal day. Being social was scary having a negative mind like mine.  I have always considered myself a glass half-full person.  I can make lemonade out of lemons most days.  However, this summer, I realized that that positivity only extended to circumstances, but not to the person inside of me.  That junior high school little girl inside of me still lived there and kept me on the sidelines just wishing I could be like others who were comfortable in the social realm.  It took taking that one baby step for me to realize that this was part of my purpose---to help others grow as I have in not only in fitness, but in developing their level of self confidence as well.  I CAN do this!

Isn't it funny how success and confidence grow just outside of your comfort zone?  I think back on how many times this had been true for me.  Even when I was literally pushed out by circumstances beyond my control, I have grown exponentially.  God works His plan in mysterious ways.  If you listen and take those first few steps, He will flood the door with so many possibilities that will prosper your growth.  I am finding that just outside of my comfort zone is where it all is! It is changing me from the inside out!

Mastering Life's Journey One Day at a Time

I have learned that people who say they don’t like change, generally are people who do not have the courage to embrace it.  At least that was the case for me.  It all began in junior high school. I remember the activating event as if it were yesterday. I tried out for cheerleader in front of the entire student body and did not make it. Why that was such a pivotal event, I will never know but it truly changed me to the core.  From that day forward, I struggled daily to regain the confidence that the humiliation from that experience stole from me. From junior high and then high school, I was constantly trying to find the "formula" to be popular, but never succeeded.  To add insult to injury, midway through high school, I began to gain weight which was very foreign to me.  I was always the girl who could eat whatever she wanted and not experience any weight gain as a result---the girl we love to hate.  To combat my social anxiety and lack of confidence,  I basically resorted to sticking to one close friend with whom I played high school basketball.   I believe both she and the sport saved me from leading a path to self-destruction.  It satisfied the craving to belong because belonging came naturally with simply making the team.  I wasn't very good in the beginning, but I made the team.  I even remember one of my junior high coaches saying something to the effect that it would be a miracle if I were to ever play college basketball!  (I did, by the way!)  BAM!  Another slam to the self esteem at such a critical age.  My dad was a fabulous coach and kept working with me until I finally became just good enough to be starting on my high school team.   I can still remember him telling me in regards to basketball, "The only difference between you being good and great is your confidence and I can't give you that."  How true that was about most things I did.   That fear and insecurity continued to manifest itself into my adulthood particularly when my best friend from high school died in my apartment at the young age of 26.  The day her dad drove her little red car away felt like my heart was being ripped out.  My resolve then was found in reconnecting with God because I wanted to be sure that I joined her someday in Heaven.  Even so, I felt very alone and the fear of connecting socially continued to grow.   She was my social “in” who lit up a room when she walked in, and I no longer had that.  It was time to figure this life out on my own.  Years later, I met my husband who, by example, encouraged me to join a gym and begin to workout. I was hoping by losing a little weight, I would begin to feel relevant again being that it was something I could control.   No matter how hard I worked out or "dieted", those last few pounds would just not come off and STAY off.   In March of 2014, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's, an autoimmune thyroid disease—likely the reason I was struggling with my fluctuating weight. As a result, I had to change all that I knew about eating including removing gluten from my diet.  I began to research what I could eat to empower my body to function optimally. That is when I found Shakeology! That became my new breakfast (gluten free) and along with it less sugar cravings and more energy (energy does not come easily when having a thyroid disease).   Next, I signed up to be a coach, mostly because I wanted the added discount on my monthly shipment of Shakeology as well as on their other products.  I chose not to share with others for TWO years because I was still believing my negative internal voice telling me that nobody would care about what I was learning in regards to health and fitness. That all recently changed when people started asking about the results I was getting by using Beachbody products!  It was then that I realized I had been given the divine purpose (with the obligation) to help others with the knowledge I had acquired in my journey to better health!  Now I have begun to embrace Beachbody as a business.  I am planning to retire in 3 years from education and my investments that I planned for retirement keep plummeting with each statement.  I needed to do something different to support my dream. To say that I no longer struggle with self-confidence to some degree would not be accurate, however, I am no longer allowing it to define who I am.  Instead of striving for popularity and acceptance, I want to be a person who motivates and encourages others to overcome the fear and apathy it takes to reach potentials they never dreamed possible.  I have found purpose and the courage to step out of my comfort zone to dream big!  Blogging about my journey is just one way I am publicly declaring my new found freedom from my negative inner voice.  Sharing my story creates the accountability I need to continue on this mission to crawl out of my shell.  If you have dreams that you are ready to actively pursue, fears to overcome, a fitness level you would like to achieve or even if you just like to connect with others, I would consider it the ultimate compliment to be chosen to help you make the changes that help you to define your greater purpose.   All you have to do is ask.   In the meantime, I will be sharing some bits of my daily journey in regards to fitness and health.  I hope you will come along for the ride.