Category: mental strength

Escape the Desperation Trap: Find Your Confidence Today…

My Traveling Friends, there was a man named Jack who felt really desperate in his life. He had lost just lost his job, his family was struggling, and he didn’t have enough money topay the bills. Every day felt like a race against time, and he didn’t know how to make things better. He started to feel like there was no hope and no way out of his situations.

Guys, this story made be fiction, and yet for millions of individuals this is the story of their life. There are individuals out there that have just lost their jobs, struggling to make ends meet, going through a divorce, dating and so badly wanting to be married, etc… And they are allowing the feelings of desperation dictate their behaviors, which is creating and recreating a life that continues to feel hopeless.

Is this your story too? Have you ever felt like Jack? What did you do to try to fix it? Or maybe you didn’t have a clue where to start.

If you are reading this blog that means it found you and this information will be the start of you seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s talk…

Being desperate means feeling like you need something so babdly that you’ll do almost anything to get it. It’s when you feel like you have no options left and you’re willing to take any chance to fix your problem. Being desperate in life maeans feeling trapped and hopless in different parts of your life. It can make you do things that aren’t good for you because you’re trying to solve your problems quickly. All in an effort to get out of the pain of desperation.

Let’s look at some examples:

  1. Career: Imagine you’re working really hard at your job, but you’re not getting the promotion you desire. You start feeling desperate. You just might quit your jobs without having another job lined up or you may start taking on too much work trying to impress your boss.
  2. Friendship Issues: If you’re feeling lonely, you might do anything to make friends. This could mean
  3. Money Problems: Imagine you really need money to pay for something important. You might take a job you don’t like or even think about borrowing money frompeople you shouldn’t, just to solve the problem fast.

One big belief that makes people act desperately is thinking, “I’m not good enough.” When you believe this, you feel like you have to prove yourself all the time, which can lead to making bad choice just to show that you’re worthy and to get approval from others.

Feeling desperate can make life really hard and it doesn’t have to be a part of your life forever. You can learn how to handle tough situations better and make smarter decisions by working with me inside the Confidence Mindset Program. The Confidence Mindset Program is a 1-on-1 coaching program that will cause you to challenge your belief systems that are holding you back and empower you with prinicples that will teach you how to control your emotions, believe in yourself, and find better solutions when life gets hard.

Ready to stop feeling desperate and startfeeling confident?

Don’t let desperation control your life. Schedule a consultation call for the Confidence Mindset Program – click the link http://www.lifeisbutajourney.com and start learning how to make better decisions and feel good about yourself. You deserve to feel confident and happy. Schedule your consultation today and start your journey to a better life…

Until Next Time Remember That Life Is But A Journey

My Weight Lost Journey: Golf Day

 

 

 

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Okay guys you all have waited long enough, so here I go. July 1, 2016 was my first official golf day-I learned how to play the game. If you viewed my video then you all know that I was very nervous about playing golf with veteran golfers, and I almost did not go. Continue reading “My Weight Lost Journey: Golf Day”

My Weight Lost Journey: 2 Years and 25 Days

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Hey guys, I know it has been awhile since my last post and video, but I have been super busy trying to get myself situated. New jobs, starting a business, and making bracelets to sell all while being a mom and a wife has taken up a lot of my time. But please believe that I was thinking about my faithful supporter, because you all matter to me too. You guys help keep me motivated to push my self to be the best I can be, so thank you for your continuous support as I travel on my journey.

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So, what is the scoop you may be wondering? How is the training going? Continue reading “My Weight Lost Journey: 2 Years and 25 Days”

My Weight Lost Journey: Reflection on 2015

Hey guys- I know, long time no hear from…. I have been really busy trying to revamp my blog site for you all. If you haven’t noticed I have added some pages to the site which include: about the author, shop JAccessories, my product order form, health awareness, and my disclosure and privacy statement. So, I have been a little busy trying to make me page a little more inviting. Please visit each page because you may learn something interesting or see something that may be worth purchasing. Okay-enough marketing my page, let’s get down to the topic at hand-my weight lost journey…..








Well, I must say that this year (2015) was very different from last year (2014) as it brought a lot of challenges and changes, and every challenge and change that I faced this year affected my weight lost journey. I remember when I started this journey, I was scared, nervous, and excited all at one time. And as I followed the Weight Watcher’s process given to the participants I lost weight quickly and it was very easy. I had some challenges and changes that came up, but I still lost weight.  And at the end of 2014 I went to get my yearly physical, and this year I was soooooo excited to go to the doctor because I could not wait for the midwife to see my weight lost progress. Last year I was in a place of euphoria as it concerned my weight lost journey. I was focused on getting to a healthy weight and the weight was coming off easily. I felt like a million bucks. Now fast forward to 2015, (and I know that you are wondering what happened did you gain all of the weight back?) and the answer is no, not all; but I felt like I had the process down pack, and I started to say to myself I got this and if I have 2 cookies that will not hurt, and for the most part it did not. But what I do believe happened, that hurt me later on in the journey, was that I began to tell myself that I got this, I already know what do to now so I don’t have to go to every weight watcher’s meeting. And when I began to tell myself this I noticed that I would gain 2lbs the next time I went to a meeting, after the meeting I would be focus and energized ready to dust the dirty off and get back up and work the process correctly. But my mind would say, you work out 5 days a week you can have a piece or cake (but that piece of cake would turn into 2 pieces). Soooooo, I know that you are still wondering what happened? I got a little prideful and everyone knows that pride comes before the fall. The more I told myself that I can eat this or that, or that I got this, I would over eat and gain weight at my next weight in. The challenge that I faced in 2015 that I didn’t face in 2014 was overcoming a spirit of pride. And its because of that pride that I have gain weight this year instead of losing causing me to take steps back instead of forward with my weight lost journey.

The next major challenge that I faced, which I did not really realize until I began to look back, was the fear of the physical change of my body. I know you guys are say what are you talking about, how can you be afraid to change your physical appearance? And my answer would be I have been this way all of my life, heavy, so there is a fear of the unknown. During 2015 I would ask myself, during quiet times of my day, how will it be when I reach my weight lost goal? What am I going to do with all my clothes? How will be view me? Who would I be once I reach my weight lost goal? Every question that I asked myself came from fear. God says that I am to prosper in my health even as my soul prospers; meaning that He wants me healthy and prospering in my life not just standing still in the same place. But because of fear I unconsciously began to do things that would cause me to gain weight-becoming prideful. BUT every challenged that I faced last year started in my own mind. God tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts because His thoughts are to prosper us, so the negative thoughts that I was having was not of God and yet I decided to take them into my heart, and the result was leading me to death.  

The other thing that I said 2015 brought me was changes, and there have been many of them. Some good changes and some bad changes, but they all affected my weight lost journey. Well, let me try to explain what I mean. Good changes in my life usually caused me to stay focus on losing weight, I followed the Weight Watcher’s process and my weight would come down. But the bad changes brought unhealthy stress in my life and I would make not so healthy choices and I would gain weight. The one thing that changed in my life and it really affected my weight lost was the company that I am currently working for (the company that I have worked at for 10+ years) is closing and I am now looking for another job. When I was informed of the closing of the company I was devastated, and the stress of knowing that I now have to find a new job made me want to eat and eat and eat… I wanted to eat every sweet type of food (cakes, cookies, ice cream, pies, etc.) that I could get my hands on. And as a matter of fact that is just what I did. Even though I was eating all types of sweets I still continued to go to my Weight Watcher’s meeting, and I was gaining weight. And as I gained weight I would get sadder, madder, frustrated, and more disappointed in myself because I was failing yet again at losing weight (at least that is what I told myself). In total I have gained 6lbs, and I end 2015 weighting 228lbs.

Now, you may ask me, well what did you learn? And I would say that I have learned that the mind is the key to any weight lost journey (any journey in life) because this is the place that every good or bad thought enters and where decisions are made.  I realized that I have to remain humble and thankful for accomplishment that I achieve. I learn this year that I really don’t know anything, and that I must remain focus and humble-open to processes and procedures that move me forward. I also have to realize and understand that bad things happen, change comes, jobs are lost, and stress is in this world which means that I have to learn how to remain focus and mentally strong and aware. I have to be mindful of negative thoughts that will try to creep into my mind so I can choose not to take them but to focus on the positive. Every journey has ups and downs, good times and bad, and difficulties that we have to face, but positivity is the only thing that can and will remove negativity. And I also learned that I am not failing a losing weight as long as I continue to get up and continue to take steps forward. Sooooooo, in 2016 I have to surround myself with positivity so when the bad times come (because they will) I will have a strong spiritual army in my heart and I will be able to fight back and have what God says that I am to have. 

I hope this year (2015) you all learn something new about yourself that will help you grow to be the person that God made you to be. I know that I have learned something new about myself this year, and this new piece of wisdom will help me do better in 2016. I also hope that my story is helping to motivate you all to stay strong, look to God, and achieve what you were born to achieve. 2015 was a hard year for this whole world but it has made us stronger, and I hope to see you all in 2016. The journey continues, until next time………..

**Hey guys, please visit my health awareness page to help me raise money to bring more awareness to a growing condition-Obesity. I have a booster page link in my health awareness page, so please check it out. Thanks…..**

My Weight Loss Journey: Day 512-1 Year and 148 Days

Image result for just do it A couple of days ago I expressed how my journey has began to feel like a chore, and I also said that even though I felt that way that I was going to continue to go to my Weight Watchers meetings. And that is exactly what I did.
So, the week before last we were asked to change the negative thoughts that we have/had into positive thoughts and the one negative thought that I have is working out is a chore. Now, my challenge was (and still is) to change that thought into a positive one, and the only thing that I came up with is the Nike slogan-Just Do It..… The slogan to me now means don’t just sit around and compliment about things that are wrong with your situation do something to change it. Yeah, working out does feel like a chore, but I feel so much better about my self when I go workout, so Just Do It. When I start to feel that negative feeling come up (which happens an hour before I am to go workout) I tell myself to Just Do It…

This week we were asked to choose one best practice that is key to our weight loss success and to plan on incorporating it into our maintenance plan; and my one best practice is planning. I have learned how to plan meals out, plan how many points I want to use on a meal, plan when to workout, and plan for the unexpected.  So, the key to my weight loss journey (one of the keys) is the plan it out. The last time I attempted to lose weight (with some success) I really did not plan things out. I kind of just planned out my workouts and that was all I really thought was important. And then when I moved the Chicago, it got hard to find time to workout, but I still eat the same way and the weight came back. So, learning how to plan out almost everything has helped me to be successfully this time around.

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I have to admit that I still have somethings to learn about myself, but the more I remain on this journey I am learning that gaining weight is really not all about the food; there are unresolved issues in someone’s life that causes them to turn to food because food really does not criticize or breaks your heart. Food’s job is to sustain you and that is what everyone is looking for in this world-something that sustains you, feeds you, fuels you. Food does just that, but toooooooo much of it is bad and learning how to have self control with food will teach you how to have self control in other areas of your life. You will be able to make better and smarter choices when you learn how to deal with food. Weight Watchers is showing me this and the being on this journey is teaching me how to use what Weight Watchers is showing me. I still have a long way to go, but I can say that I am proud of where I am on this journey. So, the take away from this post for everyone reading this post is plan, and stay positive. #PlanItOut and #JustDoIt…

Until next time…..

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My Weight Loss Journey: 504 Days-1 Year and 140 Days

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I know that you all want to know how I have been doing since I ran my first 5k, and I have to say that I have not been doing so good with my journey.
For some reason I am mentally blocked with my workouts and my nutrition. The journey has become a chore mentally which has caused me to not want to do it anymore. So, I am finding myself eating foods that I know I should not eat, and I don’t care. But then I go to a Weight Watchers Meeting and I am up on my weight; and then I feel bad and guilty for eating the foods that I ate and for not working out which makes me want to just eat. But then I leave the meeting motivated to do better, but then I hear a voice telling me that I am never going to be able to lose the weight so why try. And the negative cycle continues. I have been feeling like this ever since I ran my 5k and I have not been able to shake it off. I am not sure what is going on with me and I am not sure why this is happening, but what I do know is that I like wearing smaller clothes, and I like being able to walk up the stairs at my complex and not get winded, and I really liked the fact that I ran a 5k. So, why have I been mentally blocked as it concerns my weight loss, and how do I get over it?

The last time I was this close to my weight loss goal I was in graduate school and I was so focused on health and being healthy that it was easy to go and workout, but then I joined the real world and my focus changed to paying bills, and becoming a grown-up. I now have a family to think about, and I want to be around a long time, so my focus is just wanting to be healthy, looking good is just a bonus. But lately my major focus (my family) has not been able to motivate me to want to stay on track, and I find myself not caring about my weight loss journey. It all just feels like a big, boring chore; it’s not fun anymore and I am not getting motivated by wearing smaller clothes, or getting compliments. What’s happening and how do I get over this obstacle, because I have come to far to just go back to how I was-depress, sad, really over weight, and just not healthy? Well, I don’t know the answer to my question but what I do know is that I plan to continue to go to my Weight Watchers meeting, tracking what I am eating, and working out, in spite of feeling like it is a chore. Maybe, just maybe, the motivation will come back and I will want to continue to workout and make better food choices and not feel like it is a chore.  

If anybody has any advice on how I can move pass this feeling I am open to suggestions, and if you are feeling the same way please know that you are not alone and it is a mental thing and we will get pass it and back on track, just don’t give up. I am telling myself the same thing too…https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5029725650024945545#editor/target=post;postID=3448776774907382198;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname

Until next time……

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My Weight Lost Journey: Day 464-1 Year and 99 Days

It has been a while since my last posting and I have a lot to share with you all. First let me share with you guys that I currently weigh 217.8 lbs, and I have lost a total of 36.6 lbs. For a while I was gaining weight and it was so frustrating. However, I figured out that I just needed to have some self control during the late nights and once I cut out the late night snacks (that costed points) the pounds started to come off again. I am so excited to see the numbers go down and to have figured out what I was doing wrong. But I also have another exciting update for you all; I just completed my first 5k run/walk race.

I decided to do a 5k after talking with a co-worker who has been doing them for a while, and at the beginning of the year I signed up for the 5k in my neighborhood (Super Strive For 5 given by the Mount Prospect Park District). When I submitted the application to register for the race I was excited and very nervous, so I keep it to myself for awhile. After I signed up I also began to do some research on how to train for a 5k, because I did not want to hurt myself trying to run this race. I came across a blog by Jason Fitzgerald (strengthrunning.com). He discussed different types of exercises that I would need to do in order to strengthen my core. Jason stated that he had been doing this routine since college, and he simply called it the Standard Core Routine. See below for the 6 exercises that I did based off of the advise of Jason:

  •  The Modified Bicycle
  • Plank
  • Bridge
  • Side Plank
  • Modified Bird Dog
  • Supine Leg Lift
I liked the routine because I did not need any equipment to perform them, I only needed myself and time. So, I began training for the 5k in February, and that is when it was real for me-when I began to train for it. For 6 days a week I would go work out (trying to get ready for the 5k) doing cardio training, weight training, and core strengthening. Some days I was physically tried, but I could push through that and I did. The days when I was mentally tried were harder to push through, but some how I did. I had to keep telling myself just take it one day at a time, and don’t focus on the time just know that you are getting stronger. I trained and trained and finally the day came when I was to race. I was soooooo nervous because I wanted to do good because my family was going to be there, and also because I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it. I was soooo out of my comfort zone that it was funny. But I have to learn to step out of my comfort zone if I want to grow and move forward in life. On Saturday, June 13, 2015 I completed my first 5k run/walk race in 40:48.3 minutes, I came in 13th place for my age group, and my pace was 13.10/m. After I crossed the finish line I felt great. I felt really strong and powerful; I felt like I could do anything. I also wanted to cry because I was sooooo happy that I actually completed the race, and I completed it strong.
I really had fun and I plan on doing another 5k race, I will keep you guys posted. But if you are interested in running a 5k please check out Jason Fitzgerald’s blog to gain more information and a plan. And also know that you can do it and it is totally worth it. Until next time….
Completed My First 5k Run/Walk

My Weight Lost Journey: Day 285

What is the secret to losing weight? This is a question that everyone is asking and everyone is trying to answer/or claiming to have the answer too. Well, I believe that I have the best answer to this very common question, and it is you.

Well, how can you be the secret to losing weight you may ask; especially if you have yet to be successful with it? And the answer is, it is your will to want to lose weight that is the secret. Your will is your mind, and in order for you to lose weight you must be mentally ready and mentally strong in order for you to be successful (met your weight lose goal).

Society will have you thinking that there is a magic pill that you can take and the weight will go away, or that plastic surgery is the way. But this is so far from the true because what you may not know is that the magic pill will have a side effect on your body (so you lose weight but now your heart is beating too fast) or all of the money spent to get lipo and 6 months later the weight comes back. So, why is this you be be thinking and that is because the true secret is in your mind. You must be determine and focus on losing weight. And understand that there is not a quick fix to losing weight. It took years for you to gain the weight so,when done correctly, it will take years to get it off.

Now, how does this all relate to my journey you may be wondering? And it relates because today I have gained 3 lbs after losing 25 lbs, and I have to understand that during this journey I will go up and down, but I must continue to put one foot in front of the other and continue to focus on my over all goal. It is soooooooooo easy to lose focus especially when you have people coming up to you and tell you that it looks like you have lost weight. You began to look at yourself in the mirror and say, yeah, I can see it because my clothes are much bigger. And then you start to lose focus on the bigger picture–the weight lost goal that you set at the beginner of the year, month, week, etc, and think that it is okay to eat that doughnut (2 doughnuts), the piece of cake (2 pieces of cake) and before you know it the scale is moving up, and your self esteem is going down. The next thing that happens is that you just stop trying because what is the point you have already gained 5 lbs, and your journey is over (yet again).

Can you see why I say that the secret to weight lost is you???? 

Because if you aren’t ready to go through the ups and downs of weight lost, the compliments, the baggy clothes, your other inner voice then you will fall off the wagon and gain all of the weight back and then some. And I must admit, it almost happened to me this time around, but I chose to join Weight Watchers, and going to those meetings are honestly helping me remain focus on my weight lost goal (to lost 64 lbs). This time I will accomplish my weight lost goal because through all of my trials with my weight I have gotten mentally tough and wise. I am wise enough to know that it took time to gain the weight, it will take time to lose it, and that I need help. If you have the WILL there is A WAY, I have the WILL and by seeking out help I am  finding the WAY……

Share your ups and downs because you never know who will be inspired by your story, and you can also share any advice for me that you may have (or what you think thus far). Until next time……