Posts Tagged With: #satxbloggers

An Old Journal

Recently, as I was packing up boxes of books for my upcoming move, I found several of my old handwritten journals.  My teenage son was fascinated to see so many books in my handwriting.  So, just for fun, I picked a random page to read … the picture below is where I landed.   At this time of this entry, I was very overweight and working as a Training Director in Richmond, VA.  ~ in the midst of hiring new staff. Meanwhile; I often wrote about wanting to lose weight and changing my habits or how I simply MUST exercise.  I would get motivated, but it was fleeting.  I would start and stop, over and over again.  I often became paralyzed by analysis paralysis in my overly eager desire to plan every detail, to ‘get ready’ to make a change.   Yet change never happened, and if it did, it did not last.  Simply put, I failed dozens of ways before I ever achieved success in weight loss.

So what changed?  My mindset.  My focus.  Instead of trying to change my whole life on the proverbial ‘Monday’ that never comes, I focused on just changing one bad habit, just one thing.  Once I replaced a bad habit with a better habit, I moved on to the next challenge.  The very first thing I did was give up Mt. Dew because I was drinking it like water and I knew it was terrible for my body.   I didn’t worry about my nutrition or my exercise routine, counting calories or any of that, I just focused on giving up Mt. Dew and drinking water.

I often tell people I lost 175 pounds 5 pounds at a time.  Seriously, I only focused on five pound goals.  Now I am in maintenance mode and have been for over five years.  Are my habits perfect?  Of course not.  Do I have room for improvement?  Always.  Do I have saggy skin and stretch marks in places?  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.   To God be the glory for this marvelous mess of a temple that I enjoy.

Now while I’ve been a bit stressed and in transition, preparing for the move and selling my home, shifting my career, etc. ~ I think it is important to recognize when the good Lord sends us love notes of light.  Even when those notes are in your very own handwriting.

As always, make champion choices,
The Healthy Habit Lady

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Categories: Books, Christianity, Fitness | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Comfort

I created a photography challenge for myself, and a few friends are participating.  Today’s category is ‘comfort’.  Taking a picture for this challenge inspired a whole domino effect chain reaction type sequence of thoughts, which ran me down a rabbit hole.  Surely you have had similar happen to you at some point.

My first thought was, menopause is a bully.  I realize I am getting off easy in many respects of menopause, but nonetheless I do not enjoy hot flashes.  Not even a little bit.  As I searched my brain for inspiration to take a picture of ‘comfort’, I landed on the idea of a fan.  My mind was spinning about creativity and photography but my body was screaming ‘go jump in ice’.  Not really; but you get the vivid idea.  SO I played around with my phone and selfies, with a fan, and the picture below is my result.  You may not even be able to tell it is a fan in the photo; but it is and it was turned on.  I was allowing myself a momentary pause from my tasks to cool off and feel some comfort.

Now back to the rabbit hole. Comfort is an amazing thing.  Everybody likes to be comfortable, yes?  I do enjoy air conditioning, no lie.  I enjoy indoor plumbing as well. We all have modern day comforts that make our lifestyles more pleasant.   Some things we could live without, some would perhaps present a hardship.   Right now, my dryer is broken.  This is NOT fun.  However; it has caused me to get out of my routine and as I’ve done that, growth has occurred.

My point is this.  I know it sounds cliche, but life exists outside of your comfort zone.  There is no growth in your comfort zone.  I often tell my kids that they are not entitled to be comfortable 100% of the time.   I usually find myself spouting off those words as they are fighting over the A/C vents in the minivan.

I dare you to get uncomfortable.   Do something different.  If you are sleepwalking through life, stop that.  Wake up.  Shake things up.  Just imagine all of the amazing growth, lessons and rude awakenings that exist outside your cozy space.

As always, make champion choices,
The Healthy Habit Lady

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Categories: Motivational | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Practice Makes What?

Are you practicing your growth or are you practicing what you have already decided are your limits?

What does practice make?  Does it make perfect?  Does it make growth?  You tell me!  You have a thousand habits that you practice every single day … and whether or not they are intentional, they are there.  Might as well make them count, right?

Are limits and obstacles the same thing?  Think about that.  Only you know the answer for yourself.

Do you focus on what you CAN do or do you focus on what you CAN’T do?  Or maybe, you should focus on what you WANT to do.

Obviously I am not suggesting you injure yourself.  Be smart.  Use precautions when necessary.  Just do not blindly accept that you cannot do something simply because someone told you that you can’t or you think that you can’t.

I am about to get seriously out of my comfort zone.  I signed up for something called Camp Gladiator today.   They had a special deal for $9 for the month of September. I’ve had my eye on them a while; and several friends have raved about the trainers.  So I pulled the trigger.  If I don’t like it – no biggie.  But what if I love it?  I’ll never know unless I go.  SO… signing up and showing up are two different things, right?  Plans are awesome. Action is measurable.  Results are priceless.

What holds you back?  What are your limits?  What are your obstacles?  Where is the end of your comfort zone?  Go there, then blow past that.  I believe in you.

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As always, make champion choices,
The Healthy Habit Lady

 

 

Categories: Challenge, Fitness | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Referrals Are Lifeblood

Referrals are lifeblood and I need your help.  

I’m calling on all of my readers and followers to spread the word.

My family and I have been hosting high school foreign exchange students from around the world since 2003. Now two of them are married and one of them even has a baby. It’s so amazing that my kids have friends, we consider family, all over the globe. We are raising our children to embrace cultural diversity – and it begins at home. By the time they are out working in the real world they will have broken bread with, worshiped with and lived with people from all different races, religions, beliefs, traditions, cultures, etc. I honestly believe this is a beautiful thing. We’ve hosted while pregnant, moving, in college, etc. It’s a rewarding experience, and if you would like to find out more about how YOU might be involved or make a difference, message me. There are several students still waiting to be matched with a loving volunteer host family for this academic school year. Spread the word please. The picture is of Marie from Germany – one of our former students who has been back to visit us twice.

Can’t host right now? That’s okay, Refer a family to me who hosts and you will receive $100 referral fee. Can’t host the whole school year? That’s okay too – just host for 3-5 weeks so we can secure their place in the program and the school spot. Sharing is caring … please like, comment and share.

 

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Marie from Germany and Debra

High school foreign exchange students come with their own spending money, their own health insurance and they speak English.  Each and every student has been personally interviewed by our non-profit organization and passed rigorous exams in order to be qualified to come on our program.  These are cream of the crop kids that you do not want to miss out on meeting.

Open your home and heart today to welcome a teenager from another country, help Share Your America and do your part to foster world peace and understanding. Appreciating cultural diversity starts at home, with us, with me, with you.

If you are interested in hosting a high school foreign exchange student, sending me referrals or just finding out more information, please email me at:  debra@facetheworld.org or call 210-510-8697.

As Always, Make Champion Choices,
The Healthy Habit Lady

 

Categories: Challenge, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Is Your Thinkin’?

BitmojiHmmmmWhat do you think of this?

Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Hate less, love more …

and all good things are yours.

 And with that in mind …

***By Changing Your Thinking***
Author Unknown

By Changing Your Thinking,
You change your beliefs;

When you change your beliefs,
You change your expectations;

When you change your expectations,
You change your attitude;

When you change your attitude,
You change your behavior;

When you change your behavior,
You change your performance;

When you change your performance;
You Change Your Life!

And like I always tell my children …

Whether you think you CAN or think you CAN’T …
you are probably right.

As Always, Make Champion Choices,
The Healthy Habit Lady

Categories: Motivational | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

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