Magic May - Love note to curvy running sisters

Remember to be kind to yourself!!!  You are perfect the way you are - that doesn't mean you may not change and grow but NEVER underestimate how wonderful and important and perfect you are!!!

I love you!! Have a magical day and a magical May!!

What is "fitting in" costing you??

For years, I tried to fit in.  No, let me correct that.  I did fit in.  I did everything that was "expected" of me.  The problem with that is that I lost sight of what I wanted.  I made everyone else happy but I was slowly losing myself to everyone else.  I didn't even know what I wanted anymore.  Does that sound familiar?  Sometimes we become a shell of our true self.  Sometimes we lose our authenticity because of that outer facade we put on.  It's time to look at what you really want.  Who are you?  What do you want for your life?  It's time to make that a reality.  Be gentle with yourself since sometimes it's a hard journey to see our life may not reflect what we want.  It is safe to be you.  You can have the life of your dreams.  Go back to your long lost dreams and see if they still make your heart sing.  If they do, go after them.  You can do it.  It's time.  You can change your life no matter what it looks like now.  You can stand out.  You can have everything you want as soon as you decide what you really want and why.  Then relax and know that you can do it.  

Beliefs

"When we expand our thinking and beliefs, our love flows freely.  When we contract, we shut ourselves off." ~ Louise Hay

One thing that I have found on my journey of self-improvement is that sometimes I have limiting beliefs that I'm not even aware of.  In fact, they are so well buried that if you asked me if I believed that I would give an emphatic, "NO!!"  It's really interesting when we allow ourselves to delve deep into our inner workings.  The things that come up as astounding.  I saw this quote in Louise's book, The Power is Within You, and it reminded me how important it is to be open.  Open to the possibility that that we are holding ourselves back through undiscovered, buried beliefs.  Open to the possibility that we can really have everything we want.  Open to the possibility that what we want may come to us in a way that is different that what we are expecting.  For example, if I want a certain type of _________ (fill in the blank), I may get something different that actually has all the qualities of that certain something or someone but isn't what I thought it would be.  We have to be open to doing more inner work and loving ourselves no matter what comes up.  We have to be open to allowing all the good and abundance we desire into our lives.  It is all ours for the asking if we are open to it and willing to change our limiting beliefs and behaviors when prompted.

Also in the book, Louise gives some affirmations that she uses.  I'm going to list them here and start using them myself starting today.  Remember to be patient - when you plant a seed, it take time to grow.  If you nurture it, it will grow but won't be full grown in 5 minutes.  The same is generally true of affirmations - they may not completely manifest in the next 5 minutes but with love and nurturing - they will manifest.  And so it is!!

Affirmations from  The Power is Within You by Louise Hay.

• Everything I need to know is revealed to me.
• Everything I need comes to me in the perfect time-space sequence.
• Life is a joy and filled with love.
• I am loving and lovable and loved.
• I am healthy and filled with energy.
• I prosper wherever I turn.
• I am willing to change and to grow.
• All is well in my world.

May we all remember, that our thoughts create our reality. May we believe in ourselves every day. And may we love one another and ourselves and always strive to serve while we allow all good things to come to us.

Please feel free to share your reactions in your successes. Namaste.

Believe In Yourself

How often do we look for the answers to life's challenges outside of ourselves?  I believe that is one of the reasons that I read so many self-help books - to find the answers I've been looking for.  But the truth is all the answers we need are inside us.  We have them, we just need to quiet our minds and listen.  I remember the first time you could ask God, Source, the Universe for help or answers through prayers but to hear the answers you must meditate or quiet your mind.  It makes so much sense.

What is all comes down to is believing in ourselves and our power.  We all have it.  The only difference is that some of us accept it and allow it and others of us don't believe enough in ourselves to even try to truly listen for the answers.  I challenge each one of us to allow our power to shine through.  Our power is our light and it is a good thing.  People who use "power" to control or hurt others are not really using their power - that's a lack of self-esteem and true self-confidence.  We don't need to be afraid of our power, we need to own it and allow it to flow freely through us every day.  It will inevitably benefit us and everyone around us.  Believe in yourself.  I do.  You can do anything you put your mind to.  You are an amazing person who can have the life you dream of and you can make a positive difference in the world every day!!  

Make today amazing!!  Believe in yourself.  Go share your light and your power with the world and see how things begin to change for the better every day!!

Kids and play

The other afternoon I was watching my son, Dylan, play basketball for fun, rather than competitively, with kids of all levels all ability.  Watching these kids, I am even more touched by his service project to help raise awareness and funds for childhood obesity.

Let me tell you a little about Dylan.  He is a natural athlete and every coach at every level has said that to us and to him.  He wants to be a professional athlete which I'm confident that if he really wants that when he gets older, he will do it.  Much to my chagrin, many of his coaches have told them whole team that Dylan is the best player and they need to play like him and yet he maintains his humility.  He is and always has been a complete team player and makes sure everyone in his team has a chance to shine.

Dylan has never had a extra ounce of fat on his body and yet he picked childhood obesity as his service project.  His reasoning is that he loves sports and being active and while he knows that not all kids are interested in competitive sports he sees those who want to play but don't because of their weight or fitness level and feels bad.  He sees the kids who do want to play competitively (or did) but began to feel insecure, ashamed, and basically miserable because they couldn't keep up and would get picked last on the teams - or not picked at all.  He has seen how kids compare themselves to others (even to him) and give up because they don't feel "good enough" rather than always striving to be the best them they can be.

When this happens in childhood, we often bring those feelings of insecurity and lack of self-esteem with us. Once we've been carrying it for 30 years or more it becomes even harder to let go of, it's like that security blanket of days gone by that we hold onto for dear life. It becomes who we think we are. We may begin to look in the mirror with self disgust and self-loathing. We may forget to practice self-love and self understanding. When we don't love ourselves, we often find that replying to other people as well. We find ourselves more judgmental and misunderstanding just because were unhappy with ourselves.We identify with these traits and don't let go until something makes us!

While this happens to people who are not obese or overweight, by raising awareness and funds towards helping childhood obesity, we will get rid of one of the big factors of low self-esteem!

I am committed to making a difference in the lives of young people. In doing so,my life will be enriched beyond my imagination. And by getting fit myself, I will show myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I will be an example rather than someone who just has all the textbook knowledge and is not applying it to her own life. Please join me on my journey and let me know how I can help you on yours!