Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Are you comfortable pushing yourself outside of your fears? This is no easy task, but 'stepping out' will help you move yourself to the next level. This applies to all goals such as your fitness, your health, and your business endeavours. Following this advice is hard, but necessary if you are looking for personal growth. My suggestion would be to identify your fears and honestly determine where your comfort level is when looking at your personal growth.

Embrace new ideas and live adventurously!!

Don't Quit!!

Author Unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When they might have won, had they stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow,

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit,

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit

A Holistic Approach To Your Health

Many of our grandmothers and generations prior to our grandparents used a natural way of healing our ailments. Modern medicine has really made us dependant on its' way of healing (granted it is a billion dollar industry). But, if you have not already looked into a natural way of healing yourself and keeping yourself well, I would like to challenge you to do so. There are many remedies that our grandparents used that really work. They may not have known why they work, but all they cared about was that it did work.

In the spirit of holistic healing, I would like to share this article that I read on The Holistic Option website. Let me know what you think about it....


Holistic Approach to the Common Cold
by Karen Roth, MS, NCHolistic Nutrition Consultantwww.nutritionalchoice.net

While knowing that prevention is key to avoiding the common cold, it’s of little comfort once you are hit with one. The following are some key "Do’s and Don’ts”" if you are one of the unfortunate ones to catch a cold this season.

What to Increase

Eat foods rich in Quercetin. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in many foods and aside from being a powerful antioxidant, it reduces inflammation. Quercetin also contains natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory properties.

Foods high in Quercetin include:
– Onions
– Apples (with skin)
– Blueberries
– Grapes
– Black Beans
– Red Cabbage

Drink plenty of filtered water and vegetable broths. These support the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract by keeping them moist and allowing them to better function. Drinking ginger tea may reduce the intensity of a cold.

Get plenty of sleep. Rest allows the immune system the time it needs to rid the body of unwanted bacteria and viruses.

Vitamin C in high doses supports the immune system and may reduce the duration and severity of the common cold. Start with 1000 mg three times a day, and increase by 500 mg with each dose to bowel tolerance (diarrhea). Everyone has a different tolerance level for Vitamin C. For a sore throat, natural ginger syrup can ease inflammation and reduce pain.

What to Avoid

Avoid sugary foods and drinks including fruit juices. Sugar suppresses the immune system and will only prolong a cold.

Avoid mucous-forming dairy products especially milk.

Avoid junk food. The body doesn’t need the extra burden of detoxifying the additives and preservatives.

Avoid alcohol and tobacco which decrease immune function.

Avoid stress which can lead to decreased immune function. What might start off as a common cold, could turn into a more chronic condition.

Journal Your Journey To Fitness

I saw a great tip on a LiveforLife website. I thought that I would share it .....

Keeping a fitness journal is a great way to maintain an active lifestyle and get back on track when you feel your exercise habits slipping. Journaling allows you to set and record fitness goals, track your progress, enjoy your successes, and stay motivated. A fitness journal provides valuable feedback to help you assess your plan and make adjustments when needed. Start a journal and stay on your journey to fitness!

Do not take your health for granted!! A healthy lifestyle helps to alleviate stress, high blood pressure, heart problems, and many other preventable health related issues. Stay focused on your health and take it one day at a time!

What kind of day are you going to have today??

You have been blessed to see another day. Do not waste it!! Someone did not get the same blessing that you got this morning.

Make the most out of everyday! Treat each day like a clean slate. Do not allow your disappointments from yesterday to ruin your hope for today.

So, when you look back over the day, think about your accomplishments and the difference that you made in someones life today. If you look back over the last 24 hours and you see that you have accomplished nothing, make some adjustments. God is awesome and he will allow you to tweak your day as you see fit.

We all get the same 24 hours everyday. You just have to decide how you want to use those 24 hours. Remember, there are no do overs in life. You get one shot, so make the most of it!

Unwind Your Mind

RELAX!! Seriously, it could improve your quality of life if you simply RELAX.

I was listening to a speaker from Caring Days Adult Day Care here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama about taking care of our loved one's as they age. This is a day care center for individuals with some form of memory disorder (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, etc). She shared some very interesting statistics (that I can not remember exactly) about the number of people that will actually have some form of dementia by the age of 65. I believe that this number was 1 in 3. Individuals of African American descent are at a higher risk with developing risk for memory loss. We may call this "going crazy" or "loosing our mind," but really it is the beginning of something that is treatable.

The guest speaker from Caring Days went on to mention that the caregiver(s) for this individual really takes on a lot of unhealthy stress. This individual does not get a moment to relax and unwind. Statistics show that more likely then not, the caregiver is going to be the one to die first. This is because of stress.

So, UNWIND YOUR MIND! It is never to early to destress. You can add quality years to your life. Here are a few tips:

1. Develop a healthy attitude.
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Keep your mind active.
4. Limit your alcohol consumption.
5. Fully understand any medications that you take.
6. Watch your diet and the portions that you eat.
7. Find a doctor that you trust.
8. Keep your soul healthy.
9. Meditate.
10. Enjoy your life!!!!!!!!!!!

The Family Reunion

Honoring Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes

Recently, the African American community lost two of our greatest entertainers.  I am sure you have seen the stories by now, but I would like for you to take a moment to reflect on your own life.  These two individuals were living the life that they wanted to live.  Weather it was making us laugh until we cried or giving us music that we would never forget.  Do not waste another moment doing something that you do not want to do with your life.  Step out on faith!

Don't Be Afraid to Dream Big

What is keeping you from really getting what you want out of life? Are you dreaming big and if so .........are you acting on your dreams? Most people have a vision for themselves that they are not pursing. Or if they are pursuing it, they are not giving it all that they have in their soul. Many of us make so many excuses of why we are not moving our lives in the direction that we dream of being in.

The difference in the people that are successful and the people that are not successful is the fact that the successful person had a dream and dared to act on it.

Be different! Be a trendsetter! Dream big and pursue it with everything that you have in you.

Mind Clutter

Sometimes it is necessary to silence your mind. In the busy lives that we all lead, it is hard to take a much needed break. You would be amazed at how rejuvenated you feel after you have been able to start with a clean slate. Take time to pray, meditate, or to just sit and do nothing. The benefits could be life changing!!

The Power of Positive Thinking

Are you a negative thinker or are you surrounded by people that think negatively? If so, it may be in your best interest to change your thoughts and to remove that negative energy from your day to day life. Negativity can be a cancer if you let it. Many that are successful say that a positive mindset can make all of the difference in ones' success or failure. If you do not believe in yourself, then why should anyone else believe in you.

Joel Osteen gave an excellent sermon on Monday, May 11th 2008 on 'Freedom from Wrong Mindset.' In the sermon he uses the analogy of a computer getting infected with a virus and the fact that the virus can easily spread, slowing down your entire computer system. Negativity is a virus that spreads quicker then the flu. He also talks about hitting the delete button on the negative thoughts of the past and moving positively into the future. If you have time to visit his website, it is well worth your time (www.joelosteen.com).

Many of us may have negative thoughts in our heads about why we are where we are at this moment in our lives. Your thoughts may center around your race, your age, your gender, where you were born, etc. Now is the time to accept who you are and to stop making excuses. As Joel stated in his sermon, everyone was made in the image of God and we all have a particular purpose to fulfill while we are here on this Earth.

Follow your passion!! Do not let excuses stop you from following the path that you choose to follow. Sometimes, it is necessary to make your own path. As Hip Hop Mogul Jay Z stated, "I came to a fork in the road and I went straight." People will always have something negative to say when you are trying to fulfill your dreams. That can no longer get in your way. It is time to shake the haters off and start living the life that you want to design for yourself and your family. When you come to that inevitable fork in the road, do not be afraid to take the road that has not yet been traveled. You never know where you may end up.

You only get one shot ............................

Take Control of Your Own Happiness

We all know that we are not guaranteed another day on this Earth. But, the real question is……are we living that way? With the coming of a new year, we all make new years resolutions to do better in some way. Some of us want to loose weight; some of us want to be in a better financial position, and so on and so on. The problem is that more then likely we will not stay committed to that idea of ‘it is a new year, so I need to create a new me.’

Let this be the year that you make the necessary changes in your life to improve your self, your soul, and your well being. At the end of the year, you want to be able to answer the question, ‘Am I better off now then I was one year ago?’

Stress can be detrimental to making an effort towards progress. John 14:27 says, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.’ Did you know that 90% of all doctors’ visits can be attributed to stress? Many times, the reason an individual is having trouble sleeping, plagued with back aches, feeling tired, or depressed has a lot to do with being over stressed.

Proverbs 14:30 says, ‘A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. So, here are some final thoughts on making 2008 a better year then 2007:

Do not give in to circumstances.
Control your approach to life.
Do not take life to serious.
Do not spend time around toxic people.
Do not give someone else the power to steel your joy.
Do not continue to feed in to those negative emotions.
Do not even, for one second, waste time having a negative attitude. It can always be worse.

And, yes…..I am going to have to listen to my own advice.