Tag: inspiration

Meet yourself where you are…

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Hello dear readers, I come to you to tell you today about a failure.

 

I did not work out yesterday, but I did not eat unhealthy foods, either. I feel like this is a small victory but an important one.

Having to confess that to you hurts, as I know that my energy and posts sometimes spur you on to accomplishing your goals.

Let my inactivity inspire you as well. If it helps, I went paddle boarding on Monday without knowing what to expect and got a sunburn (despite using sunscreen) and my arms hurt for a day or two afterwards. But you know what, after getting over the initial, “am I really going to do this” (which by the way is the feeling that floods me any time I do something new) It was fun and exciting.

So what is today’s message? Meet yourself where you are. If you didn’t work out today, pledge to do so tomorrow.

Think about it!

No one has a voice like you

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Someone recently said to me, Jennifer, you inspired me to…… (fill in the blank)

That really touched me. I was glad that I accomplished my goal which is to inspire one person a day. So if I inspire you to work on something that matters to you or that you were scared to do or not motivated to do, please let me know. Let me widen that scope.

If anyone inspires you for the greater, please tell them. You never know but you might just be the driving force in their life that has them try one more time or post another blog or write another speech. You have tremendous impact. Yes, I am talking to you.

Do not ever feel like “I am just one person, how can I matter?”. Trust me, you do. Go and Be Awesome.

 

 

50 blog posts, 10 minutes a day and something simple

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This is my 50th blog post and I have been honestly struggling with what to write. I had a few ideas earlier this week regarding patriotism and the history of our country. I thought about posting details about my complete lack of adherence to paleo this week and the gaining of 7 pounds that came with it but realized because nothing felt strong enough it was not time to write.

I do my best to write once a week, usually Tuesday because it let’s more of the weekend set in and according to some statistics I have studied, Tuesday afternoon is a prime time for bloggers and blog watchers to read posts…

I decided none of those things mattered and therefore didn’t post. 

I realized I was trying to come up with something meaningful or profound but in truth it wasn’t until tonight that I was inspired to take pen to paper or the modern version, finger to key…

It was only after watching a Ted Talk ( I am so very fond of them, and plan to give one in the future) about taking 10 minutes a day to “recalibrate your brain” by doing nothing. I mean literally nothing. No email, no phone, no television, no radio and just let your brain have thoughts without judgement. Previous to this the only experience I have had with meditation is that its my favourite part of any yoga class because at that point I am relaxed enough to let my brain rest or more recently watching Julia Roberts in “Eat, Pray, Love” struggle to meditate and quiet her mind for more than a minute.

You are likely thinking you need incense and the ability to pose like a champion gymnast but you don’t. I sat in my recliner, and set my timer for 10 minutes. I closed my eyes and started breathing. I will not lie to you and say it was easy. I found myself distracted by everything, the hum of the air conditioner, the sounds outside, the itch that suddenly made itself known on the back of my knee, wondering what time it was and trying to suss out exactly how much longer I had before I was done. I then thought about what Andy Puddicombe said, when was the last time you took to do nothing and I literally can not remember and considering that your brain is responsible for so much and processes so much, my poor brain needs a break so I shook it all off and just focused on my breathing and then all these ideas started to come to me and I let them just happen, no judgement and just let them flit by like colorful, but undeveloped film and then my timer sounded and I realized exactly what I wanted to write about.  

Here’s a hint, I had this idea to post a blog while I was meditating, not before and this is only after 10 minutes, I wonder what could happen when I do it 10 minutes a day for a month? What could it do for you, think about it….

Here is the Ted Talk referenced below

http://www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes.html

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again..

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I have heard this advice on and off for most of my life and it is good advice if not hard to swallow on the heels of yet another disappointment.

But when you don’t succeed over and over and over again, its hard to slap on a happy face and Tony Robbins yourself into a good frame of mind. With this post, I am aiming to do just that. I am trying to talk myself into doing what I know I must.

I am speaking about my weight loss in the last few weeks, or to put it more accurately, my lack of weight loss. I am doing the same things, but not getting any results. It would be different if I was chowing down on Haagen Daz  or even eating mashed potatoes at every turn but I am following paleo down to the letter and I have remained the exact same weight for three consecutive weeks and its making me ornery and a whole lot less motivated to “stay the course”

I weigh 255 pounds which is 30 pounds less than I weighed at the end of 2012, so in that sense I am experiencing real progress and should be happy. However, comparing a bad score to a better one doesn’t make the better one great, it just makes it better.

But enough of this melancholy michegas, I have a job, I am loved, I can walk, I can talk and I can read and I can write. I have to think about all the things I have and have accomplished this year. To review my goals were these. 

1. More face to face. Less Facebook- I have had no less than 5 face to face coffee, tea and lunch encounters. Still working on less Facebook. The lure of other people is strong.

2. Read 10 books. I have actually read 2 and am close to finishing a third tonight.

3. Give 10 effective speeches. I have given two and will give a third this Saturday

4. Lose 50 pounds. I have lost 30 and that is nothing to sneeze at..

So at the quartermark, I have accomplished some things and still working on others.

How about you? What are you working on? Who do you count on for support?

Here Comes the Boom. Yes, you read that right…

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Okay, so I can’t believe I am posting about a Kevin James movie, yet I am..

Let me take you back 24 hours, Jeremy and I plan to have a very low-key, stay in, no hearts and flowers or over the top (which we specialize in 364 days of the year) Valentines day.

Pizza (which is cheating on our paleo diet) and a movie. I let him pick the movie, and as we were searching titles, “Here Comes the Boom” popped up and as Jeremy and I are avid fans of “Hitch” largely in part due to Kevin James and Will Smith I thought, okay, fun for him, and fun for me, not going to rock my socks  but it will be fun. and it was, but oh so much more….

First of all, the movie is about a teacher who in trying to save the music department has to come up with 48,000 in a short time. This got me to thinking, what would you do if you had to come up with a lot of money in a short amount of time? Well back when my husband and I were saving for our wedding, we both worked extra hours, and I took a second job, so that is an idea. It’s more about long-term gain not short-term so we would have to think about something else. In any case, this movie peppered with great quotes from Nietzsche (and yes I had to look up to spell it) like “Without music, life would be a mistake” and the usual “Follow your dreams” , and How to inspire others. The usual formula for success story.

Improbable Premise + Plucky Hero + Unbelievable, Rarely happens in life= Happy Endingbut this had a new take, and surprisingly I was very touched by the story. So what is my point, you ask? Well, its simply this, don’t judge a book by its cover until you read it and as a supporting corollary, don’t judge a movie till you watch it.

Have you had similar experiences? Have you read a book you were reluctant to read, to find out it really spoke to you?

What do you want to be when you grow up?

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This is a universal question asked to thousands of children everywhere. The answer.

Ballerina

Fireman

Scientist

The list goes on and on as far as the eye can see and the mind can expand.. There are jobs kids are talking about that haven’t even been invented yet! Its important when we hear these answers we stoke desire in those little hearts and minds, not limitations. While on the subject of dreams and encouraging them.. This is not limited to kids. We, adults have dreams too, and its important that we encourage those too. If someone says to you, “I want to learn a new language” be sure you build them up by saying, That sounds like fun, what is your game plan?”

Please don’t discourage them because once upon a time you took Latin and hated it and swore to never speak the dead language again- I will never forget being told I couldn’t be an actress because “you will never make any money”

This idea that I am blogging about is not a new one. Its all part of a philosophy talked about in a great book coming out called “Start” by Jon Acuff, all about how to “punch fear in the face” and “escaping average” I just read the first chapter and am filled with excitement and a new energy to go after my goals. For your review-

Lose 50 pounds- I have lost 17- which leaves 33 to go!!

Read more books- I have read two, working on a third

Get more sleep- up to 8 hours this week

Give 10 speeches this year- Giving my first one tonight

What do you want to do? What kind of support network do you need to build to do it?

Think about it.

 

To pre-order the Jon Acuff’s book, “START” here is the link

http://j.mp/WMzx8d