The self shrinking stomach!!

A couple of days ago I made a Facebook comment that raised questions & I wanted to address it. Several years ago I found myself extremely obese, miserable & unhappy with the way I let myself get out of shape. This happened over a course of time & I knew better. I had worked in nursing my entire life & saw first hand the effects obesity played in disease processes & quality of life. In previous years I had successfully lost weight utilizing Sugar Busters as a lifestyle. I never referred to it as a diet, because it had to become who I was. I started this lifestyle again when one of my best friends underwent gastric bypass surgery. In an attempt to support her, I learned what / how she could eat & I was also going to incorporate these to help me lose weight. Win/win! Here were the most important details.

1. Eat only the amount of food that fits in the palm of your hand when cupped
2. Eat several small meals daily
3. Do not waste calories on non-nutritional food choices. Instead include a balance of protein, carbs, & fats
4. Sip small amounts of liquids during meals
5. No carbonated drinks
6. Exercise daily- not necessarly food choices, but this is important in metabolism, toning muscle, & preventing saggy skin as you lose weight.

Thus my “support” began. I was already following Sugar Busters, so I instituted portion control. I have to admit this was strange at first, but it became easier. It takes 20 minutes before your brain registers you’re full. Truth is, you’ve already eaten enough before you’re full. If you push away from the table feeling stuffed or miserable, you’ve completely overeaten. This is why sound nutritional judgement is essential. The first twinge of fullness is your sign to stop, not when your plate is empty. Resources reveal drinking large amounts of liquid with meals not only robs food of nutritional value, but it causes a pseudo full feeling forcing the need to eat sooner than necessary.  The stomach can hold a minimum of 500 ml. or 1/2 liter.  A 44 oz. cup is 1301mls.  Not only are you stretching your tummy, but washing away any nutritional value food could possibly have. These factors alone contribute to our nations epidemic of obesity & malnutrition. It sounds like an oxy moron, but it exists. I suggest watching the documentary, “Super Size Me.” Our nation responded appropriately.

The first few days of portion control were weird. When my stomach signaled hunger, I ate small portions to turn the signal off. When it signalled being full, my psyche had to completely adjust at the amount that satisfied hunger. Several small meals actually prevented my body from becoming overly hungry, increased my metabolism, therefore resisting to urge to store fat. Being on Sugar Busters eliminated some poor food choices.

I began noticing I could no longer eat a regular plate of food, so I purchased less in groceries to bring meals to work. I already didn’t purchase alot of junk food for home & Sugar Busters shrank that even more. Buffet restaurants were a waste of time & money. Sharing meals with friends saved money & I could eat off any fast food menu for $2 max. At that time I was a single parent & my friends were other single parents so…. this was a huge advantage. See a pattern here?? Shrinking my meal size while instituting healthier choices not only caused my stomach to shrink, but saved money in my budget. I also wanted to believe these choices were a great example for my son, who was still at home. Obesity related disease processes lead to time loss from work or job loss from disabilities. This, in turn, leads to financial strain within families, relational compromise, & more. Wow!! Who knew food or rather misguided use of it could cause such dilimmas?? Money spent inappropriately in food is one of the largest budget busters of all time. Somehow food moved being a sustaining life force to a pleasurable destructive force. We shouldn’t live to eat, but eat to live.

Over the course of two years I lost 100 lbs. My stomach would quickly let me know it had enough. It actually physically hurt to even look at a Big Gulp sized cup.  I felt marvelous, had more energy & my self esteem increased. I went from size 22-24 clothing to 10-12 & some 8-10′s. I never added the exercise factor, but by losing this amount of weight over an extended period of time, I was never saggy!! I realize now had I added exercise, I would’ve  accomplished it faster!! But… I kept it off longer!! In reading books by the leading economist, Paul Zane Pilzer, I learned how nutrition, self esteem & money went hand in hand. He suggests that empowering people to take control of their diet /health enables them to become empowered in every area. I highly suggest reading “The Wellness Revolution & The Next Millionaires.” His books are insightful beyond description.

Over the past couple of years I’ve gained some, but not all, of my weight back simply because I became lax in my eating habits. As the book, “The Slight Edge” teaches…..it’s easy to do & easy not to do!! In being associated in a health & wellness business I did, however, become more & more health conscious. Watching the documentary, Food, Inc., changed my life. Learning about genetically modified foods, meat processing, hidden FDA approved practices, etc,. seriously woke me up. My new charted course was to eliminate preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, become 100% all natural / all organic, support locally raised producers, & more. I was now accountable to what I witnessed during my years in the medical field, & also what I’d recently been educated on. If I develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc., it was completely self inflicted. I had the knowledge & self control to reduce these risks.

So…..I am armed, ready & excited to lose the added weight, become physically fit & feel good about it. I’ve been steadily practicing portion control for the past month & I’m definitely feeling the change. Educating myself has caused me to walk away from foods I would have otherwise allowed. While Sugar Busters helped me eliminate certain foods, I’ve fine tuned it.  I believe preparing mentally by recognizing what triggers unhealthy eating habits is critical. I’ve met numerous post gastric bypass candidates who have gained their weight back & more. This saddens me knowing the expense of the surgery was just wasted. Yes, just as you can shrink your stomach, you can stretch it again. Root sources must be dealt with & I must deal with mine daily!!   Here are some of those daily health & budget  practices:

1. I rarely, if ever, eat fast food regardless of being hungry or how convenient they are. Once you watch Food, Inc., you won’t either!!  I avoid chain restaurants to support locally owned & operated establishments. I read every label of food I am not familiar with. If I can’t pronounce it, I don’t eat it. Period. For instance … do you know what’s in your ice cream? Even some of my favorite Braums, Blue Bell, Ben & Jerry’s?? Nope. I resort to locally owned places who make home-made gelato. Afrah’s in Richardson!! 75 N> Main street exit #24B. You know I love them now right? I know that’s an isolated example, but seriously ….. read labels.

2. I confess. I love chicken just about anyway you prepare it. I haven’t been a fan of red meat for quite some time, but chicken is my love with tilapia or salmon in second place. I used to eat Popeye’s chicken every Tuesday because I could eat 2 pieces for $1.07. Hey that was frugal & portion controlled right?? Right, except it contributed to the obesity-malnourished epidemic!! From July 5, 2011- Jan 5, 2012 I went without eating one piece of fried chicken. Once I ate it again, I realized it wasn’t worth adding it back in my life!! I make things myself or buy rotisserie from Whole Foods. I’ve recently discovered Pollo Regio. A locally owned mexican restaurant that serves the best grilled chicken I’ve had in forever. I’m not sure of their ingredients, but I am learning Spanish!! That will be a special treat only!! Chipoltle is my choice for southwestern style burritos as they are a featured supporter of pasture raised animals. Their amazing story is shown in Food, Inc. Since their portions are so large, I have two meals for the price of one burrito bowl. Portion controlled, frugal & nutritious. Yay!

3. I went from drinking Diet Coke & sweet tea to water with lemons. Maybe twice yearly I’ll have a DC.  When I had my knee surgery I purchased Sierra Mist because it contains real sugar. It took every fiber of my being to drink Sprite in the recovery room!!  Do you know how much you can shave off your bottom line charge when eating out just drinking water?? Lemons are such a tremendous benefit as well. Read about it!! Some sources reveal using lime or lemon in water may avoid some food borne sickness when eating out.  I’ve completely eliminated sugar substitutes & I’ve recently reduced my sugar consumption used in coffee / hot tea to half. I use only organic sugar at home. My favs are a Whole Food vegan (as if sugar cane has a heart right?) or a mexican variety.

4. I rarely, if ever go to Starbucks. If I do, I get the coffee of the day. When travelling & want coffee, I stop at McDs (the only thing I buy from there!!) When meeting a business partner locally, I meet at Oak Lawn Coffee or Buzzbrews. Oak Lawn is locally owned using their coffee to support local causes. Buzzbrews coffee is $2.50, bottomless & oh so good! An added bonus…..Buzzbrews offers vegan/vegetarian choices & purchase all their bread from a local indy baker. Ask for Brent! He’s my fav waiter!!

5. Farmers markets are wonderful, but I always ask where they’re from to avoid purchasing food overages from chain distributors. I primarily shop from Sunflower Market, Whole Foods, or Central Market. Sunflower is my fav & while I hardly ever purchase meat now, it has the best assortment of naturally processed meats. I know you think this must be expensive, but they are more economical than Walmart. I purchase enough veggies/fruit for three days at a time only. When I bought more, it wasted causing me to throw money in the trash. Nutritious & frugal. This requires meal planning, but is so worth it. Buying fresh veggies supports my preservative free practice!!

6. I’m lactose intolerant & drank soy milk for over 10 yrs. Food,Inc. exposed GMO soybeans so I boycotted by switching to rice milk. It’s made from brown rice which is essentially a protein. I support a cause & provide an alternative protein source. This was a huge sacrifice because I loved soy milk, but you know what?? I now totally love Rice Dream Vanilla milk! My yogurt is Cascade Fresh. By not using a batch mix process, it allows me the benefit of having eight live cultures per serving. Of course they are all natural, hormone free, yada-yada. That’s a given!! If a store doesn’t have that, I purchase Chobani greek yogurt thanks to my daughter!! Do yourself & your kids justice by reading yogurt labels. They’re frightening!!

7. Grain/ nut sources are important & I choose those carefully. I rarely, if ever buy bread just to have at home. When I do, it’s Ezekiel or Genesis bread found in the freezer section because it’s live sprouts. It’s a complete protein source & good. Pastas are rare, but I generally  get the vegetable trio. I do love glass looking rice noodles & my mac & cheese is Ann’s organic brand. Altough I don’t eat rice alot, I love Jasmine, brown, or Basmati rice.  Without consciously doing this, I’ve eliminated gluten almost completely. Quinoi is my newest love. It’s fabu with sauteed veggies!! I purchase unsalted nuts & grind my peanut butter fresh. I won’t even buy the containers they graciously grind for us! I buy small quantities to avoiding spoiling.

8. My biz mentor has been following the blood type diet achieving great results not only in the way she feels, but with losing weight. I read that book eighteen years ago & said I’d NEVER do that. Want to know something funny? In my process of eliminating bad food & becoming health conscious, I’ve perfectly adopted the Type A diet without even knowing it. Never say never.

So you see…self-shrinking your stomach really is possible. Discipline yourself by instituting several small,nutritionally balanced, quality meals while decreasing the quantity. Add exercise & you’ll accomplish so much more than weight loss.  Commit to your health because you & your family are so beyond worth it.

Blessings,
g

Interview between Robin Sharma & Richard Branson

It amazes me that once I began submerging myself in leadership development information, my interests completely changed.  Instead of picking up a magazine or reading a completely negative, gossip-laden, news post, I gravitate toward entrepreneurial articles that will challenge me toward attaining my goals & dreams.

I subscribe to emails from Robin Sharma & this is one describing his interview with Richard Branson.  I admire both of these men & wanted to share with you.  Enjoy!

Blessings,

g

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey Geneva,

I hope you’re great! Just finished an event with Richard Branson in Bucharest (a city known as the “Paris of The East”) and wanted to share my takeaways with you to help you take your career and life to its next level of wow.

Richard was polite and larger than life. A pleasure to share time with. And a man who clearly adores all he does. I encourage you to read his autobiography “Losing My Virginity” as well as his book “Business Stripped Bare” if you haven’t gone through them yet. Uber-inspiring. For people who want to become Remarkable Entrepreneurs – and express their absolute best.

Anyway, I’ll get right into some of my observations as well as the ideas we discussed. Please don’t underestimate the power of these simple ideas – superbly executed, they yield brilliant results.

1. Politeness Matters. As mentioned, Richard Branson was unfailingly polite. He mentioned to me that when he was a kid, if he criticized someone, his mother would make him stand in front of the mirror at home and say, “what you’re seeing in others is really what you’re seeing in yourself. So look in the mirror.” This educated him on the key leadership habit of looking for – and then encouraging – the gifts and talents within other people.

2. Be Massively Independent. When Richard was just four years old, his mother stopped her car and instructed him to find his own way home, over many miles. When he was about 12, she told him to cycle 100 miles to Bournemouth alone, to visit a relative. He expressed to me that these childhood experiences were his mother’s way of growing his self-reliance. And building the invincible inner core that has served him so well as an entrepreneur.

3. Screw It – Just Do It. What makes a great company (and great life) isn’t so much the inspiring idea as the flawless execution around the big idea. As Edison once said: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Richard shared that much of his success came from his philosophy to disregard the naysayers and those telling him his dream was impossible and just get the dream done. (Please remember: the impossible is generally just the untried). This is a man with a giant bias towards action.

4. Lavish Praise on People. I know you know this: the bigger the dream, the more important the team. Having worked with many of the best entrepreneurs in the world, I’ve learned that every single one of them gets that you can’t do it alone. Beautiful to have a brave vision. But the real key is finding the genius-level talent to get that vision delivered into reality. And if all you know how to surround yourself with is mediocre people, you’re destined to experience mediocre results. Richard is brilliant at finding the right people that bring his targets of opportunity to life. And he confirmed that once they are on his team, “I lavish them with praise.” Our takeaway: relentlessly celebrate+develop+inspire your people.

5. Be a Radical Innovator. When he was a young entrepreneur with nothing more than the little college newspaper THE STUDENT, he still showed a lust for disregarding all the rules. He challenged the status quo. And disrupted what was considered normal. An example: he somehow was able to get John Lennon to do an original piece of music for him. He then put the song on a special disc and packaged it into the newspaper, right next to the interview he’d done on the rock ‘n roll legend. At Virgin Records, he recruited the Sex Pistols and reinvented a whole category of music. At Virgin Atlantic, he gave passengers massages on airplanes and dropped them home in limos. And with Virgin Galactic, he’s taking people into space. Very cool. Fantastically bold.

At the Bucharest meeting, he told the 2500+ people in the concert hall that “sometime in your lifetime, every one of you will have visited other parts of the universe.” And I believe it.

6. Build Your Brand. Richard Branson gets branding. He knows what he – and the Virgin name – stands for. Fun. Good Value. Strong customer service. And so at every possible opportunity, he evangelizes all it stands for. Oh, and he’s also clearly a master of getting attention. From hot air balloon adventures that made global news to showing up at a press conference nearly naked to promote Virgin mobile, this Remarkable Entrepreneur gets the value of owning a share of our brain cells.

7. Find Your Necker Island. Get this: Branson paid roughly $300,000 for his beloved Necker Island. He and his then girlfriend Joan were visiting the Caribbean on a getaway. They fell in love with Necker – but it was about $4,000,000. But he wouldn’t give up (let’s never discount the power of a ridiculous amount of persistence around your most closely loved goals). A few months later, the owner needed cash. Branson made his deeply discounted offer. It has served as his retreat away from the world for many years. Here’s the real point: in the world of so much noise and complexity, find your personal retreat (even if it’s an aged wooded bench in a public garden) where you can withdraw to think+create+renew+rest.

8. Lucky Wins. We make luck. Enough said.

9. Don’t Do It If It’s Not Fun. Branson wears a smile pretty much all the time. He laughs naturally. And radiates happiness. Zero doubt: he loves his life – and all that’s in it (George Clooney said he’d swap his life for Richard Branson’s – much to the delight of Richard’s wife). The lesson for us: life’s just too short to be doing work that destroys your soul. This is the best time in the history of the world to become an entrepreneur. Find work you adore. And get busy changing with world with it.

10. With Gifts Come Responsibilities. OK, so Richard Branson’s one of the richest people on the planet. But he gets that being good trumps shiny toys. He mentioned to me that, “with great wealth comes great responsibility.” And so he’s spending a lot of his days evangelizing Virgin Unite, his foundation that helps kids in need. Reminds me of what my amazing father taught me – using the words of the great poet Tagore – growing up: “Robin, when you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Son, live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice.”

So there you go. What the iconic Richard Branson shared with me on a sunny Wednesday in Bucharest. I hope the lessons also serve you well.

Robin

Why take the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge??

While reading one of my favorite “cyber mentors” blog this morning, Bob Burg discussed having a weak or strong team is a direct result of leadership who surround themselves with superior people.   Of course my experience has been extremely positive.  As with all good resources, his blog got me to thinking.  Trust me, you want to associate with people who cause you to think, not just think tell you what to think.  Here was some my response:

Of course Bob you know my greatest examples are Orrin Woodward #6 & Chris Brady #11 on the World Leadership Guru Top 25 List!! Their examples have definitely trickled down & continue to saturate throughout our entire organization. I listened to a CD by Orrin yesterday back to back because it totally resonated in so many areas. Since 2006 I’ve become a hungry student in so many areas. Who would have ever put a conversation about politics or economics with me in the same room, much less contributing to & enjoying it!

I went onto thinking how following such men & women of influence have impacted many areas of my world.  Without this association, I don’t want to even begin to imagine where I would be.  I would’ve never developed a passion for reading or taught my singles Sunday School class out of “You Don’t Need A Title To Be A Leader” by Mark Sanborn. Through those principles, our band of singles had the most leaders within the adult ministry structure!! This was ministry, what about family? How does something like this affect family?  Because our organization has a top 5 book list, I was able to refer “Personality Plus” to my daughter, Summer, in an effort to deal with my beautiful, strong-willed, granddaughter.  Shortly after, Summer & husband, Russell, pastored a church in Arkansas where other TEAM biz partners happened to attend. They decided to teach a weekly  adult class on personalities in an effort to develop better relationships within the church. This past weekend I suggested my daughter re-read the chapter on cholerics!! Said granddaughter is now 9!

One of my favorite family examples comes from my son.  Summer married a few years after my divorce leaving Bryce & I to live at least 14 years discovering the glorious ins & outs of single parenting.  My only regret is not having been exposed to all the amazing information I now have access to during those painful experimental years.  Anyway….. back to my favorite example right?  I was driving to Arkansas to spend Christmas with  Summer when Bryce called me. We had celebrated Christmas early & I gave him 3 books with an assignment to read, write book reports & he would get the remainder of his Christmas gift of cash. He wasn’t happy, but loved cash!  He chose “The Anatomy of Peace” by the Arbinger Institute as his first book. During this call, his first question to me was, “Did the mom & son characters in this book remind you of me & you?”  I spent the next 2 hrs. of my journey conversing with him about the book.  This made the trip better not just that the roads were dreary, dark, & icy, but I just loved discussing it with him.  He renamed the characters with people he associated with in his every day life enabling him to relate to it better.   His full-page book report was amazing & stated everyone in the world needs to read this book.  Of course I carefully chose that book because it taught me a valuable lesson on how to communicate with Bryce. I was obviously failing & falling short in that category!  Sadly I must admit, I was the character of the mom to a “T.”

Story after story follows in how books, CDs, & associations with quality leaders have helped thousands develop character, integrity & the fortitude necessary to not only cope & survive, but develop other leaders & thrive.  Marriages have been restored, families have been strengthened, finances have been controlled, debt irradiated & much, much more.  My life has completely changed.  I strive constantly & continually to improve developing  into the person God designed me to become.

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones (fabulous books too!) stated, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.”

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.– Charles William Eliot

Recently LIFE launched, what we believe to be, the most brilliant expedition yet!  The testimonies discussed in the paragraph above are multiplying across the nation.  Average people have accepted the challenge & are realizing this is an asset they can use in every area of their lives.  I encourage you to take the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge.  After taking the self-test, order the pack which includes three phenomenal books & thought-provoking CD’s.  During the 90 days, you will associate with amazing people through Challenge groups & experience for yourself the opportunity for a  lifetime of change.  It is only the beginning of change & as I came to realize 6 years ago, will be the greatest decision you ever make.  We are quick to engage in fitness for our bodies, while neglecting our most valuable asset, our minds.

I hear people all the time saying, “You can’t change the way things are, just accept them.”  This statement tugs on my last reserve of self-control forcing me to answer with emotional intelligence…nicely!  Together we can begin to change ourselves & assume responsibility for change within our family.  As a family we contribute to the change of our community.  The effect of change within communities will infiltrate into our towns or cities.  Cities taking responsibility & instituting change are catalysts for causing change within our state.   States will reinforce such change through influence with other states.  As a whole, states will bind together & foster change within our nation.  Nations will unite wherefore changing our world.  When we look at the HUGE picture it can be overwhelming.  When we practice incremental changes as defined in the book, “The Slight Edge,”  change occurs.  I didn’t do this purposely, but doesn’t this sound like how our precious United States became the resilient nation it is.  A few brave men & women accepted their duty to change so others, you & I,  would experience freedom & liberty.  Can you institute this challenge in your church?  Support group?  Book club?  Of course you can!  As one of my favorite historic characters stated: “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” Sir Winston Churchill.  Legacy can begin with you!

Be the ripple & pay it forward.

Blessings,

g

Enroll in the 90 Day MFC, using # 61244967

Becoming our mothers!

As we near the weekend set aside to honor mothers, many of us no longer have a mother to celebrate.  This is dedicated, not only to my mom, Bessie, but to those of you who want to remember yours.  During my many years as a nurse in the medical sector, I was a Rascal.  I say I turned into my mother at a very early age.  Here’s why!  I was raised on a farm with the opportunity of being primarily self-sufficient.  We raised our own produce & canned some for the winter months.  We had farm animals that provided all our meat & dairy needs.  We even made our own butter & cream. Yummy! There was nothing better than fresh cream mixed with cane syrup on my mom’s biscuits!!  Certain fields of corn was raised to grind into corn meal, grits & make hominy.   Hominy….. made in a large black wrought iron pot over a fire. Yes….I loved it!   My mother sewed most of our clothes & we didn’t have a dryer until I was in high school or later. We sold produce to local merchants & livestock at auction providing funds for almost everything else.   My first vehicle was the tractor & if that wasn’t available, the riding lawn mower was the substitute!   I would rather get sweaty & dirty working in the field with my daddy than to spend one moment in time cleaning house. Yuck! Of course being a daddy’s girl meant I did what he did anyway so….

Now for the holistic / natural tendencies I possess!  In our small town there was a natural artesian well that produced mineral water.  Not the crystal clear kind, but the rusty metal looking kind as it contained salt & an assortment of minerals.  In 1913 it was accidentally discovered during the drilling process for an oil well.  The men noticed as they were exposed to this water, any skin problems they had would disappear. The state had the water tested discovering it contained two pounds of minerals to a gallon of water, bubbling out of the ground from 2,800 feet below the surface at 116 degrees. The State of Louisiana created a Health Resort providing a Motel, Bath House featuring whirlpool baths & massage therapy.  My dad was active for years during the development &  was actually a masseuse there.  Doctors would actually write prescriptions for patients to have a 21 day series of baths for arthritis.

This water was used for any & all medicinal purposes.  There was a spicket where we could fill gallon jugs anytime we wanted.  We snorted it for sinus / allergy problems, gargled with it for sore throats, etc.  There was a small community rectangular pool referred to as “the foot pool”  Daily visits provided conversations with locals & outsiders who would come to spend the summer there.  Any skin problems were resolved by doing this.   We could collect sediment from around the spicket & use it as a paste for sprains/strains, etc.  We even threw our dogs in the overflow pond for fleas, ticks, & God forbid, mange.  People moved there from all over the state.  Some would come stay in the Motel Courts Apartments or another apartment complex, while others purchased small homes used as summer houses so they could come stay.  OH…..they all loved our farm produce!  A restaurant overlooked a hill & below the entry way was a beautiful koi pond.  When I was little my daddy would take me there every day.  I always had chocolate ice cream & to this day, it was the best.  Below the restaurant was a  community swimming pool which, until middle school, was filled with the rusty-brown water.  My friends & I worked at the resort & cafe during our senior year of high school.  I can still remember the menu & how amazing  the yeast rolls were.  Turkey & dressing was always the Sunday menu feature.  And then there were the pies!  The salads were so crispy fresh as the secret was to soak it in a bowl of ice water & MSG. I know now that is a bad ingredient, but then…..it was simply the best.  My senses are going crazy even as I type this blog!

With an economic downturn, the upkeep, repairs on pumps, etc. were deemed unnecessary by the state of Louisiana and the resort was closed.  This was a very sad era in my life.  My dad sold our tractor when I was in junior high school & I was devastated & the closing of the resort after high school compounded my disappointment.  Our community dwindled & shrank to almost nothing.  As years passed, the state deemed the property at risk & razed the buildings to the ground.  The wells were capped, as they still produced even after the demolition.  This brings tears to my eyes knowing my beloved childhood memories were just bulldozed to nothing!  My dream  for many years has been to rebuild the ancient  ruins & re-dig the wells.

Genesis 26:12-18

12 Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.

13 The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.

14 He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.

15 So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.

16 Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.”

17 So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.

18 Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.

Why the history lesson?  You can see how much natural elements, fresh produce, local farm supported efforts & community played such an important role in my life.  As I grew up, I realized how important these were & how I wanted to continue as many of the traditions as possible.  In high school I  learned to sew & as I had my children, I sewed their clothing.  I remember entering clothing in the Parrish fair that even made it to the State fair! I tried to always have a small garden or even bag beds of our favorite things such as tomatoes, watermelon & cucumbers.  During the summer I canned veggies & made relish.  Synthetic medications were never my first choice, as natural organic remedies were my first pick.  To date, I eat organic / all natural.  I support local farmers & entrepreneurs.  An amazing friend recently made home-made soap & gave me a bar.  It is heavenly!  Holistic remedies are my treatment of choice for what ails me. I regret not teaching my daughter how to sew, or push for it to be taught to her in high school, but I did purchase a sewing machine for her last year & know she can teach herself via YouTube tutorials or local classes.

I guess the only thing left to do in being even more like my mom is to eat cereal for supper.  That happened 4 times last week.  I guess I’ve arrived!  While there were some habits I never picked up from my mother, such as smoking,  I find the things that really matter carried on.

Feel free to share what traditions, habits, methods you have in common with your mom.

 

Happy, happy Mother’s Day & remember to pass on what matters most!

Blessings,

g

Who are we not to?

Being involved in a leadership development organization allows me the opportunity to utilize otherwise wasted time to invest in my self-directed education.  Let’s face it, we all lead busy lives.  I inventoried the time I have in a 24 hour period & determined where I could cut activities out which do not get me closer to my goals.  I love listening to music.  Pandora is currently playing my favorite genre selections of ’80′s, soft rock, country & instrumental right now.  In the morning while getting ready for work was time I could carve music out of my routine & plug into some amazing teaching CD’s.  This time, along with traffic time, is dedicated to feeding my psyche & not my emotions.  Over the past 6 years I have been educated in areas including politics, economics, relationships, finances, leadership, living my dash & leaving a legacy.  If you would’ve told me 10 years ago I’d be comfortable enjoying  a conversation about economics with anyone, I’d have to question what substance you’d been on!  Seriously, certain (most) subjects were met with rolled eyes & fell on deaf ears.  The only thing that changed where I was then & who I am now is associating with people hungry to learn, grow, change & make a difference in the world.  I became a hungry student & love the quote, “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.”

This morning I was listening to a CD & this comment caught my attention.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  – Marianne Williamson

While all of it was brilliant, the one sentence that burned in my spirit was, “Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.”  WOW!  When we buy self-sabotaging excuses daily, who does it serve?  I’m fat! I’m single! I’m middle class! I’m not popular! I’m……insert your excuse here……. WHAT?  What could possibly carry any weight against the paragraph above?  Nothing!  All of these excuses can be converted to empower yourself & others.

I invite you to join me & others in taking the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge.  Locating where you are, where you want to be & what it takes to get there is a vital step in the right direction.  Self evaluation is a critical & often an overlooked or avoided test we should all take at different life intervals.

I recently watched the movie, The Help & adore one of the lines, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.”

You IS!

Blessings,

g

Seasons

During the time of being the Singles Director, I taught a lesson on recognizing the need to change  seasons in our life.  This was learned many years ago during Bible College as  one of my favorite evangelists mentioned how not changing seasons when God clearly positions you to do so can be dangerous.  It’s as detrimental to your life purpose as doing your own thing.  In fact, that is exactly what you’re doing.  This caught my attention.  At the time, I wanted to teach adults.  Up to that point, for several years, I had the most amazing honor of teaching kids.  This was extremely fulfilling, yet there was a tug that it was time to lengthen my cords & strengthen my stakes.  In other words….. I had to step out of my comfort zone into a place that required me to learn & grow.  Hearing this man speak that sentence was a defining moment &  so much so, that over 20 years later I still remember where I was sitting in church when I heard it.

It reminds me of this verse, Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.

What are some things you feel a “tug” about doing?  It can be a number of things.  Ministry? Career? Business? Relational?  I have felt a stirring for the past several  months in several areas of my life.  I have learned all too well this requires prayer & seeking the heart of my Daddy God.  I feel at peace about some things, while others are clouded from my knowing.  I constantly hear the scripture….to everything there is a season…..

Around the same time period in my life of hearing about the seasons, I heard this quote:

People change when:
a.they hurt enough that they have to–hurts, disappointments, failures, abuse
b.learn enough that they want to–mentors, educational programs, life skills
c.receive enough that they are able to–benefits, incentive programs, rewards
–John Maxwell

Again, this was such a revelation, I remember hearing it & tears immediately filled my eyes.  I quickly realized I wanted to be obedient to change as necessary, be flexible & adaptable to the call or “tugs” of God.    I can’t possibly know what you may be facing concerning changes that need to occur in your life.  I can understand the turmoil it brings when you don’t obey.  I pray the peace of God that passes all understanding guards your heart & your mind in Christ Jesus as you make decisions involving current & future seasons of your life.

Always remember…..you are never alone in this journey & each season of life brings beauty, strength, courage & ability to reach for the next. You are also planting & empowering someone else to make changes.   I encourage you to do what thousands of people nationwide are doing & take the 90 Day Mental Fitness Challenge.  This will give you the guidance & direction you need,  along with the support necessary to face change.  Contact me for questions & enroll using referral # 61244967.  Make this your quest in every area of life.

Blessings,

g

The Bottom Line

He IS Able

He is able, more than able
To accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able
To handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able
To do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able
To make me what He wants me to be.

I am thankful to be employed by an organization that believes in practicing weekly devotions.  We gather to share a favorite Bible scripture, offer prayer,  or what God has specifically  instructed us to talk about.  Today we were reminded of God’s ability to take care of what concerns us.  As we sang an old hymn, He is Able, I was reminded the  bottom line is the bottom line.

 In all things, HE wants each of us to become what HE wants us to be.  Many times we ask for trials or tribulations to be removed from our lives, yet it is through those we are refined.  The process doesn’t stop with us, but as we encounter people who are facing what we have faced, we are able to contribute to their journey with wisdom, experience, compassion & council.  2 Corinthians 1:4 clearly tells it, “He comforts us whenever we suffer. That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God. “

Be encouraged today in whatever you are encountering.  God is more than able & His ultimate goal is to help you see who He sees when He looks at you.  Learn, grow, & pay it forward with compassion.

Blessings,

g

Act like the Mom! Excellent parenting advice for mothers from Terri Brady

Usually when you purchase anything it comes with instructions.  Some are pictures, which are my favorite, & others come with explicit, technically written instructions.  Those are the ones I can almost guarantee will have parts left over!

The funny thing, that aside from the book of the ages, the Bible, there are no instructions handed to you when you leave the hospital with your newborn child.  You are left to figure things out on your own or solicit advice from others.  Parenting skills differ & unless you are associated with people who give solid, character based, advice it can be a scary ride!  Then…..each child is different so what worked with one, may not be applicable to the other.  There is, however,  an assuring constant.  Learning & applying basic parental boundaries will allow our children to thrive an any culture or environment.

Even though my own kids have families of their own, I am extremely fortunate to associate with women of integrity who offer marvelous advice.  Many of whom have multiple children, busy lifestyles, partner with their husbands in business & simply live life to the fullest.  Schedules, discipline & practical applications of raising children to honor parents, worship God, & serve humanity are included for anyone to glean wisdom from.  As a mentor, leader, coach I purpose to soak up these instructions that I may convey it to others.

I am sharing the post from one of my amazing mentors, Terri Brady.  Her examples, stories, & passion to be the woman God designed her to be is unparalleled in the world today.  I love, admire, & respect her immensely. Feel free to read her other posts as well & you will see why she shines in our organization!

After all…..the greatest reward a mother could aspire to is best said in Proverbs 31:27-29

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

“Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

Blessings & please click on the link below to read Terri’s post.

g

Act like the Mom!.

Restoring the joy of giving through pattern interruption

I love Mondays!  I love Mondays!  I love Mondays!  What I focus on expands so…… I am practicing expanding my love for Mondays!  I had to share a quick post about a tiny portion of  my morning with you. I work for a non-profit organization who is responsible for placing Angel Trees throughout cities nationwide.  I, however, work in a department processing grants & contracts for funding throughout the Texas Division.  It’s not rocket science, but we are two totally different ends of the spectrum.   For some reason, most complaint calls regardless of the nature, are forwarded to our department.  I believe it is because we are very resourceful & truly dedicated to helping humanity. I say “we”  loosely because my boss is the best person for running interference.

With that being said, this morning I received a call from a dear, sweet lady who was extremely concerned & overly frustrated regarding an “Angel” she adopted from one of our many DFW Angel Trees.  Immediately I thought this call should be forwarded to someone more equipped to handle this situation.  Then she told me her dilemma.  The child is 7 yrs. old & his “want” was a hand-held game.  She quickly explained almost every Angel she viewed on the tree wanted a MP3 player except this one.  She continued to tell me how guilt ridden she is because she has looked at EVERY store possible & can’t find a DS or other hand-held game consoles.  Of course she interjected the obstacles of her disabilities, traffic, busy stores, the price, extra games &  how she couldn’t stand the fact that this 7 yr. old wouldn’t have his wish if she couldn’t find it.  The words frustrated, guilt, overwhelmed, & guilt, kept coming up in conversation.  Did I mention guilt?  As I listened to her, I carefully wanted to help bring her back into the true focus of Christmas & the goodness she displayed for adopting an Angel.  Once she finished explaining, I thanked her for picking an Angel off one of our trees & emphasized how much I appreciated her supporting our organization, but most of all blessing the life of a child.  Guilt was again mentioned & I explained that guilt was her choice.  This was nothing we remotely wanted her to feel or experience.  I suggested other gifts similar to hand-held games & explained the child was 7.  I confided, from my experience,  my own children would make out their lists & there were more times than not, when they didn’t receive all on the list.  I inquired about her children & how she personally handled this.   I suggested other shopping venues that offered a bundle which included games & console.  Most of all I listened & reminded her the guilt & frustration was not the reason for the season.  The joy of giving should be the dominate force, not guilt.  I mentioned the frustration & anxiety she feels right now is not the expectation for my organization as we would not want it to hinder her from adopting another Angel next year.  She quickly explained this was her yearly practice.  I attempted to help her see what she would feel next year if she continued this emotional roller coaster ride instead of enjoying the reason she has this practice.  At every turn, I tried to be a part of the solution, not the problem.

Another very hard subject was to discuss the following months ahead if the child did receive a game console requiring new games.  Could the parent supply additional games or would they be at the mercy of yet another  opportunity to provide them?  Was there something just as enjoyable that wouldn’t require a financial commitment to maintain?  There is cyclic behavior we are attempting to break & something as simple as a game forces this behavior to continue.  I wasn’t trying to damper the spirit of giving, but offering an alternate solution that would also assist the parent.

Our conversation continued as I helped her understand her heart & motives were pure, & again thanking her for participating in this beautiful seasonal opportunity.  The frustration & guilt were robbing her of the pure joy she deserved to experience as the reflected what the child would experience upon opening his gift.  I shared the indescribable feeling I treasure  from years of watching children during Angel Tree distribution times. Working with volunteer fire department staff, as they lovingly joined their hearts to ours, is a priceless moment in time never to be taken from me! Seriously as I write these words, tears fill my eyes as I can see the precious faces of children elated with joy & happiness.  That is something I wish everyone could personally experience.  I assured her whatever she decided upon, her chosen Angel would have a smile & a warm feeling of gratitude in his little heart knowing he was special enough for someone to pick him.  Isn’t this what we want to accomplish?

We laughed & by the end of the conversation, she felt at peace & was very thankful I helped her.  You know what?  I’m glad too.  I realized I could have forwarded the call, it would have gone to someone’s voicemail [this is our busiest time of year & everyone directly or indirectly involved with Angel Tree Distribution is crazy busy], & her emotions would have escalated.  Or she could have gotten in touch with someone who had dealt with a million calls by 10am. Quite possibly this person would not have been prepared or equipped to re-frame the spiraling emotional minefield this person felt.   I was never equipped to understand or intervene with this method until I began learning & growing personally through LIFE, an amazing leadership & personal development organization. When you take the time to  pattern interrupt a situation, diffuse it at the root cause, resolve can then be accomplished.  The initial heart motive is illuminated, as in this case, the pure joy of giving shines as that faithful star shined ever so brightly from the heavens leading Kings & shepherds to our greatest gift.

Jesus is the reason for the season!

Merry Christmas & Blessings for a prosperous New Year!

g

Slight Edge Outcomes

Today is “I Love To Write Day.” Founded in 2002, this day is designed to be the world’s largest party for writers. In honor of this day & my love of writing, I want to share something that has helped me out during this past week.  One of the privileges of being a part of a world-class leadership development organization is having a book of the month club.  Our leaders read tons of books & carefully decide which one book will be distributed to each of us as a whole.  This one portion of our system has been the defining moment for me.  I was a non-reader or only on a “need to read” basis.  I called myself a leader in church, but only read when I taught Sunday School, Small Group or hosted special functions as a speaker.  Sadly my practice for reading was if the book had 13 chapters, I would read the first chapter a few times, create my teaching outline, teach & repeat.  Very seldom did I read a book cover to cover prior to teaching.  Thank God I picked really awesome books because this would have been disastrous!

One book that has produced significant results not only in my business, but in my life in general is the book, The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson.  The “easy to do, easy not to do” philosophy helps me resolve many decisions.  I have to say one of the greatest areas it helped me gain discipline in was using the blessed alarm clock.  You have to understand my lifetime practice.  As a child, my daddy went through several sequences to get me up in the morning for school.  First he came to my bed & gently shook me to let me know it was time to get up.  This was repeated a few times.  Then he would unplug my fan, which was on a stand butted against my bed rail, pointed in my face.  This step was torment!!   The last step was water.  Yes, you read correctly.  He would get a cup of water & a teaspoon, pull my covers back & sprinkle me.  That step was the final step.  Once I got to junior high, daddy gave up.  He bought me an alarm clock & said I was on my own.  This created my practice of snoozing.  Once married, I had two alarm clocks.  My primary clock was set 15-30 minutes ahead & I would hit the snooze button several times.  The second clock was in the kitchen.  When it alarmed, I had to actually get up, thus being my final alarm.  I stopped that ritual, but adopted another one.  Until The Slight Edge, I set my alarm 15 minutes ahead, snoozed several times, then finally got up.  I can’t imagine even doing this now, but….. I did.  When I had kids, they got up.  I never went through this ritual with them.

Reading the book didn’t convince me at first to alleviate the snooze.  We attend monthly leadership seminars as a part of our leadership development program.  One of our Dallas conventions, Marc Militello, used The Slight Edge book to reference how our daily decisions can be directed differently therefore creating different results in every area of our lives.  Sounds elementary, but remember…..easy to do, easy not to do.  During this seminar, Marc mentioned how we were not being people of integrity in little things such as using the snooze button.  As I listened to him, I decided that night I would stop, cold turkey, the lifelong, habitual practice of using the snooze.  It has been almost 3 years & I haven’t used it since.

Moving on to something that I am passionate about.  Exercise.  Fitness/ health & wellness is a huge part of my business & being a woman of integrity I wanted to lead by example in this area.  I started off by completely & totally changing my eating habits.  Watching the documentary, Food, Inc., spurred me to do a 360 degrees turn.  I hope that is the right measurement of degrees to depict I changed everything!  (You could say 180, but I by the time I did a 360, I was a completely different person at the starting point!)  I actually carry this video in my trunk because I believe in it that much.  A friend of mine, who runs a family owned & operated tortilla factory, has it right now.  He told me he may not have to courage to watch it!  For over 25 years I worked in the sickness industry as a nurse.  During that time, I always believed prevention was the cure & chose the holistic / homeopathic route for anything.    On a daily basis I witnessed how poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking/vices  & a sedentary lifestyle contributed to the now epidemic proportions of disease & obesity.  Having this video to project the truth, not merely my opinion, is the greatest ever.  Once I developed the change in my diet, I had to master the exercise component.  I have to admit, it started off very good.  I was faithful until this summer when the heat index was a ka-zillion degrees in Texas & I wimped out.  No excuse, but I took the low road.  A friend from my old church, Elizabeth Brito,  recently moved, with her adorable family,  in my loft complex & we have committed to each other to work out daily beginning at 530am.  Yeah, you read right. Which means I get up at 5am.  The most convenient thing is she lives right across the hall from me & we walk down to the 2nd. floor to our gym! I can tell you this is the greatest decision we have made.  Here are some things I have noticed by participating in slight edge discipline:

1. Accountability partners rock!  I preached this for years as a Singles Director.  I wimp out on myself, but would never leave Liz hanging.
2. I no longer avoid the elliptical machine. Confession: I felt like a spaz because I was so uncoordinated on the machine.  Not anymore!
3. I plan the clothes, accessories, & of course, shoes, I will wear to work the night before. This may not be a biggy for you, but….it is for me!
4. I am a clean freak &  before I leave for work, my loft is clean.  Because I allow a few extra minutes before meeting Liz, some of my ritual cleaning habits are accomplished! The rest is done by the time I leave for work because I have instituted the things outlined above in #3!
5. Water…..I have doubled my daily intake of water by drinking what I would normally drink during the day before I ever leave home. This is always better for me.
6. My morning discipline is prayer w/ Liz, exercise, & then listening to self-development CD’s while getting ready for work. By the time I actually start my day, I have covered many of the most important things.
7. In making sure I squeeze all of the items outlined in #3, #4, & #6, I am finding I am no longer late for work!  Yay! The power of compounding works in many areas!

In summary, I  encourage you to read the book, The Slight Edge, & determine for yourself which areas of your life can be adjusted to make necessary changes in your life.  I recently gave this along with the book, Success for Teens,  to an acquaintance  whose son attends a prep school & has to read a certain number of books per school year.  To date, it is one of the most referenced books in our business.  I have not arrived by any means & have far, far to go, but……this is a huge step in the right direction.  What you do will either lead you closer to or further away from your goals.

Easy to do, easy not to do!

Blessings,

g