Inspiring Words to Start your Weekend Off Right -

Found Here

Everything can move you forward

Failure is a result of what has already been done, not an indication of what you can now move forward and do. Each failure, in fact, can move you closer to success.

Don’t let disappointing results reduce your confidence. It’s more realistic, and much more effective, to let each failure strengthen your confidence.

The more experience you have with what doesn’t work, the more you’ll move in the direction of what does work. With persistence and a clear sense of purpose, failure can lead you steadily toward success.

Failure is not the worst thing that can happen. The worst thing that can happen is to do nothing.

Each and every result, whether it’s the intended result or not, means that you’re making an effort. Learn each time, from the desirable results and the undesirable ones, and boost your confidence with each step.

Rather than being ashamed of failure or dismayed by it, make good and positive use of it. Quickly get back up, keep going, and know that everything can move you forward.

— Ralph Marston

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Update on Me...

Well, the first (almost) two months of January have proven to be quite the learning experience.  I have spent a lot of time getting to know myself, and my body.  Learning what foods have what affects, how much exercise I can cram into one day, and how not to let my circumstances affect my goals.

Being a mom of children ranging from the age of 15 - 1years old, I find my time to rarely be my own.  Trying to fit in trips to the gym, while still maintaining my household, and holding down a full time job, is daunting to say the least.  However, for me a lot of the challenge involves me not letting my need for control/perfection to over shadow my need for sustainable change.  So, with two kids in tow, I manage to do Just Dance and Just Sweat and utilize the Wii Fit.  I may not always have enough room, but I work around them the best I can.  And, you know what its working.  I use to be a former Fly Lady , check her out if you don't know about her.  And, if she taught me one thing it was to realize that doing something, is better than doing nothing at all.  And, guess what the scale and the measuring tape seem to agree with her.

I have more success days, then fail days.  I have started to look at each meal as just that, a meal.  So if I have too much pasta, at one meal.  Then the next meal, I try to do better.  The calendar has more Pink X's where I worked out than blank days.  And, I am hoping that by next month my calendar will look like a tribute to Breast Cancer Awareness with Pink X's all over the place.

I feel better, look better, my clothes fit better.  My energy levels are up, my mood swings are less frequent, and I am starting to feel like the effort I put into all other aspects of my life, can be just as useful here (for my health and personal growth).

Enjoy your Weekend... and find some "me" time.

Photo Credit

Compassion and High Expectations

I found these words Here on the Forbes Network Blog...

And, for some reason they spoke to me, I very rarely have patience for foolishness, in myself, and or others.  It really made me consider another point of view.

What do you think?

"My expectations of everyone, including myself, are counter-productively high.

High expectations can have a positive effect; people need a high bar to stretch towards. But I think many of us take it too far. We slip so easily into criticisms of ourselves and those around us — family, friends, coworkers, public figures — that we no longer expect people to be human beings. And when we shame ourselves and others for failing, we make things worse. We contribute to pain while nurturing impotence.

When we face weakness — ours or someone else's — it doesn't help to blame someone or something, pretend it's not important, or simply decide to change. And it's not sufficient to identify a three-step process to fix the problem. So what does help?

Here's the best I've come up with: compassion.

As far as I can tell, for advice to be useful at all, it needs to be preceded by compassion. Yes my daughter needs support, guidance, instruction, and advice. But she needs compassion first. As the saying goes: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. That certainly includes me. And, I'm betting, you. Being compassionate will probably make us better, more effective people. If not, at least it will reduce the suffering that accompanies weakness. And it will most certainly make us nicer to each other and to ourselves."

More on Baby Stepping...

Lifehack.org - Little Successes do Add Up (A Good Read)

Happy Hump Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I hope you all enjoyed.

Small Changes...

It always amazes me when I put my mind to it, that change is literally just about putting one foot in front of the other and nothing more.  Since the beginning of the year, I have made it a point to make a lot of small changes, hoping to see a big change.  I have added fiber to my diet, started eating a lot more fruits and vegetables, doubled my water intake, and have started adding exercise/movement into my days.  I have seen the numbers start to plummet on my scale, inches being lost, and even my skin looking clearer all from tiny tiny baby steps.

And, these baby steps encourage me to push harder, invest more in myself, and be a better version of me.  Its a good feeling, your body rewards you for your effort, with more pep in your step.  Which rolls over into more energy to take care of projects, at work, at home, more energy to horse around with your kids etc etc.

Which brings me back to my point for today, Little Things Mean a Lot!!

Hope you all have a great week, as I plan to. . 

Happy Monday Y'all.

Here are some links that show just how Small Changes can Pay Off

Six Small Changes to Keep the Pounds Off

7 Small Changes Lead to Big Savings

Small Changes - Big Results

Good Eats...

Over the last 40+ days, I have been trying out some new recipes at our house!!

Here are the ones that were a huge success... Yes, their were a couple that were umm... things I will need to put my own twist on.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Crock Pot Roast

Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake - Saved on SpringPad

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Chili - Saved on my SpringPad

Maybe you can throw some of these into your weekly rotations!!  

Happy Friday!!

The Pause -- found on Zen Life

I am quick to anger, I am flip at the mouth, and I often act first and think later.   Hey, I'm a work in progress, and this particular post over at one of my Favorite Sites spoke to me.  I hope it speaks to you as well.

The Pause Upon Which All Else Relies

Change Gone Come...

I woke up feeling a little melancholy today, as with most people in America there is a lot of uncertainty in the work place, and mine is no different.  But, a lot of the changes that the big wigs have been making are leaving everyone a little off kilter.  Up until recently, the changes have not affected me directly.  But, in the last couple of days those changes have struck close to home.  So it leaves me feeling angry, a little bitter and a lot frustrated.  I guess that is the only way you can feel when things happen that make no sense.

But, I press on.   On a more fun topic Valentine's Day will be here soon.  We(Anwar, Jai and I)  always have such a good time making home made cookies for Valentine's Day.  In cute little packaging, etc, etc.  But, since you can only bring in store bought cookies now, we are changing up our flavor a bit.  Via Pinterest, we found a printable valentine template, that we are going to use this year.  Check it out!!

Confession Time..

I am always amazed by the many blogs I read daily and how perfectly open and honest many of these bloggers are.  I often think I could never reveal the most intimate parts of my life to perfect strangers.  Over the past month, I have been doing what most people do at the beginning of the year, reevaluate their lives and see where they can make changes.  And, like most, one of my new years resolutions was to be healthier this year.  Lose weight, move more yadda yadda.  

I wrote out my goals, made a vision board and promised to hold myself accountable, dubbing this year "The Year of Accountability."  Along with that accountability, I was going to have to accept some things about myself that I could not change and also some things that I could change.  So, I decided that I was going to open up and make myself vulnerable in hopes that this would push me to greater heights.  

So here are my confessions for 2012.  The first one which literally pains me to write, I AM A DIABETIC.  The second one is that I am far from my goal weight, I lack energy and motivation.  I read about every subject that interests me and I learn everything I can on that subject.  But, one subject that I have shy'ed away from is... Diabetes.  I don't think I really wanted to know and I just didn't want to accept the damage that I was doing to my body, by not paying more attention, testing more often and accepting that I was the only one who could change my diagnosis.  I rejected the INSULIN because I felt it made me gain weight and hold on to weight.  I ignored the fact that my eyes aren't what they were since my diagnosis.  And, I straight out ignored the fact that I needed to change my diet and exercise in order to again be in control of my own life.

Those things are all very sad.  Because even though I consider myself to be proactive, I was not being proactive in a place where it was most important, my health.  I almost feel like I was hiding inside of my own creativity, finding projects, and events to throw my energy into that didn't require me to take a risk, or just take action.

So this year, I promise myself and my readers that I am going to change that.  I am going to start reading everything I can about my disease.  I am going to start exercising so that I can be healthy.  I am going to put my health before my hair, my looks, and all the trivial things, that I let be a hindrance and I finally am going to put me first.  Only I can control this disease and by extension "me".

I hope that you guys will indulge me as I go on this journey.