Category Archives: Encouragement
Failure Might Just Make You Mad Enough to Succeed
How do you handle failure? Do you fall apart? Do you quit? Or, do you get so mad you do something to change it – to change you?
I CAN Get Better
I can’t change my circumstance, but I sure as heck can change me. I CAN become better. I CAN learn from each and every mistake. I CAN continue pressing on no matter how much I’ve failed, no matter how others view me, and no matter what odds are against me.
I CAN Get One Step Closer
Will I become everything I want I hoped to? Will I achieve every goal or dream? I don’t know but, if I try, I can definitely become BETTER. I can get closer to my goals and dreams if I keep pressing on. But if I quit, I don’t just stay the same – I actually become worse, weaker, and further from my goal every single day I neglect to chase it.
I CAN Let Failure Fuel Me
One thing I know is I will use every ill word, every lame opinion, every frustrating obstacle and every negative comment to FUEL ME to become stronger and better. I will not let it destroy me, or my spirit.
I CAN Face Our Fears
I will not let my own doubt, insecurities, failures or fears paralyze me. I will face my fears head on and trust that God will give me the strength to handle everything that comes my way so that I can become everything He has designed me to be.
I CAN Press On
Today I decide, once again, to “keep showing up”.
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Never Easy, Always Worth It!
I don’t know why we even waste our time looking for the easy way. I mean, when has anything easy really paid off? Honestly, for me? Never.
Push!!!!!!!!
Think of it like childbirth. The birthing process, from what I understand, is not fun. However, it is very rewarding. When we are training, it’s like carrying a baby. We are growing a new physique, creating a new you. Like pregnancy, it also takes time and patience – and it can be a very long, uncomfortable journey.
There’s another similarity, and that’s how we feel the closer we get to the “due date”. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pregnant mom, in her 8th month of pregnancy, say she hoped she went full term. Moms are normally very ready to get that baby out of there.
Hang in there!
In the same way, as you get closer to your goal weight, it’s easy to get impatient. Besides, you’ve been working toward this for months now – it’s time! No matter how read you are, no matter how tired you are, or no matter how discouraged you are, it’s super important you see it through.
It may be hard, it may be scary, you may fear failing, and you may wonder if you have what it takes – but whatever you do, don’t abort your goals. Take it all the way! Why? Because great things rarely ever easy, but they are ALWAYS worth it!
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Bonnie: A Misty Moment Photography
Woman in Labor: Crazy Pregnancy
Baby in Belly: Free Picture Prompts
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Breaking a Plateau May Take New Start
Have you ever just experienced something you almost didn’t go through with and thought “I’m so glad I did that”. This happens to me all the time. It’s not always about fitness either. It happens in all areas of our life. My laziness tempts me to stay at home, instead of doing something as silly as going bowling – and then I think “Wow! That was fun! I’m SO glad I did that”.
This not only happens when you are contemplating doing something, but it also happens when you are in the middle of something – like a diet or fitness program. We reach a physical and/or mental plateau. We begin to doubt if we are on the right path, or if it will be worth it – and we’re tempted to quit. Ironically, these times are often the valley right before an amazing mountain top experience.
Too Much Time at the Rest Area
Picture a guy on a journey, who gets tired, and decides to rest for a while. Does he rest forever? He could if he wanted to, if he’s satisfied with where he is. However, if he wants to get where he was headed, he’s going to eventually have to pick up where he left off and start moving again.
In this picture of Steve, only he knows what he’s doing. He could be putting the weight down, or he could also be picking it up. This is where many of us are in life. We are at a place where we can call it quits or we can claim a new start – the decision is all yours.
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What To Do Before Victory Comes
How many great things would you have missed if you didn’t show up?
Photo by Cherie Wren
How many times have you worked hard and done all the right things, for what seems like a lifetime, with little to no results? We may admit to making some improvements – but no matter how far we have come, it is so incredibly easy to get discouraged. It’s so easy to focus on how far we have to go, instead of far we’ve come.
I know I’ve talked about this before, but some topics just need to be addressed over and over again – and this is one of them. Whether we’re talking about the last 5lbs of fat or losing 100lbs – the end goal can seem like eternity when you are focused on a goal. Sometimes, quite frankly, I’m often tempted to just give up – and yesterday was one of those days for me.
Then it hit me. Have I become obsessed with my goal or am I just determined to get there? And what is the difference? I concluded that when you are determined, you are focused on a goal without losing focus of the rest of your life. However, obsession is focusing on a goal to the point you lose focus of everything else. If you are determined, you should become more disciplined and in control – not lose control.
Even though I feel it’s important to keep your goals within site, the main focus should be what you are able to do now. I believe you can get so overwhelmed with what needs to be done, it can paralyze you. This happens in marriage, work, fitness, relationships and in life in general.
The answer? Just Keep Showing Up! That was the answer a guy gave his coworker when asked how he’s stayed married so long – and honestly, it is so true. Sometimes the answer to success isn’t some majorly complicated philosophical response – sometimes it’s “just show up”.
If you are tired of being stuck at a plateau in your weight, or maybe you feel your job or marriage is not meeting your expectations, let me encourage you to keep showing up. You can’t win a race unless you show up – and you surely can’t experience victories in life if you don’t show up. There are so many wonderful things that happen to those who show up.
Just Keep Showing Up Photo: by A Misty Moment.
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WILLPOWER: The Big Fit Secret
When I think of willpower, I think of a supernatural superpower deep within someone’s soul that gives someone a unique mysterious ability to resist all temptation and wrong doing. A super inner strength to do the extraordinary.
I can stick my Face in the Hole of a super hero all I want, but I’m telling you right now – I don’t possess this wonder I speak of. When you are married to a “Steve”, who seems to have Superman Willpower, it’s easy to get discouraged as you watch those around you seemingly do the supernatural day after day. Then it hit me. Willpower is not something you HAVE, it’s something DO.
WILL - Let’s divide the words up a bit. First, look at the definition of will. As you read it, notice all the action words.
will 1 
(w
l)
n.
1. The mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action
2. a. Diligent purposefulness; determination
b. Self-control; self-discipline
v.tr.
1. To decide on; choose.
2. To yearn for; desire
3. To decree, dictate, or order.
4. To resolve with a forceful will; determine.
5. To induce or try to induce by sheer force of will
POWER - Let’s look at the word POWER. Again, more action words.
pow·er (pou
r)
n.
1. The ability or capacity to perform or act effectively.
2. Strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted; might. See Synonyms at strength.
3. The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority.
4. Forcefulness; effectiveness
I think once we accept that willpower is not some unexplained inner strength that you are either born with or you’re not, you can then begin to make serious changes in your life. Willpower is nothing more than choosing to control one’s actions. It’s not a phenomenon. It’s not a gift. It’s a choice – and the choice is yours.
Claim today: I will CHOOSE to have POWER over my body starting today!
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Success isn’t WINNING. Success is IMPROVING!
I may not be the STONGEST
but I will get STRONGER.
I may not be the FASTEST
but I will get FASTER.
I may not have the BEST BODY
but I will get a BETTER BODY.
Success is not about WINNING, it’s about DOING!
Don’t let your pride stand in the way of making improvements. We can all get frustrated at our weaknesses, but we need to get excited about our progress. Quit focusing on what you aren’t and focus on what you are becoming. I may never be a champion, but I sure can train like one – and so can you.
Do YOUR 100% and never, EVER give up! That’s all that matters: You becoming a better you!
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Get Paid to Workout?
Need motivation? Do you wonder if you’ll EVER get fit and lose that weight? Do you struggle to make good decisions? Do you feel like all you do is sabotage your life? (Love this Glasbergern cartoon!) Well, this blog is for you!
We ALL struggle with food and laziness in some way. We ALL make dumb decisions. We ALL want one thing and often do another. We want to get skinny, yet we keep making ourselves fat. We want to be strong but we continue to sit on the couch. What will it take for us to get off our fat lazy butts?
Duane Hoffman / msnbc.com
Show Me The Money
What if you got paid for exercising? Let’s say I gave you $3,000 every time you ran 3 miles? You wouldn’t miss one day – and before a year was up, you would have made a million dollars!
Haven’t you heard Read the rest of this entry
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I Got Fat For Christmas
It’s the day after Christmas and today I share my own blunders – and what I feel is the key to success after you blow your diet. Whether “fat” for you is 5lbs or 50lbs – weighing more than you should is an awful feeling. We all know where we should be, how our pants should fit, and how we can (and should) look. At this point a clothing size means nothing. Honestly, even weight means nothing. At this point the only thing that matters is how we feel – and right now I feel like the crap I ate – HEAVY!
You also can’t argue with someone when they feel fat and try to convince them they should feel skinny because you think they look skinny. Believe me, I’ve tried. I’ve tried to convince Steve that he still looks amazing when he is feeling his worse. Even though I can’t see the extra pounds he knows is there, HE can FEEL it – and how we feel is the only thing that really matters. He also tries to encourage my fat butt, but there’s no encouraging me after I’ve stuffed my face. So, what’s next? Enjoy my vlog!
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RANT: Fit Mags Needs to Shape Up!
I think it’s time magazines set some New Year’s Resolutions of their own! It’s time they shape up their content and lose the useless baggage they’ve all be carrying for so long!!
I was looking for a magazine at the corner pharmacy while in New York City with the FitFluential team, and was overwhelmed by all the magazine headlines – more like annoyed. “Blast Fat Fast, in only 10 Minutes” must sell magazines, but it should be an insult to our intelligence.
I guess “Blast Fat Realistically” wouldn’t sell subscriptions, or “Sculpt a New Physique in 30 Minutes a Day” (instead of 10 minutes a day) may seem too extreme – but come on people?! When will we quit falling for gimmick tricks that will let you down faster than your worst boyfriend?
When has ANYthing great come out of a little investment? How often have you reaped a big reward for little work? I’m sick of seeing these watered down workouts and false claims that prey on the hopeless. For ONCE, would someone man up and actually put a workout boldly on their cover that (dare I say) looks a little challenging and takes a little more time than 10 minutes a day?
What do you want? Do you want truth or do you want the media to continue delivering half truths and gimmick workouts that rarely actually ‘work out’? Would you actually buy a magazine that featured factual information you may not WANT to hear but NEED to hear? Or are we all going to keep buying this crap and supporting this type of media?
iPhone Pics: Actual headlines on various covers this month: Read the rest of this entry
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Merry Fatness: We All Fall Down
Eating poorly over the Holidays is not the end of the world. Neither is skipping your workout, but continuing to eat poorly and skip your workout for a long period of time is what can totally mess you up. That’s why the Holidays are dangerous. As soon as we START eating crappy we KEEP eating crappy. Ironically, the crappier we eat the more workouts we skip, and vice versa. How backwards is THAAT?!
We All Fall Down
We all skip our workouts and blow our diets – BUT what makes one person successful and another person appear to be a failure is how long it takes you to bounce back after falling off track. Will you jump right back into your routine today or will it take you WEEKS to recover, and get back to eating clean and working out on a regular basis? The key to success is NOT falling, it’s GETTING BACK UP – FAST!
The Art of Falling
You’ve probably heard of a “controlled fall”, well that totally applies to fitness too. If you are Read the rest of this entry
