Inspiration for your Week!

How is everyone doing? We're half way through the week and I hope you are making progress, realizing your dreams and conquering your fears!

As summer quickly approaches, and for some of you the kids get ready to finish school, it's easy to get distracted and lose focus of your goals. I have found myself distracted by necessary and unnecessary things lately and when I realized we've been home from our vacation for a whole month now and I've not seen the kind of progress in certain areas of my life that I had originally planned on for the middle of May, I decided to kick it into high gear!

Yesterday I watched a few Tony Robbins videos via his YouTube channel which actually helped a lot to re-train my mind to be laser-focused and start taking massive action by turning my shoulds into musts! I've followed Tony well before he began the Breakthrough series on Oprah's OWN Network. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a fabulous 6-episode series!


This morning a song from the 90's was playing in my headed that I couldn't help but google the words to so I could it share with all of you to get moving and take charge of your day. If nothing else, it's a great workout track!

My hope is that it is a reminder to you that you can do anything, nothing can stop you  if you keep on moving and putting one foot in front of the other. The key is to keep momentum going and take action daily. As Tony says, Progress = Happiness!

We sometimes get so overwhelmed with large goals that we don't even know where to begin. Break your goals down into bite-sized pieces. If you are trying to get in better shape, commit to walking/jogging for 30 minutes every single day before dinner or early in the morning. If you are a writer, make the decision to write just one page per day and see where it leads. Perhaps you've a student and you feel like graduation is so far away, just take it class by class, test by test focusing on each as if it is the most important and before you know it, you'll be holding your diploma!

If you fall off the wagon, get back on! Don't reprimand yourself for not having done better, for procrastinating or for not having had enough focus in the past. We can only live in the here and now. Love yourself and be proud every time you choose to take action. If you need some inspiration to get you going as I did, invest in yourself by watching these Tony Robbins videos:  New Year, New Life!  , Why Some People Take Massive Action & Others Don't , Create a New Story You'll be glad you did! :)

Did the song inspire you? What are you working towards right now? What helps you stay focused or motivated?

Have a blessed day ladies!

*images via: (1) , (2)

When We Know Better

Oprah Winfrey has a famous quote she's mentioned on several occasions that she borrowed from one of her beloved friends, Maya Angelou:

"When we know better, we do better."

Isn't that the truth! It is such a simple yet powerful statement. This year, of all the personal and business goals I have set for myself, the most important one is to do better with the knowledge I have. Better than what you might ask? Better than the last year, the last week, the last time, better than before. I want to ask even more questions and research deeper for answers when the  need arises, I want to save more money this year than I did last year because the economy is always uncertain and investing in my family's future instead of the 'here and now' will never be a wrong choice.

I want to exercise harder, eat even healthier because I know what great benefits doing so has upon my life. I want to be an even better friend this year than I have in the past to those that I call my friends. This means listening more, speaking less and arranging more catch up phone dates with long-distance friends.

I know better when it comes to procrastination and as I mentioned in this post, procrastination isn't pretty and it's one of my weaknesses. While I do get a lot done in the average day there are also things I put on the back burner that get pushed aside over and over again (usually because they are things I don't enjoy doing like taxes) and eventually turn into something much bigger or more expensive than they once started out.

With all of this will come more self-discipline, less entertainment time, more writing time, more work and marketing of my business, better planning as well as smarter time management and prioritization.

I believe one of the most important discoveries in life is that of personal growth. The truth is that there are so many times that we all do KNOW better but we don't use that information to DO better almost out of habit. This happens whenever we choose the french fries over the salad, working during the weekend vs. spending time with our spouse and/or kids, watching TV vs. working towards a goal,  or buying a new pair of shoes instead of investing it into our savings account.

Now, obviously this doesn't mean that I'm aiming for perfection or going to completely deprive myself for the next year or forever, nor should anyone, but it does mean I'm going to start challenging myself to make better decisions with the powerful knowledge and resources that I have (and that we all have). Because, at the end of the day the most disappointment in my own life comes from not making the best choices that I could have and from frittering away time on things that are less important than other bigger goals and dreams. Procrastinating on a Sunday night by watching a movie or pulling out my scrapbook supplies is fun and has a place but in the grand scheme of things it isn't really helping me achieve my life goals.

So, no more sticking to a long list of what I'd like to accomplish and then reflecting on it Dec.31st only to realize that I've missed the mark and get frustrated as a result. My yard stick for success and growth this year will be doing better with the toolbox I have and although mistakes will still be made along the way, I'm looking forward to the journey.

How about YOU? What are you planning to change or do differently this year than you did the last? What is your ultimate goal this year?

~Karla

*images (1),(2)

Women, Food and God

Let me start off by saying that I never watch an Oprah show while it's airing at 4pm. I had turned the tv on this afternoon to make sure Sarah's House on HGTV was going to be recorded this Saturday via my  DVR. When the tv came on Oprah's show had begun and it really intrigued me. She had a special Author guest Geneen Roth with a wonderful new book.

I believe that this book has the ability to single handedly change the mindset that a lot of women are experiencing as it pertains to weight. Whether it's a battle with 100lbs or 10lbs, it's not the food that is the problem. It goes much deeper than that. You may have heard that concept before but I believe this book is dramatically different. Despite this post's title which is actually Geneen's book title, the book doesn't focus on God in the religious way that you might think. It is all about our inner longing for something greater, in causes us to look into our past to better understand how we can move forward and love ourselves as women, and so much more.

While doing the interview, Oprah was brought to tears because after many years of struggling with her weight and not really knowing what the deeper issue was, she was finally able to have one of her famous 'aha' moments and did not hold back from sharing it with the women of the world. She was able to pinpoint the exact time and belief from her childhood that she has channeled and let hold her back, it has prevented her from becoming the very best self that she has always dreamed of. Once again, just one reason why I view Oprah as the classy woman that she truly is. She doesn't proclaim to be perfect, with all of the world's celebration of her and her life achievements, even she was stumped as to what was holding her back from loving herself completely for so many yeas and from losing weight for good. That was until she read this book.

All of us as women want to be and feel beautiful, lovely, loved, desired, important, special, meaningful and the best version of ourselves. It's been a harder road for some than others. Many don't love themselves or see theselves as the beautiful women that they truly are because of a number on a scale or the size of their thighs. What's worse is that many women have passed on the same self-loathing to their daughters (and in some cases their sons too) without even realizing it. While it's true that father's play an important role and this can be passed down from them, it is generally women that are guilty of beating themselves up on an almost daily basis in the pursuit of achieving their ideal image of beautiful and thin in their mind.

The biggest message in this book is about loving yourself and kindness. Be kind to yourself. Look into your soul and feel who you truly are, not your mistakes, past disappointments or failures. One of the deep messages in this book was about feeling. We've all heard about how many alcoholics or drug addicts numb the pain of their current situation or past with these bandaids. Have you thought about your relationship with food? Many eat because they are bored, overwhelmed, in pain or worse-want to prevent actually feeling any pain at all. The feelings and pain that aren't experienced get buried for a while but actually double as the food attempts to cover it all up. Then not only is pain felt but so is dissatisfaction with one's self.

On a personal note, while I can't personally attest to having had a lifelong battle with weight or food; I will say that I have fallen into the category of eating when bored, overwhelmed or diving into a chocolate bar to temporarily de-stress from a crazy day. Like most women I have beaten myself up about a few pounds here or there from time to time. In my early twenties I did some modeling, an industry notorious for telling women that they are not good enough, thin enough for runway, not edgy enough for editorials, not pretty enough for commercial shoots, etc. During those three years I experienced a lot of highs and lows after every go see, audition and job. In some ways it changed the way I saw myself at that time.  While the photo shoots were a lot of fun and the money was really lucrative at times, I chose to move on and leave that world behind which I knew was in my best interest. Since I had started later in life, I was at least wise enough to know what was good for me and healthy and what just contributed negatively in some ways to my life.

If you get a chance to watch the later airing tonight of this show "Why Oprah says she'll Never Diet Again!", I highly encourage you to watch it or program it into your DVR. That link includes the page on Oprah's site which provides more information. Here is the link to the book, at just $12.99 on amazon I think it is a great investment that every woman struggling in this area should consider buying for themselves or even their daughters.

The purpose of life it to grow, love, renew ourselves and completely understand all that we were intended to be.

Have you read this book? What things have you learned about yourself in life over the years that have made you the woman you are today. Anonymous comments are always welcome. :)

Be well.

xo



P.S. Don't forget to enter our $50 Stationery Giveaway from Pear Tree Greetings!

What is Your Real Age?

That is what 53 looks like ladies! Ms. Christie Brinkley is obviously doing something right. Your body doesn't lie, if you are healthy on the inside, it will project it on the outside.

Do you know your REAL age? About a year ago while watching the Dr. Oz show (if you don't know who he is, he's Oprah's doctor and a great health talk show host with an upbeat personality), he made a recommendation for everyone to find out their real age. Your probably thinking, um.... I already know my real age. This is a different kind of thing, it's actually a test that measures multiple facets of your lifestyle to determine if you body is physically older, younger or the same as your biological age. Who wouldn't want to know this, right?

Being the curious and health conscious person that I am, I decided to spend about 20 minutes to do the real age test which in turn revealed my true age according to my body and habits right now. This test assesses everything from your weight, vegetable intake, how often you exercise, what type of exercises you do, how often you visit your doctor, how much fiber you consume, how high your blood pressure is and the list goes on! After answering several questions you wait anxiously for the answer. It also shares with you areas of improvement so you can make positive changes also. So, if you get an age older than your biological age, don't fret as your results are not necessarily permanent, you can turn things around pretty quickly with a few lifestyle changes.

What is my real age you might be wondering? Well, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that much of my hard work and years of good habits have paid off. It turns out that I am actually 6 years younger than my biological age. Now that's the kind of news I like to hear!

Truth be told I don't even know what my blood type is (sad, I know) or what my cholesterol level is but knowing my lifestyle and the fact that I've scaled back on shellfish (major cholesterol contributor) in a big way over the years and I don't eat fried or greasy foods.  I think that area should be in balance, but I do plan to have it formally checked during my upcoming physical. If you don't know certain requested information, the test factors that in and you don't need to worry about it, just do the best you can. I know I can also improve in the exercise department by doing more cardio and being more consistent at the gym as well as consuming less sugar.

On the flipside my girlfriend was saddened to find out that she was 8 years older than her biological age! Knowing her lifestyle I can't say that I was surprised as she does smoke quite a bit which is a huge factor, however she is a vegetarian and eats a lot of organic food which probably helped her score from becoming worse. Needless to say it was a bit of a wakeup call for her. After doing this test she vowed to make some changes and lose weight and has succesfully kept off 15 pounds since doing the real age test a few months ago.

Dr. Oz uses the real age calculator too on his show when working with those who are in need of losing weight, looking to reduce their cholesterol and blood pressure and also looks at their success in terms of those figures. The really great part is that every person who made positive changes in their life got to see their real age decrease as they adopted a healthier lifestyle. The same is true for all of us too, as they say 28 days to a new habit.

There is also a real age diet book by Dr. Oz's co-author of his other books Michael Roizen, M.D., who shares which foods are most beneficial to your body to keep your real age as low as possible. I haven't read it yet but it looks like a good read.

Here is the REAL AGE calculator link so you can try it out too. Let me know if you decided to try it. Were your results what you expected? Did the test make you assess your lifestyle to make any changes or did it encourage you that you are already making the right choices?

Health Tips: The Best of Dr.Oz

AP Photo/Harpo Inc.

Don't you just love Dr. Oz? Oprah popularized him as he is her resident MD and now he's even got his own show. Every day for an hour he shares really great tips on how to treat and prevent various ailments and shares how to look and feel your best at any age. He also focuses on living a long and healthy life filled with healthy eating and exercise. Oz does it all in an often humorous but informative way. His personality and knowledge have won me over. I admit it, I DVR his show daily and hubby and I enjoying watching it together.

I became a  fan when he was featured on the Oprah show. This month he's got a feature tear-out mini booklet in the O Magazine. I wanted to share some tips with all of you so that you can experience optimal health and live a long life.

Here are my personal favorites of his many tips, that I have been living by for years, and they work! These are his tips which I've paraphrased below.

REDUCE STRESS

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1. Show Up 5 Minutes Early- Don't you just hate that feeling of rushing around when you're late, glancing at your watch every 15 seconds as you sit in traffic frustrated that you just aren't moving. You can change this by giving yourself extra time to get wherever you need to be. Arriving early will help you avoid stress and panic and give you a feeling of control again over your day and each situation.

2. Take More Restroom Breaks- Where is the one place that nobody will bother you? The restroom! If you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed out, sneak away for a five-minute de-stress and meditation break. Inhaling deeply and focusing on your breathing are key. You'll return in a calmer and often more productive state.

I personally used to do this at my old job where I worked from 8am-6pm as an Account Manager for a software company and it really helped. If I got really bad news or was having a frustrating day, it was also a good place to occasionally escape and pull myself together to get back out there and concentrate.

KEEP YOUR BRAIN SHARP

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3. Sign up for Dance Lessons- Exercise boosts the brain's regeneration of new brain cells throughout life. One great workout is dance. By moving your body and staying co-ordinated along with following complex movements all while keeping in sync with music requires a lot of brainpower. Dancing works your heart too so you'll be pumping more blood to it while you cha cha cha.

4. Choose Red Wine Over White- Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that appears to prevent plaque buildup. Brain plaques are often seen in Alzheimer's patients which breakdown the communication between neurons. If you do not drink alcohol, you can also take a resveratrol supplement nstead.

SAVE YOUR HEART

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5. Floss and Brush Daily-Any chronic infections (which include gingivitis) stimulate our body to protect against bleeding by increasing clotting. This is a recipe for a heart attack!

At our house we are big flossers, I really enjoy it. Call me weird but I love how clean and fresh my teeth look and feel afterwards. Did you know that flossing also instantly makes your teeth look whiter? It's true. It also makes your breath fresher without rotting food jammed in between. My mom used to lay my head in her lap as a young child and floss my teeth every night. I plan to do the same with my kids and teach them the importance of good dental health.



6. Get at Least 7 Hours of Sleep- Women need a minimum of 7 hours and men (the needier breed) actually need eight. Getting less than the recommended amount can actually lead to metabolic changes that increase your risk for obesity and diabetes.  A University of Chicago study found that the reduced sleep hours catch up by depositing calcium in the arteries.

IMPROVE YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH

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7. Stop Wearing Shoes Indoors- Think your shoes only track in dirt? Think again. Shoes also track in countless germs, pesticides, toxins, animal waste and allergens. A University of Arizona study discovered that the outsides of shoes contain an average of 421,000 bacteria! It's best to take them off at the door.


If I had just one health message from Oz's list to live by, it would be this! Growing up in Canada, wearing shoes inside the home is NOT the norm and is actually considered to be rude and disrespectful inside someone else's home. It is actually one of my pet peeves now that I live in the U.S where many wear shoes indoors. We have a no-shoes policy in our home as do some of my friends who grew up North of Florida where boots and slush force you to leave them at the door. When guests come over they can use our freshly washed pairs of slippers or go barefoot. Both my husband and I have a designated pair of inexpensive slippers and flip flops to use indoors only but 99% of the time we're barefoot. Not only does it save our wood floors from being scratched but it helps cut down on the amount of cleaning too. It also happens to allow your feet to breathe and stay dry which is necessary so feet don't have the potential for fungus to grow.


Think the shoes-off rule is crazy? We had a cable technician come to our home last month and we requested that he take his boots off, I happened to notice he had dog poop on the side of the sole-lovely. Not what I'd want tracked all over our home but most don't even think about it. It is even more important when you have small children and babies that crawl around and play on the floor.



8. Eat More Meals Together- Studies show that kids who eat dinner with their parents tend to eat less fried food, drink less soda and consume more veggies and fruit. Those same children also have a higher intake of vitamins and nutrients to, and a lower amount of saturated and trans fats. Beyond the obvious health benefits it also serves as a great way to communicate regularly and stay in the loop of what's happening with your children, making them feel more comfortable to come to you also.


Did anyone read this O Magazine issue? What did you think? Did you learn anything new? Were any of the above tips eye-opening?


Although I don't have a dog I also learned an interesting tip about the importance of buying organic dog foods. Apparently the preservatives in most dog foods are causing cancer. Specifically 50% of dogs over 10 years old are developing this deadly disease.


For a full listing of all 32 tips, you can find them in February 2010's O magazine on newstands now.


Have a healthy day! :)