SupportRewarding Yourself Goes A Long Way....

This past summer, I had set up a reward system for myself to create short term incentives to reach my long term goals. With delightful anticipation, I've accomplished the first part of my goal towards maintaining a fitness regimen and revving up my writing career. I wanted to lose 45 lbs. in four months, while maintaining a healthier lifestyle and publish one of my works. I was able to achieve both objectives simultaneously. What an awesome feeling of accomplishment!  Losing 45 lbs. in four months is no easy task. Especially when those extra calories you'd been holding on to were used mainly as a defense mechanism. I had to work through boat loads of pain and the scars of prior trauma for years to get to this wonderful place of surrender.

My reward was a plane trip to Marlborough, Massachusetts for the Fall New England Supermegafest Comic-Con. It was my first trek to a Comic-con as well as my first ever plane ride. I ran into some of the most interesting people this past weekend. The locals that I met up with were extremely welcoming and made me feel right at home.  I also had a ball meeting some of the celebrities who had made guest appearances like Richard Dean Anderson, Meatloaf, Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause to name a few.  All in all it was an incredible experience. I have plenty of fond memories (digitally saved) to look back upon and will be looking forward to keeping in touch with a few new friends.

If you ask me if it was worth having to delve into the muck and mire of my past, I'd tell you 'yes' every time. When we haven't dealt with issues from our past...they never truly go away on their own. We can bury them inside and try to pretend that they are not there. But, if they are never dealt with in the light of truth, they will continually sabotage our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. Thankfully, since I've changed my life around to reach my desired vision, I have a renewed mindset and a clearer perception of what I want to accomplish in this world. And I would be lying if I told you that I did this all on my own.  Without being rooted in the promises of God's inspired Word, I would have NEVER been able to deal with all the 'stuff' I had to overcome. I'm grateful that all of His promises are proven and true and that He is more than willing to carry our burdens when we have the faith to believe.

It takes patient endurance to achieve your goals...

But, it is far more important to enjoy your journey.

When Life Tries To Get In The Way...

Do you ever wish that you could just coast through this life without any distractions whatsoever?  To just be able to run toward your goals without ANYTHING standing in your way?  Personally, as a recovering idealist, I love the idea of being free from ALL distractions. Who wouldn't? Unfortunately, we all know that in this life, it would never be possible. The bill collector will always be knocking at our door at least once a month. When we do arrive at a place where we start to feel financially secure, the vehicle will suddenly break down or the refrigerator will go on the fritz. Or when we least expect it, our health may even start to fail. There are so many ways that life makes attempts to deter us from staying on the path to reaching our dreams. I for one can attest to this truth. 

These are the most important things that I've learned so far on my own journey towards reaching my goals:  

Having a Solid Belief System Keeps You Grounded. 

Without question, if I didn't have a personal relationship with my heavenly Father, I would not be able to achieve my goals.  As a woman of faith, I know for a fact that it would be impossible to be where I am today without the help and support of Almighty God.  He has saved me from numerous pitfalls and has provided me with his life giving word as a light to my path. When I meditate on his word consistently, follow his principles (direction), and keep in prayer, no matter what this world throws at me, I have the confidence that God will fix it. It's only when I find myself getting too busy to meditate on the scriptures and pray that I can start to lose that confidence and allow worry and doubt to creep into my thoughts. 

Are you grounded by your beliefs?

Life Will Test Your Dedication Again and Again.

When I started on my journey towards living a well-balanced lifestyle and focusing on my writing career, it was like a walk in the park. I was motivated, focused, and stuck to a daily routine with no problem. Then maybe a month or so into it, little distractions starting to creep into the picture. As I was preparing for my vacation in October, I needed to put money out to have my vehicle serviced. And as I began adding some more challenges to my workout routine, my knee and lower back started acting up on me again. From then on, every month or so, there were other things trying to pull my focus away from keeping my inner zen. In order to achieve our goals, we need to stay centered. 

I have been resolute not to let the pull of emotional negativity get in the way. It has been no easy task. Even now I'm dealing with sinusitis that has effected my inner ear. It has zapped my energy and left me feeling miserable. I allowed myself rest these past few days (no exercise), but today I need to get back on the horse. I'm starting back on my workouts, but only for 10 minutes at a time. Just until I start to feel better. 

Are you allowing distractions to get in the way of achieving your goals?  If so, what are you willing to do about it? 

Not Everyone Will Be In Your Rooting Section.

We've all encountered situations where you thought that those closest to you would be your loudest cheering section. Only to find that in reality they are no where to be found when you want them to share in your greatest triumphs and successes. Since I'm a person who enjoys lifting up others and encouraging them along the way, it is still hard to fathom that those who are suppose to care about you are too busy at times with there own lives to acknowledge your victories. But, the bible even says this will be the case. I don't let it bother me when I'm at my best, feeling strong, healthy, and confident. But, if I'm struggling with not feeling well or having an off day...I can let that get in my head and cause me to feel disappointed. It's at that point when I really need to realize that God is ALWAYS with me and know that HE is ALWAYS available to share in my triumphs (1 John 2:5, Isaiah 41:10, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 46:1, Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8: 37-39, Psalm 91: 1-16). 

Who can you depend on to be in your corner 100% of the time?