-Finding Inspiration-

Inspiration can be hard to find, when you only focus on the problems you face.  It's is a great thing to focus on solving your problems and overcoming obstacles.  Inspiration can make this process a lot easier!  Don't get so bogged down in life that you forget to enjoy it!  When you were a child you looked forward to going to amusement parks and theme parks or to the beach!  Re-ignite your fire for life!  What do you look forward to now?  Dream big! You only live once!  Below is some inspiration for you...from Tahitian Noni International.  This inspired me, and I hope it inspires you!

2011 President's ClubTrip

Fearful or Fearless?

The funny thing about overcoming fear is that there are always more fears to overcome!  It is definitely a long journey to get to the place where an individual would like to be.  However, it is the most rewarding journey of all.   A lot of work is in involved, and other key elements such as ambition, discipline, principles and a good support system, to name a few.  Although wanting to change is the key to changing, it takes a lot more than the feeling, to bring about the change you are looking for.  I speak from experience.  If you don't challenge yourself, you won't grow.  If you never step outside of your comfort zone, you'll never know what it feel like to overcome fear.   My Creator hasn't given me a spirit or fear and I choose daily to be fearless.  People say live and learn.  If you don't purposely live your life you'll never be able to fully understand what it means to experience growth through the learning process.  Challenge yourself...Live, Love Laugh, Forgive...and experience growth.

Be Selfish!

 The ability to embrace who you are and invest in your improvement is your special power.  Often taken for granted and not acted upon it becomes dormant and you become like everyone else.  The key to uniqueness lies in our differences.  Embracing these differences can lead to gains that reach far beyond your wildest dreams.  The ability to inspire others stems from the ability to embrace uniqueness.  Be selfish by searching to enhance your one of a kind-ness!  Question for today...what makes you unique? And why?

Reality Check-Mate!

I believe that reality is the place where who you are and where you are in life coincide.  Much like a game of Chess,the ultimate goal is to win by check-mate. However, you have your own King to protect, you are armed with the same exact pieces as your opponent, you both have pieces that have the same exact function, and you both have the same amount of time per game.  There is no advantage.  Only challenge.  The key is to stay alert, be prepared, and to be wise.  Much easier said than done.  In this game, challenge isn't only presented for your opponent it is presented for you as well.  The challenge is for you to perform quickly, efficiently, wisely and boldly.   How many can step up to the plate?  It isn't easy.

Reality bears a strong resemblance to this game.  The challenge is to become who you want to become, in the limited time given to you, with the same tool that everyone else has...a brain.  You aren't much different than another person, neither am I.  The key to the game lies in how you play, how you manipulate your pieces, analyzing you opponent's strengths and weaknesses and understanding your own.  Stay alert, be prepared and be wise.  Perform quickly, efficiently and boldly.  Welcome to Reality.

Down To The Nitty Gritty

I was raised not to discuss money.  My friends and I never discussed money, we just all complained about not having any.  We complained about all our problems but never once would we discuss how to best resolve them.  Why is that?  Some say misery loves company.  I truly agree.  I decided that I didn't want to complain anymore, that I was going to become self reliant and solve my own issues rather than throw pity parties for myself.

I immediately felt what it was like to become an outsider.  I soon became the uninvited guest to pity parties because I had no pity.  I would say things to my friends like "Come on!  Let's solve our own problems we don't need to wait for people to define us and/or what we stand for!"  I thought I was doing something good, however I suddenly realized that I was being shunned and treated as if I were an outsider.  I thought these were my friends!  I thought they wanted to change as well!  I thought they hated their problems as much as I hated mine.  I thought we all wanted solutions.  Silly me.  I was left alone, and confused.

I began to read books that empowered me to change who I was so that I could become the person I always wanted to be.  I began to search for a new crowd to call friends.  People with a mind like mine.  I found an organization that helped people who wanted to change their mindset and break the curse of generational poverty.  They called themselves the M.A.D. Team and I wanted to join.  So I did, and much to my surprise I became like Alice in Wonderland!  I tumbled into a whole new realm of life, and found myself chasing a white rabbit with a time piece!!

I was surrounded by successful business people.  Beaming with confidence and savvy in their interpersonal and sales skills but most importantly they were completely in touch with reality.  --My White Rabbit.  This was exactly what I wanted for myself.  At any rate, just like Alice and the White Rabbit  I didn't have it and I couldn't quite catch it.  Everyone within this organization expressed a genuine concern for my well being.  This was odd to me.  I could not understand it because I was not used to it.  I decided that if I was going to stay here I would have to become a whole new person.

I was scared and faced with the reality that I didn't have it together as much as I wanted to believe I did.  I wondered how long it would take for me to get to the place where I initially thought I already was. --The ticking time piece.  I didn't feel prepared to play in this league.  My coach held my hand, and assured me that I would be fine once I refined my skills and learned how and when to used them.  It took some time, but I did catch that White Rabbit with the time piece, and interestingly enough I did it in less time than I anticipated!

I eventually woke up, just as Alice did.  I faced reality.  My reality, and discovered that I am no longer afraid.  My confidence in my abilities has grown.  I am ready to get off the bench and play with my team.  I am ready to solve my problems and those of others who also dream of solutions.   I'm ready to face the people that thought I would not succeed as well as those that have been waiting patiently for me to fail.   I'm ready to discuss the nitty gritty.  I'm ready to discuss money.  Investments, management, procurement, securement, charitable donations and the list goes on.  I read somewhere, that the best way to defeat fear is to face it, I truly agree.

Beauty

Beauty is a funny little word that can mean an array of delightful things.  What does beauty mean to you?  Is it physical, spiritual or mental?  How about a combination of all three?  Can you make yourself more beautiful with out temporary enhancements?  As I live and learn I've come to realize that beauty is a combination of all three.  I believe that if one of these areas are lacking it will inevitably affect the others.

My physical appearance is important to me...clean and well cared for teeth, over all health and fitness.  I personally don't care to dress up all the time because in my opinion, beauty should also be natural.  Don't get me wrong I can look my best appearance wise and I look forward to doing so on those occasions.  However, in my eyes beauty is more than skin deep.  As a matter of fact, it begins way beneath the epidermis, the process originates in the intellectual capacity.

Spiritual--
Loving yourself, requires developing a natural acceptance of who you are.  Knowing your strengths, weaknesses, morals etc. defining these attributes, and constantly (not necessarily all the time but definitely on a consistent basis) working to strengthen yourself by utilizing your emotions and attributes in a conscious and controlled manner.

Self esteem is also referred to as self respect/self confidence/self assurance.  Self-esteem, such an important aspect of who you are!  People say if you love yourself you would or wouldn't do certain things...however, I beg to differ.  Here's why, if someone has never taken the time to evaluate who they are from the right place their self esteem may be displaced...because it is based on all the wrong things.  Which results in either raising or lowering your self worth.  It's almost like preparing a meal without having all the right ingredients.  The end result is that it just won't taste right!  (My advice to you is to be sure that you have all the right ingredients, before you start cooking!)

Physical/Mental--
These are my favorites! Because they consists of "you!"  Gym time, healthy meals, spa days! (Love them!) pampering yourself, going shopping, dressing up, spending time at the salon, enjoying 'me time' to the fullest!  Socializing! Hobbies and talents! These are all things that make you unique and are beneficial in keeping your mind stimulated in constructive ways!

What does beauty mean to you?  Is it physical, spiritual or mental?  How about a combination of all three?  Can you make yourself more beautiful with out temporary enhancements? Can you make it an ongoing experience?  I did, through my experience with TNI.

The Future

I always wonder why people take forever to do the simplest things!  Myself included.  Sometimes I wonder why I procrastinate to do something that takes all of five minutes to complete!  I decided to change that after analyzing my life.  I have concluded that my future is right now and that there is no future in procrastination.

Way too many of us think that we have time to complete a task.  Not so.  Yet we choose to believe that we do and we live life as if we have all the time in the world.  Your future started the day you were born.  Your future is a continuation of right now.  I believe that if we had this mindset we would accomplish more.  We would truly be fear-less.  We would be less content with mediocrity and more willing to find fulfillment in our lives.  We waste so much time taking life for granted.

Life is about making decisions.  Good or bad it doesn't even matter.  Learn from it, move on, then make better decisions.  If something doesn't work...figure it out!  Try a different approach!  Don't stop until you find one that works!  Use your resources! No one has all the answers, and it may even take a while before you get it right.  Contrary to what you may believe, by allowing things to hinder you, you allow situations/circumstances etc. to control your life, you are also allowing them to control your future.

I decided that instead of using the word future elusively-- a time to come/what lies ahead, I would choose to use it definitively-- destined/intended/planned.  So instead of saying...we never know what the future will hold.  I prefer to say...the future of my life will be successful and prosperous.  We need to lay the foundation today, for the house we want to live in tomorrow.  Why settle for something ordinary, when you can accomplish something extra-ordinary?  Start by choosing your definition of the future and build from there.  I'm sure your future will reward you with a beautiful home. :)

Keys To Nurturing Healthy Relationships

Building and nurturing relationships can be one of the hardest things to do, especially when they are new!  Staying true to yourself no matter the circumstances is the only way people will be able to gain a true understanding of who you are and what you stand for.  It is imperative that you have a sound perception of who you are in order to nurture healthy relationships.  Once you've accomplished this task your focus will not have to be on yourself at all times, thus making it easier to focus on someone or something else without compromising what is most important to you. 

It is difficult to relate to someone else if you can't see past yourself!  This is why it's important to be knowledgeably aware of the character/nature of who you are physically, mentally and emotionally.  I challenge you to seek to understand yourself from these aspects.  The challenge here is to face yourself, face your problems, face your life.  Think about where you are, and where you want to be.  Think about what you want and what you need out of life.  Is there anything that you can improve on?  Now is always the best time for change!

Look your problems square in the eye and tell them, "I have the ability to make you go away!"  Give yourself a new beginning, Do You!  Set goals for yourself and accomplish them!  Don't doubt yourself, prove yourself!  Don't beat yourself up when you mess up, just simply try again!  Keep it moving!  Don't let anyone stop you from stepping your game up!  It's YOUR GAME!!  You have the power to define who you are and will be.  Take control of your life!  It is yours, isn't it?  Then, you should be in charge of you!  Everything you say and do should be a conscious decision.

 Relationships come in all forms, parent/child, husband/wife, and the list goes on.  People are different and so are our wants and needs.  Having a basic understanding of who you are is only the beginning of your journey.  Healthy relationships are nurtured by open communication, understanding, compromise, conflict resolution and growth.  The ability to see beyond yourself is definitely a key element in this process.  Once you've become comfortable with doing the all these for yourself, apply it to your relationships!

Seek to understand your friends, family, co-workers, people in your organization etc. work together to resolve your problems, come up with solutions!  Communicate effectively/respectfully (this is your secret weapon)!  Seriously!  Listening (for the purpose of understanding) is just as important as speaking!!! And last, but definitely not least, treat people the way you want to be treated at all times.  You will add dimension to your relationships, and you will experience the benefits that result from building stable and healthy relationships!

All About Perspective

It can be very difficult to prevent feeling bogged down by the ups and down of life. Everything can be going just fine one minute and then life throws you a curve ball. I've learned the importance of keeping things in perspective. I am not speaking about your personal point of view, I am referring to the true understanding of the relative importance of things. Anyone can do this, and it involves only a few steps! Be open minded! Take your time and objectively weigh the pros and cons, educate yourself before you assume, talk to people who know first hand, and finally consider what's best for you.

Things happen all the time. That's how life has been and that's how it will always be. The question is how will you allow your circumstances to affect you? Positively or negatively? When I feel overwhelmed with decisions that I must make I often ask myself, "am I looking at this from the correct perspective?" If my answer is yes, I can comfortably move on to the next step in my problem solving activity. The more you hone this skill the easier problem solving becomes. It is a very powerful tool in business and in life.

I recommend you try it, see if it makes a difference in your life and your business. For those of you who may be afraid to take chances, the next time you feel the urge to pass up an opportunity that is presented to you, do yourself a favor, make sure that you take some time to examine it from the right perspective before making a decision against something. The opportunity might just be worth the risk. Look at it this way, ultimately the decision is yours, so why not make it a thoughtful one? You may see it as small carefully thought out decisions, however, this alteration in your decision making process could change your life! It can become the determining factor in the success of your career, personal life or business!

Tahitian Noni FIT

I have been looking for and researching the best ways to burn fat and build lean muscle for the longest time!  So I hope you can understand why I am so excited about my company's newest launch!  Tahitian Noni International has come up with the most amazing program to build lean muscle and assist you in your quest of physical fitness!  Whether you would like to improve your over all health or just look great, a lifestyle change is necessary!  This program will get you started and keep you going!

Check out the FIT Challenge at www.tni.com/2817686 to learn more about the program and it's benefits!