Paying It Forward

As I'm sitting in a gym watching My oldest son coach little league basketball, I reflect on the days when I was cheering him on as an 8 year old. Where did the time go? I'm still cheering him on and will always be his biggest fan. I couldn't be more proud sitting here watching him paying it forward, coaching the future. We never know what roads our paths may cross but rest assure if we keep paying it forward, keep giving of our talents and ourselves that in a world of uncertainty we can still make a difference. It's a new year and I really haven't concreted my goals for 2016 until now. Paying it forward seems to be appropriate in all avenues of my life: personal & professional. I encourage you to pay it forward when given the opportunity. Adding value to others is free. There's no charge for kindness. Share your blessings by blessing others. Let others reap the seeds of kindness you sow. Pay it Forward in 2016. 

Don't settle for less than the BEST

I read this quote and it inspired me to share. How many times have we settled for less than what we deserve? Why?  Maybe we are fearful of the unknown. Maybe we are impatient of waiting for the best. This applies to many avenues in our lives:  jobs, friends, relationships, opportunites, etc. I think so many times in our minds we know we deserve better but it takes effort to obtain the best so we just settle because it is easy. The easy way seems to be acceptable and accommodating to us. I do not know why that is but it seems to be true. I have been guilty of settling for less that what I know in my heart I deserved.  I deserve the best and my kids deserve the best. I do not mean in material things. I mean a quality of life that builds character, integrity and seizes opportunities.  In today's world, if we don't teach our kids to strive to do their best, then we are settling for less in them. Same with employees, if we do not expect them to perform their best then again we are settling for less in them. This is applicable in relationships too. In my opinion, you receive what you allow your expectations to be. Do not settle for less than what you know you deserve. Do not invest your time in people or things that drain you emotionally. Your time is precious so invest it wisely. Time is something we can never get back. Surround yourself with positiveness. Have the courage to move past those road blocks that hold you back. There is more to life and living than just being "okay". Be a blessing to others. Be courageous. Be more. Be the BEST version of YOU.

Seldom can we can anything new from an old place......

These words from Ron Reynolds keep playing over and over in my head. He wrote, "Seldom can we see anything new from an old place". How many times are we complacent and just keep going down the same path because...... We are scared of the unknown, change. We are comfy in our "zone". We are content. We just want to talk about doing more but our words are empty with no value. We stay in our "old place". I reflect on this quote and think about the new things I see. I see opportunities to help others. I see leadership goals being achieved and new goals being made. I see encouraging words inspring others to grow and dream bigger. Are you in that old place at work? home? personally? This applies to all avenues of our lives. In my opinion, we get content with our day to day until it becomes so routine that we are just "okay". I don't know about you but I have goals and dreams to achieve. I want my kids to know they have empowerment within them to be more, do more and there is no limit for their achievements therefore I must lead by example. I have been in that "old place" for years but no more. It's out with the old and in with the new. My blinders are off and guess what? The new view is completely AMAZING!! Looking back is a pure waste of time so don't look back. Take those past experiences, learn from them but move forward stronger, smarter and with style. Success is yours to reap what you sow but you will not have a bountiful harvest by staying in the "old place". It all starts with a new vision, new goals, positive attitude and positive people that encourage and value you as you also value and encourage them. Maybe that is my superpower, the ability to believe in people when they don't believe in themselves. I challenge you as we enter this season of Thanksgiving to remove your blinders and be open to the new opportunities that await you. Step up and step out and you will reap the blessings that are already written with your name on them. You'll have so much more to be thankful for, so get going!

Breaking out of the zone......

Stepping outside of our comfort zone is scarey sometimes. No it is actually scarey all of the time isnt it?  We are fearful of being rejected, uncertainty and failure to name a few. It takes courage to step out on faith but when we know and believe in our hearts, it gives us the nudge we often need to get out of that zone. I can remember dreading going to Basic Public speaking class in college. I despised it actually. I did not want to get up and speak in a room of twenty to twenty five strangers. Now, I do not meet a stranger. I have no problem speaking in front of two, twenty or two hundred. Working in the public for twenty four years has contributed to a majority of my fearless speaking effort but I had to step out of my comfort zone, pushing myself to grow. I am not a seasoned speaker by any means but I enjoy being able to share with others. You never know what doors your words can open for another person, which is a good reason to choose our words wisely. Say what you mean, mean what you say. Are you thinking, Oh I will talk to that person the next time I see them? What if there is not a next time? Are you telling yourself, I don't have time today but will add that to my to-do list next week? You make time for the things your heart desires and you make excuses for what your mind desires. Think about that one. If your heart says, I need to turn around and go see that person or walk down the office hall, travel across town, wherever that communication path is and talk to him/her or place a call across 5 states then do it. Instead we have a tendency to feel that heart tug to make that connection but our mind says, you are in a hurry, you will do it later. I'm guilty of it too. We all are guilty at some point. If this resonates with you then blog mission accomplished. Two things I hope you gather from this blog. 1. Step outside of your comfort zone to grow because you are fearless! 2. Make time for the things your heart desires. No excuses allowed! 

We Don't Meet People By Accident........

After a fantastic weekend with AdvoCare team members and fellow Champions (leaders), my heart runneth over with more passion and purpose for helping others. Being in the midst of a group of positive like-minded people is completely amazing and uplifiting. I heard awesome, heartfelt stories from individuals that are helping others become healthier, pursue their goals and achieve their dreams. To me this is so much more than nutritional products. I told a friend of mine recently that God's hand has been in my decision join AdvoCare from the beginning. He placed the right person in my path that introduced me to the products which led to connecting me with others in the organization. Then after a weekend that started out with 97% strangers, I headed back to Kentucky with new friendships that will grow into lifetime friends. How amazing is that?

 

Let me rewind to when I knew the decision I made with AdvoCare was the right one. I was already seeing product results and just kept feeding myself information about the company.  I opened up the IMPACT magazine (an AdvoCare publication) to read on page 7 the guiding principles of founder Charlie Ragus. #1 guiding principle "Honor God through our faith, family and friends". How many organizations have that in their principles much less the number one? I would be safe to say not very many! It was at that moment, I knew without a doubt the decision I made to join AdvoCare, was not really my decision at all. It was God's guidance that led me to this company. I know in my heart that God is using me to assist others through AdvoCare. I sat in the chapel service on Sunday listening to fellow team leaders lifting family and friends up in prayer, the praise service and the message which all tied to the #1 guiding principle. AdvoCare people are moms, dads, engineers, fitness trainers, grandmothers, grandfathers, school teachers, nurses, youth ministers, church secretaries, insurance representatives, military, real estate agents, coaches, college students and the list goes on but my point is they are real people with jobs and families that share nutritional products and business opportunites with people like me and YOU that result in positive changes for individuals and families. I see post about weight loss, more energy and results which is fantastic and I have my own results from product. I continue on products but its so so much more than "product" to me. It is a way of life that allows me to share unlimited possibilities with others that can have positive life changing results. 

For those of you that attended the retreat reading this--side note--Mr. Reynolds is not the only one that likes to write. I did not mention about making your bed but I hope you did this morning and continue to in the days ahead. I had this IMPACT magizine story in my notes for my Saturday night speech but totally omitted it, oops. Ya'll (not you alls) were a tuff crowd (haha). May blessing flow to all that read this blog. 

You Become Successful, when?

I love this saying by Billy Cox, "You become succesful the moment you decide to." I have learned that talking about doing something or merely thinking about doing it doesn't get the job done. You have to decide that you ARE going to make it happen. You have to believe in yourself and in your team. Believing is vital to success in my opinion. Believing in others so that they are more confident in themselves strenghtens the team and adds value to each person. You have to believe in yourself before you can expect others to believe in you. If you lack self belief then you will never be able to be a leader. People measure success in different ways. Some think success is based on the assets they have aquired or the position they may have at work. To me, success is helping others achieve their goals and dreams. Knowing I have helped someone else succeed is amazingly rewarding. I love motivating and encouraging others then seeing them excell is the most wonderful feeling. Sometimes those indiviuals don't even realize their accomplishments.  It's those kind of moments when you see "it" and they don't that fuel my passion to lead and believe even more. It is not about being the brightest star in the sky, standing out, being noticed. It is about being one of many stars that compliment the others so that the entire constellation is radiant--so that everyone stands out. That is team work. That is believing in others. That is setting goals and reaching them. That is passion and enthusiasm. That is being a person that adds values to others. Remember that the person raising the curtain is an important as the person on the stage. It is up to you to decide if you want to be successful. However you measure that success is your choice but ultimately the choice is yours.  

There is no time like the present for YOU!!!

How many times have you heard " there is no time like the present"? Oh I can think of many times I have heard this over the years especially when my mom was on me about cleaning my room. How many mornings or Mondays have you started a diet then blowed it by lunch? or how many times have you lost weight just to gain it back or exercised just to stop then go back to feeling blah again. We all start things then slack off when we start to see results. It is just the way most of us are geared for whatever reason. I love results but I love to maintain them more than anything. I have been able to drop weight and keep it off with not a diet but a lifestyle change. I changed the things I ate, my routine to incorporate exercise, my outlook on the future and how my overall health is valuable not only to me but to my kids. I changed. You can too. Now with proper nutrients and supplements from AdvoCare, I can continue maintaining a healthier way of life. AdvoCare offers more than weight loss products. It offers products for those like me that are on the go with a busy life fueling me with the extra energy I need. It offers performance products to give me a better workout in the gym. It offers wellness products to give me the vitamins and nutrients my body needs that I do not get from the foods I eat. If you are seeking to loose a few pounds or several then please let me intoduce you AdvoCare. If you exercise and work out then give AdvoCare a try. If you need a boost of energy that's sugar free, then ask me for a sample of Spark. I love helping people. I love seeing people succeed by achieving their goals. There is no time like the present for you to start taking care of yourself. If you don't take care of yourself then who will? Do it for YOU! Please go to the site and read about the company. Read the legacy of the founder and the guiding principles but I want to tell you what the first two principles are 1. Honor God through our faith, family and friends 2. Respect and strengthen the family.....there are 8 more worth reading.  Read about the athletic endorsements and sponsors. The prouducts are all formulated with the highest quality based on current scientific research by a medical and scientific advisory board. All of the information you desire is found on their web site. I would NOT be apart of any organization if I did not believe so strongly in it myself. AdvoCare does more than build champions in my opinion. It has built new and lasting friendships for me, provided products that make me feel amazing and given me an opportunity to help others. The possibilites are endless and I am looking forward to what lies ahead with AdvoCare. I have already received such a blessing in a short time and given a chance you will be blessed too. There's no time like the present! 

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