map for life: break out of your box

Do you want to keep on getting what you are getting? Then just keep on doing what you are doing. But if you want something you have never had, then you need to do something you have never done.
Change is constant and so is our resistance to change. We do change, but often we change to maintain the status quo, to keep things the way they are, to stay in our box. Can this be called real change? External changes often make us believe that we are changing, when in reality, we are just staying the same.
Today is the beginning of a new year for you. It is a day to break out of your box. To change from living a life of mediocrity to living your dream. Choose to change, and make this year a year above all years.

map for life...

hey guys, i found some very awesome things printed in my planner book, which i'd like to share with you over a few posts...the book is called 'map 4 life'...its a strategy book for the year where you set out to accomplish a set of goals & actually devise a step by step strategy toward those goals until you execute them. which if you think about it, is the only way to accomplish our dreams in the long run. like the saying goes: "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step"....

from 'Map 4 Life' by Dr. Myles Munroe

"It is said that if you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Life without a purpose, passion & a plan is like a ship without a sail or destination.

Most of the six billion people on planet earth are aimlessly drifting from job to home simply living to make a living. This is a tragedy and should never be the lot for any human soul. I am convinced that the key to life is the discovery of a clear personal purpose, a sense of destiny and a vision that motivates. I am also certain that the discipline necessary for fulfilling that purpose is the crafting and adherence to a strategic plan. Success is not a gift, but a result. Everyone was created to succeed, but only a few are willing to pay the price.

I challenge you to make history with your life & bring glory to God."
-- Dr. Myles E Munroe

As do i....guys, DO SOMETHING GREAT WITH YOUR LIFE!

this is your life...

this is your life, are you who you want to be?...

this is your life, is it everything
you dreamed that it would be
...just a thought

never give up!

Good timber does not grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.

Faith will not make the sun rise sooner, but it will make the night seem shorter.

The trouble with people today is that they want to get to the promised land without going through the wilderness.

After the sunset and the darkness there's still always the promise of another day.

wraps

another cool idea for health-conscious eaters/ the trimmer is wraps. wraps are healthier simply because the wrap is much thinner than bread, hence there aren't as many carbohydrates in it which will turn to fat if you don't burn them all off. bread is also made with yeast, and yeast causes growth....just like how people get beer bellies...i suppose people who don't work out a lot, can get bread bellies too....
so. enter the wrap. the solution to all those yucky yucky problems mentioned above. ideally one would make a wrap with brown flour, so as to make it as fibrous as possible. i think the dough is made simply with flour, oil, water and a pinch of salt. and then you make little round balls (yay and we're back to our active playdough days.) and roll them out with a rolling pin.
the cool thing about wraps is that you can trick yourself into eating lots of salad & healthy stuff by sneaking it all inside this rosy looking 'treat'. one can put anything one wishes into a wrap. lots of salad, avocado, lean meat, pickle, roasted vegetable strips, cheese (obese people like myself should just skip the cheese...oh and the avocado) and you're all set.
well, try it out sometime.....this 'treat' is actually filling, so it can be eaten as a meal. -just in case anyone was scared they were gonna be starving all day to be a healthy eater.

did you miss me?

every now and again my visitor count goes down, & i feel like my blog content is being semi-unappreciated. one of the reasons i created my blog was to be a source of positive ideas & inspiration for people, but....if no one's reading it, then there isn't really any point right....so once in a while i just leave it alone for a bit to gain a bit of readership or i browse around trying to acquire a reader community. anyway, so that's why i've been absent recently. sorry to the regulars, but also i hope others were able to benefit from the postings i have up already...
anyway..., i went out yesterday & bought myself a camera, FINALLY.....well, i've been wanting to for a long time, cause i'm missing so many priceless things in arwen's life, plus it'll be nice to post pictures i take instead of always having to download them-its just more personalized..., so look out for some pictures soon, i'll try to take some in the next few days...come back soon...xxx

believe you can succeed & you WILL

i read a book recently which has literally changed my life. mainly because it completely put in perspective so many negative mindsets that i've had for YEARS! luckily, i am not content with the person i am & so desperately want to grow in my life & situation. this book is incredible as far as equipping you attitude-wise to just overcome all obstacles in your life that are robbing you of your right to being the very best person you can. we all have unlimited potential, its such an intrigue to discover how we can keep getting better, don't you think?
i highlighted some key quotes from this book which stood out to me & i wanted to share them with you as well. doing it in one post will be way too long, so im just gonna break them down into chapters & post them in a series. however, these few quotes will never do the book justice, i'd honestly recommend anyone who wants to accomplish anything in their lives to read it-it'll set you straight on the path to SUCCESS....

excerpts from 'The Magic of Thinking BIG!'

BELIEVE YOU CAN SUCCEED & YOU WILL
Success means many wonderful, positive things. Success means personal prosperity. Success means winning admiration, leadership, being looked up to by people in your business and social life. Success means freedom: freedom from worries, fears, frustrations & failure. Success means self-respect, continually finding more real happiness and satisfaction from life, being able to do more for those who depend on you.
Success means winning.
Success-achievement is the goal of life!
Every human being wants success. Everybody wants the best this life can deliver. Nobody enjoys crawling, living in mediocrity. No one likes feeling second-class and feeling forced to go that way.
Some of the most practical success-building wisdom is found in that Biblical quotation stating that faith can move mountains.
Believe, really believe, you can move a mountain, & you can. Not many people believe that they can move mountains. So as a result, not many people do.
You CAN move a mountain with belief. You can win success by believing you can succeed.
There is nothing magical or mystical about the power of belief.
The how-to-do-it always comes to the person who believes he CAN do it.
Think doubt and fail.
Think victory & succeed.
Believe in yourself & good things DO start happening.
Here is the first step toward success. It's a basic step. It can't be avoided. Step one: Believe in yourself, believe you can succeed.
How to develop the power of belief:

1. Think success, don't think failure.
2. Remind yourself regularly that you are better than you think you are.
3. Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief.

Whether a man lags behind or moves ahead in his specialty is a matter of his own personal application. This is something which takes time, work, & sacrifice. Nobody can do it for you.
Nothing-absolutely nothing-in this life gives you more satisfaction than knowing you're on the road to success & achievement. And nothing stands as a bigger challenge than making the most of yourself.

im just gonna let the book speak for itself.....BELIEVE GUYS!

creative learning experiences/good work ethic

much of the time growing up, i remember us all having to entertain ourselves for short, or sometimes long periods of time. but somehow we were never bored. i remember us playing in the park together, singing songs while dancing around in a circle, digging in the garden somehow attempting to cultivate our own personal 'plot' whatever our age, & other, what seemed like-super fun activities.
when i got older i never had a problem finding things to do either. i'd sit down and practice songs on the guitar with the 5 guitar chords i knew; i'd fold laundry; i'd read something; i'd clean something... i know kids have a really vast potential for learning & doing & it bothers me when i see them wandering around not being interested in any of these-primarily because computer games is the only fathomable form of fun for them.
i think i owe that we had such active imaginations & good work ethic to the fact that my parents were constantly encouraging creativity, experiences, hard work & poured so much into us when we were very young. we were always going to cool places, doing baking, stringing beads, learning flashcards, memorizing Bible verses-stuff like that.
it was nice that they took the time to invest that effort in us, because it's equipped us all mentally for our entire life.
so i'm grateful to my parents for giving us such a rich childhood, because its made us all the ambitious, capable people we are today & that's being given a chance in life that some people never experience.

silver lining...

Written and Composed by: Michelle Lewis

Looks like it might rain again.
But it don't matter
You didn't get that storybook end?
Go read another!
The merry-go-round goes up and down
But if it's sideways, you've got to stop!

Ev'ry cloud's got a silver lining
Ev'ry street has a sunnier side
Check it out from both sides down
And, suddenly, you'll find a silver lining!

If only ev'ry wish came true
How boring life would be
And you'll never get to see
The best inside of you!

Ev'ry cloud's got a silver lining
Ev'ry street has a sunnier side

Check it out from both sides down

And, suddenly, you'll find ...

Ev'rybody's got a reason for something
Ev'ry tear's got a reason to fall
Check it out from up-side down
And, suddenly, you'll find a silver lining!

quotes on happiness

It is not the greatness of my trials but the littleness of my faith that causes me to complain.

Don't let the circumstances change your attitude. Rather let your attitude change your circumstances.

What a different World this would be if people would only magnify their blessings the way they do their troubles.

If you don't enjoy what you have now how can you be happier with more?

It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.

Some persue happiness, others create it.

Happiness comes when we stop wailing about the troubles we have, and offer thanks for the troubles we don't have.

Happiness is not something you have in your hands, its something you carry in your heart.

slimmer's diet treat

i've been trying to shed a few extra kilos recently...okay, about 15, and i guess its easy sometimes to feel like you're missing out on so many goodies that just seem to be EVERYWHERE now more so than ever before. its like they're just sitting around waiting for you to finally give in so they can laugh at you mockingly because you have no self-control. for some of us that are not as obsessed with our bodies to the point that it takes up all our mental energy, we've come to enjoy other rewards which i suppose aren't the best for our percentage of body fat or our health in general. of course when it comes down to it, its all a matter of habit & cultivating the ones you want to run your life. so, i'm trying to develop some better eating habits, & have come to discover that there are some treats involved in the slimmer/health conscious guy's diet. i've started actually craving these things now, cause of course, your body craves what it needs right & i actually look forward to them throughout the day....i'll be posting some of my top slimmers treats labeled: treats for the 'health conscious guy'. in case there's anyone who is struggling a bit with the concept of having to give up unhealthy things that they really want to. replace them instead!

yogurt smoothies
this basically consists of yogurt & fruit-generally without skin or big seeds. stuff i like to put in there is: strawberries, papaya, kiwi fruit, mango, and banana is great for making it sweet so you don't have to add sugar. its also a great way to use up any extra fruit you have lying around that will probably go rotten if you don't use it. oh, and i MAKE the yogurt myself too! milk is cheaper to buy than yogurt, but yogurt is easier for your body to digest & more healthy too.

what a girl needs...

lately i've been trying to embrace taking a more positive stance on life, & not focusing so much on the negative things that come up, because those things are always there, but what makes the difference is how we handle them & whether we choose to let them take away our joy & inspiration. it can get pretty hectic some days when there's so much to do, juggling jobs, appointments, your children (who incidentally just decide on bad days & you have to work your schedule around it), staying in shape, & still trying to get in enough sleep to cope with the ever more stressful days you subject yourself to.
sometimes, i find, when the things or people get to me & i get really frustrated, i just need to take some time out. even if its just 15 minutes... i go to my room (it of course has to be empty, so i kick the boyfriend out, appoint him to the 2 year old) turn on my favourite music & 'get happy'.
it actually works wonders. just stop for a few minutes and think about your dreams, focus on the big things, forget anything trivial- remember, positive thinking is the most powerful tool you have to help you overcome ANY obstacles in your life. pretend like you have the body & energy of a 17 year old, & remind yourself that your life is on track to something GREAT! BREATHE (breathing is highly underrated & sometimes all it takes is one deep breath of pure oxygen). sometimes when i have a bit more time, i can do the whole treatment, you know, the extended workout, long relaxing shower, hair treatment, face mask, manicure, & just settle down with a book. (that's a real luxury sometimes) or maybe get a massage (i think im pushing the expectation boundaries) ooo i just had a day off yesterday for the first time in MONTHS! i got to do all those things, plus... SHOPPING!!!! a universal favourite for women the world over. ah it was divine.
but all that to say, if you're feeling stressed out or especially pissed off....just breathe & ...take a few minutes for YOU! you deserve it. and it's what's gonna keep you going. & when you're taken care of, you're more than happy to take care of others. cause when it comes down to it, that's the job of a woman.

serenity...

To walk when others are running;
To whisper when others are shouting;
To smile when others are angry;
To pause when others are hurrying;
To pray when others are doubting
To know inner calm in spite of everything
This is serenity.

God give us men...

God give us men! A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Man who have honor-men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue,
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking:
For while they rabble with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds
Minglein selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice sleeps.
-- Josiah Gilbert Holland (interestingly this was written by a man)