Gratitude-Vision-Success

Are you tired? I mean really tired? Do you have to down some caffeine in the afternoon to get through that meeting or round of picking up kids from school? Does the idea of a workout feel impossible? Do you wake up with a flat stomach only to feel bloated as soon as you eat? Do you feel completely starving before dinner and find yourself binging on chips, crackers or halloween candy? Do you go to bed beating yourself up because you didn't stick with your goal of healthy eating that day? Do you find yourself having a pity party because you just saw your neighbor post on Facebook about yet another fabulous vacation while you get back on your hamster wheel of life to repeat what you did yesterday. Same day; different kid sport. Same day; different meeting that was a complete time sucker! Do you feel like you just can't quite get to where you want to be in your life?

I've so been there! I remember driving kids around and literally pouring out of my jeans. I had the perfect muffin top and trust me; that was not my goal! I would straighten my posture to minimize the pressure on my waist. My bra was getting tighter accross my back and I had those 3rd and 4th boobs that poked out around my armpits. Who was I fooling? I was putting on weight by stress eating and checking out to TV. No posture was going to take the effects of that away. I knew the holiday season was approaching and I was going to have to find outfits that I felt good in and navigate Facebook posts that were less than flattering. My digestion was jacked up. My energy was non existent and my self talk was insufferable. "You're too lazy". "This is what happens to your body when you have kids". "You are not supposed to be sexy at your age". "Not everyone is designed to be a size 2". "I could never have a runners body". I was selling myself short; believing every lie. I put on my jolly smile and pretended I was ok with where I was. It was time to get real and stop lying to myself! I knew I could feel better. I knew I could be better. I knew I was better and that there was a shiny gem underneath those extra 30 lbs.

Throughout my life I have read many self help or health books. I would get the latest Oprah recommendation with such excitement! They would motivate me and inspire me and I would be ready to conquer the world! Each book I finished put me back on the same cycle. Before I could say, "You can do this!", I had already found 100 reasons why I can't. The excuses were endless. I don't have time to tackle my health. It is selfish to take the time to work out when my family needs me. It is too expensive to buy healthy food. The whole idea of learning a new lifestyle is overwhelming. Or my "go to", I don't want to listen to my family remind me about the last time I tried a fad diet and failed. I finally had enough! I made a promise to myself to seek health. It was no longer about weight, although I really wanted to be smaller. It became more about building a foundation of spiritual, emotional and physical health, but how? Where do I start?

I had always looked at the super fit people at the gym and thought they had reached the summit. They were finished with the race. There was no more work for them to do. They had it all figured out. NO! The fact is; as long as we are all breathing, there are always bigger mountains to climb and my mountain is going to look different than everyone else. I needed to have my own journey. It took me a long time, but I had to first believe some truths to erase the lies. TRUTH: I am in charge of my mind and body. TRUTH: Change can't happen if someone else wants something more for me than me. TRUTH: l am tougher than I think and I can get through hard things. TRUTH: I am worth it! TRUTH: I am lovable. TRUTH: I have God given purpose. It was time to pay attention. I had choices. The question was, which choices will lead me to success and which will drag me back? My first choice was to choose to be grateful for where I was at every moment. Gratitude is the best medicine for the mind! If I feel stressed, scared, discouraged, angry, sad, mad, hurt, prideful, jealous or anything else that could put me in reverse, I chose gratitude. In a moment I can go from doom and gloom to joy! Once I was able to see the world around me through a grateful heart, I was able to put away the "have nots" and focus on the triumphs! Remember, we all have our own journey in this and your gratitude will look different than anyone else. It is your unique gift you get to give yourself every day, every hour or every minute. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

In the midst of gratefulness there is a gained clarity. You start to appreciate who you are and how God uniquely made you. This is where I began to refocus and gain a new vision of my life. Who do I want to be? What unique gifts do I have to share with the world? What does my healthiest self look like? What size do I wear? How fast can I run? How far can I run? How shiny is my hair? What people do I have in my life to encourage me? Who can I encourage with my success? How am I modeling health for the people I love? What opportunities and people am I attracting into my life with my new found sparkle? What new goals can I accomplish with the extra energy? The beauty of vision is that there are no limits! Think BIG! You were made for so much more!

Once I started to stand on the first platform of gratitude, I practiced it until it became 2nd nature. It took some time, but I mastered it and it changed my outlook! Then I graduated to vision and while experiencing true joy from gratitude, I set out to live out my vision. While practicing gratitude and focussing on my future self, I kept forward momentum. My vision turned to action and I lost the weight. I started running again. I entered a 10k, then a half marathon and then a marathon. I then went from, "I just want to finish" to "I want to qualify for the Boston Marathon!" After some time, I realized that there was still more to learn. My curiousity about nutrition grew. I wanted to know how the body both gains and loses weight. I learned about gut and heart health and preventing chronic disease and diabetes. Lifelong health is so much more than weight loss and is much more sustainable.

I wanted to continue my quest for optimal heath in mind, body and spirit and wanted to help others do it too. I have created a system that works! This program is a minimum 90 days and takes you step by step and day by day. It builds habits and knowledge in platforms for lifelong success! If you are not an exerciser, this program does not add exercise until as late as day 38 and it can actually be something you enjoy! If you are an exerciser, get ready for some crazy results! One of my biggest discoveries in this process is that

you can't work off bad nutrition and once you have nutrition under control, you will see results you have never seen!

The time is now! Your vision of your best and healthy self can be a reality! Are you ready to become the person God created you to be without being hindered by your health? Start building your platforms now! I am here to help!

Love, Nikki

Gratitude-Vision-Success!

I love this illustration of platforms. Notice how there are more weeds at the bottom, but they decrease with every platform? With each platform, you shed some weeds that hinder your success, until there is nothing but a clearer path to optimal health!