Follow Your Heart...

Click on the vid above and hear my heart for YOU today!

FOLLOW YOUR HEART...and you won't get lost.

Every once in a while I have to take a few steps back and regroup!  The things of the day, week, month all begin to make this huge pile in my life and I find myself feeling this huge sense of the "I'll never's..."

"I'll never get over this big pile of #$)%(#&$%)(&!"  Do you ever feel that way?   This pile, like a conglomerate rock, compiled of our daily grind, the issues that arise, the pains that we feel, the emotions that we stuff,  the joys we experience, the fears we try to hide, the hopes we hope will happen, the truths we hope are true...they're all there...all mixed together...all stuck together like a huge boulder in the road.

Then... if I stop looking at the boulder...if I just take the time to close my eyes and listen...I hear it...

I begin to hear a faint yet familiar sound...my heart.  Yes, yes...I hear the thump...thump...thump... but if I listen past the thumping... I hear the still small voice...the one that tells me the truth...the God Honest Truth!  But only if I listen. 

Back in the nineties, we lived at the beach for an amazing 4 month span.  It was during, what could have been, one of the worst times of our lives for my family.  We had no work, no income whatsoever, and we had to move from my dream home of 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 car garage, corner lot, beautiful home, beautiful trees, full of beautiful things.  During the year prior to our move we had to take care of a huge debt which forced us to sell most of the valuable, heirloom contents in our possession so we could get this paid off and make a new start.  There was such ripping and tearing of my heart as I let "things" go that had belonged to my parents and were now mine.  But the debt was paid... and it was time to move on... then finding ourselves living in a bungalow on the beach for the summer for next to nothing.  What an amazing blessing...for new beginnings and healing hearts.

That summer, I had days on end to stare at the ocean and listen.  One day, as I was listening to the rhythm of the waves I heard..."Follow your heart and everything else will take care of itself."  What a peace that settled on me that day.  I didn't fully understand what I had heard...but I knew it was truth.  For weeks I pondered this "truth"....asking God what it meant.  And all I could ever "hear" was..."It means whatever you desire it to mean."    You mean, I have a choice?  This brief thought, gave me permission to stop looking at the past...to stop responding as I thought I should...which was sulking.  I gave myself permission to enjoy the beauty around me and to stop feeling guilty for living in such blessed moment in time!

For years I looked to others to tell me how to feel, how to think, how to respond appropriately, to react in an acceptable way and so on...and now, sitting by myself on the beach...I am facing the reality that I have a choice!  A choice to choose my path!  Whoa!  But what if I fail?  What if I can't?  What if others don't like what I choose?  

We spend our lives thinking we have faith while we follow the advice or expectations of others....all the while not trusting that WE too have what it takes to make a choice for ourselves.  When in actuality...true faith comes from diving off that cliff with only the expectation that God is in control.  Who are you listening to? Who are you following?

"Follow your heart and everything else (that huge boulder) will take care of itself."  What's in your heart?  Have you asked?  

Today, I am finding myself needing to be reminded once again...To Stop...Listen to My Heart... Trust What I Hear...and Take whatever Action it directs...  I know that as I do, that the boulder will either crumble or roll away.  My focus will be on embracing the moment and not on fearing the things I have no control over.

So I'm Ready to Dive In... Wanna Join Me? 

  

MIA No More!

I first want to thank those of you who sought me out 

to see if I was OK! 

 I apologize that I didn't place a post stating my circumstances last week.  So I'll brief you a little on what's been a-happenin' in my life.

Several projects that my hubby and I are involved in all seemed to accelerate into high gear all at the same time last week.  I found myself spending hours at a time either on the phone, emailing and shuffling papers.

On top of that, I started an online art class that I had signed up for a while back.  I, again, spent many hours getting to know the system we are using and meeting the teacher/students...many posts and projects the first week.  Not to mention doing the actual projects, taking pics and posting.  It's really a lot of fun...just takes time to get in the groove.

You can check out the artist and her classes here:   WYANNE

OK so moving right along!

My... ISSUE...seems to have worked itself out...so to speak...since I have started a routine of drinking the following as my breakfast first thing in the morning...

                           1 scoop Chocolate Jay Robbs Whey Protein Powder

                           1 scoop Super Seed  (thanks for letting me know about this Rosalie!)

                           8-12 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk

                           ice - depending on how thick you want it...
                           I use anywhere from 3-8 cubes

                           (I'm sure there are some other goodies,
                           like Barleans fish oil, you could include)

Blend all of the above ingredients in a blender until all the ice is crushed... pour and enjoy!  

This divine mixture has encouraged my system to LINE UP!!!  So, that part of my body is working better these days!

One other thing I dealt with last week was another health issue I have been fighting for almost 2 years. 

I have a patch (for lack of a better term) of psoriasis on the bottom of my foot that I just cannot seem to get rid of. Without going into all the gory details... it cracks, leaving me with open wounds that make it feel like I am walking with chards of glass stuck in the bottom of my foot! 

Having said ALL THAT... I did a number on that foot on Tuesday...while walking the dogs.  I was in great pain most of the week on top of all the other things I was involved in.  My poor hubby!  I do not tolerate pain well AT ALL!  He feels bad that he can't send me to the doc right now (no ins.)...so I try not to complain to much...but last week...I'm sure wasn't good for him either!  Feeling better today...but having to keep it bound pretty tight in order to function...and I know that isn't what it really needs.  Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!

So needless to say... As I WANTED to do a post... I just never really had enough collective time to do so.  Thanks again to those who checked in!

Through all of the above last week fiascos... I was able to maintain my good eating habits and lose 1 lb!  I'll take it!  Slow as the weightloss is...that's ok as long as I'm feeling well, eating well, and losing a little here and there.  Haven't measured yet...but pants are def feeling a little looser!  (and for those of you who just said...Yeah, but I need to lose a whole lot of weight!...just know I have about 62 more pounds to go!)

Did ya'll like that list of Good Carbs last week?  I copy pasted them onto a Word doc and printed them out for me to keep in the kitchen.  So when I needed to expand my vision a little when it came to selecting a Good Carb for my snack or meal...I would check out this list again.  

One thing I did purposely do last week was to make sure I stuck to portion size and used smaller plates!  Including meats, cheeses, and veggies.  Just slipping a little larger portion or even seconds onto your plate can add extra calories that our bodies just don't need....so it STORES the excess  (right smack dab on my hips!)  

ALSO...speaking of storing... If you skip a meal...tsk tsk tsk!!!  This throws your body into a slight panic mode...falsely thinking it's not EVER going to get fed again so it better STORE UP that insulin just in case... Well guess where it stores it up?.... Yep! RIGHT IN THOSE SHRINKING FAT CELLS!  

Another thing is to make sure you eat a breakfast!  Be sure to BREAK your FAST from the night before.  What this does is ..."Gentleman/women... START YOUR ENGINES!"  Eating breakfast wakes up your metabolism...gets those juices flowing and starts your day off with ENERGY!  No food... No Energy!

So get out of your food poverty thinking and EAT your way into losing weight!  Choose those Good Carbs and EAT THEM!  Include those Good Fats and Vitamin Rich Veggies and Proteins and Chocolate!!!

And you will be well on your way to a healthier YOU!  

Love you all...and will try to post more often this week!  Here's a sneak peek at one of my pieces I'm preparing for my Nov. art show!  

Three Tiered Cupcake Tray
Annie-Bella's © 

CREDITS:  I "borrowed" the MIA title picture from a great site I found called just that, MIA /Missing In Action, a site which offers a book for new moms, helping them to reclaim their identity after bringing a child into this world.  I wanted to not only give credit to this site since I "borrowed" their pic, but also to pass the word on to any new moms out there!  Having been a new mom three times...I wished I had the support then that is available now.  I almost lost my sanity...but that's a whole nuther enchilada!!!!  So be sure to visit and enjoy...MIA!

I Do Solemly Swear...

Ok...some of you may have read my rant on Rosalie's blog...but in case you didn't here is the jist of it:
"Good Morning Rosalie!!! Dang it...you did it again..encouraged me to stick to it one more day! Ok, Ok... I'm going to stick with this thing...I can doooo it! But I've been stuck at the same weight now for 3 weeks! I'm so frustrated right now I could bust! (or is it burst?) I'm not cheating, I'm eating right...but still dealing with the "ISSUE" and all I can think of is I'm just full of S***! I keep telling hubby...if I ever get this part "normal" I'll drop 10 lbs instantly! Ok..thanks for the opp to spew my frustrations! Today on my blog I'm gonna make a commitment to myself and to ya'll...and face some skeletons I have still hanging in my closet! =O Love ya girl!"

So here goes my commitment to myself and YOU...my BFC friends!

I do solemnly swear that I will make sure I keep my frig stocked with healthy on the go, easy to grab, food and snacks so I won't go without or grab something that isn't on the BFC plan!

               Part of my problem I believe has been not eating all of my 6 servings of Healthy Carbs!  So I will make an extra effort to keep up with this in the future.

I do solemnly swear that I will STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTA!

         Eeek! This one's a tough one!  It's so easy to get lost following the infamous Rabbit Trails you are bombarded with each time you check your email, Facebook, your Blog List, and Forums!  I will even determine a time at which I will shut it down and find that I've gone over that by an hour or two!  Insane!
Some may wonder what this has to do with my BFC plan.... well my BUTT is spreading from here to there just for sitting hours at a time at this machine!  So I am making a plan to only check my email, FB, Blogs and Forums first thing in the morning and limit my time to 1 hour period!  Email one more time in the evening when I write my BFC post for the day.  The rest of the time will be spent doing creative and active things!

I do solemnly swear that I will kick the monkey off my bike and use it myself TWICE everyday!
          A friend of ours gave us the coolest exercise bike that sits not even 5 feet away from me in my art studio!  It even has one of those great cushy seats and computerized riding plans giving you a choice of challenges and resistance!  It even tells you how many miles you've gone,  how long you've ridden, and how many calories you burned!  So what is it that keeps me off of that wonderful riding machine...besides the monkey!  Well...here's one of my skeletons I referred to earlier... It's called SWEAT!  I hate sweating!
It makes me feel so yucky and sticky and more yucky and sticky!  I truly HATE it!  But I'm just going to have to face that sweaty skeleton and move past him...he's merely a fog and one that can be showered away! So I am committing today to ride twice a day and post my results so you and I will see that I'm doing what I promised. (Hubby reads the blog...so there's my accountability!)

I do solemnly swear that I will attend my NIA classes at least TWICE a week!

          Last week I was supposed to start my regular schedule of NIA classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Well, it never happened... First we had a monsoon rain on Tuesday and I also went to help my mom move to her new apartment...so Ok... I had a fairly good excuse... but Thursday rolled around and I just flat out chose NOT to go.  Why?  Remember Skeleton number 1 above?  Yep...SWEAT!  I didn't want to go out and sweat!  So I didn't!  Even though I LOVE the NIA classes and have a blast while dancing my heart out of my chest...I just wouldn't make myself DO IT!  So, I am confessing and committing all at once here... This week I'm gonna kick some skeletal A$$ and GO to my NIA classes!

Lastly... I do solemnly swear I will NOT use Ready Whip as an millinery adornment anymore and only use Ready Whip for occasional Sweet Splurges!
          Do I really need to explain my reasonings here?  Seems it's pretty obvious!  =D


I feel my lack of movement is causing my system backup as I mentioned in an earlier post and on Rosalie's blog today.  Even though I'm eating healthily, using the recommended methods for easier elimination, etc... I have had a serious problem and I feel that the only thing I haven't been doing to help things along is MOVEMENT! I truly believe it's a simple as that!  So now that my Sweat Skeleton has been exposed, hopefully I will be able to move on...get it over with... and shower it off!  I know I'll be better for it...in the end!   

Do You Dream?

How Big Are Your Dreams?

Do you Dream?  I do...all the time...in the night...in the wee hours of the morning right before I'm fully awake...during the day...while painting....while driving...even while shopping!  Yes, I Dream...and sometimes I wonder...Are My Dreams Big Enough?

In my subconscious rendezvous in the middle of the night I have to say...I'm dreaming pretty darn BIG!  I sometimes wake in the morning, almost with a chuckle at the magnitude of what I had just been dreaming.  "Visions of Grandeur" I call them...then quickly dismiss them as frivolous and impossible....but are they?

In my art room minding my own business....utilizing my right-brained creativity to create something colorful and a seemingly non-connected thought crosses my airwaves and if I allow it to enter into my "zone", I'm surprised by it's frankness and purity.  I see myself walking on a beach in a gauzy dress as the wind whips through me and the waves tickle my ankles as my toes sink into the wet sand.  "What was that?", I think or say outloud to myself.  A completely random "dream" has just entered into my space and caused me to stop and ponder the very essence of it.  At this very moment...I have a choice.  I can sweep it under the proverbial rug or I can spend a few more moments realizing this beautiful "reality".   If I looked up and into the mirror that encompasses a whole wall of my art room, I would see, Ha! tis but a dream!  But if I take those moments and allow this "vision" to set, to permeate my being, to see myself truly walking on that beach, to feel that breeze, to smell the salty air, to feel my toes sinking into the wet sand.... I'm more than half way there!

Too many times we scurry quickly away from those Big Dreams...those Impossible Dreams...those Dreams that surely will never happen!  Instead...we should capture them...stick them in a bottle...save them...treasure them...dare to take another look at them!  And we tend to embrace those Little Dreams that seem doable...all the while fooling ourselves into believing we are not worthy to believe the Big Dreams!  Therefore we stop ourselves just short of achieving those Big Dreams...(which is aptly called self-sabbotage!)  

In my Big Dreams, I have unbelievable energy... I can scale mountains, I can play concert piano, I can jog, I have huge houses, I'm a speaker at conferences, My artwork displayed in collectors homes, I have a beautiful body and can wear most anything, I own my own art studio where many come to create, I travel all the time....  and on and on and on!!!

These may seem BIG...but ALL are all obtainable...I believe it so....and so it will be.  I believe in God...and I believe in the Dreams he gives me.  They are so Big sometimes that, like I said earlier, I just chuckle and actually try to suppress them...applying the Big "But" to most of them!  When in actuality, if I would just receive them, embrace them as mine to have, mine to obtain, possible to live... then nothing... NO THING ...can stop me from obtaining and living them out.

My Big Dream focus right now is my weight as it is connected to my health.  Yes, of course, I want to look good and buy clothes that I can tuck in, from the Ladies Dept and not the Women's World department...but my health is being affected by my weight and it is my health that will keep me living so I can enjoy my family, traveling, shopping, LIVING!  Time and time again I have tried to lose weight so I can look better...be cute in my jeans...wear a bathing suit...go to a school reunion (which I have not done ever because of my weight!).  But this time is different... I SEE myself healthy...running...climbing...swimming...and for that reason I have chosen to follow the BFC plan to accomplish this DREAM.  And It's happening!  All the other times I failed because my dream just wasn't BIG ENOUGH to keep my focus!  This time its BIG!!!  REAL BIG!!!  and This time I know it will be reality before I know it!

Some of us follow Rosalie on her blog Healthy Me Doing the Belly Fat Cure... and yesterday she posted about seeing herself in a reflection at the mall and took a double take at what she was seeing...or rather what she no longer saw!  She shocked herself at seeing herself slim for the first time in ages!  She is accomplishing her DREAM...her BIG DREAM!  She's living it right now, as we ALL are, and seeing the results in believing she can do it!  I'm so proud of her!  I'm so proud of YOU... and of ME!  We are ALL accomplishing that which we are setting our minds to do.... and that is BIG DREAMING!  

Keep those dreams alive!  Find a way to capture them!  Put them down on paper, paint them out, cut them out of magazines, find pics to remind you, make a mantra out of it, write a song with it in it and sing it out loud...DAILY!  Don't just write it down or paste it on your refrigerator and never look at it again!  Touch it, Feel it, See it, DO IT!!!  Believe me...if you believe it...you will be it!!!  What you think...You are!

DREAM IT

LIVE IT

BE IT!

"The best thing about dreams is that fleeting moment, when you are between asleep and awake, 

when you don't know the difference between reality and fantasy, 

when for just that one moment you feel with your entire soul 

that the dream is reality, and it really happened." 

"The only thing that can stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you!"

  

Laugh It Off!!!

I watched the cutest little video clip last night that made me laugh and laugh!  After it was all over I felt great and sort of euphoric! So I had a little fleeting thought... "I wonder if I had burned any calories laughing?"  Silly thought...I thought...until I Googled it!  (seriously this dictionary needs to recognize the word Google and it's counterparts!)  Anyway, sure enough, you can use an average of 1.3 calories per minute laughing!  Let's see... that would mean you would need to laugh approximately 76.92307 minutes in order to burn off that 100 calorie snack you just ate!  BUT WAIT!!!

Before you go all postal on me and put away your giggle box...you need to know that Laughter truly is the Best Medicine!  Look at all these amazing benefits to having a little chortle every now and then!

Laughter first and foremost helps to relieve emotional stress!  And who doesn't need a little of THAT removed from their everyday lives?  It does so by helping to reduce the level of stress hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline, dopamine, and growth hormones.  It's also responsible for helping to release the health enhancing hormones such as endorphins and neurotransmitters...causing you to feel happier and healthier!
Wow!  Little did I know what all is going on when I laugh!  

In fact, I think we should all test this out right now and watch this little video...all the while using up a few calories and releasing some goodness into our bodies!  I promise you wont regret it!



(disclaimer: No animals have been hurt while filming this video...but my dogs did get a little excited when they heard me laughing out loud while watching it in the middle of the night!)

Great!  How's everyone feeling? Hopefully a bit more cheerful!!! I just loved watching this little cutie trying to get around in those booties and funnel hood!  We just went through having our puppies neutered and watching them having to maneuver with those hoods on was just too much...they didn't stay on for long!  But I digress...

No only does laughing do all kinds of magic with our hormonal system but also to our internal organs!  Yes, it's true!  It helps work out our diaphragm, our abs and even our shoulders if it's a good hearty laugh...leaving all these muscles less tense after a great workout!  


So tell a few jokes with friends and laugh at yourself!  Or rent the funniest movie you've ever seen! (would love to know what that is for you!)  Read the comic strip!  (remember those?)  Go to YouTube and spend some time watching home vids! 


Or...you can just Craft Yourself into Laughter like these ladies did!

So Whatever makes you Laugh... 

Do It...Watch It...See It...Feel It!!!

Go Ahead Do Your Body Good........

Have a Good LAUGH!!!

TODAY!

I love this dog too!  Thanks for reminding me MFE!  Best part is it's in a convenience store parking lot! It so inspires me that I need to be much more spontaneous with my dancing!  LOL

I Like My...

Wow! I LOVE THAT KID! What a cutie! But apart from that... what a lesson we ALL need to learn!  How many of us can say that when we stand in front of a mirror we actually say Affirmations!  I'm sure there are some who do, but I imagine that the majority of us actually say Accusations instead!

Those of us who have reason to speak an accusation or two should take some time to find something... ANYTHING... to Like.  Then Speak....No...SHOUT it out!!!  Even if it's only 1 thing... start there!  Scare the cat and tell him you LIKE him!  This little one didn't seem one bit ashamed to speak about those things she LIKED...Including Herself!  Anybody can pick things apart and find things we Dislike!  That's the easy part!  But to discover and claim those things that you LIKE...publically or otherwise is a whole different ball of wax!  Start small and end...BIG!!!  (sorta opposite of the weight loss journey!)  Come on people LIKE yourself!

Earlier today I was once again reading through Amber's posts on her blog Me and Jorge.  Specifically it was her week 4 weigh in and she was so excited that she had lost another 3.5lbs for a total of 14lbs so far.  She writes about taking back control of her body...the one she knew was inside...even before she had lost the weight she was needing to lose.  Reminds me of a verse in the Bible, "...calling things that be not as though they were." Rom 4:17

Here's what Amber says:

"I know there will be weeks when I lose less, or nothing, or even experience  a slight gain. 

I will not let these set backs stand in my way! In fact, I honestly believe I have actually already lost these 40lbs and just need to go through the process for my body to realize it. I am no longer that person who eats obsessive-compulsively.

My new mantra is:
This extra weight no longer belongs to ME, I have released it. It just will take some time to shed it from my physical body!"

WoW!  Those are some powerful words and they pierced right through me today!  I am choosing to do the same and release "possession" of this weight... 
the weight NO LONGER belongs to me!
And guess what...not only has she surpassed her original weight goal of 40lbs by 10lbs, but just today her success story was published in Woman's World magazine...less than a year since she started The Belly Fat Cure program!  Wow!  Way to go Amber!  I for one am so proud of YOU!  And you should be too!

I know I've included a lot about another person's success here today... but it is people like Amber and lil' Jessica and their determination to NOT QUIT, that inspires me to refrain from my own temptations...and doubts...and fears... and speaking those dislikes over myself so that I too can be successful!  

I'M INSPIRED!  

Hope you are too!

Here is  THE REST OF THE STORY of lil' Jessica...just too cute not to include it!