Category Archives: Self

Staying Healthy and Fit – 5 Things I Recommend Most

4 Replies

Before I share some of my healthy habits, there are a couple things to first recognize when it comes to health and fitness. For starters, everyone’s personal standard of what’s “healthy” is going to vary and secondly, what works for me might not necessarily work for you in its entirety as there are various contributing factors such as your body type, age, current health, etc. So please keep this in mind as you are reading because it’s easy to follow advice and then wonder why you are not obtaining the exact same results. As I mentioned, it’s because every body is different but at the same time, my general health tips are ones in which anyone can pick up at any time to achieve their very own personal success–so that means you can keep reading. 🙂

To me, staying healthy and fit is not only a LIFESTYLE but it also is a COMMITMENT to self. Chances are, my personal health standards are probably much higher than the average individual which is why it seems like I put in a lot more effort than most people. I’m sure I probably don’t need to put in as much work as I do to obtain results but I look at it like this: Why settle on mediocre results when I can opt for the very best results? I do what I know works for me and if that means extra workouts or a little extra focus on what I am eating, then it definitely is worth it.

Put in the Physical Work by Lifting Weights and Adding Cardio – Sometimes people are scared to lift weights because they think it will make them appear too bulky. Again, everyone’s body is genetically built differently but generally speaking, lifting weights will give you a desirable body composition and tone you up in all the right areas. Personally, I try to lift weights for an hour a day. I’ll switch up the moves each day to target different muscle groups but each day will be a mix of moves so that I can do a full body workout as opposed to isolating certain muscle groups on certain days. In terms of cardio workouts, I think it’s helpful to incorporate cardio workouts to burn a few extra calories in the day and that it is also good for your heart. With cardio, I try to fit 30-60 minutes of cardio about 5 days a week. (If I don’t have the time to do both in a day, I would choose to lift weights given the choice).

Eat a High Protein Diet – In order to keep the muscle and stay strong, it is important to make sure you eat enough protein in a day and ideally at every meal. If you consistently lift weights but are not feeding your muscles, then all the physical work could go to waste which is why you need to make sure you have enough protein built into your diet. Some forms of protein that I eat on a daily basis include: chicken, fish, eggs, and whey protein. I will also eat turkey and red meat on occasion.

Pay Attention to Portion Control – When I say “portion control,” I do not want this to ever translate as starvation because you absolutely need to fuel your body with enough high quality foods and nutrients in order to stay healthy and build your muscles. What I simply mean is to be mindful of how much you’re eating during each meal and to really listen to your body when you are full–no matter how good the food is (depending on what it is, you can always save it and eat more of it at a later time).

Stay Consistent with Both Your Exercise and Diet – “Getting” in shape is one thing but “staying” in shape is another. When people are determined enough, they can easily get fit but often times they cannot stay fit. The reason is that there is not enough consistency. In order to obtain any type of long lasting results, you need to stay consistent. For me personally, I consistently go to the gym in the mornings, usually 5-7 days a week. If you are just starting out a good fitness regime, I would say a minimum of 3-5 days are needed to build up consistency. You can’t expect to stay in shape when you workout sporadically or you skip weeks of any form of physical activity. The same also goes with your daily diet. While it is okay to indulge and enjoy a good meal here and there, it is important to stay focused on eating healthier and higher quality foods on a regular basis.

Track Food and Physical Activity – While many people might not see the benefits of writing down what they eat and their physical activity for the day, I personally think it’s extremely important for staying focused and holding myself accountable. That is not to say that if I wasn’t writing this down that I’d skip going to the gym and just eat whatever I want but I do think I’m extra mindful of my actions when I know I’m tracking it everyday. It also is a helpful tool to track progress over time which is another reason why I recommend taking the time to record what you eat along with your workouts.

“I Always Get What I Want” – A Manifestation Mantra That Works and Here’s Why

3 Replies

When I think about what is stopping people from manifesting their desires, unfortunately, many people possess mental road blocks that get in the way or have a strong disbelief from the start that what they want can actually turn into a reality. People are also very much shaped by their past so if they have had any type of negative experience (ex: a failed marriage, getting fired from a job, etc.) then they might stay emotionally stuck in these moments which makes it incredibly difficult to actually move forward in life.

Despite anything you previously have experienced or any negativity that you might currently be holding on to, the good news is that life very well is always in a state of motion and best of all, you get to control the direction it goes in. So let’s apply a manifestation mantra that will reset your state of mind and guide you in the right direction: “I always get what I want.” I don’t know about you but I do not think it can get any more reassuring than that! By genuinely believing that you always get what you want, you actually are conveying to the Universe that you are deserving, fully capable, and ready to receive everything that your heart desires. On a subconscious level, you will also find that you will automatically do whatever it takes to make it happen while attracting infinite abundance in the areas of your life which you are looking to progress.

What happens when you don’t get something that you wanted? Do you lose hope? Do you then think to yourself, “The Universe failed me.” ABSOLUTELY NOT. Of course there are going to be instances in life where you aren’t presented with what you wanted or you are faced with rejection. That is all part of the journey and life will have its challenges along the way which might leave you feeling discouraged but my counter to this is: Something better is on the horizon. You need to remain focused that you are still in the process of receiving what you want and although it might be taking a very long time–trust me, it is on its way and will be worth it once it is received. It is important to not only trust the process but to be patient with the manifesting process. So please do not develop any doubts in your mind when you don’t receive something immediately, just remember to continue to repeat to yourself: I always get what I want and if it appears to be taking longer than expected, something much better is in the works–you have nothing to worry about! 😉

Don’t Just Know Better – Actually Do Better

3 Replies

Often times we know what is best for us and what the right thing is but we don’t always follow that advice or listen to what we know is better. The first step is to gain knowledge but from there, we need to actually take the time to do better. In other words, taking the execution steps needed or the action required of us to make improvements, get ahead in life, and overall just better ourselves. For example, we know the importance of implementing a healthy diet paired with exercise to obtain optimal health. That is great information to know but the real question is, what are you doing about it? Are you putting wise knowledge into practice? My point is, knowing simply isn’t enough. We need to DO the things we KNOW is BEST. Nike said it best, “Just do it.”

Some people are more motivated than others which makes it far more easier for them to take action in life because they naturally have a high drive to want to do what is necessary to get to their end goals or simply be their very best in whatever it is that they gravitate to. If you aren’t the most motivated person, it actually is something that you can work on over time and not something to be discouraged about. How so you might ask…

Time and time again, I preach the importance of building a strong and positive mindset. When your mental foundation is working at its peak, only extraordinary things can come out of it. You will find that you can increase your motivation, determination, focus, and many other important attributes needed to then apply what you know into ways in which you can make it all happen. Remember, it is a great start to “know” but let’s not forget the “do” part!

Self Love Will Always Guide You in the Right Direction in Life

1 Reply

One of the many themes of my blog is the concept of “self love.” I don’t want this to be confused with narcissism because that is something I never encourage but self love is something that everyone should really proactively be trying to build an abundance of. Having a high level of self love develops not only your overall self esteem but also your self worth. When you possess self love and therefore understand your worth, it becomes much easier to make positive life decisions. Besides making better life decisions, you are also elevating your personal standards and heightening your level of respect towards self which are both equally important to your self development.

When people make bad life decisions or ones that are not for the greater good of their own life, the fundamental issue usually stems from their lack of love for self. Think about it, if you love yourself, are you going to choose to be with someone who cheats on you, abandons you, or just generally treats you with disrespect? HECK NO! You better not at least. Why? If you value yourself, you keep your path clear of ever getting into those types of relationships. Once you detect any sign of disrespect, you are up and out because you love yourself enough to know that you are better off being single and happy than to be locked into a toxic relationship that is only bringing your life down.

This applies to all aspects of your life, not just within your personal relationships. Think about your career. Are you going to work for a company where you feel overworked and/or underpaid? Some of you might because you feel the need to in order to survive or don’t believe there are better options (aka a scarcity mindset) but someone with self love is going to make the decision to find another job. Why? This person knows their worth and knows there is something way better out there as opposed to settling on a job that is not fulfilling them both spiritually and financially.

My point is, when you develop a high level of self love, it becomes much easier to make better life decisions because you are always putting yourself first–as you should! There is nothing wrong with that and you are not being selfish for doing so. While of course it is a priority to take care of others such as our family members, friends, and loved ones, please do not ever neglect taking care of yourself. Keep in mind that we also need to take care of ourselves in order to become the best versions of ourselves for the people we care about most.

On a final note, remember that self love will always guide you in the right direction in life by propelling you to make the very best decisions and also know that loving yourself will always lead you to a path of infinite happiness. 🙂 ❤

5 Ways You Could Be Investing in Yourself Today

5 Replies

I truly believe that the greatest investments are the ones made towards investing in self–whether it be self development or improvement. As wonderful as we build our lives to be, let’s be honest, there is always room for growth and ways to make life even better than it is today. That’s the beauty of life, it is constantly in motion where we are experiencing, creating, learning, and becoming our best versions of self each and every day. This cannot be done unless we make the proactive choice to invest in our selves and thankfully, there are many ways in which we can be doing just that.

Continue to Educate Yourself – Your school days might be long over but that does not mean that learning has to stop forever. There are ways to continue to educate yourself in just about anything so I recommend picking up a self improvement book or taking a course to learn a completely new skill or perhaps improve upon a current skill set. It is never too late pick up a new personal hobby or profession and thanks to places like YouTube, you can also watch videos on just about anything nowadays to learn something new.

Create a Balanced Diet and Exercise Regime – Balance is the key to everything and will most certainly work in your favor when you take the time to invest in your health through both diet and exercise. If you don’t really enjoy working out in a traditional gym, there are still ways you can remain active by finding physical activities you love and staying committed to fitting them into your schedule. In terms of a healthy diet, the best way to really stay on track is to literally track what you eat which will train you to become more conscientious of not only what you are eating but how much you are eating. Remember that it is your personal responsibility to maintain optimal health by making the self investment through both eating well and staying fit.

Expand Your Financial Resources – I labeled this as “expanding your financial resources” because the way in which you go about this can look very different from individual to individual. For one, this could mean working for a big company and working from the bottom up in terms of obtaining a higher position for a company over time. For someone else, it could mean running one or multiple businesses. Another person might go about expanding financial resources by investing in real estate. There are unlimited ways of growing your personal economy in today’s world and this should absolutely be a top priority as a way of possessing financial freedom and security. In addition, by focusing on increasing your wealth, this provides you the opportunity to contribute money towards a retirement fund while also putting money aside for big purchases such as a house, nice car, and/or a dream vacation.

Set Goals and Execute Them – I emphasize goal setting quite often as we should constantly be setting goals for ourselves as a way to create new challenges and to hold ourselves accountable for placing higher expectations upon self. Even if you think you currently have it all, I challenge yourself to dig deeper and to reconsider ways you can still strive for more. Life is much more fulfilling when you are climbing towards achieving bigger goals as opposed to just staying in a state of stagnation.

Build the Right Social Circle – As much as I am for solitude and personal growth, that does not mean that you should ignore spending your time with others. It is important to invest in others who also invest in themselves and are like minded individuals with the same core values as yourself. It is also beneficial to surround yourself with people who are positive, successful, and who ultimately support you. There is no room for holding onto negative, miserable people and those who only bring you down which is why it is essential that you choose the right people to be a part of your social circle.

Look Great at ANY Age – You Must Do These Things If You Want to See Results

Leave a reply

Is age really just a number? I think in today’s day in age, people have the capability to look even younger than their physical age more than they ever did before. It amazes me when I meet someone who tells me their age and I truly thought that they were at least 10 (sometimes up to 20 years younger). Did this happen from “good genes” alone or by luck? Of course not! That is the most reassuring aspect of the aging process is that we actually are very much in control of the pace in which we age. By that, I mean with the right habits, we can actually extend our youth and look great for many years to come while also adding longevity and strengthening our health at the same time. In order for us to achieve these things, like anything in life–it starts with a focused and positive mindset along with some work. Nowadays, most people want results in the form of instant gratification without putting in the work but as we all know, it does not work like that. So what exactly does work then?

Make a Commitment to Self – First and foremost, you need to make a commitment to yourself that you will do what it takes to stay healthy and fit throughout the course of your lifetime. Not once in awhile or only when health problems occur but AT ALL TIMES!

Many people will make any excuse out of the book such as, “Oh I have good genes where I can eat what I want and not have to ever step foot in a gym.” My counter to that is, “good genes” is a facade. Why? You might look good on the outside now but you cannot rely on just your genetics alone to carry you through life. (On a side note, I cannot tell you how many people I have seen who looked great in their youth and then aged quite horrifically from a lack of steady self care). In addition, if you aren’t taking good care of yourself in the inside, you might find that you’ll have some hidden health problems down the line. So no, good genes does not give you a free pass to not care about your health and wellness in my book!

Another popular excuse is, “I’m old now so who cares at this point? Plus, it’s so much harder to stay fit and healthy when you get to my age.” For starters, this is such a weak and sad way to think! (Isn’t it?) Getting old does not mean that things have to go on a steady decline downhill and that health has to fall by wayside in its entirety. It should be the OPPOSITE! As we age, we need to take even MORE personal responsibility of our health! Yes, it might get slightly tougher as we age to stay fit but guess what, all that means is that we TOUGHEN up! We step up our routines and put in a little more extra work along the way.

Self Care Today and Everyday – I labeled this as “self care” because that can include a wide range of things that you can do personally to take care of yourself but as I mentioned–it really needs to be today and everyday. Specifically, I want to point out the importance of implementing a healthy diet AND having a creating a daily fitness routine. There is no denying that people who eat well and work out not only look phenomenal but tend to look ten plus years younger. (Coincidence? I think NOT!) These are the people who truly are committed to self and trust me, it shows!

Besides diet and exercise, we also cannot forget personal grooming such as taking care of our skin (let’s not forget that sun protection is essential), teeth, nails, hair, etc. These are all major components of self care and ones that should never be left neglected.

Put in the Effort and Stay Consistent – The level of effort and consistency is all determined by YOU! This is a good thing because that means that if you put in a good amount of effort and stay consistent over time, you are guaranteed to get results. Of course there are going to be off days or perhaps off periods in your life in which you get off track a bit but as long as you quickly jump back on a healthy track and stay on it, you’ll be good again! Remember that you’re worth it which is why staying healthy and fit is so incredibly worth it for extending your youth and longevity.

Life Is Too Short to Not LOVE Your Life – What to Do Today to Lead You On the Right Path

Leave a reply

Although life is far from perfection and everyone is going to experience ups and downs throughout the course of their lifetimes, that does not mean that life needs to be spent more in the negative than the positive. Seriously, life is too short to not LOVE your life so rather than settling on mediocrity or living day by day aimlessly, strive to LOVE your life! There are certainly ways to improve your life today and everyday to ensure that you are creating a path of intrinsic happiness and a life you absolutely love living. (Why like your life when you can love it?) 😉 ❤

Know What You Love and Want – Many people don’t think about what they want in life which can often make life lack a sense of direction or have a meaningful purpose. I believe we are all born with unique gifts and passions so it is important to channel into our strengths while also taking the time to pursue the things we enjoy most. By determining what brings joy also helps in providing clarity as to what is desired.

Focus on the Positive – It is incredibly bothersome when you hear people complain about what they don’t have or how their life is miserable when they could actually be investing their energy into being grateful for what they currently do have, setting goals to make life improvements, and possessing a positive mindset. Being positive really goes a long way in life by attracting abundance and creating the things you want most.

Embrace the Good and the Bad – Again, life isn’t perfect and it’s going to throw some curve balls along the way but it is possible to dodge them in its entirety or be prepared in handling them in the best way possible. By that I mean, it is important to understand that sometimes you really need to go through bad times or deal with misfortunes for the greater good which can include learning a valuable lesson or building inner strength. It is easy to embrace all the good things but it’s equally beneficial to embrace the bad because ultimately you are going to rise above it.

Implement the Changes Necessary – Hate your job? Change it! Not happy with your current relationship? Maybe it’s time to change that too! We should never be settling on anything simply for the sake of it. If there is something major (or even minor) bringing your life down in any way, build a game plan to CHANGE it! You have to recognize and be conscious of when it is time to change your life even if that means you need to start over or the change is out of your comfort zone because it is better than staying stagnant or unhappy.

Make It Happen – You are in the driver’s seat of your life and have the power to navigate it anywhere you want to go! So it’s up to you to navigate your life in the direction you want by taking action and actually executing everything that you want as opposed to just thinking or dreaming about it. Go out there and make it happen!

5 Ways to Improve Your Manifestation Skills

3 Replies

I would have to say that the practice of manifestation is a life skill and having the ability to manifest the things that you desire most is not something you are necessarily taught in school which is why it is essential you teach yourself how to master manifestation. The good news is that anyone can develop the mindset to attract abundance and create everything you want in your lifetime. I want to make it clear that manifestation is NOT an instant gratification process. If you understand this simple principle then you are on the right path and will never be left feeling defeated or disappointed but instead, more motivated, invigorated, and determined. When one begins to lose hope, that is when the process tends to deteriorate. Weak minds are not meant to manifest great things as it takes a strong and positive mindset to do the internal work. So where do we begin?

Be Extremely Specific As to What You Want – People make very general statements as to what they want such as, “I want a big house, nice car, and lots of money.” These are all requests that are way too general. What exactly does a “big house” mean to you specifically? Such as: how many square feet, location, type of house, amount of land, interior style, etc. It is important to think on a more concrete level and to determine the exact details. Even if some of your requests seem very far fetched and out of reach right now, WHO CARES!?! Ask for it anyhow! As they say, “go big or go home” and shouldn’t we all opt to go BIG when it comes to our own life? Of course it is smart to be realistic but that does not mean that you need to limit yourself as to what you can get only right now–think about what you can obtain in your future.

Create Visuals – Although for some, this might be an optional step as you can visualize the outcome in your mind, I do think having a tangible visual (ex: vision board, visuals in a journal, etc.) is helpful because looking at a visual on a daily basis will allow for the visual to stay in the back of your subconscious mind. The subconscious mind is very powerful in that it will not really accept anything that does not match up with what you are trying to manifest. You can print visuals from the internet, find images in magazines, and if you’re artistic and fully capable of making them yourself–then go for it (again, why not? as it is about whatever method works best for you).

* If you do not have actual images of what you are looking to manifest, I consider writing down concrete statements on an index card to be just as effective. It is still tangible where you can read it everyday so this works on its own OR in combination with the visuals.

Believe It Is 100% Possible – It is 100% critical to develop the belief that the outcome is 100% possible. I don’t care if the people around you think it’s impossible or if currently there are factors to hinder you from what you want right now because NOTHING SHOULD STOP YOU! You control your mind which gives you the power to control your destiny! Don’t give people that power and don’t let there be any room for doubt to create a mental road block of preventing you from achieving what is most certainly POSSIBLE and getting in the way of your full POTENTIAL.

Take Action – One can’t just ask for anything from the Universe and then sit back and do absolutely nothing about it. Manifestation is NOT about wanting something and then expecting it to fall onto your lap. That is what I call, “Pie in the sky.” I think that is what deters many people from this whole idea of having the ability to manifest because they have this false belief that it is like a genie in a bottle where you ask for a wish and it just happens. That is why I want to clarify that this is not how it works because asking without doing is going to leave you with a whole lot of nothing but false hope and unfilled desires. Once you make it crystal clear your intent and what you want, you need to actually put in the work to make it happen. It might take an incredible amount of small actions to get to the end goal but any action is better than no action.

Trust the Process – You are where you are meant to be at this present moment in your life. Everyday you are getting a step closer to turning your dreams into realities. Rather than asking, “Am I there yet?” or “Is this ever going to happen?” which insinuate a lack of trust and uncertainty, you need to TRUST THE PROCESS and believe that, “Yes, it is happening” and “I am doing whatever it takes to get what I want” because again, action is required to propel the results. Learn to enjoy the journey rather than question the process because everything you want is in the works! 😉

Quality Time vs. Money – What’s More Valuable?

2 Replies

As adults, we spend much of our lives working and developing our careers in order to build wealth and financial security. I am definitely all for working hard and making a lot of money but at the same time, I don’t think money is everything. Yes, money can buy many material goods and is needed to pay the bills but over time, I have discovered that quality time is much more valuable in the long run. Quality time to me means having the luxury to do the things that you enjoy such as pursuing your favorite hobbies and spending time with the people you care about most. The way in which we choose to spend our quality time really is personal to all of us and can also vary throughout the course of our lifetime. (Hey, it is never too late to pick up a new hobby!)

However, I will admit that the catch 22 of the situation is that you sort of need to have financial security (money) to buy you more quality time. By that I mean, in order to have more freedom and time, one must really have the money in the bank to be able to do what you want without having to constantly be working in order to make the money. That is why I cannot stress the importance of striking the right balance between work while also setting up free time for yourself. Working a crazy amount of hours might mean extra money in the bank but if you do not have the free time to enjoy it, is it really worth it? On the other hand, utilizing more of your free time without bringing money in is also not the way to live as it’s an added stress when you cannot make enough money to pay your monthly expenses.

When you’re much younger, sometimes it is necessary to really put in the extra work while you have the energy and are more dependent on working towards financial security which means less quality time to dedicate towards your passions; however, I can tell you from my personal experience, it is actually worth it (later)! That is not to say I was not having fun in my youth, I still think I managed to find a balance but I definitely made many sacrifices in order to comfortably build financial independence which now has paid off in giving me the opportunity to have more free time where I can afford to work less than I did before and allot more free time for myself. Working will always be very important to me as I look at it more for providing me a sense of purpose in which I will continue to be dedicated to my profession; however, I am not in a position where I am working incessantly in order to get by. It is wise to strive towards both financial security AND putting time aside for yourself but it’s good knowing that financial security will often provide you the quality time you deserve. Nowadays, I can take a step back and relax a bit to enjoy more quality time that is separate from my work life thanks to all the times I put in the extra work previously. Often you might find that you need to work harder in the beginning in order to earn quality time in the future. Trust me, it’s worth it! 🙂

This is a photo that was taken of me yesterday on my day off. Quality time is valuable, so let’s all find a way to enjoy it!

When Words and Actions Don’t Line Up – Which is More of an Indicator of a Person’s True Intent?

3 Replies

[I was going through my saved drafts and stumbled upon this title I wrote from June of 2020 so I guess this was a topic that was on my mind a year ago but one that I never took the time to develop. So I figured I might as well write my thoughts on this].

They always say, “Actions speak louder than words.” However, aren’t there instances where a person’s words can speak louder than their actions? Or better yet, when a person’s actions and words are consistently equal with one another? Unfortunately, many people tend to send mixed messages (whether intended or not) so it is not always easy to understand someone’s intent when their actions and words don’t go hand in hand. This is where you have to rely more heavily on your intuition as opposed to your perception. Typically, your intuition will guide you in the right direction. When you experience moments of doubt, trust what your intuition is telling you. If you ever sense a lack of clarity, it exists for a reason so take it seriously.

Aside from your intuition which we are naturally born with, some people have sharper intuition than others. Meaning that intuition is not enough in really understanding whether or not a person’s actions or words are more reliable. I find that this is why you need to understand what is more important to that specific person. For example, for me personally, given the choice–I value words more than actions. In my interactions with others, I prefer to use my words and be direct with people as a way to communicate as opposed to actions alone. That does not mean that I cannot be deciphered based on the actions I take but what it does mean is that my words can be taken at total face value. What I say is what I mean–there typically is not a hidden meaning behind my words. I try to make an effort to chose my words wisely and I appreciate when people communicate concisely the way I do, although I am aware enough to know that not everyone is like me in that way. Although this is my preference, there are people who don’t really take their words as seriously or even choose to use their words as often as they prefer to communicate with their actions. This is why you need to examine an individual to see what they value more as this will tend to determine how they communicate with the outside world. People are always conveying their true selves through both their words and actions but at the end of the day, people are going to best express themselves through their desired form of communication.