motivation

Be #happiernow with Carson Kressley

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It’s Monday folks. Back to work for many, a happy day for some and a dreaded day for others. Why? Too many women are living their lives in a way that doesn’t suit them. What do I mean by that? Magazines tell us what to wear. Celebrities show us what is trendy. We lose ourselves in the over-abundance of media outlets surrounding us. I want to be happy. Not happy after I lose another 10 pounds. Not happy when I can afford that “trendy” bag I want. Not happy when I move into a bigger house. I want to be #happiernow.  Thanks to Carson Kressley and Happier.com, I am!

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Carson teamed up with Happier.com to create a course dedicated to women who are stuck in a rut. Whether you are having issues with your self-esteem, not finding enough time for yourself or just not sure what the problem is, this course is for you. It’s quite simple really. 7 days of inspirational and helpful videos paired with a quick challenge for you. It’s all about YOU and what you WANT & NEED to be #happiernow. Carson is super motivating and honest in the videos. It felt like he was talking to me. How did this man get into my head and uncover all my emotions? It was actually quite refreshing to realize that there are more women who feel the same way as I do. He helped me overcome some fears & challenges in just 7 days. What’s even better is, it’s only $4.99!  Isn’t that almost the cost of one large (or should I say Venti) Starbucks Iced latte? Are you worth $4.99? I think you are!

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Contrary to what the media tells us, we do not need more money, expensive clothes, be a size 0 or a big house to be happy. Happiness is something we can choose to live in. We can make the conscious decision to wake up tomorrow and be happy with what we have. Find the good in what you have, rather than the bad in what you don’t. Make the pledge to be #happiernow. Take this course and let it inspire you. But first, fill in the blank below. It is your new mantra. Write it out- and put it on your bathroom mirror, in your daily agenda book or make it your screensaver. Today is the day to get #HAPPIERNOW.

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For more courses offered at the Happier community, click here and follow them on twitter and Facebook. Be sure to follow Carson on twitter @CarsonKressley and check out his newly re-launched site here.

The 31 day Purge

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I still do not know what I got myself into. A friend posted on Facebook about this 31 day purge she was doing. It is being run by the lovely blog  A bowl full of lemons. Without even knowing what it entailed, I acknowledged my acceptance of the challenge on Facebook for all to see. Boy, am I happy I did. Yesterday, being only day 1, I already feel better after completing my 1st task. I can only imagine how I am going to feel after day 31!

Day 1 was to clean your cupboards. Get rid of unwanted food- donate it, trash expired food maybe even get rid of those cookies you know you shouldn’t eat! I was surprised at how much food went expired. And not by a mere month- I am talking about year 2013. Not proud- but happy it’s gone……Living in a 690 sq. ft home, I have one cupboard. For everything- spices, dry goods, canned goods, you name it- it needs to fit there. You can imagine the mess it can become.  Here are some before and after shots of my handy-work.photo 1 (9) photo 2 (8)Will you join me on the 31 day purge? Follow along here and don’t forget to post your purge pictures and tag them using #abfol31daypurge. Thanks A bowl full of lemons for the jumpstart I needed to get my house in order! Here’s to a productive month and hopefully less cluttered house in the end!
Namaste~  Joy

Motivation Monday: Running Wild

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” Joy, you will never ever be able to run 1 mile without stopping”.  “Joy, just work with what you can do”. “Joy, medically is not possible, it’s too detrimental on your lungs”. They told me my lungs can not take that kind of pressure. You see, I have asthma, allergies, but also a deviated septum. It’s so bad, even the structure of my nasal cavities are small. Most people have round holes on their nose that lets air in. I have small slits, plus a deviated septum, which for those who don’t catch my drift: BLOWS! (I made a funny!)

Sporting my favorite running skirt

Sporting my favorite running skirt

Flash-forward to 2011. I started running. Warwick City Park offered a nice paved shaded 5k path perfect for walking/running with a stroller. I would walk- then run-then walk- then jog the whole thing. It would take me 1 hour 24 minutes. And I was pushing through it all, using almost 1/2 of my inhaler in the process. About 3 months after I started that, I decided to register for an official 5K. I chose the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer 5k because that year I had a scare with the disease. PSA- please do self exams each month. I ran/walked that 5K on October 11th 2011 with a time of: 47 min 45 seconds …….. Much practice and self-discipline as well as understanding my body, I now run at least 2x a week.

My longest run- Feeling Strong!

My longest run- Feeling Strong!

I am here to tell you, don’t let someone tell you what you can and can not do. I understand that I was NOT supposed to be able to run. I get it. Medically, I am not supposed to run 1 mile, let alone a 5k. Running & breathing through your mouth are not conducive with each other. I ran yesterday as a Mother’s Day gift to myself. It was the longest I have ever run. 4.13 miles. My time was 45 minutes and 6 seconds. It was hard. I needed my inhaler like most runs, but nothing compared to 2011. The humidity didn’t help. But I didn’t stop. Don’t just push boundaries, break through them. I am a girl who is NOT supposed to be able to run 1 mile- and I just ran 4!

~Namaste~