Time for a challenge!

Its Friday night and finally I have some me time.

After I finish this blog Brad & I are going to sit down in front of the telly to watch the footy and complete our vision boards. I cant wait to see how they turn out! I have been so excited and pumped about them.

Work has been good ... Its nice to have members come up to me and say that I am an inspiration because they see me keeping a positive mindset and exercising myself, its great to get such good feedback - however some women I am sure mean well when they get talking to me about my cancer but obviously forget when they then continue to talk about their sister, mother or friend who died of breast cancer because it spread after a year or two. This has proved to be a challenge for me to remain positive and to not let these stories effect my own mindset but I will be honest in saying it sure as hell does make me think from time to time about my situation .. it even has me questioning am I actually in the clear?

Needless to say even with all the daily struggles with these thoughts I have decided to set myself a new and exciting goal. One that is based around health and fitness and will really help me be at my healthiest state ever - both inside and out.

I am going to enter the Body Blitz challenge ....eeeekkk cant believe I just wrote that - its actually out there and now I have to stick to it. Man I am excited, nervous and freaking out lol - in all honesty I am excited as hell! I have got myself a top trainer - Aaron, he is a gun - really challenges me both physically and mentally. I think its good to find a trainer that is like minded and Aaron sure is - he is positive and really believes in the power of choice and the power of the law of attraction. I have managed to convince Brad to do it with me as it will be easier when we look at working out together and of course supporting each other with meals etc.

I am giving myself this weekend to get prepared with completing my vision board and making sure Aaron has scheduled in my training sessions and of course come up with a kick arse eating plan ..12 weeks is a long time so I am going to get proper food/exercise diaries to keep us on track - I will use this blog to report how its going too and of course I need to buy a massive calender so we can count down the days haha.

I am going to ask my sisters if they are keen to do it too (forget my sister Suzy - her body is perfect .. I dont know how she does it but she does) ... I am also going to try ...yes try and convince Louise ... the more the merrier I say and it will be so much easier if a few people do it as we can help each other stay motivated and on track.

Anyways - I'm out! x

zzzzzzzzzzz

This morning I started work at the crack of dawn so up I jumped at 5am to make sure I was ready in time. I worked through till 12 then headed home for a quick half hour nana nap before I got up and gave the house a once over ... vacuum, mopping, washing - the usual things that tend to pile up if I don't keep on top of them.

Back to work I went at 3.30 and managed to finish up at 7. I am so tired! I made sure I kept up with loads of yummy meals throughout the day, if I didn't I'm sure I would have collapsed with exhaustion. I finished my night with the yummiest grilled chicken, veg and salad. I was actually contemplating have wood fire oven pizza for dinner but decided to have the healthier choice of a nice home cooked meal. I was grateful - it left me feeling settled not bloated and lethargic like greasy food tends to do.

I really am starting to make more conscious efforts of what is good for my system and what is not. There is one thing I need to work on however ... that is getting myself way more sleep!

I was super excited and proud to hear today that Brads mum joined a curves in her area. It makes me happy to know that she is doing what she can to be fit and healthy. Every time I hear about another person taking measures to live a healthier and more positive life it really does make me smile.

I love it when I ring my mum and she has just finished her daily power walk on the treadmill. You go girl!

It still baffles and amazes me at the massive amount of people who aren't active .. especially those who have no real reason not to be, except for the same old boring pathetic excuse of I have no time. Living a healthy lifestyle including making time for exercise should be like brushing your teeth daily. Our healths are our most important assets in life...not the car we drive or the house we live in ... our bodies and minds are what get us through each day at a time. Yet it is the one thing that so many people tend to neglect and not to forget abuse.

My vision board is still coming along nicely .. slowly but nicely. It is not something I want to rush and knock over in a night. I cannot wait for it to be complete!

I am getting really tired now and I need to be at Aarons for a 6am session so I better be off to bed ... I start work at 8.30am and wont get to finish till 7pm zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Energy

Its now 9.30pm and I feel as though today I have not stopped.

I woke up at 5.15 this morning to hit Aarons with Brad. We had an excellent session. It was great because we set some exciting new goals relating to 'body image' and in a few weeks Brad and I will do a 12 week challenge together to help get into our best shape yet. This is especially a HUGE goal of Brads before he hits 30 early next year.

Today I made sure I was snacking every 3 hours during work with lots of protein fuelled meals like yoghurt, salt free nuts, grilled chicken and of course a yummy protein shake.

After finally getting home at 7.30pm I quickly whipped up some delicious vegies with lean grilled steaks and salad. I feel so completely satisfied.

I am going to continue working on my vision board for a little while but then it is straight off to bed to try and get some decent sleep. I have a long day tomorrow with a split shift starting at 6.15am along with another Guitar Hero play off with all the Metallica classics lol.

One thing I am missing since having started work is the relaxed moments .. lately I just feel like everything is so rushed. Hopefully my hours settle down more and then I can get myself into more of a routine with general life rather then running my life around my work hours.

x

Vision It .....

I cant believe that my weekend is already over! I find them so much more precious now that i actually have to work. Who would have thought hey.

This morning I woke up excited and ready for a different session with Aaron as this time I was taking along my twin, Julie ...

I was all pumped and prepared to do a massive weights session when he turned around to tell me we were doing a full session based on a 5kg medicine ball and body resistance intervals .... ummm what?? I hate the medicine ball I instantly groaned!

Needless to say we went about our session with a range of overhead throws .. followed by push ups (on our toes) and then more squats and throws etc .. I was completely pooped to the point I thought my arms and legs were going to give way! It sure was a great feeling to have a different kind of work out on my body, the 'shock' of no heavy weights definitely hit home on my muscles but I loved every bit of it. I always do ....after the session that is lol during it I hate it haha:)

By the end of my workout which I might add Julie did really well at too ... Aaron gave me a new revised eating plan .. Julie & I hit the shop straight away to stock up on all the requirements to see us through the week.

I absolutely LOVE grocery shopping. Most people loathe it but I really enjoy filling up my trolley with yummy fresh foods and getting excited knowing that I can prepare and of course enjoy eating all the delicious things I have packed my trolley with.

Its 10.05pm and I think I am going to continue working on cutting out pictures and images for my vision board - I actually find it quiet addictive. Its amazing what you end up cutting out without even realising it. I am beyond excited about what my finished product will look like and more so I look forward to reflecting on it every day from then on.

Vision Boards are so powerful and I cannot highly recommend them enough. Some people think they are wanky ... I just think its a better way to write up your goals and desires in life rather than writing down words in boring blue ink on white ruled piece of paper ... Visualisation people that is the key!

Brad has his first session with Aaron tomorrow ~ haha I cant stop laughing cause I know he wont be able to walk for days after hehe - love it! It will be good to be able to share this common interest also. Every now and then we may even do a few double sessions together, which is always loads of fun.

x

For whom the bell tolls ....

Well what can I say.. but it sure is working! Today I made a real conscious effort to not allow my phone to interrupt me whilst I was in the company of others.

Whilst I was at Per & Lou's house for Per's birthday I made sure I put my phone on silent (figured if there was an emergency they knew my sister Julie would be with me so they could easily call her if needed) ...anyhow ~ I my phone went on silent and I truly did have an amazing night!

I enjoyed the company .. good conversation ...lots of yummy food (including a few cake indulgences which I will be working off pronto come rise tomorrow with a personal training session with Aaron along with a spin class with Julie and my cousin Vanessa).

We ended up playing guitar hero - Jeez .. who would have thought it could be so fun and not to mention what a good release of pressure or tension from the past week!

Per was on guitar, Julie on the drums, Louise on Base and I belted out tunes to Metallica ... For whom the bell tolls was one of the best songs to sing!! haha

Sure enough when I checked my phone when I got home I had 2 messages and a missed call but none that were important enough to interrupt my night. All in all I am adjusting to the less phone usage or awareness in front of the company of others and I have to say I am really enjoying that!

I'm off to bed now ... so tired! Last night I slept for 11 hours, tonight wont be so long as its already 1.16am and I have to be up and ready to go by 9am.

If you bored and you don't have guitar hero try getting your favourite tunes ..pumping them up loud on the home stereo system and literally just belting out tunes as you dance - it is so uplifting and a fantastic stress reliever and leaves you feeling brilliant!!!

x

The Now

Have you noticed how much the world has changed since we got mobile phones and facebook? It is insane!

I have come to take more note of how many of us (including myself) no longer fully appreciate the 'now' as much as we really should since technology has been taking over our lives!

Think back to the old days when there were no mobiles and internet still hadnt hit the big time market .. now imagine the times that visitors would come over, be it a family member, bestfriend, boyfriend etc ... really think back at those times and I dont know about you but I can assure you that I remember completely being wrapped up in the moment of having those people in company at the time .. nothing else mattered, nothing else distracted me .. it was all about the 'now'...

Take a look now at the persent time, Im sure you will notice that now when we are in the presence of company if our mobile phone rings we will instantly cut conversation and say hold on and get busy answering the call ... or we jump to reply to an sms ...that then leads into another 5.

Dont worry, I am just the same - however I have now noticed this lack of appreciation for the people we have in our lives in the moment of 'now' and moving forward I am going to make a concious effort that my phone or any other distractions that can actually wait do exactly that ....wait... whilst I have the company of loved ones and friends I am going to do my best to give them my full attention ~ afterall, they have made the effort to be with me face to face, the least I can do is repay that effort and time of theirs by focusing on them not my mobile!

Its funny, so many people find mobiles as a lifeline these days - I was one of them ... but not for any longer. I have actually started to use my mobile alot less over the past few weeks and especially when it comes to using it whilst Im with others and I have already noticed a HUGE difference! I appreciate and actually enjoy my 'now' time so much more!

I am just about to get ready for the gym .. I have a workout with Louise this morning which I am looking forward to.. then I have my First Aid training that will chew up most of my day .. Tonight I have Pers birthday, so I figure I will allow myself to indulge in a yummy slice of cake... I have been working out hard this week and have watched what I eat so indulgement it is!

Julie is down from Singapore and yesterday we went and bought HEAPS of magazines ... holidays, health, fashion, etc etc and we are going to start making our vision boards tomorrow .. Ill blog about this in my next post - It is important for us all to keep ourselves on our toes .. we need to continue push ourselves to achieve greater things in life because I can guarantee we wont get it by sitting on our butts and expecting someone else to do it for us ... Conceive, Believe, Create, Succeed ~ vision boards are a great way to get motivated.

I cannot wait! I am excited to see what will naturally fall into place on mine ... and then seeing how they differ from Julies - everyone has different goals,wants and needs in life so it is important not to compare but rather 'share' in the delights of your own ...

Brrrrrr its windy and cold but I am still going to make it to the gym ~ remember people that choice of mind is what stops us from achieving the great wonders that the universe has to offer us!

Much love x

Release the past ....

Many of us use our painful pasts as a good excuse for accomplishing nothing. The pain can act as a dam that blocks the flow of your life or a painful burn that scars your existence.

You can use the pain and let it become the energy and passion that move you. The choice of how you use it is yours. Release the dam and use the energy of the released waters to propel you. Use the heat and light created by the flame to warm you and illuminate your way. Have the courage to break down the barriers and move forward.

It is easier to blame the past that to create your future. Where do you want to live; in the past or in the now, creating a better future?

Hate and fear destroy life and keep us holding on to pain. Instead use the pain in your life to create something meaningful.