The Power of Change!

Who am I? Is the question that comes to mind as I sit here. What purpose does this transformation serve? What is the benefit? Well, I can tell you that who I am now is not who I was 3 years ago or even last year. Along with the world changing, so am I. Looking deep within me has prompted a lot of change in and around me and is becoming more and more apparent. The life that I used to lead was not bad, just empty. There was no purpose, besides the normal things of being a wonderful wife and loving mother. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love and adore those jobs, but what was it that I wanted to do, what was my destiny? How can I serve and help people enrich their lives? And in turn, that is what would provide the enrichment that I needed on this earth.
Change is not bad or optional, it just is. Staying stagnant will not provide the growth internally and externally. As the saying goes, you should not go by the same philosophies at 40 as you did at 20. There is so much more to life than that. On this self-development path, there have been ups and downs as new thought patterns emerged and different perspectives and outlooks showed themselves. I can attain that not everyone will understand what is going on. Conquering change and letting it flow into your life has such a positive impact. Getting past the "old" story and letting go of what is not aligning with my purpose and passion, changing my mindset to grab a hold of all the knowledge available to increase my self-worth, competency and to know that I am deserving of a full life, is a process, but it was and is one that inspires and contributes to letting old habits, beliefs and patterns that serve no more purpose to fall away.
When I ponder the questions that I asked at the beginning, as to who am I?...the answer to that is a person of growth and change. A person who accepts life and all its excitement and challenges. What is the purpose and benefit of this transformation? More than you can imagine... Having a life of purpose, being able to grow and change and feel true inspiration, happiness and passion. That is what makes this journey worthwhile.
Change is not something to be feared. It is a beautiful experience and it will happen. Scary at times, but with being able to push past that fear that everything must remain the same, and to set out on a journey of your own self discovery can be threatening to some. By thinking of yourself, you set it in motion that you are worth finding and exploring. Finding the "thing(s)" that gets you motivated to do what you do and to have the positive focus on your life and benefit to others, not only gives you a more fulfilled life but strengthens you as a whole. The people around you will need to love you for you and accept all the good that has transpired within and around you. Mapping out the life that you desire and taking all the necessary steps helps you take action and responsibility for you. Only you can make those changes, nobody else.
What are you doing to change your life? Are you living the authentic, passion-filled, happy life that you've imagined you'd have? What is holding you back? What step can you do today to head in the direction of your goals and dreams? Take back your power and reclaim your life!

~~~~~~Find YOUR Answers....................................
..........................................................Achieve Balance.............

Reclaim YOUR Life!~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cheers,
Tania Boutin

Reclaim Your Life Coach & Motivational Teacherwww.transformation-coaching.com

No Excuses...Really!

I've been working my butt-off, well not really because apparently: it's still there!

The past two weeks, I have had no excuses to work-out. Really! My father-in-law had a full-time Nanny living with him, to help with his recovery from him massive coronary. Every winter, he ventures off to Florida. He has been doing so for the last fifteen years. To change that...would be devastating. However, being as the young woman had only been in Canada for less than a year, her visa application to visit the U.S. was denied. My father-in-law chose to leave anyway.

So for the first month, she stayed with my brother-in-law's family. Last week, she came to our house. At first, I will admit...I wasn't crazy about the whole idea. I'm the type of person who loves, LOVES her time alone. I spent most of my childhood growing-up alone, so that is a way of life for me. Besides, my home is already always coming and going with people. So I cherish the quiet time.

They say "blessings come in all sorts of disguises". I have to say that I was very wrong and 'crazy'. I mean, who wouldn't want a Nanny in their home, helping them?! With someone POWER CLEANING my home, and mending to my children (however, that task I still do mostly myself), I really had no excuses. I decided that if there was ever a time to get back in a routine of working-out...now was it. If I couldn't motivate myself to train, exercise now...I never will.

In addition, I read an article by Oprah (love her wisdom) that truly resonated with me. Oprah was talking about her goals to herself last year, to work-out more and eat better. She affirms that she 'hates' working-out. Who doesn't? Anyhow, she realized that by calling it "working-out", it was actually putting a negative twist to exercise. She has now changed the way she views 'working-out' by calling it: "honoring her body". So true!

I'm happy to report that I've stayed true to myself. I've trained and honoured my body a lot these past two weeks. I've even ran on the treadmill in the morning instead of going back to bed! The result? I feel amazing....again! I've lost three (3) pounds.
I'm counting down to my goal: February 22.

The universe has offered me a gift, that I really can't pass up and must take full advantage of.

I'm off to honour my body and myself...

Have a great day everyone!
xox

Kimmy

Beautiful Blogger

So much to catch-up on, I hope I don't bore you blabbing. More importantly, this all seems so mundane knowing what is happening in Haiti. Nonetheless, I feel like I have abandoned my blogging. I wanted to come back, and let you know how everything is going.




First off, I had another taste of "I'm overweight...great what will they think?" reality. I hate this! A few months ago, I re-connected via facebook (Love that!) with an old highschool friend. Hopefully, he is NOT reading my blog...


Anyhow, I had a crush on him in highschool, but I stayed away because he had started hanging around with the wrong crowd. He was always such a great guy...a real sweetheart. I had high morale expectations for myself back then...and the crowd he was hanging out with, without being to judgemental was not the direction I wished my life to go in...lol (yeah...then I ended up with an italian ;>)


Fast forward 18 years (yikes), this guy is still handsome (hot) as ever, and seems to have really straightened out his life. So proud of him! I mean, if you really knew where we came from, and how life can be quite difficult at times, you'd understand. Sometimes, when I look back at photos (via facebook) or actually go back home, I find people haven't changed. They still do what they did 20 years ago. I don't know if it's like that for everyone else, but in our small town...it is. I don't want to judge, and it's really hard not to, however there is more to life than sitting in a garage, getting stoned and drunk every night. Seriously, the only long lasting business that has stood the test of time: The Beer Store and LCBO. That is sad.


To see this guy, leave the north and COMPLETELY change his life and be VERY successful with it, is amazing. We've chatted via facebook and facebook messenger. It is really great to re-connect like that. So, he sent me a message saying he was coming to Ottawa for a quick trip and maybe we could connect. PANIC!


I have posted a few pictures of myself on facebook...but nothing could prepare anyone. The last time this guy saw me...I was thin, young and cute (:. Now, the way I see myself...besides cute, funny and nice...is not good. The torture we put ourselves through...eh?! I can't believe it. Anyone, who has been or is overweight will understand this.


However, it goes way deeper than seeing an old handsome friend again after 15+ years. It's more the fact, that my body is not aligned with the true me that resides inside. At this point, it's not easy to say: "here I am...a little fluffier than you remember!" I've missed so many opportunities, events, vacations etc...because of my size and weight. I have come to realize that it's time to stop writing about it, and start taking action! I need to be the change I know I am inside. Somehow, someway we all have to, just in our own different way. For me, I can get so frustrated, and emotional about it all...and it is easy to go back to the old Kimmy, the one who is the emotional eater. Therefore, I wondered if I was doing this all for nothing...


Then I came on my blog to write about, and saw that I received "The Beautiful Blogger award"! Wow!!! I was blown away. Thank you Kimberley. What perfect timing. I must continue my journey, not give-up or give in. I need to be happy with myself, and continue to improve on who I am on the outside as well as the inside. It is something we all look to achieve. In addition, maybe my friend was right when she said that...an old friend will always see the true Kimmy...beautiful and sweet always. Beautiful blogger award...so grateful!


This incidence just made me want to work harder than ever. This year is a big year event wise...

1. A high school reunion
   


2. My 10 yr wedding anniversary
   

I vow to myself that I won't be hiding, running away from these events...it is up to me not to let myself down again!

"When it comes to matters of the heart, people get better with age. As you grow and become truly happy with who you are, you can then be happy with those around you." - Rachel Roy, as read in the Oprah Magazine (February, 2010)

I'm thrilled to have received this 'Beautiful Blogger' award, I now have to list seven other Beautiful Bloggers and list seven facts about myself that you don't already know. Then I am to pass it on to seven other Beautiful Bloggers.

7 Facts About Myself That You Don't Already Know

1. 
   
   
   Growing-up, I was a huge fan of Wayne Gretzky #99. I loved how he was so great at hockey, he was genuine and had integrity. I cried the day he got married! (lol)



2. 
   
   
   I am intuitive/ psychic (my close friends know this...as over the years my predictions for them have come true). Sometimes, I will have a vision, a dream or hear something in my head/heart...and it comes true.



3. 
   
   
   I can read people's energy and aura's. I don't see aura, I feel it...it's very strange to explain.


4. 
   
   I was my graduating highschool valedictorian.


5. 
   
   I love to sing, however I am horrible (and I know it, but a happy heart sings no matter what! :>)


6. 
   
   I love to read.


7. I have a huge celebrity crush on Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer 24).
   

To the beautiful bloggers, I pass the award onto: Stefania, Tania, Joania, Susan, Sandy, Denise and Counting Girl. However, if I could pass it on to everyone who's blogs I have read...I would. I would also pass it on to all my fellow reader's who follow my crazy tales!

Sending my prayers, love, light and a zillion angels to the people of Haiti.

We are all one. When someone hurts, we all hurt. Let us get through this together.

I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK!

It's a whole new year, a time to re-discover ourselves, out with the old, in with the new...

Like everyone else, the holidays are an extremely busy time, and we set ourselves aside, and go with the flow. After two weeks, of guests, entertaining, eating, eating and more eating, Tony and I set January 4 as our 'back on track' date.

Come the end of the year, we both realized we had been starting to feel like 'crap' again. All this eating, and drinking had caught up to us. I noticed that I wasn't sleeping well, and my body was achy all day. In addition, I had no energy and had cravings all day long. Tony noticed that his persistent back problem was ten fold, and that he was more irritable. We both looked forward to eating well, and working-out again. Date set: Monday, January 4.

I woke-up Monday morning feeling awful. I was running a fever, had a headache and a soar throat. I noticed that this was my first 'sick' day in a long time...probably since I started eating better. Obviously, the holiday's had finally caught up to me. "Great, why does my body insist on sabotaging me?"

As though it had heard me a little voice inside me replied: "your body tried it's best to sustain you through all of the craziness that has been around you, on top of that...you have nourished it with nothing 'good', you haven't worked-out, you haven't hydrated your body...what do you expect?!"

Very true! However, there is always more than meets the eye. Today, my sister was expected to arrive. Starting to eat better, train etc...with her around is a challenge to say the least. No disrespect to her at all, and I love her very much. But, this is the woman who once sat on a couch watching me run on the treadmill while she ate a bag of chips, drank a soda and said: "wtf do you do that shit for?!" Another time she came down to watch me work-out and actually fell asleep! She may be a good cook and all that...but healthy lifestyle she ain't! She hardly ever eats her cooking (ummm...) and loves to eat 'junk'. So trying to eat healthy with her around just adds to the stress of being sick, getting back to routine and all that. Still such is life, and in times like that I have learned that survival is best. Just getting through it all and doing the best you can sometimes means success.

In she came like a hurricane with her chips, her cheesies, her chocolate bars, her Pepsi, her butter shortbread cookies, her homemade perogies, chicken pot pies, meat pies and cakes! Yiiiiiiiiiiiiikes!

Nonetheless, I wasn't going to let it get the best of me. Even though my fever was wearing me down, I still attended my core circuit training session. I must admit that it felt pretty great to get back on track again. I wanted so much to get back on track this week...

Unfortunately, the rest of the week was a void. By Tuesday, my body was beat and the cold had overtaken me. I decided to try my best to eat well, avoid the junk food and start back strong Monday. Per contra, I did cave a little, I had some delicious perogies ( I mean you can't pass those up!), and a shortbread cookie or two. But, I was controlled and didn't go overboard like I would of in the past under the influence of my sister.

My body is now relieved of temptations as my sister has now gone back home, and the house is back to normal. I know with Tony and myself: we CANNOT have any 'junk' food in the house. If it's here, we'll eat it. So out with that too. Furthermore, we watched the season premiere of "The Biggest Loser" (great way to be inspired), and both decided that our healthy journeys' must continue.

I weighed myself this morning, and my body has been good to me. I have gained maybe (give or take) 3lbs or so. I am at 210 lbs. Honestly, I'm happy with that. I didn't gain the usual 7 lbs that most gain over the holidays. So I must look on the bright side to all this. I had a wonderful holiday season, I enjoyed myself immensly, even my visit with my sister, but now it's time to get down to business.



What better way to get on track, but to set a goal. This year promises to be an exciting year. My 37th birthday is around the corner. I love, love my birthday (hey, if I don't like my birthday than who will?! :>). What better gift to give myself than the gift of health! My birthday is February 22nd, so I have six weeks to get to my goal of 199lbs. That is six weeks to lose 11 lbs. I'm going to work hard and do it! No excuses...I'm starting year 37 in the 100 club!



Now hopefully...my sister won't be coming to visit anytime soon, and I'll be all set!



Set your short term goal and get to it...out with the old and in with the new!

Kimmy

Living From Gratitude

You hear it all the time; "Gratitude is powerful!" Have you ever wondered just HOW powerful?

When it comes to the Law of Attraction, gratitude creates a super-charged boost of energy that attracts all wonderful things into your life. You've probably heard that before. But why is it so powerful? One reason is because you're focusing on the positive, so you automatically attract more positive experiences into your life - you've probably heard that before too.

But what you may not know is what happens ENERGETICALLY when you're focusing on gratitude. Remember that the Law of Attraction is activated according to your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and expectations. Whatever you think, feel, believe and expect is what you'll get.

What does this have to do with gratitude? To answer that question, consider what you are thinking, feeling, believing and expecting when you feel grateful and appreciative.

- You feel blessed.

- You feel abundant.

- You feel happy.

- You feel content.

- You feel secure.

- You feel like all is right in your world.

And when you focus on these types of feelings, you are sending a strong message to the universe that all of these things are TRUE. And you know what the universe says? "You're absolutely right! Here's your wealth. Here's some more joy. Here's some more good stuff - thanks for asking for it, I've been trying to send it to you but you wouldn't let it in!"

I've long believed in the power of gratitude, but it didn't fully come clear to me until recently when I set an intention to "Live From Gratitude" for an entire day. "Living From Gratitude" meant that I would give sincere thanks for everything I experienced, saw, felt, heard or did that day. Let me tell you, that's a LOT of gratitude! :-)

I must have said "thank you" thousands of times that day. The moment I opened my eyes that morning, I began giving thanks for everything in my life. I called to mind my friends and family, my job, my home, my health - even my cats. And I gave thanks for them. Not just "surface thanks," but deep, heartfelt gratitude.

As I went about my normal daily activities, I thanked the universe for everything I touched or experienced. As I washed the dishes, I said, "Thank you for these dishes to hold the food we eat, and thank you for the food we eat! Thank you for this silverware - it was a wedding gift to my husband and I; and thank you for my wonderful husband!"

The whole time I worked at my job I said over and over, "Thank you for my work and the way it fulfills me. Thank you for the opportunity to earn money doing something I love. Thank you for the ways my work challenges me and reminds me that I'm stronger than I often think I am."

As I moved through my day, I gave thanks for my feet as I walked, for my lungs as I breathed, for my eyes as I looked at the world around me, and I gave thanks for every person I encountered - and more!

A lot of great things happened as a result of that one day of Living From Gratitude - too many to list here. Overall, I'd have to say that true miracles happened. My income for that day ended up being TRIPLE what it normally is. I received a couple of fantastic opportunities that I've begun working on, and good things happened everywhere I went. But that outer stuff is just the icing on the cake.

The TRUE GIFT of that day is the way I felt. Everything suddenly seemed so SACRED. Everything in my life was good. I was good. I was happy. I was at peace. I wasn't stuck or struggling or fearful or frustrated.

My heart and mind were lifted to a place that few people get to experience. It was a deeply moving, spiritual experience on all levels.

I have NEVER experienced a day more POWER-FULL as that one! In fact, it was so powerful that I've since adopted it as an ongoing intention every day. And yes, every day becomes more magical than the one before!

If you've never given gratitude a fair chance or if you've been lukewarm in your application of it, try "Living From Gratitude" for one day. Just one day. Give thanks for everything you see, feel, hear, do and experience. It will blow your mind! :-)

As a side note, this same process can be used on things that you don't yet have, but want to attract! For example, if you're trying to attract a better job, spend the whole day saying, "Thank you so much for my wonderful new job! It pays so well and I get to do work I truly LOVE, and I am so thankful for that!" Don't just say the words; really focus on FEELING the feelings of gratitude and appreciation. The words mean nothing without the feelings.

FEEL IT AND YOU'LL "BE" IT! :-)

Many Blessings, Tania Boutin

Certified Life Transformation Coach & Motivational Teacher

Transformational Coaching with Tania http://www.transformation-coaching.com/

VISIT NOW TO RECEIVE "2" F*REE EBOOKS!

Source: www.mindfulattraction.com