5 days ago I decided to make a big change in my life instead of complaining and nagging about not having something nice to wear.

IF you want to change something in your life then do it, wishful thinking is not enough.

I don’t like the fact that I can’t fit in my favorite jeans or my cute party dress, so I took a step forward and decided to join a fitness program I can do from home.

So I took leap of faith and sign up for a program that works around my schedule, and around my family needs.

This is a good example of things that CAN be done if you just take the first step and make a commitment to change your life to something BETTER.

You might think ‘oh it’s easy for you to say Carmen, but I’m way too busy to add something else in to my life’ that is just BS.

I work FT 5 days a week outside the home, I cook a healthy dinner every day for my 3 boys, then I have to spend time with my toddler and help my other sons with homework, then I have to tend to my home and husband, I could easily say the same thing “I don’t have time” if I have time to sit down and turn the TV on, then I have time for a workout and make things happen. It’s all about priorities.

Another excuse I hear a lot is, ‘I can’t afford it’, oh but you can afford to eat out 4 times a week? In today’s economy if you are eating out,  it will cost you approximately 15$ a person X 2 that’s 30$ not including tip, so that’s a total of 120$ a week, 360$ a month. All that money could be invested in yourself and a good fitness program; you will save money and will look awesome at the end

It’s a matter of priorities my friend, so think very hard and make good decisions to change your life NOW.

To your health,

Carmen

There was a time in our life where we use to set goals, at least we thought we were doing it right, but never met our goals. We (Douglas and I) tried really hard to do things our way, thinking it was enough, but never thought of asking for help. Of course we kept on trying but we couldn’t really understand the point nor the process of setting a goal and actually achieving it. Every Monday was a new start, but on Wednesday we would forget.

Then one day, we heard about this awesome workshop where not only you learn how to set goals, but also how to step by step achieve them.

So of course Douglas and I decided to sign up and attended the workshop. To our surprise we were not the only ones trying to set up goals and trying to achieve them; I was so happy and didn’t feel like a failure.

Douglas and I are very thankful to Edward Paz and his vision for DYBYE to help everyone learn how to set Goals and have the BEST YEAR EVER!

If you want to know more about this non-profit and the next workshop, check out the website and sign up for the newsletter. http://designingyourbestyearever.com

Remember to Design Your Best NEW Year Ever!

Love,

Carmen

A good mentor is always helpful!

I’m sure that you, like everyone else were a…

Bumbling fumbling mess!

Whenever you were new at something.

So here is a story about learning.

When I started to walk, I was a fumbling bumbling mess and I fell a lot

When I was potty trained, my parents tell that it was not pretty

When I started to write, it didn’t look like it made sense, and sometimes it still doesn’t

When I started to read, I didn’t understand many of the words

When I started to speak my native language (guess what my native language is and you will get the Stating The Obvious Award,) I learned from my elders

When I learned how to speak English, some people made fun of me and some helped me out and mentored me

When I became a Dad for the first time, I made a lot of mistakes that I will never make again with my younger kids

When I entered into relationship with my wife, I had to learn some very hard lessons. But it was worth it.

Every first job I had, I was lousy at it in the beginning

In every business that I started, I failed and then succeeded and some times I just plain sucked.

The first time I kissed, I left a big sloppy mess on that poor girl

This is not how it went down

The first time I had Se… Well you get the picture!

Well what I am trying to say here is that on this next stage in my life, I’m sure that I will make a lot of mistakes and will have to get past through my fears, but like all other things I will eventually get better and better.

I will use this experiences to help anyone who is willing to put their fears aside.

I have had many teachers and mentors before, I have learned much from them and I want to give back by making other peoples life’s better just like they did with mine.

I will until… I get it or until I die!

Have an awesome day.

Douglas E. Valenzuela

Last weekend I so totally got out of my comfort zone and went to a women’s conference just to see Dani Johnson. I went on a drive a bit far from home, all  BY MYSELF.

I know 35 miles away might not be too far for some, but it is very far for me. I got lost on my way there but I made it.

I got to meet a woman of God who is changing peoples lives as we speak.

One thing is to hear her audios but is so much powerful to see her live and feel her energy and passion for helping others succeed.

The main thing I received from Dani’s teaching was:

To learn to communicate, you must first learn to FORGIVE!

Forgiveness is a principle that works whether you believe in Christ or not.

It isn’t easy, but we must do it if we want to succeed.

I had lots of fun, got to meet new people and the lunch was delicious.

I can’t wait to go to Dani’s 3 day seminars First Step to Success.

I recommend you listen to her audios if you want to succeed in life or in your business.

Its so much easier to express anger than love. The minute you see your child doing something out of line, you don’t hesitate before telling him to stop in a firm voice, or before losing your temper. Most of us are able to shell out feelings of frustration and indignation at the drop of a hat but when it comes to looking at our loved ones and telling them how deeply we care, we draw a blank.

Have you hugged your child today?
And we mean really ‘hug’, not just playfully tickled him or kissed him on the cheek. Have you held him close to your heart for a few moments so he feels your love without you having to say a word? We’re just talking about the good, old-fashioned bear hut that generates nothing but warmth, affection and a feeling of acceptance.

Make hugging your child a daily ritual. In fact, stop for a moment and think – “did I hug my child today?” and if not, why not? What held you back? Pure thoughtlessness, or was the thought  “give a hug, spoil the child” running through your mind? Surprisingly, a large number of parents shy away from being too affectionate with their children because they believe their children will develop a swollen head. If you fall into that category, can you honestly say that you’d rather your child have low self-esteem than an ounce of overconfidence? Yet others feel that too much physical affection may make the child someone who grws up letting his emotions take charge. He may grow up to be someone who thinks from the heart, not the head. Not True. Hugging people doesn’t stop them from using their mind any more than being rational doesn’t stop them from being emotional.

Enough studies have been conducted to conclusively prove that human touch heals and increases one’s life span. Not only that, human touch is also essential for human growth and development.

The benefits of a hug
Hugging is health, for the body and the soul. Hugging is hygienic. Hugging won’t give you AIDS and it won’t increase the population. It boosts self-esteem and brings about a sense of security in a way no word can. Hugging reaches inside and touches your soul. The world may heal a bit if hugging increases, so do your bit. Get your body into action. Start hugging.
After reading this article, give your child a hug. Then hug your spouse tight. When you meet friends at a party or a nightclub, don’t just kiss the air on their cheeks or shake their hands Open your arms wide and, that’s right, give them a hug.

Everybody loves a hug
Hugging can do wonders for a relationship. Watch your bond with your children strengthen as your hugs increase. Everybody loves a hug, not just your children. Extend your hugs to other family members as well. You find it difficult to hug your sister because it’s not part of your greeting ritual and you feel awkward? Remember, the person who is the hardest to hug is usually the one who needs it the most.

Work at it
If you’ve decided that you want to start hugging more, realise that it may not be easy at first. Of course, if you’re the bold type and walking up to friends and giving them a hug when you’re used to “air-kissing” doesn’t bother you a bit, get into action! But if you are slightly more reserved, you may find it difficult to b reak the mould. This is because we are so used to behaving a certain way with certain people in our lives, that we can’t suddenly change our actions towards them without the thought, ‘Oh my god, whatever happened to her!’ running through their brain. So if hugging someone has not been a part of your communication with certain people, it will be difficult to start – but not impossible.

Try this out:

• Say good morning with a hug

• Say good night with a hug and a kiss

• Say thank you with a hug

• You can never hug your children too much

“it takes 4 hugs a day to survive, 8 hugs a day to maintain, and 12 hugs a day to grow.” Truer words were never spoken.

By: www.indiaparenting.com