To my Love (Valentine)

Since it's Valentines... wanted to write a little something for my best friend and someone who plays a key role in my happiness.

From the moment you walked into my life everything changed. I don't think it was a coincidence that you were the one for me. I sometimes laugh because God knows me better then I know myself. There is no one that balances me better, humbles me more, treated me like gold, spoils me…like you. I am lucky to live a life with someone who is adventurous, willing to let me live my dreams, sacrifices everything even your own life for our family, who makes me laugh maybe at you but all the time, who always keeps me on my feet, who truly can be the kid inside, and who has the kindest heart.

You truly are one of the most positive people I've ever met and forever made my life closer to my end result, having the life I love. YOU have given me a huge leap into this joy and creating this life I love. You constantly encourage me to not just be a mom but be everything I've ever wanted to be. I've so far loved everyday we've been together. I know we've had our ups and downs but I wouldn't take any challenge, heart ache, trail, and hardship for anything. I feel that I've grown more in love with you, gained more respect, and have seen how well we actually fit. I don't know who else would put up with me really JK!

I am so happy that I get to spend eternity with you. That we were sealed and can live together forever and that we center our life and family on the Savior. This gives us a bullet proof marriage. We are fighters for each other and it truly has made our marriage amazing. We know there is no way out (well no reason that we should get out, (this is only my marriage of course if my husband abused me I would get out) so we've learned to be more selfless especially after Eastin came. There is so much beauty in this life and each life change you encounter. Each year we get stronger and each year I grow a thousand years wiser. Thank you for being my husband, my friend, a father, and outstanding worker. You are incredible and do amazing things each and everyday.

You are the most handsome man inside and out. Even when we grow old I know you will always take my breath away. I am so lucky to be married to the best man for me. I hope I make you feel like being the best version of yourself. There isn't a day that goes by that I laugh at the fact that there is no one more perfect for me. I know we will always work out our differences because we are fighters. WE WANT a good Marriage and so we FIGHT FOR IT. We want to be happy so we focus in. COMMUNICATION IS Key and is something that has been a challenge at times but we've pulled through it. I will never give up on you and I know you will never give up on me.

HAPPY Valentines Day Wes. I LOVE YOU TO the MOON and BACK.

Glad I get to spend the day not only with this handsome, dreamy hunk of a man but my little East Bug. You gave me the greatest gift a man could give…the birth of our son. Happy Valentines day to Eastin too! My everyday sunshine.

Gain SPIRITUAL POWER: Give Something of Yourself and Receive Something From Another

I am going to focus on one aspect of spiritual well being. THE POWER OF SERVICE both GIVING and RECEIVING.

(These are my thoughts on service and my intentions are not to hurt anyone else. This is something that helps me get in tune more spiritually within myself and something to maybe motivate others to do things outside themselves)

Let people serve you, bottom line. If they offer, take them up on it. Some people want to serve and get disappointed when people don't let them. Service brings blessings so don't let others loose an opportunity to share some kindness, to have a way to help them look beyond themselves, and to be able to help you in ways you actually later wish you said yes.

Don't be afraid to ask for help even if no one offers. It doesn't mean others don't care about you it's the fact people are busy. Sometimes taking people away from themselves is exactly what they need. It helps humble them, get them away from their comfort zone, and look outside themselves.

Give people the opportunity to serve. See it this way, be this way, live this way. Don't always think you are putting someone out when you take 5-10 minutes of there time. If they offered then definitely don't feel bad. When people are depressed, suffering from addictions, focused on all there world problems... service helps many feel better about themselves, feel more accomplished and lifts their spirits.

On the flip side

When you are feeling the blues, go serve someone. When you are down and feeling self observed that is the best time to do something for someone else. Seeing others problems sometimes takes you away from your own problems and actually helps you feel better. TRY IT, IT really does work.

When someone asks you for help, if you have time, help them. I believe in Karma people will pay it forward to you. Be the person you want to be remembered by. You don't want to be known as someone who is self centered, always says no, and that person who is not willing to go out of there way for anybody.

Don't offer when you don't want to. You are only hurting yourself. Service teaches selflessness and at this moment there isn't any humility to learn.

Say no, if you really don't want to. You are yet again hurting yourself and the other person you serve. There are times I didn't want to and I ended up changing my attitude and being a lot happier I did but there are times I did it and ended up hurting myself and maybe the other person. I wasn't in good spirits and it most likely hurt the other person especially if they are the type of person who never asks for help.

If you are someone who never wants to and always says no: Well I think you have a new years resolution. CHAGE YOUR ATTITUDE and look OUSTIDE YOURSELF.

When you are focused on all the things going wrong in your life…"when it rains it poors" attitude… HELP SOMEONE. 

If you are looking for happiness 
If you are searching for answers to something 
If you are looking for a new friend
If you are looking to be humbled 
If you want to be a better version of yourselve
If you want better results in your life
If you want to be more confident
If you want to feel the right gratification
If you want to be awesome

SERVE SERVE SERVE

&

Let others serve you

SERVICE is one key to get spiritually balanced.

There are times after my son was born and I experienced some after pregnancy blues, that I wish I would have said yes when people offered help. It would have only offered better peace of mind, less fighting, and decreased stress and anxiety on my whole family. We got through it but I learned that others need this as much as I needed it.

There have also been times in my life where I allowed people to serve me and lost a friend. That is there loss. If you are not normally a needy person and don't ask for things constantly then forget them. They were serving with the wrong intention and in the end they lost a great person. It's no reflection on you.

WARNING: 

Now don't go asking for help 24/7 and be that NAG. That's being the person people run away from.

Serve others as much as you receive it. 

THERE IS BALANCE IN ALL THINGS. 

I would say in my own percentage 80% of service turns out to be wonderful. If you are the type of person who see's the 20% rather then the 80% I think you need to do some spiritual growing within yourself and change your attitude.

Service is about being selfless...so change your attitude and see it as a learning experience and a great opportunity.

My challenge for my reader: 

TODAY 

HELP someone each day. 

Be there for others. 

Let others help you. 

I am so grateful to be a part of a church that has given me so many opportunities to serve, which has given me the greatest examples of service,  given me this beautiful life skill and that is full of the most selfless group of people.  Our prophet Thomas S. Monson is the such a great example of service. He says,

          “To find real happiness, we must seek for it in a focus outside ourselves, No one has learned the meaning of living until he has surrendered his ego to the service of his fellow man. Service to others is akin to duty, the fulfillment of which brings true joy.”

I truly believe that service leads to true joy. So yes I encourage you to try a little harder to serve someone each day. 

There is P O W E R in I-Statements

There is so much power in our words, especially the words we say to ourselves.  Take a moment and think about the words you say to yourself? Are they harsh, are they great, do they help you succeed or fail? What words do you hate to hear, what words hurt you, and what bring you pain? What would you rather hear?

Today I CHALLENGE YOU:

Step 1#

Take a blank piece of paper and fold the paper hot dog style. On one side of the paper write down everything you say to yourself that is negative and all the things people have said to you that you didn't like and want to change etc… then on the other side change those words with positive, opposite affirmations. 

Example:

*You are stupid there must be                    *I am smart and have so much to offer &
something wrong with you.                          give to the world.
*I am fat and ugly.                                      *I have beautiful curves and a gorgeous        
                                                                       figure. Today I will take care of this
                                                                       lovely body God has given me.
                                                                                       
                                                                                     

Step #2

Now take a note card, lips stick, or markers and a poster board … whatever it is you choose to use and write down all the positive I statements you came up with. The things you wish people said or you said to yourself. I've done I statements in many ways, with eyeliner on my mirror when I was pregnant, with a note card my beautiful sister-in-law made to say to myself, or  permanent marker on your wall or on a canvas. 

Step #3 Now place this on your mirror, on your door you use everyday, or on your dashboard in your car. Say or yell these positive affirmations to yourself everyday for the whole month, year, or however long it takes until you believe them. 

Do this exercise over and over again until you no longer say one negative thing about yourself. 

YOU DESERVE TO TREAT YOURSELF WITH RESPECT

These are mine this month:

I Andrea Bolles am wonderful. People love to be around me. I am a leader and I have much knowledge to offer to the world. I have power to help others find happiness. I will do whatever it takes to create a life I love, to create better habits of health. I am 100% in control of my life, my moods, and my actions. I have power to choose to make my life better. I am amazing inside and out. I am someone to be remembered and cherished. 

Take the time to be the change the world will want to see. 

                                                                         

Be Aware of Judgements

I have been working on judging people less for a very long time. It's taken years to master and is something I will keep working on each and everyday. I think the hardest thing to become better at is not judging ourselves. We are our own worst critics. What we say to ourselves out loud and to the universe become true. We need to be careful with how we treat ourselves especially when we are trying our best. 

IF YOU ARE TRYING YOUR BEST LET GO OF JUDGEMENT.

EVERYONE FAILS 

EVERYONE MESSES UP

EVERYONE HURTS SOMEONE SOMEWHERE

LIFE IS A JOURNEY

LEARN AND MOVE ON

Today make a conscious effort to listen more, try to understand why people are doing the things they do, leave things up to God to judge, let go of something you might think is stupid now and laugh at yourself. Know that everything is a memory and we wouldn't be what we are today without set backs, without failures, without making mistakes, and without this journey. 

Life is full of surprise, so embrace them more. Life was never made to be easy.

CHOOSE to be kinder to others today and better to yourself. 

YOU DESERVE THE WORLD know it, live it, believe it, and say it. 

I actually love who I am and I like that I always want to be better. Sometimes I am hard on myself because I know I am not always being exactly what I am capable of, but who actually is. I give myself credit for taking leaps, for stepping outside of my comfort zone, for loving and excepting people different than me, for giving service, and for being better then I was yesterday. 

Push Yourself Beyond Your Comfort Zone

This is what I need today. I feel as if it's so hard to push myself beyond my comfort zone even if I want to help people feel better about themselves. I just got back from being on vacation and went off my program while I was gone. I was feeling so great, the pain in my hands and wrist went away and now its starting to come back. This is my motivation for the week. I know I am supposed to offer this program to people and give what has been given to me. Help people to become more healthy and change habits. Health is everything to me and it's something that's been affecting my everyday life. This program has helped stop the binging phases, the lack of respect for myself and my body. I've been afraid of my circle, people I love, people who would benefit from this. I am not afraid of rejection. There is no obligation but It doesn't hurt to gain more knowledge.

I love what I do, its fun, its awesome and I am going to keep going.

I am going to push myself beyond my comfort zone. 

PUT MYSELF OUT THERE. 

Be what I want to be. 

LOVE who I am TODAY.

I believe people are worth it. 

I believe people need to fight for themselves more. 

Take care of this awesome body and the person inside. 

I have so much to give and I have so much to offer. I've been through a lot of health trials and I want to prevent people from having the same problems I've faced. Watching people on this program has been awesome.  Seeing them push through it, doing something challenging, and fight for what they want. Changing habits is hard but anyone can do it. I AM DOING IT.

I think all people are beautiful and I am not here to change someone. I am here to help people become exactly what they want to become. I am not here to create disorders or be unrealistic but I am here to help people live a longer life and have a healthier cholesterol, heart, mind, and love for themselves. This is what I get to offer people no matter there size.

What did you need to hear today? Or this week? Or this month? This is what I need in my life to push me beyond things unmanageable. To create the LIFE I LOVE!

Tell me a story where you went beyond your limitations?

My New Years Resolutions

I am already looking forward to 2014. I am so much more driven, happier, positive, and ready to face this year! Trials come, we cannot control them but BRING THEM ON! I feel like I grow so much from them. LIVES CHALLENGES brings you closer to a whole network of new people. I love relating to people and being able to give any hope I can. I've had to many angels in my life who've helped me when I needed it and I love to pay it forward if I can.

Thinking forward to this year I see FREEDOM, LOVE, LIGHT, ABUNDANCE, JOY, LAUGHTER, HOPE and PEACE. The person I am today can conquer anything...yes I say this to myself each day and many more affirmations until I believe them. AFFIRMATIONS are so powerful.

I encourages all of you to MAKE YOUR OWN AFFIRMATIONS for this new year and say them everday. Things you may be insecure about, things you want to conquer but don't have the guts to do and etc. There is power in what we say to ourselves.

Here are a few new years goals, resolutions, thoughts, ideas whatever you want to call them:

* Live in the moment and keep my theme each day as "Create today, the life I love." Live in the moment. I want to waste less time on thing that do not matter. 

* I want to help others achieve success. I love being a health coach and if I can get people to reach there realistic goal weight, keep it off, learn better health, motivate them, make them happier and love and think they are beautiful, then I won. MY JOB IS a job worth doing! 

* I want to save for retirement and a downpayment on a home. I may not be settled in the next 5 years but I want to work towards that each and everyday.

* I want to take care of my beautiful body this awesome gift that gets me through my day. Mainly I have a bad back which takes my core to strengthen. My goal is to do yoga, stretch, do my back excersices and swim. Swimming does miracle on your back. 

* I want to go on my first cruise with my husband and first trip away from my SON. I hate leaving him but I want to have a few days with Westin and I. I love spending time with just my babe and a trip would be the cherry on top.

*I want to do something outside of my comfort zone every week, month, quarter, etc. There is so much power in going beyond your comfort zone. Doing my own business and putting myself out there is already out of my comfort zone. I've already been way to blunt and honest on this blog and even advertising and talking to people about what I do is hard but awesome. 

* I want to go out of my way each and everyday to do something special for my husband. Even if its as small as a back scratch which he loves to much. I want him to know I love him and can go out of my way for him as much as I do as a mother to Eastin. 

* I want to relax more, yell less, decrease anger and try to be silent while working through emotions that come my way. My husband is the perfect example of being in complete control of his emotions. He is the happiest person I know and really has never yelled at me. To be able to be as in control as him with my words, actions, and challenges would be amazing. SO TIME TO RELAX, THINK BEFORE I SAY THINGS, BREATH THROUGH ANXIETY OR EMOTIONS, and PONDER. This is a freedom I am excited to achieve. 

* I want to do an act of service for someone each day. I know a wonderful woman whose made this goal right when she was first married and seriously serves someone each day. She has not gone a day not serving. She is one of the most giving, happy, lovable people I know and to become more like her would be an accomplishment.

* I want to achieve abundance, to make this business a success! To continue putting myself out there, be my true self with no fears of what people think. 

IF you CARE what PEOPLE think YOU will NOT do the IMPOSSIBLE.

MAKE A quote for yourself and theme for this year. I started my theme early but it's

 CREATING A LIFE I LOVE

CHEERS to 2014!!! 

LOVE WHAT YOU DO

 LOVE WHO YOU ARE

 LOVE WHAT YOU ARE TODAY

 and 

what YOU WILL BECOME TOMORROW!!!! 

XOXO

My daily routine

These are all simple things I've mentioned before or things everyone has heard, but this is why this is my daily routine...

IF YOU DO THESE THINGS I PROMISE YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH MORE

BE A BETTER YOU

1.) SLEEP, "early to bed early to rise"

What I've learned about myself is that sleep is everything when it comes to reaching my goals. If I don't sleep, it's hard for me to function at the speed I need to through out my day. I find it 10x harder to reach my health goals. This is why I have it as my #1. I find myself craving more sugar, wanting to overeat and consume more calories, I don't want to work out even if its something I love to do, and I don't treat the people around me the way I should. For those mom's out there I KNOW it's hard sometimes to balance sleep with children but those who are single you have no excuse.

You deserve the best rest
you deserve to treat your body needs with respect
YOU DESERVE BETTER CARE
Make it count!

I know the average person knows this but how many of us actually make it an effort to sleep and make it actually count?

Sleep is a precious gift to me as a mom and those days I get 6 hours strait with no interruptions is a treat. I feel energized, I accomplish more things and I am ready to serve others. I FUNCTION AT MY BEST, bottom line.

I challenge you to be intuitive and give yourself rest. IF YOUR A MOM get it when you can. Listen to your body and sleep when you need to sleep.  

2.) HEALTHY EATING. "you are what you eat"

I find that when I don't eat the right nutrition, I don't feel well. I know most people know this but why do we treat our bodies so poorly? Our bodies need the right fuel to balance our blood sugars, to circulate blood flow to our whole bodies, to provide proper energy to our brains and so much more. I don't think clearly when I don't eat right. Anyone with Celiac Disease knows first hand how important it is to eat right even if your still in the battle of not wanting to let gluten go and eating it everyday. YOU FEEL LIKE GARBAGE and you feel that fog in your brain. It's awful and it's something I choose each day to fight for. I LOVE TO EAT HEALTHY and I am glad I've been taught nutrition my whole life.

I also find that when I do give myself it's craving of high sugar foods, I enjoy them more and they are a gift/treat then something of no value. I also find that I no longer overeat or over indulge because my body tells me when to stop. The taste after a few bites isn't the same. I think high sugar foods are wonderful but only when eaten sparingly.

I challenge everyone to go off sugar for a week and then put it back into your diet. There are so many detox things in the world if that is something you choose. FASTING two meals is so healthy for you as well, not everyday of course but once a month. If you change the way you eat, make it habit, a goal, and have help to reach this goals! I PROMISE YOU, it will no longer become a struggle but a choice you will want to make. YOU WILL never want to go back .Even during the holidays when you may over eat the sweets for a week, you will want to go back to your old habits because it just doesn't feel good. I challenge you to get a health coach, find support and give your body a HEALHTY DIET.

3.) EXERCISE DAILY

I LOVE TO EXERCISE. I am so lucky my parents taught me to love the outdoors, to love to work out, to love to move my body, to treat my body with respect, to love getting my heart rate going and to love to sweat. I actually enjoy most anything that is recreational and I love to add new things each day. I strive to do things each day to make my body feel stronger. I love feeling in tune with my body. It's an incredible feeling.

I challenge you to find what you like to do when it comes to exercise. If you hate to gym, don't go to the gym find a place you feel safe and find your niche in life. If its dancing, running, lifting weights, walking, swimming, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, playing other sports, doing yoga, going to work out classes, having someone motivate you by having a personal trainer or whichever you choose. FIND what you love to do and make it a goal to do it. This is the key to learn to love to work out. YOUR BODY deserves you to take care of it. YOUR BODY needs you to increase your heart rate and circulate your blood flow. YOUR BODY needs to release endorphins and to sweat.

Other things you can do is, instead of taking an escalator or elevator, walk the stairs, instead of waiting to get the closes parking space, walk a further distance, choose to clean your house, get a dog that motivates you to walk them everyday. I encourage you to find a way to get more healthy and take care of your body. YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL and these are just a few tools to feel better.

4.) HYDRATE we need at least 64 oz of water a day

I LOVE WATER. I've always been a water baby. I choose water over any other drink and I know this isn't the case for most people. I CHALLENGE you to choose to drink water. Drink water with a lime, with a lemon, with strawberries, with cucumbers if you need to. Get away from things that are not natural.

With someone whose been diagnosed with IBS and has been told I am always dehydrated due to complications and surgeries at a young age. I find I have not really struggled as much as I could because I hydrate myself. Hydration helps my find clarity, energy, clearer skin, healthier digestive, and allows me to be active.

Water helps me reach my health goals and is key to my survival as someone who struggles with health problems.