30 Days to Greatness, Days 17 & 18!

Hi there, hope you had a great 4th of July. I apologize for not blogging on the 4th I had a DJ gig which is why I didn't blog. I can tell you that I did work out and as for my nutrition I'll fill you in on what I remember... Here we go:

Day 17 Workout:
Arms & Shoulders with Ab Ripper X as dictated by the P90X Lean Plan.
I enjoy this workout very much. So far, I have been using resistance bands and they have been working although I will soon buy dumbbells because I think it will make the movements more fluid and I will not have to worry about setting up the bands for each exercise.

Day 17 Nutrition:
Breakfast pre workout - Cream of Wheat with ground flaxseeds, almonds, and honey. 3 cups of coffee.
Lunch post workout - Open faced tuna sandwich, with tomato, onion, and spinach on cracked whole wheat sourdough bread. Low Sodium V8 to drink.
Dinner - Tuna (leftover from lunch) in an open faced sandwich. Water to drink.
*Water all day. I usually have 10 cups+ but this day I didn't because I had cocktails at my DJ gig. I had 3 vodka cranberry drinks. I'm noticing that drinking is not what it used to be. My night's sleep was terrible and I am starting to wonder if drinking is really necessary at all. Perhaps it's because when I am eating and drinking good things that fuel and nourish my body, it feels so good. So now, when I have drinks it may be fun for a bit but I don't enjoy the feeling afterward. My body just doesn't feel top notch when I do that. I'll share more on this when I come to a more of a conclusion.

Because of last night's sleep and the fact it was overcast I was tired most of the day. I also did not set myself up for success. Still, I did get my workout on. I also got myself part of the reward I set up for myself when I took on this challenge. Here's today's 411.....

Day 18 Workout:
Yoga X as recommended by the P90X Lean Plan

Day 18 Nutrition:
Breakfast - 3 cups of coffee
Lunch post workout - Fresh juice made of carrot apple and lemon. Egg scramble of tomato mushroom onion and spinach along with a buttered cracked wheat sourdough toast.
Snack - Bowl of cherries.
Water all day.
* Not eating before my workout was not good. I was already feeling sluggish but didn't eat because I wasn't hungry. My energy during the workout and after has been lacking.

However, I did got to Sport's Authority and got one of my rewards!! I am so excited, I absolutely LOVE my purchase and I signed up for a free rewards card with them (Not a credit card, it's like a Ralph's card) which means I am going to save $5.00 when I go back for clothes!! Plus, I had gotten blessed with a 20% off coupon for Sport's Authority in the mail so I got these for 20% off! Check it out, my swanky new workout kicks:

"Success doesn't come to you, you go to it." - Marva Collins 

Go after it!!!

30 Days to Greatness. I'm Halfway There at Day 15!!!!

Gosh, here I am at the middle mark of my challenge. I am so excited and feeling really good about it. It's so funny because I had given myself an incentive of a nice new workout outfit (I currently do not own workout clothes) and now here I am and just making it here is awesome enough!!! I will get myself my reward too though ;)

I just realized I did not post on Saturday so we will start there:

Saturday's Stats:

Workout: 

P90X Lean Plan called for Kenpo. It was my first time doing Kenpo and although there were difficult moments I LOVED IT! I really enjoyed the fighting stances and the movements because it felt as though I was training. We also incorporated sound and it felt goooood. Talk about a total release. 

In addition to the P90X workout, I also swam and danced at a friends pool party. It was funny because I felt the fatigue in my muscles after dancing hard for a bit but that just served to remind me of what I am doing and it's like a little proud secret when it sneaks up on you like that. 

Nutrition:

Breakfast pre workout - Cream of Wheat with ground flaxseeds, almonds, and honey. 2 cups of coffee.

Lunch post workout - 4 Blue Moon beers, 6 watermelon wedges (thinly sliced), 3 carne asada tacos (soft shell al carbon style with 1 corn tortilla each only) at the pool party.  

Dinner - 1/2 of a burger from The Habit with cheese (1 of the bun halves removed, water to drink)

**On a whole this day was not good nutritionally. I do not recommend this to anyone wanting to lose weight. If anything, please note the ways I modified my choices to save myself from empty calories. 

Sunday I was sore all over and tired. I enjoyed healthy calorie conscious foods, walked around Hollywood with my husband, and enjoyed the rest of my day off. 

Today's Stats:

Workout:

P90X Core Synergistics as dictated by their lean plan.

Nutrition:

Breakfast - Steel cut oats with blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, ground flaxseeds, and 2 cups of coffee. 

Lunch pre workout - Vegetable Ramen from Ajisen with 1/2 side of chicken, water to drink. 

Dinner post workout - Mahi Mahi with brown rice, garnished with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and ground flaxseeds. Water to drink. 

I was so happy to see someone comment on my blog and show appreciation for the content. This was coming from a personal trainer which made it even sweeter. Thanks to anyone who is reading this. 

If you are having trouble starting or sticking with your fitness and nutrition goals, here are a couple tips!

1. No matter what weight you are now, YOU CAN DO IT!!! Don't believe me? Watch Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition These wonderful people will inspire you as will their trainer Chris. 

2. Finding it easy to slip away from your goal? Write it down and put it where you can see it!! Bonus points if you add an encouraging phrase or a picture of your dream body. :)

Remember.....

Pain is temporary, GLORY IS FOREVER. 

Go get it! I believe in us. :)

Don't Blog With Your Mouth Full!!

Italian dry salami. Kettle cooked jalapeno chips. Crunchy, yummy, oh so good yet totally in the way of my writing process. Aaargh!! As I attempt to load my next mouthful and not lose my train of thought I notice I seem to have nailed down the quick bite / fingertip napkin swipe. YES! Nasty keyboards, not my thing.

Where oh where is the technology that will magically wi-fi my thoughts onto my computer screen. Steve Jobs? Apple wizards?? Alas, I digress.....

I felt this blog title was perfect not only to illustrate my very immediate situation but also to address the message at large which has to do with all of the things I'm currently working on. I have thoughts of taking on completely new ventures. There's so much. It's like my mouth is full of a yummy morsel, there's more on my full plate, and I wanna chat and chew at the same time! These ventures will include my artistic heart but my artistry wouldn't be the main focus. Making it all new, new, new. I consider this a tremendous breakthrough because I have been struggling with where my arts could fit in to my life today. Everything around me has been changing and I've been feeling called to do something more.

I can't reveal everything now but I can say that after modifying my vision board yesterday I woke up today ready to take charge. I tackled my items with purpose. I signed up for various volunteer activities. I discussed a new plan I have with my husband. I asked a question that lead to revealing a little of what I'm thinking of to my roommate. Then while making lunch, an idea... After coming back to my desk, 4 more.

It is my belief that we are all beautiful divine beings up to amazing things as we interact with each other through our lives. I believe the circumstances that surround us are miracle filled. I believe that we create our own destiny. That thoughts are things and that work and faith are the arms that carry those thoughts out into the world. I also believe that it doesn't have to be hard.

With that said, there will be more coming, so please stay tuned. Is there something new you're thinking of taking on?

Letting It Go and Letting It In

Last time I wrote I was going through the depths of it. Questioning everything. Myself, my decisions, my path in life, my values and the things I hold dear, it was TERRIBLE. Since then I have prayed. I have sought council from my dearest, (husband, friends, family.) Slowly, the doubts fear and anguish started lifting away... Then I was gifted with this past weekend.

This past weekend, I went to Santa Barbara for a friend's wedding.The experience was a gift to me from God. It seemed as though everywhere I turned I was delivered either a sign of the path I am on or a reminder/encouragement for where I am going. Here is what I mean...

1. Hubby took forever to RSVP (it was his friend getting married) and I didn't think we were going to go but then not only did he pull the trigger but he had the idea for us to rent a room and enjoy the weekend.

2.Although we had been to S.B many times, it just so happened our usual Days Inn was not available leaving us to enjoy a new piece of town we were not familiar with. :)

3. This new Days Inn was nicer and larger than where we normally stay.

4. It "just so happened" that there was a lovely market like a privately owned smaller Trader Joe's filled with inexpensive healthy foods & drink right across the street. :D

Then we got to the wedding....

1. We arrived late along with another couple that "just so happened" to be friends of ours which was an unexpected delight.

2. After a short and gorgeous ceremony, we walked over to where the reception was to be held where we were greeted with a wonderfully talented group of musicians playing Brazilian music. The very next song they played upon our entering? My favorite, "Agua de Beber". :D

3. As we entered the main area and found our table, it just so happened a new band was playing another one of my favorite songs that has been very poignant for me these days "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" by Sting. We were also seated with the greatest company. A motivational speaker and his wife, our friends that I referenced earlier, and a powerful man in TV who is the spitting image of President Barack Obama. :)

4. As the night progressed, there was love filled speeches, praise, dancing, delicious foods, drinks, wonderful music, and FUN. It had been a long time since I'd had some fun.

There were other gifts blessings miracles,

5. Our friends fiancee had come to me later in the evening and said to me, "as an Artist, you can't give up. You must keep going. It may seem tough but everyone who is mainstream today started out not being well known. We each have gifts and you have to share yours with the world." She had no reason to tell me this. I had never met her before and did not mention anywhere in my conversation with her what I had been feeling in my heart the days before this outing. How on earth could she have known that I was contemplating quitting? *Gift

6. When we pulled up to this beautiful venue I found out it was valet parking only much to my dismay. I like to have quick access to my car and wasn't sure if I would need my coat later on. One thing I DID notice however was that in the front of the venue there were nothing but luxury cars and I made a comment to my husband about how THAT is the company I love to be in. ;) It just so happened as we left the wedding after a delicious stroll in the full moon light I came to find my car amidst all it's luxurious friends. :D

Can you believe that even on the way home there was very limited traffic and I had cars just move out of my way on more than three occasions? If you live or are aware of Los Angeles 101 traffic you will understand what a true miracle this is indeed. :D

I'm here to tell you that I believe in miracles and I think they happen every day. I believe that gifts and blessings swirl all around and are available to all of us. The days before this outing I felt broken, heavy, and lost. These things and feelings happen. But if we look around us and believe. All the things that make us happy and the people that make us feel strong are there too and they're just waiting to be given a chance to lift us up.

"There are only two ways to live your life. 

One is as though nothing is a miracle. 

The other is as though everything is a miracle." 

- Albert Einstein

Wishing you an abundance of miracles. Love to you,
Tee

Today I Step In To My Newest Title, Philanthropist.

It's sunny outside, the weather is warm, I am energized, refreshed, grateful, excited. This is after over a week of gloom and rain, metaphorically speaking it couldn't be more perfect. This week has brought about a massive amount of change. Consolidated. In your face. The kind of change that even someone like me who loves change, has to pep talk her way through it. Truthfully speaking, like all extremely hard things in my life, God got me through. I've experienced extreme lows and highs. Outpouring of support from fans, friends, and family. I will never be the same.

Amidst this process I have been enlightened to dreams I didn't know I had, to possibilities I hadn't seen before. To things that are now my new life's path. I am alive.

The first section of my life was about survival. The second section about me finding and expressing myself through the arts and my talents. This new phase is about the world.

Listen, I'm not out of the woods yet. I've had major unexpected financial things come up, (a move, parking tickets, ding in my windshield, medical & vet expenses, people I trusted and thought were on my team try to take advantage of me) some of these are still pending.. Sometimes I get scared and it hurts but I've also been extremely blessed. To be honest the only reason I am mentioning this to begin with is because I want you to know I'm a real person. A human being, making my way through this world, trying to be the best I can. Any hints of greatness come from something much higher than me, I call it God.

Please know I am not here to blog about religion, I am not religious. I am simply sharing with you this amazing wonderful metamorphosis I have experienced and the joy I have to be able to step into it TODAY. I dream of being a millionaire on the "Secret Millionaire" show. Until that day comes I will take cues from my mentors Oprah, Neale Donald Walsch, Rhonda Byrne, Robert & Kim Kiyosaki, God... and I will go out and make it happen. It started with making more donations and tonight/tomorrow night I start in deed.

If you are reading this right now, have connected with me at any of the social networks I use, thank you. I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate you. I really do carry you in my heart. This is my longest and my second most personal blog to date. I hope to continue to interest you. May you have a blessed and productive day. You are amazing.

Cheers to all of us, living out our dreams.

To the moon!! Financially speaking...

What day is it Tuesday? Gosh February 8th huh?? Here we go! I have been so excited to be working towards my new found goals that I have been focused in like a LASER! There has been a big shift in my world having to do with finances and the like. Since I have been so inspired, I wanted to share this info with you, that is of course, if you could stand to earn and keep more of your money.

Now there are many practical things I am up to in the world of business and money. I hope to open up a dialog that includes that information for those truly interested but you'd be surprised how so much starts with your state of mind. So I figure a very good place to begin is within...

My first highly recommended read:

While I make no guarantees of anything, I have personally read and I personally endorse this book as being what I think to be a great start on your path to financial success.

So let's go TO THE MOON! Financially speaking that is, who's with me?!

Blah.

How are you? Today's been weird. Not hard, not easy, just trying.. what's up with that? I think it could be because I'm going through a lot of change and growth right now. It seems my week was littered with an on day off day kinda deal where I'd have one really powerful day and the next I'd be really tired or crabby. Anyone else go through this?

I guess it just feels like I am being tested. Like, can you take the pressure and work your goals require? How serious are you? Check out this distraction, will you fold? It's weird. The other night after an extremely powerful phenomenal day, I found myself crying in bed. I mean, I wanted to just sob. How weird is that? Here I was just overcome. I can tell you it took me by surprise but just imagine how crazy it looked to my sweetheart in bed next to me. He's like, what happened? What's wrong? And there I was, just crying like, "I don't know"...

I've been wanting to share what I'm going through here on my blog for a few weeks now but I've been afraid because it's BIG stuff having to do with business, spirituality, GOD, and I guess even though I know it's amazing, real, and I want to share it with you so you can benefit too, I also wonder will they think I'm crazy????

Ultimately, no matter what there's always a chance you could think I'm crazy and I guess in truth sometimes I can be. I think you have to be a little "out of your mind" to be bold, successful, and strong in your faith.

A famed modern day spiritual leader named Neale Donald Walsch had this to say on his Twitter the other day: "Your feelings never lie. They do not know how to. They tell U exactly what U are being in any moment." I know he's right.

Remember my crying the other night? Once I reflected on that, I realized that my feelings did reveal something I didn't want to admit to myself. I had allowed myself to believe wholeheartedly in something and when it didn't pass, my great disappointment and my being overwhelmed at everything going on, just came out. No matter how much I tried to hold on to the joy of everything else I was experiencing.

So what are you feeling? How was your day? My day was just blah and that's... OK.

With love and acceptance,

Tee


Now Playing: We Fight/We Love by Q-Tip

Let's Get Our Zen On!

If you're new to the blog, welcome. I have just had a big move and now live near the ocean for the first time and it's amazing. Every day, there's is something different to take from it and I figured, why not share the love??

No matter where you are, now you have a bit of the ocean with you whenever you want! So go ahead and get your zen on! There's no wrong way...

Sending you full expressions of health, wealth, and happiness. Ommmm..... ; )

GO BIG OR GO HOME!

So here I am amidst all my plans and goals just plugging away and time as it should passes. Suddenly, I am faced with emotional challenges because not everything always goes according to plan. Top that off with a bad dream I had this morning and WHAM! Just like that, I let in some doubt. I consider myself a cheerleader of the human spirit. Positivity and encouragement are my weapons against moments like these but alas, I am only human and sometimes I get rattled too...

So what did I do? I discussed my feelings with my best friend and partner, let my feelings out on my facebook fan page, then I kept going. This may sound easy, but I assure you it isn't. It's scary to step out of what's comfortable and do big things so if you are having your scary moment it's ok, you're NOT crazy.

Soon I will be able to divulge all details of what exactly I was working on but for now, just know that anybody that we consider great went out on a limb. The true measure of faith is doing so knowing that all is taken care of. So, I'm going BIG.

If you have something you're considering going big on, if you had your faith challenged and made it to the other side, or if you'd just like to say hi, I welcome your comments. Life is always best when other people are in it so I hope to hear from you.

Until next time... <3

Goodies for your spirit

Hello guys and dolls!

I've been thinking a lot about what my second blog would be about. There is so much love I have to share I was like a rant or personal anecdote just wouldn't do.. not at this stage, at this stage I felt like a gift was in order. Then it hit me!

Listen, we all have a lot going on in our daily lives and depending on where you're at financially, emotionally, or stressfully <-( is that even the right way to use that?! ) well you may really benefit from some spirit goodies. What's a spirit goody? Check it out!! And hey, feel free to share your thoughts or share with friends if you approve. After all, sharing is caring. ; )

# 1
Rev Run will always be known as a member of rap group Run DMC but lately he has made a name for himself as a motivator with his positive MTV shows and his daily "Words of Wisdom." I subscribe to his daily posts and follow him on Twitter. Here are some examples of what he shares:

If ur dreams turn to dust, vacuum.. move on, dream again! -Rev Run
Dont be sad too long, its a sign of giving up -Rev Run
Your haters actually hold you in a very high regard - Rev Run

#2
If you don't know about The Secret, it is a movement centralized around the Law of Attraction. Once hailed by Oprah, it sparked a phenomenon & really if you take a look, you'll see why. I subscribe to their once a week Secret Scrolls. Here's an example of what you'd get by following suit:

Every single day, no matter who you meet in the day - friends, family, work colleagues, strangers - give joy to them. Give a smile or a compliment or kind words or kind actions, but give joy! Do your best to make sure that every single person you meet has a better day because they saw you. This might sound like it is not connected with you and your life, but believe me it is inseparably connected through cosmic law.

As you give joy to every person you meet, you bring joy to YOU. The more you can give joy to others, the more you will bring the joy back to you. -Rhonda Byrne The Secret... bringing joy to billions

#3
Last but certainly not least is Joel Osteen. I came across Joel Osteen while flipping channels one day and was amazed by his style of preaching and uplifting people in Christ. I now subscribe to his daily word. He is funny, modern and doesn't make me feel beat down by religion. Here's an example:

When I think of being filled, I think of being satisfied. I think of having more than enough to meet my needs so that I can be a blessing to others. But it all starts with our level of expectancy. My question for you today is what are you believing for? What are you expecting? You might say, "Well, Joel. I don't think I'll ever meet my sales goals this year with the economy like it is." Or, "I don't think I'll ever get promoted. I'm not that qualified." "I don't think I'll ever get well." The problem is you're not looking for those good breaks. You're not expecting increase. You're not positioning yourself for God to fill you, and unfortunately, you won't be disappointed. Jesus said in the scriptures, "According to your faith it will be done unto you." He might as well have said, "If you've got a cup, I'll fill you with a cup level of blessing. If you've got a bucket, I'll fill you with a bucket level of blessing." But if you'll take the limits off of God and believe for supernatural opportunities, if you'll go out each day expecting far and beyond favor, you won't be disappointed. He will fill you and satisfy you with His goodness and show His favor in ways beyond your wildest dreams! -Joel Osteen

Friends, it is my goal to share a lot with you through my blog and hopefully you too will share with me. I hope that you find yourself in high spirits and good health. No matter what your circumstances are though, know YOU ARE AMAZING. With love! Talk to you soon...

*waves