I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now...

If you grew up in the south you may have heard your Grandma or Auntie humming the words, "wouldn't take nothing for my journey now". Or you may have heard Oprah Winfrey quote it as she did on her show. That's how I feel as I look back and realize it's been over 25 years since I graduated High School. There have been many lessons learned and many more to come that I'm sure of. We watched as our Lexi graduated from High School and just the sheer joy of knowing the options she has today are more than the options we knew were available to us gives us joy. If I knew then what I know now...well you know the rest.

God truly has a way of getting you back on track so that you don't miss the blessings that He has stored up for you. Those blessings are not just for you but for you to share with others to help them live the best life they can. But most times we allow limiting beliefs, wrong mindsets and well meaning friends & family members, block us from our blessings. One of the biggest blessings besides my family is the gift of USANA.

We made the best decision for our family to partner with a company that has given us optimal health, time & financial freedom. How does a High School graduate, raised in the "hood", military wife and mom of 3 become the C.E.O. of her own life? By realizing the path in which we take, may not be the "norm" for some (whatever that means) but complete freedom to others. Maybe you desire to take mission trips, volunteer more but you are stuck behind a desk. What is stopping you from stepping out and following the vision God has placed in your heart?

Are you on your path. Did you travel that path to make someone else happy? When you stop living your life for others and start living on purpose, a funny thing starts to happen. Life really becomes fun and meaningful.  Have an amazing weekend!

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers!

USANA Associate Shares Message of Hope After Losing 320 Pounds

he following is a guest post written by Hattie Montgomery, a USANA Associate who has lost 320 pounds through diet, exercise and a lot of hard work. She recounts her weight loss journey below. 
 

Hattie Montgomery in 2008.

Imagine being 530 pounds. You know your life is slowly slipping away, and you’ve allowed that to happen because of all the pain you endured. But there’s this yearning inside you to live, to save your life. Where do you go? What do you do?

That was me three years ago.

Faced with an enormous task, I found myself wondering where to even begin. The first year, I practiced a calorie-restricted diet of lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, eliminating all refined carbs and sugars from my diet. The only exercise I could do was a bit of walking. It was slow and painful, but the more I tried to do it, the further I could go. After that first year I had lost 180 pounds and knew my life-altering journey was really happening.*

I’ve always been the person who researches and tries things out. I began exploring protein shakes and protein bars to add to my diet plan. I tried so many, I lost track, but they all gave me the spike then crash reaction.

That’s when my life and journey took a turn. I was plateauing with my weight loss. I knew I had to revamp my diet and expand my exercise, but again, I was left with the questions of what do I do. Then I met Matt Ryan and was introduced to USANA. I tried the RESET program and lost 8 pounds, jumpstarting my weight loss again. As I used the USANA program, I was ecstatic to finally find products that left me feeling energized and didn’t leave me needing a nap two hours later from the terrible crash.*

Hattie works out at the gym.

I began practicing the transform phase and was amazed at how easy the program was to follow. One thing that I found myself struggling with was planning my days and meals.  There is such an emotional connection to food, so when I have a plan laid out for me that’s quick and easy to follow, it makes my life so much easier.  I believe in this program so much because of the quality of products, but also because it’s the first time that I haven’t been stressed or worried about what to eat. I have been following the USANA Transform program now for two years, along with the daily MyHealthPak™ vitamins, and would never go back to any other plan.

I also ventured out and tried adding more activity into my routine. After Year 1, I could move, and so I decided I would try to take up tennis, practice yoga and even try jogging. I joined the gym and started working out with my personal trainer, Ray. Each week I do three days of resistance training and three days of cardio. I also spend time outside walking each day with my dog, Bear. In February, I competed in my gym’s indoor triathlon; I cried at the end because I just couldn’t believe how three short years ago I could hardly walk and now I was becoming the athlete I always dreamed of being.

By following the USANA program and adding more exercise to my plan, I lost an additional 140 pounds in two years.**

Hattie after losing 320 pounds.

Imagine being 530 pounds and giving up on your life. Suddenly your life is blessed with an amazing company that believes in your success and happiness so much that they put out the best quality product and then take an active interest in your life. All of the pieces finally came together for me — the right eating program and supplements, the right exercise program, and an amazing group of people who love and support me unconditionally.

In three years I’ve lost 320 pounds. Yes, my life is forever changed, and I’m so grateful to have this amazing second chance to tell my story and spread the message of hope. It’s never too late, and USANA will be with you every step of the way.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

**Individual results may vary. RESET weight-management system lowers your daily caloric intake and recommends moderate exercise for best results. Average results are 4.5 lbs. in five days.

The Parable of the Talents

The Parable of the Talents is the primary reason for wealth or poverty throughout history.

Reasons for Rich or Poor
Why do some people retire rich and most people retire poor? This subject has fascinated philosophers, thinkers, mystics and teachers throughout the ages. There have been many cases of hundreds or thousands, and even millions, of men and women starting with nothing and going on to become financially independent. So, naturally, people are curious to know how their successes happened and what the common rules or principles are so that they, too, can apply them and become wealthy.

Why People Become Rich
One illustration of this key principle is called the Parable of the Talents. In the Bible, it says, “To him that hath, shall more be given, and he shall have abundance. But from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.”

Accumulation Leads to More Accumulation
What does that mean? In the modern world, we say the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The fact is, though, people who accumulate money tend to accumulate more and more. People who don’t accumulate money seem to lose even that little bit of money they have. Why should this happen? The great success principle, the single idea that explains human destiny is simple. It says that you become what you think about most of the time.

Control Your Thoughts
And whatever you dwell upon grows in your reality. You create your entire world based on the things you choose to think about and how you choose to think about them.
It just so happens that wealthy, successful people fill their minds with thoughts, words, pictures and images of wealth, affluence, success, productivity and solutions to problems in the marketplace most of the time. These thoughts trigger the reticular activating cortex, the part of the brain that makes you more alert and sensitive to things that you have decided are important to you.

Activate Your Reticular Cortex
For example, if you decide to invest in a mutual fund, you will start to see news and information about mutual funds everywhere. Mentions in newspapers and magazines will jump out at you. These notices have always been there, but now you have sensitized your brain to pick them up and draw them to your attention with far greater frequency and vividness. This is the function and power of your reticular cortex.

Avoid Poverty Thinking
On the other hand, what do poor people think about most of the time? Unfortunately, poor people fill their minds with thoughts of scarcity, lack, poverty and being unable to afford things. They are always thinking and talking about how little money they have, how much things cost and how they wish things could be better financially. What they think about most of the time is how little money they have.

Think Like Wealthy People Think
Wealthy people from an early age think about how much they have, how much they want and all the different things they can do to acquire and earn the money and things they desire.

Find Out How Rich People Think
Here’s a rule for you. If you want to become successful, find out what failures do and don’t do it. If you want to be wealthy, find out what poor people think about, and avoid thinking in those ways. Instead, find out how wealthy people think. Find out what they read. Find out how they spend their time. Study their lives, read their stories and autobiographies, and listen to their words when they are interviewed and on tape. The more you find out what financially successful people think and talk about most of the time, and then do the same things, the more rapidly you will enjoy the same rewards.

Action Exercises
Here are two things you can do to put this parable of the talents into action:
First, make a decision today that from now on you will think and talk only about the financial success that you desire. At the same time, you will refuse to talk about or dwell upon your financial problems.
Second, instead of saying, “I can’t afford it,” instead, ask the question, “How can I afford it?” When you think of something that you want or need but don’t have the money for at the time, the only question you ask is, “How?” How can you get it? What can you do to achieve it? What are your options? How can you get from where you are to where you want to go? This type of attitude will change your life.

When it comes to productivity, time management and beating procrastination, Brian Tracy is one of the most in-demand speakers in the world. His Doubling Your Productivity seminar can help you manage and organize your most important priorities and develop a game plan for your life that works! Click here now for complete details or to order.

Posted by Brian Tracy on Jan 17, 2008 on his blog,  http://www.briantracy.com and reprinted in it’s entirety.