A Beautiful Leap

A few weeks ago, I traversed what was arguably, the most beautiful terrain I’d ever seen. Surrounded by mature cacti, red rocks, and uncharacteristically cold temperatures, I trudged along the trail eager to reach the top of South Mountain. It was my goal since the prior day of rain delayed my earnest efforts. The Arizona sun beat upon me as I placed one foot in front of the other, carefully inching my way up the meandering natural surface, that had been kissed by millions of years of scorching heat. The rocks beneath my feet shifted under my weight with each focused step. I had to be patient and careful, because one wrong step would send me falling amongst the temperamental Cholla’s. Trust me, you don’t want to touch one of those.

After two challenging miles, I stood along the edge and admired the earth below. I could see the city of Phoenix in the distance. It was nestled in the shadow of Camelback and Mummy Mountain. The Sonoran landscape was breathtaking.

There was a bench that overlooked the entire valley, a few feet from where I stood. I took a seat, while alone with my thoughts, and began to dig deep into my heart. Nature has a sneaky way of provoking deep thought, doesn’t it? The word dream kept coming to me. Dreaming big had always been a fascinating part of my life. For as long as I could remember, I’ve always wanted more.

As a visionary and still quite the dreamer, I focused on my where life was headed. I purposed to make 2021 a year of taking the leap. You see playing it safe in life, hardly ever did anyone justice. Confronting our deepest dreams can often feel overwhelming and scary. The fear can be debilitating. That fear also leads to hesitation and apprehension. We’ve got to press forward in spite of these challenging emotions. Facing our dreams head on, takes courage.

What have you been dreaming of? Have you been hesitant to take the leap in your life? I encourage you today to consider this, we’re only residents of the earth for a finite period of time. We owe it ourselves to leave nothing on the table. Apply for that job overseas. Tell that person you’ve always loved, that you love them. Move to that city you’ve always wanted to move to. Life is about taking chances. There’s something uniquely charming and frightening about taking leaps of faith, but it’s worth it. I’m learning this first hand. While there are few guarantees in life, you will always be glad you decided to follow your dreams. Let’s go get the desires of our hearts.

Frustrated.

“You’re letting me go? Why? I mean, I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me. I don’t understand. I thought the project was a success?” Angela asked her manager in horror.

“Ang, it’s not you, you know that. If I could stop this I would, but it’s out of my hands. Please don’t make this harder than it has to be,” her boss Milton said with a heavy heart. “I’m hurt by this too.”

“Please Milton. There has to be something you can do. I’ve got a family to feed. Don’t do this to me. I’ve given you all fifteen good years of my life. What about all of my hard work in this company?” She tearfully shouted over the small conference room table. “Does any of this mean anything to you?!”

“Ang, I’m sorry but it’s out of my hands,” he said with a somber look.

Angela, went back to her cubicle and quietly packed her things. They allowed her to say goodbye to friends who’d become family over the years. The company had been laying off people over the last six months due to a poor economy. She never thought it’d be her. Why would she? She led many of the important projects, poured her soul into her work, and never gave anyone a single problem. After all, you’d think her efforts would have been rewarded, right? Not so in this case, sadly. With three teenage daughters who would soon be going to college, the news couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The sun shone through a few gray clouds as Angela took the often two hour drive home, which now didn’t seem as long without traffic. She stared ahead in a zombie like trance wishing it was all a dream. At twelve in the afternoon, most people were in the office or out getting lunch but she had just received her walking papers. Why me? How could this happen to me? God, I’ve prayed, I’ve been faithful and this still happened, she shouted in anger while hitting the dashboard of her car with her fist. The world now felt empty and void of all joy. She had no idea what she was going to do now. Angela was down on her luck; she was frustrated. It wasn’t fair, but it was life, and life doesn’t always play by the rules.

***

Just when everything began to make sense, everything crashed and burned. You’ve done things the right way, and it still fell apart. You’ve played life by the rules, and life still said checkmate. You’ve moved with intention, only to realize you’ve gotten know where. Damn. Life can be frustrating as hell. In these difficult moments, we feel paralyzed by thoughts of defeat that seem to flood our minds with fear, causing our breathing to become shallow. We grip our chest, hoping to stop the confusion. We push harder to understand how it all could end up like this. Like Angela, we ask God why. We understand difficult times are apart of life, but why now. The story above illustrates just how incredibly frustrating the human experience can be all of us, but there’s hope.

I’ve come today to ask you to lift up your head, you’ve been burdened by frustration as of late. This season won’t last always. Take a moment to think of all you’ve been through. If you’re here today, you’ve made it before and you’ll make it again. Let these words sink into your heart right now. Dig Deep Within and stand your ground. Don’t allow the voices in your mind to convince you that you’re through. You aren’t through. You aren’t finished. In fact, you’re just getting started. Hold on. Stay in the fight. There is coming a day when you’ll reap the benefits of not giving up on yourself. The best way to move through life is to keep moving forward. You can do it. Your circumstances don’t define you. Dare to believe you’re up next. It’s your turn to finally get all this life has to offer. I believe. Do you?

Please share, if this touched you in anyway.

To pre-order my new book, Freedom Park: A Novel please visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VN3J1R1/

A Long Road to Freedom

I sat by the bay window, gazing down at the street below. A white Mercedes and a man walking his dogs entered and left my field of view, in the most mundane, yet poetic sequence of events. Such small details in the grand scheme of living, seem like nothing important on the surface, however on a deeper level, you begin to discover each of us are apart of a complicated ever expansive web of humanity. As I continued my trance like gaze, I began to observe how the tree in my front yard softly sway in the wind, seemingly performing an interpretive dance to the beat of nature. In my abstraction, I hadn’t noticed how the blue sky faded into dusk, draping darkness over my neighborhood. The street lights turned on, causing people to scurry to their homes, to do what people did on Sunday nights. I glanced at my watch and my mind began to free fall. “Tomorrow is another Monday and I’m still not where I want to be,” I sighed to myself. It’s in some of our most obscurely blissful moments, we seem to introspectively sabotage ourselves, spoiling the moment.

I stepped away from the window thinking about my life’s path. The choice between quitting and trudging forward confronts many of us— often. Some days you can see light at the end of the tunnel and then there are days the road aimlessly winds before you with seemingly no end in sight. If you’ve found yourself questioning whether you have the energy to keep pursuing your dreams, then this essay is for you. This essay is for those who’ve toiled for years, with hardly any traction. If you’re tired of feeling like you’re stuck between a rock and hard place, I wrote this to tell you, this isn’t the time to quit or give up on yourself. This road of becoming the best version of yourself, can feel like a lonely road. While everyone else is settling, you want more. While others are making excuses for their mediocre lives, you’re craving to be better. I know you’re tired of feeling like your best efforts are getting you know where. Trust me, I know the feeling, all too well. I’ve come to tell you today, keep building, learning, and continually developing yourself. There will come a day, when your focused effort, discipline and faith will have you standing proudly atop the mountain of extraordinary success.

You may be an entrepreneur with the dream of financial freedom. You could be a student studying to earn your undergrad, Masters or PHD or perhaps you’re someone who’s devoted the past few months to kicking a bad habit. You might be a single parent raising kids on your own with dreams of building a better life for your family. Though these goals and dreams may be differ on the surface, they each require our best effort on a continual basis. Day by day, things happen and situations arise that apply pressure. Anxiety, fear and discouragement try lay root in your mind. The negative thoughts pile up and pile in, causing you to question yourself. The people and all the chatter from outside influences appear, attempting to devour what little motivation you had left. You then begin to see social media post after post, filled with people who appear to have it all together, living their best lives day after day, leaving you to wonder if you’ve missed the boat. The mental levy breaks and you’re standing face to face with the option to give up. Stop. Hold it right there and think about how far you’ve come despite life’s challenges. 

In a world full of faux excellence and unrealistic standards, you must never forget who you are and what you’re capable of. Here’s what I’ve learned so far in my 33 years of living. The journey is just as, if not more important, than solely arriving at the destination. Ultimately, it’s who you become that prepares you for your seat at the table of success. I encourage you today, to look at your road ahead with confidence, knowing and believing you have what it takes to get all that you desire in life. You too, can have a successful business, find wealth, live in total happiness and truly achieve all that you wish to achieve. Make no mistake about it, it takes guts to battle sneers and jokes from those who have given up on themselves. It takes strength to battle the voices in your mind that tell you that you’re fooling yourself for thinking you can be somebody. More than anything you must believe in yourself. In closing, may you become closely aquatinted with the freedom of charting your own course. This life is yours. You get to decide who you are to become. Though this journey is long one, or at least it feels that way, it’s worth it— you’re worth it.

"The Hidden Scars of Inadequacy"

I'm going to take you way back - circa 1997 to be exact. I was ten years old then. No bills, no responsibilities, just homework and sports. Those were the days when kids stayed outside until the street lights came on. After school me and my buddies rushed home to fake our homework so we could go outside. Sports was all I ever thought about then. Posters of Troy Aikman and Ken Griffey Jr lined the walls of my room, which fueled my belief that I too could one day be like them. Thinking back to the formative years of my youth, I realized this was when I first came face to face with the complicated feelings of inadequacy. 

 "I'm last again?" I thought while I watched everyone else get picked ahead of me for the third time that week. Getting left out or picked last became the story of my young life. To be fair, many of the guys I played with were my friends and that’s what hurt the most. It affected my self esteem even though I tried so hard to pretend I was unbothered. It didn’t help that my childhood best friend Jr. happened to be the best at everything he did. The guy practically turned a ball into pure gold. He could put the ball in the hoop with the best of them. Not only could he hoop but he could run fast and catch a football like Jerry Rice. We were an odd pair of buddies but none the less I thanked God for him because he made sure not to leave me out of things when he had the chance to pick.  

I wasn't very fast and with two left feet how could I have been? I had the chubby body of a used tire, or so I thought. My inability to perform well stemmed from my fear of not measuring up to the other guys. That led to me being over cautious and fearful. It was a tough concept to learn as a kid. The older guys we often played against didn't go light on me either. "Who wants to guard B?" "He ain't going to catch nothing anyway!" they’d all laugh and jeer. "Whatever," I'd mumble in an attempt to make it seem like I wasn't bothered by it. The truth was, I was bothered. Sadly, I began to accept the names and unfortunately I allowed those names to become apart of my identity. I carried that into other areas of my life too. 

The feelings and thoughts I had about myself as a result of those events didn't go away even as I grew stronger, faster and much more capable. Inadequacy is one of those things that many people tuck it away - they bury it. As the years continued to go by I noticed moments where I'd catch myself retreating into that young man who'd been left on the sidelines. In order to grow, I had to deal with how I felt. Many still carry invisible scars from stabbing words and experiences that have cut deep and it's effects linger. Can you relate? Have you ever stopped yourself from speaking up? Have you ever felt easily forgotten? Do you still harbor pain from being laughed at or disregarded? Are you hard on yourself? Do you feel like you aren't worthy or deserving of good things in your life? Feelings of Inadequacy seem to nudge at us at times when we need our self confidence the most.

It's absolutely profound how things that have occurred long ago could still have the ability to affect the way we view ourselves. I found peace when I confronted my feelings head on. I found strength in learning to embrace my imperfections. Perfection, quite frankly is an illusion and it doesn't exist. It took a conscious effort on my part to examine my life in away that would cause me to think differently. If you are feeling the sting that comes from feeling like you aren’t good enough, I want you know I understand. As you've seen above, I've been there before many times through out my life. The feeling can drive you to question if you matter at all. You matter and you are enough. I encourage you to embrace who you are. Try not compare yourself to others as we all have our strengths and weaknesses. There's freedom in accepting yourself just as you are as you strive to become the best version of yourself.  

"The Subtle Art of Letting Go"

"What a waste of my got damn time!" I shouted, nearly at the top of my lungs as I threw my phone onto the bed in anger. The conversation I just had with my then girlfriend led to what I'll call a defining moment in my adolescence, wasn't pretty at all. Still occupying a room in my mother's home, I shut the door to get some privacy. We ended a relationship that lasted an eternity to me but in reality was just one short year of ups and downs. I paced around my room trying to allow the anger to subside. What went wrong? I'm tired of this crap. I mumbled to myself in a haughty attempt to make sense of things. Relationships can certainly bring out the best in us and in this case, also evoke serious emotional pain. I felt angry, frustrated and a barrage of other feelings. That day reminded me of why letting go is quite difficult to do but absolutely necessary if we plan to move forward in life in a healthy way. Holding on to past circumstances and experiences not only will keep you stuck but it'll also keep you from experiencing a life of freedom and liberty.

"Let it Burn"

More than just a great song by R&B legend Usher, letting it burn in my opinion is an integral part of letting go. In an attempt to avoid pain many of us cling tighter to dead end situations and circumstances. Apart of the healing process in life is allowing yourself to feel the sting of the closing a chapter in life to give way to a new beginnings. In other words to be able to experience growth we must not be afraid to walk the path of healing which in many cases contains uncomfortable feelings. Running from it only prolongs the process and further keeps us bound to that which we must release.

"Accepting what is"

Learning to see things for what they are authentically and experiencing life as it is, is my understanding of acceptance. The more we push for what we wish would have been the case only prevents us from moving forward. There are things we simply cannot change no matter how badly we wish things we different. Each one of us faces moments each day where we are presented with an opportunity to practice acceptance. These moments don't always have to be big gut wrenching situations. For example the other day I had my mind set on some left over chicken wings from The Outback. My mouth watered as I reached for the refrigerator handle. My anticipation slowly turned to sheer horror when I could not find the black to go container I left on the second ledge. I shuffled items around frantically as my blood pressure boiled slightly. In the corner of my eye I could see something sticking out of the trash can on the other side of the kitchen. It was the container I was looking for and when I examined it closely I discovered only remnants of the chicken remained. My first inclination was to look for someone to blame. I stood there with my face scrounged up, armed with a slew of complaints. I stopped in my tracks and questioned if I really needed to harp on this. I laughed to myself and accepted they were gone. Talk about a lesson in acceptance. faced with two options, I could have pouted or I could accept it and get something else to eat. I chose the latter. I got over it and moved on. It happens, It's apart of this life that we are all blessed to live.

"The Take Away"

Think of how you could be holding yourself back today. Is there a situation you've been mulling over in your mind and debating whether you should walk away? Is there an unhealthy friendship, love relationship or situation standing in the way of your happiness? The longer we hold on, the more pain we cause ourselves in the long run. It is my hope that you'd be encouraged today as each of us finds the courage and strength to live our best lives. Everyone of us are faced with choices each day. These choices directly play in role in happiness and stability. Choose you today. Choose happiness and dare to see life change right before your eyes. Let it go. You know what it is. Take a deep breathe and feel the weight of the world lifting off of your shoulders. I'll leave you with a quote today. "Holding on is believing that there is past; letting go is knowing that there is a future."—Daphne Rose Kingma 

"Unmasking the Pain"

“Keep pedaling,” she said as she patiently watched me slowly wobble down the sidewalk on my new bike. The day I learned to ride a bike was one of my greatest accomplishments as a child. The look of joy on my mothers face as I began to pedal faster and faster with more confidence in each stride was something I'll never forget. A mothers love is special.

Nobody ever wants to think of what life would be like if something were to happen to her. It was a thought I never quite considered. Sure, one day, it would happen. But not anytime soon I reckoned at the time. She was always there to help guide me through my teenage breakups, kiss my bruises and listen to my deepest dreams. We didn't always see eye to eye but she was my mother and I was her son.

My life changed forever when she suddenly became ill and passed away shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. The grief that swept through my world was debilitating and my journey to overcome it proved to be worth the fight. Pain is no stranger to us all. That's something we share in this thing called life. Even during difficult days, you can rise up in strength. Earth shattering pain doesn't have to be the end of your story. There are brighter days ahead. Take it from me, I've been there. 

"Picking up the Pieces" 

The day I received the call that my mother had died was the day the earth stood still in my life. Maybe for you in this season of your life, it was a painful breakup or an unfavorable situation. When I went through my tough time, I didn't quite know what to do. It didn't feel real at all. I couldn't quite process what to do next. I stared into the darkness of my room with the phone glued to my ear after just being delivered the worst news of my life. Receiving bad news isn’t easy for anyone. It took awhile for the situation to register as real in my mind. It's ok to take a step back and do nothing at the onset of pain. Grief has a way of challenging even the strongest amongst us. Don't allow anyone to rush your process or attempt to force you to be ok because it is uncomfortable for them. Picking up the pieces is a very personal experience. Lean on those you trust and don't ever feel ashamed to ask for help. 

"Acceptance"

When you experience a painful situation, you will feel a range of emotions that can leave you feeling confused and frustrated at best. Grief for me reincarnated itself in a variety of ways. When you are going through something, it seems like everything around you reminds you of the situation that hurt you. There may even be moments of debilitating anguish when you think of the memories. This feeling often creeps up on you when you least expect it. Acceptance is an important step on your path to healing. Being able to acknowledge and accept what has occured is vital to your healing process. That doesn't mean you won't have some rough days as you move forward but it certainly puts things into perspective.

"The Take Away"

Surely, as the sun rises each day, it is a perfect reminder of new beginnings. Cloudy days won’t last always. I'm a living witness to that. I'm still standing and you are too. Take heart in knowing there are better days ahead no matter what you face right now. Though you may hurt right now, I want you to know the sun will shine again just as it always does. In my situation, I took comfort in knowing my mother was is in a better place. That's what brought me peace. That same peace is available to us all. Take your time. If you just recently went through a breakup or job loss, don't beat yourself up. You're not a bad person or a failure. Did you just receive unfavorable news? You will recover. My heart goes out to anyone who lost a loved one. Things always get better, even though it rarely ever feels that way in the beginning. You're an overcomer, that's for sure. Smile, because your best days are ahead.   

"The Every Day Miracle"

I used to think miracles were something that only happened in dire circumstances for certain people. The only time I’d ever seen a miracle was within a page of the bible or in a dramatic lifetime movie scene. As silly as that may sound, I’m probably not the only one who felt that way or perhaps may still feel that way. Miracles are often seen as some mystical event that appears after we’ve prayed, wished and hoped long enough. The beautiful thing I’ve discovered about life is the fact that miracles happen far often than we might have ever thought. In fact, I believe miracles happen every day. These miracles aren’t reserved for a select group of people or situations, they’re reserved for you to experience every single day. Many times these miracles are overlooked because they may appear in unlikely ways. 

“An Unlikely Gift”

It’s hard to look for something you may not even know is present. Some of our greatest blessings are right under our nose. All around us wonderful things are happening even during some of our darkest moments. The sun rises each day regardless of how dark the clouds may be. Stormy days and difficult times don't ever prevent the sun from rising each day. The same thing can be said of miracles. Have you ever had a rough day interrupted by the smile of an innocent baby? Have you ever got up on the wrong side of the bed just to have your mood turned around by a kind word from a complete stranger? These are all examples of the type of miracles that can appear in our lives on a daily basis. Most people look for the big magnificent miracles of life while overlooking treasures hidden in plain sight. The good Lord so graciously reminds us every day that we ourselves are miracles. The air within your lungs is a reminder that everything will be alright.  

"A Brand New Perspective"

We find meaning in the things we understand. Value is expressed when context and clarity are present. Once you begin to notice all of the miracles that surround you each day, you'll begin to find peace like never before. Gratitude removes the cloth from our eyes. With the cloth removed you will see gifts each day that you would have overlooked in the past. You'll begin to notice that you have everything you need to continue this journey of life no matter what comes your way. There are subtle reminders all around you, all you have to do is pay attention.

"The Take Away"

Beginning each day with gratitude opens up your eyes to see the miracles that lay before you each day. A baby's smile and a kind word from a stranger are just a few examples of some of the miracles we experience every day. Remember the air that you breathe right now is a reminder that everything is going to be alright. Today, take a look around you. Pay attention to what happens. Did someone offer to buy you lunch? Did you find a few dollars in your pocket? Was there an open parking space close to where you were headed? Maybe you'll find out you got the job today. Or perhaps a loved one is coming home from the hospital. Something good happens each day. Just by opening your very eyes in the morning, there are miracles waiting to happen for you and around you. After all, you, yourself are one. 

"An Awakening"

One of the most widely accepted and unfortunate tragedies of today, is the belief that you cannot walk away from jobs, relationships and situations that no longer serve you well. Living in a place of unhappiness is often widely accepted as being just the way it is. A life that was once meant to be enjoyed has now been seemingly downgraded to something that is merely endured. This has become the theme for many among us. It's a comfortable existence for some, sadly enough. Waking up every day to suffer through a job you hate, that pays you far less than you desire is exhausting. Dealing with friends, lovers, and family members who perpetually disrespect you, can no longer be tolerated as the norm. You didn’t come here to be shackled to situations that suck the joy, passion, and life out of you. You deserve far better. 

"The Miracle of life"

Just the sheer fact you are here right now is a miracle in and of itself. Every single one of us is a walking miracle. It's a beautiful fact of life, that often get's overshadowed by the day to day barrage of negative information. Each and every day we scurry through our day to day lives attempting take care of our responsibilities. In the midst of our daily routines, we sometimes forget to stop and live in the moment. When was the last time you took a big deep breath? Let's take a deep breath together right now. It felt good, didn't it? What you felt was the gift of life flowing through you. Every day we must be mindful of this gift. There are diamonds within the deep imperfect soil of our lives. Hidden treasures exist within us that are waiting to be discovered. When you understand this wonderful fact, you will begin to see things differently. That my friend is when the awakening begins.  

"Re-claim Your Value"

We live in a noisy world. It's a place full of opinions and thing's vying for your attention. There are many voices out there via social media, television and the internet that are attempting to define your value. Only you can truly define your value. Don't let anyone or anything make you feel like you don't deserve a chance to have the best this life has to offer. Dig deep within and find the confidence to stand before the world unafraid to be unapologetically you. Go for what you want, become who desire to be and live as if you owe this world no explanation. This is your time. This is your moment. It's time to start living the life you know you've always wanted to live. Right here, right now. If that means, waving some friends goodbye, then so be it. If that means fine tuning and learning new skills so you can kiss that unfulfilling job goodbye, well then that is what must be done.

"The Take Away"

As this new year begins to take shape, find the courage to live your truth. In the past, you may have allowed other people and situations to define your worth. Today is the day that ends. There's an awakening taking place in you. An Awakening of consciousness that won't accept comfortably living in unhappiness. You're a walking miracle with a life that can absolutely become what you desire it to become. Find the joy in living once again. Rid yourself of anything that doesn't represent where you are headed. Some people may not like that and that's ok. This is your life. and your time. Anything that disrupts your peace and causes you to second guess your value, it's got to go. This is your moment of strength. It's your transformation. Here now today is when you decided you are no longer going accept things just being the way they are. You are going to thrive by any means necessary. It's time to start living again. Be encouraged.    

"A Renewed Purpose"

The beginning of a new year is often reserved for a time of great reflection, renewed hope and a revitalized sense of direction. It's not uncommon to look ahead to the upcoming year with optimism as we all begin to draft our goals for the new year. 2017 provided some of us with great victories and also some crushing defeats. The most important thing of all is, we're still standing. As I look back over my previous year, I found growth in many areas of my life which I can be proud of. I also found areas that I'd like to improve as well. If we choose to view life through the lens of gratitude, many of us can find things we did that we could be proud of. It doesn't matter how seemingly small or insignificant it was. Don't let anyone coerce you into believing that small changes are not valuable. With all that is going on in the world around us, it is easy to lose sight of the strides that were made in our lives. Celebrate the successes. Celebrate any step taken forward. Look toward 2018 with great expectation because it can certainly become whatever you chose it to become.

"Purpose Driven 2018"

There is nothing quite like knowing where you are going. Thanks to GPS enabled phones, people have a greater sense a direction when it comes to getting around unfamiliar areas. My mother, God rest her soul, always had trouble with technology. I still laugh when I think about how many times I had to teach her how to use her iPhone, so she could get the places she needed to go. Just like we use GPS technology to get to our physical destinations, our lives need direction too. Discovering our purpose is what gives life meaning. Knowing where you are going is one of the most important things you could map out. A lot of people fail their new year resolutions because they create goals with no clearly defined purpose. A life with no purpose is literally like a ship in open water without a sail. This is why I encourage everyone to create a vision board because once you know where you are headed, goal creation is more effective. 

"Goals, Goals and more Goals"

Goals are always the hot topics when the new year arrives. Everyone is talking about resolutions. The most popular goal is the goal of losing weight. We all want to be healthy, after all, health is wealth. "I'm going to lose 30 pounds this year!", many will say. There is nothing wrong with these kinds of resolutions or goals at all. It is, in fact, a wonderful. Even though fitness goals are the bunt of many jokes because it is one of the goals that is often abandoned shortly after the new year begins. The problem is never the goal, it's the method used to achieve the goals. Have you ever wondered why the gym is crowded in January and by March its back to normal? It's because most people set goals at the Macro level. What that means is, they formulate an overarching goal but fail to map out the day to day processes that help you achieve the goal. These day to day processes are called micro-processes. Things like eating right, committing to going to the gym 3-5 times a week could be some of the micro-processes that lead to the macro goal of losing weight. We can apply these principles to every goal we set in our lives. 

"The Take Away"

2017 is now officially a closed chapter in the story of our lives. Maybe some things didn't go as well as you hoped. The wonderful thing about life is the gift of new beginnings. 2018 could be the year everything goes right. Remember discovering or revitalizing your purpose leads to a life of absolute fulfillment. At the end of the day, that's what we all are looking for. Knowing where you are going and defining the way you get there is an amazing way of starting the year off with a bang. May we all get the things we desire this year. Let's celebrate our new beginning with loved ones with a renewed sense of purpose. This is a new chapter in life. Here's to a wonderful new year of health, happiness and the manifestation of our deepest dreams.