Free The Diva: January: Empowerment

January's Mission: Empowerment

Happy 2011 Divas! This is the year you are going to make things happen. Life is going to be on your side. You are going to start setting goals and making baby steps to achieve them. You are going to get organized, improve your relationships, be inspired, and learn new things - all with the help of Free the Diva. Let's start off 2011 with 5 goals to help get you on your way to the life you want!

Goal #1: Love Yourself

Follow these simple guidelines to start the process of self love:

Learn and practice meditation. It will help you love yourself and others more.
Do what you enjoy. Go out where you like, with who you want. Stay at home, prepare yourself a nice meal and settle down with a good book in front of a cozy fire. Whatever makes yourself happy. Learn to be in the moment, and be happy for this moment - it is your life. Make it what you want.
Every time you feel an emotion, stop and feel it. Notice what it feels like. Emotions are nothing more than the way you are perceiving a situation. Accepting negative things as good things in another perspective can yield great results.
You are unique. Focus on the positive things and be grateful for your life.

Goal #2: Set Goals

Goal setting is important for many reasons. Some of the biggest are:

Deciding what you want to achieve in your life.
Separating what's important from what is not
Motivating yourself.
Building your self-confidence

Set your lifetime goals first. Then, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan. Keep the process going by regularly reviewing and updating your goals. And remember to take time to enjoy the satisfaction of achieving your goals when you do so.

If you don't already set goals, do so, starting now. As you make this technique part of your life, you'll find your career accelerating, and you'll wonder how you did without it!

For help with goal setting please go to mindtools.com and read the personal goal setting article.You can find it here.

Goal #3: Get Inspired

On this fresh new day of the fresh New Year, get inspired by life.

Get inspired by the possibilities for love and achievement, for friendship and fulfillment.

Get excited about the opportunities for growth and rich experience that come with every turn of events. Get excited about living in a world that's filled with abundance in every direction.

Get passionate about making a difference in your own life and in the lives of those around you. Get passionate about expressing and fulfilling those dreams that are uniquely yours.

Right now, throughout your whole being, feel how truly good life can be. Carry that goodness with you as you move forward and create a bright new future.

Give meaning to each moment. Give the best of yourself to everything you do.

Get inspired, get excited, get motivated, get busy and get going. Take the very real opportunity to make this the most outstanding year you've ever experienced.

-- Ralph Marston

Goal #4: Get Healthy

What is going on with our health in America today? Why are 68% of us fat? The diet industry is making billions off of us each year, and we are getting nowhere!

We have seen it all: Low Fat, Low Carb, Atkins, South Beach, Hollywood Diet, Blah,blah,blah. Not to mention the thousands of pills on the market. I received an advertisement just yesterday that proclaimed no diet change or exercise needed, just take this magic pill for weight loss. What the.....do people actually fall for this? Obviously they do. I used to be one of them.

First of all, America is the fattest country because of what we eat. Dieting is a temporary solution. Unless you are willing to change your diet completely for good, you are setting yourself up for failure. Unfortunately, there is no "magic pill", like these money-hungry companies want you to believe. Sure, they may speed up the weight loss process, but at what cost to your health? Do you even know what you are putting into your body? Do you care? I will tell you right now 99% of diet pills are harmful to your health. I don't know why, but we are so easily sold on a fancy advertisement promising us the world, when in reality, we get ripped off , and possibly even killing ourselves. Well I got fed up. I decided to devote years into getting to the bottom of weight loss and dieting.

My findings may not be what you want to hear, but I'm not going to sugar coat it or lie to make money. I used to be fat,depressed,sick,and unmotivated. My father died from cancer, and that was the last straw for me. I decided this one chance at life we are given is too short to be miserable. These 10 guidelines will help keep it simple:

1. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION. Remember, restaurant meals are 3-4 times the portion amount you should be eating.

2. BEST CHOICES are fruits, vegetables and lean meat .

3. BAD CHOICES for sure is if it comes in a package. Anything processed, i.e. cookies,crackers,chips,ice cream,etc. Not good. All of this crap is loaded with sugars,preservatives, and empty calories.

4. FAST FOOD. We are in a world of convenience, and drive-thrus are on every corner. Avoid when you can. You are teaching your children nothing but bad habits when you give them a happy meal for lunch.

5. SOFT DRINKS. There is nothing positive at all in these. Empty calories, one of our worst enemies.

6. HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP. Yikes! This stuff should never be consumed. When you see it, run!

7. SUGAR. A person should be consuming NO MORE THAN a half a cup per day. In reality, the average american has 2-4 cups per day. (If you were properly educated on what this does to your body, you would be shocked!

8. SAUCES. Be careful...know the ingredients. Heavy creams,cheese,butter and oils should be used sparingly.

9. WATER. Love it.Your body is crying out for 8 or more glasses a day.

10. EXERCISE. The no. 1 cause of depression is lack of physical activity. There are a lot of ways to get in daily physical activity. I am not going to tell you to get a gym membership and work out 3 hours a day. Find whatever exercise regime you enjoy, and get moving! You most likely will not feel like exercising, however, you will benefit from it in more ways than you realize, so MAKE IT HAPPEN!

That is it. Those are the basic guidelines. If you are extremely heavy and would benefit from a diet program to get you started, just make sure you do your homework and choose a healthy one. But remember, if you are not willing to make a lifetime commitment to a healthier lifestyle, the second your diet is over and you pick up your old habits, you will pick up all those pounds (and most likely more) you work so hard getting rid of.

I highly suggest getting your life going today, right now! Don't wait another second. Be the person that you want to be, do the things you want to do. Remember, misery is an option. Don't just lay around and let your precious life flutter away before your eyes.

Two excellent resources are fit for life not fat for life and skinny bitch.

Goal #5: Make a Life Plan

Here is a list of questions to write down and answer:

Core values: What is most important to me?
Dreams: What do I dream about?
Family: Is work allowing us time with our children and family?
CoWorkers: Am I helping coworkers accomplish their personal goals?
Exit strategy: Do I want to retire? And if so, when?
Financial: How much money do I want to make? How much do I need to save for later years?
Friendships: Am I spending enough time with people who are important to me?
Fun: Am I still having fun at work? At home? With Life?
Interests: Do I have the time and the resources for entertainment and travel? What places do I want to visit in the next two to three years?
Location: Where do I want to live?
Health: How can I maintain my health?
Relationships: Am I continually developing and improving my relationships?
Society: Am I giving back to the community?