Do you remember life before cell phones and social networking??

I could never give up my cell phone but yesterday I unplugged from Facebook  :-o

This may or may not be.................a beautiful thing!!! lol!

.............................. Will be back soon to update you on its life changing affects............................................

Wow, what an overwhelming response I have received from posting my photos and achievements of the April 7 SNBF Figure Competition. Such an awesome feeling to go into something for the purpose of  checking it off my 'bucket list' but to come out of it with the realization that I have lived every word of my Primo philosophy, with a new found Passion & Strength, and that I have motivated and inspired so many people!! What more can I ask for??  

I have had several people ask me "What's your diet", "what's your work-out", "how much cardio do you do?"  etc...........

I decided I would respond here the best I can and then you can follow up with any questions here, on Facebook, or to tanya@findyourprimo.com

I'll say this right out the gate:

1. I LOVE FOOD!!!
2. The only way to maintain the abs in my photos is to not eat anything Yummy & Delicious & Bad for You.
3. My diet and training was specific to getting me on stage that one day

OK.....

October 2011 - I started tossing around the idea of being in a competition because I heard some ladies talking in the locker room. I like a good physical challenge... because although they are hard and still require lots of persevering and believing I always know I can achieve it (I like to do these while struggling with the stuff that doesn't come as naturally to me)

November/December 2011 - Eat whatever I want ( I did not have to lose as some people do that are training for a competition) as long as I am having 4 solid protein meals a day. Work out with weights 4-5 days a week.

January 1, 2012 - I cut out pretty much everything!! No more coffee, sugar, flour.... I cheated some with the coffee but no more cream or sugar. Oatmeal (I mixed regular and steel cut) and sweet potatoes were about the only carbs.  At this point I was doing about an hour of weights 6 days a week. Legs twice, shoulders, back, biceps/triceps, Chest (added weighted Abs to 2 of those days- message me if you want details). Was not doing cardio other than walking the dog 30 or so minutes. I also teach Pilates 2x/week.

Mid January I added the Step Climber....My gym has the newer version of the old step mill. Most gyms only have 1 or 2 of these machines and the only people ever on them are the ones that are in hard core training. People seem to be afraid of it. It burns fat and calories but not muscle (something like that). The bike is good too or sprints. My cardio schedule was 20 min on Mon, 40 on Tue, 60 on Wed, 30 on Thur, 30 on Fri, and 40 on Sat. In march I was suppose add a second cardio a day of sprints for 20 minutes...I cheated out a lot on this and mostly did it the last 2 weeks before the competition.

The food is a real science that Eddie (my trainer) has mastered, it changed and rotated quite a bit throughout the process but the bulk of it was Tilapia, chicken, green beans, green leaf lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, egg whites, plain cans of tuna, sweet potato, oatmeal most days but not all with a hit of almond milk.  Until about Mid February I was having more fats such as Salmon, peanut butter, almonds, cashews. The only fruit during the process was a grapefruit in the morning. Also I drank between a gallon and a gallon and a half of water per day. Wasn't suppose to have alcohol after January but I occasionally cheated with red wine and from time to time I would have a flat out cheat meal on a Saturday night of anything I wanted (this is actually good because it keeps the body guessing). If I had to have a carb it was rice cake with peanut butter or a plan potato. The week before the competition I started with 2 gallons of water and ZERO carbs just greens and tilapia... by Friday I was cutting out water almost all together and added sweet potatoes (had 10 that day) so by Saturday my abs and other muscles were popping but I had no puffiness or bloating because of the lack of water. I must add... I was on LOTS OF SUPPLEMENTS to compensate for what I was lacking.  (Do not cut out your water unless you are actually going on stage or having a photo shoot!!)

No condiments and on the lettuce, safflower oil and apple cider vinegar only!

If you read previous blog posts (of me complaining) you will learn about the time I put into preparing the food and meals. I never went anywhere with out my plastic containers of the next meal and my gallon of water!!

Phew...that's it in a nutshell. As you can see it really was a lead up to that one day and I don't look as I did in those pictures everyday.

As a final note I would say:  Determine your goal!! What I did is not a lifestyle diet!!  I live by the 80/20 rule where I eat good and healthy 80% of the time 20% of the time I eat what I enjoy and drink close to a gallon of water a day. I do like to work-out ....to be muscular and shapely I'm at the gym 4-6 times a week doing about 45-60 minutes of weights and 20 - 30 minutes of cardio.

I believe most of us know what to do, its just actually doing it. If you are trying to get from one level to the next I suggest working with a recommended, qualified, certified trainer (which I am not) also working out with someone with the same goals always help in keeping you accountable.

I know I sort of "threw up" a lot of information....so please feel free to ask questions or get clarity.

PERSEVERE-BELIEVE-WIN

Thanks for the love.......................It's a beautiful thing!!

Before
After

This is my first blog post since the Supernatural Bodybuilding & Fitness Competition, (a week ago this past Saturday)  If you've been following...I've been training for about 5 months for this monumental occasion...and if you've been following, you know I did a lot of complaining. BUT I set a goal I wanted to achieve,  I dug deep within through the long workouts and the seemingly endless preparations of chicken, fish and sweet potatoes, and the visits to ice cream shops where I had just water....and I PERSEVERED....I BELIEVED....and I WON!



I felt like a winner just getting to game day....being in a competition was my goal....placing would have been a nice treat, but winning wasn't really a thought. HOWEVER.... my hard work payed off and I came in first place in both my classes (novice and over 40)...whoo, hoo!!! What an awesome feeling to take home hardware for something other than "most improved" (which is great too...but winning is better)! I of course posted pictures on Facebook that night (my theory is if you worked that hard at something especially over 40 you can brag and post pictures)...the messages and phone calls I've received about how I have inspired and motivated my friends and folks I hardly know have been overwhelming!!! For someone whose BIO says she gets her kicks off of motivating and inspiring others..... THAT IS WINNING!!

"You Did It" is what my gym buddy Devon Brown said to me.... "You Did It.... You JUST DID IT....and that's what inspires people!!" Huh, So simple....Nike has been preaching this for decades...but it really struck a cord when Devon said it to me...it seemed to take on a deeper meaning.

Doesn't matter what it is...you don't have to be in a competition, or lose 15% of your body fat, you don't need to actually win a trophy but when you want something...Just Do It! Get out of your own way, quit making excuses, go after what your heart desires...Just do it! The sense of self satisfaction and achievement is awesome and when others see you 'doing it' they become motivated and inspired to DO their thing too......

....and that is a beautiful thing!

Thanks for the LOVE!!!

 

 

(please disregard the last published blog...technical difficulties)

Bathing suit from Target     $30
Alterations and bedazzling for suit    $55
Spray Tan    $60
Clear Posing Shoes   $40
Boots from Goodwill for "theme wear" costume   $6.95
Support from my family, friends and fellow gym rats...............PRICELESS!

My journey to my first ever 'Figure' competition is finally coming to a close this Saturday...Whoo, Hoo! Definitely fell short in keeping up with the blog through the course.........

This has been one heck of an experience.....A challenge every step of the way! That of course is what makes it so awesome. "He loves any new challenge...will jump in with two feet..."  what can I say,  my Primo within has been activated!

About two weeks ago none of this was making sense...what a waste of time...the hours at the gym, the preparing ahead for meals.....the boring food....the lack of social eating ....for what ??? To look good ?! I know I'm vain, but this was excessive!! I was feeling pretty certain that a night on stage with six pack abs was not worth the time, energy, and money I was putting into this.  I don't even like to take the time out to wash my car because I feel like its a waste of my time!! Then one of my priceless supportive friends reminded me..... I'm living my tag-line. Huh....yes I was!! This does fit nicely into my Primo plan.  (I'm certain I knew this at the beginning but in the midst of my challenges I forgot)...There is no way I would have made it through these last 4 months without digging deep to find my inner strength....I embraced my many challenges (ok...ok...I didn't always embrace there was plenty of complaining), I worked damn hard, I persevered....and persevered, I believed in myself that I could see it through and at this point even if I don't come home with hardware Saturday night .... I WIN!!  I set a difficult goal, one I have put off for many, many, many years because I never felt I had the discipline to stick it out.....and I am 3 days away from achieving it......That my friends, feels goooood!!!

People keep asking me if I'm nervous....Hello??? I'm gonna be on stage under bright lights, with a huge attitude (and tiny bikini) .....  This is my thang ??? So, NO I'm not nervous, I'm excited to ham it up to the audience and the judges...goin out to have a good time and show off what this 42 year old has worked so hard for!!  FIND YOUR PASSION, FIND YOUR STRENGTH, FIND YOUR PRIMO....hmmmm!!! I then get to follow up with the celebration of the rising of our Good Lord and I get to EAT any bad food I want .........

...........and that is a beautiful thing!!

Love'n how much fun my kids are having with this and how supportive they've been!!

Find Your Inner Strength, Embrace your challenges, work hard, persevere, believe, win..........Find Your Primo!!

Happy Valentines Day! Remember, Primo loves to Love!  <3 <3

....It's a beautiful thing!

"No excuse, no matter how valid, is impressive"

This is so true!  We all have excuses for why we didn't do it, why we were late, why it won't work  etc. Many excuses are valid but if you have committed to something, and/or are expected to do something (ie. be to work on time) NO excuse is impressive. Impressive is solving the problem before you need an excuse. Impressive is choosing to do things differently to avoid  needing an excuse.

Meet Eddy....my "not impressed by my excuses personal trainer" from Just Fitness of Alpharetta (yes, that is a wig)

I have every excuse as to why I can't do what I'm suppose to be doing when it comes to this body building thingy. You never think it will be so bad when you sign on to such a commitment... Ok, That's not true....I suppose some people do and that's why they don't give it a shot....I however, always think "how bad can it be??"

The workouts are easy peasy....the 5:30 am, the Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, the pain associated with the ridiculous amount of weight I'm attempting to move...i can do all that, I rarely make excuse when it comes to the work-out (other than the occasional "I can't lift that, it's too heavy). It is in the eating and drinking where I lay the excuses on heavy.....the incessant eating and drinking is more than I can handle...it's making me nuts!! Ya, I know...poor me.  My goal by show time (April 7th) is to put on 10lbs of muscle, which means LOTS of  eating.....and lots of drinking....the pre work-out drink, the post work-out drink, and don't forget the gallon (or more) of water a day.

Gaining these 10 lbs are not as simple as grabbing a pop tart or running through drive-thru. Many days I leave in the morning and don't return until afternoon where I regroup and then head back out to shuffle 3 kids all over town for this, that and the other. Going from breakfast to 3pm without eating was just my thing! Now I need to plan and plan good (this does not come naturally for me).  I'm constantly cooking eggs, chicken, and tilapia and washing out small containers to fill with tuna, peanut butter, or that Greek yogurt stuff -- I'm packing a lunch box everywhere I go....this of course makes me late getting out the door for almost everything. ....I have valid excuses!!  Impressive??? ....not so much.

I showed up 15 minutes late to train the other day. The kids, the eating, the preparing meals for the day...I couldn't get out of the house!  Excuses. When I complained of feeling lightheaded Eddy asked me If I was drinking my gallon of water......yup....I had more excuses. Seriously, am I suppose to take a potty break every ten minutes all day long??!! Have you ever tried teaching a pilates class with a full bladder?? (Is this TMI?) .....Excuses, I have a whole bunch!

When I feed Eddy my excuses for why I didn't drink enough water, or eat enough chicken, or drink my 2 protein drinks he just smiles.....I quickly came to realize what that smile was saying.....  "If you really want this you will figure out a way to do it....you can't get there without doing the work" (He and his pleasant smile are the bomb!)

One thing I know for sure.... Excuses will not bring me to the end result I want!!

What does Primo say???  Work Hard, Persevere, Believe...................

I can do this..... No more excuses!!

(As stated by Primo in a recent Facebook post)  ....

"Some goals are easier for us to attain, so, keep working on those to stay positive and upbeat while that BIG goal is kicking your butt!!"

Any goal worth achieving will require hard work, perseverance, and belief in yourself but you know how we either stink at math and are good at writing or are horrible writers but natural mathematicians?? ....we'll I believe their are things we are just naturally inclined to doing....SO.... if while you are trying to achieve goals that don't come naturally and they are kicking your butt every step of the way....then challenge yourself also with something that comes a little more naturally. Cause lets face it...reaching a goal gives us fuel...it gives us strength, self esteem, and motivation ...just what you need to keep moving forward to conquer those butt kicking goals!!!

I have one such goal....one that will definitely be a challenge...one where I will need to dig deep to find my inner strength, I will need to work hard, persevere, and believe in myself every step of the way BUT this kind of goal comes naturally for me.....it charges me, it gives me fuel!!

To blog or NOT to blog about it?? Is it showing off or motivating others...idk, just feels a little pretentious... Blog, not blog, blog, not blog, blog, not blog......................???

When fate landed me in Albany, NY on Monday when my plane to Boston had to make an emergency landing due to a failed engine, and that same fate sat me next to just the person I needed to sit next to (so I would stay calm and not freak out) 5 hours later when they were finally delivering us to Boston... I decide I should listen to this intelligent guys advice ....and "Blog about 'it'".   After all, what's the point of a near death experience (Ok, maybe it wasn't really near death - but I'm gonna milk it for all I can) if I'm not going to take something away from it. "BLOG about 'it'", he said  "it seems like a perfect tie-in with this Primo thing of yours" (yea, I talked his ear off.... I know, shocking).
 
'IT' = The Supernatural Bodybuilding & Figure Competition

Yup, Primo lady has committed to train and enter into a Body Building/Figure competition this April. It's been 4 years already since I got my black belt in karate....it is time for another Physical challenge.  Building strength -- Body, Mind, and Soul....mmmm, just my thing!  I've thought about it for a while now, but what fool wants to work that hard in the gym and have to follow that meal plan???  Oh yea...that fool would be me !! 

I hope for 2 things through blogging about this journey:
 
1. You all will hold me accountable
2. You will consider taking your health & body to your own personal next level. Was exercising and eating healthier on your New Years Resolutions again this year??

What are we without our health????

I look forward to sharing with you my stories/photos/videos of me digging deep to find my inner strength, and the daily struggles of the hard work, perseverance and believing in myself in order to  reach this goal.

Challenge YOURSELF my Primo friends..... be the best YOU that YOU can be!!

Find your inner competitive spirit.....Find Your Primo!!

.....it's a beautiful thing!

JANUARY!! I love January (except for the cold) ..... I love how January gives you permission to start fresh, get organized and evaluate your life. The perfect time to take a look at where you've been the last year and where you want to go in the year ahead. On January 1st I don't just write my resolutions but I write down all kinds of things beginning with my list of things to do for the day. I then move to my goals for my family (including vacations we would like to take), I make a long list of short term goals and a to-do list for the business and I always re-write the ultimate big picture for PRIMO. Then there's my physical goals...ya know, eat healthier, exercise more! I write down the things I want to keep back in 2011 and just general things I would like to see in 2012. I write down my blessings, and a recap and evaluation of where my kids are in their life and where my marriage is after another year. I sit with my paper journal and my pen and together we go out with the old and in with the new....I organize my thoughts, I am refreshed and ready to conquer the year ahead!!!

...............and that is a beautiful thing!!  

I hope all my favorite Primo fans are off to a great start this year.... I have a feeling 2012 is going to be an extra wild ride for me;  I am moving into the year opening my heart and mind to people and opportunities (respectively) that are bound to make me a stronger and better person. Yes, writing in this blog on a regular basis is on my new years resolutions!!! ....I look forward to sharing some of 'my stuff' that I have in store for this new year.....stay tuned.

In the meantime.......... Persevere - Believe - Win !!!

 

"Have patience with all things but first with yourself. Never confuse your mistakes with your value as a human being. You're a perfectly valuable, creative, worthwhile person simply because you exist. And no amount of triumphs or tribulations can ever change that. Unconditional self-acceptance is the core of a peaceful mind.''(St. Francis de Sales)

I had the pleasure of working with a great group of young leaders last night. I hung with 16 8th grade girls from the local National Charity League for an hour and half for self reflection. The way I see it... how we see ourselves is a direct correlation with our self-worth/self Esteem but  also with how we will treat others.

We spent our time telling stories and dissecting  Primodonna...what...what?? OK, not really dissecting this sweet wacky girl character but using her funny body parts to represent our own lives. Sound complicated? Not really........check it out:

Her Feet represent those things that ground us! Her body/core aka power house represent our strengths...our skills....

Her hair represents those things we have a hard time embracing about ourselves....those things that lower our self confidence.

Her arms are for embracing. Embrace yourself and everything about you...the good, the bad, the ugly! Embrace others....be kind...encouraging...lift others up, don't tear them down. Find your own success by helping others be successful!!










"Let me Help You"..... for more information about what Primo, Primodonna, and the Primo Lady can do for your group or organization contact me at tanya@findyourprimo.com


Inspiring Others.............. It's a beautiful thing!

"Do what you love, love what you do"  - The secondary tag-line for the Life is Good T-shirt company....those thoughts were running through my head when I was getting ready for yesterday morning's farewell speech to the graduating 5th graders at Ocee Elementary in Alpharetta, GA.

I love to get in front of a crowd and speak....I love the opportunity to share, motivate, and inspire, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do just that at our local elementary school....Do what you love, love what you do! I like to say - find your passion, find your strength, find your Primo!!

Because I know all to well, that much is lost in translation from our children to us.....or they may not tell us anything at all....I wanted to share with you (hopefully some Ocee Mom's and Dad's have been directed here) a very abridged version of the speech I presented to the kids yesterday...It will give you the main points however, it will be lacking some of The Primo Lady's wit and obnoxious boasting about this years Field Day t-shirts ( aahem....beautifully designed and printed by Primo Activewear

I created PRIMO for you so you can have a visual of your inner competitive spirit; the competitive spirit that you must awaken whether you are competing against someone to win or if you are  competing against yourself to be or do your personal best. I created Primo to give you a fun way to picture in your mind what strength, hard work, perseverance, respect, a positive attitude and believing in yourself looks like...

 

...Reach down to your gut where he resides-

Don’t you know your strength comes from inside?

 This competitive spirit dwells in us all...

So many times he waits for your call.

 Competing to win against your opponent

Doing your best may be the component;

 Dig deep within as you go on life’s ride,

I tell you again strength comes from inside

 Primo is there, so go out on a limb

 He’s waiting and waiting for you to go find him!

**( a snippet from the upcoming Primo book)

 

I understand your theme for the week is ‘looking to the future’…. Your future is out there (pointing out the doors)... But it is not some place that you are going to, as much as it is some place that you are creating, and what you create will depend on how you think and how you act .

Each finger of Primo's "unusually large hands" represents a personal skill/ trait/attribute that when combined become 'Primo's High 5 Principles for Success'. How one thinks and how one acts in accordance to these principles will create your future...........Are you creating the future you want?

P =  Perseverance

R = Respect yourself and others

I  = It is all in the attitude ("It's is not who you are that holds you back, it is who you think you are not")

M = Make the right choice (you can choose right or you can choose wrong...either way, you will get a result....are you getting the results you want?"

O = Open your mind to new opportunities (often times the greatest things that happen to us are the unexpected thing that come into our life....be open to new opportunities)

I asked the kids to make a commitment to themselves on May 27, when they walk out those doors for the very last time, to persevere in all they do, to respect themselves and others, to maintain a positive attitude, to make the right choices in life, and to always be open to new opportunities!!!

** I've known many of these kids since kindergarten, a few I saw get on the school bus for the very first times as tears ran down their parents faces,   .... I'm so proud of them and wish them much health, happiness and success in middle school and in the FUTURE!!

.....................It's a beautiful thing!!!

 

"Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily.  For the vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late"  Habakkuk 2:3

 It’s in the waiting.........

 I don’t know about you but I need momentum to keep me motivated.

 So if momentum = mass x velocity....   And velocity = distance/time.....(my 4^th grader has a test on this tomorrow)

Then I need a whole lot of stuff to start moving quickly so that I will stay motivated!!

Don’t we all feel this way? It’s just not easy to wait on something you want to happen.

 

Are you waiting for something??

 

Funny thing is…life doesn’t always work that way.  When an old friend I hadn’t seen or spoken to in a long time, left me a message the other day and reminded me about waiting for Gods timing…I took it as a sign from Above. 

Be patient....wait...when the timing is right, it will all happen... you don't have to like it-- just do it   This picture of me below waiting for “that” perfect wave is an awesome metaphor for life.

 

There’s a Derks Bentley song “when you know who want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right now” ….well, I feel the same way about my life calling………. When what you want to do with the rest of your life finally comes into focus, you don’t want to wait around, you don’t want take the time for the learning curve…you want the rest of your life to start right now!

Now, I find that in the waiting sometimes it may feel like procrastination….”I’m just waiting for the right time” …hhhmmm…. Not gonna fly!

So be patient but don’t sit around and wait…spend your time working toward building that momentum… do the ground work, stay diligent to the end result, plan, seek answers, seek knowledge, step out of your comfort zone, face your fears, be prepared… cause when HE feels it’s the right time…….there may be no slowing down.

 

Patience………it’s a beautiful thing!

 

 

 

 

It's a rainy dreary day and baseball and soccer have been canceled across the board-- so I'm cleaning closets!! Yea! In addition to all present day stuff  there are boxes stashed of my old things and photos from high school...but it doesn't stop there, there also boxes of both my parents things....from high school! I could get lost in the reminiscing forever.........

I stumbled across this 'prayer' card that was tucked away in what seemed to be my dads wallet from...shortly after high school (there were all sorts of graduation photos of girls with all that mushy writing on the back).

Anyway, wanted to share---

Believe in yourself
  To the depth of your being
Nourish the talents
  Your spirit is freeing.

Know in your heart
  when the going gets slow
That your faith in yourself
  Will continue to grow.

Don't forfeit ambition
  When others may doubt
It's your life to live--
  You must live it throughout.

Learn from your errors--
  Don't dwell in the past.
Never withdraw
  From a world that is vast.

Believe in yourself;
  Find the best that is you
Let your spirit prevail
  Steer a course that is true.

-Bruce Wilmar (the writing of his name is so small I think I spelled it right....I refuse to get my reading glasses

As Kid Rock said in one of his songs last night....God Bless Saturday!

Its January  2011...wasn’t it just January 1992??  Weren’t we just planning for Y2K?

The years are going by in the blink of an eye…

 How does that make you feel?

 

• Are you happy with the direction of your life? Is the new year a happy time for you?

• Or – is the new year overwhelming-- are you discouraged with another year that’s gone by?  Discouraged about goals you didn’t meet, discouraged by the dreams you didn’t chase, discouraged by opportunities you let pass--relationships that sat stagnant

 Whatever the case may be...

 

Think of January as a clean slate

 

January is like a white board in a school and the janitor came in over winter break and wiped it clean…

January

Is a time to Review the past year.

January

is a time to Renew yourself and to renew your future

January is a time for a fresh start

 What would it look like to Review your past year?

Did you keep your list of resolutions from last year?

 

REVIEW the list—Pat yourself on the back for the things you got to--

Acknowledge those things you didn’t …and decide if they need to stay on the list for this year.

• Review your ups, your downs, your success, your failures
• How did you celebrate the successes?
• What did you learn from your failures?
• What did you start this year? What did you achieve? What did you overcome?

 

What developed in the course of the year that you never expected?

 

I always say..."you don’t know, what you now" - 

When I made my 2010 resolutions, I didn't even know what Toastmasters was...and now my biggest goal is to complete my "Competent Communicator" manual and becoming a public speaker!

What I’m saying is... have your new year resolutions written down but keep an open mind because you don’t know what opportunities are going to come into your life.

Spend some time to review the past year - Because...The years are going by in the blink of a eye!

 

 

January...what better time to renew faith in yourself and to renew your goals-    

      

Spend time renewing your future-

 

• Write down all the things you would like to accomplish in your life…anything that comes to mind.
• list all the things you would like to learn or get better at.
• List all the places you want to visit, the The people you want to spend more time with, the organizations you want to volunteer at.
• list the things you want to do more of
• The things you want to do less of or let go of all together-

 

Hopefully you already have your 2011 resolutions written down, and hopefully you’ve already made copies and you have one next to your computer and you’ve given the other to a friend so they can hold you accountable,

 

But I want this new list to be bigger!!

 

Sometimes these goals are going to feel overwhelming and daunting and sometimes its going to be easy to talk yourself into thinking you don’t really have to do it… believe me, I know! ! I also know this…

 

            Making a positive change in your life is almost always going to be painful…initially

 

Believe that you can work through the pain

Believe that with hard work and perseverance you make things happen

Believe in yourself

 And while we are on the topic of believing, let me remind you what the great Gandhi said…

          

“Our beliefs become our thoughts, Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our habits, our habits become our values, our values become our destiny”

 

Its January 2011

2010 went by in a blink of an eye!

• Review your past
• Renew your future

Rejoice in the experiences of your past -- because they are the foundation of your future!

Rejoice in who you were created to be!

Rejoice in the blessings of another year!

 

Happy New Year....It's a beautiful thing!!

 

 

 

"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

Here I sit at the back corner of the public library... my stomach full from excessive amounts of water, almonds and Luna bars.

I have bulimia of the fingertips... I've spent hours agonizing over something of importance that I can write about. A single page Word document has 6 starts to 6 different speeches. Frequently I break into Explorer to Google something…anything. To eventually find myself one click away from purchasing the latest anti-wrinkle miracle  …thank God I snap out of it and get back to the vomit on my page.   I continue to write. Somehow it just happens --  It takes shape, it makes sense and the pieces of the puzzle start to fit; first the four corners, then the boarders,  then small parts of the picture inside...until they all connect. Beast to beauty. It doesn’t stop there … I read and reread, cut, paste, cut, paste...it's all there, just needs a better arrangement. It will come, it always does.

Try it! 

Writing……….it’s a beautiful thing!

 

 

*** NOTE TO READER**** Uugghh...technology-- if you are signed up to receive this blog automatically then you received this post already but it wasn't ready for you to read. It was the uncut version of last weeks Toastmaster speech...When I took a break to have breakfast it automatically published....seriously, I know I didn't do it, I don't know what happened....Here's your slightly cleaned up version

~It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.~ unknown

Are you holding yourself back from achieving your dreams?

Fear, lack of confidence, not believing in yourself

        Self Doubt….will stop you in your tracks.

 

Self doubt simply can not exist if you want to reach your goals and achieve your dreams-

Self doubt is a huge obstacle that many of us face-

 Self doubt is sneaky….You can't always recognize it….it disguises itself...

 .. as lack of knowledge, as lack of understanding, lack of time….

"I need to learn more"

"I need to do more"

"I need to take a class first"

"Once I finish all this…then I can focus on that."

 

Recognize it and admit that it is you holding yourself back-

 

 

I know this first hand….

I have a goal…a dream – I want to be on stage in front of large groups of kids and adults and I want to motivate and inspire them to be motivated and inspired…..

But I say to myself…

I can’t do that…

Who am I?

• Who am I to stand on stage and give an inspirational speech?
• Who am I to call up organizations and tell them that I want to be their motivational speaker?
• Who am I to teach anyone anything about life?

I haven’t accomplished anything great

I haven’t built and empire, I haven’t  lived through anything horrific (knock on wood)

            I don’t have experience speaking in front of crowds….           

            I am holding myself back from reaching my goals….

 

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.

 

How do we face this monster called self doubt!

  Check out these 3 Steps (key is...You have to do them!!)

 

Step #1

Know that GOD doesn’t make junk….and that each and everyone of us were created to have some sort of impact in this world…to make some sort of difference even if it’s in just one person’s life.

 Keep A Journal

• Make a list of the times you have worked hard and persevered toward something and achieved it…. I call these your Primo moments. They can be small everyday things or huge undertakings.
• Make a list of the times you've made a choice and it's had a positive outcome on your life.

• Make a list of the times you've had a positive impact on someone else's life.
• Make a list of all the things and people in your life you are grateful for.
• Make a list of the things you believe your family and friends and co-workers like about you.
• Make a list of the things you believe those people don’t like about….then think about how you can start to change those negative things.
• Make a list of your strengths

Keep this journal handy ,  read it and add to it often.

 

 STEP #2

People say motivation doesn’t last…well neither does bathing, that is why they are both recommended daily….I love that quote by Zig Ziglar.

 Get your daily dose of motivation-

• Read Daily affirmations-
• Try listening to motivational CD’s in the car on the way to work? or while getting yourself ready in the morning.
  
• Read from a book at least 30 minutes each day that brings you closer to your goals and is a source of motivation.
• Daily motivational quotes on your Google home page or calendar

 Get your daily dose of motivation….

 Step #3

… this I believe is the most important way to overcome self-doubt and to gain belief in yourself.

 

• Surround yourself with people who believe in you!

• Surround yourself by positive, like minded people who all want similar things out of life.
  

• When your horoscope reads - “seek out the kind of people who can assist you in achieving your long-term goals” than do just that!

• Spend time with those who have achieved what you want to achieve, learn as much as you can from them.

• Spend time with those people who are going to push you to become the best possible you!

• Lastly, Spend time with those people who love you unconditionally.
• Limit your time with the nay-sayers…those people who say things like…”your work to hard, here you again, your crazy, why do want to do that”
  

 

#1 Keep a journal

#2 Get your daily dose of motivation

#3 Surround yourself by people who believe in you.

 

 

No more fear, no more self doubt, no more excuses…

 

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.

...It's a beautiful Thing!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hey Hey "FIND YOUR PRIMO" Facebook Friends (yes, you must be on facebook) We are running an easy contest were you can win a brand new, silver, ipod shuffle by simply suggesting the 'Find Your Primo' facebook page to your many facebook friends. Who can't use a new shuffle for the holidays ??

Whoever sends us the most friends wins! We're all about winning!!
(minimum of 20 friends....I know you all have well over 200 friends)

Here's what you need to do:
1. Click "suggest to friends" on the left side bar of the Find Your Primo FB page

2. Share the page with your friends....In the "personal message" write that you are trying to win an ipod shuffle--Ask your friends to become a fan of this awesome page ...for a dose of daily motivation (you can say whatever you want) and then tell them they have to say "Hi" and post YOUR name on the wall.

3. Whoevers (whomevers ??) name shows up the most on the Primo wall will win (say that 3 times fast ) the Ipod shuffle.

 (If there is a tie...I will have a tie breaker)

FANS....it's a beautiful thing!

Sorry I haven't written in a while but the truth is I'm only capable of writing when my mind is silent and I can write from the heart --- things are so crazy lately I just haven't had the 'still' to sit and write.  Not to mention I have family visiting and we're busy having fun  

We took a ride this weekend in my brothers RV for some good fall fun. We camped only an hour away but it felt like we were on a far away vacation.  We planned nothing -- just grabbed pillows and toothbrushes and went for 24 hours. We hit a corn maze (we didn't actually hit it -- my brother is quite a good driver considering the size of his RV)  and went apple picking;  I hadn't been apple picking since I was a kid -- my boys have never been...they HAD to climb trees...oh ya, they hated that!!! (sense the sarcasm).  While I'm in here trying to redeem myself with you for not writing in a while my mom is making homemade apple pie!! YUM!

Primo got another great review from "Momma in Flip Flops"  I want to share.  I encourage you to visit and even try for the Primo give-a-away.  She reviews all kinds of great things. I love these blogs at holiday time because they feature so many hidden treasures that haven't made it to the malls...yet. Speaking of cool stuff....Tomorrow I'll be taking Primo and Primodonna down to the Annual Art & Gift show at The Day School - Sandy Springs Christian Church, Johnson Ferry Road, ATL . Come on by from 9-3 for some great shopping...the holidays are right around the corner!!!   

Wherever you are I hope you are enjoying some nice fall weather. Take some time to visit an apple orchard, pumpkin patch or just take a long ride to enjoy the changing leaves!!!

Boom! Another months gone by!! Where are they going ??? Happy October!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Purchase your Pink Persevere/Believe/Win tee or thermal and 10% of proceeds will go the cause.

Primo got a great review at  Flip Out Mama today and they are doing a t-shirt give-a-way ...Check it out!

Short and Sweet

Peace - out !

"...whether school, sports, relationships, injury or illness - we must all dig deep to find our inner strength, embrace our challenges, work hard, persevere, and believe in ourselves to win!"  - Primo & Primodonna

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month. All childhood cancer foundations are near and dear to my heart as I have known entirely too many kids who have fought against cancer....10% of all sales this month at www.findyourprimo.com will go to the National Childhood Cancer Foundation

Also because I believe it's very important to praise our kids and recognize their achievements ('cause let's face it...most of the time we are yelling at them) ... I want to have a  Contest!

Enter to win a t-shirt of your choice and a wristband for yourself, your child or for a friend-

Here's how to enter:

• Tell us in as few or many words as you would like about a time in the last week that your child/grandchild/young friend has made you proud because they worked hard, persevered, and believed in themselves to overcome something (anything)- think school, sports, friendships, injury or illness.........

You Can:

• Leave a comment here
• Leave a comment on Facebook at Find Your Primo
• email us at info@findyourprimo.com

....It's a beautiful thing!