Everyone needs a little inspiration, a little motivation, to keep themselves on track. I do many things, but one of them is finding things like quotes that inspire me and remind me of what I’m doing and why. Here are my 5 quotes that are currently on my vision board, which I make a conscious effort to go over every morning at my desk.

I am the Peace that I Seek. -(My Personal Mantra right now)

Security is mostly a superstition. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. -Helen Keller

Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible. – Unknown

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw of the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the  trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

The mark of an Authentic Life is when we are no longer willing to contain our Greater Self just to avoid discomfort. Your life has a higher purpose than seeking approval. If you offer your life to your grandest vision, it will free the genius within you. -Josh Cohen.

These quotes remind me of the the fact that I am hear for a reason, that doing what feels right to me may be risky and considered foolish by others, but that I will regret not following my heart in the end if I choose to be guided by the judgments of others. These are important reminders for me right now, as I have made many drastic changes to my life. If ever I am in doubt,  I have my board to remind me what I’m doing.

Got any great quotes that are guiding your through your journey?

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I hate being sick. Having a bunch of kids in the house means I’m exposed to pretty much everything that’s going around. I do what I can to make sure my body is able to fight off as much as it can on it’s own, especially since I refuse to take antibiotics (I would of course take them if there was no other way, but I have yet to come across something I couldn’t either fight on my own or with the help of Mother Nature).

Image provided by: uhaweb.hartford.edu

Giving your immune system what it needs is worth the effort (and it’s not that hard). You will not only get sick less often, but you’ll feel better all the time even when you’re healthy. There are a few easy things you can do everyday that will help keep you from catching the office stomach flu next time it stops by.

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and fiber- all things that will help you. Click on my links for my top 5 fruits and veggies.
2. Get a regular, consistent amount of sleep. You body needs that time to heal and restore your immune system (which is working nonstop for you). Not getting enough rest means your immune system can’t fully recharge itself. Aim for at least 7 hours a night.
3. Get regular exercise. Working out strengthens your cardiovascular system, which in turn improves blood circulation (and all the good things that your blood carries around your body). Not only that but the lymphatic system- one important component of your immune system- requires physical movement in order for it to transport immune cells throughout your body.
4. Eat organic whenever possible (as close to 100% as possible). And I’m talking about produce, but also meat. Chemicals and pesticides in conventional food make your immune system work overtime to try to remove them from your body. Get rid of as many as possible, and suddenly your immune system isn’t working as hard.
5. Eat your Protein. Your body needs proper amounts of protein for building cells, so if it doesn’t have enough of what it needs, you immune system will come up short.
6. Reduce your stress level. We all operate under certain levels of stress, and sometimes there’s not a lot you can do about it. But, if you can schedule yourself one activity each week, whether it’s a massage or something as simple as a nap, it will help your body to function more efficiently, including your immune system.
7. Stay hydrated. We all know we’re supposed to be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. It’s easy to come up short though. The better hydrated your body, the better it can perform all the myriad of functions it had to do throughout the day.
8. Avoid antibiotics if you can. I have a family member who will go out and get antibiotics at the first sign of a cold. She doesn’t care if it’s bacterial or viral (antibiotics won’t work on viral infections). She figures she just wants to be better and so she’ll take them “just in case” it’s bacterial. The more you use antibiotics, the less you immune system has to work and do it’s job. Not only do you get sick more often, but you end up needing antibiotics more often to fight things off. Since I vowed to give them up, I’ve managed to stay free of them for 7 years and my body has learned to fight off sinus infections that I never thought I could get rid of on my own.
9. Probiotics and prebiotics. I’ve said this before, but taking care of your digestive system is key to a healthy immune system. All that good bacteria down there must be present and abundant to do it’s job. The problem is many of us do not eat the kinds of food that nurture good bacteria. Taking pre and probiotics will boost the bacteria in your lower digestive track and keeping things running smoothly.
10. Supplements. Get your daily antioxidants (A, C, E, and ALA), a vitamin B supplement, an Omega 3 supplement, and consider adding garlic as well. Note: if you’re going to take garlic make sure you buy the odor-free ones or you won’t just keep keeps viruses at bay.

I really don’t get sick often, especially when you consider that at least one of the four kids seems to be sick at any given time during the school year. The 10 things I detailed here are all things I try to do for all-around health and I’ve seen and experienced what they have done for my immune system as well.

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This is the time of the year where many of us look at our lives and feel like it’s time to make changes; for some of us it’s major life changes, for others it’s just minor tweaks. The beginning of a New Year marks a new start for us all, and it gives us added incentive to consider that by the end of this year we could be living the life we’ve only dreamt of.

As I sit here writing this, I have lofty goals for myself this year. After my first year of self-employment I have learned a lot about my strength and weaknesses, the things that are truly important to me, and even where my breaking point is! My “career” goals for this year are include growing my local business to at least double the size it is now, and growing my blogs in the same fashion. Financially, I hope to remain debt free (I say this but I have a giant school loan I choose not to count because I will be paying on it so long!), purchase a house with my family, and begin the process of saving again (my saving habits have suffered after a year of struggling as a new business owner. I’m hoping to change this!).

I’ve written about many of the things I believe most impact our ability to affect last change in our lives. I just don’t think I’ve ever put it all together. So, that’s what I’m going to do today.

1. Know who YOU are and what you stand for. Sometimes we can’t accomplish goals we think are important because they’re actually important someone else (and so we believe they should be important to us). Make sure you’re being guided by your values, not others. By that same token, make sure that you are in control of the direction you’re heading!
2. Make sure your goal (or destination) is  clearly defined. There’s nothing worse than having a goal in you mind and realizing that your best efforts to accomplish it is at best keeping you running alongside of it! The more clearly defined your goals (think I want to make “more” money vs. I want to make $27,000 more this year), the more efficient you’ll be at getting there.
3. Practice Gratitude. No matter how far away you may be from your goal, being grateful for your present situation is key to long-term happiness. It will only make you that much more appreciative of your new life when you get there!
4. Keep your Spirits High. Don’t let setbacks get you down. These kinds of things are a normal part of life, and if making changes in your life were easy, everyone would be doing it! If you find yourself unmotivated, depressed, or deflated, remind yourself of number 3 (gratitude!) and get back on the horse. You’ll be glad you did.
5. Stay Motivated. Do whatever it takes. Visualize, talk to yourself in the mirror, tell the world on Facebook- whatever it takes! This is the number 1 reason I think people fail to make significant changes in their lives; at some point, you start to forget why you’re doing all of it and you just… quit. Don’t be a quitter!
6. Keep Your Life and Yourself in Balance. Letting things get out of control in the interest of going after life change might sound like a good idea, but all that focus you put into change will eventually be ripped out of your hand and brought back to your current life and current situations. Maintaining balance is difficult. No one is perfect at it, but it helps to keep things as simple as you can, to appreciate the present for what it is, and to be at peace with your life as it is, while you work toward your life changing goals.

People who are into personal growth are always thinking “How can I be a better ______”? It’s a great way to be, and I am glad to consider myself one of those people who actually thinks about those things. Thinking about it and doing it are not the same, as we have all learned over time. These six steps are truly what I think  makes all the different between success and failure.

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