My Year in Review

Another good year to put in the books! *sigh* This one was definitely a rough one, yet I still managed to keep a smile on my face when confronted with adversity. Hopefully this year will bring in even more challenging, yet meaningful experiences.

My favorite memory was being able to work with MTV!

My worse memory was the day my car decided to commit suicide.

My funnest memories were the crazy random nights when the beez would start buzzing.

And of course the MOST memorable experience this year was getting an awesome job with awesome pay and being so excited about it only to have it taken away in less then 3 months!

If you were part of this years joys & sorrows, then hold on tight my friends because we have another year together. For those who have managed to stick around up until now, all I can say is thank you! As hard as this year has been, I got through it with your presence (oh and God helped out too!).

In 2008, God taught me how to "let go."

In 2009 he gave me the opportunity to practice what I learned.

So 2010... watch out because I'm probably going to take over the world!! (jk)


Anywayyyss....

See ya'll next year!!!!

30K More Troops & Our Failing Economy

It wasn't too long ago that I started paying attention to the current events of our nation and how the rest of the world effect each other. Honestly, I didn't really care much for it because there is way too much out there that you simply just can't understand it all! In my naive mind, things are going to happen regardless my opinion. One night a friend and I were watching the news and he pointed out: "Patsy, we work hard for our money, don't you want to know what 'they' do with it?" That question alone made me curious into what actually happens to all these taxes we pay and all the taxes that are taken out of our paychecks.

I don't like wars as much as the next person, but regardless my opinion, it's in the Bible that war is inevitable, so there's really nothing I can do about it based on how I feel. Point blank, the war is still continuing and from the speech last night, doesn't sound like it's going to end very soon. We don't know how it is over there and what the men and women have to face each morning when they wake up. Even though back at home we face an economic crisis, their crisis are of actual life or death situations. The President wants to send more troops, even if we don't agree, this isn't the time for us to argue over it. If we are to be a strong nation and be an example to the world, then we need to give peace a chance at home and support his decisions. A divided nation will only make it worse at this point. You need more troops, fine, send more... but don't forget the American people back at home who are still suffering.

Since Obama has taken office, he's done nothing but spend, spend, spend! Yes, he might have given us an extra tax return, but what's an extra $500-1k per person going to do? Then all the incentives he's been offering to "stimulate the economy." All this money giving is just causing Americans to spend more with money they don't really have! If you want to "stimulate the economy" Mr. President, how about investing all that money into creating more jobs??? Remember that saying: "Give a Man a Fish, Feed Him For a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, Feed Him For a Lifetime"? Well, I'm asking you to STOP GIVING US FISH and give us an opportunity to fish!! My generation grew up to believe that going to school would put us in a better situation then our parents. We would find a good stable job and raise a family with more money then what we grew up with. I'm grown up now and all those stories sound like myths to me. Yes, we are more educated then our parents (on paper), but look at us!! The ones who are truly suffering in this economy is my generation!!! How is it that my friends who never finished school make more money then me and I actually have a 4 year college degree???? Why should it be so hard for me and my other colleagues with degrees to find jobs??? I shouldn't be competing with a high school student for a mall job.

As a victim of the economic crisis, all my goals feel so unattainable from the harsh reality that there really isn't any decent work out there. I would LOVE to go back to school, but how can I if I can't even afford to? I have always wished to take care of my parents one day and pay them back for everything they've done for me, but I can't, I can barely keep myself above water.

Honestly though Mr. Obama, the $30 billion that you're talking about w/ sending in 30k troops, you could really spend that money back at home. Let them fight for themselves. Yes, they might be living in a corrupt state, but who are we to fix it? Your focus should be on our economic status, not theirs. You say that it is in our best interest security wise to take care of this situation, then if that's the case, why aren't you beefing up security back at home? Two uninvited guests were allowed to the State Dinner and a one of your own Majors who happens to be a middle eastern just went crazy in Fort Hood and killed 30 of your soldiers.

Eight years is a very long time especially for a war and our nation hasn't gotten any better, in fact, it's gotten worse. My dad and brother work for the United States Postal Service, a branch of the government where 8 years ago they felt secure in having a job. Now, 8 years later, they pray at night before they go to bed that they wake up still employed!! I've tried to be patient and allowed for change to happen... and it has... I'm jobless now. Thanks a lot!

God Bless the Soldiers out there!

Living Life Better

I just saw Jillian Michaels on the Today show this morning and she really inspired me back into health. As a trainer, I use to look up to her because she was never afraid to yell at her clients and a lot of them really needed to be yelled at. I never really yelled at mine, but I never listened to anything they complained about because I knew what they were doing wasn't really killing them, if anything, they were killing themselves w/ their lifestyle they lived when I wasn't around!!

It's amazing the excuses people make up for themselves to not lose weight, and I know because I sometimes make up the same excuses!! Jillian answered some questions today that are the same questions that I got asked all the time. Everything she was explaining was simple science and biology. No matter what you do, it's the basic essentials that will keep you healthy! In this fast paced modernized world that we live in, we expect to just take a magic pill and lose all the weight. Well I'm sorry my friends, there is no such thing as a "magic pill" or "magic solution" if anything.

I hate when people come up to me and say: "I just bought the new so and so work out video, I'm going to get ripped!!" --- Yeah right... you just wasted hundreds of dollars that you could have used for a new outfit after you've lost weight! Losing weight doesn't cost a thing!! If anything it's cheaper and FREE!!! The reason why those in the before/after pictures get the results that they get is because they've disciplined themselves enough to look like that!! The basic idea to losing weight and living a healthy life is DISCIPLINE!!

If you can't conquer that, then you can't conquer your health! I use to always tell people that if your heart isn't into "living life better" then you're not going to. You MUST have that passion in your heart to want it so bad that it drives you to actually discipline yourself. Losing weight on your own is cheap because you should be eating less!!! I honestly believe that 75-80% of your weight loss results come from your eating. Everyone who asks me "how do I lose weight" get disappointed when I tell them that it's their diet, but it's true!! Calories in = Calories out, the more you put in and the less you do, the more weight you gain. The less you put in and the more you do, then you lose weight. I even know this from personal experience!! My mom put all of us on the South Beach Diet and that was the first time I've ever been disciplined on eating. I ate clean and less then I ever did and I was the skinniest I have ever been in my life. This was before I started training and knew how to work out and when I look at those pictures now, I look so anorexic!... but I did it! I was skin & bones because I watched my diet!!!

The biggest excuse to not be healthy is: "I don't have time." --- Yeah right!! You have time to sit in front of the computer and read this!! --- YOU HAVE TIME! --- the problem is, you don't make time to. Everything is possible once again if your heart is in it. I don't care how many kids you have, how many jobs you have or how many after school/work activities you have going for you --- you can make time!! Especially with eating, there is always time in the day for eating and choosing the proper thing to eat is the key!

Being healthy is not impossible & losing weight is simple discipline. Just like a marathon, living life better is more of a test of your mental strength then your physical strength. YOU can be an unstoppable human being if you put your heart and mind to it.

Soooo.... go out there my friends and LIVE YOUR LIFE BETTER!!! I know you can do it!

The Fallen Leaf

The colors of green dissolve from a deep red to a bright orange and finally fades into a pale yellow. As the brown leaf falls to the ground, the wind takes it away into the neighbor's yard. The dead leaf is then raked into a pile with other leaves that have fallen from trees that use to have vivid colors of summer. The simple fallen leaf then becomes like the other leaves, nothing but debris to be swept away into a garbage bag. The season changes are felt with the cool breeze that lessen the brightness of the sun. As our life transitions into a the last months of the year, I can't help but wonder what the future will bring.

Will the trees survive winter and be more fruitful then this past summer? Or will they simply rot away from the lack of TLC? Life slowly fades away sooner this time of year.... I miss the summer and the bright sun smiling on the world. I miss long days outdoors and coming inside to a refreshing ice cold bottle of water.

Summer is long gone now and so are you. Will it ever come back again the way it use to? Or is this how it's going to be from now on, dead leaves everywhere? Seasons change, people change, and every time it's never the same. I can only hope when spring comes, the leaves grow brighter then ever.

"Fate fell short this time, your smile fades in the summer...."

When Friends Become Family

Wow, what a truly amazing weekend! This past weekend made me realize how important people in your lives will be there at every single life changing event that happens to you!

I have had so many people in and out of my life in my years of existence. There are some that I miss and some I wish I had never met in my life! Five years ago, I thought I had "friends for life" relationships with some people only to realize 5 years later that I barely talk to them anymore. Life continues to grow and change you in so many ways. I truly understand that by simply living, everyone goes through different changes, but that shouldn't be a reason to not support the goals and dreams of each other.

I was really humbled from the weekend to see those who showed up physically, in spirit or not at all. Of course when the ones you would think would show up don't, it sucks, but at the same time it makes you realize that you're just not as important to them anymore like before and you learn to appreciate and love the ones who do show up. Priorities change, people change and lives change, but true friends will be there through thick and thin in all the changes. I never did think I'd stay friends with some of the people in my life now, in fact I didn't ever think we'd even become as close as we are. I am truly blessed to have the ones that have stuck around for the ups and downs.

To all my friends that have been there since day one, thank you and I love you!