Mind Makeover

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“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you”

— John 15:18

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

The problem is that we are losing the desire to think for ourselves. We are getting our information from the wrong places, bombarded daily with thousands of commercials geared toward making us feel and think a certain way. Today, there is information everywhere.. television, social media, news, radio, youtube and billboards. Millions of dollars in research thrown in our faces casually like cancer slowly taking over our minds and bodies. We need to stop to ask ourselves questions and intentionally create a fruitful mindset.  Fruitful? You see, fruit at it’s best is sweet and beautiful. It contains all varieties flavors and colors with different ingredients for nourishing life. As children, we naturally have fruitful minds, we see beauty in the simplest things. We notice rainbows, birds and flowers. As we get older, our minds get damaged by experiences and negative people. Our fruitful minds get dropped and bruised over and over again until they become rotten and smelly. Unlike fruit, the great news is that you can choose to reverse the damage. Like anything else worth having (a great marriage, healthy body, good job), having a fruitful mind is not easy and requires work. A lot of us don’t make the decision to control our thoughts and actions. We don’t take the time and energy to radiate positivity no matter how dark the situation. We consume the gossip and blindly give in to the advertising, just because everyone else is doing it. It’t time for a mind makeover.

‘If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.’ My first thought while reading this passage is the saying ‘misery loves company’. The negative people in this world will love you for being negative with them. They will hate you ‘because you are not of the world’, not living with them in constant fear, anger and hatred toward worldly things.

My loving advice to you. Why worry so much about the things that you can not control? Stop worrying and start meditating and praying. You, my lovely lady, have such a beautiful and fruitful mind. You notice the rainbows, birds and flowers. You love others and you breathe life into everyone around you (except your brother lol). Do not worry if the world hates you, your mind does not need to belong to the world. You do not need to be the company of misery. You have been chosen to lead a gloreous life. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Live Healthy & Love Life

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“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

— Proverbs 17:22

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My Dearest MacKynzie-

I've spent the past 8 years of my life in the fitness industry. I've seen people from all different walks of life with many different outlooks, motivation and determination. I've helped people lose over 100 pounds, some kept it off and some gained it right back. Because of our culture, we've created this obsession with losing weight and looking a certain way. Many people make bad decisions day after day and wonder why they are unhealthy and unhappy. They blame others for their situation and look at healthy people as if they were given some magic skinny potion.

My loving advice to you. The magic skinny potion is a healthy diet and exercise.. surprise! It is a lifestyle and not just something you do when you feel like it. A healthy lifestyle means that you make exercise a part of your daily routine and you figure out a way to enjoy it! This does not mean that you have to give up cupcakes completely, or never eat a piece of pizza. This means that 80% of the time, you make good choices. We all get into ruts. When you do, here are some things that can help you get out:

- Completely cut soda from your diet. This stuff is poison. 

- Limit eating out to one meal per week (this includes fast food). In order to do this, you will have to plan your meals and think ahead. Make it part of your routine. 

- Find some motivating friends. Join that person that jogs around your neighborhood, go to a class at the gym or recruit someone to help hold you accountable.

- Think big (or little). Set a big goal and break it down into small achievable steps. Take one step at a time. 

- Keep a journal. This could be done by using a fitness bracelet or and old fashion journal. Write down your daily goals and progress. In my experience people were 100% likely to fail if they did not keep a journal. 

- Turn off the TV and go for a walk instead. 

You can do it! Reward yourself with your favorite happy face pancakes ;) 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create! 

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

Friend Up

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“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

— Proverbs 13:20

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My Dearest MacKynzie,

As you are growing up and going through school you will have friends that come and go. Some will lift you up and some will drag you down. This little piece of advice will save you so much frustration and I hope you are listening. 

You can pick who your friends are. Who you spend time with will help you develop your personality, give you strength to make it through tough times, and make you a better person within. There is a saying when someone gets married to someone out of their league, they 'married up'. Well, I want you to 'friend up'. If you surround yourself with people that are out of your league...smarter, more driven, more experienced, more loving and caring.. you will rise to meet them. 

My loving advice to you. Middle and high school will seem like a popularity contest but the time goes by fast and those will be some of the most important times in your life because it helps build your character. Never make fun of anyone or laugh with others that do. Stick up for others. Place yourself in groups where your friends are dreaming and creating and doing. If you fall into the pit of bad friends, no matter where you are in life, you can always change. Be bold and go outside of your comfort zone to find others that will lift you up! 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

The Simple Things

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“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil- this is God’s gift to man.”

—  Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

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My Dear MacKynzie, 

I have always been a go-getter with a million things on my to-do list. I like to read, learn and accomplish. I don’t like to waste time doing things that are not productive. Over the years I’ve learned that sometimes it is ok to sit back and take a breath. Sometimes you accomplish more by accomplishing less. You and your brother remind me every day how beautiful the world is, from the smallest flower to the brightest sunset. Please do not lose your love for beautiful things and take time to appreciate all that life has given you. You are much more fortunate than most. You have parents that love you, a sharp brain to guide you and opportunity before you. 

My loving advice to you. Every day make a conscious effort to stop and take in a good moment. Keep your simple pleasure spirit, smell the flowers and look at the sunset. Life is much better when you take some time to enjoy it. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create!

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)

The Borrower is Slave to the Lender

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“The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender.”

— Proverbs 22:7

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My Dearest MacKynzie-

It is hard to swim upstream. When everyone around you has credit cards, mortgages and car loans it is easy to jump in and go with the current. Spending more than you have is called getting into debt and that is bad! I hope that I can help you avoid debt and lead by example. 

Your daddy and I started our marriage with over $80,000 in medical bills. We were living paycheck to paycheck and struggled to pay our bills. We brought you into this world having no idea how we were going to afford it. Though you don’t remember, we all worked together to become completely debt free (except for the mortgage.. we are still working on that). We ate many macaroni dinners, purchased used clothes and rarely went out to eat. ‘Things’ became less important to all of us because we realized that we could be happy without them. Our friends all thought we were crazy and didn’t understand our strange lifestyle.

My loving advice to you. Create a budget and stick with it every month. Do not spend more than you make and save for things you want. The lifestyle you can live debt free is so much better. There is less waste, more joy in the simple things and no struggle to keep up with the family next door. You will be able to help others when they are in need, take vacations without the stress of the aftermath and help others learn to do the same. Dave Ramsey has some great tools to help you learn how to ‘live like no one else’. 

My love to you and my prayer for an amazing life!  Live to inspire <3 to create! 

The purpose of sharing this letter is to inspire you. Please ‘like’ if you found this article useful and please ‘share’ if you want to help inspire others. You never know who is watching ;)