What I know for Sure Sundays: It is never too late to put on your crown

Hello my loves,

Sorry this post went up a bit late today. I had an amazing time with my family today celebrating all the amazing mothers, including my own:

picture from our Broadway show date

We were blessed with a beautiful day here in the city and so my entire family planned a last minute BBQ in the park where we all got to spent some quality time. I just got home!

I could have skipped this post. However, today I had a conversation with one of my cousins that was a true eye opener. She is about to be a mother herself (currently expecting) and although she is not with the father, she is completely ecstatic to bring a life in to this world. We were talking about relationships and we got to talking about a 7 year relationship she had- the guy became part of the family after a while and then one day he was gone! I never got to ask her what happen with that but today she shared with me a lot of stuff and for that I was very grateful.

She advised that after some time she realized her life with him would have been a disaster and so, after 7 years, she had no problem breaking things off. She emphasized the fact that we only live once and there is no time to be wasting with people we know are not good for us. I loved her optimism and enthusiasm as she told me the story. It really made my day.

...and so, in the middle of that conversation I had a personal aha! moment:

Is never, ever too late to put on your crown <3

source

What does this mean? It means that regardless of what we've been through, regardless of how many times we have fallen, regardless of how many times we knew we had to move on but did not, regardless of how many times we put up with things we shouldn't have, regardless of anything you can think of-- is NEVER too late to realize your true worth, put on your crown as the queen that you are and keep.it.moving. As my cousin stated over and over--- you only live once. people will always have something to say. Live for your own personal happiness and no one else's.

And so, I couldn't end this day without sharing this amazing message with all my wonderful followers. I will keep it short. Have an amazing week!

Love,
Mabelle

Mid Week Motivation 8: The idea of seeing life as a book or series of chapters

Hello loves,

Its been a few weeks since I've shared my weekly mid-week motivation series. To be quite honest, I like to post when I have insightful and meaningful things to say not 'just because', which is part of the reason for my little hiatus.

Today's post was inspired by a random thought that came in to my mind the other day as soon as I woke up. It was one of those thoughts that comes unexpectedly but brings such a strong and captivating message. In a nutshell, this is what my 'instinct' (or whatever you may want to call it) said to me:

"Certain parts of my life at this time may not be perfect, however, I do want to see what the next chapter has to bring once I close this one".

I'm usually not the type to talk about a lot of personal things on the blog although I have, from time to time,  shared a bit of personal stuff here and there. In terms of whatever situation may be going through right now, I am in fact looking forward to sharing everything including details, when I'm ready. It may be a post with several parts or just one long post. We shall see. However, I do need time. I'm not where I want to be yet and I feel that the "story" is still writing itself.


So, my loves, the motivational part of this post is to let you know that even if certain things are not perfect, remember that life is a series of ups and downs. I feel like I talk a lot about that on the blog. However, is a lesson that Ive learned over and over again and feel I cannot emphasize that enough.

Remember this amazing quote from back in the days? :-D

Many people going through tough times take drastic measures after lying to themselves thinking that things will never get any better and may choose to do something crazy like end a life or just succumb in to the holes of depression. I am here to tell you that if you can weather this storm, you will see the other side soon enough. It may not be easy and it may take some time but one day the storm will pass and you will see the rewards of your patience.

Aren't you excited to read the next chapter of your book of life? I know I am :)

Tell me, can you share any "feel good" rituals you partake in when things may not be going your way?


Love,
Mabelle

What I know for Sure Sundays: Emotional Independence

Hello my loves,

It is one of the most beautiful days of 2015 today in NYC. Hope that wherever you are the day is just as beautiful and if not, that you are making the best of it regardless.

Today's WIKFSS post will be short, sweet, and straight to the point. One of the people I follow on instagram, posted this question the other day:

"Who are you waiting for to be happy?"

Having Emotional Independence should be one of the most indispensable, sought after, valuable traits for anyone in this world. Having loved ones around us- an spouse, parents, siblings, quality friends, and/or people we love in general is amazing. We all should have people we love around us.

However, there is a huge difference between letting someone have so much power over us that our happiness or lack thereof depends on them V. having someone that complements our naturally happy state and just makes our life that much more amazing.

Life experiences have taught me that we should all focus on being happy within ourselves, loving our solitude, having a blast on our own.

Learn to be happy on your own and only allow people in your life that make your already wonderful life even more wonderful.

With that said, this is what I know for sure:

NEVER allow your happiness to depend on a person, or a thing, or anything else that's not already within YOU.

In this life, we should spend time with people that love us (and show it), that make us more joyful, that empower, motivate and excite us. People that make our stand-alone amazing life even more amazing. Everyone else should be love from a distance. 

We should all discover the power of Emotional Independence. 

And that's all my loves. Hope you all have an amazing Sunday and an even more amazing week.

Love,

Mabelle

What I know for Sure Sundays: The Choice to resurrect in our own lives

I wrote this post about 12 hrs ago on the blogger app but didn't post. My apologies for the delay.

Hello all!

I am happy to say I was able to attend early mass with my mom and heard such an incredible message about the meaning of resurrection.

I was inspired for today's "what I know for sure Sundays" post.

In today's word, it was explained that "the cross" can be a metaphor for many things-- sadness, depression, hardships, overall hard times. We have to remember that just as Jesus had to carry the cross as he was forced to make his way to being crucified; he eventually freed himself from it- from all the pain and hardships- and came back stronger than ever before. 

Hence: moral of the story; when facing hard times, remember all is temporary and everything comes to an end (something I've mentioned many times here on the blog because I know this for a fact).

Work hard to free yourself from that cross. Keep a positive mentality. Is not an easy task by any means! I know this is easier said than done, but make a conscious effort and take it one moment at the time if you have to. Walk towards freedom. Walk towards a better present and future. The past is done. Is dead.

Leave it behind and start fresh with each step going forward.

With that said, what I know for sure is:

"If we have the privilege to be alive in this wonderful world; we have to remember that from time to time we will have to face hardships (our cross)- however, we'll ALWAYS have the choice to prevent the cross from damaging us and instead, choose to resurrect in our own lives". 

And that's all my loves. I will keep it short and sweet today. Happy Sunday and happy Easter.

What hardships can you start resurrecting yourself from today?

Love,

Mabel 

Fortunate Fridays {A mother's Love} Edition

Good day my loves!

Another Friday is upon us. Here I am to share the awesome things that happened this week, which I feel fortunate for.

As I've  previously mentioned, nobody's life is perfect but these posts give me the opportunity to remember to count my blessings and be grateful for the good things that happen in my life. And guess what, we can always decide that our lives are "perfect" based on our own definition of the word.

One thing is for sure, being grateful always brings positivism in to my life one way or another. So, I recommend you try it, even if its for one day, and see how you feel.

This week I feel fortunate for:

#1 My mothers health-- My mom had some issues with her arm this week and we were worried because she was in a lot of pain and in tears for days. Thankfully she was examined and she is okay other than having a 'frozen shoulder' (bursitis) which is currently being treated. I love my mom so much it made me sad to see her in so much pain. However, I am INCREDIBLY grateful and feel very fortunate that this is something that is being treated and she'll be back to her normal self in no time.

#2 A flexible schedule which I allowed me to accompany my mom to doctor's appointments- This is self explanatory but my flexible schedule came in at the absolute perfect time as I was able to help my mom through all her appointments as well as some chores around the house.

#3 My car- I may drive a 1997 Lexus but is my car and it takes me where I need to go safely and with no issues. That is all I need. I bought my car in a lump sum back in 2006 and its been one of the best investments I've ever made. I may "upgrade" at some point in the future but I am forever grateful for my wheels.

#4 The spontaneous decision to go pamper myself and get a manicure (its been a while)- I cant remember the last time I had my nails done. Today I went to the mall to get some pants for this weekend and wasnt able to find the pants. I was a bit bummed out but then came accross the nail spot and said to myself "why not?". I picked some "chocolate" flavor by Etsy and loved the color. Has to be one of my all time faves. Hope I am able to find it again next time I feel like having chocolate nails ;). Just because I felt like treating myself. Thankful for the ability to do so. The best $12 bucks I've spent in a while (including tip).

#5 My Love for cooking- I love making healthy and delicious meals for myself and whomever guest comes to my house. I find so much joy in preparing foods. I'd say my favorite meals to make are breakfast and then dinner. Lunch I usually grab something quick (still yummy, just quick because Im in the middle of the workday). Below is an example of a couple of things I had for dinner this week. If you follow me on Twitter I share a lot of the foods I make on there.

And that's all ladies and gents. Thank you for reading. Hope you ALL have a fabulous weekend.

Tell me, what is your favorite go-to dinner dish?

Love,

Mabelle

What I know for Sure Sundays III: Commitment & Consistency

Hello everyone!

Can you believe March is here? I realized it this morning when I took a quick glance at my Ipad and the date on the screen indicated the # "1"--  took me half a second to realize "its march 1st". This means spring is almost here. One of the things I am looking forward to is nicer weather so I can start running outside again, something I haven't done in quite some time. Mother nature has been a little tough on NYC this winter.

But anyways, here we are again with another edition of "What I Know For Sure Sundays". If you missed the other two posts, check them out here, #1 and here, #2.

Today I want to talk about the power of commitment and consistency. In all my life accomplishments there's always been a common theme. And this is what I know for sure:

"I've realized that when things get challenging as we work towards our goals; keeping a mentality of commitment & consistency is what allows us to keep going and push through".

We all face challenges in our lives when we are on our way to accomplishing our goals. Things may start out okay and easy to handle but many times they may start getting difficult and complicated. There will always be opportunities for us to get discouraged and take our eyes off the prize. However, if you make a deal with yourself from the very beginning to stay committed and consistent, you will get through the difficult times a lot easier than if you give yourself a chance to give up at the first sign of trouble.

From reaching my fitness goals, to passing super difficult classes in college and grad school, to accomplishing other life goals-  I've had many opportunities to throw in the towel either because I wouldn't see the results I wanted soon enough, or because I felt that despite my efforts I wasn't getting anywhere. In the times where I kept pushing through and remained committed and consistent despite my doubts, I eventually saw the light at the end of the tunnel and everything eventually fell in to place.

The mind is a powerful thing--- it can drag you to desperation and anxiety or it can motivate you to push through and thrive. So, during difficult times, I'd choose the latter and kept my eyes on the prize NO MATTER WHAT. Eventually, I'd see my way through.

Hence-- word to the wise: don't give yourself the opportunity to give up when things get difficult. Remember commitment and consistency are the key ingredients to get to where you want to go. It's worked for incredibly successful people in this world, its worked for me, and I'm sure it works for all human kind.

Tell me, do you have an example of a time in your life when it would have been easier to give up and you didn't? What did you learn from that experience?

Fortunate Fridays {Friendships Edition}

Hello ladies and gents, happy Friday! We have reached yet another weekend (yeyy). How was your week? Mine was busy. Got tons of work done but also spent quality time with people that mean a lot to me, which is always good.

[breakfast this morning: Yummy oatmeal with yummy toppings + my cafe. ive been on an oatmeal kick lately. Have you noticed?]

This week I felt fortunate for {including but not limited to the following}:

1. Meeting new people and getting to know them {even if I don't know if I'll ever see them again}: I attended an event on Monday in downtown Manhattan where I got to me multiple people from different parts of the U.S. Most of us took time to chat and got to know each other- a little bit about our backgrounds and common interests. It was cool to have a nice conversation with 'complete strangers'. Lets see when life decides to reunite us again. 

2. Spontaneous plans with one of my best friends; meeting for coffee and having awesome conversation: After my event on Monday I called up a former co-worker and we met up for an awesome chat. I talk about that in Tuesday's post. 

3. The good company of a friend on a random weekday night and catching up over a glass of champagne: Friendships are awesome, aren't they? Apparently this was friendship week because another one of my friends visited me and we had a great time catching up. Needless to say the bottle was pretty much done by the end of our chat (YOLO?)

*Not to go off a tangent here but while listening to the news on the radio the other day I listened to a segment by Dr. Oz where he talked briefly about the benefits of friendships for people still searching for "the one". He said something that stuck with me:

4. My part-time gig working with kids, and my awesome manager: After grad school ended I've found myself with extra time to do extra work and I am currently working with children part time (In addition to my full time job) which I love. My current manager definitely takes the prize for the best I've had pretty much ever. 

5. The ability to read so many amazing books which are helping me with my career, most of which I've borrowed from the library. I have been reading so much lately and I am so grateful for the Library (which I consider one of my happy places). Besides borrowing actual books I absolutely love their ebook feature. I can hear about pretty much any book, look it up and it'll be in my Ipad within minutes. I'm loving it. 

6. Bonus: Remaining consistent with my workouts. I have several posts to write about this one but pretty much since the year started I have been following a plan I set for myself-- to make a conscious effort to work out and eat healthy as consistently as possible (remember what I said about the power of writing things down?). So far I feel fabulous and I've passed the "21 day mark" which means this is becoming a habit. I am at the point where I feel uncomfortable if I don't work out on my set days or don't have veggies and fruit in my fridge. So much more to come on this. Please stay tuned!

Infamous gym selfie

And that's all folks. Great week with great people and looking forward to a nice weekend. Ive heard we're suppose to have a warmer weekend here in NYC so i hope that's the case. Dont wanna jinx it.

Tell me, have you read any great books lately that you would recommend? let me know!

Mid-Week Motivation 2: The power of writing things down!

Hi Lovelies,

Welcome to post #2 of my "mid week motivation" series. If you missed post #1 check it out here. I am working structuring my blog in a way that when you visit me, you find tons of motivation and inspiration to lead a better life. As a self-proclaimed 'health and fitness lifestyle blogger' I do enjoy sharing tips and idea on healthy living including yummy meals and workout ideas. However, I also want to take it a step further and share life advise. I am constantly learning and exploring (its an ongoing process!). What better way to make sure I am absorbing and applying what I learn than to share with others. We can all get better together.

So here we go...

Ever since I can remember I've always been a goal-oriented person. One of the things that keeps me the most motivated and excited about life and progression is to set goals for myself as well as set a plan to accomplish said goals. I used to be very 'general' with my goals but with time I have 'perfected my craft' by being more specific in regards to the things I want and how I will get there. One thing that I have noticed has worked tremendously for me is writing down the things I want out of life. And I dont mean typing things down on your computer screen. I mean the old school way of grabbing a pen and a journal.

I truly believe there is something 'magical' about putting pen to paper and letting the 'universe' know about your goals and dreams. I was going through a journal I had back in 2008 and was reading a list of goals I had written down in that journal. From getting my own apartment to finishing my MBA by the age of 30 and several things in between. Guess what-- about 99% of the goals I wrote down came to reality. I almost cried when I saw that. Then, I remembered that pretty much every single thing I have outlined in my life and have put pen to paper to has come true and continues to come true which is quite the magical and eye-opening realization. Is a habit I will continue to implement in my life for as long as I am in this wonderful earth.

Today i encourage you to take 10-15 minutes of your time, put pen to paper and map out your dreams. It doesn't matter how 'crazy' they may seem or how 'ridiculous' they may sound to you. As the sayings go: "Is not your job to figure out HOW things will happen. Your job is to know what you want and that it WILL happen".

Believe in that higher power, the universe, anything. Just Believe.

Thank you for reading.

Tell me, what is your 'goal-achieving' tool? Are you a fan of writing things down?

Love,
Mabelle

What I know for Sure Sundays II: On the Topic of Happiness

Hello my beautiful followers,

Happy Sunday! As I do every Sunday, I start my day with a delicious breakfast, some reading, and then grab some tea to enjoy another episode of Super Soul Sunday (one of my favorite shows). I should be getting reading to head to church but wanted to leave you guys with today's 'what I know for sure Sundays' post. If you missed the first one from last weekend, you can check it out here.

The other day I was taking a shower after the gym and the following thought popped in to my head:

"I want to be the sole creator of my happiness. Anything else should be icing on the cake". 

Wouldn't you agree that often times we give the power of our happiness to others? I've read (and heard)  countless times that if we depend on outside forces to determine weather or not we will be happy- that is grounds for inevitable disappointment. Why? Because we don't have the power to control others. As the saying goes: "Each head is their own world". Thankfully, we have 100% power over ourselves and that is fabulous. 

I believe this quote (one of my favorites) may put things in to perspective:

"...The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude...I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes.” 

― Charles R. Swindoll

So, remember this:

"....Tie your happiness to goals not people or objects" 

With that said, this is what I know for sure:

"We are the sole creators {and destroyers} of our happiness. Everything else is icing on the cake".

Tell me, would you agree with this? Why or why not? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Mid Week Motivation 1: Five Steps to a better life

Good morning sunshines,

Happy "hump day". My workday started pretty much at the crack of dawn and I was able to enjoy this delicious breakfast.

-Organic oatmeal made w/ almond milk. Toppings: Sliced almonds, PB, Cinnamon

-Cafe w/ soy milk.

So, there is this super motivational guy I've been following for years now (probably since 2011). His name is Martin Llorens and he is incredibly awesome. His content is all in Spanish so I apologize to all non-Spanish speaking followers. You can check him out on You Tube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.

He recently launched a series of videos on YouTube and I absolutely love them. I took some time late last night after my day was over to really listen to a few of the videos and take note. One of the videos really inspired me. So, for this Mid-Week motivation, I respectfully want to share the incredible message: Five ways in which you can lead a more positive, better life. And here is the run-down:

1. Take one minute every morning to imagine an incredible day ahead and a minute each night to think of at least 3 things that happened during the day for which you are grateful for.

2. Every day make sure you take notice of all the positive things you do and say throughout the course of the day. 

3. When negative thoughts come to your mind acknowledge them and then let them go. Make a conscious effort not to dwell on negative thoughts nor feed negative emotions.

4. Accept when people try to help you. Be thankful for it. Understand that you do enough to assist others in your daily life so there is nothing wrong to welcome help in to your life as well.

5. Start creating positive affirmation and positive thoughts. If necessary, play a 'game' with yourself of always finding the positive and 'flipping' any negative thoughts that come in to your mind in to positive thoughts. If necessary, write affirmations and put them inside your wallet; make boards with positive images and place them around your home.

Some of these steps I've already followed for a long time (i.e: making poster boards, and keeping positive affirmations all over my apartment). Others I found interesting and look forward to incorporating in to my life starting today. I've been on this quest lately to transform my body, mind, and spirit in to the best it can possibly be. It is a work in progress and I look forward to getting better and better each day.

Tell me, who do you look to for motivation? Do you follow any coaches or motivational 'gurus'? Share below!

My Happy Places (Part 3) {and a life lesson}

Hey all!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. New York City woke up to a whole lot of snow and ice this morning. Thankfully I work from home during the day, hence, I was able to stay indoors. I did step outside to try and clean off my car and heat it up for a bit. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get it out of the snow just yet. Will try again tonight. Pray for me!

So anyways, I am here to share with you all another one of my happy places. If you missed parts I and II of this series see below.

Happy Places Part 2

Happy Places Part 1

This weekend I was feeling a little bummed out about a particular situation. Instead spending the weekend in depression mode, I decided to get it together and took a very productive trip to my local Trader Joes. I have to drive about 20 minutes from my apartment to get there so I don't really go often. I do, however, compile a list of "Trader Joe Favorites" which I add to as the days, weeks and months go by. I wasn't able to get everything that I needed, specially almond butter. I was a little bummed out about it (peanut butter it is, until further notice). But here is what I did get:

One huge life lesson I have been learning during the past several months is that we cant always control what people will do or life randomness. However, we always have control over how we feel about things. I used to think the saying was so "cliche" and would even get annoyed whenever I would hear it or see it posted somewhere.

However, I have realized the truth behind that and the immense power we all have to take control of our emotions and subsequently change our state of mind and situations. It is definitely not an easy automatic thing to choose to be optimistic, we have to work at it. But guess what-- I rather work at being optimistic and grateful rather than let my mind take over and make me miserable and depressed. What would you choose?

How about we take it one day at the time. Happiness always returns.

Thank you for reading!

Tell me, what is your favorite item to get a Trader Joes?

Do Your Part!

Sometimes we ask for things to happen in our lives. We pray, we hope, we day dream, we make plans, we even write out steps and then we wait.

 

Then, all of a sudden, God, the universe, a higher power (whatever you prefer to call it) presents us with an opportunity sometimes "in disguise". We may not realize it at the time and we may brush it off as it not being exactly what we were looking for. Meanwhile, if we make a decision to "dig deeper" we may find that a prayer, hope and/or dream has in fact been answered.

I am guilty of brushing off possible leads and opportunities while I wait for what I like to call "obvious answers". For example, if I am searching for a particular career I may be looking for the "obvious answer" which means meeting someone randomly who will offer me a full time position after a random 10 minute conversation. I am sure this is possible; however, what are the odds?

Meanwhile, I have been presented with opportunities (more than once) of people that work in a field I am interested in. I have met these people anywhere from formal events to volunteering outings to random parties. I have conversations with these people, I listen closely at what they do and I also share information about myself. At the end of the conversation the person is willing to exchange numbers and keep in touch. I am usually very excited but then… I do nothing.

 

And this doesn’t only happen with career-related scenarios. This can happen with pretty much any imaginable scenario from finding a mate to finding a place to live. Are you “digging” deep enough? Are you doing YOUR part?

I learned a long time ago that we do have to read between the lines and is probably a good idea to keep our eyes open for those kind of opportunities which, in all honesty, are likely the answers we've been looking for. Remember that taking action is what really makes the difference in our lives.

I vow to incorporate "action” in to my life more often in order to get to the next level of my goals and objectives and I encourage you to do the same!

This is my vow to God/world/the universe that I will DO MY PART and take advantage of the opportunities that are presented to me. Care to join me?!

Before I go, I want to share a story with you (which you have probably read before as it is very well known) but I believe is worth reading again and again until we understand its true meaning and begin to apply it in our lives:

 

***

While out to sea, a large boat became shipwrecked and there was only a single survivor. This man prayed and asked God to save his life. Soon thereafter, another boat came by and offered the man some help.

"No thanks," he said. "I'm waiting for God to save me."

 

The men on the boat shrugged their shoulders and continued. As the man became more deeply concerned, another boat came by. Again, the people aboard offered this man some help, and again he politely decline. "I'm waiting for God to save me," he said again. After some time, the man began to lose his faith, and soon after that he died. Upon reaching Heaven, he had a chance to speak with God briefly.

"Why did you let me die? Why didn't you answer my prayers?"

"Dummy, I sent you two boats!"

 

***

And, don’t take this literally but u get the point:

 

Dont miss your next chance @ something great! Take chances, do your part.

Tell me, can you identify circumstances where you can do YOUR part to make your dreams come true?