Remember Your Why
When your journey gets tough, remember WHY you’re doing it! We all have our own unique assignments which means only YOU can do that thing that you were called to do! Stay strong! Don’t give up!!
Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle
Did you know that 1 in 2 adults have high blood pressure, yet only 1 in 4 have it under control?
(Source: cdc.gov)
This is an extremely important fact because if high blood pressure is left uncontrolled it can lead to the following: heart disease, heart failure, stroke, kidney disease, complications with one’s pregnancy, and cognitive decline later in life. Therefore, we must be intentional about taking daily actions to aid in maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle!
In honor of heart month, here are 7 strategies one could take to live a heart healthy lifestyle:
- Learn your health history
- Eat a healthy diet
- Move more, sit less
- Quit smoking
- Take medicines as directed
- Choose your drinks wisely
- Monitor your blood pressure at home
Take note and be mindful of these strategies! All are super important and can help you live a life with a healthy heart! Remember, small changes over time lead to big results. Let’s make sure we are living a heart healthy life together!
To read the full article click here.
Same Destination, Different Route
Here we are! Year 2020 has begun and was off to a great start, so I thought! I was expanding my connections (mainly on LinkedIn), I was staying connected (officially became a member of the International Spa Association (ISPA)), and was fully focused on my end goal, to become a franchise spa owner with the brand I loved so much!
Well, before you know the pandemic hit and shut the world down! You remember, no one could go anywhere, businesses had to close the doors, people were getting sick by the minute, and no one knew how any of this would end. I, too, was working, doing what I love and received the message that our spa had to close until further notice. So, to speed this up, after about 2 ½ months or so we were finally able to come back to work but of course the way we did things prior was completely different! Nevertheless, I was happy to be back!
Not even two weeks after I returned, my son somehow got a fever and I still do not know how to this day because my kids weren’t allowed to go anywhere during that time! Yes, I was that overly protected mom! Haha! I found myself right back at the house. Can I be honest? I was a bit upset with God. Navigating 2020 was difficult enough already. First, having the world shut down, to having to decide whether or not to send the kids to school, to trying to protect everyone the best I can from getting sick, and now suddenly finding myself back at the house! I was like, “God, what are you doing?” At this point I felt like everything was completely out of my control!
Well, it was during that time while I was at home that God gave me specific instruction. He told me that I was going to open my very own spa from the ground up and to be completely honest, I didn’t want to hear that! You see, I had my plan– to go the franchise route! This was something I had been planning for years now! Plus, I loved the people I worked with and couldn’t dare leave what I knew so well and was familiar with! Well, after much prayer and stillness I decided to follow His instruction and go where I know He was leading me. Somehow I found the courage to write my employers, who also became great friends, a letter and it was entitled “The Time Has Come.” I was so scared writing it and then, when I hit “send” I felt like I was about to throw up! Yikes! It’s not easy leaving what you are familiar with then stepping into the unknown but sometimes God has other plans for us! The question is, will you be obedient or will you continue to do it your way?! I chose to do it His way because His ways are always better than our own! It was a new beginning for me…same destination but a different route and although it’s been a crazy ride I know it’s leading me to my destiny! Sometimes you just got to do it scared and that’s what I chose to do with God by side each and every step of the way!
Next week, I’ll share what I did next! What actions I took and how I began to build my tribe because we all know we can’t do this thing alone! No way, no how!
“You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”
Such a powerful and true statement made by speaker, author, and thought leader, Hattie Hill, and one I’ll never forget!
I heard someone say, you have to see it before you see it! Do you see yourself fulfilling your dreams, your purpose, your goals in life? That’s where vision comes into play & it was given to you for a reason. A visionary is one who has the ability to think or plan the future with imagination. See it, write it down, and press forward towards that vision and let nothing stop you from achieving it!
Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America
Have you ever wondered what cities were deemed to be the healthiest here in America? Which city do you think made the number one spot? Well, you do not have to wonder any longer because Mindbody + Classpass annual Wellness Index, a study that takes a holistic look at Americans’ relationship with wellness, has been released! And guess what, Atlanta has made the list again!!! Let’s get into it!
The Top 10 Healthiest Cities in America are as follows:
10. Tampa Florida
9. Oakland, CA
8. New York, NY
7. Los Angeles, CA
6. Albuquerque, NM
5. Chicago, IL
4. Atlanta, GA
3. San Diego, CA
2. Miami, FL
1. San Francisco, CA
The study was based on several factors such as rest, stress, exercise, alcohol intake, whether they smoke or not, closeness with family, and spiritual fulfillment.
No doubt, after reading the article, you can see that most of the cities prioritized exercise and getting the proper rest. Top exercise activities were pilates, strength training, and yoga! In addition, many residents in these top cities avoid too much drinking and smoking altogether!
I wanted to point out a few things from the number one city, San Francisco. Residents in this city spend an average of $331 per month on fitness, beauty, and wellness. More than half of the residents work out at least 90 minutes or more per week, they get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and they have the highest number of non-smokers in the U.S. We can see why this city comes in at number one!
It’s true, in order to stay well in the world we live in today getting enough rest, moving our body, limiting smoking and alcohol, maintaining good, healthy relationships with friends and family, and staying spiritually fulfilled is extremely important to our overall health and wellbeing.
If you would like to read the full article, and I suggest you do, you can access it here.