How did you feel when you turned 40?

If you haven't turned 40 yet, what do you think of when you hear 40?

Well, tomorrow is July 10th and it's my 40th birthday.

"It's my 40th birthday." 

That statement used to make me cringe and today I'm happy to say that I LOVE that I'm turning 40! My life looks nothing like I planned and that is the most beautiful piece of this whole puzzle!

For me, 40 is the new love affair... a love affair with myself.  

Now, I know that can sound super-duper cheesy but to me the last year and a half (and particularly the last 6 months) have truly been a love affair of consciously infusing self-love into my life.

Last year on my birthday, I was inspired to share 39 years of lessons, quotes, and thoughts that have impacted my life, or at least the ones I could remember in my 39 years, in hopes that you'd find some inspiration to celebrate the deliciousness in your life too!  

I re-read that share and all 39 still ring true today. ...

What if today…

we were just grateful for everything?

the rain, the sunshine, the birds, the traffic, the trees, our breakfast, spilled coffee, warm coffee, for every smile, every stranger, every text, every conversation, every person, our lunch, our cars, our homes, our bodies, our work, our rest, our families, our efforts, our to-do lists, our choices, our breath, the things we didn't get done, our hearts, and ourselves...

What if?  

According to Harvard Health Publishing, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

Now, ask yourself that question again.

What if today we were just grateful for everything?

You could not only improve your happiness, but you could improve your health! What’s not to love? (haha, get it?)

One of my...

How are you feeling today? 

How are you really feeling today? 

Good, Fine, Meh, Ok...?

My hope is that your answer is an astounding "GREAT" or "WONDERFUL" or "AWESOME"... or something of that sort. 

However, if it isn't and yours is closer to the first words I listed above, then take a deep breath. Fill your lungs to the brim with air. Hold. Now, release slowly. Now, take another one. Smile and know that it's absolutely normal to feel this way, especially this time of year. 

We're coming out of winter hibernation, regardless of where you live, and just like everything else in nature, we are CHANGING.

It's common to feel stuck or in a rut where things are "ho-hum" and you aren't feeling particularly inspired in any one area of your life. 

But, guess what?  This is actually GREAT news!  

Wait, what?  

How can feeling less than inspired be great news?

This sensation is a sign that you are SHIFTING, that you are ready for growth, for...

At 211 degrees, water is hot.

At 212 degrees, it boils.

And with boiling water, comes steam.

And with steam, you can power a train.

~~~

Just one extra degree makes all the difference.

~~~

One degree. One itty bitty movement forward.

That difference creates a ripple effect of power, of change, of IMPACT!

YES! Extraordinary results can begin with one small change and lead to maximum achievement in life, in business, and in your health! 

What could your one degree be this month?

Think small...

~~~

And, guess what???

212 is exactly the number of pairs of shoes FIERCE donated to Soles4Souls with your help!

Now, THAT'S power!!!

I am blown away by the love and generosity of our FIERCE family!  Look what we were able to do, ONE PAIR OF SHOES at a time!! 

Thank YOU to everyone who donated, who added that one degree! 

This is what YOU have given to so many people...

~~~~~

The sale of 1 pair of shoes can...

Short answer? Yes.

And, it's about choosing joy. 

~~~~~

But first, what does "Kondo" mean?

~~~~~

"Kondo" is referring to best-selling author and acclaimed tidying expert, Marie Kondo, who is dedicated to inspiring the world to choose joy with the KonMari Method™ by organizing our belongings, homes, and lives. 

"The KonMari Method™ is a state of mind – and a way of life – that encourages cherishing the things that spark joy in one’s life. Belongings are acknowledged for their service – and thanked before being let go, should they no longer spark joy."

This method gained popularity in 2011 with the release of Marie Kondo's first book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up".  Then, at the beginning of this year, Netflix launched a new series called, "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo" which catapulted The KonMari Method™ into a new stratosphere. 

~~~~~

"To truly cherish the things that are...

Could it be true?

Facebook... the king of social media, broken?

Oh yes. 

~~~~~

Sheer panic set in yesterday as millions of people weren't able to share what they were doing and/or see what other people were doing... which at its core is what social media proves...amiright?

From the conversations I had, people were either completely paralyzed without access to social media or their productivity skyrocketed because the primary source of distractions was not an option for hours on end. 

What about you?

~~~~~

As I experienced a roller coaster of emotions yesterday, including both extremes above, I realized that I spend a lot of time:

1. Comparing myself to others
2. Wondering what people think about me
3. Being distracted from tasks that truly are important... usually as an avoidance tactic

~~~~~

So, what's a girl who runs 1/2 her business and spends hours on social media daily do when it's taken away?

CONNECT & CREATE!

Yes!  I called...

Are you looking or waiting for a sign Derith, something, anything that will give you direction and clarity on what you should do?

Most of us do...hoping, wishing, and praying that the answers will magically appear and fall in our laps so we don't have to decide. 

Sound familiar?

Why? Why do we do this?

~~~~~

Well, it's because we don't trust our ability to make the "right" decision or we fear that we'll make the wrong one; and probably a little bit of both. 

What I've learned, and am sharing with you today, is that the answers only come AFTER we make the commitment to move in a certain direction. 

The decision is what brings clarity and guides us forward.  Once we have that, then and only then do the answers appear to create the plan, the steps, the ACTION... not the other way around. 

And, I learned this past weekend that when it comes to my decisions, the 6th time is in fact the charm... 

~~~~~

We've all...

"Coach, if I could just stop eating, things would be great!"

~~~~~

Yep... I hear this statement (and the many variations of it) a lot; and the frequency practically triples in winter months. 

While we know we can't just "stop eating", this tends to be our go-to statement when our weight begins to creep up... definitely an issue in the winter. 

What we're really saying here is that we want to stop overeating, stop mindlessly snacking, and stop feeding our emotions... winter blues anyone?

~~~~~

So why do we eat so much in the winter? 

Where do these comfort cravings come from?

How can we stop the food insanity?

~~~~~

Let's dive in... 

It's TRUE that most people gain weight during the winter and there are several factors that come into play.  However, in case you're wondering, it has less to do with our ancestors and "caveman" days then it does with lack of sunshine, nutrients, and habits. 

Now, there was a time, long ago,...

LOVE is definitely in the air...

~~~~~

and, we associate love with the human heart. 

The main function of the human heart is to keep oxygenated blood moving around our body, 24/7.  Our heart affects every single function in our bodies and it's no secret that nutritious food, physical exercise, and low mental stress are essential to keeping our heart beating strong.

There's also a lot about the heart we may not know; and while I could go on and on with a bunch of "heart-healthy tips", I thought it'd be more FUN to share some of the lesser known facts about this powerful muscle in the center of our chest. 

1.  Your heart will beat about 115,000 times each day.

2.  The “thump-thump” of a heartbeat is the sound made by the four valves of the heart closing.

3.  Most heart attacks happen on a Monday.. today's Tuesday, so we're good!

4.  The pressure a human heart generates...

Happy Valentine's Day!

 ~~~~~

I LOVE love and I LOVE Valentine's Day!

This is just a note to remind you to wrap yourself in love today in every possible way you can. 

I have shared some of my favorite love quotes below... enjoy. ~ D. xo

~~~~~

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” 

– Lao Tzu

“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.” 
– Friedrich Nietzsche

“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” 
– Victor Hugo

~~~~~

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”

~ Lucille Ball 

~~~~~

“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the...