You better know your own strength....

 

Strong – of great moral power, firmness, or courage
Courageous – not deterred by danger or pain; brave

If you're anything like 95% of the people on this Earth, it is very easy to justify all the reasons why you do not deserve to be where you are- whether it be because so many other people are "better than you" or "you're just not up to par" or because you "are not prepared."

This is the easy way out- you deserve better than that. Sure, you may not be able to be #1 all the time but you sure are not going to get anywhere close to success with a self- doubting attitude. So many people give up on themselves but it is not fair- to them or to others around them. Examine your motives behind your rationale...What are you really afraid of? Are you settling just to avoid feeling something different?

Are you being a good leader, friend, athlete, student, sister, girlfriend etc or are you just being good enough? You should not be content with being just "good enough" You and those who are around you and look up to you deserve a strong and courageous leader. A leader who is brave enough to try and see beyond all doubt and will keep their actions and thoughts honorable and positive...Unafraid of the possibility of failure and blazing forward. This leader can and will be you. Will you be a Strong and Courageous leader for those around you?

Your Path is Determined....

God asks us to give everything to him, not just bits and pieces, but the whole thing – our whole life – and leave it up to Him.  He knows exactly what we need because He made us and knows what is in our path til the end. Matthew 6 :33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”.

Even if you don't believe in God, I feel like this passage is still a good one to take into consideration.  Sometimes in life we think that we know exactly what is right for us. We think that we deserve a certain spot or recognition, we think that we should be with someone, or we think that we should have what someone else has.

Sometimes though, we are wrong. Life's path may  be calling us to different pathways than what we pre-determine for ourselves. When we resist what God has planned for us we end up experiencing heartache and pain. But when we surrender our plans for His- it usually ends up working out way better than what we had planned for ourselves.

God knows exactly what we need in life- we don't always know so it is best to not waste time worrying and trying to figure out where we are supposed to go and let Him take over. We may not always get what we want but we will always get what we need....

Humility

                        "Humility is not thinking less of yourself... it is thinking of yourself less"

Pride and selfishness blocks our ability to grow, change, heal, and help others. When life keeps exalting you, it is easy to lose track of other people. Isn't funny how much more we reach out to our friends and family members when we are down compared to when we are up in life? It saddens me that this happens....

I realized the other day as I was walking out of work how I haven't called a few people in a while- I hadn't even thought of them because I had been so wrapped up in work, trying to figure my stuff out and enjoying getting the hang of it. I compared this to a month ago when I was scrambling to call these particular people to make me feel better when I wasn't feeling as confident at work.

Life is busy- thats just a fact of life... however, there is ALWAYS time for another human in your life...Always. Even if it is just five minutes. Realize that you need to take care of  yourself but not to the extent of forgetting or lessening your outreach to others. No matter what life is throwing at you, we all need a friend...we all need a familiar voice.

Who will you call today?

Who doesn't love the old childhood sloppy joe! I sure do, but now that I am older I like the healthier version- try this recipe out, its so good!

Recipe of the Week: HEALTHY SLOPPY JOES!

Ingredients:

·         Ground Turkey- the leanest is Jennie O’s

·         3-4 diced raw tomatoes

·         2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour

·         ½ C Water

·         ¼ tsp Chili powder- if you like spicy add more!

·         ¼ C Low Sugar Ketchup

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         Whole Grain/Wheat Pitas

·         2-3 Diced bell peppers

Directions:

·         Cook the ground turkey on medium

·         In a separate skillet, add: tomatoes, flour, water, chili powder, ketchup, cinnamon, and bell peppers (I put some mustard in mine but that’s just me!) cook on medium as well

·         When Turkey is done and the sauce is hot- toast whole grain pitas

·         Add meat into pitas and scoop on desired amount of sloppy joe mix

·         You can add lettuce or black beans for an extra crunch and kick!

·         Enjoy!

Integrity and Running

Integrity: "What an athlete must have to establish inner success- It is the constant and consistent refusal to compromise your talents, abilities, and sense of self."

I know that we all find ourselves in this position- a state where we turn away from ourselves, don't try as hard, or give up because we are intimidated, fearful, or don't believe in ourselves. This is a bad habit to get into because it makes us feel inferior and less than what we actually are. However, it is important to understand that you are on the team for a reason- I was put on a team at work with people that are way smarter and better than me but they are helping me get better and I am great too. Just like you deserve to run with a certain running group/pack. You are great too.

Never compromise what you possess- you possess something great but you have to have the integrity to know that. When you are placed in a situation where you may feel intimidated or fearful, fight the urge to back away and instead take the situation head on. Do what you can do- remember you are good enough. Fight as hard as you can and show yourself and your teammates or opponents your value. Don't focus on the outcome but rather your willingness to get out there and give it all you've got- whether your winning, the underdog, ahead, behind or whatever you have something to contribute.

The best thing you could ever do for yourself and the team is to get out there and contribute what you can- shying away from your talents or being negative is not helping you or your team. So get over your fear of not being good enough and just get out there and DO IT.

"All it takes to be great...Is all you've got."