I put a post on Facebook yesterday that had everyone drooling at the mouth.  I was talking about the delicious Coconut and Raw Cacao flourless cake I made.  So, I thought I'd post the recipe here.  

If you have never heard about the glorious wonders of raw cacao (This is not a spelling mistake.  It is cocoa in it's raw form.), then make sure you check back in here, because I plan on writing about the benefits of it soon.  I have been reading a book on the history of chocolate and I was quite honestly blown away by the power of it and nutritional content.  

Did you know that cacao beans used to be used as currency?  An edible money, hmm…

As a chocoholic, I'm always looking for good ways to eat chocolate, instead of the stuff loaded with sugar from the supermarkets.  

I opened up one of my favorite books, Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon and this recipe was right there…  It was delicious and I'm tempted to make it again very soon!

When you look at the recipe it looks a bit finicky.  There is a bit of a process but it's easy.  I did it with the help of my 15 month young baby strapped onto me in a Baby Bjorn.  He loved watching and helping and I could still manage the whole thing.

Also… if you are reading this and know my husband, Hugh, you know that he is anal about what he puts into his mouth and just doesn't eat chocolate or sweets anymore.  He usually crashes in minutes when he eats any sugar, fruit included.  He had a sliver of this cake (much to my shock) and didn't crash.  

Give it a go and let me know what you think.  If you have any questions about the ingredients, please feel free to comment here and ask questions.  I'm happy to answer.  Have fun and ENJOY!

Flourless Cocoa-Coconut Cake

• 7 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (I used the raw cacao powder that you would find at some health food shops.  I have personally never seen it at a supermarket. Yes there is a big difference between raw cacao and cocoa in the way it's been processed.)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 egg whites at room temp
• pinch of sea salt
• 3/8cup Rapadura, Sucanut, or Maple sugar (All healthier sugar alternatives than processed white sugar)
• 4 egg yolks, at room temp
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup rapadura
• 1 cup freeze-dried course-cut coconut, plus more to top cake (I actually haven't been able to find this in a shop, but you can toast coconut with maple syrup to get the same idea.  In this recipe, I just used organic desiccated coconut and it came out yummy and with less sugar and took less time.)
• 2 cups whipped coconut cream

Preheat oven to 350F (about 180C).  Butter a 9in springform cake pan and dust with arrowroot.  Sift together arrowroot, cacao, and cinnamon.  IN a very clean glass or stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until frothy.  Gradually add 3/8 cup sweetener.  Whip whites until glossy and smooth.  Set aside.

In another bowl, beat egg yolks with vanilla until pale in color, about 3 minutes.  Gradually add 1/4 cup sweetener and beat until yolks are pale and a thick ribbon falls from the beaters, 6-7min.

With a rubber spatula, fold about 1/3 of whites into yolks.  Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of dry ingredients on the yolk batter and fold gently.  Continue to alternately fold in egg whites and dry ingredients.  Finally quickly fold in the coconut.

Turn batter into prepared pan, gently smooth top and place in oven.  Bake 30 min, or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and middle springs back if gently pressed.  Let cool on a rack about 10 min.  Release sides and wait another 10 min before removing cake.  Place on a serving plate and chill well.  (I didn't chill it).  Ice with whipped cream and gently press coconut on top.

To make the whipped coconut cream…
It's meant to whip like dairy cream, but takes awhile.  (It was still a bit runny for me after several minutes (like 8min) so I just used it that way and it was still all yummy.  Once I put the leftovers in the fridge it solidified into more of a cream.)

• 11/2 cups coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons rapadura, sucanut or maple sugar
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Place cream in a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer for several minutes until cream thickens.  Add sweetener and vanilla and whip a minute more.

That’s the way I would like to see you look at exercise and weight loss.  

When I used to exercise to lose weight, I did it because I had to.  Now, I was smart and married a personal trainer.  He trains me frequently and it’s quite funny to watch the journey of my training with him.  

When he had me doing things I didn’t like doing, like running sprints and up and down stairs, it was a drag for me.  Which of course made it harder on him in order to motivate me to get through the session and even to show up.  

Once we started to find things that challenge me and that I love doing, we both love my training sessions.  The important think to note here… is that I LOVE doing my exercise!

Up until recently, when I became pregnant, I realized how much I LOVE lifting heavy weights.  I absolutely love the challenge of it, the soreness I feel and the amazing muscles I build because of it.  My body reacts really well to it.  

The more muscle you build, the more weight you lose!  Many people make a very common mistake when wanting to lose weight and think they should do lots of cardio workouts.  Although that can be a part of your routine, building muscle is the key!  

The more muscle.. the higher your metabolism… the more fat you burn while laying on the couch!  Get it?!

Anyway… enough giving away my secrets!  

Start thinking about the things that you love to do… Do you love to dance? Hang out with friends? Be outdoors? Play team sports?  What is it for you?

I said to you before that I LOVE being with friends.  That is definitely one of my tactics in working out. I do it with other people.  I find it so much more fun AND we challenge each other because we can compete against the other.  

I go for walks with girlfriends, instead of sitting down at a coffee shop.  My husband trains me so that I have his company.  I also love joining into his group sessions.  There is a handful of people sweating, working hard and laughing all at the same time.  It makes exercise fun!  

Look for ways you can do what you love.  If you like being in groups, there are plenty of places to go for group training these days.  Look for classes in your local community for dance, yoga, whatever it is for you.  

I personally look forward to getting into the pole dancing explosion going on at the moment.  What a workout and how much fun!

I personally dropped down to a size 8 a couple of years ago and made a decision that it was not the right place for me to be, because in order for me to stay that small, my life was dominated by working out and eating so healthy that it hindered going out with friends and family.

I am truly happy at my size 10, (before getting pregnant) and eating more of the foods that I love in moderation and being able to have a social life.  Think about this when setting your goals.  

People tend to get so wrapped up in all the things that they can’t eat and feel so bogged down, that eating actually becomes a drag.  The thing that I love most about our program is that we teach you how to enjoy food!  

We LOVE TO EAT!  I eat foods loaded with nutrients including good fats - they are so tasty!  When you start to eat a balanced diet that is right for your body type, you will stop craving the junk that you THINK you want.  It actually starts to taste icky.  

Ultimately fresh foods are filled with wonderful vitamins and minerals that your body loves.  Many times what happens when you eat a diet with lots of processed foods that have little to no nutritional value and are loaded with sugar is that your body wants to keep eating.  Not because it’s hungry, but because you haven’t fed it anything nutritional to keep it functioning.  It’s hoping that if you keep eating, eventually it will get what it needs!

I truly wish that the massive companies in this world didn’t have such great marketing.  Because if they didn’t you would realize that most of what they get you to believe is a LIE!  Because of that lie, you have probably become addicted to foods that they say are good for you, but really… They just want you to buy their product!

When you decide to have fun and do what’s right for you, then we are excited and happy to show you “what is healthy”.  When my clients tell me that they have a healthy diet, I always ask the question, “What is healthy for you?”  I get a different answer every time and frequently not what I consider healthy at all!

Healthy is different for everybody.  Isn’t it time you find out what is really healthy for you?  Do you want to start enjoying the process of losing weight and fitting into that hot sexy outfit that you always wanted to wear?

If you are ready to LOVE the journey and have fun losing weight, then you must pick up the phone now and call 02 8006 1256 or email us at info@evolveyourhelath.com.  We LOVE helping you achieve your goals as much as you will LOVE the end result!

I woke up this morning with a full day of clients on for my coaching business and a family to care for… PLUS extra work to do with an article to write for the Copy Idol competition that I am a part of.  I wasn’t sure how it would all fit in!

Have you ever woken up with the same feelings?  So much on your plate and unsure of how you will make it work.  After you have woken up feeling that way, the most important part is what you will do next.  

I once read something that said that when the Dalai Lama was asked what he did when he was very busy and stressed, he said, “I meditate more”.

For many of you, you may be thinking, “but I don’t have time to do that, that’s my problem already, I don’t have enough time in my day.”

We all have 24 hours in a day, it’s just a matter of how you choose to use them.  When you are focused and with a clear mind, you will get more done in a shorter period of time.  

When you decide to run around in a stressful state, there is a tendency to make mistakes, get distracted, waste energy, and everything just takes longer.  

5 Quick And Easy Tips To Relieve Stress

So let’s talk about 5 easy and quick ways that you can bring clarity and peace of mind to your busy day.

Here are some fun exercises you can do to energize your body and get everything flowing.  These can be done anywhere and only take a few minutes.  If you enjoy doing these, check out The Ultimate Weight Loss Program, our online program, where we show you at least 40 different exercises and stretches you can do anytime to help you reduce stress.  This is great if you only have a short time to exercise!

                   

   

   

5.    Want a quick Fix? 

I’ll give you one option.  Flower Essences!  Here in Australia, we have Bush Flower essences.  I love them and there are many combinations you can get.  The best one for stress relief is called Emergency Essence.  
There are also Bach Flower Essences that originate in England.  You will find Rescue Remedy will help for stress relief. 

You just drop the remedy under your tongue and it can be taken many times a day with no side effects.  Read the bottles for dosages.  These will be found in health food stores and some chemists.  If you have any health conditions, please check to make sure these are safe for you to take.  

Although I haven’t explained what they are, just trust me when I tell you that they work.  I studied under the creator of Bush Flower Essences and watched amazing things happen to other people and myself when using this technique.    

There are so many great easy ways to relieve stress.  Although I may have given you a few new ideas, some of them you have probably heard before.  The important thing to remember here is to DO THEM!  

If you find yourself feeling stressed, stop and do something to calm yourself down.  Your whole day will be much better and can be turned around when you do.  Commit to making yourself and your body number one and this stuff will just come naturally and be easy!

For more information on relieving stress and creating a healthy lifestyle, please contact Evolve Your Health now.  Pick up the phone and call 02 8006 1256 or email us at info@evolveyourhealth.com.

Would you risk cancer for a clean bench top?

In previous articles, we've talked about how stress can make you gain weight. There are 4 basic types of stress that we western folk usually succumb to:

• Emotional
• Nutritional
• Biochemical and
• Environmental

In this article, we will focus on some of the environmental stress in our lives.

We spend much of our day-to-day lives in our homes and most of us keep our homes at least moderately clean. Yet, sometimes we overlook the fact that the very products we use to keep our homes looking shiny  are actually doing us more harm than good.

Many all-purpose cleaners contain chemicals that are toxic and known carcinogens, yet there is nothing that requires manufacturers to state this on the packaging. In Australia, we have have messages all over cigarette packets warning that the ingredients can cause death and destruction to our bodies. Many of the ingredients of cigarettes are actually used in some household cleaning products, yet we don't see the same labels on the cleaning products!

Simple Natural Cleaning Solution

Make your own non-toxic, non carcinogenic household cleaner.

• Water
• Vinegar
• Lemon essential oil (a couple of drops)

Mix the ingredients in a spray bottle

For tough stains sprinkle some bicarb soda on the surface, spray and leave to soak for a few minutes. Wipe off the residue and enjoy the sparkle:)

For more natural cleaning solutions be sure to check out Naturally Clean - The Evolve Your Health guide to keeping your home clean using inexpensive, non-toxic natural ingredients that even smell healthy!

Are You 100% Committed to Achieving Your Ideal Body?  

If so, this may be the most important article you ever read…

I woke up one day a couple of years ago absolutely committed to losing the extra weight I had gained.  I was just barely squeezing into my size 12 pants and was not happy.  I looked at my partner and said, “That’s it, I’m ready.  It’s time to lose this weight!”  

As a personal trainer, he was happy to help me, but there were a few conditions he attached to the help.  In all my gung-ho excitement, I heard the word “conditions” and sank.  Huh…

He challenged me.  I told him that I wanted to drop down to a size 10.  That wasn’t good enough for him.  He said, “Come on Keri, challenge yourself!  You know you can do that, why not go to a size 8?”  

All the stuff came up in my head and all the excuses… “No way!  I couldn’t do that.  I don’t even know what a size 8 looks like.  I don’t know the last time I was there.”

He gave me that face the personal trainers and partners make, telling me that there wasn’t really a choice in the matter.  Why not go somewhere I hadn’t gone before?  Why not challenge myself to play full out?  

So, I questioned him, “Do you REALLY BELIEVE that I can do that?”  

“Of course you can!” he said.

It was that quick, I was on my way to being a size 8.  But the conditions didn’t end there.  He asked me what would stop me from achieving my goal.  After some thought, I realized some “stuff” about my Dad might hold me back.  

You know what he made me do then?  Confront my Dad!  He said to me “You have one hour to go write a letter to your Dad and then we are going to mail it.  If you don’t do this, I will not train you!”  

Harsh!  With tears in my eyes, I looked at him and wondered if he was really going to make me do this.  He had his serious, I mean it, look on his face and I knew there was no way out.  I stormed off to my room to write a letter.  

Before my journey of having my ideal body ever began, I had roadblocks put in front of me that I had to overcome.  I had to prove to him and myself that I was absolutely committed to achieving my goal.  I had to do whatever it would take to even take my first steps.  

In the past, when you have said you are going to lose weight, have you committed to it?  I mean really said to yourself that you will DO WHATEVER IT TAKES to create your ideal body?  

If you are like many people out there, you may have taken a “someday… we’ll see…” approach to weight loss.  

“Some day this program may work for me.  Tomorrow, I’ll stop eating the junk food.  Oh, just one more won’t hurt.”

I’ve said all those things as well.  This time though… it was different.  

Are you ready to finally make the commitment to yourself to do whatever it takes to have your ideal you?

Just in the nick of time, I finished the letter to my Dad and we went to send it off.  It was one of the hardest things I had done.  I didn’t know how my Dad would react to the things that I had said to him.  Apparently though, it was time to clear the air.  

We got home, and Hugh put together my program.  He started to show me, and again, tears came to my eyes and I wondered how I was ever going to do the things he wanted me to do.  I clearly remember him showing me how to do the 1-legged squats and I thought I was going to die just watching him!  

I know I screamed at him and said, “NO WAY!”  At that point he sat down and said, “Are you committed to doing this?”

“Yes! Of course I am!”

“Then do it! Stop making up excuses.  I will not do this with you, if that’s the attitude you are going to have!  I will only give you things to do that I know you can do.  Trust me!” he fired back at me.

I had to dig deep inside and shut off all those voices in my head telling me that I couldn’t and start to believe that I can.  

The first time I went to the gym after that, I was excited and a bit nervous about how I was going to do all the things I was supposed to do. I figured that as long as I went and did my best, that was better than doing nothing at all.  

I started slowly and pushed myself to a place just beyond where I was comfortable.  I remember doing my first plank, which is an ab training exercise, and I could only hold it for about 10 seconds.  He wanted me to do it for 1 minute!  So, I just kept coming down and getting back up.  

I also remember asking my friends and random girls in shops, “What size are you?”  I didn’t even know what a size 8 looked like to imagine it!  I was on a journey that felt like I was blind.  I just trusted my partner to help me do what was right for me.  

If you are reading this, it must mean that you are on a journey to create your ideal body as well.  I want you to look inside and do what I did, find the commitment you haven’t found before, when it comes to losing weight.  

Decide TODAY that you are going to move forward, powerfully, in a positive way to create your picture-perfect self.  Remember, you control what happens in your life, so commit to doing what you want.  

In the end, I did reach my goal.  I even did it earlier than expected.  I worked super hard at it!  I went to the gym 4-5 times a week and ate amazingly healthy foods.  I eliminated all processed sugars from my diet.  I was committed and did whatever it took!  

My strength increased and I was able to do the plank for a minute.  I was doing 1-legged squats and even started squatting ON the swiss ball.  Even better, I was LOVING all of it!  I felt amazing and looked amazing!

Oh yeah… and a week after sending the letter to my Dad, he called me and apologized!  I was shocked!  Our relationship has gotten even better since then.

Are you ready to create amazing results in your life?  Are you 100% committed to achieving your ideal dress size?  If so, then DO SOMETHING about it!  

Remember how I spoke about trusting my partner as I didn’t know where I was going at the time?  If you don’t know what you are doing and taking stabs in the dark about your weight loss, then ask for help!  

We have been there and done this before.  Not only am I my own success story, we have helped others do the same.  Trust us, as our mission is to help you create your ideal body as well.  We are with you to help you succeed!
 
Pick up the phone now and call 02 8006 1256 to let us help you achieve your ideal body!

By the way… If you want to see where I am at today, only a couple years later… check out YouTube and search for “car lifting wife”.  You will see my massive strength now and I’m still living with my ideal body!

When was the last time you found yourself in a bellowing laugh?

What about the last time you laughed so hard you cried (or even wet your pants)?

Laughter = Medicine for the Soul

Did you know that a recent study showed that pre-school-aged children laugh up to 400 times a day, but by the time we reach adulthood, we laugh a mere 17 times per day on average?  (Just by my observations, I would say that laughing 17 times a day would be a stretch for many).

I could go on for ages telling you the benefits of laughter, including an abdominal (and cheek) workout, the wonderful hormones getting released and racing through your system, and connecting with people socially.  Instead of going on with details... just go laugh and find out the benefits for yourself.  It's free, is easy to do and can be done anywhere.  Start now... ha ha ha ha hoo hoo haa heeeee. snort...

In all honesty, if it's a struggle for you to laugh, then smile!  If all of that is a struggle, then pretend to laugh and smile.  Your body doesn't know the difference.  Your body will still love the fact that you are doing it, even if it's pretend.  If you do it over and over throughout the day, it will just become habit and you won't be pretending anymore or you can just laugh and smile without even thinking about it.

When you wake up every morning... laugh before you even get out of bed.  I promise if you do that, no one will ask you if you got up on the wrong side of the bed!  Hugh usually starts by saying some variation of ho ho ha ha ho ho ha ha ho, using different tones.  It doesn't take me long to break out in hysterics and then we are both laughing in bed, before we even get out of bed.  It is so much fun!  Give it a go.

"The most wasted day of all is that in which we have not laughed." Sebastian Roch Nicolas Chamfort.

Play like a child and laugh so hard it hurts!

PS- Have fun laughing and remember to do it frequently throughout the day!  The more you do it, the easier it becomes.   Pay attention to how contagious it its and the amount of smiles you can put on other people's faces just by you laughing.  You will make many people's days by laughing... doesn't that feel great?

PPS- Experiment with different ways to bring on laughter.  If you come up with a fantastic way to make yourself laugh, we would love to hear what you have done.  Thanks for sharing your smiles.

That's a bold statement to make when there are so many people saying that it's entirely to do with nutrition and exercise. But, we have found that we get massive results from simply removing stress from our clients lives.

Example.
Lianne lost 74cm from around her waist in only 6 months by reducing the stress that she chose to indulge in. She did it without significant increases in exercise and by eating a balanced meal. Here the thing - her balanced meal was balanced when it arrived on her doorstep, but Lianne didn't like the vegetables, so she fed them to the dog!!! How balanced is that?

Stress causes your 'Fight or Flight' nervous system to go on high alert. When it does so (and you might recognise a few of these symptoms) your eyes pop out, your palms gets sweaty, your heart starts racing, your blood pressure increases and your muscles fill with blood so that you can fight or run away. Also your digestive system shuts down, because your body knows that fighting or running away during these stressed periods is a greater priority than breaking down food.

Q: So what happens to the food in your guts when you're stressed?
A: Nothing. It sits there stagnant in your guts while the parasites and bugs go to town on it.

So if you indulge in regular stress, you may wonder why you're frequently sick and/or overweight.

1. You've got more parasites in your system that cause sickness disease than your body knows what to do with.
2. These same bugs prevent the good bugs from breaking down any food that you eat.
3. Your digestive system is in standby mode anyway, so it couldn't absorb any digested food even if it was there.

If your body feels hungry, it will ask for "more food please" - you overeat, and your body goes into 'starvation mode' - it scavenges any nutrient it can and sends it straight to the fat cells (that way, there will be plenty in storage for later on).

Eating less doesn't help either, cos your body still ain't getting fed.

Solution: To lose weight, get more energy and get healthier - Lose the Stress

I realise that saying 'lose the stress' is easier said than done. It took me 32 years to figure that out.
Sometimes there is a little more to the stress than meets the eye

Is it work or you that is stressing yourself out?
Is your environment causing you stress? It may be as simple as changing your cleaning products
Is the 'food' you eat causing your body stress? Make sure to eat so that your body feels best. Check out our FREE weight loss program: The Ultimate Weight Loss Program

The most effective way is to face it is head on - sometimes you might need some help to face those demons. That's where our coaching packages come in. For those of you who are willing to attempt it on your own, read on.

Is your brain still running on high alert?

Have you meditated before? How do you meditate?

Your brain is capable of running at various different frequencies depending on what you are doing.

• Beta - alert/working (15-40 cycles/ second)
• Alpha - relaxed/reflecting (9-14 cycles/ second)
• Theta - drowsy/ daydreaming (5-8 cycles/ second)
• Delta - Sleep/ dreaming (1.5-4 cycles/ second)

Generally, the slower your brain waves, the more relaxed you are.
The goal of meditation is simply to slow your brain waves down so that an otherwise overactive mind can take time to recover

I've heard people say they have never meditated before. For many people it is simply that they haven't been aware that they have been. If you have ever gotten home after a long drive down the freeway and wondered how on earth you got there - then you have experienced a form of meditation. (It's probably not the safest place to meditate). Often simple repetitive tasks where you don't need to consciously think can lead to a meditative state. For example walking, gardening, swimming or even just breathing!

You may also choose to engage in more "traditional" methods of meditation. These are as varied as Elton John's sunglasses - it is entirely up to you to find the meditation to best suit you. I find that different meditations have different effects on the way my body functions. I also find that combining bits and bobs from different meditations can enhance an individual meditation.

I will briefly run through several meditations. I strongly encourage that you experiment with each and find the one(s) that work for you.

Exercise: Meditate Over the next week, Allocate at least 10 minutes every day, (preferably 30 minutes). Remember that the more relaxed your brain is, the more focus and productivity you can gain.

Play with each of the following parts of meditations, some may work better/differently than others for you. Remember that the end goal is simply to take your mind off the stresses of daily life.

Most of these can be done lying down (not sleeping), sitting comfortably or standing.

Breathing - simply breathe into your belly. If your mind is over active, focus on counting your breath (backwards from 100 if you like).

Imagery - imagine a place where you are completely relaxed. It may be a beach, on a cloud, or in the bush somewhere - whatever it is for you. See the image, hear the sounds, and feel the feelings from where you are.

Relax - make sure the following areas are relaxed
your eyes, eyebrows, forehead, temples, ears, cheeks, jaw, lips, mouth, scalp, neck, shoulders, chest, fronts of arms, backs of arms, forearms, hands, fingers, upper back, lower back, abdominals, bum, fronts of legs, back of legs, calves, feet and toes.

Feel - there is a natural flow of chi (warmth, tingling, energy - however you feel it) through your body. Simply feel the flow of energy through your body.

If you really want to "feel it"...

Add this to your meditation - Standing Meditation
Stand with your feet roughly shoulder width apart and knees bent slightly. Hold your hands in front of you like you're holding a basketball. Some people find that 5 minutes of this is enough. Others prefer up to 2 hours (but work up to this long). I recommend about 30 minutes. Expect your legs to shake, and your body temperature to rise.

*** take care if you have any knee problems ***

Having the mindset of a champion means doing whatever it takes to get where you want to go!  When I say whatever, I mean that in the best of ways.  It means that you will do what it takes, assuming it’s safe for you and those around you and you have the best interest of the other people involved at heart.  

Being a champion is not stomping on other’s to get where you want to go.  If you do, it’s sure to come back and bite you in the bum some day!

Being a champion means to show up and be a leader.  Lead by example, not by telling people what to do. It means going the extra mile to be your best.  

What about having respect for those around you?  

Being a champion comes from the heart.  You work, think, act from the heart…  

Being a champion takes courage.  My friend just sent an email with this quote in it.

"True courage is the product of tenderness.

It arises when we let the world touch our heart,
our heart that is so beautiful and so bare.

We are ready to open ourselves up, with no resistance or timidity,
and truly face the world.

We are ready to share our heart with others."

Being courageous and opening yourself up to vulnerability can be scary and sometimes, that’s what it takes to be a champion.  

To be a champion is “to be”.  To be who you are and to shine.  

Champions don’t sit in the corners waiting for their time to come.  Champions stand out and stand up!  They ask for what they want and they go and get it!  Sometimes climbing uphill battles to get there.

Champions are not made in tournaments, they are made in training!  Are you practicing everyday at what you want to be a champion in?  Because at the end… it’s really all about the journey, isn’t it?

If you were given a million dollars, I’m sure it would feel great.  If you had to work for the million dollars and go through the ups and downs of making it… the end result… that glory would feel amazing!  Not just because you had the million dollars, but because of the journey you went on to make it!  You can look back at what you have achieved and feel a sense of accomplishment.

So are you doing whatever it takes to achieve your dreams?  Are you out practicing everyday to make it happen?  Are you on your champion journey?

I have just spent the most incredible week in a writing competition.  Part of the purpose was to get us over our stuff and get us started.  Because isn’t it true, that sometimes the hardest part is just getting started?  We have been practicing writing everyday, by doing it.  AND each day… we are all getting better.  

Every person in the competition has been a champion just for standing up and shining.  I am a champion for doing the same, and here I sit, even though the competition is over… still writing and loving it!  

I am continuing on my journey as a champion and can feel, see and taste the glory of victory because of it.  It is so sweet because I know I deserve it and that I worked hard for it.  I know I have gone the extra mile and stretched myself.  I know I am a champion.

I just got home from my voice coaching lessons and the same thing happened there.  My instructor wanted me to sing a song, Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin.  Is there any woman out there that hasn’t at some point turned Aretha up and belted at the top of your lungs, “You make me feel like a natural woman…”  

I know this song. I know I LOVE to sing it.  She asked me to sing it and I froze!  It took me quite a few times of singing it and singing with her and feebly singing it… Practicing over and over again until I could actually belt it out like I was Aretha, except that the song was mine!  OH YEAH... and it felt good!  

For me… it took me getting over the first step of just singing the song.  Then, I had to sing with emotion.  After that, every other song she gave me to sing was easy… and one even brought her to tears.  

Again… It’s all about practice, getting out of your own way and doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to get what you want.  I want to be exceptional and incredibly confident in front of people.  I want to get on a stage and own it and move people!  I want to move anyone I speak to, whether in person or on paper.  I know that I already do… and with practice, I will do it even better!

In both the writing competition and my singing/voice lessons, I act like I am already a super star champion. I just have to get over the first hurdle and then there is no stopping me!  And once the first hurdle has been jumped, it feels so good!  Flow happens and the fun begins.  

Where do you want to be a champion?  Have you stood up and owned it as if you already do?  What are you actually DOING to get there?  Are you taking time to practice your skill?  

If you are sitting at the start line and scared to move… then just take a tiny step.  What is the first step you need to take to create the results you are after?

If your mind is getting in your way from being the champion that you know you are… then please call us at 02 8006 1256 or email info@evolveyourhealth.com and we can help you to achieve your dreams.  Dream making is what we do!  Are you ready to make yours come true?  Are you ready to be the champion?  

I already am!  Are you coming with me?