You are one lucky human being

Ask this question? Ask your significant other if they are willing to listen to you as you tell them what interests you? I've seen my sisters grow into the successful woman that they have become. They are strong individuals that will not take failure in their daily life routine. Over the weekend we saw my baby sister take her final journey across the stage as she is now a Nurse Practitioner. I do not know how many days she thought about giving up. I do not know how many times she would tell me to pray for her. Her husband probably saw her break in tears, tired from lack of sleep, and skipping meals to try to get to the finish line. She is not the only sister I have with a supporting husband. All my sisters managed to finish their degrees while with their husbands. They are still pursuing their continuous education as they continue to add to their names. Soon I'll also have a sister that has been working on her doctorate. I do brag on my sisters because it wasn't easy growing up. There were hard times and to see them achieve their dreams is knowing that anything is possible. I always tell them how lucky they are. They have supporting husbands that will go through the struggle to see their woman succeed. Whatever goals they have their husbands know how important it is to them. When you have a spouse that wants to make a better way of living and you are with that person you also gain from their achievements. Be that supporting individual that wants the same thing for your family.

Texas Woman's University 2019

Today I was helping a man that is from South Africa. I don't know how we started the conversation but he gave me his story and it made me feel good. He had just graduated the university while being married and raising six children. He has two in high school, two in middle school, and has the last two in elementary. He named all the schools they go to. I couldn't believe he was able to achieve his dream. He said "I need to set an example for my children". "I come from South Africa and have raised them in my culture ways even though they are born here". He showed me his picture they took of him as he walked the stage. I could tell he was so proud. His professors couldn't understand how he managed to do it. I knew how he managed to do it. He has a loving wife and family beside him supporting him. He has family to give him the motivation he needed to get to his finish line.  Here I was looking at a man that was starting to show his grays. I was talking to a man that is now a graduate of Finances with a big smile of pride on him.

Some never achieve their dreams. Some depend on others for support. Do not rely on someone else to make you want to do better. If there is something you want to finish, then finish it. If you are with someone and they do not want to see you succeed then they will only drag you down. Always do it for you but if you have someone supporting your dreams then by all means you are a lucky human being. Always be with someone that has the same vision as you do for if you do not share the same vision it only will ever just be a blur.

The story never ends...….

Ten Year Challenge

I'm going to share a little about how I've become to look like what I look like now. It has taken me through a journey and I can not seem to stop. You see I exercise when the rest of the world is probably at home sitting on the couch watching a series on their cable TV. I don't have cable, I know that alone is strange. I do watch TV but I tend to watch movies. I feel like it takes from my time. I have come to use my time differently than what I used to use it. I have a membership to a gym that I do get to use when the weather outside is unbearable. While you are indoors in the warmth of your home I'm outside walking and running two miles up to five times a week. Yes it's cold outside but man I can be covered in sweat. I enjoy the feeling of how my body feels after working out. I don't think I'd ever say that. My sister told me the other day that she went out in the cold to do something similar as my workout and told me she didn't know how I do it. Don't get me wrong sometimes when I exercise I cry. I cry out of anger of pushing my body to work harder. I cry because I realized that I have to work harder to get at my goal. I cry because I think about the words used towards me. I cry because sometimes my body gets tired but I know I can not give up. So even though I cry it's a good cry because when I look in the mirror I see my results. It's a good cry because I'm wearing clothes I hadn't wore in ten years. I'm close to the weight I was when I graduated high school and some of you know that's a long time for me. I see myself in the mirror and say damn you look good. I pep myself up. I'm at that point now where I'm building what I call soft muscle. Yes the I still want to look like a girl with muscles. In one year I managed to loose weight I'd gained in ten years. I think about it and I still can not believe it. I told myself that I will not ever go back to that person that I was before. I'm still the same being but with a different outlook. I started this journey when I fell but I got back up slowly. I've managed to stay up and keep going. I keep seeing this ten year challenge on social media so I decided to give it a try. Once I put both pictures together I was embarrassed to even share it because I hadn't realized how I had let myself go. I was too comfortable with what I though was okay. But I keep thinking about it and no, I am the change that I needed to be to realize that I could be better. That I fought with myself to be the look that I am now. I can not say I'll stop because it has become a way of life. I am my own motivator. I wore a dress on new years day something I hadn't done in years. Yes I make heads turn. I just keep walking with the confidence that I've help build up. I don't do this alone. As I'm pushing my body to the extreme I ask God to give me the strength I need to not give up. A body is capable of anything and I know I'm capable of anything. If you try hard enough you will see results. I'm a new me. I'm a better version of myself. So while I don't share the times I'm at the gym or the fact that it's fifty degrees outside breaking a sweat just know I will not give up. I will not give up because I'll always remember those harsh words that became my motivation that led to me saying, thank you.

2019 vs 2009