Hi Bloggie Friends! How’s your Monday going? Did you have a nice weekend? Did you miss me yesterday? For the first time in nearly a year, aside from when I was traveling out of the country over Christmas, I didn’t blog. And I have to say, the one-day break was great! Based on everyone’s comments to the question about possibly taking a blogging day off on the weekends, and that you all approve, I figured that a beautiful Sunday was a fine day to take off.
Yesterday I hit the gym hard, did yoga, cleaned my house, and went for a long, hot and dusty power walk with Scott and Skylar. After all that, it was getting towards Skylar’s naptime so I didn’t get in any pool time but the forecast says 90s and sunny for the next few days so I may be in pool luck. Today was more of the same, yoga, the gym, and tons of emails and phone calls. My inbox seems to explode on Mondays!
A super cool thing happened on Saturday! This is what I wore and How I Looked Before I left the house…
Gotta Check my Lipstick Abs on the Way out the Door
I figured that as long as I am working hard and keeping myself in tip-top shape while Training for my Fitness Show, that I figured, what the heck, I would meet with a scout and see what he has to say about maybe earning some cash doing some fitness modeling gigs. And they signed me!
The next step is a photo shoot which will probably be in a few weeks and then they’ll have my pictures on file. If any clients of theirs are looking for a nearly 5’11” blond Caucasian with blue-green eyes, a Bikini Competitor with a 23 inch waist and size 12 ladies’ shoes, I’m their girl! haha! Without going into the nitty gritty, they guarantee me work and that if I am not working, they will release me from my contract. Basically, nothing to lose is the way I see it and I am stoked!
This brings me back to what I brought up in my Highlights of the Week Post when I mentioned that something super cool happened to me over the weekend. In that post I asked you if you believe in The Secret and the Power of Positive Thoughts? And it sounds like from your comments that most of you do. To a point.
A couple great comments:
From Susan
“I believe in that Secret stuff to a degree. I think it comes in to play a lot with personal relationships. You’re going to attract certain types of people based on the energy you put off. You see this a lot with people finding partners in times when they least expect it. My sister for example is so desperate to find a husband and settle down, I’m convinced the energy she is putting out there is turning people away. But I don’t think I can sit here telling myself I’m going to be a millionaire and have it happen without working hard for it ;)”
And from Natasha the The Voracious Vegan
“As for the Secret. Yes, TO AN EXTENT. If you go through the world with joy and confidence you will get some of that back, and if you are mean, hopeless, etc, you will get that back too. But the Secret is also dangerous because it completely ignores the HUGE and POWERFUL social and economic and political structures that are in place that make life very difficult for some people and very easy for others.
I can say sure, the secret works, but I am a well off, highly educated, able bodied white woman from the US. It is easy for me to do well in life. What about a disabled Cambodian woman working in a sweatshop with 5 children to support? It is cruel to tell her to just think happy thoughts and make a dream board and her life will be transformed.
Yes, there are always exceptions and some people can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but overall that is an American myth that needs to die. Most people in the world don’t even have any boots…”
Ahh, such very amazing points ladies and I believe that the power of positive thoughts is huge, and not to be discounted, but that alone is never enough. Current and previous circumstances, existing conditions, one’s efforts and abilities or lack thereof, and various other opportunities and factors that cannot be changed such as race or social class all come into play.
Interestingly enough as it pertains to me channeling the power of positive thoughts, about a week ago I said to myself, upon looking at some magazine and internet models who were getting paid to look good and I thought hey if she can do that, so can I. And I said to myself, wouldn’t it be cool to get paid to be a fitness model?!
But, I had no idea where to start, jump in, dive off, no leads, nothing. Of course there are total scam artists everywhere but I was looking for something legit. If they tell you it’s going to cost you any money out of pocket, that’s a clue they’re not legit. But I just kept thinking all last week how cool it would be to be a fitness model and how that’s something I would love to do and pursue.
I randomly came across and joined a Facebook Group (you know one of about 1 million FB Groups out there) on Friday morning, and on Friday night that group told me about this casting call, and on Saturday afternoon I was signed!! If that’s not the Power of Positive Thoughts and asking the Universe for Something and having it answer, then I don’t know what is!
Good stuff to ponder and thanks to everyone who chimed in on Positive Thoughts & The Secret.
I am so thrilled to be competing and I love the new challenge of lifting, learning, competing, and I am really blessed that you are all so supportive of me and thanks for cheering me on!
Other Highlights of the Week Included
New Progress Pics
Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Popcorn
And Making Our Own Choices, Not Defending Our Choices, Intuitive Eating, and more…Check out The Highlights if you Missed Anything!
Today in The Mail I received a package of Nuts from Blue Mountain Organics & Better Than Roasted
Nutrition Info and please note the Six Servings in this tiny bag!
Other than portion size issues, I Love the Nuts! They are raw, sprouted, organic, and tasty. What’s not to love!
Over the weekend, I made a batch of Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs
Stir with a spoon and no other appliances are needed. And it’s a one bowl recipe that saves on dishes!
Portion into bowls if desired or just keep in a bigger container and Freeze
Good Stuff Baby! Scott loves the Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs…
Either way, Snowballs are his favorite dessert and it’s a 5 minute recipe. Truly. Plus, the Snowballs taste a lot more “complicated” than they really are. Maybe Scott’s impressed enough by the desserts I make to buy me a $500 bikini. I mentioned competition suits are kinda pricey.
Green Food was an Edamame Salad
With Vegan Slaw Dressing using the Reduced Fat Veganaise
Silly statement.
No, I prefer Chocolate & Coconut Oil Fat any day!
Raw Vegan Coconut Oil Chocolate
Dessert was Dark Chocolate Coconut Snowballs for Scott
And Chocolate For me…
Bars:
Chocomize with Dried Strawberries & Blueberries
And Balls:
No-Bake Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls with Extra Protein Option
Yoga Today is Side Crane, aka Parsva Bakasana
Gym & Weights Workout Today from my 5 Day Split – Day 3 Chest & Shoulders
I will say that lifting is quickly becoming like yoga for me. It’s almost impossible to follow my trainer’s exact split, and really, I don’t want to. I want to be able to put my own spin on the workouts, and tweak them as I am feeling the need based on my energy, what I feel like doing, soreness level, time management, you name it. I don’t cook or do yoga by the book, and lifting is not any different. Would my results be more “optimal” if I were to pair exercises in a certain way? Perhaps. Would I have as much fun? Probably Not. I choose fun over “optimal” any day. Plus, I’m still getting everything in, just maybe out of order and maybe more on Tuesday and less on Wednesday type of thing, but this is working for me and that’s the important part! What works for you?
Tip of the Day: My Coconut Oil Give Away!
On the Entry Form I Reminded You About So Many Recipes I Use Coconut Oil In
Questions
1. Best Thing You Ate or Did Over the Weekend?
Best thing I did was get signed by a modeling & talent agency!
2. What are your Goals for the Week? Do you set goals? How often do you re-visit them?
I posted here about why I don’t set New Years “Resolutions”. Rather, I set Intentions. You can break a resolution easier than you can break an intention. Subtle shift in thinking, but a nice one I find and it all ties in with that Power of Our Thoughts stuff.
I don’t usually write my goals down but I have a huge laundry list of things I need to do and get done and things I want to do. I posted here about Always Having Goals.
I desperately need to do my Personal Trainer Studying & Reading and that is my Mission Critical Project this week and going forward. And of course, now that I have a Show Date, it’s balls out at the Gym!
What are your goals for the week or for the Month of April?
3. Do You Follow Directions & Rules? Do you consider yourself a Leader or a Follower?
I can follow directions, and on things like putting together furniture or filing my taxes, I of course follow directions precisely. Rules of the road? Sort of follow those. But in things that are subjective, shades of gray, and opinion-based, like what would taste good in a recipe or how to sculpt the perfect physique or how to be a conscientious parent where everyone has an opinion on the matter, I definitely march to my own tune and don’t “follow the directions”. As I mentioned in This Post, I am no stranger to making non-mainstream choices and for standing up for what I believe, even if it Isn’t Popular, and that’s fine!
I know that some people need to follow a Yoga DVD, follow a Recipe, Follow their workout Split, but I just am not that way. I need to be able to put my own tweaks on it and inject my own personality into things. And because of this, I am a Leader. Perhaps by default since I am not a follower, then I guess I am a leader. I don’t relish being a leader per se, it just is what is and many times it would be so much easier to just Follow Along like a Good Girl…
…but I am not Good Girl Material most days. And no one said Life is Easy!
Do you Follow Directions? Do you Follow Others? Do you Follow the Rules? Are you a Leader or Follower?
Stay Tuned For Using Pumpkin…
Okay I hate to Single White Female
you, but I have to know who makes the green shorts you’re wearing in your progress pics! I need a pair of “inspiration shorts” to motivate me (like your pics do!)…
Gosh this post is so old I don’t even remember where I got them! Sorry!