Finding Inspiration ....

I LOVE THIS! And I found this at the right time... no matter how badly I want to quit, I can't because tomorrow is another break-through, another chance for greatness, another day closer to my goal.

I made lots of copies of this. There is one in my bathroom, one in my closet, one of the fridge... anyplace in my house where I feel discouraged or temptation. 

So last month I moved my elliptical machine and it's now facing a wall, and let's me honest no one wants to stare at a wall even if they are wearing an iPod. So I decided that every month I would add a little inspiration to my wall. I'm a calorie burning woman on a mission to lose the pounds and an attractive (slightly nude) man was exactly what I need to stay on that machine. So this month my inspiration is non other than super studly, Olympic swimmer Anthony Ervin:

Let me tell you how awesome and inspiring he is 

• his tats are and glasses giving me hipster realness
• he wears pretty panties swim trunks
• he's a Cal alum/swimmer ...what's in that water at Cal Berkeley they have an awesome swim program that but do they also require their males to be completely gorgeous (have you seen Nathan Adrian??)
• his hair (wow do I sound like a fan girl???)
• this is the kind of cat that I can see myself sitting down with a cup of tea having a deep, meaningful conversation with
• he swims the 50 Meter
• his story is completely inspiring 

I'm always to say that weight has been a life-long issue for me. There has never been a time when I haven't been fat. Okay that's not true, there were a few years when I was normal weight as referenced in this picture (I was so ahead of my time fashion wise... how many little kids do you know that can rock a periwinkle swing trench-coat?)

I always remembered high school fondly, and I guess I sugar coated it by "remembering" myself with an athletic build..I don't even think I look the same, in all fairness I have been through a life-time of medical issues since then (numerous illnesses, hospitalizations, and two liver transplants). And in my lifetime I have been anywhere from 160 to 300 pounds... strangely enough before I decided to actively lose weight I was larger than I was in that picture (I estimate I was 250 lbs in that photo)

Tyra @ 17                                          Tyra @ 35

So why is this so inspiring? It reminds me that I've come s long way...and still have a long way to go!

About a week ago Sunshine proposed a challenge to her teams to create a collage as part of a contest. I've used this silhouette before in a collage that was in this post and thought that it would be perfect for the contest. The theme: Different Women, One Goal. I think at the end of the day that sums up the Blue Team. I love them, they inspire me EVERY day. We share our challenges and our successes and it makes this journey so much easier to travel. I can say 100% that if I didn't have the support I would have gotten this far, and would have quiet a long time ago. 

Inspiration is Everywhere, even online.

"Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement."
Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog

FMM: Uniquely You

                               

                     Uniquely You

1) Do you prefer to talk or text? Seriously it depends on the person, for example….if it’s my mom defiantly talk. I can be texting her for 30 minutes and call her and she will ask me exactly what we texted about… better to save my fingers and simply call her. And let’s be honest there are people that everyone prefers to text cause if you call them (and they pick up) you will be on the phone with them for hours talking about everything from their toe fungus to what they ate for lunch two weeks ago

2) How often do you make your bed?  I make my bed every day. I have to. My room might be a mess, but at the end of every day I know that I will come home to a nicely made bed with a hint of Lavender Vanilla spray (try it people…. its amaze-balls!!)

3) What sounds do you hear right now? My cat Elmo snoring … he’s sleeping peacefully while he demanded that I wake up and feed him

4) List three things that you always carry with you.  Phone, wallet and a bottle of water… I will start to panic if I don’t have any of those things with me

5) What are your favorite TV shows? Really? And easier question is “Tyra, what don’t you watch?”... pretty much anything on CBS except Big Brother (I don’t specifically have an issue with CBS as a network… but I never forgave them for passing up on Ringer  and placing it on the CW where it died a cruel and painful death…I think it would have done a lot better on CBS….I take my TV VERY seriously)

6) Is there a hobby that you’d like to devote more time to? If so, what is it? I really want to get back into cross-stitch, it’s so relaxing but it’s time consuming because I really need to focus on just that which means, computers and TV have to be off

7) What is your favorite drink? I am strangely addicted to Crystal light, when I gave up coffee and soda CL became my go-to drink...I go to my mom’s house and drink up all of hers, them come home and make my own… I don’t make like a little water bottle… oh no! I will make gallons...

 8) Share a couple of cool facts about your family. Apparently my mother holds a patent for a specific kind of liner used in caskets…

9) List one thing that you will do for yourself today. I will continue to dedicate myself to being healthy and losing weight