This is ME

Helping myself and inspiring others become stronger each day!

My journey started because I wanted to be healthy and live longer.

Now, it is more about LIVING!!!.

CHERISH YOURSELF

Find and LIKE Movement of HOPE on Facebook for uplifting posts.

YOU are stronger than you realize!

Through time, I have found that the only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves.

Live life by DESIGN... not by default.

I have found my purpose and passion! That is continuously learning and then showing others how to become the best versions of themselves.!

Friday, February 19, 2016

Homemade rejuvenating bath soak

 This simple yet effective bath soak recipe is easy to make at home and very cost friendly. 

I use a pint size canning jar to store mine. Once you have the jar, lid, Epsom Salt and essential oils of your choice, you can begin!

I start with filling the jar half full of Epsom salt. I choose 3-5 relaxing oils to add (pictured is lavender, peppermint, clary sage, and melaleuca). If you have an aromatherapy blend, that would work great! Just add a few drops of each oil into the Epsom salt. 

Fill the remainder of the jar and add a few more drops of each oil on top. Secure lid and shake well to mix. 

For my weekly soak, I fill the bathtub and add about 1/2 cup of this relaxing Epsom salt mixture and I enjoy soaking in the tub for 20-30 minutes. Epsom salt is great for detoxing, rejuvinating and helping sore muscles! 
Here are some reasons to use it year round!
I love that Epsom salt is very reasonably priced (less than $4 for this large container) and is easy to find at many stores! Or you can get it online and have it delivered right to your door! 

Enjoy this recipe and make your weekly rejuvinating bath soak a priority.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Setting goals may be intimidating. 

I think the main reason people don't set personal goals more consistently is because of the effort and dedication it takes to achieve them.

Perhaps they also fear failure. If that is the case, they are not alone To begin, choose a day of the week (preferably Sunday) to reflect on the previous week and set goals for the week to come!


It took me a lot of practice and persistence to learn how to set measurable goals, keep track of them and eventually reach them. But the key here is BELIEF AND CONSISTENCY. If the goal is reasonable and attainable, we CAN reach it! 
It's not a matter of IF, but rather WHEN.

When setting a goal, be sure to follow these guidelines to help ensure your success!

SPECIFIC: The goal must be specific! Saying "I want to drink more water" or "I plan to workout more" is way too broad and is hard to keep track of. Get specific with the details.

MEASURABLE: Numbers help with measuring a goal. Set a certain amount to your goal and make sure you can easily track it. Instead of, "I want to drink more water" say "I will drink 80 ounces of water every day." Once you reach that number, you will know you have reached your goal!

ATTAINABLE: Your goal must be possible or you will will get discouraged when you are unable to reach it. Having a broad long term goal is okay, as long as you have small attainable short term goals to back it up and keep you on track. Saying you want to lose 50 pounds is good, but you need small, attainable milestones to get you to that ultimate goal.

REALISTIC: Your goal must make sense and be realistic. If you set your goals too high or are hoping for something that isn't really possible, then you are setting yourself up for failure.

TIME-BOUND: Set a DEADLINE! When you have a reasonable deadline for yourself, you are more likely to stay on track and push yourself harder. Goals are great, but even the most specific goals are put on the back burner when you don't have a set end date.

REMEMBER: The only reason you don't reach a SMART goal is because you choose not to. 
It's not because you can't do it, it's because you didn't do it. 
There is a HUGE difference. And it starts with MINDSET!


Make the CHOICE to make the changes you know you need to have in your life. 
ONLY YOU CAN REACH YOUR GOALS. No one else can do it for you!

I wish you the best in setting and reaching goals. I find the best thing for keeping track of my goals and determining if they are specific enough, is to write out a chart and check each item off as it is done. 

I'd love to know what works for you and what awesome goals you have set for yourself!
Feel free to comment or message me your goals and I will help hold you accountable to those!






Tuesday, February 2, 2016

A GLORIOUS NEW START

Of the many things I have overcome, this may just be the greatest struggle yet.

I feel like I have gone through ultimate highs and ultimate lows, but I have to remind myself that no matter what, I must never give up!


I understand that we each have core beliefs and values that navigate our choices and actions throughout the course of our own lives. Each of us is unique, and our personal experiences and life lessons are just as unique. We all have our own story, our own personal beliefs, hopes and dreams, struggles and oppositions. And we all have our own unique way of dealing with these things.

As much as I think I may have enjoyed a psychology course or two, I have never actually taken one. However, I still tend to analyze and over-analyze my thoughts and actions and attempt to find reasoning behind my core beliefs and reasons for the way I am today. Soft-hearted and a little stubborn, I will admit that. Which has led me to the fact that I care a little too much, yet when people don't show sincere interest in me, I unapologeticly back away and close myself up. Which in turn, I believe, makes it hard to gain close friends that I can fully trust.

I can surely attest that life is easier when you have less people to please. I have learned that when people expect less of you, you have less to worry about! However, I can also attest that without those expectations placed upon yourself, you definitely accomplish LESS and feel less important and needed. And what is life and it's purpose if you don't feel needed and accomplished? It's depressing!

Having experienced both sides, I can say that having and setting goals and accomplishing more, all while having more people look up to you and expect more from you, definitely FEELS better and results in a more fulfilling life!


So that brings me to my change in direction, in which I need accountability from others that are willing to listen and care and I return the favor as well! I once lost a significant amount of weight, felt amazing, yet bad experiences with people shut me down and somewhat made me rebel against the healthy lifestyle I adapted. I have gained back the weight and feel STUCK! I have felt aimless and felt that I had lost my purpose and reason to get back on track. Mainly because I am back at my old mindset which says, "I don't care what I look like. If people don't like me when I am fat, that is THEIR problem." But the truth is, I don't feel so good. I feel fatigued, unhealthy, lazy, careless, no drive or motivation to even make needed changes. But I know with support and love from others, I can once again relearn to set and reach goals, remember what it feels like to be physically healthy, feel accomplished and driven, and at the end of the day feel SATISFIED and HAPPY with the choices I am making daily.

The thing that drives me is RELATIONSHIPS! People that truly care! Knowing that the choices I am making is not only affecting myself, but also people around me. Having others AND myself set higher expectations of me helps drive me to do better every day, Frankly, when others don't seem to care, I don't care. But I am ready to change that attitude and put more effort into proving not only what I am capable of, but helping others realize their own God-given potential.

With these thoughts in mind, listen to and enjoy the song in this video.


WITH GOD, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! Are you ready to set and reach goals together and prove to yourself that you are capable than more than you ever thought possible?

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