Learning from trials

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason.
People come into our lives to teach us lessons that we may not even think we need.
We all go through individual struggles and trials that are unique to each of us.
We each have lessons to learn in this life, and the best way we learn is through personal experience.
However, the most common struggle is determining WHAT the lesson actually IS! It is most often recognized AFTER the trial. Sometimes, LONG after the trial is over.

I remember when I was younger. I, as every teenager, went through personal struggles, self-esteem and self-worth issues, wondering if I really had a purpose in this life. My faith kept me going. When all seemed dark and hopeless, I felt a sense of peace in knowing that someday, somehow, I would make a difference in the lives of others. I was reassured that the things I was going through were for my own good and one day I would overcome them and be able to help others. I doubted this at the time, but kept faith that maybe, just maybe, it was possible.

Is life easy? No.
Is it difficult to stay HAPPY and POSITIVE although the world is filled with constant negativity, pain, and struggle? Yes it is difficult. Is it possible? Not without effort.

You see, I believe happiness is a choice.
Every little thing we choose to do makes an impact on our day. We choose how to act, how to behave, what we say or don't say, how we treat others, how we react, how we spend our time, and everything in between. We control our OWN choices.

Life is based on a series of never ending CHOICES.

No, we cannot determine the choices for others.

So during a trial or hardship, the way I get through it is to remind myself to choose to believe that everything happens for a reason. Once I remember that, I can look at the situation differently and evaluate a lesson that needs to be learned. Sometimes I see it right away, and sometimes it takes time to finally understand what I need to learn from that trial or experience.

This will continue throughout life. I don't expect to ever stop learning. Look at every trial as a life lesson and you will learn something new every day!

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Family pictures display on wall

I don't consider myself to be a professional decorator by any means. 

However, I will be glad to share some of the ideas that I use in my own home.

This is the way I choose to display my children's 8x10 photos on the wall in the living room. 

This is what it looks like when finished:

 Simple to put up. I just used black satin ribbon and attached the 

bow and strands to the wall with tacky tape. 

The frames don't actually hang by the ribbon, but are nailed to the wall 

with the ribbon just behind the frame to look like it is hanging from it.

Feel free to share other ways that you have found to display family pictures on the wall!

Sometimes it is great to change things up.

Have a great day!

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Embrace Change

If there is anything I have learned lately, it is this: YOU have the power to DECIDE what you want in life. You DECIDE how you are going to live.

You DECIDE how you treat others, which then depends how they treat you in return.

You DECIDE what area you need to progress and whether or not you will act on it.

It is important to know for certain that no one can determine your happiness. 

There are so many ways to make progress in life. Physical, Mental, Spiritual, etc. 

It requires CHANGE.

Change is not to be feared. 

EMBRACE CHANGE.

That comes with the simple decision to decide.

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HYDRATION is important!

For the last couple weeks I have been very faithful with my water intake! 

I even came up with a plan to MAKE sure that I am getting enough water. 

It seems to work GREAT for me!

So here's my new idea to help me REMEMBER how much water I need to drink during the day. I keep track by starting out in the morning with the rubber bands on my wrist. As I drink a full 16oz from my tumbler, I take a band from my wrist and put it on my cup  this way I know how much I have already had and how many I still need to drink! And this ensures I get over 100 oz each day! 

Feel free to use this idea to help you keep track og your own water intake.

When I get enough water, I feel a noticeable difference in my energy level, mental clarity, skin softness, and overall mood. I JUST FEEL BETTER!!!

Not everyone needs over 100 oz of water every day, but I think this is what works for me. 

It is recommended that you drink half your body weight in ounces.

Example: someone who weighs 180 pounds would drink 90 oz

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

So drink up!

Water, that is.

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Finding your WHY

When making a change for the better, you MUST have a reason for wanting to make that change. 

Especially if the change is not easy. 

Especially if it takes effort and time.

Especially if you may not see the changes right away.

Your WHY has to be powerful enough to see you through the times when you want to quit. It has to be strong enough to PULL you up when all you want to do is lie down. 

In my journey to losing weight, there have been plenty of times that I don't see results immediately and feel like my efforts are not making any difference. For one who has never really been into "working out" or "dieting", sticking with this has been tough. I have had to learn and relearn different things that work for me (and don't really work for me). WHY do I continue to press on, even through the tough times when I don't "feel" like doing it anymore? 

It is because I decided from the very beginning that I wanted to be a good example for my family to follow. I want to SHOW them that anything is possible with persistence and determination. But more importantly, I want to be healthy for THEM! I want to LIVE to its fullest, and be able to create lively memories for them. I can honestly say that when I was obese, there were MANY things that I couldn't do. I didn't let my weight or physical appearance hold me back from loving myself, who I was, my purpose as a wife and mother, or belief in myself. However, the physical aspects of being obese held me back from being able to do many things. Like walk up the stairs without being out of breath... yeah. That was me. I couldn't run to keep up with my children. In fact, if I had to run to save my life, I would die. Hahaha! I noticed before that I was constantly tired. Energy was hard to come by no matter how much sleep I got. I lacked drive and motivation to do anything productive. Although I never doubted my self worth, I still was disappointed in myself as I would look in the mirror and see someone I wasn't sure I recognized. I wasn't proud of that. I try to teach my daughters to love themselves no matter what, but the truth is, when you aren't doing your best to keep up with your health, there is a sense of disappointment that comes.

This is where my WHY gets even deeper. I look at my oldest daughter who is now 9 years old. You know those tween years when they start to believe the things that others tell them? They see pictures of models and begin to take in the world's definition of what beauty is? It scares me to death thinking about my daughter not loving herself the way I love her. Embracing every aspect of how amazingly wonderful and beautiful she is not matter what she looks like. I want her to KNOW, without a doubt, that her body is something to appreciate. It is a miracle that was given to her and she needs to take care of it. I truly believe that by me being that positive example, she will learn that. By showing her that her health does matter because her body is a miracle that needs to be taken care of, she will learn to appreciate the blessing of health and put forth more conscious effort to treat it properly. 

The same goes for my younger two children as they grow. 

This is a lifestyle change that I am making for them. Not because I want to "look" good or be "skinny". But because I want them to be proud of the accomplishments that we have made together.

I am motivated by the memories we have YET to create. 
I am motivated by the legacy of love I want to leave. 
I am motivated by the fact that taking care of my health NOW, I can live LONGER and have more TIME with loved ones. 

The question now is what motivates you?

More importantly, WHY? 
Why does it even matter?

Once you find that DRIVING FORCE, you are UNSTOPPABLE! 

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My health transformation

This picture shows a part of my journey. Not the beginning, and not the end. 

I am in this continual process of becoming better, stronger, healthier, smarter, more knowledgeable, etc. 

I am determined to never let this progression end.  

This picture shows the outward result of the decision to CHANGE.

What was I BEFORE?

I was obese, but that didn't define me. 

More importantly, I was a wife and a mother. 

I was happy and content with my life. I thought I was healthy, because my blood pressure and cholesterol numbers were "normal". I was teaching my young children how to make healthy food choices, yet I wasn't being an example. I didn't know how to set and reach goals, and I had never heard of "Personal Development". I was a follower that blended into the crowd. I would look in the mirror and wonder where my GLOW went. Where was my spark for life? I was just going through the motions and not doing anything extraordinary. 

I KNEW I needed to make a change, but I was afraid of committing. 

WHY? 

Not because I was afraid, of failure, but because I was afraid of the work that it was going to take. I knew that if I was going to lose weight, I was going to do it the right way. By eating healthy and exercise. Which we all know takes time and effort. I was not a sucker for the fad diets, pills, wraps, or any other "quick fix" claims out there. I was also a cheap-o, and didn't want to cost my family extra money for something that I wasn't sure would work. I had looked into a personal trainer and was blown away by the expense of that. I was a stay-at-home mom with no extra source of income and wasn't about to spend that much for a personal trainer that would take me out of my home to workout, cost extra money for gas and daycare during workouts, take up extra time than necessary. I hoped there was another way, but I had no idea where to begin. Which is the reason I put it off for so long. When I found out about how I could workout at home and follow a training schedule that was laid out for me, with no question about whether or not it would work. I had no doubt that if I did my best and worked a little each day, I could essentially reach small goals. I discovered that it wasn't so difficult. Easy to do, but also easy not to do.

The thing that makes all the difference: 

DECIDE what it is you want and how bad you want it?

What am I NOW?

I am a wife and a mother. 

I am happy, but KNOW that being content with my life is a way of saying I don't deserve better than what I currently have. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for all the blessings in my life. I am happy with the progress I have made, but if I were to become content and comfortable with my life as it is at this moment, that would cause me to cease in working toward becoming better. I am learning how to set goals and accomplish more! 

I am a leader that has others looking up to me for guidance and inspiration. It is surreal at times when I receive messages about how I inspire others. I didn't intend on that when I started, but found that helping and inspiring others actually DRIVES me to become better because I don't want to let them down. 

Does it mean I am perfect? No. Does it mean I am done? Surely not.

I know what it feels like to lose over 70 pounds. I also know what it feels like to convince myself that 70 pounds is "good enough" and then fall back into old habits. It's a good thing that I know how to pick myself back up and get back on track. Instead of giving up completely, I get up, brush off the dust, and make a u-turn back in the right direction. And my faithful friends and followers are so uplifting and supportive. 

So here I am trying to get back on track after a summer of indulging in old habits. 

70 pounds lost, but some gained back and ground to make up! But does that mean I am doomed to fail, and that I should just give up? No. I restarted my journey in October 2013 and committed to 21 days of clean eating and finished strong!

Click here to see pictures of my meals during this 21-day reset

This helped me to gain back some traction that I felt I had lost. Now that I am back on track, my body is once again craving healthy foods and exercise. It's a great feeling to know that I can progress no matter what happened in the past.

REMEMBER:

It's not about where you have been, but more about where you are GOING!!! 

And guess what?

YOU HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THAT!

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ABOUT ME

Here's what I am: I am a wife and a mom. I have 2 daughters and a son and I embrace ALL the ups and downs of being a mom. The best rewards are the hugs and kisses and random "I love you's" that make it all worth it! I am a craft-lover, do-it-yourselfer, reader, and writer, a part-time kindergarten aide, and a part-time Beachbody coach! I am an animal lover and have been vegan since 2016! I love music and singing. I consider myself to be spiritual and faithful and continually strive to better myself. I am frugal (yes, that means I am cheap and will go out of my way to save money!) 

My oldest daughter and me!

My youngest daughter and me!

My son and our leopard gecko!

Our sweet dachshund Bella

I have been through a lot in life. I was born with gastroschesis, my parents were divorced when I was very young, I struggled through depression and self-hate in my young teenage years, I have struggled through obesity for MANY years, and I have finally learned how to overcome it! I know what it feels like to lose over 70 pounds in one year with home workouts and how doing so made me FEEL completely EMPOWERED! I love helping people and am constantly striving to make improvements in my life and expand my potential and help others see the possibilities of their own potential. 


I am an introvert that has found many friends all over the country that I associate with through the internet because of my role as  Beachbody coach. There are not many things in life that are better than connecting with others and making friends around the world! I like to shop online, and when I find something worth sharing, I share it! I love a good deal and I love to help others get good deals! I would never recommend something I wouldn't buy myself. I consider myself a good, loyal, trustworthy friend. I most often times put others before myself. I believe in the importance of quality over quantity. I struggle. Although I once lost over 70 pounds and know what it feels like to be in good shape and feel overflowing confidence, I have also felt the opposite side of that, gained over 70 pounds and felt aimless, stuck, unmotivated and powerless to make the changes that I know I needed to make.

Here is a picture of my husband and me!
We are faithful devoted parents that are just trying to do the best we can!

I love what I do and I enjoy helping others. I have found my passion and fulfillment serving others and helping them see a greater possibility in life!








Here's what I am not: (Disclaimer) I am not a nutritionist. I am not a certified dietitian. I am not a fitness expert, nor do I pretend to be. I am not perfect, and I don't expect others to be either. I don't scam people, I don't lie, cheat or steal. I don't get offended TOO easily, and I appreciate constructive criticism. I don't know everything (nor do I pretend to know everything). I am not loud, and I would rather be the listener than the talker. I don't like to be the center of attention, but know that if I have something worth sharing, it is worth getting uncomfortable.  

I love to share my thoughts and lessons on life and things I learn through my personal experiences. I also love finding others to connect with, sharing my learning experiences, my struggles and strengths, my faults and weaknesses, and more. I am very appreciative to those that see me as someone to look up to. I am no different than you. We are all on this journey together and here on this earth to help one another. I assume we are on a mission to love and be loved! To dream, inspire and make a difference. 

Find me on Instagram @cherishsaurey

We are all in this together, so let's band together and strive for PROGRESS, not perfection!

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Making CHANGES

Think about something in your life that you continually wish were different...  Have something (or MANY things) in mind? Yeah, me too.... and here's the thing I have learned: Positive change takes THOUGHT. Positive change takes EFFORT. Positive change takes TIME. Positive change takes a change of MIND.That means:1st) You must REALIZE that something needs to change. This decision can come from an awareness that may have suddenly crossed your mind or through an event that occurred that made you realize a change needs to be made. 2nd) You DECIDE that the change is necessary. Whether it be for health, for comfort, for peace-of-mind, for spiritual well-being, or for whatever reason you have determined.3rd) Think about WHY you want the change. Seriously, envision the outcome that will result if you were to make the change happen. This reason needs to be something BIG enough to drive you through the challenge. Dig down to the emotion of what this change could mean to you, your life, your health, your loved ones, your finances, whatever the issue is. WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL IT MAKE?4th) Choose to take ACTION! It will work best if you have a PLAN of action. A plan is like a map that will direct you which way to go so you aren't wandering around aimlessly. 5th) Don't LET yourself get overwhelmed. Yes, I think being overwhelmed is a choice. If you find yourself overwhelmed, it's okay. Just go back to step one and rethink why you started and what it will mean. Rethink your plan of action and take smaller steps that will help you achieve your goal. Change is never easy. It is meant to be challenging, because when it challenges you, you LEARN more and prove to yourself that you are capable of doing challenging things! I'd appreciate any feedback you have about this process! Here's to your HAPPINESS and a LIFE that you LOVE!

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READY? SET? ACTION!

This blog has been contemplated for a long time. I SHOULD have started over 2 years ago when I decided to change my life for the better... I have taken CONTROL and have learned so much, have lost a significant amount of weight, changed my eating habits, helped countless others in their journey, started eating clean, and much more including trying to organize and do home improvements to my own house and craft room! Imagine if I would have SHARED all the things I have learned! But here is the first thing you should know about me... I like to THINK! A LOT! My mind is always going, although I am a very quiet person. If I actually DID all the things I think about doing, then A LOT would get done.
But truth is, I put the PRO in PROCRASTINATION.
Nothing to idolize. Right? So why are you reading this? Because I have DECIDED to TAKE ACTION!!!
I will begin sharing my journey, things I have learned, am learning, and will learn along the way! I have decided that I have much to offer and I plan to give HOPE to many others out there that are going through the same trials I am.
 THERE is HOPE! YOU can do anything!!! Here's the key to reaching goals:

ACTION

You want something done? Then take action! So here is the start to my life long journey of living a healthier lifestyle and sharing my story with others. I hope to bring you content that will improve your life as well!
No reason to put it off any longer!

Looking forward to having you on this journey with me!

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