Category: Find Your Power (Page 3 of 4)

The Greatest Victory

April 22, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

The Greatest Victory

There is a battle that rages daily in our homes. Each life is effected differently but EVERYONE is touched. There is no escape and it’s not a battle that anyone can fight for you or that you will be able to fight for those you care about.

If the battle is not won, some may be held hostage their entire lives, self worth will never be discovered, dreams will never be realized, and lives will be half lived. This is actually a very serious problem and extends beyond the surface I am scratching here. It’s the reason we struggle in any given area of our lives from being disorganized to struggling to live a healthier lifestyle to you name it. This battle is the battle of the mind.

It is constant, as you know, but there is hope. Peace among the inner voices is indeed possible.

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.” –Aristotle

I had so much fun making this short YouTube video below. In it, I share a couple of tips that have been useful to me in going into battle against myself.

SELF TALK Video

In the comments below the video, I’d love to hear about any secret weapons you’ve used that have been effective in the battle you’ve been fighting. We’re all in different places. You may be home from the battle of the mind a disciplined, self confident, victorious warrior. Please share any resources you know will help the rest of us.

If you like the video, please share it with your friends and be sure to subscribe to my channel to see more.

Until next time, keep growing in your POWER.

Sarah

Wake Up and Live

March 4, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

21 Day Self Care Challenge, Day 4
Wake Up and Live

Some days feel magical: birthdays, vacation days, Christmas. This day was one of those days for me. Self Care can definitely support you in turning ordinary days into days that feel magical.

Besides being grounded in my thinking, today was great because Jason, inspired by our first REAL snowfall this winter or knowing that our girls would pick at each other all day out of sheer boredom, kept the ball rolling with traditional snow day activities.

He made a big breakfast, but he didn’t just prepare food. He turned our kitchen into a diner and had the girls help. They went around taking individual orders, preparing drinks (the drink station was a MESS!), and serving the orders as they “came up”.

After breakfast, they made snow cream.

Then it was time to go outside and play in the snow.

I love that Nora kept her apron on. 🙂

I was the photographer all morning, documenting the special day. I had a choice. I could take the opportunity to write or I could go outside and enjoy this rare snow day with my husband and kids. I knew better than to pass this chance up. I quickly bundled up and joined the fun. We watch a lot of Man Versus Wild and Man Woman Wild on Netflix, so the girls were calling Jason “Bear” and handing him big pieces of ice from the trampoline for the walls of an igloo.

When we were thoroughly frozen, we came in to read by the fire, drink hot chocolate, and eat the earlier prepared snow cream.

When I finally did Self Care, I thought about how I want to ALIVE. I don’t feel like I’ve been living life fully for the last couple of years. I was already kind of isolated. Jason and I made the decision to stop going to church 7 years ago. The intention was to be with Christians regularly in our home, but things didn’t go according to plan, and I haven’t quite figured out what the next move is. When he and I separated for 9 months in August of 2012, I got REALLY REALLY isolated. I pushed away the support of friends for an unhealthy relationship. One thing I’ve learned for sure is that life is not meant to be a solo act and had I stayed connected to my support group, I wouldn’t have made some of the choices I made.

I’ve definitely become a homebody. Besides my new-ish life as a hermit, I haven’t been as present with my family as I’d like to be. More experiences out in the real world and lots of time with my family are at the top of my to do list and I’m actively looking for ways to make both of these things happen.

Self Care is a regular reminder of what matters most in my life.

After I did Self Care, our family had an impromptu photo shoot. Jason sells unique vintage items. He draped this old flag up on the piano so he could get a vision for what he’s going to do with it next. He sat down in front of it and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take some silly pictures.

I’m extra pleased tonight because I chose to BE PRESENT with my family. I LIVED today to the fullest. Even though the day was filled with some extra fun, I know this feeling is possible on a normal day because I’ve experienced it many times before on Self Care days. I suspect that with regular Self Care, ALIVE is going to be the new norm. Off moments and days will still come, but not as often. If I’m wrong, I’ll let you know.

You may want to read Struggle Less if you’re curious about Self Care.

Join me! A FREE Self Care Guide for YOU!

March 2, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

21 Day Self Care Challenge, Day 3
I’m starting to see the beauty of this discipline thing. I’ve made a commitment to daily Self Care and the way in which I’m doing it, is exciting to me and killing all kinds of birds with one stone. I’ve never read the book The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, but I hear people talking about it and I know I’ve been experiencing MAJOR resistance.

Have you noticed that I haven’t been talking much on my facebook page? I haven’t said much in months. Even though I’d love to sit down and have a chat with you and I spend a great deal of time thinking about what I’d say, when I sit down to share it, I just haven’t been able to. There’s been a BLOCK. It’s been extremely frustrating.

I’m not going to share pre and post self care thoughts today. You get the point and I notice my thoughts tend to be mostly the same before and after the process. I do want to share a feeling I noticed last night.

I’ve slowed down a lot over the last couple of months. I haven’t been trying so hard to get into my future. I want to be present and presently I have growing kids that I want to spend quality time with every day. I have a house that needs daily attention. I don’t want to live in a spotless house, but I know I can do better than I’ve been doing. I’ve been spending less time on the computer and more time on the house. The problem is that in a family as large as mine, I could work on the house all day and by the end of the day, there’s just as much work to do as there was at the beginning of the day. I’ve been going to bed feeling rather discouraged because I feel like I’m working really hard but not getting anywhere. When these feelings start to come, I give myself the what for because I’m OBVIOUSLY not good at my job as a stay at home mom.

Last night was different. I got half of my dishes done and that was the ONLY house work I did yesterday. My house was an ABSOLUTE wreck but I felt VERY peaceful as I walked back to the bedroom. The mess had no effect on me. And right this minute, hours later as I get ready to tackle that same mess, I feel that same tranquility. It’s AWESOME and I’m giving credit to the Self Care process for this calm.

When I mentioned killing lots of birds with a single stone, I feel like there’s added peace that comes when I pray about the Self Care thoughts. This 21 day commitment is allowing me to do Self Care, pray, and write about the process consistently, three areas of my life I have longed to be more disciplined about. Multiple birds with a single Self Care stone. I LOVE IT!!!

I want all of us to go through our days with MORE JOY, MORE PEACE, and MORE POWER and Self Care is a very effective way to do so. I created a one page Self Care Guide that you can print off and do your own 21 Day Challenge. I used it today and it helped my wandering mind stay focused. I even skipped around from one section of the page to another as my thoughts roamed, filling out whatever part of the page the thought fit into.

In addition to the Daily Self Care Guide, here’s a link to an AMAZING video that leaves me feeling like I’ve just done Self Care every time I watch it.

I hope you enjoy these resources and please feel free to share them with others!

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in going through the 12 week conversation What One Person Can Do, you can get in touch with Sarah here.

21 Days of Self Care, Day 2

March 2, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

21 Days of Self Care, Day 2

If ever there was a day I needed to do Self Care, today was it. I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. watching episode after episode of Once Upon A Time on Netflix. My 7 year old suggested we have a marathon, but she conked out by 10:30.

My intention before I left reality and was transported to Storybrook, Maine was to get up early and do Self Care before the day got going. I set my alarm for 6:30 and was prepared to tackle the day on only four or five hours of sleep. I did not however, expect the 3 a.m. phone call to go pick up an unhappy 9 year old at a lock in.

Ugh…

ANY TIME IS A GOOD TIME FOR SELF CARE

While getting grounded in your well-being is a GREAT idea 1st thing in the morning, and it’s silly for me to put it off, the good news is that Self Care is available 24/7. I finally made some quiet time at 4:00.

Why wait until 4:00, Sarah? Well…
I sat down at the computer as I do many mornings and got completely sidetracked. This morning’s sidetracked adventure was in learning that March is Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is coming up on March 8th!!!

I’ve only known International Women’s Day even existed for 2 years, even though it’s been observed for over 100 years. I find this bizarre. Why isn’t there more awareness about a day that honors women who paved the way for the rest of us? Why isn’t there more awareness about this day that gives us a chance to consider our sisters around the world who don’t have the same rights we have?

If you’ve never heard of International Women’s Day, here’s a short video from the National Women’s History Museum that explains how this day came to be.

But I digress…

My pre-self care thoughts today were pretty rough because I was extra tired. I was having some major mom guilt over the lock in drama. I didn’t realize the lock in and Maggie’s Academic Team Regionals were the same weekend until just a couple of days before they took place. After much debating and some tears, we decided to take a chance and do both. I knew what the possible outcome would be, but it was worse than I predicted.

Not only was the lock in a bust, but Maggie was WAY TOO TIRED to even make an appearance at Regionals and as a result, lost her spot on the Academic Team. This MOM Fail on top of forgetting to pick up my 13 year old from school yesterday, on top of lack of sleep myself was too much. Had I taken time to do Self Care before this morning’s events unfolded, I might not have descended into the depths of mom guilt I found myself in.

My Self Care time was no different than any other time I’ve taken time with these 4 POWERFUL thoughts. I locked myself away and emerged feeling refreshed and focused, ready to create a productive and happy night with my family. Self Care is good stuff. Tomorrow I’m going for the good stuff at the beginning of the day instead of the tail end of it.

21 Days of Self Care, Day 1 goes into more depth about what Self Care is, if this is the first you’re hearing of it. It’s been so beneficial in my life and I’m doing this 21 day challenge to make it a habit instead of a random dose of well-being here and there.

21 Days of Self Care, Day 1

February 28, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

21 Days of Self Care,Day 1

I have experienced the incredible difference that taking time to do Self Care makes in my day. I feel like the 4 Self Care thoughts have become part of my thinking. Because of the overall impact this way of thinking has had in my day to day life, it is easy to become complacent when I wake up feeling peaceful, to skip the routine altogether. “I’ll do it after I get the kids off to school,” I say to myself, but then I start my busy day and later never happens.

My kids and husband have also noticed the difference Self Care makes in my day. When I’m not being patient or very loving, they call me out on it. “Have you done Self Care?” EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM has asked me this at some point over the last couple of years.

I’ve written a couple of blog posts and lots of facebook posts about Self Care, but it has yet to become a discipline for me. So even though, I’m mostly relaxed, even in the midst of some pretty chaotic times, I still have lots of off moments and occasional days where I’m a bit of a mess. This has been especially embarrassing when my friend Bill Cumming, who introduced me to Self Care, asks me how often I’m doing it.

So…it’s time. It’s time to get disciplined and experience the full effect Self Care can have on a life so that I can not only live my life to the fullest, but share with you what’s possible as well. I don’t want any of us to suffer needlessly. My life before learning about Self Care was full of unnecessary drama and self inflicted suffering.

For the next 21 days, I am challenging myself to be fully committed to doing Self Care every morning. After reading this post, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to do your own reflection on the 4 Self Care thoughts and see what a difference it makes in your own equanimity. Merriam Webster says equanimity is evenness of mind especially under stress. Self Care WORKS!

Pre-Self Care Thoughts on Day 1
So…it’s 11:00 am. I’ve had 5 hours of thinking time already this morning. These are some of the thoughts I’ve been thinking lately, having not done Self Care consistently for the past few months.

*Most mornings are unpleasant because of my 7 year old’s behavior. I love her but I dread waking her up. This morning’s fit was 5 minutes of drama over shoes. I don’t want to dread waking up my children.

*I’m not focused on my goals. I have so many ideas but I’m not making time to work on them. I’m scattered.

* I’ve been REALLY hard on myself. My life, while I feel so blessed, is not what I’d like it to be. I’ve made so many mistakes. BIG MISTAKES. I’m having trouble forgiving myself for not making better choices. I feel ashamed.

*I feel torn. I have a picture in my head of what life can be like on a day to day basis. I’d made the decision to pursue that picture, but reality is saying, “Not yet Missy.” I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

*I feel worried about some unknowns, like my health. I haven’t been to a doctor in years and I’m feeling kind of MORTAL these days.

As you can see, my mind visits some dark places. This has been my line of thinking once or twice a day, without the discipline of daily Self Care. Because I’ve done it in the past, I might spend more time than I should stewing over these thoughts, but I don’t stay in a constant state of worry or panic like I did before I learned about this invaluable tool. Still, these thoughts are unpleasant and Self Care will snap me out of it, get me grounded in my well-being, and support me in having a wonderful experience of being alive.

The 4 Self Care Thoughts
You can spend a few minutes thinking about these or praying about them. If you decide Self Care is beneficial for you, you’ll develop your own way of doing it, but here are the 4 Core Thoughts.

1. We live in a miracle.
2. Everything is interconnected.
3. The ONLY thing I can control is how I choose to BE in the world today.
4. Be gracious to yourself.

Besides thinking about and/or praying about these thoughts, you’ll want to reinforce them by reading a couple of pages out of one of these books or a similar book.

Real Love by Greg Baer

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Post Self Care Thoughts
Check out the difference!!!

We live in a miracle. Today I’m thankful to be alive, for my family, my health, and all my blessings.
We’re all interconnected. We all effect each other. There is lots of work to do, starting in my home, with my children. If I’ll look past myself and how others are inconveniencing me or not meeting my needs…if I’ll take time to do Self Care and get grounded, I’ll see what I can do daily to help decrease suffering in the world. I’ll see opportunity everywhere.

None of this is about me. I want to share what I’ve experienced with others. I want everyone to have access to more peace and more joy.

The ONLY thing I can control is how I choose to be in the world today. If I’m grounded, I’ll see what needs to be done to show my 7 year old that she’s loved without condition. I’ll have the patience to go into her drama filled world and love her through her meltdowns. Instead of looking at her as an energy taker, I can fill my moments with her with positivity and help her see what choices are available in helping her create a happier experience.

About my health concerns and mortality. What can I do about my concerns today? Do I need to call and make an appointment of some sort? I feel GREAT today. I need to make the most of this day. It’s the ONLY moment I have any guarantee of. How am I going to use my time?

How do I choose to be in the world today?

I choose to be loving, joyful, and peaceful. I choose to not attempt to control the people with whom I live. My husband and I have changed a lot over the years. We’re not on the same page about a lot of things. I love him anyway. All I can control is how I choose to be today. My children are not little Sarahs. I choose to do the best I can to set a good example for them, to offer them loving guidance and hope they make good choices. It only causes me lots of frustration to try to micro manage everybody’s words and actions.

So my life isn’t going according to plan. All I can do is the best I can do moving forward. I’ve made mistakes. I can beat myself up and stay down or I can offer myself the same graciousness and love I would a friend and even a stranger. I choose to believe that everything is going to work out the way it’s supposed to, whether it ever looks like that from my point of view or not. I’m human and I can’t see the bigger picture.

Today I choose to be hopeful,
to do my best,
to love unconditionally,
to be calm,
to be a hard worker,
to take time to pursue my goals,
and to share what I’ve experienced.

WOW! I feel better!

I promise that future posts, concerning this personal Self Care Challenge over the next 20 days, will not be this lengthy. I just wanted to give you an example of my thinking before and after. This shift is possible for all of us, any time of the day, with these 4 simple but POWERFUL thoughts.

What did you think about this post? Can you see yourself using these 4 core thoughts to develop your own Self Care routine? Don’t be shy. Share your comments below. Speaking of sharing, I’d love it if you would share this post if you think the content would be useful to someone you care about.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily over facebook at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in going through the 12 week conversation What One Person Can Do, you can get in touch with Sarah here.

6 Tips for Finding More Time

December 16, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 2 Comments

6 Tips for Finding More Time

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”
~Jim Rohn

I write in my head all day long.

Sometimes I actually jot thoughts down to write about later—when there’s time.

GUESS WHAT? There’s NEVER extra time.

I write down the same ideas day after day. There’s so much I want to write about but it stays stuck in my head or in stacks of paper that never get revisited.

IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!

Here are 6 tips for finding more time. They’ve been helping me rethink my own issues with time. I hope you’ll find them useful as well.

#1 MAKE it a Priority.
This activity that you would love to be doing, whatever it is, needs to be moved up on your priority list, whether it’s a creative outlet, exercising, reading with your kids, or serving others.

If you can’t figure out how in the world to fit it in to your already overbooked schedule, move on to Tip #2.

#2 Track Your Time
Track your time to see where you lose 30 minutes or an hour. I did this a couple of weeks ago and it was eye opening. I already knew I was losing time in front of the computer but to track it and see it go was helpful.

#3 Pencil It In
One of the things I want to do but never get around to, because there is always so much to do, is to spend “fun time” with my kids. This is hard to admit because it seems so basic. Other families appear to have this family time down and we seem stuck as a family. We do the same thing day after day. The day seems completely booked with all of the to do’s. Over the summer, I wrote down HAVE A BONFIRE on my to do list. One bonfire led to subsequent bonfires and I learned if I want to have special time with my kids, I am going to have to plan those events. The same goes for my writing.

#4 Good enough
Good enough is a fairly new concept for me and I LOVE IT! Good enough is a POWERFUL weapon in the fight against PERFECTIONISM. It’s freeing to say, “The kitchen is good enough. The laundry is good enough.” We all know the house work is NEVER done. I don’t want to spend my children’s youth slaving to have a super clean home or checked out in front of the computer and miss out on any more time with them. Good enough will be the key that brings me balance and extra time.

#5 What’s possible for one POWERFUL woman is possible for another.
I know of women juggling the same set of circumstances as me, some of them with even more responsibilities than I have. If they can crank out a couple of blog posts, then it’s completely possible for me too. The only difference is that they’ve decided it’s a priority and I haven’t fully committed to it yet. I’m getting there.

#6 Put something down
I recently saw a quote that RUBBED ME THE WRONG WAY, but the more stressed I felt trying to accomplish EVERYTHING on my plate, the more I came to accept the truth of this quote.

“In order to pick up something new, you must first lay something down.” -unknown

I tried to beat the system because I’m rebellious like that. I went right ahead and picked up a business of all things. I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach. To have a successful business means you have to be a product of the product. right? That’s only going to be an additional 30 minutes to an hour of working out a day. No sweat.

Well actually, there is quite a bit of sweat involved. On top of that, it’s a business. I’m discovering that they don’t work themselves.

After a month of trying to hold all of that, in addition to what I was already holding, I eventually found something to set down.

“You can have it all. Just not all at once.” ~Oprah Winfrey

I guess Gloria was right.

“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” ~Gloria Steinem

If you‘ve tracked your time and there is seriously not a spare minute in your day for the thing you’d love to do, what can you put down?

So…what are you waiting for? Get busy doing the thing you’ve been putting off. It’s time.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning more about the 12 week conversation What One Person Can Do or in one on one coaching with Sarah, you can get in touch with her here.

Are You Afraid?

October 9, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Are You Afraid?

“Some mornings you just need to punch fear in the face & tell it to shut up! Go past the emotions & don’t look back! Then, make it habit!”
~Sandi Krakowski

I didn’t eat much for a couple of years, as a child, because I was terrified of being poisoned. My mom had to take the first bite of any food I was afraid to eat to get me to eat it. She ended up taking me to a psychologist because I started looking malnourished.

My dad was diagnosed with MS when I was four and all of the unknown about what was going on around me, manifested itself in me being afraid of EVERYTHING. The psychologist encouraged my dad to spend one on one time with me. I eventually started eating properly again.

My irrational fears, while not as intense as they were during that period of my life, followed me into adulthood. The fear went from being afraid of being poisoned, to being afraid of a house fire (I was so scared any time Smokey the Bear came to school to talk about fire prevention), to being afraid my mom wouldn’t come home after work. As I got older I feared being raped. As a young adult, I had anxiety about severe weather. After that fear subsided, I felt like life was going too good and every time the phone rang, I was afraid it was going to be bad news, because how long could this happy time possibly last?

Do you know how many times the things I have obsessively worried about have actually happened? Like once! and I survived.

What changed?

When I was 21, I had a few small panic attacks following a big hail storm. I got to a place where I wasn’t functioning properly on days there was a threat of severe weather. I’d pass up opportunities to get out with my 3 year old and socialize. Instead I would just stay home and hide from the clouds. I went to talk to a counselor about my fear. She reassured me that I wasn’t the only one in town traumatized by that storm.

At some point I noticed that our local weathermen like to create a lot of drama about potential severe weather, because they don’t see a lot of action here. Because of our karst topography, we don’t get the severe weather that other parts of the state and country get. I came to the realization that I can’t do anything about severe weather one way or the other. I HATED the way it felt to be afraid, so I quit watching the weather. I also felt like being terrified didn’t show much trust in God and why would anyone want to become a Christian if Christians were so afraid? There was also a coming to terms with the fact that I am going to die one day and if that’s how it’s going to happen, then that’s how it’s going to happen, (but more than likely it wouldn’t happen in my hometown so I could quit worrying about it so much.)

The second big shift came about 3 years ago. I was listening to Steve Chandler talk about how much energy people spend worrying about things that DO NOT ever happen. That audio gave me permission to quit being so fearful. It was exactly what I needed to hear. He went on to say that we can use that same amount of energy to create solutions and take action to improve situations that we can actually do something about. If there is nothing that can be done, we can focus our energy in a different direction besides worry. Do what you can and then MOVE ON.

The ONLY thing I can control is how I CHOOSE to BE in the world today. I have absolutely ZERO control over anything or anyone but myself.

If someone who spent as many years being afraid as I did can overcome fear then I KNOW you can too!

A Self Care routine is helpful in overcoming fearful thoughts as well. It’s a daily reminder that this day is a gift and you get to choose whether to live it in fear or bravely facing your fear. Read more about Self Care here.

Thanks so much for reading. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. Come over to facebook and let me hear em!

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning more about What One Person Can Do or one on one coaching, you can contact Sarah here.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Step 5

September 27, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Quick note from Sarah! This post is 3 weeks late because I dropped the ball. My apologies to Heather and to those of you who were keeping up with Heather’s weekly tips on how to Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating. You can find the links to Steps 1-4 at the end of this post.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Step 5
by Heather Dietel

Step 5:
Start to meal plan as many meals as possible for the week. Make it easy on yourself and keep it simple.

Sample meal plan for a day:

Breakfast: Shakeology. It is a meal replacement super food shake. It has about 150 calories and full of vitamins. Zero artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners and has a low glycemic index to keep your blood sugar balanced. Never ever have sugar for breakfast. Donuts, sweet cereals, giant bagels etc. Those things start your “oven” off craving more sugar for the rest of the day.

Lunch: Large salad made at home. Filled with fresh spinach, salad mix, tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, raw nuts, boiled egg with homemade dressing or just oil and vinegar. An easy way to eliminate or reduce calories from your diet is to use oil and vinegar vs store bought dressings. Fewer preservatives and usually less sodium. Another thing I leave off of my salads is cheese. It really doesn’t add that much flavor unless you like blue cheese. I’m not a fan of eating things that taste like stinky feet so I leave that type of things off of my food. Sometimes I’ll add extra boiled eggs on top or have a baked sweet potato on the side with a little olive oil.

Snack: green apple with peanut butter or banana and almonds. Or I’ll chop up a cup of veggies and eat some hummus

Dinner: Baked salmon with 2 sides. Sides include spinach, asparagus, broccoli, brown rice, quinoa.

All of this stuff is easy to make. The only time consuming thing may be chopping veggies. I’m telling you to start making small changes and you will decide that eating at home not only tastes better and you save money but you feel better. There are some times we go out to eat and my stomach starts to hurt while we are at the restaurant. My body is not used to eating poorly now. Yours will get that way too. Just watch.

Things we rarely buy:
Cheese and other dairy products. Dairy products cause inflammation and other issues. In our son they cause eczema to flare up. As much I love pizza it doesn’t love me. Listen to your body. I used to spend a lot of time in the bathroom and now just the normal amount. Removing sodas and dairy from my diet has worked wonders. Adding more veggies and fruits and taking out the processed foods has also made a huge difference.

What is a processed food? I think you know. If it comes in a box and has a bunch of chemical ingredients for flavor or preservatives then it is processed. Velveeta, chips, lunch meat, bacon, hot dogs, cereals, salad dressings, frozen dinners and more. You get the idea.

One of the easiest ways to kick start any clean eating is to just jump right in. Focus for 3 weeks and really do it. We completed the Beachbody 21 day Ultimate Reset. It gave us everything we needed. Recipes, instructions, grocery lists, and supplements. But if that is not where you want to start that is okay. Take baby steps.

Still lost? Don’t be.

Start with tracking. Figure out where you are and where you want to go. Don’t think about how much weight you need or want to lose. Focus on getting healthy. Focus on only bringing fruits and veggies into your house. Focus on not eating from a menu as much as possible.

I’m happy to help you get started on a targeted nutrition plan or get you in an accountability group to help you stay on track. It is my mission to help people get healthy and fit. I’ve been the unhealthy person and I know how it felt. I want everyone to feel as good as I do now and know it is a lifestyle.

Create your free account and reach out to me today.

Baby Step 1
Baby Step 2
Baby Steps 3 & 4

Heather spent most of her adult life miserable, lazy, unmotivated and overweight. Beachbody helped her reach a new level in her life physically, financially, and mentally. Now she wants to share her success with family and friends and help as many people as possible achieve great results. You can connect with her through her website Heather Dietel Fitness and her facebook page.

10 Attributes of a POWERFUL Woman

September 26, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Powerful women are full of wonderful qualitites. Here are 10 attributes of a POWERFUL woman that happen to all begin with the letter A.

Intentional? Yes.

Cheesy? Yes.

Here they are in no particular order.

#1 Attitude
A positive attitude is extremely important in your day to day life. Negative people and circumstances cannot dampen your day with rain clouds full of fear, judgment, chaos, and bad boundaries. Armed with a good attitude, you smile and carry on about your business. You have learned not to take the actions and opinions of others personally.

#2 Adaptable
When life throws you a curve ball, you do not give up. You look for a variety of ways to adapt and overcome this unexpected life change. You know there are choices available to you in every situation and that you’re not stuck.

#3 Adventurous
Even when fear is present, you feel compelled to pursue a life filled with challenges and adventure. You know that taking on a challenge makes you a stronger woman and you know where life begins.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”― Neale Donald Walsch

#4 Affectionate
You are not afraid to let others know they are loved and cared for. You are an advocate for those who have no voice. Your love is FIERCE and you will fight to protect what is yours, the innocent, and the enslaved. Your love for others makes you a warrior.

#5 Ageless
You know as long as you have breath, you are making a difference in the world and that difference will outlast your existence on this planet. We are all interconnected and everything you say or do effects the rest of us. You will never be too old to learn something new or share your experiences with others. Even when your body fails you, you will continue to love and bless others with your presence.

#6 Appreciative
Life is a gift and you are thankful for every moment of it. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for and it is those blessings and that great attitude that keep you going when times get tough.

#7 Attentive
When you are with another person, you’re there 100%. They are able to experience their value because you’re giving them your full attention. Every conversation is a potential life changer.

#8 Aspiring
You are aspiring to do your best every day and grow in your power, by continuously learning new things and implementing what you’ve learned.

#9 Authentic
You are your own woman. You are not concerned with what others may think of your bold actions. You have a job to do while you’re on this earth. You embrace your gifts and strengths and use them to bless the lives of everyone you meet.

#10 Awake
One day you woke up to your potential as a POWERFUL woman. It might have been through a conversation with a friend, a teacher, a parent, a book, or this feeling of self worth that you’ve always carried with you through life. However it happened, it happened, and you got in touch with your value in the world and the difference that your life makes to the rest of us. You are passionate about sharing your experience with others so they too can see their value and potential!

I’d love to hear what other attributes come to mind when you think of POWERFUL women? You can tell me here or over on facebook. See ya there!

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power daily at
I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there. If you are interested in learning more about What One Person Can Do or one on one coaching, you can contact Sarah here.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Steps 3 & 4

August 30, 2013 / Sarah Boucher

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Steps 3 & 4
by Heather Dietel

If you haven’t checked out steps 1 & 2 you can find those at the links below.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating
Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Step 2

You get an EXTRA tip today!!!

Step 3: Get the “BAD” Stuff Out of the House.
Don’t give me the “it’s for the kids” BS. If you use junk food as a treat then make it a real treat. Only allow 1 item to be in the house at a time. We allow our son to pick out 1 item at the grocery store. It is not the norm to have cookies, cake, candy, ice cream, chips and that kind of thing in our pantry.

Don’t eat it all. Seriously start to give it away. Food banks, neighbors, or family.

Stop buying it. I don’t care if they are handing it out for free. Leave it at the store.

How often are you “treating” yourself? How many times do you say it is for the kids or the guests and really you are the one doing it? If that item is calling your name and you can’t control yourself then get rid of it or ask your family to hide it.

Another tip is not to buy in bulk. Don’t go to Costco and buy a 3 pound bag of chocolate because you save $4. Get individual serving sizes and only eat 1 serving. Then you must consciously grab a second serving and not just a handful.

Cleaner eating and conscious eating is the plan. Grazing on food and snacking on the quick and easy it mindless. If it is not there you will not eat it. If you have a bowl full of fruit on the counter and food prepped ready to go it will be just as easy to grab.

Snack ideas for you and the kids:
Frozen grapes
Apples with peanut butter
Mixed nuts with small chocolate chips and raisins
Hummus and chopped veggies
Air popped popcorn
Shakeology balls (I’ll share that recipe another time. Great grab and go healthy snack)

Moving on…

Step 4: Swap things.
Replace things you determined are bad with good things. Replace bad habits with good ones. Weight loss is mental more than physical most of the time. If you feel deprived you will not stick with it. If you feel it is temporary or too hard you will not stick with it.

How can you swap things?

I love pizza. Instead of ordering pizza every week now we will make one at home. I’ll buy some vegan or gluten free crusts in the freezer section so each family member can create their own. Load them up with veggies and very little cheese. Sometimes we will even buy the vegan cheese. It doesn’t melt very well but it is decent.

Take a look at your daily menu. What can you reduce or swap? Do you order a large diet coke? Start getting a small. Do you eat a basket of bread before the meal arrives and barely eat your meal? Start splitting a meal with someone or challenge yourself to not eat the bread. I like to take the pieces I’m going to eat, place them on the plate in front of me and when it is gone that is it.

Diet drinks should really be eliminated from your diet. I keep pointing to Google for research but it is true. They do not add nutritional value and most of the time have cancer causing agents in them and they end up making you unhealthy. Start swapping those sodas out for water. Don’t use the flavored water. That is just as bad as a diet drink. Artificial colors and flavors and sweeteners shouldn’t be a part of your daily life. On occasion you might not be able to avoid them but as a daily thing you should do your best to keep them away. If you are drinking more than one start swapping one out for water each week until you are down to 0.

A couple of other suggestions…

Try brown rice pasta or spaghetti squash instead of regular white flour pasta.

Try sprouted grain products (usually in the freezer section) over regular bread and tortillas to reduce sugars, flour and gluten.

Look at your food choices. What could you remove or swap out for something healthier? I will begin to feature a swap suggestions posts on my facebook page weekly to help keep you educated in that area. I have tons of suggestions and I am looking forward to sharing them with you.

I’ll be back next week with the fifth step in Baby Stepping Your Way to Clean Eating. If you feel stuck or need extra support, I’m happy to help you get started on a targeted nutrition plan or get you in an accountability group to help you stay on track. It is my mission to help people get healthy and fit. I’ve been the unhealthy person and I know how it felt. I want everyone to feel as good as I do now and know it is a lifestyle.

Create your free account and reach out to me today.