Tag: Find Your Power

What Every Person Can Do

October 23, 2014 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Why have I started slapping www.whateverypersoncando.org on EVERYTHING?

I’ll tell you why.

I think this message of what every person can do is so important that it belongs in EVERY home, EVERY office, EVERY school, EVERY church, EVERY prison, EVERY community, EVERY government, in EVERY country!

Let me cut to the point. We get one shot to live this life and I want all people everywhere to struggle less.

“Impossible!” you might be saying to yourself.

“That’s a lost cause,” was the actual response of someone very close to me.

Well, in my opinion NOT A SINGLE ONE OF US is a lost cause and I’m willing to spend the rest of my life pursuing that theory.

I have a sincere apology to give you.

I’ve been hogging Bill Cumming all to myself for 3 years.

I have this AMAZING resource to share in Bill and his life experience and I haven’t done so. Life is short and Bill’s not getting any younger (sorry Bill.) That’s the truth of the matter. He says he hopes to be around for 20 more years, but there’s no guarantee of that. That FREAKS ME OUT! I feel this sense of urgency to learn everything I can from him and share it.

I want EVERYONE I know to meet Bill and hear what he has to share. His message is not about how SUPER DUPER Bill is. It’s about how SUPER we all are.

It’s a POWERFUL message and it’s made my life easier. It’s helped me understand other people better. It’s made me want to step out of my comfort zone and do everything I can to get it in front of everyone.

Bill has been leading the 12 week program What Every Person Can Do with individuals, in schools, prisons, and in corporations for 30 years and has helped hundreds, if not thousands of people experience their worth, including me. I want you to add your name to that list. I want you to get the chance to hear his story and speak with him personally on Monday night at 8:00 Eastern. This is not a fancy pants recorded call that you can get the link to if you’re not able to make it, although I wish it were. I hope you can make it.

This call is for YOU if:

You are struggling in ANY way at all
You desperately want to help someone who is struggling but don’t know how
You are grumpy all the time
You stay worried a lot
You are going through marital problems
You hate your job
You are frustrated by your children’s behavior
You are rich
You are impoverished
You have a heartbeat

This call is not for you if:

You are a zombie
Your arms are to short to hold the phone up to your head because you are a t-rex
You are a blade of grass
You get the point 🙂

I’m looking forward to talking with all of you on Monday night!
Love,
Sarah Boucher

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to grow in their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there.

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

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.

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.

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.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Step 2

August 22, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating Step 2

by Heather Dietel

Last week I shared Step 1 of how to baby step your way to clean eating.
You can read the full post here.

Step 1: Track what you are doing now.
You must acknowledge what you are eating and drinking now before you can change it. It can be as simple as writing it on a piece of paper or you can get fancy and download an app for your phone. Track it all for 1 full week. Salad dressing, salt, sodas, drive thrus, take out, trips to the vending machine, everything that passes through your lips. Make a note of how you feel throughout the day. Tired, energized, bloated, excited, happy, or whatever. Note this before and after each meal or snack.

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.

On to Step 2

Step 2: Pick 2 or 3

Pick 2 or 3 things you are willing to change/give up/reduce for the next week to test your vices. Alcohol, cheese, vending machines, fast food, soda etc. If you go out to eat or get take out 4 times a week then go for 1 time instead of 4. Or if you always get a large fry, get a small. Write down all of the ways you can improve your current plan. If you drink 6 diet cokes a day cut 1 or 2 out ore place them with something else.

I’m happy to help you get started on a targeted nutrition plan or a 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.

Stay tuned for Step 3 of 5 on how to Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating next week.

Hey POWERFUL women! It’s Sarah. I continue to be inspired by Heather’s success story. She was recently able to quit her full time job back in June, because of her success with Beachbody. She now works her own business full time. Woohoo! I found this post she shared on her website, about taking a leap of faith, so inspiring. I am looking forward to reading even more about how Heather transitioned into healthier eating/fitness habits and being inspired to make some healthier choices myself. Heather will be back again next Friday with Step 3 of Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating. Now to figure out what 2 or 3 things I am going to give up this next week. Since the majority of stuff I put in my mouth is bad for me, this shouldn’t be too hard. What’s it going to be for you? Share in the comments or over on fb. We can encourage each other!

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there.

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating

August 16, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating

by Heather Dietel

It is my honor to share with you. A little bit about me so you know my background and knowledge on the subject of clean eating. I spent most of my adult life following other people’s dreams for my life. Go to college, get a degree, get a job with benefits and it will all be great. Well it wasn’t great.

I found myself laid off, overweight and in debt.

Long story short I was introduced to Insanity in the summer of 2010 and the decision to order that program changed everything. It introduced me into becoming a coach with Team Beachbody and into a healthier way of living. Not just physically but mentally as well.

I work on my personal development all the time with books, audio, a success partner, and a life coach. Many people struggle because they think they have to fix it themselves or that they are weak if they ask for help. You can’t do your own brain surgery. Why coach yourself? I love being connected with Sarah and her work to support women. The world needs happy, positive, strong, powerful, and confident women. Sarah and I became connected through Sandi Krakowski. We had great conversations and brainstormed ways I could help her community and how she could help mine.

One of the things many women struggle with is their physical being. I know I’ve struggled with that very thing for years. It was a vicious cycle. I was tired so I pumped my body full of stimulants and sugars just to stay awake. Then I was too tired to work out from working all day and of course didn’t want to cook dinner so I ate out or ordered take out a lot. The pounds kept packing on. I’d try to do something for a few weeks and then it would get too hard and I wouldn’t see quick enough results, get depressed and quit.

I just didn’t have the right tools to succeed. I was trying to do too much at once and felt overwhelmed and discouraged. I had to be perfect and giving me permission to fail was ridiculous. So instead of trying and failing I just didn’t even try. This basically is failing. I’d see all of these people who loved to work out and run and eat healthy and I wondered why I didn’t feel that way. Who were these alien people who woke up at 5 a.m. to work out?

My 20 year reunion was coming up and I was feeling that heaviness. I didn’t want to walk in feeling depressed. I wanted to finally do something about it. I started to track my food and get control of it. Then I started to workout. The more weight that came off the more I wanted to challenge myself. I started to enter events at the gym to motivate me to succeed. I loved earning the free t-shirts and being on a team to succeed. The accountability was right up my alley.

I was at that point when I knew I needed to step up more or I might fall back into my old habits. That is when I ordered Insanity from a Beachbody coach. I started my 60 days of Insanity and posted about it on facebook. My friends supported me and encouraged me to succeed. After I finished Insanity I signed up for my first 5K, then I jumped right into my first ½ marathon. We slowly transitioned our family from being slugs on Thanksgiving to getting up and running in the Turkey Trot.

What does all of this have to do with clean eating? When is this chick going to get to the point? I promise it is coming soon. You have to know this move to cleaner eating was gradual. You can do it as slowly or quickly as you want. By the end of the year you could be 90% clean eating.

Most health issues are related to inflammation or not a proper balance of pH. Having a highly acidic diet can cause major issues in your body. That is another blog topic.

How do you begin to baby step your way to clean eating when all you know is convenience foods and you are tired?

Create your free account and reach out to me today.

Stay tuned for Step 2 of 5 on eating cleaner.

Hey POWERFUL women! It’s Sarah. I am so inspired by Heather’s success story. She was recently able to quit her full time job, because of her success with Beachbody and now works her own business full time. Woohoo! I am looking forward to reading more about how Heather transitioned into healthier eating/fitness habits and being inspired to make some healthier choices myself. Heather will be back next Friday with step 2 of Baby Step Your Way to Clean Eating.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power daily at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there.

Are You Walking Through A Storm?

July 30, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Are You Walking Through A Storm?

Nothing you or I do can EVER effect the forces of nature or the unpleasant circumstances and trials we will walk through in our lives. All we can do in the midst of any storm, is take a deep breath and remember that in this moment today, we are okay. We are breathing and our life is still a gift. We have survived many storms in the past, maybe not this ferocious, but this storm, just like every other storm, will eventually pass and the sun WILL shine again.

Perhaps this storm will leave behind a horrible path of destruction. If that is the case, all we can do, is take a deep breath, and make a choice. Are we going to let the devastation consume us along with its other victims or are we going to continue to breathe, be thankful for the good things that remain, and move forward POWERFULLY one day at a time?

The ONLY thing I can control today is how I CHOOSE TO BE in the world.

My heart is FLOODED with love and concern for you when I think about the storms you are seeking shelter from today. All I can do from here is take a deep breath and tell you how much I care for you. You ARE truly a POWERFUL woman. I am amazed by the strength we were all created with that gets us through the storms of life.

Don’t try to face this storm alone. Reach out for support. Remember the POWER of Self Care. One day when this storm is a memory, you will be able to support another POWERFUL woman, feeling scared and alone, who is going through a storm of her own.

Self Care is the resource that has helped me through major trials in my own life, especially within the last year. I love to learn from other women. What thoughts, actions, people, or resources have been a comfort to you in times of trial? Let me know below.

I love you!
Sarah

P.S. Feel free to share this post with anyone you know who is walking through a storm.

Sarah Boucher happily encourages women to find their power at I Am A Powerful Woman. Come join the conversation there.

Find Your Power

April 21, 2013 / Sarah Boucher / 0 Comments

Find Your Power

Do you feel like all you have ever known is struggle? Even though you can count your blessings until you are blue in the face because you do realize you are blessed, at the end of the day, you still feel like you are struggling–struggling to live peacefully with your spouse, to be consistent with your parenting, to encourage your children to get along, to stay on top of things at work, to keep the house decent, to pay the bills, to make ends meet, to ever get ahead? Are you ready to Find Your Power and move beyond struggle? I sure as heck am.

I have written blog posts that talked about the reality of my situation where I said, if you want expert advice in finances, organization, business, or healthy eating, don’t come to me. When J.K. Rowling said, “And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life,” I can relate. I know my situation could get worse, but I’m at rock bottom of what I have experienced in my life so far. I am 34 years old and I feel like someone just handed me an encyclopedic sized book entitled How To Be A Grown Up.

I feel ridiculous when other women compliment me on my parenting, “Girl, I don’t know how you do it? Five kids!” The whole time we’re conversing, I’m thinking how glad I am that they can’t see what a wreck my house is or my bank statement. My neighbors know all about my parenting because they see the ugliness my kids display in the front yard as they yell all sorts of obscenities over who gets shotgun. Guess what? My teenagers aren’t allowed to cuss but they do it anyway. Compliment me now. Since my husband left 8 months ago, my children and I have had more McDonald’s $1 menu meals and bowls of cereal for dinner than I care to admit. I make $100 a week babysitting. Yep, that’s right. The face behind I Am A Powerful Woman is a babysitter probably making less than my teenage colleagues.

All of that to say that I don’t have it together. I’m surviving, but I don’t want to survive. I want to give my life my best shot. I want to have a plan for my family’s success and if I don’t make it, who cares. I will have tried my best and had fun doing it. I am ready to find my power in each area of life that needs work (which is every area honestly, and I think we all would agree that parenting needs to be first on the list of areas to tackle, what with the cussing kids in the front yard and all that) and excel.

Find Your Power

My strengths going into this Find Your Power phase of life are that I use Self Care daily to stay grounded in my well being in the midst of some pretty major trials, and I REALLY believe in possibilities for myself and others. If there was a Queen of Possibility, I would be it or next in line for the throne behind Oprah.

My focus for the rest of 2013 is Find Your Power! I will be sharing my own journey in finding my power, resources that I find useful, and ideas that I implement that work. If you also are on a journey to Find Your Power, please stay connected. Comment below or come to I Am A Powerful Woman and share where you are and what has worked for you.

I Am A Powerful Woman was never about me and how powerful I am. It was always my intention to encourage others to grow in their power as I was growing in mine, because this power is in all of us.

This is our year POWERFUL woman! Find Your Power!

I believe in you!
Sarah