Gratefulgivings for Happiness and Positivity

It's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and we all so much to be thankful for. A popular exercise on social media has been to list at least 5 things that we are grateful for everyday, for a set amount of time.

Instead of a one time exercise, let's make this an everyday occurrence. Replace moaning and complaining, criticizing and judging, negativity and anxiety, with gratefulness and thankfulness, joyfulness and acceptance, positivity and energy.

What can you add to your list of gratefulgivings? Start a shift in your attitude and thinking with this mindset, guided by this link here, and you will find yourself with more joy-filled days!

Press Reset...The Liver Cleanse Smoothie

Sometimes in life you just want to press the 'reset' button. That is how I felt last week after all the graduation celebrations for my kids!

Here's the red velvet cake that I made with my own hands! Hey, I made it healthier this time by using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I'm going to try replacing the red dye for beet juice the next go around. In regards to gluten-free, I don't know, but don't think it'd be the same, but I'm going to try and post the recipe if I get it just right!

Anyway...I ate the red velvet cake, along with rice paper-wrapped, deep fried plantains my mom made. This is all AFTER I had a plate-full of delicious homemade Filipino food, made by my mother (the Pancit, rice noodles), my mother-in-law (the Lumpia, egg rolls), and my husband (the Best Chicken Adobo Ever---recipe here), over white jasmine rice! I also contributed to the meal by purchasing the Kale Salad from Costco! Honestly, all this is Authentic REAL FOOD (except for red dye...), so I really didn't do that bad...it was my portion control that wasn't the best ;)  And my sleep was not the best since I stayed up and woke up early making that cake!

I drank more wine than usual, as you can see with the 3 glasses I had...they were only filled 1/4 full, I promise :D  So as you can see, I needed a major reset from all the good food & wine, and lack of sleep!

My Go-to Remedy now is The Liver Cleanse Smoothie!

The Liver Cleanse Smoothie
(Makes about 6 - 8 ounces)

Juice of 1 Grapefruit

Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Garlic Clove

2-5 Slices of Ginger Root, peeled

1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Place in a blender to liquefy, pour in a cup, and enjoy this cleansing smoothie!

Try it for 2 - 3 mornings, with or without a light breakfast, and make sure you know where the bathrooms are, because the cleanse can work really well for some!

So you see...sometimes life just happens...don't beat yourself up! Go back to the 30-Day Joylife Training , even back to the basics with the Keep It Simple 30-DJT, and get back on your journey to your optimal self! Remember that the goal is to enjoy yourself while on the journey and not stress about the challenges along the way. Because once you change your lifestyle for the best, you'll realize that sometimes you can't take things so seriously. It'll be easier for you to just brush yourself off, get up, and start on your path again!

Have you ever needed to press reset after a much needed vacation, celebration, or just because you had to have that dessert? Let me know, then reset, get back on track, and as always, find what gives you joy in your life!

                                                                      <3 Cheryl Joy

Body (and Mind) Transformation During My Own Journey

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. This is why I am sharing an unretouched photo here from March 1, 2014 and June 1, 2014. I thought it may encourage some of you out there if I were to be transparent about my own journey. I have lost a total of 12 lbs; I am more toned, with less fatigue, and a more positive outlook and attitude. I know that the weight loss may not be as dramatic as some weight loss programs. But the goal here is not just weight loss, it's improving your health and lifestyle in making permanent changes; finding and getting to your optimal self!

I encourage you to take front-view and side-view photos of yourself before your journey, in a two-piece swim suit for women, a pair of swim trunks for men (if you've started your journey already, no worries, just take some starting now). Even if the scale doesn't show dramatic changes, pictures will tell the truth. Once you get going, these photos will actually encourage you, even though it is hard to honestly look at. And no, you don't have to show them to anyone else but yourself! I prefer to take photos every month, although every week may be fine for those who don't have much to lose or just need to tone up. This monthly or weekly photo chronicle will help motivate you, showing your progress and inspire you to continue your journey, no matter how difficult it becomes.

Wherever your starting point may be, compare yourself only to you! Not to me, not to your sister or brother, not to your best friend. This is about you and your optimal health and finding your optimal self, not someone else! Continue to follow the 30-DJT Journey, be persistent and true to yourself, and you will start to see changes in not only your physical, but your mental, emotional, and even spiritual self.

Be transformed and let me know if you have any thoughts or comments, and as always, find what gives you joy in your life!

                                                                    <3 Cheryl Joy

It's a (Perfectly) Beautiful Day

It's Mother's Day 2014, and it was a beautiful day! This is my first post tonight for The Joy Life Club, and to be honest, I'm kind of nervous because I want it to be, well...perfect! I know this blog can be an expression of whatever I want it to be, but nevertheless, I fear not having things exactly how I envision it. Being an oldest child, I'm a Discouraged Perfectionist. I'm a classic case, as I found out in college from reading The Birth Order Book by Dr. Kevin Leman. There's A Lot Goin' On blog also discusses birth order as a first-born child.

Most of us stop ourselves from taking the next step, taking a chance, because we never even start. We impose unreasonable expectations upon ourselves, freezing us into inaction. I've been guilty of this so many times. I worry what people will think, I worry that I'll look stupid, I worry that I'll fail!

I. Am. Done. That's what I decided the beginning of this year. Not just a New Year's resolution, but a true action plan; being intentional in what I am doing and why. Not just setting goals, but training myself to just start and follow through. Not just doing what's in vogue, but finding what brings me joy. I am in the process of this, and here's how I got myself into gear in order to just start going!

1. I got over myself. Worrying about how I'm perceived by others is something that has haunted me for as long as I can remember. Sure I'm successful by general standards, but I would continually compare myself to others, thinking that I wasn't good enough. I finally feel released from this because I realized that no one else really cares about my insecurities and how I look to others, but me!

2. I had no expectations. In order to motivate myself, I would need something to achieve. Finishing high school, graduating from college, completing graduate school...check, check, check. I'm so goal-oriented that I always needed a race to complete in order to stay on my running schedule each week. With my right hip creaking, cracking, and painful at night, after a half-marathon in Napa Valley two years ago, I stopped running. In January, I decided to start walking during my fifteen minute morning and afternoon breaks at work...that's it!

3. I became self-centered. Being a wife, mother of three with a chocolate lab, and having a career on top of it, I am constantly on the go. When I didn't do for others, I would feel guilty. When I felt guilty, I would feel sad. When I did do for others, I would feel frustrated. When I felt frustrated, I got angry. Enough! I got help, stabilized myself, and looked inward. By becoming more centered, I am finding what I love to do, therefore finding my joy. This "self-centeredness" has allowed me to become more selfless since my "self" is fulfilled and I have the ability to be more mindful of others!

4. I stopped the seriousness. I am the first to be self-depreciating, beating everyone to the punch. But that is counterproductive because when you do that, you're basically saying that, "I'm dumb, I'm not good enough...but look, I can make fun of myself, so I'm okay with it..." Yeah...no. I was taking myself way too seriously that I would ruminate over my "mistake" over & over again. I started yoga in March, and despite hating it years ago because I didn't know all the poses, I just love it now! An article from MindBodyGreen, which I'm addicted to states, "I know that yoga is a lifelong practice and what matters most is the peaceful attitude of acceptance, forgiveness and joy. Yoga has taught me how to laugh at myself, especially in moments of epic failure. After all, it's only yoga."

And that's it! My first not-so-perfect blog post on this perfectly beautiful day! I hope this helped you think about how you handle challenges and consider ways to improve on not being so perfect. Join me on a 30-Day Joylife Training Journey here. Tell me your thoughts and as always, find what gives you joy in your life.

  <3 Cheryl Joy