How do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE AT A TIME!!

Do you ever feel like some projects are so overwhelming, so big or even frightening, that you get paralyzed before you even start? I have seen this happen in my business with people who say they want to build a business but never leave the starting gate; I’ve also seen this happen with individuals who want to be more active but don’t know where to start.

I started riding a bicycle again. It wasn’t really my idea; I inherited a bike from my younger son who, after college graduation, didn’t want it anymore. Then a friend encouraged me to go on rides with her. Yikes! Really? I wasn’t even sure how I felt about getting on the bike, let alone riding it for more than a few minutes. But last year, little by little, I started feeling more comfortable with it.

This year, when I got the bike out again, I didn’t know if I would have the strength and cardiovascular endurance to get to the top of our road! Now, if you live on or near me, you know what kind of road it is, so I’m not being a wimp. The road is a mile long and is a gradual incline the entire way -- no flat area to coast, no rest, just continuous peddling.

At first, I thought, no way. I won’t make it. My goal was a 6 mile round trip to and from Pineland, with a workout in between. The first day I got up the road without stopping, but had to walk up one of the other bigger hills to get to Pineland. But here’s the thing; even if I have to walk that hill several times, by the end of summer, I will bet that I can get up that hill without having to walk.

This is called, one step at a time. One bite at a time. The slight edge. It’s not that you can’t do it. It means that you may have to take it a little bit at a time. Whatever your goal -- whether it’s a business goal, a financial goal, a fitness goal; they all start with one step. Too many times I think we expect instant success! The big break! The lottery! The million dollar client! The six pack abs. Tomorrow! Life isn’t really like that. Most of us have choices everyday that will take us forward towards our goals, or backwards into mediocrity. Every little decision that seems insignificant TODAY, is not insignificant over time. Do the little things every day, and they will add up to big rewards. A good book to read is “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson.

And if you see a hippy woman riding a bike, give her lots of space as you pass her!! (she wobbles sometimes)…


The woman in the picture isn't me, but it is a fellow rider of a friend who is on the BIG RIDE -- a trek across America 3300 miles!!  To check out his blog, go to  https://jeffsloanbigride2013.wordpress.com/

Is Diet Soda bad for you?

I have a friend; When we go out to eat, she orders a salad and a diet coke. Every time. She is heavier than I am, so I began to wonder…is the diet soda really doing her any good? Now, when I was younger, I loved cola. I was addicted to it. And no, I never made the switch to diet drinks. Although over the years I tried to get used to them, I always hated that aftertaste. As the years went by, and I did more research on sugar and carbonated beverages, I realized that soda (or pop if you’re from the Midwest) is not only NOT good for my waistline, it was doing a lot more harm than I had realized. It was setting me up for osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease and other nasty things. I have since given up soda altogether but, I always wondered about my friend. Was diet soda just as bad? Or not?

It’s zero calories, zero sugar. How can that be bad? If I’m not consuming calories, it seems that it shouldn’t affect my weight. Our bodies are more complex than a simple calorie in, calories out formula. I didn’t find definitive reasons for the fat diet soda drinker. Dr. Weil’s opinion is that if the brain is getting a message that sweet calories are coming and they don’t arrive, the void may set you up for cravings that ultimately lead to consuming more calories.

Quite frankly, eating or drinking anything artificial is just going to do damage to your body. Studies have linked diet soda drinkers to greater risk of diabetes, stroke, heart attack and decline in kidney function.

I have another friend that gave up her diet soda and lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks. Now, that would motivate me!

Bottom line is this: Soda in general can do more harm than good. Switch to green tea (you’ll get your caffeine) and it’s good for you. Little changes can add up to big rewards in our life. In the book, “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson, he explains that what you do today is not going to make a difference. But do that same thing over time, and it will move you toward better health (or better finances, etc). Think about 5 years worth of drinking green tea vs. drinking soda….now THAT’S a big difference!

For another alternative, take a look at Reliv’s Innergize - a sports drink that not only delivers the hydration and electrolytes, but also has antioxidants that protect the cell membranes against damage including the skin from environmental stress. It has ingredients that support the immune system. I have had fewer colds since starting on Innergize! To order go to my24kvip.com and use code: myshot