*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear monday, today my goal was to get my talk completely done and ready to go before 5 pm so Dave and I could go to the play at the high school Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  Life has been so crazy that I just haven't been able to finalize my talk.  I didn't go on a run because it was like 17 degrees and freezing and my back was really hurting this morning so I bagged that and worked on my talk.  I was happy how well it was coming together.  I ran and made some copies of some handouts because my printer wasn't working and laminated the article that was in the Ogden Standard about finding the magnet YOU GOT THIS when training for Boston because Lori wanted me to tell that story in my talk.  Dave got home in time and so we headed to the play. It was really good. They always do such an amazing job!  I loved it. And I needed the break.  I feel like life has just been full speed ahead lately and it was nice to just sit back and enjoy some good entertainment.  Plus our seats were amazing thanks to Jen.  We were on the third row.  

Our good friend Troy stopped by and delivered these to us!  Now, that's what I call a good friend!

dear tuesday, it was only 18 degrees this morning. Brrrr...  I got up at 6 a.m. and practiced my harp.  The only time I did this whole week.  It has been just crazy.  I didn't make it out on a run today partly because it was so blasted cold, but also because I had to do the finishing touches on my talk.  I had to put together the handouts and some gifts I was going to give away and find a bunch of Thank You notes, etc.  Taylor was here and it was so good to have him home.  I went to Kathy's for our 4th annual Gratitude Tea.  She went all out.  It turned out nice. 

Only five us showed up but in a way it was nice because we were able to just chat more.  As we were chatting away, one of them said something about we should listen to how our conversations have changed over the years. We had been talking about our health ailments.  Kathy is having hip surgery on Monday.  We are too young for that. It was quite funny.  Seriously, our ailing bodies was the main topic of conversation and it was interesting to us.  Haha  We tried to switch it to gratitude after that. I was grateful I had a healthy body!  LOL  We took pix with out cute hats. I borrowed one from Kathy.

I shared with them my bad news of being told I should quit running and how devastated that made me feel. Some were optimistic about it and others told me it was an unhealthy addiction and I should quit. I wasn't sure how I felt about that because yes, it is an addiction, but to me it's a healthy addiction.  But then it was pointed out that I am not healthy because of it.  But, I disagree. Running is healthy.  My back issues may or may not have anything to do with it.  It could be genetic and running just made it occur faster.  Because of running I am fit and healthy in all aspects with the exception of my back.  Yes, one doctor told me Boston this year might have caused some of it, due to the weather, but that still doesn't mean it's unhealthy.  Overall, running is a very good way to stay healthy.  I guess I am a little defensive about it.  Hah  I just don't want to even think that because I don't want to give it up.  I also told them about the lump because I need all the prayers I can get.  It was a fun day.  

I had to run to TJMaxx to return something and I ran into Lisa E.  We chatted for a bit but I couldn't help but feel bad she didn't come to the Tea today.  I'm sure she won't be coming back to the group which is sad because she had so much to offer us as did we her.  I tried to get my mom to come but my Dad wasn't feeling well and so she stayed with him I met Lori at her church and set up my table.  

There were about 20 women there.  My friend Dawn even came.  How nice is that?  She is the most supportive person.  I used her as an example a lot in my talk because she is truly one of the most "near" perfect people I know.  She embodies the spirit of gratitude and being positive. She is such a good example to me.  Lori introduced me and I think my talk went well. I felt like they were responsive and interactive and I hope they learned something.  

Talking about the 5 second rule....

I sure do love these amazing friends of mine.

Stole this collage from Dawn's blog:

I will post my talk at the bottom of this post.  Of course, I never follow it exactly and I add a lot of things, and omit others, but it gives you an idea.  I enjoyed it and didn't feel stressed while giving it other than I didn't want to take more time than Lori gave me.  She told me 40 minutes, but I think I went 45....maybe even 50 but that's because I ended up reading two of the children's books I took and was not planning on that.  Two of them called: It Could Be Worse and Jenna and the Troublemaker were so perfect for what I was talking about.  I highly recommend both of them.  

A few of my posters I used.

I got home and Dave was already home from his meetings.  He had made some dinner and I wasn't hungry but sat with him.

dear wednesday, I did my temple shift early this morning. It went well and we were pretty steady but not crazy like some days. I got to go in the Bride's Room a few times today while helping Jean hang the clean curtains in Initiatory.  I love that room.  I was alone for a while on the second floor and it was so peaceful.  I headed to my lesson after.  I had pain shooting down my right leg on the way and it was so bad I almost pulled over to stretch.  Frustrating. Colleen text me while on my way telling me she was free to do lunch now because Karl has gone back to work without her having to stay.  I told her I could today and she was able to as well.  My lesson went pretty well, but I still have a long way to go to perfect my technique. That is my main focus right now.  I am going to pull back on learning the music for a bit until I can really master the form of my hand.  It's a big deal and I will be a stronger player if I can. I met Colleen at The Habit in Farmington Station.  It was good to see her and to catch up.  Her story about her life the past six months was crazy.  She has been through so much. Karl almost died more than once and it is a miracle he is able to go back to work and function normally again.  We talked about my back for a bit and she referred me to book (Mind Body Prescription) that she claims helped her and all her sisters with their back problems. I am a skeptic, but I will give it a try because nothing else is working at this point. Hah   We had a good visit. I wish I had more time so we could talk for another two hours.  

I had to go to TJ Maxx to decide on the color scheme for the family picture.  It is easier to do at a clothing store where you have all the colors in one place.  I finalized it with navy, grays, cream, and sage green. I hope it will work out.  We shall see.  

I went to my parent's and visited with them.  We chatted and then headed to Straw Market to try out their cinnamon rolls that are rated #1 in Utah, but they were out so we got some cookies.  They had a fun tree.

I came home and Dave and I ate dinner and then I worked on this. 

dear thursday, I got in a five mile run this morning.  It felt good.  I hope I survive the Turkey Trot on Saturday.  I had a bunch of errands to run today and then made dinner for Dave's parents.  I made an pumpkin cake as well.  I love that stuff!  I had to run to Kent's on the way and it was so packed. I stood in line for so long that their dinner was no longer hot when I got it to them.  I visited with them for a bit and then came back home and fed Dave. 

And in other news: (FB post)

It's here! I'm just a wee bit excited! Words cannot express how honored, humbled, and grateful I feel to be included in this very inspiring and motivational book with 100 other runners (including the winner Yuki Kawauchi) who I was blessed to run the Boston Marathon (Monsoon-athon) with this year in the worst conditions Boston's ever offered. After reading some of these incredible heartening, nail biting, and inspirational stories, I felt like mine wasn't worthy to be there. After years of trying to qualify for this race and then to have my dream finally come true twice, I will never take for granted the privilege I had of running it. Whether you are a runner or not, if you are in need of some motivation and inspiration in your life, this is the book for you. I am blown away by the resilience, the determination, the grit, the stamina, the drive and the incredible endurance of these runners. I am so blessed to have been able to associate with some of these amazing people!
Big thanks to Vince Varallo for putting it all together and allowing me to be a part of it. #Bostonbuddies #BostonMarathon2018 #page183 #mystory#10pageslong #somanyinspiringstories #notjustforrunners

dear friday, today I got out and did a walk/run.  I didn't want to overdo it since I have a race tomorrow. It's funny to hear me say that for just a four mile race.  Things have definitely changed!  Sigh....  I ran some errands on Main Street and it happened to be some big open house thing for the businesses so I ran in a couple places since I was there. Consignology and Great Lengths, and I wish I would have had time to hit a few more.  I hit Papa Murphy's and saw lots of peeps I knew and came home and Taylor and McKay were here. Bryce even stopped in for a few.  Sky and crew got here just before Dave and I had to leave to go to Stake Temple Night.  It was nice to be able to go do a session. We went to Peach City on our way home and shared a hot fudge sundae and fries.  We saw Nadine and Pres. Wight in the parking lot too.  It was a party when we got home with everyone here. Fun!

dear saturday, today was the Brigham City Turkey Trot.

Carson wanted to go with me and he wanted to run it too.  Luckily, they also offer a two mile walk. He wanted nothing to do with walking though and was determined to run it.  I coaxed Dave into taking him while I did the four mile run.  He actually had running shoes and clothes with him totally unplanned.  He looked like a little runner.  So cute!  It was pretty chilly. It worked out well that Dave was off today.  I did feel bad that Taylor was unable to run it this year after a four year streak.  He had to work at the fire station and do more training. They let the two milers go first. When they were lining up, Carson kept saying, "I'm so nervous!"  It was so adorable. I just wish they would have had shirts because he earned one!  It was free to enter and so no shirts.  But the Tremonton one is also free and they do shirts. Oh well.  

With my little running buddy!

I need to find him a ribbon or something because they didn't give out awards to the walkers.  But, two miles is a LONG way to walk when you are only five and he walked the entire thing. I told Dave to cut it to a mile, but they didn't.  He did have to take a couple breaks along the way though. LOL  Made me smile.  

Look at those cute running shoes!  He is pooped!

Carson taking his break mid race in the chair

They went the opposite direction of the runners and I passed them twice.  I actually ended up finishing before them so I was able to get photos of them crossing the finish line.  

I was taking their picture and they were taking mine.  LOL  

The start (left) and the finish (far right)

He was too exhausted to show his muscles. :)

I was happy that I won another turkey for taking 1st in my age division. My time wasn't as good as last year.  I ran it in a 34:57.  I think my PR is 33 something.  But I was just happy I won a turkey.  I am not sure, but I think I was 6th overall woman. 

Julie is now in my age division and she told me she was not happy about that.  LOL  She got 2nd place and we got a photo with my turkey and her pie and my Sparkling Cider  that I also won for running it more than five years.  We practically won an entire feast! 

I think I have run it about eight times. Maybe even nine. I need to go see if I can figure out how many times.  The back did okay, but holy, the cardio was tough.  I have lost a lot in my cardio strength plus the cold air made it tougher. BUT...I RAN!  YIPPEE!  I did pay for it later, but who cares?!

I came home and showered and then me, Sarah, and Carson met Grammy at the high school to go see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  I was excited for them to see it.  They loved it.  Carson was singing along with every song and he knew all the words. I am so glad we watched the movie before.  

He was surprised the child catcher was a girl though.  We waited quite a while after so he could meet the child catcher but they were all inside doing a group picture so we walked in and waited.  He met her and wasn't scared at all.  But when we met the Baron and Baroness, he was VERY scared and ran and hid in the seats.  It was hilarious.  

We came back home and Grampy came a bit later.  We visited for a bit and then they left.  

I had to meet Dave at the church for the dinner with the visiting authority and the other stake auxiliary presidencies.   Troy was in charge and oh my, he out-did himself.  He should be the stake RS President!  He did an amazing job.  

The highlight for me was the General Authority (Elder Bourne) is married to my former ballet professor from Weber State.  When Dave told me her name, it clicked and when she walked it, it was her!  Her name was Judi and I took many ballet and modern dance classes from her.  I loved her so much, she was such an amazing dancer and wonderful teacher.  We always had several members of the football team in our classes.  The coach made them take it to build their coordination.  We chatted an reconnected and she said she remembered me. Pretty cool.  They sat at our table with the rest of the Presidency and it was fun to visit.  Hard to believe it has been 37 years ago! 

We went into the chapel for the adult meeting and Judi sat with me, Nadine, and Kathryn.  The meeting was excellent.  Dave did a great job on his talk (as always) as did Elder Bourne and Andrea.  I enjoyed it.  We came home and chatted with the boys.  Bryce was gone, and Taylor left to head back to Logan, but McKay and Sky was still here. 

dear sunday, today we had early meetings with Stake Conference on the agenda. Taylor had returned at 1:30 a.m. so he could attend.  I was pretty impressed he did that. Carson wanted to play but we had to wait until after we got back.  We headed over early to secure seats but the place ended up having plenty left even after the meeting started.  However, after the numbers were calculated, it was one of the most well attended conferences to date.  The visiting authority (Elder Bourne) and his wife Judi were in attendance. Dave had met with him earlier. Dave's parents were there and I had three of the four boys there as well as Sarah and Carson.  The meeting was good.  I have to say my former ballet professor did an amazing job on her talk. I would love a copy of it.  I rarely ask for that, but she really impressed me.  While she was speaking, the sound of her voice and her inflections took me back some 37 years ago to the ballet studio at Weber State.  I could hear her voice instructing us on our movements.  I could also see her tiny frame and very long black hair that she always had pulled back in a ponytail or in a tight bun on top of her head.  I also took a modern dance class from her and was in the company that performed Orchesis each year. I forgot to tell her I remembered that last night when we chatted.  Fun memories for me though.  Dancing was always one of my first loves. She talked about reaching out to the one and not labeling people.  I really enjoyed her words.  Dave also gave a very good talk, but he always does. I received a text from a friend that said his talk was one of the best talks she has ever heard and she wished she could have recorded it somehow. A young women from our ward (Veronica) also made quite the impression on many people.  She is a darling girl and will go far you can just tell.  Elder Bourne's talk was also good.  He has a lot of knowledge and he can just spill it out.  Carson was well behaved and colored pictures and entertained himself the entire time. I stayed after while Dave and his presidency met with Elder Bourne for a while.  

It was fun watching Kathryn's kids entertain themselves while we waited.  So cute.

We got a great photo of them after.  

Elder Bourne is on the far right

We came and had a mini Thanksgiving feast.  A preview of things to come.  It was yummy!  Carson hung out by me for a bit while I did some computer things I had to get done and then we went up in my room and watched Shark Tales.  I would have really liked a nap today. We played some games and had fun before they left pretty late.  This next week is going to be crazy. 

This little guy has my whole heart!  He is such a JOY!

Dave and Taylor administered to me which is something I should have had done a long time ago. I was blessed that I would be healed.  Now, I need to have the faith for it to come to pass. 

dear random, 

This is my Grandma Mae (my mom's mom) in the middle.  My Aunt Sharon on the left, my Aunt Dixie in the middle, and my Mom on the right.

 Seeing this was tough because I so want to be there!  I love how they used last year's REAL photos for this!  

dear quotes,  

***My talk I gave at Lori's ward (or at least the outline for it):

This format ↓ is for me only.

MOTIVATION ~ GRATITUDE

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” – George Jessel

How many of you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with the holidays right upon us?  I am!  How many of you are one of those with your tree up?

I am one of those that still hasn't learned the art of simplifying the holidays. I always tell myself, THIS year I will be done with such and such before Thanksgiving. And each year - I am still scrambling in December to finish it all.  Shopping isn't my stress. I enjoy that and I don't mind doing that well into the month, but it's all the other things weigh me down. And the endless TO DO list that just keeps multiplying and replenishing the earth!  Plus, I am certain time has sped up. What used to be a minute is now 30 seconds. 

Tonight we are going to talk about how to keep ourselves motivated when we are feeling overwhelmed with LIFE (not just the holidays).  Because LIFE CAN BE OVERWHELMING.

****I think Lori asked me to do this because she knew what a long road it was for me and how I worked and struggled to be able to qualify for the Boston Marathon which she knew was one of my biggest goals in life but something I did not think would ever happen. Hopefully, I can share a few secrets that I learned about motivating myself to be able to do that (not only from experience but a lot of studying and science based research) and as well from a few mistakes I made along the way (and continue to make). Those same principles work in all aspects of our life whether our goal is to run a marathon or to just keep our heads above water in the daily-ness of life.

Motivation is what enables you to act towards the achievement of a certain goal. It is fueled by ambition and desire. Without that it would be difficult to find motivation. It's always MUCH easier to achieve a goal that we have a HUGE DESIRE to achieve. My Dad always said. "Ya gotta want it!"

We make goals… but then we procrastinate.

We write a to-do list… but then we  don’t follow through.

And this happens again and again and again. Seriously, what’s the problem?

Why are we so good at thinking of what to do but so terrible at actually doing those things?

It is easy to set a goal — we do it all the time. Staying motivated to achieve those goals, well that’s a different story.

Take New Year’s resolutions, for instance — while 93% of people set them, only 8% of them actually find the inner-drive to follow through.

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an unfulfilled goal.”

WHY DO MOST of us NOT FOLLOW THROUGH? I believe part of it is because we put so much pressure on ourselves to be perfect - to be perfect in our goals. And then when the effort we have given is not perfect, we give up. 
PERFECTION IS THE LOWEST STANDARD YOU CAN HAVE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT EXIST.

If you strive for perfection, you'll live a life of continual disappointment.

Ask yourself if you are comfortable setting a standard that is not realistic or achievable.

REMEMBER that as amazing as you are, you will never be perfect - no one is- so don't waste your energy aiming for something that does not exist.

This concept took me a long time to understand (and I'm still working on it daily), but once I accepted the fact that when I do something, it doesn't have to be done perfectly - I ONLY HAVE TO BEGIN and take ACTION, the pressure was off and I was much more motivated to reach for and chase my dreams and to look for the positive things in life.   DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!

BUT GOALS ARE IMPORTANT
M. Russell Ballard “I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals… and learn how to master the technique of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When you learn to master the principle of setting a goal, you will then be able to make a great difference in the results you attain.”

With that in mind.....I'll share a few ideas on how to learn to master the principle of setting a goal. 

Research shows that our brains are wired to have two types of motivation. We are either driven by internal (or intrinsic) motivation to achieve a goal, which is when we do something because it is personally rewarding. Or we are driven by external (or extrinsic) motivation, which is when we do something to earn a reward or avoid punishment.

I hear it all the time: “I’m not motivated.” For many of us, this is referring to not having the motivation to perform basic life responsibilities such as paying bills, cleaning the house, making calls, and taking care of our health.

Now, Motivation will come, but not in the way we want.  It comes when we are in the danger zone. A late fee motivates us to pay bills. Motivation to clean our house comes when friends come over, or when the house is so disgusting we can’t take it.  Motivation to make a call comes just minutes before a negative consequence, and motivation to take care of our health comes in times of sickness. I have a friend that schedules parties at her house just so she will be motivated to clean it.

What is really happening is that procrastination has trained the brain to dump adrenaline right before the event, and we get energy to take action. Adrenaline does give us energy, so we wait for the adrenaline dump to get motivated.

Things eventually get done; however, it comes with a huge physical cost, that can lead to depression, anxiety, and lack of enjoyment. The undercurrent of daily living is a negative environment. Motivation to get things done comes from the danger zone of fear, worry, and anxiety. This can make life feel hard, keeping the stress cycle of procrastination going and flooding your body with harmful stress hormones.

The good news is that you can change the undercurrent.

Research shows that there are some proven ways you can become self-motivated, even when the going gets tough.

Motivation doesn’t just come in an instant and stay for the rest of your life. So, instead of sitting back and waiting for it to COME TO YOU, you must GO TO IT by making small changes every day, that will make huge positive differences over time. OUT OF SMALL THINGS PROCEEDETH THAT WHICH IS GREAT!

THE FIVE SECOND RULE (Mel Robbins)

This little trick is how I was able to push myself to increase my speed in order to qualify for Boston.

The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.

The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule.

When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something that you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and move towards action.

There is a window that exists between the moment you have an instinct to change and your mind killing it. It’s a 5 second window. And it exists for everyone.

If you do not take action on your instinct to change, you will stay stagnant. You will not change.

But if you do this one simple thing, you can prevent your mind from working against you. You can start the momentum before the onslaught of  negative thoughts and excuses hit you at full force.

It's so simple... Just start counting backwards to yourself: 5-4-3-2-1. The counting focuses you on the goal and distracts you from the worries, thoughts, and excuses in your mind.

As soon as you reach “1” – push yourself to move.

This is how you push yourself to do the hard stuff – the work that you don’t feel like doing, or you’re scared of doing, or you’re avoiding.

That’s it.  5 seconds is all it takes.

If you don’t act on an instinct within that 5 second window, that’s it. You’re not doing it.

 It’s the idea that you can’t just think yourself to change. You need to actually take action.

As you use the 5 Second Rule, new habits, and eventually new neural pathways, it’s easier to keep taking action–and your entire mindset will continue to change for the better.

This works!  I am proof!  IN order to get faster as a runner you have to speedwork and to me speedwork is of the devil!  I hate to use the word hate, but let's just say I intensely dislike it and avoid it at all costs.  However, I KNEW it was the main ingredient I needed to get faster.  I would go to the track and run around warming up trying to motivate myself to start my speedwork. Even when I was sufficiently warmed up, I just had the hardest time setting my timer and starting my 800's.  So I would tell myself ,"Just one more lap around then I'll start."  Then again, and again because I knew how painful it was going to be and my brain was trying to protect me from that pain because the brain is wired to do that and so it tried to avoid it.  One day, before I even heard about the 5 Second Rule,  I finally decided to STOP THINKING about how awful it was going to be and visualize how great  it would feel when I was done.  I just stood at the start and turned off my brain and off I went.  No thinking, just doing and it became so much less of an internal battle and I just got it done.   Then I would repeat it again and again until I was done.  It was so much easier to not be fighting that internal battle each time. 

Why does this work so well? Because you’re no longer thinking. You are DOING! And doing changes your life. As you use the Rule to make decisions that put you in control, no matter how small they may be, a huge shift happens.

START small BUT START

When you find yourself behind in life with a to-do list that seems miles long, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. And when you have countless things to get done, just thinking about those tasks can drain away your energy and leave you ready to give up before even starting.

Write down two or three things you definitely want done for the day and just focus on those. Add more later, if you feel up to it. There is nothing better than the feeling of accomplishment & you will be surprised how motivated you feel to keep going!

It's a matter of just BEGINNING. Starting is ALWAYS the hardest part of any task.

TIME TASKS -USE A TIMER. I used to hate emptying dishwasher until I timed how long it actually took. Less than three minutes.  Same with making bed.  Many tasks we put off can be done so quickly.

Also use the timer when have something to accomplish but dreading it. Tell yourself you will work on it for X minutes. The Pomodoro technique  It's a time-management method:

·         Decide what task you want to complete (write it down if necessary).

·         Setting a timer for 25 minutes (this can be varied)

Then work on the task until time is up. If something pops into your mind about another task, make note of it & ignore it until after the timer's gone off. When it goes off you may find you want to keep going since on a roll. Don't use timer on phone....  too tempting to stop and check email or social media or respond to a text.  Use a watch timer or kitchen timer.  I LOVE TIMERS!  They are truly a motivator!

GO FOR SOME EASY WINS

If you’re really struggling to just get started look for some easy wins. These are tasks that you can complete in just a few minutes, leaving you with a sense of accomplishment.

That could be: Writing an email or making a phone call that you’ve been putting off.

Tidying your closet, or sorting out one small area of your house.

Filing those papers that have been mounting up for weeks.

Then opposite of that but which also works is to:

Tackle the Hardest Task First

Do the hardest thing on your list, the one that you feel least like doing.

Once that difficult task is out of the way, everything else will seem easy and you have momentum which is huge. An object in motion remains in motion.....Sometimes, a single phone call that you’ve been putting off can feel very difficult.

CHOOSE A MANTRA -  Make a habit of saying your mantra aloud-  also helpful to post your mantras.  Like my Dad has always said:  Ya Gotta Want It!

·         Examples of great mantras include “Every day is a new beginning and a chance for change,” “I’m strong, powerful, and can achieve my goals,” and “If I believe it, I can achieve it.”

·         SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD but she was really tired and SO SHE DIDN'T. 

·         SHOW SIGNS about motivation Runner and Bear Shark and kayak and ↑

And one my favorites: I AM ENOUGH!

YOU GOT THIS!  

 YOU GOT THIS was my mantra for my first Boston Marathon last year.  My second son Tyson passed away when he was 17 from CF. It has been almost 13 years ago but he is my inspiration and at many times my motivation for running.  When I find pennies while running, I always pick them up and truly feel they are from him letting me know he is still nearby.  This year while training for this year's Boston, a couple weeks before the race I was on a 12 mile training run and I was feeling really sluggish, tired, and in fear I was not going to be ready for the race. At that point in training, you begin to question everything (have I trained enough, put in enough miles, speed work, strength training etc), it's called Taper Time Madness and it messes with your mind! 😜 When I was only half a mile from home and going up a very huge hill (and feeling very discouraged), I saw something shiny on the road thinking it was a penny or dime from heaven so I reached down and picked it up only to discover a magnet that had something written on it but I was too beat to really take the time to look and so I put it in my pocket so I could look when I was done running.  When I got home and got out my glasses, I pulled it out of my pocket and couldn't believe what it said .... 
"YOU GOT THIS" ..... I knew it was a little love note from Tyson sent directly from heaven encouraging his Mama on! He is always there when I need him most giving me a heavenly thumbs up in some way.  That little faded magnet will always mean so much to me.

USE POSITIVE SELF TALK - We all have that little voice inside our head that isn't always nice. Turning that voice toward the positive, can change your life for the better. You can do this by catching negative thoughts and reframing them in a positive way.

·         For example, your mind may say to you, “You’re not good enough.” You can switch this around and say, “I am good enough, but sometimes I get overwhelmed when faced with challenges. Tomorrow things will look different.”

·         In general, tell yourself things like, “I’m proud of myself for working hard every day,” “I’ve accomplished a lot, and the best is yet to come,” and “I know I can do this if I keep working hard.”

·         Science shows that using positive thoughts about yourself creates new neural pathways. Over time, the old, bad, unused pathways wither, die and fall off, much like the branches on an old tree. You can essentially create a new soundtrack in your head, which is filled with hope, giving you more motivation to keep moving forward.

·         AFFIRMATIONS ARE HUGE!  "I am" statements are one of the best kept secrets around. These are things you WISH to be true that maybe are still a work in progress.  I am confident, I am positive, I am productive, I am grateful, etc.  DO THIS ONE THING and you WILL SEE HUGE CHANGES. I try to do mine either while warming up or cooling down from a run.  I have noticed improvement.

BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND LESS BUSY

The MOST IMPORTANT WORD FOR SUCCESS IS NO.

Not a rejection of other people.  By telling them no, it's not against them, it's for you.

Say NO to good so can say YES to great.

Have to say NO More often and then can say YES to better things!

Can say YES NO  or  NO NO  but not YES YES  ...

If you say YES to one thing you have to say NO to something else. 

SEEK INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS  - Seeing how other people successfully push themselves to be productive and successful can give you the motivational boost you need to get going on your own goals.

***BOSTON BUDDIES BOOK

Hearing about other people’s achievements be really inspiring, especially if their goals coincide with yours. Remember that you are just as capable as anyone else, so get started and start forming your own success stories.

GET PEER PRESSURE-   Research shows peer pressure helps kids more than it hurts them.

Surround yourself with people you want to be and it’s much easier to become like them.

For people who want improved health, association with other healthy people is usually the strongest and most direct path of change.

Research shows over time, you develop the eating habits, health habits and even career aspirations of those around you. If you’re in a group of people who have really high goals for themselves you’ll take on that same sense of seriousness.

Find a buddy to be accountable to.  Research shows that after setting a specific goal, 70% of individuals who reported their progress to a friend were successful in meeting their goals compared to the 30% that did not.

CREATE AND ACTION PLAN FOR YOUR GOALS You can create an overall plan to reach your big goal, or you can narrow it down to your small goals. Include what you want to achieve, the steps you will take to achieve it, and how you will measure success.

For example, your big goal could be to run a marathon, and your small goals could consist of running a mile, running a 5K, running a 10K, and running a half marathon. “I will train for a full marathon in four and half months by following a set training schedule of running five to six days per week, and building my long runs up to 20 miles in 11 weeks.”

Noelle Pikus Pace - I loved her advice on goal setting, "You need to have goals and determination in order to succeed. It's through the daily goals and tasks that you become who you want to be. Work on one or two things at a time and that is how you become better."

An old proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

I didn't start running until I was 45 and didn't run my first Boston until I was 55.

COMPARE YOURSELF TO YOUR PAST YOU NOT OTHERS- Oh, social media!  If you want to feel bad about your life just get on it for an hour or two.  It’s so tempting to compare yourself to other people. No matter how well you are doing, you will always rank yourself second. It’s better to compare yourself to you! Consider where you were in the past and where you are now. Try to be better than your PAST YOU.

·         When you catch yourself comparing yourself to others, remind yourself that you’re likely seeing their highlight reel -- not the nitty gritty of every day. The only fair comparison is between you and yourself.

·         Make a list of your  accomplishments to remind yourself of how far you’ve already come!

WRITE A CONTRACT –

Have you ever  heard of stickK.com?

It’s for writing informal contracts that help achieve goals. Put up some money, say $50, and if you succeed at your goal, you get your money back; if you fail, then your friend donates the $50 to a charity of your choice.

The founder of stickK promised to pay his friend $10,000 if he did not lose 38 lbs by a certain date. Fortunately he succeeded in shedding weight, not dollars.
Give your friend $100. If you get a task done by 5PM, you get your $100 back. If you don’t complete it, you lose the $100.  THIS CAN BE VERY MOTIVATING!!!!

REWARD YOURSELF

Rewards feel good. Penalties feel bad. And that’s why they both can work well for motivating you.

Research shows that rewards are responsible for 75% of why we do things..

So treat yourself whenever you complete something on your to-do list.  This is how you train a dog but it will work for you too.)

·         You could reward sticking to a goal of writing every day by treating yourself to a new notebook.

·         Get a massage to reward yourself for meeting your running goals.Take a bubble bath. Enjoy a good book.

EAT SOME CHOCOLATE

This one always increases my motivation. The effects of chocolate on the brain are well-studied.

STUDIES SHOW:

·         It increases both serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes calm. It triggers a release of dopamine, which can elevate your heart rate and increase motivation, and even acts as a mild antidepressant, as your brain responds to the stimulus by promoting blissful emotions.

 If chocolate really isn’t your thing (we need to talk!), but there are plenty of other healthy, dopamine-triggering foods you can eat such as apples, bananas, berries, nuts, avocados.

EXERCISE! Exercise is the very best anti-depressant there is. Even just a 15 minute walk can increase your endorphins which relieve stress.

PLAY MUSIC!

Spend some time compiling the music that gets you fired up, and when you need a dose of motivation, press play.

GO OUT IN NATURE -  Few things give me as much energy and motivation as this does. It is amazing the impact this has on my mental health.  I prefer to be outside even on bitter cold days than running on the treadmill because the outdoors does something for my soul I can't explain.

I saved the best for last:

GRATITUDE GRATITUDE!!!!  It's almost MAGIC!  Gratitude is magical...

Out of curiosity how many have a gratitude journal?  In times of trouble, gratitude is a lifeline; in times of joy, it is an amplifier. You just can't go wrong with it.

The Lord has promised, "He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious" (D&C 78:19). Gratitude is an uplifting, exalting attitude. People are generally happier when they have gratitude in their hearts. We cannot be bitter, resentful, or mean-spirited when we are grateful.

·         Consider this....psychologists have scientifically proven that one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness in your life is how much gratitude you show.

Turns out it’s rather simple. Gratitude produces happiness. The simple act of being thankful for someone or for feeling appreciation for things in life, if even for just the beating of your own heart, is the most powerful technique we have for re-connecting with happiness.

The false belief, which causes most of our unhappiness, is that our life should be different from what it is. We honestly believe that different circumstances would make us happier. Always IF I had............ THEN I'd be happy.....But the idea that happiness is attained through things is a myth, because there are lots of people who have what you say you want and still aren’t happy.

Jim Carrey quote:  “I wish everybody could get rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of, so they will know that it's not the answer.”

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." - Epictetus

Losing a loved one is hard on the heart.  The thing that really got me through losing my son was GRATITUDE.

Tyson - Whenever I am struggling and really missing Tyson, I focus on how grateful I am that I have 17 years worth of memories with him. I focus on what I HAVE and not on what I DON'T HAVE. 

Focus on what we've GOT instead of what we've NOT!   POWER IN IT!

Someday they are going to prove that gratitude is the secret of the universe! 

I really think this is the secret of happiness.  I can honestly say if I am feeling sad or down or like life isn't fair, I can immediately change my emotions by thinking of what I'm grateful for. 

And NO MATTER HOW IMPOSSIBLE some challenges seem, there is always something to be grateful for.

GRATITUDE IS THE LAW OF INCREASE.  COMPLAINT IS THE LAW OF DECREASE

THANK YOU (NOTES!!!)  If you don’t do another thing today, simply express a thank you — to HF, to a friend, to a family member, to someone. You will feel a lift in your soul — and you will have lifted their soul.

The simple act of saying “thank you” to someone can make a big difference in that person’s life. Calling them, texting, emailing them, stopping by to say thank you … just taking that minute out of your life to tell them why you are grateful for them is important to them. It costs you little, but makes someone else happy. And making someone else happy will make you happy. (Show Jen's TY note  just got)

The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.
-- William James

Lifesaver Challenge:  Chocolate inside instead of a lifesaver.  Chocolate is more enjoyable.  Think of what you are grateful for until it's gone. 

Gratitude can be a powerful antidote to the challenges of life.  However, it's not as simple as it sounds.  It takes work to change your mind set.  But the more you do it the more automatic it becomes.  As we practice and feel gratitude from the heart it re-wires our brain and nervous system. Gratitude changes our brain chemistry; the ways that neurons fire, our hormones, and even our immune system. Gratitude allows us to cultivate a positive mindset by our mindful acknowledgement of the positive things in our lives. As we choose gratitude, the brain will seek positive patterns. We will develop our gratitude muscle.  We become more optimistic, more apt at dealing with challenges, and experience less stress and more peace.

So what's not to like about gratitude?

President Thomas S. Monson: “Wishing will not make it so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion” When we plan prayerfully and work diligently to achieve our goals, the Lord magnifies our efforts and helps us reach our potential."

"It is not enough to want to make the effort and to say we'll make the effort...it's in the doing, not just the thinking, that we accomplish our goals. If we constantly put our goals off, we will never see them fulfilled."- Thomas S. Monson

TAKE FOR DISPAY: YOU GOT THIS sign Motivation signs -Newspaper article about Tyson and YOU GOT THIS-Gratitude sign -Life Saver handouts( chocolate)

Thank you notes-Jen's TY note

Books - Boston Buddies/It Could Always Be Worse/Jenna and the Troublemaker/Gratitude Soup

Examples of Positive vs. Negative Self Talk

Negative	Positive
“I’m not good enough.”	“I am good enough, but sometimes I get overwhelmed when I have new challenges. Tomorrow things will be better.”
“I’ll never do what I want to do in my life.”	“The only way I can achieve my dreams is by trying. I have more power than I realize.”
“People don’t like me.”	“I’m a kind, funny person. I will find amazing friends to spend my time with.”
“I hate going to parties. I’m awkward and no one wants to talk to me.”	“Being social means getting to meet new people. It’s OK that I’m shy—it gives me time to figure out who I really want to talk to.”
“Losing weight is impossible. I’ll never be able to do it.”	“Losing weight is a huge challenge, and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. If I focus on how good I feel, it won’t matter what the scale says.”
“Writing a book was a stupid goal. I knew I couldn’t do it.”	“Writing makes me happy. Even if I don’t finish my book when I wanted to, working on it makes me feel great, and I’m getting closer every day.
“I hate working on this. It’s impossible to finish.”	“I’m proud of myself for how hard I’ve been working. I’ve accomplished a lot and the best is yet to come.”