Hello Darlings!
Forgive me for being silent far too long. I recently lost the greatest woman I’ve ever known, my Tutu. My grandmother was a complete inspiration to me as a woman, mother, and citizen of the world. Always leading with grace, beauty, and strength…my Tutu lived a FULL life. I miss her. And after her passing I took a break from my #SoldierMode missions. A break turned into a sabbatical which grew into sloth and weeks of excuses.
So tonight’s message is about motivation. LIFE (and lack thereof) will always happen. We can make every excuse in the book to live lazy. Loss happens to everyone at some point or another, and time to grieve or resolve issues is necessary. However, too many of us become “victims” to emotional crisis and let that overrun our lives. For many of us it can ironically become a comfort zone. This is when we must consciously decide to push forward. To become or remain soldiers of life and healthy choices.
This week I met with my trainer and she put me back onto a hardcore schedule! She kicked my butt and forced me to realize that I have been away far too long. The beauty about life is that (honestly) every day presents opportunities to create or renew positive situations for ourselves. So here I am getting back on track. Working with my trainer and taking classes (ZUMBA! Kickboxing, Will Power & Grace etc.) are awesome and allow me to go on a sort of “auto-pilot.” All I have to do is follow directions. Then there are those hours where I conquer on my own. Doing cardio or strength training. I realized that music is a HUGE motivational factor for me so I thought I’d list my “DETERMINATION” playlist with you.
Fair warning: I listen to a lot of music that isn’t family friendly, always positive, or exclusive of explicit language. It does the job though. I’d love to hear what moves you!
I have two categories: 1. Music that gets me moving. 2. Music that KEEPS me going (i.e. motivation). So in no particular order here are some of the songs from each category—
MUSIC THAT GETS ME MOVING
- Blow The Whistle — Too $hort
- Booty Wurk — T-PAIN
- Run The World —Beyonce
- Bootylicious — Destiny’s Child
- C’mon Ride It (The Train) — Quad City DJs
- Da’ Dip — Freak Nasty
- Drop It Low — Ester Dean
- Ice Cream Paint Job — Dorrough
- Make Up Bag — The Dream & T.I.
- Full Moon — Atmosphere
- Jumpin’ Jumpin’ — Destiny’s Child
- Ride - Ciara & Ludacris
- Super Hyphy — Keak Da Sneak
- Young, Wild & Free — Snoop & Wiz
- Wild Ones - Flo Rida
MUSIC THAT KEEPS ME GOING
- Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) — Kelly Clarkson —> “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller, doesn’t mean I’m lonely when im alone! What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter!!”
- Make Me Proud — Drake & Nicki —> “I know things get hard but girl you got, girl you got it there you go, can’t you tell by how they lookin’ at you every where you go, wondering whats on yo mind it must be hard to be that fine, when all these ________ wanna waste yo time it’s just amazing girl. And all I can say is I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!”
- Fancy - Drake, T.I., Swizz — “Hit the gym, step on the scale, stare at the number. Say you droppin’ 10 pounds preparing for summer. You don’t do it for the men, men never notice. You just do it for yourself you da ______ coldest!”
- I Was Here — Beyonce — “I just want them to know, that I gave my all, did my best, brought someone some happiness, left this world a little better just because I was here. I was here! I lived I loved! I was here. I did I’ve done, everything that I wanted and it was more than I thought it would be!”
- Raise Your Glass — P!NK — “So raise your glass if you are wrong in all the right ways, all my underdogs!! We will never be anything but loud and nitty gritty, dirty little freaks! Come on and raise your glass!”
- F***in Perfect — P!NK — ” You’re so mean when you talk about yourself, you were wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead. So complicated, look happy you’ll make it, filled with so much hatred, such a tired game. It’s enough, I’ve done all I can think of, chased down all my demons, seen you do the same. Pretty pretty please!! Don’t you ever ever feel, like you’re less than, less than perfect. Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you’re nothing, you are perfect to me.”
There’s more to each list but this is a part of what keeps me moving. What moves you?What are the reasons you aren’t conquering your goals? Are they completely justifiable? How can you take steps towards becoming the person you want to be? Let me know!
Aloha — Kalena <3
Dear brand new jeans that wouldn’t go above my hips last month, I WIN!! 😄😄😄 #SoldierMode victory!
#SoldierMode is the conquering of fear, sloth, and complacency.
Sometimes I wish dedication and motivation were items that one could purchase in bulk at CostCo. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if those attributes were in excess supply and readily available on tap? Unfortunately, that idea is as much a fantasy as having Taylor Lautner shirtless whispering sweet nothings into my ear. it takes a very strong sense of willpower to remain true to following through with goals for wellness. I’ve figured out that in order to have a lifetime of success, I’d have to create guidelines to conquer a lifetime of failed attempts. Thus, SoldierMode was born.
Fear: a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. whether the threat is real or imagined. The feeling or condition of being afraid. When I’m in SoldierMode, I am BIGGER than my fear. I used to be terrified of exercise. Yes, I was fairly active in sports growing up, but by the time I was 18 I was so deathly afraid of embarrassing myself, being teased, not being good enough in other people’s eyes, and FAILING, that I wouldn’t even attempt to work out. I know now that in order to succeed, I must completely change my way of thinking. I must be more strong than I am scared, and use that nervous energy for good purposes. I exercise for ME. I don’t care how I look to those around me. Failure is inevitable no matter what if I don’t even try. And every single step taken is a step forward. I love me enough, and I win the battle every time I try something that I was once afraid to do.
Sloth: Habitual disinclination to exertion. Laziness. I am LAZY. I will come up with every excuse in the book not to go work out. I’m tired. I worked all day. I worked out yesterday. I’m not in the mood. Blah blah blahhhh… In SoldierMode I kick my own butt into gear because I’m the one who lives with the long term consequences of being slothful. Sometimes I despise exercising. I will walk into the gym, and tell the crew I do not want to be there. But I’m still there. Having a trainer is extremely helpful in this situation. (I love my demon-trainer ;p MARISA!!) If you aren’t able to hire a trainer, having a workout buddy can amp up your motivation as well. It’s great to have someone to help you stay focused and hold you accountable. Surround yourself with people who support you in your mission. And if you’re on your own, here’s a tip—Literally, say your goals out loud to yourself to provide motivation. Health, wellness, shopping, sexy calves. Whatever you want out of it. Laziness won’t bring you any closer to your desires. SoldierMode will!!
Complacency: A feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like. Self-satisfaction with an existing situation. Complacency is extremely dangerous to a food-addict on a mission for balance. When I tell myself that it’s ok to not push, that right where I am is good enough, I am setting myself up to fall back into the habits that I have worked so hard to change. It may seem somewhat obsessive, but please understand that there is a difference between self-love / self-acceptance, and complacency. SoldierMode is a reminder to stay grounded, that the journey always continues, and to stay ACTIVE in accomplishing goals. Victories are awesome!!! But for me there are still many levels to be reached, and I don’t want to settle for good enough. I’ve always been good enough. When I do accomplish my goals, SoldierMode will help me maintain.
To all my soldiers out there, stay strong! Stay active. Good luck, God bless, and keep pushing forward. YOU are worth it. If anyone would like me to blog about specific topics, I’m open to suggestions.Feedback is appreciated.
Muah,
Kalena
#SideNote — I lost THREE pounds during Thanksgiving. THAT is #SoldierMode.
Me in 2009. And today at the gym. #SoldierMode
Side note - I always felt beautiful. I just knew there was more beauty to be revealed.
