I wouldn’t normally share this information. In fact, there was a time when I would have denied it. But here it is.

After a particularly wicked, awesome racquetball game the other day, I drove over to Office Depot to grab a box of copy paper on my way to the office. At the time, I had never noticed that all of the windows in the store were tinted so that you can see out but not in. For some strange reason, the store was packed. I almost left but realized that I really needed the paper to finish a proposal and didn’t want to come back, so I waited in the long line.

When I reached the cashier, I dropped my keys on the counter while trying to place the huge box down. To my surprise, the young lady very LOUDLY said “You are the one who drove up in that convertible BMW! That is my ultimate dream car, but I would never be able to have something like that”. Needless to say, I was totally embarrassed by how loud she was. But I also felt completely devastated. Not so much by the fact that everyone was now staring at me, which was awkward in itself, but by the defeated tone in her voice when she said that she would never be able to have something like that.

That feeling of defeat in her voice sent a sharp pain to my stomach because I remember that feeling all to well. There was a 6-month period in my life when I was on government assistance. I had moved out of my Mom’s house and simply could not afford to pay bus fare, rent, electricity, food and still put myself through college on minimum wage. I would wait until midnight to go to the 24-hour grocery store so that I wouldn’t run into anyone that I knew while using food stamps.

Then one night, the unthinkable happened. As I was in line to check out, a group of girls in my math class walked up in line behind me. They were purchasing alcohol and chips. The slow walk up to the cashier felt like I was on death row. When it was finally my turn, I said that I had forgotten my money and that I would be back. I never returned that night.

I went home and sat up all night devising a plan to get out of my current situation. I decided that my first goal was to score transportation. Having a car would eliminate two hours of bus transfers. Those were two hours that would increase my income.  I realize that two hours at minimum wage might not seem like a lot to most, but it was an improvement. The embarrassment of my situation was overwhelming for me, but it was also one of my biggest motivators. Therefore, any improvement was good with me.

Making a long story short, this was my first car. It was a pontiac T-1000. I promise you that the car on the Flintstones moved faster than mine. It broke down about once a month, but that was ok with me.  For me, this car was like a brand new S600 AMG Mercedes. And through trial and error I learned all about car engines as well. 

I wish I would have told this story to that cashier. I wanted so much to erase that horrible sound in her voice and feeling of defeat. So far, I haven’t gone back to Office Depot, but maybe I will take a ride over today.

When someone looks to me for motivation, they often ask “what should I DO?” My response is usually to do what you feel. Inevitably, that is followed with “O.k., I’ll TRY”.

The word “try” to me is somewhat of a cop-out if you are serious about reaching your goal. When I think of “trying” something that something is usually related to unimportant, temporary things like tasting the different appetizers on a menu, or wearing your hair in a new style. Just “Trying” a new style is safe. If it doesn’t work, then you are free to simply change your hair back.

“Trying is half-hearted. Trying implies that if it doesn’t work out or you don’t succeed, at least you tried.”

–Madeleine Kay, Serendipitously Rich

It’s easy to see why Nike uses the slogan “Just Do It!”. Making a decision to DO something comes with a different energy and a different level of commitment. Doing has a more permanent feel behind it. You DO a tattoo. You don’t TRY it.

Trying something new is a wonderful start to testing the waters. But once you make a solid decision that you want something, you will need to DO what’s necessary to obtain your desire. There’s just no way around it.

Now that you have said “I DO”, it’s time to get your body moving as fast as possible before the big date. It’s no secret that everyone wants to look perfect on their perfect day. So here are the top 5 X-Trainers Recommendations to get your body in perfect condition for your special day:

1. START EARLY

Just as it takes time to plan the perfect weeding, it also takes time to get you body in perfect shape. From the day you accept that long-awaited proposal  and say “I DO” you also need to say “I DO” to a new aggressive work out plan. Therefore, the sooner you start your exercise plan – the better.

2. BUDGET

Add your new aggressive personal training program into your wedding budget. A good wedding will cost money and so will a good trainer who gets results. Plan on spending $400-$600 per month for an effective training program. Your program should include nutrition and new, dynamic options to keep you motivated. The most effective and long-lasting programs are private and tailored specifically for you.

3. DO IT AS A COUPLE

Once you are married and comfortable, it’s all to easy to let an extra 20-30 pounds creep in unnoticed.  But a family that plays together stays healthy together. When a bride and groom-to-be opt to start the marriage off on a healthy note, it sets the stage for years to come.

Research shows that when a couple makes exercise part of their “must haves” in each other, it’s easier to stay in shape together long-term. A personal trainer will serve as your support system before the wedding, but once you and your new husband finish six months of structured training, you are now equipped to coach each other and to rely on each other for support.

4. MAKE IT A PARTY

Your brides maids job is to get you ready for your big day no matter what it takes. Whether this means helping you choose the perfect invites or the perfect dress, let them know that you will require their support in encouraging you to stick with eating healthy, as well as, making it to each workout session.

X-Trainers offers a “Bride Boot Camp” designed specifically for the entire bridal party. This makes for an awesome gift to the brides maids, as well as, the bride. Imagine how beautiful your pictures will be when all brides maids are glowing and in perfect shape on your big day.

5. BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE

There are lots of lunches, dinners and parties that go on in the planning stage for your wedding. Be the change that you want to see by setting a healthy example. Choose non-fried an non-breaded items when planning all parties or meeting your brides maids for lunch. Fill up on a salad before eating all meals. Drink a full glass of water before eating all meals.

If hors d’oeuvres are passed around at a party, fix a full plate and sit and eat in one setting if possible instead of picking all night. When mingling, it’s sometimes hard to tell just how much you have eaten. Avoid mixed drinks with high-sugar fruit juices added.  Have a full glass of water for each glass of alcohol that you consume. This will cut down on calorie consumption and also keep you level-headed longer.

Other than the birth of a child, your wedding day is THE most important day of your life. Go all the way and make it the healthiest union it can possibly be.

Yours in good health,

Leilani K. Heno

Money is not the issue for most of us when it comes to on-time payments. The issue rests in our ability to stop, sit, and take care of our responsibilities.  Just like eating healthy and exercising, it all boils down to discipline, or the lack of.  I use to be a major late payer. I was so busy “making money” that I hadn’t noticed that some of it was falling out of the hole in my pocket.

I decided that I must get myself into the habit of handling my responsibilities on time. At first, I would pencil it into my planner. But that never worked because, although I would see it, I would tell myself that I would handle my bills as soon as I got home.  Then that turned into as soon as I returned a few calls, or as soon as I took a quick shower, or as soon as…

I realized that what I had to do was to find what worked for me. I tried the on-line thing, but that only worked if I took the time out to actually get on-line. Auto payment works well, but not all bills accept this method, so that brought me back to the same problem.

Over coffee, I explained to my girlfriends how  I could never just sit and get the tedious job of bill paying out of the way. I quickly learned that they all had the same issue. Now, once a month, we get together for “bill coffee payments”. We make it a point to remain silent for the first thirty minutes to write checks. Then we sit back and cut-up.

If discipline is an issue for you, search yourself to find what will work for you, and put it into action.

My friend later explained to me that the girl on the phone was talking to her mother whose last wish was to see her daughter graduate. Because the mother needed respirator support to breathe, it was impossible for the mother to attend. So the daughter decided to bring her mother with her by phone.

I’ll bet that if the crowd knew the Mother’s situation,  everyone would have stood and cheered as “Phone Girl” and her mother crossed the stage. The next time someone does something that SEEMS ridiculous, remember that you do not know what’s going on behind the scene. Simply smile and accept that person’s actions as significant because in this universe, everything is.

If you are an entrepreneur or a small business owner, you will have to be able to compete with the big guys for a piece of the market.  To do this your marketing plan MUST consist of three factors:

1. Commitment    2. Investment    3. Consistency

Commitment –   Whatever marketing plan you develop, you must remain committed to it no matter what. Consumer reaction happens gradually.  The customer needs time to see that you are a legitimate company that is here to stay. Popping in and out of the market (unless your product or service is seasonal) may give the impression that your company may not deliver.

Investment -   You should view your marketing plan as a conservative investment.  It is not a magic formula.  If you expect to reap massive rewards in a month’s time, you may be disappointed.  A marketing investment is basically the same as an investment in stock. You analyze the market, decide to put up the money, and be patient.  Like many stocks, marketing investments work better over a longer time period.

Consistency  – The biggest killer of small advertising campaigns is inconsistency.  It takes the average consumer approximately three to six months to make a decision.  Seeing the SAME ad over and over demonstrates that your product or service is here to stay.  Many entrepreneurs start out with a bang. They advertise boldly for a month or two, but when the phone barely rings, they change Ads or stop advertising altogether.  Changing an ad frequently takes away the consistency of how consumers identify you.  With so much advertising clutter, consumers may have a hard time remembering what your ads look like.  If you ad always looks the same, your consumers will be able to easily identify you.  HAPPY MARKETING!

Leilani holds an MBA and a BS in Marketing. She started her first successful business at age 7.

Here are a few examples of what you can do to start materializing your dreams:

1.  Create an action plan.

2.  Start with a book on the subject that interest you.

3.  Dedicate $10 a week to your dream fund.

4.  Talk to someone who has done what you want to do.

Anything is possible, but only if someone takes action.  And that someone might as well be YOU.

The dogs were beautiful. My mother spent hours playing with them and spoiling them. This made my dad extremely mad. You see, he believed that guard dogs were to be manly, macho and vicious. He would constantly nag my mom to stay away if she was going to continue treating them like puppies. “They are not pets, they have a job to do,” he would say. Whenever my dad would walk in the yard, the dogs would sit with their noses up at attention. They were clearly afraid of my dad. On the other hand, when my mom arrived, they would go crazy jumping up and down splashing mud all over her. My dad would say that if my mom would stop treating them like children,  the dogs would not ruin her clothes. They would be obedient and behave accordingly.

One night the dogs began barking furiously, when I lifted the window to yell for them to calm down, two of them jumped into my room spraying mud everywhere.  It was 2:00am and my dogs had gone mad. They seemed to be on a mission tearing through the house. Both ran upstairs to my mother’s room, and I ran behind them. One of the dogs grabbed my  two-year old little brother by the arm and began dragging him out of bed. The other jumped on my mom. Instead of freaking out (like she normally would have), my mother calmly sat up and said, “I smell smoke.” The house was on fire! My mother ran to retrieve my baby brother, and informed me to take him and get into the car. My older brother was still asleep, and my father had fallen asleep in his study.

Chasing in front of us, the dogs ran past my father in his study and awoke my older brother (who of course did want to get up). My  mom got my brother out to the car, and by then the fire trucks had arrived. My mom told the firemen that my dad was still inside. Just then my mom told me that everything was o.k. because she saw one of the dogs run back. She assumed it was for my dad. To our surprise, the dog came back with the puppy in its mouth, jumped in the car and sat panting and extremely exhausted. It seemed that the dogs had no intention on retrieving my father.

I learned a very important lesson that day. Both people and animals will protect the ones that treat them with love at all cost. Therefore, be mindful of how you treat people.

Unfortunately, money gets a bad rap. In reality, money is a beautiful thing. It allows us to provide for our families and donate to causes, such as Animal Rescue and The Smile Train,  to help fix problems. Think about it. Money is the one common denominator that we all use to connect to each other all over the world.  Without it, very little gets done.

Another name for money is currency.  And what is a current? When referring to electricity, a current is the flow of energy that moves through a wire.  If a current is flowing, but the wire is split, the current stops and no energy will flow. If no energy flows through that wire, you will not be able to use the power of electricity. In short, you will not be able to  turn on your lights.

We, as humans, are the wires that surround the planet.  As we give and receive money, we create an energy flow.  The more money you give, the more money you will receive.  It is a natural law of physics.  If you are giving, but not receiving you may have a split in your wire or an energy block.  You will have to clear this block in order to reconnect to the rest of the world.

To clear your block, you must first clear your MIND of any negative thoughts. Focus on the positive. Positive thoughts lead to positive actions which bring forth positive results. Next, choose a cause and donate money to it. Give one hundred dollars more than you think you can afford. BUT REMEMBER – YOU MUST GIVE WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK. If you give out of obligation, or give to “get”, your money will not come back to you.

If you are feeling ambitious, take it a step further and clear your BODY. When I talk about your body, I am referring to all of your PHYSICAL surroundings including your actual body. Take a look at your surroundings. Is your space (home/car/office) filled with clutter? If so, throw out all unnecessary items. Now look at your body. Do you fill it with unnecessary junk? Are you holding on to excess weight? If so, set a plan to gradually bring your body into balance. Expand out to your peer group. Surround yourself with positive people (influencers) to create a support group.

Once your blocks are clear, energy (currency) will naturally increase in flow. You will not only feel better, but believe it or not, you will increase your cash flow as well.

Although grilling the usual burger is the norm at summer back yard events, consuming continuous amounts of high-fat protein is not always your healthiest option. At our last grill we slipped in large portobello mushrooms as a meat alternative, and guess what? They were a hit! The kids even liked these.

Portobello Mushroom Burger!

Ingredients:

- 3 tbs olive oil

- 4 medium-sized portobello mushrooms (stems removed)

- 6 oz sun-dried tomatoes in oil

- 6 oz feta cheese

- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves or 1 tbs dried basil

- Fresh Spinach

Heat two tbs of olive oil over med. heat.  Add mushroom caps (gill side down).  Cover and cook 8 minutes. You can also grill these. If you cook these on the stove, drain on paper towel when done.

Drain sun-dried tomatoes, reserving two tbs of the oil. Chop the tomatoes. In a food processor, combine tomatoes, feta, garlic, 1 tbs olive oil, the reserve tomato oil, and basil.  Pulse in processor until mixture is spreadable.  Spread tomato mixture on onion bun.

Add spinach leaves and mushroom cap (face down).

Tip: Make a large portion of the spread to enjoy as a dip for raw veggies or grilled shrimp!

ENJOY!