Where Has The Time Gone?

Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and asked yourself that question?  Do you frequently feel like you tried your hardest but you have nothing to show for it? Let's look at some ways to manage time more effectively to have results to show for it at the end of the day.

#1. Define Your Goals--Some people are into structure, some aren't. I recommend doing what works for you. If writing 3 things you want to do by the end of the day on the back of a receipt and sticking it in your pocket works for you, then do it! I don't care. I like having a day planner with time blocked off for each part of my day, with my running "To Do" list on the side. I can tell you right now, though, that if I asked my brother to keep one, it would never get written in. Ever. He's a "back of the receipt" kind of guy, and you know what? It works beautifully for him. So define your goals and put them somewhere. A secondary thing to do, once you have a focus for your activities, is to prioritize them. For example, I have a goal of working out for 30 minutes every day. It's a priority for me. Another priority for me is to learn something new. If I have 2 hours left in my day, I might try a new workout. Why? Because both of these things are priorities for me and I have a limited amount of time, so I'll learn a new workout for bonus points. Let's say in this 2 hours left scenario I also needed to...I don't know...return Library books. I might just bump that to the next day, because while returning them is important, the library books won't impact my health like working out will.

#2. Bust Time Wasters--If you frequently find yourself intimidated by your To Do list and jumping on FaceBook to compensate, you need to become aware of your bad habits and cut it out. If you are supposed to be setting up lunch meetings and instead you grab a coffee and hang out on Twitter for an hour, become aware of it and cut it out. A good way to catch yourself at this is to write down everything you do, every 15 minutes for 1 day. Don't lie to yourself and don't hold back. From when you wake up, begin recording even the mundane details. I realized I spent about 40 minutes every day just staring into space thinking of what to do next. That's what led me to a to do list! Almost an hour wasted literally doing nothing (not that thinking is bad, it's not, I still spend plenty of time doing it, but there's no need for me to stand around figuring out what to do next instead of having a plan of action that I wrote up yesterday and charging forward! Then I get to spend more time with my kids and husband after completing my To Do's :) )

#3. Rinse and Repeat--There's a Japanese Proverb that says, "Beginning is easy. Continuing is hard." My sentiments exactly! Don't just do this once or twice and then write it off. If you want a successful life, you have to change the way you do things. If you want to get healthy, you have to change the way you eat. If you want to catch a rainbow trout, you have to have a certain bait. You see where I'm going with these analogies? If you're unhappy with your life--MAKE A CHANGE! And then keep doing what is successful and modify what is unsuccessful.

Just never, ever stop. A friend of mine once pointed out that in Texas, Highway 45 runs all the way from DFW to Houston. And it doesn't matter if you go 50 miles an hour or 5 miles an hour--you'll get to Houston. Just don't lay down and don't turn around.

Lizi

And We Work It Out!

I have changed my workout routine. I am a very driven person, and if allowed to do my own thing, I'll run myself into the ground, lay there for a second, then get up and keep running. That's just how I'm wired. I'm ready to rock and roll all the time, I talk really fast and animated (as you'll see more of with the Vlogging I'll be posting) and I love to run!

When I left weights, I have to be very careful about my form because I favor explosive, dynamic, high intensity training versus slow, steady lifting. Again, this can obviously have a giant downside, and I'm super grateful for my sweet, muscular, weight-lifting husband who watches me and is like "Slow down crazy woman! Enjoy the burn." --He's right, too, when you focus on the muscle your working on (example: bicep curls) and instead of doing 21's like I favor, you lift and then oh so slowly release you'll go much farther with less reps.

So, where oh where can I turn to in the fitness world to force myself to slow down and focus on what I'm doing instead of concentrate on burning off my extra energy with running or calisthetic exercises?

Did you figure it out yet? :p

Yoga, of course! Now I went through everything on wonderful Youtube.com last night looking for a routine that worked for me. I personally can't do a routine if it involves laying still and concentrating on your breath. So, I bookmarked a couple of these for me in the morning, when I need peace of mind the most: 

This is Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown Level 1: 

And here is Sadie Nadini's 20 minute Weight Loss & Fat Burning Routine:

Both of these were fun--especially the part where my cute little 4 year old was trying to do yoga with me last night haha! She likes to make it dangerous. Like crawling under my downward facing dog and popping up, missing my nose by a hair's breadth! I should film that and call it "Ultimate Adrenaline Yoga For Moms!" 

So, my new routine, again customizable to my daily level of crazy, is:

Morning: Yoga routine 15-30 mins

Noon-ish: Going on a run (preferably) or a Core Workout (Like Sean Vigue with Motley Fitness, he's amaaaazing!) 

Afternoon: If I still have energy left to burn, or have to skip my noon routine, I like to do the Supreme 90 videos right now. I am ashamed to admit sometimes I curse the day Tom Holland (he's the host) was born in the middle of a routine, but by the end of it I mentally apologize to him because I feel amazing :)

I hope these little glimpses into my world help to inspire you to keep growing and changing and adapting to a healthier, happier lifestyle!!! :)

Lizi

Bust Your Guts

With  commercials on Activia yogurt with Jamie Lee Curtis' endorsement and billboards for Yokult popping up along major highways, the public is becoming more aware of the link between yogurt and healthy bowels. But what many people don't understand is why that link is important.

More than 70% of the body's seratonin is made in the gut. Seratonin is a brain neurotransmitter responsible for feeling calm and happy--if your gut is unhealthy, your thoughts won't be balanced. Also, more than 80% of your immune cells are made in the gut--so not only will your thoughts be hard to reel in, your health will suffer.

If you don't have the proper balance of beneficial bacteria in your bowels, also known as "probiotics", then when you are exposed to bad bacteria such as e.coli, strep or salmonella, you're more likely to succumb to the bad bacteria. When you replenish your good bacteria daily, your odds of becoming seriously ill from bad bacteria decrease.

So, take care of your guts! They're super important to your mental and physical health, and are often overlooked in whole body wellness. My kids like the GI Pro Balance sticks from Mannatech--while they've never had a pixie stick or a Fun Dip, they eat these little yogurt flavored slim sticks the same way. We just rip off the top and the kids pour it right into their mouths. I keep these and Mannabears in my purse for meltdowns--so much healthier than candy and just as effective for changing the kids' focus.

Hope you guys are enjoying this cool weather and replenishing that healthy gut flora!!!

Humble & Relateable

Do you remember Bill Cosby's "Kid's Say The Darndest Things" show? I didn't actively watch it, but I remember my grandparents watching it and laughing until they cried. I never really understood why until I had children of my own.

It's about relate-ability. My grandma and grandpa took my dad, brother and myself in after my parents divorced until my dad could get on his feet as a single parent. So, in essence, in their late 60's they became parents again while our dad worked crazy hours to establish himself here in Texas.

I can remember some of the crazy things we put them through. My grandma was forever trying to teach me manners and get me to take an interest in little girl things. I was a tom boy and I was very jaded and mature from my childhood, so when I wasn't reading I was outside climbing trees or catching bugs. Well, Grandma went to a garage sale across the street and bought me some Barbies, encouraging me to take an interest in girly toys over catching bugs. I have no idea why I reacted this way, but I grabbed an empty Whitman's Chocolate sampler box, filled it up with hundreds of roly-polies and let them loose in her living room! That was a rare, childish and impulsive moment for me, but I can understand a little better why she'd watch the "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show and laugh--because she saw again first hand how silly and reactive kids can be, and she (and my Grandpa) related to the feeling of trying to be the adult in a humorous situation.

My brother got into all kinds of little boy craziness--urinating outside instead of using the inside toilet (which I'm told by girlfriends with little boys that this is not an uncommon issue for young misters!), rough housing with neighborhood boys, leaving Lego pieces everywhere to be stepped on in the middle of the night, waking up the entire house hold to find his red Power Ranger before bed and so forth. At the time, it was a hassle to clean the mess and find the lost toys--but looking back, it was an honor to be trusted to look for his most prized possessions.

How many times has someone reached out to you, only for you to ignore or belittle them? Do you cultivate your ability to relate to other people? Or are you too busy to stop and open up a little?

My girls, making a huge mess 

This morning my daughter had what was a very important conversation to her with me. She was listing everything that she thought she might want for Christmas.

"And a Barbie playhouse, and a Strawberry Shortcake City...and...and..." Her little face scrunched up, then fell apart. "Oh mamma, I was thinking too much and I forgot everything that I wanted."

I smiled. It was 6:45 a.m. and I just wanted to drink my coffee. However, thinking about that "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show, and about how many people need you to just open up and relate to them, I set aside my wants. "Well baby, maybe you should think it over again, but make your list a little smaller, that way you can be more grateful for what you have, and not focus so much on what you want."

She nodded. "OK. I love you mommy, I'll be thankful."

If I allowed myself to be brusque and rude, and consider MY time and MY desires the MOST important thing, I would've missed hearing what my daughter was really saying. Behind her little Christmas list, she was saying, "I need to talk to you. I need your help. I need you to see me being a big girl and thinking this through and to recognize my forethought."

I am so thankful I caught her message and cultivated that moment with her. Life is a series of these little moments, will you be too wrapped up in yourself to see them? Or can you decide to change, to listen to what someone else is saying, what someone else needs from you?

Lizi

Dream Big

I don't have much time tonight, but I still wanted to say something.

Don't limit yourself. 

Don't suffocate your desires under excuses.

Dream big.

Take risks.

Is this cheesy? Somewhat.

But we all need to hear it.

Self-Compassion

I am a driven perfectionist. I can admit that. This is what has caused me to go above and beyond what anyone told me I might be capable of achieving based on my past.

I am intentional about what I feed myself, what I feed my family, how I speak to others--I even mind my own thought patterns and evaluate habits.

But I am guilty of not being very kind to myself.

I don't "go easy" on myself when I eat some junk food. Mind you--getting me to eat junk food requires isolating me from all healthy food choices for a minimum of 8 hours with only something fried as an option. Even then, I might prefer fasting to filling my body with free radicals.

Being around sick people all day in a clinical setting does funny things to you.

So when I read this article, I was surprised! Modern psychology is telling us to take it easy again.

It is well known that we as Americans have a culture of busyness. We must always be running ourselves ragged to feel that we've done something significant in our day--an unhealthy way to live. I am guilty of this lifestyle, although I am trying to work on it...

Anyhow, new studies are showing we are just as reactive towards ourselves with regard to dieting. Read the article here and tell me what you think.

Are you too easy on yourself with regards to diet? Too hard on yourself? Leave a comment below!

Reduce Stress

Stress is terrible for you. It affects every aspect of your life, whether you realize it or not. It can take a normally happy, adjusted person and turn them into an angry, high-strung, twitchy excuse for a person. It can take a healthy person and give them a slew of medical issues (stress has been shown in medical studies to cause silent inflammation). Stress takes mothers who love their children and want nothing more than to gently guide them through life and turns them in to screaming harpies! (Don’t ask me how I know).

The first step in reducing stress is to identify your stressors. Is it an increased work load (whether you’re a stay at home mom or a CEO)? Could it be due to a health issue in yourself or a loved one? Sometimes it can be from one hundred little things in your day that you suppress and internalize. Whatever the case, identifying the cause is the first step. A doctor can’t fix a medical condition if he doesn't know what it is, can he? He might prescribe the wrong thing and complicate the disease or even hurt the patient. That’s why he must run tests to figure out what is causing the problem so he can be accurate in his treatment. Same thing with you–find the cause so you can treat the issue appropriately.

The second step is then to relieve the cause of the stress. If you’re internalizing your issues, then find a way to let them out. As cheesy as it sounds, journaling or meditation work better than anti-anxiety/depression medication.

If the cause of your stress is the adverse health of a loved one, obviously the condition is out of your control. Remember, you can’t control what happens to you, but you can control your reaction. If the condition is terminal, talk through the situation with that person and do everything you can to make yourself at peace with what is happening and how it affects you. If it is a treatable condition, learn more about treatment options, speak with your loved one and gather information so the condition stops being a “scary unknown” and becomes something you can understand and deal with.

If the stress is due to an increased work load, consider working from home full-time or going to part time at your current position and looking at residual income options. One of the common reasons for feeling over-worked is lack of delegation.

Remember that antioxidants are very effective in controlling the damage done in the body from oxidative stress. 

In order to banish stress effectively, you have to identify the cause and then treat it accordingly. As a bonus, it is always helpful to put positive, uplifting information into your brain daily. Some people listen to inspirational songs, motivational speeches, read the Bible, dance around to positive music or talk to an optimistic friend.

Whatever you do, don’t continue to do the things that got you into the stressful place. You have to change in order to change your life.

Are you stressed? Do you have more suggestions? Please leave us a comment below!

Banish Fear

Fear is binding, restrictive, habit forming negative thought patterns that can destroy your life if you let them. Fear isn't always a huge panic-ridden incident like on television shows, sometimes fear is just small hesitations and inhibitions that pile up quickly.

For example: Fear to get your haircut might make you feel ugly or ratty, which you'll manifest in front of other people. Fear of changing careers might make you unhappy in your current position, causing you to get demoted or fired because of your actions or behaviors. Fear of inadequacy might prevent you from talking to someone who is interested in you or your opportunity and cause you to be frustrated with your lack of communication skills.

Notice that in each of these scenarios, we as people tend to think about what is holding us back and make ourselves unhappy, and then instead of owning our poor thought patterns and changing them, we look for someone else to blame. Your boss, your job, a customer, a teacher from Elementary school--your mind, if untrained to recognize fear for what it is and change your thinking, can and will find a reason why it's someone or something else's fault.

If you find yourself in an unhappy and depressed place, think about why that is. If you immediately find yourself blaming everyone but yourself, stop it. You are responsible for your thoughts--you can choose to live a happy life by being accountable for your thought patterns and changing them, or you can choose to let your thoughts run negative and wild, keeping you under the bondage of fear.

Always remember it's your choice.

If you agreed with the above and you want to know how to change, here's some tips:

1. The first thing that has to change is your thoughts. You can change your clothes, hairstyle, hair color, house, car, whatever as many times as you'd like--and it might bring you relief for a little bit--but if you don't change your poor thought patterns, your life won't feel any different in the long run. To change your thoughts, examine your inner dialogue. If you're critical of yourself, stop being critical and look for what you've done well. If you're constantly blaming others, take accountability for your part in a positive way, and look for how you can change your habits. Don't complain about your situation--you'll only make it worse. Don't condemn yourself either; think about what makes you happy and excited and stay focused on that.

2. Once you've changed your thoughts, change your actions. If you have a fear of speaking to people, join Toastmaster's or another speaking organization to become more comfortable in your skills and abilities. If that's too intimidating, ask wise and honest people you know how you can improve your communication skills. If you have a bad habit of hanging out with negative people that always put you in a bad mood about life, respectfully ask them to not complain or gossip in front of you. If they don't change, it might be a good idea to find a new crowd to hang out with. If you have a negative tirade in your head over mistakes you make, do a "performance review" on yourself instead: write down what went wrong and how you could have fixed it, but write it professionally, as if you were a boss supporting and encouraging an employee. This is a valuable way to correct your actions without condemning or criticizing yourself too harshly. When you start ripping into yourself, instead of improving you'll just feel sorry for yourself and do it all over again the next day. Instead, set goals, be proactive and be encouraging to yourself that you're in control and you can change.

3. Once you've changed your actions, change your demeanor. Rather than walk around with a sour look, smile. Smile at strangers, smile at yourself in the mirror, smile when you remember something silly, smile at your spouse, children and friends. Be generous with your affection--if you don't like to touch people, a smile will suffice! Find reasons to laugh and have a quiet inner joy. If someone makes a mistake, be kind about it and encourage them the way you'd encourage yourself.

I hope this little toe-dip into the world of banishing fear, taking control of your thoughts and your life has been helpful to you! If you have any tips, thoughts or suggestions, comment below!

Lizi

How Do You Know?

How do you know if you're healthy? It seems like a funny question to ask, but there's a surprising amount of confusion regarding what "being healthy" really means. Let's define being healthy, and if you find you're way off, let's talk about some solutions. 

"Health" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "The condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit; especially being free from physical disease or pain." I really like that bit at the end, because most often that is how we measure whether or not we consider ourselves healthy. Do I have a disease? Do I hurt? Nope? Alright I'm good! 

We fail to take into account the first part of the definition: The condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit. Some questions to ask yourself regarding health in those three areas are:

Body:
-Do I have any medical conditions that I'm ignoring? (Toe fungus, reoccurring pain, ongoing bowel issues like constipation or diarrhea, rashes that come and go, allergies)
-Do I feed myself well? (Limiting packaged foods, reducing sugar intake, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, not overeating, avoiding stress eating, consuming plenty of protein)
-Am I supplementing effectively? (plant-based supplements, avoiding synthetics, taking in an adequate amount of vitamins, minerals and extra antioxidants)

Mind:
-Am I in control of my thoughts? (not letting thoughts run wild, feeling organized in thinking patterns, being able to switch subjects mentally and then switch back)
-Do I "feed" my brain every day? (read the Bible daily, read success books, listen to motivational and inspirational messages)
-Are my emotions under control? (controlling feelings of anger, able to not have outbursts, able to control sadness, able to stop crying, have the ability to get out of a mood once you get into it)

Spirit:
-Do I know why I'm here? (If you don't, you should work on that. Proverbs 29:18 Amplified: Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]—blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.)
-Do I know where to go for answers to a serious dilemma? (having a fellowship of people to support you, help with thoughts of suicide or murder, help with an addiction, someone to lean on and guide you when you're lost)

If you've got these bases covered, you're well on your way to health. Why on your way? Why not instantly healthy? Because in life you are always developing, improving and maturing. I like the expression, "When you're green, you're growing; when you're ripe, you're rotten." It refers to when you're learning something new, you're continuing to grow into something great. But if you harden your heart and decide there's no room for improvement, well, then you're rotting, you're done. 

If you have any health questions you want to talk about, or if you want to take a free health survey to find the right supplementation for your health, leave a comment below or send us an e-mail!

Team Kratos
mannateamkratos@gmail.com

Giving Is Good For You

It's Fall, y'all (yeah, I said it)--

Have you ever looked up the reason we feel so good whenever we give something? You know, you see something your friend would like so you buy it for them. Or you have an extra book or CD and someone tells you how much they've been looking into that subject so you give it to them. Or how about those "care bags" on Pinterest that lovely people keep in their car to pass out to the homeless?

And mind you, this isn't just a Christian thing I'm talking about. Modern psychologists actually debate whether or not giving can be classified as a "selfless act" because of the physical and psychological benefits we get from it. Check out this excerpt from Psychology Today:

"We feel so good when we give because we get what researchers call a “helpers high,” or a distinct physical sensation associated with helping. About half of participants in one study report that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth. This is probably a literal “high,” similar to a drug-induced high: for example, the act of making a financial donation triggers the reward center in our brains that is responsible for dopamine-mediated euphoria. (For more on the “helper’s high,” check out this essay by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander, published this month on Greater Good.)"

You can read the full article here.

Isn't it fascinating that your body has such a dramatic response to a simple act? All you have to do is THINK of giving and your body responds. The power we have been given never ceases to amaze me.

Naturally, I personally am a big advocate of giving: giving of time, acts of service, giving of gifts, or even a text/e-mail/facebook message to say "hey, I'm thinking of you"--giving of my thoughts.

Here's a list of some ideas for how you can get that dopamine-related euphoria in your life:

--Make some of those care bags to pass out in your local Downtown area to the homeless

--Go through your pantry and pull all the canned or packaged food you haven't eaten in the last month and donate it to your local food bank

--Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

--Run a marathon for a charity organization

--Even ask a family member or friend how you can help them. For example, we go to my Grandparent's house every Sunday to help out and have a family dinner. You could also help a busy mom go grocery shopping, volunteer to watch someone's kids while they run an errand or bake some freezer friendly food for an elderly neighbor or new mother--two groups notoriously in need of extra help!

Of course, there's a bajillion ways to give. Personalize it. Listen when people talk to you, find a need they have and fill it. Eventually, it will become second nature.

--Lizi

PS: How awesome would it be to wake up every morning, knowing you're taking care of yourself, your family and a malnourished child living in poverty? E-mail me and I'll TELL you how awesome it is! :)

No Shortage of Needs

Today has been insane! We're all set to help my mother-in-law move, and we end up going to 3 different U-hauls due to reservation mix ups and no one having trucks!

Something really cool happened at the second one, though. My husband and I trudged back out to our car in the rain, doing our best to stay positive when we hear several plaintive little mews coming from some brambles on a fence. We walk over there and there's a tiny little furry kitten mewing at (if you're squeamish, stop reading now!) the body of it's mother which was all tangled up in the thorny bushes.

My husband hopped the fence and walked around to get the little kitten, who ran into a big pile of rocks. The U-haul guys came out to see what we were doing and I explained what happened to him. He told us the momma cat was really wild and wouldn't let anyone near her (she'd been living around there for 3 years).

The little kitten had more spunk and drive than my husband had thought, and stayed in his little hiding spot. We determined he was old enough to not need milk and strong enough to catch bugs for food until he was bigger, and we sent up a little prayer of thanks to God for taking care of him.

I hear you thinking, "What's the point of all this?"

The point is, we're at a place where we hear a little cry for help and we're there--even in the cold rain. We're there for kittens, and we're there for people. This is just how we operate, and the only reason I believe we've been successful in our endeavors.

We listen for needs, and do our best to fill them. It turned out the kitten was fine on his own, just mourning his mom. The point is, the U-haul guys walked over and were clueless of that situation, even though they'd both confessed to walking past there several times per day. That's how most people are: if it doesn't benefit or affect them, they ignore it.

That's not the mindset you can keep if you want to succeed. Let me also tell you how interested they were in the two crazy people that took the time to walk over there and figure it out. And how the young one wanted to look out for the wild little kitten.

The take-away of this crazy event: always look for a need to fill, by doing that you'll not only be different, but you'll have a richer life.

Lizi
mannateamkratos@gmail.com

Happiness Really Is A State of Mind

Today we're helping someone move. I can hear the groans from adult backs all over the country at that statement! But let me tell you something fun about my family: we are Christians, and since the Word says in Romans 12:2: Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...and in Nehemiah 8:10: The joy of the Lord is my strength, the harder the task gets for us, the more we roll up our sleeves, put on a big smile and work hard to get it done!

Happiness, we've found to be true over and over again, is a state of mind.

Happiness isn't a magical feeling that floats over you when you wear brand name clothes, drink expensive coffee, eat artisan bread and listen to contemporary jazz. There is nothing you can buy or consume that will give you true, lasting happiness.

Happiness is a state of mind.

It all happens between your ears. When your husband says, "Hey babe, could you do me a favor and do the dishes real quick so I can make you dinner?" for some reason, our reaction gets dark and twisted and we think "Why should I have to do the dishes for you? Why should I have to do anything? I've busted my buns all day" and on and on with a list of how big of a saint we are. Our reaction should be: "Well hot dog! He's making me dinner! Sure babe, I'll have those dishes clean in a wink!"

If we can look for a reason to be happy in the situation, our attitude about the situation will slowly change. It takes repetition to look for blessings and reasons to be happy in our daily grind, you have to bring your errant mind back over and over again, but eventually, like all things, it will become a habit.

And then your response to whatever life throws at you won't be an emotional reaction that hurts you and the people around you.

Instead, your actions and your speech will inspire people to look at you and think, "man, what has that person got that makes them so happy all the time? I want that."

The takeaway: plaster a smile on your face, look for the little joys and blessings in your life and observe the changes within yourself and the reactions of the people closest to you.