Snacks for the road...

So I have been on a very difficult journey for a while. I have been trying to adopt a more healthy life style. Eating more fresh foods, cooking more, and staying away from those things I know will pack on the pounds. I must say that the minute I know that I am on the right track I am tempted or swayed by something rich and delicious. It doesnt help that I am always running around so keeping a healthy snack in my bag helps me combat those cravings. Some times snacking just isn't easy.

I must say that I love the simple things in life although I tend to make things a little more complicated than they need to be most times. Well that's just me. There is one thing that overwhelms me and I must keep it simple and that is snacking healthy. Here are my go to healthy snacks that survive the bottomless pit of my shoulder bag...

1. Bannana + peanut butter. It fills me up for the in between time.
2. Cheese n cracker, a great little luxury I save for quiet time at work or home
3. Kahsi dark mocha almond bars are great for the sweet tooth.

What do you slip in your bag to keep you going during the day? I'm looking for more variety in my snacking.


Shameka

Whats Your Story?

So I have recently been watching Opera's Life Class on OWN. If you have not been tuning in I highly suggest that you do. It airs on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. eastern standard time. The last two sessions that I watched were talking about your story. The dialogue that you tell yourself which either keeps you stuck or empowers you. At first I was a little confused. A story? Was their actually something that I was telling myself repeatedly that keeps me stagnant. I thought and I searched  my brain and I found that one little nugget has really kept me from excelling my entire life.

" Your not good enough, you don't deserve the best!"

Now the question is how did I form this particular story? Where did this belief of my life come from. Well it was birthed during various childhood experiences that mimicked each other. See I was a care giver my entire childhood, which meant I often sacrificed my needs and wants for the needs and wants of others. This required me to put myself second often. After years of being second I learned that I only deserved what was left, which often time was not great.

This particular story has affected many parts of my life. It affects how I interact with family members, co-workers, and even how I see myself.  When you think that you don't deserve the best it causes you to let go of opportunities for fear that you wont measure up. Now that I know my story I can work to change my story, change it to a story that empowers me.

Whats the story that you tell yourself? Does it keep you stuck? Does it empower you? I want to know what you think.


Shameka

EOS Ultra Moisterizing Shave Cream

taken from the Internet

The weather is warming up and it's time to shed some articles of clothing, with that being said the skin has to be popping ( in the words of Tamara Braxton). That means all those unsightly hairs that have been hidden under jeans, tights, and trousers need to be taken care of ASAP.

While shopping in one of my favorite stores (target) I ran across eos shave cream. I started not to purchase it because of the hefty price of $ 3.49 ( don't hold me to that). I'd  much rather have picked up a can of shaving cream for a dollar as long as it did the job, I did not really care. Their were two reasons that I decided to purchase the product.

1. I have the eos lip balm and it's amazing
2. The front of the bottle says that you can shave wet of dry, which it perfect for those quick touch ups.

So I decided to get the pomegranate raspberry and I went home and tried it on my legs. I must say that it lives up to the claims on the back of the bottle, which are:

This non-foaming cream boosts skin's moisture level and keeps it smooth long after you're done shaving. It's so moisturizing, you can shave wet of dry. And eos provides a closer shave, even helping to prevent those little razor bumps.

Who knows? You might even look forward to shaving....oh ladies I really look forward to shaving.

I lathered the lotion on my legs and went to work. I shaved without water and it was effortless, quick and not messy at all.

So for all of you ladies who need that quick and effortless shave, eos is for you! I will be that I keep this stocked in the bathroom cabinet.


If you have tried it, let me know what you think.




Shameka

Passion and the Pursuit of Self

Opera's Life Class is scheduled on my calendar every Monday night at 8. During the two hours I reflect, learn,  and become reinspired to keep going on my journey to have the greatest life I can, and to move and motivate you to do the same.

The last show was all about how passion drives purpose. It got me thinking about my true authentic self and how she lies with in my passion. I am very passionate about the development of self and through my own need to be better gives others the permission to be better.  As Marianne Williamson says "when we shine we give other the right to shine". So with this thought in mind I have realized I can only be who I was meant to be only when I am centering my life around the thing or things that I am passionate about.

What are your thoughts on this?

Shameka

Monday Inspirtation: Killing Self Doubt!

For you were not given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline

2 Timothy 1:7

It's hard! I don't know? I don't know how. I'm unsure. I may be wrong. What am I doing? These are all the phrases that roll through my brain when I am doubting myself. From my experience doubt has kept me from being bold, and having that spirit of power. It has kept me in my comfort zone, robbed me of the opportunity to stretch my wings and fly. As I sit on the edge of a major transition in my life, one that I know can make me or break me all the times that I have doubted myself scroll across the screen in my brain. It is in this specific moment in time where self doubt can cause me to stay in an unhealthy place. Self doubt told me that I was not good enough, that I did not know what I was doing, no one would listen to me, and ultimately I did not matter. Those thoughts killed my confidence and made me want to hide behind a rock many days. As I work on being Bold! I'm ready to KILL Doubt!

Here's the Plan:

1. Recognize: It's hard to kill something if you don't have it in your sights. I'm going to be checking for that little bugger and squashing it as soon as the thought enters into my head.

2. Forget what others think: One big trigger for doubt for me is what others will think of me. I want to be perfect, sweet, nice and charming, and I want others to think of me that way, so before I do anything I always think of what others will think. This hinders me from speaking my mind often for fear of being wrong. So now I say, who cares! The only way that you can learn the right answer some times is to give the wrong one.

3. Actions speak louder than words: Doubt keeps me from doing loads of things. I usually remain in a cycle of should I or should I not. Well no more of that. It's time to step out on faith. I'm ready to see where faith leads me.

Something tells me that pushing doubt out of the way could lead me right to my dreams!!!!!

Leave a comment and let me know what you think about this post.

I hope you enjoy,

Shameka

I don't want to be skinny, just healthy!

taken from the internet

I weigh XXX, yep it has gotten that bad. Before I go on let me clarify that I have never been one of the people who can say they weighed in the double digits in their teenage years, or in the lower hundreds. I have always been a curvy girl. When I was toddler my mom had to buy me husky pants from the boy section because my butt and thighs were just that juicy. As I got older I struggled with being the biggest girl in my class, not being able to fit the clothes in the girls section, and finally having a body that men twice my age lusted after which garnered unwanted attention from men. From these experiences that affected me all different ways I learned some very conflicting lessons that affects me in my adulthood.

1. I would never be as good as the other girls.
2. I can't look like the other girls
3. Men are only interested in one thing when it comes to men.



These three things I learned turned into a complex that has allowed me to accept my current weight at XXX. My weight has turned into an excuse not to really go after what I want, because I don't measure up. Because I have told myself this for years each time I start a new weight loss program I unconsciously sabotage myself. Although I want to lose the weight badly I am scared of the girl who is locked inside of me waiting to have her chance in this world. I desperately want to to fit in a size XX. I want to be able to shop in boutiques, and look cute in just about anything, but most of all I want to be healthy. If I don't lose anything I want to know that I have made the choices that will prepare my body to help me reach my dreams. To help others you must help yourself first. How can I encourage you to be you best and have everything you want if I am not doing the same. I dare not be a hypocrite.

As I get older the more I see the repercussions of an unhealthy lifestyle. It is heart breaking when those excuses add up and you realize  that you can't change the heart disease, or diabetes that you have made the choice to have. So as I write this post I am making the choice to lead a healthy life style. I will no longer focus on the 10 pounds I need to loose but to adopt a healthy routine that I can follow that result in the healthiest life. I refuse to wake up one day with no choice. I choose healthy.

Here is my plan:

Eat breakfast, I never constantly eat breakfast. I always make an excuse that I don't have the time. Breakfast is very important in having a healthy lifestyle. It gives your body the energy to make it through the first part of the day. It also wakes up metabolism, and keeps it burning throughout the day.

Fall in love with H20, I have never been a water drinker. Sometimes I will make water my last option when I am thirsty. Now water will be the first choice. I am going to have to work myself up to eight glass a day.

Get moving, now I just go to work and come home. Once I'm home I flop down in my bed with the remote in my hand. What a bad habit. My energy level is down,while my stress level is extremely high which is even more of a reason to get moving.

After I get these three things under my belt I plan to add to the list so stay tuned. I will be also regularly updating you on my health journey and hope that you will join me no matter if you are over weight or not.

Tell me what you do to stay healthy?

Shameka

Do you know what you deserve?

As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.

Marianne Williamson 

 

As you make your way to that place that you crave to be you may encounter opportunities that seem to good to be true, or just may seem out of your league. What do you do in those instances? Do you shrink back and let someone else have it because they may seem a little bit more qualified than you? Do you tell yourself that you can't do it for fear of failure?Well if you do than you have a little work to do before you can even utter the word Bold.

What is your worth? What do you deserve? If you can not answer these questions than there is not way you can ask for what you want. You may not even know what you want. Knowing your self worth , makes you important, It shows that you love yourself no matter what others have to say, or think. Loving yourself is the basis for being Bold. That's the only way you will be able to stand up for yourself.

Instead of shrinking to fit into the box the expectations of other put you in , stand up tall and give it all you have. Practice being worthy by letting your light shine. Refuse to be mediocre. Stand out!

Just something to think about.

Shameka


P.S. I am still looking for feedback. Let me know what you think about SheMogul. I want to make it a better reading, and relating experience for you. What do you want to see, or what could I add?