HEY You, Yes You. Focus! By TaquitaThere are times in our lives when we set out on a mission. We have the clearest of motives and intent to complete our mission. Then everything from life hurdles, satan stumbling blocks and bad choices seem to get in the way of the mission we were so dead set to finish. Have you ever looked at your life and wonder why has this happened time and time again? Short answer; Priorities. You read it right, priorities. You have to learn that everything does not need your attention or response at that moment just because it waves to you with a neon colored sign and plays great irritating music. I know what you’re thinking, “Taquita you are asking me to ignore the very thing that is fighting for my attention and getting on my last nerve”. You would be correct, I am asking you to ignore it. In the book of Mark chapter 9:17-27, Jesus experiences a great example of what I’m talking about. A father approaches him and asks if he could cure his son, and in the middle of the conversation the young man starts to have what seems to be a seizure (but it’s a demon). Jesus absolutely pays the young man no attention and continues to impart faith in his father, by saying that if he could believe, all things would be possible to him. Once the father said he believed, Jesus healed the young man. Let me say here if anyone you know, whether they be friend, child, or foe is having a seizure please call 911 and follow their instructions. Do Not Ignore it. I repeat Do Not Ignore it. Jesus knew what it was from the beginning and He also knew how to handle it. I shortened the story but I encourage you to read it for yourself. There are far more points in the story but, the point I wanted to bring out is how Jesus stayed focused while other things were happening in the background crying for His attention. He understood His mission was to impart faith in the young man’s father. This is a great lesson for us to take ahold of as we go through life. So here are a couple of things I believe will benefit you as you go through life. Plan Out Your Goal but Anticipate A Stumble. We know it is going to happen whether it’s falling off the diet bandwagon or finishing school. There will always be an uphill battle you will have to fight. Just like Jesus keep going and face the issues based on priorities not loudest noise. Blinders Can Be A Good Thing. On race horses they use blinders to help the horse focus on the goal ahead. The lesson here is, sometimes may need to ignore the emails, text messages or phone calls. Having a popular social life can be fun but, it can also distract you from reaching your goal. To solve this problem, block out times on your calendar, turn off your phone, take the notifications off your email, so you can reach your goals. See Yourself At The Finish Line. You’ve heard it time and time again, picture yourself reaching your goal. There is truth to this statement. Again when Jesus was talking to the young man’s father He said to him, all things are possible to him who believes. If you don’t believe it, then neither will everyone else. You are your own best cheerleader, so cheer yourself onwards and see yourself reaching your goal(s). One of my favorite movies is “Limitless”. You know the movie with the beautiful and talented actor, Bradley Cooper. In this movie he takes a pill that helps him focus and plans out a beautiful future for himself. If you haven’t watched the movie I totally recommend it, however in real life, there is no magic pill but there is something called motivation and determination. When you put those two together letting determination steer the course of your life instead of motivation, you’ll find there is nothing you cannot do in this life. Be encouraged and I’ll talk to you soon! P.S Don't forget to Subscribe and follow me on Twitter. You can click down below!
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TIRED OF STRESS??? By Taquita Beep, beep, beep, beep! That is the sound of my alarm going off for the third time. The snooze button is my best friend in the morning; At least during the winter it is. The desire to get out of bed and face the world in cold and freezing temps doesn’t really sound appealing. Nice, warm sandy beaches with crystal blue water and a cloudless sky sounds unquestionably desirable, yet when I look out my window that is NOT what I see. I see a side walk that needs to be shoveled and salted by the guy I hired last week. I normally would turn on the news and make a cup of coffee as I got ready for the day so I could stay up-to-date on worldly affairs. This morning I am on my laptop drinking Gatorade getting ready to workout. I know what you’re thinking; this is a far cry from my original daily routine. You may be wondering “why the change in routine”? Well I’m glad you asked. My day started and ended like this, hitting the snooze button three times (I told you already, its my best friend), putting on the news, talking back to the TV as I drank my cup of coffee and wondering why people in the world were crazy, drugged, cruel and evil. Then I got into my car during morning rush hour traffic that could not be avoided unless you left the house at 3 A.M. I surely wasn’t going to do that! On the way to work I practically cursed out every driver in a Christian way, either out loud or in my head. People cannot drive, it is just a simple fact of life. By the time I arrived at work I was already in some type of mood. The work day was filled with enough stress of its own, and here I am teetering on having a bad day. The least little thing could send my day spiraling out of control. By the time I got home I was exhausted physically as well as emotionally. Something had to change! I researched ways that I could use to reduce stress and create an environment to keep me in the right mood. Here are the five steps that I use to reduce stress in my everyday life. These are only suggestions but they have worked for me. Results may vary. I encourage you to research more stress reducing ways you can add in your own daily routine. 1.Start Your Day Off Without The News. If the news puts in you in a foul mood like it did me as I watched first thing in the morning, then remove it from your early morning routine. You can always catch it later in the day or even later on in the week. There is a major difference between being informed about daily affairs and creating a negative head space during the morning. (Click to watch video) 2.Coffee! To Drink Or Not To Drink, That Is The Question? Coffee is sent from heaven by God who loves us all! Unfortunately too much of this stimulant can have an adverse reaction, which may mean we need to cut back on it. Anxiety and jitters have been associated with drinking too much coffee. So when drinking coffee, drink in moderation. (Read Article) 3.Play Music! Listening to music you enjoy can have a relaxing effect on you. Nature sounds as well as slow paced music has been known to reduce stress hormones. (Read Article) 4.Spend Time With Your Pet(s). Interacting with your pets may help relieve stress because it produces and releases a chemical in the brain called Oxytocin. Oxytocin helps cultivate a positive mood. (Read Article) 5.Working Out. Exercising can reduces stress and anxiety because it induces endorphins into the body. Endorphins is a chemical in the brain that is released after exercising, and it can trigger a positive feeling similar to that of morphine. (Click To Watch Video) Since making these changes I have seen a huge reduction in my stress levels and overall better performance in my physical and emotional well-being. High levels of stress will not only wear you out physically but over time it can cause health problems. We have enough on our plate as it is, adding health problems that could have been prevented shouldn’t be one of them. So take care of yourself, because no one can take care of you, like you. Talk to you soon! TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK! By Taquita I am at work in my office with a clock above my door. The ticking of the clock normally doesn’t bother me as I am doing several things all the time. Today I decided to take a lunch break in my office which seemed like a great idea at the time except, I started to notice the incessant ticking the clock was making. It started to feel like it was something out of a movie. I imagined a dramatic movie scene; the clock is ticking and I am diffusing a bomb or saving someone’s life right now. I know, I know, my imagination ran wild at that moment. Then a more realistic thought hit me as the clock just kept on ticking away. There are times in our lives when we hear the sound of a clock and it doesn’t mean anything to us. We didn’t fear time was running out for an opportunity or chance at a better life in our teenage years. Yet the principal of time has never changed. No matter what country you’re from or what continent you’re on, there is only sixty seconds in a minute, and sixty minutes in a hour. As we aged the wisdom of the usage of time began to evolve in our thinking. We become competitors and race to beat the clock. We understand time waits for no man, in essence we cannot control time but we can control what we do with it. Here are three helpful tips to encourage you to not waste any more time and reach for your goals. 1.Research the type of career you want. Hey I wish I could say something simpler but the truth is, you have to do your research! The great news is we live in a digital age so information is readily available at the press of a keyboard. 2.Plan out the first ten steps. After researching write down everything you need to do to accomplish your goals. Include the financial aspects as well. Before “jumping ship” you need to count up the cost or know what sacrifices you will have to make. For example, a sacrifice you may need to make to accomplish your goals are a few all-nighters. 3.Remember it’s a Marathon not a Sprint. I know it’s a cliché but truth is truth! Not everyone’s dream makes it big overnight. Agriculture is a great example of this. Flowers grow faster than trees but they both start out as some type of seed/bulbs. When planted they both grow but, at different rates. Time is an equal opportunist! We all are given the same amount of time. It is early enough in the year for you to sit and reflect on your life. As you reflect back please note there will always be things in your life that is out of your control. We are not going to focus on that. What we are looking for are things we can control so we can make effective changes for the better. Thomas Edison said these two quotes which I absolutely love “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work”, “There is no substitute for hard work”. I didn’t say it would be easy but it may not be that hard. What I can promise you is that if you do NOTHING with this call to action, you will be in the same place this time next year. My prayer for each reader is that you reach the God given dream/destiny that was put in your heart to fulfill. There are people in life that need to know, the time will never line-up or be right for you to accomplish your goals. You might have to jump ship and do it! You may not have an easy path like other people but stop looking at them and run your race. We don’t know how much time is left on our clock but what we do know is that we have the ability to control what we do with our time. So use it wisely! I hope this has inspired you to get out the box and step into the dream pool! From my desk to yours, talk to you soon! |
AuthorI'll be brief. My name is Taquita. Yes I am a Christian so from time to time you may read something about my faith and how I relate it to life. You will learn more about me as you read my blogs. I will write about everything,...well almost everything. Get to know me and make sure to comment so I can get to know you! Talk to you soon!!! ArchivesCategories
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