Dreams Don't Work Unless You Do!

Good Morning followers, newbies, and all my lovely friends! :)

I wanted to share with you today something that means a lot to me because honestly for my entire life, I have never really had anyone pushing me to get to where I am today but that didn't stop me from working towards my goals and dreams. The quote of the day today is going to be "Dreams don't work unless you do!"

This quote really puts everything into perspective.. because it very self-explanatory. You see, you will accomplish nothing until you are willing to work on accomplishing something! How many times have you dreamt about being debt free, losing 10 pounds, owning your own business, landing that dream job, or owning your own home? In order to accomplish these things, you must come up with a plan, stick with it, and eventually things will fall into place! I have worked extremely hard for the last 13 years to accomplish everything I have.

I was fourteen years old beginning my first job. It was a summer program where I would have to "work" about 6 hours Monday through Friday. I mean what kind of 14 year old wants to spend their summers working? THIS GIRL!! I came from a family that did not have a lot of money, I wasn't able to go shopping at the mall or do the fun things all my other friends were doing BUT I wanted to do those things, so I had to work for it. This mindset put me on a path I knew would take me far. I feel that if I would not have started working at such a young age, I may not be where I am today. I was focused, determined, and wanted things I didn't have at the time.

Fast forward to June of 2005, I was graduating high school... I was always told that I was to go to college, but no one in my family did so I was falling into a path where nope, I don't want to go. I didn't want to spend four years in college, it just wasn't what I was looking to do. However, something came over me and I decided to start my college career at a technical school, Bradford School in Pittsburgh. I moved away with a close friend from high school and we started our adventure as college students just 2 weeks after graduating High School!! We were eager to begin this journey. I have to say I am very thankful that I changed my mind and went to college because I became even more focused and determined. I worked about a year and a half after graduating with my Associate's degree then decided I wanted to go back to college for my Bachelor's Degree.. in January 2010, I was officially a full time student again at Robert Morris University!

Why am I telling you all of this... because these are just some of the steps I had to take to get to where I am today... Fast forward to September 2014... I am a college graduate, I landed my first official "salaried position" two weeks BEFORE I was graduating college. It was so awesome to not have to stress about if and when I would find a job because the economy wasn't doing so well during this time. I busted my behind to get to this point in my life.. I would work multiple jobs while in college just to ensure I was able to pay my bills.. Most people would have probably given up at this point. Sacrifices needed to be made... I knew it would suck at first but the outcome would be so much more rewarding than feeling that sense of regret for the rest of my life.

Facts:
I bought my first brand new car. I pay for everything I have. I worked my butt off. I paid for my own wedding, no help from family or friends. I would work multiple jobs. I have my own apartment. I put myself through college, every penny of the way. I cried a lot because of stress. I have paid off 75% of my credit card debt within the last 4 months. I am looking to purchase my first home. I NEVER GAVE UP. I am excited to see what my future holds for me.

My life may have thrown me many curveballs.. sometimes I thought how am I ever going to overcome this, but deep down... you will find that strength. It may take a lot longer sometimes but you have to focus on getting back up rather than staying knocked down. Rise above it all and you will come out on top. Because remember, Dreams Don't Work Unless YOU DO!

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If you are looking for a way to help you reach your dreams and goals, looking for someone to help keep you accountable, email me at tbbcoachsteph87@gmail.com or fill out the contact form below! I would love to chat with you about an amazing opportunity!

The struggle is less painful than regret.

Listening to personal development the last couple weeks has really helped me look at things a lot differently. I have really started to think about what I really want to do in life, what I want my purpose to be and how I am going to work on getting there. It's amazing how just a few positive actions every day can change your outlook on life.

I want to share with you my struggles in life, and how I will never regret making any of the decisions I did to get to where I am today. The sole purpose of me sharing this is not for you to feel pity for me, because the last thing I want or need is a pity party. I am simply sharing this because I know what it feels like to feel the pain of being neglected, unwanted, rejected, hopeless, to feel taken advantage of, and to feel completely and utterly defeated. But with a positive mindset, and the willingness to keep fighting even when the world is doing everything in its power to knock you down... you will have the strength to stand two feet taller with a huge smile on your face feeling that sense of accomplishment and knowing damn well, you will NEVER be defeated.

So growing up, if you know me, was not all that glamorous. I was the middle child of four girls. We constantly had hand me downs, we shopped at thrift stores regularly, lived on a very tiny budget and moved A LOT. When I say moved a lot, I REALLY MEAN A LOT. Did we have a good enough reason to move all the time, NOT AT ALL... financial issues arose, family matters came about, life got in the way, and there we were - packing up the boxes, on the move again. In all honesty, I felt like we were constantly running from our issues instead of dealing with them.

While I want to share with you all my struggles and the ways I was able to overcome them, it may be a bit overwhelming for me to really dig deep down and share with you these moments. While some I will not share, others I find it important for you to know that other people sometimes struggle with the same thing... and come out of these situations stronger than ever. While this is not all of them, I am going to do these in phases, to hear more -- you will have to come back around!

Struggle: From Kindergarten until 9th grade, I had attended NINE different schools. NINE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS in two different states (Pennsylvania & Tennessee), definitely a struggle. In second grade, I had attended three different schools that year.... how can any child manage this constant change.... I couldn't commit to any sports, cheering (which I LOVED) or any other activities because we were constantly moving. I cheered one year in 3rd grade, tried out for the dance team in 8th grade made the team and then a few days later found out we were moving again so I wasn't able to experience that... I was able to finally try out for cheering at my new High School, made the basketball squad, cheered until I graduated and it is definitely one of my favorite past times. During the three years I cheered, our basketball squad was a competition squad so we did a few competitions and ended up qualifying to cheer in WALT DISNEY WORLD. Talk about being ecstatic, we ended up getting first place in Florida and it was seriously a dream come true, to be on that floor in front of hundreds, if not thousands of other cheerleaders! Most amazing experience ever for my limited cheering career.

Struggle: If I made a friend who I got really close to at a new school, 3 months later we were on the road moving somewhere else and I never saw them again. It wasn't until 9th grade where I finally finished my four years of school at the SAME school. It was the longest we had ever stayed in one place, and this I was very grateful for because I was able to find some of my very best/life long friends. Making friends WAS NOT an easy task either. I was very shy and well, yes... people can be very judgmental and not want to add the "new kid" to their circle of friends. It was definitely rough going into high school not knowing a SINGLE PERSON. Eventually people approached me and I was able to find my small group of friends who were so welcoming and friendly! I absolutely adore my friends to pieces.

Struggle: A very, very small budget does not go very far, especially for a six person family. You need food, hygiene products, have bills to pay, etc., which left little to no money for the fun things such as family vacations, going out with friends, birthday parties, etc. I took my first vacation, one that I had paid for myself a week after graduating high school - Senior Trip to Myrtle Beach. I started working at the age of fourteen to pay for the clothes I wanted, and to be able to actually go hang out with friends. When you don't have a lot of money, you miss out on a lot of fun things but it then that helps you realize the value of a dollar.

While all of these struggles may seem so small, add them all up and you put a lot of mental stress on a person. While as a kid/teenager growing up, it really depresses you and it was difficult getting through this lifestyle.. But here are some of the ways I have overcome these struggles the last couple of years.

Learn to be Grateful: I am grateful I was able to cheer four years during my school years grade school career and experience the excitement it brought to me. I know that there were some families who couldn't afford to let their children do any sports so I am glad I got to experience it for the few years I did.

Appreciate the people in your life: The friends I made during my last four years of high school are still some of my very best friends, and I couldn't imagine my life without them. From being my college roommate, to my gorgeous bridesmaids in my wedding.. the distance between us now means so little when we're all together and reminisce on the great times we had together. We know get to watch each other grow with their families and remain life long friends!!

Great work ethic: Growing up living on a tight budget, it helps you appreciate the things you do have in life. I always paid for everything after I got my job because I did not want to have that burden on my mom having to scrape up the change to be able to purchase things for my siblings. Not having to pay for my school clothes or anything else, helped her have more spending money for the other three girls. You learn that you must work hard for the things you want in life. If you can't get it at a certain point in your life, you are determined to work extra hard to make sure you will get it in the near future. In the end this makes you a FIGHTER.

Why am I telling you all this... because experiencing a crazy life growing up, I feel I came to be quite successful. I am happily married, living with my husband, puppy and kitty! I was able to purchase my first brand new car with ZERO miles on it back in 2012, I have a decent paying job, I put myself through college... every single penny of the way and I am finding ways to live my life better every single day. I may have went through a rough time to get here, always said "why me, why me" but now, I am saying "why not me" and there is no one stopping me from reaching my goals. I want you to know it's okay to not like these past events in your life, but when you overcome them you become that much stronger. You have to keep fighting like the warrior you are. Eventually, you will get there.

"We cannot allow the past to affect where we are or where we are going. Some of us had been chipped away at, but we can be whole again if we just put the past behind us. Stay in the darkness or find the light." - Craig Holiday

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One positive thing...

Happy Monday everyone! How was everyone's weekend? I got to do some relaxing and enjoyed spending time with my husband yesterday.. it's nice to just take a step back from your busy life and enjoy the company of your loved ones.

For the last couple weeks, I have been really doing some soul searching and diving into some personal development books and working with my challengers. I have really found something that this general society lacks... something this world needs to see more of, optimism and positive reinforcement! When you scroll through your news feed on Facebook, can you count on just one hand how many negative posts you see? What about the positive posts? Have you even seen ONE today?

My one challenger began following my Facebook Like Page, "Make Today Your Tomorrow" and she said she is grateful that I have this page because her news feed is always flooded with negative posts. She also mentioned that it's nice to see the positive quotes in the morning, it makes such a huge difference for her! --- Honestly, I could not agree more.. over the last few months I have really came to terms with trying to change my outlook on life and remove all the negativity. I have surrounded myself with a group of people who have the same outlook, and continuously help build people up and boost their self confidence, and I tell you, it has helped me tremendously! 

I grew up in a home where fighting was the norm, where negativity is what people thrived on... like there was never any good to happen, and good things didn't happen to us... when I moved away from home for college and stood on my own two feet, I realized that that is so far from the truth. People are in charge of their own destiny, their own happiness, and your life can be however you choose to live it. I admit that changing from a "the world is out to get me" to a "I am charge of my own happiness" mindset, it has been quite a struggle. The books that I have been reading, The Slight Edge, The Compound Effect and Twelve Pillars, to name a few, are really helping me realize that I can in fact be much happier and more successful than I could have ever imagined. It all starts with that one positive thought you see, that one positive quote, or the "pep talk" from one of your friends... that is ALL it takes and you can be on the road to finding your true happiness.

Don't ever let anyone tell you you are not worthy of being successful or happy because they are dead wrong. If people talk negatively about you, it is probably because they are envious of you because you had the courage to make your life better, to take the risk they could never imagine taking.

I hope this post helps anyone who is struggling with trying to find the light at the end of the tunnel, and can seriously put their first step forward in becoming genuinely happy with the life they are living. If you (the one reading this post) ever needs anyone to talk to, please feel free to reach out to me. I have struggled throughout life trying to find myself, and overcoming the negativity in my life and I want you to be able to pull through it all... live happily and enjoy every single day with a smile on your face and not a single regret from this moment forward.

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Looking for fitness motivation: email me at tbbcoachsteph87@gmail.com