Hi Divas!
Happy New Year Everyone!đ„đ€ so who else tried to get their entire life together before midnight New Yearâs Eve?
Although l had intentions of being in these streets this NYE l opted to ring in the New Year quietly at home in my fanciest of leggings taking a few New Yearâs selfies because this tiara is everything & binge streaming which was a nice change of pace because l donât watch a whole lot of television.
It was a pretty full holiday season for me which l am grateful for and looking forward to that fresh start where we get this time of year to do this â-ALL â- over again. Thereâs always something optimistic and nostalgic starting a New calendar year.
I have a decent view of the strip and at midnight l ran out at midnight in the rain, wet and cold then drove around the corner to watch fireworks the one day it rains in Vegas lol.
Happy New Year. I’m back! I know it’s been a minute. It’s like the year ended for me when summer ended and my birthday came back in September.
Itâs now winter. We got goals and as the saying goes Summer bodies are made in the winter.
The days just seem to be going by so fast these days, it’s hard to believe we have completed a whole year already it seems like 2022 was just one long weekend and my brain somehow is still stuck in 2020 it seems like time has just froze these past couple of years.
I started this year very early this morning as I am writing this on January 1st 2023 feeling refreshed, ready and hopeful of this year ahead.
To be transparent this whole holiday was great as it was tough for me to process some very hard residual emotions.
I’m not one to get emotional or depressed during the holidays but this year I think for the first time I allowed myself to feel ok with being a little down.
I kept myself busy and enjoyed time with friends. I had to get over this idea l had of the holidays. The holidayâs look different in this space of life that l am in and ââ itâs ok.
Itâs not what l was expecting in this space of life but what lâm learning is having expectations of things that are out of our control is the fast track to being down in the dumps.
To feel all the feels I realized I’ve been over-functioning since my Mom died 20 years ago this month. All the memories flooded that last holiday when she was alive. I understand now how young she was I was so young she was so young.
Iâm in a stage of life that l am losing family members a change of the guard but itâs tough. Just when l think lve got this grief thing down lâm reminded that l donât. I probably never will.
I look back at my life and took inventory of these past 20 years. I happened to have been in therapy at the time of my Momâs death and I remember not crying and wondering why I was not crying when my mother had died.
My therapist at the time shared with me a truth bomb that helped me through my grieving process to this very day twenty years later.
She said that sometimes when we experience trauma our brains go into survival mode until it is safe to feel those emotions.
I remember years later I was crying at everything I seemed to see my mother everywhere but I also understood why I was going through what so I didnât think I was losing my mind and going crazy. Side note: Therapy Rocks!! It doesnât take away what happened to you but it helps you understand.
So as l enter this new year this new stage of life l will be living it on my terms. Iâve waisted so many years making other people and their bullsh*t my reality. Donât nobody have time for that! Literally.
At the end of the day all we are left with is our feelings after people have did you dirty and have used you they will go on with their lives, so make sure you always feel your best. Do the things to be your best so that we can show up for ourselves and live the life that we truly want.
How we feel and how we show up for ourselves is one of the few things we actually have control over in this life, so make it work for you dear diva!
My 2023 Bucket List:
So traditionally a bucket list helps us maximize every moment of our existence and be able to live our lives out to the fullest.
A bucket list is all the things that we want to achieve before we die. The start of a new year is the perfect time to create one!
This year l decided to go more of the personal growth route but you honestly can create one for all aspects of your life like Travel, Health & Fitness, Career, Learning something new, relationships, all the way down to random things that you want to do. Itâs your year you get to decide.
I challenge you to envision how you want your 2023 to look for you! Hereâs my personal list below l took the non traditional route because l want to focus on my all around wellbeing.
1. Daily Gratitude – We hear this all the time but when are grateful for things itâs hard to get anxious, depressed or angry.
All day negative thoughts have been trying to get in my mind and l kick them right TF out!
2. Taking things one day at a time – There is no rush to the finish line. Iâm learning that life is really about the unfolding of events and having deeper connections that help us grow into who we need to be.
3. Following my intuition – going with my gut! Sometimes l can overthink things to death and make myself sick over it. I have given my energy my attention to things that have far exceeded their shelf life. – Not a good look for a diva!
4. Spending more time with people that inspire & energize me. People either will energize, inspire, or drain you. Choose wisely.
5. Letting Go of Unrealistic expectations – Perfectionism has stalled so much of my life. The all or nothing approach has only set me up for the failure. The failure l was desperately trying to avoid ironically. Iâm learning to work with my life and not against it.
6. Brain Breaks – Taking a brain break for a few minutes each day to give to myself. Especially working from home the days and my life all kind of run into each other. Itâs so important to break up the day and give time back to myself.
7. Focusing on 3 simple goals – I use to over complicate trying to do everything at once every New Year only to get frustrated. Keeping my focus small & simple. A health goal, a personal goal, and career/financial goal.
8. Normalizing feeling sad – Sometimes we get down itâs a part of life. Sometimes we are up and have some pretty amazing days. I think itâs unrealistic and unhealthy to have the belief that things are to be good all the time.
When lâm having a moment I give myself 24 hours to be a sad bit*h then itâs time pull it back together.
I take it as a que like a check your engine light for something thatâs not working in my life. Itâs when we canât pull out of itâs ok to get some professional help. Which l have done been there and actively doing.
Sadness no matter how painful has always given me the gift of clarity. It sucks when weâre in the thick of our expectations but the growth on the other side of painful experiences is priceless.
9. Booking my life – This year flew by and l have no idea how l really spent my time. I kind of found myself on this gerbal wheel of life lost, stuck, in a rut of poor habits and routines tired from being tired but nothing to show for it.
So anything l do itâs going on the calendar! The same for planning if itâs not on the calendar it doesnât happen. I heard this quote â lf you aim for nothing you will hit every time.â And l felt that to my core. Power Hour – Routines & Habits all 2023!
10. Allowing myself to be – Change is not easy as with a shifts l experience instead of resisting it l am willing to explore it.
My hope and goal this year is to live intentionally while still being in the moment. I challenge you to create your own 2023 Bucket List as we start this brand spankingâ New Year!
Be Healthy Be Fabulos Be You!
Mia The Diva
Hey Divas,
There is no judgement in how lâm coping with life. We hear so much today about brokenness & healing. To heal means that something was broken. Know that we were never broken just growing & learning.
Life is tough. Life is also really great and the older we get the more shenaniganâs seem to unfold, but the wisdom we gain is priceless from surviving things that we have gone through and accepting people will disappoint us at one point or another especially those whom are closest to you.
Heal. I use that word sparingly. Take heart dear diva if youâre going through a hard time just know that it is temporary nothing last forever even when it feels like it. Nothing is permanent unless itâs a tattoo and even those can be removed. So you canât mess up but you can always be curious.
Sometimes we have to break down so we can build ourselves back up. Sometimes we have to be still for a minute before we can move forward. We have to crawl before we can walk.
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Healing is personal no one can tell you how to heal. It takes time and working on yourself learning yourself. What you like what you donât like. What feels good, what doesnât.
It also takes a level of maturity that like with any investment is gains interest over time and builds wealth; an abundance that can overflow into all aspects of your life. There comes a point when we have to accept that there is wealth in our health the reality of life is chaos and groundlessness. That’s why being healthy is so very important and its’ value is priceless.
The more we realize how insignificant we really are on this planet in the grand scheme of things; if we were to die today life wouldnât stop it would keep going and our job posted the next day; accepting this reality keeps us humble and allows us to really focus on ourselves and enjoy our experience while weâre here.
Diva on a journey! đȘđœđ Let’s Get Moving!
So this week l decided to take some time off and had a designated chill day. I have been working a lot these past couple of months and just needed to slow down. I was able to soak up some Vitamin D and relax which was great.
Circling back from last post l started with my daily to do list and got most of the things done but also got a bit overwhelmed so learning and adjusting as l go.
This weekâs goal is to get moving. Iâve focused on the mental wellness heavily along with nutrition which is vital itâs also time to focus on this body body body and get her together.
So this week my focus is movement! If youâre having trouble getting out and moving l challenge you to carve out some time this week and do the same dear diva!
Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!
Mia The Diva
Hey Divas,
When we think about the things we are loyal towards; like our jobs, our families, our relationships our friendships. It serves purpose, fulfillment in life, and an addition to our lifestyle.
Sometimes we are loyal to pleasing others, loyal to putting everyone and everything before ourselves. Loyal to the hustle. Loyal to the grind. Loyal to our grief our mistakes you know our coulda woulda shouldaâs. Loyal to the comfort, living in the mediocrity of our lives.
Where has it gotten us? Did we get what we wanted? If not, it does give us an opportunity to discover what we don’t like and to do something about it.
One of the best life lessons lâve learned was from a therapist. Where do you expect to see yourself in 5 years? If we make no changes we will be where we are today. When we find ourselves at the fork in the road itâs a life shift that will go in the direction that we decide to take.
If life is not working right now then itâs time to make some decisions and take the direction on the path we would like to go.
If we make no changes life today will be the same in the next 5 years as it is for us today. Not making a decision is still a decision. Itâs a decision thatâs made for you. So why not take control of your life and make the decisions you actually want to make.
â When you make a decision that is your truth. â
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Iâve made a decision to focus on what makes me smile and being loyal to that. Focusing on what makes me feel good and being loyal to that. Focusing on being curious and being loyal to that. Focusing on kindness to myself and others because you just never know what someone is going through and being loyal to that.
The greatest relationship we will ever have in this life is the one with ourselves everything and everyone else around us gets to experience our overflow. It makes everyone and everything around us better when we are at our personal best.
No one can steal our energy no one can steal our good juju vibes for themselves because it is ours. However we can give it away through people pleasing and giving in to others demands by not setting clear boundaries for ourselves.
If it doesnât feel good likely a boundary is being crossed and your energy zapped! You will either feel inspired or drained after interacting with someone so be mindful of the company you keep dear diva.
Be loyal to your smiles.
Diva on a journey! This week’s goal đȘđœđ Daily To Do List
Circling back from last post I was successful in getting more activity in and managed to even lose 3 lbs.! I had a pretty active week running around and getting errands done. I actually shop at 3 different grocery stores so I got a lot of steps in going from one store to the next; since being on my wellness journey I’m real bougie about my produce and where I get it. Quality over quantity. I don’t care how great a sale is, if it’s trash I’m not buying it. I work too hard for my lifestyle and I care about what I put into my body.
This week’s goal is setting my up my days with intention and tackling my daily to do list. Call it the Virgo in me but I need structure in my life as I shared in a previous post it brings my life peace and balance so this week I will be focusing on what I need to do for this week and break it down into days. If youâre feeling stuck and trying to get it together yourself I challenge you to do the same dear diva!
Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!
Mia The Diva
Disclaimer: All information on this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this WordPress flybyjuly.com blog. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and weight loss or on any opinions expressed within this blog. You as the reader must be responsible for consulting with your own health professional on matters raised here. Flybyjuly.com will not accept responsibility for the actions or consequential results of any action taken by any reader.
Hey Divas,
So as I shared in a previous post I gained 20 lbs during the pandemic. I had also lost my father 2 years prior to the world shut down and people in my life were showing me who they are and their true colors.
It was alot to deal with not dealing. Grieving can be exhausting and emotionally draining if you do not have a proper plan in place. Grieve with purpose either to be better or to get better.
There is no magic timeframe of the grieving process it can last anywhere from several days to several months to several years to a lifetime.
Time eventually does heal but more importantly itâs what we do with this time because at one point or another we will lose someone or something significant in our lives.
How will you deal?
One thing I have learned so far in my lifeâs journey is to always have a PLAN because if you do not have one like the saying says; plan to fail.
Although my failures have been some of my greatest blessings in life. l did not realize it at the time.
I feel like my life could have been so much easier and would have saved myself a lot of unnecessary pain if I had an awareness and the right tools to deal with life and itsâ charade of shenanigans.
The fact is that life is going to happen and much of it we have no control over as much as we like to think we do.
What we do have control over however is how we are showing up and how we respond to life ish because the hard days will come and they will also â- go.
If you find yourself in a crappy space of life right now, take heart that it is not forever it is just right now.
I know it sucks.
Have faith that you will make it through dear diva.
Going through grief and life events can be a roller coaster of emotions it can also be a source of triggers especially if weâve gone through something traumatic and havenât properly dealt with it.
Grief is painful it can drain whatâs left of our life if we donât get it in check. There is nothing more painful than wasting our precious time.
So many of us cope with food when things are â off â in life some of us drugs, alcohol, binge watching our shows etc. doing anything we can do to not feel the feels of the insurmountable pain we are in. – @flybyjuly
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Avoidance can show up in so many ways but for the purpose of this blog food is our drug of choice.
The tough thing about food vs. drugs, booze or binge watching TV shows etc. is that we need food to sustain our life.
So where do we draw the line? When have we crossed the line?
Food serves so many roles in our lives; nutrition, socializing, creativity, connection, holiday gatherings the list goes on and on.
So when does a diva put the breaks on the fridge, the buffet, the online food delivery to your doorstep, the sushi nights, and those Sunday Brunches with your girls?
Where do we draw the line between I need to eat this to sustain my life, I need to eat this for my social needs, I need to eat this because I want to have fun. I need to eat this because I’m sad, I’m angry, I’m anxious or depressed.
4 Questions to ASK yourself before your EAT your Emotions Away
The next time youâre about to eat something ask yourself these four simple questions:
- H – Hungry? Am I actually hungry? Cause a Diva can get her GRUB on right about now!
- A – Anger am I angry? Iâm mad, fed up and sick of everyoneâs sh*t. Whereâs the chips.
- L – Lonely am I lonely? Am I depressed? Ice Cream makes everything ok.
- T – Time am I busy? Do I just need something quick to get in my stomach? Iâm always on the run! Just need something quick before I pass out.
What I love about these questions is that it raises awareness and when we have awareness we can make better choices.
Itâs not overnight, the chips and ice cream will win somedays and thatâs ok we may actually need the ice cream and the chips in that moment but not every moment.
As time goes on and we become more conscious of what we are putting into out body we can understand whatâs driving us and we discover other ways to deal with our pain.
What’s Your Vice?
I love seafood. Sushi is my vice, I know not terribly unhealthy but the â All You Can Eat â can be too hard to resist on a diva and caused me to over eat too much at times, it can also be expensive.
It takes time dear diva to discover the code that will crack your vice. I like a lot of people am an emotional eater it served many purposes for me during some pretty dark moments in my life.
Emotional eating isnât always sitting in a dark room with a bucket of ice cream it can be snacking, going out to eat in excess, still eating when weâre not hungry or even when a diva is just bored.
When I was feeling especially isolated I would go out for sushi two to three times a week. I now go once a month as a treat and order half rolls because I honestly love sushi even when I’m truly happy it is one of my favorite things to do.
Over time I now picked up taking a drawing class again, something that is nostalgic that reminds me of my earlier days it gets me out of the house lâm able to express my creativity and it allows me to be social.
I use to go out and eat sushi to connect and catch up with my friends. I have great memories having sushi with my friends. The pandemic happened. Life changed and then I found myself in a space where I was alone and would go out by myself to feel better.
I would go out to eat just to get out of the house, see some people even if they were strangers so I did not have to be at home looking at my 4 walls anxious and depressed.
Not a good look for a diva! So I swapped my solo sushi dates for art class.
So take some time to reflect. What can you swap your VICE for? Whatâs a lost hobby you have? Is there a big project that youâve been wanting to tackle?
Once you ask yourself these 4 simple H A L T questions before you grab that bag of chips or whatever your vice you will be able to eat a little bit more mindfully and hopefully have some clarity on what’s bugging you so that you can make some better choices on your journey to flyness!
Diva on a journey! đȘđœđ This week’s goal: Making time for movement during my day
So circling back from last post I did not quite make it getting up 1.5 hours early everyday it was too early for me to start working out but I do have the habit of getting up early, making my juice and smoothie for the day.
I realized what was stopping me was organization. It’s probably a Virgo thing but I crave stucture in all aspects of my life so why wouldnât my wellness journey be any different. I did not hit my intended goal but I did learn more about my self and what is working and what’s not on this journey.
So going into this week with my new found knowledge, I’ll be gettin’ it in! My movements that is đ anywhere I can.
Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!
Mia The Diva
Disclamer: All information on this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this WordPress flybyjuly.com blog. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and weight loss or on any opinions expressed within this blog. You as the reader must be responsible for consulting with your own health professional on matters raised here. Flybyjuly.com will not accept responsibility for the actions or consequential results of any action taken by any reader.
Hey Divas,
I have a confession:
Self Care Sundays are a real thing for me!
Itâs my only true day of rest. I love and live for my Sundays these days. So l get as much as l can get done during the week to enjoy some much deserved designated chill time on any given Sunday.
Not all of us have the time or the coins.
Self care can look like getting enough sleep, eating clean, getting outside and doing something you find fun thatâs active. Drinking water. Yes simple things like drinking water is telling yourself daily I LOVE YOU and I want to keep you ALIVE!
Keeping on top of our mental health, such a big one it can creep up on a dime.
So take care of yourself dear diva.
All of these things together show us how much we care about ourselves, so always send that good juju and positive vibes your way on the daily!
What we do with intention is what gets our attention and depending about how we feel about ourselves is the action that we will take. @flybyjuly
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That can look like having the â intention â to get up early to work out to keep active & healthy we will give it our âattentionâ set our alarms, meal prep and do all the things… but some how when that alarm goes off if youâre feeling crappy about life yourself etc. or you may get distracted by someone or something.
We either turn over or hit snooze if we are feeling anxious, depressed, or go off and do that other thing to distract ourselves, attend to whomever is needing our attention like kids, spouses, partners, pets and skip the work out.
We find ourselves in a rut and then shame ourselves for not working out or maybe we did not get enough sleep from being up all night being anxious or depressed the night before. Awareness is everything it gives us choices, thatâs why it is so important to get our mental health together.
When we do things with intention there is an energy we place on it. The more love and compassion we give ourselves with non judgement shows self kindness, so sprinkle that Love onto yourself on the daily dear diva!
This is not a one size fits all approach we just have to find what works best for us that is in alignment with our lifestyle, desires and goals. However on the same note if we continue to do what we’ve always done we will continue to get what we’ve always gotten.
3 Ways How You Can Start Your Day With Intention
I know easier said then done but one day you will wake up and decide you donât want to feel like this anymore or ever again and youâll make a change just like that.
Itâs a process and thatâs why itâs called a journey. Taking just one extra step each day thatâs in the direction of where you want to go will add up over time.
- Start Everyday with a MUST!
Like the saying goes where your attention goes energy flows so start your day with a MUST! List everything you MUST do for the next day the night before. This will set up your subconscious mind while you sleep and rest for the following day.
2. This week I will ______________everyday.
I challenge you to do one thing this week towards a better you letâs start with a goal. This week l will ____________ everyday.
3. Track Your Progress
Track your progress write a word or phrase on a sticky note and place it on your mirror about how youâre feeling or capture it in a notebook if you choose for privacy.
Diva on a journey đȘđœđ This Weekâs Goal: Getting up 1.5 hours early everyday!
As for myself this week l will be getting up 1.5 hours early to workout everyday. ( Yikes ) but Ima do it. Letâs see how l do, l start an early day so lâm up for the challenge!
You can follow a diva on all the things @flybyjuly
Be Healthy Be Fabulous Be You!
Mia The Diva
Disclamer: All information on this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action should be taken solely on the contents of this WordPress flybyjuly.com blog. Please consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and weight loss or on any opinions expressed within this blog. You as the reader must be responsible for consulting with your own health professional on matters raised here. Flybyjuly.com will not accept responsibility for the actions or consequential results of any action taken by any reader.
Fly by July Campaign! 