Stay Grateful and Move Forward

By Luci Fardo

"Every day I look around with thanks for everything I have. I'm always so grateful for the opportunities I have to write the story of my life." Luci Fardo

 Every day I wake up thankful for each day and that I have another opportunity to make a difference in the life of others and my own life. I don't have everything that I want, but I'm working towards those things. Every day I remind myself that I am on the path I am choosing. Every day I try to think about what I am grateful for. I write a list of those things. We must always take the time to count those blessings. Each day we can look at the past or we can look for the future. I know where I came from. I remember where I came from.

    We live in such a world that people are always dwelling on the bad instead of looking at what is good. I do think that it is important to stay up to date with what is going on in the world. You can't let the negativity take over in your life. Take a look in your life and think about what fears and past is holding you back from living the life you want and controlling your destiny. We must give our permission to ourself to face challenges head on. The best things in life are hard but they are so worth it.

    I believe that every person in the world has the ability to change their life. To many people are satisfied with the status quo. That could be easy to do. You have to have the willingness to take changes and life life courageously. Go beyond your comfort zone. There is always something bigger than yourself to strive for. You have to be brave to act. If you don't say yes to the opportunities they will pass you by. You have to be uncomfortable sometimes.

    There are opportunities in the world that you haven't realized. If you aren't satisfied with where you are then write a list of what would make you happy. What is your dream in life? What is your goals. Decide what it is that you want and make a plan to achieve that goal.

    You have to have a mission and don't settle for less than what you want. If you want to get in shape then put the gym shoes on and go for a walk. If you want to become healthier then keep a food diary for a week. You have to shift your identity. If you don't have energy you won't be able to think properly or plan. You need to feed your body and your brain with the tools to master. You have to recognize the pattern you have that is making you miserable or lack luster and make a change. I personally have struggled with growth and was daunted the first time I entered the gym. I had worked out and stuff but lacked discipline. I learned discipline in my diet and fitness. Eventually I took classes and became a certified personal trainer and group instructor. Was it easy? No, it wasn't. I am human not a robot. There are times I would rather eat processed food and I will occasionally drink a diet soda at a restaurant. That is my splurge which I should avoid but the point is no one is perfect. I go to the gym six days a week and work out on Sunday. I have made this an option. I recognize that is not the norm. You have to develop discipline and look at the long term instead of the short term.

    This helped me with discipline for my work. I was a customer service representative and due to cancer had been out of the workforce forty years old and starting over. I worked very hard to move up to a team lead and it wasn't easy. I gave 100% every day. You have to do things you don't want to do to succeed. I work longer hours then most people do at my job. I spend extra time with my advisors and I try to go out of my way for everyone every single day.

    I remember something I read by Tony Robbins and it goes something like this: "Good times create weak people. Weak people create bad times. Bad times create strong people. Strong people create good times." Over time this has became my mantra.

    Perfect is an illusion and is something made up. You can only achieve with discipline and all of the self-doubt in your mind. I remember my lowest point in life thinking, "This is not my purpose. I had a vision and I am working so hard to achieve that. Don't sit and watch others achieve. Believe in yourself and your abilities. You must stop thinking about the negative think about the positives. Make sure that everything you are doing is placing you on a tragectory to leave a mark that you were here. A normal part of the human experience is suffering set backs and cause doubt and loss of hope. Believe in the future and in yourself. Take those steps to change the way that you think. Look around at others who have been in similar situations. Challenge brings a chance for becoming stronger and becoming a better person. Discomfort is part of the process. Embrace the discomfort and move forward. Raise your level to realize that your dreams and gifts have value. Become hungry for them. That hunger will make you stronger and bring about the change. You can be so much more than you think.

    Make those choices to make a better life for yourself. Take pride in yourself and start working on yourself. Listen to positive self help podcasts. Check out some self help books. Apply for those jobs that you are interested in. Even when it is scary do it anyway. Everyone has personal talents to branch out. Look for a mentor at work and ask them for help. I had a very special team lead at work that helped prepare me for the next steps. I had to ask for that help and actively work towards it. I am still working with her and a very good manager to help me to work for the future job goal I have. At my gym I sought the help of other instructors to put me on the path to get my certifications for the gym. I am spending my free time developing workouts. I am actively working on healthy diets to offer people. Look around you and find positive and successful people to move forward in your life. You have to fullfil that internal drive and find that purpose in your life to move forward and take the next steps. You can learn all the techniques in the world but if you don't believe in yourself it doesn't matter. You have to sell yourself every day. Whatever you are demonstrating in your life is in what you believe you deserve. Our life is a result of every choice we have made in our lives. That is both good and bad and we must accept accountability along the way.

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