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So here it is, six months into 2016 and ask yourself, where are you with the things that you have been seeking to accomplish this year? Hopefully those goals you set haven’t been put aside or hardly thought about and if so, it’s time to revisit.

My first post of 2016, More That Resolutions, Committed in 2016, revealed a few practices I use to get clarity, stay focused, and work to accomplish goals. What has been unique this year, is that I prepared myself by making difficult life changes and decisions to set myself up to achieve those goals. Needless to say, various setbacks, trying situations, and challenges have come up, however, that’s when addressing those challenges so that I can stay on path has become key.

If you haven’t already taken stock of what has been going on in your life this year to help or hurt your ability to accomplish what you’re seeking, since we are halfway through the year, now is actually a great time to do so. Not only do you get to see where you are, but also to take into account what factors have hindered or helper you. This allows you to have a serious reality check and ask yourself, am I really serious about each of the goals you set for yourself.

For example, if you are trying to lose weight or get in shape and have found challenges in making time to work out, now is the time to say either, 1) the other things involved in your lifestyle are more important and you are not at a point to seriously commit to fitness and/or 2) list a few things that you can commit to that may not be daily but weekly, monthly or intermittently that will fit into your current lifestyle. Sometimes you have to take baby steps if you have seen that you can’t commit on a level that you previously thought. And you also have to be honest with yourself about what you have or haven’t done so far this year to gauge your ability and willingness to go for that goal.

Other options include making significant changes to your lifestyle to support the goals you desire. Say you are seeking to save money or be financially stable. Making the choice to live with a roommate, or stop spending in areas to invest in your saving is a choice that you may make to truly allows you to commit to that goal.

Below are a few of the 2016 Commitments & Goals I set for myself earlier this year:

 Daily Scripture & devotional reading
 Acquire athletic sponsorship of brand ambassadorship
 Completing Olympic distance triathlon
 Triathlon & running bringing in income and/or opportunities
 Blogging consistently (at least weekly or bi-weekly)
 Women’s, Men’s, Youth gathering (at least one of each)
 Read 6 books

A few things that have or are currently helping me to achieve these include:
– Setting up a daily reminder in my Bible app for the plans I’m reading
– I applied to various athletic sponsorships and acquire 3 of them
– Between my sports apps, working with coaches and run clubs, I’ve been working a flexible enough schedule that allows me to be committed 5-6 trainings/week to prepare for my triathlons and I signed up for them, which in my mind, means they are definitely happening.
– Starting a run club, being an ambassador, getting out in the athletic arena has been affording me various opportunities from work, to interviews, features, and more.
– Each week or two I write ideas for things to blog or I get ideas from things that other individuals are going through.

It also helps that I wake to see my vision board each day (on the wall of my bedroom) and a picture of it is the background on my phone, as well as having my commitment list on my phone & in my planner. So I read and review them a couple of times a week to remind myself of what I said I am focusing on. It gives me the opportunity to ask often, “what am I currently doing or going to do this day or week to work towards these goals?” It keeps them in the forefront of my mind so I don’t neglect my commitments or goals.

I hope this gives you some ideas as to how to develop or refine you plan of attack to reach your goals. There is so much opportunity to also be creative in having accountability partners, posting them on online and encouraging others to check up on you or work with you, and to just keep sharing them with others so that you get the support to make 2016 a dynamic year!

Though I love writing for my blog, F7LN, yet to open up the pages of Newcity Magazine to see my words as a contribution to the publication (as well as online) is so amazing! This past month, I had the opportunity to share my experience as a triathlete getting ready to welcome the Chicago summer season. So with this post, I share that article with you. Check it out here, enjoy, and feel free to comment! 🙂

Today’s post is in honor of Memorial Day & dedicated to my cousin, Marcus Johnson. Congrats on becoming Master Sergeant, I am so proud of you. Love you!!

Happy Memorial Day to those who serve & served in our Armed Forces…
To all of those that sacrifice & serve defending our lives & this country, you are greatly appreciated & respected.

Day 4..dedicated to my cousin Twon 💜

*Continuing To Spread The Awareness*
“22” push-ups for the next 22 days to create awareness for…22 VETERANS a day are committing suicide, it’s tragic & we need to help.

My eyes tear up before I even begin to write this…

Well, to be honest, not a day has passed in the last year where at some point in the day, I’ve not had at least a teary-eyed memory or just allowed myself a period to cry in missing him.

I never imagined this time one year ago would be the last time I would lay eyes on my dad’s face. Even before the moment he took his last breath and since then I’ve thought about the longings I’ve had as he had been the one constant man in my life. Never thought he wouldn’t have the chance to walk me down the aisle. Though he didn’t really dance, never imagined my dream of dancing to Marvin Gaye’s “Pride & Joy” with him wouldn’t happen. And as I pray that I’ll be blessed with children, knowing he’ll never meet him/her, I still hope to have the opportunity to honor him by giving the middle name of ‘Allen’ (or ‘Nella’ if a girl) to a child to in a sense carry him on and a family tradition, like he, his brother, and his father had before him.

I write this post for two reasons.

One, for the various people who have had a loved one pass over the last year or years. Be it the friends and relatives that have lost a mother or father in the last few months or years, those whose brother or sister have passed on, or even those who long for or miss a child, though you may not know it, I think and pray for you often. Dealing with no longer having someone you cherish here on earth is not something that is often talked about after the initial few weeks or months, but many carry those feeling long after others can even imagine. It’s often something kept hidden in our private times.

I’m here to tell you, you are not alone.

As I strive to be the uplifting and strong one, this is a side that I don’t often show because I don’t want people to worry about me but trust me I’m alright. However, I want you to know, it’s ok if there are days you simply aren’t. It’s ok to cry, to long, to miss them…months, years afterwards. I know my tears are an expression of how much my dad meant to me and the love that was shared.

And I hope that like me, you can find the beauty in the songs, the belongings left behind, the memories that get you emotional that make them unforgettable. And moreso, I hope you take the time and opportunity to honor them and to continue their legacy in what they gave you. What you shared with them, share it with others.

The other reason I write this is to share the legacy of my dad. Though he was mostly a quiet man, his impact on not just me, but on those who were blessed to know him, in my eyes was profound. Devoted, giving, helpful, sensible, intelligent, Dad poured into me the best of what a man could ever give a little girl, a growing young lady, and an evolving woman. And the best way I know to continue and honor him, is to pour that into those whose lives I’m able to touch. Particularly the young girls, and women (and even boys & men) that I know have not had the blessing of such a man in their lives, I can only hope to give a snippet of what dad gave me.

It’s a blessing to know you are loved beyond reason. For someone to give you a lifetime of knowing you are treasured, you have so much potential and possibility, to know even if you fall they will be there for you, are just a few things dad blessed me to know.

Let us not be so attached to any hurt, pain, or sadness in missing those who have passed on, that we forget about or take away from the opportunity we have to bless those still amongst us.

I owe that not only to my dad, my brother, cousins, grandparents…but even more, to you. Be blessed and seize each moment given in honoring those who we continue to remember and love.

In honor of the lives of and those who loved:
Fred Allen Holloway
Darrick Holloway
Maude & Robert Holloway
Cora & Hugh Brown
Clara Whittington
Jean Allison
Calvin Brown Sr.
Jeremy Sutton
Jeremy Coleman
Linda Faye Lett
Elaine Hicks
Gayle Powell
Paul Tucker, Jr.
Ron & Melva Samuels
Naeem Projansky
Kevin Ambrose
and many more..

A day is not nearly enough to honor and celebrate the woman who was a vessel through which life was passed and nurtured, however, on this day I want to wish a blessed and beautiful day to my mom. To all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, godmothers, mentors, and women who give life, speak life, uplift life…May God bless all of your days, fill your hearts, fulfill your hopes and dreams, and enlighten you life, as you have done for us..your daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, other children, family, community, and beyond. You have not only birth children, but civilizations, ideas, dreams, accomplishments, creativity, and love. You are cherished and loved…Happy Mother’s Day.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a book or music review, so I wanted to share my thoughts on a book I just finished and thought was a remarkable read. Now don’t let the title prompt you to think that this book is only for those that either like music, particularly blues or soul, or even those that are preachers or in ministry. There is a broad-reaching audience that this book has the potential to impact.

In these ominous times of community and police shootings, the school to prison pipeline, the inequality and failing performance of our education system, the financial struggles of cities, communities and families, and much more, Blue Note Preaching In A Post-Soul World: Finding Hope In An Age Of Despair by Otis Moss, III, addresses not only what is needed in our communities and the current state of our world, but also in Moss’ own words “rescues us from acceptance and dares us to move from the couch of apathy to the position of work”.⁽¹⁾

Whether or not you understand, like, or even really listen to it, many people have a sense of the soul-stirring sound of blues music, created out of the African-American tradition in the 19th century, which incorporates a call-and-response pattern, specific chord progression, notes typically flatter in pitch, as well as spirituals, shouts, and chants. Moss initially discusses the connection of other music forms like jazz, soul, and Hip-Hop, as well as, preaching, our history, and even our current state of the world, to the blues or blue note.

As we know, there are many who can and do speak to the problems and challenges of the world today. We can talk about it, complain about it, cry about it, shake our heads, and the like, however, what Moss does is dare us not to continue to hem and haw in a “blues moan”, but to envision and focus on the “gospel shout”.

For those that are pastors, ministers, people who seek to touch and inspire others in the world, Moss challenges us not to simply talk and preach. As he states, “We are called to place a word in people.”⁽²⁾ And yet, this book challenges a variety of different people; from those who have been wearing pain and abuse while allowing that to define them; to being able to listen, discern and learn how others receive things and consider how to communicate, in order to relate to them and still be authentic; to those who have been given a gift and have yet to give it over to God and allow it to be used for greater things.

In Blue Note Preaching In A Post-Soul World, Moss beautifully connects styles, generations, messaging and mediums, allowing us to see how all can relate and come together in a profound way.

The inclusion of sermons depicts and give us a further understanding of “blue note preaching” while giving what I feel is desperately needed to uplift our communities and this world.

You might expect references to scandals in the Bible, however, references to Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, as well as a breakdown of dating versus courting from the sermon entitled, “Loving You Is Killing Me” in the book, is exactly what’s needed to address the shift in our culture and its relation to relationships, our family unit, and our values that further diminish our communities and feed our current struggles. And yet in that same sermon, an epiphany that despite our mistakes, often God can do more with us and we can greatly impact the communities and world around us after those pitfalls. (A gospel shout for those of us: such as individuals who have been incarcerated, homeless, or otherwise failed in some way.)

Moss even speaks to those who feel that the church has not been there for our communities, particularly with recent events. To those who question and doubt that the church has not been fighting or leading the fight in the issues our communities have been dealing with, he eloquently explains 2 key points that really hit home. The first is that rather than waiting for anyone to lead, we all have in us the capacity to start, contribute, and lead in the work that we see needs to be done. And the other key point is that, it is not that the church has not been doing many things, but that their work is not often what you see in the paper, hear on the radio, see on the news. This is such a redeeming point for many that continue to criticize and attack the biggest and most enduring historically foundation the Black community has ever had. I hope that Moss’ clarification of this can serve to once and for all silence the attackers of the church and help them focus on working together.

You have to love how Moss connects and uses the depictions of current media and social references, especially in the book’s section and sermon entitled “How To Get Away With Murder”. The link between scripture and the story of Herod and Mary & Joseph to the slavery and peonage systems and our current justice system demonstrates the gift that Moss has not only connecting history, but our relationship to it. The details that he breaks down serve to depict various things we see in our communities, how people like Dr. King and W.E.B. Dubois served to liberate our communities, and how we can use those examples to charge ahead.

When he states, “there’s got to be some point in our moment and in our lives where some brothers stand up and adopt some children who are not your own, if we are to change this situation in our community”⁽³⁾, Moss sets before us a challenge on things we must all start to do and things we have to look at differently if we want to see that beautiful world of which we dream.

As we are living in what can be considered desperate and disheartening times, Blue Note Preaching In A Post-Soul World: Finding Hope In An Age Of Despair serves to relate our history and spiritual roots, to our current state, while meeting us where we are in an effort to plant seeds of possibility, renew dreams and hope, and insight into what we can do individually and collectively to create and work towards that world we envision.

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This year, one of my goals has been to take my triathlons to another level competitively and do Olympic/International distance events. To be honest, I had been hesitating on committing to it because of intimidation and some level of fear.

Though this is my 10th year of doing triathlons, the swim has been my biggest nemesis. Last year I did a short race in which I’ve competed 3 times previously, but I got out in Lake Michigan, freaked out, held on to a lifeguard boat for about 10 minutes, then finally swam the distance on the opposite side of the buoys in shallow water to get through it. I was disappointed and it was a telling experience of how much lack of comfort in open water got the best of me.

In past years, I practiced and trained to get through shorter distance triathlons, but this year I really have to push and stretch myself, not just to make it through, but to excel to greater distances and more endurance. Though I’ve been consistently building and having a successful indoor tri season, awaiting warmer weather to transition to outdoor I know I’m not yet ready for a longer open swim. And this is why I have been hesitating on making the actual commitment.

Last week, I was at a point of getting my first Olympic triathlon on the books. As I got to the page to actually submit, I could sense an inner anxiety and really paid attention to what I was feeling. It was a moment of determining and deciding to step out of my comfort zone and go for it or not.

I often say it is in challenging yourself to step out of your box is where you have phenomenal growth. There are things we think to do, we dream of, we desire, and at times may be challenging, not seem feasible, maybe not even make sense, however, it is in stepping out of what holds us back where we experience incredible breakthroughs. Be it starting a business, changing a career, entering a new relationship, relocating to a new place, sharing something deeply personal with someone from which you’ve been holding back, or embarking on a personal goal; there are various things we tell ourselves or feel that will keep us from actually doing it. They all are usually wrapped up in some level of fear, insecurity, not knowing what will happen, doubt, allowing our past or present situation to outshine what could be our greatest possibilities.

I’m sharing this because we all experience this at various times in our lives and at those pinnacle moments can often be what determines the difference between living small, mediocre, and ordinary lives, or creating remarkable and extraordinary lives and experiences that you never thought possible.

Well, I went ahead and have my first Olympic triathlon scheduled for June 2016 (and I plan to have another in August). I hope that if in reading this you find that you have been leery or holding back from something, stop playing it safe and being comfortable. Challenge yourself to step out and take that leap, so that you may find yourself experiencing a journey and a life beyond anything you could have imagined.

A few weeks ago I was leading a ministry meeting of active adults, former and current athletes. I asked them to share a Olympic, sport or athletic moment that they felt inspired them the most. As I hope to touch and inspire others, I often reflect on past moments that I witnessed that truly touched and inspired me and thought to share them in this post.

I’d have to say that the first monumental moment I was able to observe as a child was Mary Lou Retton winning the Olympic Women’s Gymnastics All-Around gold in 1984. Around that time, I had been taking ballet, tap and tumbling classes, so to see a young girl achieve such a feat was remarkable. I didn’t go far into gymnastics, however, it taught me that no matter how young or small you are, you can accomplish big things.

Not that I recall a whole lot of details of the game, however, to see and experience the win and the reaction of the city of Chicago when the 1985 Chicago Bears won the Superbowl, was simply remarkable. There was a connection and something to love about so many players on that team. The toughness of Michael Singletary, the agility of Otis Wilson, speed of Willie Gault, the boldness of Jim McMahon, the teddy bear smile of William ‘The Fridge’ Perry, and of course the skill, talent and air of a gentleman in Walter Payton. I had a shirt or jersey of some sort of each of them and not to slight Leslie Frazier, Dave Duerson, Richard Dent, Kevin Butler,…and the list goes on. A team as tough and deep as them taught me that it doesn’t always look pretty. There are times when you have to be tenacious, gritty, get dirty and especially when it hurts or in pain and think you may have nothing left, you can dig down deep and be unstoppable.

Another moment I was blessed to see that moved me was watching Florence Griffith Joyner aka ‘Flo Jo’, Jackie Joyner Kersey, and Carl Lewis sprint into gold in the 1988 Olympics. It was amazing to see the beauty and splendor of Flo, the multiple skills and dynamic endurance to excel at so many events by Jackie, and the power and tenacity of Carl all at the same period of time. I’m sure seeing them planted seeds for me as I later ran, jumped, and hurdled for 4 years of track and field in high school and later becoming a triathlete.

June of 1991 was one of the most joyous months for me. After watching 2 years of the Chicago Bulls being defeated in the playoffs, I had such a belief that Michael Jordan would be the one to lead us to an NBA Championship. To say I was a Bulls fan was an understatement as I had rituals before & during each game that made family members laugh. (ie, playing cards, gear, mementos and thank you to my brother, Ken for my Bulls chair, which became my game watching throne..lol). Watching the Bulls finally defeat the Pistons was a relief and up’d the ante, however, the final moments of game 5 versus the L.A.Lakers, was nothing short of exhilarating. This was so much so, I recall darting outside and screaming to the whole neighborhood that the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA Championship. It still makes me smile to recall. I must say that for me, it was just as moving to recall the losses of previous years. To know that amidst failure and defeat, that in continuing to push, stay focused, and be determined, dreams and goals are still attainable.

There are times when I’ve honestly thought that gymnasts are the toughest athletes in the world. I found it remarkable that they often have morning and evening practices every day, their sport is based off them being as close to perfect as possible, and they come in the tiniest packages but have so much strength while often performing injured. Having the competition on VHS, I find myself often replaying it to watch a group of phenomenal young ladies called the Magnificent 7 of the 1996 Olympics who definitely wowed not just me but the nation that year. Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes had been favorites of mine since before the 1992 Olympics (and even still), so to see them lead the team to Olympic gold allowed us to see a rarity in not just making it but also medaling in a second Olympics. Particularly, Dawes became the only gymnast to medal in 3 Olympics, at time when there haven’t been a lot of African American gymnast on top, but also it is typically thought that you’re too old for the sport. To see such persistence allows me even now to embrace that it’s never too late accomplish big things and shoot for what may seem like impossible.

As you can probably tell, I am a fan of gymnastics and in recent years to see Gabrielle Douglas win the 2012 Olympic All-Around Gymnastics gold brought a since of pride especially for young African American girls, who I feel don’t have enough role models in the media outside of arenas that focus on looks and body image. This moment is one that I shared at the group meeting I mentioned, mainly because of what Gabby said after she won. It’s a quote that speaks to how I long to live my life in all areas, but especially as an athlete to not lose focus on why I do what I do and a reminder of what/who it is for. She said “I give all the glory to God. It’s kind of a win-win situation. The glory goes up to Him and the blessings fall down on me.” No matter how many medals, events and accomplishments life brings, they are all fleeting. At the end of the day, it’s all about ensuring that what I do in life is in line with why I am on this earth and the fruits of my work, my life are for the one who created me.

Watch Gabby Douglas’ Winning Olympic 2012 Gold

Well, I actually don’t have a 7^th inspirational sports moment. Yes, I have witnessed many other exceptional moments in various sports, however, none that have moved me greatly or that I feel have deeply impacted me in a profound way. However, there are many individuals whose careers I follow and I must say I’m fans of, including: Alyson Felix (whose image has graced my vision board for a few years), Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Stephen Curry, Misty Copeland (yes, I consider dancers athletes, as well), Matt Forte, and Gwen Jorgensen. I look forward to seeing more uplifting and truly extraordinary moments in sports in the future.

Which moments deeply impacted you and how did they inspire you?

I’m just so grateful to see another day when I wake up each morning so to be blessed with seeing 40 years, I can only thank God for all the lessons, experiences, accomplishments, and the beautiful souls and people embraced throughout my life.

Over 3 years ago I first heard “When It’s All Over” by Alicia Keys and to this day it still moves me to tears when I think of all the people who have touched my life in such profound ways. I often reflect on how I’ve had this gift of life to LOVE those with whom I’m blessed to share it with. Since then I wanted to capture and continue to cherishing those moments. In reflecting over the last 40 years, there’s no time like the present.

Tomorrow’s not promised and…
“When they lay me down, put my soul to rest
When they ask me how I spent my life
At least I got to love you, when it’s all over..”

This doesn’t capture nearly everyone so I seriously need to spend more time with some and take photos and videos with them. But to all my family, friends, all those who’ve touched my life know how much I love you and am truly blessed at how you’ve loved me through the years.

And as inspiration to anyone reading this, take time to just say “I love you” or call or send a text to express your love. Or be creative in whatever fashion you see fit to express your love to those that may not know how much they mean to you, especially those who you may not have reached out to in a while and may feel forgotten.

Grateful for having moments in time..in life to simply share, give, be LOVE.

As much as I love and treasure the simplest things in life, such as: reading, journaling, walks, reflection, or admiring the sunshine when I wake in the morning, I appreciate many of the advances of technology. Technology has allowed for ease, accessibility and convenience for us to do daily tasks, as well as to be a resource for business, creativity, and much more. With that said, something as simple as a phone has become one of my greatest tools for accomplishing goals, maintaining daily tasks and checklists, and pushing me to go to greater lengths.

I recognize that there are various friends, family, colleagues, followers of mine that are not entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, etc., however, many of you have goals, things you want to accomplish, and more. Some of you may not have figured out how you can achieve them, or need some ideas to get you started, or tools to help you to keep things moving. Many of us utilize Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and more, however, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite phone apps and the creative ways I utilize them which have allowed me to push myself while having fun and staying on track. I’ve applied them to my health and wellness goals, as well as my goals for taking my triathlons to a new level. This may spark some ideas for how you can use technology for the things you want to accomplish.

Below are a few of the apps that I use consistently, however, feel free to search and utilize those that are specific to you:

S Health: This app comes on most Samsung phones and is specific to Android phones. S Health allows for you to track various things from the foods you eat, stress levels, water intake, heart rate, exercises, exercise programs, and much more. One of the simplest things you can do, for those of you who may not be athletic but want to start at least moving more, is to track your steps and set daily goals. Though I spent most of these last few years working with youth and could be pretty active moving around with them and facilitating programs, many of my days began with hours in meetings or at a desk working on a computer. Good portions of my day(s) could be quite sedentary and often my days were so long that I didn’t get into a gym very often. One of the things that I started off doing was a 40-day goal of walking 10000 steps. However, after completing the 40 days, even since then I seek to walk or run 10000 steps daily. There may be some days that are rest (or weight training) days for me while training, however, starting this created a habit that I incorporate to keep me active on those days.

MyFitnessPal: This app and website is one that allows you to track your food, nutrition and exercises. I will say this…in the last 3 months I’ve lost 15 pounds by incorporating the use of this website. Over the last few years I’ve watched quite a few documentaries including Food, Inc, Food Matters, and a few others that promoted me to make more changes in my eating lifestyle. I began using MyFitnessPal to track exactly what I was eating and I was blown away by seeing some of the calorie, sugar, fat intake of certain foods. I saw how the typical American diet could easily add up to 3000-5000 calories per day based on what we eat, particularly the foods we eat out and processed foods. By entering these foods in the app, the knowledge alone made me want to make changes. At times, putting in a food item and seeing it’s nutritional values promoting me to make different decisions on whether I really wanted to eat that or not based on my goals. I highly recommend for those that are interested in shedding a few pounds. It allows you to create a profile based on your current weight, your lifestyle activity, and goals. Each day as you enter foods and exercises you get to see if you are going over the calories, sugar, carbs, fat, etc and start to make changes.

Nike+ Running: This is a cool app for anyone who likes to run or even wants to get started running. I like this app for keeping track of my runs, seeing how fast I run, being able to add friends and see their progress and share with them mine. One of the coolest features is also the challenges that you can create or that others create that you can join. Recently, I began using the Coach feature, which allows you to follow a 5K, 10K, or Half Marathon 8-week plan to get you ready for any races you have coming up. I do wish you could customize it to different number of week plans, however, you can also amend it to your timeline. The Nike+ website also has other varying training plans and workouts that you can utilize.

SwimPro: If you’re in need of some training plans for swimming, this app provides a variety of training workouts as well as allows you to create your own. This year I’m training with groups, clubs, and utilizing coaches, however, the expenses can add up. When you’re not able to have one-on-one coaching or training sessions, this app has been useful in giving me guidance on drills and things I can do to improve my swim technique. It even includes video to demonstrate the drills as well as a breakdown of basic terms and workout structure for even those that are just starting to swim.

DietBet: This is a fun app that allows you to earn money for losing weight. Now I’ve never believed in diets and will be the first to say that diets do not work because they are mainly temporary and once you stop them you typically will gain the weight back. I didn’t utilize this app for a temporary weight loss, but rather for motivation and the comradery and encouragement it provided in going for my goals. This app allows you to sign up for a challenge with whatever the initial dollar amount is and everyone who participates puts the same amount in the pot. Over the course of time of the bet, participants are posting their accomplishments, meals, workouts and more. At the end of the designated timeframe, all those who achieved the weight loss goals get to split the pot. There is no specific diet that you follow, however, it encourages you to focus on healthy eating, working out, and your overall nutrition to lose the desired weight. I did it twice by signing up for $30 for Laila Ali’s Fitness challenges and it was fun. We got and shared food recipes, posted workouts, and really encouraged each other along the way. The challenge was to lose 4% of our weight (not too extreme) and both time I won $45+. Money is a great incentive. 🙂

There are other apps that I’ve heard were good through friends or I’m interested in looking into including FitBit, Daily Yoga, or Couch To 5K. I even look forward to checking out some apps for online video and promotion as well as, stores for my creative side and newest craft designs that will be coming soon. So, I really encourage you all to be creative and resourceful as I know many of you have some awesome ideas and goals for the year. With technology at your fingertips, I want to see you achieve some amazing feats!

Are You Staying The Course in 2016?

Newcity Magazine: A Triathlete Weathers The Warmth

Memorial Day Dedication

Missing Him…A Year’s Reflection

The Greatest Gift…3 Generations of LOVE!! [VIDEO]

Book Review/Commentary:Blue Note Preaching In a Post-Soul World – Otis Moss III

Breaking Thru Your Comfort Zone

7 Inspirational Sports Moments

Reflection of 40 Years..Family, Friends…LOVE.

Using Apps to Get Ahead: An Athlete’s Edge