MAMBA MINDSET

 One thing I love about professional sports is watching people who have put their absolute best into their craft and compete against each other. I am not the most competitive person, but it may be a quality I should encourage.

It's been a year since we lost Kobe. I have to admit I love the mamba state of mind. Yes Kobe was talented, but not the most talented, yes Kobe was gifted in basketball, but not the most gifted. What separated Kobe was his ridiculous none stop drive to be his absolute best. He would never be outworked. It was that mindset, that mentality, that energy, that persistence that drove his success to dominate the courts.

The next time you watch basket ball or the superbowl, or any sports event for that matter, do not watch it just for entertainment. Watch it with a desire to take some of the habits that creates the best.

One Love

Danni

THE: SHARPEN THE SAW PROJECT

 Lately I've been feeling stuck in various areas of my life. I figured since it's a new year and we are goal setting, now would be a good time to address the source of that feeling. 

Often times when we feel stuck either in our career, relationships or even parenting, that's usually our body telling us we need growth in a certain area. For me I was able to think through and pinpoint the source of my feeling and to address it, I formulated the "sharpen the saw" project. 

The term, "sharpen the saw" was not coined by me, instead it is a concept formulated by Stephen Covey and well documented in his book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". I encourage you to embark on a "sharpen the saw project" with me by:

1. Identify an area in your life where you feel stuck or there is lack of or need for more growth.

2. Find a book, video or podcast that addresses that area. For example if you want to grow in your relationship with your teen, begin reading books that talk about parenting teenagers.

3. Take notes as you discover new techniques, knowledge and ideas that can be implemented. Note- writing things down heightens our ability to remember it later.

4. Set a time or determine ways you can or will implement or apply your new knowledge. 

Don't have much time? Actually you do. We often find time for the things that are important to us. Commuting is a great time to learn. You can listen to anything anywhere. Reading on the subway for me is so therapeutic. I can get lost in a good book while commuting via public transportation. Cooking is also a great time to listen to content. Our scheduled breaks at work are also great downtimes when we can read. Find a time best for you and begin your project.

Now is the best time to invest in our personal growth. 

Please share with me how your project is coming along. 

One Love

Danni

LESSONS LEARNED IN A CRISIS YEAR

For most of us 2020 started out normal but we watched as overnight life as we knew it came to an abrupt halt. Here are five lessons that I've learned in 2020.

1. Be adaptable and flexible - for many of us, our jobs changed over night to accommodate social distancing guidelines. Many institutions grew others closed their doors. The ones that saw most success were those that found ways to quickly adapt to the new changes. 

2. Be a forward thinker- this goes hand in hand with lesson one. No one saw this crisis coming, but many individuals, organizations and business had already began implementing practices and adapting to the changing world. For example, the personal trainer who had already began doing online training prior to this crisis already had the infrastructure to market and expand. 

3. Set health goals- I cannot over emphasize this one enough. Covid exposed America's biggest dilemma. Many American's have at least two chronic illnesses and that is not ok. It begins with us as individuals taking inventory of our health and wellness. We have to be in the drivers seat when it comes to our health. It is 2021 so  let's put pen to paper and focus on what health means to us and the changes we are going to make to get our bodies healthy. 

4. Set Wealth goals- This is actually number 2 on my lessons learned priority list, health being number 1. As we see unemployment rise, what strategies are we putting in place to insulate ourselves in the wake of another crises? Again put pen to paper and begin writing not just saving goals but be audacious and set wealth goals, break your goals down into bite size pieces and work at them one by one. 

5. Think multiple streams of income - This is also another major lesson learned. I have learned this year that having one stream of income is not enough and not ok. Every single individual have talents and I believe we all have a purpose. If you have a 9 to 5 use your talents in other areas to create income, get a side hustle. There are so many people who will pay you for your skills and expertise. Become a consultant in an area that you are familiar with. If you are not confident increase your knowledge and skill set. Spend time improving on your craft then MARKET IT. 

I have learned many lessons in 2020 but these five are some of my top ones. Over time I will share the others.

One Love

Danni 

MY ENERGIZER MORNING ROUTINE

Being a busy mom of three kids ages 6 and under, it is absolutely important that I carve out time for myself. My "me" time has now become my morning routine and I absolutely love it. This routine keeps me energized throughout the day, not just physically but mentally as well. 

This is what my morning looks like:

1. I am an early to rise type of chick. My best wake up time is 4am- I find that I am clearest and most creative early in the morning.

2. I worship which involves reading my bible and praying. This allows me to be more centered, clear in my head and spiritually focused. 

3. I exercise even if it is just for a few minutes. Exercising gives me the feeling that I can conquer any and everything. 

4. I read - I recently heard an author say that he makes sure he reads a book about parenting or marriage every morning prior to reading anything else. I'm definitely going to be incorporating this into my morning routine. 

5. My absolute favorite part of my morning is breakfast. I almost always eat the same thing everyday; oatmeal, blueberry, banana smoothie made with almond milk. I have began adding more proteins into my morning like sardines (hubby says yuck!!!) or eggs (or Turkey bacon-my cheat meal) Yum!!!! I find that having breakfast latest 7am keeps me satisfied until noon.

What rituals do you have in your morning or throughout your day that puts you at ease or sets the tone for your day or night? Please share by leaving a comment. I would love to learn from you.

Can a Sistah say!!!!!

One Love

Danni

POSITIVE VIBES IN 2021!!!!!

I think there are two types of people in life. People who view the cup as half full and people who view the cup as half empty. And for most of us depending on what side of the fence we fall, we tend to attract our kind. It is covid season and for many of us in the north it is winter so those two combined will do a lot in decreasing our positive energy and making us feel drained. Here are a few tips to get you moving towards the position spectrum.

1. Eat healthy meals- Yup I said it. Food literally goes inside of us and ultimately becomes apart of us, so making your nutrition a priority is the first step in making you feel good on the inside. In addition to that, just the thought that you are making a positive decision in your diet will make you feel good about your choice and good overall. 

2. Stay hydrated- Our bodies are made up of mostly water, so keeping it hydrated also has the benefit of making us feel good on the inside improving our overall feeling and thoughts about ourself. 

3. Exercise- I am not a member of a gym, neither do I have a chiseled sculpted body. What I'm talking about are simple changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking a little further away from the stores entrance. Taking an evening or early morning stroll also puts the mind at ease. 

4. Play with your kids- this is such a hard thing for me to do as a mom. I'm always making myself unnecessarily busy. But the fact of the matter is that playing with our kids are big deal items to them and puts us in a relaxed state. If you do not have kids getting engaged in a sport is a great way to reduce stress. 

5. Spend time with a friend- reach out to someone (a cup half full friend please) and engage in a positive uplifting conversation. 

As we literally close the chapter on 2020 and walk humbly into 2021 and its unknown challenges let's get ourselves in a positive state. Stay connected to your inner self and most importantly to the higher power.

One Love

Danni

FACEBOOK IS KILLING ME

 Have you ever gotten into a social media rabbit hole? That's when you go on social media when you have a little "down time", you begin scrolling through peoples posts and pictures, and a minute turns into an hour. 

So many of us have found ourselves in the social media rabbit hole and eventually when we catch ourselves and muster up the will to log off we begin mentally chastising ourselves for time lost. 

Time is one if the things many of us claim we wish we had more of. But the cumulative time spent on social media is eating away at so many important things that we could be doing. Yes catching up with friends and family is important, but truth be told, the people whose pages we are viewing on facebook or whatever site we are on are not close friends. If they were, you would be catching up with a phone call or by texting.

The emotional impact that social media has on us is also powerful. For example, I got into the social media rabbit hole this week. I was minding some other girls business by perusing her facebook page and scanning her lengthy post and pics showing her trips around the world. There I was in my quarantine bed pulling myself apart for not being a jet setter. 

So what do you do when you get the bug that will lead you down the social media rabbit hole? Well before getting that bug you want to identify a hobby that has the ability to keep you occupied and disciplined. If you're chronically addicted to the rabbit hole then mere will power may not help. But for the casual rabbit holers like myself who find it easier staying away finding something more productive instead works. 

One Love

Danni

FINDING AND USING YOUR PURPOSE

My six year old is a talker. We call her our little Nancy Pelosi (the speaker of the house). She knows how to argue her self out of any situation. Speaking is her gift.

Have you ever thought what your gift is? Well you may assume gifts have to be something big and extraordinary. The truth is, your gift is that thing that you do effortlessly and find much enjoyment in doing so. It may be cooking, entertaining or encouraging others. Take inventory of yourself by asking yourself this question; what is that thing that I enjoy doing that I would do continuously if I got paid for it? During covid time many people are unemployed; is it possible that your gift could become your source of income? One of the major lessons I have learned from covid is never to have only one source of income. I believe in finding and utilizing our gifts to make income. 

After determining what your gift is, begin finding ways to improve on that gift. If there are classes you can take to advance yourself take them. Almost every training is free on youtube. Spend time practicing and honing  your skills. The bible states, your gift will find room for you. 

One Love 

Danni