30 day challenge

If you Google "30 day challenge" you will find roughly 212,000,000 challenges.

• Plank challenge
• Fitness challenge
• 30 days of yoga
• 30 day challenge for single women
• Vegan Challenge
• Juicing Challenge
• Gratitude challenge
• Take the activia challenge
• Instagram picture challenges

Last week I challenged myself to give up Facebook. For how long? I'm not exactly sure but I'm going to start with 30 days away to focus on ME instead of everyone else. We share pictures, like statuses, and leave comments. But at the end of the day, I was focusing way too much on everyone else.

I'm officially on day 10. Here is what I have learned:

1. I am way too attached to Facebook. I have found myself on several occasions picking up my phone ready to open my internet explorer and start typing in www.fac... . See, months ago I deleted the app in order to help stay off of Facebook. It does help greatly but does not stop the habit.
2. There's nothing I couldn't be updated on by a simple text message, email, phone call or visit.
3. I have more free time when not on facebook.
4. I have more self control than I give myself credit for. I can honestly say I have not slipped even ONCE in the 10 days so far. 

I think at the end of this challenge I am going to make it a habit to make Facebook a once-a-month (if even) habit. With all this extra time I've found myself starting a Q & A a day journal . I've also been doing a lot of reading for personal development and one of my favorite websites, Levo.

I've also decided to begin my own version of p90x3 once again on May 1st. I'm very excited to get back into and am hoping I can get the new puppy (Hera) used to a routine as well so that there is not a significant amount of attacking.
Let's end today with some motivation...and a puppy!

Snovember

I just attempted to log in to my class online and realized I missed a WHOLE week of participation. How could this happen?????

Oh wait....That's right
SNOVEMBER!

Last week I awoke to my husband claiming he could not make it to work and he did not believe I would either. I never thought I was going to wake up to an insane amount of snow. We hit record inches in south Cheektowaga of over 65" of snow....yes that's taller than I am!

I was thankful we bought food the weekend before. I also was thankful that I had previously bought an emergency car shovel (since our full size shovel shattered into pieces)

We stayed inside and kept warming playing board games, watching movies, and staying safe. It wasn't all fun and games! With every noise you wondered if your roof was going to cave in, if your gutters were to fall off, or if the snow piles falling off your roof would be blowing in your walls (this did happen to my in-laws).

What I can tell you is Buffalo, NY has been my home for the past 30 years and many of the acts of kindness made me remember why it's so great to live here.

<3 Buffalove

The long journey

I haven't posted much since the spring. I haven't posted all in fact since March of 2014. So first, let me apologize. I spent my first summer in a long time actually enjoying myself. I've gotten back into doing yoga on a regular basis. Oh, and most importantly I left retail. I took a venture into a new career and even lost a great deal of salary. But I will tell you this. What I've gained fully outweighs what I lost.

I've gained back control of my life. I've gained more free time. I've gained more time to work on my MBA studies. I've gained purpose. It's amazing that since all I ever knew was retail management I never thought there could be life outside.

I'm not dissing retail. For some people its what they are passionate about doing. I think it's important to learn that if you're not feeling lead by something larger than a title or money, than you should re-evaluate what you are doing with your life.

Facebook is a great thing because you get to see all the great things happening in others lives, but you also get to see the worst things happening in their lives.

Life is too short. Stop reading about what you love, or thinking about what you could be doing.

Find a way and go do it.

I'm sorry for you.

I'm sorry that some people feel the need to trample on people to get what they want. I feel sorry that you think the most effective way to spend time is by gossiping about others in the lunch room. I feel sorry that something in the past made you this way. I feel sorry that you don't know what its like to be a real part of a team. I feel sorry that you're angry. I feel sorry for you.

I will never feel sorry for myself. I will always forgive. I will continue to learn. I will only EAT in the lunch room. I will be optimistic. I will give people chances. I will be fair. I will be true.

Sometimes you just have to get out what you're thinking.

30 minutes of yoga clears your mind.

On to the joyful rebellion.

This glass is HALF FULL

I want to start by saying it is not always easy to be positive but we owe it to ourselves to try. I recently read a book for work which I found really motivating. I am becoming more aware by others motives and how it makes me feel. I'm learning to control how I react or respond. I highly recommend if you're feeling down that you pick up The Energy Bus  by Jon Gordon.

There are 10 rules on the bus

1. You're the driver of your bus (Don't let anyone else take the wheel and know that you're in charge)
2. Desire, Vision, and Focus move your bus in the right direction (Dream big and set some goals!)
3. Fuel your ride with positive energy (we've all seen what happens when we fuel it with the opposite)
4. Invite people on your bus and share your vision for the road ahead.
5. Don't waste your energy on those who won't get on your bus.
6. Post a sign that says "no energy vampires allowed" on your bus.
7. Enthusiasm attracts more passengers and energizes them during the ride.
8. Love your passengers.
9. Drive with purpose.
10. Have fun and enjoy the ride 

We've all had days, weeks maybe even years where we said "WHY ME?". I'm a firm believer that 10% is what happens to us and 90% is how we react. If you have 2 pet dogs (one negative energy and one positive energy) who would win a fight...the one that you feed more.

I am not bound to win, I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live up to the light that I have. –Abraham Lincoln

So you think you want a boxer dog PT 2

I also thought I should take this time to update you all on Dexter's anxiety.

You might Remember Dexter...if not its because he's gotten big.

I can't help but scream awwwww when I see this picture. Here he was just 15 lbs :(

Here he is now weighing 80 lbs.....yes 80 lbs!!

His anxiety worsened and we weren't sure why so instead we started leaving him out of the crate but really puppy proofed the living room and kitchen. It was RARE but he did get into things usually due to our own fault. However he's almost 2 1/2 and he's completely changed.

He used to be right at the door as soon as I opened it (even if I had been gone for 6 hours). Now I can leave for an hour or 6 and when I come home hes not right at the door hes sleepily walking into the kitchen....He was SLEEPING!! hallelujah!!

I think our anxiety training helped but I think he's also just matured a little bit. Don't let these photos fool you he still runs around and loves to play but I'm no longer worried about his anxiety when I leave him alone. there also has been NO drooling :) 

He still follows me around when he knows I'm leaving (this picture is evidence from just a few days ago). He stalks me, but I don't mind.

So if you're still on fence about getting a boxer, just know they take time, patience, love, and a LOT of food. I wouldn't trade anything for the world. He's still my baby.

MBA, Here I come!

First let me start with

Not to freak you out or anything but that's how I feel. 

I recently began my MBA program online with Empire State College. It's really great and I'm glad I'm doing it but I think it's finally hitting me how much work it is. This isn't entirely a bad thing. It's exciting! For the first time in YEARS I feel like I'm really learning something and really working my brain. 

I just came back from a residency in Saratoga Springs, NY, where I was able to meet many other MBA student.

It was refreshing. So many other students are in the same position as I am. We're all a little bit nervous, a little bit scared, and equally parts excited. 

Aside from my own drive and others telling me I can succeed my real drive is my sister Jenny. You can check out her inspiration at her blog Jenny bomb is losing it . 

Things that are worth it are NOT easy. They're a challenge, and you can't do it without a great support system and so I say to you jenny B. I promise NOT to lose it and drop out of my MBA program if you continue to promise to lose it and become the healthiest you, you can be.

I love you.

First semester, I'm coming strong!

Sheryl