Keeping in Step

     Hello Friends! Have you heard the old adage, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." While that piece of sage advice may be true, what it fails to mention is, the journey of a thousand miles does not end after that single step. It requires taking that step, and then another, and another, and another, and another. 

    You see, we are all on journeys. Maybe it's a health journey, a relationship journey, a growth journey, a parenting journey, or a career journey. And even after we take the steps to get started, if we want to succeed and ultimately reach the destination, it demands that we put in the necessary footwork to get there. 

    Too often we think when we begin on a new endeavor that we can just take that first giant leap, and suddenly arrive where we wanted to be. But the truth is, anything worthwhile will require us to put in time and effort, over, and over, and over again. You can't just tell your spouse you love them once and assume that will carry forward for a lifetime. You must demonstrate it day in and day out if you want a relationship to remain strong. You can't eat one salad and lose fifty pounds and be healthy forever. You have to put nutritious food in day after day and move your body consistently to achieve results. 

    Our society has tricked us into believing in fast food results for everything. We think overnight success is the norm, and we get frustrated and discouraged when results elude us after one or two steps. But if we begin the journey with the vision of it being a journey, we will not grow weary and give up after the first five steps, or ten steps, or twenty. We will know that the thousand-mile journey requires 10,000 hours and even more steps. We will know that the joy is in the journey AND in the destination, and so we will press forward, one baby step at a time. 

    Today, no matter what you are journeying toward, and whether you have just taken the first step, or if you have been traveling for some time, keep the thousand-mile journey in your mind. Life is an adventure made up of a lot of steps. Don't give up. Keep moving in the direction of your dreams, day, after day, after day. I can't wait to see you succeed!

Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, 

for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

~K.L.W.

106 Things

   Hi Friends! I hope you got a chance to watch my video this week and have been taking some time to think about the things you would like to accomplish in your life. You see, too often we get caught up in the mundane and forget to challenge ourselves, to look for excitement, and to make the most of this beautiful life we've been given. I'm not a country music fan, (I know, I know, please don't unfriend me), but I want to remind you of a popular country song, "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw. 

    The truth is, a lot of us forget that we don't have to be dying to live to the fullest. We can seize every moment and every day, because in reality, we all will die someday, and none of us knows when that day is. So why not live each day like it's our last? Today, I want to challenge you to do two things. The first, is to write out what you would do if today were your last day on earth. Really take some time to sit with this idea and ask yourself what you care the most about. Chances are, many of the things you would want to do on your last day on earth are things you can do right here and now. Things like time with friends and family, maybe taking a trip, maybe just going for a walk and savoring the moment. We would all be much more satisfied with our lives if we invested our daily time and energy into the things we care most about, those "last day of our lives" items. 

    The second thing I want to challenge you with today is to make yourself a Life List. My list started as 103 things back in 2016, and it has grown to 106. This is a list of big and little accomplishments. These are things to get excited about, to work toward, and to grow and stretch for. I wrote about my list in 104 Things. And today, I want to give you some updates, and maybe some ideas for things you can put on your list. 

     Here's a few things I haven't accomplished yet, but I am working towards:  Speak fluent Spanish, Take my son to Egypt, Ride an Elephant, Swim with Sharks, Have a star named after me, Visit St. Judes and give books to the kids, Take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Live abroad for a year.

    And here's the ones I have accomplished. (Some pictures included). You'll just have to trust me on the ones I don't have pictures of. 

    Publish a Book - April 2019 (I have three published books, and more coming soon!)

    Get some Tattoos - July 2019 (I have five now)

 

    Ride a camel - July 2019

    Own a hot tub - October 2020

    Make good cookies - December 2017

    Successfully grow a plant - June 2020

    Enjoy our wedding and reception - October 2016

(Photo credit: Yacqueline Hoefler)

(Photo Credit: Barns and Bows Photography)

    Start a blog - April 2018 (Here we are 4 years later!) 

    Ride the banana boat - August 2017

    Help out at a soup kitchen - September 2017

    Try sound bathing - June 2020 (I highly recommend checking this out. I went to Center for Sound Therapy)

    Take Aden to Disney - January 2019

    And many more to come! I hope my list inspires you to make a list for your own life of big and small things. Things for others and things for yourself. Big dreams and little goals. Put them down. And then start checking them off. It's a beautiful life if you make it that way. I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.L.W. 

    

The X Factor Depends on Why

   Hi Friends! I hope you are diving into the new year and making progress on your goals. However, if you are flagging, studies show you aren't alone. According to an article on inc.com, 80% of people have given up on their goals by the second week of February. Ouch. That's not a great statistic. So how can you make sure you stay in the 20% who stick it out? Well, for starters, you need motivation. But not just any motivation. 

    There are several types of motivation, and each one will only take you so far. Perhaps you've heard of external motivation. Using some sort of a reward to motivate yourself, such as a trip, a new pair of jeans, or a day out with friends can help you to stick to your goals short-term, but ultimately, extrinsic motivation will not get you through the long haul. You might be all about the "revenge-body," but when the rubber hits the road, something outside yourself probably won't be enough to keep you moving, even if it is the stunned face of your ex-lover. 

    The second type of motivation you may have heard of is internal or intrinsic motivation. This will take you a little farther, because it comes from within yourself. It is usually based on a strong feeling, and this can propel you to stick with it longer. The problem is, we all only have so much will power, and if you are solely relying on your internal motivation to keep you going, there will come a point where that will peter out. You will be too tired, get decision fatigue, and probably quit somewhere along the way. 

    So if external motivation works for the short-term, and internal motivation won't carry us through the toughest days, what is the answer to building unstoppable motivation? The key is something called "Why." Having a why melds the external and the internal. A why is connected to your very core, your passion, your desires, what you care most about, and this will drive you forward. But a why is also connected extrinsically, because your why should be service based. Therefore, not only is your passion and purpose on the line, you have other people at stake too. 

    Finding your why truly gives you the x factor you need to move forward and stick to your goals even when the going gets tough. Compounding your goals by the power of why will bring you exponential results, because you are motivated by your deepest purpose, values, and desires, and you are driven forward by the understanding that others depend on you to succeed. If you aren't sure what your why is or how to discover it, you can check out the video I made for you this week. You can be in the 20% who stays on the path to victory. 2022 is the time to conquer your goals and dreams, and I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K. L. W. 

Photo courtesy of Christopher Hoefler

A Fresh Take on the New Year

   Hello Friends! Welcome to 2022! I hope you are off to a good start. I know these first few days have been so exciting for me, and I believe the best is yet to come. 

  Recently I heard someone talking about the fact that she does not like the term "New Year, New You." Because this implies there was something wrong with you before, and she doesn't like that people feel they have to change themselves when the new year starts. And while I can sympathize with that idea, and I do think you should love and appreciate yourself no matter where you are at on your journey, I actually love the "New Year New You" movement, and here's why. 

  I believe that each and every one of us is on our own unique journey, and we are in the process of growing. There are always areas we can be better in, new ways we can stretch ourselves, and new milestones to reach for. But often times, we get caught up in the daily grind, slugging it out, trying to get ahead. We get bogged down with our habits and routines, or we get bored with where we are at. But the new year gives us an opportunity to change all that. 

  The new year offers us an opportunity to see ourselves with fresh eyes again. It's a chance to reset, refresh, build new habits, change directions, or simply see your day to day with a new sense of wonder and excitement. No, you won't be a brand new, perfect you when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, but you do have the opportunity to turn the page, take a deep breath, and dive into a new adventure. 

  Realistically, every day and every moment, we have the ability to reset, but we don't often take advantage of it. That's why the new year is the perfect time, when the whole world is thinking about becoming fresh and new. So, whatever you are taking on this year, whether you are making some major changes, or just embracing your every day with a fresh perspective, I hope that you will take joy in the new year and in the new you you get to create every day. Happy New Year! I can't wait to see you succeed!

Proverbs 4:18

"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day."

~K. L. W.