THICK AND FIT!

Thick and Fit!

This is for all of my sistahs out there J. It is possible to keep your plump round booty and still work out!

Not to say that all sistahs want to be thick but let’s be real, many of us are. Heck half of America is overweight. According to the body mass index (BMI) that is currently used, the last time I was weighed technically I am overweight for my height although I can fit a 4/6. So it’s not all about what society says you should look like but more importantly what you are comfortable with.

Growing up I ate whatever I wanted, entire pizzas, whole gallons of Eddy’s Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream and I didn’t seem to gain any weight. I was always skinny but I desired to be thick. I guess I was watching too many videos and got wrapped up in Sir Mix-A-Lots baby got back. Anyway, it wasn’t until after I turned 22 that I began gaining weight. That was attributed to me going out to the clubs drinking modestly but eating afterwards late night. The thickness came, then I had my son and the thickness went. Don’t get me wrong no complaints here as many women have children, pack on pounds and have a difficult time getting it off.

Let me clarify something, I no longer eat like that. I drink 8, 8oz glasses of water daily, eat fruits and veggies, bake all my food, rarely eat fried foods. More so for my health and my heart than my weight, however. Nevertheless, I am not on a diet in the least bit if I want chocolate cake, brownies, ice cream etc. I am going to eat it and not feel guilty about it. So I am grateful right now for my size and weight just want to trim my mid-section and strengthen my core.

Ladies, our core is vital to our health; that goes for men as well. The larger the waist line the greater your chance of heart disease and other illnesses. So what am I saying, forget about your hair, forget about the thought of losing your derriere and get the moving, get active.

However, as the title says, you can be thick and fit. I admittedly have fallen in love with yoga, Pilates, and I now have a ballet stretch workoutthat I do for increased flexibility. All of these exercises will keep your thickness and give you more fitness and flexibility too. Note: I rarely sweat when doing any of the above mentioned workouts, so you don’t have to worry about your hair, but I do see the benefits.

Flexibility is key especially as we grow older. Weight training is also important. No you don’t have to look like a bulky weight builder but trust me your bones will thank you especially in your 60s, 70s, and 80s. With all that said, don’t forget to stretch regularly. Stretching helps avoid bulking and keeps your muscles long and lean.

To get fit, no you do not need a gym membership or expensive gym equipment. You can do crunches, sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks, squats etc. at home. There are no excuses. I am a huge fan of DVDs I work out in my bedroom, the gym is not for me. Now if you want to go to the gym or invest in gym equipment by all means. I myself want an elliptical to add more cardio to my workout. The point is again, no excuses.

While my hope is that we are all eating more healthy foods than non-healthy foods. Diet is the key to weight loss. So if you don’t want to lose weight you don’t have to, you can exercise and simply tone, keeping your thickness but getting fit.

So in a nut shell whatever type of exercise you do, walking, running, hitting the gym, and working out in your home doing traditional moves or with a DVD. Do something, at least 3X per week for a minimum of 20 minutes. If possible at least stretch every day, trust me your body will love you for it.

No matter what your size, weight or shape, be fit and fabulous and love yourself!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

THE ABUNDANT LIFE

On Sunday, Creflo Dollar blessed me with a powerful message on abundance. He defined abundance as prospering in every area of your life. Consequently he defined poverty as lack in any area of your life.

Now some may consider Creflo Dollar as a prosperity preacher but who doesn’t want to be prosperous in life? Well, I know I do and I pray that you do as well. Although he is termed a “prosperity preacher” he made it perfectly clear abundance is not just simply about money. I heard someone say, Michael Jackson had amassed great wealth but he couldn’t sleep at night. So having money and needing help to sleep is not an abundant life because there exist lack. There is no price for peace of mind and the ability to close your eyes at night and sleep peacefully.

Our desire should be abundance in every area of our lives; health, finances, mind, body, soul, spirit, relationships, career, job, business, etc. All at the same time not one, the other, or some but ALL.
3 John 1:2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (NIV)

Yahweh wants you to prosper as your soul prospers. Your financial situation shouldn’t be on the rise and your spirit is in disarray, or you are suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, anything. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (to the full, overflowing). With every organ intact, free of sickness and disease, healed by his stripes.

So, what was Creflo’s formula for the abundant life, outside of the obvious obedience to the Word of Yahweh, our words! Speak abundance in every area of your life; call those things that are not as though they were. Don’t tell it like it is, don’t speak what you see, speak what you want things to be.

Thank Yahweh that your business in prospering, you are able to pay your employees a hefty salary, and end up in the black at the end of the year while your business continually grows. When you receive your paycheck, thank Yahweh that you have more than enough to pay your bills, save, invest, and spend on frivolous purchases as well as give to others. As the entire purpose of being blessed is to be a blessing to others when we can. We are not to hoard our money but to give to the needy and share what we have. This includes are time, resources, and knowledge as well. Again, it is not all about money. Don’t get me wrong absolutely save and invest but don’t shy away from giving.

Thank Yahweh daily that you have abundance in your health. That you are healthy, of sound mind, your spirit is at ease EVEN IF IT IS NOT!

This morning Joel sent a powerful message about how our mouths determine the direction of our lives and where we are in life. It is a message you will see me mention over and over again because it is true and there is power in the spoken word. The words we speak have the power to give life to a situation or to kill a situation.

I have said this before but I will say it again, be mindful of what you speak over your life as well as someone else’s. You cannot bless yourself and curse someone else for you are cancelling out your own blessings!!!!!!!!!!!

Whatever area you have lack, poverty, speak abundance over it right now and often. Whatever area you have abundance in, continue to speak abundance over it and live the blessed life!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Talk Is Cheap, Be A Doer

Over the weekend many in our nation celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many businesses in the private and the public sector closed for the day. The NBA had numerous games on yesterday and used the day as a platform to educate viewers on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I am a twitter fanatic and someone posted an interesting tweet loosely quoted, “don’t just remember Dr. King during this time, do something whatever it is you can do to keep his legacy alive.” A lot of times we forget to be doers. There are many people that talk and reflect about the injustices that happened to African Americans during and after slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, and now.

People assemble in round table discussions, town hall meetings, and even in simple gatherings in the privacy of homes and talk about what needs to be done. Talk, talk, talk, talk, all a lot of people do is talk.

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  The youth these days need direction


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  Music these days doesn’t talk about anything


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  So much is going on in our communities something needs to change;

and other things to that effect. Yes, it is great to talk about these things but action is necessary. I watched a documentary this weekend Crips and Bloods: Made In America. The documentary started back before the Watts riots. A gentleman on the documentary said that it was not a riot, but guerilla warfare, the youth was fed up with how things were in LA. Blacks weren’t allowed to go past certain streets, men/boys pulled over by the police for no reason, and countless other wrongs/injustices that were going on. So they came together and took action. Their weapons, they used the bricks from the dilipated buildings in their neighborhood, they felt that the stench alone would drive the National guard and police insane, their weapons was their own worn down raggedy neighborhood. Now they could’ve just talked amongst themselves about how bad things were but they didn’t. After they talked, they devised a strategy and took action. [Shortly thereafter the Black Panther party arose, then came Malcolm, Martin and other influential leaders. Once these leaders were jailed and or murdered, the Crips arose and then the Bloods formed as a rival gang.]

It is time for us to be doers. Many people say this isn’t the olden days we don’t march any more. It warmed my heart that a group of teachers and people in Chicago marched this weekend to protest the closing of a school in the Marquette area. They were marching against the injustice of the school system and their decision to turn the school over to a private company, fire all of the teachers and administrators and start anew instead of giving the current school the resources it needs to flourish and be successful.

So with the passing of Dr. King’s birthday and holiday, it is important for us to remember his legacy but to also carry it on. Volunteer, mentor, give back (money, resources, time, services), stand for a cause, join the occupy movement (if you agree with it) do whatever you can but whatever you do, don’t be a talker be a doer, do something!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials
http://epiphanyessentials.blogspot.com

YOUR FICO SHOULD BE 700 OR ABOVE

I was watching Black Enterprise Business Report this morning and one of the first ways mentioned to create wealth was to have a credit score of 700 or higher.

Most people don't understand credit and how their credit score is calculated. I watched an episode of Washington Watch with Roland Martin about credit score and it was determined that no one can truly tell you how your credit score is calculated.

Let me be clear when you have money $$$$$ you don't need credit. What do I mean by that. Roland Martin spoke on how he paid cash for his car, pays his credit cards off immediately and doesn't have any revolving credit or debt therefore his credit score is low. However, he pays cash for everything!

If you are not in a position to pay cash for your new car, home, investment property etc. It is important that your credit score is as high as possible, as the highest the credit score the lower the interest rate, usually.

So what is my advice:

Pay yourself/Yahweh 1st
Save
Invest (IRA, insurance, stocks, bonds)
Pay your bills on time
Avoid store credit cards
Use credit cards for emergencies only
Have an emergency savings fund
Live below your means
Keep your debt to income ratio low

If you do these things you should have a nice savings, good investment fund, and good credit.

Keep in mind this is just a general post, a starting post, by all means do your research and dig deeper.

NOTE: WHEN YOU OBTAIN YOUR CREDIT SCORE MAKE SURE YOU OBTAIN YOUR FICO SCORE. THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPANIES SELLING CREDIT SCORES HOWEVER WHEN DETERMINING YOUR INTEREST RATES, BANKS USE YOUR FICO SCORE. KNOW YOUR FICO SCORE!!!!


Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

GET STARTED BUT MAKE SURE YOU FINISH

I was reading this month issue of Black Enterprise magazine and I was once again inspired, inspired to do more and to be more. I shared with a co-worker this inspiration and he told me, “You are already motivated to be a business owner/entrepreneur.” He was 100% correct, I went back to my desk and I sent him an IM that stated I realized I am a great starter however I need to be a great finisher. HE then responded that I made him look in the mirror himself as he felt the say way.

When I get an idea, I am on fire, I do research, create presentations, tell others about my idea and what I am going to do and then somewhere I lose steam, the gas runs out and instead of going to refuel I abandon the car on the side of the road.
Am I the only one who has abandoned cars on the side of the road? Are there any cars that you have abandoned in your life for whatever reason? If the answer is yes, I encourage you to go to the gas station buy a gas container go back to your abandoned car and fill it up get in put the key in the ignition and get back on the road.
It is great to be able to start something as there are many people who don’t even do that. Yet, starting is not enough finishing is the most important thing. Oddly, we learn a lot from our parents and pick up a lot of things from them that we don’t realize. My mother herself is a great starter, a woman full of wonderful ideas; however she needs to become a great finisher.

So I choose to be the change in my family and start following through and finishing things that I start. I know what I want in life, I am well educated, and I know a lot of the right people, the only thing that has kept me from finishing and reaching my true potential is I.

It could be fear, laziness, complacency, lack of motivation etc. Whatever it is, on this day, I choose to push that all aside, follow through and finish!
How do you finish you may ask? You choose to finish, you make the conscious decision to do better. I read a blog post from The Daily Love the greatest force in our lives is our power to choose. You may say, you didn’t choose your parents, your family, where or how you were born, you didn’t choose the tax bracket you were born in be it poverty, working class, middle class, wealthy. You are 100% correct but everyday now in your adult life you have the power to choose where you will go, what you will watch/read/hear/see/be/do. You choose, you choose, you choose!
Make the choice to be a great starter and a great finisher today. Let’s stand together and hold each other accountable.

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

I DON'T DO BUDGETS!

One of my readers wrote in, in response to my blog last week on Financial Fitness for the New Year; they don’t have a budget they don’t believe in budgets. I happen to know this person well and I told him, you may not believe in budgets but I know for a fact that you keep track of your money/spending and you know where you money is going. He replied back that I was correct.

So for those who may not be good with budgets, don’t believe in budgets, don’t want to create a budget the most important thing is to KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING! Know what you are spending where and how much, know what you are saving etc. My consumer economics teacher in high school wrote down everything that he spent down to a $.30 pack of gum. That was a bit excessive to me and that is something I personally would not do but that worked for him. So do what works for you to ensure you are financially fit. If what you are doing isn’t working, do something else. Remember: If you don’t know where your money is going it will disappear!

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials

Financial Fitness for the New Year!

Well, 2012 is here, now what? I saw a lot of tweets saying if you said 2009, 2010, and 2011 were going to be your year and nothing happened in those years what makes you think it is going to happen in 2012?

It won’t happen just because you say so and positive thinking will not make it happen either although a positive attitude is a great start. How so you ask, say you are on a sinking ship and you think positive thoughts, the ship is still sinking! You need to say something and do something to ensure that you don’t go down with the ship, get my point? I hope so….

So one of your goals/resolutions is hopefully to be in a better financial position at the end of 2012 then you were at the end of 2011. As I would hope everyone’s goal is to do better and improve each year.

The first and most important thing to have is a budget. You must have a clear understanding of how much money you bring in and how much money you shell out. That means a written budget by the way, keeping track in your mind and having a round-about idea does not count! Now that you have your budget, stick to it to the best of your abilities.

Savings, I read a great snippet about saving in Black Enterprise. The article was directed toward women. So ladies, think about the purse you are carrying right now, how much did it cost? Now consider the contents of your purse, your cell phone, make-up, gadgets, etc. that you carry around daily. How much did they cost? Add it all up, once you add it up ask yourself did you save that much money last month? Hell did you save that much money last year?, if the answer is no, you are hustling backwards!

It is so easy for people to say, I can’t save I don’t make enough money, I am barely making ends meet. Everyone, I repeat, everyone can save. My grandmother is on an extremely fixed income and manages to save money regularly. It is all about budget, moderation, and right now denial for later gain thinking. I don’t care if you save a penny a day, save something.

Now for those of you that save and invest already, keep up the good work, continue to review your investment portfolios and make changes where needed, think long term investing and don’t be moved by the current changes in the market.

Most importantly above all else, enjoy your life. Don’t get so caught up on saving, investing, and pinching pennies that you are trapped in the house for fear of spending too much money. Simply, be wise, for “a fool and his money are soon parted.”

By the way, I am a huge believer in Upromise www.upromise.com initially they allowed people to register their credit cards, grocery/gas cards etc and earn money from qualifying purchases on-line, in restaurants, and grocery stores to save toward their children’s college tuition. Now the program is open to anyone you can save for yourself or use the money to pay down your student loans. Whatever it is, if you enjoy shopping on-line, dining out, and you go to the grocery store regularly the program has something for you.

So let’s all become and/or maintain our financial fitness for 2012 and beyond!


Great Articles to read:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/19vkZU/www.blackenterprise.com/2012/01/04/7-signs-that-you-are-a-woman-behaving-wealthy/

http://www.blackenterprise.com/2011/12/23/3-ways-to-achieve-your-financial-new-years-resolution-in-just-30-days/

Be a blessing and be blessed,
Epiphany Essentials