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My 23rd Anniversary

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy Anniversary to me!!! Today, July 2nd 2019 I celebrate 23 years in Atlanta, GA and in the United States. I will also take the opportunity to wish America, Happy Anniversary as well ❤  

I have clear memories of the day I arrived and most of my first day. It seems like yesterday.

Thank you, America for the opportunities it has provided me with, for people I have met and been part of my journey, for the relationships I have built, and for offering a space for so much personal growth.

Cheers to the future. Cheers to living intentionally. Cheers to minutes, days, years, and decades filled with growth, success, transformation, and significance ahead.

I was so pumped that I jumped on social media to share a few words. Below is the download of the recording of the live video. Cheers to voice over video quality!

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Tenacity or Stupidity

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In today’s Hump Day Energy Recharge, I am going to repurpose my virtual mentor, John Maxwell, talk about tenacity.

As your friend and as a holistic coach and trainer, I am upgrading you to a CHO (Chief Health Officer) of your life. 

Are you a leader at your job, community, family, school or anywhere? If you think you are in place you are operating within your comfort zone and taking it easy, I am inviting you to take the leadership of your life through your health? It’s YOU versus YOU! Nobody else to report to. However, you will need to recruit some peeps. Build or rebuild your health village.

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Latest News Mindset | Mindfulness | Growth

Going Against The Grain?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]***Before you and I get carried away, do not forget to register for tomorrow, 3/28/19, Join The Conversation Webinar Series with Caitlin Samson. Register HERE to join LIVE or catch the REPLAY.***

 

In today’s Hump Day Energy Recharge, I am going to talk about steps you can take when you find yourself going against the grain and non-linear growth, more specifically to your health/wellness/fitness

Let me ask you this…

Do you feel like you’re going against the grain?

Do you feel stuck and stagnant?

Perhaps, you’re going and going but not going anywhere…It’s like being on a treadmill. You are moving, sweating, getting tired, but staying put.

You say to yourself ‘Oh my God, I’m not moving forward, not succeeding, not progressing at the way and speed I wanted.

Have you gone through that? I have been there and done that many times.

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What’s Wrong With You?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In today’s Hump Day Energy Recharge, we are going to talk about small steps you can make to take charge of your brain so you CAN change and sustain healthier habits. Habits that whether you admit you want to implement or not.

Perhaps you have tried multiple times to change certain habits and despite all your efforts, many do not STICK!

If you have struggled as much as I had in the past and as much as most of my clients do when they get started their health journeys with me, this week’s Energy Recharge video is for you.

In addition to having tried numerous times to change these habits without much sustainable success…

  1. Is it possible that your mindset is in your way to starting and staying on your desired path?
  2. Have you asked yourself, WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?

Heck, I have asked myself this question thousands of times

Let me just say, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU!!!

I’ll tell you why and how to shake things up for better. Watch the video now, OK?

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Energy Boosters & Zappers Mindset | Mindfulness | Growth

Reinvent Yourself. It’s Valentine’s!

HaHa…Single peeps like myself celebrate Valentine’s too!

My life took an unexpected huge turn on Valentine’s day evening of 2005. In hindsight, there is no doubt I’d have become who I am today, transformed my lifestyle, health, career, and gone through the personal growth journey I’ve been if that life event had not happened. Bumps, hardships, sickness, failures, whatever shitty thing happens to us are opportunities-doors. Opportunities to pause, reevaluate, change, take inventory, learn lessons. They are signs to MAKE A TURN to another direction. This direction will lead us to be better and stronger, go further.
We don’t necessarily know when these betterments will be realized and like we hear, ‘after the storm comes sunshine. The unknown and lack of direction or even hope–regardless the period of time, can be devasting. We do not like it. I think the more open we are, capable of listening, take time to ‘process’, keep a growth mindset, focus on the positive, remove the source of negativity as much as possible, the faster we will realize the goodies. When we step up to the challenge, we go places.
As we continue to pursue growth, more bumps will show up and eventually we build resilience and start reacting to these bumps with a more curious, positive, and opportunistic perspective. In the end, it’s how we react to circumstances in life. We choose. We decide. It’s under our control. It’s my choice, my decision, my life and I take full ownership for my steps.
I wish I could say I was as knowledgeable, intuitive, and emotionally and mentally healthier back then. Yet, I believe it was part of my journey. It was meant to happen. The next three years after that day were brutal but I got through.  Once I felt I was back on my feet, I realized I was living like a freaking robot: wake up, work hard, hang out with friends, travel some, eat whatever was easier and fast, play volleyball, sleep some, and do it all over again.
At that time, I also realized I was empty inside. I had stopped learning. So I decided to go back to school and the next phases of growth and changes started quickly. It started in 2009 with my Executive MBA program at Emory University. It pushed me to limits I didn’t know I was capable of. I learned a great deal about myself and others.  Overall, these personal and behavior learning experiences were incredibly valuable to me.
At the end of 2010, soon after completing the MBA, the next phase growth started. I realized I needed to take care of myself, think long-term, and do whatever it was needed to grow old and stay content (physical and cognitive health). The forever schooling, learning, and experimental journal started all over again. Little I knew that a few years later, I would be taking a leap of faith to follow this passion and help people transform their health, minds, and bodies after I had gone through my own—and by the way, I still am and will be forever.
Just like shit happens for reasons, I believe everyone we meet offers a gift and a new perspective. I also believe it is my responsibility to be fully present and engaged to receive and give back. It is a beautiful thing.
Being a solo-entrepreneur since 2015 continues to challenge all aspects of my life. The journey of this start-up has taken its own life 🙂 I am not the same person, hence, the business is not the same. My choices, personal growth programs I’ve attended, coaches, clients, strangers, revamped interests, environment and people I’ve, pitfalls, failures, exhaustion, loneliness, and more have contributed to the changes, self-discovery journey.
It gets hard, frustrating, lonely, and all sorts of ‘stuff’. Nonetheless, the rewards reaped by changing people’s lives, being part of their journey during good and bad days, the look on their eyes, smiles, laughs, and tears, the hugs, the deep and vulnerable conversations, the relationships built, the amazing people I’ve met, and so much more are the rewards and satisfaction I have never felt and experienced before.
If I could do what I do for free, I would do in a heartbeat. And I will continue to challenge myself, put myself outside the comfort zone so I can grow as a person, as an entrepreneur, as a speaker, as a coach, as a mentor, as a trainer so I can deliver more, inspire more people, attract the right people so that I can get my non-profit going in the future.
I will continue to grind because I don’t want to end my life with any freaking WHAT IFs…WHAT IF I have done x,w,z?  The reality is that all these ‘things’ would have been totally up to me, I would have been willing to do the hard and unconventional work. I can’t live with WHAT IFs. My health journey and doing all I can to prevent diseases has a lot to do what the WHAT IFs. It kills me to imagine me on my deathbed thinking of stuff I would have liked to have accomplished, gone places, laughed more, etc and did not. Why didn’t I?  Poor health, energy, ability to move on my own feet? Limiting beliefs that stopped me from breaking down walls and have not WHAT IFs? NO NO NO. I DO NOT WANT ANY OF THIS. So, I keep going even when voices inside say I should not, I am crazy. I know I have work to do, internal walls to break, so I do have WHAT IF’s hanging.
I am still learning to ask for help and these days nobody will offer to help you unless you ask. Then, many times when we ask, heads turn the other way like and we are ignored. Ignored by people who we thought were your friends or at least you thought you meant a little more than ‘that’.
That’s when you realize you are kinda alone on the entrepreneurship road and to a certain degree alone in life when you do things that many will not. That’s when you realize you must take inventory of what and who brings me energy and zap my energy–you need the people who will be HAPPY for your wins. That’s when you realize your time is the most valuable asset. That’s when you realize you need to reevaluate the people you hang out with. That’s when you realize it’s time to find out who cares about you as much as you care for them—is it reciprocal? if it is not, it’s time to face the fact you must recategorize your relationships. That’s when you realize your DREAM is your DREAM and nobody gives a shit. It was my CHOICE. That’s when you realize you should NOT expect anyone to give a shit. It’s YOUR dream. It’s my dream. Everyone is busy living their lives. The truth is, we are not that important. It is just the way it is. It is the way life has evolved. As a society, it feels like we continue to move from a lifestyle of WE to I. During these times, it’s self-care time. Each one of us must make ourselves important and a priority. These are times to reinvent ourselves–it’s a healthy thing!
Honestly, this whole thing was hard to swallow it. When I finally came to terms with this reality, which has been fairly recently–thanks to the amazing Lisa Nichols, things started to make more sense. I started to let some resentment and sadness. I started to let go of some negative energy that has been internalized. I started to create space. I am still working on this ‘release’ project. The great thing is that I am aware of and taking action. When we seek, we eventually find. It has also been a huge relief. In 2016, John Maxwell’s teaching of “we should give unconditionally and expect nothing in return” finally made sense. I had understood but not accepted at the time. It’s not easy, yet, he is right and it makes sense NOW.
self-love-health-fitness-coach. Online. In-Person in AtlantaI’ve come to the conclusion that despite all, I gotta continue to do the ‘right’ thing, continue to stretch my capabilities, abilities, mindset, and belief system. I must wake up in the morning expecting great results, no matter what I see in front of me. And that Universe is rearranging itself for my best interest! I know that alone I cannot do it.
 
So, yes, just because the day it is, I am going to be extra kind to myself, be grateful for my journey, celebrate steps I’ve taken and ‘offered’ by the Universe, and welcome continuous opportunities and growth!
 
I wish you do something similar for yourself. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Make 2019 a Mind Blowing Year

In 2014, Avril Lavigne, was diagnosed with Lyme disease, a very complex autoimmune disease. Honestly, I do not follow her as an artist and had no idea until I came across this article by E.T. today. The disease took her down for a while. What is quite awesome about her story is that hitting her bottom helped her come out stronger and make amazing and inspiring work. The video is stunning and the message is beautiful. From my perspective, she was able to share her emotions vividly. I felt them.

Life throws small, big, short, and lengthy curveballs at us. It is easy to wrap ourselves with pain, despair, hate, and so many negative emotions. Many people I meet do not realize they are trapped. It’s a fact that most people express their negative emotions and thoughts more often than that the positive ones. These unhelpful emotions are in social media, emails, text messages, media, spoken words, non-verbal expressions, and especially through incongruent actions–think, say, and want ” x ” but practice ” y “. Do you know anyone living under these circumstances?

This is real. It happens. It’s part of being a human. I am not perfect either. What I have been doing really well is to catch myself, stop, breath, evaluate, adjust my mindset, and proceed. High levels of stress can impact this process. Managing my stress has become a key priority for many reasons, including this one. I truly believe these bumps are signs and opportunities to better ourselves, to take us to the next level.

As a health and fitness coach, a fundamental all-in-one health pillar I help my clients with is mindset, values, outlook, attitude, and goals. Part of my job is to help people stay in optimistic throughout the journey, focused on making progress, remove debris out of their way by helping them implement life, health, and fitness strategies. Help them discover solutions while encouraging them to ‘see’ the positive angle of their hardships. Help them be part of the solution. Be part of their support system, one that is biased their short and long-term health and well-being. I am convinced that a healthy lifestyle is our ticket to living life to the fullest with more joy and fulfillment.

The way we react to these bumps in life is essential to good health. The quality of energy we allow in and out is essential to good health. The beauty is that you and I are in control of that part. Sometimes we need help to see and change. And that’s ok.

As you wrap up the year, I truly hope you are taking time to reflect, highlight and opportunities and growth and use of bumps and fortunes to plan for an amazing year.

P.S. Interested in learning more about the process I use to wrap up and start a year? Check out my last newsletter HERE.

….
Lavigne, who co-wrote the song, explained the detailed inspiration behind the video in a statement to ET. “One night, I thought I was dying, and I had accepted that I was going to die,” she recalled. “My mom laid with me in bed and held me. I felt like I was drowning. Under my breath, I prayed ‘God, please help to keep my head above the water.'” Full article and video HERE.

If you do want to miss hearing from me, here are the options I recommend to stay connected:

  1. Sign-up for my newsletter HERE.
  2. Like and follow me on Facebook HERE – where I share my workouts and other news.
  3. Join my Be Fab – Be You Tribe HERE (closed Facebook group)

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21:21 A Journey Of No Regrets

WOW to July 2, 2017! It is a big day. 21:21 a journey of no regrets – I have spent half of my lifetime in Brazil and the other half in Atlanta. I remember about every hour of  7/2/1996 in ATL.

I am so grateful for the opportunities and the people I’ve met in this country. I came because I was seeking self improvement and growth in my early career in international business. I left family, boyfriend, school, and an amazing job in pursue of a brighter future. I had a J1 Visa for one year. It went from J1 to H1B to Green Card and soon citizenship.

I have faced many hard decisions. Every time I had to decide stay or go back home, I asked myself ‘what if’. At young age, I knew one thing about myself…the uncertainty or feeling of regret was something I was going to deal well. I am still pursuing the same thing–I do not want to feel regrets or at least keep them to a minimum.

I have made many hard decisions and as I continue to grow, seek opportunities, and help others, I expect nothing more than many others ahead. The hardest decision in the last 3 years was to leave corporate that kept me financially stable for years, to follow my passion to educate and help others with their health and well-being 2.5 years ago.

It was the birth of www.BeFabBeYou.com. Besides helping people with lifestyle changes, getting them healthier and happier, I have been stepping outside my comfortable zone, reaching the bottom, getting up, being vulnerable, getting help, finding my tribe of trusted people, confronting my limiting beliefs, and losing and winning battles.

This stuff is not easy, yet I appreciate this journey and especially the amazing people I have been surrounding myself with. I feel I’ve grown more in the last 2 years than 10 years combined. It’s been a deeper connection and level of conversation I have with myself.

Learn-Reflect-Apply-Change-Teach.

This is a forever deal! Every opportunity in front of us is a door. More doors we open, more opportunities come. It is our CHOICE to stay put and comfortable, take a step in the right or wrong direction, add or not value to others, slow life down or jump into our passions, explore the big why, and so on.

One thing I continue to learn is that health is the foundational for living life to the fullest. That is important to me.

What’s important to you? What’s Your Big Way?

Thanks for being part of my life and thanks for letting me be part of yours.

Cheers to this beautiful and pinnacle day. Cheers to a healthy you!

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2016 Reflections. 2017 Inspiration.

2017 cheer

I hope you had an amazing holiday season and were able to reflect upon 2016 accomplishments and growth opportunities. I am VERY EXCITED about 2017!

I also hope 01/01/17 was as beautiful and amazing as mine. I spent passage at a friend’s house, reconnected with my peeps, and met new ones.

At 8:00 AMmastermind call I was on my first call with mastermind group of wellness coaches led by Dr. Gabby Pelicci. I am excited about the new weekly accountability to get ‘stuff’ done, help and learn from other wellness coaches.

Then, I grabbed my 23-pound backpack and went for a 7 miles hike at Henry Falls Trail on Cochran Mill Part. The weather was not the best and as expected, nobody confirmed ‘YES’ to my invitation. I was determined, rain or shine, nothing was going to stop me. I was at peace and safe inside with my decision of making an exception and going alone. Good angels were hiking just by my side 🙂

hiker and runnersIt was incredible—the rain stopped and I enjoyed the sounds of birds, crickets, whatever else in nature, and waterfall. A deers were running around too. It wasn’t until my last mile, I saw humans.

Coincidently, we meet again at the parking lot and chatted for 20 minutes. Despite how amazing it was, I DO NOT RECOMMEND HIKING ALONE.

 

hiking henry falls

Check out here the New Year’s video I recorded in the woods. If you love to hear the sound of water, click here, close your years and enjoy it!

Before I discuss resolutions and goals for 2017, please allow me to share a little bit of my 2016 with you. The circumstances, learnings, and self-exploration are reasons I feel and believe 2017 will be awesome!

 

2016 was about personal growth for me!

The process helped grow BeFab – Be You and provide me add more value to my clients. I attribute a good part to my growth to a business and marketing coach I hired earlier in the year. I was stuck, exhausted, working like a maniac without relative benefits, and let myself and the business go to a direction that did not align with my values, vision, and goals. Finally, I hit a point of no return. I didn’t have the money to afford her, but I realized I was at a point I could NOT continue without accountability, support, and unbiased conversations from a professional.

breaking wallThe process of breaking my walls, transforming beliefs, and venturing into TAKING IMPERFECT ACTION was painful, yet needed. So you have an idea, three out of twelve sessions with Krista, I cried the entire 45 minutes.

It wasn’t until a series of emails I exchanged with her after had spent two sessions in a row crying and ‘getting nothing done’ that I woke up. I realized that she was closing myself to her coaching and possibilities—why did I hire her for, right? She was doing and being what I do and I am to my clients. Ironically real!

Being vulnerable and congruent are essential traits when it comes to personal growing. I strive to build and offer my clients that kind of environment so I can help them unstuck and shine.

That said, I feel very comfortable sharing a few blurbs of messages I exchanged with my coach. The work I put into each one of them and many more, helped me take actions that ultimately have,helped be a better person and coach.

“Building a business requires inner work.” –so is changing habits, mindset, and lifestyle. It was hard for me years ago and it is for my clients. The value a coach brings to the table is priceless at times.

“You can get your outer results so much more quickly if you’d be willing to look at how can you shift, from the inside” – our limiting beliefs will destroy our potential. Here is another step I work with my clients.

“If you look for shit, you find shit”. How many of us focus on negative stuff. Our mindset plays a key role and 100% of my clients need help with it.

“What you’re doing isn’t working. When are you going to start working on the things I have been asking you to try.” WOW! Wasn’t it a slap on my face. Haven’t I had that conversation with clients before.

The reality is in order to continue to follow my path,  grow, and evolve as a coach, as a mentor, and as a friend without burning out, I need to surround myself of accountability partners such as coaches, mentors, mastermind and support groups. My ultimate goal is to reach and operate in my zone of genius—check out the book “The Big Leap” by Gay Hendricks.

Another fact is that the $95K I invested in my Exec MBA at Emory did NOT prepare me enough for most of the emotional, mental, spiritual, and financial challenges I’ve gone through the past two years–when every step of the way is 100% on me. Am I discrediting my education? Absolutely, not. It increased my rational thinking and decision making, opened many other doors in my life, and met very smart individuals. I also learned invaluable lessons about myself: weaknesses, strengths, limitations, and potential. I do believe the intensity and challenge of the program did help me build strength for building a business. I came out of that program a different person, no doubt. Was it worthy? Absolutely!

lessons learnedThree Takeaways:

  • Mastering your mindset and breaking walls are key steps to building new habits and making sustainable changes.
  • Investing in you is essential for change and growth.
  • You growth to free your mind and spirit to live life to the fullest and help others—priceless.

You might be wondering if I have REGRETS of leaving 6 figure job, a very comfortable lifestyle to go through ‘these pains’. NO WAY, I DO NOT REGRET IT! I’ve been planting seeds of health, touching people’s lives, building great partnerships with my clients, and changing lives—one at a time, including mine.

I hope that sharing blurbs of my experiences in 2016 add value to you. I would love to hear your thoughts and hear whether you’ve been through similar journey personally or professionally.

Click here to continue the conversation on ‘Ditch Resolutions. Get Real. Get Results.’

On a side note, I’d like to thank my clients for giving me the opportunity to elevate their energy and be part of their journeys. I big thanks to a few others—you know who you’re, for touching my life and supporting me during my journey with Be Fab – Be You!

2 out of 3 Americans are overweight or obese...this is heart breaking and serious epidemic. That said, EVERYONE knows someone who might need to unstuck, get healthier, and improve their lifestyle. Thanks for supporting my mission and making a difference in people’s lives…either forward this message or share this link with them: Help A Frend Improve Their Lifestyle

In the meantime, stay tuned! 2017 will be rich with awesome value added information and activities. God bless us all.