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Sunday, April 30, 2017

Failing Forward


We don't always accomplish what we set out to accomplish. During these times, when we feel like a failure, we need to look at the situation in a different way. The only person we can control is ourselves. So if our results depend on others, we have to reframe our success and ask ourselves a few questions. 

Did you do your part? Did you show up and put in the work?

If we can answer yes to these questions, then we didn’t fail. So often our definition of success is so limited that we cause ourselves to fail before we even get started. In this journey, we have to keep going and walking by faith. Honestly, none of us know what will happen to us. We are going to have disappointments and failures along the way. That is just part of the journey. When we experience these moments, it is up to us how we decide to handle them. We can quit, and believe that it’s not possible or we can try even harder. 

In all reality, our failures have a purpose. Not everything that we try will work. Just because it worked for someone else doesn’t mean the exact formula will work for us. Sometimes we have to find our own way, and walk by faith. 

God gives us the desires of our hearts. After all, He is the One who put them there. When we find that thing that sets our soul on fire, then we need to pursue it with our whole heart. It’s a gift. If we keep trying, even when it’s hard, even when we want to quit, then God will reward our efforts in His time. 

My pastor tells us, “Hang in there! You’re doing better than what you think.”

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Free Virtual Group For Kids: How to Exercise More, Eat Better, and Become Healthier


Life has changed dramatically since we were kids. We used to play outside all day, every day. The world then, versus now, is totally different. Our children have to deal with so many more things than we ever had to deal with. The food has so many more chemicals now. In some places, it’s not safe to play outside now without adult supervision. And they have so many electronic devices to lure them in. We need to help them to break the cycle.

That is why I wanted to create an online group to encourage more exercise, healthier foods, and more family time. I love it when my boys walk with me or we go on a hike. It is so fun to spend time with them— away from distractions. This special time is a great opportunity to talk. We’ve had some great conversations while walking. It also shows them at a young age, the importance of exercising. I can still remember when my mom, my sister, and I walked in the evenings. Even though my legs hurt, I still enjoyed walking and talking with them. 

In the group, I’d love to accomplish the following things:
  1. Show our children how to make healthier choices. 
  2. Get them moving more.
  3. Make exercise fun.
  4. Get them to try new foods. 
  5. Spend more time playing as a family.
If you don’t have any ideas for workouts, Beachbody has you covered. They just released a new workout program for the whole family. However, you can do whatever type of exercise that you chose. I will be your guide throughout the process. We will have guidelines to go by and even a point system for your child to win a prize. Ultimately, this group will be yours. You can add friends and family, and even schedule a hike or play date with others in your area. Let’s use this group to kickstart a wonderful project. We need to teach our children the importance of good health. 


The group starts on Monday, May 8. Please comment below or send me an email to candidasullivan@yahoo.com, if you’d like to be added to this group. I hope to see you there. 

Love and blessings, 

Candida

Friday, April 28, 2017

Let’s Do Something


We have no idea what other people go through. Just by looking at them, it’s impossible to know what they’ve experienced or endured. We often judge others based on their actions, instead of looking deeper and glimpsing into their soul. The troubled child needs love. He or she needs to know that someone cares. So often we walk right by someone without smiling or offering them our kindness. But what would our kindness mean to them? 

Have you ever had someone change the course of your day by showing you kindness? A beautiful thing happens when someone extends their kindness to us. It goes beyond our barriers and speaks to our soul. 

Today, I challenge you to be kind. Our children are watching us. Send a message to someone who is struggling. Open a door for a stranger. Smile at everyone. We are all fighting a battle, others know nothing about. When I focus on how I can help other people, suddenly my own problems don’t seem as big. 

Make it your mission to change your world. When we truly set out to make a difference for others, a beautiful thing happens to us. The first world that we change is ours. We can’t be kind and smile all day long without it affecting us in a positive way. As we start our day, let’s ask God what He would have us to do. And then do it with all of our hearts. So often the change is not in the big things that we do, but it is in the small things we do consistently. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Believe In The Process: God Rewards Our Efforts


Sometimes it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our problems can seem so big that we question our capability to overcome them. We base our beliefs on what we understand, instead of basing it on the greatness of our Lord. While it may be true that we can’t do it alone, but with God all things are possible.
Reaching our goals, and accomplishing our dreams won’t happen over night. It’s a process that we must go and grow though. Quitting and doubting won’t make it happen any quicker. In fact, once we start doubting and venturing off the plan, is when we delay the process for ourselves. Have you ever went on a diet and when the numbers on the scale didn’t reflect the hard work, you ate everything in sight and jumped off the health wagon? Then come back to it a few weeks or months later, weighing even more? We all do it. 

We want instant gratification. Life, however, doesn’t always reward us immediately. Sometimes we have to work for months or even years before we reach the goal. The key is to not give up. If we keep going, putting one foot in front of the other, then we will eventually get there. It’s the constant stopping and then restarting that delays our journey. 

For the things that are truly important for us, we need to put on blinders and keep moving forward every day until we reach our goals. I know how hard it can be. Trust me I have daily thoughts about quitting. But quitting is not part of my plan. So I keep moving forward, believing that one day God will reward my efforts. 

The amazing thing about God is that He works out of our sight. While it might seem hopeless to me right now, God might be aligning it all for my benefit. We should never give up on the dreams that make us cry. God has a plan. He knows how to help us. When we feel like giving up, we just need to spend more time with him. 

Don’t ever allow anyone or anything take away your dreams. You can do it. Because God will help you. 

Love and blessings, 

Candida


P.S. Most of the time these blogs are for me. God blesses me to write what I need to hear. 

Wednesday, April 26, 2017

How To Create A Miracle Morning


Do you struggle to get up in the mornings? Once you get up, do you struggle with being productive and starting your day? 

We all have the same amount of hours in a day. It’s up to us how we will use our hours. If we are not careful, our day will get away from us. It used to happen to me all the time. Half the time I didn’t even know what I should be doing, so I was not focused. This lack of focus caused me to procrastinate and waste my time. Then when I wasted my time and didn’t accomplish anything, it made me feel bad. I was stuck in this cycle. Until, I read a book that helped me to break free of the procrastination cycle.

On Monday, May 1, my sister Emily, and I are hosting a free Facebook group to teach others the lessons that we’ve learned from reading the Miracle Morning. It is a simple and effective strategy for making the most of our morning. The whole process gives us tips to stop snoozing, things to do immediately upon waking up, and a guide to go by. 

Don’t worry, we are not going to ask you to get up a certain time. The morning routine can be done whenever you decide to do it. It can last for a couple of hours or be done within 6 minutes. The whole point is to be intentional about our mornings, therefore being intentional about our day. 

If you’d like to join us, we would love to teach you everything that we’ve learned. Everyone is welcome. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Why I Do Online Coaching


Our health is important. It affects every part of our life. When we are burdened with pain and sickness, it is hard to think of anything else and enjoy our lives. Sickness and damage to our bodies doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the small things done daily that compound over time. Bad habits have consequences. Right now eating junk food and watching lots of TV might not seem like a big deal, but when done daily it harms our bodies. My goal is to help people make changes now before they do damage to their bodies and get stuck in the pain and sickness cycle. 

I will never forget the day when I woke up with my legs numb. Nor the rash that covered my body. I never realized how many steps I took each day, until each one became painful. It took me almost four years, and lots of money, to regain my health. Now I know, however, that it is possible.

So often we get stuck in the cycle of using food, TV, etc. as a coping mechanisms. We want it to numb our pain and bring us pleasure. While it may work temporarily, it is not long term. So we eat and watch more. If we learn, however, to deal with our problems in other ways, then we can learn to overcome them. 

In my challenge groups, we learn about nutrition, fitness, and ways to deal with stress. Our mindset is so important to our health. I work with each person on their individual challenges. While I am not a therapist, I can often suggest new habits and help them to find a new way to do things. If you’d like to join us, we would love to have you. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Monday, April 24, 2017

Letting God Lead Us


In my heart, I desire to handle all matters wisely. I want to be a light to others that shines directly to my Lord. When all is said and done, loving and serving God is really all that matters. So often we get burdened down by the troubles of the world. It can seem overwhelming at times. We don’t always know what to do. When we go to the Lord for our guidance, however, He will always lead us the right way. 

God didn’t just put us in this world and tell us to do the best that we can. He is with us. God has all the answers. He always knows which direction we should go. When we seek His guidance, then we will be able to discover our purpose and live according to His plan for our lives. 

We don’t have to figure it all out. God has already figured it all out for us. In order to know His purpose and plan for us, we just need to spend time with Him. The more we question and try to understand, the more He will talk to us. Once we discover His purpose and plan, then we just need to be obedient and follow Him. So ofter we think that we have to do great things, but in my experience with the Lord, it is really small things repeated daily. 

When we decide to follow after Him, even when we don’t understand the direction, then He will bless us. Sometimes it takes time. It took me seven years to get my books published. In those seven years, I didn’t profit financially at all from my writing. It was hard to believe in a dream that seemed so far away, but I did it anyway. During my journey, God knew when I was getting discouraged and He always encouraged me. Then one day, in such a simple way, He turned it all around for me. I had two books published at the same time. If we do the work, He will reward our efforts in His time—and it will be greater than we dreamed it could be. 



Don’t be discouraged in well doing. God sees your efforts. He knows your heart. Find out what He wants you to do. Then, do it with all your heart. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Sunday, April 23, 2017

What Does Fighting Solve?


Anytime that we allow hatred to enter our heart, then we are only hurting ourselves. Hatred is a poison that kills the one who harbors it. Nothing good can come from wishing ill will on someone else. 

People are going to do things to upset us. Sometimes it will appear that everything is going wrong in our lives. When we truly feel unhappy with ourselves, then we look for someone else to blame for our misery. It is so much easier to blame others for our heartaches, than it is to look in the mirror and be unhappy with ourselves. 

The real power, however, is not in fighting with other people. We are the strongest when we admit our faults and failures and then work on trying to change them. No one is worth taking away our power with God. We have to learn how to work through our anger. 

How I work through my anger:

  1. Exercise. Sometimes a good sweat helps me to clear my head and use up some of my negative energy. Usually, by the time I am finished working out, my problem is not nearly as devastating. 
  2. Pray. I want to handle all matters wisely, so I need God to guide me. He will also help me look at my situation with a new perspective. 
  3. Learn to respond to situations, instead of reacting. When I react with anger, then it causes me to handle the situation badly. So when a situation comes up, if I feel the anger brewing inside of me, I walk away from the situation until I can handle it calmly and respond in a way that I want to respond. 
  4. Respond with love. The world is already filled with enough hate. I don’t want to add to it. Usually, I can ask myself this one question and it will diffuse my anger. “Are you perfect, without sin?” 
  5. Pray for the person who has hurt me. The ones who treat us the worst need our love and kindness the most. We don’t know what they are going through. Usually, their bad behavior is a cry for help. 

This can be so hard to do, but when we desire to handle all situations with love, God will help us. I never want anyone to be hurt by my hands or actions. And if I am really struggling, I think about Jesus and how He was treated for our sins. I remember how He responded. As they beat Him, He asked God to forgive the ones who were hurting Him. That is the real strength and love. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Saturday, April 22, 2017

Why I Love To Read Encouraging Books

We all have problems, doubts, and limiting beliefs. In all reality, we are struggle with something every day. The majority of our problems are manifested by our mind. When we have negative thoughts we create space in our mind for doubts and pain. The longer we allow these thoughts to control our mind, the stronger they become. 

When we read positive books and listen to encouragement it gives us hope. The hope drives out the negativity. It’s a constant battle. We need to be careful what we feed our mind. Whatever we feed grows. If we focus on doom and gloom, and hopelessness, then it will grow and after a while that will be all that we can see. If we chose to respond with love, in all situations, always look for the bright side, and constantly express our gratitude, then we will live a more joyful life.  

I try to read at least one book a week. I love to learn about the things that are especially challenging for me. If I’m struggling with my negative beliefs, then I try to read a book about someone else who has already overcome the challenges that I’m struggling with now. Sometimes just knowing that we are not alone is comforting. 

Regardless of where we are in our life right, we have the power to change our course. We don’t have to continue on the road of self-destruction and unhappiness. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves permission to dream. And then go after our dreams wholeheartedly. The only thing holding us back is that we believe. 

What does your dream life look like? 

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Friday, April 21, 2017

Things Are Not Always What They Seem


Sometimes it can feel as if God has left us. Especially when we feel alone and scared. Life can be so incredibly hard at times. When we feel alone, however, we are usually going through a trial that will help us to grow. Regardless of how we feel, God is there with us. He doesn’t leave us during the hardship, but He walks with us—and sometimes He even carries us.

Right now I feel as if I’m in the middle of a storm. It hurts and I want the pain to stop. On the other hand, I want to endure every moment so that I can grow and so that God will do great things with my life. The struggle I am in right now is preparing for me the blessings that my heart desires. This trial will help me to become closer to my God, stronger, more compassionate, and obtain more wisdom. 

While I know all of these things it is still hard to endure the hardships in my life. I want to go through the trials quickly, but sometimes we have to stay in the eye of the storm until it transforms us. When it gets to the point that it feels as if it will break me that’s when the strength occurs. God will never allow it to break me, if I trust in Him. He will, however, push me to my limits to show me that with Him there is no limits. 

Isaiah 43:2 (KJV)
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

We are all so much stronger than we realize. The God in the valley, pushing us through our trials, is the same God who pours His blessings upon us. And His love for us is the same. Just like with our children, sometimes He is harder on us because He has big plans for us. During the down moments, when we just want to quit and accept defeat, we need to remember our dreams and the prayers that we have asked God to answer. 

The trials of today produce the blessings of tomorrow. Hang in there. God has big plans for you. When this trials passes and you see the blessing, it will all make perfect sense. Every time I get discouraged and think that I can’t do it anymore, I remember how God turned a fractured elbow and months of pain, into one of the greatest blessings of my life. However, when I lay in my bed each night, unable to sleep and in extreme pain, day and night, I couldn’t see at the time any way for God to turn it into a blessing. A few months, and a thumb later, I completely understand. And I’m so grateful that even when I begged, He didn’t pull me out of the fire. He helped me carry my burdens and pain and then rewarded me for my efforts. 

We serve an amazing God! One day I will be able to share this story of overcoming and tell you how God turned the trial I am currently in to an amazing blessing. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Thursday, April 20, 2017

Stop! Just Stop!


Why do we feel the need to hurt other people? This is something that I may never understand. It breaks my heart to cause pain to someone else. So often we forget that our words and actions cause scars. We might say something in a joking matter and it might not seem significant to us, but to the person receiving the criticism it might be devastating. 

Teasing and bullying are a real problem. Every time that I do a school visit or sit with someone who has suffered from the attacks, it breaks my heart. Especially when the good natured, kind person starts to change. This happens so often. 

We have to figure out a way to help these children. Body shaming is a real issue. Kids are being bullied for being overweight and they are also bullied for being underweight, being too smart and not smart enough. When they are already self-conscious about it, then it just makes the bully’s voice stronger and louder. In all reality, even if the child appeared to be perfect, her or she would be bullied for that as well. 

As adults we need to be the example. Our children are watching and listening. They see how we treat other people and hear what we say about others. In so many ways, they mimic us. We need to make sure that we are setting a good example for them. 

When we see a troubled person, we need to remember that something caused him or her to be troubled. Something or someone caused their heartache. Instead of labeling them or shunning them, we need to show them love and kindness. If we wish them well in our heart and ask God to help them, I believe that they will feel it, and God will help them. If words have the power to harm, they also have the power to heal. We need to remember that one person can make a difference. 

What if we all committed to respond with love, in every situation to every person. Can you image the kind of difference that we could make? We might not be able to change the world, but we could certainly change the little part of the world that we live in. 

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Wednesday, April 19, 2017

When God’s Plan Aligns With My Purpose


Sometimes it can be so hard to figure out what to do. We tend to over complicate things. Every time God opens a door for me and brings something new into my life, I go through a period of questioning and doubting. First of all, I want to make sure that I’m on the right path so that I can do His work. Secondly, I know that I will need His strength and guidance to do anything great with my life. I always want God to be in the arrangements of my life.

Last April, I was presented an opportunity to become a Beachbody coach and help others. I had been thinking about it for years, but when it would come up, I would dismiss it. This time, however, it got my attention and I prayed about it for weeks before I signed up. Right away the resistance showed up, and tried to get me to quit. This should have been my first sign because I have been fighting against the opportunity, instead of embracing it. 

Every time I would decide to go all in and give it everything that I’ve got, something would happen. In July, I broke my elbow and had to heal. In October, it was hand surgery. Then, I had to deal with overuse in my right hand and arm while I was healing. Throughout this process, I have learned that the enemy will not leave us alone while we do God’s work. It doesn’t get easier. If we don’t quit, however, we will get stronger. 

My dreams make me cry. I have conversations all the time with people who are in the same place that I was in a few years ago. Some are in pain, battling disease, and losing hope that they will ever get better. I’ve been there. I know how it feels to be consumed with pain and feeling hopeless. I also know how it feels to overcome it all. And I want to do everything in my power to help others overcome their hardships as well. 

Finally, I believe in what I do with my whole heart. Last week, God gave me a moment and showed me a little glimpse of what this business could do for me, as well as others. It is so much more than doing a workout and drinking a shake. It is about friendships and truly helping others through their hardships. What an amazing opportunity! 

Now I can see that He has been preparing me for this for years. The books, the speaking engagements, the struggles and hardships have all been part of this next step in my journey. God amazes me! I am so grateful fro His guidance, love, and protection. I love it when He blesses me to take a step back and to see where I was, to see where I am now, and to look into the future, by an eye of faith, and see where He is taking me. 

While I know that the journey won’t be easy, I also know that my God will walk with me every step of the way. Do you want to join me?  

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Overpowering The Bad With The Good


The voice of heartache and drama is loud. It screams at us and wants to overwhelm us. When we tune into the negativity and bad news, then it will establish our mood for the day. 

I used to start my day with the news. Hearing about all the bad things happening in the world, however, was not an effective way to start my day. The doom and gloom stayed with me all day. It consumed me. So I made a decision. I stopped watching the news. 

Now I start my day by reading my Bible and with prayer. I want God’s word to establish my mood for my day. I have no idea what is around the next corner, but my God knows. So I ask Him to help me with whatever comes my way. 

The devil wants us to feel overwhelmed. He tries to cause us stress and make us miserable at every occasion. When we start feeling this way, we need to find a quiet place and talk it over with the Lord. He will help us see our situation with a new perspective. 

My goal is to continuously keep my eyes on the Lord and to seek His ways. In this world of strife and sorrow it is hard. The enemy comes at us in many different ways. He will steal our peace and joy if we are not careful. That is why we need to watch and pray, and protect ourselves against him as much as possible. 

When we learn to pray more, take our every problem to God, and trust Him to take care of us, then we can live a more joyful life. Bad things will still happen. We will still have heartache. It just won’t have the same profound effect on us. The closer we get to God, the stronger we become. 

Romans 12:21 (KJV)
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Monday, April 17, 2017

Overcoming The Resistance

The Resistance always shows up. Every time I decide to change my life, break through my limiting beliefs, or do something differently the struggle appears. The moment anything becomes hard, our natural instinct is to quit. If we can keep going, however, regardless of the obstacles, then we can break through the resistance. 

By now I should be used to it, but it is still hard for me to overcome. The resistance causes me to doubt, so I usually slow down or quit for a while. It took me seven years to get my books published because after every rejection, I quit. The rejections broke my heart and made me doubt my abilities, so instead of persisting I would usually cry, tell God that I couldn’t do it anymore, and stop writing. Now I can see that I stood in my own way for years. I don’t want to stand in my own way any longer. 

Once I develop the correct mindset, however, then I can break through the resistance. It’s all about what we believe. If we believe that we can’t do it, then we will not be able to do it. The same is true for our positive beliefs. If we believe that we can do it, then nothing will stop us. 

So how do we break through the resistance and change our limiting beliefs?

  1. Show up every day. 
  2. Create a plan of action.
  3. Take action.
  4. Repeat

For me, writing was not just something that I mastered in a  few attempts. It is still a struggle for me. Every book starts out with a blank page. It’s a skill that is simply honed by writing. We get better at whatever we want to master by doing it. As the saying goes, quitting won’t speed up the process. I’ve been writing for ten years plus, and 179 consecutive days, and this was the first morning that I actually looked forward to writing and enjoyed the process. Usually, I fight against it. 

Breaking through our limiting beliefs is hard. But so is regret. We don’t know what we are capable of until we try. What is holding you back? Don't quit on your dreams!

Love and blessings, 


Candida

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Why I Love Easter


Since the beginning of time, the enemy has tried to destroy God’s people. It all started with Adam and Eve. Even though they sinned in the garden, God devised a plan to save them. Once they sinned against God, He didn’t just cast them away, but He loved them enough to help them. He has that same love for us. 

From the beginning, the world tried to destroyed Jesus. Even when they witnessed the miracles that He preformed. On the day our Lord was crucified, I’m sure they thought that they had succeeded. After all, our Savior was dead. What they didn’t realize, however, was that He gave His life as a ransom for our sins. No one took His life. He wasn’t defenseless or powerless as He hung on the cross. The nails didn’t keep Him on the cross. It was love. He knew that we needed Him. So He endured it all for each and every one of us. 

On that third and appointed day, Jesus overcame death and showed us that we can, too. He came out of the tomb. What a glorious blessing! Even death couldn’t hold our Savior. One day, as we close our eyes in death, we will open them in Heaven, and spend Eternity with our Lord. His sacrifice is our blessing. 

I am so grateful for the opportunity to praise my Lord. Every stripe and every moment of agony was endured for us. My mind can’t even fully grasp His love for me, but every once in a while my heart gets to feel that amazing love. 

Today, as the devil tries to stand in your way and give you a million reasons why you shouldn’t go to church, cry out to Jesus. He understands, and He has grace for your every need. God doesn’t expect us to overcome the devil on our own. That’s why God gave us Jesus. He will stand up for us, help us, and love us through it all. 

Happy Easter!

Love and blessings,


Candida 

Saturday, April 15, 2017

7 Ways To Stay On Track During Holidays


Eating healthy can be especially challenging when the holidays arrive. Food is often used to celebrate everything. It’s so hard to find the perfect balance of enjoying the holiday with family and friends and not sabotaging our progress. When we go overboard and eat too much, especially sugar, it just makes us feel bad. Planning ahead is my key to success.

Since I am gluten and dairy free, it helps me to avoid lots of the candy and other treats. But I decide before the holiday arrives that I will not allow myself to go overboard. The more sugar that we eat the more we want to eat. Instead of allowing myself to have an “unlimited” supply of candy and sweets, I decide before I go what I will eat. Tomorrow, I will have a serving of chocolate or candy. I will enjoy it and then it will be over. I will not make bad decisions and sabotage my progress. I’ve worked too hard to feel better to make myself sick again with bad decisions. Because I know that one bad day of eating, can make me sick for a week. It’s just not worth it to me. 

So here are my best tips for enjoying the holiday, while still staying on track.

  1. Decide beforehand what to eat. 
  2. Measure out portions. 
  3. Exercise some time that day to burn those extra calories.
  4. Drink more water.
  5. Enjoy the treat without guilt.
  6. Get away from the food. So often we snack without even realizing it. 
  7. After the holiday, discard the leftovers. Don’t take home extra servings of cake or candy. 

With kids, I know it can be tricky. Just try to make the best decision for them as well. They don’t need tons of candy either. Sugar is highly addictive. So just beware. Once we are mindful of our actions, it just helps us to make better decisions. 

Have a wonderful Easter!

Love and blessings, 


Candida 

Author shares message through Zippy the zebra