Breakfast with Champions – 3 Nov 2022

Running Your Race at Your Own Pace – Ife Thomas

“When you run a race, you hurt your ability to compete. When you turn your head to look at the competition chasing you, you lose a step physically and psychologically. Run the race always stretching to do your best, imitations will come in last, no one can catch an original.” – Oprah Winfrey

We are on a journey from the time we are born. Our mindset determines the direction we take. Sometimes you need to slow down to speed up. Take the time to get your breath back. However, don’t give up on your resolve to win. 

Everyone approaches their race differently. Slowing down helps you figure out your priorities: What am I here for? What is important to me? When you know your purpose, you can focus on where you are going. Sometimes we are running so fast in one direction that we miss everything around us. When we slow down, we build energy to go forward. This enables us to even help others reach their destination.

Humans have seasons. We sometimes need to hibernate in our season of winter in order to build our strength for the spring. It’s important to avoid burnout. If you start to feel burnt out, take the time to rejuvenate.

“You are never behind, you are never ahead, you are exactly where you are supposed to be.” -Jay Shetty

Bullet points:

• Do not slow down when you see the finish line, instead speed up.
• You can’t feed others if you haven’t fed yourself first.
• Sometimes we do need to slow down to speed up.
• Take some time to really look around you to see what you have been missing. 

Slowing Down to Speed Up – Confirm or Bust the Myth – Glenn Lundy

Glenn reflected on the Grow for God event last year. He revisited the memories, starting from the speakers, the entertainment and the memorable moments that took place. He shared how during the event he launched two businesses that failed. He also said goodbye to half a million dollars.

The event last year had a beautiful stage, backed by a massive production. It featured several inspirational speakers, including a surprise segment from Grant Cardone. While it was a great event, in the end they lost a lot of money. Aghast, Glenn turned to prayer and introspection. He also sought counsel from his trusted friends. His friends supported his vision but advised him to pause and reevaluate his purpose.

Glenn suggests that there is power in being alone, quiet, and intentional. Spending time in reflection and prayer can really help you to recalibrate and align with your inner self. When was the last time you found yourself alone in the woods? When was the last time you took the time to rejuvenate and recharge yourself? The only way you can speed up is to slow down and recharge.

• Align with others who move with purpose and are on track towards their goals.
• It’s okay to take the time to rest, rejuvenate and recalibrate.
• We can get a lot more done if we have trusty helping hands.
• There is power in being alone, quiet, and intentional.
• First there’s the thought, then comes consistent action, which leads to the result.

The Power in Stillness – Kate Volman

Our truth tends to get clouded by all the noise and distractions constantly happening in the world. We live in a hustle culture where we continuously busy ourselves out of fear: fear of slowing down and falling behind, fear of what the silence and stillness might bring. We are in this constant space of filling our lives but never feeling fulfilled, but the reality is that stillness is the key to just about everything. It’s the key to unlocking all that we are capable of in this life.

There’s a reason that the phrase “slow down to speed up” exists. We move so quickly, often to the point where we can’t keep up anymore, and it leads to burnout. Everything seems to fall apart, and we get no further than where we started. But if we slow down, if we take the time to think through what it is we’re really doing, it gives us the opportunity to build a foundation. It provides us the chance to get honest with ourselves and really examine what our priorities are. We make time for the things that we want to make time for. If you look at your calendar, it will show you what is actually important to you.

By slowing down, refocusing, and reprioritizing, we can live our lives with “massive optimism,” allowing us to operate at our best and highest potential. There are five ways how to live with massive optimism: 

Key Points

1. Dream – We need to dream. There’s a difference between the people who are engaged vs. disengaged in their lives. The people who dream believe that their future can be bigger than their past. 
2. Find what is right – So many things in life don’t go as we thought they were going to. But when we look for the things we are grateful for and the things that are going well, it helps us to stay in the space of optimism, even when things aren’t going how we planned.
3. Protect your language – Words mean things. We have to notice the words we are using and the things we are saying. Instead of saying, “I have to,” say, “I get to.” Reframe the self-defeating and negative phrase of “it is what it is” to “it is what it is for now.” That gives you your power back; it allows you to recognize that it’s temporary, that you’ll overcome your heartbreak or tough season if you keep showing up and doing the work.
4. The next right thing is the best right – We are quick to self-sabotage. We say we’re going to work out 3-4 times a week, but we find excuses for not making the time for it. Remember, anything is better than nothing. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to be started.
5. Lead others – One of the ways to live the most fulfilling life is to help others. When we lead with love and encouragement, we help others dream, and get to be a part of their journey or success story. 

Take a Step Back to Enlarge Your Vision – Renee Knorr

We get so caught up in believing we have to live life on the fast-track in order to succeed that we lose sight of where it is that we’re even going. We forget that we are the creators in control of our own destinies. But when we take a step back and remind ourselves that we don’t have to conform to the conservative world, it gives us the ability to enlarge our vision and see ourselves differently. Slowing down allows us to operate from a place of intentionality. It gives us the opportunity to get laser-focus and reformulate the ways to set a solid foundation for success.

But none of that is possible if we don’t allow ourselves to slow down, rethink, refocus and rejuvenate. We have to allow our bodies to rest in order to move forward, and we have to

B. R. E. A. T. H. E. for us to even embrace our next steps along the way. 

Broaden your horizon. You have to be willing to grow and change.

Reflect on your strengths and run the play. You’ve gotten yourself this far. Give yourself credit for what you’ve already accomplished. 

Educate yourself and be willing to invest in personal resources so that you can improve in new skills. 

Appreciate your journey because it has gotten you here.

Take action and stay truthful to yourself. 

Have the courage to start again, no matter where you are or what age you are.

Evolution – it begins with you. As you’re evolving to be the best version of yourself, you’re deciding how you want the world to know about you. How are you living the legacy you want to be remembered by?

Key Points:

• You have to challenge yourself in order to succeed in this journey called life.
• Find new ways to collaborate with others. Being able to utilize your skills, as well as appreciating other people’s skills, makes fresh ideas even more exciting.
• Dream out loud and in color. Prepare yourself for your next level of greatness.
• Your energy is important. It’s the law of attraction – the energy you exude is the energy you get back. 
• How are you going to bring on that energy to attract exactly what you desire? Find a way to continue building up your energy to work towards your goals.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race – Crystal Almeida/Nicole Puckerin

It’s the age-old story of the tortoise and the hare: with a slow, methodical, but consistent pace, the tortoise was able to win the race. But it’s not about being fast or being slow; it’s about consistency. If we’re climbing a staircase and we take one step every day, we’re closer to the top than if we try to take 5 steps at one time and get burnt out. It’s about doing the work every single day no matter what you feel like, what the weather is like, and what the circumstances are. Showing up matters.

We operate on autopilot all too often. However, getting where we want to be requires reflection. Along the way, we have to be conscious. Journaling is a powerful tool to use to check in with yourself every day, even if it’s just for five minutes. There is a method called “free associating journaling,” wherein you wake up in the morning and just start writing. Jot down whatever comes to the mind, be it a feeling or a thought. It doesn’t have to make sense, and don’t try to make sense of it. Put the journal away and come back to it later in the day and reflect on what you wrote. You will begin to see patterns and messages from your higher-self regarding what you want and areas where you need to grow.

Key points

• If speeding up isn’t serving your purpose, you need to slow down.
• There is power in collectiveness and in community.
• You can’t see everything when you’re in the picture; you need someone on the outside who can see the whole picture. Someone who can let you know if you’re moving too fast that you need to slow down and reflect.
• Momlink is a community of power-house women and mompreneurs who believe in collaboration over competition.
•  Momlink club is hosting a free live masterclass Friday, November 4 at 1 pm EST for female entrepreneurs on how to build community, build clientele, and build a 6-figure business from your phone. Sign up here: https://crystal-almeida.mykajabi.com/mompreneurs-masterclass

Shattering Your Notion of Comfort – Kareen Mills

This segment recounted an interview with Kilong Ung, a refugee from Cambodia who escaped from the killing fields. He tells the story of his journey to the United States, how his sister plotted the escape, and how he was separated from his family. 

On their path through Thailand, they were being shot at by soldiers, but if any of them stepped off the path to escape the bullets, they could step on minefields and die. At one point, he had made sandals out of a car tire, but he lost his sandals while he ran and had to escape through a jungle barefoot. 

Once they made it to the United States, he had to learn everything from scratch. He had to learn a new language; he had to learn what traffic lights were and how to cross the street. This is the definition of starting over. Kilong arrived in this country quite literally only with the shirt on his back.

Hearing harrowing stories such as Kilong’s puts so much into perspective for us. We are so quick to make excuses or to complain about discomfort in our lives, but most of us have never had to give a thought to things like what he has gone through, what he has witnessed or experienced. Life is messy; it’s hard. And listening to stories like Kilong’s isn’t easy, and it’s certainly not comfortable. But it’s a powerful reminder of what life is like for far too many people in the world.

Here is a link to Kilong’s non-profit

Key points:

• Pay attention to stories of others around you to build your perseverance and motivation
• Change your perspective to be able to gauge situations from a different viewpoint.
• If stories like this don’t eliminate all your excuses, what will?

Your Path to a Better Life Starts with Getting Better Today – David Spisak

We are all seeking to be the best version of ourselves in one way or another. But the reality is like the story of the farmer in Africa who spent his life seeking diamonds when he had diamonds under his feet the whole time. We strive to seek a better version of ourselves, but that better version of ourselves lies within us right now. We get so caught up in thinking externally rather than internally, but it’s everything that we do internally that impacts our external circumstances, either in a positive or negative way.

People who fail tend to do the same things every day that validate and fuel their internal narrative that they are unsuccessful. You believe the things that you put in your brain. The reality is, as you sit here today, you have everything that you need. You have everything you need with where you are right now to get in the best shape of your life. You have everything you need to improve your health. You have everything you need to uplevel your business this week, next week, this month. 

If you list your habits and the things that you do every day, you will clearly see where you’re going and where your priorities lie. So, if you can be a creature of negative habits, you can be a creature of positive habits. If you want to improve your life, add one positive thing and simply repeat it every day. Luck shows up when we do the right things repeatedly. It’s always right to do the right thing. It’s always the right thing to look internally and remind yourself today, tomorrow, and every day that you are in the driver’s seat of your life. While the universe may jerk the steering wheel out of your hands occasionally, you can always take control of the wheel back.

Key points

• You are one of one: if you list all your personality traits right now, the lessons you’ve learned, and the people who have impacted you, you’ll know without a shadow of a doubt that you are one of one – you are unique, valuable, and irreplaceable. 
• You have to own everything in your life, the good and the bad.
• Choose yourself. Invest in yourself, amplify, and level up. Improve yourself, and choose yourself every day. 
• It’s not selfish to choose yourself every day. Self-care and self-improvement aren’t selfish; it’s selfless because when we are better, we make everyone around us better.
• Hold yourself accountable to be the very best you can be.

Getting Out of Your Own Way for Success – Susie Miller

So many people live their lives in quiet desperation, knowing that they want more but not knowing how to get there. We think if we buy another course or another book to try to figure out that thing we’re missing, it will get us there and fill the gap, but the reality is, the gap is you. 

Here are the 5 lessons of getting out of your own way for success:

1. Trust your gut and take action. Review your results and let go of what is no longer working for you.
2. We don’t know what we don’t know. Never stop learning, no matter how much of an expert you are in your field. Your individual self is the barrier between where you are and where you want to be.
3. We tend to get in our own heads sometimes.  We need other people to hear our narratives to help us unpack what we’re sharing and find patterns.
4. Red Pill, Blue Pill. It’s a choice between the willingness to learn a potentially uncomfortable or life-changing truth or remaining in contented ignorance.
5. You’ll never know what opportunity awaits you if you fail to get out of your own way.

Key points

• You will find people who understand where you are and can help you get out of your own way. The alternative is to keep going the way you’re going, keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll keep getting the same results as always. 
• Where do you feel safe enough to be honest?
• Don’t wait for the new year to unleash your new self – take the time to invest in yourself now, and you will be ahead of everyone else in the new year.
• You can grow a lot when you master intentionality and grow with purpose.
• Zadasi is a Facebook group where women entrepreneurs and women in business have the tools and resources needed to reach the next point and have success in their professional and personal lives: https://www.facebook.com/groups/zadasi/about/
• https://freetraining.zadasi.com/zadasi-home

“Heal Thyself” with the Vitals of Life – Dr. Tanjie Brewer

“Heal thyself”, when rearranged, can lead us to another phrase that is just as important: “Healthy Self”. We have the absolute power to create an optimal life health for ourselves. This doesn’t just mean in terms of our physical health but psychological, emotional and spiritual health. You can heal what’s broken, fatigued or damaged and the power to build up yourself to a better version that you can’t help but be proud of. It should be a habit to do this consistently and with intentionality. 

Total wellness and wellbeing must be a core part of your life; what you eat, what you do, and what goes on inside you. Observe how your energy is at the end of the day? What is the state of your mind and emotions? Are you pouring into your body? Are you unleashing your best self?  

Unfortunately, many people find themselves in “dis-ease” because they don’t pay attention to total and complete wellness. You need to be RESILIENT and INTENTIONAL about your wellbeing. 

It’s a well-known fact that overall wellness is often ignored today. According to Research, there are 28,000 cases of homicides in the United States of America yearly and 48,000 cases of suicides yearly. About 3.2 million individuals think and plan their deaths, and 12.2 million have serious thoughts about it, while 96 million people – especially of the working population – are at a risk of experiencing burnouts.

Here are 3 aspects that are essential for our overall well-being:

1. The Vitals

In medical terms, vital signs reflect essential body functions including your heartbeat, breathing rate, temperature and blood pressure. There are seven vital areas that we need to monitor:

• Spirituality 
• Relationships 
• Resources 
• Time
• Purpose 
• Rest. 
• Recreation

2. Rest.

Research documents the importance of 7 hours of rest. Part of the rest process is pausing to celebrate your wins. Lack of rest puts us at higher risk of depression, burnout, sadness, and anxiety. Slow down to speed up! 

Meditation offers a sense of calm, peace and balance that benefits your overall health and psychological wellbeing. It can help you learn to stay focused, centered and keep inner peace. 

3. Purpose. 

Purpose plays a huge part in our lives. There are three dimensions to purpose:

• Path – The path that you have been traveling, the road you have been on, and the direction you chose.
• Talent – Everyone possesses this, but your responsibility is not to leave it as it is, but to build and convert it into skill.
• Impact – You’re supposed to leave an impact on this world.  

Within the triangle of path, talent and impact lies your purpose. When people fail to fulfill their purpose, there is always an accompanying psychological decline. When your purpose is recognized, you realize that you need to treat your body as a vessel that houses your dream. 

Build up your vitals and work on achieving wellness to live at the best state your life could be. 

Key Points

• The absolute power to heal your vessel – body and soul – lies in your hands.
• Purpose is important for total wellness. 
• Balance between vitals is crucial to achieve.
• Be resilient and intentional about total wellness.
• Learn to rest to slow down, and slow down to speed up.

The Importance of Rest and Awareness – Dora Maria Abreu

We often ignore what happens to our body and mind as we strive to achieve the results we want and bring our dreams to reality. However, we need our body and mind always functioning on   an optimal level to carry out the responsibility of what lies ahead. 

It’s important to slow down sometimes. Remain aware of what you’re feeling and what your health looks like. Sometimes we’re so focused on the speed that we don’t create time for rest. 

If you don’t slow down, your body shuts down or slows down for you. When you’re tired you tend to make mistakes that can set you back. Create time to audit yourself on how you are feeling and pay attention to your natural alarm system.

There are times when we recognise the need to come through for loved ones despite our busy schedules. But it is important to know your limitations, get help and set boundaries to avoid burnout. Prioritize and delegate. Allot quality time to relationships that matter for your well-being. Know when to fall back and let someone else stand in for you.

Take little steps. Implement one simple change every day, because we forget that we can’t do it all in one day. Know your boundaries and limitations. We can do the small things consistently and transform these into massive results. 

Bullet points (up to 5):

• Know your limitations.
• Take little steps daily.
• Set boundaries.
• Learn to listen to your natural alarm system.
• Rest to regenerate.