(The following is a transcript from a speech I gave my fitness accountability group on the fly! My apologies if it feels like it rambles as it was completely off the cuff! The message is so important that I wanted to share  with you here.)

Each week, I have a Monday motivational call. This week’s message was so inspiring that I just had to share it. It was powerful and so pertinent in all of our lives. The message was “Reject Hopelessness.” I can’t express to you how much the way you talk to yourself absolutely controls your thoughts and your actions.

You HAVE to reject hopelessness.

If you think that you are going to fail, or that you aren’t worth it, or that you are stuck where you are, or that your financial situation is not going to change, or that your weight is not going to change, or that your relationships at home are destined to be fruitless and painful, or that the way that your kids are acting is never going to change, or that you will be stuck in your current job forever… if you tell yourself everyday that none of these things are ever going to change, then guess what? Nothing’s going to change.

It is up to you to reject this kind of hopelessness!

Only YOU have the power to change your thoughts and your mind. and to start believing in yourself. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, and again. YOU ARE YOUR ONLY ADVOCATE. Nobody else can stand up and change YOUR life except for you. Other people can inspire you or provide inspirational messages just like the one you’re reading now. But ultimately, you are the one who has to change your own thoughts. You must believe that you are worth investing in yourself.

Here’s how you do it:

Give yourself the gift of 30 minutes a day to work on your physical health no matter what else is going on. Even if you have to get up early, or stay up late, you deserve 30 minutes of fitness and giving back to yourself. Take the time each week to plan out a healthy diet so that you can feel better in your body and in your mind. Carve out even just five minutes a day to be alone where you reflect on the things in your life going right no matter how small they may seem. Lock yourself in your closet if you have to! You have to make yourself a priority. Start with those three things – physical fitness, nutrition, and daily positive self talk – and you will begin to feel real change.

Think of all the massive goals people have achieved over the years- big and small. For instance, NASA put a man on the moon. Surely the team that made this happen were told time and again that this mission was a waste of time and there was no way it could be done. If these scientists and astronauts had taken this hopelessness to heart, the “moon walk” would have never happened! It’s the same thing for you on a smaller scale. If you are telling yourself everyday that you cannot change your life, then you are not going to do it.
So put up your armor, and reject hopelessness!

You are worth it and you CAN change starting RIGHT NOW!

Some of you had the worst week of your life last week and you are thinking, “Thank God I have a new week.” You are right! Today is your Day One. Today is your chance to reject hopelessness and to change the path of your life. Go out and do it. Smart small. Do your thirty. Choose a salad instead of a donut. Tell yourself all day long that you are worth it. Make your goals and your dream non-negotiable. Don’t let anyone, especially yourself, stand in your way! You are not hopeless!

XO Jaime