With the hot summer months upon us, let’s talk about how we can best beat the heat and continue to outdoor exercise during the sometimes brutal summer months with a smile on our faces! Your body acclimates to heat in a number of ways, and by cautiously training in the heat to improve the efficiency of your body’s “cooling system,” you will not only be able to better tolerate high temps and humidity, but you’ll also be able to continue to participate in and enjoy your favorit

Point to Ponder: Which box do your actions and words best fit in: the blessing magnifier box or disappointment magnifier box? I came across this quote (in the picture above) by the late John Wooden and thought it was simple, yet profound and so true. John Wooden coached the UCLA Men's Basketball team from 1948 - 1975, winning 10 national championships. One of the characteristics that made him so successful was his big-picture fatherly wisdom he shared with his players. They

Point to Ponder: Do you wake up every morning excited to pursue life? I’m only speaking for myself of course, but last Sunday when I learned about the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and those with him in the helicopter, my heart broke. While we are a basketball family and I was sad the basketball world lost one of the best, more than anything I hurt deeply for his family- his wife and now three daughters. Whether or not you were a NBA fan during the Kobe era, there is o

Point to Ponder: Is your (and your family's) reality more real or faux? Can you believe that picture is 100% real with not one single edit?!? It was taken during sunrise meditation at our ReNew Year Retreat in San Diego and as you can see, it's why we choose this location every year to retreat and renew. The cleansing ocean air and breeze, spectacular sunsets and sunrises, and the soothing and rhythmic rolling waves...it's perfect and everything we need.  This completely natu

Point to Ponder: Are you getting enough high-quality sleep each night? The purpose of today’s journal is to encourage you to make high-quality sleep a priority so you can feel your best throughout your holidays and beyond. I know we all agree that sleep is important, but it’s actually more than important, it’s critical. This journal will only scratch the surface of why sleep is so important, but for starters, sleep effects everything from our immune system, our mood, our ab

Point to Ponder: What is one “thing” you are allowing in your life that is causing stress and negatively impacting your joy. Last week during one of our iGnite Tulsa classes we discussed our Health and FITmas Challenge. I explained all of the ways to accumulate points and earn iGnite credit (with taking 9 iGnite classes being at the top of the list). As we discussed self-care, the importance of it, and all of the various forms, we also talked about one necessary self-care pr

Point to Ponder: Do you let the holidays control you, or do you control the holidays? Alright, alright, alright…the holidays are here and before your computer combusts from online shopping and your shoulders get stuck to your earlobes, take a moment to breatheeeeeeeeeee…..in through your nose and out through your mouth. I’m kind of exaggerating (but not really), however holiday anxiousness, stress and chaos is prevalent, and preventable! We have a choice, and it’s starts wit

Point to Ponder: In relation to your health and wellness, what are 3 things that are working for you and 3 things that are not working for you? A few weeks ago my professional coach and iGnite member, Martha Lynn Mangum, asked me these two very important and thought-provoking questions: What are 3 things that are working for you? What are 3 things that are not working for you? Martha asked me these questions so I could evaluate 2019 and determine what changes I needed to make

This picture was taken during our 9th Annual Adventure Escape in Whitefish, Montana.

Point to ponder: How wisely do you choose your words, especially with those you are most comfortable and close with? A couple of weeks ago we installed a pull-up bar in our garage. Actually, that’s inaccurate. Two of our neighbors installed our pull-up bar while Russell and I stood by to watch and give moral support. That’s inaccurate too. We stood by because I wanted Russell to learn. I was sincerely interested in learning too but really my goal was to have Russell absorb th

Point to ponder: What perceived handicap do you have, or in other words, what is something you’ve told yourself you can’t do or are afraid to do? Last Monday, one of our dearest friends passed away. His name was Shane Whitehurst. Shane was only 47 when he passed and while his physical stature wasn’t much, he lived the life of a giant, took no short cuts and I believe entered the pearly gates of Heaven running through the victory line of high-fives, to then meet face to face w

Point to Ponder: Do the free-flowing, unstructured and over-indulgent summer months derailing your healthy habits? One of the things I love most about summer is the indulgent break from routine, which includes staying up and sleeping in a later than normal, enjoying cocktails, soaking up extra sun, eating more of what I typically wouldn’t and kicking normal structure to the curb. That being said, when all routine falls by the way side, my body, mind and bowels (TMI but true!)

Point to Ponder: Do you wake up each day excited? Last week a friend and I shared our disdain for Mondays. Although we are both self-proclaimed optimists and we don’t have a legitimate reason to complain or dread, Mondays can be mentally, emotionally and physically difficult. As we talked and tried to make sense of why Mondays are often times so hard, I concluded it's because unlike the flexible, spontaneous and less structured weekends, Monday comes with expectations, rout

Point to Ponder: Is what you are saying and doing consistent with who you want to be and the impact you want to have? I bet you are curious where this journal is going??? I gotta tell you, I am so pumped about this image and the message behind it. It goes like this: Last week, iGnite San Diego member, Erinn Hanson, sent this picture of Barbie, perfectly planking. Of course, she didn't strip Barbie down and put her in a plank, but one of her daughters did! Here's what I lov

Point to Ponder: Are you "Spring Break Ready"? Last week, while thinking about our 6-Weeks to Spring Break Challenge, I found myself thinking about Spring Break and the real “why” behind us wanting you to make every effort to iGnite 24 times in 6-weeks. In the event you think we’re trying to guilt you into exercising because it’s time to “Get ready for bathing suit season.” No way, Jose! That’s not us. In fact, how annoying and unoriginal is that line? Of course we want you

Point to Ponder: Are you getting "summer ready"? Last week, after we launched our 6-Weeks to Summer Challenge, I found myself thinking about summer and the real “why” behind us wanting you to make every effort to iGnite 25 times in 6-weeks. In the event you think we’re trying to guilt you into exercising because it’s time to “Get ready for bathing suit season.” No way, Jose! That’s not us. In fact, how annoying and unoriginal is that line? While I’m on the topic, if anyone ev

Point to Ponder: What people or things do you take for granted? For Christmas, we gave Malaine, our five year old daughter, her first pet, or I should say her first “practice pet”. Rather than get the puppy she had been asking for, we opted for the easier and other pet she wanted: a Bearded Dragon. I said “No” to a dog and “ Yes” to the bearded dragon because, as expected, I became the primary caretaker of the lizard. Thankfully, she’s a pretty easy pet and I’ve become quite

As we approach the NCAA Sweet 16, it only seems fitting to start the week with our very own sweet 16- a list of 16 inspiring, encouraging, empowering and funny quotes by extraordinary women! 1. “If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”– Katharine Hepburn 2. “A woman is like a tea bag – you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.”– Eleanor Roosevelt 3. “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”

Point to Ponder: Do your actions, attitude and words epitomize that of the strong, confident, independent, capable, kind, merciful and hard-working woman God created you to be? Friday was International Women’s Day, a day set aside to celebrate and acknowledge all that women have overcome and accomplished. Excitingly in iGnite, everyday is women’s day- whoop whoop!…and we don’t need a special day on the calendar to be reminded of our greatness and the infinite possibilities t

Point to Ponder: What is not serving you and therefore need to quit? In March 2017 I wrote a Sunday Journal called Quit Something. I got the idea from the book Love Does. The author, Bob Goff, shared that every Thursday he quits something. Two years ago I thought this was an excellent weekly exercise because it requires us to regularly stop and evaluate our actions and life, including any pesky habits that aren't serving us. Today and as we approach Lent, I think it’s the per