#igniteyourlife

Nov 25, 2019
5 min

Gratitude Changes Everything

Point to Ponder: What area(s) or relationships in your life can use some gratitude? Just one week ago, myself and 15 San Diego friends (some part of our iGnite San Diego community) completed the Susan G Komen 3-Day Walk. We began walking at 6:30a.m. Friday morning and our 60-mile journey was complete by 3:00p.m. Sunday. While I know breast cancer is prevalent and effects so many people, aside from my stepmom being diagnosed when I was a Freshman in college (and thankfully is

Nov 17, 2019
3 min

Gratitude in Motion

Point to Ponder: Who and what are you grateful for? For the past seven years, the week before Thanksgiving iGnite has used the last five to seven minutes in each of our classes to focus on gratitude and put thankfulness into motion by means of writing a grateful gram. A grateful gram is a hand-written gratitude note to someone you are grateful for. Then, after writing and addressing it, the grateful gram is handed back to our iGnite leader. iGnite takes care of postage and

Jul 7, 2019
3 min

STOP! Are You Sure You Want to Say That?!

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

Jun 30, 2019
4 min

America Size Freedom and Bravery- A Tribute to the Bravest Person I’ve Ever Known

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

Jun 23, 2019
3 min

A Time For Everything

Point to ponder: How can you make the time and space to putter this summer? Friday was the summer solstice--the official start to summer- whew! And while I welcome and love a hot, sweaty and loosely scheduled summer, I have a love/hate relationship with it too. To get it out of the way, I’ll start with the negative first, which is that I don’t do well with the transition from an organized, routine, productive and predictable school year to a less scheduled summer and often ti

Jun 16, 2019
4 min

To Daughter From Dad: 25 Quotes & Wisdom

For many of us, our Fathers were and are men of few words, but the older we get the wiser their words become, and the greater impact they have on and in our lives. Today’s Journal is a celebration of our Fathers. It's full of heartfelt and funny quotes and wisdom, provided from our team and other unknown women. Thank you Fathers everywhere & Happy Father’s Day! 1. "Hold your tongue, listen, process and wait before you speak or respond to something that bothers you." - Alli

May 27, 2019
3 min

If Not You, Then Who?

Point to ponder: What can you do to be of greater service to others? If not you, then who? This is the stirring question behind the Travis Manion Foundation. Travis Manion served United States Marine Corps. On April 29, 2007, 1st Lt. Travis, his fellow Marines and Iraqi Army counterparts were ambushed while searching a suspected insurgent house in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. Leading the counterattack against the enemy forces, Travis was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper

May 20, 2019
3 min

Why Stressors and Exercise are Some of Life's Greatest Helpers and Teachers

Point to ponder: What stressors, frustrations or challenges are you currently experiencing that can become your teacher and helper? While living in San Diego I regularly attend a heated Power Vinyasa Flow class. I loved this class because of the instructor. His name was Dat and he was introspective and intuitive. He was always teaching and challenging his students, both physically and mentally. It was rare I didn't leave with a nugget of wisdom. The one I remember most was

May 12, 2019
1 min

Our Favorite Motherhood Quotes

“Motherhood is a million little moments that God weaves together with grace, redemption, laughter, tears, and most of all, love.” —Lysa TerKeurst “To All Moms: Don’t be so hard on yourself. The mom in E.T. had an alien living in her house for days and didn’t notice.” —Unknown “What is a mom but the sunshine of our days and the north star of our nights.” —Robert Brault “If you are a mom, you are a superhero, period.” —Rosie Pope “I’ve conquered a lot of things … blood clo

May 5, 2019
3 min

How To Stay In The Flow

Point to ponder: Do you write down what you are grateful for and ask for what you want and need? Or do you wish, hope and want for it? One of the my favorite podcasts is with Christine Hassler-- life coach, author and speaker. Like everyone, Christine has her own life-changing story that led her to finding her purpose and passion, and has provided her with the personal and professional direction and wisdom that she so openly shares. Christine’s entire podcast is perfection,

Apr 21, 2019
3 min

Choose An Exciting Life

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

Jun 17, 2018
6 min

Advice & Wisdom From Our Fathers

Point to Ponder: What is the greatest advice/wisdom/teachings you received from your Father or Father-figure? Today’s journal is a tribute from the iGnite Team and to our Fathers and Father Figures. It is chalk full of wisdom and love. Thank you Fathers everywhere & Happy Father’s Day! Alli Phillips- The greatest wisdom I have learned from my dad is effectively expressing your opinion or how you feel, and responding rather than "reacting" to an upsetting situation, usually

May 13, 2018
5 min

53 Pieces of the Best Advice Given by Moms

Point to Ponder: What is the best advice your mom or mom-figure has given you? Throughout the week leading up to today, Mother's Day, we collected 53 pieces of the best advice given by moms. Our hope is that the words encourage, empower and inspire you to continue being your best in all of your amazing roles, and in living your best and most incredible life! Alli Phillips- I don’t remember my mom offering “specific” advice or “words of wisdom” wrapped up into quotes when I w

May 7, 2018
2 min

The Amazing, Exceptional and Remarkable Mom You Are!

Point to Ponder: What unique mom-qualities or characteristics do you possess? If you aren't a mom yet, what special attributes and strengths do you acquire as a result of your amazing mom and/or mom-influences? A few years ago we, iGnite, celebrated Mother's Day with a beautiful pre-Mother's Day luncheon. During our time together each person had the opportunity to share a heartfelt and admirable quality or characteristic of their mom and/or mom-influences. As you would expe

May 6, 2018
2 min

The Amazing, Exceptional and Remarkable Mom You Are!

Point to Ponder: What unique mom-qualities or characteristics do you possess? If you aren't a mom yet, what special attributes and strengths do you acquire as a result of your amazing mom and/or mom-influences? A few years ago we, iGnite, celebrated Mother's Day with a beautiful pre-Mother's Day luncheon at Abel's on the Lake. During our time together each person had the opportunity to share a heartfelt and admirable quality or characteristic of their mom and/or mom-influen

Apr 29, 2018
3 min

We're Getting Summer Ready with Gratitude, and Here's Why

Point to Ponder: Do you start and end your day with gratitude? Have you ever looked back at a situation that by all accounts could have had a terrible outcome and thought, “WHOA! That could’ve been really bad! Thank you God for your timing and protection!” These were my exact sentiments yesterday, along with some of our iGnite leaders and members who attended our Pilates & SUP adventure on Lake Austin. Check out this wild scenario: It’s a gorgeous spring day with not a cloud

Apr 22, 2018
3 min

Catching Some Zzzzz's!

Point to Ponder: Do you get 7-9 hours of sleep each night? There was a time when I was ridiculously sleep deprived. For as long as I can remember I’ve burned the candle at both ends, which is a genetic trait from both my mom and grandmother. We are notorious for going 90 miles a minute until we crash and burn. Sadly, my grandmother, who was an enthusiastic angel on earth, suffered from diabetes and developed stomach cancer. As a result, she passed away in her late sixties. I

Apr 22, 2018
5 min

To Live a Life of Purpose, Ask Yourself "Why Does It Matter?"

Point to Ponder: Before committing or saying "yes" to something, do you ask yourself "why does it matter?" This Saturday morning while participating in the weekend laundry ritual: wash, fold, put away, repeat, I turned on the television in hope of being entertained during my monotonous chore. This is when I stumbled upon Barbara Bush's funeral. My intent was to only watch a minute or two, but one minute turned into over an hour of education, wisdom and inspiration. When Barb

Apr 15, 2018
3 min

But First, Hydrate!

Point to Ponder: Are you drinking at least 1/2 your weight in ounces of water each day? Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! How many times have we all heard this? We know we should drink at least 1/2 our body weight in ounces of water each day and it’s actually more important than you may think. Over the past several years I have heard several scary stories related to dehydration. Five people in our community, ranging in ages from 16-60 lost consciousness and some were seriously injur

Apr 8, 2018
3 min

A Bloom Amidst the Rocks

Point to Ponder: Do you allow challenges to pull you down or do you use them as launching pads ? Our Austin Outdoor Adventure Series started yesterday. Besides the seasonal thunderstorms, springtime in Austin is the best and most beautiful season. However, yesterday was different. In the middle of the night an unseasonal cold front blew in causing temperatures to plummet 40 degrees (yep, it was a humid 82 degrees on Friday and even into Friday night). Wind gusts from the Nor