spirituality – GRIT By Brit

10 Thoughts GRITTY People Reject

July 16, 2014 No Comments

Happy Hump Day gang! As I sit in my home office enjoying my week of vacation, I started a stream of consciousness of thoughts/statements that I absolutely hate to hear. So, I wanted to write a post to reject each and every one of them…

My best days are behind me – Gritty people believe that the best is always yet to come. If we can’t hope for a brighter and better future, what’s the point of working hard? Or waking up every day?
My dreams don’t matter – Our dreams are unique. They drive our passions and ultimately our purpose in life. Gritty people value their dreams and pursue them.
I’ve reached my limit – We have no limits! We are only limited by our minds and the restrictions that we put on ourselves. Gritty people continuously work harder, dream bigger and expect more out of life.
I’m cursed – None of us are cursed! In fact, believing that we are cursed will actually bring about bad situations. Suffering is a fundamental part of the human experience, but in the grand scheme of things, good always outweighs bad. Gritty people strive to stay positive!
I’m not supposed to be happy – All of us are given the gift of life and have duty to live life abundantly. That means we are supposed to experience joy, peace, service, happiness and purpose. Why even live if we are doomed for gloom? You are supposed to be happy – gritty people accept this truth!
I’m weak – This is one of the most powerful lies that can ruin your whole life if you start to believe it. Gritty people know that they are powerful beyond measure. You are so much stronger than you think!
This is as good as it gets – When we start to accept this thought, we are likely to settle for less than optimal circumstances. Now I’m not saying that we should never experience bad times, but we must always believe that we can make situations better with hard work, faith and confidence.
What he/she did is unforgivable – EVERYTHING is forgivable. Gritty people understand that holding a grudge is like “drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” – Buddha
I have no control over this situation – While we can’t control all of life’s circumstances, we can always control how we respond. Our responses to situations have so much influence on the outcomes. Gritty people take control of their lives.
I am the victim – Gritty people accept responsibility for themselves and for their happiness. Despite wrong doings by others, gritty people refuse to be the victim. Victims are weak. Weak is not a good look.

I know each of you are gritty already, so help spread these powerful truths to those you love.

xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the GIFT

June 2, 2013 No Comments

Happy Sunday! You guys know on Sundays I like to spread a little encouragement/inspiration, so today I want to share something that’s been heavy on my heart = Appreciating and Maximizing the GIFT of Life

What is the “gift’? That IS the question. To me the “gift” is the privilege of having a human life. As humans, unlike any other species, we have the ability to be BE and DO whatever we want. Why?

Because we have free will
Because we can change

With hard work, can be WHATEVER we want to be and that’s amazing!

If we are weak, we can make ourselves strong.
If we are dumb, we can study and become smart.
If we are lonely, we can find companions.

The list goes on and on. However, with this amazing “gift,” also comes a huge responsibility. To me, that responsibility is to promote peace, abundant living and encouragement to others. The cool thing is that we each fulfill our responsibility in different ways. For me it’s through sharing fitness. What is it for you?

While we all have different passions and different ways of encouraging each other, one thing that we have in common is that we have to continuously work REALLY HARD to perfect our craft. It’s a life-long journey, but it’s so rewarding to know that our lives have a purpose and that we each play a crucial role in helping others live a better life.

As you start your week, I encourage you to think about your “gift.” Are you making the most of it? Are you giving your best?

Work hard, dream big, help others! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Why not have a BIG life? The World is Yours!

May 26, 2013 10 Comments

Happy Sunday guys and gals! I don’t have much to say to today. Just wanted to spread a little encouragement…

Life is short, but it’s also sweet. What are you doing to make the most of this life? What are doing to make your deepest dreams and desires come true? Whatever you are doing…keep on fighting! As long as you never quit, your dreams WILL become a reality. Why? Because you are powerful beyond measure and because the world is yours!

Say it…believe it #GRIT

Be blessed! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

We can always quit…why start now?

April 18, 2013 4 Comments

Happiest Thursday to you! I saw this quote on Twitter, “We can always quit, why start now?” It made me take a step back and reflect on decisions I’m currently facing in my own life. I gotta be honest….I’m TIRED. Work is demanding. Traveling is draining. In addition to that, the effort it takes to plan my workouts, blog, volunteer and consciously spend time with the people I love, leaves me with very little in my “Energy Budget” at the end of each day. BUT I’m happy to say that even though it seems like I’m “running on empty” at least I’m still running. And that, my friends, is a blessing!

So, I write this blog post for both selfish and selfless reasons:

I hope it motivates you to keep pushing
I needed to give myself a pep talk 🙂

Have a wonderful day – you got this!

Lots of luv,

Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

It’s not over…

March 31, 2013 3 Comments

Hope you guys had a very happy Easter weekend. What a wonderful holiday – I’m always encouraged after Easter because it reminds me that ALL things are possible with God. If death can be conquered, then I know I can certainly conquer my goals or any obstacles in my life.

As I was sitting here in my room preparing for my work week and planning the workouts I want to post, I had an urge to change it up and to just share some good old-fashion encouragement with you instead. It that alright?

So here it goes…

Be encouraged this week! You may feel like giving up, you may feel hopeless, you may feel like you’ve been working your butt off and nothing is paying off. But guess what? It’s not over for you or for me. We got gotta hang in there and keep pushing! We are closer than we think we are. Be strong this week. Work harder than you’ve ever worked before. Be more kind and more forgiving to others than you’ve ever been before. Today is a new day and you are almost there. Be ENCOURAGED and NEVER EVER QUIT. You got this! You’re stronger than you think you are #GRIT

Lots of luv,

Brit

Inspiration & Motivation, Lifestyle

Merry Christmas to my amazing family & friends!

December 24, 2012 No Comments

family & friends christmas

Not until about 3 years ago did I start to really appreciate the quality time I spent with my family and friends. Often I measure my personal success by my academic and professional achievements, money earned, Twitter followers and Facebook likes. However, none of these things bring me the sincere joy that my personal relationships create. I feel such a sense of peace, purpose and self-assurance by knowing that there are people in my life who truly have my back. Despite my shortcomings, my imperfections and my bad habits, they love me just the way I am. This holiday season, I’m challenging myself to invest in my relationships as much I invest in my job, my fitness regimen and in the stock market because sowing positive seeds into other people prepares the MOST bountiful harvest of all!

I don’t have many words for this post, just an extraordinary expression of gratitude for my loving, understanding, amazing family and friends. I thank God for you all – Merry Christmas!

photo (18)

(above) My sister, brother and me after church yesterday

Inspiration & Motivation

Holiday Weight Gain – Keep the pounds at bay on Turkey Day

November 18, 2012 2 Comments

It’s almost Turkey Day ladies and gents! While you’re giving thanks and spending time with the people you love DON’T be like the average American and pack on unneeded pounds – you’re better than that 🙂

Here’s my top 10 list to keep your weight in check on Turkey Day…

Wake up and work out. I like to think of this as “putting a credit on my account.” Since I know there will be lots of irresistible food coming my way, I do at least 1 hour of cardio on Thanksgiving morning. Lots of my NYC and Dallas fitness instructor friends are holding special thanksgiving day classes, so do some research the day before and prepare to attend one! You can also do the GRIT by Brit Ultimate body burn DVD 😉
Eat breakfast. It’s natural to want to sleep in on your day off and “save room” for the big Thanksgiving meal, but doing so will make you binge because you are so hungry. Go ahead and eat some oatmeal, fruit or protein in the morning to keep you from inhaling food later on.
Drink up before you eat up. As always, hydration is key on Thanksgiving day and on any day. Drinking a liter of water before your big Turkey dinner will make you feel full and keep you from over eating.
Fellowship first. Be sure to chat and spend quality time with your family and loved ones before devouring your food. Enjoy your total holiday experience not just your meal.
Be “grateful” without a “plate full.” Instead of loading up huge servings sizes, go for quality over quantity. Try small portions of a variety of foods and really savor the taste.
Color is King. Make sure that your plate is colorful! These means it should have lots of veggies on it: green beans & sweet potatoes are excellent. They are full of fiber and nutrients, will digest easier and satisfy you longer.
Enjoy the rare stuff. Don’t get full on rolls, chips and dips and other foods you can have every other day of the year. Instead, enjoy those one-of-a-kind holiday foods. Eat them slowly and enjoy every bite 🙂
STOP when you’re full. Keep in mind that your stomach is the size of your fist. Don’t hurt it and over expand it by simply eating too much.
Enjoy some “tea time.” Sip hot tea (preferably green tea) after your meal to help aid digestion and also to keep you from going back for seconds out of boredom or convenience.
GIVE THANKS. Because life is good and a joyful spirit is good for your health!

Inspiration & Motivation

SPEAK it into Existence!

May 13, 2012 3 Comments

“I’m going to shoot a workout video on May 12, 2012”

– Brit on 1/24/12

Guess what? I did! In less than 5 months, with help of the most amazing friends and family, yesterday we shot GRIT Ultimate Body Burn Vol.1 – WOW! Let me preface this by saying that I have ZERO video or audio production experience, I’m not a full-time fitness professional (I’m a management consultant by day) and I’ve only been a group fitness instructor for 1 year. However, a simple statement that I made to a friend on Jan 24, 2012 became a reality due to enthusiasm and the amazing power of the tongue!

Now let me keep it real, there were SEVERAL bumps in the road: getting legal clearance for music was a nightmare, writing choreography took many sleepless nights and my credit card is suffering from underestimating the cost of video equipment rentals. However, I feel more alive and energized than I have in years because I did something that most, including myself, considered impossible – and it all starting with SPEAKING out my goal. Even though we still have a lot of post production work to do, this is one of most challenging and inspiring experiences of my life so I wanted to share it with you. Now, I challenge YOU to BELIEVE in whatever it is that you want to achieve. You ARE what you SAY you are. So, NAME it, CLAIM it, and DO it – GRIT!

“Death and Life are in the power of the tongue…” (Proverbs 18:21)

GRIT 010 — Me and my GRIT girlz chillin’ in between cuts

GRIT 003 — The amazing Phil Wall to the far right (www.philwallproductions.com) my buddy and partner in crime – the genius one man crew who made the shoot a success!

GRIT 007 — Got free labor from my lil’ bro – he was our “audio technician”

GRIT 009 — Standing AB work – yeah buddy!

GRIT 002 — Celebrating (silly pose) after we finished the shoot!

Inspiration & Motivation

So, you mean praying can help me lose weight?

April 25, 2012 6 Comments

Last weekend I went to a fitness instructor workshop and one part of the training was on the “Iceberg” model of health. As you can see Spirituality/Meaning are at the base of the iceberg. This helped me understand that the lasting way to maintain good health is to have a strong spiritual foundation and life meaning/purpose. It goes a little something like this: Knowing our life’s purpose drives our motivations > our motivations drive our lifestyle/behaviors > our lifestyle determines our state of health. You’re probably thinking, “WHOA, Brit just got real deep on us!” Well no worries, I’m not trying to be your guru – I just don’t want all of my leg and ab workouts going to waste if you haven’t first laid the foundation 🙂

I’ve held tight to some valuable advice from my parents and mentors which can guide us as we evaluate the “base of our health icebergs.” Hopefully this advice helps you as much as it’s helped me – enjoy!

Brit’s 5 Step Guide for a Strong Spiritual Foundation:

Believe in God and that He put you here for a reason. YOU ARE NOT A MISTAKE – your life has meaning and a specific purpose. Life is about understanding our individual and collective human purposes and striving each day to live those out. If you choose not to believe in God or a higher power, it’s virtually impossible to have HOPE for a greater good, divine order or individual life purpose. And if your life is hopeless, why even live?
Understand your strengths and where you put your effort. By knowing what you’re good at and when you’re most willing to work hard, you can gain a good sense of your natural gifts and ultimately your purpose in life.
Understand and/or define your values. What do you stand for? Think about it and write it down. Also, choose friends that understand your values, support them and keep you accountable for living by them – yes, tough love! After all, “if you don’t stand for anything you’ll fall for everything.” – Peter Marshall, 1947
Surround yourself with positive people. Positive people are the ultimate sources of optimism and energy, find ‘em and keep ‘em. On the other hand, negative people are like viruses, they will literally suck the life out of you – GET AWAY FROM THEM ASAP. This doesn’t make you heartless or a bad friend. Instead, it makes YOUR OWN well-being your first priority. The fact of the matter is that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we are incapable of adequately loving and supporting others.
Pray Regularly. Now, I have a hard time with this one because I find it very challenging to quiet my mind and really acknowledge my deepest fears, issues, questions, etc. However, a daily devotion to prayer and/or meditation gives us an opportunity to express gratitude, explore our deepest spiritual questions, relax and continue progressing on our spiritual journeys.