I am a runner.

So today is January 1st 2017 and a new year symbolizes a new and fresh start. Every day you wake up should feel that way, but with a new year you really start to look at things differently. You reflect on the past year and set resolutions and promises to yourself to change and better yourself and life. A new year symbolizes new beginnings and hope. 

Most keep this energetic feeling through January, but then don't seem to keep it much longer - falling back on promises and negative feelings ensue. The beliefs you've always had about yourself take over and the negative self-talk starts. That is unless you retrain your brain into believing something else. 

I have always loved self-help books and reading about brain research. I really do believe the quote, "Believe you can and you will." I believe in faith and optimism. I believe you can do anything you set your mind to. I believe the mind is so very powerful. These beliefs are being strengthened as I read Dana Wilde's famed book, "Train Your Brain." I haven't yet finished the book, but I'm "drinking the Kool-aid." Her claims seem to make so much sense. The subtitle of the book reads, "How to Build a Million Dollar Business in Record Time." This peaked my interest as I have been wanting to build my Jamberry business and rank to the Executive level by June of this year. To reach this level has seemed so impossible. You need 700 PRV (personal retail volume), 5 actives underneath you (that means 5 recruits have to have at least 200 PRV), two of the 5 actives have to be Team Managers (which means they each have to have 700 PRV, 5 actives with at least two of them being Lead Consultants which means THEY each have to have 400 PRV, 2 actives, and $1500 TRV which is team retail volume), $8000 TRV, and at least 3 months of $1000 PRV. So to reach this level, I need a strong team. I cannot reach the level alone. My negative self-talk keeps telling me that it is impossible to build and manage my business and a strong team as I am a full-time middle school band program. However, at the same time, the dream of being an Executive in the company and all that title comes with seem doable and so exciting. At any rate, I started to read the book with the premise of finding the answers to growing my Jamberry business. 

The book has been a great read with short chapters. You see, I feel a sense of accomplishment every time I finish a chapter when reading a book. If the chapters are short enough, I'll continue reading the book to keep feeling that sense of accomplishment. At the end of the book, there are Mindware Experiments which also makes the book a sort of workbook. You don't have to wait until the end to complete the exercises/experiments. In fact, the end of each chapter directs you to which experiments you can complete in line with the chapter you just read. I haven't done any experiments (other than in my head). I am currently reading about mantras though. 

I have gone about writing mantras in the wrong way in the past. I have not used the correct language.

You must use the perfect language when writing your mantra. When you recite your mantra, your brain must believe it. And note, something doesn't have to be true for your brain to believe it. You can tell your brain, or "train your brain" into believing something to be true. 

Dana writes that there are four basic guidelines for perfect language mantras:

1) Make your statement in the positive.

2) Make your statement as though it has already happened or already been resolved.

3) Make your statement believable. 

4) Go for the positive emotional impact. Avoid wishy-washy language.

Dana says that the most important thing about a mantra is the emotion and feeling behind it. If you feel excited after reading your mantra, you're definitely on the right track. 

Just last night, I wrote down a dozen or more "I Am" declarations to live by this year and then decided to unveil one a day on Instagram. Today's #2017mantra is "I Am a Runner." You see, I love running. I love the feeling I get from running outside. I love being in nature. I love feeling the warm sun on my skin. I love feeling the breeze on my face. I love the rhythm of my feet on the pavement. I love feeling strong. I love engaging my muscles and feeling healthier. And again, I love the feeling of accomplishment afterward. So, I put on my sports bra and running shoes this morning and went for a walk. It has been a long time since I ran (like MONTHS) and I wanted to ease into it. I went out onto my porch and stretched, set my running app and music, and then it started to rain. I looked at the radar on my weather app and saw it was going to clear up soon. It did. The sun came out and I started my walk. I felt so good. I am just getting over the Christmas crud and the fresh air and sun felt great. I even saw a beautiful rainbow as I began walking. I had only planned on walking for about 10 minutes or a quarter of a mile, but was feeling so good I kept going. I went all the way down to the end of the street and then started heading home. I was halfway up the hilly street when it started to sprinkle. I started lightly jogging. Then the sprinkles turned into fat drops of rain. I picked up the pace. Then those fat drops of rain started falling with more frequency. I full out sprinted up the hill and up the stairs to get inside. I was wheezing and could not breathe. My lungs were so full of congestion and I could not get myself to calm down. In time and with the help of some Ricola cough drops, I was back to myself again. After lunch (Hoppin' John) and the Cowboys football game, I dyed my hair and took a shower. In the shower I started saying my mantra over and over.

I am a runner. I am thin, fit and healthy. I am a runner. I am thin, fit and healthy because I am a runner. And so forth. This then led to all of my other I am statements (even including ones about having a successful band program) followed by "because I am a runner." I have found my mantra for 2017 and am so excited about it. I am retraining my brain. No failed new year resolutions for me. No failed promises. No negative self-talk and disappointment. I am a runner!

By the way, if you'd like to pick up a copy of the book yourself and talk about it, you can get one on Amazon like I did (I'm an Amazon Prime member): https://www.amazon.com/Train-Your-Brain-Million-Business/dp/1452571562/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483314786&sr=1-1&keywords=train+your+brain