During my time in the military I was conditioned to exercise in the early morning hours. Typically, I was in the gym with my fellow comrades by 04:30 and out by 06:30. We knew once we started work our time was no longer our own. Now, as a civilian, I choose sleep over getting to the gym before the aurora. This means if I want to stay physically active and fit, I have to make time during the day or after I depart the office.

I live, I love, I laugh, I cry. I’m not perfect. No one is, not you or I. ~ Unk Meaning of Perfect Are you striving to be perfect? Have you made mistakes? Are you judgmental of self and others? What does perfect mean and look like to you?

Solitude simply means seclusion, quiet, and privacy. Some find solitude undesirable and even depressing. Others view it as an opportunity to reflect and discover spiritual enlightenment. Putting a positive spin on solitude creates an invitation for us to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Solitude is a call to action to simply spend quiet time away from the commotion of places and people abuzz. It is an opportunity for deep reflection about your self, happiness, purpose and contribution in this world.

Be mindful of the very moment you are living. Start exactly this second. You don't wait . . . ~ Alexandra Stoddard Where Does Your Mind Go? Are you paying attention? When you drive your car, are you on autopilot or on alert? When you are in conversation, are you engaging with the other or thinking of something else? As I was sitting in the backyard of a dear friend, taking in the scenic backdrop of rolling hills, sprawling green trees, magnificent limestone cliffs, and a serene lake, my mind harkened back to a trip I took to Los Colinas De Cuncumen. Just thinking about it fills me with joy. This was a place absent of technology and social fanfare. It was a place where peace and serenity embraced me the moment I arrived and, quite frankly, it is still with me today. It was an opportunity for me to reflect on the core of who I was as a human being. Many questions arose during my time there, but the one that continues to surface is, where does your mind go?

Do you wonder if you suffer codependency? Are you dependent on someone or something else that is undependable? Are your identity, value and purpose dependent on the approval someone else? If so, you qualify as codependent. The good news is that you can lose codependence and win your independence.

I wonder how many times people give up just before a breakthrough - when they are on the very brink of success. ~ Joyce Meyer Are you waiting for your bliss breakthrough or are you willing your bliss breakthrough (What Does Living a Blissful Life Mean?)? Have you ever looked back and thought, “I was on the brink of my breakthrough, why did I give up?” For many of us, we never know how close we are to our bliss breakthrough because we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel shining on the path to our dream. But, if you did see the light, are you ready to make significant change in your life?

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well ~Virginia Woolf Food Choices. Yuck or Yum? Who decides what food you eat? Do you think of food as a ‘yuck’ or ‘yum’ decision? How does the food you eat affect your health? Food choices - when it comes to eating healthy, sometimes it feels like a battle between ‘yuck’ and ‘yum.’ Quite frankly, at times the idea of choosing healthy food seems quite boring and tasteless. We have all been there before, especially when we were kids. Remember your parents sitting a plate of peas, lima beans, and carrots in front of you? Did your taste buds say: ‘Yuck?' Mine did. Now, as an adult, my taste buds don’t find favor with peas, lima beans, and carrots. I choose not to eat them. Instead, I choose to eat spinach. My taste buds say: ‘Yum.’

Your body's inner critic is heavily influenced by society’s idea of beauty. It can make for a never-ending head game for many of us. Especially, when you start thinking you are a problem that needs to be solved. This simply opens the door for your body's inner critic to walk in and take up residence in your mind.

Do you have aches, pains, and digestive or mental health difficulties? Do you feel lethargic? Are you noticing a rise in skin breakouts or increased bad breath? Here's an idea for you to feel and look better: cleanse the body with H2O on the rocks. Here's how to do it.

Self-care must be number one on your to-do list. Remember that your body is your temple. It is the only place 'your Self' has to live. Life’s responsibilities are countless for many of us. And in trying to juggle those responsibilities we neglect to take care of ourselves--our temple. We might think about our physical health but that is often where it begins and ends.