What am I Waiting for???

What am I Waiting for???

Hi Goalies! Have you ever asked yourself that question?? If not, I challenge you this week to do just that!

·       Go to a mirror

·       Stare boldly at your beautiful reflection

·       Then, close your eyes and think about all the goals, dreams and aspirations you have 

·       Imagine how it would make you feel to accomplish all that and more!! Feels pretty awesome, huh? J

·       Now open your eyes and ask yourself boldly…..What am I waiting for???

I wouldn’t ask my GOALie friends to do anything that I haven’t done.  I have been thinking about my big goals and dreams a lot lately and had to ask myself this question. See, I’ve let life get in the way lately…work, class, activities, social time, travel, etc. and I must get back on track.  We all have things we want and frankly NEED to accomplish. This world needs your gifts, your voice, your time, your leadership, your vision, your ______ (Fill in the blank).

Don’t let age, money, education, distractions, fear, laziness, procrastination, comments from others, or anything else hold you back from accomplishing all that God has for you! Live your dreams! Walk in Purpose! Seek greatness in all that you do!  You can do anything through prayer, discipline, obedience and hard work.  Will it be easy? No! Will it be worth it? Oh yes, baby!!!

Now I have short term goals and more long term goals.  The long term goals are BIG and sometimes scare me, honestly.  However, I received an amazing word from my new Pastor recently that changed my perspective.  He simply said, “If your goals do not intimidate you, they are probably an insult to God!” Wow! Pretty major, huh? God wants to go GREAT, BIG, AMAZING, things through our lives...above anything we could ever imagine. So, WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR??? Let’s Go GOALies!!

Please take time this week to think over your short term goals and your BIGGER long term goals!  We have work to do!! This world needs us!! Here are a few “Rules of the Game” to get you started…

Rules of the Game:

1.        Ask yourself who you want to become, where you want to be, and what you want to accomplish?

2.        Write down all your gifts, passions and things that get you excited.

3.        Write down all your goals. (even the ones you think may be silly)

4.        Create a Vision Board (will share directions separately)

5.        Shout positive affirmations every morning, like:

·       “Nothing will stand in my way to achieving my goals!”

·       “These written goals are helping me achieve my life’s purpose!”

·       “I already have everything I need to achieve all my goals!”

·       “I am Victorious!”

·       “Everything is working out for me, right now!”

6.        Write down weekly to-do lists to accomplish small steps to reach each goal.

7.        Find an accountability partner you trust to share your goals with and have them check in on your progress.

Please share your goals, thoughts and progress with us! For questions or comments please email us at gogoalies14@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you!

PinkHugs & Love,

Alli

Levels to this dating stuff...or are there? The interactive post!

Hey folks!
 It's DeAnna. First off I hope all is well and that you are continuing to gracefully overcome while living the beautiful life you were blessed with!
   So today I have an interactive post that I hope you all will give feedback for. As a disclaimer I will say that I am not bitter or going through anything. (I just had to clarify that! Lol) So we all know that dating in this day and age is significantly different than it was in our parent's day and age. The main change is the introduction of social media.
     According to our parents and even grandparents the man would "court" the woman for some time before seeking a relationship with her. Typically the courting phase was very traditional in that the man would initiate and ask the woman out etc. However, I find that these days men may initiate the first date then from there they sit back and wait for the woman to make the next move. Of course during this time they both may entertain other people as well. From there they may hang out again a few times or they may not. So there ends up being a lot of sporadic and inconsistent interactions between the two.
    My question to you is: why do you think the inconsistencies happen? Is it because one party may be too distracted by other options? Why has the courting phase gone out the window with our generation and future ones? Can we ever get back to traditional dating even with social media and the things we see on "reality TV?" Let me know what you think! Reply to: gogoalies14@gmail.com


Love Always,
DeAnna

Part II of Alli's battle with cancer

Hi Goalies! Part II, Here we go…

So, at this point in the story I have learned that I have stage 1 breast cancer at 26.  I have some tough decisions to make…lumpectomy vs. mastectomy and hard questions to ask the doctor…will I need chemotherapy? Will I be able to have children? Etc. I had a few more tests to go through that would help the doctor and I decide on the best course of action. I had my lymph nodes checked via an MRI, I had a Oncotype DX test done to determine if I needed chemo, I met with a fertility doctor to discuss my options for children and met with a plastic surgeon to get details on reconstruction….WHEW! Can we say a lot to take in? I was bombarded with information, statistics, and decisions to make now that could impact the rest of my life. I asked as many questions as I could and researched EVERYTHING but Prayer was my only answer and way of getting through and finding peace in my decisions.

After the MRI test, I found out that my lymph nodes were clear!! A Victory because that meant the cancer had not spread; however they found another tumor in the other breast.  After learning that news, I decided to have both breasts removed.  I had a rough recovery from surgery but my mom was there every day to care for me. She’s a gem!  A few weeks later, I learned I would NOT need chemotherapy from the Oncotype results!! A Victory so I had a No Chemo Party with Friends. :)

Losing my breasts was a hit to my self image and I was very emotional looking at what was left. I have now learned to celebrate the scars as my VICTORY scars and be confident, but it’s not easy. I did not anticipate the many emotional struggles that would come as a cancer survivor.  In future posts, I will discuss the emotional impact and mental battle of the mind and recommend a book for anyone dealing with those issues. 

Below are a few lessons I learned from this battle. Beating the "c" word made me a better person!  I am more aware of taking care of my body and making my health a priority. I cherish EVERY moment and make the most of every day, I spend as much time with friends and family as I can (physically and virtually) and I strive to DO, BE, LIVE life to fullest because I know it can change at any moment.  Stay focused GOALies…at the end of the game, if we play to win, we will!

Rules of the Game:

1.     Celebrate the small wins on your journey!

2.     Look for the blessings and lessons in every situation! 

3.     Don’t sweat the small stuff!

4.     Learn to stop and find JOY in the simple things!

5.     Breathe in Appreciation and Exhale Joy!

6.     Keep your eye on what you want to achieve!

7.     Take daily steps to move closer to your dreams!

8.     Share your journey with others!

9.     Discover the purpose and meaning in your days!

10.  Each day you get another chance to celebrate life….so live it to the fullest!

PinkHugs & Love,

Alli

For questions or comments please email us at gogoalies14@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! 

I'll Never Let the Dream Killers Kill MY Self-Esteem

Hey Folks!
   It's DeAnna. I hope all is going well in your world. In this post I want to talk about having goals and dreams and not letting anything or anyone stop you from going after them.

 As children we all had wild and vivid imaginations on what we wanted to be or things we wanted to do when we got older. It took the adults in our lives to nurture those dreams and constantly remind us that we could be anything we want to be. However once we get older that may stop. At least it did for me.

 You see I grew up in a single parent home with a mother who suffered from depression. Sadly as a result, a lot of her internal battles came out negatively toward me since I was the only other person there. There were times when I could express dreams of things I wanted to do or things I wanted to be to my mother and because of her mental state I would never get the positive praise that the average parent would give to a child. I got the complete opposite. So over time it became "a thing" for me to do things just to prove to my mother that I could do them.

I literally went through all of my childhood and into adulthood with this mentally. Now while my living this way has allowed me to achieve some amazing goals, I can't say they were necessarily MY actual dreams. (If that makes sense) I was only achieving these things to prove to others what I could do or to make others happy when in turn I wasn't doing them for my own happiness.

Earlier this year, I finally had my "a ha" moment in living like this and I decided from this day forward I will live for me and ONLY me. I will reach the goals that I WANT to reach for MYSELF no matter what anyone says. Sure, there will always be someone telling you that you can't do something or you aren't good enough, but only YOU can truly assess that. At the end of the day, it is YOUR life and YOUR happiness that is at stake.

So I say to you now GOALie, go after those dreams that you have been putting on hold out of fear or doubt from others. Their approval will NEVER determine your happiness. Only God's approval and your own approval can help you reach true happiness and peace. KEEP DREAMING and KEEP REACHING!!!


For questions or comments please email us at gogoalies14@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you guys!

Much Love,
DeAnna

Part 1 of Alli's Battle with cancer

Hi Beautiful People! I am going to share the beginning of my battle with breast cancer. Here we go...

I have always been pretty health conscious, nearly a hypochondriac.  I wanted to go to the doctor for any and everything, even as a child.  Breast Cancer became a cause I was aware of after 2 of my dad’s sisters were diagnosed and ultimately both passed away.  My second aunt passed away when I was in college, I was so concerned so I researched breast cancer and asked my doctor what I should do. She mentioned self-exams that I could do in the shower.  So, I started breast self-exams in college.   

In September of 2011 at the age of 26, I felt a hard, round lump in my left breast that I had never felt before.  I was nervous but prayed and continue to monitor the lump for about a week.  When it did not go away or get smaller, I decided to go to the doctor.  My regular doctor was out of town, so I saw her partner since it was important.  He gave me an exam and thought it was a fibroid tumor and suggested I take Vitamin E to reduce the size.  He also suggested I get an ultra sound just so we are sure.  He was pretty sure it was a fibroid due to my age, but I was happy to do the ultra sound to ease my mind.

I went for an ultrasound a few days later and was in the office a little longer than I considered normal.  The radiologist came in to do some imaging himself and then ordered a mammogram be performed that day. 

After I got dressed, the radiologist wanted to talk to me that afternoon in his office.  Usually, after a scan, you go home and get the news later. I was super nervous since the radiologist wanted to talk that same day.  He told me the lump was actually a solid mass and there is a good chance that it is cancer.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  He sternly suggested that I get a biopsy done within the week to be sure. 

Fast forward a few days, I had the biopsy completed and left praying and claiming victory no matter what the doctors said. The next day, I received a phone call that would rock my world.  I thought the doctors were calling to check on me after the biopsy as planned.  The voice on the other end was actually my regular doctor and she had my biopsy results.  She goes on to say she wishes she could be there to hug me, but wanted to tell me as soon as possible.  She simply said these 3 words…It is cancer.  Huh? What did you say?  I couldn’t believe it! I asked what stage? Am I going to beat this? How bad? What? Me? Breast cancer? At 26? No way!

For 1 week, all I knew is that I had cancer…I did not know the stage, the prognosis or anything.  My family was so great in keeping me busy and occupied so that I would not dwell on the news.  God blessed me with unspeakable joy, faith and strength throughout the process.  1 week later I received the official diagnosis. Stage 1 DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ) non-aggressive, ER/PR positive…..what does that mean?   It meant I had an early diagnosis and a great chance to beat this thing and I was sooooooo happy!  My doctor was great in explaining the diagnosis and reviewing all the treatment options available.

My first tough decision was deciding between a lumpectomy (to remove the tumor only) or a mastectomy (to remove my full breast).  I remembered terrible images in the past of women fighting breast cancer that lost their breasts and I cried like a baby! 

I had some tough decisions to make on this journey and I learned to depend on God like never before. I learned so much about myself, my spiritual relationship with God and the importance of prayer and faith.  Stay Tuned! I will share more about the cancer journey, the lessons I’ve learned through this battle and other battles throughout my life.  Hopefully we can start a great dialogue and grow better together. Let’s Go Goalies!!

PinkHugs & Love,

Alli

A little more about DeAnna....

Hi everyone! It's DeAnna. Today I want to briefly tell you a little bit more about who am I and what my story entails.

Let's see...where do I start. I guess the beginning.

I grew up as the chubby kid. Of course as a kid I was teased from time to time about my weight but I never truly understood it all until I became a little older and I started hearing the insults from people close to me. Around the time I was in middle school, my mother started bringing up my weight frequently. This caused me to cry a lot and it put a serious strain on our relationship. As a kid I just wanted to make my mom happy but I felt like no matter how well I performed in school there was also something she didn't like. The main thing being my weight.

I tried to live my life as normal as possible but in the back of my mind I was very self-conscious and my esteem was low. Things continued on this way even into my being in college. After going through a shaky relationship that resulted in me being cheated on, my weight increased significantly. I reached my heaviest weight and was classified as "morbidly obese" by a doctor. I couldn't believe it! Morbidly obese??? That sounded horrible. However, I felt like there was nothing I could do to lose the weight. I just made it up in my mind that I would be heavy for the rest of my life.

I went on to Law School immediately after undergrad. Sometime in my last year I was having a conversation with two of my close friends and I guy I had a little crush on at school. My friends asked him what type of women he likes and he said "slim women." Such a simple comment cut deep. After that I knew it was time to get it together and to stop making excuses. Now I now it shouldn't take someone of the opposite sex to motivate a person to change but this coupled with the years of teasing was my "a ha" moment!

In my last semester of Law school I started on a 30-day fitness challenge on a game on my Nintendo Wii. From there I just kept going little by little. I slowly started assessing my eating habits and researching better eating practices. By the end of that summer I had dropped from a size 14 pant to a size 8/10. I was so happy. This was motivation in itself.

Now, here I am almost 4 years later and over 85 pounds lighter. This journey has not been easy but it has been well worth it. Not only have I gotten healthier, I have inspired and motivated so many others to start their own health and fitness journeys. Honestly, that is the probably the most rewarding part of all the hard work and years of dedication that I have put into this.

I am now in the process of launching my own personal training and fitness business and I couldn't be more excited. The countless number of emails and messages on social media (in addition to LOTS of prayer) have moved me to finally do this. I'll admit I was pretty hesitant but it is time to share my gift and experience with the world!!! At the end of the day, that's why God blessed us with our various gifts and stories, so that we may share them with others!!!

I hope this post has given you a little bit more about who I am. At the end of the day, I'm just a regular woman who has struggled with her own issues and is now learning to use them to help others. What's your story? And how will you use it to change the world??? That's what being a G.O.A.L.ie is all about!!! Email us at gogoalies14@gmail.com and let me know your story or if you have any questions or comments!

With love,

DeAnna

Who.We.Are.

     Hello and Welcome! We are so glad that you have decided to check out our new blog.

     What exactly is a G.O.A.L.ie you ask? A G.O.A.L.ie is someone who is Gracefully Overcoming And Living. As we all know, life has a funny way of taking its best shots to defeat us. But it is up to US to defend against the opposition and continue pushing through to our personal victories.  We must play an ACTIVE part in the game of life and not just sit on the sidelines every time things get rough.

     We decided to start this blog not only to share our personal stories of overcoming and living in victory but to hopefully inspire you to do the same!

     So with that being said let us introduce ourselves...

     Hi! My name is Alli. I am a young woman navigating the challenges of life, building a career, discovering my passions, and striving to fulfill my purpose in life. In addition, I am 28 and I am a breast cancer SURVIVOR. Yes! You heard it right. I received the most shocking news of my life on October 4, 2011..."you have cancer." This was the biggest physical, spiritual, and emotional storm of my life, but I learned so much about myself, life, and my relationship with God. He turned it around for my GOOD and now I have a story to share with all of you!

     Hello folks! I'm DeAnna. I'm a 29 year old Attorney and health/fitness junkie. Was I always a health/fitness junkie? Heck no! I was overweight ALL of my life until recently. I managed to lose over 80 (yes 8-0) pounds without the help of fad diets, quick fixes, or surgery. But my weight loss journey was no walk in the park. I still had to deal with the ups and downs of life and love in between. However, I never gave up hope and because of that I not only reached my goals but I surpassed them. Now I want to share my journey and walk in faith with you as well!

     We hope that you will read on to discover the things that we have learned and continue to learn as young women striving for GREATNESS! We are GOALies and we want all of you to go after your goals with everything within you. Our hope is that you can apply these lessons to your own life and we can start a great dialogue about our life's journeys. We love sharing our story because we all have one and we can learn from each other without hopefully going through the same experiences.

     Join us on this journey and become a GOALie! Feel free to email us anytime with comments, concerns, topics, etc. at gogoalies14@gmail.com.


With Love,

Alli and DeAnna