By |

So today I am celebrating 35 years of life, and will be spending the entire month of October doing all of the awesome fit and fun things I love the most!

So to continue a list from a previous post from about 3 years ago with a countdown to the 32nd celebration of the day of my birth, here is a continuation of that list with now 35 additional things I have learned and fallen in love with about my life to date. Once again in no particular order, but just as they came to mind over the course of the past few days:

#35 – No net…live as if there’s no turning back, no do-overs, no safety net to catch you when you fall. Travel light!

#34 – Discretion is a decision. The world only knows what you decide to tell them…Surrender to Silence. People will always think they know you when they really don’t

#33 – Hold your mule…in the stillness of life…love happens. Wait for it. Pray for it. Be still and know that it’s happening.

#32 – It’s okay to let go

#31 – Not everyone will understand you, but those that matter will, and will cherish what you have to offer

#30 – Love yourself first, it’s not selfish.

#29 – Consciousness is your friend, think before you act

#28 – Fitness is the fountain of youth

#27 – Be present, let people know that you care

#26 – Failure is never an option, but a choice

#25 – Plan for success and believe in your plan

#24 – Take chances, put your neck in the noose of life

#23 – Food is for physiological nourishment, not mental pleasure, practice santosha

#22 – Ask questions, answer questions, nothing’s off limits for debate or change

#21 – Be fearless

#20 – Take the road less traveled

#19 – Be outstanding

#18 – Root to Rise

#17 – Follow your dreams, they know the path to your true happiness

#16 – Dare to dream, and dream BIG!

#15 – Keep growing. Keep living!

#14 – Be transparent, live out loud

#13 – Live such an fascinating life, that it’s open book worthy

#12 – Reach your goals, but take time to listen to the goals of others

#11 – Be a light…enlightenment is a gift

#10 – Shock yourself, then go out and shock the world

#9 – Do any and everything you ever thought about doing

#8 – Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do

#7 – Can’t is not a word in my vocabulary, it’s meaningless

#6 – Eat breakfast

#5 – Move everyday. Moving heals. Sitting kills.

#4 – Become obsessed with you, there’s only one, love it to pieces

#3 – Take the keys and drive into your future, don’t sit back and wait for others to give you permission

#2 – Love people for who and what they are, and don’t be afraid to leave them where you found them, you only control you, love and protect that!

#1 – Pray every day!

As the days and the weeks roll by, I am certain there will be more that comes to mind. However I won’t spoil God’s timing and save those for the next celebration of my birth year post, and I will try not to let 3 years fly by without an update….. This past year has been a year of some pretty big and exciting milestones, so I can only imagine what Chapter 35 has in store as I travel into yet another year of life. So, until next time. … #LoveGod … #LoveYourself in order to #LoveOthers

~ I AM CANDICE MARIA ~ and this is ~ CANDICE MARIA’S FIT LIFE ~

DSC_4710.jpg

By |

image

Sometimes it takes leaving home to discover your truth & what you hold dear #Aparigraha letting go of the things that no longer serve you and making space and time for what matters the most! #OM #Shanti  #AllEightLimbs

image

“Discover what it means to ‘Land'” ~ @LandYogaNYC

image

This past weekend I got to meet  and practice with my potential India tour guide and mentor at her NYC studio! Such an awesome and inspiring soul! Thank you again to all of you who are in support of this yoga journey and my research interest! Namaste!

By |

“When you get the courage to climb,  spread your wings,  because child you’re going to fly!” So today marks the start of my 32nd year on the earth!

Ambitions, Dreams and Goals
“I go zero to 100 real quick!”…lol! Just reading over the shower of birthday love and we’ll wishes from friends and family,  I am learning how my life has been a rapid fire lighting bolt of goal digging and dream chasing. Not a bad thing, just that it doesn’t go unnoticed.

image

My physical fitness level over the past year has sky rocketed. Half marathons,  full marathons,  winning fun runs and figure competitions! I went from “no place” to “first place” in a matter of 12 months!

image

Living Fit, Travel Light
“I live for the open road,  and the clear blue sky.” Travel is where my most creative being resides. The center of my creative heart, my intuition, the place where God speaks to me.  When I’m alone on the open road or in flight, free of distractions, this is when the seeds of the ideas and ambitions that are later manifested in my life are planted. I have found myself on this particular travel day to be very emotional,  with intermitent bouts of crying. Moments of joy and anxiety abound.  I haven’t traveled the friendly skies in over a year and a half,  and I’ve never been as fit as I am to date, plus all of this is taking place on my birthday.   So much has changed about my approach to travel,  my diet, the way I pack and prepare for a trip. When I worked as a travel nurse, I gained so much weight,  eating “conveniently” even when I thought it was healthy. I have always stayed active,  but the diet was too excessive that my physical activity level just wasn’t keeping up. Nowadays, to over indulge on food, whether healthy or unhealthy makes me nauseous.  I have found myself overwhelmed with emotions today because I have a whole new outlook my life now than in the past 30 plus years and I’m not looking back.

image

Calm in the Storm

“If you want to live a life above the clouds,  you have to have courage fly” I can remember my first introduction to the power of flight,  as a little girl, my grandfather’s favorite pass time to share with us was to park outside the airport and watch the planes take off. Oh if only my grandpa could see his baby girl now. ..can’t keep me out of the clouds! It’s no wonder I’m also the offspring of an air force veteran.  I still watch in awe when waiting in airport terminals for my flights, as other airplanes parade around the landing strip in preparation for their turn to stretch their wings and fly!

image

With flying high comes Turbulence. I once listened to a sermon from the profound TDJakes where he made the following analogy. “The devil doesn’t mess with you when you sit still, with your mouth shut, setting for less than your worth, but soon as you start climbing up, by your hands and feet and speaking words of faith, that’s when the enemy comes against you.”
Along this journey,  I’ve run across many set backs, distractors, commentators,  haters, and just down right devils.  But in sticking close to my small circle of people who care about my success the most,  I’ve overcome the traps and turbulence with grace and continue to live a life above the clouds, all because I choose not to care what people think of me.

image

As the saying goes,  “you must be doing something right if people are talking about you” Well I know I am,  because I’m living fit and loving it!

image

Grace for the Journey
“Live for today,  and ponder tomorrow,  but never ever look back”
Today I just touched down in the magnificent city of New York! Everything about this place is amazing.  So blessed to have made the contacts that I have made within the city. The founder of the urban obstacle race called City Challenge Race is so graciously hosting me during my stay here. I’m here for work and fun and love it! As a volunteer and intern for the City Challenge Race, I am embarking on a journey I would have never in my dreams imagined.

image

Also while here I will be able to meet my #yogisister Lara Land, and practice at her studio. Don’t forget,  I am still raising funds to journey with her to India in the spring. You can follow the link below to learn more: http://www.gofundme.com/eokl2k

~Until next time…Live in Love…Live Fit~

Candice

image

By |

In exactly 30 days, 1 month from today I will be celebrating 32 years of life, with great new friends in an exciting city, doing all of the awesome fit and fun things I love!

So to countdown to the celebration here is a countdown list of 32 things I have learned and love about my life to date in no particular order, just as they come to mind over the course of the day:

#32 – It’s okay to let go

#31 – Not everyone will understand you,  but those that matter will, and will cherish what you have to offer

#30 – Love yourself first,  it’s not selfish.

#29 – Consciousness is your friend, think before you act

#28 – Fitness is the fountain of youth

#27 – Be present, let people know that you care

#26 – Failure is never an option,  but a choice

#25 – Plan for success and believe in your plan

#24 – Take chances,  put your neck in the noose of life

#23 – Food is for physiological nourishment,  not mental pleasure, practice santosha

#22 – Ask questions,  answer questions,  no thing’s off limits for debate or change

#21 – Be fearless

#20 –  Take the road less traveled

#19 – Be outstanding

#18 – Root to Rise

#17 – Follow your dreams, they know the path to your true happiness

#16 – Dare to dream, and dream BIG!

#15 – Keep growing. Keep living!

#14 – Be transparent,  live out loud

#13 – Live such an fascinating life, that it’s open book worthy

#12 – Reach your goals,  but take time to listen to the goals of others

#11 – Be a light…enlightenment is a gift

#10 – Shock yourself,  then go out and shock the world

#9 – Do any and everything you ever thought about doing

#8 – Never let anyone tell you what you can’t do

#7 – Can’t is not a word in my vocabulary,  it’s meaningless

#6 – Eat breakfast

#5 – Move everyday. Moving heals. Sitting kills.

#4 – Become obsessed with you,  there’s only one,  love it to pieces

#3 – Take the keys and drive into your future, don’t sit back and wait for others to give you permission

#2 – Love people for who and what they are, and don’t be afraid to leave them where you found them,  you only control you, love and protect that!

#1 – Pray every day!

The more I got into writing this list the more I realized how much more I could add, but I’ll save it for year 33….lol! Until next time. … #LoveGod … #LoveYourself in order to #LoveOthers

~ I AM CANDICE MARIA ~

image
Ustrasana - Camel Pose - Santosha - Contentment