be S.T.R.O.N.G.

be S.T.R.O.N.G.

Everyday you make a conscious decision to "be" something.

Each day that you wake up you put on what you will "be" for the day.

Choosing to be something is just like putting on your clothes. You wouldn't walk out of your house without any clothes on. You make the decision to think about what you will wear, and then you put your clothes on. You mentally communicate with your brain (without realizing it) to put your right leg in your pants and then your left. You do the same thing with the shirt you are wearing. You choose to put on clothes.

Have you ever stopped and considered that you must also think more intentionally about putting on your attitude for the day and who/what you will "be"?

Positive thoughts breed a positive life. Likewise, negative thoughts breed negativity. In other words, what's inside of you is shown by what you display externally.

This week I challenge you to think more intentionally about what's inside of you.

I challenge you to consider what you are choosing to "be."

I challenge you to "be S.T.R.O.N.G."

Choosing to be strong is so much more than how muscular a person is. It’s more than the weight you lift. Being strong and doing it well is the true representation of a whole life.

When you are S.T.R.O.N.G. you are ….

Sturdy. Sturdy says that not only is your physical body able to withstand, but the stuff that you are made of …. Your heart, mind, and soul …. Those three things possess the mental toughness that when the winds blow you do not fall.

Tough. Life can deal some hard blows. People may poke and prod at you. At times it seems that others can cause a large amount of hurt and pain in our lives. But when you choose to

be S.T.R.O.N.G. inside of you is the inherent ability to let people poke and prod but you remain unmoved and unchanged by the motives of others to alter your personality.

Resilient. In life it is critical that you learn to be flexible, like a rubber band. No matter what people try to do to you or what life throws your way built inside of you is the mental fortitude that says: “Nothing can get me down.” A resilient individual has the ability to always spring back.

Optimistic. Let’s face it, in life you have two choices: always see the negative or choose to see the positive. No one wants to be around a negative individual. Strong people should breed positivity. Breeding positivity doesn’t mean that you have to be unrealistic, but it does mean that you choose to see the good first instead of the bad.

Nurturing. This life isn’t just about you. Whether you are married or not. Whether you have children or not ….. it doesn’t matter. There are people that you come in contact with everyday. When you choose to put on the attitude of nurturing you then choose to build up and encourage. There is enough negativity in this world …. Your ability to be S.T.R.O.N.G. means that you are not only concerned with your own well being but also the well being of others.

Growing. Yes, to truly be S.T.R.O.N.G. you must constantly be in a “growing” state of mind. You will never reach a perfect state. Never will you be a perfect being. In fact, there will always be things in your life that you can improve on. Choosing to be S.T.R.O.N.G. means that you recognize the growth opportunities in your life. Once they are recognized you choose to pursue them, realizing that once you get there, there will still be work to do.

Accept the challenge this week. Instead of just putting on your clothes each day, choose to

be S.T.R.O.N.G. daily by saying over yourself:

“No matter what comes my way this week I will be sturdy. I will not falter. When hard times hit me this week, because I’m sure they will try, I will not fall. I am tough …. People may poke and prod at me but I remain unchanged and unmoved by their weak attempts to topple me. I am resilient, as flexible as a rubber band. When others try to bend and break me I spring back up. I will be optimistic and choose to see the good before seeing the bad. I understand that life is not just about me, I will nurture others by choosing to build up and encourage instead of participating in tearing others down. I recognize that I am not perfect. I know my strengths and I know my weaknesses. I am willing to take on a “spirit of growing” that says I will constantly choose to improve on who I am.”

I will be S.T.R.O.N.G. because it doesn’t make sense to be anything else.

-Stephanie Hudson