The Heroic Motivation of Karyna Douglass

Heroic motivation is the kind that you only see once in awhile, when someone does something because they want something so bad they will go to any length to accomplish it.

This is true for Karyna Douglass, a young woman from Portland, Oregon that wanted to join the Army.

Karyna was told that she had to lose 110 pounds for her to join and she did it. It is no surprise that an endeavor like this takes motivation and dedication.

Needless to say, Karyna did it and even during the holiday season right now she remains true to her plan to keep the weight off for her new adventure into the military. So, how in the world did she do it?

When Karyna was interviewed by Fox, she told her story about working out at the fire station with the guys she works with, and she avoids those situations where she might find the pie, cookies, and other culinary delights that we all see this time of year.

Naturally, the crew at Fox had their own questions about what stirred this heroic motivation in her. Was in people making fun of her? Was it health problems? Karyna dug a bit deeper than that. I tend to think of insults as something that we can all resonate with, and honestly, insults make it easy to go out and perform better to make changes.

It's having your own reason that most people struggle with. I know I had to learn that it was about doing it for me and NOT for other people. While going on a whale watching tour, she was amidst the Coast Guard. It was that reminder of watching them serve that made her refocus on NOT meeting the weight requirement.

She wanted to be admired, the way she saw others admired members of the Coast Guard and other members of the military. She wanted to be revered. While working at the Zoo in Portland, she just didn't get the physical activity she needed to get there. It was time for a change.

Karyna was on her own mission to complete this time, and knew that if she could do that she could do anything she wanted. Now that she has reached her goal, she is ready to be sworn in on December 12, which is just a few days away!

Do you have this same type of heroic motivation to accomplish something? What would it take for you to make a positive change in your life? Do you have to be pushed or does something have to go wrong for you to do something right?

It's time for all of us to make changes, but as you go into the holiday season, don't lose sight of living the way God intended us to live. Make it a point to live each day with "heroic motivation", and live courageously.

Nelson Mandela Passes on a Great Legacy of Forgiveness, Reconciliation and Hope

Credit: Photo by Trevor Samson/AFP/Getty Images 

The news of Nelson Mandela passing on last evening has everyone astir this morning.

There is plenty to say about a great man that leaves behind such a great legacy, and today we thought it would be a great idea to share our thoughts on why we think he is pretty great too.

This isn't to say that he was just a "good person", but Nelson Mandela left us with so much more.

Whether you are a South African or not, it doesn't matter. You can be moved just by learning a little bit more about why Mandela was so important, and why he was so revered by his country.

A Beautiful Lesson from Nelson Mandela

After a 27 year incarceration, Nelson Mandela had a message for all people, and it was to simply "Forgive". That takes courage, and it takes a change of heart from what we as humans know. With the severe degree of apartheid that South Africa had been living under, he could have remained a bitter man.

Mandela was imprisoned based on the word that he was seeking to topple the government, and at the time it was a white government. However, when Mandela was let go, he walked out of the gates and looked back stating that he would rather leave the bitterness inside those prison walls.

One of the most important lessons we could ever get from Nelson Mandela, was that if we remain bitter, we stay inside our own prison. It never works out when we hold onto things. Have you experienced this in your own life?

Forgiveness may feel uncomfortable, and it may be something that you don't want to do, but we would urge you to reconsider that thought! Perhaps we could all learn so much from reading more about this man and other leaders like him that became the change that they wanted to see in the world.

"Nelson Mandela" believed that it all started with him, and that is what we all need to remember today and everyday to live courageously.

Lift the Holiday Spirit for Those in the LGBT Community This Year!

Do you know someone in the LGBT community that is struggling with family issues right now? Right now during the holiday season it's easy to reach out to others and it's easy to show love. When that holiday spirit goes away, where does it leave you?

I was reflecting on the struggles of many friends I have that have come forward to say they are gay, and yet their families do not accept them or welcome them home during the holidays. What kind of world are we living in?

I began to realize how much I still don't understand regardless of the number of friends I have in the LGBT community, what they feel when others are so close to their family and enjoy holiday traditions. It seems that no one would have to go without a place to go for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I find out that this just isn't true.

There are so many left without a home to welcome them at this time of year, and probably almost any time of year they don't feel the love and acceptance of even their parents. One of the greatest pains I've ever experienced is the lack of feeling of love from a parent, whether it was through an argument or other issue that came up.

So, how can we fix it? I don't know that we can fix it, but I do believe that we can spend more time and energy reaching out to others less fortunate, meaning even those that have income but those without family to share holidays with.

The LGBT community has been experiencing ups and downs for years, but the focus right now isn't rights, licenses, jobs, or anything else. This is about people. It's time that we STOP separating people upon their gender, sexual orientation, and by their incomes.

What if we just stopped looking at people differently just because they aren't like us? Why can't we just strive to share what we have with others no matter who they are or where they come from? It seems to me that this should be fairly simple, but it's a mystery as to how there are still so many folks left out because they are lesbian or gay, or otherwise.

One organization, Your Holiday Mom, has been receiving letters and phone calls since 2011. The idea behind this was to welcome those that are without family during this time of year. It's a great thing for the LGBT community, and so we thought we would share it and what they do.

This virtual holiday welcome has spread joy to so many, and continues to do so. Loving moms are opening up their hearts to adult children from the community and saying, hey, we love you and wish you a wonderful holiday season. Just the idea that someone cares enough to act as a mother would to them is touching and nothing short of amazing.

Where is the love folks? What have we been doing all of this time that we have been here on this Earth and NOT loving all people? This holiday season, we are asking you to not judge, but open your hearts and homes to those from the "LGBT community" that are without loved ones to share their holiday season with.

Paul Walker's Inspiring Purchase for Soldier and Bride-to-Be

Paul Walker is no doubt a star to be remembered after his tragic and sudden death earlier this week. Although his death was sudden and tragic, he leaves behind a great legacy for his daughter, friends, and other family members as well.

Today in the news, it was discovered that Paul Walker had purchased an engagement ring for a young couple that couldn't afford to buy their own. While this young couple was inside a jewelry store, Paul Walker was nearby listening to the conversation about their inability to afford a diamond ring for their engagement.

This diamond ring was for a soldier and his bride-to-be that wanted to marry several years ago. At the time, the young soldier had no idea who the actor was, and actually spoke to him while in the store.

Irene King, the sales associate at Bailey Banks and Biddle spoke with Paul Walker after the couple had left, and purchased the ring for the young couple. On top of this $10,000 ring purchase, Walker asked that his involvement remain anonymous.

Irene had agreed to keep the purchase to herself, but now that Walker has passed away, she wanted to let his good deed be known. His compassion for others and his big heart was never a real secret, but he always did things without wanting attention to be drawn to him.

While you might believe it's unreal, Irene King was surprised as well, never having experienced that level of generosity, with such a huge price tag attached to it. She was absolutely stunned, and as you may imagine pleasantly surprised to see someone step up and give so much to a total stranger.

At this time of the year we often recall stories of this nature, and it's truly heartfelt that Irene chose to share it. What if Paul Walker were still with us? Would he still be a great teacher to others about how to give, and how to do it year round and not just once a year?

Truly, this is a remarkable story, and one that is worth sharing. Have you ever done anything for someone you didn't know? Have you ever done something for someone that could NEVER pay you back?

Perhaps it's time for you to do something like this. It doesn't have to be a $10,000 diamond engagement ring,but what about doing something for others that cannot do for themselves? What if you reached out and did something for someone else as a random act of kindness?

This holiday season, let's reflect on the big heart of "Paul Walker", and perhaps learn a lesson that will last the whole year through.

Does Motivational Apparel Really Empower Women?

From time to time we talk about motivational apparel and how it may or may not help people. Some folks think motivational t shirts are great, and others don't seem to think much about them at all.

However, we have shared a few stories with you about this topic, and interestingly enough, we are NOT the only ones that think it works and is a worthwhile endeavor.

In fact, if you have been following our blog for awhile you probably read about the tshirts worn by runners, and those that were being sold by the gal that posted fortune cookie messages on tshirts.

Simply genius.

Now, we are hearing about an endeavor to help empower women through motivational apparel, and it's catching on folks. This "Kickstarter Campaign" is what many women have been waiting for from Neva. So, what is this all about?

Motivational Apparel by Neva 

Just in case you are wondering, Neva isn't the latest sportswear brand like Under Armour, but it stands for:
Nicole + Geneva. The founder, Sacha Nana started this company due to the inspiration she got from her nieces.

Sacha wanted it to be stylish, but also to employ women from South Asia. The motivational apparel is hand-stitched by women only, employing women that would otherwise have no work. As a result, these women are getting a bit liberated, earning nearly 10 times what they would with a standard job in their country.

It's not just the apparel we think about, but the opportunity the apparel creates. It's life giving in that it is giving these women a purpose, and a sense of being able to provide for their children. That is pretty amazing, and it's powerful for those of us that take our work for granted.

In our endeavor to help inspire you and encourage you each day, we want to offer you the chance right now to check out our motivational apparel that we offer, especially right now during the holiday season.

You can click HERE to view our selection of hats, decals, t shirts and more, and you can also check out the rest of our site to find out how we are helping to empower all people. We hope that we can encourage  and inspire you to do better, to do more, and that you'll be touched by what you find in our motivational apparel here at Courageous Life!.

Inspiration for Monday-Autistic Children Get Time with Santa!

Generally, I enjoy looking for inspiration for Monday because it seems to be the hardest day of the week for me. After a holiday even more so, but that doesn't mean that I am NOT in the holiday spirit.

What I find I have to recover from is all of the hoopla about shopping Black Friday and people using stun guns on each other to get the best bargain. However, there are still some good folks out there that think otherwise.

This bit of inspiration for Monday I wanted to share with you, and I am sure you will agree that it's touching, and will inspire you and others to take action this holiday season.

Inspiration for Monday Out of Malls?

As it turns out, there are several malls in the US and Canada that have found a way to make some autistic children very happy. They get to meet Santa on their own terms. 

This is because they will have some time to meet Santa set aside for them, rather than their parents bringing them to meet Santa when the other children do. Great idea or what? This time with Santa is before the malls open, which means they won't have to be uncomfortable in crowds and loud noises which many autistic children don't do well with. 

If you are reading this and you are the parent of an autistic child, or perhaps you foster one, you know all too well what they often miss out on. As a parent, you struggle to figure it out and how you can find the balance. Lights and music are turned down too to help out with the setting for a calm visit with Santa for this Christmas season.

While you may still be in need of inspiration for Monday, there is no doubt that this story sheds light on how you can help those that are not only less fortunate, but those that just need to celebrate a little differently. It's all about the children isn't it? As well, it's all about putting a smile on their little faces.

Do you have a story to share? If you have your own inspiration for Monday, we would love to hear from you here in the comments below, and we would also love to hear from you on Facebook on our page for Courageous Life!

How Did You Spend Black Friday?

Black Friday is supposed to be the biggest shopping day of the year, at least for some people.

I've never shopped Black Friday, nor do I ever intend to start. I don't have anything against it, but I think that people go crazy over the darndest things.

Over the years, I've noticed that Christmas has become over commercialized, and holidays have turned into spending sprees.

There is no more creative giving, no more giving from the heart, but rather so much emphasis on how cheap you can get something.

If it can't be bought, it's not worth anything, or so it seems. The saddest part of this? There are so many people excluded from this day on the calendar every year. There are those that haven't an extra dime to spend on Christmas gifts due to lost jobs, disability, and even those that just feel they can't even leave the house for fear of being pummeled for the best deal of the day.

Now, I say all of that to say this; I don't disapprove of Black Friday and I don't dislike friends and family that shop on this day. I don't even intend to become an anti-shopping campaigner, or be one of those crazy people that try to boycott it!

However, I do want you, the reader to really think about what is happening today and ask yourself; "Is it really this important?" I find that if I stop and ask myself if something is important ten minutes from now, and my answer is no, that it won't change anytime soon.

Especially when it refers to buying something. Spending just isn't that important in the grander scheme of things. I hope that you feel the same way. It's time to reach out to others, and after all, Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for what we already have.

It seems odd that one day we are thankful for what we have, but the next day we have to have more. We have to accumulate and spend as much as we can. It's quite maddening, isn't it? Where do you stand on Black Friday?

I am not asking you to stop shopping on "Black Friday", or even to discourage others. What I am asking you to do is consider what matters most in your life. Think about those that could use a visit in the hospital on your day off, or how about sitting down to send out cards to those that are ill?

There are so many other ways that we could use our time, rather than seeing how much we can spend on ourselves, or even on Christmas gifts in general. What say you? It's time to be different, and live courageously!