Million Dollar Arm… Magnificent!

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Motivation & Inspiration, My Stories, Single Mom Life — 5 Comments ↓

I took the kids to see Disney’s Million Dollar Arm Today…. WOW! I don’t think I’ve ever left a theater where both myself and my three kids (twin girls 6 and my son is 11) have all LOVED the movie! Like EVER! My daughter held my hand all the way through and asked me to read her the translations, and Kanen did the same for Izzy on the other side of me… they were all spellbound the entire film.  And yes we each wiped away tears at it’s inspiring ending.

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But the best part was when we left the theater my six year old asks me “When can we go to India?” I couldn’t help but smile because world travel has been the reason for all of my hustle, it’s my one HUGE life dream the ultimate dream, to travel the world and take my children to places like India. I’ve wanted to go for years, and I know I have a ton of readers and followers of my blog who are from India (I think about 1/3 of my readers are from India). I have always felt a special pull to visit and the movie took me there, and simultaneously reaffirmed my “crazy” decision this week to leave my safe corporate job and follow my own personal dream. It showed me again that anything is possible, and that with Hustle.Believe.Receive. you really can achieve the “impossible”. It’s a message I teach my children and live daily, even on the scary days like this week when you question everything.

But when you hold a dream, a vision for your life so clearly, and KNOW beyond any doubt that it’s the calling and purpose for your life…you must answer the call and give it everything you have.  Anything less, and you’ll never know if you could really be successful or not, it’s that simple.  So this week I made the most monumental decision of my life, leaving behind the known, for the unknown. Risking everything to following my passion. I know without a doubt that I will live my dream and that alone gives me peace and confidence walking into the next phase of my journey. As I made the decision I watched Oprah’s Life Class with Joel Osteen on “Dream Big” and cried the entire show, it’s as if the show was made for me. It was that last little bit of encouragement I needed to take that giant leap of faith.

This movie not only spoke to me, and uplifted me in this major transitional time, it spoke to my young children. It gave them the “big picture” of what our dream is as well, and why sometimes you need to risk everything to pursue your destiny. It’s hard to explain the big picture to children sometimes, but this spoke to them. They got it. They asked me so many questions on the ride home, about our dream and about working hard and believing in it, and they had such excitement and joy as we go into our unknown. I’m so grateful for that.

This movie was hands down the best film I’ve seen in years! I can’t wait to one day see our story on the big screen and pray it also inspires people all over the world to live their dream.

MILLION DOLLAR ARM

Feedback:

Direct tweet from official account of the movie, and the real life Ash !

Direct tweet from official account of the movie, and the real life Ash !

 

Retweet from the producer...

Retweet from the producer…

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Re: being interviewed for my new book Hustle.Believe.Receive :)

Re: being interviewed for my new book Hustle.Believe.Receive 🙂

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Author Bio:
Sarah Centrella is a Success Coach for professional athletes, the Reality TV show REVERSED, and anyone with a dream. She is also an author an motivational speaker. Follow her on Twitter for motivation and inspiration, and sign up to be a Member of her blog for free coaching classes.

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Marathon Life. Week 9.

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Health & Fitness — 2 Comments ↓

It’s Saturday so that means I’m icing my knees after another grueling training run with Portland Fit. Today I ran ten (10) miles through neighborhoods, up crazy vertical hills, along a highway, through a forest up a hillside of stairs and along the river… then did it all again on the way back.

After an hour of icing, red and bruised.

After an hour of icing, red and bruised.

running images

up the hillside of stairs…

nature trails images

Down another hillside of stairs… the “down” is the reason for the red knees 🙁

Portland Oregon

Up the steepest longest vertical hill EVER!

running hills

Limping down said hill… 🙁

portland fit

Never been more excited by sidewalk chalk in my life!

It’s crazy how I equally dread and get excited about these Saturday marathon training runs. I never thought I’d get excited that’s for sure. But the feeling of completing the run is like nothing else, for real. I think I’m most addicted to the feeling of accomplishment and triumph over my mind, that it takes to get it done. Today I ran it at a 14 minute mile pace which I’m overjoyed by, finishing in 2 hours and 18 minutes, I guess that means I could finish the Portland Marathon in under 8 hours! Wooohooo!

I’m doing this for two reasons:

#1. I’ve had it on my Bucket List for years that I wanted to run a marathon by the time I’m 40 (I’ll be 39 next month).

#2. To prove to my son that Hustle.Believe.Receive applies to anything in life, and with it anything is possible.

The kinda awesome side effect is that I’ve lost about 15 lbs, and am finally getting in the kind of shape I haven’t been in since I was 22. It’s about time! Better late than never.

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This week I started with the pack, and despite not walking more than maybe 2% of the course I still wound up near that back (though not as far behind) and found myself without a pace setter.  It’s funny though, this week my own motivation and determination and personal goals were enough to keep me going when I would have walked before. I set out with the goal to run all the parts I’ve walked before, and finished with it accomplished. I love how tangible running is, it’s an immediate visual and actual connection with what we think and its following action.  It’s a great exercise in controlling your mind, and for that alone I needed this experience. I needed to be reminded of all the things I believe in and practice it more diligently than ever before. Mission accomplished.

I can’t wait ’till October and race day, can’t even imagine what that’s going to be like, but I know I can do it.

 

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Marathon Life: Week 8

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Health & Fitness — 6 Comments ↓

So Saturday I ran nine (9) miles. Yes…. me, this girl, ran nine miles! I can’t completely explain how, but it happened, I can promise you that!

And the crazy thing is I actually ran better and stopped less this time around (might have had something to do with the fact it was flat instead of hills, but hey!).  I had done one training run in the middle of the week, a two-mile loop around Nike Headquarters by my house, and four Barre3 classes, so maybe that’s what made it better this time around. All I know is that I had one thought in my head the last three miles… “give me pancakes!” I literally ran those miles just because it was the fastest way back to my car and to get pancakes!

Three house later after I’d had my delicious breakfast, iced my knees and taken a quick nap, I went outside and proceeded to try to run to my car to avoid the pouring rain… my legs did not move. It was one of those moments you have in a dream where you open your mouth but no sound comes out… yeah exactly like that. My mind was like “it’s pouring rain let’s go!” And my legs were like “fuck you bitch.” So yeah…

I have to say though overall I’m feeling better than I’ve felt in years. I have more energy (aside from Saturdays) and feel fit, or fitter. I can’t wait for October.. OK well maybe I can.

 

My midweek lap around Nike

My midweek lap around Nike

 

Halfway through my 9 mile run over Sellwood Bridge.

Halfway through my 9 mile run over Sellwood Bridge.

 

The home stretch, over Hawthorn Bridge in downtown Portland.. Pancakes.

The home stretch, over Hawthorn Bridge in downtown Portland.. Pancakes.

 

 

*This is my 8th week of training with Portland Fit for the Portland Marathon.

 

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Marathon Life. Week 6 and 7.

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Health & Fitness, Sports — 2 Comments ↓

Week before last was week six of my Portland Marathon training, but this was me that Friday night… I might have been a little distracted by the NBA Playoffs.

Wizards Vs. Bulls game with my girls in DC

So yeah.. let’s just say I didn’t show up for my Portland Fit training run on Saturday morning as planned. But I did rally and run four of the seven miles I was supposed to on the treadmill the next day.

PROOF!
But first let me take a cheesy selfie! Week 7 marathon training.. body finally starting to show progress

But as you can imagine that did not really prepare me for my eight mile run yesterday; four up a winding hill and four down. And I remember promising myself to do my mid-week runs in preparation for the big Saturday morning runs, but alas I went to Barre3 four days this week instead. So when I hit the road with a hundred other runners yesterday, I cursed my legs for the first two miles. It literately felt like they were not moving! I couldn’t catch my breath to save my life, and quickly dropped to the back of the pack (which is not all bad, less pressure if you think about it). I was struggling, no way around it.

Started our run with a hillside of stairs…really?

But after about two miles, I found my pace setter.  She was about three feet ahead of me and I swear I road her tailwind all the way up that hill. Every time I wanted to quit I had to stop myself because I knew going this alone just wasn’t gonna happen today. I needed a mentor.  And before I knew it I was at the top of the hill, the spot we’d turned around at on our last run, and the rest of the way was down hill.

That got me thinking. In life, like in running, we need mentors. We need to have someone to follow to give us motivation, we see them doing it so we talk ourselves into believing we can do it to, and we actually do it. It’s such a tangible example of how powerful our mind is. If we tell it we can do it, our legs will keep moving and we WILL do it, the reverse is even more true. And every time I’m out there running thinking I must certainly be the very last one of the group, I look behind me and to my surprise I’m not. Someone else is running with their eyes on my feet, as motivation to keep going. That’s why it’s so important to be a living example of what you believe in. You never know who’s watching you, who’s looking to you for inspiration and motivation.  And when you share what you know that’s when its full power comes into your life and you begin manifesting even faster. So be a light to someone else. Share what you know and don’t be afraid to live your truth every day.

There will come a day when I will be so grateful to ONLY have to run eight miles… Just not today.

#PreparationIsClutch #smh
At least I’m registered this time!! Portland Marathon

 

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Jonathan Stewart: Inside the Mind of an Athlete

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Hustle.Believe.Receive., Motivation & Inspiration, Sports, Your Life Coach — 3 Comments ↓
Jonathan Stewart, giving God the Glory.

*This interview and story is featured in my book Hustle Believe Receive 

 

This is the 4th interview and story in my 5 part series “Inside the Mind of an Athlete.” A series designed to inspire and motivate you to live your dream. Each with a different focus meant to provide you with tools and real life examples that these tools really do work. It’s possible for anyone, for you, to take what you’ve learned in this series and change your life.  All the tools to success using the #HBRMethod have been demonstrated in this series, and if applied can bring you the life you desire and deserve to live.

This weeks focus is on what happens when you’ve achieved your Ultimate Dream; living it, day in and day out. It seems counter-intuitive on the surface to chose this topic for an interview, yet it’s such a critical part of achieving success.  If you’ve worked most of your life chasing your dream that requires one mindset, but actually living it is a whole different thing. It takes a strong mind to keep your footing and not get caught up in the pitfalls of success. It also takes aware intention so you don’t become complacent and stagnate when you’ve reached your goal. This story will prepare you for when your dream comes true, so that you can handle it with grace.

Meet Jonathan Stewart, star running back for the Carolina Panthers. Jonathan was my “wild card” in this series, the only one out of the five players I profiled whom I did not know personally. But when I came up with this idea initially, he was the only player I wanted for the “NFL veteran” piece.  I just knew he’d be perfect. I’ve known of Jonathan for several years, as we have many common friends and have followed him on social media, so I knew his reputation for being a upstanding positive guy and devout Christian was exactly what I wanted this piece to be about. I even wrote out the interview questions specifically for him over a month ago, yet had no idea how I was going to make it happen. But I was determined, trying to get the story idea in front of him, hoping he’d see it somehow.  A week ago he commented on a post about Kenjon Barner’s story, saying that he’d be happy to share his story as well. When he called yesterday I was so glad I’d taken the time weeks ago to prepare for this interview and was ready on the spot!  For me it was a great manifestation of everything I teach; gotta put the work in (Hustle), believe it will happen (Believe) and be ready when it does (Receive).

Jonathan, like the other athletes in this series played football at Oregon, entering the NFL draft his junior year. He was selected as the 13th overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Panthers, and is entering his 7th season with the team.  I asked Jonathan, to tell me his story and what football meant to him growing up.

“I was always the little kid growing up, out there playing catch with my older brother and his friends getting teased for being the little guy.” He laughs a little. Jonathan’s parents divorced when he was in fourth grade, and his mom began dating a man named James Parker. “He really fell into that father figure role in my life. He’d come to our apartment complex and we’d go to the field across the street, and he’d be out there throwing the ball with me for hours. He’d leave work early, or drop whatever he was doing to come teach me the game of football and spend that time with me. He introduced me to flag football my fifth grade year, and always encouraged me, never pushed or forced, just encouraged. So football came with a sense of comfort and a connection with someone who really cared about me, it came from a place of love.”

In 7th grade Jonathan began playing select league tackle football and started to notice two things: 1. He was always the smallest kid on the team and 2. He was starting to love it, and he was pretty good at it. In high school Jonathan racked up the most yards of anyone on the varsity team as a non-starting freshman, and then the “high school hype” started. “My mom raised me in church and that’s always been really important to me. I was blessed to see that at a very young age and always put God first in everything I do. So in high school I just wanted to play football, honor God and focus on school. I felt like football was my tool to honor God. Everything I did was for that end, and to make sure I was living up to that potential.”

In 2008 when Jonathan was drafted, he signed a deal with the Panthers for $14 million, and resigned with them in 2012 for a reported $35.5 million on a five year contract. Knowing what I do about money and athletes, and seeing first hand how it destroys perfectly good people, I needed to know how Jonathan’s been able to keep his head about him after seven seasons in the league.  Especially with the distraction that type of money can bring. Many players unravel when they reach this level of success. They lose a grasp on reality and are not able to think past it. The “be careful what you wish for” factor tends to take affect.

So I had to ask…

Sarah: How have you managed to stay grounded and not complacent in your success?

Jonathan:  The key to staying grounded is to stay yourself. You remember where you came from and you don’t change, you adapt.  You refuse to change for anyone and surround yourself with the people who have always been there for you. If you are true to yourself that is the kind of people you will attract, those are the kind of people who are drawn to me. I think it’s like; if you go to a Country Music concert you’ll see mostly country fans, because that’s whats on the stage, that’s what people are attracted to. So if your heart is true, that’s what is playing on your ‘stage’, and those are the types of people you will attract to yourself.   

You also need to have a good internal radar to know who’s real and who’s fake, to steer clear of the mess. I don’t ever want to be seen as something I’m not. I watch who I interact with because I know you will be judged by the company you keep. You become very aware of that, and the company you keep becomes who you want to be. If you really want to be successful you need to filter what comes at you. 

Sarah: Where does that mental strength come from? 

Jonathan:  Having faith is what’s kept me strong. When your mind, body, and spirit are connected, that’s when it really begins to have it’s full effect on your life. When my body is not where I want it to be, I have to make sure my mind and spirit are top notch, so that I’m inline with where I need to be. I turn to the Word of God, and the Bible to maintain a positive spirit, and remind myself that whatever I’m going through, I will be okay.  Especially when I’m going through struggles, I remind myself that God has been faithful to me through
everything, I’ve made it through them before, I can do it again. And having gratitude no mater what. If something is going wrong I focus
on what God’s given me, and not on my problems. It especially helps when you’re faced with an injury, it’s easy to get down and upset because you’re not out there doing what you need to do.  But I don’t let myself dwell in self-pity. Your mind is such a powerful thing, it’s critical to keep it full of gratitude, because that energy effects everything, including
your physical health and recovery. 
Sarah:  What does it feel like to live your dream?
Jonathan:  To play football was never really my dream.  I always thought it would be great if I could, but I never necessarily made that my goal. In high school I wanted to go to college and football was the way to do that. I always had the mindset that if I do everything within my power that God will open the doors and take me where I should go, so I didn’t worry about the outcome. I have joy. So I’ve always let that guide me. Making sure I keep and live in that joy. That really is my dream at the end of the day; to always have joy and not have to worry about the outcome.My mom was a single mom, raising two boys and I never saw her worry. I know she must have, but she never showed that to me, she had faith that God would provide and he always did.  She never focused on what we didn’t have or tell me we didn’t have money even though I know times were tight, she didn’t focus on that. So I’ve always been the same, not worrying about what will happen just working hard and living in the joy of the moment, and trusting God with the rest. God gives me peace and provides everything I need when I need it, so I just try to glorify him. 
Sarah: What is your dream now? 
Jonathan:  To win the Super Bowl and to make an impact in as big of a way as possible on peoples lives. In whatever way that comes about, I want to fulfill the plan that God has for my life.   I have a passion for making and producing music.  I have a production company, but I make sure the music I produce is not negative or derogatory, especially towards women. I want to uplift people.  My goal is to inspire others, it’s the backbone of my life, to reach a place where I could motivate people to reach their goals and dreams.  I want them to see that they can accomplish something greater than they can even imagine. Football is a platform for me to make an impact on peoples lives and I try to use it to create momentum to effect others in a positive way. 
Sarah: What’s your Hustle?
Jonathan: Never settling.  I have a kids football camp every year, it’s the “Jonathan Stewart Never Settle football camp,” I tell the kids to be extraordinary.  Do extra in everything that
you do. Do that consistently, and when you do over time it becomes who you are. Weather it’s a goal or a dream, seek out people who can help hold you accountable to that goal, find things and ways to push you that extra mile, so it becomes who you are. It’s a lifestyle that you create and attract to yourself.
A quote from Jonathan’s Instagram page.

 

I don’t know about you but Jonathan kinda exceeded my hopes for this piece. I had so many aha moments listening to him talk today. A huge one for me was the concept of living in joy. That stopped me in my tracks. Who lives in joy? I want that. I’ve always thought joy was so fleeting, like being in love… but to hear that it’s also a choice, a conscious decision, and a guiding force of life… that was powerful.
The other major one for me was hearing him talk about his mom.  How she didn’t focus on “lack” and communicating that lack to him or his brother while they were growing up. That hit very close to home for me because growing up poor that’s what I’ve always known. Talking about not having money, and even the last few years as I’ve been able to change my financial situation I still have always talked about it around my kids.  That was life changing right there for me. Realizing I was carrying on a negative pattern from my childhood that had negatively affected me as an adult, and knowing now I can change that pattern for my kids.
Of course I loved Jonathan’s views on gratitude and the critical role it plays in our success and happiness. And a lesson that has come up over and over in this series is surround yourself with the type of people you want to become. I can’t stress this point enough. If you want to be successful seek out successful like minded people.  Realize that the company you keep does define you and don’t be afraid to change up that circle if it’s no longer serving you. I also love that Jonathan’s belief in God is something he turns to for strength and peace, and the way he does that is the same way you can draw on whatever it is you believe in to give you that sense of peace and security. It’s a beautiful thing.
I hope this series has inspired you to go after your dream, whatever it might be. I hope you’ve taken the tools these guys have shared and incorporated them into your life. And I hope the next time you watch a football game you think about these guys a little differently than you did before. They are inspiring to me not because of what they have accomplished on the field, but because of how they have learned to control their mind, harness their motivation, and manifest their dreams. Those are all the same exact skills you can learn to master as well.
I’ll leave you with my favorite quote from Jonathan today…
“Happiness is temporary.  But joy is forever.” -Jonathan Stewart 

 

Follow Jonathan’s journey on Instagram @jonathanstewart1 and on Twitter @jonathanstewart1

READ JONATHAN’S FULL INSPIRING STORY IN MY NEW BOOK #HustleBelieveReceive 

Be sure to read AND SHARE the other stories in this series:
Week #1: Derrick Malone Jr -Current Oregon Linebacker
Week #2: Lavasier Tuinei -NFL Undrafted Free Agent “The Hustle”
Week #3: Kenjon Barner -NFL running back Panthers
Week #4: Jonathan Stewart -NFL running back Panthers (this one)
Week #5: Patrick Johnson -NFL retired Super Bowl Champion
I love this picture of Jonathan and Kenjon… Ducks fly together!

Feedback on this story from Jonathan and his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Jonathan’s Facebook post
Comments on his Facebook post of the story
Facebook comments

 

His Instagram Post

 

Instagram comments
Twitter post had over 20 retweets and favorites in the first few hours

 

What do you think of Jonathan’s story? Did it change the way you view football players? What did you learn? Please comment and share.
Author Bio:
Sarah Centrella is a Success Coach for professional athletes, the Reality TV show REVERSED, and anyone with a dream. She is also an author an motivational speaker. Follow her on Twitter for motivation and inspiration, be sure to  Subscribe for my newsletter and info on free coaching classes.
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Easy Guide to Being Grateful.

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Hustle.Believe.Receive., Your Life Coach — No Comments ↓
*The following is an excerpt from my new book Hustle.Believe.Receive. 10 Steps to Changing Your Life and Living Your Dream.”  Coming Soon!

be grateful



STOP BITCHIN’

Why Being Grateful Matters.

 
Hate your life? Welcome to humanity.  Most of us at one point or another have hated our lives.  Have tried to drown ourselves in a pool of self-pity.Have found ourselves bitchin’ endlessly to anyone who will listen about how much our life sucks.  I know you get what I’m sayin’ and can relate. Your job sucks, you have no money, you’re sick of being broke, your relationships are hanging on by a thread; life in general seems like an ocean of quicksand.  I get it. I was there.
            In 2006 while pregnant with my twins, I found myself in this destructive hell-hole.  Those were black days.  I remember stressing endlessly about finances, as I packed up our home that had just been foreclosed on. I felt defeated and broken, having spent years trying to establish a respectable life for my then husband and son.  It seemed like the world was dead-ending as it all got stripped away. Day and night I obsessed about our problems.  The lack of money, and the stress of providing for a family with more on the way, left me utterly hopeless.
It seemed like the more I obsessed about how bad shit was the worse it got.  Almost daily.  It felt like standing under an avalanche and not even having the energy to get out of the way.  Hopelessness is a dangerous thing. Bitchin’ about our issues and problems is equally as dangerous.  That’s what had led to my feeling of hopelessness, the more I verbalized my problems, the worse they became. 
          It’s crazy how much power our words, and the thoughts that lead up to those words, hold.  They literally predict and control our future. If you don’t believe me, take a few minutes to think about all the things you don’t like about your life in this moment.  What are they? List them out.  When you’re finished, ask yourself this question: Have they gotten worse over time? When they started going sideways can you recall stressing about them?  Obsessing until you felt physically ill at times? Did you talk about those problems with your friends and family? At this moment, are those problems or issues at the top of your list, ones that occupy the majority of your mind space?  If you answered yes to any of those questions then you are in that downward, self-fulfilling prophesy, spiral.  What you’ve thought about, and talked about has become your daily reality.
Think on that a minute.
By complaining about your problems, verbalizing them, and allowing your feelings associated with those thoughts and words two change your mood, or even make you physically ill, you have actually made those problems bigger.  Instead of solving them, you’ve made them much worse.When I first learned of this concept back in 2006, it took a long time for it to really sink in.  The fact that I was the one making my problems worse was not something I was ready to accept any type of
responsibility for.  I’d lived my life up to that point with the philosophy that I was just terribly unlucky and that no matter how hard I tried, nothing good would ever come my way.  I believe that, completely.  And (total shocker), that’s exactly how my life was playing out.  Totally unlucky.  Super crappy.  
Before we lost our home, I lost a baby.  After we lost our home, we were forced to file bankruptcy. It was like the hits were always lined up and coming; ninety mile an hour fast balls, one after the other.  It’s all I’d ever known.  I was so used to struggling, to being poor, that it was my normal.   I’d lived like that my entire life.  It’s the design I’d unwittingly laid out for
my life somewhere along the way, and I was fulfilling my destiny to a tee.
I felt there was nothing in my life to be thankful for.  It all just seemed like crap.  I would love to sit here and say, that when that light went on, I immediately began doing the work to turn my life around.  But sadly no.  I didn’t have the strength yet. Instead I made a Vision Board and tucked it under my bed so my husband wouldn’t see it and make fun of it.  I tried to
ignore the little voice in the back of my head, the one holding the flashlight showing me an end to the darkness.  I wanted to forget that there might be a pretty, shiny world out there.
And then in 2009 my world fell the fuck apart.  My twins were a year old, my son was five, and my husband of eight years was stumbling out of the shower trying to explain how the text I’d just read was “a joke”.And not sent from his lover
wondering when he’d be home.  That was the day that changed my life forever. 
For some reason, not fully understood even by me, instead of sinking further into the “my life sucks, nothing good ever happens to me” black ocean I’d been swimming in the past few years, something in me chose to fight.  I can only credit my children for giving me reason to rise up and want to get my life together, for giving me the motivation, and the lack of any other option. It’s funny how when you make up your mind to succeed and realize there are no alternatives, how you can actually do just that.
What was the thing that slowly began to change my life? Gratitude.
I had nothing when he left. No job, no income, I couldn’t stay in the home we were renting even one moth without his income.  I had no formula or diapers, no bank account or car in my name… nothing.  But oddly enough, that was the day I learned the meaning of the word gratitude.  I learned that when my whole life was collapsing around me, I still had something
to be thankful for, my babies and I were still together.  I knew that as long as the four of us were together we would make it.  Somehow we’d survive.  I’d make it happen.  And so every day, in those early black weeks, I sent up a little gratitude prayer, for every tiny little thing I could think of. 
It suddenly became clear how I’d manifested all the bad in my life up to that point, and realizing how powerful that truth is, I wasn’t about to keep that pattern going in my new life.  At all costs I was going to change my future results, and since I’d always been used to bitching about my life, the opposite of that was to be thankful for it… so that’s what I was determined to be.
There’s a great motto I use
“If you’re not grateful for what you have, you’ll never get more to be grateful for”.  I took that quote to heart and
repeated it daily.  I refused to talk about the things that scared me.  I refused to bitch about how bad things in reality were; instead I chose to focus on what, in that moment, I could be thankful for.  I refused to obsess over the lack of money, or
the things I couldn’t control. I could control my attitude, and my thoughts, and in the beginning, that’s all that mattered.
That has been a major key to my success.  It’s turned my mindset around completely, which has changed my outcomes.  It’s what gets me through the tough times, even still. It’s how I teach my children to react to their world, and how I
chose copiously to live, day in and day out. I chose to relish even the smallest “wins” or blessings.  I celebrate every single one; those keep my mind focused and positive and keep the blessings and wins coming. 
My Easy Guide to Being Grateful:
  • Make a list of every single thing you can possibly think of, that you are thankful for in this moment, on this day.  List even the things you take for granted, like having a place to call home, heat and electricity, food to eat etc.  List it all. 
  •  Chose five items on your list you are the most grateful for, and repeat them over and over to yourself. Really think
    about each one.
  • Visualize your life without each one of those things on your list.  One at a time. Picture your life without your family and friends.  Without a bed to sleep in at night and food to eat.  Then go back to your “grateful thoughts” about each one.   How did that make you feel? Do you legitimately feel grateful for them now?  Have you ever really taken the time to imagine your life without a place to live? Or the basic necessities of life? Most of us have never done that, we take it for granted and think the world is ending because we can’t afford to pay our cable bill.  Let me reassure you, the sun will still rise even if your cable is shut off for non-payment (I speak from experience here).
  • Post your list where you can see it every day.  Maybe on your bathroom mirror so you can read over it while getting ready in the morning.
  • Come up with some mantras around your gratitude list that you can draw on anytime your mind wants to go into “bitch mode”.  For example one of mine is: “I am beautiful, I am healthy, I have more than enough to provide for my family”.
    That mantra for me combats the topics I’d normally want to “bitch about” aka “I feel ugly” etc… gratitude mantras help keep you focused. Say them ten times over and over in your head whenever your thoughts start making a run for
    the quicksand. A good mantra will stop them in their tracks every time!
           The purpose of gratitude is to make us aware and present in our lives.  To teach us not to take anything for granted.  It’s so easy to get caught up in our daily life, and forget all the good things that are part of our environment.  Gratitude lets you reconnect with all of that, keeps you present in the moment and focused on your goal.
            As corny as it sounds, start every day with the question: What am I grateful for today?  See, step one to changing your life wasn’t that painful right? Common sense, you can totally do this!


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Patrick Johnson: Inside the Mind of an Athlete

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Hustle.Believe.Receive., Motivation & Inspiration, Sports, Your Life Coach — No Comments ↓

Meet Patrick Johnson. He is my fifth example and story in my series Inside the Mind of an Athlete. 5 Oregon Football Players: Their Lessons Could Change Your Life and his story is all about what happens when your Ultimate Dream has been achieved? How do you cope with no longer living a certain type of life, or that specific dream? How do you redefine the next phase of your life and make it just as rewarding?

Patrick grew up in a small town in Georgia, playing baseball at the Boys and Girls Club. “There were not a lot of opportunities for kids where I came from.”  Patrick tells me.  “I never really played organized sports until my Junior year of high school.  So I didn’t grow up with that dream of becoming a college football star or playing in the NFL.”  Patrick joined the football team with prompting from his friends, his Junior of high school. That first year he wasn’t allowed to play (transfer policy), but he practiced with the team relentlessly.  Finally his Senior year he started at quarterback, taking the field with guys who had been playing the game their entire life. “I knew that the learning curve was going to be  tough. But I’ve always tried to be the best at anything I do.”

But when his coaches told him after just a few games that they wanted to move him to running back from QB, Patrick did what many competitive, upset seventeen year old’s would do; he quit the team.  For a day. “But that was the best thing that ever could have happened to me. It changed my life, really. Had I stayed in the QB position I never would have gotten a scholarship to play for Oregon. It was a huge blessing in disguise.”

Sarah: When did you realize that playing football was your Ultimate Dream?
Patrick: I was so inexperienced in the sport when I came to Oregon. I was just focused on getting better as fast as I could, giving it my all. My skill level wasn’t at the same level as the other guys, I doubted if I could even do it. But you just have to go out and be willing to really, really work at your craft and do what it takes to get better. You can’t just say ‘I have a goal or a dream’, you have to go make it happen.  I would watch films of NFL players and think, ‘there is no way I can physically do that’.  And then I would go out and try to do it. 

The lasts three or four games of my senior year at Oregon, that’s when I finally had the confidence to think I could do what they did. I had what they had.  And that’s when I realized I could take it further.

Patrick was taken in the 2nd round of the NFL draft in 1998.  He played eight seasons as an NFL wide receiver, including winning a Super Bowl with my favorite team; the Baltimore Ravens.


Sarah:  At what point in your career did you start to think about life after football?
Patrick: I started thinking about that on day one. Before I was even drafted. In this sport it can all be over in one play, you always have to be thinking about that. I’ve always been an entrepreneur, even in college I started a few business. Some failed, some had moderate success, but they all taught me valuable lessons, and all kept me in the mindset that at some point football would be over. 


Sarah: What has been your key to success throughout your life?
Patrick: At each stage in my life I’ve always surrounded myself with very competitive, successful people. When you do that it forces you to up your game. And a lot of the methodology I learned in sports… like you have to manage your expectations. Both of yourself and others. You can’t win every time. There are going to be times when you are disappointed and you need to learn how to deal with that and how to not let it distract you.  And self-motivation is the key to success. You gotta always be the first one in and the last one out. Work harder than anyone else, push past the boundaries.

Sarah: Did you have specific goals for after you retired from football?
Patrick:  I don’t like to call them goals because I think it puts a ceiling on my potential. I don’t want it to ever be a destination I’m reaching. I work extremely hard at what I do, I try to keep it real simple. For me they are more of a benchmark, a way to hold myself accountable. 

Patrick is always hustling (working)

Sarah: You’ve managed to be as successful after football as when you played, what do you do now? 
Patrick: I build and run companies, it’s my passion.  Right now I run two publicly traded and regulated companies. One in the oil and gas sector in Texas and one in construction in Canada. I also work in hedge funds and sports radio.


Sarah: What is your dream for your life now? 
Patrick: I want the generation after me, my son and nieces and nephews to have a better future full of opportunities. And not just family, but I’d love to impact that generation, and other kids that don’t have great opportunities, so I try hard to give back and to support causes that help provide those opportunities. 


Sarah: What keeps you going? 
Patrick: I don’t have “quit” in me. 

I love the lessons Patrick shared, that sometimes something you think is “the wost thing ever” turns out to be your greatest blessing. Our ability to believe and trust in that can carry us through so many difficult times, his story is the perfect example of that.
The dream for your life doesn’t end when you reach a desired goal or destination. It’s always a process of redefining it, it’s always in motion. That dream is what gives you focus but it’s never static, it’s always evolving and growing and the tools you learn to achieve and live one dream are the same ones that will carry you to your next success. It’s a personal
commitment you make to give it your everything.  To demand success, and greatness of yourself.  And with each stage of the journey you rise higher. Giving back and being of
service, teaching others and being a mentor, reinforces what you know.  And finally I loved his key to success, surrounding yourself with successful people teaches you how to be successful.  And when you’ve reached a level of success yourself, giving back and mentoring others is just as important for your growth.
I hope this series has inspired you to believe that anything is possible. These five guys are human, they are not Superman. They are guys who grew up and worked hard and refused to quit once their dream began to build inside of them.  They are the living examples of the #HBRMethod  They have shown us that with Relentless Pursuit anything really is possible. They’ve also demonstrated how visualization is a critical part of manifesting your dreams, and how non of it is possible if you don’t believe in it. Take these lessons and make them part of your life, they are powerful and have the potential to inspire greatness in you. And like every single one of them said, there is no “living your dream” without The Hustle. So get to work! All of their inspiring stories will be featured in my book #HustleBelieveReceive 
Be sure to read the other stories in this series:
Week #1: Derrick Malone Jr -Current Oregon Linebacker
Week #2: Lavasier Tuinei -NFL Undrafted Free Agent
Week #3: Kenjon Barner -NFL running back Panthers
Week #4: Jonathan Stewart -NFL running back Panthers
Week #5: Patrick
Patrick shaking hands with then President George W. Bush after winning the Super Bowl
 Be sure to follow Patrick’s journey on Twitter and Facebook
BE SURE TO READ PATRICK’S FULL INSPIRING STORY IN MY BOOK #HustleBelieveReceive 
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Chick on a Mission…Marathon Life: Week 5.

Posted on by Sarah Centrella Posted in Health & Fitness, Hustle.Believe.Receive., Motivation & Inspiration — 2 Comments ↓
The 3 mile wall…endless hill

So I’ve had this goal to run a marathon by the time I’m 40, and like I said a few weeks ago in The Hustle, are You all In? This is my second attempt at achieving that goal.  And since this June I’ll be 39 I figured it’s now or never! Mind you I am NOT a runner. The only running I’ve ever done was when I was in my early twenties, a few miles here and there, and my marathon training four years ago.  So this is an exercise in proving my point that Anything is Possible for Anyone.  Hence my mission; to prove I can do this. Something I’m not good at, don’t really enjoy, is extremely difficult, and something that most people quit before reaching their goal. So I figured what better way to proving my Hustle.Believe.Receive. coaching method than to apply it to something this tangible?

We started March 22nd, and that morning I showed up with a few hundred other runners for Portland Fit, to train for the Portland Marathon.  Some wannabe’s like myself, and some lifelong veterans, all there with the best intentions to make it to the October race.  It was freezing cold, fog in the air and three miles ahead of us as we started out together for our run along Portland’s water front. It was the first time I’d tried to run in well over a year…but I did it.

There is a formula for success; show up for the group runs on Saturday mornings, do the three short weekly training runs on your own, and be prepared (hydration, eat right, sleep, good shoes etc). If you follow this formula Portland Fit says you will be ready to run the marathon by October no matter if you are a first time runner or not. You have got to commit and hustle. Kinda like Hustle.Believe.Receive. show up, follow the formula, commit… you know the drill.

So yesterday was my 5th week of training…8 miles. The first four straight up the hillside above Portland’s waterfront, and four down. I had glanced at the training schedule last week leading up to the run and noticed it said “45 min hill” meaning I needed to do a 45 minute practice hill run to prepare. I didn’t do it. In fact I’ve not done any of my training runs during the week since I started the program, I figured as long as I showed up for the big runs and didn’t die, I’d still be good. Besides I was still doing my five days a week Barre3 workout so I’d be all good, right? I was supposed to get lots of hydration on Friday, eat a good complex carbohydrate filled dinner the night before, and do my run with a little something in my stomach. I did the opposite of pretty much all that. But I had my good shoes and I showed up every Saturday, so ya know, I was all good.  Into my third mile up the side of the mountain, I began an internal dialog that went something like this “What the hell were you thinking?!! You FREAKIN’ idiot!!” I made more promises to myself on that run than I have in a long time! I promised to follow the formula to the letter, this showing up and doing it halfass was for the birds.

There is something about running that is just a constant metaphor for life. There were so many times yesterday that I wanted to stop, but if I did then I’d lose the pacesetters who where the perfect pace for me to mindlessly follow, as long as they kept going it was easier for me to keep on track. There is NO WAY I’d ever be able to run even a mile alone, I needed their silent support. And then when that wasn’t motivation enough, and I’d tell myself; just stop, you’re probably the last one anyway, I’d look behind me and see someone relying on me as their pacemaker, and I couldn’t let them down.  Just like in our journey it’s so much easier if you do it with someone, or surround yourself with people who think like you and support your dream.  And if you look behind you, there is always someone you can mentor, someone who can learn from you, and if you take the time to help them on their journey you will realize how far you’ve actually come.

My weekly starting place.

This journey will require me to follow my own formula for success to the letter, if I plan to reach my goal of crossing the finish line in October, and believe me I do.  I’m determined to prove to myself that I can do this, and to anyone who’s watching that if you set a dream and follow the formula you can live it. This is not gonna be pretty, but every week I’ll write  about my journey and what aha moments I have on these grueling long runs, and I hope it motivates you to start working towards and living your own dream.

 

 

Author Bio: Sarah Centrella is a Success Coach for professional athletes, and anyone with a dream. She is also an author an motivational speaker.  Follow her on Twitter for motivation and inspiration, and sign up to be a Member of her blog for free coaching classes.

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