Have you read the book – “One Word-That Will Change Your Life” by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon? The concept is to pick ONE WORD and focus all of your efforts for goals, actions, results – everything on this one word for the year. Ideally, you would have developed a habit by then and your goals would be coming to fruition. This concept is used with individuals and teams of individuals alike. In business and in sports.

It’s always been my belief that if I were healthy, I would feel better, therefore I would feel like doing more. With this belief, I could increase my business, decrease my laziness and be better at everything. In 2018, I picked the word “flexibility” and chose to use this idea of flexibility to have a more productive 2018. At the end of the year, I was still “stiff” in my ideals, philosophy, and my body. I had, however increased my income a whopping 50%! Amazing right? It WAS amazing! I hadn’t even realized my income had doubled until I was looking at my 1099’s at the end of the year and adding them up. The word “flexible” had multiple meaning’s to me. My belief system was very rigid, my actions were very rigid and therefore my business was very rigid, which in turn – made my body rigid. I thought “flexible” was the PERFECT word. It was for that year – however, I really didn’t stick to the plan – weird, being that I am so “rigid.” I am laughing while typing this right now because, clearly I am being facetious. At the end of 2018 my body was still rigid, as well as most of my routine. My thought process and my NECK was still INFLEXIBLE. In fact, I could hardly sleep in another bed besides my own without severe pain.

At the beginning of 2019, I decided to choose another word – one that cover a larger range of meaning for me. I chose “Wellness.” Wellness with my body, soul, mind, financial state, and business. January started out great. I had all of my goals written down and by applying the “wellness” word to them, I felt super excited about the year ahead. On Monday, January 7th at approximately 8am, I got a phone call from a Texas number, and my whole life changed. Although I didn’t realize it at the time.

A little background. If you go to the “about” section of this blog, you will read about my brother and I. The differences we had and the similarities we had. This is really the first time that I have written about what happened. I kinda swept it under the rug and went on with life. My brother had spend the last 18 years in prison. He wrote me a lot. I did not return the gesture. I did at first, but him asking me for money and shit got really old, so I was “over it” at this point. 18 years of him saying he was innocent, and that he was going to find a way out and that he needed money – asking me to do things that went against everything I believed in. He was really happy for me when I got sober, and I thought maybe that was a turning point because he was sober too right? Being in prison and all. He had been writing me in 2018 to help him to get moved to another facility so he could get the medical help he needed, because he wasn’t doing well, according to him. At the end of 2018 he finally got moved, and was so happy in his letters that he was going to get the long awaited services he needed to get well. He had been there for approximately 2 weeks. The last letter I got stated that he was going to get well, and when he got out ……. I trail off because once again. He had these big plans to “get out” of prison.

That morning of January 7th was like any other – I had committed to walking at least 10K steps a day, and had done half of that and by the time the call came in I was ready to walk out the door to my meetings and have a wonderful day. The call was from the Chaplain at the prison. My brother had passed away the night before. WHAT!?!? He was fine in his last letter, and he is gone? I would be lying if I told you I hadn’t prepared for this phone call. My brother was in prison for murdering a man in an alcoholic blackout. He doesn’t even remember doing the deed. I knew he was sick from the years of alcohol abuse. I sat on the corner of the couch and answered the questions the Chaplain had. I was in shock.

I realized at that moment that I had made the right choice for my “word of the year.” I too, had a background of drug and alcohol abuse. I could be him! I decided at that moment, I would do what it took. But, I didn’t. I did for a little while. Business was amazing though – I was excelling my goals that I had set in place for myself and it was “flowing” – meaning it was effortless. I realized, that maybe I had a little self sabotage going on regarding my brothers incarceration. If I earned more, I would have to lie to him about “being broke.” Sad to say, but true. I also realized that it hurt more than I let on. The guilt, the shame of never once going to see him in prison that 18 years. Not once.

Wellness. It covers a full range of emotions and territory. I chose to start focusing ONLY on that one word. I changed my schedule and a few other things to accommodate. I managed to put on more weight and more distress as the months went by. Maybe I was pressuring myself too much? The food was something that had always been my nemesis. It’s so good! The sweets, the salts, the fats – hell, all of it! June of 2019, I had gotten home from a trip to see my youngest son in Oregon. I was looking at the fat faced Trudi in those pics from that trip and realized, I was NOT focusing on my one word. Wellness.

On June 16th I stepped on the scale and I was up to 160 pounds again. God! How could I do this to myself? AGAIN!! I really saw no way of changing unless it was going through some things I really didn’t WANT to do.

I had been introduced to a book in October of 2018. Saw the results that were being experienced and was unwilling to do what the book said. Mainly because I was stubborn and really didn’t even LOOK AT IT. Much less read it. That day, while standing on the scale, I decided to read that book. I ordered it on Amazon, and while waiting on it to arrive, made some changes in my household.

Every single decision I made – I asked myself a question. Is this for the better of my wellness? Is this good for the wellness of my business? Is this good for the wellness of my car? Is this good for the wellness of my marriage? Every. Single. One. It has been 4 months this Wednesday since that decision. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been. I am down 17 pounds, and still loosing. My business has doubled since then, and I have a personal trainer and peace of mind. My body is sore most days, and I feel good. After taking Ibuprofen for 5 years every single day, I have been able to function without it for over 3 months now. One Word, focused on daily can change your life. SugarSobriety is possible. Now, thanks to Dr. Steven Gundry and his Plant Paradox book, Lectin Free is a part of my “wellness” program.

Wonder what word I will focus on next year? Perhaps I will choose wellness again and focus on one specific category of wellness. The habit is ingrained of eating right and exercising. It’s time to move on to the other parts of wellness that will change my life even more! Let’s face it, if you aren’t growing, you are dying!

Until next time…………..