1000 Challenge Community Member Spotlight: Sarah Phillips

 1000 Challenge Community Member Spotlight.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you our first ever 1000 Challenge Community Member spotlight. 

Her name is Sarah Phillips and her story is a remarkable one.  Before we get to that I would like to encourage more of you to share your stories to be featured here.  I truly believe we can all learn from, motivate and inspire one another. 

My vision for the Member Spotlight is for it to be a ripple effect to the rest of the world.  Sarah talks about the ripple effect in her story.  So with that, I would like to introduce you all to Sarah Phillips:

Hi Everyone

I am so honored that Jesse has asked me to be in his Special Member's Spotlight!! He inspires us all so much. 

I was diagnosed with a serious and progressive heart and lung condition (Pulmonary Hypertension/Eisenmenger's Syndrome) when I was born.  This means I am cyanosed (blue) as my respiratory system does not convert oxygen very well.  I have been in and out of hospital my whole life and I unfortunately have seen one of my friends and then my husband pass away soon after our wedding from the same disease as I have.  When I was finally putting my life back together after Matt died, I was told that I needed a heart-lung transplant.  I was terrified and devastated at the same time, as it was my greatest fear for over ten years that I would get sick enough to need a transplant.  It was like a black cloud hovering in the distance and getting closer every year as I have slowly stopped being able to do things like driving and grocery shopping.

I lashed out at the Doctors and my friends and family because I was in such a bad state.  I felt like I had lost everything and I had to move back in with my parents.  I was so angry that my life had turned out this way - this was NOT what I wanted and NOT what I expected.  I had no control over my  (Cont from Newsletter)
anger and I hated myself for it.  It was like I was standing beside myself watching myself behave this way and I was horrified I was treating everyone so badly around me that loved and cared for me.  I was so ashamed of myself and I didn't know how to stop.

When I was going through this terrible time, I would look in on facebook and see an inspirational quote or an accomplished goal from Jesse which would sometimes be the only thing that made me smile that day (my fave was the video of him getting a nose wax LOL).  The fact that he was living what he quoted everyday really helped me believe that I could change things around, as well as seeing other people of all different ages and life situations posting photos of the goals they had accomplished.  I started setting small goals and accomplishing them.  I started thinking differently to the situation I was in.  Instead of thinking "I have to live with my parents when all my friends are married, have houses, businesses and children and I haven't really accomplished that much" - to - "I am so lucky I have parents who love me so much and that can give me the 24 hour care I need just to live''. To my amazement, my entire life began to turn around!!  My counsellor, my Doctors, my family and my friends were just as scared as I was but they never lost faith in me, even when I lost it within myself.

I am very thankful for the day I realised that if I didn't stop being afraid of transplant I was going to die.  I would die because I was afraid to even try or believe that I could do it.  That I would NEVER get an answer to "Why me?" because there is no answer.  That everyone has things in their lives that they don't want or expect to happen to them.  That my life could be the complete opposite - the Doctors could have easily told me that I was not a candidate for transplant, which happens to a lot of patients through no fault of their own. 

So thank you Jesse for your dedication and passion to help others change their lives.  In one of your blogs you talk about the 'ripple-effect'.  That what we say and do affects people more than we know - well your words and wisdom reached me all the way in Brisbane, Australia.  I hope my story has the same ripple-effect for someone else out there who is going through a really hard time.

Now, my No. 1 goal is "To give Transplant my best shot".  This means doing everything the Doctors ask and being 100% committed to achieving the best post-transplant results I can.  I am about to go on the heart-lung transplant waiting list and I know that when I get "the call" I have done my best to get there and I will do my best to get through it.  One of the reasons I was afraid is because I have never known a different life than this one...now I can't wait to see what true health feels like.  I hope I will be fortunate enough to receive such a generous, beautiful, amazing gift.  Wish me luck!!

...and thanks to all your fans who make your facebook page SO much fun. 

CARPE DIEM

Sarah Phillips

 

PS Some pics of me accomplishing my goals!!

1)  (I'm in the blue skirt) My goal was to go to a Taylor Swift concert, so I spoke to my Doctors about how to accomplish this without making myself sick.  With some serious planning and saving I was able to go both nights!!!

 2 & 3) I had a Twilight party for my 30th.  This goal got me through some bad days because it gave me something to focus on...and as you can see, I had a REALLY hard time enjoying this one haha!!!

3) Making notes on my exercise chart for my current transplant goal! :o)

If you would like to be considered for the 1000 Challenge Community Member of the Month please email me your story. 

Click HERE

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Your Life is What You Make of It

Phew, this week kicked off what will be a whirlwind of travel for me over the next month.  Yesterday, I was adding up all the miles I will fly and I found myself simultaneously shaking my head in disbelief while smiling at the same time.

More on that in a minute, but first, a few announcements:

My FREE newsletter comes out tomorrow and you are going to want to read this one!!!  It features our first ever 1000 Challenge Community Member Spotlight.  It is a truly remarkable and very inspiring story.  Here is the link to sign up for the newsletter:

I want to make the member spotlight a regular feature in my newsletter.  I hope this first story will inspire you to share yours.  Please email me if you would like to submit a story for the 1000 Challenge Community Member Spotlight.

Friday, October 12th, 2012 is going to be a BIG day.  Friday October 12th is going to be Random Acts of Kindness Day.  Please click here to see all the details about this event.  I hope you will participate and share your stories of your experiences.  I plan on gathering all the stories up and combining them into a blog post for us all to share.

Finally, the Holiday seasons are beginning and with them comes a huge influx of sugar.  If you need a little additional help to stave off those sugar cravings, check out The Sugar Challenge here

Ok back to the blog.

So yes, I will be flying a lot of miles over the course of the next month and it left me sharking my head and smiling at the same time.

The head shaking came from the realization of the shear volume and amount of time I will be spending doing air travel.  When all is said and done I think I will be flying nearly 50,000 miles over the next several weeks.  That equates to about: 70 hours in the air... wholly smokes!!

I just hope all the flights are on time... :)

The smiling came from the realization and reminder that Your Life is What You Make of It.

I have talked about this before, and you will here me talk about it again and again as it is such an important point.  YOUR LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT.

I grew up in a very small town.  Early on as kids we have choices to make.  One of the biggest ones I ever made was staying away from drugs and alcohol in school.

I watched many friends go down that path, but I had dreams of moving away and creating a life for myself.  A life that I wold not be able to create if I spent time doing drugs and alcohol.

As a freshmen in college, I was one of the most shy, insecure, self-conscious people you would ever meet.  I was lonely and lacked the social skills to make friends.  I was also on the verge of getting kicked out of school.

I could have given up, I could have moved home... that would have been an easy choice to make, but instead I choose differently.  I choose to work at coming out of my shell, to challenge myself, physically, socially, and intellectually.

In 2007, I suffered my first broken heart.  I was beyond devastated.  I cried so much morning the loss of the relationship, but what I realized deep down, was the tears were coming because I did not truly know myself.

I could have done nothing different, I could have continued on the same path I was on, and it was a pretty good one.  I had a good career opportunity sitting in front of me, I would have been able to meet another girl at some point, I had decent friends, but I wanted more.  I wanted a career of my design, not one that someone else designed.  I wanted to get to know myself before I was with someone else.  I wanted to have great friends, not just good ones.

Ok, get to the point Jesse....

The point is this, in life there are always going to be difficult decisions to make.  And in those most trying times, the easy way out is going to look more appealing than a piece of delicious chocolate cake.  Just because it is easy, does not mean it is the path that will lead you to living your greatest life.

Had I not made the choices I did, had I not chosen the more challenging road, had I not had dreams and goals to keep me focused, I would not be sitting here typing this for you all today.

And as I consistently work towards those bigger goals, the little ones come to fruition along the way... such as the ability to travel.  Which brings me back to the beginning of this blog and the smiling while shaking my head.

All the cool things I have gotten to do, all the places I have been privileged enough to see, the amazing people I have met, the inner passions I have discoverd; everything, has come as a direct result of the choices I have made.

Your Life is What YOU Make of It.

I come from a small town.  I have had and will have challenges just like you have and you will.  I promise you this: when you find yourself in those challenging times, when you find yourself at the fork in the road; be brave and choose the road you have not traveled before.  Challenge yourself to make the hard decision, the ones that holds the potential for your greatest life.

I promise you it is worth it.

Stay focused on your big dreams and your little ones will come true along the way.

Enjoy the pics,

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Lessons from my Dreams

I still dream about my Dad.  Even though it has been over two years, every couple months I dream about him. Each dream ends virtually the same, with me becoming aware I am dreaming about him then waking myself with real tears and an out loud cry for him... I usually remember almost none of the dream.
 
As I type this I have a fresh set of tears from another dream about my Dad, but this one is different, the memory is still here. And I think I am supposed to share it with you all as the words I am typing began to fill my head before I ever started typing.
 
At first I thought I had forgotten the dream and continued sobbing, but then I did something different, I asked myself a question about the dream. Suddenly I remembered almost the entire dream.
 
In the dream, I was talking to some stranger, whose face I could not see. It was hidden in the shadows. Anyways I was explaining to this stranger what a great little league baseball player I was when in fact I wasn't.
 
It should be noted that My entire little league career I think I got a total of 2 base hits in the two years I played little league. It wasn't because of a lack of skill. It was because I had developed such a low self esteem and low confidence about myself that every time I stepped up to the plate, I was scared to swing at the ball and I was scared of getting made fun by the other players when I faltered.
 
As I am telling this mysterious figure about what a "superstar little leaguer" I was I am suddenly transported to one specific game I played in. I am watching the game, but not from the stands. And the field is reversed almost like looking in a mirror.
 
This game was significant because all my life I'd wanted to hit a home run, but never did. This game was the closest I'd ever come.
 
I was explaining this to the mysterious stranger in the dream. As I am doing so I see myself come up to bat and instantly I can remember how I felt during that at bat. All throughout little league I remember I felt like a failure every time I went to the plate. Every time I walked to the plate my head was hanging in anticipation for my next failure.
 
This at bat was a different one. In my dream I could remember that day. I could remember that day as being one of the only days I ever stepped up to the plate with confidence, knowing inside myself I could hit the ball.
 
I told the mysterious stranger in my dream this as I looked at my 11 year old self, standing at the plate.
 
All my life I'd always wanted to hit a home run...
 
The pitcher threw the 1st pitch and I connected. I had never hit a ball in the sweet spot before,  I had never hit a pitch where it felt virtually effortless, and this one did.
 
As I am explaining all this to the mysterious figure, the dream slows down so I can tell and relive every detail of that moment.
 
Making contact with the ball
 
Feeling strong as it left my bat
 
Knowing it was a home-run
 
Watching it sail further towards the fence
 
Making my first step away from the plate
 
Watching the infielders look up and over their shoulders
 
The parents in the stands coming to their feet... I'd never had the stands come to their feet for me before.
 
Watching the ball, going, going, ...
 
"It wasn't to be," I told the mysterious stranger. As we watched the ball curve right for a foul ball at the last second.
 
As I watched all this vividly happen in super slow motion, I became choked up and told the mysterious stranger I could not continue my story. Tears began to flow.
 
"Why?" Asked the mysterious stranger?
 
"Because," I said
 
"Because, I figured out why I am seeing the baseball field at a different view than it really was.". "From this view, I can see my Dad's car parked in the field, he had come to watch me, and there it is." I began bawling uncontrollably in my dream as I pointed out my Dad's blue Ford Taurus to this mysterious stranger.
 
I was crying so hard. Suddenly the mysterious stranger rushed out of the darkness to console me - it was my Dad.
 
"Jess," my Dad asked, "why were you trying to make yourself sound like a better baseball player than you were?"
 
I don't recall what my answer was because at this point I realized my sobs were becoming more and more uncontrollable and I was starting to wake myself up.   In addition I was becoming aware of a tension in my arms and a numbing in my hands.
 
As my conscious mind began to take over, my sub-conscious mind began to fade away and so did the image of my Dad.  I squeezed my eyes tighter trying to hold the image, only to wake myself up with crying eyes, and my usual " DAD" shout trying to keep him from leaving.
 
As I became more aware I realized that the reason my arms were so tense and my hands were so numb was that I was hugging a pillow so tight that I was cutting off my own circulation. My pillow was my Mysterious Stranger, the hug was for my Dad.
 
So why am I sharing all of this with You.
 
Often, when I fall asleep, I think about specific things and how I can utilize those things/experiences to help people.
 
Last week I took a bunch of pictures of the sunrise. And as I was falling asleep last night, I asked myself, how can I use those sunrise/sunset pictures to help me help people?
 
And this is why I believe I remember as much of the dream as I do and why I am supposed to share.
 
Remember when I started writing this blog, I said "I usually don't remember my dreams, but this time I asked myself a question about the dream and suddenly I could remember."
 
Well as the dream came back to me the words "sunrise" and "sunset" kept flashing in my head. Then the words began to form sentences:


   
 
"Every sunrise is a
 symbolic beginning
 of a new day and 
 serves as a reminder
 that this day is a gift.
 So while you have it 
make sure you live
 your day doing, and 
saying what is most 
important."

 
 

"Every sunset is a reminder that the day is nearly over and that if you have not yet done the things that are the most important to you and told the people you love that you do, then you better hurray up and do it because tomorrow is not guaranteed. The only thing that is, is this moment.
 
 




And finally, the pillow... I cannot recall one time in my life when I ever hugged my Dad with such love and such intensity equal to the amount of love and intensity I was trying to squeeze through that pillow.
 
In this life, I am never going to get that opportunity to give my Dad a hug like that.
 
I took days, I took time, I took life for granted just like we all do.
 
Here's the thing: while I can't go back and change that with my Dad, what I can do is make a change going forward. And you can too!
 
My advice I am going to give myself and share with you is this:
 
When you hug someone today, tomorrow, and everyday for the rest of your life, think about hugging them as if that is your last chance you will ever have to hug them. 
 
The sun will rise and the sun will set. Life will continue  on, but there is no guarantee that you and I will continue on with it.
 
Thank you Dad for this lesson.
 
I love and miss you.

Enjoy the pics, 

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Focus on the simple things

A couple quick announcements:

1.) Thank you everyone for all the feedback you have been giving me on my recent videos I have been posting on Youtube.  I am going to continue to do this and ultimately what I my channel to become is a mix of motivating, inspiring, and funny videos that will help you live a richer and more fulfilling life.  If you have not checked out my Youtube channel yet, do so by clicking here: and please subscribe while you are there. :)

2.)  I have a photo up on the MSNBC "It's a Snap Travel Photo" section.  It is a photo of Stonehenge, please check it out and if you feel so inclined vote for it:

Last week I posted a video about a guy who was dying of cancer.  The video and his story were very powerful.

   Check out the Video Here

I spoke a bit about his story in last weeks Ustream chat, but it is powerful enough and the message is important enough that spending a few extra minutes on it is certainly warranted.

Eric's story is essentially this:

Several years ago he was diagnosed with cancer and was declared terminal.  But he beat the odds and survived.  He began sharing his story via Youtube.  Life continued on and eventually the cancer came back.  Now at 28 years old, with a wife and family that loves him, Eric is going to die.  He has tried every treatment and fought as hard as he could.

When I first watched this video, what amazed me about it was the simplicity of life.  In the eight minute video life was summed up like this: Live or Die, and this guy clearly wants to live.

We complicate our lives so much.  And in the process of complicating them we lose focus on the most important point of life, to live.

During Eric's final goodbye video, I did not hear him once mention some of the things that society has deemed to be so important:  there was no mention of the car he drove, the style of the clothes he wore, how much money he made, or the latest he said she said celebrity gossip.

I can only conclude that someone on death's door is not going to miss the above?  How can that be?  We spend so much of life, so much of our precious time and energy worries about, stressed about, and ultimately pursuing these things, why?  Why spend so  much time on that which is ultimately not that important?

What Eric talked about in the end is the same story I have heard from so many others that have been close to or experienced death through a loved one... the things that are most important are friends, family, the people who love you just for you.

Life in its most simple form really boils down to this: live or die.  And each and every day that we are still breathing we have a choice to make:  Live and do something proactive that brings us fulfillment and happiness, or Die a little and wallow, pout, be-moan our circumstances in life.

Trust me I am not in any way trying to make small of some of the most painful experiences in life.  What I am trying to say though is that even when the worst possible things happen in life we still have choice, to either become and ultimately be consumed by the pain, or acknowledge that the pain is a part of life and focus on those little every day things that make us smile that make us laugh.

After watching Eric's video I have been spending a lot of time reflecting on the little joys of life that make me happy: the sun, clean air, taking pictures of flowers, the sunset and sunrise, exercise, looking at the stars at night, rejoicing with friends for their successes etc...

The little things, no matter how small they may seem right now, in the end they really are the biggest things - the things that make up the substance of life.

Enjoy the pics,

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

When Protecting is Really Hindering

Hellllooooo everyone! 

I hope this blog finds you in the midst of an exciting, action packed week! :)

A few announcements:

1st, it is FINALLY time for a Ustream chat.  It has been a long time coming and I have definitely been slacking.  I will post the exact time later today, but it will be sometime on Sunday. Plan on Sunday evening Europe time, Sunday morning PST time.

2nd, I am offering a promotion for the Exercise Accountability Group.  If you are a current member and refer two or more people to the group, you and each of those two people will get a month's membership free.  For more info about the Exercise Accountability Group, click here: http://www.jessebrisendine.com/fitness-training_exercise-accountability-group.php

3rd, Once you finish reading this, you have to promise me that you will smile and then smile at someone else. :)  Deal?  Ok cool, now that the formalities are done on to the blog...

Funny how life works.  I had typed about two paragraphs for this blog and then deleted them because they were garbage!  They really were! :)  I started talking to a friend of mine and the topic of protecting came up.  As we talked more and more I decided that it presented the perfect blog topic. :)

I don't know about you, but I have a history of trying to protect people.  Ive skipped being straight forward and up front time and time again because I do not want to "hurt someone's feelings."  Of course what inevitably happens is that the person's feelings are hurt more because you would not be straight up with them.

Why do we do this?  Why is it that humans feel the need to try and protect one another?  Is it a survival instinct and an instinct to be strong?   Or is it the exact opposite, is it a weakness, a fear that we have, one that leaves us to scared, or not strong enough from the start?

I personally believe it is a weakness that we try to disguise as a strength.  I do not know one person that would prefer to have a conversation, or live a life full of smoke and mirrors.  Protecting someone is like pulling a band aide off slowly, it takes longer and hurts more.  Versus just pulling it off quick, feeling the pain, the moving past it.

I hear parents talking about this all the time, about wanting to protect their kids from the cold cruel world.  But by protecting them, are you really helping them to learn and grow?  Is it not better to learn to fall down at an early age so that you can also learn how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and carry on?  What if you are guarded so much as a child that you never fall?  What happens when you will inevitably fall as an adult?  Will you be able to get back up?  Will you even know how?

At the end of the day I think it is undeniable that the desire to protect is engrained into our DNA.  However, what is also engrained into us is free will and when it comes to protecting, it is wise to exercise your free will first. 

Stop and ask yourself, "are my actions really in the best interest of this person?  If  I do this, or approach the situation this way, will this person still be able to learn and grow?'

Be honest with yourself first before you decide on what is best for someone else.

Enjoy the pics,

Carpe Diem,

Jesse

Getting Back to the Basics

Hellllloooooo everyone!! 

Yes I am back to slacking on the blogs.  I apologize as I really do enjoy blogging.  I think I am finally starting to create enough of a routine here in Europe that I should be able to blog more often than not, yea me! :)

Before I get to that a few things:

1.) We need to have a Ustream chat.  It has been way to long.  Look for an announced date and time on the 1 Year 1000 Challenge page within the next week

2.) I really appreciate everyone who took the time to provide me with feedback about my newsletter.  I am always looking for ways to try to provide the best for you all.  I will work at implementing some of the suggested changes.  If you would like to sign up to receive my free monthly newsletter, click here: www.jessebrisendine.com

3.) One more thank you to pass along, thank you everyone who has taken the time to look at my photography page and provide me with feedback and suggestions.  This is a new venture for me so any comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.  Please check out my photography page here: http://www.jessebrisendine.com/photography.php

Well I am officially a Europe resident, specifically London, for the next few months!!  And I got to share with you all, as excited as I am to have the opportunity to be here, it has been a little tough for me to adjust.

My thought process has not been one that has been conducive to helping me adjust either, which wherever my thoughts go, my actions will follow.

I really miss my friends and clients back home.  They have all become such a part of my day to day life that it is really strange not seeing them everyday.

I miss the Ocean.  I was able to go to the countryside this weekend and went as far as the Irish Sea.  I realized as I stood there for an hour taking photos of the sunset, that I have never been away from the Ocean this long.  Being born and raised in California, the Ocean has always been there.  And as much as I talk about how much I love it and how fortunate I am to have it in my backyard, I don't think I ever really truly realized just HOW MUCH I love it and HOW FORTUNATE I really am to have it in my backyard.

I miss the Sun!  See the Ocean above.  I have to be honest, not to brag, but because it is the truth, Santa Barbara is paradise, and I live there.  I have sun and perfect temperature more than 300days of the year. Again I can say until I am blue in the face how fortunate I am to call SB home, but I take a lot of it for granted in my day to day life.   

And I miss the 100's of other everyday conveniences I take for granted: knowing where the store is, having a the ability to do laundry at my house vs. going to a laundry mat, etc...

Wow, I am sounding spoiled aren't I?  The list could go on, and I have allowed it to because I have been choosing to dwell rather than rejoice.  I have been choosing to turn my back on the everyday opportunities that are all over the place

Time for a change! 

So when I finally decided to get over myself a few days ago, things, and most importantly, my Attitude started to change

I started focusing on how fun it will be to learn the layout of a new city.  To make the foreign not feel so foreign.  I began taking daily walks in different directions and enjoying, "getting lost" in the city. 

Since I can't rely on the real Sun to show up, I sought out an artificial one.  And as fate would have it, a tanning salon is literally right around the corner from where I am staying.  8 minutes later and the golden glow had not only returned to my skin, but to my overall attitude.

Rather than dwelling on not having my car so I can run to the grocery store.  I walked to the grocery store and made an adventure out of it.  And it was a blast.  I took my camera, got to see some sights, got to exercise, and most importantly I had a lot of time to think.  And I thought about how fortunate I am to even have a car to begin with.  Then I took it a step further and thought how fortunate I am to have legs to walk to the store and money in my pocket to buy things with. 

From my front door to the store it is less than a 15 minute walk.  And by the time I got to the store I was almost floating after spending 15 minutes focusing on all the haves instead of the have nots.

As I made my less than 15 minute return trip from the store it got me thinking about how important it is to use our resources when we find ourselves in a funk.  We all have resources to call on and there is no greater resource than your own mind.  Your mind has the power to shape your thoughts, and your thoughts will influence your actions.

The positive changes you want to make, the momentum you want to build, the reality you want to create, will never happen if your mind is not thinking thoughts that will support, encourage, and inspire you.

My first two weeks here have served as such a great reminder to get back to the basics.  To stop and smell the roses and enjoy the little things in life.  I may not have the Ocean in my backyard right now, but what I do have is my mind and with that I can see any Ocean, anywhere in the world, at any time I want.  All I have to do is close my eyes and focus my thoughts.  And on that note, I think I am going to go and visit the Caribbean. :)

Enjoy the pics,

Carpe Diem,

Jesse