My Absence

I don’t even know where to begin! So much has transpired over the past year. 2014 wound up being the hardest year in my entire life.

As you all know, I started this blog as a way to document my “Faith Project”—what would happen if I let go of control and rely on faith to get me where I need to be. It began three months after my job loss when I was trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do next with my life. That was May 2013. In September 2013 I started school to become a Certified Holistic Health Coach. In October I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer! This was obviously a huge wrench in my plans and a serious shocker. The good news was that it was stage 0 and non-invasive. The bad news is that there was quite a bit in my breast even though it was contained. So, in January 2014 I had a mastectomy. The remaining of January, February and March were my healing months and things were looking up, but then my mom passed away suddenly at the end of March, just 9 days after her birthday. This was another blow that I was not emotionally prepared for. Top that off with my start of radiation the week of her funeral. I had to go to radiation every weekday for 6 weeks. By the second week of radiation my body gave out. I was in excruciating pain. Everything hurt and I mean everything. My toenails, my muscles, my joints, my hair follicles. If I was touched, it hurt. I had the same exact symptoms as someone with fibromyalgia. I went from doctor to doctor and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. On Easter Day I was in the emergency room practically crying from the pain. I was finally referred to a pain management clinic in May 2014 and finally found some relief with nerve medication. I have post radiation brachial plexopathy. My whole body symptoms went away, but I still have lingering pain in my left arm and hand. I was non-functional from April – June. I took that time to just rest and take care of myself.

Fast forward to today, I did graduate and am now a Certified Holistic Health Coach. I started my own business and I’m working for myself as a full-fledged entrepreneur. I still have some pain in my hands and am still taking medication for it, but it has gotten a lot better. I’m told that by one-year after last radiation treatment, this pain should be gone. That means by May 12, 2015 I should see a light at the end of the tunnel. Needless to say, working my business has been a slow process because I was not 100%. I don’t know if I’ll ever be back the way I was because part of my problem previously was trying to take on too much and do too much and holding in too much until my body couldn’t take it anymore. So, even when this nerve pain goes away I will still be a changed woman. I think that is just par for the course anyway for a breast cancer survivor. We all have “new normals”.

I am excited about my future. This experiment did not turn out the way I expected, but that is how life works. We can never control it fully. Just when you think you have everything under control, BAM, here comes life throwing you a curve ball. But adversity does build stronger people and boy am I stronger. As a result, I have a platform for my business that I have personally experienced. My overarching goal is to help busy, professional women take better care of themselves. We don’t do that enough. We take care of everyone else and only think to take care of ourselves after something goes wrong. At a granular level, I’m helping those busy moms lose weight, gain energy and achieve an overall balance in their lives. Being a busy mom who also worked in Corporate America, I know all too well how difficult it can be to lose that weight when you’re older.  Gained weight and lack of energy are the two biggest complaints I hear and I’m here to help!

I wanted to wrap up this blog for all of you that were following me. I really appreciate the interest and I’m grateful for this experience. I will be focusing all of my efforts now on my business, Whole Life Wellness, LLC. Please visit, sign up for my newsletter and tell a friend, or two. We all know that superwoman who needs to take a breather and take time out for herself. It may even be you! I would love to help you. I can also be reached if you need a health and wellness professional to present a workshop or speak at your event.  Just fill out the form on my site http://www.wholelifewellness.info/contact.

Thanks again for following along on my journey! I hope to see you on my new journey.

Website: http://www.wholelifewellness.info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholelifewellnessllc
Twitter: candicebovian
Instagram: candicebovian

Candice

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy New Year! It’s been awhile. And I’m not going to lie that it may be weeks in between my posts right now. I’m going through a real health challenge right now so I’m not able to post as often as I’d like. When things get to be a little more normal for me again, I will clue you in as to what has been going on. I haven’t forgotten about my blog and you can believe that even with this setback I will still achieve my goals. Which brings me to the title of this post…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR!

Here is a man that stood on faith and courage to ‘fight’ for what he believed in. Not only that, but his end goal was to help everyone. His goals were not to benefit himself, but a mass of people. He wanted to make the world a better place and he used the principles of Jesus Christ and Ghandi to achieve this. I admire him for his courage. I admire him for following through with his vision. I’m sure it wasn’t easy each day to get up and follow through on his vision especially when it was against what was considered the norm at the time. To follow your vision can be hard enough. To do it when it is going against the norm makes it that much harder.

I make this pledge today to follow in the steps of Dr. Martin Luther King by making the world a better place.

While being a civil rights activist is not my “lane”, I can still make a difference in the quality of other’s lives. Through my health and wellness company, I will encourage people to make better food and lifestyle choices that will ultimately enable them to live longer, make better decisions and in effect, make them a force of change so that they can help those surrounding them. So by helping one, I have helped many.

I will stand firm in my beliefs and speak up.

I will help those that need it.

I hope this post encourages you to dig deep and find out what legacy you will leave on this earth. What kind of impact do you want to make? Life is for the living. Live your life by doing something meaningful and making a difference. No regrets!

-CB

The Holstee Manifesto

This is your life.

Do what you love, and do it often.

If you don’t like something, change it.

If you don’t like your job, quit.

If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV.

If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.

Start doing things you love.

Stop over analyzing, life is simple.

Every emotion is beautiful.

When you eat, appreciate every last bite.

Open your minds, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences.

Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them.

Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself.

Some opportunities only come once, seize them.

Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating.

Life is short.

Live your dream and share your passion.

You Are The Result of Results

Hey everyone!
I know it’s been longer than a minute since I’ve posted, but with good reason. Besides all of the other things I have going on that I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been hit with a major life changing event that I’ve had to deal with. I will let you all know about that in due time, but I figured I could at least re-post any posts from other bloggers that I deem helpful and enriching to my blog. Make today a worthy day!

The Better Man Project

There is truth to be found in being lost.

If you listen hard you will be able to hear things you’ve never heard before. When things are going strong, life is easy.

You can step on the gas and go a little bit faster. But when you come to a screeching halt, pull off the road, and get out of the car to walk around a little bit…that’s when things can get pretty interesting.

Those are the moments when you really need to listen to what is going on inside.

Sometimes you have to disconnect.

We live in a very busy world. There is a ton of information, massive amounts of media, and opportunities to forget what truly matter in this life (at least from what I’ve found).

Sitting down and connecting with others and talking about things in real life has become more and more rare.

Being able to…

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I’m Still Here. What Are You Doing?

[Taps mic]  “Is this thing on?”

I’m still here! I know my posts have been few and far in between in comparison to the good ‘ol days when I first started writing, but so much has transpired since then that my time is more limited now. When I first started this blog I was truly trying to find my way and figure out my next move in life! I was dead serious about making sure that I follow my passions and find a career that would suit me in that regard. Every post (nearly every day) was a post to keep me uplifted and focused whether it be giving you spiritual food for thought or posting recipes or talking about travel. I was just “doing me” knowing in faith that things will work out. Well, they did!

Now I’m in school studying to be a Health Coach, but I’m also diligently working my travel business, among other things. I’m learning a lot about marketing and social media so that I can be a force to be reckoned with one day. And I’m networking and meeting new people — potential business partners and friends — so that I can surround myself with others that will encourage me to be the super successful person I was meant to be. After all, if I am the average of the five people that I hang around with the most then I need to get on the ball. I’ve been spending a lot of time with 2 and 3 year olds! LOL.

But seriously, have you heard that expression from Jim Rohn before?

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

Take a moment and think about that. Who do you spend most of your time with? Are they encouraging you to be the BEST YOU that you can be either by their words (encouraging) or by their actions (them already being successful)? Or do you and your friends just talk about reality TV or trivial things and hang out partying all the time? That’s fine here and there, but is that all you really want out of life? Is that the highest expectation you have of your friends? Don’t you have a desire to do more or be surrounded by those that inspire you? I’m not trying to judge you if that’s what you want to do, but seriously think about it. I think you want more for yourself. You were put on this earth to do great things. And by great things, I don’t mean that you have to become famous. Helping others is a great thing. Giving your time to worthy causes are a great thing. Finding your passion and doing it is an excellent thing. I’m just saying don’t let life pass you by. You don’t want to grow old and have regrets. Let me put it this way. If you died today, what would be your proudest accomplishment? What would you have written in your obituary? Is that OK by you? Think about that . I’ll wait…

Steve Jobs sums it up best when he gave the commencement speech at Stanford in 2005. Check it out for yourself. Let it digest and then let me know what your obituary would say.

-CB

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/photostock

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Travel Deal: Christmas Cruising

Have you ever thought about cruising for Christmas? You won’t have to stress about going from house to house to make sure you visit everyone,  you don’t have to worry about getting a tree and decorating your house, and you certainly won’t have to cook dinner for all those family members that you don’t really want in your house anyway!  Take the family and go on a cruise!  This is a great deal on board a luxury cruise ship. 3rd and 4th guests in the same room sail free when you book a suite. You can also choose one of four free options: Free gratuities, free classic beverage package, up to $300 on board credit or up to $600 Choice Air credit.

The Celebrity Cruise Line is one of Royal Caribbean’s luxury cruise ship lines. They feature James Beard award winning chefs, luxurious spacious staterooms, an award winning Aqua Spa, an extensive on board wine collection with a 2-story glass wine tower, upscale shopping such as Michael Kors, Bulgari, Versace, and so much more! Whether this is your first or fiftieth cruise, a cruise on board Celebrity will be unforgettable.

Click on the flyer below to enlarge and read the details. 

Quarter One Update – Pt. 2

So this post is long overdue. I teased you all on my original post about how great things are happening  for me and how my journey is proving successful and then I left you hanging! Well, I’d like to finally formally announce my new path in life. They are two-fold and complement each other while at the same time honoring all of my passions! Isn’t it amazing how everything comes together?

First, I am currently in school to become a CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH. Secondly, I  am now a CERTIFIED WELLNESS & MEDICAL TRAVEL SPECIALIST.  In the about section of my blog, I talk about how “this blog will showcase my commitment to pursuing my passions and seeing what manifests over the course of a year. The topics on my blog are what I’m most passionate about — Travel (mind), Food & Nutrition (body), and Spirituality (soul).” Let me tackle each of these passionate areas to discuss how my faith journey is manifesting exactly what I requested.

Travel – I am already a Certified Travel Agent and have been for a few years. But, with my new certification I have a niche that will complement my health coaching business. The idea behind that is to plan wellness retreats for my health coaching business, help others plan spa and wellness vacations, and work with individuals interested in taking trips for medical purposes. This last part, medical travel, is becoming very popular and with the state of our health insurance in the USA, it is becoming a viable option in order to get medical procedures done at a reasonable cost. Major companies such as Walmart, Pepsico and Lowe’s already offer it to their employees as part of their health benefit.

Food & Nutrition – Food has been a passion of mine forever. I’ve always loved GOOD food. I can go into a Whole Foods or a specialty food gourmet store and linger for hours. I’m an avid ingredient reader and make sure that the majority of the food that I purchase and consume is healthy. Becoming a health coach would allow me to help others in their quest to be healthy. The program I am going through actually teaches Integrative Nutrition meaning it’s more than just the food you eat. To be completely healthy you’ll need to also look at other aspects of your life — your career, your physical activity level, your spiritual life, your relationships — to ensure that your whole self is well. It definitely takes a holistic approach to wellness. In case you are interested in learning more for yourself, see Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Spirituality – Even though the health coaching’s focus is on wellness, spirituality plays a role in your well being so I would be helping others with that. But, this blog has always been a platform for me to help others in a spiritual sense. I’m not talking about any religion or certain rules that you should follow. I’m talking about looking within yourself and following your intuition and being the best “you” that you can be. I’m talking about taking charge of your life and having gratitude along the way. I’m talking about attracting more of what you want and distancing yourself from what you don’t. Realize your worth and what you have to offer to this world to make it a better place.

So, as you can see it is all starting to come together. When I started this blog on May 24, 2013 I didn’t know what my next career move would be. I just knew that the direction I was going in wasn’t it. I only knew what I loved and what I was passionate about so I immersed myself in those things and started actively doing those things. I spent more time doing and less time hoping. It is so awesome how the universe aligns and works to give you exactly what you want and need once you put your mind to it and take the initiative.

I can’t wait to share what may manifest at my six month update!

-CB

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To Be It, Do it

How many of you are waiting to start something because you are waiting on the “right time”? It may be to have children, go back to school, write a book, change jobs, anything! I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “there is never a right time to start something”. Sometimes we set goals and want to wait until the perfect time comes around before we start taking action. The perfect time (in your mind) may be when you lose weight, when you get a new job, when you find a boyfriend/girlfriend, but really the perfect time is now. You have to already do what it is you want to do even if it’s on a smaller scale.

• Do you want to be a writer? Start writing!
• Do you want to start a non-profit? Do the research and take the necessary steps to start a 501(c)(3).
• Do you want to travel? Find that trip you want to take and start saving each month to get the amount you need and take that trip! (Send me a note when you’re ready to book your trip!)

There really is no excuse as to why you cannot do what you want. The people that you see doing what they love are doing it because they just did it! They didn’t wait to get permission from anyone. They didn’t circle a date on the calendar and say, “that’s the day my life will start.” They just started doing whatever it is that they wanted to do.

I think the frustration comes from wanting it all now. We want everything presented to us in a nice package with a beautiful bow so that all we have to do is open up the package and voila — your perfect life is waiting inside. We want to just  jump into a “new life” without the planning, without the time spent learning, without the bumps and bruises that go along with it. Guess what? Life doesn’t work that way. Not to mention, you won’t understand what it took to get to that point, so you won’t appreciate it and you’ll subconsciously sabotage yourself and be right back where you started.

I know the #1 excuse people will use is lack of money. For those that say they don’t have the money, that’s no excuse! Does it take money to research? Does it take money to write a business plan? Those things will take some time to do so while you are doing those things, put a little money away each paycheck towards your “YOU” fund. Sure, you have it. If it were any other “splurge” I’m sure you’d find the money.

Sometimes we need a little push or a big shove. For me, it was being laid off. That’s the push I needed to finally take charge of my life. I didn’t have any excuses anymore. I couldn’t use the excuse that I don’t have the time because I have an extra 8-10 hours in my day now!

Just start doing what you can now and the time you put in will pay off. You have my guarantee on that! Remember how quickly time flies? Before you know it, it will be next year this time and what will you have to show for it?

What is it that you’ve been putting off? What steps can you take to get on track?

-CB

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Recipe: Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

Here is a super simple and healthy recipe that you can whip up during the weekday. Pair it with a side salad and you have a healthy meal in no time.

5 INGREDIENTS, 5 STEPS, 5 MINUTES. Take that Rachel Ray!

Ingredients

1. 1/2 package of whole wheat spaghetti (or whatever pasta you have at home)
2. 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes), cut in half or quarters (depending on how large the cherry tomatoes are)
3. A handful of fresh basil, cut up
4. 4 cloves of garlic, minced
5. About1/4 cup of grape seed oil (or olive oil)

Directions

1. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Add grape seed oil to pan along with minced garlic and then turn stove on to medium heat. Let the garlic cook for about 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
3. Add basil and let it cook for about 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Add cooked pasta to pan and mix the garlic and basil thoroughly through the pasta. Let it cook, while stirring, for about 1 minute.
5. Add cherry tomatoes and give it a quick stir just to make sure the tomatoes are incorporated. Take off the stove. You don’t want the tomatoes to cook much or the skin will start to peel back from the tomatoes. This is not pleasant while eating. You can add salt and pepper at this time.

Serves four. Please share any quick, healthy recipes you have in your arsenal!

-CB

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Survey: Living Your Life on Purpose

Hey there,

Do you have a minute? I would love it if you would answer 9 short questions for me that will help me to determine what’s holding you back from doing what you love. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XJ5CHXB

-CB