Never Accept Defeat

I was supposed to have today off for a work holiday, but since my client’s office was open, I decided to save my day off for a day closer to the big move.

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As usual for Mondays, I was running a bit on the late side, so I just toasted up some Great Harvest Dakota bread and slapped some Barney Butter on it.

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I also added a light sprinkling of chia seeds and had some Fresh Market coffee to drink.

Work was long today. I forgot I had a 5:30-6:30pm conference call till halfway through the day.

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Luckily, I came prepared with leftovers from last night’s dinner (I LOVE the way tofu re-heats) and the last of my Stonyfield Organic OIkos Vanilla Greek Yogurt.

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I topped the yogurt with some Bear Naked Fruit + Nut Granola and added a light drizzle of honey.

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During my late conference call, I grabbed a Clif Kid Zbar in Blueberry to fuel up for Zumba.

After work, I made my way to class. My friend was teaching her very first class and I HAD to be there to support her. Of course, she did an AMAZING job and everyone had so much fun!

For some reason, I wasn’t very hungry after class. Maybe it was because of the protein shake I downed just after class ended? I ended up making a late dinner around 10:30 pm! (I usually try to eat before 9pm when possible – I used to have a late night snacking problem).

I pressed and got some diced tofu marinating while I showered and got comfy.

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I sauteed the tofu instead of baking (shorter cooking time)

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I steamed some organic broccoli in the microwave. Add cut broccoli in a bowl, add a couple tbsp water, cover, zap for 2-21/2 minutes. Donzo!

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I sauteed everything together with a tad extra soy sauce…

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…and served it over some Kashi 7 Grain pilaf…

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…like so. It was really good and I even have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Never Accept Defeat

I think any time you have a lot of hopes and dreams and are always working towards them, you’re going to hit some low points. While I’d like to keep this blog all rainbows and sunshine, I think being real is good, too. And guys, I’m feeling a low point today. Do you ever push and push and push yourself and work so hard towards a goal (or maybe a couple goals) but always seem to be just out of reach of it (them)? Lately, I’ve felt a bit like I’m treading water – swimming really hard but not getting anywhere. After today, I felt…simply…defeated. I may have even cried a little.

(I know…break out the finger-sized violins now)

And while low points stink, I think they are totally necessary for balance. When you experience low points in a quest for something, when you finally get it, you appreciate it so much more. I think you learn from your failures and defeats. I think if you have the right attitude, you can learn that you grow from them. And, I think in the big picture, they are a good thing.

I found some quotes online I’d like to share in case anyone else would like some inspiration. Great quotes always refresh my will to succeed.

“Defeat should never be a source of discouragement but rather a fresh stimulus” -Robert South

“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” -Wilma Rudolph

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” -Thomas Alva Edison

“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up.” -Vince Lombardi

Remember that everyone falls once in awhile. You just have to be ready to pick yourself up and keep going. Get back up! Never accept defeat – no matter how small or great!

I leave you with one of my favorite success quotes:

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and a devotion to the things you want to see happen.” -Frank Lloyd Wright

3 thoughts on “Never Accept Defeat”

  1. This is so true. Since I got laid off from work, I feel like I am treading water but you have to keep going and motivate yourself. No one can do it for you. Excellent post!

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  2. Wow… I can't even express to you how much I needed those words tonight. I've been feeling that way for the last few weeks… I just copied the quotes and put them on my mirrors and stuck a few in the middle of my textbooks… thank you

    Reply
  3. wow you look great !!! it's all that healthy eating – you have a natural glow 🙂 I'm sorry to hear you are a lot point… but you are right you can only go back up from here right. What could be worse? Great quotes – I'm sucker for inspirational quotes as well 🙂

    Reply

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