After one of the best conversations I've ever had with my best friend, we talked extensively about how holding on to your past can have devastating effects on your future. Have you ever held a grudge? Didn't want to forget about a particular event in your life because it had such a positive or negative impact on you?
         Holding on to the past is allowing you to live in the past every single time you go back to those memories. I understand it is important to acknowledge all experiences in our lives, but when we dwell on the past especially, we can set ourselves up to stay in the past and not move on to our next journey. Life has many doors of opportunity and we have access to them every single day. Our dreams and goals will not happen overnight and they will take lots of hard work and determination, but when we focus on the present time and not on the past or future, we allow ourselves to be fully aware of what is going on right now. In a previous post, I outlined my struggles with depression and how it effects my life. One of the biggest things that I was told by my former therapist was that we have the power to change the course of our lives. We have the power to decide every single day whether we want to have a good day or a bad day. 
    Now...... disclaimer, thinking this way will obviously not stop negative things from happening in our lives. It will, however, let us deal with negative experiences and allow us to manage them more effectively. I also would like to acknowledge that I'm not a psychological expert. I am simply giving my readers thoughts and expressions about my experiences and what has helped me move on in my life. I would urge you if you are struggle with depression or mental illness to please seek the proper help and make sure you have good people to talk to about your problems. 

    It's been a long time since former Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus came out with a hit single. Two weeks ago, she released her new song, Malibu. Though this song is not a chart topper nor is it club dancing material, the message of the song and overall feel gives Cyrus a new persona after very negative publicity. 
    Her music video depicts her lying on the beach singing the song in some of the best outfits we've seen for casual wear in 2017. (Image provided by Billboard)

         The simple white dress maybe be 2017's hottest beach look yet. Simple, yet elegant Cyrus is determined to redefine herself and her image since the events that took place at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. Who do you think will be the biggest trend setter for 2017?

  Over the last several days since making such a personal blog post, I've heard and felt the support from so many people and I'm so thankful. I can't tell you how much it means to me that so many people are in my corner. You all mean a lot to me. 

  In addition to that, I also aired two different podcasts. Well when the ratings came in, I was shocked to see that we had 10,000 people listening in! I'm not superstitious, but I believe that when we send out positive messages and seek to fulfill a mission, the universe answers us back. 

    Everyday we have a choice. We can either have a good or bad day, Why not make today a good day? Imagine the possibilities that can manifest in your life when we all open up to them. Be conscious of your negative thinking and let go of the past. When we do this, the real miracles occur.

     I love you all, 
          Vincent 
         xoxoxo

      I know. You're reading the title and you're thinking, "wow, he's really open like a book." My whole point of creating this blog was to be real with my readers and to let them know that I am just like everyone else. For the last several years, I struggled with very chronic symptoms of depression. At one point it was so bad, I couldn't even process getting out of bed and I spent a majority of time in my room hiding from a world that I was afraid of.
       You might be thinking, this kid has nothing to be depressed about, what's his problem? Well, let me give you some background information. My mother passed away back in 2008 when I just started 8th grade. At the time, I never really processed what was going on and kept a lot of my feelings under the rug. I thought that doing this made me stronger and not talking about it or showing emotion was a way to fight through the pain. Flash forward to 2012 and I nearly had a very public melt down. Everything I once knew was crashing around me and high school graduation was just around the corner. What was I to do? Who was I to become? I perceived myself already as someone who could never accomplish much because I believed what many had told me throughout my life. As if those words marked anchors on my soul and core being. It was so bad that I wrote several notes to friends and family because I wasn't sure if living was worth it anymore.
              After spending months sleeping and moving on auto-pilot through my life to numb the emotions I was suppressing, I broke down in early 2016. My birthday was here and I had no desire to even have one because to me, I wasn't worth the time. After crying and sobbing for over an hour, something very magical happened. Oprah came on the tv. Now, I was always an avid watcher of hers, but she had a special episode on recreating and reinventing ourselves. I saw this as a divine right, a sign that I was to follow and to create a better life for myself and others. After taking a very deep breath, I announced that I was going to change things and start letting go of my past. After a very hard 8 months of digging into deep rooted problems, I've been transforming my life completely and letting things that plagued me go. Now, I didn't want to make this blog post just about me. I know many out there are struggling and they don't know where to turn or how to deal with this and that my story is highly unusual. I'm hear to tell you that things get so much better when we open ourselves up to new possibilities. We have the power to completely change and redirect our lives at any point. Over 10 months ago, I was close to 300 pounds, I had little money saved, lost my truck, and felt closed in a door. Today, I am so grateful. I have lost over 60 pounds, I am in a better financial situation, I have a working car, and now I'm working on helping others through this work. I hope to change many peoples lives like I've changed mine. I believe together we can make 2017 the best year yet, it has already changed me completely. 

   The ABC network recently announced that they will be reviving the hit series American Idol. The news comes after former host of the show, Ryan Seacrest, became the new co-host of Live with Kelly, which also airs on ABC! There is no word on who the judges will be and who will host the show, but rumors have been circulating that Kelly Clarkson may be a judge.  Who would you like to see on the panel? Many suggest Ellen Degeneres, however, she had said after judging on the show she wouldn't do it again because it was a very hard job and she didn't enjoy being so mean.
      Regardless, we couldn't be more excited to see what the newest season will bring to audiences when most talent shows seem to be less than stellar since Idol left the air. To remind us all of the amazing moments the show gave television, check out the video below. 

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   As the summer season approaches, coffee shops across the nation are rolling out their newest cold brew creations. Cold Brew is a process where coffee is brewed for an extended period of time in cold water, instead of boiling hot water. Our team was excited to try several different coffee chains to come up with what we think are the best cold brew choices. 

        1. Starbucks Cold Brew. With it's dark robust taste, Starbucks cold brew has a smooth taste that leaves your palate with a delicious chocolate like aftertaste. This could be perhaps from the chains attention to detail, as they let their brew steep for eleven hours total in ice cold water. If you enjoy a bit of flavor, the toasted coconut cold brew is a great dairy free alternative that adds a creamy coconut finish to this delicious beverage. 

          2. Chameleon Cold Brew. Now, this cold brew may not be available at any coffee chain, but this is available at your local grocery store and it's worth every penny. With a size big enough to make several cups, it also makes this choice a money saver. it addition it it's size, this product is packed with a ton of air, which gives it a light finish. This product is paired best with a touch of almond milk and if you enjoy a sweet coffee, just a stevia will do to complete such a powerful masterpiece.  

   3.  Stumptown Coffee Cold Brew. This is another product only available on shelves and not in a coffee shop, however this particular brand was too good not to mention. This Nitro cold brew has a very creamy taste on its own without any creamer.  The can allows you to keep the beverage cold and the only complaint I have is that it should be bigger because before you know it, your can will be finished. 

 Do you have a strong passion about achieving something? Do you find yourself quitting before you even start something? Well, life path expert Joshua Reinhart, sat down for an interview with us about his key tips to achieve what it is you want.

   1. Set a clear intention. You have to know know what it is you want to accomplish. It can be as small as; I want to start saving more money to I want to get a new career. 

  2. Stop doubting yourself. You've come all this way and you've decided what it is you want to accomplish, you must follow through. What I've learned in life is that if you want something bad enough, you have to keep with it. If it doesn't happen now, it may happen five years from now. 

   3.  Define your "WHY." This will be an important part that will help you reconnect with everything on your toughest days. Why did you set out to achieve this goal? Was it to gain money? Make a difference in the world? Whatever your key is, it's about changing your lifestyle to fit and match your goal. 

   4. If you're exchanging your time for money, you're losing. One of the worst things you can do for yourself is exchange your time for money. You will ultimately always lose, when we are no longer comfortable, is when we truly create the growth we need to succeed. 

    5. Have Fun. It's hard when we get tangled up in the everyday madness of life, but we have to have fun with whatever it is we do. This will create a stronger drive that will help us move forward to get what it is we really wanted. All of our dreams can be achieved when we allow ourselves to let go of our limits. 

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I woke up this morning with a headache. A traditional doctor would tell you to just take some aspirin and you will be okay. To someone who is into seeing a whole body practicioner, we believe in the connection of eastern and western medicine. Instead of simply grabbing an aspirin, my health care professional recommended I eat a handful of unsalted raw almonds. I initially thought he was crazy when he told me a while ago. Almost a year of using this technique and it works. I don't come across headaches often,but when I do just eating the almonds makes a huge difference. I think this is the connection that's helped me realize how important it is to put quality food in our bodies. We are what we eat, so if you question the source of your food the best option is to not only research

 No. Before you try to attack me, I'm not telling you to stop eating or to fat shame you. I'm simply reminding you that it takes time for our stomach to connect to our brain. What I mean by this is it's so easy to eat fast and over consume. Well, how do you stop overeating? How do you stop over consuming? Have no fear, I'm here.
  1. Eat on a smaller plate. Yes, you read that right. Stop putting food on bigger plates, it's easy to pack the plate full of excess food we don't need to eat. Instead, choose a smaller plate. This will also make it easier on us because it looks like we are consuming more food than we actually are.
  2. Put the fork down. What I mean is after a couple of bites put your fork down and slowly chew your food. Allow yourself to be full immersed in it's flavor. Really enjoy your experience before you pick up your fork again and dive in. I promise this will lead to a deeper connection with you and the food you are consuming.
 3. Have a glass of water before your meal. I know. An old trick, but this works and studies show that drinking water right before a meal can reduce your caloric intake on average to 300 calories! Not to mention water is so good for you to boot!

  Regardless of when your next meal is, remember that we all have a responsibility to enjoy our food. On a weight loss program we can eat anything we want, we just can't eat all of what we want. There has to be balance and control. Subscribe to my monthly newsletter as I will be going in to depth on how to stay in control and maintain proper portion control. Happy eating!
 
    Vincent