Today I Choose to be HAPPY!

We met with Anne Frank this week, and read from her diary. What a humbling thought, that Anne Frank would be teaching us about happiness. When David Ponder landed in her attic room in 1943, it had been a year and four months since her family went into hiding.  Still, this little 12 year old girl chose to be happy.  She said, "Complaining is an activity just as jumping rope or listening to the radio is an activity. One may choose to turn on the radio, and one may choose not to to turn on the radio. One may choose to complain and one may choose not to complain. I choose not to complain."  Anne went on to say, "Our very lives are fashioned by choice. First we make our choices, then our choices make us!"

David read his 5th decision from the pages of her diary. "Today I will choose to be happy."

This week I shared a personal journey of mine, when I went from a time of being unhappy, to a time of finding my way back to happiness. When you start to take a closer look at happiness, you realize that unhappiness is easy...happiness takes work.  Happiness is largely, not entirely, determined by us through hard work and wisdom. Every worthwhile thing in life is attained through hard work.  Happiness is not an exception.

We celebrated with two "happy " teams this week as they won for the week and took home the weekly prizes!

Noon: team "Fabulous By Fall"  Karrie and Kathy won with a 1.75% of weight loss for the week.

6:00   team "Foley Loaded"  Kelly and Amy won with a 2.21% of weight loss for the week.

Congratulations to these top two teams! We're inspired by the good work you're doing!

Your Challenge For The Week:

• Read The Joyful DECISION every day this week and make your list of 100 things you are grateful for!

• Download week # 4 "Coping Skills ~ Feeling Your Way Through Life" and do the homework provided.

• Come next week with your Team Mate looking like team mates!!!  We're celebrating TEAM WEEK at the Healthy Weigh.  Dress alike, come with blue hair, have a cheer planned...you name it, it works for TEAM WEEK at The Healthy Weigh.

We are dedicating our TEAM WEEK to our friend Mike Cozens who passed away yesterday after fighting a battle with cancer.  He was great man and a wonderful friend of ours.  We will miss him and never forget him. 

It was a hard week but a good week to talk about happiness.  Happiness is a battle to be waged, not a feeling to be awaited. Anne Frank knew that, and we know it too. Here's to doing the things it takes to be happy!

Always encouraging you...with a happy heart,

Letha

The Traveler's Gift - Week 6 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Shrinky Dinks	10.34%
Team MADA	10.24%
Been There, Done That	10.16%
Foley Loaded	9.43%
Done & Dunner	9.04%
The In-Law Weigh	8.69%
Skinny In-Laws	8.54%
Finally Full	8.48%
Downsizing	8.27%
Figuratively Shrinking	7.89%
The Souvenirs	7.87%
Weigh 2 Sweet	7.81%
Morbidly Monitarily Motivated	7.63%
Kickin' As-Phalt All The Way to Skinny	7.55%
Coworking Cows	7.12%
Hi-Weigh to Health	6.90%
Kalorie Killing Kangas'	6.89%
Rollin' Back Time	6.88%
Off and Running	6.78%
Traveling Lite	6.44%
Cruise Control	6.28%
Devoted Duo	6.24%
Droppin Baggage	6.24%
Belly Busters	6.18%
Dual Duettes	6.18%
Lean Queens	6.09%
Dig Deeper	6.04%
Tapa-No-Knees	5.76%
E-Lemon-ators	5.73%
Light & Fit	5.68%
The Red Hot Mammas	5.50%
Small & Mighty Losers	5.50%
Choosers and Loosers	5.48%
Adipose Destroyer	5.30%
Decided Travelers … No More Detours	5.26%
But Wait, There's Less!	5.20%
The Chub Stops Here	5.18%
Traveling Down the Weight Line	5.18%
Two Too Much	5.14%
Fabulous By Fall	4.96%
Kim Possible Squared	4.85%
Flight to Freedom	4.84%
Nimble Hogs	4.80%
Peaceful Travelers	4.75%
Excess Baggage	4.66%
Flab-u-less	4.54%
Dump Your Rump	4.50%
Wonder Women	4.46%
Getter Done	4.38%
Tour de Fat	4.32%
The 2 J's	4.25%
The Baggage Busters	4.25%
Weight of Glory	4.21%
Alumni Bound	4.15%
Try Hard Ninjas	4.12%
Let's Do This Mother!	4.10%
3 B's	3.88%
It's a Shore Thing	3.83%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	3.71%
Getting Directions Along the Weigh	3.71%
Divine Intervention	3.63%
Dye Hards	3.60%
Paris Bound	3.53%
Livin' The Dream	3.46%
Chew Less	3.34%
Meltdown Mammas	3.34%
Champion Chunkers	3.32%
Enlighten Up	3.31%
The Persistant	3.18%
Losing It Again	3.09%
Crazy Cousins 2	2.92%
Baggage Lost	2.78%
The Dynamic Duo	2.70%
Spinning to Thinning	2.41%
Download	2.41%
Waist Management	1.96%
Baggage Claim	1.86%
Letha's Minions	1.55%
The Double Shots Girls	1.54%
NO NAME #3	1.27%
Healthy Weigh 101	1.19%
Dwindling Divas	0.90%
Lost, But Finding Our Way	0.67%
Fit For Flight	-0.44%
One Way Only	-0.84%
Choose to Lose	-1.13%

I Have A Decided Heart!

We found ourselves aboard the Santa Maria in the year 1492 on Thursday! Christopher Columbus was our focus as we looked at a decided heart! He was truly a man with a decided heart because he had vision! This 4th DECISION on our journey taught us that the decision of the heart is what fuels the active decision.  A decided heart is unwavering no matter what the circumstances.

We not only looked at the life of Christopher Columbus Tuesday, we also heard about Hernando Cortes. He was a man with a mission! He was a conqueror. I told the famous story of Cortes, a leader of men on the sea.  They traveled for days and arrived in 1519 on the Yucatan peninsula with one goal,  to capture a great treasure. He made an extraordinary decision to help his men commit. He burn their ships!  With no way out and no way to turn back, his men fought hard and captured the treasure!  Cortes knew a couple of important things:

1. You better know what you're fighting for.

2. Make sure that what you're fighting for is worth the hassle!

We could relate to both of those things this week!  The treasure for us is a long, healthy life with promises of a better future not for just ourselves, but for our children and our children's children!  We too, have to choose to live with DECIDED hearts and "burn our boats" so that we don't have a way out!

Our winners for the week took home the buck knives an some great prizes donated by fellow team mates! 

Noon: "Been There Done That"  Linda and Debbie won with a 2.63% of weight loss for the week.

6:00:  "The Souvenirs"  Julie and Olivia won with a 2.46%  of weight loss for the week.

Congratulations to both teams! You had great losses this week!

So many travelers had great weight losses this week!  It was exciting! We gave out 2 fifty dollar bills Thursday to two worthy team mates! Everyone with a 2.0 pound weight loss for the week had a chance!  Congratulations to Darcy and Amy!

Your Challenge For The Week:

Read The Certain Decision "I Have a Decided Heart" every day this week and answer the questions on the back of the page using your journal for more space.

Download week #3 "What's in Your Back Pack ~ Controlling What You Can" and do the homework provided.

David Ponder asked himself after reading this 4th decision, "What could I accomplish if I had a spirit as powerful as Columbus?" So, what could happen???

To burning boats...

Always encouraging you,

Letha

The Traveler's Gift - Week 5 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Shinky Dinks	9.22%
Been There, Done That	9.07%
Team MADA	8.91%
Skinny In-Laws	8.23%
Done & Dunner	7.59%
Foley Loaded	7.46%
Kickin' As-Phalt All The Way to Skinny	7.43%
Figuratively Shrinking	7.41%
Finally Full	7.35%
The In-Law Weigh	7.08%
Weigh 2 Sweet	7.05%
Morbidly Monitarily Motivated	7.04%
The Souvenirs	6.99%
Rollin' Back Time	6.88%
Dual Duettes	6.74%
Downsizing	6.51%
Belly Busters	6.23%
Off and Running	6.05%
Traveling Lite	5.97%
Cruise Control	5.84%
Devoted Duo	5.72%
Droppin Baggage	5.63%
Hi-Weigh to Health	5.50%
Two Too Much	5.35%
Coworking Cows	5.27%
Choosers and Loosers	5.23%
Kalorie Killing Kangas'	5.11%
Dig Deeper	5.10%
The Chub Stops Here	5.10%
But Wait, There's Less!	5.09%
The Red Hot Mammas	4.98%
Dump Your Rump	4.87%
Lean Queens	4.85%
Flight to Freedom	4.84%
Excess Baggage	4.66%
Divine Intervention	4.63%
Decided Travelers … No More Detours	4.57%
E-Lemon-ators	4.56%
Light & Fit	4.54%
Wonder Women	4.52%
Tapa-No-Knees	4.48%
Small & Mighty Losers	4.36%
Traveling Down the Weight Line	4.33%
Peaceful Travelers	4.27%
The 2 J's	4.25%
Adipose Destroyer	4.16%
Try Hard Ninjas	4.12%
Kim Possible Squared	4.11%
Getter Done	4.11%
Let's Do This Mother!	4.10%
Letha's Minions	4.06%
Dye Hards	4.03%
Nimble Hogs	4.02%
Alumni Bound	3.99%
Flab-u-less	3.93%
Tour de Fat	3.91%
Getting Directions Along the Weigh	3.87%
Meltdown Mammas	3.68%
It's a Shore Thing	3.66%
Paris Bound	3.53%
3 B's	3.49%
Livin' The Dream	3.46%
Chew Less	3.34%
Champion Chunkers	3.32%
Fabulous By Fall	3.26%
The Dynamic Duo	3.19%
Enlighten Up	3.17%
The Persistant	2.95%
Crazy Cousins 2	2.92%
NO NAME #1	2.89%
Weight of Glory	2.89%
Baggage Lost	2.78%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	2.61%
Spinning to Thinning	2.41%
Baggage Claim	2.26%
Waist Management	2.06%
NO NAME #2	1.73%
Choose to Lose	1.71%
The Double Shots Girls	1.54%
NO NAME #3	1.27%
Dwindling Divas	1.27%
Download	1.05%
Healthy Weigh 101	0.78%
Lost, But Finding Our Way	0.67%
Fit For Flight	0.37%
One Way Only	-0.29%

I am a Person of Action!

We were inspired by Joshua Chamberlain this week. One hundred and fifty years ago, he made a DECISION to "Do Something" and it changed the course of history! David Ponder traveled to Gettysburg this week and received the blue tobacco pouch from Chamberlain himself. He learned about the most crucial decision of all..."I am a person of Action!" Without this important decision, the rest are not useful.

Becoming a person of action is a choice, not a process. Joshua Chamberlain made the choice to come over the hill and push forward when things looked bleak back in 1863. It changed the course of our world's history! We learned a valuable lesson from him this week. When a choice to do nothing, or to do something arises, we must make the choice to "Do Something!" The action we take is defining us every day!

When things look bleak, when discouragement is high, when hope seems to be lost..."DO SOMETHING!" We can go from hopeless to hopeful just by doing something. We can change discouragement to encouragement by doing something and we surely will have a bright and healthy future if we continue to listen to that  small inner voice that says "do something, do something!"

This week's winners:

Noon  Team "Skinny In Laws"  Stephanie and Michelle with a 2.41% of weight loss for the week!

6:00    Team "Cruise Control" Wendy and Sheila with a 2.15% of weight loss for the week!

Congratulations to you all.  You are people of action and it shows!!

Your Challenge For the Week:

• Read your decision every day and answer the questions provided. Bring them in next week for a ticket in the drawing.

• Lose 2 pounds this week and be entered into a drawing for $50...each gathering!

• Download week # 2 "Change Your Thinking ~ Change Your life" and do the homework provided.

You are either a person of action or you're not! It's time to state your case...What are you?

Until next week..."Do Something," "Do Something."

Always encouraging you,

Letha

The Traveler's Gift - Week 4 Team Standings

Team Name	%
Team MADA	7.82%
Shinky Dinks	7.23%
Morbidly Monitarily Motivated	6.89%
Been There, Done That	6.63%
Skinny In-Laws	6.63%
Finally Full	6.55%
Foley Loaded	6.41%
The In-Law Weigh	6.13%
Coworking Cows	6.04%
Figuratively Shrinking	5.91%
Off and Running	5.91%
Kickin' As-Phalt All The Way to Skinny	5.83%
Downsizing	5.76%
Done & Dunner	5.75%
Traveling Lite	5.74%
Rollin' Back Time	5.65%
Weigh 2 Sweet	5.22%
Kalorie Killing Kangas'	5.11%
Devoted Duo	4.86%
Dual Duettes	4.86%
Two Too Much	4.73%
Cruise Control	4.72%
Excess Baggage	4.66%
The Souvenirs	4.63%
Divine Intervention	4.63%
Hi-Weigh to Health	4.60%
Lean Queens	4.50%
Belly Busters	4.48%
The Red Hot Mammas	4.37%
Dig Deeper	4.32%
Dump Your Rump	4.32%
Light & Fit	4.32%
Peaceful Travelers	4.17%
Droppin Baggage	4.14%
Try Hard Ninjas	4.12%
But Wait, There's Less!	4.08%
Letha's Minions	4.06%
Tapa-No-Knees	4.01%
Paris Bound	3.98%
Nimble Hogs	3.96%
Decided Travelers … No More Detours	3.96%
Dye Hards	3.94%
Choosers and Loosers	3.91%
Kim Possible Squared	3.88%
Traveling Down the Weight Line	3.86%
Small & Mighty Losers	3.82%
Adipose Destroyer	3.81%
The 2 J's	3.77%
The Chub Stops Here	3.76%
Flight to Freedom	3.74%
E-Lemon-ators	3.67%
It's a Shore Thing	3.66%
Let's Do This Mother!	3.64%
Getting Directions Along the Weigh	3.58%
Flab-u-less	3.41%
Baggage Lost	3.41%
Chew Less	3.34%
The Dynamic Duo	3.24%
Meltdown Mammas	3.21%
Wonder Women	3.18%
Tour de Fat	3.02%
Alumni Bound	3.02%
The Persistant	2.95%
Crazy Cousins 2	2.92%
NO NAME #1	2.91%
Champion Chunkers	2.89%
Fabulous By Fall	2.82%
Livin' The Dream	2.71%
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow	2.61%
Weight of Glory	2.44%
Spinning to Thinning	2.41%
Getter Done	2.26%
Baggage Claim	2.00%
Waist Management	1.95%
3 B's	1.89%
Enlighten Up	1.85%
The Double Shots Girls	1.79%
Choose to Lose	1.71%
Download	1.65%
NO NAME #2	1.47%
NO NAME #3	1.27%
Lost, But Finding Our Way	0.85%
Healthy Weigh 101	0.78%
Dwindling Divas	0.28%
Fit For Flight	0.15%
One Way Only	-0.27%