16 week challenge of Radical Self love

By Anna Richards on April 27, 2017 2

2^nd January 2017 I started my 5^th (and absolutely not final) Isa Body Challenge.

What that means, is I started a challenge that would span over the next 16 weeks where I got to push myself physically and mentally to reach some new goals that I set – and set some new goals I did. You see, as I just mentioned, this was my 5^th 16 week challenge that I did, and THIS time, I wanted it to be unlike any challenge I had done before, I wanted to get some results I hadn’t had before. That meant it was going to absolutely take some sacrifice of my sacred ‘balance lifestyle’ I live and breathe by and it would take me setting some new challenges for myself.

But what challenge could that be? I wondered.

Because YES I live and breathe balance (I mean if there was legit a poster child for balance it would in fact be me – hello eating a salad with a glass of champagne) but 365 days of the year I look after my health.

I eat clean. I exercise daily. I cleanse once a week. I use my Isa products daily and with heavy commitment. So what was I going to do this time to see the changes?

Morgs and I both knew the answer to that question, even though we weren’t sure we both wanted to admit it – the answer started with no and ended with booze. You heard it right, no booze.

I must immediately state here, that it IS a 16 week challenge but we did not go booze free for the whole 4 months, that was a little TOO extreme for us, what we did instead was commit to THREE of those months booze free. Still pretty (read; very) extreme if you ask us. A challenge we knew of course we could do (especiallyyyyyy with how many people were telling us we’d never be able to do it!) but we knew would be extremely challenging.

There was another huge decision I made headed in to this challenge. This time, there would be no attention given to weight or cm’s dropped (or bf % etc). THIS challenge was just all about falling more than ever in love with the process of health and fitness and no number at the beginning, middle or end was going to define my success.

So off we set, Jan 2^nd rolled around, as did the 3^rd, 4^th, 16^th, 27^th and 30^th of January .. training was on point, food was planned and eaten and isa was consumed with extreme commitment (like always). We felt good, we were seeing results (of course!) and were powering on with a month already down.

We welcomed February 1^st slightly reluctantly as with the coming and passing of that date, we knew no more booze for us, the challenge begun and the task was set. Not a drop of alcohol was to pass either of our lips for the next 3 months.

And here is what you have to know about me.

Some may call it stubborn (aka mum, morgs, those that know me very closely) but I call it grit. I don’t ever have to make the same decision over and over again. With me, I just need to make the decision ONCE and then I do what I need to do to conspire to make it happen.

So although multiple friends were telling us there was NO WAY we would make or last the whole 3 months – I knew we would do it with ease. Would it be a challenge? Of course. But was there ever one question in my mind that I wouldn’t do it. Never.

Here is the other thing you need to know.

This wasn’t done as a bravado thing of ‘hooray wow for us we made 3 whole months without drinking” thing – if it was for that maybe I would have buckled (probably not though). It was done as a ‘I want to genuinely see what this can do for my body cutting out booze for 3 months”.

MANY a time a friend generally when they were boozed and I was asking to just sniff their drink (yes, not ashamedly that happened many a time) would say “ohhhh go onnn just have a sip I won’t tell anyone what does it matter” – but each and every time I replied no. Because again, it wasn’t about the badge at the end to say we’d made it to 3 months (what a lame badge haha), I just sincerely wanted to see if it’d make a big difference or a difference at all to our results.

And you want to know the god honest truth?

I just don’t know I saw the ROI. Return on investment.

But just wait, you have to hear me out.

You see, I LOVE to have a drink, and by drink I mean champagne (or a really good rose on occasion and even a solid red when the mood calls for it). LIFE, to me, is a celebration.

Drinks at the pub on a sunny afternoon you say? I’d love to. Go down south and have a red wine by an open fire? You had me at hello. Join you on the upstairs balcony at sunset with a cold glass of bubbles babe? Be up in 2 mins. Come for dinner at that new restaurant that has a fabulous champagne list? I’m already here.

Giving all of that up then for 3 months was a really big deal. Some people in our life who aren’t big (or good – HA) drinkers or are superrrrrrrrr strict with their diets lifestyle laughed at us that we thought it was such a big deal to give it up for that ‘long’. “3 months of no booze? I could do that in my sleep” they said. And they could have – because they’re no fun. Kidddingggg – because that’s just who they are, but it’s not Morgs and I, we LIKE to have a drink and we absolutely ENJOY said drink.

And maybe our expectations were just too high. Or maybe I am too accustomed to just always feeling good (I know that is a big factor I will get in to shortly), or always being happy with my body – because here is my exact succinct thoughts.

Did I look fantastic on April 24^th, the official day 90 of no booze and the official day 120 of the 16 week challenge? You freaking bet. I looked sen-bloody-sational (and by the way isn’t it fantasticccc that a woman can actually sincerely say that about herself?). But have I looked just as fantastic in previous 16 week challenges where I haven’t given up the booze? You.freaking.bet.

I absolutely have to state here though was it the BEST or leanest I have ever looked in any of my challengers? The answer is yes we (Morgs & I) seem to think so, I definitely was waking up in that final 10 day count down where we REALLY go all out with being super good with food and water etc and literally saying aloud “far out” when I would see my mid section shrinking and toning still with a few days to go.

Waking up the day before my photo shoot I actually said to Morgs that for sure I can see the results of not drinking for the last 3 months as it really was (or at least felt / looked like) the leanest I had ever been.

So was it worth it though? Well of COURSE it was as the results INTERNALLY as well are untold.

But would I do it again however? For THAT long anyway?

Honestly?

Probably not.

You see, here is the one thing (if I had to just pick one) that I learned over the last 16 weeks, 12 of which were booze free.

I LOVE to look toned, have a rocking 6 pack (or my resemblance of it), be slim and healthy.

But I also love Champagne. And Chocolate. And hot chips. Anddddd Taco’s. And dinners out. And did I mention hot chips?

And I love both of those things as much as the other.

What I learned is that when I say I am the queen of balance, I am in fact the QUEEN of balance, and I can more than ever own the pants off that.

I have come to realise this about myself more than ever….

It’s not about how you look – it’s about how you want to LIVE.

And I want to live with a glass of cold champagne to toast a delicious sunset and laugh until my belly aches over hot chips and late dinners out with the best of friends. (not worry about has the menu got grilled fish or steamed vegetables or are there gluten free options – no.thanks).

Because to get as lean as I did whilst maintaining and building the muscle I did and having my ab’s come through more than ever – ladies don’t for ONE SECOND think that it doesn’t’ take sacrifice and hard freaking work.

The girl on the left (again, who still had a rocking bod don’t worry I honour that as my normal) is someone who still trains daily, has her isa every single day and doesn’t miss her weekly cleans days, BUT, I also have all of the other fun stuff in moderation – the Champagne, the chocolate, the hot chips and the taco’s (and…. ALL the other stuff).

The girl on the right, who has a rocking bod for sure just more lean and toned and tight and smaller – was someone who trained daily (still), had her isa (still, of course) but just was A LOT more strict with the other ‘fun stuff’, not to mention as we all know now, no booze for 3 whole months.

And again? Was it worth it? Of course, challengers for me and seeing just where else I can take my results are always worth it

The one thing I did learn from this challenge which in and of itself was life changing however was to FINALLY be able to actually HAVE control when I DO go out and I learned phenomenal self control (more than ever) on not feeling I need to choose the naughty things off the menu.

You see, being someone who IS extremely disciplined and behaved with food 95% of the time, and 100% with my Isa – when I am travelling or out and about its rare that I say no to the food that isn’t always a great option on a menu (when done in moderation though of course it’s fine). But being someone who has a freedom lifestyle and who travels the world all year round, those habits actually haven’t served me the last year or so. I can say that I although I FELT fantastic, I was slipping on to the side of living a little bit toooo balanced I would say.

So for 16 weeks, actually choosing the salad when being out and about and sucking back a soda water instead of a couple of glasses of champagne and a bowl of hot chips “because I can” – was honestly THE best thing I could have engrained as a new habit for me as now I know I can have the balance of course, but I DO need to keep that balance in check as well.

The biggest lesson and intention I had going in to and am proud I came out of the challenge with though is this.

I can’t tell you the weight amount lost, nor the BF% dropped or the lean muscle gained or maintained.

It wasn’t about any number because numbers don’t determine your worth and they absolutely are not the things to make you happy.

What I did focus on though was becoming a woman even more determined to fall unconditionally in love with herself – be it the left or right photo.

What I CAN tell you as well, is that I fell more in love with the JOURNEY of self respect, self care and self LOVE with my beautiful body of mine more than ever.

It’s not about a number on a scale. It’s not about measurements lost. It’s not about a trophy or applause. It’s about how much could I just love and honour my body – and use THESE results as my new foundation. No bouncing back with a little ‘toooo much’ balance #thereissuchathing and how much stronger can I get from here.

My fitness and health journey is at a point in time now where more than ever I want to show women the only goal you need to work healthily towards is loving and respecting your body, and the only competition you only ever need to look to is not the woman to your left or right – but the woman staring back at you in the mirror.

I woke up the day after this challenge and went back in to the gym, had my 2 shakes in the day (and granted, a couple of glasses of champagne) and as I sit here writing this today, I am on day 1 of a double cleanse… Your health and results truly are an EVERY DAY quest … not a sometimes or maybe or for an event or goal quest.

So am I proud of the results gained over the last 4 months? You freaking bet. But was I madly proud and in love with the woman before? More than I can say. I AM excited to make THESE results this time my new foundation to build upon though and to my superstar trainer Lochie Horner, THANK YOU for putting up with me for another 16 week challenge and training me weights + food wise to be the strongest (by far) and happiest I have ever been.

P.s ladies if you’ve gotten to the bottom of this blog – well done firstly, you have a bigger attention span than a goldfish which apparently is rare these days, but if you are someone who is just so ready to take serious control back of their health and want to do their own 16 week challenge under my support and coaching and love – then drop by our inbox and let’s have a chat – info@annaandmorgan.com (you literally have nothing to lose by just touching base).

PHOTOSHOOT PHOTOGRAPHER + HAIR & MAKE UP:

Photographer: Belinda Rae (from Belinda Rae Photography aka best photographer in ze world)

Hair & Make Up: Hair by Olivia Martin & Make up by Caitlin Bongiovanni ( from Olive & Cait Hair & Make Up Perth aka the best Hair and MUA’s in Aus!!)

It’s ok to change

By Anna Richards on December 11, 2015 1

“Our job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending – to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how the story ends” – Brene Brown.

Before & After

As all beautiful synchronicities go, as I landed in beautiful Bali on Tuesday night, Morgan and I were laughing and reminiscing over our very first Bali trip back in 2008 and how fast forwarding 7 years, just how much we have both completely transformed our lives.

Remembering the exact girl I was, I had to go back and find the photos from that time – you get to meet her now as the girl in the left of that photo.

I was riddled with anxiety, carrying extra kgs from a toxic lifestyle, and although there are thousands of fond memories from every aspect of my life, even the bad – I can say that the bad feelings I used to feel and the lack of worthiness I shouldered far exceeded the good feelings I had and worthiness I so sought.

The story most know today is I hit my breaking point of knowing something had to change.

So I did.

You know that quote that says: “actually, I just woke up one day and decided that I didn’t want to feel that way anymore or ever again. So I changed….just like that”

That was me.

I went on my major journey of self discovery and started to work out who I was. Book by book by book. Meditation by meditation by meditaion. Gratitude by gratitude by gratitude by gratitude. Beautiful friend, by beautiful friend, by beautiful friend. Gym session by gym session by gym session.

I discovered, rather profoundly that…

I wasn’t the ecstasy on weekends.

Or the alcohol at parties to give me confidence.

Or saying the wrong thing to the wrong person to fit in.

I wasn’t the bitching or the gossiping or the negativity.

I wasn’t my feelings of hopelessness.

Nor was I the crippling anxiety from suppressing who I WAS.

My soul started to rumble with the truth …. The truth of who I WAS. And I went on my journey to find that out. I know this doesn’t confuse you either – you know exactly what I’m talking about, because you have felt it too. The whisper or loud knocking on your soul to step in to more of the person you truly are and leave behind all the mess and confusion.

The more I tapped in to my true self, the more I allowed my personality to come through, the more I didn’t say the things I didn’t want to and DID say the things I wanted to – finding my voice, the more I surrounded myself with positive people and the more I read books that uplifted my soul – I found my truth.

And the truth was simple.

That I had a spirit that was pure divinity – just like every other beautiful human on the planet.

That I had all the confidence I needed by simply being my (loud) authentic self.

That I could never say the wrong thing to the right person and that the key was surrounding myself with the right people – in every way, every day.

That I was love. That I could give love, receive love, speak love, act in love and be consumed by love.

That my personality was perfect the way it was when I was most being myself and I didn’t have to say or be or do anything that was out of alignment with that to appease anyone else.

The truth was that I was worthy.

The truth was I didn’t need to be validated by anyone else – but me.

And my life changed.

I became the girl you now see in the right of that photo.

Here is what I need people to most get right to their soul however.

It’s that you’re allowed to change.

Your allowed to have gotten so completely lost and off track and done stupid things and said stupid things and want to change.

You can have been the crazy loud fighting girl – and want to become the softer, more loving girl that is inspired by positivity.

You can have always been the quiet reserved one but really had this loud eccentric spirit who is sick of being squashed and ready to bust out. Bust her out I say.

You can have been a wild corporate workaholic (and no doubt be miserable) and actually re birth yourself as the woman who has always been inside who is a hippie loving yogi who wants to run away to Nepal and write a book or become a nude model.

I don’t know your truth. I don’t need to know your truth. I just need YOU to know your truth and I need you to start to un cover it, step in to it and powerfully live it out.

And NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO TELL YOU OTHERWISE. NO ONE can stop you in to becoming the person you were born to be.

No one.

People will try though. Believe me, they will try. They will tell you that “this isn’t you, where has she come from? You are the crazy one remember, you think youre too good for us now do you?” They will say it to your face some days and other days they will tell everyone but you to try to keep you in the box and confines of what they were comfortable with you being.

But don’t let them stop you on your quest for your truth.

You have a spirit inside of you bursting to live authentically. Gently knocking, sometimes loudly nudging….everyday …. I know you feel it and I know you have heard it, because I did too. And I listened.

And don’t think that trying to step in to your truth will be easy or come without growing pains.

I was bullied. Constantly.

I was attacked with words, belitted, cut down and cut out from peoples lives (you know, the ones who still wanted me to be an asshole and feel shit about myself who should never have been in my life to begin with).

But none of that mattered anymore – because I knew who I was and meeting that girl, this woman I am today – the one who has a voice and loves herself and knows exactly who she is – that excited me more than I can ever explain and it kept me hungry on my quest to bring her out.

Find your hunger.

Go on your fucking quest for truth – it doesn’t need to be scary or extreme either. You DO need to begin it though.

Don’t fear this change. Honour and be excited by it.

LISTEN to the gentle calls (or maybe it’s more of a loud knocking) that you have ignored for far too long.

Understand that you were created and you are here to be you, exactly as you are and wildly authentic.

I listened and you can see your journey in colour before your very eyes. I went from not caring about my health at all (I literally thought it was ‘cool’ to love shit food and drink my weekends away) to having health as my absolute #1 priority and having one of my greatest passions as fitness. IMAGINE if I had of listened to even one person when I went on this quest who said “who do you think you are you, you are absolutely not this person” – well no actually, it’s exactly who I am.

Tune in. It’s all I’m asking. You have a truth inside of you that is busting to come out and you can’t be scared of it anymore. IT’s your JOB to live your brightest most authentic life, and your spirit can’t wait a day longer.

And as the beautiful insightful Brene Brown says..

Your job is not to deny the story, but to defy the ending – to rise strong, recognize our story, and rumble with the truth until we get to a place where we think, Yes. This is what happened. This is my truth. And I will choose how the story ends”

How will YOU choose your story to end?

I hope it’s bold. I hope its authentic and I hope its in bright colour.

Summer is on its way – are you ready?

By Anna Richards on October 21, 2015 2

As I sit here and write this on a beautiful sunny 26 degree day in Perth, we are on an excited countdown to Summer; 40 day countdown to be exact. 40 more sleeps until we can officially welcome Summer (and let us never forget the honourable mention to Christmas considering December 1st also brings a 24 sleep countdown until Santa arrives, my favourite day of the year).

With any warmer weather brings a new level of commitment to some people as they know that soon, they will be back on the beach or holidaying over Christmas, and if they haven’t been as careful in Winter, then this month or two pre December becomes the months gym memberships start getting used again, healthy eating recipes are getting googled and fitness instagram accounts are being followed.

Here is how I know this too – because my current amazing gym has gone from late cancellations and no shows every morning (I attend an F45 where you have to book in for classes) to booked out classes with no, no shows 2 weeks in advance.

I get it; Summer is coming and we all want to get ready.

Something that I am extremely passionate about however and is right up there as #1 on my values list is health. So when I see this happening, Summer coming and people fired up to get their health back I always get a little deflated that their health or looking and feeling great wasn’t their priority the whole year.

You see, without our health, we have nothing, and until we lose our health, that saying is frustratingly just that… a saying. It’s not until we are sick or feeling like absolute sh*t that we stop and go ‘whoa ok, I need to take better care of myself, without my health I have nothing.’

The above reasons (not just Summer but let’s stay on that the whole time as it’s why I’m here, writing this) are what lead me 2 years and 7 months ago to nutritional cleansing (Isagenix). Because health IS my #1 value and I didn’t want to just look good when Summer rolled around, in fact it wasn’t just about looking good for me …

it has ALWAYS been about feeling good.

I shared it on this blog as soon as I had felt and seen the results for myself – my original 30 day cleanse experience can be read here.

I started on Isagenix because I was an exceptionally clean eater and I was an avid exerciser, a keen water drinker and got my recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. In short; I did everything by the book for optimal health – and although what all that got me was looking great, sure! It didn’t have me feeling great. I was still headed in to every day lethargic, had digestion issues, poor sleep, bloating, poor skin health and the list goes on.

Alas I am digressing, if you want to read why I started and what my initial results were, as I said – click on that link to hear all about that.

Here is what I most wanted to share though. That that 30 day cleanse was 2 years and 7 months ago, and for 2 years and 7 months I have continued to put the products in my body and continued to get phenomenal results. I have also continued to have health as my #1 value and truly live in to that. So when Summer rolls around, instead of having to kill myself in the gym or change up my diet, I roll on in to it healthy and feeling and looking great. Thanks to the products AROUND my exercise daily and clean eating (of which I am also an ambassador for and will never stop) I have maintained incredible results of looking great (which I am proud of, more women, in fact ALL women should love the skin they’re in) but most importantly in my eyes, I have FELT fantastic the whole time.

My first 30 days

1 year of using the products

2 years of using the products

So yes, Summer IS coming and I know many of you will be looking for ways to get healthier yourself, to look good (and hopefully feel good in the process) – and Morgan and I want to help.

We know what this nutritional cleansing program has done for us and our lives and we know what it can do for you.

But what I most want to get you excited about or impress upon you – is that with this system it doesn’t have to end when Summer does or after you are starting to look and feel great – it is so a system that you can incorporate in to your lifestyle around how you live and eat (but as an ambassador for clean eating, I always encourage that!)

I want to be a part of a society who looks after their health all year around, who loves how they look all year around, and who FEEL fantastic all year around – I know to change the world we have to change our world first, and to impact world health (and world health is in a LOT of trouble) we have to impact our OWN health first.

So if you are ready to at least learn some more about the program and how you can incorporate it in to your life and how it can get you some phenomenal results health wise – then drop us a line at:

info@annaandmorgan.com

Or visit our vision page and fill in the contact us details at the bottom.

We are always here cheering on your choices no matter what, but I just know how good it feels….to feel good – and I want that for you too.

Loving the skin you’re in

By Anna Richards on June 4, 2015 0

A real woman

Has Curves

Is Skinny

Has Muscles

is whatever the hell she wants to be

I remember the first time I ever read this quote, I was absentmindedly scrolling Instagram and there it was, a quote so simplistic in it’s message but made me stop in my tracks and fist pump the air silently screaming yes. The message I had tried so hard to convey for the past 5 years of my life, right in front of my eyes. The power was in it’s truth, and it’s simplicity.

A real woman – IS whatever the hell she wants to be.

No truer words could be spoken.

So why am I choose to share this with you now? Well because I want to share some recent photos I had taken of myself that came about after me completing a 6 week body challenge where I was just simply a little more behaved with my eating (and drinking of champagne) and strict with my training, i.e. I did more hot yoga in between my F45 sessions. I want to share them though because I’m really, really proud of them, but being proud of them, means I’m proud of me – and you know what? I’m proud of myself for that fact. I’m proud of myself that I am PROUD of my body and my photos because it has taken me a really long time to get to this place.

I was also called to share these photos and title this; loving the skin you’re in, because there are some devastating statistics that I think need your attention..

The stats?

Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful (up from 2% in 2004)
Only 11% of girls globally are comfortable describing themselves as ‘beautiful’
72% of girls feel tremendous pressure to be beautiful
80% of women agree that every woman has something about her that is beautiful but do not see their own beauty
More than half (54%) of women globally agree that when it comes to how they look, they are their own worst beauty critic

(Reference: http://www.dove.us/docs/pdf/19_08_10_The_Truth_About_Beauty-White_Paper_2.pdf)

Another huge thing happened to me the other day that came about whilst at a leadership event on the Gold Coast sitting next to my husband. The 1,500 strong crowd was asked by the amazing relationship coach and speaker Beth Hanishewski what kind of qualities would our partner have if we had a 10/10 relationship. I based my qualities (of course) around my husband Morgan and listed things like; attentive, sincerely loving, conscious, romantic, and when I looked at his list, although many of our qualities matched, there was one right in the middle that took my breathe away;

“Loves her body and beauty”

I (naturally) immediately questioned him over this saying hey, but I DO love my body and don’t have that negative self talk around my image to which he replied “yeah baby but you yourself still don’t even realise how much you can put yourself or your body down”. It actually made me deeply emotional in the best of ways. Here was a man, I love more than life itself, wanting a quality in his wife where she honoured and loved herself more. A quality that I dare say is not unique to him alone, I believe most men, if not all men would honour this in a woman and yet here we are barely able to honour ourselves.

I realised that if someone who talks on love, self love, and being an ambassador of both, still has moments of weakness around seeing her beauty, loving the skin she’s in and self worth issues, then I am underestimating just how rampant this issue is amongst other women also.

So I want to remind you again with the quote that helped me understand that it didn’t matter if I chose to be bigger, smaller, musclier, curvier, whatever ….

A real woman is (whoever) or whatever the hell she wants to be

You are beautiful and it is your prerogative to look inside and find what it is you need to realise that. I know for me, getting to this moment, and loving the skin I’m in (and believe me I still have bad hours* don’t worry!) it took me developing healthier eating habits, exercising every day with movement that I love and finding self love rituals that worked for me.

We all have work to do on ourselves when it comes to this self love thing, I just shared honestly above that even I do but in the spirit of flexing that muscle and owning that I am becoming more proud of the skin I am in (through lot’s of hard work and sweat and dedication) it would be an honour to share these photos with you to try to start increasing that statistic of 11% of women who are comfortable calling themselves beautiful.

P.s how I achieved these results is as I said above, dedication and commitment to my health. Health and vitality is my #1 priority so everyday I eat right and move my body. Food wise; it’s clean eating around my Isagenix and training wise, I incorporate F45 sessions (5-6 times a week) with Hot Yoga 3-4 times a week also. F45 for my body and Yoga for my mind. Isagenix for my overall healthy wellbeing and nutrition. If you want to talk about Isagenix (what is it and more information) you’ll find me to chat about it at info@annaandmorgan.com

Anna Richards - Two Dumbells Smiling w words

Anna Richards - Kick Boxing Shadowed w words

Anna Richards - One arm dumbbell Front w words

Anna Richards - Lat Pull Down Front w words

Making 2015 your best yet

By Anna Richards on December 28, 2014 0

It goes and looks a little something like this.

December 31^st is looming and over a bottle of wine with girlfriends or a couple of beers at a bbq the conversation begins .. you know the one, the re hashing of 2014, the goals you hit or didn’t hit, the weight you are starting to pile on over the silly season, the regret of not taking the holiday or sticking some things to your boss. But then someone in the group says the magic words “that is ALL in the past though we are about to start a brand new year and 2015 is going to be MY year” …..

Then the fun begins, the goals start getting thrown around of how and why 2015 is going to be different. You ARE going to lose the kilo’s of the past few months or years, you ARE going to have more energy for your kids or husband/wife, you are going to ask the boss for the promotion and pay rise you so desperately need and deserve and you are definitely going to start making healthier choices to lead a healthier and happier life.

So January 1^st hits. It’s here, the new year, 2015 finally arrives and things start getting busy. In fact the 1^st January almost slips by un detected, as life is rolling on so fast – so…normal like. 2015 doesn’t at all thus far feel any different to 2014.

February hits and you feel like you blinked and missed January entirely. You are already stressed about deadlines at work, or maybe finances are still tight and the goals you had set last year already seem unattainable as you can’t see how you’ll make all ends meet.

On, and on and on it goes. March, April, May, June & July all slip past without a hint of life slowing down and 2015 doesn’t feel at all different to 2014, just more stress, a couple more kilos’ and more financial stress as you think about having kids, or getting married or renovating the house.

Then, it’s December before you know it – and you are back at the bbq with friends talking about how fast you can’t believe the year went again and how goals weren’t hit this year BUT 2016 will DEFINITELY be different.

……..

But what if you can get to December 2015 and it WAS in fact your year. You looked and felt your best all year around. You took the holiday. You found a new passion and purpose. You showed up bigger. You ticked some big goals off your bucket list.

20 months ago I said yes to something a little different. I said yes to a nutritional cleansing system Isagenix that changed mine and my husbands lives. Completely.

Yes, it can be scary trying something new. And yes, it can be scary stepping out of a comfort zone and in to something that you’re not quite sure of.

But here is what I know.

If you aren’t exactly where you want to be in life right now, with your health or financially – then what are you doing to change that? We all know that life is a series of choices. Choices that lead us to results. When I started Isagenix I made a choice to do it for me and my health and that 1 choice changed both my health dramatically and my financial situation dramatically.

{ My own health journey with Isagenix that has kept me healthy, lean and feeling WELL all of 2014 – 18 months, travel all year & still feeling great }

You see, Isagenix is network marketing. If you don’t know what that is, quite simply it is referral based marketing – the thing you do every.single.day. If you try a new restaurant, see a new movie, love a cut or colour at the hairdressers, you talk about it, you refer people there, you might even tag yourself on facebook. Thing is, in every day life, you’re not paid for referring new clients or customers to that restaurant/hairdressers etc. With Network Marketing – you are. That is the simplist way to describe it. It was something I was already naturally doing being active on social media – bloggers in fact do it all the time with ‘sponsored’ posts. And I truly believe it is the most phenomenal most life changing profession of all times.

But what does all of that have to do with you making 2015 YOUR year – your best year YET.

Well. Everything.

Morgan & I are looking to help more people achieve what we have – freedom with our health (feeling the best we ever have – fact – like being able to travel all year long and still feel and look great) and freedom financially. That might just mean a few extra hundred in your household a month. That mean a few extra hundred in your household a week. Or that might mean a few extra thousand a week. That choice is up to you we are just here to then help you work hard to achieve that.

All you have to do is say yes. To try a month on the cleansing system we have used for 20 months now and be open to be coached by us.

2015 is going to come whether you’re ready for it or not and the next 12 months are going to pass by no matter what. My wish for you is that you not just say 2015 will be your best year yet health and goals wise, but you actually DO something to achieve that, you stop saying it, and start LIVING IT which is what we are here to help you with.

If you really truly want 2015 to be different, if you really truly want better health, if you really truly want a lifestyle where you can say yes to more things, then we would love to hear from you and help you get started with just that.

2015 IS your year and we want to help you achieve that properly.

Let us know if you’re interested in learning more about cleansing or simply how to make 2015 YOUR best year yet at ….

info@annaandmorgan.com

We can’t wait to help you create your biggest, most boldest, most extraordinary year yet.

Blazing a trail of passion & purpose & why I LOVE Network Marketing

By Anna Richards on June 9, 2014 3

Snapshot of our life over the last 14 months

I had just left the Chinese restaurant. Heart thumping. Wild excitement coursing through me. A sense of ‘is this really possible’ running through my mind.

And the one person – after Morgs of course – I had to call, was my mum.

“Mum! It’s so crazy. I just left dinner with that girl Peta I was telling you about. It’s CRAZY. I had to call you as I’m honestly that excited. I think this is something that has the potential to seriously change my life. I just bought some incredible products – that I still don’t even fully ‘get’ – that could change my health back around but there is something else about it. Apparently I can get paid for simply sharing the gift of health. EXACTLY what I want to do! Wellness. Health. THIS is what I think I’ve been looking for without even realising”

Mum: “that’s so exciting sweetie, and you know, it sounds like Network Marketing”

_________________________________________________________________________________

It was the first time, in my life, I had heard ‘Network Marketing’. I just thought ‘cool’ – and that it MUST be related to something like an incredibly rad opportunity that comes knocking on your door that could genuinely change your life. And I truly honestly mean that, is it was exactly how I felt.

I raced back through the door when I got home to a grumbling, sceptic, un sure Morgan. He of course immediately jumped on to google to research the health products and company I had just said yes to followed by a concerned conversation saying I am probably jumping the gun a little bit and to calm down – yeah right – HA. As if that was ever going to happen.

It was my health we were talking about. My health. The ONE thing that is most important to me. My number 1 value. Health that, although pretty good – had been niggling at me for a long while giving me signs not all was right on the inside. I had bloating. Gut issues. Constipation. I lacked energy. I couldn’t get a proper handle on my stress. I was developing feelings of anxiousness, and most visibly – my skin had started to have these frustrating breakouts. So there I was, like a kid on christmas eve, excited to think maybe, just maybe, a simple, all natural, mostly organic, affordable, sustainable program could give me my energy, sleep and health back.

Long story short. It did.

Something else happened also though. Something critical to changing my life.

People started asking what I was doing to look so fantastic and what was I doing to have changed my health so noticeably and naturally. It was Morgan first. The worlds biggest sceptic was stealing my products by Day 3 as for the first time ever I was sleeping solidly through the night and waking up with energy. Then it was the girls at work. They noticed my moods were so much calmer, my stress was gone, my bloating – gone (no more looking 3 months pregnant at 3pm in the afternoon.) My skin, clear for the first time in 18 months.

I was a healthier, happier, more balanced version of myself.

And I was ready to share the very program that got me to that point with anyone who wanted the same – the most optimal health of their life.

And I did.

Cue, Network Marketing 101.

Then something started to happen. Isagenix started to pay me as I was sharing the gift of health with others. My first deposit for the first pak I got for Morgs who remember, had wanted to improve his own health that very first week was …. $79.80.

I was blown away.

I thought right … this company is actually congruent with their vision which is to free the world of physical and financial pain. Something I too instantly aligned with and got red hot about.

I had gained back my health, AND I was now gaining back extra income as a reward for sharing health. I was living proof the company did what it said it wanted to do – create physical and financial freedom.

It was then I knew Network Marketing truly was for me and I was going to own the PANTS off of it.

I also knew I was in fact already doing it. We ALL are. I was posting coconut oils I used on my Instagram – and girls bought the same product. I was posting amazing new restaurants I was trying around Perth and in places I travelled to like Bali – and people were going there. I was recommending make up to girls when they’d compliment my complexion – and they’d go straight out and buy it. It’s just, those companies I was referring tens and tens of girls to weren’t paying me it went all straight to their bottom line.

Network Marketing is loving a product, using a product (key importance there!), referring others to it if they want it….and getting paid by the company because of it.

I was starting to learn a-lot, fast, and quickly realised that I had found the key to both health and living in the 21st century. I also found my new passion and purpose in life. Simply put, it was to help others experience what Morgs & I were … a happy household. No stress over money. Bills getting paid with ease. Not having to go to a j.o.b that didn’t light me and earning an income that was directly proportionate to the effort you put in and the lives you help change.

Within 3 months, we had started to live our most abundant most extraordinary life, and we wanted that for others – whilst p.s always putting our health first and helping others do the same.

We developed this vision as we wanted to share living an extraordinary life with others ….

HOW Personal wellbeing? through the incredible products and health you gain back.

HOW Business excellence? through using the system, sharing the system and living the life of your dreams. Living out a day of ideal days and creating an abundant extraordinary life for yourself.

Here was the other thing though – I could so authentically and passionately create this vision …. as I had created both myself – I was, and am living my vision.

So just how much has it changed Morgan & I’s life since we began 14 months ago? Here are some fast stats for you …

+ I matched my full time Income with an Isagenix residual ‘income’ within 3 months on the products.

+ Because of the above, I ‘retired’ from the corporate world and stepped in to the exciting wonderful world of ‘living a life exactly how I please every day helping others do the same’. Fact.

+ I hit a residual income of 6 figures with the company within 6 months.

+ 12 month mark I had turned my 30 day cleanse in to a multiple 6 figure residual income.

+ Retired Morgs from his j.o.b to also life his life exactly how HE pleases and help others do the same as of Friday 30th May 2013.

In 14 months, I had turned my corporate income of $1,100 a week – where I was helping no one but my bosses line their pockets from the mining boom – I was a business development manager for a Mining Services Company – in to a $5,000+ a week income and helping hundreds of people change their lives through gaining their health back and too bringing whatever income THEY wanted in to their households.

Hard to fathom? It was for me too, especially in February when Morgs & I had our biggest week ever – of over $7,000 for the week.

That was directly proportionate to how many people we had helped that week though – the divine key of this business.

Our business income is now double digits a month – and because I am aligned with one of the fastest growing, phenomenal, abundant, attitude of ‘the sky isn’t even the limit so go for it’ companies – that monthly income will be 6 figures monthly by the end of this year. Fact. It’s like anything in life, you set big goals, you work hard, you play harder, you get rewarded.

I decided to share the above not for any other reason but this; financial freedom and earning a living around the dreams and goals you have vs fitting your goals and dreams around what you earn – I believe is everyone’s birth right. TRUE wellness doesn’t end in the mind or body – it also extends to your bank account.

And I want to help you start claiming that birth right but I have to show you it’s possible and REAL first.

Don’t think it’s selfish to earn more either – my best friend had a vision to create ‘earn more to give more’ and it’s something I am a big part of. Earning MORE to give MORE in the world. We give to charities, to start up companies, to orphanages, to causes that don’t always get the spotlight or money but need it as bad as any other foundation in the world. Without earning what I do, without striving to earn more – I couldn’t contribute like I do, and give what I do.

So WHY do I LOVE Network Marketing, but way more than that, why do I love it with the extraordinary company I am personally aligned with?

& more importantly – WHO am I wanting to work and play alongside and help them create a life of their dreams.

If you have read this & resonated going ‘you know what, I’m ready to step my life up a little bit too’ … then I want to chat to you if you are …

+ A fearless female who wants SO MUCH MORE from life and NEVER wants to accept that you won’t get ‘paid’ to be a mum. You have a great corporate career but know that eventually when you stop work to fulfil being a mum .. you will loose an income. Guess what? You don’t have to and I want to chat to you.

+ Couples who don’t want to fight over bills anymore. Who want to own the home but not stop travelling. Who just want to be able to live a happier, more abundant, healthier life but just had no idea how they were going to do it working 9-5’s. Guess what? You can have ANYTHING and everything you want in life if you work at it and I want to chat to you.

+ Mums. Mums who want to not have to go back to work and stay at home raising their beautiful babies and kids but would LOVE to feel better, have more energy, but earn a really comfortable weekly residual income just by helping other people. Guess what? You CAN get paid to be a mum and earn whatever you want and I want to chat to you.

+ Anyone else who truly resonated with this post. Who wants more from life. Who is desperate to dance to the beat of their own drum. Who wants to challenge the status quo. Who wants to play bigger, show up bigger in this world and serve a greater purpose. Guess what? That is a huge part of why you’re on this earth and I want to chat to you.

THAT’S why I love Network Marketing. Because I get to play a role in helping other people do the above now – to not be restricted by their bank balances. To let go of financial stress. To earn what they deserve through effort & helping others. Mums earn income for being mums. Couples stop arguing and raise a happy household and relationship. Individuals just yell YES and dance to the epic beat of their own drum whilst showing up so much bigger in the world.

As I said, I want to help if you resonated – and you can find me at the end of; anna.ogilvie@hotmail.com.

Look forward to helping you blaze your OWN trail of passion and purpose and live the life you love and truly deserve.

October’s Mind + Body Total Makeover .. + FREE Gift

By Anna Richards on October 3, 2013 1

When I sat to start writing this post I thought words would flow, that words would pour out of me and I didn’t need to give it much thought as I knew exactly what I wanted to say and share. But this is the funny thing when you’ve had a big life change, it’s hard to even know where to begin. Why? Because when I look back on my life the past 6 months, to say it has been transformative and life changing would be an understatement – and that makes me emotional in the best way even writing that.

So I decided, to just write from the heart and start at the beginning. So here goes.

I started this blog in May 2011 because I was ready for the next big life journey I had started on, I knew I was on the precipice of some huge change and was ready to start the next chapter of my life and so was born this space where I have shared that journey for over 2 years now.

Back then, I was almost (but not quite) on top of debilitating anxiety that I refused to be medicated for. I was trying to find natural ways to beat my adult acne that flared out of nowhere (and stayed with me for over 18 months) and I had lost 17kg and felt I had found myself and was ready to let my me out. I was turning to self love and confidence and wanted to stay on this positive life course and change my life even further.

So I did. I started yoga. Morgs & I continued to eat incredibly, incredibly clean. I started journalling, blogging, writing and releasing and sharing stories and my inner thoughts to connect with similar minded peopled – and I did. I went on a yoga journey to bali by myself to do even more self discovery. I threw out my chemical shit storm in a bottle moisteriers and turned to coconut oil. I started dry body brushing, meditating and grounding. I read mind, body and spirit book after book after book. I delved in to a deeper spiritual connection of love and light and utilised amazing life coaches who did a lot of mind shift stuff with me.

In every way, shape and form, I was a loud and proud wellness junkie.

And I still am.

Here was the thing though – doing all of that, the living clean, eating clean, the loving, the looking after my body as well as I could (not going over the top but still being super conscious), reading amazing books, and being a huge warrior of wellness – there was still a lot ‘off’ for me. & yes, what I’m about to share is personal, and big and daunting for someone who has blogged about Wellness and lifestyle for 2 years, but I know there are so many others out there quietly experiencing the same …

+ I was still getting really, reallyyyyy bad bloating.

+ My adult acne was flaring up without any warning – although break outs were MUCH more manageable, they were there none the less.

+ My energy was zapped more times than not. I was still tired (& no juice cleanse or organic raw diet would have me leaping out of bed, and not reaching for the 3pm coffee hit)

+ I unfortunately, would occasionally, feel my anxiety creeping up. No full blown panic attacks thank god, but bad enough for me to have to get on all 4’s and try to breath my way out of them whilst Morgs had to sit and watch on upset I still had to struggle with them telling me it was ok and just to breathe and that I’d be ok (I actually get quite emotional writing that and anyone that’s suffered with bad anxiety before would understand.

+ I was constipated. Frustratingly – because my diet was great. Enough fruits/veggies/vitamins/fibre etc.

+ My moods would dip – I was never unhappy, ever, but if I had to be really honest with myself, ok no, if Morgs was the one writing this he would call them my ‘bitch moods’ – stress would get the better of me, a bad day at work or crazy work load would see me coming home grumpy or ‘off’ …

+ My sleep wasn’t perfect .. I slept, don’t get me wrong, and I didn’t even know I didn’t sleep that well until I slept amazingly. But I was a super light sleeper – so Morgs rolling over would wake me up and the slightest noise would too.

+ I had cravings that I more often than not gave in to (because I was skinny so felt I could); namely, I’m talking chocolate. Organic or not, eating too much a day is not in fact good for you as much as we’d like to tell ourselves.

+ I had little pockets of cellulite that wouldn’t freaking go and coming from a girl who busted her ass in the gym 5 days a week, ate clean and drank a LOT of water (alkaline of course) it was frustrating to say the least.

As you can see, although life was GREAT, it truly was, there were these signs, little issues in my body which I knew weren’t normal, I KNEW I could have the BEST of health and I knew deep down I needed a detox. A proper detox. I.e. a nutrient rich, scientifically formulated, vitamin dense, good ole’ clean out.

So off I set.

As with all beautiful ‘meant to be’s I was aligned with a girl who did nutritional cleansing. I didn’t even need to hear much, I was willing to give anything healthy a go – I didn’t want to go on a diarrethtic tea that was flooding the market or a one off cleanse thing, I wanted a lifestyle change so I said … YES to a nutritional cleansing program and the rest as they say is history.

Remember this post?

That was 4 months ago now, and I have incorporated the cleansing and nutrients in to my day for 6 months and I have never, ever, ever felt as amazing and healthy as I do now. All the niggles I had holding on have since well and truly left my life. Bloating and cellulite? Gone. Stress levels and anxiety – completely managed with ease. I control my cravings now they don’t control me. My energy? Unmatched. Mine & Morgs sleep is the best it’s ever been in our lives (and yes, after seeing me on the products for just 3 days Morgs started on it too). My skin? As clear as it has EVER been and let’s just say, the toilet and I now have a fantastic relationship. Not only that, as a secondary bonus I lost 3kg (that is all I needed to loose) and 12cm off my body … I was literally blown away at seeing my body transform on the outside whilst my insides were balancing.

They’re not the only transformational changes that have occured in my life though, along the way, I also made myself financially free. It took 4 months to match my full time income because of the companies compensation plan and retire from the 9-5 and my new days are now filled with helping others do the same. Get the healthiest they’ve ever been, and free themselves financially.

What has kept my passion alive for what I do now is the vision of the nutritional cleansing company “to create the healthiest and wealthiest people on the planet” – they believe true wellness doesn’t stop at body and mind – it extends to financial freedom. Wellness & health – eating organic, juicing, amazingly natural and good nutrients and vitamins should never only be for those who can afford it.

The Deal …

So here is what I want to do for YOU for October. For ONE week, I am doing a HUGE blitz week starting October 7th. To help you transform your own life – from a total health re-haul, to then a financial one also if you so choose it to be. Is there something ‘off’ in your life that you are ready to say goodbye too? Low energy? Extra kgs? Bloating? Shit sleep? I want to help. You SO don’t have to accept the status quo in life. Being tired isn’t normal. Being bloated isn’t normal. Having a boss who says no to annual leave doesn’t have to be part of your life. Normal to me now is living a life of my own ideal days. No work. Travelling when I want, with who I want. Setting my own income and earning that. Being healthy. Happy. Financially free – & helping my team do the same. It’s available to anyone and I want to help you find the health and financial freedom I have.

If you come aboard the Nutritional Cleansing lifestyle during next week – October 7th to October 13th, for the first 20 people, you will also receive free a Wellness Indulgence Package including what is pictured above.

+ C Coconut Water

+ Dry Body Brush

+ Organic Soap

+ Coconut Oil

+ Kiki K quote card and;

+ An ebook I have written on ‘Ultimate guide to mind wellness’ – how to set big shiny goals..but really achieve them.

Email me at anna.ogilvie@hotmail.com if you want to learn more about how to secure being one of the 20 and ask for more information.

The Program …

It is comprehensive but you are guided with ease and you adapt it to your normal lifestyle. There is no deprivation and no drastic changes to your life so it is the most sustainable program I have ever come across. Fundamentally it is based around cleansing and then getting the following nutrients back in every day;

24 grams of pure, undenatured whey & casein protein (from happy New Zealand free range, grass fed cows)
60 essential micronutrients
11 amino acids
2 essential fatty acids
13 vitamins
21 minerals
7 enzymes
6 probiotics

Testimonials …

Leanne Thorpe - Beautiful mother, friend & wife & Business owner

I started Isagenix at the end of April when my beautiful friend Anna invited me to take part in a "shower on the inside". I was weighing in at 96.1kg and knew that I had to do something to improve my health and lose some weight. I am the mother of 2 beautiful children and I wanted to be able to run around at the park and play with them as well as become a healthy role model for them to be proud of. I have tried many "diets" and fads over the 6 years since having my first child and to be fair some would work, but I never seen lasting results which of course resulted in me rebounding and being lovingly nicknamed the Kirsty Alley of my family. Isagenix was by far the best thing I have ever done for my body. Within days I was bouncing out of bed, my moods had improved dramatically and I had boundless energy and motivation to get back into my exercise. Within the first 30 days I had lost 8kg and 63.5cm from across my body - there was no stopping me from there! I have been on the products since April and have now lost 19.6kg and 120cm from across my body, the best part is, being able to share this amazing gift with my family and friends to help them with their own health and wellness goals. I love this system it's so easy to use and so easy to share because it really works!

Belinda Radalj - Raw Vegan Foodie, Dog Lover & self declared food connoisseur

I have been on a long, 10 year journey to find my health and wellness. I started with the simple step of removing additives & preservatives from my diet, & ended up living a mostly raw, vegan lifestyle. But I still had niggling physical & mental health issues. Isagenix has been the missing puzzle piece for me. I feel so blessed to have been given this gift of health and financial freedom.

Brodie Cotter - Artist, Surfer, Lover of life

My wellness journey began after struggling with debilitating digestive problems I suffered as a result of a parasite I caught overseas. Not only was this uncomfortable, it very nearly killed me, twice. As a result I was left feeling tired, sore, lost and then gain more weight and was generally unhealthy. I also suffered terrible anxiety that at times seemed to paralyse me. On my return home I began to tackle each issue head on one by one all the while attempting what I was told was impossible - swimming to Rottnest before I turned 30 with two very bad shoulders. And looking back I had for the first time ever stopped following my bliss and had decided to grow up and become what I thought would make a good adult. Once I had began to feel somewhat healthier (or what I thought was healthier) I began to tackle my weight gain (I know it wasn't much but I wasn't happy in my own skin and hated my body) and I tried every detox known to man. I saw the beautiful Anna begin to flourish even more than she usually did and when she said she had completed a 30 day nutritional cleanse I told her I wanted to do the same, no matter what it was. I wanted to look fabulous for my 30th even if I couldn't feel fabulous I was going to fib my way through. I started on the President's Pak in the middle of May and have never looked back. I no longer suffer any digestive problems at all and in fact was told by a surgeon after a small operation "keep doing whatever it is you are doing" because he was so surprised at how healthy my gut actually was after my illness. I have lost 6kgs and at last check 27.5cm off my body. I have gained lean muscle mass. I am able to train so much harder than ever before knowing that my body recovers quicker over night and although I did make it to Rottnest in a team of 4, I m now tackling it in a duo knowing that this will not be a terrible strain on my shoulders and I will do it with relative ease. I no longer ache or suffer the pains that plagued my body as result of inflammation and joint problems. Not only have a balanced my body in so many ways, I have balanced my life. I have steered my life back in a direction that brings me joy, I have learnt to listen to my body, to work with it, to heal it from the inside out and allow the healthy changes inside to present themselves naturally on the outside, unforced and beautiful. I am happy and open and I LOVE my body and who I am (what an incredible turn around from a girl who actually hated herself). I have learnt so much about my body, nutrition and how looking after ourselves on a basic nutritional level will encourage and assist our bodies to operate the way they were meant to, enabling us to lead the lives we were meant to. What I believed to be a detox has turned out to be an absoultely amazing journey of total wellness - health and wealth - physical and spiritual. I will continue to nutritionally cleanse and ensure I nourish my body with the right nutrients everyday because the benefits of doing so have completely changed my life and my body. And the best part is that despite being a huge change with far reaching effects in all aspects of my life, it has been the easiest thing I have ever done.

Laura Howe - Accountant, Engaged and amazing fiance, sister, daughter & friend

My journey on isagenix started on the 20th April this year, since then my life has changed in so many ways, I have lost over 25kgs since starting on the products and keeping it off with ease. I still have a lot more to go before our wedding but I know that it is so achievable using this system. I have also decided to run with the incredible business opportunity that Isagenix presents and am now bringing in a weekly income that easily covers our rent, and car repayments!! Over the years I have tried so many products and programs but this is the first I have found that actually addresses the issues rather than providing a quick fix!

Ready to say YES just like I did 6 months ago and do a complete mind/body overhaul? I’m waiting for you, I’m cheering you on and I can’t WAIT to work with you to achieve any health and financial goals you have. I have a big email chocked full of more information for anyone wanting it, you just need to ask – I look forward from hearing from you all.

Email me at anna.ogilvie@hotmail.com if you want to learn more about how to secure being one of the 20 and ask for more information.

My new life; As a life enthusiast, coach & dream chaser

By Anna Richards on July 29, 2013 6

As I sit and write this it is 7:30pm on a Sunday evening. I have had a divine day of writing, reading, packing for another holiday with the love of my life and sending some love soaked emails to girls I coach through what I do with nutritional cleansing.

I have no anxiety over tomorrow being a Monday morning, no worry about what I will or won’t get achieved at work this week, or no sinking feeling in the bottom of my stomach that between the hours of 8am – 6pm, I won’t get to be doing what I want to be doing I’ll be stuck in my florescent light, windowless office.

That’s because, I quit my job and as of Monday morning and every day after have officially committed to living a life by my own design.

It was only a mere few months ago I updated a few things in my spaces – physically and virtually. I wrote, with no real plan or idea in mind I was a “Life enthuiast & Coach” – I put words on my vision wall like “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams – Eleanor Roosevelt” and “Beyond Expectation” and “Retire my mum, & live a life of design, young, madly in love & excited”. Never did I put a date, never did I dwell on working my ass of to reach it or stress out over the how, it was just written, with good intention and love and stuck everywhere and anywhere I would see it regularly.

That was 3-4 months ago. Today? I have a residual income big enough to cover what I need it to so I don’t have to work full time, from a nutritional cleansing (nc) company I adore and products I am so incredibly aligned with. I don’t work anymore. Yep, fo’ real. I get to live my life as I desire doing what I want, with who I want, when I want. I get to receive text messages and emails from girls I coach through my NC every single day saying what goals they hit from a health and mind perspective and how much their lives are changing too. I get to live. How I wanted to – and build from that to live with even more ease and abundance and giving as days and weeks and months pass.

I had a secure job, with a 6 figure income and wonderful kudos and success for a 25 year old in the corporate world. So was leaving all of that behind to give living my idea life a red hot go scary? If I said yes, I think I would in fact be lying. It wasn’t. At all. With a weekly residual income I now receive and having as strong a desire as I did to align with my purpose – it was an alignment that I was supported by like never before. It helps I have beautiful family, friends, business partner & best fiance in the whole entire world that were all there pouring love support & confidence in to me as I was declaring that this is what I wanted to do.

I knew that if I kept using my healthy constant income as the excuse I couldn’t leave full time work to try living my purpose and chasing my dreams, I would probably never leave. I came to realise that my dream was not for sale, and no price or income could ever be put on doing what I was born to do which is help and give and share and show up to those that need it most. To write, to coach, to inspire and to talk my talk and walk my walk and lead others to do the same.

I have huge goals and dreams and plans and you know the beautiful part about it? I can pursue all of that now because I have time. Time to live, to serve, to coach, to give, to write – and to launch all the exciting projects I haven’t had the time to properly pour the love and soulful attention it all deserved.

My soul sista Peta Kelly – the creator of Life By My Own Design & I among many other aligned goals loved talking about and aiming to live ‘a life of perfect days’ – simply, from start to finish, from waking up to falling asleep, working out what a perfect and ideal day would be, and living that. How would it feel, what would it look like? Below is a snippet of my perfect days, what I’m working towards living each and every single day – whilst earning my weekly residual income** and being able to then pour all the love and soul and time in to my businesses I’m about to launch.

My perfect day begins and ends with the sun. I wake up as it streams through my big glass windows waking me next to my fiance in our beautiful big warm house by the beach (or with rain pattering against the glass in winter).

I get up and drink my breakfast smoothie and laugh and smile and feel energised about the day ahead. I go for my morning run or do some yoga, or even both – time is not against me so I plod along as I please smiling all the while at how overwhelmingly grateful I am for this day.
I then have some hours engaged with my clients – I show up in our space online or in the corner of an organic coffee shop – with love & ready to give all of me and my advice, buzzing with energy as we dig deep and work on carving out their life’s path and souls purpose. Each client walks away every time feeling aligned, excited and closer to living their own dream life.
I then get back to emails in my business partners (thats you pK!) & i’s dream office and we have our daily business meetings with natural sunlight streaming through the office, with beautiful views so we are constantly inspired and connected to our source. The meeting goes for however long we want to sit and talk about how we can give more, increase the love and good will factor and how else can we show up for our thriving community we’ve created. By afternoon I’m back at our dream home by the ocean with a big delicious green smoothie in one hand, my favourite book in the other on the balcony over looking the ocean having some me time.

I have time every single night for date night with my hunk of a fiance Morgan and we eat by candlelit at home, or dine in our favourite restaurants with other best friends with no care for bed times or tomorrows.

Every night I go to bed with a smile on my face knowing for that day, I left everything on the table. I loved with out wanting, I gave without expecting receiving, I showed up, I engaged, I laughed till my face hurt & I made a difference in somebodies life (whoever I was connecting with for that day).

My ideal day is so fundamentally based around travel too. I will be in a position to look at Morgs (or call Peta or surprise my mum) and say ‘hey, let’s pack a bag and go to a tropical beach for a week or so to just unwind and relax. Or ‘lets escape to Melbourne for some shopping and restaurant hopping’ – having the freedom to do what I want, when i want with who I want – whilst always giving all of me in a loving and authentic way to inspire others to do the same encompassing my ultimate ideal days.

So here I am. I’m showing up, I leapt and allowed the universe to catch me and am now allowing all the magic and awesome and wonder joy and abundance flow in to my life that comes when you take the risk of following your purpose.

It’s exciting, exhillarating, free’ing and I will be here showing up in this space more now to take you as I write the next chapter in my life’s story book.

Thank you for all the beautiful love and incredibe words that were poured out to me in email and on Instagram over the weekend when I put my photo up and shared my little secret of dream chasing – it has been felt and beamed right back.

Sending you huge beams of grounding, love, energy & light,
One very excited, aligned and blissed out Anna xx

** WHAT is this residual income I am talking about? It is an amount of money – however big I choose it to be from how ever much love and energy from the week before I have put in, that gets deposited in to my account weekly from my nutritional cleansing company. Not only did I end up falling in love with the products and program and am a total Isa girl now, it has allowed me to quit my full time job to focus a lot more energy in to it and grow that income even more WHILST winning free trips and getting my products all paid for. I am always here to help you with information or to give it a red hot go yourself so find me at anna.ogilvie@hotmail.com xx

A review; My 30 day detox

By Anna Richards on May 12, 2013 6

About 12 weeks ago I had decided enough was enough. I just knew something wasn’t quite right. I was sick for about the 3rd time this year which generally is unheard of for me, I couldn’t shake constipation – sorry for the overshare but this IS a review – my cellulite wouldn’t go away no matter what the exercise I did and my bloating wasn’t just creeping in afternoon, it was all day, all night bloating.

So I set out to find a detox.

Before I begin, let me start by saying this. I eat clean, drink 5L of water a day without fail, take vitamins, exercise up to 5-6 times a week (for over 3 years now) and am not a huge alcohol drinker (certainly love a glass of red over the weekend though). I’m no raw vegan, but I get well and above my 2 & 5 fruit and veg a day, snack healthily and go without meat one day of the week (sometimes two). P.s the good news though is if you ARE looking for something to help you with weight loss as well and aren’t overly healthy this detox is perfect for you!!

This wasn’t about weight loss for me, it was about cleansing on the inside to make me feel better. So off I set on my research – and like the universe always does, it brought me to Peta at just the right moment who told me about Nutritional Cleansing. Hours more of my own research and I knew I had found my detox.

I bought my Pak with still a little sceptisim. I of course thought I knew everything about my body and as I said, was as healthy as I could get for the lifestyle that I lead. Within a week on the products though I had proved myself incredibly wrong.

Week One: I was sleeping better than I have my whole life, the kind of sleep where from the time my head hits the pillow until my alarm goes off, I am deep in sleep without interruptions. My 3pm sugar cravings started to back off slowly and I was still buzzing with energy as I was getting home at 5:30pm each night. I was regular again with the toilet. I thought that even with these improvements alone, I’d be happy, that was until…

Week Two: My bloating was almost gone (to the point where I just couldn’t believe it). My tummy started to look tonned and tight in the morning, noon and night. My moods were improving out of sight. Stressful situations at work suddenly didn’t stress me as much – life just seemed manageable (could it be that balancing my body was actually working?? It appeared so!)

Week Three: People started making comments like “what the hell are you on?? How do you have SO much energy 24/7 and why is your skin glowing like that” .. fo’ real. This was the week my mum & sister decided this too could be the very thing they were both looking for. This was actually the week I think I reallyyy hit my detox though. I was a feeling tired again, quite tired actually and after my 3rd cleanse day – my skin broke out … (helloooo toxins leaving my body!!)

Week Four: Everything clicked. Life made sense. In fact, I was quite emotional. Overwhelmed by the fact I could feel this good – all the time. I felt like for the first time ever I was balanced. My moods were officially 100% improved – I hadn’t felt stressed in weeks, I was bouncing through the doors at 5:30pm happy not moody and tired, my sugar cravings were completely gone, my sleep was officially consistent and my god was it deep, my skin had hit its stride and was clear and smooth and my energy was (& still is) unmatched. Not to mention my cellulite was gone (g.o.n.e – I lost 2.5cm of excess fat on each of my upper outer thigh), I had gained more muscle definition on my legs and stomach without increasing exercise (another benefit of the detox) and just felt more toned.

I’m now on to my 3rd month, and, like I said, I’ll continue with these products as long as I am around.

WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL???

It is a full on program including shakes, vitamins, cleanse drinks, snacks (depending which pak you get) and ionix liquid you can have every morning (or like me, every morning AND every night).

You can use it as a meal replacement or have it alongside your meals. For me and my busy lifestyle, I have loved being able to have my shake for breakfast and shake for lunch as I’m on the go, but if you can’t handle the fact of giving up a meal or two then that’s fine too, just cut back on your portions and include your shake (win/win). There are a tonne of athletes on this program (a la Jana Pittman and Natalie Cook – 2 Australian Gold Olympians – not to mention Michael Jordan!) and for them, they just swap out two snack meals for the shakes. I.e Athletes typically eat 6 small meals a day, so they have 4 and 2 shakes. If you aren’t an athlete (like me!) I just had my shakes for brekky and lunch and then a big healthy dinner.

“ohhh Shakes?? I have heard bad things about Shakes before” I hear you sigh. Push everything you have about them from your mind because this isn’t a diet shake program. Like I said, it’s nutritional cleansing – every shake has the following:

+ 60 essential micronutrients

+ 11 amino acids

+ 2 essential fatty acids

+ 13 vitamins

+ 21 minerals

+ 7 enzymes

+ 6 probiotics

If I knew I was getting that in my nutrient depleted salads then I wouldn’t have looked in to a detox – look at the program as a nutrient rich vitamin heavy supplement program ready to give you the stuff your body is missing these days in the ever growing toxic world on TOP of the food you eat.

It’s not a diet – it is a deep cellular level detox – so “will you put the weight back on as soon as you finish the products?” No, because you have gotten rid of the toxins in your body that would have clung on to that fat in that circumstance.

This isn’t a magic pill or quick fix. It is a program that if you committ yourself to correctly and for the long term, you will see benefits you didn’t deem possible.

Since I started I have coached 9 other girls through the program and that list is growing. Two other girls that started shortly after me have both had over 10kg weight loss (& both around 30-40cm loss) so there are weight loss benefits to it if you need it for that.

I am now incorporating it in to my life everyday (as is Morgs! – yup, he started the detox the same time and has had the same benefits as me if not better!) and am more fulfilled than ever getting to coach other girls through it. If this is something that sounds like you and you would love to feel like this too then email me;

anna.ogilvie@hotmail.com – and I will load you up with ALL the info to help you make a decision if it’s for you or not.

Sugar, Stress & Sleep – what you need to know

By Anna Richards on March 26, 2013 1

Stress Less

I was beyond excited when I got a special invitation to attend Gwinganna’s recent wellness event in Perth. The evening was an hour of power with the General Manager and lifestyle specialist at Gwinganna, Sharon Kolkka discussing tips and latest research to how all three essential elements, when unbalanced, will prevent you responding to situations effectively.

In a nutshell, they wanted to get down to business and talk about the serious affects that Sleep (or lack there of), (too much) Sugar & Stress has on our mind and bodies.

And oh boy did I love, adore and get so much out of the power hour of information.

I felt empowered by the information I learnt though – inspired to lead an even more balanced and stress free life and wanted to share the important things I learnt from the evening with you guys though of course.

So here it is; in plain black and white…

When you aren’t getting enough sleep, it causes you to make bad choices when it comes to reaching for sugary foods throughout the day (helloooo 3pm chocolate bar) but the reason why you aren’t getting enough sleep, is to do with the bad food choices (& alcohol choices you make) which ultimately results in a stressed out, overwhelmed you.

Sound familiar? Of course it does, because in this day and age we can all relate to it.

The biggest take home lesson for me however was more to do with this;

Just how powerful our THOUGHTS truly, deeply, really are. Stress, it would seem, has become such a common practice for us these days, managing stress isn’t just about managing our time anymore .. we have to manage our thoughts.

Sharon went on to say that being stressed today has almost become like a badge of honour – that our work has bled in to our home life and that we feel if we aren’t stressed or busy, we aren’t doing enough, achieving enough or plain and simply – we’re not good enough.

Ouch. It struck me right to the heart. But I was open to learn more and try to shift from not feeling good enough if I wasn’t crazy busy to a place of quiet and content.

& this is what I learnt…

I learnt that there is a difference between being stressed vs being busy & productive.

I learnt that we are not our minds, we can choose what we wish to think at any moment of any day.

I learnt a new favourite saying “watch what you’re thinking, because you are listening” (isn’t that so powerful?)

I learnt that stress can be as easily managed as choosing a good thought over a bad thought. (seriously it can be that simple)

I learnt that we need to start asking ourselves better questions (not what is wrong with me? How about we start asking what is right with me?)

I learnt that our bodies really do have psychological responses to emotional thoughts ( our thoughts reallllllllllyyyy do become our reality).

I learnt that whatever our mind perceives, our body believes (if you think you are stressed, tired, worn out and can’t go on, then your body is going to feel stressed, tired, worn out and like it can’t physically go on).

I learnt – that we really, seriously do control our own universe and world with our thoughts.

I learnt that we are good enough, in charge, and need to take SO much better care of our bodies. Sooo much.

I pledged even harder than ever before to really start taking the best of the best care of myself. We all need too. To Sleep more, eat better, shift our thoughts to change our world and be the best version of ourselves we can be.

My wish for you is the following though (after such an amazing shift in my own thoughts & knowledge from the night) …

I hope you start sleeping more, stressing less, taking power of your thoughts and loving your beautiful self fully and completely.

After that session (& a recent detox I have embarked on I will be sharing) I pledge to you more strongly than ever that I will do everything in my power to make this space a space to help you with all of that, every visit to the site.

Today though it’s as simple as this – make a promise to yourself that you will get to bed a little earlier, and think even just a few more positive thoughts in your day today.

You totally owe it to yourself – & your mind and body will love you for it.

Yours in peace & a de stressed zone,

Anna xx

P.s Never one to keep good things to myself I also found out Gwinganna are doing a month of Wellness tips in April ..Its a free month online project that will inspire you to live a more balanced healthy life. You’ll get tips, delicious recipes and simple ways to help you on your own wellness journey. You can sign up here.

P.p.s You’re welcome!

Images: here, here & here

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