I just finished the most inspirational, motivating book I've ever read! Any of you that need a jumpstart on life, I urge you to check out the book Believe It, Be It by Ali Vincent. (I looked in book stores and ended up ordering it on Kindle, so I could start right away as it was published in 2009 and isn't kept in stock at most stores.) She is an amazing woman. She was the first ever woman to win the Biggest Loser title, losing a total of 112 pounds! Her book is based on her journey, making it a great read for those that want to lose some weight themselves, but it also talks about changing your life no matter what change you are looking for. 

The following are the words she wrote that resonated most with me and my own personal set of goals.... 

The only battle to win is the battle within, that place where we realize that we deserve to have and create all that we want in our lives.

I have to be proud of the choices I make and forgive myself for the not-so-good ones. Making excuses is not going to get me any closer to my goals.

Don't surround yourself with people whose opinions make you feel bad about yourself.

When you feel so lost, it's hard to see that there is potential to have a better life one day, let alone understand that everything you need to create that life is already right inside of you.

The power to succeed or fail was up to me and only me.

In order to have any chance of success, I've learned that you have to accept yourself and let go of the past failures or weaknesses that have been holding you back. It's important to look forward, not backward-to get really clear on your future and what you want it to be.

When you don't set goals, you deny yourself opportunities to succeed and celebrate. It's important to set realistic goals for yourself and rejoice when you achieve them.

in order to truly give to others, you have to give to yourself first.

If you can focus on what you're going to create out of all your hard work, you can push through tough moments.

Chicken exits are self-sabotage. They give you a false explanation for why you don't have something you want. Up until this point in my life, I had never given anything all that I had to give. But I was going to now.

When did it become okay to give your time to everyone but yourself? Women tend to nurture on so many different levels for so many people that they often forget to take care of themselves.

Resistance is never the agent of change. You have to embrace the actions that are going to get you closer to your goal. Praise yourself for meeting each challenge on the way to that goal.

The longer you put it off, the harder it's going to be to walk through those gym doors again.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF-AGAIN OR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE

The bottom line was that I had to accept me. I had to love me. I had to know that I was worthy of having what I wanted in life. It was just knowing that I'm worth what I want for myself.

Once you understand where you've been, you can start to figure out where you want to go.

We're used to turning to food for comfort, so sometimes we may find ourselves reaching for a cookie or grabbing a slice of pizza we didn't budget for. Just don't take it to the next day. Wake up the next morning, go to the gym, and put it behind you. Keep moving forward.

So stop seeing the obstacles you face as reasons why you can't do something. See them as a reason why you can. And celebrate your accomplishments on a daily basis.

You have to take ownership of where you are right now and know where you want to go before you can get there.

Ali Vincent. Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life (Kindle Location 1405). Kindle Edition.