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The 4 D's of SUCCESS

Laurenzo Thomas • July 20, 2021

The 4 D's of SUCCESS

Many of us have sayings, quotes, or words of wisdom that we adhere to, and they become a part of us, something we look to periodically to keep us focused, on task, and committed to our goals.

As a youth I developed for myself the 4 D's of Success. It was nothing new or revolutionary, but just four qualities I viewed as absolutely necessary to achieve success in any area of life.

Those four qualities are - DESIRE, DISCIPLINE, DEDICATION, and DETERMINATION

Desire: A strong wishing or longing for; a craving for something that brings satisfaction or enrichment. Wanting something so bad that nothing within reason will get in your way. Feelings that impel you to the attainment of something that is within one's reach.

Discipline: Training that is expected to produce moral or mental improvement. Controlling one's conduct to achieve a goal and improve one's self. Generally will involve self-control, a sharp focus on an end result, and perhaps denying one's self of certain pleasures.

Dedication: A sense of strong, unwavering commitment. Being wholly devoted to a purpose and working toward that purpose with earnestness. Seriousness highlighted by fact that many times one is setting themselves apart for religious purposes.

Determination: Strong resolve, being resolute or firm in one's purpose or pursuit. Involves having a "nothing can stop me" attitude and a fixed intention.

Manifesting these traits has truly benefited me over the years in all phases off my life. I had to have a strong desire to succeed. I had to discipline myself to put in the work. I needed to dedicate myself to the cause as it were, sacrificing other interests to become successful. And I had to have a firm determination to do my best and be the best.

There are so many wonderful qualities that will help you grow professionally and personally. Cultivating these four will help you on your journey to success!

Success The Right Way

By Laurenzo Thomas May 19, 2024
Hello to all! It has been awhile since I posted to my blog but this post is special to me and I hope others will be inspired by it. Today, May 18th, 2024 marks the 5th anniversary since I started on my plant-based journey. Yes, that means FIVE YEARS of no meat, no dairy, no eggs and 5 years of none of my wife's red beans and rice and classic spaghetti, my mom's gumbo and sweet potato pie, and other staples of the first 49 years of my life. It also meant no fried chicken strips from Ezell's, no Jones's BBQ, no teriyaki, no burgers from Dick's. You get it! I mention all of this to just highlight that it has not been easy and there are times I may crave fried chicken, a nice steak, or a juicy burger. But I resolved in my heart to to forge ahead on this path because it literally SAVED MY LIFE! So yes, May 18th is a special day for me. There have been struggles and setbacks but I am proud to say I have never touched meat, dairy, or eggs from day one. In the process of exploring the world of veganism and particularly, whole food plant based eating, I have learned so much about myself and the lifestyle. I have lost 85 lbs but it has come with many challenges. Over the last two months I did a 60-day personal challenge as I looked forward to my anniversary. Over the next few weeks I will share details of what that entailed as well as other things I have gleaned over the last 5 years. Stay tuned!
By Laurenzo Thomas June 2, 2022
There is absolutely no question that a plant-based diet and lifestyle has captured the minds and hearts of people everywhere. Whether it's for health reasons, for ethical reasons, or just a change from the ordinary, adopting a plant-based lifestyle is certainly a popular trend right now. But for those who truly see the amazing benefits it is definitely not just a trend. They recognize the tremendous impact it can have on one not just physically but mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. Because of this many have made the decision to embark on the journey; they are in it for the long haul! Perhaps you also have made a conscientious decision to do the same. But are you ready? What does going plant-based really mean? In essence a plant-based diet involves centering your meal choices around plants, plant centric as it were. What do we mean by plants? That would include vegetables, fruits, legumes (i.e. lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas), tubers (i.e. potatoes, yams), root vegetables (i.e. carrots, beets), nuts, and seeds. Particularly, you should strive to have at least half your plate consist of vegetables especially green veggies like kale, collards. or broccoli. Now here at PREAM Nutrition, we emphasize a no meat, no eggs, no dairy diet. In other words, nothing with a mother as Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn would say. Because of this some would label that veganism and it's true sometimes the terms could be interchangeable. We will address that in a later blog, but suffice to say a plant-based diet may allow for meat, processed foods, fried foods , etc... However, if your goal is optimal health as you travel on this journey, you will definitely want to consider avoiding meat altogether as well as processed foods, and what some would term vegan junk foods (do you hear me Doritos and Oreo cookies?) Other obvious factors in this journey are your goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Do you want to prevent or perhaps reverse certain health conditions? Is your aim to lower your carbon footprint? Whatever your goals are, they should be clearly stated so you can keep them in focus as you pursue this plant-based adventure. Having support along the way is paramount to success as well and PREAM Nutrition is here to travel with you, support you, and guide you along the way! So are you ready for this plant-based journey? Take it one step at a time, one day at a time, brace yourself for the inevitable challenges along the way, and you can be sure of reaching your destination and finding success!
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