A Thought

“What we do upon some great occasion will probably depend on what we already are; and what we are will be the result of previous years of self-discipline.” 
- H.P.Liddon

I believe within each of us there is an undying passion for something, if not a few things, in life. I also believe these are the subjects that once harnessed, can change a persons work...to play. However, for many, we are raised to be 'this' or 'that' because of 'this' or 'that', with no regards to the inner voice. Decisions made on practicality, and perhaps even worldliness, tend to bring incomplete happiness in the long run. To turn one's back on a passion so deeply instilled is to turn ones back on a happiness not otherwise felt, and even a successful, perhaps lucrative future.

People are so quick to judge a successful person. I believe behind every success is a story of setbacks, failures, self-discipline, determination, passion, and a relentless desire to stay the course, and reach their goals. Instead of judging, I suggest looking at their ways. Learn from them, and perhaps pattern some of the things in your own life if it's a good fit with your goals and desired outcome.

Health!

You Are What You Eat...? Or, You Are What You Expect of Yourself?

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

What are you expecting? Are you expecting to succeed or merely hoping? Are you expecting to land that job or waiting to see what happens? Are you expecting a successful marriage or taking it for granted day by day? Are you expecting success with your fitness goals, training well, but eating poorly? All these questions are valid and important.

I KNOW WHAT TO DO. I KNOW WHAT I WANT. 

WHY AM I NOT DOING IT?

We've all been there, seriously. We've all experienced a goal we greatly desire to achieve, and despite our best efforts, well-meaning intentions, and burning desire.....it forever seems to evade us. Look at losing weight. How many people do you know wants, and tried, year after year, to lose weight? They know they need to exercise, have a good idea what they should and should not be eating, do well for a few days or perhaps a week, or maybe even a few months, then it all goes to pot. Why?

CONSCIOUS AND SUBCONSCIOUS THOUGHT

This is where it's all at. We think consciously. We act consciously. Well, some of the time. Here's the catch. It's what's in our subconscious that will determine what we think, say, and do when we're on 'auto-pilot'. That's right, autopilot. Don't kid yourself, you're on auto-pilot several times throughout the day. When you're distracted, many times you go on auto. When you're stressed, auto. Emotionally charged....auto. You'll find your subconscious leading you places you really don't want to be, yet it's hard for many to recognize they're no longer thinking for themselves, and well, plans get thwarted, dreams are put aside, relationships suffer, and goals seem forever unachievable.

WHAT'S IN THE SUBCONSCIOUS?

Anything you can imagine, really. The subconscious is non-objective, it accepts whatever is allowed in, and here's the key...it accepts it as reality. Whatever you heard drilled into your mind as a child, is likely running at full bore. Does this mean we blame our parents? No, it's not that easy. Once upon a time you could blame mom and dad, the teachers, etc., but once you hit 16-18 years old your brain waves change. These changes in brain waves are a natural part of maturing and cause you to test what you have been taught. It's at this point in life that you must now reckon with what you've been dealt with. If you haven't already, which many of us haven't, you must evaluate what's in the subconscious and either save, or discard. How do you know what's in there? Check out the things you do on auto, say on auto, react on auto, etc., this is your subconscious. Don't like it? Change it.You're the only one who can.

SELF-TALK

What you've told yourself about yourself is very much alive and living in the subconscious. Pictures, music, relationships, beliefs, and attitudes are stored in here.... as treasures. Only, some are to your disadvantage. Others are to your advantage. YOU must be brave enough to call them forth and deal with them, or they will forever run your life. No joke.

WORKING WITH AND TRAINING THE SUBCONSCIOUS

The good news is you can change what goes into your subconscious. To work with your mind on both conscious and subconscious levels, you must use your conscious mind. This is a daunting task at first, as you must be aware of EVERY thought you have and monitor it's origination, then deem it valuable to you or not, before allowing yourself to make a decision. Buy into it or not? Think of the thought as a sales person at your door selling you either a good quality product that's a steal of a deal or a bunch of B.S.

PRIME TIME

The best time to put new information into your subconscious is just prior to sleep. The state of mind just prior to falling asleep is called 'Alpha'. Alpha is the same state people are brought into within minutes of watching television and movies, hence, each time a person is 'watching', they are also being programmed at the subconscious level. Movie and television producers have known this for a long, long time, and use it to their advantage 24/7. All the more reason to stay 'conscious' of what you're thinking and make course corrections as you deem fit.

The tricky part about alpha state is that it's so easy to fall asleep within minutes, the way around this is to meditate. Meditation is bringing the body and brain to a state of relaxation, clearing the mental chatter and sinking into thoughts of what it is you desire to achieve. Meditation has been found to reduce stress levels, lower blood pressure, alleviate depression, and calm anxiety - all of which run lead to disease and discord - meditate daily.  Meditation will also bring one to an alpha state and allow them to 'program' themselves. 

During the alpha state - take a good 15 minutes or so and not only tell yourself what you expect of yourself, but visualize it as well, and to top it off, add emotion to it. Fall asleep with these positive thoughts, visuals, and emotions and you'll be on a road to success!

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

success |səkˈses|
noun
the accomplishment of an aim or purpose : the president had some success in restoring confidence.
• the attainment of popularity or profit : the success of his play.
• a person or thing that achieves desired aims or attains prosperity : I must make a success of my business.
• archaic the outcome of an undertaking, specified as achieving or failing to achieve its aims : the good or ill success of their maritime enterprises.

This is what you want, yes? Success in reaching your goals? 

Let's do it! Get started today!

Health!!

Gimmicks....Don't Buy Into Them!

 "Eat these Five Foods and Lose Your Body Fat"

"Click on the Physique you Like and we'll tell you What Supplements to take to get It"

 "Lose 1-2 lbs. a Day with HCG Drops"

I just love headlines like these. Leading yet more and more Americans astray. Take a pill. Take some drops. Seriously? 

DO NOT BE MISLEAD

Too many people are in a quiet state of desperation while struggling with their weight. When are we going to learn that what you see, hear, and read about everything, is....

MARKETING |ˈmärkiti ng |
noun
the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising - Including BS!

There's plenty of mighty good marketers out there. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to notice how strongly marketing is geared towards 'Holidays', and when there isn't a holiday close enough they'll target 'Seasonal' items. 

In the wake of the post-holiday general weight gain aftermath, many people find themselves struggling to lose the weight. They hear about how 'so and so'  lost an incredible amount of weight fast, and they want to hear all about it. People are always looking for a shortcut. Anything worthwhile is going to take effort, dedication, focus, persistence, sacrifice and work!!!

BACK TO THE BASICS

Nothing has changed folks. Losing body fat is a matter of eating lean, clean, whole foods, exercising, drinking plenty of water daily to keep your body flushed out, and above all a 'Can Do' state of mind. 'Try to' doesn't cut it. 'Want to' doesn't cut it. Forget the pills, drops, gadgets you see on television, and severely restricted diets. Walk, run, climb, swim, push, pull, jump, skip, pedal, lift boxes, barrels, rocks, cans, small and large objects, heck, lift and carry people around...your kids will LOVE it! 

My kids love to pick me up and carry me around, seriously. It all started when my daughter, Chantelle, who was five at the time asked me, "Mom, can I try picking you up?" "Sure", I said. I stood trying not to laugh at the thought of this little girl trying to pick me up. I laughed even harder when she did it!! Then she wanted to do it again, and again, and again. It wasn't long before she started taking a few steps while holding me up around the legs. By eight years, she would pick me up and carry me down the hallway round trip, on her back....yep, all for FUN!.  A few years later, she offered to carry her Uncle who stands six feet minimum and weighed roughly 186, down the hallway. She did it, and then she carried him down the stairs!

WHAT'S THE POINT?

The point I want to make here is how natural using our body really is. All the added gidgets and gadgets? I'll admit, I like a run on the treadmill come winter when roads are cold and icy. Ditto a stationary bike, ARC trainer, etc., the type of gidgets and gadgets I'm talking about are the ones you find advertised on television for just three easy payments of $14.99. Don't waste your time or money! Man evolved many a decade by good old fresh air, sunshine, healthy attitude, diverse terrain, and chores to boot. Be creative!

PERFECT WHAT?

Nothing is perfect except imperfection. Do what you like. Eat reasonable portions, read labels, honestly, if you're eating clean enough there really won't be much reading involved, but if you're looking at man made items, READ EVER SO CAREFULLY. 

WHAT TO DO?

Step out of your box. Then jump on and off your box. Then throw your box as far as you can. Then load your box with rocks and carry it for a few miles, run home with it, lift it overhead several times, set it down and squat on it a few hundred times, next, tie a rope around it, and pull it around the block, push it up a hill, then...and only then, my friend, you may sit on it and begin doing leg lifts, crunches, push-ups, step-ups, and cart wheels over the top. When you've had all the fun you possibly could have, sit next to your lovely box and drink your protein shake, enjoy the view, breath in all that fresh air, and clear your mind. Refreshing? Indeed! 

You've got the idea, now run with it, literally.

Forget about the marketing, listen to your inner voice. 

Health!