Tag: Motivation

NOW IS THE TIME TO TRY 💪

One of the greatest pieces of advice that took me years to understand came from one of my grandparents. I am not sure which, but it was a simple warning. “Life goes by quicker the older you get.” As a young man, I thought that was the stupidest thing I heard. After all, a year is a year, a day is a day and even an hour is always 60 minutes. Sitting here just shy of 50, a whole new appreciation for that line has taken place. There are so many things in my life that seem like they occurred in a different lifetime. Not to mention hearing songs that you thought were released ‘a few years ago’ on the oldies station.

When we are young, very few of us give serious thought to the future. Sure, we have plans and things we would like to do or accomplish. Seldom do we take actions to make sure those goals are achieved. One of the greatest blessings in my life has been my open-heart surgery and brief flirtation with death. It was as if the creator was reminding me, “Hey kid, it can be over without any warning.” Far too often it is. People we loved are gone often unexpectedly. “If I had only known.” we hear ourselves saying. If we confront a hard truth, don’t we all know? Raise your hand if you are completely unaware that someone can seem to be in amazing health and be gone the next day. It would be my guess very few of us have our hands up. We all know this fact.

It might not be the start of your life, but you are being told – there are only so many tomorrows. This is not fatalistic. It is true. The clock is ticking and it doesn’t run backwards. Every second in life is precious. It is time we start viewing them that way in the present and not just in reflection. Whatever you want to someone to know, tell them. Whatever dream you want to chase, chase that dream. The worst end we can experience is one filled with regret.

We may prefer not to dwell on the fact that the end is ever approaching, but I think some casual attention on the matter would serve us well. Could this be the last time you spend with your friend? Unlikely, but a possibility. Something as simple as fully appreciating the food at that restaurant you love in case they close unexpectedly. Life is full of ends and beginnings. Let us cherish each and every one of them.

ONLY 3 MONTHS LEFT! 😳

Time is ticking my friends! Whatever goals you have set for the year are still a possibility. What you need to do is get rid of the distractions. It is not just Betty who keeps on bringing over doughnuts, or Bob who keeps telling you that you can come over and watch the game and eat pizza instead of going to the gym. It is also your phone, your social media account, the television remote and Netflix. Whatever is keeping you from accomplishing your goals is the enemy.

For the rest of the year, focus on you! That way we can bring the best version of ourself to the rest of the world next year. We can improve every aspect of our life at once by improving ourself. How can you improve the version of you that shows up to work everyday? How can you improve the version of you that you bring to your relationship? Even a general improvement in yourself such as your physical fitness or overall health will positively impact every area of your life. Can you imagine how much more productive a healthy version of you would be at work? Would more energy and stamina brought to your relationship improve it? I think we all know the answer to that.

For the remainder of this year, focus on you and improving you. If this makes you feel guilty, remember it is actually one of the most selfless things you can do. Creating a better version of yourself will benefit all of those you come in contact with. What are some ways in which you will work on creating a better version of you in these last three months of the year?

YOUR ORIGINAL WEIGHT ⚖️

In a world full of Instagram models, social media filters and AI photos, far too many of us are chasing unrealistic and unhealthy goals. That model you are aspiring to look like may spend all day in the gym, have a professional chef and maybe even cosmetic surgery. The picture of a fitness guru may be airbrushed or altered in some way. What may be healthy for them, may not be healthy for us. Speaking of health, is that what you are chasing, or just an appearance? Have you given any thought to the inner beauty you have and how you can improve that?

One of the things that can drive us crazy is picking some arbitrary goal. “I would love to get down to my weight when I was ____.” someone will say. Forgetting that our bone density, hormonal profile, level of activity and many other factors have changed. Even picking one factor, such as weight, is a mistake. With the new smart scales, it can give you a much clearer picture of what your weight actually means. How much is fat? How much is water? How much is muscle? You may be healthier at a slightly higher weight depending on these factors.

Next time you are tempted to chase some arbitrary goal, think of this silly picture. You should not worry about going back to some version of you that you used to be, and focus on being the best and healthiest version of who you currently are.

USE THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE WORLD 🌎

Do you know those people who cannot seemed to be stopped? You know the ones. Every obstacle seems to push them even more forward. If they do experience a setback, they dust themselves off and get right back at it. They seem full of energy, even after a long day. Instead of feeling envy for these wonderful folks, let us learn from them. What is it that they possess that would change our lives and give us a life like we described above?

We touched briefly on the importance of a ‘why’ last post, but let us dive a little deeper on the subject. Your ‘why’ is more than just the reason you are doing something. It is your emotional connection to the desired outcome. One of the easiest ways to get to a powerful ‘why’ is to keep asking that very question. You want to get healthy, why? Perhaps to look better in your clothing. Why is that important? It will give you a greater self-confidence. Why is that important? It will make you more likely to put your self out there. Why is that so important? It will help you take advantage of opportunities in the dating world, the career world or any other world that excites you. Why is that important? It could lead you to job satisfaction, a healthy relationship or success in whatever field you are in. Why is that important? It will give you a life of peace, purpose and love.

As you can see, developing a strong ‘why’ can set your soul on fire and give you a drive and purpose that lacking a why will never give you. Keep asking yourself why something is important to you. Write down your answers to help you keep track. Before long you will have a soul that will set the world on fire and nothing will be able to stop you.

SECRET TO STAYING DISCIPLINED 🤫

Discipline is one of the great keys to success. With enough discipline, you can accomplish any goal you are striving after. It takes discipline to get in shape. It takes discipline to fix your eating. Trust me when I tell you that it takes a great deal of discipline to write a book. Even doing these blogs everyday would not be possible without a degree of discipline. One of the trickiest things is how to stay disciplined. We all know the power of discipline, sticking to it is the difficult part. Being disciplined in our discipline.

The quote above provides a good tool to do just that. Think of someone who believes in you. It could be your parents, your spouse or a really good friend. Can you picture them professing their belief to others? How would we feel making them look like fools just because our lack of discipline? Many of us will do more for those we care about than for ourselves. Discipline is no different. If your goals and the fact that you can achieve anything with enough discipline doesn’t fire you up, maybe this will.

If you are finding it difficult to stay disciplined, first take a hard look at your ‘why’. Why is what you are doing so important to you? That may be the issue. If you remind yourself of your ‘why’ and it is strong enough, you should have no problem staying disciplined. If, however, you still find yourself unable to stay focused on the tasks you need to do, consider the fact you will be letting down those who believe in you. These people are usually the ones closest to us. Nobody wants insult or make a fool of those they care about. This alone may keep us disciplined.

THE HEAVIEST WEIGHT 🏋‍♀️

As soon as I heard this quote, it became one of my new favorites! You think of all these people on squat racks lifting insane amount of weight. You think of men with huge arms doing bicep curls. Still, the heaviest and hardest weight at the gym is the front door. Not literally. Most are made of lightweight material. I believe the doors at my gym are mostly glass. It is the heaviest because actually opening the door and beginning your workout is one of the most difficult things to overcome. It reflects the law of motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. To overcome that urge to stay on the couch takes a great amount of effort.

This is something to keep in mind when you are either starting to workout, or like me, working to stay consistent. There is not all bad news. The other part of the law of motion states An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Meaning, once you get into a disciplined routine of fitness and healthy eating, it becomes easier to maintain. It is in overcoming that initial resistance that most of the work will be required. As you get in shape, staying there is easier than getting there. Climbing the mountain is a lot more difficult than staying at the top.

Keep this in mind as you begin your fitness journey. Once you tackle the weight of the front door, the weights inside the gym will become a lot easier.

SEPARATE YOURSELF 💪

This picture says a lot. In today’s world, everyone is looking for a quick fix. The latest trend is weight loss injections. No doubt there is some benefit for those whose weight is causing a health emergency, but that is not who seems to be the majority of who is taking it. As a society we are looking for a quick fix. Nobody wants to spend months adjusting their behavior and eating style. Why would you when there is a shot you can take that will do it for you? There are several very important reasons. Let us take a look at a few.

One of the main reasons is the complications these medications can create. There are now stories of individuals suing the makers of these drugs because they will no longer be able to eat regular food, as in the rest of their life. I am sure these cases of negative reactions are far and few between, but that is too much of a risk for me to take. Another reason is what you fail to gain by taking the ‘easy way out’. It takes discipline, control over our own urges and emotions to change our diet and lifestyle. Gaining control over our minds when it comes to eating healthy and being consistent in our workouts will transfer positively into the rest of our lives. You could be more disciplined at work. You could control your emotions in your relationship. These benefits would serve you well.

Lastly, there is the feeling of accomplishment. Engaging in the above discipline will give us something to be proud of. The inner health we accomplish through the discipline of fitness on a consistent level is something to be proud of. Where as taking an injection has both risks, and little in return of health and feelings of accomplishment.

In any endeavor, there is the easy way to get ahead and there is the right way. Very rarely are these two things the same. You could see some benefits when it comes to taking the easy way, but that is usually in the short term and at a cost. Doing things the right way may seem more difficult and take much longer, but what you gain and who you become is what makes all the difference.

6 ENERGY DRAINERS

As we prepare for the week ahead, let us be on the lookout for these energy draining activities. Knowing what to look for, and what to avoid, we assure that we have enough energy to make it through the week.

BEFORE IT EXPIRES! 😳

The other night I had a heartbreaking experience I am sure many of you have had. Reaching into my pocket, I found a rather good coupon. $10 off it said. It happened to be on a product I use, and was in current need of. While I was at the store, I placed the item in the cart and proceeded to the checkout. With the price of everything going up, I was happy to be saving that amount of money.

As the cashier scanned my items, I handed her the coupon. She scanned it and then looked up at me with a kind of look that was a mixture of shock and disappointment. “This coupon expired.” she stated. After a dramatic pause, she added “It expired last year.” Apparently I need to check my pockets more often. This valuable ten dollar offer was now just a useless piece of paper. Embarrassed, I just paid and left.

I thought about how many times Margie and I have scrambled to use coupons before they expire. Occasionally, even stocking up on an item just to take advantage of the money saving. Then I came across this quote and pondered how many of us realize our life, much like our coupons, have an expiration date. The tricky bit? We never know when that is.

We scramble to save a dollar off a gallon of milk, but do we work as hard to make the most of our life before it expires? If you had a date stamped on your backside that send when you expired, how long would you wait to start making the most of your life? Would you wait until the date was almost upon you to start acting? Would you start now and take the most advantage of it?

What is tragic is that far too many of us find ourselves in the situation that I did in the grocery store. We wanted to put our life to good use, but now it is expired. I have known many people who had great plans and ambitions, but never realized them before their expiration date. Les Brown says the richest place in the world is the grave yard. There you will find books never written, albums never recorded, love never expressed, and dreams never realized.

Don’t let your expiration date catch you by surprise. Make the most of your life today! Write that book, record that album, tell that special person you love them. Most of all, whatever it is, chase the dream. There are only so many more tomorrows.

IT IS LOVE, NOT AN ATTACK.

Recently, I hired a personal trainer. I have been going to the gym three times a week for years now. Getting another person’s, and a professional, guidance seemed like a good thing to throw in the mix. Between her knowledge of the fitness realm mixed with my knowledge of my body, we can get a lot accomplished. That is, if I am willing to work with her. Some of the things she has me do makes my muscles sore and certainly works muscles I may not use as often as I should. Although there is occasional cursing under the breath, it is not directed at her. After all, what she is having me do will make me a leaner and stronger person in the end.

This seems pretty obvious when it involves a personal trainer. The tricky part is when it also comes from those we love giving us constructive criticism. When we hear anything about us that is not pleasant, our first thought is often to rebel against it. This could include countering the point the person has made, or maybe even coming up with a return criticism of our own. In doing so, we miss the gift this could offer us. An outside view of an area of our person that may be lacking in some fashion.

When we are pushed to improve, it can not only be an act of love, but a demonstration of belief. It is showing that the other party believes that we can be better than what we truly are. It is true that this can still be difficult. This is especially true when the other party is not very skilled at delivering this pushing of us to get better. What will make us great is being able to take that criticism, no matter how it is delivered, and act instead of reacting. Thanking someone for pushing us to become greater despite how uncomfortable it makes us feel, is a secret to an amazing life.