For the most part, we came forth with completely clean slates. As infants, our minds were like sponges. From the moment we arrived, we began absorbing information. The people who were closest to us became our role models and we took on many, if not most, of their habits, mannerisms and alas, their beliefs. The process by which we learn is simply repetition. Over and over again we watch, listen and mimic our way into development and growth. This never really stops. However, we believe that at some point we are finished. In others words, we accept that our beliefs, our bodies, and our minds are what they are and that is that. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Habits are nothing more than actions, thoughts and behaviors that we have practiced for a very long time. Those habits often become so ingrained that they fool us into believing them as if they where THE truth of our being. We have attached ourselves to them emotionally, maybe even physically, and now we believe them to be true for us. The funny thing about beliefs is that they are completely subjective by nature and therefore are inherently changeable. They are actually just opinions. This is really good news indeed. It is no mystery, given how we develop, the approach one must take in order to transform an unwanted habit. Repetition is the answer: practice, practice, practice.
There is one more critical piece necessary in the pursuit of successfully making permanent change. This applies whether one is attempting to change negative thought patterns, physical habits such as implementing a consistent fitness program and/or food plan or even a desire to revamp one's belief system. The important element is the act of taking responsibility for your life and deciding that you are, lovingly, in charge. This is monumental, truly. You are the only one who has the power and authority to recreate your body, mind and spirit... you and you alone AND you are absolutely worth the effort. If you find that you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, I offer you this option. Will it take persistence, determination and dedication? You bet, but the results will be so much greater than you can possible even imagine.
Begin by writing down the things that you are not presently satisfied with about yourself. Do this from a stance of love and appreciation, recognizing that you are a divine creation that has temporarily gotten sidetracked. This list may change over and over again and that is perfectly fine. I have found that most people who are unable to stick to a healthy diet and fitness program need to look carefully at their deeply held beliefs around food and exercise. Just because your parents didn’t workout and eat well does not mean that you can’t break that chain and start anew. It is never too late to begin taking good care of yourself and it’s no surprise that most health problems, even severe ones, are hugely impacted positively by improved health habits. Age is not a legitimate excuse, actually there are NO legitimate excuses...NONE!!! Your health, happiness and peace of mind are all at stake here and I implore you to make the decision to be your own best loving guardian.
No more ifs, ands, or buts. The time has arrived to take charge of your well-being and Springtime is especially apropos...it is a time of renewal. A thorough evaluation of your thoughts, beliefs, actions (or lack thereof) is in order. Be honest and gentle with yourself. Remember that the positive decisions you make will not only improve YOUR body, mind and spirit--but will let you serve as a positive role model for all those who interact with you. Don’t blindly continue to be a link in a chain of pain, disease and diminished quality of life. Choose life--vital, vibrant and brilliant life. That is a legacy worth passing on to generations to come. Happy mind, body, and spirit fitness to all.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
As children, most of us had vivid imaginations. I know I did. I played for hours with imaginary friends pretending to cook, clean, build; and we took infinite adventures to faraway places that were mysterious and exciting. As I grew into a pre-teen, I still fantasized a lot about what I would grow up to become and what it might be like to live in faraway countries. Of course, as a teenager all I could think about was boys, boys, boys, and as I started college it was a time of parties, frolic and fun. By the time I took my first serious job, I had basically forgotten all about my imagination. After all, it was time be an adult and get serious about life. What a mistake that was!
After nearly 40 years in the workforce, three marriages, and one 12-year-old child, I recently came to a new awareness. Now, I truly value my imagination for what it provides. Spending time ‘day dreaming’, fantasizing, and imagining is a far cry from wasting time. For many years I disregarded my imagination as frivolous. I could not have been further from the truth.
Today I highly recommend spending 5-20 minutes daily playing in your imagination. Allowing your mind to create new and exciting possibilities is not only healthy, but imperative for future change to occur. Most people spend inordinate amounts of time dwelling on their current situation be it their health, living space, relationships, bodyweight or any number of things because ‘it is what is’ and it is happening this red hot minute. I say, “Who cares?” and “When did focusing on unwanted things ever bring you what you want anyway?” As counter intuitive as it may feel, imagining life different from ‘what is’ is the only way I have found to successfully create something different. As challenging as this is, it is the ONLY way to release the old and open doors for the new to come in.
It doesn’t matter how sick you are, how broke you are, how overweight you are, or how unhappy you are in your current job or relationship, IF YOU WANT IT TO CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO START IMAGINING IT CHANGED! Set aside 5 minutes before you even get out of bed each morning and 5 minutes every night before you drift off to sleep and imagine whatever you wish to be different as different. Turn up the colors, volume, fragrances, and most of all, allow yourself to feel how good you feel as though you have achieved whatever it is you desire. Stay in that wonderful feeling for as long as you can, milk it, savor it and return to that feeling as often as you can remember to do so. I can promise you that if you commit to this practice for the next 30 days, there will be positive change in your life.
There are many scientific studies in the process of proving the power we wield with our thoughts. But even more amazing are the connections being made between our heartfelt emotions and outcomes. In other words, we cannot go around 24/7 talking about our disease, worrying about it, researching it and basically identifying as that disease, and move toward health. The same is true of excess body weight. If you spend the majority of your day dwelling on how unhappy you are about your weight, how you have had this issue forever and a day, how everyone in your family has it and on and on you go, guess what, you aren’t going to be able to lose weight.
Decide that you are going to be a focused thinker and you are going to spend time contemplating on all the things you imagine in your mind’s eye that excite you, lift your spirits, bring a smile to your face and are generally wonderful to imagine. Give up harping on what you don’t want and become proactive in your mind. Start there and it won’t be long before circumstances and events will begin to change. When that happens, it will support the direction of your new focus. Happy fitness
After nearly 40 years in the workforce, three marriages, and one 12-year-old child, I recently came to a new awareness. Now, I truly value my imagination for what it provides. Spending time ‘day dreaming’, fantasizing, and imagining is a far cry from wasting time. For many years I disregarded my imagination as frivolous. I could not have been further from the truth.
Today I highly recommend spending 5-20 minutes daily playing in your imagination. Allowing your mind to create new and exciting possibilities is not only healthy, but imperative for future change to occur. Most people spend inordinate amounts of time dwelling on their current situation be it their health, living space, relationships, bodyweight or any number of things because ‘it is what is’ and it is happening this red hot minute. I say, “Who cares?” and “When did focusing on unwanted things ever bring you what you want anyway?” As counter intuitive as it may feel, imagining life different from ‘what is’ is the only way I have found to successfully create something different. As challenging as this is, it is the ONLY way to release the old and open doors for the new to come in.
It doesn’t matter how sick you are, how broke you are, how overweight you are, or how unhappy you are in your current job or relationship, IF YOU WANT IT TO CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO START IMAGINING IT CHANGED! Set aside 5 minutes before you even get out of bed each morning and 5 minutes every night before you drift off to sleep and imagine whatever you wish to be different as different. Turn up the colors, volume, fragrances, and most of all, allow yourself to feel how good you feel as though you have achieved whatever it is you desire. Stay in that wonderful feeling for as long as you can, milk it, savor it and return to that feeling as often as you can remember to do so. I can promise you that if you commit to this practice for the next 30 days, there will be positive change in your life.
There are many scientific studies in the process of proving the power we wield with our thoughts. But even more amazing are the connections being made between our heartfelt emotions and outcomes. In other words, we cannot go around 24/7 talking about our disease, worrying about it, researching it and basically identifying as that disease, and move toward health. The same is true of excess body weight. If you spend the majority of your day dwelling on how unhappy you are about your weight, how you have had this issue forever and a day, how everyone in your family has it and on and on you go, guess what, you aren’t going to be able to lose weight.
Decide that you are going to be a focused thinker and you are going to spend time contemplating on all the things you imagine in your mind’s eye that excite you, lift your spirits, bring a smile to your face and are generally wonderful to imagine. Give up harping on what you don’t want and become proactive in your mind. Start there and it won’t be long before circumstances and events will begin to change. When that happens, it will support the direction of your new focus. Happy fitness
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
I don’t know about you but I have recently stumbled upon a realization which is: I am in the habit of continuously seeking. I am forever reaching for more information, more understanding, more proof, more evidence, more, more, more. Here I have been thinking that if I can just gain a better knowledge base, well, THEN I will have what I need to be enough and ultimately...be happy. Suddenly it occurred to me that I am not walking the talk I preach, I am postponing my joy and robbing myself of the happiness that truly is present in each and every ‘now’ moment. Rats, I have gotten sucked back into my old programming once again, those patterns of thought that tell me that I am not smart enough yet, not educated enough yet, and only when I have accumulated ‘enough’ knowledge will I find my way to success, wealth and happiness. BULLPUCKIES!!!
Beliefs such as these are what have limited me and many of my family and friends for their entire lives! I have recently discovered that a belief is often a downright lie. Yes, a group of people from my past decided to think these thoughts over and over again until proof of those thoughts began to show up and then they grabbed ahold of them with both hands and loudly declared, “ See, I told you this was true.” Limiting beliefs become habits of thought from a young age. Therefore, I can easily go ‘unconscious’ regarding them. Then something gives me a wake up call and I am suddenly aware of what I have been doing. After all, many of my limiting beliefs are beliefs I have carried around for 45-50 years now and those buggers are stubbornly ingrained and difficult to change. It is imperative that I choose to be vigilant and watchful or they will slip back into my everyday thoughts. When they do, it takes no time at all for them to gain strength and power because they have such a long and well trodden history. My mind naturally navigates its way back to them IF I am not staying awake and aware.
So, today I declare that I am ENOUGH, right here and right now. There are people with 1/10th of the knowledge I have accumulated who are thriving, joyous and free. I already have everything I need to be the happy, fun loving, enthusiastic person that I am. I no longer need to keep the infamous carrot dangling out in front of me, just ahead of my reach. No, I have re-awoken to the lies that I had once bought into hook, line and sinker and I now choose to know a different truth. MY TRUTH! I am smart enough, knowledgeable enough, and most importantly, conscious enough to think thoughts that serve me versus those that limit me. No one can create my life for me. It is and always has been up to me to choose happiness NOW because honestly, the future is a complete illusion, a carrot waving out there enticing me and yet stealing my ‘in this moment’ joy. Today I release those old limited beliefs and consciously choose to know that within me are all the answers to all the questions and I am absolutely more then ENOUGH, right here and right now.
I invite you to look at your own patterns of belief and ask yourself, one by one, “Does this belief serve and uplift me?” If you find yourself feeling repressed, or worse, depressed by the belief, I promise you two things. #1.) It is absolutely NOT YOUR truth and #2.) It is a primary block to your living the life of joy and happiness we all so desire. The reality is this, no one has control over your thoughts but you. So once you have identified some of your limiting beliefs...let them go, simply release them. Start today to remind yourself that you are already enough and that as you live joyously, in love and appreciation for what you have now, more will follow. That is truth you can take to the bank. Happy mind, body, and spirit fitness to all.
Beliefs such as these are what have limited me and many of my family and friends for their entire lives! I have recently discovered that a belief is often a downright lie. Yes, a group of people from my past decided to think these thoughts over and over again until proof of those thoughts began to show up and then they grabbed ahold of them with both hands and loudly declared, “ See, I told you this was true.” Limiting beliefs become habits of thought from a young age. Therefore, I can easily go ‘unconscious’ regarding them. Then something gives me a wake up call and I am suddenly aware of what I have been doing. After all, many of my limiting beliefs are beliefs I have carried around for 45-50 years now and those buggers are stubbornly ingrained and difficult to change. It is imperative that I choose to be vigilant and watchful or they will slip back into my everyday thoughts. When they do, it takes no time at all for them to gain strength and power because they have such a long and well trodden history. My mind naturally navigates its way back to them IF I am not staying awake and aware.
So, today I declare that I am ENOUGH, right here and right now. There are people with 1/10th of the knowledge I have accumulated who are thriving, joyous and free. I already have everything I need to be the happy, fun loving, enthusiastic person that I am. I no longer need to keep the infamous carrot dangling out in front of me, just ahead of my reach. No, I have re-awoken to the lies that I had once bought into hook, line and sinker and I now choose to know a different truth. MY TRUTH! I am smart enough, knowledgeable enough, and most importantly, conscious enough to think thoughts that serve me versus those that limit me. No one can create my life for me. It is and always has been up to me to choose happiness NOW because honestly, the future is a complete illusion, a carrot waving out there enticing me and yet stealing my ‘in this moment’ joy. Today I release those old limited beliefs and consciously choose to know that within me are all the answers to all the questions and I am absolutely more then ENOUGH, right here and right now.
I invite you to look at your own patterns of belief and ask yourself, one by one, “Does this belief serve and uplift me?” If you find yourself feeling repressed, or worse, depressed by the belief, I promise you two things. #1.) It is absolutely NOT YOUR truth and #2.) It is a primary block to your living the life of joy and happiness we all so desire. The reality is this, no one has control over your thoughts but you. So once you have identified some of your limiting beliefs...let them go, simply release them. Start today to remind yourself that you are already enough and that as you live joyously, in love and appreciation for what you have now, more will follow. That is truth you can take to the bank. Happy mind, body, and spirit fitness to all.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
We have all heard it hundreds of times, “ Eat your fruits and vegetables.” But how many of us actually accomplish ingesting 5-7 servings a day? Not the majority of us, I can promise you that. Yet one of the ongoing complaints that I hear weekly, if not daily is, “I can’t seem to get my weight to budge” or “I cannot lose any weight even though I am exercising regularly...what’s up with that?” There is much more to getting the scale to show positive results than just exercise or just eating right or just one of anything. We are complex beings who have minds, bodies, as well as souls, and when we begin to take care of all of our aspects, change is inevitable...every time.
For today, I want to bring your awareness back to the nutrition component because it is one of those areas that so many find slippery. Getting enough calories is as important as getting too many. But even more critical is where those calories come from. The body needs plenty of fiber and nutrients to be truly satisfied. When you eat an excessive amount of high carbohydrate foods that are mostly empty calories nutritionally speaking, you are setting yourself up for cravings and disaster.
The recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables is a very important component to maintaining and/or losing weight because, for one thing, the fiber in those foods helps to slow down digestion. As we eat our foods each day, if they are passing through us very quickly due to lack of fiber, the bowel does not get the time it requires to absorb the nutrients out of those foods. Secondly, fruits and vegetables are absolutely loaded with nutrients that our bodies need, which is another reason why it is necessary to do our best to work them into our diets. If weight loss is high on your list, I highly recommend that you consider this challenge. For one full month, make a real commitment to get at least 4 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit every day. Yes, it takes planning, however, if you stick to this plan two things are going to happen. First, after a week or so you will stop having those weird cravings that seem to come out of the blue. Next, you are going to feel genuinely full and satisfied after each meal and consequently, your hunger will be kept at bay. These are both cornerstones to successful weight loss and to the added benefit of feeling energetic and vital. You see, when your body is getting the proper nutrition and that nutrition is being assimilated into your body in a steady and continuous manner, your energy levels must go up. By deciding to eat in this way you will feel better physically and the scale will begin to go down. You will be satiated and stop nibbling all the time and you will have more energy throughout the day, all because you chose to get adequate fruits and veggies into your diet.
Truly, we have been given remarkable bodies that serve us 24/7 in so many amazing and wonderful ways. It really is the least we can do to provide adequate fuel to this hard working machine. It wants you to be healthy, vibrant and energetic but it cannot be that without your commitment and cooperation. It always boils down to taking responsibility for your health and well-being because the truth is, no one else can or even wants to, do it for you. I’m afraid there is still no magic pill and chances are, there never will be. Keep a positive attitude, exercise regularly, eat your 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables. And don’t forget to give thanks to the powers that be for this body, for this opportunity to live life and for all the blessings we are so fortunate to have living in the good old USA. Life is uncertain so decide to cherish every minute, even the not so pleasant ones, for the alternative is ...well not really inviting, if you know what I mean. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
For today, I want to bring your awareness back to the nutrition component because it is one of those areas that so many find slippery. Getting enough calories is as important as getting too many. But even more critical is where those calories come from. The body needs plenty of fiber and nutrients to be truly satisfied. When you eat an excessive amount of high carbohydrate foods that are mostly empty calories nutritionally speaking, you are setting yourself up for cravings and disaster.
The recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables is a very important component to maintaining and/or losing weight because, for one thing, the fiber in those foods helps to slow down digestion. As we eat our foods each day, if they are passing through us very quickly due to lack of fiber, the bowel does not get the time it requires to absorb the nutrients out of those foods. Secondly, fruits and vegetables are absolutely loaded with nutrients that our bodies need, which is another reason why it is necessary to do our best to work them into our diets. If weight loss is high on your list, I highly recommend that you consider this challenge. For one full month, make a real commitment to get at least 4 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit every day. Yes, it takes planning, however, if you stick to this plan two things are going to happen. First, after a week or so you will stop having those weird cravings that seem to come out of the blue. Next, you are going to feel genuinely full and satisfied after each meal and consequently, your hunger will be kept at bay. These are both cornerstones to successful weight loss and to the added benefit of feeling energetic and vital. You see, when your body is getting the proper nutrition and that nutrition is being assimilated into your body in a steady and continuous manner, your energy levels must go up. By deciding to eat in this way you will feel better physically and the scale will begin to go down. You will be satiated and stop nibbling all the time and you will have more energy throughout the day, all because you chose to get adequate fruits and veggies into your diet.
Truly, we have been given remarkable bodies that serve us 24/7 in so many amazing and wonderful ways. It really is the least we can do to provide adequate fuel to this hard working machine. It wants you to be healthy, vibrant and energetic but it cannot be that without your commitment and cooperation. It always boils down to taking responsibility for your health and well-being because the truth is, no one else can or even wants to, do it for you. I’m afraid there is still no magic pill and chances are, there never will be. Keep a positive attitude, exercise regularly, eat your 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables. And don’t forget to give thanks to the powers that be for this body, for this opportunity to live life and for all the blessings we are so fortunate to have living in the good old USA. Life is uncertain so decide to cherish every minute, even the not so pleasant ones, for the alternative is ...well not really inviting, if you know what I mean. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
