Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:

I need to apologize for the sabbatical that we have taken from the blog. We have been busy with other things, but are happy to get back into posting material for life and health.

Statistics show that as we approach March, most people are no longer working towards their New Year's Resolution. With that said lets focus on the aspect of growth and positive change.

Setting new goals will require a new way of thinking. Getting results in our lives, will require a new way of living. Finally, if we desire greatness, we must live great regardless of what is happening in life.

Here is a quote that I think we can all relate to and use for our present of performance and our future of greatness.


"With new Hope, we build new lives. Why complain when it rains? This is what it means to be free".

-Lawson Inada-

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:

With today being the Super Bowl, I wanted to find a quote that I believe the Super Bowl represents. I will not even mention the commercialization, the media agendas that are pushed, and some things that may be inappropriate. Unfortunately that is often entertainment and not reality.

However, it does celebrate teams and individuals that have worked hard and overcome adversities. It represents thousands of hours that have put into practice and the great people who work behind the scenes. The revenue alone generated during the Super Bowl and everything related; amounts to the GDP of entire countries. With all that aside, whether you are watching or not, It represents the best two teams in the NFL at this time competing. Are there better teams? Sure, but not better teams right here and right now. They have earned their spot and we can appreciate their efforts to get them to this game.

What then does this mean for the average sports fan or average person? To me this means that we all can look at our lives and work towards a goal of Super Bowl proportion. These athletes are the best in their chosen field. They are the best because they have put in the time and they have worked. Regardless of talent and abilities, it all means nothing when you step on a field and everyone else is competing at the same level and for your spot.

With that in mind lets apply this to life. Life is determined to do the same damage of beating us down and preventing us from success. Thank goodness that it is just mental. Challenges are obvious, greatness is optional! Choose to the best in your field. Choose to be the best spouse, the best partner, the best in your industry, the best in your field, the best parent, etc. You will choose greatness or you will choose mediocrity. Because what you think or what happens to you does not matter in the overall picture.

Choice does matter and it is the only thing that we truly control. We cannot control what other people think about us. We cannot control the conditions that exist in our world, but we can choose our response. Success is really about making small but lasting decisions consistently. The secret is consistency, because it is consistency that causes habit, and habit that determines character.

Have a great Super Bowl weekend and enjoy being great along with everyone who will be performing today.

Win with your attitude

Scott Schwab:

I was asked an interesting question at the gym the other day that made me think. "Why do you work so hard when you're not training for anything"?

This is a fair question and it was in a conversation that this came up. At the time my answer was, "because I want to stay in shape". As I have thought about the question more I have a better answer and one that I think applies to all of us. My answer today is "because I want to live, I want to feel, and I want to be ready at any minute to do battle".

Now that may be a little intense and seem more fitting if I had a axe or was wielding a sword. However, battle to me, means that I am ready for anything. Many things in our lives are increasingly mental. What we deal with, to the functions that we have on a daily basis are largely thought based. I would submit to everyone, that our physical health will make for a stronger mental health.

We know about endorphins and how exercise makes us happier. However, do we know that it helps with our confidence, our body composition, and many functions even down to the elasticity and health of our skin. It is our life blood to reality and to feeling.

If we have no exercise or we do not workout, I believe that we are missing on a huge area of life. Now physical can mean many things and surely everyone gets some amount of physical, right? Wrong, our daily walk from our car to the office or our home to the mailbox should not count as physical.

We would also do well to push ourselves, which introduces another important concept. The concept comes from the heart. I'm am not talking about the heart with ventricles and a beat that would make anyone want to dance. No, I am talking about will power, and effort. I'm talking about the will to live and give it your best, even when things are tough or you "don't feel like it".

We all go through our highs and lows, but let us make sure that our highs are breath taking and our lows require us to dig deep and push even harder. Never, never, never give up or give in. Develop the mental toughness that will come through our physical toughness.

I am not referring to the way you look and your proportion of fat to muscle. I am talking about the simple equation that exercise and fitness will bring results that cannot be quantified just in the body.

I know a guy who is probably about 300 pounds. He is in the pool everyday swimming and he is the nicest most genuine man I have ever met him. His weight does not hold him back and he always has a kind word and a smile. I know that he is happy not because his life is perfect, but because he refuses to quit. He knows that if he can get in an hour at the gym he has a great day no matter what.

It comes down to attitude and attitude is determined by what we do and what we don't do. It comes down to how we think and what we feel about things. Attitude determines the outcome and helps us to truly turn the impossible to possible. More than anything attitude is effected positively by pursuing a healthy lifestyle no matter your size or your weight....

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
The quote of the day comes from an author that I enjoy very much. He is great in person and his books are fun to read. I heard this quote yesterday and thought that everyone needs to hear. At times we worry so much about the tangible and intangible, we miss the simplicity of just going out there and getting it done. I believe completely that if something is important we will have to work for it and change to make it happen. With that said, enjoy the quote below.


"Everything you want in life is located just outside of your comfort zone".

-Robert Allen-

Quote of the Day

Scott Schwab:

I was pondering today about where I am in reference to the World and where I fit in the World. I was looking at my goals for achievement and really what occupies my mind on a daily basis. In a desire and hope to be better and do more, I found a quote that I feel is perfect for review. The answer however, lies within each of us and how we view our World. I have said this before and I will mention again, that a person's perception is their reality! Therefore, we should look at the areas that change perception and not focus so much on change alone.

Perception:

- Experience- (how we categorize events in our life)
- Knowledge- (what we have chosen to keep as important)
- Environment- (Our surroundings of people, geography)
- Emotions/feelings- (what we think and our understanding of self)
- Responsibility- (ability/power to respond)
- Accountability- (action based decisions/application)

Exercise:

*Take the time to ponder what your personal perception is and how it applies to the quote below. By doing some self introspection, you can find the answer to any question or problem.


"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"

-T.S. Eliot-

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:

One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Winston Churchill. Not much more needs to be said than what he has below, besides like with anything....Apply!



"Never give in - never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy".
-Winston Churchill-

Bee Healthy

Scott Schwab:

With all the goodies and great food around, there definitely needs to be a strategy for limits. Setting limits is a positive thing and there is not the "regret factor" when a person was able to set their own limits.

Regret comes when we over indulge, over eat, over anything. Guilt can be something that drives us to greener pastures or happier days. However, often times it has the reverse effect and we feel consumed with all the reasons for why we did or did not do what we had intended.

This is why goal setting alone can be so frustrating and even cause stress. If we are to focus on goals, let us remember that focusing on performance is focusing on the tasks that will get us to our results or end goal. We all want to get to that goal down the road, but putting in the work is something different.

It doesn't have to be different though, and all it takes is a switch in the mentality. Focus on what you will do rather than what you will not do. Be a person of action, and not response. Responding to situations has a variety of outcomes. Deciding on the action will also determine the outcome, but it is predetermined.

Being healthy does take work and it may seem that we may never get there. We are right if we think that. We create our performance by what we think. If we think we can't, we are right. If we think we can, we are right. Believe in yourself and that you have the ability to make the change that you desire.

Goal:

Look to replace honey for sugar and sweets this Holiday season. Honey is great with nutrients and natural sugars that are better for digestion and overall health than man-made sugars.

Do things because you want to not because you have to! When we do not watch our consumption and intake when we are young, though we are living how we want to; that will end in the future when our wants are replaced by the needs that we sacrificed. Our bodies are amazing machines and will work in direct relation to how we treat them. Bee good to your body and your body will bee good to you.

Avoiding the Stress of Holidays

Scott Schwab:

Holiday stress statistics reported by the American Psychological Association show that up to 69% of people are stressed by the feeling of having a “lack of time”, 69% are stressed by perceiving a “lack of money”, and 51% feel stressed out over the “pressure to give or get gifts”.

Stress is the perception of pressure, tension, worry, fear, dread or anxiety. The way we respond to stress can exacerbate, or even create physical and emotional problems.
Stress contributes to problems such as allergies, muscle tension, upset stomach or heartburn, sore throats, sinus infections, colds & flu, migraine or tension headaches, sleep disorders, high blood pressure, angina, heart disease and heart attacks. And many individuals develop unhealthy behaviors to cope with stress: overeating, using alcohol or drugs, or irritability.

Begin reducing your stress today.

• Learn to relax (prepare for stressful situations)
• Control, change, or let go of what you cannot change(control the controllables)
• Create time to do what you enjoy during the holidays(Find reasons to be happy)

Change your reaction to the stressful situation.

• Find the positive
• Slow down. Think before you react
• Learn to recognize when you are upset or worried about things you cannot control or change.
• Avoid spending energy blaming, holding a grudge, or resentment
• Use the word “no” – sometimes you need to set limits

Embrace healthy ways to manage stress.

• Get enough sleep
• Eat & drink in moderation
• Stay on budget
• Plan ahead and don’t overextend yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and delegate when possible
• Relax
• Nurture your relationships
• Use stress management techniques, like deep breathing exercises, visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, exercise or yoga can help manage stress.

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
Life is precious. Too often we look at everything that is necessary, but not what is most important. Honestly when it comes to life and how fragile it is, we would think that we would spend more time with the ones we love.
A nurse who dealt with the terminally ill would ask her patients if they had any regrets. Interestingly, the answers she received over the years never mentioned work. Usually the answers centered around time with family and appreciation for relationships. The most common answer that people gave as a form of regret is not loving their family more and not spending the necessary time with those they loved.
Let us align our perspectives with our morals, standards, and our goals. This will make up our legacy of who we really were. We will be more complete people and it is a fact that we will have more happiness which in turn will give you greater health.
Make it a point this year to repair any damaged relationships. Make a call that will repair a strain in a relationship. More than anything, tell the people who you call family that you love them and that you could not make it without them either in this life or the life after!


"If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or objects."


-Albert Einstein-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
After a long weekend of great events and joy; happiness is a reality. I know that there are many people hurting and who work everyday for happiness. Happiness is a choice and an attitude and not just based on events. If you have ever said something like this "I will be happy when", or "I would be happy but"; there is need for perspective. Be happy despite things that are happening in your life. Be happy because you have a choice. Here is a quote that I found that I thought was good advice.



"No matter how much more mad it may make you, get out of bed forcing a smile. You may not smile because you are cheerful; but if you will force yourself to smile, you'll end up laughing. You will be cheerful because you smile. Repeated experiments prove that when man assumes the facial expressions of a given mental mood — any given mood — then that mental mood itself will follow."

-Kenneth Goode-

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
Today is a great day and attitude is everything. I don't know if anyone else was injured during their Turkey bowl, but I sure was. I don't know if it is old age or I am just more fragile, but my collar bone and rips are killing me. Anyway, our days are what we make them. Rather than living life by having an injury or condition defining who we are and our daily attitude/actions. Let us live great despite our lack of immediate greatness. Be great for yourself, your friends, your family. I read an interesting statistic the other day that 99% of all diseases stem from stress. Eliminate stress and be great.

Here is a quote that I love and a statement that I try and live my life by. Carpe Diem!



“Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” 


-Anthony Robbins-

Pivot properly

Scott Schwab:

An important factor in goal setting and lifestyle changes; are to know when to pivot and to take the steps so that we can succeed. At this point, we are half way through the 8 week challenge. You may have seen great results to this point and things are slowing down, or you have not seen the results you would like and you are coming to the decision to quit or continue?

It is human nature to see our performance and feel like they are not up to our expectations. Pivoting is the ability to look at our current status and make a slight change so that we can keep driving toward our results. This happens in a couple of ways. The first thing to consider is the scenario where you have seen results and may now be stalling. If that is the case, we need to mix things up so that we can continue to get resistance to our muscles. If we have not seen the results we would like, we must continue. Quiting will get us no where closer to our goal, but continued small adjustments will help us eventually see the results we desire.

Pivoting is also a mental state. When we make the decision to give up, our psychology dips into a depressed state, that often causes a binge mentality. Remember that slow and steady wins the race. If it was easy it would not be worth it. Take an inventory of where you are to this point and make some decisions of what needs to change. The only sure thing in life is change. Embrace it, and we will see our performance change to provide us with the insight that leads to results.

There are always things that we can adjust and we should look first to what we are consuming. The food we eat is more responsible for our overall success than the time we spend in the gym or exercising. If we have had weak points, lets resolve to be stronger and avoid those situations. With Thanksgiving upon us, there is a need to make some decisions now so when Thursday comes around we do not lose ground. Make Thanksgiving a free day, but be solid the rest of the days.

Here are a couple of tips to make the adjustments for continued success and to have successful results.

#1 Adjust the workout, to where we can enjoy continued difficulty and reintroduce soreness to the equation. Our goal is not necessarily to feel sore, but to feel what we are doing. Our muscles stop performing when we do the same thing day in and day out. We need to work our muscles if we are to burn calories and fat.

#2 Align our day with small mini meals. This is a hard one, especially with busy schedules and planning ahead. This is the best way to keep our metabolism working and not have an over excess of food. Plan mini meals that are as big as your fist. Shrinking our stomachs with less food, but continued digestion, will turn our bodies into effective machines.

#3 Drink the H2O. Water helps to clean toxins and will also produce more results with our energy and eventual weight loss if we are consuming other sugar drinks. Remember the formula: half your body weight in ounces per day. This will continue to flush the toxins from your body and help with healthy skin, digestion, and overall health.

Mentally prepare yourself

Scott Schwab:

I am going on my 4th day of doing the master cleanse. I  have not eaten food since Sunday. You may think, this guy is crazy! There is some truth to that, however what I have found with this cleanse and also looking at any performance towards a result, I have found that we do things mentally before we do them physically. When we set goals we need to think ourselves through performing the goal itself.

As we encounter this 8 week challenge or any goal, let us break down the psychology behind being successful with the goals that we set.

#1 Realistic goals- For us to have obtainable goals we need to set realistic goals. Realistic goals are measurable based on crystallizing our results. If we want specific results we need to break it down to the performance and the actual step by step process. 

#2 Record your goals- There is no way that we will hold ourselves accountable unless we write it down and can visualize it. The best way to get results is putting the pen to paper and then figuring out the best way to achieve that goal in a given time. Once we have recorded it, we need to give ourselves reminders. One thing recording does is giving us a chance to remember it and giving our subconscious the thought that it is important.

#3 Announce your goals- Not only is it important to announce our goals to ourselves, but it is often times more helpful to have other people hold us accountable. Announcing our goals makes our goals real. Vocalizing is a way for us to put into our thought process the things that are most important. There is no secret as to why people generally become what they are told and what they think about themselves. If you want to change, send a different message to your brain and work towards the performance and not just the result.

#4 Prepare by planning- Part of the process of goal setting is planning what we want to achieve. If we smoke, we may not have success if we keep cigarettes around the house, hang out where people smoke, and place ourselves in situations where smokers are going to be. For weight loss, we need to plan to eliminate the foods that are not healthy. If we fail to plan... we plan to fail. Having meals pre made so we don't have to go out or planning time to be at the gym is part of the planning process of goals.

#5 Sacrifice- I can promise one thing. If a person does not like something, they will not fight very hard to keep doing that thing. If we hate exercise we will not keep going to the gym. If we don't like feeling sore, we will not do the activities that will make us sore. We need to realize that to get results we will face resistance. The very thing we do not like to experience is often times the thing that needs to be done so we can get results. Like a  muscle that is never used, it cannot grow without resistance. Sacrifice the comfort and realize we will encounter discomfort.

Make meaningful goals and make it happen. Achievement ultimately starts and ends with us. Live an accountable life and restore the ability to hold ourselves responsible for what we set out to do. Also never give up! When we give up we not only prohibit ourselves from obtaining that goal, but from a psychological stand point, we actually damage our ability to make goals in the future because we tell ourselves in our inner most thoughts that we really wont perform or we will not follow through. We are not dumb and our minds are the greatest computer in the world. When we set a consistency of not following through it becomes a habit. Our habits eventually end up defining our characters.

Be different and be strong. Start small and  progressively set harder goals for obtainment. This will build our confidence personally and increase the likelihood that our performance will lead to results.

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
Standing firm to our values in a time where watching the news and seeing society would make us think there are not many values left.
Great people hold their values and never surrender in the face of fear, doubt, or contempt. Good people have values, but never seem to know when to stand or when to sit. They will stand for something, but likely it will be at a time of convenience and not a time of hardship. Average people have few values and are those same people who are like a ship without a Rutter. Aimlessly following the wind and the waves, or in the terms of people, the societal fluctuations, fads, and popular things of the world.

Here is a great quote for everyone to implement into our daily lives.

"The most glorious moments in your life, are not the so-called days of success. But rather those days, when out of dejection and despair; you feel a rise in you... a challenge to life... and a promise of future accomplishments."

 

-Gustave Flaubert-

Perspective on Goals...

Scott Schwab:

Recently I attended a meeting where the subject of discussion was goals. Though much was said about goals and the setting of goals, one thing really resonated that I wanted to pass on. "Goals are not so much about results, as they are about the performance." When we think about this small quote, what comes to your mind? For me I have always really pushed myself to get results and have placed less importance upon the performance aspect.

As I was listening it made sense that psychologically, we put unneeded pressure on ourselves, when all we focus on is the results. There are many reasons for this, but I have come up with a couple. #1 We cannot control the external forces or people who may make our goal a reality. #2 Most goals take time to accomplish and therefore require adjustments that we don't see when starting. #3 Intentions are always good, but we must fight the very goal setter (ourselves), for what we want most.

I am the type of person that believes that I create my own luck. I know this is somewhat comical to some and impossible to others, but I believe a good attitude and hard work will go a long way towards achievement. For example, I would like to lose x pounds by y date. If we look at the result of getting to our desired weight by the desired date, we are immediately putting pressure on ourselves that is not always good. Pressure can bring anxiety. One other thing that the sports psychologist was saying is that goal setting is the number one cause of anxiety for most individuals.

Setting goals for some is a nightmare. The reason being, is that we shoot so far past realistic. Our minds may want it, but our body cannot obtain it. This is when we introduce the concept of breaking our goals down and overall being more realistic. When setting a goal, we need to look at our desired results, but shift our focus to the performance. With our example, this would not be getting to the weight by a certain date, it would be more focused on the daily outcome of our efforts. If we desire to lose weight, we need to take it one day at a time and choose to eat the right things, get exercise, and avoid things that we know are not good for performance.

With that in mind, lets change the way our goal setting happens from here till the end of time. No more setting goals outside our reach, but focus on what we will do. This also plays in very well to our accountability measures. For us to have success, we need to focus on the performance of what we will do and also what we will avoid and then let our performance dictate our results.

Win the day......

Scott Schwab:
Each day brings a new set of challenges that can be categorized as mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our day can be impacted most by our attitude and how we look at the day. When we approach the day with the attitude that we will take control of our days outcome, rather than taking control of our day, we obtain totally different results.
Let me explain what I mean. I am a control freak and things have to be just right or I can get annoyed pretty quickly. #1 Who's choice is it to get annoyed? Well that is me. #2 I can't control anything but the way I think and the way I act, really ultimately what I do. So when I try to control the aspects of situations, I lose track of what my goals are for the day.
Do you have daily goals? If you do not, you are a ship without a Rutter. Daily goals flow into our weekly goals. Our weekly goals should flow into monthly benchmarks and these benchmarks will allow us to grow and complete a lifestyle change and transition into a better person by years end. One important thing about improvement is not reacting but acting. When we react to a situation we allow the emotions of a situation to take over. However, if we act we already have a predetermined idea of how we will behave and the standard we hold for ourselves.
When we choose a predetermined response, we can loose connection with the situation or person and end up coming across as unreal, canned, and even insincere. Our daily goal should be improvement for ourselves and helping others with their advancement as well. This concept becomes even more noticeable when we have children of our own, workplace interactions, and community involvement. Someone is always watching. We should not live our lives so concerned with what people will think because people will perceive us how they choose. However, good intentions go a long way and in general people who are sincere have better interpersonal relationships.
On a final note, it should be noted and discussed that personal relationships add or subtract from our health and feeling of fulfillment. Winning the day, is to first choose to do so with ourselves. There is no quicker way of losing the day, than if we choose to degrade ourselves, talk down to ourselves, and have defeating thoughts. It starts by setting goals for the day and continually being positive towards ourselves and the situations that we find ourselves in. We can never assume that someone did something personally to harm us. When we can expect the best from ourselves and look for the best in others, we will win the day by changing the outcome from the inside out. 

Working hard or hardly working

Scott Schwab:
When I hear this saying, it always makes me think of Shrek when he is in the fairy god mother factory trying to fit in. How does this apply to our workouts? Do we look  like we are looking hard but hardly working or we hardly working?
There are a couple of ways that our bodies are trying to tell us something and we need to start listening if we plan to get results.

#1 Muscle Memory- Our muscles get used to the workouts that we do on a daily and weekly basis. If we plan to get results we need to disrupt the pattern of commonality. Confusing the muscles will require our muscles to grow in new ways which will burn more calories and give us the results that we  seek. For continued growth we need continued change.

#2 Frame of mind- If we only think about the things that we have always thought about, we will not make the changes needed in life. Often times we surround ourselves with the people who think like we do, talk like we do, and alas, we  have our friends, our earning potential, and  our future. If we are going to make changes in our life that are significant, we may need a change of scenery. I'm not talking about a physical move although that can help. I'm talking about what we visualize and see ourselves being. How we view the world, others, and ourselves, can always use a dose of optimism and hope.

#3 Meal plan- There are a couple  of myths that need to be debunked. "I want to lose weight so I just wont eat." Our bodies have to have fuel for our bodies to burn calories. Consistently having food will consistently help our focus, our energy, our health, and our weight control. Not eating is not the answer. Balanced and healthy meals 6 times daily is the best way to speed up the metabolism and avoid the peaks and valleys of the energy train.

#4 Water-  Unfortunately this may be the hardest one. With so many options for beverages, often times our last choice is water. I learned the other night that aspartame was not approved by the FDA  when it was first introduced. Sugar and even worse man made sugar is a killer. Literally we don't even realize but the processed additives, dies, coloring, syrups are causing cancer, diabetes, and obesity.  We need to wake up and pass on the flavor and get back to what is natural and what is good for the body.

I know we harp on these things all the time, but they are real, and they will get real results. Lifestyle changes is the key to results, longevity, balance, and growth. Try it for a time; a day, a week, a year and see the difference in how you feel, what you think, and who you become!

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:

I had a great quote sent to me today and thought that I would use it as the quote of the day. I want to thank my friend Jessica Rock for the quote. Make the decision today to have the week that you want to have, regardless of what happens during the week.


"Unless it is MAD Passionate extraordinary LOVE... it is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life. LOVE should not be one of them."

-unknown-

Spiritually Fit to Physically Fit!

Griff Nielson:

Hey All!

Today I want to briefly discuss something that has been on my mind for quite some time. Over the last twelve years of personal training, lifestyle coaching, and public speaking, I have noticed a trend among my most successful clients.  The common thread they share is spiritual awareness.  Ok, hang on . . . don’t freak out on me and click off this article quite yet. Just hear me out!

 Realm Thinking

As human beings, we have the distinct tendency to think in REALMS.  In other words, when you go to work, you think and behave in the “professional realm,” and when you come home to your spouse and kids, you behave in the “parenting realm.”  You might then go to church the next day and try to tap into your “spiritual realm.”   As responsible adults, there are many different hats that we wear, but we often compartmentalize our lives to the point where we are not living “presently.”  Instead, we shift from one mode of thinking and behaving to the next, leaving us feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and often frustrated as our health and fitness suffer.

At this point you are probably asking,  “what does this have to do with my health and fitness, and how is this going to help me in my pursuit of Fitness Mental Mastery?”  Surprisingly, it has everything to do with your pursuit of a healthy lifestyle.

Living Presently

The primary result of “realm-dictated thinking and behavior” is that we often forget we live in this moment right NOW.  We do not live in the past, and we do not live in the future.  This is not to say we should not set goals or learn from the past. Rather, I am saying that life only happens right now, this very moment.  If you truly understand the essence of living presently, it becomes much easier to stay connected with our “spiritual self.”  We often identify with the roles that we have to perform everyday (i.e. father, wife, mother, secretary, engineer, doctor, etc.), which is ok.  It becomes a problem when we identify with those roles to the point that we forget to care for the most important and most relevant realm of our existence: the spiritual realm.  When this happens, it throws us OUT OF BALANCE and, ironically, makes us less productive in all of the previously roles. 

Living presently creates a higher quality of life because it attends to the NOW.  When you are connected to the present moment, you will naturally find that your life falls into balance and your perspective widens.   One of the best books on this subject is A New Earth, by Eckard Tolle.  I would invite you to read this book with an open mind, and I promise it will change your life for the better.

 Spiritual Fitness

Everybody on this planet (including atheists) possesses a deep-seated need to connect with his or her originating source.  Call it God, a higher power, positive energy, source energy, or whatever you deem appropriate according to your beliefs.  The point is that this power is what brings you back into balance.  When you are balanced, you innately possess a higher ability to deal with the demands of life.  It yields clarity and gives you the ability to prioritize your life as dictated by that “higher power.”

Spirituality is a very sensitive and diverse topic, one in which I am not an expert, but I do know that those who possess higher levels of spirituality often tend to take care of their bodies because they are in tune with the needs of their soul.  It is an inverse relationship.  It is impossible to be spiritually fit if you completely neglect your physical body, and it is equally impossible to become physically fit if you care nothing for your spiritual needs.  It is a reciprocal relationship that cannot be neglected or trivialized.

I would like to offer some simple suggestions to help you step back into the spiritual realm of balance.

·         Live presently.  Enjoy the moment and focus on the task at hand without thinking ahead or allowing anxiety to rule your life, and, yes, that is a choice.

·         Take time for yourself.  Set some time aside each day to be by yourself or with your loved ones.  The goal is to have some time where you are not hampered with endless “to-do’s”.

·         Meditate.  This varies for everybody, but find what works for you and devote at least 15 minutes per day.

·         Stop thinking!  I know you are laughing at this one, but I am being serious.  Endless thoughts of responsibilities and goals can hamper your ability to live presently.  I would encourage you to just relax when you get overwhelmed and sense your inner spiritual nature when you get to the point of endless “chatter” in your brain . . . it is telling you to hit the reset button, and you accomplish that by being AWARE of your inner spiritual nature.  Remember that you are a “spiritual being having a human experience, not a human being having an occasional spiritual experience”.

·         Stay in a state of GRATITUDE!  We live in a world of negativity, and it is easy to get sucked in.  Throughout the day, start the practice of naming things that you are grateful for.  This has the wonderful effect of bringing you into the present moment and focusing on the good in your life.  This is the equivalent to spiritual super food!

·         Escape to the OUTDOORS!  We all know that Mother Nature has an inherent ability to show us our spiritual side. 

Well, there you have it my friends!  As I mentioned, I am not an expert or a spiritual teacher, but I do know from personal experience that if you are not attending to your “spiritual realm,” your health and fitness--and your life in general will quickly fall out of kilter.  The answer is simple: put first things first and reap the rewards!  I know that finding true spirituality is different for most, but that is NOT the point.  We all have this deep need, and it is up to us to make sure that we attend to it.

Life is good!

Griff

Quote of the day

Scott Schwab:
In looking at the most important aspect to health and fitness, one cannot forget how important the heart is. Not only the function and the flow of blood, but the actual feeling that someone cares for you. That your voice matters, and that people accept you and actually want to be around you.
Appreciation, or love, is a feeling that extends to all areas of the body and especially strengthens a persons ability to make it through the mental and emotional challenges that we face on a daily basis.
So get out today and this next week to let people know you appreciate them and even use the "L" word so they know they are loved. Love will in fact change the world one person at a time. It will give hope, faith, and energy to a person that will help them accomplish more.


"Our quest is not only to help a person understand our love and appreciation for them; it is to make sure that they cannot mistake or missunderstand our love for them."

-Unknown-