Preparing to leave, I had no idea what to expect, but I felt excited none-the-less. It was about a quarter to 6:00pm and the event started at 7:30. I double checked to make sure nothing on my checklist was forgotten, and out the door I went to the Connect To Fitness Event taking place at Lulu Lemon Athletica at 7:30.
After planning this event for a couple months, I rethought the process on my way to pick up a generous donation from Tropical Smoothie Café off of Horizon Ridge and smiled to myself as the sun gleamed down and made my eyes squint. Pulling into Tropical Smoothie, I walked in, introduced myself once again and was greeted by the owner, Dan Lasker, who ever-so-graciously donated an ENTIRE, packed cooler of over fifty regular size smoothies for me to take to the event. After talking with him for a little bit and exchanging ‘thank-yous’, I got back in my car and began my journey down to Lulu Lemon Athletica in the Fashion Show Mall off of Las Vegas Boulevard on the glamourous Strip of Las Vegas. The music on the radio was remixed by the ice in the cooler shaking around. In that very moment, I thought to myself that life doesn’t get any better.
Admiring my surroundings and looking up at the larger-than-life buildings that make up the incredible 7-mile Strip, I felt a wave of accomplishment as I pulled into the self-parking garage at Fashion Show Mall and parked on the second floor. From there I was greeted by the man behind the vision of Connect To Fitness, Dr. Darian Parker, who, as usual, was kind enough to assist in lugging in all my bags and the smoothie cooler. Having never been to the Fashion Show Mall, I was taken aback as we walked through the absolutely breath-taking shopping center and felt humbled once again at how over-the-top and outrageous Las Vegas really is. While traversing on the second story, I peered down below to the first level over the balcony that passed me by and admired all the glitz and glamour all around me in both my surroundings as well as the other people in the shopping center. To my left, shop owners were finishing their closing duties and a few doors closed up shop in passing as well. While carrying on a conversation with Darian he pointed out that we were headed to the red ‘horse-shoe looking thing’ in the distance, so it was there that I kept my focus as we neared our destination.
As we approached Lulu Lemon, another wave of excitement went through me as I realized this was it. This was our moment to shine and that is exactly what we were going to do. We finally arrived and walked through the giant, red horse-shoe and I briefly stopped to admire the giant yellow ‘Lulu Lemon Athletica’ sign encasing the horse-shoe. Putting my smile on once again and never taking it off the entire night, I walked wide-eyed into Lulu Lemon and was graciously welcomed by both the actual employees AND the customers! What a place! Every color imaginable was either embellished into the walls and displays or mixed in with the huge selection of athletic wear that was displayed so perfectly. Over to my left was the check-out counter with some eye-catching artwork on the walls around the desk and the display case on the far right wall. As customers browsed the isles, I walked around and couldn’t help but admire the work and creativity that had gone into making this place so stimulating. Colorful hoodies, yoga and fitness pants lined the left-hand wall and encircled to the back where it eventually meets up with the changing room and restroom area. Set up next to the changing rooms was a large container of crystal clear water with lemons floating tranquilly near the brim. Heading over to the right side of the store, you come face to face with a display case overflowing with yoga mats of every shade and more clothing displays with t-shirts, undergarments, tank-tops, shorts, adorable purses, and of course the adorable mannequins posing in the front windows wearing the most trendy fitness gear available. Centered in the middle of the store as a median, is a display of clothing parallel to the walls on either side. Hanging on the front of the display facing the entrance is a giant, hand-made ‘book’ of all things Lulu Lemon. From advertising and photos to research and exercise, this creation was truly remarkable to look at as each giant ‘page’ had so much thought and work behind it. There was even a Connect To Fitness page designed by CTF Volunteer Coordinator (and Lulu Lemon employee), Heather Doane.
As the rest of the mall was closing down, our event was just getting started. Guests were piling through the door right at 7:30 and continued to pile in sporadically throughout the event as people stopped by. A CTF table was set up in front where I stood to greet guests, have them sign-in and make name tags and where they also received their raffle ticket for our prize giveaways. On the side of the table were the cooler of Tropical Smoothies as well as another cooler of bottled water and Vitamin Water sponsored by the Professional Fitness Institute and brought by PFI President Charles Ware and his delightful wife, Hannah. As more and more people gathered in, the sound of conversations and connections began to fill the room. An array of people including personal trainers (both independently contracted and employed), business owners, massage therapists, exercise instructors, dieticians, as well as business creators, innovators and entrepreneurs traversed the event while conversing with old friends and connecting with new. There were also many people who specialize in more than one profession who were had incredible stories as well.
New to our events, a few trainers and coaches from Las Vegas’s own Crossfit facility on E Sunset Road stopped by to connect and to demo an interactive workout let by Crossfit trainer and coach, Joe Marsh. Volunteers as well as the rest of the Crossfit staff performed a 4-minute workout consisting of nothing but squats and isometric squat holds while the rest of us watched on feeling the participant’s pain. If you haven’t yet heard of Crossfit, it is something worth checking out as it is one of the fastest growing methods of training to date. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out as it is a tool you will want to have in your toolbox as it is gaining popularity among the masses. Having done Crossfit before, I can voucher for it’s difficulty, high intensity as well as benefits (not to mention not being able to move after any given training session). It never hurts to broaden your horizons and keep up with what’s new and exciting in the industry. Check out their site and see for yourself! (http://www.crossfitlv.typepad.com/)
We also had two separate raffles where we were able to give away some pretty awesome prizes. Along with Tropical Smoothie, we were also able to connect with Starbucks, who kindly donated three whole pounds of coffee to our prize giveaway and PFI once again donated a PFI logo backpack stuffed with goodies as well. A big kudos as well to the always inspiring Scott Lenz from Advantage Fitness Products for supplying us with his ever-so-popular fitness travel kit, which is always a huge success at our events. Lulu Lemon also took part by donating a few invitations to schedule a time to come into the store and be a tester of their apparel. Not only do they fit you personally for whatever you chose to wear, but you also get to take them home, wear them wherever you please and the only catch is they ask you to provide them with feedback on the articles of clothing so they can have knowledge of what customers love and what could be improved. They realize that, ultimately, it’s not just about the sales made, but about customer satisfaction. They truly go above and beyond to create a lasting impression on both the fitness industry and fitness apparel industry.
If you aren’t familiar with Lulu Lemon Athletica, stop by the Fashion show mall and head to the second story where you can stop in, say ‘hello’ and enjoy the amazing ambiance the store has to offer. You will continue to be in awe of all they have to offer. Aside from fitness apparel, they are also huge into giving back to the community. If you check out their website (http://www.lululemon.com/) you will come across the ‘Community’ tab at the top of the page where you can check out all they are doing. From their Monthly Challenge to their Charitable Giving Program, they truly stand out among the rest in their openness to contribute to others. They also offer actual yoga classes and they also have an open invitation on their bathroom door inviting anyone and everyone to meet up every Thursday in front of Starbucks at 6:00am to run the Strip. They have a way of being versatile in their endeavors and in being so incredibly accepting and open-minded about other people and other causes. You cannot walk into their store without catching the infectious positivity from the staff. You feel like you are in another world in their store and for just a minute you even forget you are in the always fast-paced city of Las Vegas. The ambiance is second to none and I suggest you check out Lulu Lemon under the hightest of recommendations. You will not be disappointed you did!
One of the things I love most about meeting and connecting with new people in the health, wellness and fitness industry is there is never a time I haven’t heard a story that inspired me in some way as to how the person entered the industry and why they chose the path and direction they are headed in presently. It seems each professional at some point, has had an ‘Aha’ moment that changed them forever. It is always so incredibly humbling to hear the different ways these people are not only impacting the people around them, but also the industry itself. Each person is making an incredible contribution to their field of choice and in seeing so many different career choices in one room, I couldn’t help but think how wonderful it will be when we all connect and find better and more efficient ways to improve our own careers and the lives of the people we are in contact with each day. In helping to close that six degrees of separation between health, wellness and fitness professionals, we will find that we can more easily help our clients as we can then refer to our connections when we may not specialize in something our client may benefit from having. Not a single one of us can say we know-it-all and if we continue on attempting to be selfish, we are doing nothing but hurting our own careers as well as our clients. Open your mind to creating connections with others as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. As we all know: No man is self made, and it is only together that we will be able to make a lasting impact and impression on our industry.
If you haven’t yet made it to a Connect To Fitness Event, you are really missing out on a very valuable and fun treat! In just sparing an hour or two of your time a month, you could ultimately make the connections that will help benefit you, your career and your future. The event last night was an absolute blast and many beneficial connections were made throughout the night between all who attended. There are listings of the next couple events on Facebook under our page ‘Las Vegas Connect To Fitness Networking Group’. If you have access to Facebook and haven’t yet checked us out, please do and stay in the loop as Darian does a tremendous job of keeping an updated news stream on the page for all to follow. By following our page, you will also receive messages detailing invitations, reminders, opportunities, more on what’s new, sponsor information and volunteer information. Please follow along and join our team!
Also, Darian, Heather and I are really trying to reach out and connect with you, Faithful Reader, by setting up meetings and making efforts to visit new facilities. If you would like to become more involved with CTF, have a great story or facility you would like to share, are looking to get into volunteering around the community, please, PLEASE don’t hesitate to get in touch. We established this organization to benefit you which will ultimately benefit the entire industry. Las Vegas is a melting pot where anything and everything is possible. With so much potential and opportunity awaiting, we want to get the word out on you and what you believe in as well because it is only with your help that we can be Las Vegas’s premier networking organization for the health, wellness and fitness professionals of Las Vegas. Email Darian or I at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com, DarianParker@gmail.com or EPfitness7@gmail.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/Connect2Fitness, where we are always streaming information as well. Jump on the CTF train and join us in making the world a better place. We look forward to hearing from you and connecting with you!
And lastly… on behalf of Connect To Fitness, I would like to send out a MASSIVE ‘Thank-you’ to all who helped make this event such a success. We couldn’t have done it without the help of all of our sponsors and, of course, our members and followers who continue to help us grow and prosper into a thriving organization. I would also like to thank each of you who came out to the event last night and we hope you had as wonderful of a time as we did. All the hard work that goes on behind the scenes is always worth it when we receive such glowing feedback from those who attend and benefit from what we are trying to accomplish. A big ‘thank you’ as well to Lulu Lemon for allowing us to take over their store for 2 hours and in all the help and contributions they continue to make for CTF. You are all amazing and we are so happy to be involved with you. Thank you as well to Charles at PFI for always being such an awesome supporter and for all your contributions to CTF, Scott Lenz for your positivity always and for your donation and continual support of CTF, Dan from Tropical Smoothie Café, and Dale from Starbucks. I couldn’t finish this paragraph either without giving a round of applause to the man behind the success of CTF, Darian Parker. The King of Networking, Darian put in SO much work to make this event a success and all his time and efforts really paid off. It has truly been an honor working for him and he is someone you definitely want to get to know if you don’t know him already. Thank you to all!
At 9:30pm after all the guests had left, we packed up shop, cleaned up and started out to the parking garage for our ride home. Once in my car, I felt a huge wave of triumph once again wash over me and I briefly asked myself if the 3 smoothies I drank could be contributing to my high before ruling that out. I think I fell asleep smiling last night.
Until next week, Faithful Reader, thank you again for all you are doing to better yourselves, those around you and the industry. I never ceased to be amazed with you and look forward to working with and getting to know more of you.
“If there was ever a time to dare, to make a difference, to embark on something worth doing, It is now. Not for any grand cause, necessarily... but for something that tugs at your heart, something that's your inspiration, something that's your dream." –Author Unknown (but greatly appreciated!)
"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good." –Author Unknown (but, once again, greatly appreciated!)
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Recipe For Success
I want to let you in on a little secret. Although this ‘secret’ is actually nothing new, it is something that I believe many of us may let go in one ear and out the other or may not have given much thought to. Today and together, Faithful Reader, I invite you to relax while you grab a pen and paper and learn the ingredients to compose your own recipe for success.
During a meeting I had last week with the one and only Dr. Darian Parker after having the fantastic opportunity to connect with fitness professional James Wong (who owns Studio 222 here in Las Vegas) an interesting topic of conversation came up: The lost art of writing down your goals. Before you roll your eyes and throw down your pen and paper, I want for you to just hang tight and give this lost art a second thought as I believe what I have to tell you will forever change your perspective on life as you know it.
As I was saying… During my conversation with Darian, he mentioned how a while ago he happened to take some time out to jot down a list of goals he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime. Recently he revisited that list and realized that out of all the ideas, goals and aspirations he had recorded that day, all but 3 had come true already. Now don’t get me wrong. Darian isn’t someone who sat around waiting for these things to happen. Just writing stuff down doesn’t guarantee a person success overnight, or ever, for that matter. But still… why is it that we are taught and told in life to do something so simple as to list our goals and why should we spend the time to write down such ‘nonsense’?
Like Darian, I, too, make a list back when I was in college taking a course in Business Management. One of my many assignments was to make a list of everything big or small that I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime. The catch was there were no limitations or boundaries as to what we could or couldn’t write, and we were encouraged to write everything from the most simple to the most outrageous and seemingly impossible aspirations. We were not to take anyone or anything else into consideration and we were to imagine what our ideal and perfect life would look like if it were up to us to decide our fate. I remember at the time I felt kind of silly even though I knew the assignment was going to be kept confidential between my professor and I admit to slight embarrassment in handing-in such an assignment as much of my list consisted of things that seemed truly unrealistic in the sense that I was maybe dreaming ‘too big’. Would my professor think I sound selfish or conceited in what I had wrote? I took a deep sign, turned it in anyways and hid the list so no one else would see it. At the time, I didn’t quite understand why exactly I felt a wave of embarrassment hit me while writing that assignment, but looking back and analyzing the situation, I now understand I was completely pushed outside my comfort zone as for the first time in my life, I was forced to strip myself down and be completely honest with myself without having the thought of how my actions would affect the people and things around me first. As I said, I hid the list… but I kept it. A few months later after graduation and after returning home after completing my externship at the Professional Fitness Institute where I earned my credential of becoming a certified personal trainer through the NSCA, I took out and revisited my list and had an ‘aha’ moment that changed me forever. I looked at my list wide-eyed, and slowly reached for a pen by my side without looking away from the piece of paper in my other hand and felt an empowering gratification as I crossed of #’s 1.) Graduate from college, 2.) Become an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, and 5.) Travel as much of the world as I can in my lifetime. Now, I know #5 couldn’t technically be checked off my list (yet…), but wasn’t coming to Las Vegas was a fantastic start to my lifelong travel goals?! Still looking over and reviewing my list, I began asking myself over and over again, “Why? Why can’t I do the other things on this list?”. “What is stopping me or holding me back?”. It was right then and there that I realized the only thing holding me back from having the life I saw as ‘ideal’ was ME.
Interestingly enough, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to research and see if there was any science to back up not just ‘goal-setting’ but actually writing down goals as it had literally transformed my life. I was so determined that I think I would have honestly made my own studies had I found none! Fortunately for you, Faithful Reader, I don’t have to give you the play-by-play on my own test participants as I found a terrific study that did the job perfectly…
During the year of 1953, a study was conducted at Yale University in regards to written goals that would span the course of 20 years. The entire graduating class of that same year was asked to report whether or not they had distinct, written goals for life after graduation. A measly 3% cited they had, indeed, made a list of future goals and aspirations versus the other 97% who hadn’t. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was made with the same students in regards to how much monetary success they had in their lives after all those years. Not surprisingly the 3% who cited to have written down their goals were, indeed, more successful than the other counterparts who hadn’t written down anything. But get this… (Warning! Stay seated and be prepared as this next part may make your jaw drop to the floor…) That same 3% of students were not only slightly more successful in their endeavors than the other 97%, but they were actually making more money than that other 97% COMBINED! Unbelievable you say? Believe it!
I think in life, we all invest so much time into wondering how our actions will affect the other people and things in our lives that we sometimes forget how healthy it is to ask ourselves what it is WE want in life. Our goals don’t always have to be extreme as some of us may only opt for a small change in life. On the other hand, some of us may be suppressing goals that would drastically change our lives for the better. Maybe we are unhappy with a certain aspect of our lives, but we haven’t taken the time to explore the ways we could improve the current situation. Speaking from experience, when seeing goals written down in front of you, they don’t seem as far-fetched as they might as mere thoughts. Let’s compare it to going to the grocery store. When you have a premade list of clear and concise choices of what you plan on purchasing, you don’t fall of track as easily and most of the time you leave with just the items you have on your list, whereas we all know that going into the grocery store without a list usually throws us off track and we end up purchasing not only what we need, but what we may not have needed as well. Writing down your goals is no different. By having them written in front of you, they are able to be a constant reminder of what needs done and which direction to keep heading in order to stay on your chosen path. And not only that, but the more you are reminded that these things are going to happen, the more the mind and psyche actually start to believe that not only are these aspirations going to happen, but that they already have. It’s just like anything else in life. When you tell yourself or have someone tell you something enough, you are able to accept it as real and you have faith that it is in existence. Having a plan in print is our means of a recipe for success. Many of the things in life we consider to be ‘far-fetched’ are actually not as out-of-reach as we propose.
Since that fateful day in business 101, I have actually accomplished almost every goal on my list and actually sat down last month to make a new list with more out of control and crazy dreams and aspirations that I plan on accomplishing in this lifetime. Nothing is impossible, and this is something else we need to tell ourselves more often. Our mind knows only what we tell it and when we fill ourselves with positivity and new perspectives, our attitudes change as well and therefore our reality as we know it changes. Give it a try if you don’t believe me and see if it can’t improve your life for the better. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in the few minutes it takes to jot down some things that you have always wanted to do in your life. And after you write them down, feel free to email me some feedback on how it has affected you or let me know some of your own goals as I would love to hear from you (EPfitness7@gmail.com). Expand your horizons and know that life isn’t going to happen unless you make the first initiative. Doors are opening around us all the time, but until we convince ourselves of their existence, we will continue to walk right by them and never through them. Open your eyes and your mind to what is already right in front of you. It could make all the difference in not only finding and doing the things that you love, but also, it could mean all the difference in finding eternal happiness as well.
Our dreams and goals for Connect To Fitness are no different. We are making incredible strides right now in helping others find job placement and employment and we have made some awesome connections that have helped others make some checkmarks off their own written lists. We pride ourselves in always thinking big and in following through with our endeavors, no matter how ‘big’ or ‘unrealistic’ they may seem. And want to know the irony? We are constantly making lists of what we need and want to do with the organization in order to make it a success for everyone involved including You, Faithful Reader. This upcoming Sunday, June 28th from 7:30-9:30pm, we are having our monthly event at Lulu Lemon Athletica in the Fashion Show Mall on Las Vegas Boulevard and we would love it if you could come and see for yourself what we are all about and see if you can’t make a connection (or 4!) that might help you get to where you need to be. We have some spectacular things planned including free refreshments, some great prize giveaways and, of course, some surprises brought to you by Lulu Lemon. But most importantly, you will be provided with the inspiration of other professionals and aspiring professionals in the area who are driven for success in themselves and in others. Contact Dr. Darian Parker via Facebook or at DarianParker@gmail.com to RSVP. We would be absolutely delighted to see you there and having the event at Lulu Lemon is going to be an awesome spectacle that you will want to take advantage of as they have some truly remarkable things planned for the event. What do you have to lose? Just show up, even for a little while, and see if we can’t turn you into believers if you aren’t already. We are determined to help those around us and I, for one, know that I would love to meet those of you who follow me each week and who are constantly inspiring me with your stories, comments, and your own aspirations in life. Come join in the fun and connect with other like-minded people who strive for excellence as you do!
Each of us has our own individual recipe for success. Although the ingredients may differ from person to person, the result will always be the same if we put the work in to support our ideas, aspirations and goals. Start writing your own recipe and happiness and success will be greeting you from around every corner and from behind every door.
Your perception is your reality. Until next week, Faithful Reader…
“Sometimes I go about pitying myself,
And all the while I am being carried across the sky
By beautiful clouds.” –Ojibway Indian Poem
"If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." –Vincent Van Gogh
"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." –Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
During a meeting I had last week with the one and only Dr. Darian Parker after having the fantastic opportunity to connect with fitness professional James Wong (who owns Studio 222 here in Las Vegas) an interesting topic of conversation came up: The lost art of writing down your goals. Before you roll your eyes and throw down your pen and paper, I want for you to just hang tight and give this lost art a second thought as I believe what I have to tell you will forever change your perspective on life as you know it.
As I was saying… During my conversation with Darian, he mentioned how a while ago he happened to take some time out to jot down a list of goals he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime. Recently he revisited that list and realized that out of all the ideas, goals and aspirations he had recorded that day, all but 3 had come true already. Now don’t get me wrong. Darian isn’t someone who sat around waiting for these things to happen. Just writing stuff down doesn’t guarantee a person success overnight, or ever, for that matter. But still… why is it that we are taught and told in life to do something so simple as to list our goals and why should we spend the time to write down such ‘nonsense’?
Like Darian, I, too, make a list back when I was in college taking a course in Business Management. One of my many assignments was to make a list of everything big or small that I wanted to accomplish in my lifetime. The catch was there were no limitations or boundaries as to what we could or couldn’t write, and we were encouraged to write everything from the most simple to the most outrageous and seemingly impossible aspirations. We were not to take anyone or anything else into consideration and we were to imagine what our ideal and perfect life would look like if it were up to us to decide our fate. I remember at the time I felt kind of silly even though I knew the assignment was going to be kept confidential between my professor and I admit to slight embarrassment in handing-in such an assignment as much of my list consisted of things that seemed truly unrealistic in the sense that I was maybe dreaming ‘too big’. Would my professor think I sound selfish or conceited in what I had wrote? I took a deep sign, turned it in anyways and hid the list so no one else would see it. At the time, I didn’t quite understand why exactly I felt a wave of embarrassment hit me while writing that assignment, but looking back and analyzing the situation, I now understand I was completely pushed outside my comfort zone as for the first time in my life, I was forced to strip myself down and be completely honest with myself without having the thought of how my actions would affect the people and things around me first. As I said, I hid the list… but I kept it. A few months later after graduation and after returning home after completing my externship at the Professional Fitness Institute where I earned my credential of becoming a certified personal trainer through the NSCA, I took out and revisited my list and had an ‘aha’ moment that changed me forever. I looked at my list wide-eyed, and slowly reached for a pen by my side without looking away from the piece of paper in my other hand and felt an empowering gratification as I crossed of #’s 1.) Graduate from college, 2.) Become an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, and 5.) Travel as much of the world as I can in my lifetime. Now, I know #5 couldn’t technically be checked off my list (yet…), but wasn’t coming to Las Vegas was a fantastic start to my lifelong travel goals?! Still looking over and reviewing my list, I began asking myself over and over again, “Why? Why can’t I do the other things on this list?”. “What is stopping me or holding me back?”. It was right then and there that I realized the only thing holding me back from having the life I saw as ‘ideal’ was ME.
Interestingly enough, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to research and see if there was any science to back up not just ‘goal-setting’ but actually writing down goals as it had literally transformed my life. I was so determined that I think I would have honestly made my own studies had I found none! Fortunately for you, Faithful Reader, I don’t have to give you the play-by-play on my own test participants as I found a terrific study that did the job perfectly…
During the year of 1953, a study was conducted at Yale University in regards to written goals that would span the course of 20 years. The entire graduating class of that same year was asked to report whether or not they had distinct, written goals for life after graduation. A measly 3% cited they had, indeed, made a list of future goals and aspirations versus the other 97% who hadn’t. Twenty years later, a follow-up study was made with the same students in regards to how much monetary success they had in their lives after all those years. Not surprisingly the 3% who cited to have written down their goals were, indeed, more successful than the other counterparts who hadn’t written down anything. But get this… (Warning! Stay seated and be prepared as this next part may make your jaw drop to the floor…) That same 3% of students were not only slightly more successful in their endeavors than the other 97%, but they were actually making more money than that other 97% COMBINED! Unbelievable you say? Believe it!
I think in life, we all invest so much time into wondering how our actions will affect the other people and things in our lives that we sometimes forget how healthy it is to ask ourselves what it is WE want in life. Our goals don’t always have to be extreme as some of us may only opt for a small change in life. On the other hand, some of us may be suppressing goals that would drastically change our lives for the better. Maybe we are unhappy with a certain aspect of our lives, but we haven’t taken the time to explore the ways we could improve the current situation. Speaking from experience, when seeing goals written down in front of you, they don’t seem as far-fetched as they might as mere thoughts. Let’s compare it to going to the grocery store. When you have a premade list of clear and concise choices of what you plan on purchasing, you don’t fall of track as easily and most of the time you leave with just the items you have on your list, whereas we all know that going into the grocery store without a list usually throws us off track and we end up purchasing not only what we need, but what we may not have needed as well. Writing down your goals is no different. By having them written in front of you, they are able to be a constant reminder of what needs done and which direction to keep heading in order to stay on your chosen path. And not only that, but the more you are reminded that these things are going to happen, the more the mind and psyche actually start to believe that not only are these aspirations going to happen, but that they already have. It’s just like anything else in life. When you tell yourself or have someone tell you something enough, you are able to accept it as real and you have faith that it is in existence. Having a plan in print is our means of a recipe for success. Many of the things in life we consider to be ‘far-fetched’ are actually not as out-of-reach as we propose.
Since that fateful day in business 101, I have actually accomplished almost every goal on my list and actually sat down last month to make a new list with more out of control and crazy dreams and aspirations that I plan on accomplishing in this lifetime. Nothing is impossible, and this is something else we need to tell ourselves more often. Our mind knows only what we tell it and when we fill ourselves with positivity and new perspectives, our attitudes change as well and therefore our reality as we know it changes. Give it a try if you don’t believe me and see if it can’t improve your life for the better. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in the few minutes it takes to jot down some things that you have always wanted to do in your life. And after you write them down, feel free to email me some feedback on how it has affected you or let me know some of your own goals as I would love to hear from you (EPfitness7@gmail.com). Expand your horizons and know that life isn’t going to happen unless you make the first initiative. Doors are opening around us all the time, but until we convince ourselves of their existence, we will continue to walk right by them and never through them. Open your eyes and your mind to what is already right in front of you. It could make all the difference in not only finding and doing the things that you love, but also, it could mean all the difference in finding eternal happiness as well.
Our dreams and goals for Connect To Fitness are no different. We are making incredible strides right now in helping others find job placement and employment and we have made some awesome connections that have helped others make some checkmarks off their own written lists. We pride ourselves in always thinking big and in following through with our endeavors, no matter how ‘big’ or ‘unrealistic’ they may seem. And want to know the irony? We are constantly making lists of what we need and want to do with the organization in order to make it a success for everyone involved including You, Faithful Reader. This upcoming Sunday, June 28th from 7:30-9:30pm, we are having our monthly event at Lulu Lemon Athletica in the Fashion Show Mall on Las Vegas Boulevard and we would love it if you could come and see for yourself what we are all about and see if you can’t make a connection (or 4!) that might help you get to where you need to be. We have some spectacular things planned including free refreshments, some great prize giveaways and, of course, some surprises brought to you by Lulu Lemon. But most importantly, you will be provided with the inspiration of other professionals and aspiring professionals in the area who are driven for success in themselves and in others. Contact Dr. Darian Parker via Facebook or at DarianParker@gmail.com to RSVP. We would be absolutely delighted to see you there and having the event at Lulu Lemon is going to be an awesome spectacle that you will want to take advantage of as they have some truly remarkable things planned for the event. What do you have to lose? Just show up, even for a little while, and see if we can’t turn you into believers if you aren’t already. We are determined to help those around us and I, for one, know that I would love to meet those of you who follow me each week and who are constantly inspiring me with your stories, comments, and your own aspirations in life. Come join in the fun and connect with other like-minded people who strive for excellence as you do!
Each of us has our own individual recipe for success. Although the ingredients may differ from person to person, the result will always be the same if we put the work in to support our ideas, aspirations and goals. Start writing your own recipe and happiness and success will be greeting you from around every corner and from behind every door.
Your perception is your reality. Until next week, Faithful Reader…
“Sometimes I go about pitying myself,
And all the while I am being carried across the sky
By beautiful clouds.” –Ojibway Indian Poem
"If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." –Vincent Van Gogh
"Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions." –Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Choose, Don't Chance, Your Destiny
You’ll have to beg my pardon, but I am going to stop you briefly in your tracks and ask you to think about where you are in this exact moment and how you ended up right here right now. Envision each event in your life leading up to right now and challenge your mind by asking yourself what you believe is the definitive determinant of your life. Did you allow fate to lead you to this moment in time, or do you believe you were, and are, in charge of your future all along?
With these events fresh in your mind, I want for you to revisit a time when you succeeded in accomplishing something you worked so hard for and invested so much time into. Maybe it was high school or college graduation. Or maybe it was the moment you could finally afford to purchase an item you spend months saving up for. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the long-term relationship with a friend or spouse that you had spent a significant amount of time, happiness and energy fostering because it is or was meaningful and special to you. How do you feel as you imagine this accomplishment and better yet, if this event wouldn’t have happened, would you be the exact same person you are today and in this very instant in time?
Life has a way of assembling itself just so in order for us to fall on the right path at the right time to lead us to where we are supposed to be at the end of the day. The people and events that fall into our lives are strategically placed in a specific sequence to allow our future to pan out how we want it depending on what path we take in each fork in the road we are faced with. Every day we are faced with thousands upon thousands of decisions ranging from minor to major and each of them vastly important in how our day, week, year and life will resolve itself out. With billions of people populating the world, isn’t it unfathomable that not one person shares the same decision-making process? Each day we make decisions based upon the cognitive style exhibited in our anterior cingulate cortex, our orbitofrontal cortex, and of course, the overlapping ventromedial prefrontal cortex (otherwise known as the brain regions responsible for making decisions). I’m sure we all know someone who gets off on the right foot each day solely based upon what their daily horoscope says about their future. Or how about the person who can’t decide on anything until their coin lands on a specific side? Some people can’t make a decision unless someone they deem as authority tells them what to do, and some people come up with a verdict after carefully weighing the pros and cons and making the best decision based upon those principles. Bias is also another way people can come to choose one thing over the next and it can easily creep up on us without notice. Regardless of what a person’s decision-making process entails, the point of the matter is that there is always a final choice. A final decision. And this final outcome is how we progress into life and how we end up travelling down one path versus the other. Where are you headed?
Fate is a word that can be both lustrous and deceiving at once. On one hand, we can say that our lives are out of our control and we can stop right there and allow fate to handle the final ending of our story, come what may. Or we can challenge our perception by believing in the other hand, which tells us that, yes, we have a ‘fate’, or destiny if you will, but that we will in turn step up and take the responsibility for our future ourselves by making decisions that support what it is we would like our final outcome to be in this life. We can share responsibility with fate throughout the process and be more cognizant of where we are headed, what path we would like to traverse down, and what people we would like there for the ride. Everything DOES happen for a reason and it’s our job to make sure these reasons support our dreams and the future we would like to behold.
Revert your mind back to our beginning thoughts of accomplishment. Visualize how you felt at the moment you succeeded and let yourself be overcome with reliving this feeling again. That life-altering event in your life happened because you had the will and the drive to see it through to the end. It was your final decision to continue onward and persevere through any ‘challenges’ that could have made you decide to quit at any moment. Your final outcome was your decision and your action regardless of how you chose to come to that conclusion. Everything else in life is no different. Each event that we are faced with on a daily basis is there to provide us with a stepping stone that will lead us to the final outcome we foresee for ourselves. Even the people that walk into, out of, and stay in our lives are there to help guide us and teach us more about ourselves.
One of the things I have learned about myself is to never have any regrets. How many people do you or have you known who say things like, “If I could go back in time, I would have done (__fill in the blank__) differently.”, or “My life would be so much better if it were ( ___fill in the blank____).”. My advice to you: Don’t BE one of these people. Regrets do nothing but hold us back. If it were ‘meant’ to happen, then it would have. All that life is telling you is that you weren’t meant for that road at that point in time. Many people make the decision to live in the past and all this does for them is keep them in the past. You can tell yourself a million times what ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ happened, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to change the past. Nothing. It will and always will remain the past. What you do have say over, however, is the future. You can look at your life and turn your ‘ I coulda.., woulda…, shoulda…’, into I ‘WILL’s’. When something doesn’t work out at any given moment, it doesn’t by any means indicate that life has to stop and that you should give up. It is telling you that you weren’t preordained for that path and that another, greater path awaits you. The same goes for people. One of the most difficult things in the world for us is to lose someone, however it may happen. If there is anything in life that can be almost destructive to us, it is other people. I’m not saying this in a derogatory way, but instead I am expressing this as in the fact that we are creatures of emotion. Attachment and love are two of the most unconditional, overpowering and resilient emotions and feelings we can ever encounter and the power they possess can leave us in shambles and sometimes shatters that can take an irrevocable amount of time to recover from. And sometimes, we may not fully recover. There are many lessons to be learned from other people and loss and much we can take with us to benefit our future. Instead of letting the past immobilize us, we need to realize that life simply has better or different plans for us and that this event happened for a reason to lead us to where we are supposed to be with the people we are supposed to be with. It is easier said than done and I can speak on behalf of experiences that almost and ‘coulda’ left me vanquished as well. Sometimes it takes a breaking point before we can truly discover how strong we really are. We can keep looking down the same path and let life push us down repeatedly, or we can make the decision to get up after being broken down and keep our gaze forward knowing what we are meant for is just up in the distance waiting for us. The people and events that come into our lives are there to shape us, not define us. We can learn so many lessons from the challenges we face and the decisions we make to overcome and persevere through each day. Living with regrets only holds us back. It is never too late to take a path you want to be headed down. Don’t just settle or continue down a path you aren’t satisfied with when you can always just take the next fork in the road down a different path. It is your attitude towards life that will make or break you. Choose to be happy and choose to follow your dreams no matter where the path takes you. Without the two extremes of devastation and elation, we couldn’t possibly appreciate what it feels like to succeed, and without loss and heartache, maybe we wouldn’t be as grateful for the rare people we find in our lives who are and always will be there for us and who love us as unconditionally as we love them. It’s possible as well to more easily take things for granted when you don’t realize how great you have it through experiencing something less than desirable. Perception is reality and only when we look at things in a new light can we make the decision to advance into our future a stronger and more persistent individual. Regrets are for those who choose to choose to face the past, while fate is what we are destined for in the future and what we can decide today to strive for.
In coming to Las Vegas for my first time almost a year ago in July to do an externship at the Professional Fitness Insitute, I met my own destiny. Having been someone who was constantly looking behind me at all times, I chose last year to open my eyes wide to what was right in front of me all along and only then did the pieces of my life begin to fall into place. I haven’t looked back since and I never will again. The events of the past helped to get me to where I am today, but it is the steps I am taking now that will lead me to my destiny and future. Becoming involved with Connect To Fitness has been a dream come true for me as writing and fitness are long-time passions of mine. And I can speak from experience once again when I say that my move out here wouldn’t have been possible without networking with others in the health, fitness, and wellness industry. I am a slave to networking now as it actually made my dreams possible. Through the staff (and now my co-workers) at PFI, I was able to meet and connect with countless other people which opened up doors for me left and right. One of the people I was able to meet this past July through PFI was Connect To Fitness President, Dr. Darian Parker, who went above and beyond in finding me opportunities to connect with other people to make my move and life so far in Las Vegas a smooth transition including my current role with CTF. I stand by the fact that I am living proof that Connect To Fitness can, does and will change lives and that all it takes is making the initiative to step forward and explore your possibilities in meeting other people and being introduced to different opportunities that could possibly change your own life. Life happens to those who make it happen, not to those who let it happen. Here at CTF, we strongly believe in helping others and opening doors for those seeking their own future. We want to provide you, Faithful Reader, with opportunities that will benefit your life and the lives of those around you. Everything happens for reason and you never know what the future might behold for you unless you take a chance and see what each path has to offer. By having monthly events held at different venues in the Vegas Valley and surrounding areas, we are giving You, Reader, the opportunity to meet and connect with others that you may not have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise and you get to see firsthand what else is out there in Las Vegas. The hidden gems in Vegas are more prevalent than any of us know and the potential is unbelievable in this area. Meet with us and with others in CTF and just see what happens. It has changed many lives already of those who have become involved, and who knows? Maybe you could be next…
Our next event is coming up on June 28th from 7:30-9:30pm at the awesome Lulu Lemon Athletica store on Las Vegas Boulevard. It is not an event to be missed as there are many surprises in store for those who attend. CTF isn’t just another networking group out there to hold pointless parties at pointless venues. We want to showcase the people and places making a difference in the industry and in the world. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, we want to personally invite you, Faithful Reader, along for the ride down the path we have decided to take. Lulu Lemon is a hidden gem that is currently active in the industry and community and they have been a CTF sponsor from the beginning of our journey. Check out their link and come to the event as you won’t be disappointed. It is also where our Volunteer Coordinator, Heather Doane, is employed as well! Get in touch with Dr. Darian Parker at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com to RSVP and bring a friend or two to share the experience. You could potentially be helping someone else reach their own dreams and aspirations.
http://www.lululemon.com/
We all have a choice. The events and people you are seeking to fulfill your life are out there waiting for you and the world is yours. Get up, take action and get it… Just don’t look back unless your eyes are closed tightly.
Take control over your destiny and find the opportunity in every ‘obstacle’. Until next week, Faithful Reader…
"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem a turned it into an opportunity." Joseph Sugarman
"Opportunity often comes in disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. "
Napoleon Hill
"An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success."
Stephen R. Covey
With these events fresh in your mind, I want for you to revisit a time when you succeeded in accomplishing something you worked so hard for and invested so much time into. Maybe it was high school or college graduation. Or maybe it was the moment you could finally afford to purchase an item you spend months saving up for. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the long-term relationship with a friend or spouse that you had spent a significant amount of time, happiness and energy fostering because it is or was meaningful and special to you. How do you feel as you imagine this accomplishment and better yet, if this event wouldn’t have happened, would you be the exact same person you are today and in this very instant in time?
Life has a way of assembling itself just so in order for us to fall on the right path at the right time to lead us to where we are supposed to be at the end of the day. The people and events that fall into our lives are strategically placed in a specific sequence to allow our future to pan out how we want it depending on what path we take in each fork in the road we are faced with. Every day we are faced with thousands upon thousands of decisions ranging from minor to major and each of them vastly important in how our day, week, year and life will resolve itself out. With billions of people populating the world, isn’t it unfathomable that not one person shares the same decision-making process? Each day we make decisions based upon the cognitive style exhibited in our anterior cingulate cortex, our orbitofrontal cortex, and of course, the overlapping ventromedial prefrontal cortex (otherwise known as the brain regions responsible for making decisions). I’m sure we all know someone who gets off on the right foot each day solely based upon what their daily horoscope says about their future. Or how about the person who can’t decide on anything until their coin lands on a specific side? Some people can’t make a decision unless someone they deem as authority tells them what to do, and some people come up with a verdict after carefully weighing the pros and cons and making the best decision based upon those principles. Bias is also another way people can come to choose one thing over the next and it can easily creep up on us without notice. Regardless of what a person’s decision-making process entails, the point of the matter is that there is always a final choice. A final decision. And this final outcome is how we progress into life and how we end up travelling down one path versus the other. Where are you headed?
Fate is a word that can be both lustrous and deceiving at once. On one hand, we can say that our lives are out of our control and we can stop right there and allow fate to handle the final ending of our story, come what may. Or we can challenge our perception by believing in the other hand, which tells us that, yes, we have a ‘fate’, or destiny if you will, but that we will in turn step up and take the responsibility for our future ourselves by making decisions that support what it is we would like our final outcome to be in this life. We can share responsibility with fate throughout the process and be more cognizant of where we are headed, what path we would like to traverse down, and what people we would like there for the ride. Everything DOES happen for a reason and it’s our job to make sure these reasons support our dreams and the future we would like to behold.
Revert your mind back to our beginning thoughts of accomplishment. Visualize how you felt at the moment you succeeded and let yourself be overcome with reliving this feeling again. That life-altering event in your life happened because you had the will and the drive to see it through to the end. It was your final decision to continue onward and persevere through any ‘challenges’ that could have made you decide to quit at any moment. Your final outcome was your decision and your action regardless of how you chose to come to that conclusion. Everything else in life is no different. Each event that we are faced with on a daily basis is there to provide us with a stepping stone that will lead us to the final outcome we foresee for ourselves. Even the people that walk into, out of, and stay in our lives are there to help guide us and teach us more about ourselves.
One of the things I have learned about myself is to never have any regrets. How many people do you or have you known who say things like, “If I could go back in time, I would have done (__fill in the blank__) differently.”, or “My life would be so much better if it were ( ___fill in the blank____).”. My advice to you: Don’t BE one of these people. Regrets do nothing but hold us back. If it were ‘meant’ to happen, then it would have. All that life is telling you is that you weren’t meant for that road at that point in time. Many people make the decision to live in the past and all this does for them is keep them in the past. You can tell yourself a million times what ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ happened, but there is absolutely nothing you can do to change the past. Nothing. It will and always will remain the past. What you do have say over, however, is the future. You can look at your life and turn your ‘ I coulda.., woulda…, shoulda…’, into I ‘WILL’s’. When something doesn’t work out at any given moment, it doesn’t by any means indicate that life has to stop and that you should give up. It is telling you that you weren’t preordained for that path and that another, greater path awaits you. The same goes for people. One of the most difficult things in the world for us is to lose someone, however it may happen. If there is anything in life that can be almost destructive to us, it is other people. I’m not saying this in a derogatory way, but instead I am expressing this as in the fact that we are creatures of emotion. Attachment and love are two of the most unconditional, overpowering and resilient emotions and feelings we can ever encounter and the power they possess can leave us in shambles and sometimes shatters that can take an irrevocable amount of time to recover from. And sometimes, we may not fully recover. There are many lessons to be learned from other people and loss and much we can take with us to benefit our future. Instead of letting the past immobilize us, we need to realize that life simply has better or different plans for us and that this event happened for a reason to lead us to where we are supposed to be with the people we are supposed to be with. It is easier said than done and I can speak on behalf of experiences that almost and ‘coulda’ left me vanquished as well. Sometimes it takes a breaking point before we can truly discover how strong we really are. We can keep looking down the same path and let life push us down repeatedly, or we can make the decision to get up after being broken down and keep our gaze forward knowing what we are meant for is just up in the distance waiting for us. The people and events that come into our lives are there to shape us, not define us. We can learn so many lessons from the challenges we face and the decisions we make to overcome and persevere through each day. Living with regrets only holds us back. It is never too late to take a path you want to be headed down. Don’t just settle or continue down a path you aren’t satisfied with when you can always just take the next fork in the road down a different path. It is your attitude towards life that will make or break you. Choose to be happy and choose to follow your dreams no matter where the path takes you. Without the two extremes of devastation and elation, we couldn’t possibly appreciate what it feels like to succeed, and without loss and heartache, maybe we wouldn’t be as grateful for the rare people we find in our lives who are and always will be there for us and who love us as unconditionally as we love them. It’s possible as well to more easily take things for granted when you don’t realize how great you have it through experiencing something less than desirable. Perception is reality and only when we look at things in a new light can we make the decision to advance into our future a stronger and more persistent individual. Regrets are for those who choose to choose to face the past, while fate is what we are destined for in the future and what we can decide today to strive for.
In coming to Las Vegas for my first time almost a year ago in July to do an externship at the Professional Fitness Insitute, I met my own destiny. Having been someone who was constantly looking behind me at all times, I chose last year to open my eyes wide to what was right in front of me all along and only then did the pieces of my life begin to fall into place. I haven’t looked back since and I never will again. The events of the past helped to get me to where I am today, but it is the steps I am taking now that will lead me to my destiny and future. Becoming involved with Connect To Fitness has been a dream come true for me as writing and fitness are long-time passions of mine. And I can speak from experience once again when I say that my move out here wouldn’t have been possible without networking with others in the health, fitness, and wellness industry. I am a slave to networking now as it actually made my dreams possible. Through the staff (and now my co-workers) at PFI, I was able to meet and connect with countless other people which opened up doors for me left and right. One of the people I was able to meet this past July through PFI was Connect To Fitness President, Dr. Darian Parker, who went above and beyond in finding me opportunities to connect with other people to make my move and life so far in Las Vegas a smooth transition including my current role with CTF. I stand by the fact that I am living proof that Connect To Fitness can, does and will change lives and that all it takes is making the initiative to step forward and explore your possibilities in meeting other people and being introduced to different opportunities that could possibly change your own life. Life happens to those who make it happen, not to those who let it happen. Here at CTF, we strongly believe in helping others and opening doors for those seeking their own future. We want to provide you, Faithful Reader, with opportunities that will benefit your life and the lives of those around you. Everything happens for reason and you never know what the future might behold for you unless you take a chance and see what each path has to offer. By having monthly events held at different venues in the Vegas Valley and surrounding areas, we are giving You, Reader, the opportunity to meet and connect with others that you may not have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise and you get to see firsthand what else is out there in Las Vegas. The hidden gems in Vegas are more prevalent than any of us know and the potential is unbelievable in this area. Meet with us and with others in CTF and just see what happens. It has changed many lives already of those who have become involved, and who knows? Maybe you could be next…
Our next event is coming up on June 28th from 7:30-9:30pm at the awesome Lulu Lemon Athletica store on Las Vegas Boulevard. It is not an event to be missed as there are many surprises in store for those who attend. CTF isn’t just another networking group out there to hold pointless parties at pointless venues. We want to showcase the people and places making a difference in the industry and in the world. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, we want to personally invite you, Faithful Reader, along for the ride down the path we have decided to take. Lulu Lemon is a hidden gem that is currently active in the industry and community and they have been a CTF sponsor from the beginning of our journey. Check out their link and come to the event as you won’t be disappointed. It is also where our Volunteer Coordinator, Heather Doane, is employed as well! Get in touch with Dr. Darian Parker at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com to RSVP and bring a friend or two to share the experience. You could potentially be helping someone else reach their own dreams and aspirations.
http://www.lululemon.com/
We all have a choice. The events and people you are seeking to fulfill your life are out there waiting for you and the world is yours. Get up, take action and get it… Just don’t look back unless your eyes are closed tightly.
Take control over your destiny and find the opportunity in every ‘obstacle’. Until next week, Faithful Reader…
"Each problem has hidden in it an opportunity so powerful that it literally dwarfs the problem. The greatest success stories were created by people who recognized a problem a turned it into an opportunity." Joseph Sugarman
"Opportunity often comes in disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. "
Napoleon Hill
"An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way that leads to collective organizational success."
Stephen R. Covey
Monday, June 8, 2009
Treat Every'body' With Respect
In life, there is only one thing we are given that we cannot repurchase or replace. There is only one tangible thing we have that will be with us day in and day out that will be affected for better or for worse by each and every decision that we make. This one thing is a simple four-letter word that we need to learn to take care of as there is no going back if we take it for granted or neglect it. It is called our “body”.
Ponder how strange it actually is that we are given a life and soul to occupy a body in which we have no say over. We have no control over our physical attributes or abilities and we are born to spend eternity within the parameters of the identity we are born with. What exactly is it then that holds so many of us back from caring for and nurturing the body we have? What is it that holds us back?
Being a professional trainer, I am exposed to an array of different walls holding people back from attaining great health and vitality and my entire line of work depends upon what I am able to offer in regards to changing these perceptions and helping to navigate around the problem areas in other people’s lives to help make health a priority. One of the things we take for granted is that our health should not have a price-tag attached to it. Understandably so, and with the economy the way it is, some things might be tougher than others to either afford or follow through with depending on your financial and time situation. But there are a few things that just don’t add up in my own mind that I think a lot of people can relate to. I have met people (both in and out of the gym) who spend a ridiculous amount of money to buy a huge, fancy house or car, then come to me and say that a gym membership or good, quality food is ‘too expensive’ and they aren’t able to afford such investments on a consistent basis. Or people who pay a plastic surgeon thousands of dollars to fix what wasn’t broken to begin with on their body and then months down the road still end up gaining weight anyways because there was no physical maintenance afterwards. Or the person who doesn’t have time for exercise, yet they spend hours each week in front of the TV watching or playing video games. In all these examples, just a portion of the time and money invested into these endeavors could be spent revitalizing and tending to your body’s brain and physical well being.
These days, it seems to me that everyone is incredibly dependant on doctors and medications to the point of taking anything to cure a symptom or disease without even doing the research on what they are taking to begin with. What many people don’t realize is that eating healthy and exercising can actually cure most ailments without the need for medication. Medications aren’t meant to heal, but rather to conceal temporarily. That’s why if one stops taking a medication, the problem exposes itself once again. And not only that, but most medications cause more side-effects than the person had previously with whatever they were diagnosed with to begin with. Treating a symptom is not the same as discovering the underlying problem to the disease itself. The only people who truly benefit off medications are the industries that distribute them. Our bodies simply weren’t designed to consume and process chemically engineered products, whatever they may be. Our bodies were meant to move and eat quality food. They are meant to explore and see the world and our surroundings. They are meant to be enhanced through physical activity and learning new things.
Lets take one example of a common ailment that is especially prevalent in the world at this time: Depression. Many people have experienced amazing benefits from taking anti-depression medication, yet they get faced with a double-edged sword in becoming reliant on it. If they were to have their solution in a bottle taken from them, they would immediately fall back into their old state of mind. Is this ideal or does it sound a bit strange in a science-fiction type of way? I mean, think about it. Modern medicine is able to temporarily mask the symptoms of depression, but the person taking the medication is completely dependant on pills to get them through the day. The underlying problem is still intact and screaming for help beneath the surface. Fact: Did you know that when you workout, your body releases serotonin and dopamine, the same endorphins (or ‘feel good’ hormones) that are released when we are happy or elated? The SAME hormones depression medications fool our bodies into creating more of. Not to mention that the benefits of exercise are something that we, ourselves, can take credit for, which automatically gives us a feeling of accomplishment and therefore, once again, creates those feel-good hormones. It’s a cycle that enhances our well-being in the most efficient way possible. By training and doing with your body what it was naturally meant to do, you are providing it with a natural ‘remedy’ and it can very well cause your hormone levels to balance out naturally. Imagine feeling better about yourself and your life by simply taking a little time out each day to move around and prepare healthy meals. It is so important for us to take credit for any advancements and accomplishments we make in life, whether it’s something mental or physical. Doing something to better ourselves creates instant self-gratification and more self-confidence than allowing another person, thing or medication to do the job for us. Foster your body and want to make these small changes. We are allotted one body in a lifetime to take full advantage of. By being in control of our lives and emotions, we are allowing ourselves to take credit for the changes occurring within our bodies and in our life situations. This is ultimately a desired state of being for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest without any internal or external intervention. Who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of being in control of oneself?
As far as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, ect… (and the list goes on and on!), the same rules apply. Although medications can veil symptoms, they can by no means treat the underlying problem which will still be there when all is said and done. The only way to take a step in the right direction is to supplement medications with healthy lifestyle habits that you can incorporate into your life day in and day out. Don’t use the excuse, or let those around you use the excuse, that because they are on cholesterol medication they can therefore eat whatever they desire or not move around to increase their cardiovascular (aka: heart) system because the medication will ‘fix’ it for them. Folks, this is not how life works and there is no magic pill. There is just a lifelong dedication to making healthy choices for the one and only body you will ever possess. It is not a simple overnight process; rather it is a lifestyle choice that needs to be cultivated throughout life each and every day. It is a choice one makes to better oneself by committing to better health and better lifestyle habits that will span forever and will allow your body to work proficiently throughout life.
As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay current on educating our clients and those around us as to what the benefits are of training and eating well entail. We are here to help others create healthy habits that can last lifetimes. Frequently, by just incorporating healthy eating and exercise into a daily routine, many, many people are able to actually reverse symptoms of any disease or ailment they may have and eventually get off taking medications completely. This is because they are now treating their body with respect and giving it the nourishment and activity it needs. I could go on for days about the wonderful effects training and good eating have on the body, but those are plenty more stories for plenty more weeks to come.
One of the things we are promoting with Connect To Fitness is the opportunity for people inside and outside of the health and fitness industry to get involved in the many volunteer opportunities available to us both in Vegas and in surrounding areas such as the magnificent Boulder City. We have already established partnerships with many different organizations around town, including the American Cancer Society, that will help us to support and get the word out on fantastic causes that support issues we can all benefit from. As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay on top of our game and be supportive of the causes that will not only benefit us, but will benefit our clients and those close to us as well. Aren’t we in business to promote healthy lifestyles and in supporting actual research behind the diseases plaguing the world today? We want to reach out and encourage you to join hands with us during these events and to take part in supporting the issues that scourge our world today. Let us continue to help others live the best life possible in the bodies that were given to us and increase our own knowledge on the causes and diseases by attending these events. We can all spare a little time on a good cause and we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from being a proud supporter of a cause you feel strongly about. Here at Connect To Fitness, we are very open to suggestions on any upcoming events in the near or far future and we are always taking your invitations to participate together with you. Our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator, Heather Doane, is diligently working and progressing by leaps and bounds in seeking out volunteer opportunities for CTF to become involved in. She has developed great connections for those of you who are looking to become part of the volunteer community and you can feel free to get in touch with her to present your ideas or inquiries. If you have any events or know of anyone who has a great cause to support, please don’t hesitate to write or get in touch with us. We will gladly set up a meeting to sit down and discuss how we can be of assistance in these events. If you happen to have any ideas or are interested in becoming active in your volunteer community, please feel free to get in touch anytime via Facebook or email us at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com. Here at CTF, we are always open to novel ideas and innovative ways to become engaged even moreso with our community. Let Connect To Fitness be your one-stop-shop for volunteer and community events.
We have but one chance, one opportunity in life to live the finest lives we can and we owe it to ourselves to care for the one body we are given to live this life in. Life is short enough as it is and we owe it to ourselves to live it to the utmost of our abilities. If we don’t take the time to care for and nurture ourselves, who will?
In health and until next week, Faithful Reader,
"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.” –Joan Welsh
Ponder how strange it actually is that we are given a life and soul to occupy a body in which we have no say over. We have no control over our physical attributes or abilities and we are born to spend eternity within the parameters of the identity we are born with. What exactly is it then that holds so many of us back from caring for and nurturing the body we have? What is it that holds us back?
Being a professional trainer, I am exposed to an array of different walls holding people back from attaining great health and vitality and my entire line of work depends upon what I am able to offer in regards to changing these perceptions and helping to navigate around the problem areas in other people’s lives to help make health a priority. One of the things we take for granted is that our health should not have a price-tag attached to it. Understandably so, and with the economy the way it is, some things might be tougher than others to either afford or follow through with depending on your financial and time situation. But there are a few things that just don’t add up in my own mind that I think a lot of people can relate to. I have met people (both in and out of the gym) who spend a ridiculous amount of money to buy a huge, fancy house or car, then come to me and say that a gym membership or good, quality food is ‘too expensive’ and they aren’t able to afford such investments on a consistent basis. Or people who pay a plastic surgeon thousands of dollars to fix what wasn’t broken to begin with on their body and then months down the road still end up gaining weight anyways because there was no physical maintenance afterwards. Or the person who doesn’t have time for exercise, yet they spend hours each week in front of the TV watching or playing video games. In all these examples, just a portion of the time and money invested into these endeavors could be spent revitalizing and tending to your body’s brain and physical well being.
These days, it seems to me that everyone is incredibly dependant on doctors and medications to the point of taking anything to cure a symptom or disease without even doing the research on what they are taking to begin with. What many people don’t realize is that eating healthy and exercising can actually cure most ailments without the need for medication. Medications aren’t meant to heal, but rather to conceal temporarily. That’s why if one stops taking a medication, the problem exposes itself once again. And not only that, but most medications cause more side-effects than the person had previously with whatever they were diagnosed with to begin with. Treating a symptom is not the same as discovering the underlying problem to the disease itself. The only people who truly benefit off medications are the industries that distribute them. Our bodies simply weren’t designed to consume and process chemically engineered products, whatever they may be. Our bodies were meant to move and eat quality food. They are meant to explore and see the world and our surroundings. They are meant to be enhanced through physical activity and learning new things.
Lets take one example of a common ailment that is especially prevalent in the world at this time: Depression. Many people have experienced amazing benefits from taking anti-depression medication, yet they get faced with a double-edged sword in becoming reliant on it. If they were to have their solution in a bottle taken from them, they would immediately fall back into their old state of mind. Is this ideal or does it sound a bit strange in a science-fiction type of way? I mean, think about it. Modern medicine is able to temporarily mask the symptoms of depression, but the person taking the medication is completely dependant on pills to get them through the day. The underlying problem is still intact and screaming for help beneath the surface. Fact: Did you know that when you workout, your body releases serotonin and dopamine, the same endorphins (or ‘feel good’ hormones) that are released when we are happy or elated? The SAME hormones depression medications fool our bodies into creating more of. Not to mention that the benefits of exercise are something that we, ourselves, can take credit for, which automatically gives us a feeling of accomplishment and therefore, once again, creates those feel-good hormones. It’s a cycle that enhances our well-being in the most efficient way possible. By training and doing with your body what it was naturally meant to do, you are providing it with a natural ‘remedy’ and it can very well cause your hormone levels to balance out naturally. Imagine feeling better about yourself and your life by simply taking a little time out each day to move around and prepare healthy meals. It is so important for us to take credit for any advancements and accomplishments we make in life, whether it’s something mental or physical. Doing something to better ourselves creates instant self-gratification and more self-confidence than allowing another person, thing or medication to do the job for us. Foster your body and want to make these small changes. We are allotted one body in a lifetime to take full advantage of. By being in control of our lives and emotions, we are allowing ourselves to take credit for the changes occurring within our bodies and in our life situations. This is ultimately a desired state of being for anyone who wants to live life to the fullest without any internal or external intervention. Who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of being in control of oneself?
As far as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, ect… (and the list goes on and on!), the same rules apply. Although medications can veil symptoms, they can by no means treat the underlying problem which will still be there when all is said and done. The only way to take a step in the right direction is to supplement medications with healthy lifestyle habits that you can incorporate into your life day in and day out. Don’t use the excuse, or let those around you use the excuse, that because they are on cholesterol medication they can therefore eat whatever they desire or not move around to increase their cardiovascular (aka: heart) system because the medication will ‘fix’ it for them. Folks, this is not how life works and there is no magic pill. There is just a lifelong dedication to making healthy choices for the one and only body you will ever possess. It is not a simple overnight process; rather it is a lifestyle choice that needs to be cultivated throughout life each and every day. It is a choice one makes to better oneself by committing to better health and better lifestyle habits that will span forever and will allow your body to work proficiently throughout life.
As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay current on educating our clients and those around us as to what the benefits are of training and eating well entail. We are here to help others create healthy habits that can last lifetimes. Frequently, by just incorporating healthy eating and exercise into a daily routine, many, many people are able to actually reverse symptoms of any disease or ailment they may have and eventually get off taking medications completely. This is because they are now treating their body with respect and giving it the nourishment and activity it needs. I could go on for days about the wonderful effects training and good eating have on the body, but those are plenty more stories for plenty more weeks to come.
One of the things we are promoting with Connect To Fitness is the opportunity for people inside and outside of the health and fitness industry to get involved in the many volunteer opportunities available to us both in Vegas and in surrounding areas such as the magnificent Boulder City. We have already established partnerships with many different organizations around town, including the American Cancer Society, that will help us to support and get the word out on fantastic causes that support issues we can all benefit from. As health and fitness professionals, it is our job to stay on top of our game and be supportive of the causes that will not only benefit us, but will benefit our clients and those close to us as well. Aren’t we in business to promote healthy lifestyles and in supporting actual research behind the diseases plaguing the world today? We want to reach out and encourage you to join hands with us during these events and to take part in supporting the issues that scourge our world today. Let us continue to help others live the best life possible in the bodies that were given to us and increase our own knowledge on the causes and diseases by attending these events. We can all spare a little time on a good cause and we have nothing to lose and everything to gain from being a proud supporter of a cause you feel strongly about. Here at Connect To Fitness, we are very open to suggestions on any upcoming events in the near or far future and we are always taking your invitations to participate together with you. Our wonderful Volunteer Coordinator, Heather Doane, is diligently working and progressing by leaps and bounds in seeking out volunteer opportunities for CTF to become involved in. She has developed great connections for those of you who are looking to become part of the volunteer community and you can feel free to get in touch with her to present your ideas or inquiries. If you have any events or know of anyone who has a great cause to support, please don’t hesitate to write or get in touch with us. We will gladly set up a meeting to sit down and discuss how we can be of assistance in these events. If you happen to have any ideas or are interested in becoming active in your volunteer community, please feel free to get in touch anytime via Facebook or email us at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com. Here at CTF, we are always open to novel ideas and innovative ways to become engaged even moreso with our community. Let Connect To Fitness be your one-stop-shop for volunteer and community events.
We have but one chance, one opportunity in life to live the finest lives we can and we owe it to ourselves to care for the one body we are given to live this life in. Life is short enough as it is and we owe it to ourselves to live it to the utmost of our abilities. If we don’t take the time to care for and nurture ourselves, who will?
In health and until next week, Faithful Reader,
"A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs.” –Joan Welsh
Monday, June 1, 2009
Live What You Love, Love What You DO
“Work”… When this word is said, what does it bring to mind and how does it affect you? If you are like millions, and in fact, billions of people in this world today, you are not too fond of this word and it is something you come to dread as much as going to the dentist or speaking in front of a crowd. Sound familiar?
In a world filled with such amazing human minds, forces, talents and aspirations, I find myself eluded as to why so many people settle to spend 40+ hours per week being and doing something that makes them discontented, unsatisfied and ultimately, stressed out. I’m sure we all know people who spend each of those 40+ hours waiting for 5:00pm to roll around and only when that happens does their day get started. Maybe we are even guilty of it on occasion or consistently. But is this any way to live a life?
Try this on for size: If you were to work your designated 40 hours every week for the 52 weeks that make up a year, that would be equivalent to 2,080 hours, which is also equivalent to 87 24-hour days of your year. Incredible right? Taking it a step further, say you are one of the many people to reside at your job for 30 years. Thirty years of working 40 hours for 52 weeks each year equals 62,400 hours, which happens to be equivalent to 2,600 24-hour days, or 7.12 YEARS of your life! If you are blown away by this, you are not alone. Now just for fun, let’s take it one more step further and consider those who work 50 years of their lives before retirement. Fifty years of working 52 weeks per year at 40 hours per week equals (and you might want to sit down for this…) an unfathomable 1,040,000 hours which equals 4,333 24-hour days, or 11.87 years of your LIFE! All spent at work. So, it is safe to say that on average, most of us probably spend anywhere from a 6th to a 9th of our lives at work. Spending this much time being unsatisfied is pretty unjustifiable, and I’m sure you’d agree. So how do we go about changing our current situations for more desirable working conditions? One word: Dreams.
Each person in this world is given certain gifts or talents to behold, and each person as well possesses a passion for something that is usually put on the backburner for more the more ‘important’ things in life, such as work. Many people chose to define their passions as hobbies and most people rarely find the time to even take them up in their spare time. Considering the fact that in most cases the word ‘work’ brings to mind negative connotations and the word ‘hobby’ brings a smile to the faces of most, it's amazing how more people aren't making this connection. Envision what life would be like if everyone made the attempt to combine these two aspects of life. What if ‘work’ and ‘hobby’ could be synonymous?
A while back I came across an article that is now permanently engraved in my mind about a gentleman travelling cross-country for his job. While on the plane, the man seated next to him asked him if he was travelling for “business or pleasure?”, and the first gentleman replied, “Well, both, because my business is my pleasure.”. Now really take a moment to absorb the meaning behind this. ‘‘My business is my pleasure’’... How fantastic would it be, knowing you were spending your 40+ hours a week doing something you loved and held a deep passion for? Although I will spare you the math, if you review the above, we could ultimately be spending at least a 6th to a 9th of our lives doing something we enjoy and find deep pleasure in. There would no longer be a need to separate ourselves from our work as our work would already be a part of who we are. The eight hours we are working would be spent enhancing our knowledge and mastering our ‘hobbies’. Think about how glorious life would be if we no longer felt impelled to count down the hours until the clock strikes 5:00 and where we could be surrounded by other like-minded people who share similar goals and aspirations. We would have a certain level of control over our work situation which would lower stress levels and create a suitable work environment.
Now, I realize this isn’t an easy feat that can be overcome and accomplished overnight. If this were the case, I feel that more people would take the risk of making this decision for themselves. All that I am asking of you, Faithful Reader, is to step out of your comfort zone and into the unknown where you can take the reins of fate into your own hands. Passions and talents are characteristic of each person and create a uniqueness in everyone as no one shares the exact same ardor for the exact same endowments. Develop your forte and use it more than sparingly in your everyday life. Share it with those around you and incorporate it into each day as it is part of who you are and what separates you from those around you.
Here is a list of ways to get started today:
1) Start small. Begin by just setting aside some time each day or week for you to do something you enjoy and look forward to. It truly makes all the difference in life when we take some time out for ourselves and do something we love most.
2) Take a class or continuing education course. Ever just think to yourself that if you had ‘more time’, you would love to learn about something you have always wanted to do? Most classes start by spanning an hour or so one day a week and there are many that are offered numerous days of the week. This would be a great way to start incorporating your interests into your routine.
3) Make your hobbies a priority just like you would work. Schedule it into your routine just as you would a doctor’s appointment or any other obligation that is mandatory to attend. By holding yourself accountable for these ‘appointments’, you will soon develop a lasting ‘habit’ that will develop into a ‘routine’ with time.
4) Share your passion with someone else. Invite someone else to share the experience with you. It will be easier to maintain motivation when you are being held accountable by someone else. Plus, it’s a given that it’s a great way to build a relationship or maintain an existing one.
5) Make a ‘to-do’ list. The catch? Nothing on your list can be related to what you would ‘typically’ do in a normal day. Get creative and think of what your ideal ‘leisure time’ would consist of if you had all the time in the world and could do anything you wanted without limitations. Use this list as your guide and motive to get out there and start defying the ‘odds’. Make it a personal goal to check off as many of these objectives as possible and keep adding on and checking off as you progress.
This list should by no means be your only reference of ways to get started, but these are some of the things that have helped me most and, to be courteous, I thought I would share some of what has helped me mold into my own habits and life structure. Life has no perimeters except for those we create around ourselves. Overcome your own ‘odds’ and begin living what you love. When you live what you love, you will love what you do. This in itself is a great impetus to get started now. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming someone who is knee deep in misery due to not having enough time for You. Engage in activities that stimulate you and allow yourself to become absorbed in what brings you the most joy. It is in this way that stress will have to take a step down from being so overbearing at times. Make YOU a priority everyday.
In working with Connect To Fitness, I have been tremendously fortunate to have met so many amazing and inspiring people who are not only extremely giving towards others, but they give to themselves as well by creating that ‘work’-‘hobby’ relationship within their lives. When you surround yourself with these types of people, you can’t help but catch their infectious enthusiasm. Being in the heath, wellness, and fitness industry has really opened up my own eyes to the fact that you CAN beat the odds in your own life and that people are doing it everyday. You realize that stepping out of the comfort you have known for so long is a beneficial thing that not only challenges us both mentally and physically, but it creates happiness and great relationships with people whom you already share common interests and passions with before you even meet them. One of the things we are working hard to incorporate into Connect To Fitness is matching professionals who are seeking their fate with employers who have job descriptions that fit a certain person’s goals, personality, interests and resume. We believe in helping people find their ideal working atmosphere and in helping employers find the right employees without having to make a judgment solely based on blind speculations. We have already helped to make many career connections between employees and employers and we hope to foster the foundation we have fashioned to become a one-stop shop in making career-building reliable and easy. In networking within the health, wellness and fitness community and in getting to know people on a personal level, we believe we can give rise to a new and innovative way of harmonizing and connecting people to places that will be the best fit. Please don’t hesitate, Faithful Reader, in sending us information on what is you are looking to accomplish whether it’s finding the right job or finding the right employee. In no way do we want for you to settle for anything less than what your dreams entail and we are happy to help out in any way we can. You can send us your information at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com or find our page on Facebook entitled, ‘Las Vegas Connect To Fitness Networking Group’. If you have a dream, let us help you reach the fate you are destined for. We are involved in such a wonderful industry where the main goal is to help others reach their life goals and to manifest success in those around us.
We are given one life and one life only to live to our greatest potential. Let your passions become part of who you are and use them to positively influence the world and those around you. If you live what you love and love what you do, then will you ever truly have to ‘work’ another day of your life?
Until next week and as Jim Rohn once quoted:
“The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the best days of those who don't.”
In a world filled with such amazing human minds, forces, talents and aspirations, I find myself eluded as to why so many people settle to spend 40+ hours per week being and doing something that makes them discontented, unsatisfied and ultimately, stressed out. I’m sure we all know people who spend each of those 40+ hours waiting for 5:00pm to roll around and only when that happens does their day get started. Maybe we are even guilty of it on occasion or consistently. But is this any way to live a life?
Try this on for size: If you were to work your designated 40 hours every week for the 52 weeks that make up a year, that would be equivalent to 2,080 hours, which is also equivalent to 87 24-hour days of your year. Incredible right? Taking it a step further, say you are one of the many people to reside at your job for 30 years. Thirty years of working 40 hours for 52 weeks each year equals 62,400 hours, which happens to be equivalent to 2,600 24-hour days, or 7.12 YEARS of your life! If you are blown away by this, you are not alone. Now just for fun, let’s take it one more step further and consider those who work 50 years of their lives before retirement. Fifty years of working 52 weeks per year at 40 hours per week equals (and you might want to sit down for this…) an unfathomable 1,040,000 hours which equals 4,333 24-hour days, or 11.87 years of your LIFE! All spent at work. So, it is safe to say that on average, most of us probably spend anywhere from a 6th to a 9th of our lives at work. Spending this much time being unsatisfied is pretty unjustifiable, and I’m sure you’d agree. So how do we go about changing our current situations for more desirable working conditions? One word: Dreams.
Each person in this world is given certain gifts or talents to behold, and each person as well possesses a passion for something that is usually put on the backburner for more the more ‘important’ things in life, such as work. Many people chose to define their passions as hobbies and most people rarely find the time to even take them up in their spare time. Considering the fact that in most cases the word ‘work’ brings to mind negative connotations and the word ‘hobby’ brings a smile to the faces of most, it's amazing how more people aren't making this connection. Envision what life would be like if everyone made the attempt to combine these two aspects of life. What if ‘work’ and ‘hobby’ could be synonymous?
A while back I came across an article that is now permanently engraved in my mind about a gentleman travelling cross-country for his job. While on the plane, the man seated next to him asked him if he was travelling for “business or pleasure?”, and the first gentleman replied, “Well, both, because my business is my pleasure.”. Now really take a moment to absorb the meaning behind this. ‘‘My business is my pleasure’’... How fantastic would it be, knowing you were spending your 40+ hours a week doing something you loved and held a deep passion for? Although I will spare you the math, if you review the above, we could ultimately be spending at least a 6th to a 9th of our lives doing something we enjoy and find deep pleasure in. There would no longer be a need to separate ourselves from our work as our work would already be a part of who we are. The eight hours we are working would be spent enhancing our knowledge and mastering our ‘hobbies’. Think about how glorious life would be if we no longer felt impelled to count down the hours until the clock strikes 5:00 and where we could be surrounded by other like-minded people who share similar goals and aspirations. We would have a certain level of control over our work situation which would lower stress levels and create a suitable work environment.
Now, I realize this isn’t an easy feat that can be overcome and accomplished overnight. If this were the case, I feel that more people would take the risk of making this decision for themselves. All that I am asking of you, Faithful Reader, is to step out of your comfort zone and into the unknown where you can take the reins of fate into your own hands. Passions and talents are characteristic of each person and create a uniqueness in everyone as no one shares the exact same ardor for the exact same endowments. Develop your forte and use it more than sparingly in your everyday life. Share it with those around you and incorporate it into each day as it is part of who you are and what separates you from those around you.
Here is a list of ways to get started today:
1) Start small. Begin by just setting aside some time each day or week for you to do something you enjoy and look forward to. It truly makes all the difference in life when we take some time out for ourselves and do something we love most.
2) Take a class or continuing education course. Ever just think to yourself that if you had ‘more time’, you would love to learn about something you have always wanted to do? Most classes start by spanning an hour or so one day a week and there are many that are offered numerous days of the week. This would be a great way to start incorporating your interests into your routine.
3) Make your hobbies a priority just like you would work. Schedule it into your routine just as you would a doctor’s appointment or any other obligation that is mandatory to attend. By holding yourself accountable for these ‘appointments’, you will soon develop a lasting ‘habit’ that will develop into a ‘routine’ with time.
4) Share your passion with someone else. Invite someone else to share the experience with you. It will be easier to maintain motivation when you are being held accountable by someone else. Plus, it’s a given that it’s a great way to build a relationship or maintain an existing one.
5) Make a ‘to-do’ list. The catch? Nothing on your list can be related to what you would ‘typically’ do in a normal day. Get creative and think of what your ideal ‘leisure time’ would consist of if you had all the time in the world and could do anything you wanted without limitations. Use this list as your guide and motive to get out there and start defying the ‘odds’. Make it a personal goal to check off as many of these objectives as possible and keep adding on and checking off as you progress.
This list should by no means be your only reference of ways to get started, but these are some of the things that have helped me most and, to be courteous, I thought I would share some of what has helped me mold into my own habits and life structure. Life has no perimeters except for those we create around ourselves. Overcome your own ‘odds’ and begin living what you love. When you live what you love, you will love what you do. This in itself is a great impetus to get started now. Don’t fall into the trap of becoming someone who is knee deep in misery due to not having enough time for You. Engage in activities that stimulate you and allow yourself to become absorbed in what brings you the most joy. It is in this way that stress will have to take a step down from being so overbearing at times. Make YOU a priority everyday.
In working with Connect To Fitness, I have been tremendously fortunate to have met so many amazing and inspiring people who are not only extremely giving towards others, but they give to themselves as well by creating that ‘work’-‘hobby’ relationship within their lives. When you surround yourself with these types of people, you can’t help but catch their infectious enthusiasm. Being in the heath, wellness, and fitness industry has really opened up my own eyes to the fact that you CAN beat the odds in your own life and that people are doing it everyday. You realize that stepping out of the comfort you have known for so long is a beneficial thing that not only challenges us both mentally and physically, but it creates happiness and great relationships with people whom you already share common interests and passions with before you even meet them. One of the things we are working hard to incorporate into Connect To Fitness is matching professionals who are seeking their fate with employers who have job descriptions that fit a certain person’s goals, personality, interests and resume. We believe in helping people find their ideal working atmosphere and in helping employers find the right employees without having to make a judgment solely based on blind speculations. We have already helped to make many career connections between employees and employers and we hope to foster the foundation we have fashioned to become a one-stop shop in making career-building reliable and easy. In networking within the health, wellness and fitness community and in getting to know people on a personal level, we believe we can give rise to a new and innovative way of harmonizing and connecting people to places that will be the best fit. Please don’t hesitate, Faithful Reader, in sending us information on what is you are looking to accomplish whether it’s finding the right job or finding the right employee. In no way do we want for you to settle for anything less than what your dreams entail and we are happy to help out in any way we can. You can send us your information at ConnectToFitness@gmail.com or find our page on Facebook entitled, ‘Las Vegas Connect To Fitness Networking Group’. If you have a dream, let us help you reach the fate you are destined for. We are involved in such a wonderful industry where the main goal is to help others reach their life goals and to manifest success in those around us.
We are given one life and one life only to live to our greatest potential. Let your passions become part of who you are and use them to positively influence the world and those around you. If you live what you love and love what you do, then will you ever truly have to ‘work’ another day of your life?
Until next week and as Jim Rohn once quoted:
“The worst days of those who enjoy what they do are better than the best days of those who don't.”
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