As I sit here and stare at a blank computer screen, I begin to ask myself some very serious questions. Who am I and who do I want to be for the world? There are many times when I fall into an internal dialogue where I am so focused on myself and my own problems. I beat myself up about not meeting or exceeding certain arbitrary goals I have set for myself. I set my focus on areas in my life that I am not happy about and instead of doing something about it, I get “stuck” and perpetuate the type of negative thinking that manifests more of the same. How many of you find yourself “stuck” in a rut you just cannot seem to get out of? How many of you are going through life feeling like something is missing? This type of thinking happens to the best of us. The real key to personal power comes from getting really good at recognizing these behavior patterns as self-limiting and getting quicker and quicker at seeing it and shifting to an empowering mindset.
Many of us define our lives by what we do, what we have, or how much we have made? We feel good about ourselves to the extent that we have reached whatever arbitrary expectations we have set for ourselves. It is when we are able to transform our focus from this narrow mindset to one where we ask the questions of who am I and what contribution can I make on the world that our life makes a dramatic and powerful shift. When we come from a place of being purpose driven, we begin to step off of the emotional rollercoaster that comes from focusing on what we have or do not have. In conclusion, I think it is only fair that I answer the questions I proposed to you for myself:
1) Who am I? I am a role model. I am a loving partner, friend, and confidant. I am a beacon of light for everyone around me and a pillar of inspiration for people to see the amazing possibilities they have to express a life of abundance – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and, spiritually; to dream bigger than they ever thought possible; to create more fulfillment in their lives; to be more loving fathers, mothers, children, and friends; to see the implicate beauty in everything around them; to live a fully present life where every moment counts.
2) What contribution can I make on the world? My contribution to the world is to be a source of inspiration for everyone around me; to transform the health and quality of life of first my community and then the world; to create a legacy focused on living a life of abundant health and self-expression that continues to be source of empowerment for millions of people for many generations to come.
As I continue to grow, reinvent myself, and discover who I am, I am always asking myself these questions. Who am I? What is my purpose in life? How can I be a better role model for society? Who do I want to be for the world? As many of you know by now, I love quotes so I am going to leave you with one of my favorite ones by Karen Ravn: “Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.”
Friday, October 23, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Ultimate Key to Transforming Your Life!
How many of you are aware that over 2/3 of Americans are either overweight or obese? How many of you are also aware that we spend over $35 billion per year on the diet industry and in weight loss yet our collective weight as a country continues to climb? Words like “Adult-Onset Diabetes” are rapidly becoming extinct. A translation for “Adult-Onset Diabetes” would look like this: The continual choosing of poor lifestyle choices long enough to fry your insulin receptors and maintain an increased level of blood sugar in order to function in the pathological environment you have placed yourself in for an extended period of time. It was called “Adult-Onset Diabetes” because it took years and years for this to happen and was finally expressed as an adult, hence the name. “Adult-Onset Diabetes” is no longer being used and is being replaced solely with “Type 2 Diabetes” because we are destroying our bodies at such an alarming rate that kids are getting it and can no longer be called “Adult Onset.” Does anybody see something wrong with this picture?
When are we going to wake up and realize our health and quality of life is something we need to take responsibility for? What we need to understand is our quality of life is determined by the quality of questions we ask ourselves. If you want a successful marriage, are you going to study people who have been divorced multiple times and people who are unhappily married and find out what they do wrong, or are you going to study people who have been happily married for 30, 40 or 50 years? If you want to become rich, are you going to study people who are broke and find out what they do wrong and what mistakes they make, or are you going to study people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet? Now for the third and final question: If you want to be healthy, are you going to study sick people and find out what they do wrong or are you going to study healthy people and find out what they do right? I hope the answer is obvious. The problem with our health care system is not a lack of technology because we have more technology than any country in the world. The problem is not a lack of money because we are the richest country in world. The problem lies in that we are asking the wrong questions! Our entire health care system is based on determining how to improve our health by studying sick people. The only way to improve our health, transform our quality of life, and create all the success we have always dreamed about is by asking better questions. What we have been asking ourselves are things like what’s wrong with me and how do I treat it, but what we should be asking ourselves is where does health come from and what are all of the requirements I need to express abundant health, energy, and vitality. This simple yet powerful shift in your mindset will produce unfathomable life-changing results. I’d like to close out with a quote by Anthony Robbins:
“You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.”
When are we going to wake up and realize our health and quality of life is something we need to take responsibility for? What we need to understand is our quality of life is determined by the quality of questions we ask ourselves. If you want a successful marriage, are you going to study people who have been divorced multiple times and people who are unhappily married and find out what they do wrong, or are you going to study people who have been happily married for 30, 40 or 50 years? If you want to become rich, are you going to study people who are broke and find out what they do wrong and what mistakes they make, or are you going to study people like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet? Now for the third and final question: If you want to be healthy, are you going to study sick people and find out what they do wrong or are you going to study healthy people and find out what they do right? I hope the answer is obvious. The problem with our health care system is not a lack of technology because we have more technology than any country in the world. The problem is not a lack of money because we are the richest country in world. The problem lies in that we are asking the wrong questions! Our entire health care system is based on determining how to improve our health by studying sick people. The only way to improve our health, transform our quality of life, and create all the success we have always dreamed about is by asking better questions. What we have been asking ourselves are things like what’s wrong with me and how do I treat it, but what we should be asking ourselves is where does health come from and what are all of the requirements I need to express abundant health, energy, and vitality. This simple yet powerful shift in your mindset will produce unfathomable life-changing results. I’d like to close out with a quote by Anthony Robbins:
“You are now at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully.”
Friday, October 9, 2009
From Ordinary to Extraordinary!
After a brief hiatus from my weekly blogging, I felt compelled today to sit down and write. Over the past month, I have had quite a bit happen in my life which I have allowed to derail me from my commitment to posting regular blogs. I would like to share one of these experiences with you.
A few weeks ago I left the office as usual and headed to the gym for my daily evening workout. After I finished a great yoga class and a solid work out, I left the gym feeling energized and rejuvenated. As I walked out and approached my car, I knew something was not right. I had one of those eerie sixth-sense feelings where I knew I was approaching a precarious situation. As I moved toward my car, I noticed the rear driver-side window was smashed in. As I peered through the empty hole in the side of my car, the thing I feared worst came to fruition: my computer which contained all of my life’s work including pictures, presentations, and writings as well as my wallet and iPod were all stolen. Everything was gone.
Why do I share this story with you? I share this story to illustrate that we cannot always control what happens to us or around us. We cannot prepare for all of life’s variables nor can we prevent all hardships or unfortunate events. Our life is not determined by what happens to us but rather what happens within us. I read a great quote by William F. Halsey which states, "There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." Men and women are not born extraordinary but are rather created and developed by how ordinary men and women respond to extraordinary circumstances. Do you face a formidable challenge with a self-defeating attitude or do you muster up the fortitude within yourself to overcome great challenges? Do you allow your life to just happen to you or do you choose to be bigger and stronger than any challenge that comes between you and your destiny?
I had to make a choice how I was going to respond to the situation I was faced with. Was I going to play the victim or was I going to use it as a learning experience to propel my growth and development as a person? I chose the latter and I have since used that experience to inspire hundreds of people through my health talks in the office and the community. Always remember and carry with you this, “You cannot always control what happens to you. What you can always control is how you respond to the situations that are placed in front of you.” I hope you choose to be powerful in the face of adversity and take your life from ordinary to extraordinary.
A few weeks ago I left the office as usual and headed to the gym for my daily evening workout. After I finished a great yoga class and a solid work out, I left the gym feeling energized and rejuvenated. As I walked out and approached my car, I knew something was not right. I had one of those eerie sixth-sense feelings where I knew I was approaching a precarious situation. As I moved toward my car, I noticed the rear driver-side window was smashed in. As I peered through the empty hole in the side of my car, the thing I feared worst came to fruition: my computer which contained all of my life’s work including pictures, presentations, and writings as well as my wallet and iPod were all stolen. Everything was gone.
Why do I share this story with you? I share this story to illustrate that we cannot always control what happens to us or around us. We cannot prepare for all of life’s variables nor can we prevent all hardships or unfortunate events. Our life is not determined by what happens to us but rather what happens within us. I read a great quote by William F. Halsey which states, "There are no great men, only great challenges that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet." Men and women are not born extraordinary but are rather created and developed by how ordinary men and women respond to extraordinary circumstances. Do you face a formidable challenge with a self-defeating attitude or do you muster up the fortitude within yourself to overcome great challenges? Do you allow your life to just happen to you or do you choose to be bigger and stronger than any challenge that comes between you and your destiny?
I had to make a choice how I was going to respond to the situation I was faced with. Was I going to play the victim or was I going to use it as a learning experience to propel my growth and development as a person? I chose the latter and I have since used that experience to inspire hundreds of people through my health talks in the office and the community. Always remember and carry with you this, “You cannot always control what happens to you. What you can always control is how you respond to the situations that are placed in front of you.” I hope you choose to be powerful in the face of adversity and take your life from ordinary to extraordinary.
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