Life is a Lot Harder Than Exercise!

The funny thing about life is I can always learn lessons at the most unexpected time and the most unexpected places if I am open and aware to receiving them. I guess my radar was up this morning. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to work on my flexibility and joint mobility. This past year I have trained heavily on strength and conditioning with less of a focus on stretching and flexibility. Along with continuing with the CrossFit program, I chose to incorporate more yoga into the mix. Lately, I’ve been attending a Sunday morning advanced Hot Power Yoga class where the room is heated to close to 100 degrees and I was fortunate enough to be placed directly in front one of the heaters this morning which made my practice feel like I was doing it in an oven. It was about ¾ of the way through a brutal hour and a half class when the instructor said something very powerful. At the moment my muscles were screaming and sweat was pouring down my face, and the last thing I was thinking about was philosophy, the meaning of life, or anything intellectual. I was just trying to keep myself from falling over. It was at this moment when the instructor said, “Come on! You all can do this! Life is a lot harder than exercise!” It was a comment that was made in such an innocuous way but had powerful impact on me. It gave me that extra little bit of effort; that extra bit of mental fortitude to dig deeper and see what was really capable of. The truth is – life is a lot harder than exercise but they are more similar than one may think. A wise man once said, ”Show me how you live one area of your life, and I’ll show you how you live your whole life.” If I gave up in that class when things got tough, how might that translate into other areas of my life? If I didn’t wake up on a Sunday morning because I was too tired even though I made a commitment with myself to attend the class, how might that translate into other areas of my life? And if I didn’t give 100% of myself, my focus, and my energy into my practice this morning, how might that translate into other areas of my life?

Take a close look at your life. Do you continue to get the same unsatisfactory results over and over again? Are you getting everything out of life that you could hope for? Do you give up when things get tough or do you persevere and push yourself to your limits? Take a look at how you exercise and the answers to those questions are closer and easier to reach than you may think.

Life-Changing Lessons from 2010

Before we can begin to look forward and set new goals and make new commitments for 2011, it is only prudent to examine and recap the past year. We need to look at the good and the bad, the tears and the laughter, the depression and the joy, and the pleasurable experiences as well as the painful ones. The last year has certainly been a rollercoaster and I would not have it any other way. Here are my life lessons learned from 2010: work hard and play harder, worry less because in a moment or two things change, love more, judge and criticize less, emulate little kids if I really want to know pure joy, watch less television and read more, cultivate my spirituality, spend time and savor the moments with loved ones because I never know how much time I’ll have left with them, no matter what never go to bed without kissing my significant other and telling her how much she means to me, compliments build bridges whereas sarcasm and negative comments build walls, lighten up and stop taking things so seriously, become outrageously passionate about living, look people in the eye and become genuinely interested in them and their life, take a leap of faith into the unknown and reap the rewards of an abundance universe, in a fast paced world be present to my surroundings and the people around me and I will amaze myself at how life seems to transform for the better, take risks and go out on a limb because that is where the fruit is, live MY life and not someone else’s life, and be true to myself and my highest values.

Life is not designed be always be fun. It is not designed to be easy and only filled with roses and chocolate covered strawberries. Life is meant to be lived. Life is meant to be experienced. You can’t know up without down. You can’t know joy without sadness and you can’t know success without setbacks. Some of you may have had the greatest year of your lives and others may have had the worst year of your lives. How should you feel about it? Be grateful! Gratitude is the currency that cultivates happiness, fulfillment, and present-ness. For those who had a phenomenal year, good for you but the year is over. Now it is time to think about what you are going to do for your life this year to make THIS year the best. For those of you who had a terrible year, show gratitude for the lessons that life has taught you and put together a game plan to make this year the best year of your life. You can change your life in an instant and it all begins with a single choice.

Make 2011 Your Best Year Yet!

It is the New Year and it marks a new opportunity begin life anew. There is something mystical and almost magical about January 1. Every day, every minute, and every moment is unique yet January 1 is the day that most people choose to wipe the slate clean and start their life fresh. Many people use January 1 to make lofty, unrealistic goals with very little commitment and hope for this year to be better than the last. To many people’s dismay, the goals and commitments are thrown out the window within a few weeks and the ensuing year turns out to be nothing but a repetition of the year before. There are certain things you can do to ensure this year will be different; to set the bar higher than you ever have and give yourself a greater chance at meeting or even exceeding your mark.

#1: Set goals and make commitments to things that you can become outrageously passionate about. Passion is the fuel that drives success. No one has ever built a successful life on things that were not important and passionate to them. This may take some time but I believe it is the most powerful key to making this year your best one yet! Find your passion and let it guide you.

#2: Be flexible! They say there are two sure things in life: death and taxes. I’d like to add a third….change! Life is always changing and either you adapt or perish. Those are your only options. It isn’t a choice on whether to embrace change or not. If you want to be successful, you MUST embrace change. You must thrive on it. Your goals are like a road map. If you are on a road trip from NY to Texas, it is very unlikely you will make it there without a detour, a flat tire, some traffic, or moments of frustration and despair. The fact is though, if you have a map, it is much easier to get back on track and meet your destination or goal. Let your goals guide you but always be open to change!

#3: Surround yourself with amazing people who hold you accountable and call you to something greater. You are the sum of the six people you spend the most time with. Does your circle of influence built you up or tear you down? Do they encourage creativity and hard work or do they breed stagnation and apathy? Do they challenge you and provide you with a level of unconditional love and acceptance or is their love and acceptance conditional and their support inconsistent? Take inventory of your friends because it may be the most powerful thing you do to grow your success and your life.

Now go out and make 2011 your best year yet!!