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.”
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Where can you have the greatest conversations in the world?
One the things I am most grateful for in my life is having had the opportunity to listen and learn from some of the most successful people in history. I have had conversations with greats such as Warren Buffet, Ayn Rand, Jim Collins, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr, Abraham Lincoln, and many others. I am sure by now you are thinking I have gone off the deep end. I could not possibly have had a conversation with Martin Luther King, right? Wrong! These conversations have not taken place face-to-face or even over the telephone. These conversations that have shaped my life have not been accomplished in the form of the spoken word but have done so in the form of the written word.
As with anything in life, you can choose to be an observing bystander or engage as a player. Many people read a book as if they are a spectator. They observe the stories, lessons, and advice and do not take much more away from the experience than temporary satisfaction. There are no lessons learned or eye opening experiences gained. If this pertains to you then you are missing out on so much more of what books have to offer. They give us the amazing opportunity to learn and converse with some of the most amazing people and ideas known to man. They give us a glimpse into the inner workings, thoughts, and insights of the brightest minds in the world. You have the opportunity to ask questions and get those questions answered in the form of the written word. Have you ever read the “I Have a Dream” speech by MLK? It is absolutely brilliant and nothing short of sensational. Through reading that speech, I was able to connect with a man who inspired a nation to demand a deeper and more profound respect for all of mankind regardless of the color of their skin, beliefs, or background.
Success leaves clues and many of those clues can be found in the written word of the greats that have changed the world. The key is to be engaged. Do not just be a spectator when you are reading. Do not read a book only for pure entertainment. Engage in the ideas and concepts of the author. Ask questions and look for answers. Apply the principles you learn to your own life. How about putting on a pot of tea, having a seat in your favorite chair, and become moved and inspired by a conversation you are privileged to have with Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, or Napoleon Hill?
As with anything in life, you can choose to be an observing bystander or engage as a player. Many people read a book as if they are a spectator. They observe the stories, lessons, and advice and do not take much more away from the experience than temporary satisfaction. There are no lessons learned or eye opening experiences gained. If this pertains to you then you are missing out on so much more of what books have to offer. They give us the amazing opportunity to learn and converse with some of the most amazing people and ideas known to man. They give us a glimpse into the inner workings, thoughts, and insights of the brightest minds in the world. You have the opportunity to ask questions and get those questions answered in the form of the written word. Have you ever read the “I Have a Dream” speech by MLK? It is absolutely brilliant and nothing short of sensational. Through reading that speech, I was able to connect with a man who inspired a nation to demand a deeper and more profound respect for all of mankind regardless of the color of their skin, beliefs, or background.
Success leaves clues and many of those clues can be found in the written word of the greats that have changed the world. The key is to be engaged. Do not just be a spectator when you are reading. Do not read a book only for pure entertainment. Engage in the ideas and concepts of the author. Ask questions and look for answers. Apply the principles you learn to your own life. How about putting on a pot of tea, having a seat in your favorite chair, and become moved and inspired by a conversation you are privileged to have with Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, or Napoleon Hill?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Step Up To Your Greatness!
If you are truly being honest with yourself, are you really living up to your full potential? When you strip your life down to the raw fundamentals that make you, well…. you, are you giving everything the very best you have to offer? Are you just going through the motions or are you fully present with a laser beam focus on what is right in front of you? Do you live in the past and the future or are you living in the present moment? Is your time away from work spent relaxing and unfocused or are you so committed to yourself and your life that you study, read, and self-reflect even when you are not required to? Do you always go the extra step?
Yesterday, I entered myself in a work out competition put on by CrossFit Affliction. The workout consisted of rowing 500 meters, 25 24” box jumps, 400 meter run, 150 jump ropes, 25 135 lb dead lifts, 25 pull ups, 25 20 lb wall balls, 25 35lb kettle bell swings, and 25 burpees. The kicker was the competition was for time and it was in 100 degree South Florida heat. A powerful realization occurred within me about halfway through the work out. By this time, I could barely breathe and my body was yelling at me it just wanted to collapse. Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to stop and my lungs felt like they were going to explode. It was at this moment that I had to ask myself, “Who am I and what do I stand for?” To me, this crucial moment represented the rest of my life. Was I going to give up and retreat in the face of adversity or was I going to stare it straight in the face and conquer it? Was I going to limit myself to the boundaries of comfort and mediocrity or was I going to stand for something bigger and better? I persisted with a laser beam focus and an irrefutable and unconquerable commitment to not only complete the work out, but complete it with everything I had inside of me. I exploded through the finish with more power and more intensity than I began with. It was a huge victory for me. This represented an unwavering commitment to succeed and a certainty that whenever I feel like I am giving it my all, there is always a little more to give.
Everything and every moment counts. There are no ordinary moments. You have the opportunity to make every moment extraordinary. A world-class life is not developed during the 9-5. It is not formed by walking idly through life and going through the motions. It comes from making every moment count. Every interaction, every word, every choice, every thought, and every relationship counts. Are you a little better today than you were yesterday? Pick up that personal development book you have been meaning to read. Attend that seminar you have been meaning to go to. Get back to exercising the way you have been wanting to. Make a choice to create a better life for yourself and step up to your greatness!
Yesterday, I entered myself in a work out competition put on by CrossFit Affliction. The workout consisted of rowing 500 meters, 25 24” box jumps, 400 meter run, 150 jump ropes, 25 135 lb dead lifts, 25 pull ups, 25 20 lb wall balls, 25 35lb kettle bell swings, and 25 burpees. The kicker was the competition was for time and it was in 100 degree South Florida heat. A powerful realization occurred within me about halfway through the work out. By this time, I could barely breathe and my body was yelling at me it just wanted to collapse. Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to stop and my lungs felt like they were going to explode. It was at this moment that I had to ask myself, “Who am I and what do I stand for?” To me, this crucial moment represented the rest of my life. Was I going to give up and retreat in the face of adversity or was I going to stare it straight in the face and conquer it? Was I going to limit myself to the boundaries of comfort and mediocrity or was I going to stand for something bigger and better? I persisted with a laser beam focus and an irrefutable and unconquerable commitment to not only complete the work out, but complete it with everything I had inside of me. I exploded through the finish with more power and more intensity than I began with. It was a huge victory for me. This represented an unwavering commitment to succeed and a certainty that whenever I feel like I am giving it my all, there is always a little more to give.
Everything and every moment counts. There are no ordinary moments. You have the opportunity to make every moment extraordinary. A world-class life is not developed during the 9-5. It is not formed by walking idly through life and going through the motions. It comes from making every moment count. Every interaction, every word, every choice, every thought, and every relationship counts. Are you a little better today than you were yesterday? Pick up that personal development book you have been meaning to read. Attend that seminar you have been meaning to go to. Get back to exercising the way you have been wanting to. Make a choice to create a better life for yourself and step up to your greatness!
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Most Powerful "State" of All!
I have already briefly spoke in a previous post about what I believe is one of the most powerful states in the human experience. It is a state that has the potential to bring more abundance and happiness into your life than possibly anything else. It has the power to transform challenging experiences into gifts. It has the power to break past barriers and create new realms of possibility. It has the power to drastically improve relationships to levels that have yet to be seen. It is the power of living in a state of gratitude.
All too often I find myself focusing on what I do not have or what I can be doing better rather than the abundance that always surrounds me. I call this living in a state of lack. You cannot possibly live a state of lack and a state of gratitude at the same time. It is impossible for a positive and negative thought or state to occupy the same place at the same time. As my mentor Dr. John DiMartini says, “If you focus on the flowers, you won’t get weeds.” Today, more than ever, I am working on transforming this vital component to my life. I am working on living in a state of gratitude rather than a state of lack. The reality is we can all always find something or someone bigger, stronger, and better. What that does is put us in a state that repels rather than attracts. How can we attract more of what we want into our life if we have not yet been able to appreciate what we already have? I’d like to leave you with a quote by one of my favorite authors Brian Tracy, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
All too often I find myself focusing on what I do not have or what I can be doing better rather than the abundance that always surrounds me. I call this living in a state of lack. You cannot possibly live a state of lack and a state of gratitude at the same time. It is impossible for a positive and negative thought or state to occupy the same place at the same time. As my mentor Dr. John DiMartini says, “If you focus on the flowers, you won’t get weeds.” Today, more than ever, I am working on transforming this vital component to my life. I am working on living in a state of gratitude rather than a state of lack. The reality is we can all always find something or someone bigger, stronger, and better. What that does is put us in a state that repels rather than attracts. How can we attract more of what we want into our life if we have not yet been able to appreciate what we already have? I’d like to leave you with a quote by one of my favorite authors Brian Tracy, “Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.”
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Key to Personal Freedom
I currently am sitting in a coffee shop on my day off in sunny South Florida reading books, looking up research, studying, and typing away on my computer. It is about 95 degrees out, not a cloud in the sky, and I am about 1 mile from the beach. Some of you may think I am absolutely crazy to not be at the beach or lying out in the sun but there is a very specific reason I am resisting the temptation to stop what I am doing, pack up my computer, and head over to the pristine waters of the Fort Lauderdale beach. I made a commitment to myself earlier in the week that Thursday afternoon would be spent reading, writing, and studying. So now I pose the million-dollar question. Does this make me a slave or does my discipline to stick with commitments really make me free? I live a very structured and disciplined life. I am very rigid on the fuel I put in my body in the field of nutrition, I exercise what some people would refer to as religiously, and I tend to live my life far from the societal norms. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard comments like “I could never do what you do because I want to be free to eat whatever I want” and “I hate to exercise because it takes up too much time and I want to be free with my extra time” and “I could never give up my television because I want to be free to watch the shows that really make me happy.” I could go on and on with the list of things that people believe defines themselves as being free. Most of society would claim they want to be free but are actually living in complete contradiction to what they say they want. Allow me to elaborate. I have a friend who loves to watch television. He watches hours of television everyday and records whatever he misses to watch at a later date. Even his schedule revolves around watching certain shows and is irritable if he does not get his daily dose of television. How would this person feel if the television was completely removed from his life? How long would it take for depression and boredom to set in? Does watching television for this person represent a freedom or an addiction? What many people regard as freedoms are actually addictions.
True freedom actually comes from living a life of discipline where every action is a volitional conscious choice. It is having the power to resist or move forward; to stay put or persist onward; to eliminate or include. Freedom comes from having and executing the power of choice and not from escaping the necessity of choice. Freedom does not come from sleeping in until noon on Saturday because you find it too difficult to wake up early. It does come from having the power to wake up early and making a conscious choice to sleep in late. This is a very important distinction! The distinction between being free or not does not come from living a “perfect” life as if there was such a thing. Freedom comes from having the power to make choices based on your values and not on your emotions. Here is an example from my own life. I enjoy a cup of iced coffee a few days a week. There are times when I have been drinking it for a while and I start to crave it. I plan my day around going to Starbucks because I feel like I need a cup of coffee to clear my head and wake me up. I am aware when I develop that need within me and I discipline myself to go without coffee until I feel like I regained control over my emotional attachment to it. Only then will I go back to drinking coffee again.
By developing more discipline in your life, you actually become more free to do the things you really want to do and not the things that you have developed a dependence on. There is nothing more empowering than gaining more control over your life through the power of discipline. By creating more discipline, you become the captain of your ship instead of heading in whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing that day. Think of an area in your life where if you really think about it, it is really an addiction or a vice. Maybe its coffee, alcohol, junk food, lack of exercise, being chronically late, procrastination, television, or it could be an infinite amount of other things that could be added to this list. You will find that your degree of freedom will be directly proportional to the degree of discipline that you execute and your life will never be the same because of it. It will open your life up to new realms of possibility where you break the chains of addiction and open up your life to one that you can truly stand behind and love.
True freedom actually comes from living a life of discipline where every action is a volitional conscious choice. It is having the power to resist or move forward; to stay put or persist onward; to eliminate or include. Freedom comes from having and executing the power of choice and not from escaping the necessity of choice. Freedom does not come from sleeping in until noon on Saturday because you find it too difficult to wake up early. It does come from having the power to wake up early and making a conscious choice to sleep in late. This is a very important distinction! The distinction between being free or not does not come from living a “perfect” life as if there was such a thing. Freedom comes from having the power to make choices based on your values and not on your emotions. Here is an example from my own life. I enjoy a cup of iced coffee a few days a week. There are times when I have been drinking it for a while and I start to crave it. I plan my day around going to Starbucks because I feel like I need a cup of coffee to clear my head and wake me up. I am aware when I develop that need within me and I discipline myself to go without coffee until I feel like I regained control over my emotional attachment to it. Only then will I go back to drinking coffee again.
By developing more discipline in your life, you actually become more free to do the things you really want to do and not the things that you have developed a dependence on. There is nothing more empowering than gaining more control over your life through the power of discipline. By creating more discipline, you become the captain of your ship instead of heading in whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing that day. Think of an area in your life where if you really think about it, it is really an addiction or a vice. Maybe its coffee, alcohol, junk food, lack of exercise, being chronically late, procrastination, television, or it could be an infinite amount of other things that could be added to this list. You will find that your degree of freedom will be directly proportional to the degree of discipline that you execute and your life will never be the same because of it. It will open your life up to new realms of possibility where you break the chains of addiction and open up your life to one that you can truly stand behind and love.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
The secret to success is there is no secret!
I am a huge fan of personal development, positive mental attitude, and visualizations. I believe they are an essential component to the success equation; however, they are not the whole success equation. The law of attraction and positive mental attitude have become very popular with the release of movies such as The Secret but The Secret left out a very important component to the success equation. That vital element is hard work. Positive mental attitude not backed by hard work is a dream. Dreams are great but dreams alone will not create success. They must be backed by hard work. Dreams must be backed by a plan and action steps to bring those dreams to fruition. Success and achievement does not come to those lucky few who were in the right place at the right time. The people who succeed are in so many places so many times that they are making themselves available to attract and seek out great opportunities. Samuel Goldwyn, a film producer, once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Success does not come to the tired and weary. Success comes to those people who think big, dream big, and back up those dreams by an unwavering commitment and determination to work hard and do whatever it takes to see those dreams become a reality.
If you want to succeed in a big way, it is time to roll up your sleeves, put your shoes to the pavement, get out of your comfort zone, and do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. Instead of just listening to personal development CDs, start teaching what you learn to other people. Read a book on networking and relationship building such as Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and put action steps into place to immediately take what you learn to your community. You cannot just read a book on nutrition and expect to lose weight. You cannot just think about running a marathon and expect to do well. If you want to lose weight and run a marathon, you must back up what you know and what you think about with hard work, determination, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. I truly believe that success can be yours, however, are you willing to do whatever it takes? I am going to leave you with a quote by Lee Iacocca who is best known for his legendary revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. “Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.”
If you want to succeed in a big way, it is time to roll up your sleeves, put your shoes to the pavement, get out of your comfort zone, and do whatever it takes to make your dreams come true. Instead of just listening to personal development CDs, start teaching what you learn to other people. Read a book on networking and relationship building such as Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and put action steps into place to immediately take what you learn to your community. You cannot just read a book on nutrition and expect to lose weight. You cannot just think about running a marathon and expect to do well. If you want to lose weight and run a marathon, you must back up what you know and what you think about with hard work, determination, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. I truly believe that success can be yours, however, are you willing to do whatever it takes? I am going to leave you with a quote by Lee Iacocca who is best known for his legendary revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. “Apply yourself. Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there, make it happen.”
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