A New Year To Make Your Change

What an exciting time for everyone, a brand new year...the BIG 2015, the time to bring new changes to your life! To begin to LIVE DIFFERENTLY, which brings me to my next point. You must embrace life and find ways to better yourself each and every day.  

Remember it is never too late to find your place and know where you belong. Now I know that after the holidays most people set New Years Resolutions, and this is mostly done because of  the frustrations of the different changes they made during the holiday season. Resolutions are good but usually do not last...instead of resolutions think of YOUR CHANGE (a lifestyle change). The key word in the last sentence is YOUR...this is YOUR life, YOUR time to shine, YOUR opportunity to discover what you can do to LIVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHIER LIFE.

For those of you that are in a frustrated frame of mind, you must LET IT GO!  What you did over the holidays was a time to remember and was a time to share with your family. Everyone splurges and everyone tends to splurge more than usual during the holidays. Again...it was a time that has passed and even though what we do in the past affects our present moments...try to visualize yourself starting a brand new year with a brand new passion....MAKE YOUR CHANGE. 

The most important point I can make is that IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY. IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO TAKE YOURSELF TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL. FIND YOUR PLACE AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND YOUR PLACE.

Always, 
DoFitness

LET YOUR HEAD LEAD YOU

Never take the people in your life for granted. Appreciate them, help them, care for them, but most importantly make them FEEL SPECIAL. Each of us has a life filled with choices, and sometimes we can make a choice that could hurt someone we care about or help someone we love. 

I believe that each moment of our life is so special...and the people that are in those moments become very important and special to us. Some people will have a positive impact in your life and others will have a negative impact in your life. I have always believed in the people that are in my life, no matter if they have loved me or hurt me. I allow my heart to lead me in every aspect that I do in my life. I just think it is important to respect, love, and help everyone that enters your life...NO MATTER WHAT!

Passion and love comes from your heart. Understand what your heart tells you. Believe in the power of your heart. Never give up on the passion and the love your heart knows! "When the heart is touched, chemicals responsible for good health and a sense of well-being are released in the body.

Research has found that when a person is a recipient of an act of kindness, his or her serotonin levels increase, strengthening the immune system. But interestingly, the serotonin level also increases in the person PERFORMING the act of kindness, strengthening his or her immune system as well."-Jennifer Hawthorne

So be kind to everyone...don't take anybody for granted. Let love lead you in all the directions possible in your life. You only get one life, so GO FOR IT/BELIEVE IN IT/LOVE IT!

Keep Going

The person that achieves the highest vision is the one who has made the most errors along the way. A person must recognize that success is built not on success, but on past mistakes, mishaps, and errors. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, but instead embrace them, move forward, and makes sure not to make the same mistakes again. Never take the shortcut in life, take the long route because it is on this path that you will pick up the most experiences along the way. Learn from each experience good or bad and push forward....GROW and BECOME. 

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

"As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is important that you understand that your thoughts create your reality because your thoughts will determine how you respond to situations in your daily life. It is those responses that become the energy you have inside you. YOUR THOUGHTS ARE A FORM OF ENERGY. Everything you feel and experience is the result of attractor energies...in other words, you get back what you put out into the world. What you have attracted to you is what you have to give away to others.

Some studies show that low energy attracts low energy. Some of the low energy thoughts are anger, hate, shame, guilt, and fear. Not only do they weaken you, but they attract more of the same. I find that this is so crucial in overall well-being. You must change what's inside you creating more of positive inner thoughts and surrounding yourself with high energy in order to fulfill an overall outlook on life. By changing your inner thoughts to higher frequencies of love, harmony, kindness, peace, and joy, you will attract more of the same, and you will have those higher energies to give away.

Please read this paragraph carefully...I believe that it hits it right on the mark!
**Higher and Faster frequencies that empower you will automatically nullify and dissipate the lower energies in the same way that the presence of light makes darkness disappear.**

One of the most important concepts of them all is becoming more loving toward yourself. By doing this it creates a whole mix of possibilities for you. First, you will attract more of the higher, faster energies that will change what's inside you. Next, you will accomplish and achieve goals and challenges that you set for yourself. Then, your positive energy will help others achieve and become just as you are. So the process is that you will begin to receive this energy back and ultimately be able to send thoughts of love and joy to everyone and everything in YOUR world.

Remember, that the universe responds with the same energy that we send out. For example, if you attract a lot of people who wish to take advantage of you, you need to consider what you're doing to attract victimizers into your life. Or if you run into anger a lot, explore the angry thoughts you have inside you. If what you give is SELF-RESPECT and SELF-LOVE, the universe (attractor energy), will return the love and respect you have been radiating.

Dyer, W. Success For Success And Inner Peace. Ppgs. 37-41.

Trust Your Heart And Let It Lead You

I thought this blog entry was very appropriate considering that it is "Love Week" and all. :) Many of our actions and feelings come from our heart this week...but it shouldn't be just for this week. You must feel from your heart all the time. So my question to you is...What is your Heart Longing For?

This is a practice adapted from Contentment by Robert A. Johnson and Jerry M. Ruhl. Find a place to sit quietly for a few minutes. Take a few slow, deep breaths. Now think over the past week. What have you spent your time, energy, and money doing? How has each thing contributed to your happiness or not? Now, continue to breath calmly, turn your attention to your heart and ask, "What is my heart longing for?" Perhaps the answer will pop up immediately; perhaps it will surface later. If you do get an answer right away, compare it to your list of how you've been spending your time and money. Notice how you feel. Is there a way to invest more in what your heart is longing for?

We all have an opportunity to live with our hearts...you must discover what is inside you. Allow your heart to lead you. You must gather all the "stuff" necessary to overcome and succeed in life from THE INSIDE. It is only within you that you are going to find what you need and what really matters...PURPOSE. Everyone fears the unknown and what is truly inside them...DON'T be afraid. Trust your heart and let it lead you. IT IS UP TO YOU TO FIND IT!

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness Boosters. Pg. 203.

THE IMPACT OF RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS...

I know that my blog is supposed to be based on both mind and body components that will help you discover your journey of health and fitness. But for me, fitness goes deeper than that (the obvious- "JUST" mind and body). It is mind and body + more...I have always liked looking at the whole picture. Everything that surrounds me not just the obvious things or the visible ones, but the ones that are hidden or lost. I love to inspire and challenge people to discover or dig deeper than what is on the surface. For me, a person who has a complete understanding of "fitness" or who is "fit" is someone who is physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually sound. And even though we could have one of these traits or some, every day is a brand new day to discover more and become more "fit in life"...and that is what makes life so interesting. 

Everything is practice and everything is learning. We never stop learning...never stop improving...never stop growing. No one will ever be completely "fit"...many may get close but I still believe it is and will always be a work in progress- A continuous and everlasting discovery that reveals both your strengths and weaknesses for your everyday understanding of your purpose in life.  It is important to fully understand the life you live as a "fit" person and the life that exists all around you. I love to read and I love to read about things that touch deep within my heart....To me this is an experience or a moment that molds me and helps me to continue to learn about myself and about others. We are all connected and we ALWAYS have something to gain from the next person...never stop learning, never stop growing, never stop ANYTHING. So with all that said, I want to take the time to share this story that touches my heart deeply...a random act of kindness from one person that means the world and life to another person. 

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles and helped carry some of the stuff since they were going the same way. As they walked, Marked discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They got to Bill's house and Mark went inside to watch t.v., and continue talking about their lives. The afternoon passed by pleasantly with laughs and stories, which developed into a wonderful friendship. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated junior high school. Ironically, they ended up at the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. It was finally here...their senior year graduation. Wow!! How time flies.

Three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day many years ago when they had first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker that day because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had my dad's gun under my bed and I was going to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. YOU SAVED ME LIFE."

Canfield, J. Hansen, M. Chicken Soup For The Soul. Pgs. 35-36.

Embrace The Three C's

Embrace the three C's in order to thrive and maintain good physical and mental health.  

The first C stands for CHALLENGE! 

First, understand that change is inevitable and important part of life.  This transition gives you a chance to develop new strengths. 

The second C stands for COMMITMENT!

Next, this is a measure of meaning. When your life has meaning, you are more likely to make a commitment to the things that matter.

The third C stands for CONTROL!

Finally, focus on what you could do to improve your circumstances. For example, even if you have no control over whether you have a job tomorrow, for instance, you can still control the quality of your work today or what you eat and whether you exercise.

Carrots, Eggs, And Coffee

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. The she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, 'Tell me what you see?' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?' Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level. How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Two Greatest Forces Working Together

The Mind is a state.

The Heart is the capital of the mind.

The Mind and the Heart (together) make up the strongest bond.

The Strength creates endless possibilities.

The Possibilities fulfills your faith.

The Faith allows you to trust...YOUR MIND AND YOUR HEART!

The Beauty of Exercise

Are you on the road to fitness? When it comes to fitness you must make a commitment to it and to yourself. You must dedicate yourself and sacrifice some things for it. As you take one road and progress...the next road and the next level are waiting for you. You must view fitness and exercise as a tool that will enhance your body and your soul. Exercise has been known to quiet the mind...it has the power to refresh the body...and will free the spirit. Through religion we have been taught that for spiritual life is the journey-a physical process that involves walking, climbing, and moving around obstacles.

Exercise your soul and embrace the full benefits of exercise. Mind and body are not separate entities. Every inner experience is also a bodily experience, and every bodily experience affects the soul. Listen to your inner voice...it is your calling... and your journey toward health becomes the response to your inner voice. A physical regimen that endures over time is the inevitable response to a powerful voice from within. Exercise has so much power and will lead you on a journey of unlimited possibilities. Be a true believer of exercise and fitness...and know in your heart that it won't let you down...it will only make you stronger and will help you discover all the possibilities of life.