Repeated Cardio Exercise Bouts Boost Fat Use

Exercise is important for weight control because it burns calories during the activity and raises metabolic rate for hours after the exercise is over. Most people trying to control their weight run on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or work on an elliptical trainer continuously for 30-60 minutes. There may be a better way.

Japanese scientists found that two 30-minute moderate-intensity aerobics programs with a 20-minute break between sessions burned more fat than one 60-minute exercise session. The researchers compared fat use and hormone levels in people riding a stationary bicycle for 60 minutes continuously, or doing two bouts of 30 minutes separated by 20 minutes of rest between sessions. Two 30-minute bouts of exercise increased fat metabolism, stress hormone levels (i.e., catecholamines) and blood ketone levels (a marker of increased fat use) while lowering insulin and blood sugar more than the continuous 60-minute workout. Burn more fat by splitting your cardio routine.

Applied Physiology, in press; Online Published Feb. 22, 2007.

YOUR FORMULA IS INSIDE OF YOU

The formula is that wonderful feeling inside that tells you that you can do anything. The Formula is GOD given; we all have THE FORMULA you just have to find it!

*The feeling you experience when you know your purpose in life
*That burst of energy...the last mile of the race
*Experiencing the best workout ever and knowing you gave your all
*Running your first race and finishing no matter what place
*Coming up with a successful business plan in the middle of the night
*Overcoming that intense muscle fatigue...biking up that impossible hill
*Reaching your goal when others thought you would fail
*When you know you have done the impossible

A Passion For The Process

FITNESS is a way of life rooted in the deeply held conviction that physical, psychological, and spiritual health are inextricably related. *When you wake up at dawn and EXERCISE it is like an act of devotion. It CENTERS THE MIND for the day to come.*

"Beauty is superficial and fleeting, but health is profound and lasting."

The pursuit of FITNESS is the pursuit of WHOLENESS that can empower each of us to cope with the overwhelming pressures of our day-to-day existence.

Fitness is a lifelong pilgrimage and you must commit yourself to the journey. And those who do will find long-lasting results. Athletes fall into two groups: the believers and the nonbelievers. The nonbelievers just want to win the race, but never seem to enjoy training for it. And the sad thing is that nonbelievers seldom last in the world of fitness. The glory of winning is short-lived. 

You must have STAYING POWER and that is exactly what separates the believer from the non-believer. The believer has A PASSION FOR THE PROCESS. They enjoy winning, but they CHERISH THE LIFESTYLE even more.

**The irony: To achieve physical beauty you must LOOK BEYOND IT. If we keep our eyes focused on a particular short-term goal we may achieve it, BUT the victory will only be temporary. YOU MUST BE TRANSFORMED FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

You must have faith and when it comes to fitness, you must make the leap of faith. Trust and recognize that THERE IS NO GROWTH WITHOUT COMMITMENT, and NO COMMITMENT WITHOUT BELIEF. You must keep the FAITH. 

"There are no shortcuts."

One morning a young man in his twenties came in and enrolled at a local gym. Looking around, he saw an older man across the room, working out. His face and physique didn't seem to go together. His gray head was that of a well-kept septuagenarian, but his body seemed grafted on-impossibly young looking. In his sweatpants and tank shirts he exposed arms and shoulders that revealed full, deeply defined muscles covered with smooth, tight skin. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. Awestruck, the young man walked over to him and said, "You look great, how long have you been working out?" The old man gave him a fierce look and replied, "All my damned life- you are looking at a LIFETIME of working out!"

With the long-term pursuit of fitness, however, weight loss, or fat loss, takes care of itself-automatically. Again, to achieve it you must not pursue it! The object is not to lose weight but to BECOME FIT. You must commit yourself to the journey of fitness, which will bring you rewarding results for a lifetime. You must stop wanting immediate results or a quick turnaround.

"We seldom make the connections between our physical health and our spiritual well-being."

You must BELIEVE that if you are on the journey toward fitness, your own lifelong pilgrimage, you will lose fat and gain muscle.

"Our bodies are, to most of us, an inconvenient appendage to our head."

***Always keep in touch with everything that surrounds you...The journey to fitness keeps us in contact with nature. The sights, smells, and sounds of land and water-reminds us of our true relationship to the material world.

"A sensory delight-the sound of your heart beating, the feel of muscles working, and the smell of nature around you confirm your existence as a living, breathing, physical being."

Three Words- IMPROVE, INCREASE, CONSISTENT
You have the power to have: improved body chemistry, increased strength and lean muscle mass, consistent weight control, improved cardiovascular health, improved psychological health, improved quality of life.

One problem many face is having an ingrained, deep-seated discomfort with their bodies. We make our living by reading, writing, speaking, and thinking, but seldom by physical labor. The nature of our work is written on our physiques, and the imprint of our sedentary lifestyles can be read in our posture, gait, and carriage. Unfortunately our neglected bodies often serve only as a repository for stress, depression, and illness. 

We must seek to restore a sense of INNER PEACE through the pursuit of health and wholeness. Fitness has all the necessary tools to help improve a person's sense of well-being, reduce their stress levels, and make them more productive.

It is important that you have the right mindset in order to achieve and live a healthy life. You can know all the theories in the world, but if you do not have the right mindset, it will do you no good. You need to have FAITH and you must BELIEVE in the intrinsic value of health if you hope to achieve it. If you haven't seen the light, if you're not a convert, you will fail. I BELIEVE IN YOU AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO. Never give up and don't give in. You are stronger and nothing should stand in your way. And when you face challenges and obstacles you have a hidden power rooted in your inner self to overcome. 

Like I have said before, YOU are the one, YOU are the captain of your ship, YOU lead the way, but most importantly, YOU ARE THE FOOTPRINTS THAT LEAD YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY. 

Kybartas, Ray. Fitness Is Religion. Pgs. 19-34.

Practice Makes Permanent

A WORKOUT is 25% PERSPIRATION and 75% DETERMINATION...One part PHYSICAL EXERTION and three parts SELF DISCIPLINE. Doing IT is easy, once you get started.

A WORKOUT is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination. It is the BADGE OF A WINNER- the mark of an organized, goal oriented person who has taken CHARGE of their DESTINY!

 A WORKOUT is a key that helps unlock the door to OPPORTUNITY AND SUCCESS. Hidden within each of us is an EXTRAORDINARY FORCE.

 A WORKOUT makes you better today then you were yesterday. It STRENGTHENS the BODY, RELAXES the MIND, and TOUGHENS the SPIRIT. When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.

 A WORKOUT is a wise use of time and an investment in EXCELLENCE. It is a way of preparing for LIFE'S CHALLENGES and PROVING TO YOURSELF that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

DID YOU KNOW???

Endurance Training Helps Cells Release Fat
Losing body fat and keeping it off is extremely difficult and only about five percent of dieters are successful after a year. Many studies suggest that the only way you can lose fat permanently is to diet and exercise at the same time. People who only diet usually gain back all the weight they lost and then some. Part of the problem is that fat cells in obese people like to hold onto their fat. French researchers discovered that endurance training made fat cells more responsive to the hormone adrenaline, which made the fat cells release fat into the blood more easily.
Int. J. Obesity, 26: 1371-1378, 2002.

Potassium Accurate Measure of Nutritional Health
Canadian researchers found the urinary potassium is a good measure of the quality of the diet. People with the highest levels of potassium were most likely to eat a well-balanced diet that met the United States Department of Agriculture Nutritional Guidelines. These people were also leaner and had lower blood pressures and resting heart rates. Low potassium levels suggests a diet high in fat and low in fruits and vegetables. Urinary potassium is a simple test that doctors can do in the office or patients can do at home. Good food sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, tomato paste, beets, white beans, yogurt, clams, prune juice, carrots, bananas, soybeans, halibut, and tomatoes.
Paper presented at the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting, Dec. 2006.

THE STRENGTH OF FORGIVENESS

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."

-Mohandas Gandhi

In the past, I have read several books that state that many of the PHYSICAL aches and pains we carry around with us have their roots in the past. Many of us tend to carry this extra weight around (negative situations/ experiences that occurred in the past), right into our present situations. This extra baggage can affect the way we think and act...and it is FORGIVENESS that has become a "HOT NEW WAY" to manage anger, cut stress, and improve HEALTH. 

Research shows that forgiveness can reduce chronic back pain, decrease stress by up to 50 percent, increase energy, and improve mood, sleep, and overall physical vitality.

It is also important to take care of your past with something deeper than relief from physical symptoms. FORGIVING someone for something that occurred in the past does not mean what they did was okay, but instead it means to stop feeling victimized and stop making others responsible for our lives. You must take RESPONSIBILITY and never give anyone the power to determine your HAPPINESS.

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover the prisoner was YOU!"

-Susan Brandis Slavin

Hawthorne, J. (2007) Life Lessons. p. 233-235

LOVE WINS

The nature of love is one of the most complex things to comprehend. One of my favorite quotes by Bruce Lee is: "If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love." Instead, love--true love--is a state or condition of being wherein the activities of the self have ceased. And in order to experience this state, an understanding of the workings of the self in all of its many varieties of consciousness is required."

You must think of love as a mutual experience of the body and the mind. When you love you must believe on one level that there is something constant about the body (physical constant) and that this physical constant is inherently and intrinsically enduring and tightly "connected" to what you perceive to be the identity of the person you love, the activity you love, or even the object you love.

However, we do change or better yet...we are change, as it is our ability to change with the change. Bruce Lee referred to this as "the changeless state." In order to have success in the people and things you love you must have its experience transcend your physical body...in order for love to evolve, you must experience the powerful emotional state as well.

In the case that the emotion of love is not present, a state of not being able to change with change results in a changed state, this will often lead to "growing apart." We must allow things in our life to evolve in its natural process, which will bring a truly wonderful experience. We must often remind ourselves not to possess or cling to the physical world.

As mentioned, the physical world is itself illusory, you're engaging in non-reality-based behavior, and this will set you up for failure. Instead allow your experience of love to happen naturally, allowing you to "let go" by not clinging to it, you will find that your relationships, goals, everyday activities will not only become more interesting, but will grow into a very strong unity of body, mind, and spirit.

Love can only exist in an environment that is free of ego--where one has forgotten oneself. To Bruce Lee, one did not have or possess "love" but rather lived the emotion in the present to the fullest possible degree and reveled in the experience of it. When love surrounds you, it becomes a tremendous physical, mental, and spiritual experience.

"Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning, a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep burning and unquenchable."-Bruce Lee

You must value happiness and know that happiness in relationships, family, workplace, everyday activities should be derived, not from a whirlwind that involves an extreme emotional state, but from a more balanced relationship/behavior...remember that true Yin/Yang is expressed through temperance and moderation--not by running to extremes.

"Nothing can be secured by extremes...only sober moderation lasts, and that persists through all time. Only the mid-part of anything is preserved because the pendulum (of life) must have balance, and the mid-part is the balance," says Lee.

So I leave you with this thought...allow life to live through you, remember that to get the most out of life lies simply in your decision to live your life with the principle of balance and to learn to cooperate with the natural patterns of our world. Most importantly, let your career, relationships, and daily activities be harmonious expressions of who you truly are.

With Love, Dofitness
 Little, J. The Warrior Within. 1996. Pgs. 64-67.

Work Hard In Everything You Do

The Bottom Line is that YOU must work as hard as you can every single day. Each day is a new day with a different beginning and a different end. Don't be concerned with time...just work hard and give it 100% every single day. Each day brings new hope and changes...helping you to discover what truly lives inside of you. Discipline yourself and you will develop at whatever rate is natural for you. It is up to YOU to find the answers and to do whatever it takes.

The key is to persevere, no matter the cost. Dig in....dig in deep and you will be surprised what you will find. Each of us has so much to give and so much to conquer. Believe in your abilities and potential and YOU will win every time! YOU WILL SUCCEED! 

Your Body Is Beautiful

I want to start this blog post by using a quote from Helen Keller, that was passed along to me from a very special friend of mine. I want to first thank this person from the bottom of my heart for everything they have done and continue to do for me. They are truly an example of what makes a true friend...someone you can count on and who will do the smallest thing to make you feel so special. There are not very many people in this world that carry this genuine and caring spirit, so it is very uplifting when you have someone like this in your life. I feel very lucky and fortunate to have the opportunity to have a friend like this in my life. Soooooo thank you so much for all of your encouraging words, for believing in me as a person and as a trainer, and most importantly for being my friend. I don't want to put this person on the spot BUT they know who they are! Thanks so much! You are truly the best.

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -Helen Keller

**I can not touch this quote. It hits everything right on the head. It is amazing to really be inspired by words and really put the things you experience in your life in perspective. An amazing feeling when you can OVERCOME!

There are many problems when tackling the issues of nutrition and society. Most people in our society eat too much food and along with that they tend to eat the wrong foods. Many individuals are undernourished, but we can not forget the flip side to this dilemma. There are also a lot of people in our society that do not eat enough food and the foods that they do eat are not good nutritious ones. They too are undernourished. 

Most of the foods we do eat are added with chemicals and additives and are not natural for human consumption, and many have been shown to cause serious health issues.  I can go on and on about the negative sides and facts about nutrition, but the bottom line is what is "your" solution to the problems you face when it comes to nutrition. 

For one, you must begin by thinking positively and become optimistic with your food choices. You must understand that food is fuel for the body. In order for a car to run it needs gas...same concept goes for your body. In order for your body to function and perform, you must be fueling it and choosing the right foods to help it grow strong and be healthy. 

Below is some basic tips and strategies that you can apply to a lifelong nutritional plan. Your diet must provide an optimal mix of PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES, FATS, VITAMINS, and MINERALS.

1. Protein is a component of every cell in the body. It is essential in BUILDING, REPAIRING, AND MAINTAINING BONES, MUSCLES, CARTILAGE, SKIN, AND BLOOD.
2. Carbohydrates are the most efficient form of energy for the BODY and BRAIN.
3. Fats are essential for cell membranes, hormones, and prostaglandins. It enables the body to produce HEALTHY HAIR, SKIN, and NAILS. It also serves as a transfer for vitamins A, D, E, and K.
4. Vitamins are an organic chemical compound necessary for growth, metabolism, and health.
5. Minerals are inorganic substances not produced by the body, which are required for proper bodily function.

One rule of thumb from me to you is to not count calories or nutrient ratios. Food consumptions should not become a chore. The best thing you can do is to keep it simple. Try to eat natural, wholesome foods...they will provide you with a perfect blend of essential nutrients. Just like I tell all of my clients, simply eat well-balanced meals and apply commonsense with the choices you make.

Helpful tips to remember:
1. Choose foods in there natural state...come as close to natural as possible.
2. Consume a small meal every couple of hours. By spreading your intake throughout your day, you will maintain a steady supply of energy. You will also keep your METABOLISM working throughout your day.
3. Always listen to your body. Your body will tell you when it needs food, but you must know when to stop eating. Your goal is to not stuff yourself full.
4. Always read food labels. Careful with items that are loaded with chemical ingredients and are impossible to pronounce.
5. Consume water as your primary beverage. Careful with sodas and juices. Fruit juice is high in sugar and often comes from poor quality, highly processed fruit.
6. Avoid all artificial and chemical sweeteners. For example, if you drink coffee, consume it without sweeteners. Sweeteners have been linked to numerous illnesses.
7. Consume natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, organic whole wheat grains, brown rice, nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans), chicken and eggs, and beef.

So make a change if you haven't already and really pay attention to what you put in your body. You truly are what you eat. And 80 percent of any change in the body comes from your nutrition. You can spend 18 hours a week in the gym and never make a change. Treat your body as your temple, the place that holds the key to success in health and in life. Respect your body, it will work hard for you if you do the things that are essential to achieve ultimate success. KEEP MOTIVATED AND TELL YOURSELF EVERY DAY....YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO! YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOUR BODY IS BEAUTIFUL.

Time Is What Life Is Made Of

TIME ACCORDING TO BRUCE LEE:

THE CHANGE IS FROM INNER TO OUTER...WE START BY DISSOLVING OUR ATTITUDE NOT BY ALTERING OUTER CONDITIONS.

THE MOMENT IS FREEDOM. TRY TO LIVE FREELY FROM MOMENT TO MOMENT, LETTING THINGS HAPPEN AND ADJUSTING TO THEM.

THE TRUTH EXISTS HERE AND NOW. HAVE OPENNESS AND FREEDOM...THE FREEDOM TO BE OPEN AND NOT TETHERED BY ANY IDEAS, CONCEPTS, ETC.

TIME IS WHAT LIFE IS MADE OF! USE IT WISELY AND MAKE YOUR MARK ON THE WORLD! :)

Know Life's Heart

Do something you hate every day, just for practice.

Practice Makes Permanent!!!

Many of us at one time or another have asked the questions..."Who Am I?" "Why Am I Here?" Everyone goes down their own unique path set out just for them...transforming them along the way...helping them understand and find their true purpose in life. Each moment of your life is different...each moment presents itself in so many ways (sometimes good ways and sometimes bad ways). All to help guide you and help you discover. As you discover your purpose in life and pursue your dreams, you will inevitably spend more and more of your time doing what you enjoy and what you do best. You will begin to understand your strength, your courage, and your love for YOUR VISION.

Everyone has something value to give and everyone has something to sacrifice (something that we may not be excited about doing).  Your present circumstances (the good and the bad), always holds the seed of possibility. A possibility to find your vision, to understand who you are, to overcome your biggest challenges, and most importantly to discover your true purpose in life. 

I am a believer of the HEART...your HEART holds the key. Your HEART is at the core of your vision. With a combination of experiences (moments that have taught us and helped us learn), kindness, and an active imagination...ALL THINGS become possible. You become warriors of the HEART. 

You must learn that challenges are present in your life in order to learn and to grow. FAITH is the belief in things hoped for but not yet seen. When things fall apart, our FAITH is tested to the highest degree. Life humbles you, defeats your presumptions, and finally breathes into YOUR FAITH, making it alive. FAITH becomes your willingness to experience life as it unfolds in all of its pain and all of its promise. 

The last and most important part that helps you understand who you are and your purpose is...DISCIPLINE AND FOCUS. Strive to go down your path fearless, always be hopeful no matter what, and understand that you will meet a lot of frustrations and challenges along the way.  One of the best ways to improve discipline is to do something you don't enjoy doing--EVERY DAY. If you learn to do what you must, you will be able to do what you want.
In each moment, know LIFE'S HEART. 

Permission To Be Yourself And Your Treasure Of Kindness

I would like to share something with you...something that comes from my heart. Think of today as the day to be kind to yourself. It is OK to be you, just as you are. As old, as fat, as lazy, or as tired as you may be. Don't ever doubt yourself and embrace what truly lives inside you. Love what you are and what you can be. The concepts of loving and respecting yourself is so important because it gives you the ability to love and respect others. It is OK to struggle with these concepts, but try to remember and understand the positive outcome it will have on YOU AND ON OTHERS. This leads to the next idea I want to share with you...PRACTICING RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.

The purpose of doing acts of KINDNESS for NO REASON makes us feel good inside and makes others feel even better. It reaffirms our connection with one another and adds to the light in the world. Remember, an act of kindness is so easy to do...putting a quarter in a stranger's parking meter takes less than minute, BUT gives a great burst of JOY. It feels so good inside to be kind for no reason. I also believe that being a kind person gives you inner strength and makes your heart stronger. So today, be a kindness angel and do something nice for ANYBODY!

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness Boosters. ppgs. 135, 136.

Figure Out Your Weaknesses

****Training starts with your mind.****

It is a true statement when you hear that 'knowledge equals power.' Think of your body as a computer- all computers can solve math problems, play games and music, connect to the internet and send e-mails. The difference is that some of these computers are more powerful or faster at doing these tasks than others.

"When it comes to our bodies, we all digest protein and carbs the same way, and we all send the same type of signal to our muscles when we want them to contract and lift a weight. The difference is that some us are more efficient at it than others, which means that some may be able to tone faster, lose weight faster, or more prone to build mass faster. The knowledge behind all of this is to figure out where your weaknesses are, and fill them in with training, nutrition and supplements in order to even the playing field.

THE MUSCLE

What is a muscle? Muscles will contract, produce force, which will shorten the distance between two or more bones. Remember, training starts with the mind, the confidence to exercise intensely and the mental desire to get better every day. It is the brain that sends your muscles an electrical signal to fire and contract. A powerful frame of mind will definitely equal intensity. Once your brain sends the signal for your muscles to contract the signal shoots to its destination through the nervous system in order to trigger the release of calcium into the appropriate muscle fibers. This in turn will change the electrical charge in the fibers, allowing the muscle to contract. The most amazing thing is that muscle fibers contract on a need to use basis, and the stronger the signal coming from the brain, the more fibers you will contract, resulting in tremendous changes in your body.

So understand how your muscles work and know what YOU can do to get better! I want this for each and everyone of you. It all starts from you and only YOU! Understand your body, but most importantly understand your weaknesses! Go for it and don't let anything stand in your way!

You Are Strong Enough

"Problems are a sign of life. So the more problems you have the more alive you are." -Norman Vincent Peale

As the late great minister points out, problems are endemic to the human condition. No one escapes. The trick is to use whatever problem, difficulty, or hardship you are facing as a vehicle for spiritual and emotional growth. It isn't always easy, and it isn't always possible to do in the moment, but there are always hidden blessings in difficult situations, and when we discover them, we REDEEM OUR SUFFERING. We make meaning out of tragedy and grow more loving, compassionate, patient, and kind as a consequence.

The people I admire the most all say that they are grateful for the hard things they faced because of these opportunities for growth: a heart attack that reconnected them to their feelings, cancer that forced them to slow down, financial difficulties that taught them resilience.

Think about the most challenging thing you are facing right now. How is it an opportunity for you to grow your soul?

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 306.

Suspension Of Consciousness

I often here my clients say they are unable to sleep because of the hundred thoughts that are crowding their brain or that they are able to go to sleep just fine, but then wake up some time in the middle of the night- when your brain flashes on like a thousand-watt bulb and can either not go back to sleep or sleep on the our.  Below is a list of helpful tricks you may want to try to help you cope with the loss of sleep. 

1. Turn the clock around so you can't see what time it is. (Knowing only makes you more anxious)
2. Read something boring (this example always makes me smile big), a dense history book filled with dates or a computer manual.
3. Make a list of the thoughts running through your head...so then you can let them go.
4. (My favorite) Leave your thoughts by concentrating on your heartbeat and listening to every breath.

Bottom line: Everyone handles stress differently...everyone sleeps differently. Figure out what works for you and embrace it. That is what life is all about discovering, exploring, understanding, and becoming. So find your way and if one trick doesn't work, then keep trying. Never give up on YOU and YOUR SLEEP!

Beware Of Emotional Vampires

Emotional vampires are people who suck the energy out of you or otherwise bring you down. They do it in various ways--by endlessly complaining, general negativity, bad-mouthing others. We tend to take on the energy charge of those whom we are around, so the more time you spend with vampires, the more depressed and negative you'll feel.

Do yourself a favor and avoid spending a lot of time with people who bring you down. Instead, focus on people who like rays of sunshine in your life, and soon you'll be shining too.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health And Happiness. Pg. 101.

Unwind With Chamomile

Chamomile is considered an antidepressant that is also a mild sleep aid. So here's a wonderful way to relax before going to sleep. Make a cup of chamomile tea, and then run a warm bath. Add two chamomile tea bags to the bath water. Bring your cup of tea, along with a pen and pad of paper with you into the tub. As you sip, make a list of ten wishes you want to come true in your life. SLEEP WELL AND HAPPY WISHING!!!!!

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. pg. 276.

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.

Follow The Rhythm Within Your Heart

In the book HAPPINESS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS, the author Dennis Prager points out a sure-fire formula for misery: U=I-R, which stands for Unhappiness equals Image-Reality. 

What he means is that the more we have a set idea or image of how something will be, the more we will be disappointed by the reality of what is. For example, we have an image of the way a relationship should be or we have an image of the way our bodies should look like after so many hours in the gym (looking for a different body type from our own), and ours doesn't measure up. 

We have an image of what our lives are supposed to be like by the time we are forty, and we fall short. The more we create an image, the more we get in our way of appreciating what is and the more we set ourselves up for unhappiness.

Do you find yourself falling into this trap? The best way to begin is to recognize it and then change your way of thinking. Life is too short. With honesty, passion and self-respect you can soar beyond the sky. Don't follow what you see, but instead follow the rhythm within your heart. 

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 265.

Discover Something New About A Friend

Just like love relationships, friendships can get into ruts. We can spend a great deal of time with our friends and not know very much about WHAT REALLY MATTERS TO THEM OR WHO THEY TRULY ARE.

There are all kinds of ways to deepen a relationship. One easy way is to try asking hypothetical questions (WELL, WELL, WELL...ISN'T THAT IRONIC! :) Would you rather become deaf or blind and why?) that reveal a side you've never seen before.

Or you can ask a friend to tell you what has been the most significant lesson they've learned in life and how they learned it. Or ask them to tell you a recent dream they had. Or which parent they're closer to and why. The point is to get off the surface level and deepen the encounter. It is so important to ask questions...it sets THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING. And merely by intending it YOU WILL FIND THE WAY!
Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 300.