Tomorrow Is Another Day to Begin Anew -

“Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom...” ~ Hannah Arendt

We all know about what it means to forgive others with respect to moving forward with our lives in a positive manner. But what about forgiving ourselves? Sometime forgiveness of self is the most difficult lesson to learn and one of the hardest things to do. We've heard the phrase many times that we are often our own worst critic. We're harder on ourselves because of the expectations that we have set. If for whatever reason we don't amount to those expectations we beat ourselves up, and in many cases, this can get in the way of us meeting our ultimate goals.

When offering recommendations and tips for achieving fitness goals, an item that is consistently on my top 10 list is to "Be gentle with yourself".  If you miss a time in your workouts or if you fall off the "clean eating" wagon, that's okay, re-start your program and get back into it. The most important thing is to not bash yourself with self-deprecating thoughts like "I'm so stupid, I'm such a failure, I can never seem to do this etc…" Remember, we become our reality as our thoughts dictate our actions. So forgive yourself for falling off and say that tomorrow is a new day. Start anew. But this time around, evaluate how, where, when and why you fell off your program to begin with; learn from those experiences and move on to a better and newly improved YOU!

MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY - Defeat Doesn't Exist In The Minds of Winners

"We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat; they do not exist." ~ Queen Victoria.

When faced with challenges and new adventures, many times we focus on the "What ifs?" The problem with the “what if factor” is that it creates worries and images of defeat before we've even begun. I remember the first time I took YOGA some of the postures were a little difficult for me to get into or hold. Thoughts ran through my head like “Is someone looking at me struggle?” or “This is so difficult I’ll never be able to do this correctly.” Fortunately the instructor noticed my “discomfort” and coached me to focus on my breath only and to not focus on the external influences like what other people thought of me in the class. All of these concerns - external concerns - created a sort of worry movie in my head which kept me from performing well. When I began to shift my thinking to what success looked like in my head, my thoughts then moved to how I could take the appropriate steps to get to that level. Eventually, not only did I master the postures, but I can now teach them to others.

So think about this today, what could you achieve if the possibilities of defeat did not exist? What does success look like to you? Focus on the image of success as an end-point and move toward that. You'll soon see that the images of failure and defeat are mere illusions that will soon fade away.

What Does Fitness Mean To You?

Fitness means something different to everyone. To one person it may mean getting back into those “skinny” jeans, to another it may be to lower whatever levels are indicators of health, and still to others it may be to simply just have enough energy to live a better quality of life. As a Fitness Expert, I have had the opportunity to work with people around the world from many walks of life and many backgrounds. When discussing fitness goals and the challenges faced, I’ve found that there is a common denominator. For many, getting fit is the “side effect” of something greater. With so many other things going on in their lives, getting fit seems to be one thing that many feel “If I can gain control of this, I can gain control of the other stuff”. Coincidentally, it’s the “other stuff” that ultimately gets in the way and keeps many people from adhering to and attaining their targets resulting in yet another dream deferred or goal unfulfilled. Another larger issue is that when setting personal goals related to health and fitness, the premises for these targets are generally created with standards typically set by the media. It’s hard to set realistic goals when magazines and television advertisements are screaming at you “Lose 20 pounds in 10 days or less!” Unfortunately, when these goals aren’t met, or when the effects of these false methods are long gone and the weight has come back twofold, we are left yet again with that dismal feeling of failure. True fitness does not come packaged in a pretty little pill, and it does NOT come overnight. True fitness comes with careful planning, focused dedication and real motivation. One needs to “Know Thyself” first and foremost. What is appropriate for you may not be what is appropriate for the next person and vice versa. Focus on your health and fitness and what that means to you!