Shortcut to Success using the "Easy Button"

If someone were to say to you, "You are going to get the same reward whether it is easy for you to get it, or if it is hard for you to get it. You choose which method you want to use.", what do you think your response would be?

Well, unless you are feeling some irrational need to work harder than you actually have to in life, you are probably going to take the easy route, right?

In fact, at least here in America, a very large part of our culture is based on that very concept: finding the easy way. Do you know that right here in the United States of America people used to actually have to GET UP to change the channel on their TV???

Appalling, I know. The reason I know is because my remote is broken right now, so I actually have to do this. I could go buy a new remote, but that wouldn't be, well.... easy!

So, our society continues to search for the "Easy Button" and in fact there is a television commercial that Bryant Sandburg references in his Home Business Blog that shows one of these Easy Buttons.

Bryant provides a great take on the concept of how this mythical "easy button" applies to business in today's world, and I am going to extrapolate his wisdom and put forth the fact that the same thing happens in pretty much every aspect of our lives.

There is nothing wrong with taking the easy way out if the end result of the situation is going to be the same either way. However, if by taking the easy way out you are not getting what you really want out of life, then it suddenly becomes a problem, doesn't it?

And you've done this many times in your life, haven't you?

Of course you have! Don't sit there shaking your head like you have always jumped head first into every situation in life, tearing down walls and mowing down enemies until you got EXACTLY what you wanted by taking the hard road.

However, I'm open-minded. If that does describe you, please post a comment to this blog and tell me all about it. I probably want to get to know you! For everyone else, let's continue on....

Why do we always look for the Easy Way Out?

For most of us, it is simply that we are used to doing things the way that we do them - regardless of whether or not the way that we do them will get us what we want out of life. Our "status quo" is simply easier to maintain than making the effort to effect some quality changes.

All of us have spent money that we shouldn't have spent because we wanted some material goods, or some experience. Then we complain because we don't have enough money.

Everyone has stuffed down a 2,000 or 3,000 calorie feast of artery-clogging burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and then not liked the reflection that we saw in the mirror.

Each of us has taken a job we didn't want or passed up an opportunity at our present job because taking the hard road would have meant putting forth an effort that was outside of our normal realm of comfort. We follow that up by telling anyone who will listen about how much we dislike our job!

I could go on and on with example just like this, and you could easily think of dozens of other examples from your own life about how you refused to go "off the beaten path" because it was easier to stay on the well-trodden road that you were used to.

How has that been working out for you?

By now you may be thinking that this post hasn't given you any real information about that Shortcut to Success that was mentioned in the title.

Not to worry, this IS a Self-Empowerment Blog, after all, so here is the Easy Button that you have been waiting for:

Your shortcut to success is your Feelings.

When you spend money that you know you aren't supposed to be spending, how does that make you feel? Do you feel prosperous, generous, and full of Gratitude that life has given you so much money that you can spend it as if it existed in an unlimited supply?

Or, do you feel guilty? Do you worry about how you are going to pay your Visa bill after springing for the extra $300 worth of souvenirs while you were on vacation, and that one night when you ordered room service for the whole family and it cost you roughly the equivalent of your car payment?

What about when you eat food that you KNOW is going to expand your waistline or your hip size? How does that make you feel? Do you feel thin, sexy, and confident?

Or, do you feel fat, unattractive, and lacking in the self-restraint that it would have taken to turn down that 2nd helping, or that fatty dessert?

How about when you got passed over for a big promotion at work, or didn't get a job that you really wanted? Does that make you feel like someone who can literally have any job that they want, and who is blazing their own trail through their professional career?

Or, do you wonder if you will ever get out of your career rut? Do you try to figure out why others who are clearly not as qualified as you keep getting all of the good opportunities?

By now you should be starting to see the point that I am driving at here:

The way you FEEL about your life is what dictates what life will give you.

We live in a vibrational Universe where all things at all times are vibrating with a certain frequency. Based on the Law of Attraction which states that 'like attracts like', whatever vibration you are sending out will attract similar vibrations back into your life.

So, using the above examples:

If spending money makes you feel good, more financial opportunities will present themselves that cause you to continue to feel good. If spending money makes you feel guilty, you will continue to stay in a financial state that allows you to only spend money in guilty ways.

If eating food makes you feel healthy, lean, and confident, then even when you over-indulge you won't see the effects as badly as someone who has a gluttony-like reaction to eating. Your reaction to your nutrition and exercise program - or lack thereof - is just as important in terms of attracting success as the program itself.

If your feelings about your career options are in line with success, prosperity, and long-term stability, then you will attract whatever it is in your life that brings you more of those same feelings. However, if you feel like you are being "kept down" by the system, or like you really don't have any career options because of your life's circumstances, then the Law of Attraction will ensure that you are correct at every turn.

The moral of this story is that there is no actual "Easy Button".

YOU are the Easy Button!

Now get out there and push it!!

Do You Ho'oponopono?

At this point in the game, the word "Ho 'oponopono" is not nearly as well known as it will be within the next 6 to 12 months, so I am putting forth this basic description of Ho 'oponopono so that you can decide for yourself if you would like to engage in some further study.

Based on what I know, I would recommend that you DO spend more time learning about and practicing Ho 'oponopono, and if you take that advice, Dr. Joe Vitale is the man who you want to learn about it from. Dr. Vitale's passion on this subject is amazing, and as of this date (November 7, 2006) he already has a book in the works on this very subject.

The basic idea behind Ho 'oponopono stems from the meaning of the word, given to us by the Hawaiian culture. Loosely translated, Ho 'oponopono means "to set things right", or, in simpler terms, to fix stuff!

Everyone has things that they want to have fixed, and Ho 'oponopono is not only a powerful way to fix literally everything that you can imagine, but it is so ridiculously simple to use that there is really no reason to not take advantage of this powerful technique.

The basic concept behind Ho 'oponopono is going to first require you to realize the immutable fact that your entire existence comes from within, not from outside of yourself.

John Assaraf does a great job of vocalizing this concept during part of his teachings in the movie 'The Secret'. John says "There is no 'out there' and 'in here'", and that is the very truth of our Universal existence.

We are all one with all things at all times. That may be tough to grasp for some, but it's true. We are all simply extensions of "source energy", which is the very "stuff" that the entire Universe is made out of.

So, if we are made out of this source energy - which we are, and based on Quantum Mechanics, we are all creators of our own existence (which we are), then one very simple truth rears it's head for all to see, and it is quite undeniable:

Everything is your Creation!

Everything that you see, hear, feel, smell, touch, think, remember, or emotionally react to - these are all things that YOU have created. And yes, that includes the good, as well as the bad. Each of these things exists because on some level you want them to exist, which takes us back to Ho 'oponopono.

If everything that you perceive in the world exists BECAUSE you perceive it, can you guess what amazing and God-like power you have at your very fingertips?

That's right. You can either make more of it, or you can make it go away!

No, I'm not talking about creating thousand dollar bills out of thin air, or wishing away annoying in-laws. However, it is indeed possible for you to create your life so that you HAVE thousand dollars bills, or that your in-laws are no longer an annoyance to you.

That tip alone is probably worth the price of admission, right? :)

How is all of this done via Ho 'oponopono? By simply accepting responsibility.

When you truly grasp and get your head around the fact that you are literally creating every single piece of your existence - from the smallest molecule up through the tallest skyscraper, from the most heart-felt Love to the most gut-wrenching hatred - then you realize that you can effect change over each and every one of those things because you are responsible for them being there to begin with.

You do this simply by showing Gratitude for the things in your life that you are thankful for and that you want to grow and flourish, and by showing Forgiveness for the things that you want to go away or diminish.

Now, let's see if you have been paying attention:

If you are responsible for all things in your existence - the good as well as the bad - and you have the power to diminish or to allow those things to grow simply by showing Gratitude or Forgiveness, who are you showing Gratitude and Forgiveness TO?

......

......

......

Okay, time's up. It's YOU! If you created something that is wonderful, you are thanking yourself for doing so, thus ensuring future occurrences of that same positive behavior. If you created something terrible, then you are forgiving yourself for doing it, thus making sure that it doesn't happen again in the future.

Here is where it gets tough to swallow, but these concepts are just as true on a "microcosm" level as they are on a "macrocosm" level:

You are responsible for everything that is part of your existence. I always like the bad news first, so I'll share that courtesy with you (thus creating more courtesy for myself, if you've been paying attention):

Terrorism is your fault. Murder is your fault. Famine and disease are your fault. School shootings are your fault. Taxes are your fault.

OUCH! That hurts, doesn't it? You bet it does. But here's the good news:

Love is your fault. Childbirth is your fault. Families are your fault. Friends are your fault. Medical miracles are your fault. Firemen are your fault. Pets are your fault. A child's curiosity is your fault. Unadulterated JOY is all YOUR fault!

Are you starting to see your power now? You can do it all. In fact, you ARE doing it all. Right now, at this very moment as you read this. You are both creating and destroying your world, because it is all YOU.

When you go to bed tonight and you can't sleep, you created that. When you pass out face down on your pillow and get the best night's sleep of your life, you created that, too.

When you get out of bed in the morning and it's raining so hard that you can't even see your car in your own driveway, that is your creation. When you get up in the morning and you are greeted by a dawn that could literally be the dawning of Time itself (and it is), that is also your creation.

It's all you. All the Good, all the Bad, and everything in between. And you can control these things by learning to control your Gratitude and your Forgiveness reactions to them with Ho 'oponopono.

Different practioners have different methods of invoking the power of Ho 'oponopono, but since I believe in Dr. Joe Vitale (after all, he is MY creation), I am utilizing his methods of invoking Ho 'oponopono, which can be summed up in the 4 phrases that he uses whenever he wants to invoke Ho 'oponopono, which is also called "cleaning":

"I Love You"

"I'm Sorry"

"Please Forgive Me"

"Thank You"

That's it! By creating a mantra of saying those 4 things pretty much as often as you can day after day and week after week, you will quickly come to the realization that by Loving yourself, by Apologizing to yourself when you have done something wrong, by Forgiving yourself for that wrong-doing, and by Thanking yourself for the opportunity to create Good, as well as to stop creating Bad, that you can create your life to be "right".

Remember that the loose definition of Ho 'oponopono is "to set things right". Since you are the sole creator of your entire existence, you have the power to create whatever "right" world that you want to live in, and you can do it by simply saying and believing those 4 simple phrases.

I know that for some of you, all of this may seem incredibly hard to believe. You refuse to grasp the fact that you are literally the very creator of the entire existence that you live, and that you can easily manipulate that existence with 4 sets of words.

So here is one more test for you:

If you don't believe any of this, who created that disbelief?

Think about it.

And yes, I Forgive You.

Doing it in STYLE!

If there is one absolutely immutable fact that can't be denied about successfully interacting with other people, it is that the more interesting or entertaining you make that interaction, the more that person will remember you, and seek future interactions with you.

James Arthur Ray uses a phrase in many of his presentations: "It's not what you do, it's HOW you do it", and he has several very entertaining examples of how he has witnessed that concept in his dealings with others.

In fact, he proves the concept beyond a shadow of a doubt by telling these stories in such a fun and interesting way that you want to watch him do it over and over again. It's not so much the story that is entertaining as it is the WAY that he tells it.

Joe Hauckes over at the Working at Home on the Internet blog brings up a similar concept in his post about how and where your personality or your ego fit into your business dealings. My answer to that is that your personality IS your business, while your ego needs to check itself at the door.

There have been repeated examples of how people have either done business with or done repeated business with someone because of the way that the business owner treated them.

There are probably even more examples of how people have STOPPED doing business with people because of something that the business did wrong. An excellent and horrific example of this is the Bank of America fiasco that was posted over at Boing Boing and many other locations on the 'net. To date, Bank of America has lost over $50 MILLION DOLLARS because they made a stupid mistake with one of their customers!

All of that being said, these concepts do not just apply to businesses. We have all known people that made us smile, laugh, or maybe just feel comfortable or at peace, and what happened? We wanted to see those people again!

On the flip side, we've all known people who "rubbed us the wrong way", and not only do we not want to see them, but we will sometimes go out of our way NOT to see them!

The concept of handling your life with STYLE is one that I bring up because the majority of us are simply not doing it, and in many cases it is a large part of why we are meeting with limited success in life, both in business as well as in our personal lives.

Life throws so many different things at us that we spend most of our time just dodging bullets when what we really need to be doing is shooting off our own happy pills.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Law of Attraction is working on our lives at all times - whether we want it to be or not. So, if we are running around just dodging bullets all the time and not taking any time to be happy and become deliberate creators of our lives, then we will simply attract more of doing exactly that.

However, if we proactively go out of our way to treat people well (customers as well as friends and family), if we do our very best to provide a great experience for the people that we interact with, and if we keep up a positive and upbeat demeanor, then guess what the Law of Attraction will bring us?

More of that positive energy!

We get out of life exactly what we put into it. If that is simply reacting to the negativity that surrounds us, then all we will have is a life full of reacting to negativity. I'm here to tell you that at least at this point in the game, there is plenty of that to go around already.

I'm not saying that in order to perpetuate the negativity, but to illustrate the fact that if you want to start deliberately creating a life that is abundant in every way, there is more than enough room for you to stretch your "positive wings" and make it happen!

I am very grateful to be witnessing the fact that our society as a whole is on the edge of a major breakthrough in enlightenment that will be akin to us crawling out of the Dark Ages. The thanks for that fact goes to countless individuals, not the least of which being the army of bloggers, forum posters, and article writers on the Internet who are out there every day spreading the good word.

For you Americans, this whole process works in a similar fashion to voting. It may seem like one vote won't make a difference, but in the grand scheme of things, one vote can make ALL the difference!

That same thing applies to you interacting with the people in your life using some high-octane personality that will keep them coming back to interact with you again and again. If you impress even ONE person today with your attitude, and that person captures your magic and passes it on to one person, and then that person catches it and passes it on, and so on and so on it goes...

Someone once said that you could network with the entire world if you only knew the right 20 people.

I don't know about you, but I sure know 20 people, and each one of them would say that I've usually got a smile on my face. Can you say the same?

13 Miles to Graceland

Several years ago a friend of mine challenged me to run a marathon with him. Before then I had never run more than about 4 or 5 miles, but the Capricorn in me was up for the challenge! With no real idea of what it took to train for a marathon, I set out to get into at least good enough shape to cross the finish line skating safely this side of a heart attack...

After running a few long distance routes, I employed the same technique that I encourage in others, and that is to set and accomplish short term goals as a way of stepping slowly but surely towards the long term achievements.

I decided that if I could run HALF a marathon, then anything after that would all be downhill. Having bolstered my confidence by pulling off a few 8 mile jaunts, I mapped out a 13.2 mile route and set off down the road one morning on a circular route that would bring me back to my starting point at the end of the 13.2 miles.

I don't know if you have ever done any long distance running before, but I can tell you that when you are out there and you've got 8-10 miles successfully under your shoes, you start to realize that a 13.2 mile route is... well... long!

As I crossed over the 10 mile mark, I was definitely in the home stretch, but I found myself at the bottom of a long, gradual hill that went up for about a mile before it leveled out. Why I didn't foresee that when I originally mapped out the route is beyond me...

Anyway, my confidence started to faulter, but after running 10 miles (my longest run to date at that point), I was NOT willing to just give up and walk the last 3 miles home. As I'm sure happens with a lot of long distance runners, a particular phrase just popped into my head. It became my mantra for the rest of the journey:

"13 Miles to Graceland"

Why that particular phrase came to me, I'll never know. I've never been to Graceland, and I have also never spent any consistent amount of time as an Elvis Presley fan. My father swears that I had a brief fling with "fandom for the King" when I was young, but I'll never admit to it.

Anyway, I used this unusual phrase as my focus point, I put my head down, kept running, and I made it to the end of the route in just under 2 hours and 46 minutes. Not too shabby for someone who used to think that physical fitness was watching the Olivia Newton-John video "Let's Get Physical"...

The point to all of this rambling is that I accomplished that lengthy goal by employing 2 very basic and very well-known techniques:

1) Setting short-term goals

2) Applying a consistent effort over the long-term

Over at the "A Better You Blog", Patricia has a wonderful list of short-term tasks that can be accomplished or decided upon in only 30 seconds, and it is amazing what an impact such a small amount of time can have on you, or someone that care about.

When you start to add up those 30 second deeds, take it up to a few minutes of doing the right thing, then begin to put forth 30 minutes of effort, take it up to an hour or more of your time towards yours goals, etc., something amazing starts to happen.

After awhile - a very short while, in fact - you will have been accomplishing short-term goals so often that you will have accomplished something HUGE!

Remember, the achievements that we make in life are not done all at once. They are made up of a tiny step here, a small step there, another step in the right direction, yet another, and on down the line.

Too often in today's society we tend to judge both success and failure in a very short-sighted manner. No one ever got rich, lost a large amount of weight, or accomplished something truly remarkable by making one gigantic effort, but rather by applying the principles associated with those positive achievements over and over again on a consistent basis.

It doesn't matter how good you think you are, or how bad you think you are, the truth of the matter is that your journey to your chosen destination begins with one foot in front of the other.

After all, it's only 13 miles to Graceland. :)

Visualization toys at Tabblo

One of the most powerful ways to bring the things that you want into your life is to use the amazing power of our imagination in order to visualize the success that we desire.

Some people call this "positive thinking", but truly effective visualization goes way beyond simply holding an image in your head. However, that being said, the easier that it is for you to hold an image in your head, the easier it will be for you to practice the other visualization techniques as well.

The gratitude filled folks over at Tabblo have come up with a very cool (and free) new way to bring together the images of your life into a format that works best for you, and that is very simple to share with other people.

A "tabblo" is basically a blank canvas that you can easily add images and/or text to using several different design templates that they offer, or you can manually create your own.

Think of a collage of pictures, only online, and completely customizable, and you'll start to grasp the idea. Also, all of the tabblo's can be printed in any number of different formats, even in a book!

To see what I'm talking about, click below to go to the tabblo that I created which I have entitled 'Shopping with the Law of Attraction':

Also, for another great example of the type of things that you can do with Tabblo - including the hilarious picture below - click the picture to be taken to this person's tabblo:

The possibilities are endless, and I want to encourage you to use these types of tools in order to make your visualizations effective!

I mean, if putting together an entire book of your desires and then putting it on your coffee table doesn't frequently remind you to deliberately create your life, I don't know what will.

Also, I have put together a Law of Attraction group there on the Tabblo site that you are welcome and encouraged to join.

The basic idea is that everyone who is using the power of visualization in order to manifest their desires can share visual concepts by keeping all of our tabblo's in one spot. By seeing how other people are visualizing, you make get inspired to manifest new or different things into your life, or you may just be inspired by someone else's pictures, text, or visualization concepts. If nothing else, you'll be entertained for a few minutes, so check it out!

One More Thing

When visualizing, practice the following concepts to make your visualizations powerful and effective!

1. Always feel as if what you are visualizing already exists for you. If you think "I am going to have this someday", then it will always be "someday away". Visualize in the NOW, and your goals will manifest in your life.

2. Never NEED the things that you are visualizing. If you are desperately needing the things that you are asking for, then all you are doing is sending out a "I wish I had this" vibration and all you will manifest is continuing to wish that you had it. Want the things that you are visualizing, Believe that you already have them, and Feel the joy that having those things brings to your life. The Universe will deliver!

3. Visualize as often as you like - the more you do it, the faster you'll get what you want. Also, take advantage of the time right before you go to sleep and right after you wake up to practice visualization. Your subconscious mind is most receptive to programming during those times, and you will get the most out of your efforts when you get your conscious AND your subconscious mind working together.

Okay, that's it, that's all. Now go out there and create the world that you want by finding ways to hold the images of that world in your head. Next thing you know, you'll be living in it.

Remember:

"Thoughts become things... choose the good ones!" - Mike Dooley and TUT 's Adventure Club

Is the water too cold...?

I read two excellent blog posts today about how people learn about self improvement and the Law of Attraction, but then they either don't utilize that knowledge, or they don't follow through on their efforts.

This is a very real issue, and one that I am personally trying to extinguish with the Today is that Day Success Community. I wanted to put a post out here on the blog about this in the hopes of sending a wake up call to some of the people who have seen the need for positive steps, but for whatever reason still aren't seeing their efforts through to fruition.

Antonio over at ThinkBanc points out 2 potential reasons for this; people either don't realize what is possible because they just don't know the details, or - what I believe to more often be the case - they simply don't believe in it.

Concepts such as the Law of Attraction are so foreign to what we have been brought up to believe, that people simply refuse to grasp that they can literally "change their stars" just by learning the proper techniques.

Rick over at Shards of Consciousness has an outstanding post on this same subject, and he adds in 2 more very real reasons why people don't make good on their self improvement efforts.

One reason is Information Overload. Sometimes we try so hard to improve our lives that we can't see the forest for the trees. We buy books, programs, and memberships, yet we don't actually DO the work that it takes to effect the changes!

Another reason that is not so obvious, but just as true, is that some people simply don't want to accept responsibility for making their lives better. After all, it is easy to just lay down and let life have it's way with you. Making an honest and consistent effort to give your life a turn for the better is much more difficult than just sitting on a park bench and watching it all go by.

Rick gets the Self Improvement Cornucopia of Truisms award for this little gem:

"Our thoughts and dreams come and go, whispering among themselves just below consciousness, the inhabitants of our mind that set up residence while we weren’t looking. Occasionally we wake up and see what we were doing."

Is that priceless, or what? That is EXACTLY what happens to so many of us!

The desire as well as the power to manifest those desires are conspiring secretly just out of our grasp, and once in awhile they poke their head up, motivate and empower us, and then they sink back below as we once again fall back to sleep.

Here's the million-dollar point, though. Those dreams and desires - and the power to bring them permanently into the light - are still there.

My own experience has led me to concur 100% with the experts quoted above as to the reasons why we are not dragging those dreams and desires kicking and screaming into the light, and here is a quick review so you can make sure that you aren't one of the sleeping people:

1) Ignorance of the knowledge or the application of the knowledge that can help us.

2) Refusal to believe that we truly have the power to effect positive changes in our lives - short of a miracle or a lottery winning, that is.

3) Information Overload - a.ka. sticking our noses in the truth, yet still managing not to get any on us.

4) Refusal to take responsibility for our own success. Funny thing is that people who won't take responsibility for their success also seem quite adept at not taking responsibility for their failures, either.

Makes you wonder what they ARE taking responsibility for...

The bottom line is that the knowledge and the training that you need to create your version of the "perfect life" are literally at your very fingertips. A few deft clicks of your mouse or a fancy keyboard maneuver and you could be reading the outline to the rest of your life right here on the Internet in a lot less time than it would take you to think of a good reason to not put forth that effort.

Ever since the movie The Secret came out - and even before then - the resources have been available for people to get off their butts and do something with their lives, yet people are still stubbornly refusing to do so.

Are you one of those people who is going to take this opportunity to wake up and start making the changes that you desire, or are you going to just sit there and let this blog post be just another notch in your belt of Information Overload?

The choice is - and always has been - yours.

Remembering Your Role

One of the biggest problems with our society’s attempts at evolving and finding true, measurable success and progress is that people are under the very mistaken impression that as humans we have some set of universal “rules” to live by.

This is simply not true, and the sooner that we - as a race - realize that fact, the sooner we’ll all be taking a giant leap up the evolutionary ladder.

No, I’m not talking about mutant powers (although I am officially an X-men geek), but rather the step up the evolutionary ladder that will allow us to start using our heads for something other than a place to keep dead brain cells during our college years.

Darren Hardy, President over at The Success Training Network, keeps a very informative and entertaining blog that I recommend you get on the distribution list for. One of his recent posts included a very cool and very appropriate clip from the movie ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’.

I’ll skip the movie synopsis since that is far from my speciality, but I will tell you that you should see the movie, and you should definitely see this clip from the movie, which is posted on Darren’s blog.

The clip is a powerful few minutes with Will Smith while he is helping a boy to understand the difference between who we perceive ourselves to be, and who we really are, which is the point that I am making.

All parts of the Universe are made of the same cosmic “stuff” as Wallace D. Wattles calls it in Science of Getting Rich, and that “stuff” is simply energy. All things - no matter how big or small - are made up of energy.

What is it that causes energy to be in any given form at any given moment? The answer, my 3-dimensional friends, is Intelligence.

There is an all-powerful, all-knowing Intelligence that each of us is a part of, as well as a result of. What you call that Intelligence is totally up to you. Depending on your religious or spiritual beliefs, you will have your own “name” for this Intelligence, but no matter who you are, you believe that something is responsible for all of this.

I’ve never met anyone who believed that this entire existence - whether you believe in the Big Bang or the Garden of Eden - simply “showed up” one day without someone or something pulling the strings.

The Intelligence that pulls those strings is you. And me. And that guy over there. And that cat on your desk. And that bird outside your window. And that spider skulking across the floor. And that cricket out in the bushes. And that…. You get the picture by now, I’m sure.

Every form of life IS life because it wants to be life. It chooses to be life. Everything that happens to us - or doesn’t happen - is a choice that was made on some level, at some point in time, even if we can’t possibly make the mental leap to understand that connection right now.

Everything happens on purpose - both the good and the bad. There is a classic argument that no one would ever WANT something bad to happen to them, but there are just as many ways to explain that concept. I will not get into that right now, but I will defer you to Mike Dooley’s excellent answer to those types of questions, which you can check out right here.

Some of you may have heard the phrase “With great power comes great responsibility”. As you begin to learn more and more about your hand in the creative process of your own existence, you will begin to understand that powerful concept more and more.

In order to claim “bragging rights” whenever you accomplish something wonderful, you must also be willing to brag about the fact that you did something that wasn’t so great. Why would you brag about that?

Because YOU caused it.

You prove with every single act of creation - no matter how big or how small, or how good or how bad - that you have the power of the Universe (or God, if you will) at your very fingertips.

To say that you did not cause a car accident, you must also say that you did not cause the love that you feel for others. To say that you did not mean to stub your toe is to also say that you did not mean to sooth a crying baby and teach it security and safety. To say that you did not put yourself into your present financial dire straights is to also say that you can never be wealthy.

Do you see the point here? YOU are in charge of all of this. Via your thoughts and your actions - but most importantly via your feelings - you are forming the very world around you because you are physically, mentally, and emotionally part of that world!

Every breath you take, every movement you make, every thought you have, and every emotion you feel are all forming your very existence here on the physical plane. Everything you do - or don’t do - makes a difference to someone, somewhere, at sometime - especially to you.

THAT is your Role.

Whew! Kinda scary, isn’t it?? Don’t worry, because here is the best part:

You are here to embrace and understand your power in order to experience this existence. You are not required to stretch forth your hand and part any large bodies of water. People are not waiting for you to cure their diseases. Your job is not to put a protective shield around the earth and hide it from harm.

Your job - which you CHOSE to come here and do is….

drum roll please….

…..

…..

To Experience Life!

That’s it. That’s all. To quote Neale Donald Walsch from his part in The Secret:

“So your purpose is what you say it is. Your mission is the mission you give yourself. Your life will be what you create it as, and no one will stand in judgement of it, now or ever”.

So whether you think big, think small, think good, or think evil, your Role is the Role that you have given to yourself. To once again refer back to Bagger Vance and the quote about our “authentic swing”:

“It’s somethin’ that can’t be taught to you or learned. It’s somethin’ that got to be remembered.”

Remember YOUR Role, and enjoy your life.

Peace, and happy musings.

Wednesday Health Tip

Did you know that "consistency" and "intensity" are the 2 most important words when it comes to exercise? If you don't exercise consistently (i.e. several time per week), or if you don't exercise intensely enough to work up a good sweat, you'll never see the long-term results that you are looking for!

Author's Note: Did you also know that consistency and intensity techniques are frequently applied by college students and middle-aged adolescents all over the world when it comes to alcohol consumption? Let's here it for higher education and retaining our youth! ;)

Aaron M. Potts
The Goof Troupe!

Friday Health Tip - Heart Rate

Did you know that you are supposed to get your heart rate up to at least a moderate level of intensity for at least 30 minutes every single day?

Author's Note: Exactly HOW you get your heart rate up is completely up to you! Let's just say that sweating is NOT a bad thing!

Aaron M. Potts
Tahiti Trim Plan 40
Certified Success Group Leader

De-Jelly Your Belly?

AAAHHHHH! Some of you may recognize this headline from the front page of a popular magazine - one that I will not mention by name out of professional courtesy.

This headline leads you to an article about how you can do a small handful of exercises that you can supposedly finish in some ridiculously small amount of time.

This is crap. Plain and simple.

Again, I won't point out the name of this magazine or give out any further details about the article itself. No, the point of this post is that this type of thinking is exactly why almost two-thirds of the entire U.S. population is overweight - most of them obese.

If you think you can firm up ANY area of your body, or that you can experience anything remotely resembling a proper level of health by doing 6 or less exercises, and working out in less time than it takes to watch an average sit-com, you are allowing yourself to be misled, and you are - quite probably - in stark denial about your own level of health - or lack therof.

If you want to lose weight, you need to workout at a moderate to difficult level of intensity, you need to control your nutrient intake and your portion sizes, and you need to balance out your vitamin and mineral intake, as well as your hormone levels.

If you think that you can "de-jelly" ANYTHING with a mamby-pamby workout, or that you can "eat whatever you want and never gain weight", you need to write yourself a reality check and take it to the bank RIGHT NOW before it bounces.

Wake up, people!

Now, for those of you who are AWAKE, and want some real solutions, my wife and I hold a free weekly Success Group meeting that is based on the products and the principles of the Tahiti Trim Plan 40 Lifestyle and Weight Management program.

Get all of the details right here, and contact me directly if you want to get involved.

Don't be mamby-pamby, and stop living in a dream world. Health and weight loss require effort, determination, and quality guidance. If you are willing to do what it takes to make a positive change in your life, do it RIGHT NOW.

Or, you could just pick up another magazine. I am quite sure that all of your answers are buried in those pages somewhere...

Aaron M. Potts
Certified Success Group Leader
Tahiti Trim Plan 40

Friday Health Tip - Toxic Barrier

Did you know that portions of the unhealthy foods and chemicals that we ingest get stored in our intestinal track and build up into a toxic barrier that literally keeps our bodies from absorbing nutrients? This is one of the reasons why we eat too much - our body is telling us that we're hungry because it is literally not getting the food that we put into our mouths!

Author's Note: There are several ways to deal with this issue - some more pleasant than others! None that will be discussed this early in the morning on a Friday! :)

Aaron M. Potts
Tahiti Trim Plan 40
Certified Success Group Leader

Wednesday Health Tip - Green Things

Did you know that not all vegetables are created equal? There are "starchy" vegetables that can contain a lot of carbohydrates, such as potatoes and peas, and there are fibrous vegetables that you can pretty much eat as many as you want, and these include broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, and several others.

Authors Note: When I was a kid, I used to hate cooked vegetables. I would tell my Mom while she was cooking, "I don't want any green things!!" Finally, one day she got fed up with me whining, dumped my entire plate of food on my head, and said, "I didn't give you any !%#^$&# green things!!"

Aaron M. Potts
Tahiti Trim Plan 40
Certified Success Group Leader

Monday Health Tip - Calcium

Did you know that most women - especially those over 30 - are at risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures because they do not consume enough calcium?

Author's Note: Calcium comes from dairy products and high-quality supplements - NOT from late-night cow tipping! Just so you know...

Aaron M. Potts
TTP40 Certified Success Group Leader

Thursday Health Tip

Did you know that if you take in the exact same number of calories, but you spread them out over 5 small meals instead of 3 big ones, that you will start to lose weight because of the affect this has on your metabolism?

Author's Note: Coffee does NOT count as breakfast, a "meal" will never include the term "drive thru", and a Screwdriver made with Vodka and Orange Juice does not - unfortunately - count as an appropriate serving of fruit! :)

Aaron M. Potts
First Coast Wellness
http://www.firstcoastwellness.net

Changing the World

My wife Amy and I have just returned from the 10th Anniversary International Leadership Conference for Tahitian Noni International, and to say that we were impressed would be an understatement. There are no words that can accurately describe what we saw, or what the experience did to us, so I won't even cheapen it by trying to explain here.

However, I do want to extend an invitation to YOU - the reader of this message - to give yourself 5 minutes right now to think about your place in the world, and if it is really where you want to be.

If it is, then great! You are in a position to now learn how to start helping others. If, however, you are not where you want to be, then that is great, too, because you are in a position to learn how to help yourself AND others - at the same time.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to make a true impact on the world? I don't mean just helping an old lady across the street - I'm talking about a REAL difference in the way our world turns.

If there was a way for you to make your own life a better place to be than it has ever been, and at the same time help modify the very landscape of the human condition, would you do it?

If you could lose weight or improve your health in ways that you have probably never even imagined, while also helping to shape and improve the economy of an entire country, would you do it?

If you could be a part of the biggest lifestyle improvement revolution ever known to mankind, yet at the same time still retain whatever lifestyle it is that you want, would you do it?

If there was a system that would allow you to earn as much money as you wanted, but at the same time help you to learn the value of giving back to the world, would you learn that system?

Have you ever wanted to improve your life while being a part of something truly special?

If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, then I have news for you:

Your time is now.

Give yourself permission RIGHT NOW to open your eyes and your mind so that you can decide for yourself if it is truly possible to improve your life while also helping others.

By the way, if you think that your life is "just fine" and you don't need any help, do yourself a favor and start being honest with yourself. Unless your health is perfect, your finances are taken care of for the rest of your life - and the lives of your children - and you have absolutely nothing that you want to work towards, then your life is not "just fine".

Oh, and one more thing.

Don't die wondering what it would have been like to live the life that you wanted - rather than just the one that you were given.

Think about it.

Contact me directly for more information. I will give you the factual details about Tahitian Noni International, and then you can decide for yourself if you want to help us change the world.

Aaron M. Potts
http://www.tni.com/aaronandamy
info@fitnessdestinations.com
904-699-9917

The Wellness Revolution

What IS the Wellness Revolution, anyway? Find out some startling facts, but at the same time find out how YOU are in a surprising (and potentially profitable) position to do something about it!

The Wellness Revolution Podcast

Leave the gym behind! Are you one of those people who will only workout if they can get to a very specific gym, at a very specific time of day, and do a very specific type of training? If you are, then this tip is for you!

Although the gym is a great place to train, and the workouts that you do may be effective, you are setting yourself up for failure if you can only workout given a very specific set of circumstances.

What happens if you can't get to the gym for some reason? What if your picture-perfect workout program is disrupted because of a crowd, or because part of the gym is being remodeled? What if your favorite aerobics class gets cancelled? What if you are simply late, and your entire workout schedule is thrown off track?

These are just a few examples of how relying on an iron-clad workout program will set you up to fail if things don't go exactly like they are supposed to. In addition, your body will get used to your "perfect" program, and you'll be back at square 1 before you know it. Leave the gym behind and find other ways to get some exercise!

Fitness Destinations recommends http://www.recreation.gov to find the best places in your area to get outside and play!

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Listen to the Full Podcast for this Fitness Tip:


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Got Cancer?

Today's Fitness Tip isn't so much a tip as it is a fact that should motivate you to get off your butt and go exercise!

My Odeo Channel

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Got Cancer?

Today's Fitness Tip isn't so much a tip as it is a fact that should motivate you to get off your butt and go exercise!

From an article in the November 2005 edition of Personal Fitness Professional magazine:

"The American Cancer Society estimates that about 30% of cancer deaths are due to poor nutrition, excess weight and lack of exercise."

30 PERCENT!!

Why are you still sitting here reading this??

My Odeo Channel

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Always practice perfect form! Whenever you are exercising, there is a very specific way to do each and every exercise. Do things right to maximize results, and minimize injury!

My Odeo Channel


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Always practice perfect form!

Whenever you are exercising, there is a very specific way to do each and every exercise. Doing the exercise in the prescribed manner ensures 2 things:

1) That you get the most possible benefit from the activity. If you are going to take the time and expend the energy to exercise, then do it right. Using sloppy form just robs the targeted muscles of the stimulus that you are trying to deliver to them, and can ultimately waste your valuable exercise time.

2) That you don't get injured while you workout. Even seasoned exercise veterans are still subject to a muscle pull or strain, a torn ligament, a torn rotator cuff, etc. One of the best reasons for exercise is to prevent these type of injuries, but by spending a lot of time working out, some of us forget that we are still susceptible, and we allow our form or exercise speed to suffer. This results in exactly the kind of injury that we are trying to avoid!

Always practice picture-perfect form whenever you exercise, and do all exercises with a full range of motion, and at the proper speed. Don't waste your time, or get hurt in the process!

For the most complete (to date) database of exercises, complete with animated graphics that show the movements, and text instructions on how to do them, become a member or a client of Fitness Generator. Whether you are a personal trainer or if you are just trying to exercise in a proper and effective manner, Fitness Generator has categorized exercises to keep you or your clients on track. Additionally, Fitness Destinations maintains a list of Online Personal Trainers who utilize this software.

Practice "HIIT", the acronym for High Intensity Interval Training to get more out of your cardiovascular training, but in less time!


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"HIIT"

Practice "HIIT", the acronym for High Intensity Interval Training. The basic idea is to do your cardiovascular training in 2 different zones. Zone #1 is your "cruising speed", which is the speed and/or resistance that keeps you inside your Target Heart Rate Zone. Zone #2 is significantly more intense, cranking your heart rate to well above the THR, approaching or surpassing 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate.

The concept is pretty simple. No matter what form of cardiovascular training you are doing, you spend the first 5 minutes or so cranking up the intensity so that you are at your cruising speed of approximately 70% of your maximum heart rate. Once there, every 1 to 4 minutes, crank the speed or resistance up to a much higher level, to at least 80% to 85% of your max.

When cruising at the higher level of intensity, this is known as the "interval", hence the name High Intensity Interval Training. Perform your interval for 1 to 2 minutes, after which you should be VERY ready to slow things back down to your cruising speed. Once you are back to cruising speed, go another 1 to 4 minutes, then repeat the whole process.

This type of training confuses your body about how to keep up with the energy demand, which keeps it from slipping into a comfortable rythym. You will burn more calories this way, burn through more bodyfat in a shorter amount of time, crank your metabolism up significantly higher, and improve the maximum cardiac output of your heart, all at the same time! If you are looking for a way to shorten your workouts, but lose weight more quickly, HIIT is the way to go!

Make sure you are staying in the 70% to 85% target heart rate zone with a low-cost, easy to use Polar Heart Rate Monitor.

Breathe hard! Or, get your heart rate up - however you want to phrase it! The point is that no serious, long-term fitness progress ever came out of "taking a stroll" on the treadmill, or by meandering around your neighborhood after dinner.

My Odeo Channel


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Breathe hard!

Or, get your heart rate up - however you want to phrase it! The point is that no serious, long-term fitness progress ever came out of "taking a stroll" on the treadmill, or by meandering around your neighborhood after dinner.

Although it is true that ANY exercise is better than NO exercise, if you truly want to melt off excess bodyweight and bodyfat, you are going to have to crank that heart rate up to about 70% of your maximum level several times each week, and consider taking it even further than that once you are conditioned for it.

To figure out your max heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 40, your maximum heart rate is 180 (220-40).

Monitor your heart rate with a low-cost, easy to use Polar Heart Rate Monitor.

Get out and PLAY! People are so hung up on the "latest exercise programs" that they forget that the mission is to simply expend energy. No one ever said that you had to expend energy in the gym, or by pounding the pavement in your neighborhood!


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Get out and PLAY!

People are so hung up on the "latest exercise programs" that they forget that the mission is to simply expend energy. No one ever said that you had to expend energy in the gym, or by pounding the pavement in your neighborhood!

Structured sports such as football, volleyball, tennis and similar activities are all great ways to burn off some extra calories. Or, to make it even more interesting, put together a little outdoor fitness session for you and some of your friends. Using nothing but bodyweight and a little bit of imagination, there is no end to the fun that you can have running, jumping, catching, pushing, pulling, hopping, sprinting, lunging, squatting, etc. The list is endless!

If you want to add a little bit of resistance, grab a 6 or 8 pound Medicine Ball and toss that thing around for awhile. If your arms don't get a good workout doing that, then you are doing it wrong!

A picture speaks a thousand words, and that is a very true statement when it comes to fitness! Having a motivating picture of yourself can literally mean the difference between success and failure in your weight loss endeavors.


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A picture speaks a thousand words!

A picture speaks a thousand words, and that is a very true statement when it comes to fitness! Having a motivating picture of yourself can literally mean the difference between success and failure in your weight loss endeavors.

Here is a quick tip on using a photo to keep you highly motivated. Don't use a picture of the way that you USED to look, or even a mental picture of what you WANT to look like. Get a picture of you that you hate because it shows you when you were seriously out of shape, or at a point in your life when you had very little energy, or self esteem.

Take that bad picture of yourself and post it where you will see it on a daily basis! Don't strive to be someone in a 10-year old high school picture, or in the "perfect" picture that you have of yourself in your head. Strive to NOT be the person in your "bad" picture!

Set and measure your goals! If you don't know specifically where you want to go, how can you possibly know if you are on the right track to get there?

My Odeo Channel (odeo/be7bd128b4d54336)


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Set and measure your goals!

If you don't know specifically where you want to go, how can you possibly know if you are on the right track to get there?

Everyone wants to "lose weight" or "feel better". What does that MEAN? Does it mean that you want to drop 4 dress sizes? Does it mean you want to shed 30 pounds? Does it mean that you want to lose a certain percentage of bodyfat? Does it mean that you want to run the 100-yard dash in a certain period of time?

The moral to this story is that if you don't know SPECIFICALLY what you want out of your fitness program and SPECIFICALLY when you want to have it, you are going to have a hard time even knowing if you are on the right track. You need to set and measure your goals on a frequent basis. Get on a scale once a week, have your bodyfat checked, run the 100-yard dash to see if your time is improving.

When you measure your progress, it allows you to modify your program if necessary to stay on track for your goals. If you need to lose 1 pound a week to get to your goal, but you are only losing half a pound each week, then you need to make some changes to get on a faster track to success.

Set and measure your goals, and you will be amazed at how motivating it can be!

To track bodyfat with an easy to use and portable method, check out the Omron BodyFat Analyzer

My Odeo Channel (odeo/be7bd128b4d54336)

Would you believe that Watching TV is today's sound fitness advice?? Don't get too comfy on that couch, though! The type of TV that we are talking about is the interactive version now available through several different video game and software development companies.


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Would you believe that Watching TV is today's sound fitness advice??

Don't get too comfy on that couch, though! The type of TV that we are talking about is the interactive version now available through several different video game and software development companies. In realizing that video games and time in front of the TV were habits that were not going to go away easily, the powers that be in the home entertainment industry have turned their talents to creating interactive environments that cause the average couch potato or video game junkie to have to get up off the couch and get involved!

These interactive situations involve some sort of sensor that translates your movements to your "video" counterpart on the TV screen, a pad of some kind that you walk, run, dance, or jump on, or an actual mini-video camera that puts YOU right in the middle of the action!

Get up off the couch and get moving! You may be surprised how many options you have for dropping bodyfat right there in your own living room!

Check out PlayStation 2's Eye Toy: Kinetic for an entertaining workout that gets harder as you get better at it!

RUN! As many people will agree, running is one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular training. Although the intensity of cardiovascular training can be improved no matter which form of training you choose, the effectiveness of an activity begs two
questions: 1) Is the activity safe? 2) Does the activity help you in your weight loss or fitness goals?


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RUN!

As many people will agree, running is one of the most effective forms of cardiovascular training. Although the intensity of cardiovascular training can be improved no matter which form of training you choose, the effectiveness of an activity begs two questions: 1) Is the activity safe? 2) Does the activity help you in your weight loss or fitness goals?

When one asks "Is running safe?", the answer is pretty basic. It's a normal human movement and activity. Like any normal human movement, as long as common sense is applied to the training program, then yes, running is perfectly safe. "Is it effective?" Many people report more intensity and fitness or weight loss related improvements when running than when engaging in any other form of cardio.

Some people will answer these statements by saying things like "I am too overweight to run", or "I have never been a good runner". It is true that running or not running needs to be considered based on each invidividual's body type and exercise history.

However, consider this: Running requires you to pick your legs up higher than when you are walking, and to bring your heel down, followed by your toe. Who ever said you had to do that at a high rate of speed? Try picking your knees up nice and high the next time you go for a walk or get on the treadmill, and see if you don't notice the completely safe and effective difference between that and just going for a stroll!

For maximum intensity when engaging in endurance exercise activities, try Tahitian Noni Concentrated Fruit Extract Endurance, and for maximum joint protection and health, Tahitian Noni Concentrated Fruit Extract Healthy Joint.

Snack Time! Although "having a snack" is something that most of us equate with our early years of school, it turns out that after all this time, having a snack was and still is a GREAT idea!


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Snack Time!

Although "having a snack" is something that most of us equate with our early years of school, it turns out that after all this time, having a snack was and still is a GREAT idea!

Our bodies operate on a very basic principle of Energy In vs. Energy Out. If we don't practice the "Energy In" part of the equation every 2 to 3 hours, our bodies will slow down, caloric expenditure will come to a standstill, and as soon as we eat the next meal, our bodies will store the calories as bodyfat instead of using them for energy!

Think of your body like a steam engine on an old train. If just enough coal was put into the fire at regular intervals, the train would run fast, hard, and clean. If not enough coal was added, the train would stop completely. If TOO much coal was added, the fire would just go out altogether! Feed YOUR steam engine with small, nutritious meals every 2 to 3 hours every single day!

For a tasty, portable, nutritious and low calorie snack, try Tahiti Trim Plan 40 Chocolate Success Bars.

Read! In today's world of Information Overload, it is often easy to forget that one of the easiest and most effective ways to learn is to simply read a book!


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Read!

Read! In today's world of Information Overload, it is often easy to forget that one of the easiest and most effective ways to learn is to simply read a book! Why listen to paid advertisers on the radio, get talked into useless products by watching infommercials, or listen to the advice of your friends, family and coworkers?

Why not just pick up a book and find out the TRUTH for yourself?

A simple trip to Amazon.com will not only allow you to find pretty much any book you can imagine, but you can also read reviews by real people - just like yourself - who have read the book you are considering. Don't believe the publishers, the authors, or the paid endorsers of any information source - read testimonials and reviews by people who have actually read the book, and then decide for YOURSELF if the book is worth your time and money!

For a good selection of health and fitness related books, check out the Health and Fitness Books section!

Stress causes us to store bodyfat - Vent your frustrations! Learn about how stress effects your health, and get 2 great resources for helping you deal with it.


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Here is a surprise tip for you - Become Unstable! It is hardly what we are advised to do in day to day life, but when it comes to exercise, being unstable is exactly what the doctor ordered.


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Become Unstable!

Here is a surprise tip for you - Become Unstable! It is hardly what we are advised to do in day to day life, but when it comes to exercise, being unstable is exactly what the doctor ordered.

Doing exercises while on an unstable surface such as an exercise ball, a wobble board, a foam pad, or even just by standing on one leg takes each movement to the next higher level of intensity and effectiveness. You must exercise your CORE if you want to be strong, lean, and healthy.

If you are just doing standard bench presses, lunges, squats, and overhead presses, you are missing out on an entire level of fitness, and you are also setting yourself up for injury!

-- Aaron

The long-lost secret to losing weight and being healthy is about to be revealed - it may surprise you!


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Keep it Simple!

Keep it simple! Get ready, you are about to be given the LONG LOST SECRET to weight loss!

Exercise at least 30 minutes each day - preferably 45-60 minutes - and take in fewer calories than you expend each day.

There, don't you feel enlightened now? The irony of the situation is that it really IS just that simple! Skip the latest diet, turn off the infommercials, and change your radio dial when the "best new product" spot comes on.

If you really want to lose weight, keep it simple. Get enough exercise, and stop eating excess amounts of unhealthy calories!

For a down to earth and easy to understand guide on eating properly, check out the Idiot Proof Diet Handbook!

Site Updates!

There have been MANY changes to the site lately, and although most people are keeping up to date by tuning in to the Fitness Tips Podcast, for anyone who hasn't seen the latest, here is a brief rundown:

 

1) Brand New Shopping Center - The Fitness Destinations online shopping portal is finally up and running. We have replaced several affiliate providers with one all-encompassing shopping mall that houses some 23,000 pages of content! There is no end to what you will find there, and you can either login as a Client to shop, or you can even get a private version of your own store, and get cash back on your purchases. All of the details can be found at this URL, and don't forget to use "fitness" as your guest password: http://www.fitnessdestinations.com/shop.html

 

2) The Fitness Destinations Daily Fitness Tips Podcast - This is the easiest way ever to stay up to date with the latest information about the site, and get 100% FREE Fitness Tips as well! Simply go to the Fitness Tips page to find out several free and easy ways that you can subscribe to the Fitness Podcast.

 

3) Wholesale Supplement Promotion - Fitness Destinations 100% endorses the myriad different weight loss and fitness supplements and food additives provided by Tahitian Noni International, and we believe in their products so much that we are going to give you the chance to get wholesale prices on them for FREE. Simply check out our Tahitian Noni International wholesale supplement promotion for more info!

 

That's it for now! Happy New Year, and Best Wishes for a Prosperous and Healthy 2006!

 

-- Aaron

 

Aaron's Weight Loss Blog, Week 7

Wow, I feel like I've been rode hard, and put away wet! It has been a roller coaster 2 weeks since my last post, and things are going to start to get interesting now!

I took 3 scheduled days off from the program to celebrate Christmas. We ate crap, drank too much, and generally abused our bodies. That was in the plan. What WASN'T in the plan was waking up after the holiday weekend with a cold that has kept me out of the gym SINCE then!

I ran this morning before breakfast for an hour, but other than that, I haven't gotten any real exercise since Thursday, December 22nd! Although I did clean up my nutrition most of last week after the holiday weekend, and although I did work my butt off at work, I didn't step foot into a gym all week.

So, all of that being said, the damage wasn't as bad as I expected. My bodyfat only crept up 2/10 of a percent, to 14.3%. That means that I still get to wear my 25% pin. I would have been MOST irate if I had to take that off!!

Now, though, it is crunch time. The final weigh in/bodyfat check is Saturday, January 14th - my birthday. We are planning a big birthday/house warming party for that night, and I have to be the consumate picture of perfection by the time that evening rolls around.

I have already started the crunch time workout program, beginning with my run this morning. I will also be running again this afternoon with one of my clients, and I will be doing cardio again tonight after dinner.

Carbohydrates will be on an "as needed" basis between now and Saturday the 14th, and resistance and cardio training will both be at intense levels. Although I have seen this type of program in action before, I have personally never done it.

I will either lose a bunch of bodyfat, or I will die trying! Either way, Saturday night at the party, I am burying my head in a bowl full of pasta, washing it down with some Jack Daniels, and will then proceed to try and get a full-on game of Spin the Bottle going with the party guests.... ;)

Wish me luck, all - although I intend to create my own anyway!

-- AP <~~~~ Thinks that I subconciously put my back against a wall so I would HAVE to do this. I'm just a self-defeating person that way.... :)

Learn all about how Fiber can keep you healthy as well as help you lose weight, and also get the inside scoop on some great places to get your health and fitness supplements online!


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What the heck is the Glycemic Index?? If you've heard this term, but don't know what it means, OR you are afraid of carbohydrates, this podcast is for you!


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Learn the difference between fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers and how to train each for maximum effectiveness!


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Get the inside scoop on antioxidants, as well as find out which company can PROVE their product packs the right nutritional punch!


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Do you know how to power your lifestyle and weight loss efforts with the proper nutrition? Get the true to life answers now!


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Find out the 4 top ways to utilize your iPod or other multimedia device to keep you motivated and to pass the time when you're working out!


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Learn about how using Cross Training during your exercise and nutrition program can keep you on track with your fitness goals, and keep you from getting bored!


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My Weight Loss Blog, Week 5

Woohoo - halfway to the finish line! Today is the official start of Week Number 5 out of 8, so 4 weeks are down, with 4 left to finish.

This morning's weight was 169.5, with a bodyfat percentage of 14.1%! Yay! That is down a total of 5 1/2 pounds since I started, and 2 complete percentage points of bodyfat! I look and feel better than I have in a very long time, and this effort has SO been worth it!

I also start getting to wear my 25% pin since I am over 25% towards my long-term goal!

However, all of that being said, now that we are in the 2nd half of the goal setting time period, I need to crank everything up for the next 4 weeks. Despite my good progress so far, I haven't really been "putting the pedal to the metal" as far as exercise goes, and I need to do that for these last 4 weeks.

I have been exercising regularly, although not as intensely as possible, and I took this past Saturday off completely. I am still cross training, which I'm sure is one of the reasons for my success. Every single day is something new on the exercise schedule, and I have been making great use of the EyeToy:Kinetic workout game that I bought as well.

This coming up week will not entail any additional exercise, but the exercise sessions themselves will all be ramped up a notch. I am also going to throttle back a point or two on carbohydrate intake in the evenings, although nothing major there. I need my carbs for energy! :)

Okay, that's it for your halftime update. Stand by for the 2nd half of this broadcast as people continue to see less and less of me.... :)

-- Aaron

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My Weight Loss Blog, Week 4

Yay, I've made it to week 4 without falling off the wagon! :)

Okay, okay, I never really thought that I would fall off the wagon, but I do want to impart upon the faithful readers of this blog that minding every single calorie in and every single ounce of energy expended each day is not as easy as it might seem!

I will be glad when I get to my goal so I can go back to just "generally" tracking this sort of stuff, instead of keeping a daily log like I do right now.

In this particular time frame, that daily log included dinner and drinks with the lovely and talented Ms. Amy last Friday night, and brunch (which always TURNS into drinks!) with Amy, Patrick, Polegirl, and Mishel on Sunday. We watched the Jags lose to the Colts, but it was still a good day, and much fun was had by all. I also did not workout at all on Sunday, giving my legs (and my head!) a much needed rest.

Neither of those instances are what I would call "ideal" for weight loss, but I still managed to drop another .3 percent off of the total bodyfat level this week, which puts me at 14.8% right now, with my bodyweight holding steady at 172.

Still a far cry from my goal, but I am not worried. Despite my truncated timeline, I still haven't busted out all of the tricks that I have up my sleeve, and I will likely save them until crunch time, if they end up being needed at all.

In the meantime, I DID get my Playstation 2 set up, and the EyeToy:Kinetic game is SO much fun, and it is SO hard! I expected it to be a bit difficult, but it went way beyond that. I've only played it a few times so far, but I plan to hit it several times this week and see if I can manage to NOT kick the coffee table or knock over the bookshelf in the living room....

As far as changes to the program this week: nothing major. I will not be taking Sunday off as I did yesterday, and I plan to spend more time with the EyeToy, and I'll do cardio one more time than I did last week. Otherwise, it's back to minding calories, shaking hands, and kissing babies....

Stay Tuned!

-- Aaron <~~~~ Sucked down a pumpkin spice latte on Sunday with no guilt whatsoever! ;)~

My Weight Loss Program, Week 3

Well, here we are at the beginning of week 3, and all is well! The official weight on the scale this morning was 172 lbs, and my bodyfat is 15.1%. That is a loss of 2 1/2 lbs since last week, with a bodyfat loss of another .4 %.

That is a total of 3 pounds in 2 week, and 1 full percentage point of bodyfat! Now, as excited as I am about that, I need my bodyfat to go down more quickly in order to reach my goal of 9.1% by January 14th, so I am going to make some modifications to the program this week.

Last week I did really well on nutrition, and even the Christmas party Friday night didn't cause too much damage. Also, I have to give props out to Amy's boss who gave us free reign to use his tab at the bar! Nonetheless, we kept things fairly under control. Only 1 small plate of food, and a nice slice of turkey breast. We had several drinks, which were obviously not in the nutrition program, but let's see YOU go to a party with a bunch of doctors and see how interested you are in drinking nothing but coffee and water... :)

Last week's exercise included some kind of activity every single day, some of it moderate intensity, some of it more than that. I did my first high intensity cardio session on Friday for 25 minutes, and I ran at a moderate level on Sunday for 55 minutes. Most days also included some type of resistance training as well.

This week will be more of the same, although I am going to add in 2 or more days of pre-breakfast cardiovascular training, since that is a solid way to melt of bodyfat, but not muscle, and I am going to crank up resistance training intensity as well. Now that I have 2 full weeks of conditioning under my belt, I can take off the kid gloves when I hit the weights.

Also, I am going to add in a second dose of Tahitian Noni's Soy Protein, and another shot of Tahitian Noni Juice as well. I drank soy protein once a day last week, and took 2 shots of juice each da, but since my resistance training is going up a notch, I am going to crank up my protein and antioxidant intake as well.

So, that's it for this week! There are no baby quiche parties on the upcoming agenda, and I am *remotely* caught up on work obligations, so I should be able to be a good little boy and carry my butt to the gym on a frequent basis, and my PlayStation 2 is scheduled to be delivered any day now, so I should be able to start beating the crap out of stuff here at home, too.

However, on that note, we also put up the Christmas lights on Saturday night, and Amy was a good sport about me going for the "Griswald" effect, so hopefully I don't end up knocking over the tree, or getting electrocuted! ;)~

Happy December, y'all! <~~~~ I just luv saying "y'all"!

-- Aaron

My Weight Loss Program, Week 2

On Monday morning, November 28, 2005, I weighed in at 174.5 lbs, with a bodyfat percentage of 15.5%. The difference between this week and last week is a loss of 1/2 a pound, and a bodyfat loss of .6%.

Not too bad for my first week out, although I am nowhere NEAR satisfied with that! I did have to take it somewhat easy my first week because I previously hadn't been exercising very regularly, and the increase in resistance training as well as cardio made me fairly sore. Following the same advice that I give to my clients, I didn't try to push it to the limit the first week out.

However, Week #1 is over now, and all bets are off! My body is almost completely recovered from the resistance and cardiovascular training that I did last week, and today is a fresh start to the week, as well as my capacity for exercise.

Last week I stuck with the basics, doing abdominal exercises, squatting, lunging, and pushing exercises, as well as some shoulder and back specific movements. For cardio, I got in 2 good runs of 38 minutes and 40 minutes respectively, I hit a treadmill and a crosstrainer at the gym, I practiced flexibility and core stabilization movements, and I beat the crap out of a kickbag for about 20 minutes one day with kickboxing moves.

Again, not too bad for Week #1, but I am not happy with my bodyfat percentage this morning, so Week #2 needs to be more on task. I have ordered and received my OWN kickbag for my house, so I can practice the excellent art of kickboxing more than just one time this week. In addition, I ordered a WAY cool PlayStation2 game called EyeToy: Kinetic. It is basically an interactive workout that you do in front of your TV that appears to be an incredibly intense workout. That should be arriving towards the end of this week. Check out http://www.eyetoykinetic.com/language.html if you want to see it for yourself.

I am also going to ramp up the cardio that I do at the gym for longer sessions, and more intensity as well. EVERY day will be a cardio day this week, and I will utilize cross-training techniques to keep from overtraining any particular joint or muscle structure.

I ate fairly well last week, so I don't see any major changes needed in that area. However, I have started to plan my meals better, since I have recently picked up some new clients, so I will be spending more time than usual away from home.

So, that is it for this week! I am okay with the progress that I have made so far, but I am not ECSTATIC about it, so stay tuned to see what happens next week after I turn up the volume on this program!

-- Aaron <~~~~ A little thinner, a little wiser, and A LOT more motivated!