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!

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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??

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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!

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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.

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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.