Workout Challenge

How much do you workout? How much do you want to workout?

Even if you're someone that doesn't like to break a sweat, there are activities out there that can keep you fit.

Here are a few ideas to get started.

1) Pick activities you enjoy!
2)Find a friend who also likes to workout
3) Try to balance activites between aerobic and weights
4)Answer the 2 questions at the top for yourself and design a plan for success

What advice do you have to share?

Question for the Week

Each week I will be posting a question for people to ponder. This week's question is:

What are some fo the biggest risks you have taken in the last 10 years? How do they compare with the risks you remember as a child?


This question came from the book "Driving with the Top Down" by Janice Kelley

Need Extra Energy?

Sometimes a feeling of low energy can zap us of any desire to get projects done. There are a few simple things you can do to add a little liveliness to your day.

1) Take a look at what time of day you work best. Are you a morning person or an evening person? Capitalize on your best work times.
2) Don’t forget to eat breakfast. “Eating breakfast of any kind prevent(s) many of the adverse effects of fasting," such as irritability and fatigue, according to Bonnie Spring, Ph.D. , University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School.
3) Add a little exercise to your day. If you aren’t one to exercise for 20-30 minutes a day, getting up to stretch or simply adding a 10-15 minute walk during your day may give you that boost you need.
4) Don’t forget to drink more water. Many studies have shown that simply being dehydrated can cause tiredness and dull critical thinking abilities (www.clevelandclinic.org).

What strategies do you use to add more energy to your day?

Movin Music

What Music Moves You?

I was just thinking about the power of music. I know I take it for granted. But, music is everywhere and it has a dramatic impact on all of our lives. Whether we're listening to a dreamy ballad, a pick me up like U2's "Beatiful Day", a song from the heart by Faith Hill, a rock tune by Sammy Haggar, or Beethoven's 5th. Music moves us. Don't forget to include it in your life!

What has music done for you? What are some of your favorite tunes?

Lessons from Lombardi

I was reading a book and stumbled across a quote by Vince Lombardi. "Confidence is contagious. So is lack of confidence". The authors of this book were not football fanatics, they were trying to make a point about what we experience in our life. If we feel confident, then we will attract confident people in our lives. If we expect good, we will see and attract goodness. It was a great reminder to me to check where I have my eyes and head set on a daily basis!

I learned that if I feel like I'm missing something in my life, maybe I need to focus more on the abundance and take a look at how I'm viewing my life.

What's your take on it?

Why Use a Coach?

Why Use a Coach: Three Reasons Why It Can Benefit Your Life

Athletes have used coaches to enhance their physical performances. Business executives have used coaches since the 1980s. Nowadays life coaching is for every day people. So, what can it do for you? Is your every day life filled with new opportunities? Uncertainty? Stress? Decisions to be made? Unlived dreams? Whatever your profession or situation, life coaching will help you make changes in your life, follow through on your plans, and live out your dreams.

1) You Want to Live Out Your Dreams:
Have you ever woke up feeling like what’s my purpose in life? What has happened to my dreams? I always wanted to try this or succeed at that. Meet Robert. He seemed to have it all. He had a high paying job, but he felt like something was missing. Somewhere along the road to “success” he seemed to lose sight of what made him happy.
To begin with, he and his coach addressed many components of his life including the financial, physical, social, and family elements. Robert was amazed at the difference the coach made in his life by simply being completely curious and supportive of his dreams and aspirations. He began to figure out how to bring happiness back into his life. He started doing things he had always wanted to do like travel and get a motorcycle. Just as important, Robert found a way to truly balance and align his life with his values and vision.

2) You Want to Stick to Your Plan:
Don’t we all have difficulty sticking to our plans? The “weight loss plan”, the “my life is going to be healthier plan”, my “business will improve plan”, and on and on. When Amanda first met me she had tried to start 3 companies. Something always seemed to get in her way, whether it was time, family commitments, excuses, and self doubt.
Amanda found by working with a life coach that it was like having a secret business partner and support in the wings. She found that the coaching relationship was a unique experience, different than anything she had done before. The coach helped her stay on course, kept her momentum going, and made her accountable. She was able to focus on her goals and agenda, not anyone else’s. Through working with a coach, Amanda began to see the traps and pitfalls that made her feel limited and begin eliminating them from her life. She added success into her life and started her first company within four months of beginning coaching.

3) You Want a Change In Your Life
Whatever reason people go to a life coach, the bottom line is, they want a change. Change can be wonderful and exciting, but it can also be scary and hard to commit to. Jennifer was a high powered business executive who worked 80 hours a week. She traveled often and was responsible for an extensive training program. Part of her desired something different. But, she felt stuck. She liked what she did, but she also thought needed to make some changes in her life. She was confused and fearful.
When we first met she was skeptical about “life coaching” but thought it would be worth a try. Jennifer found the coaching process to be extremely beneficial during this difficult time. Through the coaching relationship, she was able to identify and articulate a clear plan about what changes needed to be made in her life. She also was able to break free of self limiting internal conversations. Not only did Jennifer make more time for herself, make new priorities, and explore new interests, she found a way to live a happier and more satisfying life.

Wherever you are in your life, if you are looking for a way to help yourself leap into the future, coaching is a great tool. The coaching process is action oriented and helps people move from where they are now to where they want to be. By using a life coach, you will truly end up moving forward and living a life happy and fulfilled.

If you're interested in finding out more about the world of coaching, visit the international coach federation website at www.coachfederation.org

Everyone Needs a Why

Are you trying to reach a personal goal? Make a Change?

Step One: Identify your why!! Without a big enough why and one that has personal meaning to us, we will not be able to truly move forward and take action. It may sound trivial, but I'll share a personal example.

I could not fit into a dress I needed to wear in wedding. My desire to lose weight now become of greater importance....to fit into this dress. Having a strong why, helped me stay on track and motivated to workout, eat better, and yes, fit into the dress!

Whatever you are trying to do, start a business, invent something, improve yourself, or climb a mountain, a great place to start is by asking yourself...

What is my Why?

Never Give Up

Whether you are a baseball fan or not, you can't help but stand in awe of the amazing work of the St. Louis Cardinals Monday night. (For the full story visit www.ksdk.com and go to the sports page). In any case, the Houston Astros were convinced that they were advancing to the World Series. It was the 9th inning, 2 outs, and 2 strikes. One more strike, to win. Then, David Eckstein from the Cards made a base hit! They were alive. Jim Edmonds steps up to the plate and is walked. On deck, Albert Pujols. Keep in mind, all the Astros need is one out to advance. Pujols hits the ball out of the park to win the game!!! Think about the magnitude of this moment. How many fans had already made up their mind that the Cardinals lost and the Astros won? My own mother had turned off the game. But, there is a great lesson here, that I am excited to think about in regards to my own life. Never Giving Up!!! Have you had one of these moments before?

A Ripple Effect

I just returned from the most amazing wedding event that I had the honor of participating in. The reason I'm sharing this is because it was such an example of good in the world. Nowadays with the bombardment of so many negatives in the media, it seemed right to share.
These two friends of mine wanted community, soul, and freedom to be qualities expressed at their wedding weekend. Through their life example and the process of uniting their communities they showed us what love really means! People reached out to one another during the weekend and the reception in a way I hadn't seen at other weddings. People danced and laughed and loved in a way that was almost magical.

I know that everyone that participated in the weekend left a better person and is now taking some lesson back into their present lives. This wedding has created a ripple effect of good! How many people have been touched? Countless.

What examples of love and community have you seen lately? Please share!! You'll create a ripple effect as well!

Believe Big Win Big

Continuing on the discussion about change....

Our own beliefs are one of the biggest hurdles between us and success.
If we don't believe big, we're never going to win big! How many times have you thought to yourself? I’m not good enough. I can’t make money. I’m too afraid. I don’t think I can do it, etc…. These self beliefs hinder our progress. Now, write down your ultimate goal for yourself. Then, ask, do I believe I can do this? Do I have the resources to do it? Am I capable of doing it? What beliefs are limiting me from what I want to do? What is telling me I can do this? Now that you know where you need to change your beliefs, you may want to elicit some support to help you.

How have you overcome beliefs about yourself before?

What Do You Want to Change?

Are you ready for a change in your life? What new direction are you headed? To get started, you need to know which destination you really want. Too often we wander aimlessly because we haven’t figured out where we want to go. How could you plan a vacation to Hawaii if you didn’t know you wanted to go there?

Close your eyes for a minute and think about what you want. Where do you want to end up? Shut out the unwanted thoughts, the advice from others, and just listen to your heart. What is it telling you? Take two minutes and write down anything that comes to mind. Hopefully you have an answer now, but if not, that’s ok. Sometimes it can take longer to really figure out what it is we want.

Feel free to comment on your life changes and check back tomorrow for more tips!

If you'd like the entire article on change, click to the link above and send me an email!

Looking for Happiness?

I came across a website I thought I'd share for all of you looking for happiness in your lives. It's a sight produced by the well known happiness expert Dr. Seligman. It has several free tools/self tests available to use. Check it out by clicking the headline above or here www.reflectivehappiness.com/.

Pass this blog on to your friends and feel free to write about your thoughts on happiness!

Living in the Moment

Living in the Moment....What does this mean to you? I realize this is a big cliche used in our society. But, it can also have profound effects on our lives.

I recently talked with a friend who is trying to honor "living in the moment'. What a challenge this is in our lives! How often do we catch ourselves thinking about tomorrow, yesterday, and all of the other things on our 'to-do' lists?

It's a big challenge for me. I'm trying to practice this idea of living in the moment. For me, it means not just being present in the moment, but being centered and content in a way that the only focus need be that moment. I know if I can practice this, my life will be more fulfilling not just for me, but for everyone I come in contact with.

So, How do we become more ready to be in the moment? I would love to hear your thoughts on this!!!

For me, it starts with eliminating unneccessary distractions and honoring the priorities I have for myself. Somedays it feels like a tough battle, but I hope to get better and better at living in the moment.

New Business, New Life

Are you trying to make a change? Are you starting a new business? Are you embarking on a new adventure in your life?

Whatever you may be trying to change in your life, it's important to ask yourself this question: What Do You Want?

You need to know which destination you really want. Too often we wander aimlessly because we haven’t figured out where we want to go. How could you plan a vacation to Hawaii if you didn’t know you wanted to go there? Close your eyes for a minute and think about what you want. Where do you want to end up? Shut out the unwanted thoughts, the advice from others, and just listen to your heart. What is it telling you? Take two minutes and write down anything that comes to mind. Hopefully you have an answer now, but if not, that’s ok. Sometimes it can take longer to really figure out what it is we want.

If you'd like to read more tips on how to make changes in your life, let me know and I'd be happy to share them with you!

Its All in the Questions

Do you know questions can change your life?

Really.

I was just introduced to a fascinating book, Change Your Questions Change Your Life by Marilee Adams.

Have any of you read this book?

Here's an excerpt that helped me:

"When we get stuck, it's natural to look for answers and solutions. But in so doing we can unwittingly create blocks instead of openings. We first need to change our questions; otherwise we just keep recycling the same old, unhelpful answers."

This book is helping me take a closer look at myself and instead of getting frustrated, or stuck, look at the situation and try to approach it from a new angle with a different question. For example, instead of saying, " I'm stuck", I might say to myself, "How else can I think about this situation?"

What have questions done for you?