Posts Tagged ‘positive thinking’

by Lisette Volz

January 26

4:36 pm

The Problem with Inspiration

Beware: this blog is going to start with me whining.

I don’t want to write a blog. I’m uninspired. Why do I have to do this? I don’t have time to come up with pearls of wisdom in between lectures, lecture development, consults and consult follow-ups. What am I, Andy Rooney? Blah, Blah, Blah. (Mr. Moore, if you are reading this, please read a little further before deciding whether or not to fire me).

The key word in my whine-fest above is uninspired. Being uninspired is a frequent fact of life. That is why the Tony Robbins and Dale Carnegies of this world have made such a good living. People will happily pay for inspiration and motivation. In fact, if there were a pill I could take that would keep me inspired or motivated, I wouldn’t hesitate to fill that prescription (even if the side effects included an eye twitch and skin irritation).

Since there is no such pill, I put my “big girl panties on” and pulled out some familiar tools that help ignite my inspiration. One of my favorite tools is the simplest of all – reading. I have a plethora of inspirational books on topics ranging from fear, spiritual enlightenment, gratitude, parenting, and emotional insight, just to name a few. They sit by my bed, pile up at my office and sometimes travel with me in the car (not to worry, I rarely drive and read at the same time). I don’t judge myself for not reading them all at once, or all the way through. I have found that just when I decide to pick one up, even if it’s for the briefest of reads, I always hear something that I was meant to hear. In this case – the case of the uninspired bellyaching, I picked up a book about imagining your life without fear. BINGO –inspiration!

My heart started racing as words jumped from the pages, entering my bloodstream with all the stimulation of a cup of espresso followed by a Red Bull. Being Fearless is exactly what I needed to hear. But alas, the very definition of a blog is a “brief diary-like entry on the internet.” I’ve moved way past brief, so my enlightenment about fear will have to wait until my next blog. (A cliff-hanger of sorts).

The point of all this? Inspiration doesn’t just descend on you when needed. It’s not like the proverbial “light bulb going off.” There’s not one switch that turns it on. Inspiration takes work. It takes effort. However, the payoff is amazing. It ignites passion, creates forward movement, and feeds the body, mind and spirit all at once. YUM!

What are your tools for inspiration? Make a list right now of strategies and tools that you use for inspiration to workout, eat right, and stay emotionally healthy. Do they include reading inspiring articles and books? Journaling or connecting with like-minded, goal oriented individuals? How about surfing the internet for new information on your passion (have you discovered Ted.com yet)? Do you collect a list of favorite mantras or moving quotes? Do you keep a list of your achievements readily available as a reminder of how far you’ve travelled on this fantastic journey?

What will you do to stay inspired today? Just waking up doesn’t count. Just going into work doesn’t count. Just working out doesn’t count. Go deeper. Go bolder. Make the effort — Because finding inspiration makes the journey much more interesting and worthwhile.

P.S. Mr. Moore, thank you for making me write this blog. I am grateful to have a career where cultivating inspiration is part of my job description.

This entry is filed under SELF.

by Alicea Glover

October 19

12:29 pm

2 Comments

Love Your Body Day!

Happy love your body day! Every year people all around the nation celebrate love your body day. Love your body day is “a day of action to speak out against poor body image.” The mission of this day is to raise awareness, provide assistance, enhance lifestyle and promote a healthy, well balance life. Today is a day to celebrate who you are whether you are a man, women, or child.

The U.S. population spends billions of dollars every year on cosmetics, fashion, magazines and diet aids. These industries work very hard to make us believe that our bodies need constant improvement. Print ads and television commercials are airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. It is no wonder that 80 percent of all U.S. women and nearly half of all U.S. men are dissatisfied with their appearance.

There has been a point in everyone’s life when we feel unhappy about how big our noises are, wishing we had straighter teeth, or wishing we could fit into those skinny jeans. It is important to realize and remember that everyone is different. We all have different genetics. If everyone ate the same and did the same amount of exercise, we would not all look the same. Genetics influence facial features, body shape, height, and weight—the things that help make us uniquely beautiful. Today is a day to celebrate imperfections and to realize that we are beautiful the way we are!

Some of you may have done this in a lecture at H3, but today I challenge you to do it again. Sit down and make a list of 7 physical features you like about yourself. Don’t short change yourself and stop before you reach 7; you may even find that the list goes on and on… If you’re willing to, we’d love for you to share!

“That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.” ~Ninon de L’Enclos

This entry is filed under SELF.

by Beth Leermakers

August 4

12:23 pm

1 Comment

Focus on the Positives – Not the Setback

I recently received very disappointing news about a dog that I rescued two years ago from a kill shelter. Dakota was adopted 1 1/2 years ago and was living the good life with her new family until last week when she apparently threatened to fight with her canine sibling. She was taking steroids, which can trigger aggressive behavior in some dogs, at the time. The adopter wanted to have Dakota put to sleep because of this one episode of aggression, which didn’t even turn into an attack. Dakota’s family discounted the fact that she got along well with their other dog for 18 months. Luckily the adopter agreed to return Dakota to the boarding-kennel-based rescue group, where she will have another chance to find a loving home.

I’ve been thinking about how quickly Dakota’s family gave up on her without making any effort to evaluate the situation and/or solve the problem. I realized that many people who struggle with their weight are also tempted to give up when they experience a setback. They may decide to throw in the towel after a binge, even if that single episode followed weeks (or months) of healthy eating. We tend to focus on the negative and ignore or downplay the positive.

Read the rest of this entry.

This entry is filed under SELF.

by Jeff Ford

July 24

12:47 pm

3 Comments

Coaching Corner: Produce the Positives

Wellness Coaching A majority of the time we don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we’re actually accomplishing. Raise your right hand if you ARE your toughest critic. My hand’s up. For many successful people, this is all too of a familiar story. We look at the negatives before realizing the positives. We look at what we didn’t do versus what we did. Sometimes it only takes one negative to overshadow all our positives. The fact of the matter is that each of us is doing many things and we have much to be grateful for. Optimism radiates positivity, awareness of strengths, and positive perspectives create a stomping ground for everything else to follow and for success to become imminent.

What has been the most positive part of your week? Did you land a new account? Exercise four out of five days at six in the morning? Whatever you did, fight through the fog and find it; it’s there. Give yourself credit. Let us take this mindset one step deeper.

In coaching, we work on developing weekly goals and at the end spectrum these goals produce the positives. Today, I challenge you to look back and produce the positives in your life. At the end of ten positive productions in your life, write down the one negative overshadowing you right now. How much better can you see now?

(Check out my personal example below and reproduce your own. I like to go in descending order leading all the way down to the biggest current positives so it’s nice and close enough to stack any negative. The negative is usually hard to come up with when you get there.)

10. Renting an awesome affordable beach house on Hilton Head Island

9. Have the opportunity to meet new, motivated, and inspiring people every Monday morning

8. In a healthy mindset, can afford healthy food and equipment to supplement my training passion

7. Fortunate enough to have been born with an athletic talent (Can’t always choose our VO2 Max)

6. All my five senses and limbs are working in full capacity

5. Run over 50 races in front of family, friends, and Hilton Head Health Guests and still can to this day

4. Blessed with a passion to inspire others and lead by example

3. Will be seeing my family and participating in my first ½ Ironman in 3 weeks (Very current positive)

2. Have people who support me: incredible friends, coworkers, and family

1. Have the opportunity to change lives every single day … My job isn’t a job at all

Unfortunately, I got to the bottom of the exercise and my negative got demolished. Go ahead and produce your positives… by the end, see if you are even able to come up with a negative.

This entry is filed under SELF.

by Cheney Maddox

April 13

12:11 pm

No Comments

Positivity Is Contagious

train for life

You are strong. Let your strength surprise you to do great things!

hi five

Get by with a little help from your [H3] friends.

rock climbing

Reach for the stars!

beach boot camp

When the going gets tough…the tough get going!

finish line

JUST DO IT! And you’ll be glad that you did!

This entry is filed under Fitness, Healthy Lifestyle, SELF.

by Beth Leermakers

January 6

9:00 am

4 Comments

Appreciate the Positives

positive body image

In this brand new year, how about resolving to be kinder to your body?

Many people treat their body like their enemy. They are unhappy with how their body looks and how it performs, and they may blame their body for some (or much) of their unhappiness. People often realize, looking back, that they were dissatisfied with their body even when they were 25 or 50 lbs lighter.

To be kinder to your body, focus on the gifts your body has given you, not just the negatives. We often forget about and/or take for granted all the wonderful things our body does for us. Our body keeps on running, even when we don’t give it enough/proper fuel (sleep and/or good nutrition). We don’t expect our cars to run on empty, yet we assume that our body will keep going even when it’s dangerously low on fuel.

Think about what your body allows you to do. For example, my body lets me walk and control (well, mostly!) my two big dogs (who outweigh me), even when they’re itching to chase a squirrel or deer. How cool is that?

What has your body done for you lately? Perhaps your body has …

Taken you to the top of a hill
Gotten stronger
Stayed awake so you could drive home safely
Learned a new physical skill
Created a human being
Fought off an infection
Rewarded you with the sight of a beautiful rainbow or sunset
Kept going, despite being in pain
Given you the sound of children laughing
Allowed you to enjoy the exquisite touch of another person

When you start criticizing your body (“I hate my thighs,” “I’m not as fit as I used to be”), please try to think of two positives for every negative. If you appreciated your body and treated it like your friend—not your enemy—what would you do differently??

This entry is filed under Healthy Lifestyle, SELF.

by Beth Leermakers

January 26

4:36 pm

1 Comment

Excuse Busters

Excuses are negative thoughts that give you permission to eat unwise foods and/or “take a break” from your physical activity routine. Giving into these excuses interferes with achieving your set personal goals.

Read the excuses below and the strategies you can take to overcome these negative ways of thinking.

I can’t eat healthy when you-know-who can eat whatever they want.

In reality, you can choose to make better food choices, regardless of what you-know-who eats. You’re not you-know-who, and you can’t eat whatever you want, anytime you want, without gaining weight. You have to decide whether you want to eat like you-know-who and stay overweight or make healthier choices and lose weight.

I don’t have time.

People make time for activities that are truly important to them. Finding the time to exercise is about making it a priority; for example, do you make it a point to catch your favorite TV show each night? Do you surf the net for an hour everyday? Find an exercise you enjoy and set aside the time each day for this activity. If you can’t find a large portion of time during the day, break it up to 15 minute segments. Schedule it into your Blackberry just as any other appointment and you will be sure to get it done!

I don’t have the energy.

Fatigue is usually mental and not a physical state. Exercise can energize you, release endorphins and reduce stress, helping you feel better at the end of a long day. For many people, the hardest part of any exercise routine is getting started. Make a deal with yourself to do just five to 10 minutes. After you get moving, chances are you will keep going.

I can’t worry about myself while I take care of my sick mother and kids.

Not only will exercise create an outlet for stress, it is important to remember you must first take care of yourself before you can care for others. If you get run down and become sick, who will take care of everyone else? Taking time for healthy behaviors also sets a good example for your children and will encourage you to stick to your own goals. Try waking up 30 minutes early, exercise and start your day with an energy boost and a bit of self meditation.

It’s only one more cookie.

Eating one or two cookies with regular infrequency can be part of your eating plan. However, for some, eating one cookie leads to another and another… If you have difficulty limiting your cookie intake, it might be better not to keep them in your house, at your desk, etc. When you find yourself craving that cookie, whatever type it might be, go the bakery and buy a single cookie. If you try to satisfy your craving by eating something else (and then another something else) you may wind up eating the cookie as well!

I deserve to eat this because I have had a hard day.

Using food as a treat or reward may have contributed to your weight gain. If you eat ‘this’, you may feel better short term. However, you might wind up feeling guilty later. Instead of eating, try to find other non-food related ways to relax or treat yourself. For example, you may a take a hot bath and listen to music, go for a walk, or buy yourself a new book or CD.

When you catch yourself using these excuses, you may want to reevaluate the importance of your personal goals. Challenge yourself! Instead of coming up with excuses, make a list of reasons why you do want to exercise and eat right!

“If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

- Mary Engelbreit

This entry is filed under SELF.

by Cheney Maddox

December 7

4:22 pm

No Comments

Exercise YOUR Motivation

By: Jeff, H3 Program Intern

Note: This is Jeff’s last week here as a Program intern at H3. We will miss him greatly — and so will the readers of H3 Daily.com! All of us here at H3 would like to say THANK YOU for a job well done! Make sure to leave Jeff a note before he heads back to the ‘real world’.

There is no single universal plan for sticking to exercise or for that matter, a weight-loss program. In my experience, the best method to get us out of the reclining chair and psyche ourselves up for a challenging workout comes from within. No one can make us tread it out each day or even draw us into a beach boot-camp, there has to be something more individually internal to a successful exercise plan. The support of a friend or a trainer may in the end be your motivation, however only YOU can decide.

Here’s the key: find what personally motivates YOU, and cling onto it. For some of us, all it takes to start our engines is the thrill of that next road race or an inspiring pump up jam. For others it gets deeper, maybe we exercise because we want to be around for our loved ones, and at the end of the day set an example for others to live by.

We have to remember that health affects every single part of our lives and if we want to get the most out of our one chance, we must tailor our lifestyles in a healthy direction. There will always be reasons (or excuses) why we don’t want to exercise, but let’s put it into perspective: are there FAR more reasons to be exercising? Without a doubt. Besides the many health benefits: reduced blood pressures, stronger bones, reduced depression or controlling of a healthy body weight – the reason become far more substantial to the individual.

For that reason, it seems to me that the more YOU motivation someone has the healthier they’ll be, and the easier it is to maintain an exercise program. With that said, here are a few thoughts that are sure to spark a little YOU motivation in everyone.

1. The feelings you get after a solid workout. After going for a long run or completing a vigorous workout it’s truly a signature exercise “HIGH.” You’ll begin asking yourself: “Man, if I feel this good now, what about after my next workout?”

2. Success stories. Reading or hearing about others success can be extremely motivational. Such as someone who lossed one hundred pounds or what about the guy who ran fifty marathons in fifty days!

3. You time. Exercise is a time to start the day off on the right foot or a good time to reflect. Your doing something good for yourself, be proud of that.

4. Reaching the goal. Setting a goal weight or goal measurements may be your thing, or walking/running a certain amount of miles per week. Whatever the goal is make it realistic and personal.

5. Family and friends. Maybe YOU motivation is being able to play with our kids, or to be around for our grand children. The thought of having not only more time, yet QUALITY time can be enough drive for any exercise plan.

6. Fun. It’s fun to wake up in the morning and go running! Well for me and others it may be, yet create an exercise program that’s going to be fun for YOU. Whether it’s playing tennis, lifting weights or gardening as long as you’re moving.

7. Purchasing new clothes. Hey, who doesn’t love a new saweet pair of jeans? Simply the thought of switching sizes could be what inspires YOU, if it does go for it.

8. Entering a 5k race or longer. As I’ve mentioned before, registering for a future race and paying in advance may be just what keeps you training.

9. A before picture. Looking back on from where you’ve come and where you are going can be motivation enough.

10. Logging In. I believe writing down workouts and exercise accomplishments for the day is extremely important. Literally visualizing what you’ve done will help you stay on track, definitely try it!

That’s only a few ways to get and stay motivated. Another possibility is to print out a few motivational quotes and live by them, literally! Put them on your desktop or the refrigerator if that works for YOU. Remember it’s all about exercising YOU motivation so explore the options and once you find it hang on tight. All and all, here’s one quote for you to take:

“No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change.”

~Bill Phillips~

This entry is filed under Fitness, SELF.

by Cheney Maddox

October 21

4:24 pm

No Comments

Conquering the Gym Fear

By Jeff, H3 Program Intern

We’ve all been there. Faced with taking a new class or starting a new job – these experiences not only expose us to an entire new group of people, but fears of the unknown and the uncertainty factor tends to set in. Fascinatingly enough, these same fears go hand in hand with becoming a new member at a gym.

What will people think of me? Will I fit into the mix? What if I can’t perform up to everyone’s level? Will they stare, laugh?

All sensible questions, yet we must understand that these butterflies are typical for every single new experience.

Strength Zone

Every now and then, a class is offered here at H3 to help Guests overcome fears of the gym that may be colluding in their minds.

The basis of the “Overcoming Your Fear of the Gym” class is to allow Guests an open forum to not only discuss their personal fears, but provides a few definite tips for conquering gym uncertainties. Below is your quick guide to tackling any qualms before joining the ranks of your local fitness facility.

- Before you join a gym, try out a free session. This will allow you to gain a feel of the environment with a one day trial pass.

- Choose a health club with a relaxed atmosphere. A place where you feel comfortable, a local YMCA is a great option!

- Make sure you are familiar with the fitness equipment. Fluency in equipment lingo leads to immediate gym confidence. Most gyms provide an orientation on gym equipment upon joining – if not, don’t be afraid to ask!

- Stick to the fitness equipment in which you feel most comfortable. This boosts motivation and allows for the best of workouts.

- Organize your routine before you walk in the door. An exercise plan keeps you focused and zeroed in on your workout.

- Participate in group fitness classes. This is an excellent way to meet other members and become oriented with the facility.

Hilton Head Health group fitness

- Go at the least crowded time. Before anyone else is awake, kick start your day with a morning workout.

- Find a gym buddy. It’s a lot more difficult not to show up when someone else is depending on you.

- Check your priorities at the door. Exercise is for your benefit, leave worries of what other people think outside.

- Focus on your own workout by tuning others out. Find an exercise trance, bring an Ipod or mp3 device!

- Focus on personal targets. Set goals, write down what you hope to achieve by attending the gym.

- Hire a personal trainer. They’ll not only teach you all the exercises, but motivate you positively!

That’s the inside scoop folks. Therefore, take what you will and run with it or power walk it! It’s certainly understandable to be faced with these qualms; it’s a part of life. Recognize that your thoughts are beyond a doubt greater than others around you.

It is an admirable accomplishment to break out of the comfort zone and block out these gym fears. When it all boils down, we hit the gym for ourselves, no one else. We are there to improve our personal lifestyles and that is what we must remember.

This entry is filed under Fitness, SELF.

by Cheney Maddox

September 9

5:19 pm

No Comments

A joke a day keeps the doctor away…

Laughter has health benefits…no joke! Take a look at a few of the benefits — and then get your laugh on with a few ‘healthy’ jokes.

Short – Term Benefits

Not only do a few giggles release the tension and stress, but actually stimulate physical changes in your body.

- Stimulate your organs. Laughter increases your oxygen intake, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles. End result: releases feel-good endorphins from your brain.

- Activate and release your stress response. By laughing – you actually increase your heart rate and blood pressure giving you a relaxed feeling.

- Soothe tension and stomachaches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce the physical feeling of stress.

Long – Term Benefits

- Improve your immune system. Positive thoughts activate responses that actually help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses.

- Relieve pain. Laughter actually causes your body to produce natural painkillers. Say good-bye to tension headaches!

- Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can make a negative situation a little bit easier. Turn that frown upside down!

Try these jokes on your family and friends — I’m sure you will get a good laugh!

Q: Why couldn’t the sesame seed leave the gambling casino?

A: Because he was on a roll.

Q: What did the mayonnaise say to the refrigerator?

A: Close the door, I’m dressing!

Q: What’s the worst thing about being an octopus?

A: Washing your hands before dinner.

Smiley Face

*Source: Mayoclinic.com

This entry is filed under SELF.

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