I Am Officially On Newcation!

I don't know about the rest of you but I personally have been spending WAY too much time listening, watching and reading the news. Let me first say that I do think it is important, to an extent, to be aware of what is going on in the world in which we live. That being said... I would now like to encourage you to take a news vacation... a newcation if you will.
It seems like no matter what station you are tuned into it is nothing but a constant beating over the head of BAD, DEPRESSING, FEARFUL news.
Between all the nonsense of the presidential campaign and the endless speculation about a global economic collapse... no WONDER everyone has been so cranky and on edge lately. I actually tried to have the guy at Starbucks today add some Xanax and Prozac to my soy latte... I am getting desperate! And then it occurred to me, when I am not listening to the news, I am in a pretty good mood. The sun has been shining, the leaves are starting to turn, there is a crisp chill in the air and the moon at night has been just out of conTROL gorgeous. THOSE things make me happy... the news...not so much.
There is really nothing we can do to control what happens in the world...but we CAN control what we let effect us. Spend the next couple of days paying attention to what makes you happy, go out and get some fresh air and let your dog go ahead and chew up the paper.
Recuerdos,
S.

You Are What You Eat!

I know we are ALL very busy people doing very important things...but here is why we need to spend a little more time on the things that really matter!

This falls under the LAUGH category!

Taking Ownership.

All the time I hear people complaining about things and situations in their life. Here's a thought.... do something about it or shut up! Sounds a little harsh doesn't it? But honestly, think about it for a minute, is complaining about it doing anything to actually fix or address the cause of your frustration? In short, the answer is no. To answer it a little more in depth... you are actually managing to draw your attention to it even more so that becomes ALL you notice. Then, to make matters even worse, did you even stop to think about the fact that the person you are complaining to didn't notice or doesn't care? So, by complaining about whatever it is...you are now making not only yourself miserable... you are most likely dragging at least one other person down with you.
Take Ownership! If you don't like the way something is...figure out what it is YOU can do to make it better. If you're complaining about something being dirty...grab a rag. If pollution is getting on your nerves...walk around the block and pick up some litter. If you are tired of being overweight and out of shape...change your eating habits and find a way to break at least one sweat a day!
Whatever it is...chances are there is SOMEthing you can do besides waste a bunch of energy complaining and making yourself and those around you miserable.
I guess basically, that little rant was what Gandhi meant when he said, "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
He just said it a little more tactfully.
Recuerdos,
S.

Think On This...

What you are now is what you have been...what you will be is what you do now.
Buddah.

What are you doing right now to become the person you want to be?

Some Words To Live By

In order to be effective truth must penetrate like an arrow -- and that is likely to hurt.
-- Wei Wu Wei

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
–- Harry Truman

The longer you stay in one place, the greater your chance of disillusionment.
-- Art Spander

Many of the things you can count, don't count. Many of the things you can't count, really count.
- -Albert Einstein

The dreamers are the saviors of the world.
-- James Allen

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am in.
-- The Bible, Phillipians 4:11 (NASB)

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-- Howard Thurman

It is never too late to be what you might have been.
-- George Eliot

He who cannot forgive others destroys a bridge over which he himself must pass.
-- George Herbert

It takes courage to grow up and turn out to be who you really are.
-- e.e. cummings

Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
-- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

What may be done at any time will be done at no time.
– Scottish Proverb

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.
-- John E. Southard

How does one become a butterfly? You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.
-– Trina Paulus

In times like these it helps to recall there have always been times like these.
-- Paul Harvey

Say what you want to say when you have the feeling and the chance. My greatest regrets are the things I did not do, the opportunities missed and the things unsaid.
-- Jim Keller

We read the world wrong and say that it deceives us.
--Rabindranth Tagore

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
--Carl Jung

You can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can't have it.
--Robert Anthony

It is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.
— Henry Ward Beecher

If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be too cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.
--Annie Dillard

The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.
-- Ann Landers

Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional. We cannot avoid pain, but we can avoid joy.
-- Tim Hansel

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.
-- Henry David Thoreau

And one extra for good luck:

Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.
-- Richard Bach

Jump For Joy!

Jumping Rope is an AMAZING way to stay in shape!

Have Fun, Lighten Up!

It seems to me like over the years... we have managed to make exercise and working out WAY more complicated than it has to be. There is all sorts of research out there that tells us we need to do THIS thing and NEVER that thing and we should do it for exactly THIS many minutes and NO more or NO less and we can ONLY do it in the morning before we eat or that we should eat something and THEN work out or we should ALWAYS eat some protein before we work out or we should NEVER eat protein beforehand but always have a few carbs.... on and on and on...you get the idea. With all of the conflicting information out there it's NO WONDER people are so confused and wonder what it is they are supposed to do.

I have been thinking, and that is something that doesn't happen very often...sort of like Sarah Palin not saying something offensive or unintelligible. ANYway...i'm digressing. The point is... when we were kids, did we try and sort through all of that information before we did anything? Most likely not. We ran, biked, climbed hills and trees, ran around the house doing cartwheels and backflips, played football, you name it... pretty much anything went.

It's time to take it back to basics! Find your inner kid again!! Go run around the block as fast as you can...just do it! Find a swing, find a trampoline, run up a hill so you can roll down it...and then run up and do it a few more times. Find something you ENJOY doing, AND DO IT!

Recuerdos,
S.

More Fun...Less Worry

Are you having fun...and if the answer is no...then WHY NOT!?!?!
Isn't that really the point of living? We all can end up spending SO much time stressed out and worrying about things that are out of our control, haven't even happened and most likely don't even MATTER!!! Your assignment for today is to have at least one good laugh... and ride that on out through the weekend. I also want you to take one worry and make it disappear! Start getting into the habit of laughing more and worrying less...in fact.... why don't we start laughing AT our worries!

Life is way too short to not be enjoying it. ..or as my grandpa once said... life is too short to not be happy...but too LONG to be miserable. Think about that one for a bit!
Recuerdos!
S.

Better Get To Livin!!!

Nice hair...sorry about your heart.

How many times do you wash your car or vacuum your house compared to going for a run or a walk, or taking a bicycle around the block for a spin?
How many times do you go to the hair or nail salon versus going to the gym and breaking a sweat?
I'm always amazed at the time and energy we devote to things that don't really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Does a clean floor or a shiny car REALLY make your ass look any smaller? (that got your attention didn't it?)
Does a new hairstyle or polished nails do anything to strengthen your heart and protect you against disease?
We only get one body to go through this life with and it is up to each and every one of us to take the best possible care of it that we can. Fancy hair and pretty nails or designer jeans and a sweet car can be fun and may even make you feel a little better about yourself...but ultimately all of that is VERY temporary and fleeting. To really make a difference... you have to move your body, take care of it, fuel it with nutritious foods. True and lasting beauty comes from the inside out and will make you look gorgeous...even if you're having a bad hair day or you chipped a nail.

sweat. laugh. live. JUSTIFIED!

I found an interesting article today that relates directly to what I'm trying to promote... being happy and being healthy. Turns out, I have been on to something.

According to an article in Cell Metabolism, being happy keeps you thin! They found that the good-mood hormone serotonin reduces your appetite and affects the way your body will either STORE or BURN fat! Low levels of serotonin mean more fat storage, while high levels mean you are more likely to burn fat.
They went on to say that you can boost your serotonin levels with exercise, high-fiber/low-glycemic-index carbs like oatmeal, monounsaturated fats like you would find in avocados and foods high in folic acid which can be found in spinach and lentils.

What I want you to do today... in addition to breaking at least one sweat and making at LEAST one healthy food choice... is to take a little time to notice how you are FEELING. If you're feeling a little low...actually spend some energy bringing those feelings up to a higher level! Watch a funny video, read a passage from your favorite book, call a friend that always manages to make you bust out with a belly laugh or just sit with your eyes close and a SMILE on your face for a at least one minute...change your thoughts, change your LIFE!
Recuerdos,
S.

It's Monkey Time!

This doesn't really have much to do with anything other than the fact that it's Friday...and I love monkeys... a LOT.
have a great friday!
S.

Groundhog Day

I think I would like to offer this piece of workout advice today... do something different! I am sitting here looking around the gym right now and I am watching the same people do the SAME things they do EVERY day. Not only does that have to be just mentally dreadful... here's the deal... to a certain extent, you are wasting your time! When you make your body do the same thing every time...it learns the most efficient way to do it.... so the returns on your workout investment are being seriously diminished! Try a different machine, try a different weight, do a circuit, add some jumps between sets...do something different that challenges you! It is impossible to expect different results from doing the same actions... isn't that the definition of insanity? Now get out there and get a little creative...doing something different can be FUN!!!
Recuerdos,
S.

A Different Kind Of Happy Hour

I"m getting ready to teach my 5:30 spin class and I have to say... I gotta hand it to these folks who come and fill the evening classes. I know everybody has their preferred time to workout, mine is first thing in the morning before I do other things. And as an aside...first thing in the morning doesn't necessarily mean the crack of DAWN... first thing in the morning could mean 8:30 or 9:00, but I'm digressing. The point is... I know a lot of the folks who come and workout with me in the evening do it because they are committed to working out, breaking a sweat and pushing themselves. But beyond burning some extra calories I think the BIGGEST benefit is... although everyone may come in a little cranky from a long day of endless telephones, faxes, emails, meetings etc... by the time it's over they are usually in a MUCH better mood! They get to see some friends, have a few laughs...usually at my expense and end up going home much more relaxed than if they had just gone directly home after work.
You evening workout people...I applaud you!
Ciao,
S.

One Sweat A Day!

It's hard to believe it's the first day of FALL!!! I absolutely love it...it's by FAR my favorite time of year. Your challenge today is to get outside and do something to break a sweat!
recuerdos,
S.

Let's Get It Started In Here!

it's been a whirlwind weekend since I left for Connecticut last Thursday. I have learned SO much my head is still spinning! I almost feel like I now have so much information, that I don't know where to start...not sure what to do first. I don't know about you...but I am pretty sure that's one of my biggest problems...NOT STARTING! Really, that's what it comes down to, STARTING, or as the team of Nike ad execs and most likely several test panels put it... JUST DO IT! It really doesn't matter if I don't do something PERFECTLY, there are all sorts of lessons to be learned if things don't turn out the way we expect them to... not to mention that just because something doesn't turn out the way we thought it would, doesn't mean it couldn't turn out a thousand times BETTER than we anticipated. The thing is... ya never know until you start.
What have YOU been putting of because you're scared or not sure where to begin? What are YOU going to START!?!?!
Recuerdos,
S.

Let Gratitude be your Attitude...

We live in such an amazing world... I mean that, seriously.  It's so easy for me to forget that and to get entirely consumed with a thousand other things.  But, when I take a step back and look at all the amazing things that happen on a DAILY basis it sort of blows my mind. Each and every one of us has so many things to be thankful for, things that we all too often take for granted.  

My intention from this point forward is to start writing down just ONE thing I'm grateful for every night before I go to sleep.

Writing down ONE thing is not overwhelming... it can be something as simple as writing down that I am grateful I only have to write down one thing!

I encourage you to start writing down, right before you go to sleep at night, at least one thing you are grateful for.  I think you will be amazed how once you start looking at your life from a perspective of gratitude, you will begin to notice just HOW MANY things you have to be thankful for.

Feel free to leave a comment on here about what you're grateful for as well.

S.