Motivation to Exercise
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One of the toughest things to find enough motivation to do is partake in a good, regular exercise program. It’s very easy to get started, but after a week or two it becomes a major pain in the butt for most people.
The thought of going to the gym and doing all that hard physical activity can be absolutely dreadful. Running on the treadmill, lifting heavy weights, sweating, and getting sore is not on most people’s list of fun things to do.
So, if you are like millions of people who hate to exercise, how do you get enough information to do it consistently?
It’s all about finding a great passion for life! Exercise is needed for a healthy body and a healthy body is needed for a good life. Just think about everything you want in life. Picture life in its ideal sense. Picture where you live, your family, your friends, what you’re doing, how you feel.
Picture everything in your dream life.
And picture yourself having fun with a big smile on your face. Picture yourself happy and healthy with the ideal body composition for you.
This is your dream and it is all the motivation you need to do whatever it takes to get it.
Yes it is going to be difficult. Sure it may not be fun.
But it can be fun.
It can be fun because you are transforming your life. You are creating a new, healthy you. You are stepping out of your comfort zone and growing as a person. You are improving your life with every single second. Every moment of your life from here on out is going to be better than if you hadn’t made the decision to exercise.
You are taking control of your life and going after what you want.
And that is the beauty of exercise!
If you are looking to lose some weight in a healthy manner, check out this Healthy Weight Loss Plan article series over on HubPages.
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E-Book Officially Live!
Epiphany of Purpose: The Guide to a Life of Power and Happiness is now officially live! I’m extremely proud of this work and feel that it will help a lot of people. In fact, before I made the book go live, I read it over again myself and actually learned a few things that I can apply to my own life! And I usually hate reading anything I write!
The book is broken into three parts.
Part 1 provides a jump-start toward a positive way of thinking.
Part 2 gives a 7-Day action plan to create a positive mindset and allow you to feel good about who you are while you pursue what you want.
Part 3 provides a 7-Step course of action toward creating an identity of passion which will be used to realize the life of your dreams.
All three parts come together with the aim of maximizing happiness.
Click here for more details and to grab your digital copy for instant access!
Popularity: 13% [?]
Be Glad It’s Not Easy
If you are doing something in life that isn’t easy, be grateful. If it were easy, too many other people would have done it already. Therefore, it wouldn’t be worth much to do. It wouldn’t give you any sense of accomplishment.
So the next time you come across something that is not easy, be happy.
In fact, the harder something is to do, the greater value can be attributed to success. Think of it like winning the lottery. The smaller the odds of winning, the bigger the prize. A pick 6 lotto can have a prize like $45 million and a fair chance of there only being one winner. A pick 5 lotto would have a much lower grand prize and multiple winners. A pick 3 winning ticket is only worth a few hundred bucks.
But here’s the really cool thing:
Actual achievement with low odds of success requires effort that will make you grow as a person whether you are successful or not!
You don’t even have to achieve your ultimate goal to end up a winner. You just have to push yourself to new levels and try new things. This will make you better equipped to succeed in the future.
Life is awesome that way. Life has many mottos, but the greatest ones are the ones that make you grow as a person. When you are constantly putting yourself in a state of growth, ultimate success is inevitable.
What have you tried recently that had you facing great odds? What did it do for you as a person?
Think of ways you can try new things with little hope of success. These things are great personal growth opportunities.
Popularity: 33% [?]
31 More Quick Motivational Sayings and Proverbs
A Challenge to You
Many of my Twitter followers have told me that they love my quotes. The motivational sayings and proverbs seem to be the most popular so here is another list of them. This time I’m not going to go in detail about my interpretation of them.
Rather, I’m going to bombard you with 31 of them and ask you for your own interpretations. I want everyone who reads this to pick out one proverb and leave a comment about it below. Tell me why you like it and what it means to you.
It’s time to take some action, guys and gals. It’s time to start rockin’!
1. An inch of time is an inch of gold, but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold. -Chinese Proverb
2. You can’t catch a cub without going into the tiger’s den. -Chinese Proverb
3. A book holds a house of gold. -Chinese Proverb
4. A fall in a ditch makes you wiser. -Chinese Proverb
5. A tiger never returns to his prey he did not finish off. -Chinese Proverb
6. Tension is what you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are. -Chinese Proverb
7. The great question is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with failure. -Chinese Proverb
8. The senses are like a reversible coat. They can go outside to the world, or inside to the sould. -Buddhist Proverb
9. He who has health has hope; and he who has hope has everything. -Arabic Proverb
10. In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and foolish build dams. -Nigerian Proverb
11. To know the road ahead, ask those coming back. -Chinese Proverb
12. Everything in the past died yesterday, everything in the future was born today. -Chinese Proverb
13. When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you. -Chinese Proverb
14. Do not try to fight a lion if you are not one yourself. -African Proverb
15. The mouth which eats does not talk. -African Proverb
16. You must judge a man by the work of his hands. -African Proverb
17. A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness. -African Proverb
18. A barber does not shave himself. -African Proverb
19. If a child washes his hands, he could eat with kings. -African Proverb
20. A talkative bird will not make a nest. -African Proverb
21. Before shooting, one must aim. -African Proverb
22. A house divided cannot stand. -Arabic Proverb
23. Leave evil, it will leave you. -Arabic Proverb
24. A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. -Arabic Proverb
25. Envy is a weight not placed by its bearer. -Arabic Proverb
26. Silence is the sign of approval. -Arabic Proverb
27. Show him death and he will be content with fever. -Arabic Proverb
28. Blood can never turn into water. -Arabic Proverb
29. The tongue of the ignorant is the key to his death. -Arabic Proverb
30. One hand cannot clap. -Arabic Proverb
31. Plant each day and you will eat. -Arabic Proverb
OK, now let’s here what ya got for me! Which of these could be your life mottos? Which speak to you? Which do you not like? Which got you thinking?
Tell me your thoughts!
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7 Awesome Motivational Sayings and Proverbs
Yesterday, I discussed 7 Inspiring Quotes About Life. Today, I’m going to give you my take on 7 motivational sayings/proverbs.
Yes. I love quotes. I admit it.
But more than quotes, I love studying success. I love learning from those who have lived the lives they wanted to live. It is then exciting for me to apply that wisdom to my own life and spark my journey to the life of my dreams.
So here are some motivational proverbs that I have analyzed. At the end, I want you to leave a comment with your take on any of these sayings that you find particularly interesting. We can then begin to learn success from each other, and we can grow together.
1) A smile will gain you ten more years of life. -Chinese Proverb
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography (flickr)
OK, so this may not be a true motivational saying, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be useful for success. Too many of us allow stress to get in the way of the journey to our goals. Something goes wrong and we lose.sight of where we going. All of our focus becomes fixated on that stressor.
How can we combat this?
Smile. Relax. The situation probably isn’t as bad as we make it out to be in our minds. Smiling and keeping a positive attitude will eventually defeat the stress and allow us to maintain good health. It will also allow us to live our lives, rather than become a prisoner to the stress.
2) Do good because of tomorrow. -African Proverb
Do the things today that will give you the life you want tomorrow. Do not waste a moment. Do not create a negative situation. Keep today positive to build a better future.
We often lose sight of the power that today holds on our future happiness. We think that we can get away with doing certain things today and then make up for them in the future. What we fail to realize is how much easier our future becomes if we begin looking out for it today. We can take a step forward today to get closer to where we want to be tomorrow.
3) A change is as good as a rest. -Arabic Proverb
Since I did not create this saying, I do not know exactly what it’s original intent was. Still, I can tell you what I make of it.
A lot of times when things aren’t going well in our lives, we claim that we need a vacation. We need to stop working and just rest for a bit. Then we will come back refreshed and ready to go.
Many times, though, an even better strategy is to simply change up what you are doing. Try something new. Do something crazy. Have a go at something you never thought you would try. Do something you’ve always wanted to do but have been afraid to attempt.
Break out of your comfort zone. The constrictions of this comfort zone could be the cause of your weariness. Try something new and inject a little vigor back in your life. You can rest when it’s all over.
4) Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still. -Chinese Proverb
What have you done today? Have you taken any steps yet toward your goals? Have you moved forward on your great journey?
If not, get to it. The only way to fail in life is to not try. Giving up on your dreams is failure. Wasting time idly is failure. Not living is failure.
Life is too great a gift to not use it. By standing still, you exchange life for nothingness. If you want an empty life then keep staying still. If you would rather achieve your dreams, then begin moving forward. It may be difficult at times, but you will never fail as long as you keep trying.
5) Dig the well before you are thirsty. – Chinese Proverb
Plan ahead. You know where you want to go in life. Develop a plan to get there and begin executing it today. Do not wait until it is too late.
Life’s moments are very precious. Each moment that we utilize properly is an extra moment that we can experience happiness. By doing the things today that you will want to have done tomorrow, you give yourself more of your own life.
Give yourself more of this greatest gift of all. (Yes I know I twisted the intention of the proverb. Just call me an interpreter of abstract art.)
6) Knowledge is like a garden, if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. -African Proverb
Learn from life. Learn from others. Learn from yourself. Whatever you do, learn something new each day.
Knowledge will give you the tools to make your life better. Knowledge will make your life more valuable. Knowledge will give you more power.
I love to learn. But then I love to turn my knowledge into wisdom by putting it into practice and gaining life experience. Life is a great place to harvest knowledge. Heck, it’s basically what I’m doing right now with this blog post and what you should be doing after reading this blog post!
7) He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever. -Chinese Proverb
Do not spend life in wonderment. If you want to know something, ask somebody who may already know. If you want something from somebody, ask for it. Do not be afraid to ask, for when you ask you will be a step ahead of those who didn’t.
I used to be one who was afraid to ask for stuff. This probably cost me years of my life. If I had regrets, this would be one. All the knowledge that is currently in the world is possessed by somebody. The only way to obtain that knowledge is to ask. The only way to advance in life is to obtain knowledge.
Take some action. Ask for help. Then move your life forward.
This is some pretty good stuff. It certainly got me thinking. What thought went through your head when reading this?
Leave a comment with your take.
Popularity: 100% [?]
7 Most Inspirational Quotes About Life
If you know me, you know that I always love a good motivational quote. They get me thinking. I think about my life and if the quote makes sense for my life. I then think about how I can apply the message to my own situation to make me a better person.
That’s what a good quote is all about. Good quotes are all about making one’s life better, making one grow as a person. It’s not enough to just read a quote, feel inspired, and then move on.
No.
You must take action. You must live the quotes. You must make the quotes a part of your life.
This may all sound cheesy, but it’s a powerful concept if put into application.
The following are seven of my favorite inspirational quotes about life. Read them over and think about how you can change your life for the better by living out the message they relay.
1. “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
Don’t try to act or live like anybody else. It’s good to have positive role models, but in the end this is your life. Nobody gets to live it but you.
2. “To succeed it is necessary to accept the world as it is and rise above it.” – Michael Korda
The world is not perfect, but it is not against you. We all live in the same world and it is not going to change anytime soon. Since we have to deal with it, we might as well accept it and stand up to all the challenges the world throws at us.
3. “We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.” – Chuck Palahniuk
Work to create something in your life that will continue to benefit the world beyond your years. This is not only your legacy, it is your gift to the world.
4. “Time will take your money, but money won’t buy time.” – James Taylor
You can’t get back the time you spend, so spend it wisely. Each action is an indication of how you value your time, and thus, how you value your life.
5. “Try not to become a man of success, but rather to become a man of value” – Albert Einstein
If you create value for the world, success will be inevitable. The world rewards those who create value. Do not fear whether you will become successful. Simply create something positive and have faith that success will come.
6. “Learn how to be happy with what you have while you pursue all that you want.” – Jim Rohn
We all have a lot more than we realize. Rather than complain about our problems, we should be grateful for all we’ve been give. Life is precious. Do not waste it by complaining. Enjoy each moment of your life as it is and strive to make the rest of your days even better.
7. “Often, what seems an impossible climb is just a staircase without steps drawn in.” – Robert Brault
Your greatest dreams may seem impossible at first. Some people may think you are crazy for thinking you can achieve them. The truth is that all the great things worth achieving initially seem impossible. Once you take a few steps forward, however, you will begin to see a path that leads you right to these dreams.
How can you use these quotes to improve yourself and your life? What thoughts are going through your head after reading this? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
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How to Turn Negative People into a Positive Influence
This is a simple little trick that I just discovered. I was thinking of all the negative people that surround me on a daily basis. I try to spend most of my time around positive people, but that is not always possible.
So it got me thinking, rather that becoming frustrated with the fact that there will always be some negative people in my life, maybe I can be proactive and do something about it.
Normally I would take the positive life motivation approach and use my positivity breeds positivity line, but what if the negativity is persistent? Perhaps there is a simple solution.
So I turned to a principle that I learned in English, Math, and Science class back in the ol’ education days. Here’s what I came up with:
To turn a negative person into a positive influence, just say “no”!
This creates two negatives, which makes the overall situation positive. In reality, what you are doing is negating the negative.
The important thing, though, is that after you say “no” to the negative, you must continue on pushing the positive. Turn aside the negativity and allow the positivity to flow freely through you.
When you say “no” to the negative, what you are doing is telling yourself that you will not let others bring you down. You will not let others suck you into the trap of negativity. That’s all negativity is: a trap. It’s a trap that prevents happiness.
If you want to be happy, if you want to have a good day and a good life, your attitude must remain positive no matter what is going on around you. There are always going to be negative people in your life, but if you can prevent their negativity from effecting you, then you will be able to live on your own terms.
This little trick is great for those who have motivation problems due to certain people sucking the life out of them. You can’t always avoid these people, so it becomes very important to build a defense mechanism. This defense mechanism will make you a much stronger person and your life will be even better for creating it. Thus, we have our positive influence from negative people!
Negativity is often contagious, but you can immunize yourself with your own positive attitude. Say “no” to the negative and go on with the positive.
Think of all the negative people that you come in contact with on a daily basis. Have you been blocking out their negativity or have you allowed some of it to leak into your system? Share some of your experiences in the comment section and we’ll all be able to build a better negativity defense system.
Popularity: 48% [?]
Life Motivation Tip – Appreciate the Journey
“Everyone has dreams. Only those who appreciate the process of the journey can experience them while awake.” – Matt Maresca
by Studio494 (Simon) (Flicker)
The journey to your dreams is the most important journey you will ever embark on in life. In this post, I will describe the steps necessary to get the most out of that journey.
Dream Big
The first step in getting what you want in life is to dream big. I cannot stress this enough. You cannot get what you want if you never dream it up. And what you want will never be enough for you unless you dream big.
When I say dream big, I mean dream the impossible. Think of things that would make you a happy and successful life that others may laugh at you for thinking. You want others to think your biggest goals are impossible. Otherwise, you will be aiming too low.
A big dream will take you big places if you really go for it. That brings us to the next step.
Map Out Your Success Route
To get anywhere in life, you need directions. You need a plan. After dreaming big, you will know where you are going. It then becomes time to draw in the steps to get there.
Since you are dreaming big, there will be many steps to get to your biggest goals. You may not know all the steps right now. That’s perfectly fine. You can fill in some blank spaces later.
The important thing to do initially is right down a general idea of what you think it will take to get to your goals. The beginning phases should be clear to you, so you can map those out in details. The middle phases may be a little foggy, so just come up with something and leave room for contingency plans.
The beginning plans are the most important. Your journey will fail immediately if you go into it without a clue as to a direction to take. You cannot begin your journey in the dark, so detail the first couple phases and then…
Begin the Journey
Every journey has to begin somewhere. So once you have your starting phase detailed, begin it. Take that first step and then keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Few people ever actually begin a journey to their biggest dreams. Many are too intimidated by the journey itself. Others feel it is a waste of time, that they will never get there. Impossible dreams are impossible to realize, so why even start out trying?
Well, for one, maybe their not impossible. Many dreams once thought impossible are now a reality. There was a time people thought it was impossible to get to the moon. There was a time people thought it would be impossible for people of all races to go to school and work together. There was a time people thought it would be impossible for you to read this message in this way.
So maybe your wildest dreams are not so impossible after all. But even if they are, you will get a lot out of going after them if you learn to…
Appreciate the Journey
The journey to your biggest goals is what makes your life. This journey is full of obstacles and challenges. How you deal with these things is what will make your person.
If you let the challenges get the best of you, you will be weak and unhappy. On the other hand, if you rise above the challenges, you will be strong and thrilled with life.
The journey itself is everything. The journey will teach you many things. You will learn a lot about yourself. You will learn a lot about the people around you. During the journey, you will experience life.
Things may not always be rosy on the path to your goals, but if you can appreciate the process of the journey, you will appreciate life. Allow the journey to make you a better person. Allow the journey to show you who you really are.
Begin the journey and love it, for this journey to your dreams is your life!
Have you begun your journey of life yet? If so, what have you learned about yourself? If not, what is stopping you? I’m very interested to read your comments.
Popularity: 59% [?]
5 Ways to Avoid Life’s Traffic Jam
There are few things in life more frustrating than a traffic jam. It’s awful just sitting there and waiting, then moving a few feet, and then waiting some more. Then imagine it is 95 degrees outside and your AC is busted. Yikes! I can hear the cursing from my home office!
Image by N-O-M-A-D (Flicker)
Yes, traffic jams are frustrating and so is getting stuck in one in life. We’ve all been there. We get stuck in the same place everyone else gets stuck. We want to get somewhere, but there’s no where to go. We feel trapped. Angry. Desperate.
How do we get where we want to go in life when everyone else gets stuck trying to get there, too?
There are a few necessary steps we must take to avoid life’s traffic jam.
1) Take the Road Less Traveled
The simplest, yet most important, way to avoid getting stuck in life’s traffic jam is to follow a different set of directions than everybody else. There is always more than one way to get to any destination.
While it is true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, that line is not always clear. In life, there is always an “obvious” way to get somewhere. This is the “rosy path”. This is the way everyone thinks you are “supposed” to go. In truth, this is what I call the “fool’s way”.
I call the obvious way the fool’s way because that is the road everyone takes. If everyone takes the same road, things are bound to get quite congested very quickly. This is why society always seems so negative. Society takes the normal path, but never gets to the real destination. Society never experiences true life satisfaction.
Don’t listen to society when it tells you to go a certain way. That is the fool’s way. That way will get you stuck. You must find your own way. Find a path that’s open and free of clutter. Better yet, make your own path. Consider yourself an explorer and pioneer. You’ll find your own identity and stand out from the crowd because you will be the only one who actually got to your destination.
2) Watch Out for Roadblocks
Even if you create your own path to where you want to go, there are sure to be some roadblocks along the way. Just be aware that they are out there and be prepared to make some adjustments as you go. Just because the road is not completely smooth for the entire route does not mean you should not keep driving down it.
If you see a pothole, work your way around it. If you run into a dead end, take a step back and try a different turn. If your car runs out of gas, refuel the tank. Sure there are going to be obstacles. Do not let this deter you from where you want to go. It is these obstacles that lead everyone else to the same path, and that path will never get you where you want to go.
Stay on your own path and keep driving toward your goal.
3) No Rubbernecking
En route to your ultimate goal, crazy things are going to happen around you. Other people will take a test drive down your path and crash. Some people will try to get in your way…and crash. Still others will stay in the same lane even when that lane closes……and crash.
Do not pay attention to those crashing around you. They are not you. They have no bearing on whether you get where you want to go or not. They have no power over you. They have nothing to do with you. Watching them crash or paying any attention to them whatsoever will only slow you down.
This is your journey. This is your life. Take control of your own destiny.
4) Go Around the Slow Drivers
Other people are going to get in your way. I can guarantee this. There are going to be people who do not know where they are going. When these stand in front of you, the only option is to go around them. Do not wait for them to speed up. Do not wait for them to figure out their way. Their way has nothing to do with your way. If you want to help them get where they want to go, lead by example. Do not give up on your dreams just because someone is standing in your way.
5) Enjoy the Scenery
The road you create is the cool road. It may not be the rosy path, but it is your path. Your path has a lot to offer. Your path is beautiful. This road is the road of your life. Your life’s journey is awesome, so enjoy every step of it. Breathe in the fresh air and enjoy life’s moments. Appreciate the beauty of your journey, because that’s exactly what it is…YOUR journey.
Think of where you want to go in your life. Think of how you want your life to be. Do you want to get stuck in traffic like everybody else? Or do you want to create your own journey?
Share your thoughts on how you plan on making your own journey unique or how you have been caught, at times, in the traffic jam with everybody else.
Popularity: 55% [?]
Be Bold – It’s the Only Way to Stand Out From the Other Characters
"Stand Out" by suvodeb (Flickr)
Funny story. I wanted to write a post on being bold because it has been on my mind a lot lately. I thought of the quote that I used as the title for this post, but I couldn’t remember who said it. Then, it hit me. It’s my own quote. Check the “Mottos to Live By” page. It’s there.
Okay, back to being bold. If you want to get anywhere in this world, you’re going to have to stand out in one way or another. You have to get noticed by someone. Even if you like to blend into the scenery, you still have to stand out to someone if you want to get what you really want.
Think about it. If you want a good job, you are going to have to stand out to an employer. You have to stick out in his/her mind above all other applicants. Then, if you get the job and want to get promoted, you have to stand out again. You have to show that you excel at your job and are capable of bigger things. Better yet, you have to show that your current position is limiting the potential that you have for the company. You have to stand out so much that your boss has no choice but to give you a better position.
Another example, perhaps you’re a guy who’s interested in a girl. You know she can get just about any guy she wants. She must turn down people left and right. In fact, she probably doesn’t even notice most of the guys hitting on her. You have to step up your game and be bold. You have to stand out from the other characters and make her notice you. You have to grab her attention and not let go until she has no choice but to go out with you (or ask you nicely to leave her the hell alone).
Perhaps you work for yourself. Maybe you have a blog and you want people to read it. You have to be bold. You need topics and headlines that catch readers’ attention. Then, you need stories to get them talking about you.
Maybe you have a product and you want to promote it. You have to be bold and ask the big boys to promote your product. You have to go to the big marketers in your niche. You have to go to the media. Ask anyone that can possibly help you. But remember, these people get asked these things all the time so you have to be bold.
You have to stand out from the other characters.
What bold things have you done lately and how have they impacted your life?
Popularity: 56% [?]
