The Crystal ball.

I ask you, to ask yourself, what is your purpose in life? What is your passion? And then, ask yourself, are you living with that purpose for your passion?
Yes or no. It's that simple. IF the answer is no, why not?

What is your passion? What moves you. How can you integrate that in your job, that thing we must do, to pay the bills and feed our families. Does it mesh?
For me, my chosen profession was a nurse. As far back as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse, fascinated with the human body and how it works. To help cure people and get them well. To teach them, how to take care of their bodies.
As i graduated and took my first job, I was not into exercise, I was into partying. I liked to play cards and hang with my friends. GYM, OH no!!! never...But then it changed....And I realized how great it was and how great I felt and looked...

When I started in the fitness industry, I was a member, and I took classes, like step and Rep reebok, and kickboxing. And I was in the back row, and I had my favorite instructors....One of my favorites, told me about an instructor training, and that I would be a good fit. I was not convinced. I was not confident, I was shy and quiet. But I realized how great it would be to work out and get paid to do it. I went through the training and began to teach cycling. Fast forward a few years, wow life has changed. I am no longer that shy quiet girl. Far from it.
I have found my passion. I want more.
This morning, I watched a video, by J-lo, not Jennifer, but Johnny, and he talked about passion and purpose.    He owns his own gym and motivates others to fitness.
When you feel good, it shines! When you believe in something, it shines. If you are lucky to be blessed with knowledge, and a gift of something, share it. God gave you a voice.

 I am about improving health, and fitness. And I have said it a million times, there is no magic, you have to do the work.
This entry is called the Crystal ball. Why? No one person has the ability to know what the future holds, and what your next steps in life will be. If you live your life with a purpose, you will have direction.
God gave you something, and he wants you to use it.

No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but if you life every day with a purpose, letting your passion drive and the god given purpose  helping you steer, you will be able to see that future, that life that is in the crystal ball.
We must be prepared and expect the unexpected, because challenges come every day. You must step out of the comfort zone because that is where we find strength and courage. Go out on a limb, because that's where the best fruit is. REACH for it.
Live every day with a purpose and a passion. Don't let others stomp it out. Have a fire and let it spread...
Live it, now, do it, today.
"Give me everything tonight, for all we know, we might not get tomorrow....."
Keep it real!!
B

Hard, scary and the toughest thing...makes TRUIMPH

I spent the entire day Saturday at a fitness convention....hundreds of like minded people, who have the same passion and desire to change the world, one class at a time. Les Mills...for a fitter planet. One tribe....
WHAT A RUSH!!! So many people, from all walks of life, from all different backgrounds...who have the same thing in common. We want a healthier world. Exercise is our drug, our antidepressant, our therapy.

During the education sessions, we talked about core reaction, and timing of exercise and the challenges people face. We talked about the new member. modification and barriers.What the most interesting thing was when the instructor asked why people don't exercise, the biggest or most common reason is a lack of time. But what does that really mean? I am a very busy person, I work full time, i work part time and I am a wife and a mom. I still find time to exercise and not just when I get paid to do it. I hear people say all the time that they are too busy, but there are 24 hours in a day, we sleep for 8, we work for 8-9, that leaves about 8 hours not accounted for, but there are kids, and sports and driving..... so yes, we do pack a lot in the day. But how much time to one spend on Facebook? On playing video games, on watching American Idol or So you think they can dance? A lot. You only need 20-30min, you can exercise while you make dinner, you can do it while the commercials are on. You can do what I did on Friday and go for a run on your break...(or walk).
In actuality,it's not  the lack of time...it's much more likely the fear, the fear that it's too hard, it won't work....it will hurt...the fear of getting started.

Yes, it's hard, yes it will work ( if you do) and yes it will hurt. Rome was not built in a day...you don't have to be like me and do 5 classes on a given day. You fit in what you can...you ask for help....you come the YMCA, where we will watch your kids for an hour while you work out.

You can find every excuse, and I will find a way around it. Now, if you are in the bed, and can't move....oh wait,.....yep, you can do isometric moves.

There are so many things in life that get in the way of our goals. I have many friends who have the "too busy " life, and I have friends that don't want it and I have friends who have tried to work out, does it for a bit...feels better, and then something comes up and it stops. Again.



There are 3 major criteria needed to begin a life changing program.
1. You have to want to do it. For the right reason, and have a realistic goal.
2. You have schedule it. And you tell everyone that you know where you are going to be. (because they will ask)
3. You have to find something that you really enjoy. Some people love Turbo, others love Zumba, others love running. Gary, finally found his, boxing. And it's a workout.

So, once you meet the criteria, do it. try it. and stick with it. You didn't gain it overnight, so it's not going to go overnight.
Make a plan, and be like a stamp....STICK TO IT!!!
If you are one of those people, who are scared, don't know where to start, ask for help! Please. We want you to. When you come to us and say " can you help me", you really do make our day, and when you come back a week later...we smile bigger....And if you tell us, later that you have succeeded with your goals, you helped us meet our goals.
We, the fitness professionals of the world, are here for you. We go through painful training, tireless practice and repeating it over and over, so it's just right....and we do it for you! Because we want you to love it, like we love it.
Success, triumph, achieve, accomplish. Or as they say it Texas....GIT ER DONE!!

The Consumed

We are so busy, each and every day...we as Americans want to have it all and do it all, NOW. Me included.
I wanted to fit every last thing in my schedule, to get it all done, and then wonder why at the end of the day I am stressed out. Seems simple, take the down time...but it's not that easy.

Our kids have demands, our families have demands, and our jobs do too. I love my job(s). All of them, and none of them I, will I likely ever be financially rich from. Parenting costs money, the Y , well, they are non profit so the pay is mediocre at best, and considering how much I put in to teaching just one class, well, you know, it's not about the money.
My regular job as a Nurse, well, it pays well, but the job goes no where.Limited potential for moving up the career ladder and as long as you work for a large company, the little guy comes in, works hard and the reward is a paycheck, and maybe a little "great job pat on the back".
I get told a lot about how I can make some great money fast, the hard part for me, is that I would have to give up something, likely the exercise teaching as that is the most sporadic but still, time consuming thing that i do. So, my passion for teaching, would be the fire I put out, to make money.

Can't do it. Won't do it. Not worth it.

So, with that being said, we have to find the passion that drives us everyday and gets us where we want to go. Because at the end of it all, you have to make sure that what you did was worth it and made you proud.
No one wants to look at their children and have to say "no, we can't ", we don't want their future to be destined by the jobs we do and how much money we have, but most of us, may have to do that.
So, if you were suddenly faced with a HUGE cost or expense, do you have the means to take care of it? This is happening to us, right now. We have a daughter that needs help, and the cost is going to be high...no one likes the news, but the thing is, we do what we do because we love them.

So, my question, is what do you want out of this life? Do you want exactly what you have today?
Me, no, I want more. I want to touch more lives, I want more TIME, and I want more freedom. I want the the reward when someone tells me how great.._______ that was. Fill in the blank. That's my reward, that's what gives me back the purpose of what I do.
Somedays, how I wish it was in the checkbook, but for today, my purpose is being fulfilled.  Figure out your purpose, because, it will lift a load and get you through each day.

Reality.....part 2

It's been awhile since I have written, and lots of things are happening in the world, the country and our city. People are getting all fired up about the pending election......

All I have to say, is that you better be healthy now...because if Obamacare continues and we keep our current president, say bye bye to access to healthcare. I said to ACCESS. The care will be there....but someone else will decide WHEN you get your treatment/test/meds...

So, again, reality...I see in the news that Michael Clark Duncan has died, at age 54...he was a great actor, playing John Coffey in the movie the Green Mile. He will be missed, he had such a great smile and he could act too. :)

Now, this gentleman, an african american (politically correct) was 54 yrs old, had a heart attack about 6 weeks ago and this eventually led to his death, premature. He had recently became a vegetarian, and changed his lifestyle. But still, he passed on. 

I am curious, as to the why? They aren't telling us he had risk factors, but you could see he did. He was black, he was large, (muscular, but large), he had high BP near the time he died, but had also been active for his most of his life, you just don't have that type of muscle tone without exercise....maybe he didn't do cardio..

ANYWAY, my point is you can't see the things going on in your body...Things we do it, eating bad food, eating too much, drinking alcohol, soda, processed food, Can you afford to wait until this happens and then hope that you recover? Should you just do what you want, eat what you want, weight what you want and be unhealthy because really, it may change the date you die and the way you die, but still, you and me and everyone else will die. 

So why bother?? Why do I exercise and eat right? Ultimately i am going to die, that is the circle of life....

It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of energy, and money too. 

This is a great question. 

Why not eat the tasty food, that is grease laden, why not laze around on the couch, because we can, why not  

just eat candy all day.....

For me, because I want to live LONGER, i want to be able to climb that mountain ...i want to get on my bike and ride...I want to run a 5 k anytime.....maybe more....and if I do the first option, I will not have the body, the mind or spirit to do the active things. If I become overweight and out of shape, I won't be able to climb that mountain, or enjoy the times when I am retired, and no longer have to go to work everyday.

Yep, I am going to die at some point, but until then I am going to LIVE the heck out of this body. I am going to slide into the casket, all worn out...because I AM WORTH IT!! There are no guarantees in this life....so go for it. Choose your future...choose to live or choose to BE ALIVE!!!