"You Are Stronger Than You Think!"

Stronger

"You become what you think about." (Earl Nightingale)

There goes that saying, "Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you are going to get." Well, I like to say, "Life is like an Ocean...you can experience tranquility and you know you will also experience turbulence throughout life's waves." I believe perhaps that is why I feel so connected to water! What an amazing creation we are blessed with! And, what an amazing creator we have to have created us, too!

In life, we ALL have our ups and downs! Whether it be with our faith in relationship with our higher power or ourselves, our total well-being (Spirit, Mind, and Body), our family life, our career, and/or our desires for our our future...we ALL have our choice to ride the wave, or allow ourselves to be taken under.

Our lives mirror the flow of the ocean. Where do you choose to flow?

"He who doubts is like a wave on the ocean,

 which is moved about by the wind and carried away..." 

(James 1:6)

Have you ever had an experience when you are hanging out in the ocean whether it be floating, surfing, or swimming along, and you look up to realize that you are a lot further away than where you laid down your belongings??? Yup, once again...for me the ocean is such a great analogy for my life! If we are not living conscious lives, we can easily be swept away by the winds of this world and end up on the other side of the ocean. "You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you." (Brian Tracy) We CAN make a conscious choice and a conscious action to surf the wave, directing ourselves into our heart's desires.

To live a conscious life we must be PRESENT. I encourage you to reflect on your life and environment and question yourself, where do you place your belongings??? Where do your priorities lie? Whom do you share your life and heart with? Now, return to your present moment and FORGIVE. Forgive yourself for your past mistakes, and forgive those whom you have been tied to and struggled with to let go. Be present and ride the wave as you create your  desired future. Love Yourself and Love Others!  

Below is a great video by Mandisa singing her song, Stronger. In her song you will hear a powerful verse telling you to hold on a little bit longer when the waves are taking you under, ENJOY!

I encourage you all to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! I have been a runner for many years now...today I stepped out of my comfort zone and created my Running Man in Yoga! Yoga is an outlet that I choose to assist me in my practice of staying present. Through my Yoga experience,  I created my balance, re-alignment, and stillness. I choose to SLOW DOWN!

Rumi says, "You can choose to STAY and FORGIVE..."

"Faith Is Like A Muscle: It Must be Exercised!"

FAITH IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT

To have faith in a higher power, God, yourself, or others... you must WORK at it! Faith is like a muscle. It must be stretched repeatedly, challenged, and developed over time. And when not practiced, atrophy will occur. Never too late to start over; muscle has memory and your past work will resurface for growth.

Faith may be considered both objectively and subjectively. 

Faith: to believe in, and have an actual vision of the "unseen." 

Faith from the subjective standpoint derives from our inner self, feelings, and/ or desires. It  is to believe in a truth beyond the human intellect; relying beyond one's own human light of reasoning. Faith can be seen as an act of our intellect assenting to a truth that is beyond it's grasp(Catholic Encyclopedia). In this example, we can reflect on our relationship with our God and "Higher Power." We can believe, trust, and act accordingly, knowing that the truth and love from our God will always provide...with PURPOSE. When you BELIEVE, you will RECEIVE and ACHIEVE! One may say that I am a bit of a Mystic, and I agree. I also know that everyone has the opportunity to receive from God...whether it be from a sign, person, a word, a reading, and/or nature. "Seek and you shall find."

Faith from the objective standpoint originates from external objects and can be referred to an objective body of revelation, tradition, and teaching (Catholic Stand). This objective faith can be passed down to us through our Church, Environment, Family Culture, and/or peers. With this in mind, we can reflect on our OWN faith and perhaps the faith we may have in others...We can reflect on our past actions and experiences and have clarity on our results. If we choose to not practice and ACT through our faith, the result will present itself through weakness, confusion, and doubt. If we choose to neglect our health and not strengthen our muscles, yes they will atrophy. 

There may be times when we are believing and acting through our Faith of perseverance that we become anxious for the truth...for results. Do not be discouraged! Instead, be gentle and kind. Be kind to YOURSELF! "Faith is the place I AM, and the bridge to where God is taking me." So, whether it be your subjective faith/spirituality or your actions towards creating your healthy lifestyle...the truth remains. You must WORK at it to STRENGTHEN it! And, "your greatest weakness shall become your greatest strength" (Conscious Language).

Fitness Assessments And Objective Faith

A great way to practice our Faith in creating our Healthy Lifestyles, is to use a Fitness Assessment to mark our progress! Depending on whether you are training with a specialist, at a gym, or by yourself...there are a variety of markers that can be used to assess progress. One easy example that I have used with my clients is the following:

 1 Minute Push Up Test, 1 Minute Sit Up Test, and a Plank Hold Burn Out.

You can set a timer and count how many you can accomplish within the minute time frame. Next, you can set a stopwatch for the time frame you can hold a standard high plank. Be sure to write your results down! Then, I would suggest to reassess a month later. It can be very encouraging and strengthen your Faith!!! A lot of my clients numbers increased by 10-20 numbers, and I bet You Can too!

CREATE YOUR RESULTS!!!