Resolve or Commit

So this entry may go all over the place.  But it is what it is...

To start out with I was curious and wanted to share the definition of "Resolution".

res·o·lu·tion

noun

1. a firm decision to do or not to do something.

2. the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter

So now that I got that out of the way.  Many will make the so called "resolution" tonight or tomorrow.  but why not make a commitment to yourself.  We are worth a commitment, we are worth the effort that goes along with a commitment.  Sure I could direct this towards our health and fitness, and I could say don't waste your money on a gym membership and instead go with DDPYoga since it is more than "just" a workout it's a lifestyle.  But instead I am going to take this in multiple directions. 

We need to make commitments to make our lives better, and the lives around us better.  I know I have said it before everything leads to something else, and all it takes is one step in a direction to change everything.   We know that everything in life is connected in one way or another.  It all depends on how we choose to deal with life and what we do when life events happen to us.  You know the 4 lil things that apply to everything... "React, Adapt, Take Action, Breathe".

So I'm not going to recap this past year, there were a lot of things that happened in my life and the lives around me this year.  There were happy times and sad times, there were losses and gains, a few stumbles, and a few leaps.  But 2013 is in the past and I will look forward to the future, but I will not over look the now.  We are all where we are right now to led us to where we are going. 

Now what??  Where do we go from here?  That is a choice we each have to make, a commitment, a decision that only we can make for ourselves. 

For me it is time to make my list, what I like to call a "Master Plan".  Then from that I will break it down into sections.  There are many examples of how others have made it to where they are and how they got there.  But the one example that matters the most to you is YOU.

Make a choice now, are you going to "try" or are you going to "do it", are you going to "OWN IT".

Whatever it is that you want  in life you need to write it down and make it achievable. 

You are the ONE that can make your life what you want it to be.

Responsibility of Choices

We all have choices that we make everyday.  Each choice we make we have to be able to live with.  We also have to take responsibility for those choices.

So why do I bring this up this time of year?  Well many of us, me included have made choices to do something.  Then when it doesn't turn out the way we wanted we are quick to blame something or someone.  But we need to take the responsibility for the choices we make.  As we are the ones that make them. 

Our lives are full of choices that have led us to where we are today.  So what are the choices you will make to lead you to your next step in your life?  How can you change the choices you have made in the past to redirect your future?  Remember every choice leads us to another, and every choice is one that we must take responsibility for.   

Believe in who you are.  Believe in the choices you make.  Believe in YOU.

Once you believe, then you CAN accomplish anything.

The simplest and most important choice you can make is to "Own Your Life".

Want VS Need

 Ya I know timing is everything and this time of year there are many "wants" and there are many "needs".  The difference between the two is figuring out which is which.

So here is my lil spin on it and I may stay on track, and knowing me I may go way off track, but I always seem to tie it up with a bow.

So where do I start...uhmm... Some things kinda fall into both categories, want/need.  We all Want good health, we all need good health.  But it depends on what we are willing to do to get it.  Now some are dealt cards that they have to deal with to get to where they want to be, and it may take a bit more effort for them to get there.  But they deal with what they have and keep moving forward.  Now there are others, (yes I was one of these people (key word "was")) that will want it but will never do anything about it, or should I say make an attempt but do so without a plan.  Or (this one I love) think there is some magic in a bottle that will make everything better. 

Reality Check.... We get what we put into life.  There is no magic pill.

Yep that was me...but I did find what I needed and it wasn't in a bottle and there was no magic pill.  But something I did not expect to find along the way was me again.  Who would ever thing that life on a yoga matt instructed by a former 3 time World heavyweight Champion wrestler-DDP whose catchphrase is "Feel the BANG", doing not yoga, but DDPYoga one could find what they need and want.  BUT for it to all work the matt needs to be rolled out with you on it.

Ok before I go to deep with this I will keep it in this realm.  We all know what we have, what we want, and what we need.  And we all know that each of us could do a lil bit more to help out others with what they need. 

(warning hard left turn)

SO.... food this holiday season. Ya I'm going there.  Now I am no dietician, and no where even close to a partial expert so I will not preach what is right and what is bad.  We all know that, and if you don't you need to take a look at what you are really eating.  It ain't the stuff Grandma and Grandpa use to fix.  Sure there is going to be some stuff that we "knibble" on that may not be the best for us.  For those that are living a modified eating plan, weather it is GF or dairy free, or whatever.  If you do "induldge" remember it is NOT the end of the world.  You will not spontaneously combust.  Just enjoy it and keep moving forward.  Remember what we "Want VS Need", just something to think about as you are enjoying the holidays.  Remember you didn't get to where you are over night.

I would challenge EVERYONE to write down their "wants" and their "needs" before the end of the year, and then see which one is more valuable come this time next year.

I could go on, and on and on.  But I will simply close it out here.  We all know where we need to be and we all know where we want to be.  The trick is knowing the difference and doing something about it.

Don't wait for something to happen, don't wait for tomorrow to begin.  We have this moment right now to do something, we never know what tomorrow may bring.  

SO make your choice and live your life... 

OWN YOUR LIFE!

See told ya I would end it with a bow!
Have a Great Holiday... Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all the rest!

Remember at the end of the day be HAPPY!

Have a great day, Today & Tomorrow

No one is perfect

So where do I go with this one today?  We are all going to stumble from time to time, I know I have over this last year (hell I have stumbled from time to time my whole life).  But one thing I can say is that I have gotten back up every time.

Sure we all know that life happens and that is an easy excuse to fall back to.  But with every obstacle we encounter there lays an opportunity.  Sometimes it takes a lil more effort to get back up and get going.  As long as we get back up we are never defeated.  Do not dwell on your stumbles, acknowledge them and keep moving.  If you have heard DDP speak then you have heard him say (as well as others)  "Acknowledge the negative and focus on the positive."  We know that we give power to whatever it is we are focusing on.  And if we spend all our time focusing on the negatives in our lives, then we will never get to where we need to be.

So OK, I know this is not confession, and if you have followed me here or on FB you know what has happened in my lil world this year.  But there are other things that I have not publicized, some may be lil things, you know the day to day stuff.  But that's ok, because I know what I have and have not done.  I know where my focus is.  Sure my lil world did take a hit this year, and it has taken me a lil longer than I even would have realized to fully get back up.  But ya know what I never stopped moving forward, I never quit.  I may have slowed down a bit, but I adjusted to the 10% of life that happened, and I dealt with the 90%.  There were a few people that I leaned on from time to time, to those THANK YOU. 

The key to anything is consistency.  Map out a plan and do the work.  No one is perfect in ANYTHING they do.  Some may like to think they are but the reality is that we all will fall, we all will modify, we all have to adjust.  If you're looking for the "perfect life", the "perfect body", or the "perfect relationship", well I am no bubble buster, but in this case I may be.  There is none.

What is "Perfect"

1. having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

2.absolute; complete (used for emphasis).

See even the definition itself says it... "as good as it is possible to be".  So why would we ever settle on trying to be "perfect"?  Our possibilities are only limited by us.  Our lives are not perfect, we all have flaws, but it is those flaws that make us who we are and show us that we CAN do better.

So whatever it is you are working on keep working at it.  One day everything else will fit together as it should.  But ONLY if you are willing to put in the work, yep it comes back to us.  We do not live in a fantasy world where things "just happen".  And we should never strive to be "perfect", because we know that our possibilities are only limited by us.

So I may have gone a lil to the left and a lil to the right in this.  But ya know what I know I am not "perfect".  I have and continue to modify and adjust along my life journey, and my DDPYoga journey, and somehow they have joined and I am moving forward with both.  Do I know where life will take me?  Nope, but I do know that I am moving forward and I am Owning MY Life, One Moment One Day at a time.

Here is a lil formula I thought of this mornin, and it fits for everything and everyone...

Never Give Up + Keep Moving forward + One Moment One Day at a time =

"Own Your Life"

Embrace your life, change it, or...

We have choices, we can either embrace our lives just as they are, or change them.  But there is a third choice...

Now I'm not saying we need to just flush everything and rebuild, though sometimes that's what it takes.  But we need to appreciate what we have in life, as there are many who are not as fortunate as we are.  We take for granted many of the people and things in our lives.  In the same breath though sometimes we need to take a step back and re-evaluate where we are and who is in our lives.  We become what we surround ourselves with.  

So let's see where this takes me today...

Time to break things down a bit....

(Definitions courtesy of Google)

Embrace:

verb

1. hold (someone) closely in one's arms, esp. as a sign of affection.

2. accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.

3. include or contain (something) as a constituent part.

noun

noun: embrace; plural noun: embraces

1.  an act of holding someone closely in one's arms.

2. an act of accepting or supporting something willingly or enthusiastically.

Change:

verb

1. make or become different.

2. take or use another instead of.

noun

noun: change; plural noun: changes; noun: Change; plural noun: Changes

1. the act or instance of making or becoming different.

2. coins as opposed to paper currency.

So now that we know what they mean it is up to us to do something. 

Sometimes we don't really embrace where we are in life, we just get stuck or content.  Not saying that's right or wrong, but we all know we could do better. 

I know I get there from time to time.  I get on a roll and then WHAM... Life happens and then I just let it happen and it continues to just happen, with me not doing anything about it.  Sometimes I see it happen and I see what I am doing, or not doing.  Even though I can see what is happening, making that next step can be the hardest step of all.  We all have been to that point from time to time. 

This is when we need to do a little combining... "Embracing Change" also known as Living Life at 90%. 

I know here he goes again with the DDPYoga philosophy.  But it is more than that it is about us and how we move thru our everyday lives.  Everything we do is interconnected.  The one thing they have in common is us.  You know Me, You... Us.  Everything around us happens because we are there to either accept it or witness it.  But if we do nothing about it then we have no one to blame but ourselves. 

So where are you today?  Where is your life today?  What are you doing in your life that you could change  for the better?  Who could benefit from the changes you might make? 

Everything we do has an effect on our lives,  but it also has an effect on many other lives we may not even know about.

So no matter where you are in your life.... EMBRACE it, you are where you are for a reason.  There is always something we could CHANGE in our lives for the better.  But if we would just take the time to appreciate where we are and look to see where we are going then maybe, just maybe we could  avoid something and do something about it, before it happens.

Some things in life are put in front of us for a reason, though we may not understand why at the time.  It is up to us to deal with them the best we can so that maybe it may help someone else along the way.

Believe in who you are, Live your life "One Moment, One Day" at a time, and "Own YOUR Life"

Have a GREAT Day...Today & Tomorrow

Learning to listen

So this week has been a learning experience for me.  Not that I'm not learning something every week, but this one has been more of a slow down and reflect.

I've had to take a break from my DDPYoga before due to injury.  But this week I have had to take a break due to being sick.  And I know that I'm not the best at being sick, plus I get a bit impatient.  My body has made me listen.  So though I haven't been able to do what I have scheduled this week I thought why not step back and watch.  So I have really watched the workouts this week.   Trying to pick apart what I do compared to the video's.   I have been doing DDPYoga over a year now, but this was a good exercise to do since most of the workouts I know. 

Imagine always being in the game and never stepping back to watch it.  Now I understand why football players watch so much game tape.  There are some little things that I saw that I may have been missing that may change things a bit, once I hit the mat again, hopefully soon (as soon as I can breathe and it not hurt).

I have been having to work overtime to keep myself mentally in the game too.  Body aches all week, from being sick and I'm sure from not working out.  And feeling like a slug.  I know this is temporary and I know I will be back on the mat soon, but this week has been a challenge for me more mentally than physically.  It has given me a chance to see where I was, where I am and to see where I am going.

It all rolls back to "Living Life at 90%".  Taking time to review my goals and adjust my list.  Time to expand my life and keep moving towards "Destination Me".  

We all need to refocus from time to time, because we can become complacent in our routines.  So in a way I'm glad I got sick this week, I know it sounds strange.  But sometimes it's that 10% of life that helps you see the other 90.

Worth the Effort

We have all had this thought one time or another.  And about many different things in life.   We need to remember that everything we do comes with a price.

So are you worth the effort?  You know the excuses we all have, and we all use.  "I just don't have time." or another favorite "It's not gonna mater." or "I'm just not built that way." or "You just don't understand me." or how about this, "I'm to_____."  We can make an excuse for anything and everything.  We try to justify it, but who are we really trying to convince?  Bottom line is you will get out what you put in.

What is it that you are questioning in your life?  Your; health, finances, family, career, friends?  Whatever it is you will get out what you put into it.  Everything we do has some worth to it, and there is always effort involved.  Why ask the question "Is it worth the effort?"  You know the answer you, me, we need to believe "I AM worth the effort."  Something we need to remind ourselves of everyday.

Now I know that's just great but " you just don't understand".   Sure I do, I may not know the particulars that are going on in your life, but I know in my life it's not all rainbows and puppies.  Everyone has something going on in their life.  But that is part of it... LIFE. 

Our lives are filled with "things" that we put effort into, some may be "things" that require little effort.  But what we neglect to see is everything, EVERYTHING in life requires some sort of effort. 

What is it that you are waiting for?  If you think it's too hard or you don't have time, well I bet you can make the time.  Why?  Because YOU are worth it, YOU are Worth the Effort.

Quit doubting your abilities, when you fall down pick yourself back up.  You know you are worth it, and if you work at it you will see the results.  Remember it is YOUR life.  And yes I will wrap it back to this...

OWN YOUR LIFE

"Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you; React, Adapt, Take Action, and Breathe."

It really does apply to everything in life, not just DDPYoga.  Remember it is your life and YOU are Worth the Effort!

Surface Comfort

We all have our comfort levels and what we see on the surface is not always what's on the inside.  To find out what is on the inside we have to be willing to do some work.

We have all heard the saying "You can't judge a book by its cover".  You never know what's inside until you open up the book and dig into it.  Well we all have a story, one that is constantly being written.  But the question is who are you letting write your story?  You can let life happen to you and hope for the best or you can choose to take the pen and write it yourself.  You know... "Own Your Life". 

Now you may not be comfortable with stepping outside of your "comfort zone".  But who made that comfort zone?  Who is the one who put restrictions on what you can and can't do.  More than likely it was you.  We are the ones who choose what we will do when life happens, and it will and does every day.  I know life is not "rainbows and puppies".  But here we go again, back to the cornerstone of what DDP says about life and DDPYoga, "Make it Your Own" and "Live Life at 90%".  Don't let that 10% of life dictate how everything else in your life will be.  YOU are the ONE, the ONE who sets your limits. 

I have had my moments, and some of them I have let dictate what direction my life would go.  But I am the one driving now, why, because I can.  What you see on the surface is still me, but what I am doing on the inside is building a better me, which in turn will make the surface a healthier version.  Every day I get a lil more comfortable, and that's when I have to force myself out of my "Comfort zone". 

So what is on the surface of your life, are you stuck in a "Comfort zone".  You can change anything if you are willing to put in the work.  Sure you may stumble from time to time, you may even fall.  But if you are willing to put in the work you can write your own story.

No matter what's on the SURFACE always know you can find comfort in "Owning Your Life"

Some of the people that have changed their surfaces... DDPYoga transformations and inspirations

Some of the people that are still working on their surfaces...DDPYoga members-under-construction

Dreams to Reality

We all have dreams of what we want or want to be.  Some come to life others just remain dreams.  The difference why some become a reality for some and not for others is the individual and what they did to "make it happen".. 

Dreams take time and they all take effort on our part.  Nothing "just happens", it's not magic that makes things happen.  And for those who believe in magic, well that too takes effort from someone. 

So where does that leave us?  Well you've heard of "vision boards".  Now don't run away, I am not saying to go out and make a "vision board" (unless you want to, and that's OK too) but if you want something or have a goal a destination or a dream, WRITE IT DOWN.  And not in a notebook that can get tucked away.  Somewhere it will be in front of you so you know what and why you are working towards.  It doesn't matter what it is.

·        Health

·        Fitness

·        Finances

·        Organization

·        Things to do

·        Things you want

Yes you are making a "To do list".  You may have a couple of them and there is nothing wrong with that.  If you don't write it down then you will get side tracked and poof it will never happen.  As (yes you know who) DDP says "Ink it, don't just think it".

As long as we are "Always Be Moving Forward" ((ABMF) Slim that one's for you) we will get to where we need and are suppose to be.  Remember not every "Dream" is meant to be a reality, but if you are willing to put in the effort then you can "Make it happen".  But again it rolls back to YOU. 

Now if you're going to use the excuse but I didn't get the opportunity so-and-so got, well that is just an excuse.  If you want it, then YOU need to make it happen.

So what am I working on, well it's no secret, yes I know I am excessively vocal  about DDPYoga, but that is the vehicle that I came across (Thankfully) that is helping me get to where I want and need to be.  But again it is a tool.  DDPyoga does not work by itself, unless I put in the work.  I have made the choice to take ownership and take the responsibility of MY life back.  Where it will go is yet to be determined.  But I am learning more about myself in this journey and that is due to DDPYoga, the people that make up TeamDDPYoga and yes (him again) Diamond Dallas Page.

There is plenty more of me that needs work, and I can "see the forest for the trees".  But I am not missing what is right in front of me, because I am moving forward and Living Life "One Moment One Day" at a time. 

I CAN, I WILL, and I am so there is NO reason I won't...

Turning your dreams into your reality is simple, but it's up to you... all you gotta do is "SMACK DOWN" with DDPYOGA and Diamond Dallas Page

S pecific
M easurable
A chievable goals
C ompatible
K eep it Going

D o it
O wn it
W rite it
N ever Quit

Whatever "it" is, YOU can do it, everything is connected and one thing leads to another. 

So why not start with the beginning...YOU  

  

Modify

So I was thinking about this the other day as I was doing my DDPYoga workout, and yes I was modifying a move.  Well, not really modifying, rather "Making it My Own".  Then as I continued on with my workout (I think I was on my second RHC) my mind went to the other things in my life that I modify, and to the things that I just stopped doing for one excuse or another.

We all have things in our lives that we have to modify to get to where we are going, and there is NOTHING wrong with modifying.  But the problem comes in when we just avoid stuff all together.   Now I am just as guilty as the next person.  There are many things that I have avoided because it was too hard, or I had fallen before and instead of getting back up and trying again, I just turned and avoided it all together.  Is that wrong, no not always.  But what am I missing out on?  Why did I do it, was there a reason or was it just an excuse? 

We make excuses all the time and try to justify them to ourselves as a "good reason".  But who are we really hurting?  Who is the one missing out?  What does it matter? 

Over this past year, as I have been on my DDPYoga journey, I have been reawakening so much inside of me.  Stuff that I had buried away, because I didn't feel like I was worth it.  Now I'm not saying that I ignored life.  I continued with the day to day things, and maintained a good front, you know acting like life was all rainbows and puppies.  But I knew inside I was not happy, but I kept pushing thru.  Doing what needed to be done, staying "professional".  Now I could go back and point to different events that happened or try and "justify" the why.  But that will not accomplish anything.  Just as DDP has said, "acknowledge the negative and focus on the positive", well in this case I will modify that and "make it my own"... acknowledge the past, and focus on the future.

Life is full of modifications, we are always having to adjust and keep working on one thing or another.  The one thing we all need to keep in mind is to "Never Give Up".  And that wraps back around to "Living Life at 90%".  You know that simple little phrase has meant so much to me this last year, and I know that I lean on it, but I don't think that's a bad thing... "That's a GOOD thing".

"React, Adapt, Take action, and Breathe"

So modify what you need to, but keep at it, whatever your "it" is.  And one day you will find you are no longer modifying, you are doing it, "Owning It".

It happens to all of us

We all have those moments, days, weeks.  Where we just don't know which way to turn, or really don't care.  Those moments when we wonder why, is it worth it, does it really matter?  You know those times when we see where we are going but can't figure out how to take that next step even though we have the map right in front of us.

That's the time when what we are doing, or should be doing, matter the most.  That's when we either dig deep and demand greatness out of ourselves, or when we need to reach out for a hand.  There is always a way, but you have to see that you have gotten to that point, and then do something about it.

I know I have not been the same since the spring, hell a lot of my life has not been the same as it was, but life never is, as it is constantly changing.  Life does not stop.

So what to do about it.  There are many different things people call it; "buck up", "dig deep", "cowboy up", "focus", "move on", but there is one that resonates in my head "Own Your Life".  Now I know I have said it before, and we have heard others say it all the time.  Sure it sounds easy, but it takes work.  Just like everything, if you want something you have to work at it.

We all will fall down, and we will get up, but once we get up what you do next is key.  Do you turn and walk away, do you keep going in the same direction, do you go around, over or thru?  That is something only you can decide.  Keep moving forward is something decided by the direction we are going in.  But going back to do the same things we have always done is not forward.  If we never learn from our past we will never move forward.  Everything happens for a reason, a lesson, it is part of who you are and where you are.  But what you do decides where you will go.

Something my mentor/friend-DDP says quite often... "you can't fake gravity", well that holds true to everyday life as well.  We are gonna fall, it will happen, and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  But what we do after the fall will make us stronger or weaker.  Never give up, but also don't make the same missteps that led you

to the fall.

We learn a lot about ourselves when we do fall, but there is more to learn when we pick ourselves back up.

So wherever you are GET UP, someone loves you, and believes in you.

Complacent

We all get to this point at different points of our lives, no matter what it is we are doing.  Whether it's with our day to day activities (or lack of), our family or friends, work, our eating habits, or out workout routines.  We all get to the point where we put everything on cruise control.

Here is the definition of the word from merriam-webster.com, just so we are all clear on this...

com·pla·cent

 adjective \kəm-ˈplā-s^ənt\

: satisfied with how things are and not wanting to change them

:  marked by self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies :  marked by complacency :  self-satisfied <a complacent smile>

Some may even call in laziness, but whatever it is we need to be able to recognize when it happens and do something about it.

It may happen after you have been working really hard and you start to feel a sense of accomplishment, but are you really done?  That is the question you have to ask yourself.  Just because you have made some great leaps, that doesn't mean you're done.

Now have I gotten complacent?  Sure, on many different things, and I know that I need to kick it up again.  Is it my DDPYoga, ya a bit, I can sit here and make excuses for why I slowed down.  But I do not accept excuses, especially from myself.  Life happens all around us every day.  Did I stop, no, did I stumble, ya a bit.  BUT I never stopped moving forward.  Now some other parts of my life I have stopped, and I know I am better than that.  But the key is I have seen it and I am acknowledging it.  Now it's time to do something about the other parts of my life that I have become "Complacent" in.

You know the routine of everyday life.  Don't accept anything less the absolute best.  You wouldn't accept a half cooked meal at a restaurant,  you wouldn't buy one shoe, so why would you be content with where you are, YOU are not FINISHED.

Don't waste the potential you have... Dig deep.

 I DARE you to reach for your inner "DDP" (no not Diamond Dallas Page, though these are three words that describe him pretty well)...

       Drive

       Determination

       Positivity

Remember, ANYTHING is possible, but it all comes down to YOU. 

Have a great Day  and "OWN YOUR LIFE"

A Video update from my DDPYoga MEGA Saturday workout

Building a Foundation

It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from, how old/young you are, how much you weigh, what shape you are in or how much money you have. The only things that really matters is that you;

Believe in You & have a good heart.

If you believe then others will believe, not just by you words or actions but by your heart.
Anything is possible if you are willing to believe that you CAN.

Everything has a foundation, faith, family, friends... 

We are constantly building on our life foundation, and sure there may be a crack in it but as long as we build it strong it can and will withstand anything.   I know what you might be thinking, but what if my foundation is crumbling, or it isn't built on solid ground.  It is NEVER too late to fix it.  Sure maybe the structure that we have built on it may come apart from time to time and we need to rebuild, but that is OK, you are not starting over, as long as you have a good foundation.

Our lives are what we make of them.  The richest of people to the guy on the side of the road with a sign, we all have something to be grateful for and we all can do more, but doing more doesn't mean having more. 

Oh I know, what are you rambling about with this and how in the world does this have anything to do with DDPYoga and your journey.  Well it is part of me rebuilding.  I have a good foundation in my life, it is just the structure that I have built on top of that over the years that is a bit askew.  See everything is interconnected, my foundation is there, and it is part of who I am, all the good and all the bad.  I cannot nor would even attempt to rip it apart, because it is part of me.  But I am strengthening my foundation so that I can build a better structure on it and thankfully I stumbled upon DDPYoga which has led me to so many others.

The little things we do everyday count, and the things we don't do count just as much, sometimes more.  Making good choices and decisions can change your course, and change your structure.  But in the end it all depends on YOU.   

We are the ones building our lives, so Live your life, accept where YOU are, if you don't like something then make a change and build the life that you want.  No one is going to build it for you, but there are plenty of tools to choose from so pick your tools and get to work.

Living your Life at 90% will make a difference and can change your view.  But this is just another tool that you have to decide to pick up and use.

"React, Adapt, Take Action and Breathe"

We all get off track...

So this one is to further one of my FB posts, or what I like to say, "The stuff that bubbles up inside".

Here was my original post, and I will expand on this as it is still bubbling with more to say about it...

Sunday 9/22/13:Sometimes you may feel like you're a bit off track, but as long as you're still moving in the right direction you will get there. You can and will, remember Determination, not desire will drive you to where you are going. #OwnYourLife and everything will fall into place.Diamond Dallas Page's DDPYOGA is a great track to take... #DestinationMe

Now I know we all get off track from time to time, and we even go off course.  But the key is to recognize when we do and be able to get ourselves back "on track".  Sometimes we may need a lil help or even a "nudge" from family or friends.  BUT even the biggest nudge or kick in the ass will not help, until we see that we are off track or completely off course.

So who determines what path you should be on?  When we are young and just finding our way, that is our parents or guardians who set us in a general direction to move in.  But as we learn to find our way it is up to us to "Take the Wheel".  And begin driving our life.  Sure we may end up taking a wrong turn here and there, and we learn from our missteps, or wrong turns, but it's all part of living our lives.

Once we set out on a path, the trick is to keep moving forward, as long as we have a destination in mind.  Sometimes that destination is too far to see right away, that's why we set up stops along the way, sounds like goals, or what I like to call stepping stones along our path.

Now the difference between getting "Off Track" and "Off Course" in my mind is huge.  If you are "off course" you are going in a completely different direction than where you are trying to go.  Sure you may decide to change courses, but that means you have changed your destination.   Now getting "Off Track" you are still moving in the right direction but just not at the same speed/pace as you were before. 

So ya, I have been "Off Course" and I've been "Off Track".  There were times I did not realize I was off course, and needed a lil help in seeing that.  But once I saw what others had seen, I made the correction and started back in the right direction for me.  Remember the biggest influence you have in life is YOU.  You can change where you are and where you are going.  It is up to you to do something about it.  Wishing for it or hoping for something will get nothing accomplished unless YOU take action. 

Now I do go off track from time to time.  But that is all part of the journey.  Life will do it's best to knock you down.  But it's up to you to pick yourself back up.  There are 2 things that remind me of this and how to deal with it: 

·        Diamond Dallas Page's Live life at 90% speech, and another thing he has told me... 

o   "There's Always a way to get to OUR Goals! We just have to Keep Moving Forward Towards them... if you fall... Fall Forward".

·        And yes the Rocky speech in Rocky Balboa.  

o   "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done! Now if you know what you’re worth then go out and get what you’re worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!"

Am I where I thought I would be, nope, but none of us ever are where we thing we would be.  I know I got Off track a bit over the last 5 months, life happened.  But I kept moving in the right direction, not at the same pace I was, but it was still in the right direction, I never gave up.  And I will not give up.  Everything leads to something and if I keep moving in this direction I know there are many great things yet to come.

So the bottom line to today's thought is keep moving forward, we all will fall from time to time, just fall forward, and pick yourself up.  If you need a lil help (we all do from time to time), reach out, there is always a hand out there to help you up.  But you need to make the choice yourself. 

Always be true to yourself, and never underestimate your abilities.  We all have great potential, it's just a difference in what we decide to do with it.

OWN YOUR LIFE  -  LIVE YOUR LIFE

You know where to go...but here it is just in case... www.ddpyoga.com

Choices/Reflections...

OK so this has been stirring in my head, and it has been bothering me.  We all have choices to make, and we all have reflections, I may have mentioned some of this before.  But this one will go where ever it needs or wants to go. 

Everyday we have a choice to make, and our choices have consequences no matter how minute they may seem.  I have made some choices in my past, and I have spent some time reflecting on them.  But something I have come to the conclusion of is that if you spend too much time reflecting on the past you will miss the opportunities that are in front of you.  And that leads me back to choices...

We make the choice to reflect on our past accomplishments and mistakes.  As long as we have learned something from our past we are not destined to relive those mistakes.  OK wait, I don't like the word "mistake", let's call them missteps.  Because everything has a reason to get us to where we are suppose to be, and though it may not be on the "path" we want, it is on the path we chose.  See now I am back over to the path thing.  See everything is interconnected in some way or another.

So let me break this down in steps and see if it all comes together again in the end...

Choices:

Our choices led us in a direction.  We have to be willing to live with every choice we make.  Some may not seem like they would have that much of an effect on anything, but somehow, someway they always end up being part of something bigger.  You know the little things in life sometimes have the greatest impact on our lives.  And then the choices we think are going to be the end all of choices, sometimes when we look back they really weren't that important.  Now I'm not saying one carries more weight than the other, but they all have an impact in our lives.  We just need to recognize that some of our choices can lead us in one direction rather than another... Choose wisely

Reflections:

OK so let me go to the obvious one with this.  What do you see when you look at a reflection?  The same thing, no change just a mirror image of what is there.  That's kinda the same thing we see when we reflect back at something or some time in our life.  There is nothing that can be done about the things or events that happened in the past.  But we can learn from our past.  We can see what worked and what didn't.  But just like the reflection in the mirror, that is just what you are seeing, a view of what is there right there and now.  Can you change what you are looking at right now?  No because at that moment in time that is what you see.  BUT you can always change the reflection you will see in the future.  Remember if you spend too much time looking in the mirror (or rearview mirror) you will miss the opportunities that are right in front of you.

So now we work our way back to our path.  If we don't like the path we are on we CAN change it.  But that is a choice we have to make. We need to be looking forward so we know where we are going and know the path we plan on taking to get there.  We have all traveled many different paths in our lives, some have taken us right where we wanted to be, and some took us to places we never thought we would be.  But we are where we are right here and now because of those choices we made. 

It's never too late to get to where you want to go, just know that you will always end up where you are suppose to be.  Me well, right now I am where I am suppose to be, am I where I thought I would be, no.  Am I where I want to be, not yet.  But I have a plan, and I have my path laid out.  Will I get off track, probably, but That's ok, I may stumble, hell I may even fall from time to time, But that's ok, because I know I can, have and will continue to "Get Back Up Again". 

Just like you I have made choices that led me down my path, I have spent to much time reflecting, But I have put the mirrors away and I am looking forward to MY Life, one that is Owned by my choices and not lived with regrets from my past.

So if you have made it this far in my rambling today, THANKS!  You are part of my life, whether we have met or not, you are part of my past, and part of my future. 

Where we go is unwritten but I know I made a choice just over a year ago that has changed my life.  Where it will take me is unknown at this point, but I know one thing, DDPYoga is a choice I would make all over again, my only regret is that it took me so long to find it.  But I will not regret that, because it came across my path just at the right time.

So no matter where you are OWN YOUR LIFE, own the choices you made and keep movin forward.  Your life will be what YOU make of it.  As a friend has said (DDP)... "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you React, Adapt, Take action, and Breathe". 

Have a GREAT day ... Today & Tomorrow  

      

Why do you do what you do...

So this is something we must ask ourselves, but seldom do.   I know I am just as guilty as the next person.  But again here I go with my thinking too much.

So why do you do whatever it is you are doing?  There are so many things that we do every day it can seem to get a bit overwhelming, if you stop and think about everything that you do.  We know that everything leads to something and everything we do affects something else. 

If we break down the bigger things then sometimes that provides the answers to the other things.  Ya I know it may seem that I am going round and round here, but I will get to where I think I am going with all this.

So I am no doctor or anything like that I am just a guy that has a lot on his mind, and is moving in a direction to where I think I need to be.  Whether that is where I will end up is yet to be seen. 

OK back to the question...

Why do you...

         · Eat             · Work

          · Exercise     · Write

          · Love           · Play

          · Drink          · ETC...

I could go try and go thru each of these but there are many others I am sure of that, but these are just a few that came to mind at this moment.  And I'm not here to analyze each one of them, it's just something for us to think about concerning our own lives.  But there is one common answer to all of them...  For YOU.  We do these things for one reason or another, or we justify them to ourselves for some reason, which may be true or not.  But the bottom line, I think, is that we are doing them to try and feel good about something, ourselves.  I believe that if we feel good about ourselves then that can rub off on those around us.  Remember everything and everyone has an effect on something and someone.  But we have to identify the why's to know where we are going, and what we expect to accomplish.

So here is a little look into my "Why's"

I use to Eat because I was bored, Now I eat real food because I want to be active.  I use to exercise many years ago because I had to, it was part of my job, then I stopped because I didn't think I had time.  Now I do DDPYoga because I enjoy it and I feel good after I do.  I feel like this one needs a bit more, since I began my DDPYoga journey I feel more alive, and it is so much more than just a workout, but the people and the support you get from those who are part of it.    Love, I know that I am loved, and I have loved, and I will again,  but sometimes we forget that and we need a reminder.  Drink, that is something some use as a crutch, again to make us think we feel good, me I am more like a water fountain these days, but I found that I feel better when I am hydrated with the right stuff, water.  I still enjoy a "beverage" from time to time, but it is not out of boredom.  Work, I am always at work, but the work I do is not just part of my job, "Work" is now part of me.  I have learned that "Work" is something that I will always be doing, working on me.  Write, well for me it is a release, I write to remind myself of where I am and where I am going and want to be.  Play, we all need to play and have fun we get busy and stop playing once we grow up, because we "don't have time", that is probably when we need it the most.

So why do I do what I do... I do for me, for my future, for my today, for the people in my life that I love today, tomorrow,  and in the past.  But I am looking forward to the many new chapters of my life that have yet to be written.

Just remember everything you do there is a why, and there will be an effect so choose what you do with a purpose.

Why.... because YOU are worth it.

The road ahead...

So I over think things sometimes I know this and I am OK with it.  But something I have learned this past year is to focus more on the here and now and the road ahead rather than the road I've been on.

This goes in line with DDP's Live life at 90%.  "Focus on the positive, acknowledge the negative".  There is NOTHING that can be done about what you have done in the past or what has happened.  But you can learn from your past and use those things to make a better future.

Oh I need to point out something first before I go on with this...

This is my blog, and a part of the journey that I am on, working towards "Destination Me" with DDPYoga.  Now if you are reading this you are not a follower in this journey.  I consider you a part of my journey. I am not looking to see how many clicks I can get or any of that.  We are all in this together.  What is this?  This is Life.  Not a competition, but a journey to help each other along.  So if any of (what I like to call it) "Stuff from my head", helps you then cool.  If you disagree with it, that's cool too.

OK then back to where I was going (though I may veer off again without warning).

We have all had "Bumps in the road of life", and we have managed to get thru them.  Typically there are no signs to mark them out for us, but sometimes there are things that we ignore that were there to warn us of trouble coming.  Occasionally we are running down a path and we need to change course a bit.  But that is all part of it.  There will always be an obstacle to work thru or around.  As long as we know where we are going and have the discipline we will get there.

Oh but what happens when we lose that "discipline"?  Well we have to pick ourselves back up and start again.  But never just say "I can't", We CAN do many things and usually we are our worst enemies.  We can talk ourselves out of anything.  You may have those in your life that don't want to see you succeed because they may be jealous of what you are accomplishing.   It is up to you to recognize that and know where you are going. 

Make your own map and figure out where you've been, where you are, and where you plan on going.  Will it change, most likely, will it be easy, nope, will it be worth it?  As long as you are doing it for the right reasons and you believe.  But more importantly you have to believe in YOU.

We all have this idea of where we are and where we thought we would be at one point or another.  I have and I even have some of them written down.  Can I check them all off, nope.  Am I overly worried about any of it, nope.  Because instead of looking at what I have yet to accomplish I can look at what I have.  (See I did bring this back around to the beginning.) 

So make your list, your map, whatever, but write it down, and write down the extra things that happen along the way too.  You will be surprised when you see your path and your accomplishments.  BUT again don't dwell on what you've done cause then you may miss out on the things yet to come.  Keep looking forward, keep moving forward.

What you do today WILL change what you can do tomorrow.  So be sure to make today count.