You CAN (and a Video blog)

So ok I have a video blog to go with this one as well.  But sometimes words for me come out better when I write, and I don't like trying to read what I wrote to the video.  So here is a lil add on to my video blog.

YOU CAN.  That is something I have to remind myself of everyday.  Sure I tell myself that "Today is going to be a GREAT DAY, but I also have to remind myself that YOU CAN.  I know that I am my biggest obstacle I will ever face.  And I know in my heart that I can do anything as long as I do the work.  Now that is not limited to my DDPYoga workouts but that is life in general.  There are many things on my to do list in my life that I will accomplish.  I just have to remember not to try and do them all at once.  Because when that attempt is made, typically nothing gets done.

So where does that take me and you?  Back to writing it down.  And writing it down in the computer doesn't count.  You have to see it every day so you know where you are going and know what it is that you are working towards. That is one reason I write on my mirror in my bathroom.  (Dry Erase markers are great for that!)  But I know I have to wipe it away and rewrite it so it sinks in.  Another thing that I am starting this month is a "Goals wall"  I will share that with ya'll later as it progresses, but I think that is going to be awesome for me to really push thru some of them.

Anyways I will keep the writing brief today since there is a video to go with this one.

Have a GREAT DAY and remember, take it "One Moment and One Day at a time and always know that...

YOU CAN!

CY goodness Soup

So I am no chef by any stretch of the word, that is what my brother does for a living.  I'm just a guy that likes to cook.  And that usually entails without a recipe, something I get from my Mom.  But that doesn't mean I don't look at them from time to time and as Dallas says... "make it your own".

I like to keep things simple.  You know quick and easy, without a lot of fuss and very little mess.  You've seen some of my smoothie concocktions.  I will set up a tab in here for the ones that I do document.  I'm a very visual person so a picture is worth a thousand words, but I am also a wordy person, thus the blog.  It's probably because of what I do with graphics and pictures.  10 years as a Navy Photographer will do that.

Anyways... Back to it.  Eating healthy is not difficult, we just like to think it is.  And eatin healthy is NOT expensive, that is a myth that needs to go away!  Sure I could have opened up a can of whatever, nuked it and ate it.  But what was in that 2 dollar can?  Do I really know what I just ate?  Do you know what half of that stuff is?  I know I don't, and I am pretty sure I don't want to Google each item and try to figure out what it is.  Sure I have eaten that stuff for years, just like a bunch of you have.  But this is another part of my journey, my lifestyle with DDPYoga.  Learning about what I am puttin into my body.  I know... get on with it already...

So yes I am a simple/single guy, I like to BBQ, and I like one pot meals.  That may be from Boy Scouts and the Navy, but it's efficient.

Anyways I have done this one several times before and I add and subtract stuff to it.  But this is the base recipe that I use.  If you want to add some GF noodles, maybe some meat or potatoes you can, I have in the past, and it is just as good.  But one thing I have found is don't be afraid to add something to it.  It's your creation, and YOU know what you are puttin in it, and remember.... "Make it your own, Have fun with it".

So here ya go... You can either follow the pictures or the recipe below, but remember you can always wing it!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage
• *Sweet peppers (colorful ones)
• *2 Onions
• 4 Celery stalks
• 4 Carrots 
• 1 Garlic bulb (I like garlic)
• 2 Apples (I used green today)
• Cilantro
• Peppercorns (wrapped in a paper towel)
• Water about 2 quarts or enough to cover

*I personally did not like these items, well I didn't before I cleaned up my diet and stopped eating all the crap I use to.  Now I cook with them all the time.

OK here ya go...hold on cause this gets complicated <---sarcasm

1. Onions, peppers, garlic all get chopped or crushed in the food processor then they get dumped in the pot on pretty high heat and simmer them down.  Probably about 5-8 minutes.
2. While you are simmering that stuff above, get to choppin.
3. Celery first, once you have that chopped up, in the pot it goes.
4. Carrots are next.  Chop them up however you like, I like small circles, then in the pot they go.
5. At this point you may want to add about a quart of water, or you can add some stock I usually keep some "Better than Bouillon" around and use that.  (and yes it is CF organic and GF)
6. Then you need to chop up the cabbage.  Just chop it up and in the pot it goes
7. My secret ingredient... apples.  Ya I know it may sound strange, but it works. Just chop them up into lil bits and in the pot they go, skin and all.
8. Finally I take the peppercorns and pour them into a paper towel, twist it, wet it, twist some more and hang it inside the pot. 
9. Top off with water and let it cook on medium heat for about 4-5 hours, stir it from time to time too.
10. You can add whatever seasonings you like to it, just don't over do it.  I do NOT add any salt to mine. 

This will make a big pot of soup that will last several days.  You can let it cool and can it, or put it in zip lock bags and freeze it.

This is really good for you and tastes really good.

Oh and are you ready for this .... total cost is less than $10

Remember You are worth more than the crap that is in the cans at the grocery store!

Adjust

This is what we do every day, "Adjust".  But what are we really doing if we don't have a plan.  I know whoa.... now what is he ranting about?  Not really a rant, just something's that I have to adjust in my life, just like we all have to do from time to time. 

Now I am talking about adapting, though we have to adapt to life events.  But we also have to be able to adjust as we move forward.  Remember there is no reverse in life, we are always moving forward.  Time keeps on moving, it is up to us what we do with it.

So what brought this on today?  Well we all have events and things in our lives that we either choose to accept, address or try to ignore.  But eventually everything will need to be addressed... it will catch up to you eventually. 

For me I know that I have to write things down, this way I can see where I am and where I am going.  I started making lists a while ago, not really understanding what I was doing.  But now I have a little better understanding.  Not saying I am an expert, because I am far from that.  Just a guy with a lot bubbling around in my head (and sometimes a bit too much).  Anyway, if you write it down you will have a "goal" to reach for.  I like to make what I call "Master Plans".  I have several of them, and they are always having to be adjusted, and that's OK.  You can think about an idea, but eventually something will take its place in your mind.  You know that thing we have heard Dallas say before... "ink it, don't just think it".  Well there is a lot to that.  But you have to be able to make adjustments to your plan from time to time, because life WILL change.

So here are a few Google definitions:

React:  verb respond or behave in a particular way in response to something.

Adapt:  verb make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify.

Adjust:  verb alter or move (something) slightly in order to achieve the desired fit, appearance, or result.

Something they all have in common is they are all verb's, you know things that we do, things that "Take Action"  which means " To act; to act positively and decisively to resolve a problem".

So are we suppose to sit around and let our lives just happen?  Life is full of events for us to act upon.  But if we let one thing get in our way and stop us then we have given up.  We have taken an action by giving up.  We can never give up because life is all about "Taking Action", Reacting, Adapting, and Adjusting as we move forward, in a positively and decisively manor.

There will be moments that you may slow down a bit, and that is OK.  Just don't linger there, take a moment to "Breathe" and then refocus on where you are and keep moving forward.

Make a list today, a plan.  It doesn't have to be a life list.  Start slow and plan out your week, but make it achievable, so that you can accomplish it, and then move on from there.  Just don't be afraid to adjust, it is and will be OK.

Believe in YOU-Live your Life

and

 Live Each Moment 

Restoration

So here we go again... This one actually came to mind the other night after I watched "Fast N' Loud", you know the Gas MonkeyGarage show where they restore or make old cars new again.  You know they make them look all pretty and sparkly and they go faster and run better than they did when they were new.  You know after most of them have been forgotten about for years and neglected.  That's kinda what I'm doing (as you probably are too). 

So I  know you're thinkin he has lost his mind on this one.... but bear with me for a lil bit, I think I can tie this up and make it make sense.

Just like an old car that once was so pretty and ran great so many years ago, I too once was "so pretty and ran great".  But over the years I neglected myself and forgot to take care of ME.  Over the last 18 months I started the restoration process of ME with the tool box of DDPYoga.  It's just like fixin a car, it takes time and effort.  Those cars they fix on TV don't just happen in an hour, they take time, and then as they go they discover lil things that need more attention.  Every once in a while something gets in the way and they get off schedule and the timeline they had gets extended.  Another thing that show has in common with DDPYoga is that it takes a team to rebuild their cars, and that is where TEAMDDPYoga comes in to play.

So what does it take to make me and you all sparkly and new again?  You know so that we feel better, run better, live better?  Well you need to have a plan, you need the proper tools, and you need a team of people.  We will never be what we once were, but we can be better than we were.  It doesn't matter how old we are, some older models need a little bit more work and need a lil more time than the younger models (people).  But we all can be better, healthier, stronger.

What I have learned so far along my restoration process with my tool box of DDPYoga is that it is so much more than just a single tool in the toolbox.  It is a total tool kit.  Not just for my body but for my mind.  You have probably heard DDP say it before, you have to get your mind right.  And the more I work on ME the more my mind gets right.  I know that I have gotten of my schedule, but I have never just parked myself and said forget about it, I'm not worth it.  Life continues to happen all around us and we need to be able to use all the tools in the toolbox.  And yes I am going back to the 2 phrases, what I like to think is the base of the DDPYoga tool kit... "Live Life at 90%" and "Own Your Life".  Without those two I would have given up on ME a long time ago.  But there is one more key piece to the tool kit of DDPYoga...  And that is the TEAM, the support that comes with it.  Just like trying to rebuild that old car, not one person can do it on their own it takes a group of people, a team.  Everyone has different experiences, and someone may know a better way to get thru the rough edges.  But we all work together to make some amazing restorations.  Just look at all the "Sparkly" new models that have already been restored...

  

So no matter where you are at in your restoration process know that whatever you run into you CAN work it out.  You can become better than you once were and be all "Sparkly & New" again, it's just going to take a lil time and effort.  And know that you are not doing this by yourself.

Just like any of the workouts... "Check your ego at the door" and "make it your own".  Every life is different but we all have similar goals.  Know that there are no two restorations that will look the same because we are all different, but we are all the same.

Be Healthy, Happy,

and live a life you are proud of.

Limits

Where do our limits come from?  Yes I know I am starting this one off with a question.  But isn't that where limits begin?  They begin with us questioning our abilities and then that leads us in one of two directions... doubting or forward.

We all think we have limits, I know I have limited myself for many years.  There are those times I have pushed all limits aside and strived forward.  Now I haven't always done that and many rarely push their limits all the time.  It's a matter of knowing when to and when not to.  But not making excuses because you think it may be too hard, or impossible.  And not letting fear get in the way.  

OK... so let me back up a bit.  Who sets the limits on our lives?  Yep another question, but I think that is a good one.  It goes along with our potential.  We all have plenty of potential but we limit it ourselves.  We have no one to blame for not accomplishing what we want or need in life but ourselves.  Some may say they are limited by our environment or society.  But in reality we are the ones who place limits on ourselves with excuses and fears that we create in our own lives.

I have on my mirror many quotes, and sayings, but there are 4 that I say out loud every day,  as a reminder to myself that I CAN accomplish anything.  The biggest hurdle I have, like many of you is myself.

No Excuses

No Limits

Just Results

Today will be GREAT

We all can make an excuse for something, which turns into a limit, which then results into nothing.  But just imagine if we stopped all the excuses, then we wouldn't limit ourselves, and then imagine the results... A "Great Day"

Everyone thinks that they have an excuse for something and we like to justify that into a good reason.  But who are we really trying to justify it too?  Who would really care?  Does it matter?  Someone else can do it, it's not up to me and it's not my problem.

If all we do is sit around and wait for something to happen we have limited ourselves, and then in turn we are limiting others by our non action.  Every action has a reaction, and if everyone just sat around doing nothing, not pushing their own limits then no one would ever move forward.

So I challenge you to push your limits today and everyday in something.  Me I have to get out of my own way because I limit myself with excuses and try to justify them by things that I have let happen to me.  But my world, like yours is only limited by what we believe.  And if we believe and put in the effort ANYTHING is possible, we just have to stop putting limits on our potential.

Make today a GREAT day, and tomorrow even better.  Life will happen around us but we have to remember that life is only 10% what happens and 90% how we "React, Adapt, Take Action, and Breathe".  Yes you have heard this before from DDP, but it is up to you... 

YOU to believe it and live it.

Otherwise you have limited yourself.

Don't limit it, Live it....

OWN IT...

OWN YOUR LIFE

Video update March 5th

A short lil video update from the mat.

We all will stumble from time to time but that doesn't mean we give up, that just means we need to GET UP and keep moving forward.

Remember we fall so we learn how to get up, but we fail when we give up.

So wherever you are in life no matter what is going on GET UP and keep moving forward.

KPL Goodness

OK... Here is a quick one today, and a bit different than my normal bloggin.

Yes this is a recipe... First off you may recognize the ingredients if you happened to watch all of the Shark Tank episode that Diamond Dallas Page was on when he and Steve brought DDPYoga to the tank.  If not you can catch the episode over on abc-Shark Tank he is the third segment.

But I don't want to get side tracked, or give it away if somehow you haven't seen it.  I'll just say it worked out!

Anyways... I caught this lil recipe from one of the other people on the show and thought...uhmmm that's pretty easy, and I will give it a shot.

Well guess what, I did and WOW this is really good.  No water, just 3 ingredients.

I am calling it "KPL Goodness"

Before anyone asks... I will tell you how I made it, (it really is super simple!)

Ingredients:

• 1 Pineapple
• 2 Limes
• 1 bunch of Kale

Now you just peel the pineapple, the 2 limes (I quartered them to make them easier to peel).  Then I cut the ends off of the kale (you can either use half of the bunch or the whole bunch).

And then put it in your blender and blend it all smooth!  I had to blend it a bit and then add more as I made room.

And that is it.  No water, no nothing else.  Just a bunch of GOODNESS!!!

I store what I don't drink right away in glass jars, and I put them in the freezer so I don't loose any of the good stuff.  Then I pull one out the night before and put it in the fridge so it is ready for me in the mornin after I finish my DDPyoga workout.

Food - Don't over complicate it

OK, so this will be a bit different from my normal bloggin.

Today is about food.  Now I don't normally get into this subject, cause I don't think it is really that complicated.  There are many different schools of thought.  And there are many different "Diets"

Now let me clear something up first... I am not on a "diet", you know one of those calorie restricting things or you only eat one food or those packaged food things.  Sure I have tried those in the past and like most everyone, they do not work.  They are not made for a normal everyday life, you know the long term.  I like to eat and I like good food that tastes good.  It's all about eating and being Healthy.

What I am talking about is a way of life diet, I know what your thinkin... he just said he isn't on a "diet".  Well I'm not... but let's look at what the word originated from...

The word diet comes from Old French diete and Medieval Latin dieta meaning "a daily food allowance". The Latin word diaeta and Greek word diaita mean "a way of life, a regimen".

So now that I have gotten that out of the way let's move on...

So sure I have changed the way I eat and changed some of the things that I eat.  You may have seen me post things about GF & DF and Non-GMO (Gluten Free & Dairy Free (cow dairy), Genetically Modified Organism).  And I am more aware of what I eat, do I slip up on occasion, sure, but I do not beat myself up over it.  The only one that I am hurting is myself, and I deal with it and move on and get back to what I know is right and good for me.

So what do I eat?  And why do I choose to do this?  I'm eating real food.  Basically the stuff on the perimeter of the grocery store, most of the stuff in the middle is all processed and has words on it that most of us have no idea what they are, you know the chemicals.  Another source that I go to on the weekends are the local farmers markets, they are typically your best source for real food.  Once I started to eat clean I started to feel better.  I did start DDPYoga the same time, and it is thanks to DDPYoga that I began to really learn about the food I am eating.  So with those combinations my body started to change, and still is.

Now I am not a label, or in a "category" of eaters, but I have found that my choices have slipped into the "Paleo" world, but not completely.  There are TONS of resources out there for you to educated yourself.  I have and continue to learn more and more about the foods I eat and where they come from and how they are grown.  Some things you would be shocked to find out, as I was.  It is just time to open our eyes up so we know what we are putting into our bodies.  But that is a choice for you to make for yourself.  I have made mine and I feel better than I did before . (I have listed some resources at the end of this for you(for me too).

Now I am not one to write recipes, there are plenty of resources out there for that and plenty of people already publishing and republishing them all the time.  And yes my brother is a Chef.  But I like to experiment and try different things and see what happens.  I think I get that from my Mom.  Growing up she was pretty good at wingin it.  But something else Mom always said growin up is to make sure your plate was colorful, the more colors on your plate the better it is.  Sure I will follow a recipe from time to time.  But there is no need to overcomplicate it... It's just food.  And it is meant to fuel your body, not to be a crutch or a blanket.

So educate yourself and learn what you are putting into your body.  if you put the right things in your body, you may get rid of some of the dangerous things we all have ingested for too many years.  Oh and if the place you're getting your food has a drive thru and the food comes in a bag, you may just want to drive on by.  Believe me, I use to be that guy that ate 1-3 meals a day from those places.  And the majority of that food is not real, and will not fix anything in side of you.  But it will clog something and weigh you down as the scale keeps going up.

Ya I know it is starting to get a bit preachy...so I will wrap this one up.  Just know that the food we eat today is not the same food they ate 30-40 years ago, you know the stuff our grandparents ate.

Know what you are eatin, and if you don't know what it's contents are then you probably don't need to be eatin it.

Below are a few sources I use for recipes. and to help educate myself... But look for yourself, the more you learn the better you will be. 

Have a great day... and you know what to do....

Own YOUR Life

The list of links below are just some of the resources that I learn from.  I am not associated with any of these sites, though some are TEAM DDPYoga members and you will recognize them.  I pull from a bunch of different resources to find what works for me.

http://www.staceymorris.com/resources/

http://www.bodyrebooted.com/gluten-free-goodness/

http://blog.timesunion.com/staceymorris/

http://thepaleodiet.com/paleo-diet-recipes/

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/type/gluten-free/

http://glutenfreegirl.com/recipes/

http://101cookbooks.com/gluten_free_recipes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/gluten-free-recipes.html

http://www.food.com/recipes/gluten-free

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20501445,00.html

http://hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/category/gluten-free

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/tag/juicing

http://fitlife.tv/

http://thebananagirl.com/

This is one of the movies you need to watch! (Food Inc)

http://youtu.be/QqQVll-MP3I

Today

So here we go... Sometimes we spend way too much time looking back at yesterday, and worrying about tomorrow that we miss out on Today.

How we start the day and end each day will lead us to tomorrow, or a new Today.  But what we do during our day is sometimes lost because we are to worried about the past.  Something we all need to really work on is to leave the past where it is.  Sure there are lessons we can learn from the past, but if all we are doing is focusing on the yesterdays we will never see what our Today has to offer. 

AND...

Sure we need to look towards the future but we have to be able to see what is in front of us today.  If we aren't so wrapped up looking at yesterday, we end up looking past what is right in front of us today.  Then all we end up doing is planning for tomorrow (which isn't a bad thing) that we never really appreciate what we have today.  And I'm just as guilty of this.  Making plans and having ideas for the future, but never doing anything today to make those plans happen.  We all have these grand ideas but who really makes them happen.  The ones that do are working towards them every day.  And I am willing to bet that they have been written down and mapped out with a plan to get there.  Something has to be done every day to have progress move forward.

Now how does this all tie into DDPYoga, and life in general.  It's like everything else in life, remember everything is connected.  Sure we have all made mistakes in our past, and like Jake says... "My history is not my destiny".  So no matter what has happened in our past don't let that weigh you down and stop you from moving forward and living TODAY.  I know that I have had to re-teach myself that and sure I have to remind myself on some things from time to time.  Since I started DDPYoga I have been changing my life every day.  and the better I feel the better everything else is around me.  Nothing in life is ever perfect, and sure my DDPYoga is not 100% modification free, but with everyday that I do it, I "Make it my own" and I get better and do less modifications.  We have heard Arthurs' quote... "I may not be able to do it today, but that doesn't mean I won't be able to do it tomorrow".  Well you can apply that to anything in life.  We have all made mistakes in our past.  It doesn't have to define who we are today and what we are working towards for our future. 

We need to look at what we are doing Today so that we can have a better tomorrow.

So... Know where you are Today, remember where you've been, and don't overlook today by looking too far in the future.  You have right now to make a change, what you do TODAY will affect your tomorrow, but will do nothing for your past. 

Remember Live your Life, "One Moment One Day" at a time, be kind to yourself, be kind to the people you come across, and never....NEVER GIVE UP! 

It's YOUR life and you CAN make it what you want it to be.  It's up to you to choose to...

OWN YOUR LIFE

TODAY

What drives YOU

Here we go, the bubbles seemed to be revved up!!  I know that was silly, but oh well.

So that is the question today... What is it that drives you.  Without having something to work towards then what are we doing?  This applies to everything we do in life.  But we need to find our reason.  And sometimes that may seem to be difficult, but that's only because we make it that way.

It doesn't matter what you want out of your life there is something, some reason we do what we do.  There always is.  The trick here is figuring out what our reason is and either give it some gas, or dump it.  Yep there are some things in life that we just need to dump because they are not taking us down the right path.  That is where we need to be able to recognize those that are driving us down the wrong path.  We like to use those reasons to drive us down instead of up.  We all have them and we use them to try and justify why we do some of the things we do.  Now to flip the coin, there are some reasons that we do things that better ourselves.  What I have come to realize is that everything in life will drive us one way or the other.  We sometimes just sit back and go for the ride instead of taking the wheel and choose which way we are going to go.  You know that lil phrase applies here to... "Own Your Life".

It is up to us to figure out what our driving factors are.  We need to take responsibility for where we are and where we have been.  The places that we have been, where they places that we choose to go, or did we just let life happen and let circumstances dictate where we would end up.  And yes I am going to go back around to this one to... "Live Life at 90%"  Life truly is only 10% what happens and the rest is up to us.  How did we React, Adapt, Take Action, and Breathe during those "Life events"?  What was it that got us to those points?  Were we the ones driving down that path or were we sitting back and just going along for the ride?

Me, well I have to admit I have been both the driver and passenger in my life.  Not everything has worked out they way I had thought it would so far.  I can say that I have looked back, and I am the one responsible for where I am at today.  And that's OK, because I know where I am today, and I can see the direction that I am going.  Why, because I have taken the wheel and I am now the one driving.  Now that's not to say I won't slide over and let someone else drive from time to time.  We all need a lil help from time to time.  But when I do slide over it will be a choice.  We cannot do this thing called life alone. 

What are some of my driving forces?  What are your driving forces?  Everyone's will be a lil different, and some will be the same.  We need to choose what drives us in the direction that we want to go.  For me I have multiple things that I am working on, some of my reasons may overlap and some may be different, but they all have one thing in common.  That is me, I know... what are you rambling about now.    For me everything starts and end with me.  I am the one responsible for my life and where it goes.  If I want to healthier, that is up to me and what I do, don't do, and what I choose to fuel my body with.   If I want to be successful in whatever I choose to do, then that depends on me, what I choose to do, don't do and how I position myself in what I am working to succeed at.  And I could go on and on, but you get the point. 

If we look at what we perceive to be a success of others, they all have something that drives them to get to where they are...  Is it impossible for others to achieve what they want to accomplish, NO.  Anything is possible, it all depends on if we are willing to put in the work and take control of our lives and get to where we want to be.  

Sure this has to do with my experiences that I have had along my DDPYoga journey.  But if it wasn't for me stumbling on the Arthur video about 18 months ago when I had had enough, and I had gotten mad at myself and realized I need to make change.  That was the first step.  I took control and I decided it was time for me to start driving my life.  I had sat back and waited for something to change and nothing was changing, well let me take that back, everything was changing, but in the wrong direction.   I was not happy with myself and where I was in my life.  And today life is better, and I see it getting better every day.  So everything is connected in some way and it does all come back to me (you).

Whatever it is you want in life, it is up to you to make it happen.

If I can, then you can too.

Live your life, OWN YOUR LIFE

One Moment, One Day at a time

Challenges

So let's get this one started.  Before I get to deep into this one... I know that have been a bit quiet for about 2 weeks on my blog.  And yes I have stuff to deal with just like everyone else.  And this blog is just a reflection of what is on my mind and motivation to help me push thru, you know reminders.  I express myself better in writing, and I enjoy it.  It's like a release for me.  But on the other side of it, I know that I'm not the only person that is going thru life's challenges.  So if some of this helps you along the way you are welcome to share the bubbles that I come up with if you think it may help .  We are all traveling thru this world together, and we are meant to help each other along the way.

So what have I been doing for the last 2 weeks?  Aside from my daily bubbles that I post on FB, reminders for myself.  I have been on the shelf with my DDPYoga, but I did start back up Wednesday this week.  Why, well I woke up 2 weeks ago and I had severe pain in my shoulders and my neck to the point it hurt to move.  Now I want to assure you I did not injure myself while doing DDPYoga.  I think it was a combination of other stuff I had been doing.  But anyways it has gotten better but I'm taking it slow.  I don't like to post about my aches and pains, because we all have them,  But anyways I will continue to move forward.

Now let's get back on today's subject "Challenges"...

We all have come across life's challenges and we will come across them again, it's just part of it.  But it is what we do with them when we come across them that will either make us better, or we let them take over.  The trick is figuring out how we are going to navigate them.

Sure we have some physical challenges, but if you stop and think about it those can be overcome, it is up to us to put in the work.   Take a look at the many examples of what others have accomplished physically, the only way they were able to do that was they decided that they were not going to be limited.  It was a choice that they made and they did it.  So it is possible, anything is.

I know there are many different challenges, we all face them and some may be similar, and some may be different.  Whether they are mental, emotional, physical, financial, relationships  or whatever other type you can think of .  The bottom line is we can overcome and accomplish anything, but it all begins with us.  If it is assistance we need, it is up to us to reach out and ask for it.  We all need help from time to time.  We like to let a lil thing called pride get in our way.  Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to ask for help.  Believe me I understand that one all too well.  But if that is what it takes to move past a challenge you are facing then again it comes back to you.  Remember there is no shame in asking when you are already trying.

So no matter what the challenge is, no matter what the goal is write it down and figure out how you are going to get there.  I recently looked back at what I like to call "My Master Plan" from 2008.  And I did accomplish the majority of them that I wrote down for that year.  But I have also learned something from that plan.  I accomplished all but the last one on the list.  What did I learn??  Order is important!  And though I may have accomplished 5 out 6 (which is pretty good), I let myself get sidetracked and hung up on other stuff.  And I let other things slip thru the cracks, like my health.  Well now that I have learned and understand another lesson, now I know.  And yep it rolls back to what mine (and some of yours) yogi, sensei, friend, etc (Diamond Dallas Page) has taught us.

S  pecific                 D o it
 M easurable             O wn it
  A chievable goals     W rite it
   C ompatible               N ever Quit
    K eep it Going

It really does apply to everything in life that we are working on. 

And I know I have said it before and there is a good chance I will say it again, more for a reminder for myself, even though I have it written down on my big board in the living room.

So let me wrap up this overflowing batch of bubbles today.  We know we will have challenges, but we also know that they are placed in front of us to make us better.  So either we let them knock us down or we face them head on and accomplish them because we know we CAN.

Remember what the word means, and never limit what you do, because we all can do so much more than we think.

chal·lenge

noun

1.a call or summons to engage in any contest, as of skill, strength, etc.

2.something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.:Space exploration offers a challenge to humankind.

3.a call to fight, as a battle, a duel, etc.

4.a demand to explain, justify, etc.: a challenge to the treasurer to itemize expenditures.

5.difficulty in a job or undertaking that is stimulating to one engaged in it.

verb (used with object), chal·lenged, chal·leng·ing.

11.to summon to a contest of skill, strength, etc.

12.to take exception to; call in question: to challenge the wisdom of a procedure.

13.to demand as something due or rightful.

14.Military . to halt and demand identification or countersign from.

15.Law. to take formal exception to (a juror or jury).

verb (used without object), chal·lenged, chal·leng·ing.

21.to make or issue a challenge.

22.Hunting. (of hounds) to cry or give tongue on picking up the scent.

adjective

23.donated or given by a private, corporate, or government benefactor on condition that the recipientraise an additional specified amount from the public: a challenge grant.

Source Dictionary.com

What are you afraid of?

That is a question we all have to ask ourselves.  I know I do.  This one starting brewing inside of me this week as I started to clear the clutter I had let build up over the last year.  But in reality after I really started thinking about it, it has been building for many years.

So ok back to the question...

What is it that we are afraid of?  Are we afraid of failure, getting hurt, success?

This is gonna be applicable to everything.  Not just DDPYoga, but life in general.  Sure a lot of my thoughts are inspired from DDPYoga, but I've had this over thinking thing going on for a long time.  In the last year I have just began figuring out where it all fits.  So let's get on with it...

Failure

Sure we all have a fear of failure, as we have more than likely failed at doing something one time or another.  BUT what did we do after we failed?  Did you just give up or did you try again and keep working at it until you succeeded?  Failure is something we learn over time, but if you just give up then it is a failure.  Remember the lil phrase we have all heard... "It's not how many times we get knocked down but how many times we get back up that counts".  Failure is how we learn, how we get better.  Most of us don't remember learning how to walk, but we all fell down when we first started, but with practice we learned how and we got stronger.  That alone should show you that you can do anything.  The only failures we have in life are the ones that we choose to give up on.

Getting hurt

So ya, we are going to get hurt from time to time, whether it is physically or emotionally, it is going to happen.  But here again is where we need to learn from it.  What did we do, what did we not do.  We cannot point fingers and try to blame someone else, or some situation.  We were involved so we need to take ownership of the situation and move forward.  Think of it as another lesson in life.  Brush yourself off and move forward.  I know some hurts take time, trust me just like you I have been there to, we all have.  These are part of our life experiences.  It is up to us if we will let them define who we are.  We can either let them fester inside or we can use them and do something positive with that hurt.  But we cannot be afraid of getting hurt.  Remember (yes I am gonna quote this one again too...) "Life is 10% what happens and 90% how we... React, Adapt, Take Action, and Breathe" -DDP.

Success

Yep I am going to this one.  Some of us are afraid of success.  Now I know your thinking... WHAT?  Let me explain and maybe it might apply to you and sure I have been guilty of this one too.  We may start something and we are doing well at it.  Then we get nervous about the attention and we sabotage ourselves.  Everything we do there is always something we can do to make it better, do a lil more.  We are meant to be successful.  It is up to us to find our path in what we are meant to do.  But we cannot limit ourselves and that is where we trip ourselves up as we are moving along our life path.  We get going and then we notice that we are moving ahead of the pack and we choose to slow down.  Or here is another one, and I know I am guilty of this one.  We get complacent, others start seeing that you are doing well and having success in whatever it is you are doing.  Then you (me included) listen to much to what others are saying and you slow down or you just stop.  You feel good about what you have done.  But are you done?  Have you completed what you set out to accomplish?  Probably not, remember life does not have a finish line.  Well ya I know it does but once you reach that point you are done.  But until that day comes we have plenty to accomplish.  Plenty we can be successful at.

So time for me to but a bow on this one.  Life is full of challenges, we cannot go through life being afraid of what might or might not happen.  We are the ones who will create the fear in our lives.  It is up to us to make the choice to Own Our Lives.

Remember everything is connected in life.  Health & Fitness (mental and physical), family, love, work, etc... 

It's up to us to get out of our own way and accomplish great things.

Having a vision

Sometimes we can see where we are going and there are times we have no clue where we are going.  Being able to have a vision and know where we are going is key.

So let me explain where this might go today.  We all have dreams and those are fine, I am not saying to stop dreaming.  But for those dreams to become a reality we need to be able to see the end result.  Sure things may not work out the way we envision, but that's ok.  Our vision got us further than if we just sat back and watched.

Nothing happens without action.  And action without a result insight, well that's just be an accident or a waste of time.  Remember when we were kids, we had dreams, and we lived with no fear.  We believed we could do anything, and we would try just about anything.  And now that we are grown we let fear in and cloud our vision.  I know we have "responsibilities", but our biggest responsibility we have is to ourselves.  Because if we are not taking care of ourselves, then we are letting those around us down, and no one wants to do that.

Everything we do comes with a cost and a consequence.  It is up to us to weigh them, to decide is it worth it.  We have to be able to see ourselves at the end to make it there.  But to make it there we have to have a plan.  And where does that plan start?  It has to start with you.  We need to be able to see ourselves there in that spot.   Whatever that spot is, if you can see it YOU can make it happen.

 

What visions do you see for yourself?  Where do you want to go?  What is it that you want to do?  Those are questions only you can answer and YOU are the only one that either make them happen or leave them as dreams. 

We all have "Hopes and Dreams", we all have the ability to make them happen.  But we have to have the vision, the commitment to ourselves to make them a reality.

Are you going to wait for life to just happen or are you going to make it happen?  The choice is yours, life can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it.  But the results will be what you make it.

OWN YOUR LIFE

You only get one

 See yourself living it and make it happen

Prove it to?

So everyone is out to prove something.  But many don't really know who they are trying to "Prove it to".
Who are you trying to impress?  A better question is why?

So here we go, well this is where I am going and you are welcome to come along this lil journey today...

Everyone seems to have something to prove, something that you want to show the world that you can do or that you can accomplish.  But we don't have anything to prove to anyone.  Ya I know some will differ with me, and that's OK.  We have to know why we are doing something for it to be effective.  We need to believe in our hearts that what we are doing we are doing for the right reason, and we need to know where we are going with it.  But most importantly we need, no we MUST believe that we can do it.  Not to prove anyone else right or wrong, but to prove to ourselves that we CAN.  If you don't believe that you can then you will never convince anyone else. 

What we tell ourselves, and what we think is what we will become.  If we constantly tell ourselves that we "can't", well then we never will.  So how will you change that?  You need to prove to yourself that you CAN.  You have to believe that you can, and you need to do it.  What is it?  Well that's up to you.  But you need to be able to see where you are going, where you want to get to.  Whether that is financially, emotionally, physically, it doesn't matter.  It is up to you to prove it to yourself first.  But you have to believe, you have to be able to see where you are going, you have to have a plan.

There are many accomplishments by others but they are not watching others do great things, they are DOING.  Are they busy worrying about what others are doing or saying?  Are they worried about trying to "Prove it" to others?  Probably not, they have set a goal for themselves and they are proving to themselves that they CAN.

YOU are the most important person to prove something to.  Look in the mirror who do you see?  The only one person that is looking back at you is you.  Prove it to yourself first, then the world will see what you have done.  But remember your life is yours and yours alone.  We cannot expect anything from anyone, but we should expect everything from ourselves.  We are the ones that make the decisions in our lives that can change our life every day.

Whatever it is that you are doing, do it to prove it to yourself first, then others will see what you have done. 

Remember you are the one, the one that CAN.

Your path

So ok we know that I just came back from the DDPYoga workshop this past weekend.  And ya'll know how I feel about the workshops, yes they are awesome.  BUT... It's a good time to toss out a reminder for others, and myself.

Photo Courtesy of the awesome skills of Mr David Orth

I know there are some out there that think oh I would love to do a workshop but I'm just not ready, or I don't think I could keep up.

For those folks that think that... STOP!  Why do I say that, well because it is not a competition.  DDPYoga is not a competition, everyone is on their own journey.  We are all there to support each other.   That is what TEAM DDPYoga is all about.  The amazing support that is the backbone of DDPYoga.  Some may lean on it, some may ignore it and try to go it alone.  But it is the FAMILY of DDPYoga, the TEAM that makes it so different than anything else you will ever do.  It's not just about your journey, but at its core is the essence of "Pay it forward".  Helping others that may be at a point that you have been or are at.

This  workshop, just as all the others I have attended, there are always new folks there and there are veterans.  But everyone there is very supportive.  Until you experience and see it for yourself you will not understand.  Someone mentioned that they get overwhelmed by the out pouring of support they got when they first joined but they weren't sure if it was real.  Well until you look behind the clear curtain and see what you thought you saw was there , then you will know it really is real.  But just like life you will get out what you put in.  Your path will be what you make it.  Life is so much more enjoyable and you will get so much farther if you're not trying to walk it alone.

Then there are those who think well I'm not as far along as so and so, so I don't measure up.

Again I say STOP!  Sure there are some amazing successes out there, people who have done tremendous work on their path.  BUT that was their path, not yours.  Remember no two paths are ever the same.  Sure they may have some similar bumps and triumphs.  But each one is different. 

Your life is yours.  It is made up of a collection of events and actions.  The moment you STOP comparing and start living is when you will free yourself to your life.  Sure we are all brought up competing on some level, but we lose sight of the difference of the game and life.  What are you really comparing?  Typically we are comparing our worst to someone else's best.  And what we see is what we assume is perfect, and we all know what the word assume translates to...

If you are busy comparing your life to someone else's then you are doing nothing but wasting energy focusing on others, which could be better spent on your own life.

We all have a path to take and though they may seem similar they are all unique.  We have choices along our path, and it is up to us to choose which choices we will make along the way .  Right or wrong they are ours to choose and thus we have to learn to live with the consequences, good, bad, or indifferent.  But we also have the opportunity to make corrections along our path. 

So...

• Keep your head up (so you can see where you are going).
• Never quit, Never Give up.
• Pay attention to YOUR Life
• Know that no matter what you CAN as long as you are willing to put forth the effort.
• Nothing ever happened all at once, everything takes time.
• When you do fall, because you will (I do), GET UP and keep going.