adaptation, Beliefs, courage, dreams, Energy, faith, Goals, hope, Imagination, life, long-term perspective, mind, perseverance, respect, time, you

Why Not?

Relaxed.

I love my children.

I love spending as much time as I can with each of them – Olivia and Zachary. I am very fortunate that in this phase of my life I am able to do just that.

Give them my time – my life. Just like other dads do, too.

Olivia, Zachary and I love doing many activities together. Building things using leggos is one such activity. My son teams up with me and we construct, bust down, re-build and re-construct the best castles we can dream up with the limited pieces of leggo pieces we have. Olivia is a champion builder now. Better than me already. They both are. She’s so good, that her constructions are very elaborate and above all – ‘stable’. That’s her thing – it has to be stable.

“Dad, she says, a castle is better to be stable than just pretty, aye dad?”

“Uhumm … yep, to some extent, that is true. You don’t want strong winds to blow it away now, do we? Like most important things in life, we need strong foundations. We all need to have our rocks in life.”

I try my best to encourage them to use their imagination and play ‘pretend’ games. Even though there is a limit to how many leggos they have, each time we build, they create something new. No creation is ever the same.

And when run out of leggo pieces, my daughter asks what else. I say lets pretend even more. Olivia gets so excited and so does Zachary. I start it off by saying ..

“Just pretend … that your castle has wings …. Large wings and it can fly …. Fly up in the sky and the wings are so large that the castle can take us all in it .. and …

My daughter interrupts me and then asks “But dad, castles can’t have wings, can they?”

I thought about what she said and I wanted to tell her the truth but I thought that a little un-truth, a little lie would be the best thing for her and her brother right now. I wanted them to continue their ‘make-belief’ world. Heck, if I had one wish I would want their ‘pretend world’ to not come to an end.

Let them run wild and far with their imagination. Keep dreaming. See what they come up with. Encourage them to ‘see’ what others cannot, what I can’t.

With no restraints. No rules. Their world where anything is possible. Where castles have wings … large wings. Enough to carry mum and dad and them away in to the skies. Forever.

I told her that her castle can have wings. Anything she wanted would be given to her. Any power she wanted. Anything she imagined, no matter how ridiculous it may be, would be granted. There were no rules. No one to tell her what could and could not be done. She was the boss. The creator.

Olivia stopped me again and said: “but dad, castles can’t have wings?”

I told her “why not, Olivia. Why can’t Castle’s have wings? I told her not to just ask “Why?” but also consider “Why not?” and then her story-telling of her make-belief world started flying. She imagined all sorts of things. All sorts of possibilities. I was in heaven just listening. Listening to their debates. Their possibilities.

Wow, I enjoy the storytelling my kids share with me!

She didn’t argue with my lie. Only I knew, that I lied. A lie that castles had wings.

But that lie was enough for her to continue her dreaming, her storytelling. Her ‘pretend-world’. I thought telling her a little lie was better than telling her the truth. She will eventually find out the truth but in her time. In her time.

They can find out other little small lies society tells them as they journey through their lives. But, in their time. Things like Santa Clause. Like the Tooth Fairy. Like the Easter Bunny.

These little lies (and there are many in life) are important to every child. Every person who was once a child. It encourages their imagination to run wild. It gets them to question possibilities. It gets them to not just ask “why?” but instead to also ask “why not?”.

Why not? Why not create a castle with wings? Why not travel to the moon? Why not be a better you? Why not make a more fuel-efficient car? Why not choose to eat a healthier meal option just because you respect and love yourself a little bit more today than you did yesterday? Why not go to sleep early tonight and say no to a ‘big night out”? Why not strive to be a better person from this hour forth? Why not make time to go to the gym at least twice a week? Why not take care of your beautiful self better?

Why not, not why?

Look back at your life. The way I see it, it seems that up until six years old, we get lots of encouragement. But by the time we reach our teens, we get discouragement from everyone and everything we experience in life. By the time most of us kids get to working life, young adults appear to have been drained of courage and have lost most of their enthusiasm – that sparkle that allows a person to choose to adopt positive thinking everyday.

Why?

I believe one of the reasons is that not enough of us humans are asking ourselves “why not?”. A lot of people have lost belief in striving for a better life. A better self. They have lost belief in themselves. Enthusiasm and courage has been sucked out of them.

Also, partly because they’ve stopped asking themselves “why not?”

Its not too late people. Its not too late to do something about it. Its not too late to try to lose ten or so kilos. Why not? Its never too late to start dreaming again. Its never too late to start believing in yourself again. Why not try harder? Why not keep going? I’ve seen it with the very old and the young alike. That is the only thing that gives you hope:

Believing in a dream … make it your dream … to believe in the question of telling you and asking yourself the question of “why not” …. Be your BEST you can be – for yourself and … while you’re on a roll, why not be the BEST YOU CAN BE for others too!”.

Don’t wait for the perfect moment when all is safe and assured. It may never arrive. Mountains will not be climbed. Walking on the moon may never have happened. Don’t allow fear to make you quit. Never quit on life. You’ve got to win over yourself. Never settle for defeat. Never stop striving to being the best you can be, in every sense of the word.

Have you hitched your wagon to a star? Why not?

It seems that there is a philosophical movement that exists that associates drive and initiative solely with materialistic power and gain. There appears to be an ever-growing obsession focused on the accumulation of non-essential personal possessions.

This should not be confused, I think, with personal achievement and the pursuit of individual excellence. Disregarding all material gain, I believe there is a pure personal pleasure which comes from achieving the difficult or the unusual. Whatever it is that it is.

The magic rests in everyone of us. Yes, it rests in you too. The enduring power that has moved you and will move you, again, comes from inside. Yes, inside you.

Success is not just reserved for the talented. It is not in the high I.Q. Not in the gifted birth. Not in the best equipment and technology. Not even in ability.

Success in anything, I believe is hugely dependent upon drive, focus and persistence. The extra energy required to make an extra effort – to go the ‘extra mile’ – to try another approach – to ask ‘why not” do something a little bit different, a little bit smarter – to concentrate on the desired outcome – is, I believe, the secret to achievement. To win, in your unique journey through life.

The magic is this: ATTITUDE.

A wise man once said: “Its your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude in life”.

Apply. Adapt accordingly.

See how the next four decades pan out for you. Choose well.

And when you start dreaming again, you might as well dream BIG. It takes the same amount of focus!

As another wise person once said: “Make no little plans: they have no magic to stir your blood to action – instead make big plans, aim high in work and hope.”

Ask yourself – “Why not?”

Until next time,

Beliefs, courage, faith, life, respect, truths, you

Building-blocks of Character.

Front double biceps pose.

Building-blocks of muscles: adequate protein.

How do we develop character?

Have you asked yourself that question? Are you a man or woman of character? How did you get that way?

Well, it’s a question I have thought about since being quite sick this past week. As I see it, most of a person’s character is built or developed in their childhood years. It’s the result of values and principles learned from parents or from family members and other influential people early in life. This got me thinking about the importance of my role as a dad, for all parents out there and the importance of their roles.

Got me thinking about our kids. About the importance of our roles and those who coach kids and the impact it can have on their character building. The role a parent or parent-substitute plays in a child’s life is probably the most important role that person will ever play in their short lives. A big call, I know.

We build or develop character by over-coming obstacles and going through adversity. Through suffering. We all have in our own ways, to get us this far in life. Congratulations!

In many fields, mentors and coaches all talk about losing or having a losing year as being “character building” season. Some coaches get a chance to prove this mantra in the following year. Some, however, get the chop before realising the winning spirit. Very sad indeed.

Learning to accept a loss or losses and failure and using that to strengthen resolve is what its all about.

In the bible, I think it was the apostle Paul that states something to the effect that “ …. Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”. How true this is.

However, when all is said and done, most of our character is established in our childhood years. Adversity and challenges can help add building blocks to it. Coaches can help mold it. But, I believe in our adult years, the only thing that can radically change a person’s basic character is a relationship with a higher force.

A God.

In Christianity, in my faith, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ. In other faiths, there are other relationships. Re-connect with yours.

Its never too late to character build and re-build. Get your hands dirty with the raw materials. Don’t be afraid of a little suffering. Find your master. Build a relationship with this devine being.

Become a master-builder and build your blocks of character (values and principles), with this higher-force’s help.

Re-build: YOU.

Until next time,

Beliefs, Energy, hope, life, long-term perspective, perseverance, respect, time, you

The right to be happy is not always right.

The right to be happy is a growing trend in today’s society and I believe it will continue to grow to unprecedented levels.

Its everywhere, lack of commitment, that is – in marriage, business, politics and even in sport. Marriages fall apart at the first sign of trouble and conflict. Business partners end relationships when they can’t see eye-to-eye on a particular deal. In business, companies seem to be only too keen to make people redundant and employees are not afraid to move on to ‘greener pastures’ if it is convenient for them. Existing contracts and commitments made null and void. Fair enough.

Contracts are put in the bin and not honored. Politics – well just see the endless mockery of the leaders of this country playing their roles they had been elected to.

You see lack of commitment played out in the public arena in sports: rugby players ending their contract early or clubs ending the coaching contract for coaches because of short-term lack-lustre on-field performances of their teams. Examples are everywhere around us.

Commitment seems to be very cheap these days.

You hear a professional sports star signing a multi-million dollar multiple year contract and then want to pull out of the team in year 3 say, because clubs won’t renegotiate his contract. Why does he want to renegotiate? Because some other person has signed a new contract a little more than his? He wants to renegotiate because his contract is no longer personally convenient? So, he refuses to keep his commitment until he gets his way. Players won’t be able to give 100 percent on the field if he doesn’t get his contract renegotiated. They are getting $500,000 a year, can you really blame them?

There is a commitment phobia endemic in our societies. People are afraid to commit to anything. People are quick to break promises without remorse; functions are attended but not experienced; hopes are dreamed but not put in to action; words of support are voiced but no support is rendered when needed in time of action.

There is no commitment to gym memberships, no commitment to friendships, no commitment to sporting clubs, no commitment to political parties, no commitment to the community, no commitment to a cause, no commitment to the country they live in and no commitment to the human race.

Well, I have news for everyone – commitment matters! This is the way to success in almost all areas in life. Whether it be your goal of body transformation, or completion of a qualification or a football player’s success or your career longevity in you place of employment or your relationships with family and friends.

Commitment matters. Commitment matters with everything, with every goal that is worthwhile achieving.

What about marriage? If ever a person says after celebrating his/her 50^th anniversary, that he and his wife never had a serious fight or argument, then either they are just blatantly lying or they had a very boring relationship! You will experience what I call a ‘flat tire’ in your relationship more than once in your marriage. This would likely apply to most long-term relationships. Just like travelling with a flat tire is uncomfortable and bumpy experience for everyone in the vehicle, so will the marriage be during this period.

The ‘flat tire’ represents periods of conflict and disagreement. These periods test your resolve to commitment. Periods of genuine unhappiness. These will be periods of emotional blandness when you cannot generate anything but a yawn for one another. That’s life, as they say!

Do you think that commitment matters then? You bet it does!

What will you do when unexpected hurricanes blow through your home or you’re your sails on your ship in life has holes in them? Will you give up on your marriage, pack it in and go home to mama and dada? Will you give up and throw in the towel because you’re inconvenienced? Or will your commitment hold you steady? Hold your ship steady?

Here’s what you should do: set your jaw and clench your fists for a fight. Nothing short of death must ever be permitted to come between you and your partner. Nothing! That can be said for your commitment in any long-term contract. Your word is your commitment. You fight to keep your word, even if sometimes, fulfilling it makes you a little unhappy.

Don’t give up on your commitment just because it becomes a little inconvenient. Someone wise once said “ there is a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons and reasons that sound good”. Don’t follow what our society teaches us at the moment, that only one commitment sounds good: the right to be happy …

Children that see adults committed in their relationships – friendships, marriages etc, will have a special advantage when they are older. They will have an intuitive understanding that his/her commitment, for example, in marriage is NOT a right to be happy. It is the right to play a role of husband/wife to the best of their ability. It is a right to demonstrate willingness to be responsible.

Even when it is inconvenient and makes you feel uneasy. Even when it means he or she sacrifices his personal happiness.

Commitment matters. Stick to yours. Value loyalty. Play all your roles in life to the best of your ability, especially during periods of extreme discomfort.

This is when you grow the most and truly succeed in the art of life.

Until next time,

awareness, balance, better choices, body, Body shape, creation, decisions, Energy, Fitness, Goals, good posture, life, long-term perspective, long-term strategy, muscles, planning, Strength training, truths, workout, you, your life

So, what is “Light Weight” anyway?

Back Double Biceps - few days out from the Australian Natural Bodybuilding Championships Result: 2nd in Australia.

“Back Double Biceps” under the watchful eyes of my coach at that time (2 x Australian Champion, Mr John Daniels) – few days out from the Australian Natural Bodybuilding Championships
Result: 2nd in Australia.

If you’re familiar with bodybuilding and bodybuilding history, there is a former Mr Olympia (one of only 13 men who have won the best-built body title in the world over the last 50 years), that made the phrase “Light Weight” part of gym lingo and folklore.

He was none other than Ronnie “The King” Coleman. An eight-time Mr Olympia, beating Arnold Schwarzenegger who won it seven times. Phenomenal achievement!

So, what he considered “Light Weight” would be someone else’s heavy (actually, it would be 99.9% of all gym goers definition of “extremely heavy”). This is what I am talking about here today.

I have heard many people ask the question “what weight should I use?” It really is a very individual thing. What may be less heavy for someone, may be too heavy for others. If you’re unsure of what weight to use, it may be wise to do a little “pre-exercise” planning.

Now, what I am going to explain below may be considered by many to be ‘quite obvious’ but for some, it may not be so. Here’s what I mean, for a beginner:

Steps before lifting weights –

Start with the bare minimum, in terms of poundage (leave your ego at the door)
Progressively increase weight with each set of the exercise
Stop when you reach a poundage that allows you to strictly perform the exercise within the required number of repetitions.

For example, some of the basic gym tools:

Dumbells.

Start with 1lb dumbbells and work you way up incrementally – either 1lb or 2lb increments
Where the increments switch to 5lb increments, apply steps above accordingly.

Barbells.

Start with just the bar (no weight added). A standard weight bar could weigh anywhere between 5kg and 9kg. An Olympic bar would weigh 20kg (~ 45lbs).
Once the bar feels too light, start adding 2 ½ lb plates on both ends.
Increase weight incrementally by 5 pounds.

Medicine balls.

Start with the lightest (once again, leave your ego at the door). It may be 2 or 2.2lbs.
Once you feel strong enough to move up, do so. Keep in mind, however, that medicine balls typically increase in 2-pound increments ( 6 to 6.6 lbs, 4 to 4.4 lbs etc).

So, there you go.

Figure out how much time of your 86,400 seconds each day you can devote to a work-out (hopefully a minimum of 3,600 seconds twice a week). Find a results-specific workout type you would like to put your body (and mind) through and then just do it!

Don’t be afraid of the gym. You don’t need a degree in exercise physiology. If you’ve ever resented anyone for their physique, you can stop now. I want to let you know that sometimes the bodies that have earned your exercise envy may not be more committed to working out than you are.

It’s just that they’re smarter when it comes to HOW they work out.

Now it’s your turn.

There is no secret to getting in great shape. It is not how much time you spend exercising (there is a bare minimum though for every goal) but it is taking the time to exercising properly. Executing each exercise in proper functional manner, continuously asking yourself the question –

“How well am I doing this particular rep of this particular exercise?”.

Not knowing how to.

Not executing exercises with good form could be disastrous. One simple slip in form can transform a useful exercise into a useless one. The problem areas in your body are progressively neglected and you continuously stress and overwork muscles you would rather avoid or work less.

Don’t you sacrifice your ‘safety umbrella’. Sets you up for major postural problems in the future.

Remember, overworked and over-stressed muscles ( like shoulders for men ) lead to muscle imbalances which lead to (over time) – injuries. Injuries, yes. Some of which you cannot afford to have.

Seek help from a suitably qualified and experienced professional for guidance if you’re unsure.

Train safer. Train smarter.

You’ll enjoy the next 40 or so years in the gym, better.

Until next time,

Relaxed with dumbells.

Collage of some bodybuilding poses

Beliefs, Energy, life, mind, needs

Appropriate Significance.

Relaxed.

In my last blog “To matter or not to matter”, I posed two questions –

Who am I?
Why do I exist?

How we answer these questions determines whether we live for about eighty years or eternity.

I mentioned that it would have to be one of man’s innate needs: to have mattered. It is the same for all men, whether you trying to achieve your full potential in life or only doing just enough to survive from paycheck to paycheck.

Maybe, some men can imagine it engraved on their tombstone:

“He made a difference.”

Man’s most innate need, I believe, is his/her need to be significant – to find purpose, to find meaning.

The important thing here or the difference between success and failure in achieving this need to be significant is HOW we go about satisfying this. You could go about it by fulfilling your own ambitions by sucking in all the spoils of this life and think this could get you closer to being significant.

Or,

You could succeed by becoming a part of a higher purpose – a club, a movement, a political party, a religion. You could find it in your relationship with a higher force, whatever it may be – God, Mohammed, Hare Krishna, Buddha.

So, how we answer those two questions determines how we seek out significance. It divides us in to two distinct groups:

Those who seek significance in appropriate ways
Those who seek significance in inappropriate ways

Which one are you? Which group will you fall in to when you’ve left this physical earth? Our hunger to satisfy this need of significance can get you closer to God (or whatever deity you pray to) or move you further away from him.

I believe authentic, lasting significance lies in your connection and belief in your higher force – your God. You need to be part of something bigger than you, something all-encompassing, something omni-present. Something God-like, or God himself if you are a Christian.

It does not matter what religion you belong to. Maybe, even construct your own bible or religious text.

Through communication with your God, through prayer and meditation, you can achieve significance that endures, that is lasting.

This communication link, like branches to a vine, will allow you to grow and seek your significance in appropriate ways. You will find your life purpose and remembered forever.

Dream: you will be remembered when you are gone. That Your Life mattered.

Until next time,

adaptation, Energy, life, long-term strategy, mind, needs, planning, respect, risk, time, Vitality, you

Camel or donkey travel anyone?

A little entertainment posing for family and friends at a party.
No tan. No contest colour.

Few days before Australian Titles.
Tanned. Coloured. Getting ready for battle.
Result: 2nd in Australia.

How busy are you? Busier than your brother, sister, best friend, work colleagues, neighbours. Everyone else? I don’t know, only you would.

Everyone rushes around from one task to another, one meeting after another, one seminar after another and so on. Never having enough time to do all the things you want to do in any given day. You know what I mean. It’s the life we live in the 21^st century.

We have many varieties of transportation too. You name it: fast cars, fast ferries, fast trains, fast planes. Fast everything. To get you from point A to point B, C, D …. all the way to Z. Doesn’t it make your head spin a little, just thinking about the ‘rush’ everyone is going through in their daily lives.

Such hectic “rush about” activities. All this constant energy-sapping activities takes a heavy stress toll on one’s body. Your body. Ever wonder why people come down with severe illnesses so suddenly? Respiratory illnesses like influenza, asthma attacks, anxiety attacks and so on, on perfectly healthy people?

Why?

Well, I believe it could well be connected to the over-extension of one’s self. Just like going above and beyond what you’re capable of lifting in the gym, every day. It is only a matter of time when it will lead to a serious injury.

The never-ending over-extension of one’s self leads to over-stress which leads to the lowering of your immune system. Basically, your immune system gives up!

Maybe, just maybe, our bodies were not designed for all these technologically faster modes of transportation (including advancement of communication mediums). Don’t get me wrong, these modern modes of transportation are essential to living in today’s modern cities. However, I just get the feeling that our bodies were not designed for constant “rush about” activities, adding increasing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual stresses.

Maybe our bodies was always designed for camel or donkey travelling and we keep putting it in faster and faster machines and using faster and faster devices.

You see, out in the deserts, camel or donkey travelling allows plenty of time for rest. Faster and faster modern day vehicles keeps or adds to people’s tension and stress.

We need to all slow down. A little. Try walking a little slower sometime.

Now, I am not saying we should give up driving modern cars, catching faster trains or getting on even faster planes or not using your i-phones and the internet. No, they are essential. What I am saying is that we need to recognize and accept that we are not super-humans and that the human-frame has its limits, just like everything else in life.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not know how to recognize their limits until it is too late. Until there is a health disaster.

Recognizing your limits is one thing but then you need to build in adequate rest and recovery time so as to allow healing and re-charging/restoration to take place. You need to take ‘time-out’ in your daily life to re-charge. You need a ‘re-charge point’.

This is the problem: Busy people, people in a constant hurry, performing never-ending “rush-about” activities, never have time or choose to not make the time for recovery and re-charge. Their lives are so busy. Their minds are always in over-drive and so they have little time to meditate or ‘quiet’ their minds so that they can put all their problems in perspective.

Just because technology is changing at super-sonic speed, does not mean that everything else in life is. Relationships take time. Cultural learning takes time. Crops take time to mature and ready for eating. Knowledge acquisition takes time. The human body also takes time in its evolution. Not everything changes as fast as technology. Don’t translate the speed of technological change to everything else in life.

Quicker. Faster. More, more, more isn’t always better. Life is not meant to work that way. Protect your mind, protect your body.

Slow down. Know your limits. Before it is too late. Embrace your camel or donkey travel regularly, the way our bodies are meant to be travelling through life: with frequent, periodic rest and restoration breaks. This is akin to muscle-building and growth. Time away from the gym allows well-earned rest and recovery which leads to muscle development.

There are many ways to camel or donkey travel. Some ideas include – yoga, weight training, pilates, praying, meditation etc. Find your re-charge activity. Find your quiet time. Keep this time regular. Make it routine. Regain control of your restless mind. Regain control of your life.

In short, the people of today’s modern world – modern living have been increasingly showing signs of physiological and psychological disintegration on many levels. Why? Because we are living at a pace that is too fast for our bodies.

This is the essence of today’s mounting stress problem.

Until next time,

Beliefs, Energy, hope, life, needs, perspective, time

To Matter or Not To Matter.

I sometimes think of the human body as a community, and every part of the body playing an intricate role in it to function, and function optimally. All the way down to its cellular level, such as the white cell. As basic human anatomy classes have taught us, the cell is the basic unit of an organism. However, one of the great things about the cell is that it can live for itself, or it can help build and sustain the larger being – the human being.

So, the body can be seen as one unit, but it is made up of many, many parts – namely, cells. Though there are many cells, they form and make up ONE – one body. The cells cannot escape even if they wanted to. For example if a cell making up your biceps should say to the optic nerve cell, “hey, I am not an optic nerve cell, so I won’t be part of this human body”, it would still belong to the body, whether it likes it or not. You see, the cell is an individual and an integral part of the ‘whole’.

Every cell has a life and a purpose of its own. Every cell is arranged by God or whoever you believe in, just the way the universal, super-energy wanted it to be. If all the cells were the same, humans would not be able to do the things we do. We simply would not exist as we are. There would be no eye, no nose, no hand, no foot – no body. There would be no mind. There would be no – YOU!

So, we are billions of cells. But, one body, mind and spirit.

One, but many.

It follows from my analogy above, that even though a hand or a foot or an ear cannot have a life separate from the body, the microscopic little cell, can. It can be loyal to the body or just cling to and exist on its own, and only worry about its own life.

We’ve all got to be careful though, as some cells do choose to infiltrate and live in the body, with the other cells, other organs, sharing all that it has to give. Getting all its benefits and giving nothing in return. Taking, taking, and more taking, whilst maintaining complete independence, pilfering what the whole body, the whole community has worked for: the preservation of life. Giving nothing. This works against the whole being, better using the limited resources to the betterment and survival of YOU.

In time, these minority cells gain more strength, more power and more leverage as they have access to more resources.

These become parasites and cancer cells.

They wear you down and eventually kill. The human, unknowingly allows the minority cancer cells to repeatedly torcher, pilfer, exploit and weaken the majority. The majority that is the good white cells. You have the power to stop the spread of these cancer cells. How?

Become part of something bigger. Bigger than you. Bigger than the individual.

Become part of a group, a club, a community, a movement, a passion, a religion – like the tiny little microscopic cell in your body is. A part of you. Don’t be afraid of commitment. No, commit to yourself. Sign up for life membership with this group. Share your voice. Let your voice be heard. Don’t be afraid. Share your speciality. Give your time, your energy. Share your knowledge and contribute to that something that is bigger than you.

Help! That group. That team. That movement. That religion.

The greatest need for each and every one of us is not only the basic needs as outlined by Abraham Maslow in Maslow’s hierarchy. No, the greatest need is to have significance. To matter!

A man’s ultimate desire is immortality.

We want “something” to survive us. Have you ever wondered why monuments, buildings, stadiums, roads churchs and many days in the calendar is named after someone? To be remembered. To be remembered that your life had mattered.

Search your soul. Search your heart. Do you in some small way (or big way) wonder and hope that one day someone will remember your time when you were alive (now). That your life, above all else – MATTERED? Was it a life that had significance? Was it a life with purpose? I don’t know. Only you can answer that question.

And you will probably need to answer two other questions:

Who am I?
Why do I exist?

How we decide to answer these two questions is a choice between two timelines: One that is about eighty years old and one that lasts forever. To eternity.

What I do know is that you still have a chance to have one. You first need to look at finding your purpose in life, your little contribution to the bigger world of human beings is critical. Critical to your uniqueness of individuality and loyalty to man-kind as the cell is to the human body. One cannot live without the other.

Every thought you think. Every action you take will have an impact on some other human being, whether you intended to or not. Try to add value to rather than subtract value from another human being’s life through the way you think and act.

Nothing happens in isolation in your body just like nothing happens in isolation in the universe. There is a ‘flow-on’ effect. An imprint in the history of your life. An imprint on human-kind’s history. Of our universe’s entire life.

You. Me. Each and everyone of us form part of the whole – the whole human race. Just like the cell is an integral part of the human body. You have a part to play in your life – while you are alive. Find this role. Search high and low. Never-ever give up looking. Just like most things we look for, remember to look for it in the place you least expect to look. Sometimes, it could be right in front of your nose and you don’t ‘see it’ at first.

Sometimes, you may need to stop looking. You may just be too close to the problem. In this case, seek appropriate and relevant help.

Understand your role in your loyalty to the human-race to the best of your ability and play it. Find your purpose. Find your significance. How do you do this? Well, one vital step is to work on increasing your awareness of YOU. Look in to your belief systems, your principles. Your values.

Question them. Challenge them. Turn them upside down, inside-out. Shake them up and sieve all the bullSh#t out. What remains is the essence. Your essence of your life. This is a possible starting point.

The answer is uniquely yours. Your individuality. But remember, your independence, your uniqueness needs to also be balanced with your loyalty to the human race.

Here’s a little formula: Life purpose => Significance (positive contribution to a higher purpose) => Mattered (when you’re six feet under).

Just like the little cell in your body, doing its job for a higher purpose – doing its job to help you be YOU, you may just be surprised with how your unselfish contribution towards some higher purpose, may change your world.

It may change the world. The human race. For the better.

So make your life, a life that matters. Now and when you’re gone. Find your significance. Find your immortality.

Living a life without significance is close to not living a life at all.

Think. Do.

Until next time,

a better life, adaptation, attitude, awareness, beauty, belief, Beliefs, better choices, body, choices, compassion, courage, Energy, examined life, game of life, grace, gratitude, hope, Imagination, life, long-term perspective, long-term strategy, love, muscles, perseverance, responsibility, risk, self, self discipline, self improvement, self-respect, success, Vitality, workout, you, your life

Work your giving muscles.

Give.

Giving is a joy.

For the same reason that we should exercise our bodies, we should GIVE. Your body is functioning at its best when it is forced to work, specifically, when your muscles are forced to work. If you don’t do anything and live a sedentary lifestyle, then in the long term you are actually hurting them and yourself.

It is as simple as that.

The thing about muscle training is that you have to ‘expend some energy’. Some people just don’t want to do that, because it means ‘work’. Work equates to pain which equates to fear of it. That’s certainly a very common way of thinking of lifting weights in the gym, but that’s only one perspective.

Another perspective is that ‘working out’ your muscles, when done properly is one of the greatest and most vital pleasures you can possibly experience in your life.

Your lifetime.

In whatever goal you desire, you need to make sure you understand how to use the tools 🛠 necessary to bring about the change you seek.

Energy Crisis WITHIN.

We are constantly reminded that there is an ‘energy crisis’ in the world today. True, there is. The science says this and politicians argue over interpretation of facts about it. Different perspectives again, on a global scale.

However, the biggest threat to man-kind today is evolving within. I refer to the growing energy crisis WITHIN. Within each individual.

There is a direct correlation between what I call an ‘energy crisis’ within and the increase in sedentary lifestyle choices. If you don’t ‘spend’ any energy in the gym and work your muscles, strangely enough, the result is you will progressively have less strength and energy and VITALITY, than if you had.

This individual energy-crisis physically manifests itself in many life-threatening illnesses – both mentally and physically.

First test. Test YOU, always.

Re-charge.

The gym and weight-training is, I believe, one of the last remaining genuine “re-charge points” available for each and every one of us. Yes, available to you, too. Just like your mobile phone and other modern-day comfort and convenient goods need re-charging and energy to function optimally, you do, too.

The more energy and vitality you re-charge and ‘feel’ within you after expending energy working your muscles is akin to what you will get and feel when you GIVE and don’t expect anything in return.

Do you GIVE it just TAKE?

Are you a Giver or taker.

There are givers and there are takers in this world, but I would like to think there are more givers. Are you a giver or a taker?

Do you exercise your ‘giving muscles’?

“Giving muscles?” I hear you say. “What is that?”

Lets firstly look at what it means to be a “giver”?

We can certainly look up a definition if we google it but I will attempt to explain it by referring to some behavioural traits we observe in people around us, and you.

Well, there are many traits – you could say, giving people offer friendship easily; they are caring and empathetic – not only with their money but emotions and knowledge; they take genuine delight in the good fortune of others.

Education through a perception of the truth.
Increasing your awareness, taking sufficient and appropriate actions and adapting accordingly is key towards self-improvement.
Funny thing is that the process also applies to relationships and response.
Vv

Giving is an Attitude toward Life.

Just like making exercise a part of your life, giving is an attitude toward life than it is a specific act at one time or another. Givers have certain openness about them. Givers don’t seem to speak a lot about their ‘rights’. Givers do what is right. They generally find time to laugh and don’t wallow in self-pity. They are forward-thinkers but learn from the past and are keen observers of the present.

Givers do not run constant cost-benefit analyses to see if an opportunity for generosity is to their advantage. They are likely to not get too attached to the material possessions in their lives.

Help people strengthen their resolve, internally, with their own souls
so… that nothing can tear it out. I give knowledge to those who want to learn.

Want Less, Give More.

There are giving muscles in you, in every one of us. We just need to consciously use it and ‘feel’ the life-giving effects of using it. Feeling its essence. It is, in essence, what it means to be human.

Like training your muscles – for 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes in the gym, you get back ten times the energy and vitality you expended which re-charges you and your being. Your life. You can’t afford not to invest energy. Give more and ultimately, get more. Add more life in to your years and not just be concerned with getting more years to your life.

Giving is to your benefit – physically, mentally and spiritually.

You don’t have to be a saint or martyr to give. Miserliness in all forms, diminishes you – diminishes us.

Diminishes the human race.

The more you keep, the less you have and the less you are.

Giving is a joy.

Want less. Give more.

Try it if it isn’t already a part of your attitude to life.

This is another of life’s interesting paradoxes.

Until next time,

Writing things down sometimes helps in the communication process.
The goal is not communication. The goal is EFFECTIVE communication.
Making real changes with the knowledge gained from ‘feedback loops’ allows me to formulate the right adaptive strategy for student – ex Australian Wallaby Captain, Phil Waugh.
Vv.

Changing lives. Empowering people. One life at a time.

Triple A to Life: Awareness. Action. Adaptation.

Monthly Archives: August 2014

Why Not?

Building-blocks of Character.

The right to be happy is not always right.

So, what is “Light Weight” anyway?

Appropriate Significance.

Camel or donkey travel anyone?

To Matter or Not To Matter.