text: What you put into your glass (mind/heart) is up to you. If you choose to put healthy choices, ideas, motivation and other clean thoughts into your mind, your outcome in life is much different than if you put negativity, doubt, fear and other unhealthy choices.
  Posted at 01:08 PM in 1-Healthy Body, Goal Setting, Happiness, Leadership, Motivation, Persistence, Significance, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  Fail Your Way Forward to a Healthier You
  You are mastering healthy lifestyle habits in an unhealthy environment. You’re likely to slip up and fall backwards now and then and feel like you're losing the fight but don’t let your temporary lapse in judgement define you. You can still win the battle. Let your slip up refine you. Work through it and learn from it. Here are 7 tips to use that failure to move your forward towards success...
  Manage expectations. It is unrealistic to expect a child to learn to walk without ever falling. Falling is not a failure. It is how the child learns to balance. It is also unrealistic to expect a 20, 30, or 40 year old person to make healthy choices 100% of the time, after decades of practicing unhealthy choices. If you will take the time to reflect and change your perspective on failure, success is within your grasp.
  Suspend judgment. Thoughts like “I”ll never get this right!” Or even “I can’t believe I blew it again!” Convey a lack of confidence in our ability to succeed. Positive or negative, we often live up to our expectations! We would never think to belittle a child that falls when they are learning to walk. We understand that building up their confidence is an important part of their process of eventually walking successfully. Our thoughts and words can either empower or crush our confidence, and ultimately our will to try again. If we are to learn from our mistakes and pick up the courage to try again, we need to suspend judgment.
  Review your performance. Top athletes often review film of their performances to identify what they did right and what they did wrong. The purpose of the review is to improve their performance. Will you pursue the goal of achieving the optimal health with the same passion as an elite athlete who’s pursuing their life-long dreams and goals? Think of the last time you felt you failed. Review the facts without judging them. Ask yourself the following questions: What happened? What day did it happen? What time of the day was it? Where were you when it happened? Who were you with? Why did it happen? Where you Bored, Lonely, Angry, Sad, Tired, Eager, Distressed or Something Else?
  Identify the road blocks. As you reviewed your performance, you identified some barriers to successful performance that are specific to you. Maybe it was a birthday celebration, or the friends you were with. Maybe you were hungry as you drove past a favorite fast food place. Understanding which physical, mental, and financial barriers stand in the way of your successful performance can help you create a plan for success.
  Define the win. The next time you are faced with a situation similar to the one you described above, what would make you feel successful? What do you want to create? What do you want to be, do and have?
  Remember why. In the daily grind of life we can lose our motivation if we don’t remind ourselves about why we started this journey to begin with. Remind yourself daily why you are willing to face the challenges and conquer the obstacles.
  Create a map to success. Write out your plan. Include your goals, why they are important, a list of potential barriers, and the action steps you will take to get around the barriers. Having a written plan that you implement and updating that plan as needed will eliminate detours and accelerate your progress to the summit of success.
  We can allow our failures to limit our potential, or we can use them as stepping stones on our climb to Extraordinary health. How will you choose to use your mistakes?
  I hope you found this list helpful and wish you the best in success and optimal health in the days, weeks, months and year to come!
  Posted at 05:24 AM in 1-Healthy Body, Goal Setting, Happiness, Motivation, Persistence, Weight Loss | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  Your Daily Dose of Laughter
  “Laughter is the best medicine.” You’ve probably heard that saying, heard it so many times that you don’t pay much attention to it anymore. But you should pay attention! Recent research has proved that laughter really can have a direct effect on your health and wellbeing. Researchers found that “experiencing joyful laughter reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, and elevates a person’s mood.”
  In this study, researchers separated participants into two groups. One group watched funny videos prior to a memory test while the other group did not. The funny-video group went on to perform better on short-term memory tests, a finding that added to the already sizable amount of research that links laughter to health benefits.
  “When there is mirthful laughter,” said Lee Berk, the head of the study, “it’s as if the brain gets a workout because the gamma wave band is in sync with multiple other areas of the brain that are in the same 30-40 hertz frequency. This allows for thinking more clearly and having more integrative thoughts.” If we think of laughter as exercise, as Berk suggests, its ability to reduce stress becomes even more apparent. In fact, laughter has even been linked to heart health. So, what makes you laugh? Who makes you laugh? We all need to laugh more. Go out and find what makes you giggle today!
  Posted at 07:35 AM in 1-Healthy Body, 2-Healthy Mind, Happiness | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  15 Important Questions to Ask Yourself
  Here are 15 important questions we should ask ourselves regularly. I urge you to not only ask, but to write down your answers. There is power and a call to action when you place your thoughts in writing! Remember the palest ink is better than the best memory.
  1. What one decision would I make if I knew I would not fail?
  2. What one thing should I eliminate from my life because it holds me back from reaching my full potential?
  3. Am I on the path of something absolutely marvelous, or something absolutely mediocre?
  4. Am I running from something, or to something?
  5. What can I do to make better use of my time?
  6. Who do I need to forgive?
  7. What impossible thing am I believing and planning for?
  8. What is my most prevailing thought?
  9. What good thing have I previously committed myself to do that I have quit doing?
  10. Of the people I respect most, what is it about them that earns my respect?
  11. What would a truly creative person do in my situation?
  12. What outside influences are causing me to be better or worse?
  13. In what areas do I need improvement in terms of personal development?
  14. What gifts, talents, and strengths do I have?
  15. What is one thing that I can do for someone else who has no opportunity to repay me?
  These questions and your answers can begin something new inside you. Once you have clarity to what needs to happen, craft a simple action plan to make it happen and begin living your very own extraordinary life!
  Posted at 08:13 AM in 1-Healthy Body, 2-Healthy Mind, Happiness | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  Life of Faith or Fear?
  When you choose a life of faith (and hope for the future) vs. a life of fear (of what won't happen, of failing, of what others will say about you), you discover you have access to a stronger power within you to do so many extraordinary things in your life. This is a good example of living a life of faith.
  Posted at 07:37 AM in Happiness, Persistence, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  What Causes a New Year's Resolution to Succeed/Fail?
  Posted at 01:34 PM in 1-Healthy Body, Goal Setting, Happiness, Motivation, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  Fall Back To Health and Fitness
  About this time every year, you probably start gearing up for your New Year’s resolution to lose weight and start a regular exercise routine. Then, just before tacking the new calendar to the kitchen wall, you empty your home and office of all those unhealthy snacks and goodies.
  Sometimes you give them to friends and coworkers; other times, you muster up a great deal of strength and toss them in the trash. But far too often you polish off every crumb yourself—and start the new year about ten pounds heavier, your body full of leftover holiday pies and cookies.
  What if you could get through the holidays and reach January 1st with a loss, instead? If you limit splurges to the holiday meal, like Thanksgiving dinner, you can keep your weight in check and reach your health goals even faster. They call them "holidays" not "holiweeks" right?
  So what about Thanksgiving? We know what the traditional turkey-day table looks like: buttery mashed potatoes, syrupy sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans with potato sticks, and a big, juicy bird. Don’t even look at the dessert table! You know what’s there: pumpkin and pecan pies, carrot cake, cookies.
  FALL BACK TO HEALTH AND FITNESS
  Are you waiting until after the big holidays to start a fitness regimen or get your eating back on track. There’s something so logical about starting fresh each new year; that’s why everyone does it, right? It’s like getting a clean slate to do it right once and for all. Besides, who starts a fitness plan in November?
  You, if you’re smart!
  With New Year’s Day looming, it’s often a race to the finish—finish off the chocolates, polish off the cakes and pies, devour all the snacks. And many find themselves with even more weight to lose. Here are a few compelling reasons to begin now.
  You’ll be cool.
  The heat of summer months can sometimes make us sluggish. And a 95-degree day is not necessarily the best time to walk a few miles, as it poses some additional dangers, especially for previously inactive people. Likewise, the cold winter months make us feel insular; the air is a little too fresh. We are often pressed for time and energy when the days are so short, especially after a full day of work. But fall—with its clear mornings and evenings, its invigorating fresh air, and its gorgeous colors—is the perfect time to make a commitment to rigorous movement.
  You’ll be consistent.
  It takes some time to turn actions into habits. Though information varies, a recent study showed that the average time it takes for a new practice to become habit is about 66 days (1). So it makes sense to build up that momentum now. When January 1 rolls around, you’ll already be so dedicated to your routine—and to its positive effects—that you won’t even have to think about whether you’re in the mood to work out on a cold January morning. You’ll already have a couple months of daily exercise under your belt—and off your stomach!
  You’ll be creative.
  Working out isn’t only about speed and mileage and reps. Sometimes it’s simply about working—out! Sweep, rake, bag leaves. Do some cool-weather gardening. Prepare beds for spring. Chop firewood. Of course, traditional workouts like biking and hiking are even better when the air is cool and the leaves are colorful! So get out there and fall for fitness. Establishing regular, healthy practices now can make sticking to them in January a breeze.
  1. Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674/abstract;jsessionid=96C09908C95A8D1B4B624FBCF4DE9867.d03t01
  Posted at 11:38 AM in Eating, Encouragement, Exercise, Happiness, Holiday Tips, Motivation | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  5 Steps + 28 Days = 1 Transformed Life
  Posted at 06:17 AM in Eating, Goal Setting, Happiness, Persistence, Weight Loss | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  4 Failures + 1 Success = History and Legacy
  Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked on to the Key West shore Monday, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. The most interesting parts of her story are the following...
  1. She was 62 yrs old (age is just a number when it comes to living your dreams if you're "living well")
  2. She failed 4 times previously but did not give up. The conditions improved to allow her to succeed. (sometimes the "storms of life" cause us to fail but if we don't give up the season will change in our favor)
  3. She trained relentlessly in pursuit of her dream/goal and hit the Florida shore exhausted (it take all we got to be successful)
  4. She had a dynamic support team who encouraged her and prepared her to make history
  Click here to read full story and watch video interview
  Posted at 07:19 AM in Exercise, Goal Setting, Happiness, Persistence, Success Stories | Permalink | Comments (0)
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  Financial Wellness: Tips to Increase Savings, Budget Basics and Debt Reduction Strategies!
  Financial Wellness: Tips to Increase Savings, Budget Basics and Debt Reduction Strategies! from David Bush on Vimeo.
  The secret to winning with debt is living on less than you earn and snowballing debt until it's eliminated. During this video participants you'll gain expert tips and strategies to immediately experience success with getting out of debt and learn how to stay out with simple budgeting and savings strategies and tools.
  Justin Bennett, Financial Coach, Debt Elimination Expert and Savings Superhero, brings 13 years of experience when it comes to helping people with their finances. He will show you what it takes to get out of debt, live on a realistic budget and save for the future (without selling you any financial products).
  Here's the top 3 areas we'll cover during this educational video:
  1. Savings – Discover the motivation for improving your overall financial health. After this video you will be able to determine how to save for emergencies and other future expenses without feeling like you're missing the money out of your paycheck
  2. Budgeting and Developing a Spending Plan - Learn how to set up a workable budget and basic spending plan that is practical and easy to maintain/track.
  3. Accountability – You will identify secret strategies and tools to hold you accountable to the spending plan you create.
  Posted at 09:04 AM in 3-Healthy Finances, Financial Fitness, Goal Setting, Happiness, Persistence, Webinar Recordings | Permalink | Comments (0)