Inspiration for 2010

Everyone greets the changing of the year with different emotions and sentiments.

Some are anxious to be done with a period of time that may have brought them great pain and bad memories, while others simply try to look forward to a new year with great inspiration to pursue life goals and other important changes.

Much like birthdays, celebrations of the passing of time can occasionally bring with them bittersweet reminders of things we'd rather forget. In these cases, it's always better to make sure we make the most of these tough experiences by learning what we can from them, and then never looking back. Only by looking forward and moving onward can you continue to become a better person and obtain your goals.

While '09 definitely had it's share of good times and everlasting memories, it also held more than its share of discontent that I'd rather forget about.

So now - in a new year and new decade - I look forward to 2010 with great optimism and confidence.

One of my many goals for the year ahead is to continue my pursuit of making myself a better man.

To paraphrase something I read in a magazine recently, I want to be the ideal man for our times.
A guy who's got it all together, in both body and mind.

I will continue my journey to be both ruggedly powerful and supremely confident, and capable of taking on whatever comes out of those gates (....to borrow a line from Gladiator).

I will not just look manly and heroic, but feel and act manly and heroic.
I will show that I can be a protector, a provider, and a take-charge kind of guy with a heart.
I will continue to be the best man I'm capable of being.

As for everyone else - Whatever your goals are, I hope you have the patience, wisdom, courage, and tenacity to achieve them.


Need some motivation?
Here are some quotes from my collection that I believe hold bits of priceless wisdom.
Enjoy.


"When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life."

- Greg Anderson

"If a man does his best, what else is there?"
- General George S. Patton

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."
- Thomas Jefferson

"Patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it's cowardice."
- George Jackson

"If you are clear where you are going and you take several steps in that direction every day, you eventually have to get there. So decide what you want, write it down, review it constantly, and each day do something that moves you toward those goals."
- Jack Canfield

"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new."
- Author Unknown

"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"There will always be challenges that have manifested, and dreams that haven't. But they'll always pale in comparison to the number of dreams that have manifested, and challenges that haven't."

- Mike Dooley

"Do not wait for joy."

- Author Unknown

Holiday Thoughts

When I started writing my Christmas cards last week, I stopped to think about what thoughts and feelings to put in each one. That then prompted me to think about what gifts I had actually gotten for everyone.

I naturally then started thinking about the amount of money I had spent overall and on each individual gift.

But I abruptly stopped myself.

These people are my family, and I shouldn't be worrying so much about my budget when it comes to people I love. I'm not hard up for cash or deep in debt, so why do I need to keep what I spend on my loved ones to a certain dollar value?

So I went out and bought some more gifts.

It felt good.

Merry Christmas

Tipping Point

They say a watched pot never boils.

But what about when you ignore it?
Does it boil sooner?


Obviously, I couldn't care less about boiling pots, but the human will and the extent of a person's patience is something that has always fascinated me.

I consider it both part nature and nurture that make up one's limits of patience.

I, myself, have always been a very patient person.
As much as I've wanted certain things as badly as others, I've always been more than willing to take my time and wait....................................................................................and wait..................
and wait...................................................................




................ and wait some more when I'm trying to accomplish or hope for anything.


That doesn't mean I can't react quickly when I need to or want to, but it just means I believe certain things are worth waiting for - even if its not always easy waiting for them.

But sooner or later, everyone comes across something that they wait for and wait for but never get.

Maybe its something you can't predict,
or something you want but may just never obtain or have happen.

You tell yourself to give it time......
..........because "patience is a virtue" ................... right???

But what's your breaking point?
How much can you take?
At what point does patience become cowardice or laziness?


What will make YOUR pot boil over to action because you've waited too long?????

Escaping Dreamland

In the morning I'll wake,
to greet the sun.
And if when my eyes open,
it doesn't show,
I'll await my love,
with my own anxious glow.
With patience I'll wait,
for the soft rays of light,
anticipating an invitation,
to step out from this long night.
And though I remain,
a man of quiet dignity,
I hold my hopes and fears,
close by my side,
protected from the darkness of my dreams,
that precede the morning light.
But even I know,
they can't stay safe forever,
because,
I must still sleep tonight.

Snapshot

And it occurred to me then,
that a memory is just
a snapshot of a distant scene,
from a faulty camera in our mind.
And it's with that thought
that I view our love,
as a photo montage
of random shots,
some blurred,
some skewed,
yet the lens of my heart
makes them perfectly clear
when they're memories of you.

Pimpin' Ain't Easy, But Healthy Is

I have no intention of making this post sound like a stupid book promotion, but fair warning - my content and information may be similar. I just don't have any hopes of making any profit off of it.
(except, of course, for the satisfaction of imagining I might be helping one of the people who accidentally stumble across my blog while searching for internet porn. One can dream......)

Anyway........
Let's discuss HEALTH, WEIGHT LOSS, and FITNESS.

If you really know me, you know I am a very healthy person in different aspects. If you ever see me eating or drinking a lot, its probably the only time that week I'm straying from my average daily diet of mostly protein shakes, salads, oatmeal and FiberOne or Kashi cereal.

But of course, in addition to how I eat, I also hit the gym on a regular basis.
You can usually find me there about 5-6 times a week either lifting weights, hitting the heavy bag, on the bike, etc.

I also do a lot of reading and research into exercises, supplements, training methods, nutrition, etc., so I think I'm pretty well-versed about the topics.

Imagine my dismay when I read this cover story from TIME magazine.
Great!!!

So not only do most overweight people not exercise already, but NOW they're going to think it's just a waste of time anyway!!

Awesome job, TIME magazine!!
Thanks for doing your part to help the obesity epidemic in America!

Now I'm not about to break-down this story and explain why it's shitty - Mens Health already did that for me.

However, I will skip all the BS and give you the information that matters, which is this:

Exercise is great for your heart and muscles and to help burn calories, but
DIET is MUCH MORE important to weight loss than exercise.

No wonder so many people stop going to the gym or give up on exercise altogether after a few months: there's an overwhelming feeling of failure when all that effort doesn't show in the mirror.

It's very naive to think that going to the gym everyday will give you the body you dream of. It's actually what you eat that will have a bigger impact on how much excess weight you're carrying around.

My advice?
Make a change -- some kind of positive change -- to your diet.

A great place to start is by cutting out the extra sugars and simple carbs.
That means water instead of soda, juice or sweetened teas.
That also means no candy.

Like sandwiches?
Skip the bagels, breads and wraps and try a croissant instead.

Add some more veggies or meat to your meal and drop the excess rice, pasta and bread.

It may not seem like much, but it's a start, and every goal worth reaching begins with a first step.


GOOD LUCK!

Life Advice

I'm a young man..............at least by most standards.

I may have a few hidden gray hairs here and there, but I'm wrinkle-free, unmarried and don't have any kids. (that I know of!) :-P

Yet, I believe I've lived long enough to have truly learned some important life lessons.

Sometimes we know and believe things that may seem instinctive to us, but we take it for granted that it was usually a certain experience or interaction with a specific person who helped us to learn it.

But whatever the source, I hold these bits of knowledge very dear and rely on them to be the structure by which I build my life upon.

Even more important still, I'm always learning more vital lessons that help to reinforce my character and outlook on life.


So enough of the banter........let's begin the lesson.

Let's start with the end -- Death.

I've been unfortunate in the sense that I've had to deal with deaths slightly more often than most people I know.

Luckily nobody in my immediate family has passed, but I've lost grandparents, uncles, high school friends and others. Some of those very close to me have also lost people very close to them, so I've dealt with death on many occasions in one way or another.

There's one piece of wisdom I'd like to share when it comes to consoling someone who's lost someone they care about, and that is, don't ever try to rationalize it.

By that, I mean that what they're going through isn't like any other common problem in life that people experience. It's not a time for advice and not a time for any kind of logical explanation.

It is just a time for comfort and understanding. Period.

Don't remind them how long the person lived, or how good a life they may have had.
That does nothing.
The numbers of years, or degree to which their life was admirable does no good in consoling an ailing heart.

The best sympathy is that which provides silent consolation and sincere understanding.
Don't rationalize - just comfort.

Love them, support them, and let them know you're there for them.


No explanation required.