If you tell yourself that you can't do something, You probably won't do it. It is not a matter of if you can or you can't, it is a matter of if you will or you won't.
In order to accomplish any goal or task you must believe in yourself or you will not get it done. You will continue sulking in your sorrow about how you "are not good enough" or how "He/She is better than you."
I remember growing up I was the most insecure kid on the planet. I didn't believe in myself or that I could make anything of myself with my life.
Excuse my french, but it is quite a shitty feeling. It leads you no where. So why do we as humans feel the need to beat themselves up and over think everything. It doesn't matter what you want if you don't believe you can attain it.
It doesn't matter your goal. In high school my goals were to be an impact player on the varsity football team, Date the girl that sat next to me in math class and never get less than a B in any class. I had a goal of going to college full time after high school, of gaining massive weight in the weight room and finding my niche, something to be known for.
Did I attain my goals? No...
Now before you think this is a sob story and me looking for a pity party.
I am bringing this up not to make you feel bad for me. But to show you that this was all on my own accord.
The moment somebody told me that I couldn't do something I believed them.
I let another person affect my enjoyment of life. I let words stop me from my capable actions.
It wasn't that I couldn't be a great football player, I didn't put in the effort to be a great football player.
Was what I became known for, what I wanted to be remembered for?
No... not at all.
Did I not excel in school because I was simply too dumb......
No, I didn't put in the effort.
The moment I realized other people can't make me do anything and the moment I realized I am responsible for the outcomes of my goals, is the moment I stopped feeling sorry for myself. It is the moment I gained my confidence.
I'll admit it wasn't an easy thing to do, It took me years to figure it out. Years of masking my insecurities and faking my confidence until I finally got it.
Over time you stop caring what others think. When your mind is controlled by negativity there is nothing else to do but change.
No where else to go, but up.
Now enough about me, my goal is not to talk about me. What I desire is to help you learn from my past mistakes.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to accomplishing every goal.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to love.
Confidence is the not so hidden key to happiness.
No matter your goal, there will be naysayers. There will be people telling you that you can't. That you are ridiculous.
If you want to lose 20 lbs people will tell you that you don't have the will power.
If you want to become a stud athlete or great musicians, there will be people to say you suck.
If you want to do some soul searching, people will tell you that your are selfish.
If you want to start a new career, people will tell you that you are too old.
Point being, People will tell you all sorts of things and the odds are it is because they have no will power, they suck, they are selfish, and they are too old.
If people tell you that you can't, don't take it personally because it is them that lack the necessary skills to do so. Not you.
The next time someone tells you that you can't do something you need to quote my favorite childhood hero....
You can do it. You can do anything you want it life and you can accomplish any goal. It doesn't matter what they think.
It is not a matter of if you can or you can't.
As long as you have the confidence, you will.
Believe in yourself.
You are beautiful.
You are strong.
You are in charge.
You are the perfect one and the only you.
Don't let people get in the way of your confidence and don't let negative thoughts stop you from believing in yourself for if you do, your life will suck.
You will be living in your own self inflicted hell.
Be happy. Be confident.
Be you.
After all if you won't, no one else will.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, So please, please, please LOVE YOURSELF!
As I was thinking about a past speech class while talking to my girlfriend. I recalled a speech that a classmate gave about working out. His main arguments for working out were "it makes your titties big." and "You could walk around the beach without your shirt on to show off your titties."
(Before I go anywhere, he was referring to his pectoralis major and minor when he said titties, he didn't mean it was an automatic, surgery free boob job. Also, he was referring to the fellas not the ladies)
It got me thinking. I am glad that he enjoys working out, and was advocating exercise. The problem is that he was advocating exercise for the wrong reasons, and presumably didn't do enough research before the speech.
We must get away from training for vanity.The body is beautiful, If you are physically active and fit. You need to get away from the "I must look like the guy or girl on the magazine cover or in the movies." Odds are their pictures have been altered to mirror the "perfect body". When really the perfect body, is simply the body in it's natural shape and form.
Nobody is suppose to be perfect, we all have faults and we all magnify our faults in our own thoughts. We don't need to break ourselves down. Likewise we don't need to create an ego to compensate for our insecurities either.
We must get away from working out in order to stroke our egos. Stay modest, and live our life well. It isn't necessarily about the number on the scale, or gaining or losing a couple of inches but it is about the life you lead, and the energy you put into this world.
I have realized that as much as I joke about me being on a "bulking" up phase people tend to take me serious now and then when I say it. but in all honesty I could care less if I gain another pound. I am by nature a thin frame, I am 5'8 and roughly 148 lbs on a good day. This is my natural body type, when I get below 140 lbs that is when I have to put some weight back on. But by no means do I need to be 165 solid lean muscle.
"So If you don't train for vanity, what do you train for??"
is what you must be thinking.
Well, It is simple really.
You train for vitality of life, sanity of the mind, and to increase your overall well being.
You train to feel great, to increase endorphins, to improve, and to prevent disease.
You train for the jokes and stories from your fellow trainees, for high 5's, and unity.
You train for your family, your friends, but most importantly you train for yourself.
Exercise has been proven to increase endorphins and a positive attitude.
If you are willing to give it a chance, it can take you out of depression, I know because I've experienced it.
If you are willing to give it a chance, it can remove aches and pains, I know because I've experienced it.
If you are willing to give it a chance, It can give you a body to die for, I know because I've experienced it...
(I kid I kid..I do not have the perfect body, I am far from it, But I am confident in myself, my training, my health and my life and that is much more important.)
Now I am by no means saying, for you to not want results, for you to not expect results, because if you do the necessary steps to lead a healthy lifestyle they will come naturally.
It takes consistency inside and outside of the gym. It is creating a lifestyle, and when you do it for vanity purposes, exercise and nutrition will only take you so far. You will either get frustrated, bored, tired or injured and you will give up eventually. Your results will fade.
As long as you are happy with yourself, your body, and your lifestyle. Enjoy it! but don't go looking for quick fixes if you aren't happy....There are no quick fixes. They don't exist.
This is not news, Odds are you all know this already. So stop lying to yourself, accept responsibility for your life and take action. Your life depends on it.
Delete the quick fix workout, and bland and boring nutrition plans from your memory. Your foods don't have to be boring, You could eat nutritious and tasty meals. The gym doesn't have to suck, you just can't expect magic to come from them. It takes consistency in both departments.
Learn to live the lifestyle. Learn to love the lifestyle and your life will not revolve around your results, rather your results will be a part of your life.
Don't train for vanity, Train for vitality.
With warm regards and plenty of positive energy Mike(y)
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so love yourself
If i could go back 5, 10, even 15 years and look down the road to the person I would, could, and will become, I may have started my journey earlier. Growing up I had an interest in sports and fitness. I had always been interested in fitness.
I could have become great, if only my mind allowed it.
As a kid I lacked coordination, size, speed, and strength, and a strong mindset. I was never the best, but I was also never the worst. I fit somewhere in the gray area.
I thought of myself as someone who gave it 100 percent to reach my goals.
I stayed after practice to work out, after all sport performance is all about your weight room strength and not skill, movement, mindset, and nutrition right???
My mindset lacked courage, integrity, and positivity.
My nutrition, well....It was the nutrition of champions
I ate probably 2 times a day, If it wasn't fast food it was some other variety of what would be classified as junk food.
My hydration, well....It was the hydration of a champions
I couldn't understand why i wasn't getting the playing time i "felt" i deserved.
It wasn't that I believed what I was doing was right, I didn't have a desire to change my ways. I enjoyed living my lifestyle, my nutrition, and being able to say I was an "athlete", but what did I do to become that athlete....not much.
I felt that since I was skinny, it was the fact that I was undersized, or maybe the coaches didn't like me, or maybe the world was conspiring to prevent me from attaining my dreams.
The world was against me. There was nothing within my power to change that.
Now that I look back, I realize that those were all excuses. I didn't want to work to be better, I expected magically to be better. I believed that I was better. Oh How wrong I was.
As I finished high school, I decided that working out never did anything for me, I weighed the same through my 4 years of high school, even though I trained consistently. I never attained the muscle man physique that I expected. All I gained through it was the endorphins and skill of working out. I didn't necessarily understand what I was doing, but thanks to numerous weight lifting classes and summer lifting programs I did have a passion and understanding of working out.....
Then something changed in me.
I began to enjoy a new culture and nutrition program towards the end of my high school career....
Partying
As I started partying, I began to lose focus in the gym.
I didn't care anymore. My idea was to screw my dreams of being an athlete, forget working out and just live life "care free".
after all, I am naturally thin anyways...
Did I finally understand life? Was it about partying, living with no goals, and not caring about school or work?
I never attained my dreams before, I never became the stud athlete I hoped to be, I never got straight A's, and I never was the coolest kid in school. I never got really "buff" from working out.
Life must be about the whole "screw the world, I am going to have as much stupid unremembered fun as possible."..right??
Oh how wrong I was.
Now being where I am at in my life, Working in the Health and fitness field I understand. I was so far off it is almost unfathomable.
I was within inches of losing my life. Within inches of forgetting my passion forever.
I was blessed by God to be sent to Visalia, CA.
It wasn't a sudden change from my partying ways though.
I had still maintained my same lifestyle while living here. Partying, working, and staying in school to get health benefits from my dads work. I got fired from a job for something I did not do and actually tried to prevent. I lost all motivation to do anything.
I damn near lost my life. My pride was damaged and I felt ashamed. I moved in with an aunt and uncle, and that is when IT happened. My journey in the fitness industry had began, even though I didn't notice.....
I started working out regularly at a gym named California Fitness Academy. After all like I said before fitness was a passion of my past. I enjoyed the psychological rewards of exercising, and at this time in my life I needed it most. I was depressed, lost, and so confused about my purpose in life. I needed to do something...anything.
I worked out continuous for a good 6-8 months and through doing so my future boss and current cousin offered me an internship, non paying but something else to occupy my time and my mind. I began sitting in the gym as much as I could, learning the trade. I was blessed to help with the COS softball team, and various other clients. I was given material to learn and new workouts to try.
I had found passion again. I began to think more positive, talk to more people, and learn more, and more, and more.
The passion was here, all that was left was to fuel my desire.
I had passion to do something again, but the desire to do my best still wasn't there.
I acted like I was doing everything I could, and was frustrated because I wasn't as smart as I felt that I should be.
then something changed...
I was offered a position, Trainer Mikey...has a nice ring to it huh?
Then the desire flowed. It was no longer something to do. It was no longer something to occupy my mind.
I became my passion.
As I continue to work through the weeks I aim to improve every day, for I know my best 3 years ago is weak compared to my best today. The hope is one day not be the best, for that is a relative term, but what I do want to be is GREAT
I know what I expect out of life, I know what it takes to get there, and I no longer make excuses. I will work my ass off to achieve my dreams. The passion the drives this action, is not material items. The passion that drives this action is not my image. The passion that drives this action, is not superficial. The passion that drives this action comes from within.
The passion that drives this action is DESIRE. Desire to be a great family man, a great boyfriend(husband someday), a great trainer. Desire to save lives, to relieve pain, to change thoughts, to give health. Desire to dream, give dreams, support dreams, make dreams possible. Desire to heal, love, and give tears...tears of joy.
I have a desire to do many things.
because once again, i found my passion, and what is desire?
The passion that drives the action.
Life is not about being somebody you think you should be, but If you allow yourself you can be great at anything.
It just depends on what you are willing to put into it.
If I would have had the mindset and knowledge I have now, I could have been a great athlete, student etc.
But if I had the mindset and knowledge I have now, I may not be here right now.
I do not regret my earlier years for they helped me grow, but I will take my future into my own hands.
The past is unchangeable, but the future is not yet set.
Find your desire, Hone your passion.
We can all be great, but do you truly want to work for greatness?
Are you willing to give your time, energy, social life and money to improve?
Are you willing to write out your goals and dreams?
Are you willing to be rejected?
Are you willing it fail?
You need to understand there is both pain and failure in success, If you don't feel pain, If you don't fail, If you don't feel uncomfortable then there is no growth.
To succeed we need to grow.
No one is entitled to anything in this world....You must work your butt off to truly be happy. You must know pain before you really get to enjoy pleasure.....
If you expect it, it most likely will not come. You need to desire it.
and what is desire?
The passion that drives the action.
Thank you... God loves you, mike(y) loves you, so love yourself.
I mentioned the 4 agreements as a previous post. Still one of the greatest concepts and agreements that I think of daily from this book is "Always do your best."
Meaning no matter what you are doing, do your best.
Running a 5k? Do your best
Lifting weights? Do your best
Doing laundry? Do your best
Clipping your toenails? Do your best...
You get the picture. For every big and small task you do, you must do your best. It seems like such a hard thing to do right?.....Wrong!
You may catch yourself getting irritated that you feel you could do more. But one thing you must realize is that your best is constantly changing. So therefore whatever you are doing, you are doing your best.
You can not compare yourself to who you were 5 years ago, 5 months ago, or even 5 minutes ago. for each minute that passes there are different circumstances. There are different problems, and different solutions. The key is to not get down on yourself, but believe you are doing the best that you can in the present tense.
The moment you get away from the past, the present will become stronger, the future will become brighter.
You are the best you everyday. In every moment... You just havent realized it.
The moment you think of what you used to be, should be, or could be is the moment you fall off track.
Just live your life. Enjoy it.
Enjoy what you do, Enjoy the opportunities of the present, and Enjoy the beauty of everything going on around you.
If you want to make more money, you will not do so by thinking of what could be, should be, or used to be.
If you want to clean your house, don't think of what used to be, dont get down on yourself because of the mess.
Don't think! Simply turn on music, have fun, dance around and do it.
You are the best you all of the time.
If you realize that then the regrets, the irritations, and the negative thoughts that you create in your mind will begin to fade. You are a spectacular person, a magnificent person. Realize it and your true potential will show.
even when you havent done anything on your list of things to do. guess what..
You did your best.
Your best wasn't what you imagined, but indeed it was your best.
You need to see through your expectations sometimes. because they are not always accurate.
I am reminded by a quote from one of my all time favorite musicians "Fantasy is what we want, but reality is what we need"- Lauryn Hill.
We all fantasize about what we want, how we want it, when we want it. but in reality it won't always play out the way we imagine, more often then not actually.
We will fail more than we succeed. It is a fact of life. But through failure comes success.
You are doing your best.
If you want to do better, then get away from the past. Get away from regret. Get away from the should of, could of, or used to be's.
Live in the present, Thinking too much hinders your performance, of course it is good to reflect. It is good to understand. The key is doing it at the right time.
Think to a time when you were truely accomplishing everything you needed to do, it could be in a sport, household chores, at your job, just think to a time you were truly on top of your game. I bet you you weren't thinking of regrets or could have/should haves. You were fully tuned in to the moment. You were focused. You were living.
I understand as people we were taught what life should be through the media, our parents, friends, teachers etc. We must break that mold. For life shouldn't be anything other than what it is.
You are doing your best. Life truly is magnificent. Believe in yourself. Rid yourself of negative thoughts you may have of yourself or your actions.
For if I know one thing, this I know.
You are the best you in every moment.
and last but not least remember.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so Love yourself!
What does it take to get results?
If you train consistently, work your butt off, and results aren't where they should be you need to check one major factor.
Your nutrition.
Most people will find many different excuses for why they just can't seem to fit this part of our lifestyle into their daily routine. They either feel it doesn't play that big of a role in achieving their results, or they don't want to believe it. The truth is, it is the utmost deciding factor in living well.
When I hear "Eating healthy is just too hard." "I don't have the time" "I don't have the money" or "I don't know what to eat" I often must question their motive. People say they want to lose their "belly fat", they want to be faster, or they want to be stronger. There is a big difference between what you want to do, and what you will do.
When we talk about what they need to do to take their game, performance, or life to the next level they can't do it because they don't have the time, money, or it is too hard.
I'll be the first one to call the "bullshit card" on all three excuses, I constantly live on the go with two jobs and school I'd say i am pretty busy. I by no means am rich, in fact i am so far from it. And it really does not take much thought people, the key is to stop thinking, and create.
Those are excuses, it is not that they "can't" it is that they "won't".
I have the blessing of a client who has turned out to be a great mentor to me. When I train him we tend to trade nuggets of golden information with each other.
The latest of which was "More often then not when you say you can't do something it isn't necessarily that you can't, it is that you wont. So simply replace the word and take accountability for your actions."
There is much more respect in saying that you won't do something then that you can't. Saying that you can't is denying the capabilities of which reside in your mind, body, and soul. It makes you appear weak. You deny your own power. The truth is you can do it you just choose not to.
The mind is capable of so much. All it takes is a little planning, thought (and i mean little..keep it simple and don't over think it), and preparation. Nutrition is the most vital ingredient to the Results Recipe, yet it turns into the hardest for most people to tackle.
We are bombarded with advertisements and special deals for the person on a budget through fast food, and processed foods. Of course with such a busy life it's very easy to choose the "easy road", even as it leads to disease, obesity, and and poor lifestyle choices and habits.
I have been talking to many of my clients and coworkers about nutrition a lot lately. The key is to not get so carried away with calories in and calories out. The key is not to buy the next health food gimmick you see. And the key is not to starve yourself because you are tired of being fat.
Today I will break down my 5 major nutritional guidelines to a healthy lifestyle, and give you a few recipes either created by me or those close to me. These can hopefully trigger a spark in your brain, it isn't always about eating the most conventional foods. but it is about creating a variety and having fun with it. Nutrition does not have to be boiled chicken breast and steamed veggies every night. enjoy yourself. Cook, Create, and think outside of the box (figuratively and literally).
Mike(y)'s Top 5 Nutritional Guidelines
1. Eat Fresh (No this is not an advertisement for subway.) The first step to eating well is eating fresh foods. Avoid most if not all processed foods. Cookies, TV dinners, anything boxed, packaged, and that can sit in your cupboard for years(ok im speaking in hyperbole..months) and still be fresh. Stick to fresh Veggies, fresh fruits, and lean fresh white meat, fish, and sparingly red meats.My coworker and friend Max has a great rule of thumb "If it comes from the earth, eat it. God made it for you" avoid the foods I like to call factory foods. If it is made with ingredients that look like it belongs in a chemistry set it most likely is not good for you.
2.Eat a large amount of Protein at every meal
Protein is the key to muscle building (keep in mind you must be working out to get muscles, you cant eat protein sit at a computer and expect to look like the terminator.) Protein will help your body recover after workout sessions, It is thermogenic which means it helps increase the metabolism and protein is a dense nutrient so it satisfies hunger without the need of breads and pastas. Some ideas for quick protein induced snacks: Lean turkey deli meat, 1 scoop of protein powder with 6 oz orange juice, milk, or water, Chicken delight (see recipe below), cottage cheese with fresh fruit.
3. Eat a large amount of Vegetables at every meal(and at least 3 servings of fruits a day).
Each vegetable and fruit you eat serves a different purpose. The great things about fruits and veggies is that they are nutrient and vitamin dense while being very light in calories. They will serve you with an excellent amount of energy through the day, give your body the satisfaction of carbohydrates while you get the bulk of your calories from your protein. Another great thing about these foods, you buy them ready to eat! Technically most of them don't even need to be cooked. Of course some will taste better cooked, and cooking certain ones will bring out the nutrients a little more for you but if you're on the go with no time to prepare, grab a yellow bell pepper, slice it up and eat (or do as i do and eat that baby like an apple!). These are very cost efficient, if you say you don't have enough money to eat healthy, you get an apple for 99 cents a lb (which is around 2 or 3 for 99 cents)! come on now. stop making excuses. Some ideas of quick vegetable and fruit snacks: Bell pepper slices, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup baby carrots, 1-2 handfuls of berries (blue, black, raspberry, strawberries), apple, banana, orange, melon slices...I recommend sharing these with some type of protein, i.e turkey meat, trail mix (protein and healthy fat), protein shake etc.
for information on what vitamins are in which fruits and vegetables, check this website out.
4. Drink Plenty of Water
Perhaps the reason you feel you have no money is the fact you have your daily Starbucks in the morning, your bottle of Pepsi in the afternoon, and your glass of wine at night. Those cost money people, you could afford those, how can you not afford to eat healthy. This my friend I do not understand. Go buy yourself a water filter, buy gallon jugs. get yourself some purified water and ditch the sugar and alcohol induced drinks. you will save money, feel more alive, your skin will look better, you will feel happier, and your organs will be singing songs of joyous worship. Not to mention when you drink water your muscles, brain, and whole body functions and works better together thus creating better results in life, and in the gym!
5. Don't hate yourself for indulging Now keep in mind I am not saying to ignore my first 4 statements. But if you want to indulge in a little wine on a Friday evening, maybe you eat a piece of cake at birthday party. Or if you have no other option, you need to make sure to eat something and don't starve yourself. The key here is, don't beat yourself up about it. Enjoy it, after all you deserve it. I read a great book by the name of "The Hero Handbook" by Nate Green. His philosophy has stuck in my head and I have been telling it to all of my clients. "Do the next positive thing" meaning instead of beating yourself up, enjoy your indulgence but the next positive thing you could think of, do it. Drink a glass of water, eat a chicken salad instead of pasta. whatever the next positive thing you could do nutritionally after your indulgence, do it and get back on track.
another great quote from "The Hero Handbook" -
"Humans have done well on high-protein, high-fat, high-carb, and many other diet variations. What they haven't done is thrive on food with barcodes, foods that come out of a box, or anything bought in a fast food drive-through. REAL food- stuff your great, great, great grandparents would recognize as food- is all you should be putting in your body if you want to look good and feel better."
4 Quick Meals Chicken Delight
- 1 shredded chicken breast
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 diced tomato
- 1/2 diced avacado
- 1 palm full diced red onion
- 1/4 medium diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 medium diced red bell pepper
**Mix all ingredients together and enjoy**
Tuna Delight
- 1 can solid white albacore tuna
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1/2 diced tomato
- 1/4 cup pinto, black, or kidney beans
- 1 palm full diced red onion
- 1/4 medium diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 medium diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 medium diced green bell pepper
- 1 diced pickle
- 1 chopped hard boiled egg
- Light mustard
**Mix all ingredients together and enjoy**
Protein Power Packed Scramble
- 3 to 6 whole eggs, beaten
- 1 diced red potato
- 1/2 medium chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 medium chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 chopped green onion
- 1 cup spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped broccoli
- 1/3 cup yellow zucchini
- 3 slices chopped fresh turkey deli meat
Protein Power Packed Smoothie
- 3 ice cubes
- 1 serving plain Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup black berries
- 1 small/medium banana
- 1 serving whole oats
- 1 scoop protein
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 6 oz. milk or orange juice
If you desire more recipes or guidance on what to eat, exercise routines, or just plain motivation e-mail me anytime at mmurphy36@gmail.com or find me on facebook simply by searching my e-mail. I would love to be your friend.
I hope that you have learned something useful, that you try my recipes and you continue on the path to getting your desired results, like i just said, I am more than willing to help. you know why?...
God loves you Mike(y) loves you, so Love yourself.
I just finished reading a very life changing book. The funny thing about this is that the way of life that the book talks about, in my heart I already knew it was true. I have been in agreement with this way of life, my whole life.
I could remember in high school battling depression, self pity, and ignorance. I remember many nights contemplating the meaning of life, and at age 17 I had figured it out. (I will get to the meaning of life later in the blog) Although i had figured it out, I hadn't always been the best practitioner of it.
I have always had a deep understanding of the human soul, the heart, and what people desired. I am very understanding of everyone's circumstances for the most part. I am great at putting my feet in other people's shoes. Yet in my own life, I failed to help myself...
Until the last few years of my life.
Through a lot of reading, deep thought, and searching for meaning. Through a lot of tears, smiles, cheers, and jeers I have begun to really appreciate the littlest things and found meaning in my own life. I became happy.
This book is more than just about the appreciation of life. It is about understanding what makes the human mind function the way it does and discovering the possibilities available to everyone. I just wanted to take some time to discuss this book.
It is much more than 4 simple agreements. As it says on the cover of the book it is a "Practical Guide to Personal Freedom". I will explain a little bit about the book and finish with my favorite quote from each agreement. Please understand that i am not giving away the secrets, because the book is much more in depth then I could be in this blog. I highly recommend you purchase it, go to boarders and read it, find it online, do whatever it takes but make sure you read this book!
Chapter 1- Domestication and the Dream of the Planet
In this chapter discussed is the reason we feel pain, anger, upset. The reason we do not believe in ourselves. It is the reason we are blind to the true beauty of life.
It teaches that what is right and what is wrong is really a relative term. We can not see the truth in ourselves because we are blind. We have been taught since birth to be, act, and live a certain way. It is not necessarily the right way. It is not necessarily the truth. but we have been taught and to be taught is to be domesticated. We have been taught through the system of reward and punishment, for our feelings and our actions. not only by our parents, but through our peers, teachers, media, etc. and that is why we develop our issues such as low self esteem, depression, anger, jelousy. etc. we have been taught to hide our true self for the satisfaction of others.
"All of humanity is searching for truth, justice, and beauty. We are on an eternal search for the truth because we only believe in the lies we have stored in our mind." pg 15
Chapter 2- The First Agreement
Be Impeccable with Your Words
If you break down the word Impeccable you get two parts "peccable" which stands for sin, or fault. The "Im" stands for without, as in the word Impossible- without possibility. So the word "Impeccable" means- without sin. This is said to be the most important agreement because when you speak kind, positive, and happy. Eventually your thoughts will mimic those words. You will begin to see things more clear. You will begin to see things more optimistically. The word is very powerful. The old saying of "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words they go much more deep" is true beyond measure. Try to think of a time when you were ridiculed. you either a) got super defensive b) beat the person up c)spit poison back at the person or d) accepted it as truth. We hear stories daily of kids being bullied, of abusive relationships and so on.
Words are so powerful, they not only can damage the mind, they can kill.
Why would you ever want that type of pain inflicted on you. If you would not like it done to you, why inflict pain onto others. So therefore be impeccable with your words because when we are positive, we are happy. when we are happy, we dont feel pain. When we dont feel pain, we love.
Speak with impeccability not only towards others, but to yourself as well. for you must learn to accept your being. Love your being, and happiness will flow through your veins.
"Impeccability of the word can lead you to personal freedom, to huge success and abundance; it can take away all fear and transform it into joy and love." pg 45
Chapter 3- The Second Agreement
Don't take anything Personally
This chapter probably the biggest life changer for me. I will admit all my life I have been taking things personal. I felt responsible for the world. If someone slacked- I was responsible. If someone didn't like me- I was responsible. If someone lied to me- I was responsible, If someone called me a name- I was responsible. The general idea of this chapter is to be you, and if someone has a problem with it, it is a problem within themselves. You can only be you. No one can make you feel anger, sadness, heartache or pain. Everyone is living in their own hell and they are fighting their own demons. If they don't like you, it is not you that is the problem.You can only be yourself. why be someone other than yourself. Be happy with who you are. Do not try to conform to make someone happy, odds are they will never be satisfied until they realize that the problem isn't you, it is them. Other people's problems are not yours. They are their own. All you can do is live your life. Accept your life and be happy. LOVE YOUR LIFE, LOVE YOURSELF and DONT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONAL. HAVE CONFIDENCE.
"Whatever you think, whatever you feel, I know is your problem and not my problem, It is the way you see the world. It is nothing personal."pg 51
Chapter 4- The Third Agreement
Don't Make Assumptions
When we assume, we lack communications. As I mentioned in a previous blog, assuming makes and ass out of u and me. We need to have clear communication through our relationships, jobs, family, friends. We need to be clear through every aspect of our life. If we assume someone knows how we feel. we will most likely be totally wrong. The key to a good life is good communication. For if you do not communicate, you will not get what you desire. You will feel left out, hated, disliked, sad, angry, and depressed. When really it is just poor communication. Once again everyone lives in their own mind. They have their own wants, needs, desires. They most likely do not mind the fact you have a red zit on your nose or the fact that you just farted a wet one. Do not assume that people care, do not assume that people don't care. The only way to truly know is to ask. Give the person a chance to tell you yes or no. it is their choice. And finally if their choice isn't what you wanted refer back to the second agreement. DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL. It is their choice. Not yours. Be yourself, and do not assume.
"We make the assumption that everyone sees life the way we do. We assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel, judge the way we judge, and abuse the way we abuse. This is the biggest assumption that humans make. And this is why we have fear of being ourselves around others. Because we think everyone else will judge us, victimize us, abuse us, and blame us as we do ourselves. So even before others have a chance to reject us, we have already rejected ourselves" pg 69
Chapter 5- The Fourth Agreement
Always Do Your Best
This is the agreement that will make all the other agreements second nature. If you always do your best, you can not regret. If you do your best then your life is in your hands, and you will meet all your wishes at the finish line. There is a great feeling of achievement when you put forth your best effort. In the feeling of achievement lies peace, love and happiness. All of which create a positive atmosphere of impeccable speaking, enjoyment of self, and enjoyment of others. Whenever I think to my greatest training sessions, when I gave forth all I had to my clients, when my mind was completely focused on them, that feeling I felt was nothing more than Heaven. When we play victim and blame others for not achieving our goals, we lose track of our best effort. So always do your best, you will not feel sorrow, you will not regret.
"Keep in mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes be high quality, and other times it will not be as good. When you wake up refreshed and energized in the morning, your best will be better than when you are tired at night, Your best will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick, or sober as opposed to drunk. Your best will depend on whether you are feeling wonderful and happy, or upset, angry, or jealous." pg 75-76
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The last part of the book is a combination of 2 chapters and some prayers. In which the meaning of life becomes distinguished ( I told you I would touch on the meaning of life...If you have managed to read through this whole blog, God bless you, and I pray that I have helped you grow). As I told you I figured out the meaning of life when I was 17. Its crazy to think it has taken me 6 years to really manifest it into my mind. The meaning of life is nothing more than one simple word. LOVE
Love all, love yourself, love nature, love pain, love death, love life. Simply put love into everything you do. And happiness will follow.
The meaning of life is not big cars. The meaning of life is not money. The meaning of life is not even to change the world.
The meaning of life is to love.
For if you love. You will change the world. If you truely love all, you will have passion, if you have passion your life will grow. Your wealth will grow (not simply materialistic wealth, but spiritual, and emotional wealth as well).
Love, love love.
I hope i was able to bless you all with a little love today. and i hope you truly know that I am not lying one bit when i tell you.....
God LOVES you, Mike(y) LOVES you, so :LOVE yourself....
As I walked out of my house today and got into my car, the first thing i thought to myself was "why on Gods earth am I in sweat pants!"
IT WAS HOT!
I know I am being a little dramatic seeing as the thermometer on my phone reads 72 degrees. Most people around the country would say "that is perfect!" and I completely agree, but with the fact of having the longest winter of my life it caught me by surprise. I caught myself sitting in a hot car wearing sweat pants, rushing to get my AC turned on as fast and high as possible.
With this beautiful weather comes plenty of opportunity for an active and fun life. No more sitting inside because "it is too wet to ride a bike." No longer is it "too cold to get out of bed in the morning." No longer do we have the excuse "I don't want to be out in the rain, I will get sick!" It is now time to take full advantage of the world around you.
time to switch things up, get outside. Play! Run! Laugh! Workout! Enjoy the sun! LIVE!
I am going to give you a few reasons to get out and enjoy the sun these days. it goes much deeper then getting a nice tan.
These are not all of the reasons but they are 3 very vital reasons to get some sun:
1. Vitamin D strengthens your body- With vitamin D your body will absorb nutrients at a higher level, creating stronger bones by instilling better absorption of calcium into the body. Vitamin D also strengthens your immune system, which could explain why we get so much more illness in the winter time.
2. Vitamin D improves your mood, decreases stress, and creates a happier you!- This one is my favorite, it is pretty hard to prove through research because it is hard to control and any good study is done under very controlled conditions. I would beg to say the reason it increases your mood is simply because it is bright. Gloomy weather creates gloomy thoughts. Bright weather ignites bright thoughts. Don't believe me? it wouldn't hurt to, give it a shot. After all who doesnt want to be happier anyways. :-)
3. Vitamin D improves sleep- Simply put, with a decrease in stress and a stronger immune system you feel better. When you are in the sun you sweat out toxins. You drink a lot more water as the heat makes you more thirsty. (thus creating more sweat and urination...yes this is a good thing, once again it removes nasty toxins from the body) You feel better, when you feel happier, you sleep better.
Now that the sun is out, we are not simply confined to working out in doors. Lets get outside. Enjoy this weather, your health depends on it.
If you feel a little demotivated, maybe the only thing you need is a little switcharooski.
Get outside. Enjoy your life. Go for a walk. Go Hiking. Play with your kids.
Love your Life. Take in the beauty that surrounds you.
Life is a miracle, the landscape of the world is remarkable.
Take it in, Let positivity run through your veins, and please do one more thing for me. SWEAT!
You will feel amazing.
remember everyone,
Your life is what you make it, please don't let it pass you by.
Happiness is attainable, and you deserve it.
God loves you, Mike(y) loves you, so Love yourself.
