From the category archives:

Positive Affirmations

Is Constant Improvement Really Necessary?

by Joi on January 20, 2010

in Motivational, Positive Affirmations

The following is a guest post by Rachel King and it honestly gives the reader a great deal to think about.  Enjoy!
Is Constant Improvement Really Necessary? A Guest Post by Rachel King

We live in a world where there is intense competition to get ahead and stay there. We’re constantly being asked to improve and innovate if we are to achieve success. And we continue to strive for that exclusive prize (be it money or fame or both) throughout our lives because no amount is enough. But, no matter what self-help gurus advocate, is constant improvement really necessary? Must we really push ourselves further and further even if it means we are not really happy with what we are doing?

A very good friend came to me depressed because she could not find the motivation to complete certain projects she had taken up. She felt guilty because she procrastinated and kept them till the last minute. And she felt upset because she did not want to complete them because she had lost all interest in them. The funny part of this was that she had been so enthusiastic about this project just a few months ago. She is an alpha achiever in anything she does and is a very shrewd and clever person. So why, she asks me, am I not able to sustain my interest in this?

She had actually taken on the project as a way to improve and better herself. But once she got into it, she began to question the constant and continuous process of self improvement. She made a very valid point; in the quest for improvement, we usually leave behind and forget all the simple things in life that are pleasurable – watching television on a cold evening by yourself with a tub of ice cream, spending time with your children without yelling at them or ordering them around, cuddling with your spouse in front of a fire on a random night, taking time out to go visit a neighbor who is sick, visiting the shops even when you’re broke just for the pleasure of it, and so on and so forth.

Because we strive to do something “purposeful” with our lives, we end up stressed and depressed because we are unable to reach the standards we set for ourselves. We feel guilty at not being able to achieve our goal and this has a detrimental effect on our psyche. We take out our frustration on those close to us and ruin relationships in the process.

Improving yourself does not have to mean you must achieve some milestone that others will appreciate; rather, it means you must be satisfied with and happy about the quality of your life; you must be able to live it on your terms rather than by the standards set by others; and you must be content and at peace when you go to bed each night and wake up each morning.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Rachel King, who writes on the topic of  Online Christian Universities.

Web's Best Brain Games

Self Help Tips for Stress Relief

by Joi on December 22, 2009

in Overcome Stress, Positive Affirmations, Relaxation

Stress is a common problem encountered daily, but it is not always bad. Stress often occurs when you take on too many tasks at once or you are preparing for something you are not used to doing. Your body responds as if it senses danger and produces cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are good in small amounts because they allow you to overcome certain obstacles in life. During a stressful situation, your body may produce excessive amounts of these hormones and it can have a negative effect on your body. Small amounts of cortisol and adrenaline are helpful for helping you through certain situations. For example, these hormones can help you react quickly if you are in a dangerous situation.

Some of the negative effects of stress include an upset stomach, back pain, insomnia, or headaches. Too much stress can also affect your immune system resulting in difficulty fighting disease. It may cause you to become moody, tense, or depressed, and this can have a negative effect on your relationships.

Because of these problems, it is important to learn proper stress management techniques. There are several changes you can make that can help you feel much better.

Don’t take on more than you can handle. By accepting a reasonable workload, you place less pressure on yourself and should be able to meet your deadline without any added frustrations.

Meditation is an excellent method of relaxation and this can help calm your body and mind. Meditation has many positive effects on the body such as helping clear the mind of any negative thoughts.

Another method of stress relief is to see things from a different perspective. With a different viewpoint, you may see the positive in an otherwise bad situation. This also allows you to have a more positive outlook on life, which can lead to many health benefits.

If you are suffering from stress, it is important to relax and find out what is causing this problem. After figuring out the cause, you can begin making changes to reduce the negative effects of your stress.

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Needed: A Guest Post by B. Lynn Goodwin

by Joi on November 20, 2009

in Positive Affirmations, Tough Love!

You Want Me To Do What?

NEEDED by B. Lynn Goodwin

“When are you planning on going to the grocery store?” my mother asked after our trip to the hairdresser followed by a late lunch at Emil Villa’s. I’d taken her back to her condo, helped her open her mail, and I thought my day was over.

“I’ll go right now.”

“Don’t go now. You don’t have time.” I did though, and we both knew it. I hated being reminded that I had no life.

“When would you like me to go, Missus?” I asked with all the patience I could muster. She was Missus and I was Person, names that kept us unique and reminded us that we loved each other, even in trying times.

“I don’t care. Go tomorrow or the next day or whenever you want to.”

We did this dance every day. She needed help; I needed space. She feared I would abandon her, while I feared that her blood pressure would soar, causing another stroke.

It would be four years before I knew that Alzheimer’s was eating her brain, robbing her of logical thought, and returning her to the emotional dependence of a child. I had no idea I was engaged in a psychological battle with a woman who was losing her ability to think logically. I put on my patient face and said, “I’ve got time and I want to go now. What would you like me to bring?”

She looked up with vacant, pleading eyes. Four years later I would call them Alzheimer eyes. “Can we look at the list?”

She’d spent all one afternoon sitting at a wobbly card table typing the list, letter by letter, then going back and XXXing out her mistakes. I offered to type on either her typewriter or my computer while she dictated, but she said, “I have to do something for myself.” Watching her struggle with the scraps of memory lurking in her brain made me want to scream. I dug my fingernails into my crossed arms until little red half-moons dotted my elbows.

I found the typed grocery list in a stack of old Saks catalogues, but nothing appealed so I breathed deeply and said, “Why don’t I see what’s in the freezer?”

In my best Vanna White imitation, I pulled out each item, turned, showed it, and called out its name. If I read the names while I looked in the freezer, she couldn’t hear me. Besides my Vanna poses were entertaining, and I loved her approval, though at 48 I should have been far too old to care.

Crisp fall air filled my lungs as I scurried to my car. I never realized how stale the air in her kitchen was until I escaped to the real world. I looked up at the bare spots already showing on the trees. I didn’t know yet that Alzheimer’s speckled her brain with holes in exactly the same way as fallen leaves made holes in the trees. I only wondered if this was the last year she would see the leaves turn.

If I had known about her disease, maybe I could have stopped trying to be the perfect daughter. Maybe I could have loved her for needing me instead of craving her approval. Maybe I could have recognized that I was an adult daughter, doing what needed to be done.

When I came back from the store, she thanked me profusely. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Person.”
+++

B. Lynn Goodwin is a freelance writer, editor, teacher, former caregiver, and the author of You Want Me To Do What? – Journaling for Caregivers. She is published in numerous anthologies, e-zines, magazines, and blogs. She facilitates journaling workshops for caregivers and publishes Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com. A longer version of this piece was originally published in Voices of Caregivers.

Web's Best Brain Games

Keeping Small Issues Where They Belong

by Joi on October 26, 2009

in Mental Fitness, Overcome Stress, Positive Affirmations, Quotations, Relaxation

Relaxed Squirrel!

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this:  To rise above the little things.  – John Burroughs

The quote above is a lesson in self improvement, self help, stress management, health, and happiness.  I think everyone should write this quote down on an index card and place it in the place they’ll see it the most often – on the refrigerator, by your desk, on your bathroom mirror… Small things (like the ones listed below) simply aren’t worth getting riled up over:

  • A leaking faucet.
  • Finding yourself low on gas.
  • The cost of gas.
  • A driver who pulls out in front of you.
  • A barking dog.
  • Having to run to the store for butter or milk.
  • Your team losing a game.
  • The server not bringing your refill as quickly as you’d like.
  • A slow internet connection.
  • And so on….

Think about it – these things are so trivial, they’re almost funny!  Yet how many times do people get hot and bothered over these very things… and often things even sillier.  Recently, my husband and I were eating at an Outback in Nashville, Tennessee (Amazing food!).  A group came in and were seated in a booth, by the window no less.  One of the women got ticked off because they didn’t get to choose their own booth.  There were only a handful available anyway!

If a person can get to the place where small things barely even register a response from them, they’ll be happier than they have ever been.  What’s more, they’ll experience stress so rarely that they’ll think they’ve been given a new lease on life. We spend a great deal of emotions needlessly on small things.  Then when then the larger problems arise – we don’t have much left in our tank.  The larger problems overwhelm us because we’re spent!

Start challenging yourself to handle life’s small disappointments and setbacks better.  Amaze everyone around you by smiling and even laughing when something cooky happens.  Several great things will happen: You’ll feel happier and more relaxed.  What’s more, anyone who sees you handling life’s little annoyances this way will think, “Wow. I want to be more like that!”  Before you know it, you and everyone you know will enjoy a much happier and calmer life.

Worth trying, right?!  The next time something starts to register on your stress scale, take a deep breath.  Then ask yourself, “What if this is the worst thing that happens to me this week?”   The diminutive nature of the problem will leave you amazed and probably even laughing!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

Web's Best Brain Games

Self Growth Generally Doesn’t Happen in a Recliner

by Joi on July 7, 2009

in Inspiration, Motivational, Positive Affirmations, Quotations

comfy recliner

This morning I went about my normal, blissful, much-beloved morning routine. I fed my inside cat, Alexa. I fed my outside cat Ming Li and tried to catch a site of Ming Li’s kittens and baby daddy. The daddy (Jet Li) was nowhere to be found, but the adorable babies were running amok.

Then I came back inside to pour myself and my husband some Heaven – also known as coffee. None of our daughters are ever awake at this point, and they look as cute sleeping now as they did when they were 4, 3, and 1.

My beautiful, picturesque morning came to an end when I remembered what was at the top of my “To Do” list for today. I glanced at the notebook I keep such lists in and could have sworn I heard thunder clap and demons shriek as I opened it up to today’s list. Sure enough, there at the top was the task that I was dreading. I won’t bore or frighten you with the details – besides, unless you’re a web publisher/designer you wouldn’t fully grasp the horror.

Suffice to say, the task that lies before me is one that summons up all of my attention, all of my mental resources, all of my courage… oh, it sucks a gravedigger’s big toe, okay? The left one.

It’s a particular task that I swore I’d never do again because it’s so tedious. It’s a completely different detour from the path my days normally take and, frankly, I love my normal path!

Alexa and I were both glaring at the list when I remembered a quote by Anais Nin: Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.

Oh. Okay.

Then as I was getting my mind around that quote, another one came to mind: Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. – Ronald E. Osborn

That’s a good one, isn’t it?

The next time you’re up against something that’s intruding upon your blissful, happy, comfortable setting – thank it for its arrival. It bears good fruit.  Self Growth generally doesn’t happen when we’re comfortable.  It’s when we step out of our comfort zone that our potential to grow escalates.   So, I guess it should be something we welcome rather than try to dodge?

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

More quotes about self growth can be found in Self Help Daily’s Inspirational Quote collection. But be careful, they’ll affect you in a powerful way!

Web's Best Brain Games

You Can Sharpen Your Brain at Any Age

by Joi on February 22, 2009

in Brain Games, Positive Affirmations

The Memory Bible Did you know that most memory functions can continue to sharpen over the years? If, that is, they’re exercised and challenged.

“Memory can be trained just like muscles,” says Gary Small, M.D., author of Memory Bible, The: An Innovative Strategy For Keeping Your Brain Young and director of the University of California-Los Angeles Center on Aging. “If you make the most of your memory and use it regularly, that portion of your brain can actually get better as you get older.”

To sharpen your memory and strengthen your mind, do mind-challenging activities, on a daily basis. “Try to do a crossword puzzle every day to help build and maintain vocabulary and memory,” recommends Small.  The experts also agree that learning a second language is beneficial.

As we’ve been learning in recent posts, certain foods can also age-proof the brain.

“A 2008 British study found that eating blueberries can enhance memory and learning, and drinking apple juice may improve memory by preventing the decline of an important neurotransmitter, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.” – Everyday Health

DID YOU KNOW?
According to Mamas Health.com, a cooked potato can jump start your brain when you’re feeling mentally sluggish. Click the link to go directly to a page filled with fascinating facts about the brain. They’re presented in a list that will most definitely teach you a few new things.

QUOTE
“I’m hoping that I rewrote the rules for anyone who wants to do something and they think they’re too old to do it.” Dara Torres (41), the only swimmer to medal in five Olympics

Web's Best Brain Games

Clean Out Anxieties and Stress!

by Joi on January 19, 2009

in Mental Fitness, Motivational, Positive Affirmations

Clean and Declutter For a Better Mood!Research shows that clutter (in your home, office, or vehicle) causes stress and increases anxieties. Research also shows that physical activity decreases stress and anxiety. So, the solution’s almost too easy, isn’t it?

Get moving and actively declutter, clean, and straighten!

Did you know that studies actually show that people who spend at least 20 minutes a day cleaning suffer from less stress than those who don’t? I guess the reason’s obvious, they’re cutting down on clutter while increasing their activity. Making their living quarters clean and stress free makes them feel better.  That, in turn, increases self confidence and self worth.

It’s all good.

Below are a few tips on ways to find more time for cleaning as well as ways to keep clutter from getting out of hand in the first place.  If you do it like you mean it, you can also burn a lot of  nasty calories while you’re at it.

  • A place for everything and everything in its place.  Take a walk around your home or office and take note of the places where clutter tends to congregate.  Wherever it holds its meetings is the place you need to focus your attention on.  Pay particular attention the room most people enter through.  If that’s the kitchen, your counters probably suffer from mail pile up.  This would be the perfect spot for a neat little mail caddy or at least an attractive basket.  They, at least, say to the world that they’re supposed to be there.
  • Clean your closets (and some rooms, for that matter) out and either haul things off or store them away in the garage.  Invest in some of those plastic bins with matching lids that you find in department stores.  Some may still be on sale from the first of the year – if not, they’re worth the money.  They look so much neater stacked in a garage or storage building than boxes or bags, plus if you buy the clear ones, you can see what’s inside.
  • Clutter and untidiness can be overwhelming and depressing.  Be proactive and put it in its place.  Set aside a day of the week that’ll be your designated Cleaning Day.  Granted, if you’re like me and are blessed with multiple children and cats, more that one Cleaning Day may be called for.  Just make sure nothing gets in the way of Cleaning Day.  Round up your cleaners, dust rags, broom, Swiffer (LOVE my Swiffer!), etc. and just have at it. Swiffer is Love.
  • During commercials of your favorite shows, get up and straighten.  Use each commercial break for a different room.  By the time the movie or show is over, you’ll have a much cleaner house.
  • Keep all of your cleaning supplies together – maybe in a pail. Then, pack the whole lot of them into whatever room you’re focusing on at the time.
  • Swiffer is love.

Our surroundings play a huge role in our emotions and our state of mind.  I’ve noticed that when things around me are neat and clean, I focus better and feel better.

Be sure to surround yourself with things that make you smile, colors that relax you, and products that make organization easier (like bookshelves, bins, desk organizers, etc).  Then, at all costs, keep them clean and tidy!

Web's Best Brain Games

The Power of Affirmations and Positive Thinking

by Joi on December 3, 2008

in Positive Affirmations

Think Positively Those of us in the Self Help and Mental Fitness industry love nothing more than coming up with so-called secrets to personal success and achievement.  While each “secret” carries a great deal of weight and, in its own way, can help us along our route to self improvement, there is one good, old-fashioned, often overlooked truth:  Positive thinking can work wonders.

I know you have heard of affirmations.  They are short and to the point sayings or quotes that people repeat to themselves with varying degrees of frequency.  These sayings serve to “affirm” what it is they hope to accomplish in their life.

The individual who is trying to stop smoking (or another unhealthy habit), for example, may use one of the following positive affirmations:

  • My health is more important to me than this.
  • I am getting healthier every day.
  • I am getting stronger every day.
  • I am strong.
  • I can do this!

We all know how powerful positive feedback is, but we can’t always get it from the people around us.  After all, they’re all busy on their own road to self improvement.  The good news is, we can be our own cheerleading squad.  We can, if we will commit to it, provide our own positive feedback.  The trick is to be very careful what you say to yourself.  Watch your thoughts like an overly protective mother watches her child on a playground. 

As a mother worthy of the title overly protective parent, I can tell you a hawk doesn’t have any better vision!

When negative thoughts creep in, chase them away with positive affirmations.  Make your mind a steel trap – one that keeps positvie thoughts IN and negative thoughts OUT.  To a very real extent, we create our world within our mind before we create it anywhere else.  If it is the birthplace of things that will take root in our life, shouldn’t we want the environment to be as positive as possible?!

The next time you begin to think negative thoughts about yourself, force the thoughts to stop.  Replace them immediately with positively affirming thoughts.  I’ve always taught my daughters this about thoughts:  Never say, to yourself, things you wouldn’t dream of saying to another person.  You would never (I hope!) tell another person, “You’re fat (or worthless or old or skinny or….).”  Never say them to yourself.  Critical, ugly words are emotionally crippling – they act upon your psyche just as a dropped hammer would act upon a toe.

A person’s spirit can be just as broken as a bone, but it takes far longer to heal.  You would never consider breaking someone else’s spirit, right?  Starting today, always be just as careful with your own.

Positive affirmations and positive thinking work wonders in a person’s life.  If you are one of the individuals who have their doubts, do me (and yourself!) a favor:  Try it for yourself.  Grab a few of the affirmations listed below and memorize them.  Use them throughout the coming days and see, for yourself, how comforting and inspiring they are.

After a few weeks pass, I promise you this – you’ll never leave your house without them again!

Favorite Positive Affirmations:

  • I can do this.
  • I’m a finisher.
  • I persevere.
  • I am getting healthier everyday.
  • I am growing each day.
  • I can do anything I set my mind to.
  • Nothing is too hard for me.
  • I’m tough!
  • I am living out my dreams
  • I am surrounded by people who love and support me.
  • I always find a way.
  • Nothing gets in my way.
  • I am getting closer and closer to my goal.
  • I have a wonderful life.
  • My family loves me.
  • I am important.
  • I am in control.
  • I am successful in everything I do.
  • I can change the world!
  • I’m headed in the right direction.
  • I love my life.
  • I’ve got a great attitude.
  • Life is fun.
  • I’m hopeful about the future.
  • I like me as a person.
  • I know what I want and how to get it.
  • Look out world!

Make each affirmation count double,
~ Joi

*** The poster above says, “THINK SMART. Every answer you seek lies within you. Learn to appreciate the questions first. They will guide you to great discoveries. You can do anything. Think big.” I love this poster’s attitude!

Web's Best Brain Games

What We Can Learn From Dogs – Yes, Dogs

by Joi on October 2, 2008

in Inspiration, Motivational, Positive Affirmations, Quotations

The Dog
The Dog Art PrintPicasso, PabloBuy at AllPosters.com

The following was included in an e-mail I recently received. Unfortunately, I don’t have any idea whatsoever who wrote it. It’s too good not to pass along, though.

WHAT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM DOGS:

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

  • When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
  • Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
  • Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
  • Take naps.
  • Stretch before rising.
  • Run, romp, and play daily.
  • Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
  • Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
  • On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
  • On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
  • When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
  • Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
  • Be loyal.
  • Never pretend to be something you’re not.
  • If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
  • When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
  • ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

You know how I sign all of my posts on this blog? – Dogs take it to heart. It’s time we started letting ourselves go to the dogs!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

Web's Best Brain Games

Why You Should Read Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips This Week

by Joi on July 23, 2008

in Inspiration, Mental Fitness, Motivational, Positive Affirmations, Tough Love!

“Eventually, there comes a point in every life where you can no longer ignore the enormous and expanding gap between the life you could be living and the life you’ve settled for….   Every day of your life that you’re not actively engaged in staying fit, eating well, and strengthening your body the gap grows.”  – Stregnth for Life, by Shawn Phillips, page 10

Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips I recently finished reading Strength for Life and, quite frankly, I’m filled with two emotions.

For one, I’m angry at myself!  Why didn’t I start, in my 20’s, eating right and exercising every day.  By now I could be Wonder Blogger!  I’d never have to worry the trauma room (for my male readers, this would be the dressing room), I’d have all the energy I need for anything life throws me or for anything I want to throw it, and I’d be setting a golden opportunity for my three daughters.

For another, I’m excited!  It’s never to late to do what you should have done.  There aren’t any NO U TURNS signs along life’s highway, so I can start today (actually the day I opened the book) getting my butt in shape - as well as the rest of me.

I knew the author, Shawn Phillips, and I would hit it off right from the start.  You see, while I’m  a typical girly girl, I’m also a huge sports fan.  My favorite teams are the UK Wildcats, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the Denver Broncos.  At the end of chapter 1, Shawn quoted my all-time favorite QB, John Elway, and referred to him as “a friend.”  So, I settled back with the book to see what an author with impeccable taste had to say.

A Wake-Up Call

Do you realize how out of control obesity is in America?  According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 and older are obese and 65 percent are either overweight or obese.  65 percent!

Even more disturbing, to me, is the following statistic:  In the kid’s group, one out of five ages 12 to 19 is now considered obese.  That absolutely breaks my heart. 

Not only does being overweight keep you from living the life you should be living, it’ll end your life much sooner than it should end. It’s not just about being able to keep up on the playground or tennis court, it’s not just about how those Levi’s look, and it’s not just about leaving the trauma room with your head high as opposed to buried in your hands – it’s about being around for your loved ones as long as you possibly can!

What Strength for Life Can Mean for You

I’m certain I’ve pointed out before how difficult it can be to write a book review. Especially when it’s for a book that you’re dying for your readers to read. On one hand, I want to tell you all that I learned from the book. For someone with the gift for gab like me, it’s particularly hard NOT to give everything away. The problem with that, of course, is that you’d have no reason to buy the book. Not a very fair thing to do to an author who put their heart and soul into the publication.

Let me try to Bullet Point the reasons you should read Strength For Life as soon as you possibly can (bullet points usually keep the gab within reason):

  • The author, Shawn Phillips, is a fitness expert in every sense of the word.  He’s been in the business for over 20 years and has helped not just thousands, but tens of thousands of people live better, healthier, and stronger lives.
  • Strength for Life includes an eating plan that gives you more energy than you’ll remember ever having.  The nutrition tips are golden (I laughed out loud at his description of pop and will never look at one the same again!)  He points out how berries will protect you from the damages of free radicals, why water is more important to drink than we even realize, why apples are the perfect fruit, and a lot more.  You feel better AND look better when you eat the way you should – Strength for Life lays it all out for you and even gives sample daily meal plans.  There are over 25 pages devoted entirely to educating the reader about nutrition.  As a web publisher who spends 50 percent of her day reading about health, food, and nutrition, I was amazed at just how much I learned.
  • Illustrated, simple exercises make it easy to follow along.  They’re accompanied by step by step instructions that are (Thank you, Shawn!) clear and precise.  I hate it when an exercise book just shows a picture and tells you something like,  Do 3 sets.  3 sets of what?!  The exercises in Strength for Life are fun, highly doable, and effective.  The entire workout plan can be done a little over 30 minutes.  Personally, I like to do them while Andy Griffith’s on.  I get started a little before the whistling starts, and I’m usually through by the time Andy has gotten Barney out of his recent scrape.  Mayberry makes a perfect soundtrack and I know the shows by heart, so I don’t have to look up from my book or “focal point” to know what’s going on.
  • Get this – there’s a boot camp in this book!  The book refers to it as Base Camp, but my body’s convinced it’s boot camp.  And I love it.  Section 2 is called “Base Camp:  12 Days That Will Recharge Your Body and Mind.“  I’m certain that recharging your body and mind appeal to you as much as they do to me! 
  • Goal setting and achieving exercises provide the motivation you need to make all of your fitness dreams come true. 

What’s So Great About Shawn Phillips?!

Shawn Phillips is one of the most motivating and inspiring authors I’ve ever read (and you know me, I read – therefore I am).  Even when the book is CLOSED and you’re making your food choices in the store or the kitchen, you feel like Shawn is there with you – saying, “I think there’s a better solution…here, let’s try this instead,” “Look at the ingredients – corn syrup, you know what that means..,” or “Are you completely out of your mind?! Put that back.” 

You also feel like he’s there when you’re walking or exercising – coaching you and WILLING for you to make it.  He’d actually make a wonderful trainer on a show like The Biggest Loser because, while he’s filled with information, he has an even more important trait:  He honestly cares about the health, fitness, well-being, and happiness of his readers.  You can tell it in his words.  I read so much that authors can’t even begin to fool me – I know sincerity when I see it. 

Now It’s Up to You

I strongly urge you to buy this book as soon as possible – the sooner, the better, because the minute you start reading is the minute you turn your life around.  As a bonus, if you’re a parent like me, you begin setting a golden example to your children.  They’ll even get on board with you!  A few days ago, I asked my oldest daughter what sounded good for lunch.  Instead of the typical Fries and a Burger answer, she said “a grilled chicken salad.”  I couldn’t make it for her fast enough!

I hope that TODAY you’ll think about “the gap” that began this post.  I hope you’ll get a good, clear picture of the life you could be living – the one you’d spell out for a genie.  Then I hope you’ll realize that the first step you should take (to make your wishes come true) is to get a copy of Strength for Life as soon as you possibly can.

Nah, sooner.

To illustrate just how serious I am about you getting this book – I’m going to do something that I don’t believe I’ve ever done in all my years of reviewing books. See, as a web publisher, I make my living online – what I make with my blogs/sites is what I take to the grocery store with me! When I review a book, I always use my Amazon link (or another affiliate link) – so, when the visitor makes the purchase, I get paid. Solid.

But, in this instance – as an added way of letting you know how much I want you to improve your health and life – I’m not going to use any such links. In each of the links, I’m simply pointing you to Shawn Phillips website where you can learn more about him and his mission to whip us all into shape! You can even sign up for a sneak preview of the book – how cool’s that?  Please do this for yourself and for your family. You only get one life – it isn’t a dress rehearsal.

As the greatest quarterback to ever play (I believe his name was John Elway) once said, “If you’re going to set a goal, aim high!”

Make each moment count double,
~Joi

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