What Are You Capable of?

Too often, our minds limit us by telling us what we are and are not capable of, what is and isn't possible, or how our life will be based on our height, weight, sex, gender, genetics, etc. Just think about some of the things your mind tells you:

"You could never do that. You are too ______ ."

"Why even try? You will never succeed in ______ ."

And on and on it goes. What would happen if you turned that voice off and tuned into a different voice instead? One that saw possibilities, opportunities, and the miraculous in everyday events. What would your life look like then? What could you accomplish? What would be possible?

I wanted to share one such success story, a story of an everyday person with an extraordinary mindset, allowing her to achieve what most would deem impossible. One of my former clients, Cassie, has a heart of gold and a bright, shimmering mindset to go with it. "Can't" isn't in her vocabulary. In her first year as a figure competitor, she won 2nd place. What great success for a rookie!

Over the next year, her diligence in her training, diet and her adopting the mindset that I tell all my clients that "anything is possible" allowed her to make tremendous strides in her physique. So much so, that she was approached by several promoters about doing bodybuilding in addition to figure. She only had 3 weeks to prepare!

Only hesitating slightly, she was excited by the challenge. She learned the new poses, put together a phenomenal posing routine and took 1st place!

Is she extraordinary? Absolutely! But not because she has something that the rest of us do not. She simply has a commitment to challenging what is possible and uses each day as an opportunity to explore the potential of her mind, body, and spirit.

She is an example and an inspiration to us all of what is possible by making small steps every day towards a goal and keeping in mind that we are capable of so much more than our minds may admit to sometimes.  

What has she done since she has stepped off stage?  She continues to inspire and inform others through her blog: Fit Life by Cassie.

I encourage you to keep a success journal and record your daily success, no matter how small they may seem. Your mind must first learn to crawl before it can walk, jog, skip, or run and focusing on your successes can help train your mind to recognize that your dreams come true by making small steps over and over again until you've reached your destination.

I believe in you! 

Now, tune your mind into a channel that inspires you in whatever goals you have for yourself and know that the only way you can fail is by giving up! As long as you stay on the path, your dreams are still within reach.

Have a fabulous week!

Health Begins in the Mind

When you seek to improve your health or your physique, what do you focus on? 

If you are like most, you look to start exercising or changing your nutrition habits. If you are already fairly healthy and fit, you may research other exercise plans or diets that promise better results or improved health. The focus is usually on what you are DOING. But how often do you actually review how you are BEING and your habitual thought patterns? Those of you who have read my book, "The RAD Triad: Transform Your Mind and Body," know that the foundation of health (rest, activity, and diet) is not complete without the right attitude. The right mindset is required.

I just finished re-reading "Evolve Your Brain." It discusses why humans get caught up in repeating the same patterns, even when they are not in our best interest. Simply put, our bodies and desires are controlled by our minds, which are controlled by our brains, which are driven by the neural connections established by our repeated actions, thoughts, and emotions. If you think thoughts about your lack of discipline, act out of impulse, and then feel guilty, you ingrain those thoughts, feelings and actions and make them stronger so that it is even more likely that you will think and act that way in the future.

To change, then, requires that you program the mind differently. 

You must see and feel yourself acting differently. 

Just like an athlete who repeatedly envisions him/herself winning the race, making the shot, getting the goal, you must see yourself with the body and the health you desire. You must picture yourself as you want to be. As the vision of the "new you" becomes more and more real in your mind, the circuits in your brain will start to re-pattern and re-wire, making it easier to think, feel, and act in a way that is more in line with the "new you."

So, what are you waiting for? 

• Get out a journal and write down EXACTLY what you want (keep your focus on what you do want, not what you don't want or what you want to stop doing). 
• Spend fifteen minutes each morning envisioning what you wrote down.
• End your day doing the same.

The mind is a powerful tool that can be used for you or against you. Just as you train your muscles in the gym, strengthen your mind so that it works to help you achieve your ideal body and radiant health.

Make today a GREAT one!