Category Archives: Motivation

Don’t Like to Exercise? – Maybe I Can Convince You Otherwise

3 Replies

For me personally, heath and fitness have always been a huge priority in my life. I started exercising on a regular basis since I was in high school and although my routines have varied throughout my life, there was never a time I took an extended break from it or was too busy to exercise. The truth of the matter is, we are never “too busy” for the things we care about most. Being that staying healthy and in shape are important to me, a good diet paired with an exercise routine are both essentials. I do not believe that you can rely solely on good genetics–that is not enough. Although the science shows that what you eat has more of a higher impact on your overall health and well being than exercise, there is no doubt that putting both into practice will provide you with the very best results.

I actually truly do not understand people who do not exercise. People should want to take care of themselves and take accountability for their health. I suppose the reasons can vary from not enjoying it, too many professional and/or personal obligations, getting bored doing it, or maybe not looking at the long term positive effects of incorporating exercise into daily life. Even if you cannot find a little time out of your day to do it a few days a week, I always say that any time you can commit to yourself is always better than nothing.

If you are in the category where you never exercise or maybe you do so at random but there is no real emphasis on making it a priority, I would like to provide some reasons as to why you need to start making it a habit.

Keeps You Young and Looking Good – People who take the time to exercise regularly always look way younger than their physical age. I will admit, this was always one of the many incentives as to why I stuck with it was because I knew that it would preserve my youth over time. Aesthetically, I also always wanted to stay in shape and knew that the work (aka exercise) would provide the results I was looking for.

Improves Energy Levels / Mood / Mental Health – Without a doubt, after a good workout, I feel amazing. This includes feeling accomplished, energized, strong (both mentally and physically), productive, happy, and so much more. I am naturally a positive and happy person but by adding a solid workout to my day really takes it to a higher level by uplifting my mood and building my mental strength.

Prevents Potential Health Problems From Occurring Later in Life – Exercise cannot prevent everything as we know that certain health problems are genetic and are completely out of our hands no matter how much we eat well and exercise. However, keeping the body healthy definitely adds a layer of protection in preventing serious health problems to arise.

Helps with Weight Management – As we age, it is natural for the metabolism to slow down and unexpected weight to appear out of no where. Even if you have consistently been a relatively healthy individual, it is still easy for the body to put on weight over time. This is where exercise helps by burning excess calories and if you also weight train, the muscle you build will aid in weight management by keeping the body lean and trim. (If genetically, you are thin to begin with, this does not give you a pass to not have to exercise. Even though you might not be looking to lose weight, you can still exercise by lifting weights to add muscle to your body which is ideal).

Increases Longevity – I know for some, people live day by day, not thinking about their future, let alone tomorrow. However, if you could live a longer and healthier life, wouldn’t that be the best scenario? By adding exercise, you are staying healthy and ultimately extending your life by investing in your health.

Even though these are all reasons that you probably are familiar with and they are nothing new to you, at the very least, I hope reading this can inspire you to make a healthy life change and open your mind to the idea of making exercise a part of your lifestyle–not just a temporary resolution that you make and fail to keep each year.

How to Get Started TODAY: The best thing you can do is start incorporating small amounts at a time and vary the activities. Ideally, find things that you enjoy. If you like going on nature walks, I would still count that as a form of exercise because at least you are moving. Over time, you can increase the amount of time you allot during the week and increase the intensity. Again, start small and gradually you can always do more as time progresses.

* If you are totally clueless when it comes to working out or what would be the best moves for your current fitness level, consider hiring a professional who can personalize a routine just for you and teach you how to exercise properly.

* If you really want to take it a step further, write down your activity each day. Even for someone like myself who has the self motivation to exercise daily, there is still a need to stay on track and record the progress. How do I stay disciplined and regimented? — I write it down every single day! I simply record the activity and how many minutes along with what I ate that day. As I mentioned, a nutritious diet and a fitness regime are the golden combo when it comes to staying healthy! 🙂

An Everyday Motto to Live By – “Fantastic and Only Improving”

3 Replies

I was watching the news the other day where I learned that Brooke Baldwin is leaving CNN in which I strolled onto her Instagram (I wanted to send her some well wishes) and found her wearing a sweatshirt that read, “Fantastic and Only Improving.” She explained that whenever she asked her security guard Ant Diggity how his day was, he would always respond with that exact phrase. I loved it so much that I just had to share it with my readers! 🙂

What I like most about it is that it is declaring a firm positive state of mind of being fantastic (not just your typical, “good” or “okay” response). Then it is followed up by, only improving. This is really the key to living a fulfilling life full of abundance and leading to a path of growth, success, and happiness–which is by focusing on making self improvements and bettering yourself on a regular basis! No one is born perfect but at the very least, we can always strive for the very best things in life and make a commitment to be a better person each and every day.

So the next time someone asks you, “How are you doing?” Just look the person straight in the eye and reply with conviction, “Fantastic and only improving.” 😉

[On a final note, I am snowed in today in NJ and was thinking about taking a nap; however, after writing this post, I am actually self motivated to do more productive things instead. It goes to show that you can stay motivated with the right mindset].

3 Qualities Needed to Attract an Abundance of Wealth

1 Reply

Most people want more money and strive for financial security; however, many find themselves in bad financial situations. That could include having endured a hefty amount of debt, barely being able to pay the bills, or simply not being in a position to save and/or invest their money. No matter what your situation is right now, there are ways you can change your financial fate and be on the path of attracting more wealth. This first comes from within and examining your money mindset while adapting these qualities that can help you accumulate more wealth over time.

[Money] motivation– It is one thing to be motivated in various areas of your life but to become wealthy, you specifically need to be money motivated. By this, I mean you are driven to want to earn a lot of money, not simply being comfortable with having enough to get by each week. People who are money motivated are not interested in just having enough money to survive and often times you will never see someone who is money motivated ever broke. Why? They are so money motivated that the idea of being broke is not even an option or way of life. In their minds, it is an unacceptable so things never get that financially dire. Now a person might start off not having much money or perhaps poor which would propel this person to become money motivated. As a result, you often find these people to really maximize their money earning potential because it stems from their deep money motivation.

Responsibility – Responsible people tend to have the ability to save money and large quantities of it. Being able to save means more money in their bank accounts. I strongly believe that it does not matter as much how much a person can earn but how they ultimately manage their money. People who make less money still have the potential to accumulate wealth by simply being exceptional savers which means it might take them longer to become wealthy but at least they’re on the road to financial security. Whereas on the opposite spectrum, there is a reason why you see millionaires and lottery winners go bankrupt. This is a classic example of poor money management. Which translates to irresponsibility which is why it truly is essential to be responsible when it comes to your money.

Discipline – Discipline applies both ways when it comes to your overall money management. It applies to how you save and how you earn. If someone has enough money to buy something but says no, that requires a high level of personal discipline. This could apply to very expensive items but also inexpensive items that by not spending, a lot of money is getting saved over time. I always say that every dollar counts which is why it is important to save on both the little things along with high ticketed items. In regards to making money and elevating your earning potential, you also need a good amount of discipline to put in the time and work that is needed to make the money. You might feel overworked or just want some personal time off but thanks to being disciplined, you recognize the reward of earning the money than being lazy and not working for it. Discipline essentially requires a no pain, no gain mentality. You do what you have to do to earn the money but also preserve it by saving and investing it as much as you can, even if that means giving up material goods and services that you would normally spend your money on.

[On a final note, I can tell you from my personal life experience, that having these three qualities are highly effective in building wealth. I would not necessarily classify myself as rich (yet 😉 ) but I can tell you that I live a good life where all my essential needs are met along with having both an emergency savings and retirement funds that I continue to grow thanks to having money motivation, responsibility, and discipline].

How to Stay on Track with Your Goals Using a Buddy System

3 Replies

It is really important to find people who are also ambitious, goal oriented, and strive to succeed. Not only are these good people to look up to as role models but they also can help you stay focused on your own personal goals. I recommend finding one person for this activity but I am sure it can work if you form a small group of like minded individuals who want to motivate each other to reach their goals. The great thing is that you can continue to build upon your success but you also get the opportunity to help inspire each other to do that as well. A college friend and I used to do this years ago and I reached out to him that I would like to start this weekly tradition again for the new year in 2021. I will share with you how it works.

Create a List of Both Short Term and Long Term Goals – Your goals are personal to you so they will range in terms of things that you want to get done in about a week’s time while others will be bigger and can take months to years to achieve. The important thing is to really take the time to think about these goals and write them down as specific as you can, the more details the better.
[Your buddy or people within your small group will be doing the same thing}.

Choose a Designated Day/Time Each Week to Connect – Find a time that works with both of your schedules and determine this as your weekly time to connect over the phone, Zoom, or whatever platform that works best for everyone. Once you have chosen this time, this will be the time you chat each week.

Talk about Your Progress During Your Weekly Chats – Each week that you touch base, you will share your goals and discuss the progress you have made towards reaching them. Some weeks you might not have made much progress but that is okay and you can always make up for it in the future. By sharing your goals with another person, it definitely holds you more accountable because you want to be able to tell the other person you’re doing things to make progress rather than telling them you have been slacking. Even during the moments you might be slacking, at least you have the other person to encourage you to stay on track as you would do the same and motivate them to do the same.

The Importance of Chasing Intrinsic Happiness if You Want to Be Successful

Leave a reply

What is success? Everyone has a different view as to what success means to them. Success to one person could mean an abundance of fortune while to someone else it could mean achieving fame or perhaps it could be a combination of both and so much more. Success can mean different things to different people. Despite success being translated in various ways, one universal principle that will keep you on the pathway to success comes down to your constant pursuit of intrinsic happiness. The reason why I want to emphasize the intrinsic aspect of happiness is because it really needs to come from within your soul (and not someone else’s). It has to be automatic, natural, authentic, and ultimately make you feel good inside.

If you are pursuing things in life for the sake the of it, everybody’s doing it, or someone tells you it is a good idea when you do not feel the same way, that does not equate as success in my book because it does not revolve around doing what brings you intrinsic happiness. For example, society likes to paint a picture of how your life is meant to play out. In order to have a successful career, you need to pursue an education by going to college. So does that mean that every “successful” career requires a college degree? Absolutely not! Especially in today’s modern world, there are plenty of ways to work towards a successful career that might not require a formal education. The same goes for marriage. It might appear that you need to get married by a certain age in order to reach a high level of success within your personal life but some people might not have the desire to get married or have a family. A person focused on intrinsic happiness while doing it solo can still have the capacity to attract success into their lives and sometimes even more so even if it appears that their personal life was compromised.

At the end of the day, you really need to ask yourself, what makes you happy from the inside out? What brings you joy and makes you feel excited to be alive? When choosing a career path that leads to success, opting for a job that guarantees a hefty salary might be a strong motivating factor but you need to also love what you do. If you dread going to work or hate your job, then maybe it is time to leave your field altogether and try something new. It is never too late to reinvent yourself. I also truly believe that whatever it is that you gravitate towards in life, the money will follow and you can make a living from it. Some paths will take longer than others but with the Laws of Attraction put into place, you do not need to worry so much about the how and when but rather trust the process by trusting what your soul is telling you to chase in life. We all have one life to live–so let’s make it count by investing our energy and time into the things that provide us a life full of purpose and personal satisfaction which will ultimately bring us a heightened level of success in all areas of our lives. 🙂

Achieve Your Goals with Exceptional Habits

Leave a reply

I think before achieving any sort of goal, everything does originate within the mind. What do you think about? What are you looking to achieve? More importantly, how badly do you want these things? I am a big believer of taking the time to write your goals down on paper so it is more tangible and you can look at them on a regular basis to remind yourself of these goals.

However, let’s be real–staring at your goals each day is a good initial step to get the manifestation process going and making them a reality but you’re going to have to do much more to achieve them. The next component requires being proactive and taking action with the necessary stepping stones to make it happen. This is where many people fail reaching their end goal due to a lack of patience, giving up too easily when the going gets tough, and the fear of failing–along with other limitations (aka excuses).

So how can you really manifest your deepest dreams and desires? It is crucial to focus more on your habits even more than the end goal because your habits will allow you to get on the path that you want to be on. For example, often times you see new people at the gym in the beginning of a new year only to find that they completely drop off within a matter of weeks or even a month. Their main goal could be to lose weight in which taking action by obtaining a gym membership was definitely a step in the right direction. However, if the person was not getting the results they wanted, they might end up quitting too soon in which they gave up on a positive habit which could easily deter them from their end goal of losing weight. This is absolutely why you need to focus on your habits and developing good ones by knowing that over time, these habits will lead you to achieving your goals. You might have days where your habits are not as good as others but that is where you need to consistently focus on developing them and adapting them in your every day life.

Denzel Washington Said it Best – “Fall Forward”

3 Replies

I came across this video randomly on YouTube about a month ago and thought it was worth sharing. It was from a commencement speech Denzel Washington gave back in 2011. It is incredibly inspiring and he made many valid points that I agree with one hundred percent.

My favorite line from his speech is this: “If you don’t fail, you are not even trying.” I plan to elaborate in a future post on this idea but basically you need to embrace failing and step out of your comfort zone if you ever want to achieve greatness.

Please take the time to watch this, you will not regret it! It will give you a motivational boost without a doubt. It gives me chills listening to it, especially when listening to the part when he talks about an older woman who approached him at his mother’s beauty shop with a spiritual prophecy. (You got to listen to the video now to find out what she said and how it manifested and came true for Denzel Washington).

“If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, I want to fall forward.”
– Denzel Washington

How to Manifest What You Want in Life by Creating a Vision Board / Universe Journal

1 Reply

A few months ago, I wrote an article about manifestation and how the very first step is to simply just think about the things you want because often times “thoughts become things.” Of course just thinking about something will not make something you want magically appear because there needs to be some action to get you towards the end goal. Before taking actual action steps, I want to talk about an important spiritual tool that will get you in a manifestation state of mind. Many people talk about making a vision board although I have what I like to call a “Universe journal” which pretty much represents the same thing. A vision board is a visual representation of the things you want in your life which can be created by making a collage with photos and pictures to represent this. It can cover something very specific such as your career goals or cover a wide range of areas in your life such as home, relationships, travel, health, etc. It can also include words such as quotes, affirmations, and anything that would keep you inspired and motivated. I actually do not have a vision board but as I mentioned, I keep a Universe journal which I created a few years ago and I add images or write things down in it every so often whenever I stumble across something I want to add or whenever I read something inspirational that I want to store permanently. I like keeping it in the form of a journal so it is like a book that I can reference at any given time.

In terms of where to keep it, the best thing to do is place it on your nightstand so you can look at it at night before bed and/or in the morning when you first wake up. It has to be within your sight or else, out of sight, out of mind. I believe the more times you look at it, the more these images are imprinted in your subconscious mind which will propel you to want to manifest it and make these things come to life.

In addition, I do like to write down my goals on index cards in the beginning of a new year (“Universe cards”) and sometimes I will write some new ones throughout the year when I think of new things I want to attract into my life. They key is being very specific and writing down as many exact details as you can. If you write down that you want to buy a house, this is a good goal but you should think more about the specifics such as the location, budget you have in mind, how many rooms, the layout, etc. If you are not exactly sure of the details, you can always add them later when you reflect on them more. I think it can be helpful to write a deadline although I would not get too hung up on this unless it truly is a time sensitive goal. Many things in life can take time and so you cannot expect this to be an overnight process.

I know there are people who are going to be reading this and think this is all made up. I notice the people who are not in touch with their spirituality usually consider this to be a waste of time or just do not believe in the power of manifestation along with the concept of the laws of attraction. If you possess a negative attitude towards this activity, then it probably will not work because you truly need to believe in it.

I did not become very aware or in touch with my spirituality until probably after college. It truly amazes me how much I want actually has manifested over time (and currently is in the manifesting process 😉 ) through visualization. It works because you are putting a greater mental focus on your goals when you actually take the time to lay them out visually and then look at them frequently. Sometimes when I manifest something, even I cannot help but think to myself, “Wow, it is unbelievable this is working” which is why I continue these spiritual practices and I encourage people to do the same. `

One of the First Steps of Manifestation – Thoughts Become Things

5 Replies

One of the many topics I want to write about within this blog is the concept of manifestation and ways to get closer to your goals and “make up the life you love.” I think that this is a personal subject in that every individual has their own unique process of manifesting what they want in life but at the same time, it comes down to some of the same fundamentals.

I am sure you have heard the common expression, “thoughts become things.” It is such a simple statement but one that holds a high value. For some, you might have heard of it but did not apply too much meaning behind it. Basically it is saying that if you think about something enough, it will eventually transpire. Of course you cannot just simply think about something and then the next day your wish comes to life. It is not about instant gratification although it is amazing how certain things can manifest rather quickly compared to others and that is okay because it is not a race. For example, if you constantly think about the dream car you want to drive, your mind will find ways to get closer to making this become a reality. You might start looking at cars until you know the exact make and model you want. Then you might start saving up the money so that you have the down payment or have enough to pay for it in full. You might also be more focused on finding a career or job that will give you the financial security to be able to afford the car you want to manifest in your life. This is not just about manifesting material objects, it can be applied to just about anything in your life related to your personal life, career, relationships, finances, health, or whatever you personally think about enough.

Many people underestimate the power of their minds and when you are faced with the thought, “Yeah right, that will never happen” then guess what? It is never going to happen because your mind already slammed the door. If you have gotten this far into the article and find you do not agree with what I am sharing or challenge it in any way, then I already can tell by your negative reaction that your mind needs to strengthen up by thinking more positively. While you might challenge me, I challenge you to open your mind towards being more positive and to start thinking more about what you want with the underlying belief in your mind that you already have it. I like to tell people to always have the mindset, “It’s in the bag” meaning you firmly have something, whatever it is. Even if you don’t at the present moment, just thinking about it enough will start the manifestation process.

“Saying Yes to Yourself…”

Leave a reply

Today, I had discovered on the news that Phyllis George had died at the age of 70. I was not familiar with who she was but learned she had accomplished many great things within her lifetime. She had won Miss America in 1971, was a sports newscaster for CBS, an author, businesswoman, mother, and she even had a small acting role in the movie, Meet the Parents back in 2000.

What stood out to me from this small news clip about George’s life was a quote of hers that is not only empowering but also something I very much believe in.

“Saying yes to yourself opens up opportunities that can take you anywhere.”
– Phyllis George

I share this quote because I think everyone needs to take the time to say yes to yourself, especially during those moments of doubt or uncertainty. This will allow you to shift your mental focus in a more positive direction in your life and propel you to further advance yourself in whatever it is you want to achieve in your lifetime. It is apparent based on her accomplishments that Phyllis George followed her own words of wisdom and pursued many of her passions and dreams.