I fought joining Pinterest for a while because I didn’t want to have to keep up with one more social media platform. I barely use Google+, I can go days without reading my Facebook stream, and I’ve abandoned any themed boards years ago. My cousin kept raving about it, so I eventually took a look, truly wanting to not like it. I joined Pinterest because there were so many pretty things and simply browsing the pins was soothing. I truly believe that adding more art and beauty to our lives improves mental health.
Pinterest has been mocked as the place where women go to plan imaginary weddings, dress children that don’t exist, save recipes we’ll never prepare, and decorate homes we can’t afford. It may be true for some, but there are ways that you can use Pinterest to help you meet your goals of changing your diet and exercise habits. Pinterest can be a great source for recipes, new ideas, and motivation.
You can view a few of those ideas and examples in this slideshow:
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Ran Zilca is a life coach, the Chief Scientist of bLife Inc, and the CEO and founder of Signal Patterns. For more on Ran’s coaching services visit www.rideofyourlife.com/category/coach/.
Last year I went on a coast-to-coast solo motorcycle trip. A project I call “Ride Of Your Life” – a journey to inner peace. I embarked on this 6,000 mile ride only a year after obtaining my motorcycle license and along the way interviewed scholars and scientists like Deepak Chopra, James Pennebaker, Sonja Lyubomirsky and Byron Katie. I also spoke with dozens of people I met on the road at gas stations, parking lots, restaurants, rest areas, and inns. When they heard that I was carrying out my longtime dream of riding coast to coast, people responded by opening up and sharing their own dreams, aspirations, and regrets. A nameless biker, who lives 4000 miles away, is a great confidante.
Here’s what I found.
People dream about things that are within their reach. No one I met wanted to be famous, go to the moon, or climb Mt. Everest. It’s not that peoples’ dreams are trivial or uninspiring. In fact, it was amazing to hear what diverse futures people dream for themselves: becoming a teacher, writing a short book, getting back in touch with a relative, seeing Japan or New York, opening a car shop, or speaking a second language. These are all things that a lot of people get up every morning and do, yet they can seem unattainable to those who dream about them. To get back in touch with her sister, Sally only needed to pick up the phone and call, but the fear of the response at the other end of the line kept her from doing it. To see Japan, Steve only needed to buy an airline ticket, but he was not sure that he could handle the long flight. My own experience was the same. A lot of people ride motorcycles, yet at first, it seemed unattainable to get a bike and learn how to ride it.
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If you’ve ever watched an episode of The Biggest Loser, you know that there can be a real fear of losing weight. It’s almost hard to understand – why would anyone want to stay heavy, knowing all of the negative results that come from it?
For many, being heavy equals being invisible. You can be afraid of the new attention that comes with an improved figure, especially if the attention is sexual. There could also be a fear of losing self control in sexual situations if you feel more attractive. If you are one who has experienced sexual abuse, being heavy could be a way of keeping yourself invisible in order to avoid further abuse.
You may be afraid of succeeding at weight loss, and the increased pressure that comes with success. The excitement that comes from new opportunities in your life can be daunting, and some just don’t even try. You may be afraid of not succeeding. After all, it’s very easy to say, “I’m never going to be successful at anything,” and hide in your weight. You might fear losing your friends, especially if your relationships revolve around food. You may fear having to work incredibly hard for the rest of your entire life. Maybe, you don’t like to exercise and the thought that you will have to do so for the rest of your life is overwhelming.
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Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.
At some point in our lives we all reach a place where we need someone to step up and be the voice of reason and hand us the cold hard facts. I call these selfless and courageous individuals our Agents of Reality. They step into our comfort zone and confront us kindly and gently with truths that will benefit us in the long run.
Shortly after having my son I packed on the pounds. Because my weight gain was so sudden I genuinely didn’t see the change in the mirror. In spite of my clothes not fitting at all, I still did not see the physical change. Although physically the signs were there, my brain still had not registered the change.
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If your biggest accomplishment in 2012 is to simply be happy, you’ll be tickled to know there are many ways to achieve success. Scroll through the following unique ways and find out how a happy smile can be forever yours. Pick one, or practice them all.
1. Ask not, “What was I thinking?” but rather, “What did I learn?”
2. Smile more often. Frowns make you feel old and tired while smiling gives you a face-lift.
3. Call a friend. Some girl talk or male bonding will work wonders for your mood.
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