Tag Archives: motivation

Jack Canfield Motivates With One Serving of Chicken Soup Stories at a Time

The man who would one day dominate the published Chicken Soup series, Jack Canfield, was born August 19, 1944 in Forth Worth, Texas. Not much is said about his parents or his childhood in the media, but we do know that Jack attended Linsly Military Institute, a boarding school in Wheeling, West Virginia. After high school, Jack left West Virginia for Harvard, from which he graduated in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in Chinese history.

In 1971, Jack married his first wife Judith, whom he met while studying for his master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts. The couple had two children before divorcing in 1976. Just two years later, Jack married Georgie Lee Noble and together they had a son.

The consummate student, Jack received an honorary Ph.D from the University of Santa Monica in 1981. And nearly a decade later, in 1990, Jack met Mark Victor Hansen, with little knowledge that the two would become successful business partners. Mark and Jack had the idea of collecting inspirational stories and compiling them into a single book that would appeal to everyone. Three years later, Chicken Soup for the Soul was published, and together Jack and Mark climbed to the top of bestsellers‘ ladder. (more…)

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Samantha

3 Traits to Look for in a Yoga Teacher

Everyone who practices yoga goes to class for different reasons. While some may like the sweat-inducing heat of Bikram Yoga, others enjoy the relaxing effect of Yin Yoga. Beyond adoring a certain style of yoga, the energy your yoga teacher brings to class may be the real reason that keeps you going back for more.

Certain traits in a yoga teacher stand out. The following are my favorite qualities that inspire me as a teacher, and as a student of yoga.

Versatility

One quality that might attract your admiration is your instructor’s ability to change course in mid-stream. Certainly, some styles of yoga stick to the same series of poses, and that is fine. But, does your instructor at least shift the tone from serious to light-hearted when the need arises? In a varied class, perhaps he or she has the class plan already laid out with hip openers and inversions, yet the majority of class has requested core and shoulder work. Does your yoga instructor see this as an opportunity to serve, or a burden that fosters annoyance and frustration? (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Jill

Practicing Yoga Offers Instant Gratification with Immediate Health Benefits

Instant gratification is attractive when it comes to fitness and weight loss. It is no surprise the diet and exercise equipment companies that flaunt quick results are the most successful at grabbing the attention and dollars of millions of consumers. There are people who don’t want to work very hard at getting fit or losing weight, and as a result they buy in to the latest pill or product that is going to make it easy, only to be let down and dissatisfied later.

However, I am a firm believer that with some things, a little bit can go a long way. In yoga for example, some benefits are felt instantly, and with little effort. While yoga is not necessarily the most efficient way to burn calories or increase cardiovascular stamina, it does indirectly improve overall health and wellbeing, and it doesn’t take much to notice results.

For those of you who are in need of some immediate benefits, you might be interested in learning about the following side effects you will notice instantly from practicing a little yoga. (more…)

Posted on February 28, 2024 by Jill

Fit in 5: Five Barriers to Exercise and How to Avoid Them

Pamela Hernandez owns Thrive Personal Fitness in Springfield, MO where she focuses on weight training for weight loss. She writes a blog for her web site, www.thrivepersonalfitness.com, sharing vegetarian recipes from her kitchen, exercise strategies, lifestyle tips and stories from her own journey. You can also follow Pamela on Twitter @ThriveFit or pick up more tips on Facebook, www.facebook.com/thrivepersonalfitness.

I’ve probably heard every excuse there is for not exercising. Some of them are more valid than others, for example being sidelined with an injury. Others are not, like not having time to exercise. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, we just choose to allocate them differently.

Many reasons not to exercise are actually traced back to some other issue, like lack of time management skills or past negative experiences with exercise (bad boot camp, anyone?). The top 5 barriers to exercise I get from clients actually have some simple solutions that can be easily implemented if you know what’s really causing them.

I don’t have time for exercise: This is the number one and, frankly, the easiest one to deal with. I find it comes from the misguided notion that, when it comes to exercise, the more the better. So not true! The first step is being realistic about the time you do have. Can you spare 10 minutes in the morning, at lunch or after dinner? Then you get an effective workout. Break it down into bursts of activity that you can manage. Take 5 minutes and climb stairs on your lunch break or take 10 minutes in the evening for intervals of kettlebell swings. Also look for time wasters in your day like too much TV or Internet time. Eliminate them and give that time back to yourself.
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Posted on February 27, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Gwyneth Paltrow Using Fear to Motivate, Not Motivated By Fear

There are many types of motivation for making any change. Some people decide to make a change for their children, to be able to keep up with them and play with them more. Some people decide to make a change to feel better about themselves – like Brittany Aberle wanting to be “steamy hot.” Some people decide to make a change to have more energy or to be happier or to be able to think more clearly. Some people are motivated by money. Some people, like Gwyneth Paltrow, decide to make a change as a result of a negative experience. Wednesday, Fitperez shared a quote from Gwyneth Paltrow that explains how her focus on healthy living came as a result of watching her father’s death from cancer.

“I would do anything to have him back, but half the reason that my life is good, has real, true value, is that he died. All I’ve learned about nutrition and health came from his cancer,” she says. “I’ll probably have a long and healthy life because he didn’t. I wish he hadn’t smoked, because the fact is that he did and he died. As much grief and pain and trauma and heartache are caused, there was an equal amount of positivity that came out of his death.”

Gwyneth does a great job of reframing her father’s death, which is a therapist term for finding the silver lining. When something negative occurs in our lives, we have the option to dwell in the negativity or to use the experience to drive us to better understanding and a better life. It is possible that fear could be part of Gwyneth’s motivation, but I am not sure we can read that into what she has said. While I would like to believe that changes in my dietary habits have come as a result of what I have learned from Diets in Review, there could also be some fear for me in knowing just how dangerous certain things could be.

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Posted on February 10, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

The Pinterest Diet Supports Weight Loss with Recipes, Motivation and Fitness

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:

View 10 Ways Pinterest Support Weight Loss Slideshow (more…)

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

This Year Touch the Rainbow

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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Posted on January 11, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Can You Be Too Afraid to Lose Weight?

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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Posted on January 4, 2024 by Carmen

A Fitness Wake Up Call

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. (more…)

Posted on December 12, 2023 by GuestBlogger

30 Unique Ways to Practice Being Happy in 2024

If your biggest accomplishment in 2024 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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Posted on December 8, 2023 by Jill

Choosing the Right Accountability Tool for Your Personality

There are many tools and techniques that people use to help them make life changes, especially when improving diet, increasing physical activity, and losing weight. The trick is to find the one that fits best for you. Just because one technique worked fabulously for your friend or coworker does not mean that you will find it as helpful. Different types of accountability will be effective for different personalities. Your personal motivation for life change will also impact what will work best for you.

Apps – Smartphone applications often work well for the busy, on the go individual. Apps can be informative, provide data tracking, and/or hold you accountable through reminders. If your phone is never far from you, a good app may be the easiest type of accountability for you to integrate.

Gear and Gadgets – There are a lot of options for the techy person who enjoys gadgets and toys. These often appeal to people who enjoy technology and value quality. The opportunity to use these gadgets or toys is the motivation to increase physical activity. Some gear worth considering includes Jawbone UP, a pedometer, a fancy bike, or a BodyBugg.

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Posted on December 2, 2023 by Brooke Randolph