Finally – Achieve Your Goal to Lose Weight

If you’re like 80% of adults, you probably made a resolution to lose weight and get in better shape in 2011.

If you want to lose weight, or have been told by your doctor (or a significant other) that you ought to lose weight….I’m here to help you.

But first, full disclosure.

I’ve battled my weight, off and on, for many years now, going back to college days.

Yes, even though I’m a fitness trainer, producer of information products that help thousands of people improve their health and energy levels, a black belt in two martial arts, and a former collegiate athlete – I too have had a few periods in my life when I have been overweight.

When I was overweight, I resolved to diet and exercise in order to lose the pounds and firm up. I typically would join a gym and embark on a conventional program of doing cardio, lifting weights, stretching, and doing lots of abdominal exercises.

I even tried yoga and pilates (before pilates was popular!). I also put myself on a diet and was very careful about what I ate.

I experienced success for a time. I would lose weight, usually up to 10 or 15 pounds. I would be feeling good about myself. Then, I would inevitably hit one of those momentum-stealing, motivation-sapping plateaus, and the weight loss would stop.

It was hard to stay motivated at these times, because the pounds just didn’t come off as quickly as I expected. I felt like I was working so hard and depriving myself. I should have been seeing better results.

Each week, I stepped on the scale. And each week, I was disappointed at my lack of progress. Even worse, I sometimes found that I had gained weight! Maybe it was just “water weight”, but who cares? I was so frustrated and heartbroken that I would cry whenever I looked at myself in the mirror.

I knew there was a beautiful body – MY beautiful body – in there somewhere. But how could I get to it?

If you’ve tried and failed to lose and keep off a significant amount of weight, I’m sure you can understand my frustration and despair.

This is the point at which most people say, “Aw, what’s the use!” and give up on their quest for a great body.

I wasn’t done yet, though. I decided to investigate and try one more thing – something I thought could accelerate my results and melt away the pounds.

Here’s what I discovered:

Through my training in martial arts, energy disciplines and breathing methods, as well as research I have done into old-time methods of physical training and health enhancement, I came to a realization:

All the exercising and dieting I had been doing was good for me, and I was getting some results. BUT I was missing a key ingredient: deep breathing.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re trying to lose weight:

One of the primary actions of deep breathing is to provide the body with ample quantities of oxygen. Oxygen provides the spark which heats up your metabolism, which in turn increases your body’s need for energy, or calories.

When you engage in deep breathing on a regular basis, you pull more oxygen into your system. This causes your body to more quickly burn the calories you take in from food and drink. It then goes into a deficit, and turns to fat stores as an additional source of energy.

Priming this mechanism is the secret to dramatic and lasting weight loss. And the key is oxygen: the more oxygen you take in, the faster the results.

So I leveraged this information I already had, but had taken for granted. I put it to use. And my results were fantastic!

Not only did I lose the weight, including those last 5 or 10 stubborn pounds that you can never seem to get off…I also toned my waistline and core to the point I could actually see my abs!

Later, I shared the exercises and recommendations in this program with a few of my private training clients. They also achieved wonderful results using this method.

Maybe you have a lot of weight to lose. Perhaps you would like to radically improve the results you’re getting from your current fitness or weight loss program. Or maybe you want to lose that last 5 to 10 pounds so you can see your abs.

Whatever your situation, you can put this program to work immediately to help reach your goal.

I call this the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program, because that is exactly what it does.

I encourage you to check it out and put it to work for yourself. You can read more about it at http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Another full disclosure: I’ve let myself slip – yes, me, the so-called health nut – and I have some weight to lose. One of my priority goals for 2012 is to get back into fighting trim. But I don’t have a lot of time to try to fit in workouts. So I will be following a very focused program – the approach in the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program – so I can get the results I want in less time. Why don’t you join me? Discover how at http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html. 

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

How To Prepare For the Best Year of Your Life

The first step in deciding what you want for the coming year is to think back over the past year….about the good things, as well as the not-so-good things, that came into your life.

Think also about what you did (or did not do) to achieve those good things, or to bring or allow in those not-so-good things.

We learn from our mistakes as well as our successes, so it’s good to spend a few minutes on each.

If you’re like most people, you are your own worst critic.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, the famous founder of Psycho-Cybernetics, always said, “See yourself with kind eyes.”

(By the way, I highly recommend all of Dr. Maltz’s books. Try to find the original versions from the 1960s and 1970s. More recent versions of his works have been re-published by people who added their own stuff on top of Maltz’s. His original material is the best resource, from my point of view.)

“See yourself with kind eyes.” So basic, but so difficult to do sometimes.

So, I recommend you pretend you are speaking with your best friend when you inventory the past year. Just as you would with a friend, be honest, but…spend more time congratulating yourself on the good things – the things you achieved this past year. Spend less time on the not-so-good stuff.

And there ARE good things – no matter how challenging your year may have been. You might have to think a little bit, but they’re there.

The next step is to reflect on what you would like to achieve or bring into your life in 2012.

Now, I’m not talking about making New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are for amateurs.

I’m talking about setting meaningful, exciting goals for yourself.

Humans are inherently goal-oriented. So setting, planning for, and working toward goals is a natural, powerful mechanism for moving forward in life. Goals are critical to the process of constructive change and growth.

It’s good to have balance in your goals.

In other words, look across the major areas of your life and think about the outcomes you would like to see in each of them.

As I mentioned yesterday, some key areas to consider include:

-health and fitness;

-family and relationships;

-career or business;

-financial;

-personal development;

-spiritual development;

-contribution and service.

You can have specific goals for any and every area of your life. And one of the most, if not THE most, important area is your health.

In fact, I believe that setting a goal or goals pertaining to your health and fitness is critical to having a positive and constructive year.

Here’s why: If your health or fitness is lousy, it will negatively impact every other area of your life. Your energy levels, your confidence, your belief in your ability to set and achieve goals, are all impacted by your success in establishing and following a solid health and fitness program.

If your health and fitness levels are high, you will possess the energy, confidence, and sense of well-being that literally catapult you forward to the achievement of even your most difficult goals.

The most direct way to this inner power (that you already possess) is through your breath.

Your breath is like a super highway that drives straight to your spirit, emotions and internal energy.

That’s one reason why I place such emphasis on cultivating your breath and energy as a fundamental cornerstone of your overall health and fitness program.

And the Best Breathing Exercises programs  – can help you with this. Each one teaches you how to tap into the inner power that you usually ignore or underestimate.

So…Back to setting your goals and planning the outcomes you want to manifest in your life for 2012. Here’s a great way to begin:

Pretend it’s a year from now, and you are looking back over 2012.

What kind of year will you be reviewing? What will you feel really awesome about having achieved or completed? What will you be most excited or proud of?

Usually the first few things that pop into your mind are good candidates for your major goals for the year. Because these are the things that you really want and desire.

And strong, burning desire is the master key to unlocking your internal powers and achieving your goals.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

A Pre-New Year’s Ritual I Highly Recommend

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Thank you for the Christmas and holiday wishes that you sent. I can’t respond to each one personally, but I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate them.

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday – and I have many friends from other faiths who do not – I hope you still took advantage of the holiday spirit and the time off from work and enjoyed yourself.

Hopefully you are still enjoying some time off from work, and hanging out playing with your Christmas gifts…or your kids’ gifts.

My big gift this year – from my beloved partner – was a Nook e-reader.

I love to read. I love learning and exploring through the written word, coupled with my imagination. And I love my books.

I’ve reluctantly given in to the explosion of digital reading options and even publish some of my own stuff digitally. However, I wasn’t sure whether I was ready to give an e-reader a try.

Apparently my “better half” knows me better than I know myself. I love the Nook! We also added a Kindle Fire to the family mix and are having fun exploring both options.

While I will always love my books, and will continue to invest in building and benefiting from what has become a pretty extensive library…I now have a new option for building and reading and exploring. This has added another dimension to my plans for this year, in terms of my own self-development and improvement goals. It’s exciting!

Which brings me to my point for this tip….

You know, right now – before New Year’s Eve – is a great time to take stock of the past year.

Think about what went right. What went wrong. In what areas were you successful? In what areas did you make progress? In what areas did you fail, or simply not follow through, or give up?

Since you are speaking with yourself about these things, and don’t have to worry about what anyone else thinks….be honest.

Very important: Give thanks for the blessings and positive things and people in your life. Give thanks and recognize yourself for those things you did achieve, bring to conclusion, or push forward.

Equally important: gift yourself with an honest appraisal of where you are in the important areas of your life.

Look at your health and fitness. Your personal development. Your family and relationships. Your career or business. Your financial health. Your spiritual health. The larger contribution you are making in your community.

How have you done in each of these areas?

This is a ritual I follow each and every year, prior to the New Year.

It gives me a chance to assess where I am in relation to where I want to be…count my blessings….then make decisions about my priorities for the coming year and begin to plan how I will focus on these priorities.

This process – which doesn’t take that long – renews my motivation and my hopes for the future. Desire, hope and expectation are wonderful lubricants to significant, long-lasting achievement. These “friends” result naturally from having interesting, exciting and challenging goals and dreams for your life.

So think objectively and honestly about where you stand today. Are you happy and content with every aspect of your life?

Use this process as a foundation for setting goals and making plans for a successful and – above all – fun and interesting 2012.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. The New Year is almost upon us. Have you made a commitment to finally improve your breathing, your health and your fitness? If so, I can help! Check out my programs, articles and blog at the Best Breathing Exercises website. Free shipping on all programs is still available!

Plus, I’ll be coming out with some new programs and resources to benefit you in the New Year. I’m psyched for a great year! I hope you are too.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Merry Christmas!

Hi there! Just a quick note to remind you of my “Holiday Special”.

Due its apparent popularity, I’m keeping it going through Christmas Day – that is, til Monday morning.

So, if you’ve ever thought about ordering one of the Best Breathing programs, please think about doing it for sure this time. The shipping is on me for every one of my programs.

In addition, I’m running a special offer on the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program – http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

If you order today, you will receive the Ebook (instantly downloadable)…AND I will throw in the print version of the program (the actual book) for only $10  more.

Plus the shipping is on me!

This is my way of wishing you Happy Holidays. Go to http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com to claim your programs.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank you for your support this year. Thank you for coming to the Best Breathing Exercises website or my blog to check it out. Thank you for signing up. And thank you for reading.

I truly enjoy speaking with you, even if it’s virtually, through these blog posts, as well as hearing from you when you email or write me.

My greatest hope is that the information, ideas and motivation I provide through the Best Breathing programs and my messages to you help you take action to achieve greater levels of health, fitness, confidence and fulfillment. 

“Into a world filled with darkness came light…Into a world filled with hopeful hearts came love…”

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, my friend. May all your dreams become reality in 2012!

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Three Easy Steps You Can Take Now…to Help You Accomplish Your Goals in 2012

What is the most common activity of people this time of year? Other than shopping, I mean.

It’s assessing – either consciously or subconsciously – how this past year has gone.

You look back at what has happened, what you have accomplished, and what you have left undone.

If you are consciously doing this, you are actually taking stock, either in your head or on paper.

If you are unconsciously doing this, you probably are feeling either really good about life….or you have a sense of unease or disappointment that you can’t quite shake.

Of course, as part of this process, a lot of people skip over what they didn’t get done this year, and move right into thinking about the new year. That’s because the new year is fresh and full of promise. So…they make resolutions. Probably the same resolution they made a year ago. Losing weight and getting more fit is one of the most common.

But you don’t have to wait until New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day to set your goals. Nor do you have to wait to begin preparing yourself for beginning to work toward your goals.

Yes, there’s nothing like momentum. If you can get clear on what you want to do in 2012 now, and begin to do a few simple things to prepare yourself…you will hit the ground running on January 1st.

Even if you are a little hungover.

Well, in that spirit, here are three simple things you can begin doing now, even during the hub bub of the holidays, to improve your health and explode into the new year with momentum:

(1)Drink lots of purified or quality bottled water. At least half your bodyweight in ounces, every day. Water purifies and detoxifies your body. It helps maintain your metabolism and energy at high levels.

(2)Take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral, vitamin C, and fish oil. If there were a law passed that limited me to only three supplements, these are the three I would focus on for general health.

Vitamin C provides so many benefits, I could write a book about it. Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory. And inflammation has been implicated as a root cause or contributor to a number of different ailments and diseases, from arthritis and asthma to heart disease and Alzheimers.

(3)Do some deep breathing and/or dynamic energy exercises each day. Preferably first thing in the morning, to expand your energy and set yourself up for a productive and successful day.

Morning breathing and energy exercises are one of the cornerstones of the fitness and health principles I teach and follow.

Learning to breathe properly and developing greater vital capacity are two of the most significant steps you can take to ensure high levels of health and energy today….and years from now.

You can also do some deep breathing and light stretching in the evening. I tell you, there is no better way to relax after a tough day. Just a few minutes will have you sleeping like a baby.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-learn, fun to do series of exercises, consider one of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course volumes. Or, if one of your goals for 2012 is to lose weight and get in shape, you can try the exercises and other recommendations in the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program.

All of these programs are available at the Best Breathing Exercises web site – check em out at http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/productspage.html.

Like I said, these are simple things you can begin doing now. You’ll feel better, you’ll be healthier…and you will hit the ground in full gear for the New Year!

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

The Case For Mindfulness

I was driving around yesterday, running some errands. I realized
at one point that I had totally zoned out.

You know how it is when you are in the car, perhaps listening to
some good music, and you get completely tranced out.

Before you know it, you are five miles down the road and don’t
remember one bit about your trip.

This was brought to my attention by none other than my son, Miguel.

He notices everything. He often sees something that I have not
attended to, then asks me questions about it. of course, this
compels me to respond and pay better attention.

The adult is tranced out, while the child is totally excited and
immersed in the world around him.

Hmmmm….I think Miguel is trying to teach me something.

Not that it’s wrong to daydream or lose yourself in your thoughts.
Quite often, you are working out problems and coming up with
solutions to challenges during these ruminative periods.

But there’s a lot to be said for mindfulness as well.

For example, I believe that the more focus and concentration you
put into your workout – whether it’s breathing exercises, or
cardio, or lifting weights, or yoga – the better the results you
will achieve.

If, as you exercise, you think about the beautiful physique you
are sculpting, or the high levels of energy and health you are
developing, or your increased ability to handle challenges and
manage stress…well, not only will you enjoy your workout more.
You will also create a positive energy that will stay with you
after your workout.

And you will truly feel your body as you put it through its paces.
This body awareness, this sense of self, is very empowering.

One of the reasons I admire the Japanese is because they practice
mindfulness as part of their daily lives.

Let’s take something as simple as a cup of tea.

Here’s my method: boil the water as I do something else. Let the
tea steep for five minutes as I do something else. Drink the tea
as I read or work or watch TV. Finish it within five minutes
and move on to something else.

Contrast this with the traditional Japanese tea ceremony.

Everything is choreographed down to the smallest detail. The host
and the guest each have a role. Nothing is hurried.

The participants enjoy the delicious tea. And they benefit from
this wonderfully tranquil and uplifting respite from their hectic
lives.

See if you can create these wonderful moments of total attention
and mindfulness for yourself. Totally focus on the activity of
your choice – whether it’s drinking a cup of tea, or reading a
good book, or exercising.

I think you’ll find these moments will add to your appreciation
for, and enjoyment of, life.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Would you like to improve your energy levels…better
manage and even transform stress…or “finally” lose the weight
you’ve been trying to take off?

Your best strategy is to begin by getting centered and focused
with the power of deep breathing. The Best Breathing Exercises
programs can help you do just that. For more information on the
program that could be just right for you, visit
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Psychology Over Mechanics

Recently we enrolled our son Miguel, who just turned 7, in
tae kwon do classes.

He’s excited and enthusiastic. And I’m quite proud, since one of
my life-long loves and passions has been martial arts. A chip off
the old block, as they say!

Miguel in his fighting stance, ready for action. How's that for enthusiasm?
Miguel in his fighting stance, ready for action. How's that for enthusiasm?

One of the most important lessons we are seeking to teach Miguel,
with his TKD lessons as well as with his other activities, such
as soccer, is the importance of showing up.

You’ve heard that saying, “Ninety percent of success in life is
just showing up”.

It’s attributed to Woody Allen, and I believe he actually said
50 percent. People grabbed hold of the thought and embellished
a little.

But he has a great point. It’s true that, very often, we avoid,
dismiss, or shy away from the meetings, classes, events and so
forth that could really make a difference in our lives.

Could be that we think we are too busy. Or we are intimidated or
afraid. Or we are not ready or willing to make the commitment
required.

I know the feeling well. There have been plenty of times over the
years when I didn’t feel like participating in a meeting. I knew
it would be boring, would go on for too long, and might not
achieve any sort of resolution.

But I went anyways, because I knew I might have one piece of
information that could move things forward, or get others thinking.
Or I could add moral support to someone else’s position. Or I
might make a new contact that would prove to be beneficial.

Same thing happens when it comes to your efforts to improve your
fitness or health, lose weight, or better manage the stress in your
life.

You may avoid doing anything because you are afraid of “showing up”.

You are not yet ready to make the commitment to follow through –
to be an active participant and put forth your best effort into
getting better.

Well, when you find yourself hiding or retreating from the
meetings, the classes, the workouts…or from getting the
information and programs you need…or from making the lifestyle
changes that could really move you forward….think about what
Woody had to say.

Just show up. Attend that meeting or class. Do that workout. Order
that book or program. Make a few simple changes to your diet.

Don’t put excess pressure on yourself. And don’t expect perfection.

Guess what: you don’t have to be perfect. In fact, you don’t even
have to be that good to begin reaping the benefits.

For example, Miguel isn’t that good yet. Although he and I have
“trained” together and I’ve shown him some basic stuff, in truth
he is just startigng out. He has a lot to learn.

BUT — he’s enthusiastic. If he shows up regularly for classes,
if he focuses and participates during class, and if he practices
a little each day outside of class…the sky’s the limit!

The truth is, all achievement, all self-development rests on a
very basic principle: “Psychology is 80 percent, mechanics is
20 percent.”

The mindset and attitude that you bring into the endeavour is far
more crucial to its outcome than the specific skills or knowledge
you bring.

Holding positive expectancy firmly in place can help accelerate
your efforts, especially when it comes to the major challenges
that so many of us face, like improving our breathing, losing
weight, better managing our busy lives, or regaining that vital
energy we used to have.

I’ve seen it time and again when working directly with clients
and students.

The ones who are positive and excited get the best results. They
improve their breathing. They reduce their levels of stress. They
lose weight (or gain weight if that is their goal). They feel
energetic and alive again. They begin achieving major goals in
other important areas of their lives.

AND — they enjoy the process.

The ones who are negative or feel like they are being imposed
upon do not get as good results – even if they are already in
better shape to begin with.

And they are the ones I very quickly cut loose. I have better
things to do, and other people to help.

I’ll leave you with some words of wisdom by Norman Cousins, from
“Head First: The Biology of Hope” (1989):

“Hope, purpose, and determination are not merely mental states.
They have electrochemical connections that play a large part in
the workings of the immune system and, indeed, in the entire
economy of the total human organism….

“The modern physician, therefore, will prescribe not just out of
the pharmacy or his little black bag, but out of the magnificent
apothecary that is the human brain, which can activate and
potentiate the healing system.

“The rosters of emotion are hope, faith, love, will to live,
festivity, playfulness, purpose, and determination. These are
powerful biochemical prescriptions.”

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Save Yourself From the Scrap Heap

“Many men and women go to the human scrap heap….They have not
known just how to pump the human bellows – the lungs; get energy
out of every ounce of fuel, keep their arteries and veins clean,
kidneys and liver from being poisoned.”

That’s a quote from an old book on breathing.

Even in the “old days”, when the importance of breathing for good
health was more widely accepted, the doctor who wrote this book
felt compelled to do so. He was concerned about the diseases and
conditions he observed in his patients, as well as the people
around him.

Today, it seems like we are even more removed from the natural
healing and invigorating results of proper breathing.

I think a lot of this has to do with the advent of modern medicine
and all the wonderful medications and drugs that have been
developed.

Coming down with a cold? First action for many people is to take
medicine to help tamp down the symptoms.

Got a headache? Take two aspirin, or extra strength this or that.

There’s even a headache product you roll on your forehead, like
deodorant. Not sure how it works, but the commercials sure are
funny.

I’m very grateful for the wonder drugs and medicines that help
relieve our illnesses, whether acute or chronic. They have
reduced much suffering and helped alleviate much pain and
discomfort. But they have also caused us to forget about our own
natural instincts and intuitions..to move away from more natural
methods of handling illness and pain.

They tend to make us focus on the symptoms, and treat those,
rather than determine the cause of the symptoms and truly get
to the root of the problem.

If you have headaches on a regular basis, taking aspirin or
Tylenol may help you get through your day. But you better be
concerned about what is causing those headaches, and what you
can do to prevent them.

One chronic illness that hits home with me is asthma. When I was
first diagnosed, I was totally into the “give me medicine, and
more medicine, until this thing is controlled”. Problem was,
the more medicines I took, the worse my health became.

Mortality rates from asthma are increasing in modern times,
compared to times when they did not have asthma medications.

Why is that?

Given all the fancy medicines used to treat asthma, shouldn’t
mortality rates be declining? What did the oldtimers know, and
do, that we don’t?

One thing they knew about was the importance of deep breathing,
and regularly practicing proper breathing and getting lots of
fresh air.

As a (former) asthma sufferer, I made it my mission to find a
better way to overcome my asthma and get healthy again. That
initially self-centered motivation to gain back my health and
energy lead me to learning more and more about the power of
our breath. I placed more focus in my own training on breathing
and energy disciplines.

And I began to share my knowledge and experience with hundreds –
actually at this point, thousands – of others who, like you,
also want to improve their health, energy and sense
of control.

Seems simple, but it’s true: you can live longer and live better
by knowing how to breathe properly.

Learning – and regularly performing – proper breathing is almost
an art in itself. But it’s actually not hard to do.

It just takes a little time and patience. But I encourage you
to take the time to breathe. It’s time well invested.

As the good doctor said, “Save yourself from the scrap heap!”

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Get a crash course in proper breathing and how to breathe
completely and fully with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy
Exercise Course, volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate
.
Invest just a few minutes of your time and you will feel relaxed,
rejuvenated, more calm and in control.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

Harness The Force of Frustration

When it comes to your fitness and health, you’d probably say that
they are important to you.

Yet how committed and consistent are you at taking action in these
two areas, each and every day?

It takes a lot to make significant changes in your lifestyle, your
schedule, and your attitude and outlook…changes that will propel
you towards greater things in your life.

It’s a lot more comfortable to stay where you are, with what you
know, and dream about “If only…”

If only I were thinner. If only I could put on more muscle. If only
I could get control of this stress and anxiety and live in a more
relaxed manner. And so forth…

Seeing the need to change, thinking you ought to change, even
wanting to change are all good. But they don’t quite get it done
when it comes to actually taking the consistent, sustained action
that will enable you to reach your goals.

No, it takes something much stronger. And that something
is…frustration.

Yes, that negative, nasty emotion. But it’s true, something very
negative can help you make positive changes.

I used to abhor frustration. I hated the feeling. I think frustration
and boredom are the two states I seek to avoid the most.

However, I’ve realized from my own experiences, as well as working
with others, that you’re not really ready to do the things and think
the thoughts you need to until you are at the end of your rope, and
ready and willing to do what it takes to get out of the situation
you are in.

If, for example, you get to the point that you are really
frustrated with your anxiety and levels of stress, and you don’t
feel like you are improving or getting a handle in this area…or
you are frustrated with your appearance and inability to lose the
weight you want to lose….then celebrate.

Get happy! Put your hands in the air and shout “Hur-rah!”

I’m serious. Because when you get truly frustrated, you are ready
for a breakthrough.

You are at the point where you begin to ask yourself the right
questions and look for the information or resources that can help
you.

So leverage the frustration you may be feeling and use it to
energize and support your efforts to change or improve.

Here’s one more thought on frustration: it can also trip you up.

Once you are on the path to losing weight, or gaining the upper
hand on stress, or improving your energy levels and sense of
control, you may at times experience little or no progress.

You may get frustrated at how slowly things are changing. Or you
may get frustrated at yourself for slipping up or backsliding.
You may think you’ll never reach your goals.

Well, once again, use this frustration as a tool to energize
yourself.

Don’t let it put you into a funk, or get so down that you give up.

Here’s a great quote I heard a long time ago, that helps describe
this point:

“How long would you give the average baby to learn how to walk
before you didn’t let him or her try anymore?”

That’s a crazy question, isn’t it? You’ll give your kid as long
as it takes, and all the love and support to help them, until
he or she learns how to walk.

And think how frustrated babies and toddlers can be at times,
when they are trying to master a new motor skill. But they keep
at it, again and again and again, until they finally get it.

Why not apply this same approach to yourself?

You are a goal-seeking mechanism. Your natural state is to
succeed.

However, your natural state is also inertia. Kinda like a “good
guy/gal – bad guy/gal” thing. This is the duality of our nature
as human beings.

Therefore, you have to get creative sometimes and use the power
of a strong emotion, such as frustration, to get you off your
you-know-what and into taking action each day toward your goals.

You Can Do It!

Karen

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/

P.S

. I’d love to help as you leverage your frustration into
action with information and inspiration that can help you take
smarter steps towards your energy, fitness and life goals. Visit the
Best Breathing Exercises website for more on the products
and programs that can help you transform your health.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011