JULY IS THE MONTH OF HUMILITY

JULY IS THE MONTH OF HUMILITY.

HUMILITY IS THE SIMPLE UNDERSTANDING OF WHO I TRULY AM AND WHO I TRULY CAN BECOME

Physical Fitness

Leo Babauta is an awesome athlete and motivation for me.  Here are 31 ways that he uses to stay motivated physically:

31 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Exercise

“80 percent of success is showing up.” – Woody Allen

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on Twitter.

How do you find motivation to exercise when you just don’t feel like getting off your butt? I ask myself this question every now and then, and I have the feeling I’m not the only one.

A few weeks ago, I wrote 4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit … and the fourth and final step was to add motivation as needed until the habit sticks. This post is to help you with that fourth step.

There are a million ways to motivate yourself to exercise, actually, but these are a few that have worked for me. And trust me, I’ve had days when I’ve struggled with exercise. Most recently, the things that have helped include finding a workout partner (one of the best motivators!), logging my exercise, reading magazines, books and websites, and rewarding myself.

1. How you feel after a workout. I always feel great after a good workout. It’s a high. And I let that motivate me the next time: “You know how good you’re going to feel, Leo!”
2. Time for you. While many people make time to take care of others (kids, spouse, other family, co-workers, boss), they don’t often make time to take care of themselves. Instead, make your “you” time a priority, and don’t miss that exercise appointment.
3. Calories burned. If you count calories (and it’s really one of the most effective ways to lose weight), you know that the more you exercise, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit.
4. Having fun. Exercise should be fun. If it isn’t, try a different kind of activity that you enjoy. As long as you’re moving, it’s good for you.
5. How you’re going to look. Imagine a slimmer, fitter you. Now let that visualization drive you.
6. Magazines. It motivates me to read fitness magazines. Not sure why, but it works.
7. Cover models. Sure, they’re genetically freaky, and probably Photoshopped to look perfect. But for some reason, looking at how good a cover model looks helps motivate me to work harder.
8. Blogs. I enjoy reading blogs about people who are into running, or losing weight. It can show the ups and downs they go through, and you can learn from their experiences.
9. Success stories. I find the success stories of others incredibly inspirational. If a fitness website has success stories, I’ll almost always read them.
10. Forums. Do the monthly challenge on the Zen Habits forums, or join another forum full of like-minded or like-goaled peopled. Check in daily. It really helps.
11. Rewards. If you exercise for a few days, give yourself a reward! A week? Another reward. Do it often in the beginning.
12. Fitting into new clothes. Wanna look good in a smaller size? Work out!
13. Being attractive. That’s always a good motivator, as I’m sure we all know. Edited to correct language.
14. Adrenaline rush. I get a rush when I exercise. Ride that rush to complete the workout.
15. Stress relief. Wound up after a long day at the office? Get out and work off that stress. It makes a world of difference.
16. Time for contemplation. I love, love the quiet time of exercise for thinking about things. Most of this post was written in my head as I exercised.
17. A workout partner. Best thing I’ve done.
18. An exercise class. Sign up for a class, perhaps with a friend, and you’ll be motivated to get there and work out.
19. A coach or trainer. Worth the money, just for the motivation.
20. An exercise log/graph. For some reason, writing it down is extremely important. Really. Do it for a week and you’ll see what I mean.
21. Your before picture. You often don’t realize how far you’ve come. Take pictures.
22. A 5K race or triathlon. Just sign up for one, and you’ll be motivated to train.
23. The dread of feeling “yuck” from not exercising. I hate how I feel after not exercising. So I remind myself of that when I feel tired.
24. Living long enough to see your grandkids … and play with them.
25. The scale. It’s not motivating to weigh yourself every day, as your weight fluctuates. But if you weigh yourself once a week, you’ll be motivated to have it keep going down, instead of up. Combine the scale with the measuring tape, and measure your waist.
26. Reaching a goal. Set a goal for weight, or your waist measurement, or a number of days to work out, or a number of miles to run this week. Setting and tracking a goal helps motivate you to complete that goal. Make it easily achievable.
27. Posting it on your blog. Tell people you’re going to lose weight or exercise daily, and report to them. You’ll make it happen.
28. Motivational quotes. I like to print them out or put them on my computer desktop.
29. Books. I just bought a strength-training book as a reward. It makes me want to hit the weights!
30. Others commenting on how good you look. When someone notices the changes in your body, it feels good. And it makes you want to work out more.
31. An upcoming day at the beach, or a reunion. Nuff said.

2012 Summer Olympics Opening Day

In many ways, training for the Olympics is like approaching recovery.   Overcoming addiction is the most difficult thing that anyone can do; training for the Olympics also requires complete dedication and commitment.  Recovery takes a good sponsor like the Olympics takes a good coach.  Recovery takes the support of your home group and friends and family; Olympic training takes the support of your team, your friends and family.  Recovery takes time for meetings, step work and service; the Olympics takes time for practice, skill development and training.   Recovery requires honesty, open-mindedness and willingness to do the things that we don’t want to do.  The Olympics requires the same things.  Recovery takes the commitment and courage to persevere through the difficult challenges of life as the Olympics requires the commitment and courage to do the same.  Both recovery and the Olympics require us to do the hardest thing ever – see ourselves as we really are – confront our fears, trust in others and do our best to win.
Five Rings

The Olympic symbol (five interlocked rings) represents the union of the five original major continents (Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe) and the meeting of the athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games. The five colors of the rings from left to right are blue, black and red across the top and yellow and green along the bottom.

Creed

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well." The words of the Olympic creed are dedicated to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games.

Motto

The Olympic motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Braver," but is universally accepted to mean "Swifter, Higher, Stronger."

Oath

The Olympic oath is a symbolic gesture of sportsmanship that traces its origins to the 1920 Olympic Games. One athlete from the host country takes an oath at Opening Ceremonies on behalf of all the athletes. The oath is "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

My Work

"Our primary work in life is to love and forgive.  Our secondary work is our worldly employment.  The menaing of work, whatever its form, is that it be used to heal the world. " - Maryanne Williamson  I used to define myelf by being a lawyer; today I define myself by being a giving person.

Compare and Despair

Shemar Moore

 

I used to do that a lot...compare and despair.  Everyone else's life is so perfect.  Mine is just not what I wish it were.  Yesterday, I had breakfast with a very close friend who appears to have everything. I am happy and he is not.  I have what he does not have.  Sobriety.

Is a Spiritual Awakening Necessary for Recovery?

Is A Spiritual Awakening Necessary for Recovery?

Yes, I think so.  I do not believe that a spiritual awakening is necessary for abstinence.  But I do believe that a new perspective and a new meaning is necessary if someone is to live a long life and suffer setbacks and defeats as we all do - without the need to self-medicate or alter our perceptions.

MEANING

For life to have meaning (and the suffering that comes with it), it must signify something more than just be born, work, play, eat, sleep, have sex, make more of us and die. Life must point to something beyond itself.  But what could beyond life, beyond nature?

The conventional, nonspiritual response to this question rests on the assumption that life can be defined purely in biological terms.  Thus, it is said that an individual human life has meaning insofar as it is part of the greater life of humanity or life as a whole.  For most people that means all the customary goals that bring a sense of purpose to daily life: securing the health and well-being of our family, friends and community, useful work; artistic creativity; recreational pursuits and so on. 

Beyond life means something other than biological life, and therefore it means something that cannot be known through the senses, the organs of life.

SPIRITUAL

When I define spiritual, I am talking about the dimension of human life that cannot be perceived through the senses and that gives a unique meaning to each individual human life.  An act of responsibility, charity or forgiveness may or may not be accompanied by spiritual awareness.  On the other hand, a truly spiritual nature will strive to be responsible, charitable, and forgiving.  It will also know when it has fallen short.

RECOVERY

Recovery does not mean simply that the alcoholic or drug addict has become abstinent or even that he’s resumed the activities of daily life – that is, work, family, recreation, and other normal activities.  The idea of recovery suggests that 1) an addict or alcoholic realizes that he or she belongs to something greater than himself or herself, and that 2) he is willing to try to act in accordance with that realization, especially when only a memory of it remains and life seems unbearable.

For the true alcoholic and addict who have only quit, any sort of pain – physical, emotional or mental – triggers the reminder that intoxication is a quick and efficient way out.  The addict may or may not choose to act of that reminder, but the fact that it comes up is part of the automatism.  With the growth of recovery, the addict leans that the promise of relief through intoxication is an illusion.  She has learned that suffering may be put off but that it does not go away.  It’s an illusion and a lesson that takes both time and effort.  As a result, the newly or merely abstinent addict carries two burdens: first, that the suffering triggered the urge to escape and, second, all the difficulties inherent in not acting on that urge.

How does addiction match the characteristics of suffering?

_{THE HIGHER POWER}

The virtue of faith in a Higher Power also means remembering that we are lower powers. We are like the dog who waits patiently for his master to return.  The dog did not create his master; he has had an actual experience with a master.  Having once had a moment of clarity, the experience of a Higher Power, the recovering alcoholic or addict is in the same situation: waiting faithfully for what he once knows with certainty to be true. 

Working toward a spiritual awakening, then means putting what faith you have in the right place.  Unlike anything or anyone else you might get sober for, a Higher Power does not change.  Relationships, health, satisfaction with work, the joys of creativity and recreation – all are subject to change.  That’s why depending on them as a foundation for sobriety is a mistake.  Eventually, at least for some period of time, all of them will stop making us happy.  At some point, then will even be the source of frustration and disappointment.

A spiritual awakening brings the understanding that we are not alive for ourselves alone.  We are not even alive simply for our family, our communities, or even the whole human race.  We are alive for the purposes of a Higher Power.

What is your purpose in life?

What is your source of life? 

What is your source of strength? 

What is your higher power like?

Ego and Fear

Ego - Easing God Out
Fear - Facing Everything and Reocvering

Peaceful Sundays

David Oliver - 2012 Summer Olympics

Independence Day

Today, I remembered many celebrations of Independence Day.  Days celebrated in Holland, MI, in Chicago, IL, in Orlando and St. Petersburg, FL and in drunkeness, in sobriety and in prison.  Today, I am so grateful to be free.  The memories of physical confinement are not good. But the memories of mental and spiritual confinement in alcoholism are terrible nightmares.  Today, I know what freedom means.  I know what being shackled means.  I know what it feels like to be free.  I would rather be free and starving than imprisoned in my mind and imprisoned in luxury.

July - The Month of Humility