Live a Healthier Lifestyle and Become an Everyday Champion: It Can Make the Difference in Your Life

What is a champion? Many people think of a champion as someone who just won a contest. I think of a champion as anyone who accomplishes a worthwhile goal. Let me tell you about two people who were champions for their health.

Several years ago, I met a lady who had smoked cigarettes for 50 years. She indicated that cigarettes defined her life. Because of other medical problems, she knew that she had to quit smoking. But this was very difficult for her because all of her friends smoked and, when they did things together, everything seemed to be centered around cigarettes. She had reached the point that she was "scared" to quit smoking.

Realizing that she had to be a champion for herself, she decided to quit smoking. Gradually decreasing her two-pack-per-day cigarette habit, she worked on this endeavor over a period of a year, and now she has been smoke free for the past year. Champions do not have to be well known people that we read about. Champions are people that we see every day.

Let me tell you about another person who was morbidly obese with a history of sleep apnea, hypertension, and diabetes. She desperately needed to lose a massive amount of weight. She did not want to have surgery for weight loss. She wanted to lose weight through exercise and reducing her daily intake. The thought of surgery terrified her. Friday night was her night to drink beer and eat nachos, french fries, and hamburgers with her friends. Over the years, she had gained a great deal of weight. Due to her health problems, she realized she had to take control of her weight. She put great effort into reducing her weight by tracking what she ate and eating all things in moderation. She also started exercising during television commercials. Every time a commercial came on, she would get up and do an exercise.

Did you know if you watch an hour-long program, commercials occupy about 20 minutes of that time? Learn from this woman. Get some 2 or 3-pound dumbbells and do boxing and kickboxing during commercials. Just walking around the room would be a good start if you haven't been doing any exercise. What an excellent jump start to get you on your way to improving your quality of life and improving your health.

Did you know that being overweight puts you at risk for a number of conditions, such as: osteoarthritis, back pain, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart attack to name a few? Losing weight and increasing exercise help to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Isn't it worth your time to take steps to improve your health and reduce your risks for these conditions?

Make "you" a priority by eliminating unhealthy habits and scheduling some exercise into your daily routine. Start today exercising during television commercials.

My prescription for becoming an everyday champion is to Take care of yourself.

Remember don't start any exercise program without the consent of your physician.

©2012 Winifred D. Bragg, MD. All Rights Reserved.

Winifred Bragg, MD is a physician, keynote speaker, and author who has appeared on NBC, ABC, FOX and CBS television new segments.

Dr. Bragg is the CEO of the Spine and Orthopedic Pain Center where she uses state of the art techniques to provide non-surgical solutions to treat orthopedic and spinal conditions.

Visit Dr. Bragg's website at http://www.knockoutpain.com/ to contact her or for information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of various orthopedic and spinal conditions.

Original article

Become an Inverse Paranoid to Turn Around Your Fortunes for the Better

Become An Inverse Paranoid

In the last issue we introduced the sad story of two friends who were rookie rugby spectators at a stadium. When the players gathered for a scrum and started whispering and encouraging one another, the two friends had different reactions about what they assumed was being said by the players. The first suspected that the players were conspiring to beat them up, and he was dead sure that he had heard something to that effect. The second was totally convinced that the players were indeed talking about them but for a good reason. Since it was their first time at the stadium and they were the only rookie spectators, he was convinced that there was a plan to reward them as a way of encouraging them. The first was also convinced that for the very same reason; that they were new at the stadium; the players did not want them there and were therefore planning to eject them out of the stadium violently. Of course, both of them were wrong, because what the players were engaged in was nothing but a routine rugby ritual of restarting the match after an accidental foul or after the ball has gone out of play.

The two friends represent two contrasting attitudes towards life, which ultimately lead to diametrically opposite outcomes. The first man is the most common. He is what is called a paranoid. The paranoid believes that everyone and everything is conspiring against him to cause evil to visit him. His suspicions enslave him and literally dictate his conduct. Mentally, physically, emotionally and in almost every way the paranoid lives a damned life.

The second man is representative of an inverse paranoid. By definition an inverse paranoid believes that everything and everyone is planning to do him good. Quite unlike the paranoid, the inverse paranoid lives a charmed life and indeed good things tend to follow them.

In this issue we take a closer look at the inverse paranoid.

The Inverse Paranoid Believes In Miracles

The first characteristic that distinguishes the inverse paranoid is that he believes in miracles. He believes and is fully persuaded on the inside that something good will come out of every situation. He does not bother himself by trying to figure out exactly how the miracle will come by, he simply believes that somehow events, people and the universe will converge and act in a manner that will advance his interests and his well being. His approach is summarized by one simple statement, "All things work together for me."

He believes that people are on his side and not against him. He believes that events are God sent not manufactured by the devil. By doing so he primes himself to receive the best out of everyone and out of every situation.

The Inverse Paranoid Has A vivid Expectation of Good

The inverse paranoid not only believes, but actually actively expects good things to happen to him. He is constantly in a state of what Charles Dickens would call Great Expectations. Our expectations have a huge impact not only on our health but also on our state of motivation. Compare and contrast the emotions, attitudes and actions of two ladies; one on death row expecting to be executed any time and one on the morning of her wedding day. Both of them are not likely to be in a neutral gear. When the bride hears the sound of footsteps from her chamber, she immediately imagines that the groom has arrived to take her to the wedding hall for the solemnization of the vows. On the other hand when the lady on death row hears sounds of footsteps she imagines that the hangman has arrived. If the bride sees a man dressed in a priest's garments she is betrayed into believing that the priest who is to conduct the vows has arrived. However, when the condemned lady sees a priest is betrayed into believing that he has come to read the last rites before she is hanged. They are actively expecting different outcomes for the day. Hence, they are in different emotional and psychological states.

This may seem simplistic but it is very important. Over the long haul our actions are actually shaped by our expectations. Our actions in turn influence the outcomes we get; thus our expectations actually become self fulfilling prophecies. For this reason alone the inverse paranoid tends to live a charmed life while the paranoid tends to always attract the worst possible outcomes.

Attitudes Are More Powerful Than Facts

There are two elements that are ever present in any situation. These are attitudes and facts. The two have mutually reinforcing effects. Our attitudes influence the progression of the facts because facts are not static but continuously changing in response to it taken. On the other hand, attitudes cannot be insulated from the outside facts.

The instinctual tendency is to allow the facts to influence one's attitude. However, the winning approach is to clothe oneself with an attitude that one can actually influence developments in a positive direction. It is a proven scientific fact that people can change the outcomes they get in life by first changing the attitudes of their minds by conscious endeavor. Attitude is a product of conscious choice and decision.

No one is born a paranoid or an inverse paranoid. These are acquired attitudes. They are learned behaviors which can also be unlearned. The first step to becoming an inverse paranoid is to make a conscious decision to work towards becoming one. One can never become an inverse paranoid incidentally, coincidentally or accidentally. Conscious endeavor is the key. The decision to become an inverse paranoid should then be followed by another very important decision; to give the most generous interpretation to events and human behavior. Nothing is bad by itself, but our thinking makes it so. All sound human relations are based on the assumption of the existence of goodwill between interlocutors. Without the assumption of goodwill, paranoia sets in.

The books you read, the company you keep and the imaginations you entertain also have a huge influence over whether you become paranoid or an inverse paranoid.

Original article

Think Positive Thoughts! Thoughts Become Things!

The old saying thoughts become things has certainly been true in my life. Never was that more evident than this year when a thought planted 30 years ago came to fruition quite unexpectedly. Thirty years ago I was at a graphics show in Philadelphia and I picked up a free graphics print that I just loved. It was a garden scene with lots of color. There was a woman in the center of the picture in a beautiful dress and swirls of ribbons blew in the wind around the scene. It was approximately three feet by five feet. Although the print was a free sample; I loved it so much that I had it framed and matted which was quite expensive for a free sample unsigned print! For about 15 years the framed print hung in our home but I redecorated and it was replaced with another beautiful picture. The framed print hung around in the attic until I moved in 2004 and it was then donated to the church for a charity sale. I forgot about the picture until this year when my son reminded me of the print in the large frame.

Several months ago I was asked to go to Monte Carlo. I was so excited to have the chance to go to a place I never thought or expected I would visit. It was a trip a friend of mine won and by chance I was the lucky person to go along. We talked about how Monte Carlo would probably never have been a place we would have chosen to go; it's expensive, the exchange rate is not in our favor and we just never thought of it.

Well, that wasn't quite true! I was telling my son how excited I was about going to Monte Carlo and he said, "how about that picture you had all those years with the words Monaco Monte Carlo printed at the bottom." "Now you are going, Mom."

I said, you're right! I can't believe that! I truly forgot the words Monaco Monte Carlo were scrolled across the bottom of the print! I was really taken back and just could not believe my love for this print and now I would see Monaco Monte Carlo for myself! Why was I drawn to this picture and how could it be that I actually would be visiting so unexpectedly. Somehow that thought came to be a reality. Accident or part of life's plan? Immediately I decided to go out and buy a picture of every place I want to visit! I was joking but not really!

I share this with you because it is a phenomenon that the thoughts we have will create the direction of our life. In the study of personal development the power of our thoughts, to me, is one of the most interesting and exciting areas to truly understand. So how can we use this gift of thought to our advantage? Here are a few ideas I share with my clients which make a difference in how they think.

Know that there is truth to how we think and the effect it has on our actions.Push negative thoughts out of your mind as quickly as possible.Your mind can only hold one thought at a time so decide to replace a negative thought with a positive one.Look for the good in every situation. There is always a lesson to be learned if we look hard enough.Find an inspirational thought for the day that truly inspires you. Hang a copy of it everywhere you can to stay positive.Remember you have the ability to accept, reject or neglect a thought. You are in control of what you think and that creates the direction of your actions.If you want to have positive thoughts; start to think of yourself as a positive person and hold that image of who you truly want to be in your mind.

I wish I could say I was perfect and never had a negative thought. I am not a robot and neither are you so it's a work in progress each day to choose to be happy, have positive thoughts and make the best of every day. I can tell you, I've never gained anything good from holding on to negative thoughts and have always gained from positive thoughts!

I always say, you only have one chance to live today the way you want; you will never ever have the chance again! Positive thoughts lead to a positive attitude and a fulfilling life every day! There is only one person who decides and it's YOU!

Kathi M Smith is a speaker, Personal Development and Business Leadership Coach.
I help individuals and businesses shake off the negative influences which are preventing them from achieving their goals so that they can accomplish what they want in the shortest amount of time. If you want to be motivated to make a difference in your life.....the "M" in my name stands for motivation!

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Original article