Ok, I have been extremely business on producing an IF Life full ebook…as well as two other potentially large business startups. So now I am asking YOU the reader for a little feedback. The IF life ebook (no idea on the real title yet) will be a good summary into:

• General Health
• Intermittent Fasting
• Weight Loss
• Building Muscle
• Sample IF schedules
• Carb Cycling
• Lifestyle Strategies
• Sample Workout Routines
• Simplicity Tips

and some other topics that I have not written about yet. It will include past notes from all the years of reading and research I have done, my experience in training people all while trying to keep it simple, easy to read and more importantly focused on people to take action (as knowledge without action provides no real results).

Anyways while I am still in the writing phase I am open to any suggestions people have on the types of topics they would like to read about. Granted I am going to give people on the blog email/RSS the ability to get it at 50% for like $10 once I release it for a limited time….after than it will probably go to a $19 price range. It will be 100% money back guarantee….as if you didn’t feel like you got $10 worth of good information and results from using the ebook…just write me back in a month and I will refund your money. Because I am going to keep it simple and straight forward, it may or may not going into real nitty gritty stuff….but then again that’s why the blog is here too (and I would rather keep the more advanced discussions on the free blog for reader input/comments).

Your ideas and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to wrap it up in a week or so as it has been a long process (since I am a perfectionist by nature….I want the best product I can put together…which takes longer). Also once my promo is over to my readers I will set it up so anyone can also sell it on their blog and make a little extra $ if they want to sell it (affiliate %s will probably be as high as 60%!).

photo by KevinLabianco

A few people have commented about increased “anxiety” during Intermittent Fasting, so I thought I would share this as it was part of a discussion I had with someone about anxiety. As much as IF have brought people a more stress free life (along with all the other numerous health benefits) when it comes to eating, with others it also may amplify some underlying issues there are that need to be addressed (especially if one does IF too much too soon). It comes down to still keeping the “Intermittent” part in IF, and making it work for you….and knowing when it is not. The discussion went as followed (my reply below to his question about increased anxiety):

Anxiety is not good….then again I don’t know your lifestyle…your stress levels….do you worry about things at work….do you try and do too much for work all day….are you not finding down time to relax….are you obsessing over things you can’t control….have you had issues in the past with depression….have you had issues with obsessing over what you eat in the past….are you getting plenty of sleep…..are you wired on coffee all day? So many questions that health is a bigger part of.

I’ve had little anxiety attacks but it is usually when I am pushing my mind and body too hard…with trying to get too much done…worrying about something that has to do with work and money…stressing out about stuff that really doesn’t matter….staying up late and usually not getting any release with exercise or just a break. From there it will take me a day to shut off the computer and go do nothing…..the body needs to reset itself. IF may have been a factor because it gave me too much mental focus during a time I tried to do way too much. My brain shorted out eventually. Thinking too much is not the goal….enjoying life is. Just to be able to sit back and let the mind be free is how you don’t get anxiety….letting the ego side take over and give it the need to always do stuff is going to wear anyone down. For me I already enjoy being able to sit still and do nothing….for someone that can’t sit still or have high anxiety/stress levels, giving them more mental focus is like giving a race car to a teenager….not a good idea and will only lead to a crash eventually (which is usually depression). Fasting long ago was easier when people didn’t get so worried about stuff and had plenty of down time…..in today’s world of non-stop stimulation/cell phones/traffic/stress from work/deadlines/pressure to be the best you can be/gyms with electronic equipment and TVs all over the place/24hr bad news channels always giving you something to worry about……I think IF could just going to amplify any problems we already have that we are not addressing….IF just blows it up to a new level as now our brain gets more active but it’s still focused on the wrong things. There’s a deeper problem at heart that needs to be brought to light and let go of. The good news is that we have total control on what to focus on and what to let go of, but first we have to really see what is going on….as you can’t drop luggage you don’t even know you are carrying.

Giving this more thought here’s what I came up with:

• daily routine fasting is not something 10,000 BC man did every day….he fasted when he had no food and he ate when he had it….so hence…the whole “intermittent” part

• You autonomic nervous controls your heart, lungs, glands, stomach, blood vessels and other organs. It’s compromised of the SNS (fight or flight) and PNS (rest and digest)

• Waking up you are in a SNS response (fiight or flight)…why? Because your body has to elevate cortisol to wake you up and it has to motivate you to go hunt for food. It also increases your mental alertness because it wants you to find food and be a smart hunter…as a dumb one may starve to death.

• Fasting (IF) Daily will just keep the SNS going…hence why there may be an additional metabolism spike and fat burn (also the reason for increased mental focus).

• Our daily stressors and lifestyles are not what they were 10,000 years ago. Paleo man didn’t wake up and worry about the monthly mortgage, paying off credit cards, world politics, what the stock market was doing, what time to pick the kids up from school, sitting in traffic for hours, or to finish up the report that has to be on the boss’ desk by Friday.

• If you are already stressed and prone to anxiety, then turning up the SNS and keeping it going is going to amplify your underlying issues

• You still need to find ways to destress in life….as you don’t just turn up the radio when you hear something going wrong with the car do you? (well maybe some people do…but it’s not going to hide the issue that could come back to do damage later). Take time off, go outside in nature, get away for a couple hours….let things become clear to you, see what you are really worrying about, what is really stressing you out….learn to let go, to detach from things you have no control of, just learn to live in the now and forget about the past or future.

• Eating a large meal in the morning generates PNS responses therefore taking you more out of SNS and calming down your alertness

Either way…IF is meant to be….ready….Intermittent. So do it 2x a week….3x a week….1x a week….but not every day as that will not be a good way to start. That and listen to how your body responds…..as the level at which you stress out on things is completely different from the level I stress out about things….so I may be able to do it 5x a week…..but you may find it only works for you 2-3x a week. Believe me, if I find my plan isn’t working for me or I am going through more stressful times, then IF is put on hold. The real power of IF comes from knowing when and how to use it….and when to take a break from it.

Along that line it can also be important to generate a large PNS response towards night so you can fall asleep and recharge as part of the natural cycle of SNS during the day and PNS at night. If your sleep is compromised then so will your recovery ability to handle SNS the next day. So bigger meals at night (more with protein/healthy fats)…go to bed feeling satisfied and stress free….no news before bed.

Also work on the other lifestyle issues and stimulants that are causing excessive stress in your life and remove or just detach from them. Make your life more peaceful and enjoyable….don’t just turn up the car radio. (which is a main reason people turn to alcohol and drugs, to basically shut off the thinking part of the mind that is creating all the fear, self-doubt, worry, etc…, but that wears off and then the anxiety comes back….so hence people become addicted to the drugs/alcohol as it never makes the underlying issue be confronted and dealt with)

In the end….if eating all day works better for you emotionally then you are probably best sticking with it until you can address the other issues underneath (stress, worry, fear, lack of sleep, etc). If you want to try IF again you have to start slowly and do it once a week. See how your body reacts. Most people have problems because they try and do too much thinking more is better….when it never is. There is no one right way….but there are plenty of wrong ways. Keep the “Intermittent” part in IF and make it work for you!

photo by TimothyHamilton

Well another holiday is upon us known as the 4th of July, a time for cookouts, friends, sunshine and playing with tiny explosives. Just because it’s the holiday it doesn’t mean that we can’t go enjoy ourselves, but we should make wise choices and stay in control of what we put in our bodies. There will always be temptations out there, and consider this just another test in which you have total control on what to say “No” to and what to say “Yes” to. Remember, you are the one in control…and only you. So here’s some tips on how to enjoy the holidays and still be able to still keep getting results for health and weight loss.

• Keep Active - Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean your body wants to sit on a couch all day and eat high calorie junk food. So get out there with friends and family whether it be taking a walk, hiking, playing frisbee, running on the beach/trail, playing with the kids in the yard, taking the mountain bike out, go out dancing, unplug the TV and Computer for the weekend and get Out….whatever you enjoy! It’s a lifestyle choice afterall.
• Eat Small Before You Go To a Cookout - I know what you are going to say. “Are you insane? I want to go eat good food at the cookout!”. Well there is no reason that you shouldn’t, just have something light to start you off before you go. Most cookouts say they start at say 1pm and then the food is ready at 3pm….all the while you are surrounded by tables of cookies, cakes, snacks, etc….not a good thing if you show up hungry. So just have something light….some protein…vegetables…small fruit. Keep your cravings in check and don’t put yourself in a situation where you may end up diving onto the dessert table.
• See and Limit Hidden Sugars - Remember that we want to try and keep our insulin levels stable, so eating sugar at the wrong times can be disasterous. Try to stay with healthy fruits, avoid drinks made with punch/fruit juices (including anything you may be mixing in with it), choose meats not covered in sauces (usually sugar loaded), use toppings like mustard instead of ketchup (high in sugar), etc.
• Eat Vegetables and Small Fruit First - Always start with some good fruits and vegetables to fill up on, especially the kinds that are higher in water and fiber content. This will help you down the road as you will not be caving into hunger sensations and over eating on high calorie foods.
• Eat Meat/Protein Next - Get your protein in (although not sure how much real meat or protein is in a hot dog!). It will help you feel full, reduce any cravings and also keep your muscles happy.
• Enjoy Dessert on a Small Plate - If you want to have some of Aunt Mary’s infamous apple pie or lemon squares…..go ahead and enjoy some. Just do it after you have eaten your main course so you feel more full and are less likely to pig out. Make smaller portions of whatever is in front of you, as just because it comes in one big square on the platter doesn’t mean you can’t go find a knife and make it into smaller sizes. Also use the smallest little tiny plate you can and only use it once (no 13 trips back to the desert table)….the less room on the plate the less you will be tempted to fill it up (big plate=big disaster). Enjoy in moderation…and stay in control.
• Do a Quick Body-Weight Workout Before You Go Out - What do I mean by this? Well do a quick 10 min workout with pushups, pullups, squats, lunges and add in any resistance you can (bands, dumbbells). Have fun with a quick resistive based workout and you also can help improve your insulin sensitivity for hours afterwards (helps to shuttle in glucose to muscles and not fat). For example, do a full body circuit of 5 exercises (pushups, pullups, squat, lunge, overhead press…for example or add in something like snatches and cleans with DB/KB for more advanced) for 10 reps (we want to exercise in the glycolitic range with 10 reps, vary resistance as needed…as it should be challenging…not easy. Stay in control of your reps.). Do the full circuit with little to no rest in between exercises. Take a 1-2 min break at the end of every full circuit when completed. Repeat the circuit 3-5 times. That’s a pretty good workout for anyone!

• Use IF as a Recovery Tool - Have too much the day before? Feel bloated? Well use a day of IF to give your digestive system a chance to clean up the mess you left behind from yesterday. Drinking things like water with lemon or apple cider vinegar on an empty stomach can also help with the process. Use as needed, as you can always recover from a high calorie day with a lower calorie one. Just be smart and don’t starve yourself thinking it will keep you thin…remember that is not what IF is about! Eat healthy and get your nutrients in, as that is what the body wants….natural vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids and minerals from real foods.
• Drink in Moderation - From a fitness point of view, excess alcohol will just lower testosterone and increase estrogen and fat storing. Enjoy your weekend holiday celebrations just do so in moderation. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a nice cold beer on a hot summers day (I know I will)….but drinking to excess is not enjoyment and is usually signaling some deeper issue inside that alcohol is used to hide or keep quiet for a while. Enjoy your company, enjoy your beverages, be safe and have fun.
• Practice Saying “No” - Holidays are a perfect example to practice the art of saying “No”. Say “No” to desert, chips, sitting on the couch…..anything you don’t really want to do or eat. Don’t do anything just to make someone else happy or to not hurt their feelings, that’s no way to live YOUR life. You don’t have to explain to anyone why you are saying “No” to something, you don’t have to be left out of the group, you don’t have to worry about what others think (chances are they really don’t care anyways). Just practice smiling and saying “No Thank You” to things you really don’t want to do or eat and don’t worry about what others are going to say or think. You and only you have total control of your life and what you do, no one else. The more you start saying “No” to things/people, the better you get at it…..so practice makes perfect.
• Don’t Blow Your Fingers Off - I think this tip is self explanatory….or at least I hope so…..

These are just some tips to help you make it through the weekend…or any holiday/family gathering. If readers also have some good tips please share them in the comments section for everyone to read. Have fun and be safe this long weekend!

photo by JessicaDeWinter

Ok a while back we talked about the longevity genes associated with the CR and IF studies as being Sirt1 gene expression (see the Longevity Gene post here). So now we come across a compound from grapes that may be able to express the longevity gene without needing CR or IF, this compound known as Resvertol. But is it really all it is claimed to be….let’s look into it:

Red Wine Ingredient — Resveratrol — Fights Diabetes In Mice

Even relatively low doses of resveratrol–a chemical found in the skins of red grapes and in red wine–can improve the sensitivity of mice to the hormone insulin, according to a new report. As insulin resistance is often characterized as the most critical factor contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes, the findings “provide a potential new therapeutic approach for preventing or treating” both conditions, the researchers said.

The research group also confirmed that increased levels of an enzyme called SIRT1, which earlier studies had linked to longevity, DNA repair, and insulin secretion, improve insulin sensitivity in mice. Resveratrol is known to activate the SIRT1 enzyme.

Researchers Discover That A Protein In Grape Skins Can Kill Cancer Cells

It’s well known that drinking red wine in moderation can have some health benefits, mainly attributed to a compound called resveratrol. Now, scientists at the University of Virginia Health System have discovered how.

They found how resveratrol helps to starve cancer cells by inhibiting the action of a key protein that feeds them. Mayo said that the resveratrol in one glasses of wine three or four times a week is the right amount to block the protein from feeding cancer cells. Drinking much more than that, however, could stop this affect and, in fact, lead to a greater risk of cancer, he said.

Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in a number of plants, including grape skins, raspberries, mulberries and peanuts. Its job in nature is to fight fungus during the rainy season, and it is especially prevalent in grapes used in making red wine.

Small Molecule Increases Lifespan and “Healthspan” of Obese Mice

Researchers have used a single compound to increase the lifespan of obese mice, and found that the drug reversed nearly all of the changes in gene expression patterns found in mice on high calorie diets–some of which are associated with diabetes, heart disease, and other significant diseases related to obesity. The research, led by investigators at Harvard Medical School and the National Institute on Aging, is the first time that the small molecule resveratrol has been shown to offer survival benefits in a mammal.

“The “healthspan” benefits we saw in the obese mice treated with resveratrol, such as increased insulin sensitivity, decreased glucose levels, healthier heart and liver tissues, are positive clinical indicators and may mean we can stave off in humans age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, but only time and more research will tell,” says Sinclair

Investigators identified resveratrol while looking for compounds that activate Sir2, an enzyme linked to lifespan extension in yeast and other lower organisms. For the last 70 years, scientists have been able to increase the lifespan of a variety of species by reducing their normal food consumption by 30 to 40 percent - a diet known as calorie restriction. Through this research, scientists identified Sir2 as a key contributor to life extension. Without Sir2, for example, fruit flies see none of the benefits from either calorie restriction or treatment by resveratrol. The mammalian version of the Sir2 gene is SIRT1, which has the same enzymatic activity as Sir2, but modifies a wider variety of molecules throughout cells. Indicators in this study show that resveratrol might also be activating SIRT1 in mice, as well as other known longevity pathways.

A Low Dose of Dietary Resveratrol Partially Mimics Caloric Restriction and Retards Aging Parameters in Mice

Our studies suggest that dietary consumption of a low dose of resveratrol partially mimics CR and inhibits some aspects of the aging process. In long lived rodent strains and in humans, lifespan is often limited by spontaneous tumorigenesis. Studies have determined that the ability of CR to inhibit spontaneous tumorigenesis is linked to the CR-mediated reduction in circulating IGF-1 [28], and in the case of mammary carcinogenesis can be reversed by the administration of IGF-1 to CR animals [29]. Our study design involved the use of a long-lived F1 hybrid mouse strain, and sacrificing mice at 30-months of age, therefore we were unable to evaluate effects of resveratrol on average or maximum lifespan. We note that unlike CR, resveratrol did not reduce circulating IGF-1 levels (Figure 2B), and there was also no decrease in spontaneous tumors at the time of sacrifice (Supplemental Table S2). In particular, spontaneous liver tumors were abundant in mice fed the control diet or resveratrol, but rare in CR mice. Thus, although a low dose of resveratrol can improve quality of life by retarding aging parameters such as cardiac dysfunction, a nutritional or pharmaceutical strategy to also increase lifespan in mice will likely require blockage of the IGF-1 axis or its targets.

from Chris over at Conditioning Research I found this study as well:

Low Sirt1 expression, which is upregulated by fasting, in human adipose tissue from obese women.

Likewise, lean women (n=12) had more than twofold higher Sirt1 expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue compared to obese women (n=12; 0.33-0.73 arbitrary units, P<0.05). Sirt1 was equally expressed in the stroma-vascular fraction and the isolated adipocyte fraction. Finally, in vitro, we demonstrated that resveratrol (a Sirt1 activator) significantly enhanced the lipolytic effect of epinephrine in human adipose tissue (P<0.05)

and from Mark at Marks Daily Apple we have this tidbit:

The ingredient in question is resveratol, a naturally occurring substance in wine, that stimulates a gene known as SIRT1. In previous studies, the SIRT1 gene has been found to increase the lifespan of rodents, but this is the first study to test the theory in humans.

For the study, researchers assigned 67 diabetic patients to receive doses of a proprietary form of the resveratol drug known as SRT501 in either 2,500 or 5,000 milligram (huge amounts) liquid doses. At the end of the 28 day study period, the researchers reported that SRT501 “significantly reduced blood sugar in 67 diabetic patients as compared with a placebo group.” In addition to the positive outcomes, the groups experienced no adverse effects.

Interesting stuff to ponder. So will we see more studies? Yes. Will there be more compounds to come along that also are found to increase Sirt1 activity? Possibly. Because we are now dealing with something that can be “manufactured” and “sold” by the big pharma/supplement companies we will see more research and more trials on it. Is it the magic fountain of youth pill? I don’t think so. Could you get the same results from a clean and healthy lifestyle of good foods, CR/IF and exercise? Quite possibly. Is a glass of red wine several times a week going to give you the same protection and benefits? It could. While something like this may be good to help those already sick with diseases like diabetes, I am also not a fan of a pill coming along to “replace” a healthy lifestyle of activity and eating the right foods, it should only compliment it. My rule with any supplement, only take it after you have adopted a healthy lifestyle of eating/rest/exercise and are seeing some results….never use it to replace it.

So when we come down to it, could it really be something to compliment an already healthy lifestyle and increase longevity? Who knows…..that’s the best part about a longevity pill…..the only way to know if it is working, is that you are still living. Funny huh? Should be interesting to keep an eye on this though and see what else comes from it.

photo by terencekearns

So often we talk about health as it relates to fitness and nutrition, but could the greatest factor in our health really be our state of mind? We have heard “stress” will kill us but yet that doesn’t stop us from worrying about things. We feel helpless and say we have depression, when we don’t own anything…..we just experience it. Happiness is there for us every day to find and experience, yet most of us get caught up in things that probably won’t even matter in a week…let alone a month or year. Fear and doubt keep from from even reaching higher levels of whatever we may want to achieve in life. Time to stop. No more I say. The past is done and the only thing that matters is the steps we take right now…and every other present moment. Time for us to take control and see what is really going on. Time for some real perspective in life. Anything is possible…and the only thing holding you back is YOU.

Guess what, you are going to die….so accept it.

No one likes to think about it or hear it, but we have to accept it inorder to move on to the next step. You can’t stop death, you can only try to live as healthy as you can and extend your life. But fearing something that will happen 100% guaranteed is nothing to fear. Why? Because you don’t have control over whether it will happen. You can control perhaps when it may happen by taking preventative measures, but you will not avoid it. Accept it….and now we can move on. There is nothing to fear. The only real fear should be regret….regret of having never really lived with the time you were given.

Death is your greatest teacher

Now that we are not afraid about it, we can use it. Imagine you have been given a diagnosis from your doctor that you have 1 year to live. Now what perspective does that give you on your life, your job, your ambitions, your relationships. Are there things you never did but always wanted to try? What if your doctor now said “sorry, we mixed up your tests and you are healthy”…now how would you live your life with your new perspective? This is not saying the wisest move is to sell everything you have and go travel until you are broke….but what you decide to do with your life should be based on no regrets (you can be sensible and adventurous at the same time). We are all given a set amount of time here, maybe the real test is to see what we really do with it.

What’s the worst that could really happen?

Everything we tend to worry about seems really silly doesn’t it? Worry about grades…traffic….a report for work….what people think of you….our retirement funds…etc. How are these even comparitable to real life threatening situations? How can someone living in a war-torn country have less stress than someone sitting in an office typing on a computer? How can people who seem so poor on the outside have no stress and an abundance of happiness….yet someone with a big house and bank account is unhappy and stressed out all the time? Why are movie stars with nothing to worry about all turning to drugs and alcohol? Something isn’t right here, we need real perspective to help us out. Time to step back and look at our lives from a distance….like you were watching some tv show and you were the main star.

You can plan, you can study, you can save money…but to worry about things that have yet to happen or may never is really a waste of energy. We do this to ourselves too….no one is forcing us to worry, it’s all us. Worry, doubts and fears are all based on things that have not happened….and not what you need to do right now. Really…will most of the stuff you worry about on a daily basis even matter in a year? Will anything you worry about even happen at all?? Probably not.

Humans waste a lot of energy worrying about things. Might get cancer, might go bankrupt. Might marry the wrong person or screw up at the office. Emerging from war, Wildman no longer had these kinds of concerns. At twenty, he’d crawled out of the darkest of pits, and in comparison, 1950s America looked like one big, golden party. Anything was possible. And no matter what went wrong now, it wasn’t likely to result in death.

A great quote from the story found here about the healthiest 75 yr old man. He still is going strong and loving life.

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.

My favorite line from the Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford. Here’s a man who did so much with his life, but yet doesn’t sit around or have any self doubt. If he failed, he failed and moved on. That is the secret to anyone that has made it big in the business world, they failed (probably miserably) tons of times….but they didn’t sit around and fear failure or worry that the next time would not turn out great…they just kept going and made things happen.

Be like the surfer pictured above…..do you think he is thinking about how the wave is going to make him crash? Well if he did….he will crash 100% of the time. Don’t fear the wave…as there is nothing to fear. Look at the ocean and sky and enjoy what you have in front of you…..the surfer knows what he needs to do, so he does it with no worry of crashing. Many of us spend too much time looking back at the wave and thinking “what if”….never knowing what great things we are missing out from watching the surf and beach in front of us. Don’t miss out on all life has to offer because you are just worried about failure.

There is no failure….just lack of action. So take action in life. Celebrate effort…not the results.

Get real perspective

Time to step back and really get some perspective in our lives. See how much we really have that we may take for granted. Look at others much less fortunate and see what real struggles are. If you have a roof over your head, good health and food on the table….what are you really worrying about? The answer, nothing that serious in the overall scheme of life (maybe it seems important to you, but that is your perspective….only yours….and you control it all with your mind). Our biggest worries could be:

• “What if I fail?” - Who cares! Do you? So what….everyone that has gone on to do anything great has failed tons of times. Get over that mentality and embrace failure…as that means you are taking action and getting closer to success.
• “What will people think of me?” - Again….who cares! Be the fool…dance and sing. If you worry about what others will think of you all day long you will never be in control of your life. This could be with friends, at work and what the boss thinks, in relationships, etc. Do what you know you need to do, follow your own music and never care what anyone else thinks.
• “But I need more…..” - You don’t need anything else…you don’t need more money, you don’t need more cars, you don’t need more friends…you just need to change you mentality. You can make more money if you want to or have more cars/friends…but you don’t need any of it. Detach.
• Go Broke, Try and Live on $10 for a week - Once you do it, what is left to fear? Money comes….money goes. Don’t base your happiness on it. Make as much as you want….that’s not the issue. The issue is when it it threatened (to get lower or go away) that the stress begins.
• “But I can’t do…..” - Yep you are right, you can’t…..until you finally say to yourself “I can”. Remember, who cares if you fail…..I celebrate failure….why? Because that means I tried, and effort is what counts. I’ll never support anyone in their own self defeat attitude…but I’ll support anyone willing to try 100% of the time.

The only way to change the world, is to start with yourself

You don’t have to go out and solve poverty or cure cancer to make an impact. The real change has to start within, from there all your actions will come natural and instinctively. We just need to take life one moment at a time and try and help and encourage those we meet along the way. But how can we go through that daily journey if we are a mess on the inside and filled with our own negative energies of doubt, fear, worry, envy, greed, jealousy, etc. We can’t help anyone until we help ourselves and get a better understanding of what real happiness is inside of us.

You don’t own anything….nothing. Detach and be free. We came into this world naked and will leave the same way. Nothing is ours. We may think it is, but nothing we will ever possess physically or mentally will last. Money is probably the biggest stressor, but you don’t own it…it’s not yours. Sure you can have some in a bank account and use it….but it’s not yours to keep forever. Mentally detach from it and realize it’s just a tool, see if your stress is much less now.

Same can be said for feelings of depression, anxiety, doubt, etc. You don’t own them….they are not you. You can experience depression but you are never depressed. To say you are something is to give it ownership, like it a part of who you are. That loss of power will never help you. Tell yourself the next time it happens that you “feel depressed”….and know that it can change. Find the route cause of why you feel that way…..see it…become aware of it….then your attachment to those feelings will drop. You may see that at the route of all those things is just something silly. Detach from it and just move on with your life….it’s not yours yet many carry that luggage around for a long time, time to let go.

Your Homework….Time to Become “Aware” Daily

The only way we will know how to change, is to first realize it is there in the first place….and the only way to realize it is to become “aware” of it. That is the key to most all zen like teachings, living a life of total awareness…..seeing what is really going on. If we can see ourselves getting silly with fears and doubts, then we can just drop them.

Get a pad of paper and write down daily what you experience. Take it with you. Take notes as you experience any doubt, fear, or whatever. See what is at the cause of it, what are you really worrying about? Is it really anything that needs our energy….considering the only real thing to come along of any consequence is death…and we have already accepted that will happen. Life can be as happy as we want to make it, we just need to be able to become aware of what we need to do to get there. We have all the tools inside of us….nothing on the outside is going to matter….it’s all internal where we need to put our effort. So write down what things, people, activities help you in positive ways…and which ones do not. Get rid of the ones that do not…and then just keep reminding yourself to be in a constant state of awareness and try to laugh off the things that really don’t matter….which is probably most all things we stress out about daily.

Anything is possible….If you believe you can do it. It may not come easy…it may not come all at once….it may not come when you want it to….but focus on taking action…and something will happen….lack of action guarantees failure 100% of the time…or as Wayne Gretsky once said “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. Take action, become aware of everything in the present moment that you feel and act…and enjoy the journey. Stress, doubt and worry are wasted and useless energies….time to get rid of them.