Welcome To The Grind | “Rise and Shine”

Whether the test is physical in nature or not, we all can relate to The Grind. I stumbled upon this last night (not really sure where it came from). While it is targeted for the athlete in all of us, I find it’s motivation applicable to just about anything that requires strife, challenge or sacrifice… anything that life can throw at you (voluntary and by chance). 

The next time life is trying to beat you down, testing you’re mettle… be sure to refer to this. I know I will. 

You’re welcome.

Via Welcome To The Grind (Motivation) – YouTube

“Rise and shine.”

6am and your hand can’t make it to the alarm clock before the voices in your head start telling you that it’s too early, too dark, and too cold to get out of a bed.
Aching muscles lie still in rebellion, pretending not to hear your brain commanding them to move
A legion of voices are shouting their unanimous permission for you to hit the snooze button and go back to dreamland, but you didn’t ask their opinion.

The voice you’ve chosen to listen to is one of defiance.
A voice that’s says there was a reason you set that alarm in the first place. So sit up, put your feet on the floor, and don’t look back because we’ve got work to do.
Welcome to The Grind!
For what is each day but a series of conflicts between the right way and the easy way,
10,000 streams fan out like a river delta before you, Each one promising the path of least resistance.
Thing is, you’re headed upstream
And when you make that choice, when you decide to turn your back on what’s comfortable and what’s safe and what some would call “common sense”, well that’s day 1.
From there it only gets tougher.
So just make sure this is something you want.
Because the easy way out will always be there, ready to wash you away, all you have to do is pick up your feet.
But you aren’t going to are you?
With each step comes the decision to take another
You’re on your way now
But this is no time to dwell on how far you’ve come.
You’re in a fight against an opponent you can’t see
Oh but you can feel him on your heels can’t you?
Feel him breathing down your neck
You know what that is?
That’s you…
Your fears, your doubts and insecurities all lined up like a firing squad ready to shoot you out of the sky
But don’t lose heart
While they aren’t easily defeated, they are far from invincible
Remember this is The Grind
The Battle Royale between you and your mind, your body and the devil on your shoulder who’s telling you that this is just a game, this is just a waste of time, your opponents are stronger than you.
Drown out the voice of uncertainty with the sound of your own heartbeat
Burn away your self doubt with the fire that’s beneath you
Remember what you’re fighting for
And never forget that momentum is a cruel mistress
She can turn on a dime with the smallest mistake.
She is ever searching for that weak place in your armor
That one tiny thing you forgot to prepare for
So as long as the devil is hiding the details, the question remains,”is that all you got?”, “are you sure?”
And when the answer is “yes”. That you’ve done all you can to prepare yourself for battle THEN it’s time to go forth and boldly face your enemy, the enemy within
Only now you must take that fight into the open, into hostile territory
You’re a lion in a field of lions
All hunting the same elusive prey with a desperate starvation that says VICTORY is the only thing that can keep you alive
So believe that voice that says “you CAN run a little faster” and that “you CAN throw a little harder” and that “you CAN dive a little deeper” and that, for you, the laws of physics are merely a suggestion.

Luck is the last dying wish of those who wanna believe that winning can happen by accident, sweat on the other hand is for those who know it’s a choice, so decide now because destiny waits for no man. And when your time comes and a thousand different voices are trying to tell you you’re not ready for it, listen instead for that lone voice in decent the one that says you are ready, you are prepared, it’s all up to you now,

The Power of Your Actions

I’m not even sure if this a true story or an urban legend. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you read it to your kids!



One day, when I was a freshman in high school,


I saw a kid from my class walking home from school.


His name was Kyle.





It looked like he was carrying all of his books.





I thought to myself, ‘Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?





He must really be a nerd.’





I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.







As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.





They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.





His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him…





He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.





My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.





As I handed him his glasses, I said, ‘Those guys are jerks.’ 










They really should get lives.





’ He looked at me and said, ‘Hey thanks!’





There was a big smile on his face.





It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.





I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.





As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.





He said he had gone to private school before now.





I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.





We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.





He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.





I asked him if he wanted to play a little football
 with my friends.





He said yes.





We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.





Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.





I stopped him and said, ‘Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!





’ He just laughed and handed me half the books.





Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.





When we were seniors we began to think about college.





Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.





I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never 
be a problem.





He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.





Kyle was valedictorian of our class.





I teased him all the time about being a nerd.





He had to prepare a speech for graduation.





I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak.





Graduation day, I saw Kyle.





He looked great.





He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school..





He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.




He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.





Boy, sometimes I was jealous!




Today was one of those days.





I could see that he was nervous about his speech.





So, I smacked him on the back and said, ‘Hey, big guy, you’ll be great!’





He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled….





’ Thanks,’ he said.





As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began…





’Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.





Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach…but mostly your friends….





I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.





I am going to tell you a story.’





I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the first day we met.





He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.





He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.





He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.





’Thankfully, I was saved.





My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.’





I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.





I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.





Not until that moment did I realize it’s depth.





Never underestimate the power of your actions.





With one small gesture you can change a person’s life.





For better or for worse.







Via Please Read This | Michael Boyle’s Strengthcoach.com Blog

I’m pretty sure I’ve read this story a million times, but each time I read it I get a little choked up at the idea that this stemmed from true circumstances. Most of me believes that this story is 100% true. Regardless of its authenticity, it should inspire anyone who reads it.

We sometimes need reminded how powerful our actions truly are.

 

Inspiration of the day: Take a Seat – Make a Friend? (SoulPancake)

Via Take a Seat – Make a Friend? – YouTube

When is the last time you befriended a complete stranger? And connected?

I love what the crew does over at Soul Pancake, I highly recommend a look-see. 

Achieving your goals… Maybe?

I’ve been a tad busy with my clinical rotation and just simply waiting out the results of my comprehensive exam. In the midst of that I had this interesting thought concerning goals.

THE hardest part about any reflextion is the self-awareness, self-discipline and self-evaluation we ALL must do in order to play the game on a level field.

The minute you don’t judge yourself is the minute the field becomes unbalanced and in favor of failure. Sometimes the only thing separating you from achieving what ever goal you are aiming for is you. 

Maybe… you’re just making excuses. 

A Dose of Inspiration = Our Time to Change

 

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Via Our Time to Change • My wife was cleaning out a desk the other day and…

I’ve been blessed. I have been lucky enough to cross paths with some pretty amazing and inspiring people through my social media avenues. While Twitter, Facebook and now Google+ afford me some pretty awesome internet acquaintances, Tumblr is always left out of the equation.

Through Tumblr I’ve met some pretty amazing people. People with the type of inspiring stories that make my plight to a more healthier me seem trivial compared to the mountains they have had to climb. Take for instance Jason in the picture up above. Just over 2 years ago he and his wife made a promise as a couple to better their health (which is awesome that he can do this with his wife).

2 years later after a lot of blood sweat and tears, you can see he’s made QUITE a change. In fact the name of his Tumblr blog says it all “Our Time To Change”. He went from having some overweight challenges to deadlifting over 350 lbs???!!!

How awesome is that? (Not to mention he’s also a crazy CrossFit loving fool)

I can bear witness to his journey because he shares many of the steps he has taken to get to his goal on his Tumblr blog. He is a prime example of making a lifestyle change as opposed to just ‘dieting’ will literally transform you and your life. His dedication is awe-inspiring.

A huge congratulations to a great inspiration. Be sure to ‘stalk’ him if you get the chance (his words, not mine), you won’t regret it. 

Tumblr: Our Time To Change

Twitter: Jason Morrison

Make A Difference

Big Difference:

StarfishThere was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly.

Right behind him there was another person who couldn’t understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, “What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?”

This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, “It makes a difference to this one.”

(Via Bits Of Wisdom)

Here is a dose of inspiration for you as the weekend comes to a close. No matter how small or how large, what you do can and does effect and affect others. We can all make a difference.

Carpe Diem

Positively Living With Passion

Every once in a while someone out there in the internets just breathes some life onto your screen. Angela Trimbur is her name. And, I had forgotten all about her and her awesome impromptu dance performance in the laundromat a while back dancin’ like nobody was watchin’…

Well apparently she’s been a busy gal. She’s been ‘Dancing like nobody’s watching’ enough that somebody’s watching now!

Here she is in the mall:

And the reason she blipped on my radar today was her performance at the airport:

She must have caught the attention of the Today Show or something, since it landed on the front page of my internet news. I simply love her energy. Whether it’s all an ‘act’ for the camera or not, I can’t help but smile watching this girl. These are those kind of videos you watch after a long stress-filled day and you just need some positivity.

I of course had to internet-follow-stalk her, and she’s of course on Twitter and YouTube. Be sure to check out her moves. 

I hope her energy gets noticed and takes her where she wants to go. She’s got moxie. 

Rules For Being Human 2013

I read this every year, and I thought I’d share it since it’s the first of the year, and start 2013 off right.

10 rules for being human

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error, and experimentation. The ‘failed’ experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately ‘work’.

4. A lesson is repeated until learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can then go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

6. ‘There’ is not better than ‘here’. When your ‘there’ has become a ‘here’, you will simply obtain another ‘there’ that will, again, look better than ‘here’.

7. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8. What you make of life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

9. The answer lies inside you. The answer to life’s questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen and trust.

10. You will forget all this.

Anonymous April 4, 2011

I haven’t the slightest idea where I received this awesome list (not that it matters), but I do read it every year.In fact I read it quite often, I have it posted on my office desk. I would encourage you to really absorb the words.

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OOOORAH DEVIL DOG: 'Stand Up for Heroes': Marine on Life After War (Yahoo!)

Sometimes you have to pause and just say thank you to human beings that can endure so much, and expect so little.

Click the link below to learn about a USMC wounded veteran that just doesn’t know how to stay down.

Via ‘Stand Up for Heroes’: Marine on Life After War – Yahoo!

Another D'oh! Moment | High Intensity Exercising

The researchers said their findings suggest that exercise intensity rather than duration is what matters in protecting against metabolic syndrome, which refers to a combination of factors — such as high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, abnormal blood fat levels and abdominal obesity — that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

Via Walking for Heart Health? Speed It Up, Study Suggests

I truly have a hard time accepting that the rest of the world is still lagging behind in A LOT of concepts.