One of the most common questions we all ask each other and ourselves is "what do you want in your life?" Our ideas often grow, change and evolve as we do. They change from one passion to the next and hopefully continue to lead you to better and better places. I've realized in my life the specifics of what I want in my life may change but the "theme" really doesn't. The theme has been pretty consistent and realizing this has allowed me to more intensely move in the directions of my dreams.
So what do I want in my life? I want a lot of things. I want to wake up everyday and feel like I'm making a difference in the world. I want to feel like at least something I do in the run of a day will make a positive difference in my world and the world of others. I want to passionately and fearlessly follow the direction of my highest excitement despite the chance of failure. I want to risk losing everything I have so I can have a chance at gaining more than I ever imagined. I want to fail, time and time again so I can overcome that failure and find opportunities that would have never existed without it. I want to learn to accept everything that happens in my life as the direction of my highest good and allow it to open my perspective to more opportunities.
I want to feel pain and loneliness so I can appreciate joy and companionship more deeply. I want to fall short of some of my goals so the ones I achieve feel that much sweeter. I want to know that everyday I am truly living in the moment, enjoying all that I've experienced thus far but also know that I'm working towards that grand dream I have deep inside. I want to know that my current situation, no matter how dire or unpleasing has no bearing on where I can and will be so long as I accept it as what is and not what will be. I want to experience all of the contrast in life so I can appreciate, recognize and love the things I desire and have already brought into my reality.
I want to one day look at my life and know I lived it to the fullest; with no regrets for what I've done and more important no regrets for what I haven't. With every tear, every smile, every heartbreak and every sense of butterflies I'll know that I am fully experiencing the wonder and joy it is to be human.
What do you want from this wonderful dream called life?
Tuesday 24 September 2013
Thursday 22 August 2013
Living in Alignment – The Landing Strip for Desires
Written by Ricky Goodall
As many of us know the secret to achieving goals is first the awareness that the goal exists; believing we can achieve it then acting on it. The problem is many of us get stuck in the space between action and acquisition. We feel like we’re “acting” towards the goal but the goal doesn’t ever come. Why is this?Although there are many factors that may hold us back from reaching a goal or desire the one I want to focus on today is living in alignment. Living in alignment can be understood as living your life in alignment with the next step of the goal you desire. For example; if your goal is to lose 5 pounds but you’re not exercising or eating healthy then the chances of reaching that goal are slim; especially if in your heart you believe that those two things are required to reach that goal. Now if your goal is to lose 100lbs and you are exercising and eating healthy but have only lost 5 pounds and are not satisfied then you may need to step back and observe the situation objectively. You have to determine which smaller steps are required to climb that larger staircase.
An effective tool in goal setting is the S.M.A.R.T. principle which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. Using this technique is a good tool for large goals but becomes an amazing tool when used to work towards the smaller aspects of the larger goal. If your desire is to own a brand new Lamborghini but you’re currently driving a 1999 Honda Civic and working a minimum hourly wage job then you need to break your goal down into portions. For example; if you suddenly won a brand new Lamborghini today, fully paid off how long would it be before you no longer owned it? Could you afford the insurance, maintenance, fuel and other costs that come along with owning a vehicle of that caliber? It’s not to say you can’t attract that desire into your current life; the point I’m making is that to truly enjoy and retain your desires you have to make sure you’re living in alignment with those desires.
Note: This is NOT meant to discourage you from believing you can attain your goal – you can achieve and attract anything you desire – this is simply meant to help you align your life with that goal so you can attract it even faster and more effectively and also to help you retain the desire you worked so hard for.
Now that we understand a little bit about goal setting and breaking it down into achievable steps now we can expand further on this principle of living in alignment and what it takes. This principle is not only something that you physically have to work towards but also a mental state of being. If you don’t believe that you are going to be a champion and walk the steps that you in your heart believe it takes to be a champion then how can the universe provide you with a bigger, better version of the desire you hold? You must live your life in accordance with the desires and goals you set for yourself and hold yourself in a manner you’d expect someone who achieves those goals to hold themselves in. If you’re eating junk food 2-3 times a week and justify it because work is stressful then you will not have a six pack for the beaches in the summer time.
I’ve created a list of steps I believe may be effective in preparing yourself to live in alignment with your goal(s):
- Be specific
- If you don’t know what exactly your goals are, to their truest nature, how can you ever expect to achieve them? Write out your goals in a specific, detailed manner and hold back no details. Don’t be shy or afraid to be very specific as no one is here to judge you and you are free to dream. Be specific and spare no details
- Be honest with yourself
- Do you really want the sports car or do you want more respect from your coworkers? Do you really want to never work again or do you simply want to find something you love to do so you never feel like you’re working? Be honest with yourself as to what your goals are. If you don’t truly believe from the depths of your heart that you deserve and want your desires then you will never have the conviction to achieve them. “To thy own self be true.”
- Be consistent
- Some people get so close to achieving their desires but give up on the home stretch. Consistency, perseverance and patience are key to achieving your desires. The bigger the desire the more of each it may take but it will come. “If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.”
- Release the parking brake
- Have you ever driven a car with a parking brake on? Maybe you forgot to release it before pulling away from a hill? Fears, anxiety, regrets from the past and other negative emotions act as parking brakes for your desires. They pop up in many circumstances to try to act like a parachute holding you back from reaching your desire. Let them go. Today you are a new person, different than you were yesterday with an entirely new set of potential circumstances. You are not your past and your future has not been written yet. Let go of limiting beliefs that hold you in a state of limitation and release the parking brake.
- Live As If
- I love this term, “live as if” and have for many years. This basically sums up living in alignment. If you want to attract your dream partner but sleep in the middle of your bed and have a messy bathroom you are not living as if. If your dream partner walked into your life right at this moment and want to use your bathroom you’d be stricken with fear and anxiety that they may judge you on that messy bathroom. Clean up your bathroom, clean up your life and start living as if.
Remember, if you want a desire to become part of your lifestyle then you must live the lifestyle in alignment with your desire.
Friday 5 July 2013
Experiencing, Understanding and Eliminating Fear of Rejection
I consider myself a man of deep intellect and this has gotten me through my life both positively and negatively depending on my reaction to emotional responses. All of my personal growth comes not only from experience but also reflection, responsibility and understanding of my weakness or areas for improvement. As a man I have suffered from many of the common areas of improvement most men face such as physical and emotional fears and insecurities. For the most part in my life I have conquered many of these fears through application. Some of those fears might include stage fright, fear of physical harm, fear of failure, etc. Throughout my career as an MMA fighter and my early experiences as a musician I've been lucky to overcome many fears men and women suffer from their whole lives. With my experience as an MMA promoter I also got to experience the failure of my businesses and have faced that and learned valuable lessons from it.
Another important fear every man and woman needs to face is the fear of rejection. This may be the rejection of a loved one, a stranger, an important client, a colleague or simply a stranger on the street. As mentioned above the first step to conquering a fear for me is experiencing it first hand then understanding it and ultimately overcoming it. Luckily as a 29 year old man I've had plenty of experience so now is the time for the logical aspect.
First and foremost we have to understand what rejection is as an emotion. In early human existence and for close to 9000+ years (and still to this day in many areas of the world) humans interacted in tribes of between 50 and 150 people. These tribes were tight knit communities of people who all knew one another. Members hunted together, mated together, socialized together and protected each other. Because of this tight relationship, rejection posed a serious emotional and physical danger. Rejection in a tribe could literally mean exile into the wilderness to face predators alone and of course meant certain death. Throughout evolution many animals and mammals have created a hard wiring of emotion attributed to this fear. In fact, rejection "piggy backs" the same pathway as physical pain. This means that our minds may perceive rejection as an actual physical pain. This creates an extraordinary concept for me in many ways.
If rejection can be perceived as physical pain and I have been able to overcome the fear of physical pain throughout my martial arts career then there is absolutely no reason that I can't completely eliminate this fear in my life as well. So how does one overcome a fear?
Experiencing - I believe the first and most important aspect of overcoming a fear is to experience it first hand. Luckily in our society fear of rejection does not mean certain death and can be experienced without any physical pain. Chances are most of us have experienced rejection at one time in our life but if not I say get out there and see what all the fuss is about.
Understanding - Well this step is easy if you're reading this article because we're already in the process of learning about rejection as an emotion and its origin. Keep in mind that you are not your emotions but rather you are a conscious being experiencing your psychological emotions. Dig deep and search for more articles on overcoming fears in general and you'll be well on your way to a much more fulfilling life as fear is a primitive emotion trumped by our logical intuition and experience as the dominant species on Earth. Fear, in my opinion, is no longer necessary to our species.
Overcoming - So now we've experienced and understand rejection as an emotion. The next step is to overcome it. Like any "pain," repeated response can create a deep psychological issue or can create a physical or emotional "callous," allowing us to lessen the reaction and control our response. The choice of which outcome you manifest is completely yours. A valuable step in this process is creating a gap between the physical stimulus (ie. a break up or flat out rejection from asking someone on a date) and the emotional response you elicit. Continue to observe your emotional response as its happening so you can logically react and respond to it. Remind yourself that you are not your emotions.
It's also been said that because rejection piggy backs on the pain pathway in the brain painkillers such as Tylenol can actually lessen the response your brain perceives. I personally don't like to become dependent upon anything for pain but would rather learn to accept and embrace the pain so as to understand it and release it. The choice is yours! Choose freedom from emotion and happiness; as happiness is your gift to the world.
Article inspired by "Ten Surprising Facts About Rejection" and "David Deangelo - Controlling Emotions."
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201307/ten-surprising-facts-about-rejection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTS1dKscCXE
Another important fear every man and woman needs to face is the fear of rejection. This may be the rejection of a loved one, a stranger, an important client, a colleague or simply a stranger on the street. As mentioned above the first step to conquering a fear for me is experiencing it first hand then understanding it and ultimately overcoming it. Luckily as a 29 year old man I've had plenty of experience so now is the time for the logical aspect.
First and foremost we have to understand what rejection is as an emotion. In early human existence and for close to 9000+ years (and still to this day in many areas of the world) humans interacted in tribes of between 50 and 150 people. These tribes were tight knit communities of people who all knew one another. Members hunted together, mated together, socialized together and protected each other. Because of this tight relationship, rejection posed a serious emotional and physical danger. Rejection in a tribe could literally mean exile into the wilderness to face predators alone and of course meant certain death. Throughout evolution many animals and mammals have created a hard wiring of emotion attributed to this fear. In fact, rejection "piggy backs" the same pathway as physical pain. This means that our minds may perceive rejection as an actual physical pain. This creates an extraordinary concept for me in many ways.
If rejection can be perceived as physical pain and I have been able to overcome the fear of physical pain throughout my martial arts career then there is absolutely no reason that I can't completely eliminate this fear in my life as well. So how does one overcome a fear?
Experiencing - I believe the first and most important aspect of overcoming a fear is to experience it first hand. Luckily in our society fear of rejection does not mean certain death and can be experienced without any physical pain. Chances are most of us have experienced rejection at one time in our life but if not I say get out there and see what all the fuss is about.
Understanding - Well this step is easy if you're reading this article because we're already in the process of learning about rejection as an emotion and its origin. Keep in mind that you are not your emotions but rather you are a conscious being experiencing your psychological emotions. Dig deep and search for more articles on overcoming fears in general and you'll be well on your way to a much more fulfilling life as fear is a primitive emotion trumped by our logical intuition and experience as the dominant species on Earth. Fear, in my opinion, is no longer necessary to our species.
Overcoming - So now we've experienced and understand rejection as an emotion. The next step is to overcome it. Like any "pain," repeated response can create a deep psychological issue or can create a physical or emotional "callous," allowing us to lessen the reaction and control our response. The choice of which outcome you manifest is completely yours. A valuable step in this process is creating a gap between the physical stimulus (ie. a break up or flat out rejection from asking someone on a date) and the emotional response you elicit. Continue to observe your emotional response as its happening so you can logically react and respond to it. Remind yourself that you are not your emotions.
It's also been said that because rejection piggy backs on the pain pathway in the brain painkillers such as Tylenol can actually lessen the response your brain perceives. I personally don't like to become dependent upon anything for pain but would rather learn to accept and embrace the pain so as to understand it and release it. The choice is yours! Choose freedom from emotion and happiness; as happiness is your gift to the world.
Article inspired by "Ten Surprising Facts About Rejection" and "David Deangelo - Controlling Emotions."
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201307/ten-surprising-facts-about-rejection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTS1dKscCXE
Wednesday 6 February 2013
The Nuts and Bolts of Nutrabolics Hemotropin 2XC
Topping the original Hemotropin would serve as no easy task
with a combination of a powerful ZMA complex, an efficient blend of growth
hormone boosting herbs, amino acids and vitamins but Nutrabolics has found a
way – and wait until you see what they have in store.
First let’s introduce the well known supplement ZMA. ZMA is
a combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. When taken together these
minerals will help restore and increase free testosterone production and
absorption by up to 30%; a huge plus for the average gym rat or serious athlete.
They also double as a calming agent allowing for a smooth transition between
sleep cycles which of course aids in rest and recovery in preparation for the
next days strenuous training. Our growth hormone is also highly produced during
sleep so getting plenty of quality rest is very important to releasing and
utilization of this important hormone. Unlike illegal anabolic steroids ZMA
does not synthetically or artificially increase hormones but rather it allows
our body to use the hormones we have more efficiently making it safe for men
and women alike.
At first glance the consumer might notice that the ZMA count
in Hemotropin 2XC is actually less than that of the original Hemotropin and
this is true but worry not, Nutrabolics has another trick up their sleeves.
You’ll notice the fancy looking word “AstraGin” in the ingredients list and
this is where they have really hit a home run. AstraGin is a combination of
Panax Notoginseng and Astragalus Membranaceous and increases amino acid
absorption by up to 66% and vitamin and mineral absorption by up to 50%. What
does this mean? It means you need a lot less of the goods to do a lot more.
AtraGin doesn’t stop there, however. It is also “insulin mimetic” meaning it
increases glycogen uptake in muscles for up to 24 hours. More glycogen in our
muscles means more growth and recovery and less glucose stored as fat. AstraGin
also increases insulin sensitivity which further aids in the above mentioned
process.
The next blend we see is the “Growth Hormone Releasing
Peptide Hexamino” which essentially is a well thought out way to say “growth
hormone, mood enhancing and sleep inducing amino acid blend” – quite a
mouthful; let’s stick to the official version.
Some of the amino acids you see in this blend include
L-Tryptophan and D-Tryptophan and in case you’re not familiar these are the
amino acids found in turkey that has you sleeping shortly after a big holiday
dinner. The Tryptophan family has a calming effect by converting to 5-HTP then
serotonin in our bodies. Serotonin is the hormone responsible for calmness and
positive moods. The effects of serotonin release can be experienced for up to
24 hours helping you get up on the right side of the bed. D- Phenylalanine also helps produce this calming
effect which you see in the ingredients list.
The other amino
acids here including L-alanine and L-lysine have both contributed to huge
growth hormone boosts of up to 400% with proper supplementation and synergistic
relationships. The presence of L-histidine in this mix helps slow the process
of becoming tolerant to the various aspects removing the need to cycle this
supplement as a whole.
The “Rapid Eye
Movement (REM) Maximizing Matrix” could easily be confused with something you’d
hear in a modern day sci-fi movie and rightfully so. The most significant
component in this matrix is gamma aminobutyric acid or GABA. GABA is the
main inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system (CNS) and also
helps produce a calming affecting assisting in not only getting to sleep in the
first place but also sleep quality by slowing the CNS activity allowing for a
calm, relaxing experience.
What makes GABA such a superhero in Hemotropin 2XC is not
just its effect on sleep quality but also its ability to boost growth hormone –
by up to 200%. GABA alone is one of the most effective supplements to naturally
product growth hormone and when combined with all of the above ingredients and
the remainder of the REM Maximizing Matrix we experience an intense efficient
anabolic process allowing our bodies to capitalize on every natural ability to
produce a well oiled machine using up as much of our natural growth hormone,
free testosterone and glycogen uptake as possible in a safe manner.
Hemotropin 2XC can work synergistically with Hemotest 2XC to
produce an intense hormonal output boosting both testosterone and growth
hormone even further while also becoming a highly effective nutrient transport
system. If your goals include building lean muscle, melting fat and doing your
best to become superhuman then make sure your day doesn’t start or end without
these products.
Friday 14 December 2012
Chocolate Almond Black Bean Brownies with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe inspired by the Anabolic Cookbook
I'm no stranger to sweets and when dieting that can be my biggest downfall which is why I love experimenting with clean variations of my favourite recipes!
Ingredients:
Brownies:
19oz black beans
3oz egg whites
2tsp coconut oil
1tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cocoa
1tbsp stevia
1tsp organic baking soda
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4tsp sea salt
3tbsp dark chocolate chips
1tbsp almond butter
Frosting:
3tbsp 95% Fat Free Cream Cheese
1tbsp almond butter
1/4tsp stevia
1/4tsp cake sprinkles
Directions:
Baking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and drain black beans.
Blend all brownie ingredients except chocolate chips on high in blender until smooth.
Add 2tbsp chocolate chips and stir by hand.
Pour brownie mixture into 9 inch brownie pan.
Add 1tbsp chocolate chips evenly on top of brownies
Bake for 30-35 minutes
Frosting Directions:
Let brownies cool completely in refrigerator.
Beat cream cheese, almond butter and stevia and cake sprinkles until smooth.
Spread frosting on brownies and cut into servings.
Serve and enjoy!
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Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains:
2g Protein
7g Carbs
5g Fat
Keep in mind that all ingredients in this recipe promote fat less and a lean physique! The fat comes from a combination of healthy MCT oil and unsaturated fats and 90% of the carbs are slow absorbing. Enjoy this treat as a snack between meals to keep your metabolism fired up!
Chocolate Almond Black Bean Brownies with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
I'm no stranger to sweets and when dieting that can be my biggest downfall which is why I love experimenting with clean variations of my favourite recipes!
Ingredients:
Brownies:
19oz black beans
3oz egg whites
2tsp coconut oil
1tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cocoa
1tbsp stevia
1tsp organic baking soda
1tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4tsp sea salt
3tbsp dark chocolate chips
1tbsp almond butter
Frosting:
3tbsp 95% Fat Free Cream Cheese
1tbsp almond butter
1/4tsp stevia
1/4tsp cake sprinkles
Directions:
Baking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and drain black beans.
Blend all brownie ingredients except chocolate chips on high in blender until smooth.
Add 2tbsp chocolate chips and stir by hand.
Pour brownie mixture into 9 inch brownie pan.
Add 1tbsp chocolate chips evenly on top of brownies
Bake for 30-35 minutes
Frosting Directions:
Let brownies cool completely in refrigerator.
Beat cream cheese, almond butter and stevia and cake sprinkles until smooth.
Spread frosting on brownies and cut into servings.
Serve and enjoy!
Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains:
2g Protein
7g Carbs
5g Fat
Keep in mind that all ingredients in this recipe promote fat less and a lean physique! The fat comes from a combination of healthy MCT oil and unsaturated fats and 90% of the carbs are slow absorbing. Enjoy this treat as a snack between meals to keep your metabolism fired up!
Thursday 6 December 2012
Anabolic Avocado Pudding
Recipe as inspired by The BodyMind Institute!
Avocados are a great source of healthy fats that will actually help you burn unwanted fat on your body in problem areas such as the stomach and thighs!
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup water
1 scoop Isobolic Protein powder
1 tbsp vanilla
Blend or beat until smooth!
Makes two servings.
Nutrition information per serving:
15g protein
5g carbs
10g fat
Suggestions:
Add peanut butter, almond butter or any other little additions for extra flavour!
Wednesday 19 September 2012
How Sweet It Is - The Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
As an example, 6 ounces of sweet potato has nearly the same nutritional value as 1.5 ounces of brown rice and 2 ounces of Quick oats with no fat. 6 ounces of sweet potatoes has only 36g of carbs, 6g of protein and 0g of fat. That means if your diet has a restriction on the amount of carbohydrates or calories you're taking in you can eat more food while keeping the calories low.
Sweet potatoes are also a natural anti-inflammatory, which can be very beneficial when restricting calories in the first place, as this causes excess stress on your body and can lead to injury. They are also high in magnesium, Vitamins C, D and B6 and iron which all assist in important bodily functions.
There are many ways to prepare your sweet potatoes, my favourite simply being mashed. I peel and boil my potatoes and add cinnamon, 1/2-1tsp of vanilla and maple extract and a pinch of stevia. For extra creaminess you can add 1tbsp of melted coconut oil, which is extremely beneficial in burning unneeded fat.
Here's a simple clean recipe for making sweet potato fries:
Healthy Sweet Potato Fries
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