Keep looking in all the wrong places?

I recently wrote a blog post "You are responsible for your own happiness" where I spoke about taking control of your own happiness. It made some points about reality shows and people in the media that portray to the masses what it is to be happy. Good looks, being skinny, being wealthy, having a good looking partner, owning a nice car, eating and drinking in good bars and restaurants, going on holidays to posh hotels. When you look at it, the majority of these things are about having "Stuff".

I had a client a few years ago, for the sake of anonymity, I'm going to call her Kim. Kim was a young girl that I took as a special case as she was very overweight for her age and was suffering from low self esteem and her mother was sure she was being bullied because of her weight.

Kim lost her father when she was a child, and I could see when we talked about it that it was obviously something that will have a great effect on the rest of her life. I was sure it was possibly the cause of her being overweight, the depression that comes with it.

It was coming close to Christmas, and as we were training away I asked her "What are you getting for Christmas?"

A big smile came on her face as the excitement lit up to tell me all the joyous possessions she would be getting. In her words "I'm getting an Ipad, an Ipod, a bag, money, and the list went on." I listened carefully as I took it all in.

I asked her the question, "Does it really make you happy to have all that?"

Her answer, without missing a beat was "Of course it does!"

I asked her "why?"

She couldn't answer, she thought about it, but couldn't give me an answer, a definite answer. She looked at me confused and gave me a typical teenagers answer "Because its good to have them..."

Again I questioned it, "Why is it good to have them?"

She was struggling "Because they can do things like play games and watch stuff?" Not sounding too convinced herself...

I asked "How long will you be happy for when you have them?"

She answered, "a while I guess?"

I asked her, "If you could have anything in the world, anything at all, what would you have?"

I welled up a little as she answered, "My Dad" in a sombre tone.

"Would that make you happy?" I asked.

"More than anything." She answered.

"All these possessions you have and want mean nothing, all the makeup, and the clothes, and the ipods, the TV's everything, will not make you happy" I told her.

"What you are doing here, losing weight, but more importantly being healthier is one step towards being happier, because you will and already are feeling good about yourself. You are going to be around your family that love you at Christmas, sharing moments with them, that will make you happy, Its all about how you feel and positive experiences in your life"

"When have you ever said, remember that time I got an Ipod for Christmas, or remember that time I bought that bag, that was a great time"

"doing things, being with people you love, experiencing life, laughing, crying, party's, holidays, these are things that will enrich your life"

She looked at me like it just hit her like a lightening bolt.

Suddenly she didn't really care about the Ipad anymore.

She was Thirteen years old then, at that time she was already bombarded with marketing to sell "Stuff" rather than anyone really guiding her towards the right message of what it is to be happy.

It wasn't any of her Family's fault, they don't know any better, just like most people. Its too hard to avoid.

We as people are easily misguided, plant a seed and you can watch an idea grow, especially when its perceived as colorful and lovely and what all the "Cool Kids" are doing.

You ever wonder when they don't get some average Joe to show off Calvin Klein underwear or when a Real woman, with stretch marks and big hips doesn't walk around under a waterfall in the latest perfume add.

Because they are normal people...

Why is this a problem for marketing companies and teams? 95% of us are normal people, with normal flabby bodies, with bad skin, blemishes, spots, lots of us are broke, we might drive a 1999 Opel corsa, we might be struggling with our mortgage payments, we might be losing our hair because our kids are waking us up at 6am jumping on the bed or being little naughty shits when were trying to get them out the door for school.

These are real things, and if the marketing companies were to portray this as the norm, what aspirations would people have to be a little bit more classy and glamorous?

Without these aspirations, what can they sell us?

They couldn't sell to us that our lives would be a little better because we smell like Kim Kardashian, or we wear the same boxers as David Beckham, we drive the same car as Kanye west, You wore a dress the looks like the one Taylor Swift wore to an awards ceremony, you have the same haircut as Rhianna.

But who cares?

Spending your life aspiring to be like Beyonce, or Christiano Ronaldo will lead to massive disappointment I'm afraid, because you are going to fail, and fail miserably. Simply because you are not them, you are YOU!

I had this realisation myself at around 25 years old, I came across it myself doing some soul searching after a life of constant abuse of my body through alcohol, bad food and smoking along with mental abuse, sitting at home, staying in bed until 1pm, only leaving the house to go to the pub, and simply not living life. I was never diagnosed but to give it an educated guess, I was depressed and I didn't even know it because I didn't know any better.

When the realisation came through, it opened up a massive new world of opportunity and happiness for me personally.

Its a battle, as my previous blog says, "You are responsible for your own happiness", this is a constant fight to maintain happiness, but its a fight that I will never lose because I value my happiness more than sleeping till 1pm every Sunday and wasting a day of my life because of it.

I choose to get up and go, I do things, I go places, i make new experiences. My last one as an example. I seen an add on line for Bouldering in Sandyford, so I went, on my own because why do we need a babysitter for everything. And I climbed, I fell, I climbed again, I got tired and I loved every second of it!

When I was 25 I got in touch with a man who was trekking up Kilimanjaro. I had not done a whole lot of hiking before but I signed up and It was an experience Ill keep for the rest of my life.

I started my own business and man that was scary, I never had a business before, expected it could fail, and I'm being more successful every day.

I'm walking Across Ireland over 4 days, one day is 68km and I'm shitting myself, but what is the worst that can happen, I get a few blisters, so what they will heal, my legs will be tired but they will heal, and I will have a great story to tell!

I'm not one for religion or all that mumbo jumbo but the only way I could describe these life experiences is cleansing your soul. Every time I train and eat good food and do something new, I feel refreshed like I've not just done something good for my body, but for my mind.

That's one of my main reasons for exercise. I'm not the fittest person in the world, I'm not the strongest, I'm definitely not the best looking, I'm not the richest, I'm not the most ripped, I'm not here to show off, i don't do this to run marathons or get all the girls.

I do it to be happy with myself, that's it, plain and simple.

My business is called "Bodycoach Personal Health Coaching", I never wanted the words "Personal Trainer" in there. I want you to be physically healthy, nutritionally and mentally and if I can help with all of them in some way, well then I think I have done a good job!

So forget about having to own everything in sight or everything that the TV tells you you need to be a better person.

Just go out and do shit, and if you cant do it, so what, do something else and just enjoy it. Bring people that you like. Enjoy it with them, then just start feeling better about yourself!

Oh and by the way, if your worried about what people will think of you out doing these things, don't be! They are just people that don't have the balls to do it themselves. Feel sorry for them!

Are you privileged?

All through my life I have wanted more! As a kid I can remember thinking "What would I spend €100 million on?", I actually wrote a list once when we were coming back from a family day out once to some children's amusement place like Butlins. I had a pencil and paper and i jotted it all down, houses, horses, an plane, and all I could think was "Wouldn't life be amazing if I had all these things?"

So that was probably 20 years ago.

These days its a very different story.

Would €100 million make a difference in my life? The simple answer is YES, of course it would, it would give me financial security, rid me of debt.

Do I crave being financially rich?

Absolutely not!

I don't dwell on money, I dont think about how grand life would be with it and I certainly dont let my work consume me to make more money.

A few points to clarify on this.

I run my own business. Why? because events happened in my life that made me think "You know what would make me happy, helping people."

So why dont I work for a charity? 

I need money, as does everyone, I need it to survive, buy food and pay my living expenses, but I don't work crazy hours to earn it in excess.

My passion is health, Im not the healthiest person in the world and I dont claim to be. Decisions I made in the past like smoking, eating junk food, drinking, avoiding exercise had become habitual and these habits as much as you try to avoid them remain in your head and thoughts of these habits some times slip through and win, but most of the time rationality wins and I make the right decision, and this is an ongoing battle that will play out until I die.

With these thoughts and this experience I hope I can pass my experience an knowledge on to people more so than helping homeless people re-house. I have no experience with this so why do it. I, and everyone should play to their strengths.

I work to help people!

I was talking to a colleague a few weeks ago coming to an end of a busy week, and I told him im exhausted as the week has been so busy. His response was "Thats good man, at least you are making money." and I said "yeah, thats true." but all I was really doing was brushing off the response and accepting what he was saying as true, which for me it wasn't.

I value time!

What is the point in working 14 hours 16 hour 18 hour days and making all the money in the world if you don't have time to enjoy life.

In Japan, they have a very strict work ethic, everyone values work, everyone works crazy hours, you don't stop until the job is done! They are efficient, rich, and exhausted.

The Japanese have a word, "Karoshi", this is a common word that I assume that no other language possibly has. "Karoshi" means "death from overworking." People are literally dropping dead from exhaustion as they worked and do not rest or switch off. Their hearts literally stopping.

Not the type of life I would like to live.

So what is privilege?

The definition is...

1. Enjoying a privilege or having privileges: a privileged childhood; privileged society.

2. Confined to an exclusive or chosen group of individuals: privileged information.

 

So you enjoy certain things, and belong to a certain group of people.

 

The common perception is people with money, they have nice things and enjoy a lavish lifestyle. They never have to worry about money.

 

Paris Hilton, lives of her family's wealth, drinks champagne, parties, eats good food, wears nice clothes and good on her. If that makes her happy then she is priviliged.

 

But I think there is a spectrum related to this.

 

If you had €100 million, you could easily live out your days, without a care in the world, but do people with money live without a care in the world? No...

 

Situations may occur that cause stress, Take Paris Hilton as an example. One of her family homes was recently raided by the DEA in America where Million of dollars in drugs was seized, thats pretty stressful. A private sex tape was released which would bring shame on her from her family and bring negative light in the public eye, that would bring anyone to tears. And im sure many other stressful things in her life happen.

If you had €400 a week could you live the rest of your life without a care in the world? No...

Again situations occur that add problems and stress to your life. You car breaks down, but your pay does not cover the €600 bill for repairs,

Children get ill, you may not know if your job is stable.

Your financial situation has nothing to contribute to your happiness. Possibly more so it contributes to sadness and depression.

 

What about social status?

 

Being famous, hell everyone appreciates a little love. In my work when someone tells me how much the appreciate how I help them its more rewarding than any penny I have ever made. It makes me happy and I remember it more.

Example.

One Monday in July a client paid me €30 for a session, I dont remember it, I just know it happened.

I got a text a few days ago from a client that said "I really appreciate everything you have done for me, you have changed my life and I will always be a healthier, happier and more confident person because of it!" 

 

That level of praise made more impact on me than money. It made doing what I do worthwhile. Like I said, I do this job to help people, If I have not helped people Im doing it wrong and that trickle of information that someones life is better because of me is a massive boost to my own morale.

Im not famous but my social status among my clients is high and rewarding.

Famous people may have the same sense of fulfillment, lots of them are involved with Charity or a singer may get the same reaction when someone tells them they love their music, which is great!

Social status recognized for how much credit your bank balance is showing is literally an insane concept to me.

Now Im not saying people with more money are better than me or anyone else, but is that not how we are portrayed in society. The elite are rich and the poor are at the bottom of the scale.

 

People with less tend to not be as suspicious, they are not protecting anything, because they have nothing to protect.

 

Check out the video of this in practice!

 

 

Its INSANE!

Imagine if the worlds elite was based on how much they help.

Say for example, we praised the worlds biggest philanthropists as much as we praised and worshiped the worlds biggest actors and singers.

Girls didn't want to be like Beyoncé but Mother Theresa (Im not saying be completely like mother Theresa) but they wanted to help people in need. How much better would the world be!

I am Privileged!

I look at my life, what do I have? Am I rich? Absolutely!

I have a Family,
I have friends
I have enough to live comfortably,
I can eat every day
I help people and affect lives, 
I am healthy
I get to experience different things
I am free to do as I wish
People care about me...

Do I NEED anything else... What do you think?

Do you need anything else?

Forget about the money, forget about the general concept of being popular, focus on what important and what is important will come to you.

You are responsible for your own Happiness!

This might be a little crude, or for some people hard to agree with and accept. 
Its something that I'm not sure if a lot of people can comprehend or have thought about before but its a sad place to be in this world when you see so many unhappy people!

With the recent suicide or Robin Williams, my own struggles and the struggles of people around me, I thought it time to raise the point of “what is happiness” and how do you achieve it?

We are so backward in our approach that we have evolved to consume, and we consume everything! What do we want more of? EVERYTHING? “I have an Iphone but apple release a new model, so I want that! It will definitely make me happier”. “I want to win the lottery because all that money will definitely make me happier!” “A new car! that is going to improve my life dramatically!”

Too many people watch these “reality” shows like “Made in Chelsea” and “The Kardashians” and people use these figures as role models for who they aspire to be, people with money and a lavish lifestyle because they seem so happy, but really, do they?

As little of these shows that I have watched, the people on them seems extremely unhappy as all they seem to do is complain, cry, argue, never a positive coming from most situations. The simple lesson that we overlook so often. “Things” do not make you happy. These guys are borderline clinically depressed!

Robin Williams was such a wealthy man, but something got to him so badly that he believed his only option was to end it all. He had it all and yet the negative aspect of his mind won. Possibly finding out about his Alzheimers removed his desire to continue.

On the other side of the spectrum we have situations, for example, If you have ever lost a loved one, how much money would you give to have them back, there is probably an unlimited figure you would hand over to have a few moments with that person again.

If you were on your death bed, where no amount of money could save you, does it matter that you had the latest iphone or you won the lottery? Of course not. All that matters is your family were around you that you made many memories with and shared your love.

The only two things that matter in life really when you think about it, is your health, and love, these things together form your happiness. And these are 100% connected.

First,lets look at who we are and what we have become!

500 years ago, if you were as skinny as a supermodel is today you would be on the “unattractive spectrum”, people that were skinny were considered to be poor. They were skinny because they didn't have enough food to stuff their faces and get fat. Look over your history books to find old paintings of kings and queens, they were all quite chubby.

Marilyn Monroe, classed as one of the most beautiful women to ever live, she had a completely normal body-fat percentage for a woman. The world loved her.

I think what has happened is in some way the Media has chipped away at us as people and instilled in us a need to become skinny and be more attractive like they way they portray people.

Lynx Adverts for men. “Use this deodorant, women will want you!”

Dove for women, “your skin will be softer, you will be more attractive”

“This Model is better looking that you”

“This football player has money, looks and women, you dont” you want to be him!

Groom yourself to a high standard! Wear plenty of makeup to hide yourself because you are now ugly and need to be so self conscious to purchase more! If your skin is white your ugly so use fake tan! If you don't wear these clothes you're ugly. Get an iphone or you're not being cool like everyone else!

And we lap it up!

The knock on effect of this is that we have been show how to be “happy” by Media.

We need to act a certain way, we need to look a certain way, and we need to have certain things, otherwise were doomed to remain depressed forever.

We strive and aspire to reach the heights of sophistication and attractiveness that is portrayed to us, but lets be honest, were never going to get there! Its not who we are, everyone is different!

Everyone!

X-factor is another social example of this, millions of people, with the majority of them being from teens to late twenties trying so hard to be the next big star, to make it big, to have the money, the fame and the popularity. Why? Most of them can't sing or produce an original song but they get up there on stage because its their “dream”, but thats all it is, a “Dream”.

They see their beloved pop stars up on stage or on TV and they think, I NEED to be like them because thats what life is, thats the good life!

Then you see the “Pop-stars” come crashing down. Michael Jackson -Depressed, Britney Spears - Depressed, Miley Cyrus - still in the stages or striving for some sort of acceptance. Justin Bieber - Will most likely have some major melt down in the near future.

Im not here to judge them, i'm just pointing out the trend, its not fame and money that will make you happy.

So who are some happy people!

The Dalai Lama! - What an extremely happy person, his country taken from him through violence with many many people brutally murdered, but yet remains so happy as all he could do was share his love and comfort to his people, then help people around the world learn with the same warmth.Then feeds off the love and warmth they show him in return!

I watched a documentary called happiness, basically trying to find who the happiest people in the world are. There was an Indian Man that lived with his family in a six foot by six foot shack. In the shacks all around him, his family members lived, his brothers and sisters, their children, his parents, his in law’s. He made little money as a cart puller, taxiing people around all day.

He never stopped smiling, Why? because he appreciated everything he had. His family, his children, a roof, enough food to live. He didn't careaboutt what he did not have!

He Looked at what he did have, and he understood why it was important!

He couldn't wait to get up for work, because he got lots of exercise and spend the day outside in the air and sun. When he got home he got to hug his children and see their smiles as they ran up the road to greet him. His wife had a warm meal cooked for him and in the evenings he would sit outside, around him family talking and laughing!

He seemed like a much richer man to me than any celebrity I had ever seen.

Of course there are aspects in life that affect our moods and our state of mind. We have a full spectrum of emotion. Guilt, grief, excitement, anger, relief, shame, hopel, the list could go on. But these emotions fit into two categories.

Happiness and Sadness, they are all simply extensions of these two core emotions. Positive and negative.

We cannot always control these emotions, grief for example, you lose someone you love you will grieve and miss that person, and so you should.

You pass an exam like a driving test or get through a difficult situation with a positive outcome you will feel relief, if you don't, see a doctor.

You cannot control these emotions, but you can control your mental state! No conscious person on the plant has, or ever will go through their life without hitting every emotion on the spectrum in some way. But every person makes either a conscious or subconscious decision of what type of person they are going to be. A “Happy” or “Sad” person.

It may seem like its a lot to struggle with and how can you be happy if everything seems to go wrong?

Put weight on the positive things in your life, then work to eliminate the negative aspects.

How do I do this?

First, I think of what is good about my life… even write it down!

“I have a roof over my head”

“I have a good family that will have my back when I need them”

“I have a job that I enjoy doing”

“I can eat well every day”

“I can survive on my wages”

“I’m Healthy”

“Holidays to look forward to”

You may not think of everything that is positive in your life straight away, but its a list, and when you think of something, add to it!

Keep picturing what you have, The glass is half full and getting fuller.

Second, remind yourself every day of what you have, and allow less space in your mind for what you don't have.

The negatives in most cases will be temporary situations,

“Boss is pissing me off”

“Caught a cold”

“Cant find a job”

“Not enough money to go on holiday”

But here is your choice. Lets push the Positives to the back and dwell on the negatives “WHAT we don't have” or choose to celebrate the positives!

I know from experience, I was a very negative person, getting out of bed to face ANOTHER day was depressing. I knew I was depressed, and I didn't know how to deal with it!

But I learned, I trained my mental attitude to start enjoying life, enjoying situations and going places, even if it was just a walk. I learned to enjoy exercise with released endorphins which made me even more positive.

And slowly I kept chipping away at it, trying so hard to never allow myself slip back into a poor mental state. I'm sure the closest people to me know would agree, I'm a different person to the person I was 10 years ago.

And its all down to that choice…

And it was the best choice I ever made!

Treadmill vs. Road Running: Choose the Best Way to Run for You

As a casual runner, there’s nothing more wonderful than a cool morning, a gentle breeze, and some scenery. I love to run outside. Because of where I live, I typically run on pavement in neighborhoods. Sometimes I manage to run through parks and even along rivers during my weekly training. When everything is in sync, there’s nothing better, but that’s just one runner’s opinion.

Many runners run outdoors on the pavement. However, there are also a lot of runners who actually prefer the treadmill. As I’ve had my fair share of terrain experience, I can safely say that neither is necessarily better, but they are very different.

Road Running

Road running naturally creates many benefits for the training athlete. Because of the uneven surface the outdoors provides, the body gets a complete workout. Stabilizing muscles have to work harder out on the road as the runner has to shift to adapt to the changes. Road running will also bring its share of climate obstacles. Wind will provide great resistance training and heat and cold can also help the runner prepare for any given race day condition. Another major bonus of road running is that it burns more calories than treadmill running as it is more intense and demands more energy from the leg muscles.

On a financial note, road running doesn’t require a gym membership or an investment in an expensive machine. Other than the price of shoes and pair of shorts, road running is very affordable. Treadmills are expensive in comparison, whether they come in the form of a gym membership or a personal home machine.

Of course road running isn’t always glamorous. The weather has always been my biggest enemy when it comes to road running and even I have my limits that force me inside. Ice is typically a deal breaker. Even with special winter traction on your shoes, ice is dangerous and a lot of runners get hurt trying to navigate on slick roads. The heat is a big factor, too. If it’s going to be really hot, rise earlier to avoid the worst of it, as the raging heat of the road can be conducive to over heating and dehydration.

Other than the weather, the road presents more challenges that you don’t find on a treadmill. While the shifting terrain can be great for training, it can prove to be too much for some. Hills are very tough, turns in the path can really take a toll on pace, and traffic is an ever present factor to deal with while on the road.

Treadmill

Perhaps the treadmill’s biggest benefit to runners is that it can provide a place to run when the road can not. Another benefit the treadmill has over the road is that you can track specific distances for focused training. If you are training for an event and are on a specific plan, the treadmill allows you to stick to your training schedule perfectly- no more, no less.

The treadmill is actually easier on the joints than the road due to the surface of the belt. The treadmill allows for the runner to really customize their run as well. If one needs to incorporate speed into their workout, most machines have an option ready at the push of a button. If the runner needs to train for hills, but lives in a flat terrain, the treadmill is great for that, too.

There’s a risk of slight danger, too, that comes from the fact that one can trip or lose control on the treadmill. There’s an adjustment period for a first timer, but as long as you pay attention, you should be fine.

It’s also arguable that the treadmill will not aid in preparing your for a race. Since races are run on the road, too much time on the treadmill could be a major shock to the body as it tries to adjust to the heavier impact. One of the biggest arguments against treadmill running is that it doesn’t allow for proper bio-mechanics to take place. This means that due to the unnatural surface and space, the runner may change their natural stride, position themselves differently, and even waste energy due to a different posture.

Trail Running

It’s clear that runners have options when it comes to where they run. Perhaps one of the best and toughest options is one that few of us have the chance to explore.

Trail running is more like a cousin to running than an equal. First of all, few runners live anywhere near any real trails, but it’s a whole different game and even the best road runner will be challenged by a trail.

Trail running provides several benefits. Trails provide amazing scenery and they’re easier on the joints, but just because they’re easier on the joints does not mean they’re easy. The trail runner gets an amazing workout due to the demands of the terrain. Every muscle from the shoulders down is used to stabilize a runner on an uneven, rocky, or unpredictable surface. The core muscles get a great workout as they work very hard to keep you vertical on the trails.

Trail running will burn more calories than the treadmill or the road, but there are some tough challenges that may deter runners from hitting the trails. While the treadmill and the road allow the runner to zone out, the trail demands constant attention. Every step is an adjustment and a potential tripping hazard. The trail presents many more chances for a fall or injury and requires a lot of focus.

Obviously there’s no perfect place to run. Every option presents its own obstacles and provides it’s own benefits. Each runner will find their own perfect place. Find your happy place runners, and run on!

Michael - Bodycoach

Choose a positive attitude, choose a happy life!

We tend to perceive negative energy as something other people have. Sure, sometimes we feel negative – as in, “go away and leave me alone, world!” but did you know that negativity can be so ingrained in you that it goes unnoticed?

That’s because negativity sometimes wears a disguise called ‘reality’. It’s easy to rationalize that you’re ‘just being realistic’ in not daring to act on a dream – and believe it!

You may assume that positive people are not being realistic – that they’re being naive, that they are in denial with their heads stuck in the sand, that they put on fake smiles in the face of difficulty and so forth. But are they really happy idiots or is there something to their positivity?

Consider this: since when does ‘being realistic’ necessarily mean that things will go wrong and that you have to accept that as the truth?

That doesn’t mean that being realistic is automatically negative. When you view the world from a ‘realistic’ standpoint, you can’t help but be negative IF your version of reality is negative.
If your version of reality is negative, you are conditioned to believe that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and whatever can go right, will probably go wrong too. Your unconsciously held beliefs make you into a negative person without your being aware of it!

So – if this negativity is so ingrained in you that you don’t notice it, how do you determine whether you’re stuck in a cloud of negative energy that is attracting the wrong people, wrong situations and wrong feelings? And how can you be sure you’re not perpetuating that negativity?

Here’s a quick quiz to gauge the level of negative energy within you:

• Do you complain? All the time or just sometimes?
• Do you often discuss what’s wrong in the world more than what’s right? This includes the ‘terrible’ weather, ‘horrible’ traffic, ‘idiotic’ government, ‘lousy’ economy, ‘stupid’ in-laws, etc.
• Do you criticize? All the time or just certain people?
• Are you attracted to drama and disaster (can you unglue yourself from the TV when there’s a news story of a disaster and can you avoid getting involved in the lives of dysfunctional celebrities?)
• Do you blame? All the time or just certain situations?
• Do you believe that you have no control over most of your results?
• Do you feel like a victim? Do you talk about people doing things to you?
• Are you grateful for what is or will you be grateful when things finally start going right for you?
• Do you feel like things are happening to you? Or do you feel that they are happening through you?

This last two points are important:
If you’re not grateful except when things go right, you are negative. Gratitude is positive. If you are grateful for what is (including the unpleasant school of life lessons, then you can invite more and more positive energy into your life.

Believing that things happen to you puts you in the role of victim; then it’s easy to be

negative because it’s convenient to give up that power. So consider this alternative: who or what is to blame when GOOD things happen to you? Do you acknowledge that you are responsible for the good things – as in, you worked hard, you earned it, etc… but blame external events or other people for your failures? So how come, when good things happen, they are a result of what you do, but when bad things happen, they are not your fault?
Nobody likes to hear that. It takes courage to accept that you create your life experience! If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are holding on to negative energy to some degree! To clear your negative energy and raise your vibration, you will need to retrain yourself tochoose a positive attitude.

Here’s another interesting idea to consider: have you noticed that positive people seem to get what they want out of life, and even if things don’t go their way, they still enjoy their lives… while negative people whine and moan about their misfortunes and even the good things in their lives?

To clear negative energy, try this 3 -step process:
1. Take ownership: “When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.” – the Dalai Lama

2. Cancel negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. This takes practice, dedication and making a decision to see the world through the eyes of “what can go right” instead of “what can go wrong.” You’ll have to catch yourself anytime you are acting out or speaking out your negativity, and immediately change your tune.

3. Use the Love or Above Spiritual Toolkit to clear your energy and bring more light and love into your life; visualize the positive instead of getting sucked into negativity; overcome past conditioning; think intuitively from the soul instead from ‘reality’; create a new, desired reality in your imagination and manifest it in the outer world. Nobody wants negative energy to permeate their lives, yet many of us allow it. But we allow it unconsciously, based on past conditioning that suggests an inevitable outcome to certain situations. When you overcome that conditioning and realize that the future is NOT cast in stone but that you have more control over your circumstances than you believe – then you can begin to consciously design your life.

What’s going to happen then? Your positive energy will magnetically attract what you consider to be good and right for you: people, situations, things… and you’ll notice a huge, huge increase in your happiness and inner peace.

Why not choose positive energy? Make some changes within, and you’ll quickly see positive changes in your life. Enjoy the good feelings and abundance!

Am I crazy???

Today I begin my training plan to walk across Ireland to raise money for the Our Ladys Hospice in Harolds cross that took care of my father in his final months of fighting cancer.

Being that we have been dealing with this situation over the last few months my fitness and training regimen has completely gone out the window so I feel like im starting fresh and really don't feel 100% as im coming off the end of a bad cold so my lungs and head are not perfect but excuses will not get me from Galway to Dublin.

Looking at Google maps and popping in the directions from Galway City to Dublin the number it gives me is 208 Kilometres and the estimated time is 42 hours, it scares the crap out of me and that's why I cant wait to do it. May 5th is the date I have to aim for completion.

I have no doubt in my mind that I wont do it, and I know its going to be a hard slog, but one thing I do like about this is that I don't know of anyone that has ever done this before. Im sure people have walked that distance but I plan to do it as quickly as possible. 

I emailed Guinesses to see if there was a chance of a world record in this but unfortunately there is not.I really hoped there would be for the added motivation.

Being that its the first day back ive started with a simple and easy 5K run, just to wake the legs up and get my lungs working. It feels good having not done it for two months.

So its started, 8 months to go!

Mixed Pepper Fritatta

This delicious dish is high in protein so its great for a post workout meal, All you will need to make it is...

Some mixed peppers of various variety and colour,
2 garlic cloves,
A pinch of salt and pepper,
2 full eggs,
4 egg whites,
Mixed garden salad,
Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar,
Olive oil,


To prepare, cut the mixed peppers into chunks of various sizes, get a pan and drizzle a drop of olive oil and place on a low heat. You want the peppers to cook slowly and become really soft.

Squash the cloves of garlic and add to the pan, cook for roughly 15 minutes to allow the juices to infuse with the garlic.

Take another pan with a drop of olive oil and place some small or baby peppers in to the pan whole and allow them to cook as a side dish.

While cooking separate the eggs into a bowl. Add two full eggs and another 4 egg whites. Get a pinch of salt and pepper then mix. 

When the pepper are soft and beginning to brown slightly add the eggs into the mix, without stirring allow to cook slowly until the egg is hardening quite well. Once the underneath is cooked, Put a plate on top of the pan and flip the Fritatta on to the plate, slide it back into the pan to allow it to cook on the other side.

Take your garden salad, wash and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Serve and Enjoy!