Extreme Makeover: Life Edition

OUR BODY REFLECTS WHAT WE FEED IT

2011-06-22T12:03:00.001-07:00

We need to ask ourselves: Is garbage "food" SOOO delicious that it's worth 10 to 20 years less on earth? Is it worth feeling lethargic & drained? Is it "living" to be shortening our life-span for the "joy" of the taste? Healthy food is NOT boring or flavorless or ALL vegetables. I LOVE food! I eat healthy every day, and refuse to eat bland food. What I eat is delicious. Healthy food has been given a bad rap. Living a healthy, fit life is not a hobby. It's a necessity for a fulfilling life.

God gave us these bodies. Why should we be caring for these bodies that God gave us? I'll say more on this below.

We only regret our poor choices after we've had a heart attack or two, or developed Adult-Onset Diabetes, or other serious health issues. And after experiencing these, some STILL continue with their life-shortening life-style. Why? I think it may be a lack of insight and proper understanding and education on health & nutrition. I also think it's all the garbage that sits in our stores labeled as "food" or disguised as "health food"!

We are killing ourselves slowly in this country. It's my understanding that we're the fattest country on the planet!

Do we realize that by eating garbage we're teaching our children to eat garbage, and thus shortening their life-span? Did you know it's been calculated that our children, due to the current American diet, will live shorter lives than us!

Remember being a child with endless energy? Being healthy returns you to that state. Our overweight children don't even get to enjoy that pleasure.

Let's go to the mirror & remove our shirt. See that? That is the result of what we put in our mouth. The bodies of your children will, or already do, reflect what goes into their mouths. Our bodies reflect what we eat.

Let me take a different approach, if I may: God gave us these bodies. Is it okay to take such terrible care of them? Maybe. Perhaps He's more concerned with our hearts & serving one another, than He is with our bodily neglect. But wouldn't we be able to do so much more if we were healthy? Isn't the point of our life to point to Him? How much better can we do that when we feel great? How much LONGER can we do that when we take care of the body He gave us, and live 10 to 20 years longer?

If we are feeding our bodies neglectfully, is that not focus on our own desires, rather than on serving Him? What I mean is, could we consider it to be neglectful of service to Him if we're damaging the vessel of service? If we know that our life is for service to Him, to one another, and yet we neglect our body so that it's not up to par for quality service, are we not putting Him in second place in our lives?

This is a very different look at our priorities in regards to God than what we're used to, I know. But I believe it's an important one and I think it deserves prayerful, and very serious thought. I had never considered this before, but I'm making some drastic changes in my priorities right now.

God has been up to something with me recently, and I suspect it is service related on the surface and something else that is much deeper (which I haven't discovered yet). But I do know, that I've been wearing the Tina glasses for far too long and God wants me to toss them and put on the Everything Is About God and Service to His Kingdom glasses. And I know that I am 100 times more able now that I'm getting healthier daily.

One final thought: I've been feeling that God put this Health & Fitness business in my life for a purpose. First I thought it was all about me... of course. I thought it was to get me healthy, even though I'd previously hated exercise, and I thought it was an opportunity to improve my finances while I helped other do the same. Wrong!

I then thought He gave it to me as a Tool to serve Him by helping others to get healthy and fit, and that my health and financial improvement would be a bi-product. Still not quite right.

I now believe that He gave it to me as a Tool to serve Him by helping others to get healthy and fit, so that they too can more fully serve Him. So that we may ALL more fully further His Kingdom.

Either you think I'm nuts, or this is your Aha moment. But as I said; I believe it's an important point and I think it deserves prayerful, and very serious thought.

Want to serve others to the fullest?
I highly recommend this amazing little book that I read in one day. This applies to all aspects of your life.

Thank you to the amazing woman who brought this wonderful book into my hands!

IT’S NOT OVER TIL THE FIT-LADY SAYS IT’S OVER!

2011-06-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

Feeling defeated, we stand facing the stranger in the mirror. We choke back the overwhelming emotion. "What happened? THAT'S not me." What's the point in trying? Right? Wrong! It's not over till the fit-lady says it's over!

If the above description sounds all too familiar, I don't want you to feel defeated. Here are some things to consider:

1. You may feel that you're just too out of shape and/or have too much weight to lose.

It doesn't matter! It CAN be done! It HAS been done! I can show you people who've done it!

2. You may feel that it would take too long.

So what!? That exact time is going to pass anyway! Regardless of what you do or don't do! The only thing that will be different about it, is what you decide to do with it! Why not make good, positive, rewarding use of that time? Remember, it's going to pass regardless of what you do.

3. You may feel it's too hard.

Yeah, it's gonna be hard work. No magical pills that don't work. Just hard work, sweat & some tears of joy as you start to see the changes taking place in your body & on the scale! It feels amazing when you take on something hard and finally come out victorious!

You've probably heard that saying:

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

Or you hear people say, "One step at a time."

That's the key. If your staring down a thousand mile journey, that can be really overwhelming, and then it’s over before it’s even begun. But what you CAN do, is say, “I’m going one mile. I can go a mile!” And so you go that one mile. Then you say, “That wasn’t so bad. I can go another mile.” and you do. So you don’t look at the total time involved, you look at the day, or the hour. You can do that. And when you’ve done it, be pleased with yourself and say, “That wasn’t so bad. I can do that again tomorrow!”

I'm telling you, I looked for magic pills for a long time. Because I didn't want to do the work! I hated exercise! If I was gonna do it, it would be because the lawn needed raking or other such things. The problem was that all the exercise programs out there that I tried were boring, they didn't work & the ones for women were pretty lame. I don't about the ones for men. But it was those workouts and the boredom that made me hate exercise!

I'm a tiny-framed person. I can remember as an adolescent, weighing 78 pounds for years and was so frustrated because I was so tiny! I have a tiny bone structure with tiny little wrists. Back in the day, the most I had ever weighed was when I was pregnant. I weighed a whopping 135 lbs.!

In March of 2010 I weighed in at 176 lbs.! How did that happen?! Where was I when all this weight was piling on?! I had all the familiar feeling that accompany an overweight, out of shape body: loathing, disgust, sadness, depression, embarrassment, frustration, anger, shame. I was even embarrassed to be intimate with my husband!

I used to cry out to God for help, like what? He was gonna be my magic pill? One day something just clicked in my head. If I wanted to lose weight, I was gonna have to do something about it! Me! Not a magic pill, not God, not my husband. Me. I guess I finally just got sick of hearing myself complain, and doing nothing about it. I realized how pathetic it was to cry out, complain, and blame but do nothing about it.

The first thing I did was to change the way I was eating. What you put into your body is so significant and many people have no idea what it means to eat healthy. They think that if it's home-cooked and not out of a box, it's healthy. Or they think that if the box says it's healthy it is! WRONG!

I had bought a book back in 2004 called The South Beach Diet by Cardiologist, Dr. Arthur Agatston. In this book he teaches you about foods and how our bodies respond to different foods. I had no idea! I learned a lot. But in no time I was back to eating bad food again. Why?

This is important, I had changed the way I ate, but I hadn't changed the way I thought! If you don't change your thinking nothing you do will ever last! Think about it. I had to change the way I thought.

What does that mean, to change the way you think? It means you change what you believe, what you know. It becomes your reality. It's something you know, like you know you need air to breath, like you know your name, know where you live. It's not just a good idea, or a vague fact. You know it in your core!

If you know in your core that you need air to breath, are you likely to cut off your air? Clearly not! See what I mean? If you know in your core that there are foods that will keep you lean, nourish your body, sustain your body and that there are 'foods' that will make you fat, poison your body, slowly kill your body, which are you going to put in your mouth?

I used to love hotdogs! I recently was at a convenience store for fuel and noticed an overweight woman, probably about 190 lbs., eating a hot dog. I knew that eating like that was the main reason she was so overweight, but it occurred to me that I had no interest whatsoever, in putting one into my mouth. I thought about how I had loved the taste, but still, I just couldn't imagine putting that in my body. I just know all to well, in my core, what it does to my body, how bad it makes my body feel, how it makes my body look. I just have no interest in going there... ever again!

I've come to know my body. I know that if I eat just one piece of store-bought or homemade wheat bread, I'll be up one pound the following day. Fortunately, my husband thought I might do okay with spelt bread. He was right! No weight gain.

I now know that when I eat too little, my body thinks there's short supply of food and thus that it's necessary to conserve, and starts storing fat right away! For two days, while I was sick, I had taken in a third of the calories I should have and put on one or two pounds. As soon as I increased my calories to the proper amount, (proper foods, of course) it started coming back off.

So, because I come to know my body so well, I know, to my very core, that I do not have any interest in putting garbage in my body! This is part of changing your thinking.

Saying, "I'm going on a diet." is a misnomer. Because 'diet' isn't a weight loss word! Diet is simply what you put into your body. His diet consists of hamburgers, potato chips and beer. Or, His diet consists of lean meats, produce, and water.

Have you ever watched a nature show & the narrator tells the viewer what the animal's diet consists of? That's what diet is! Diet isn't a method for weight loss, it's whatever you consume.

So when you change your thinking, you also change your lifestyle! It's an about-face in thinking AND thus, lifestyle.

To recap:

1. You may feel that you're just too out of shape and/or have too much weight to lose.

It doesn't matter! It CAN be done! It HAS been done! I can show you people who've done it!

2. You may feel that it would take too long.

3. You may feel it's too hard.

4. You may be thinking, “It’ll never last. It never does.”

Change your thinking! Change your thinking, change your lifestyle.

Others have done it. I have done it! Go to my Facebook page and check out some of my before and after pix. Still a work in progress, but pleased with what I’ve accomplished so far! I feel good about myself again, because I look good, but mostly, because I made a decision and committed to that decision and now I’m reaping the rewards. That, feels amazing! I’m stronger physically and mentally.

I HAVE YOUR SOLUTION:
I am going to show you how to make that mirror reflect the "REAL" you! You & me. Let's get started... right now!

TinaRandall@beachbodycoach.com
TinaRandall.net (or simply Fb message me!: @Tina Randall http://www.facebook.com/tina.m.randall)

I USED TO HATE EXERCISE:

2011-05-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

"I hate exercise! If I'm gonna exercise it should be from some necessary work activity! I don't like exercising just to be exercising."

That's what I had said for as many years as I can remember. I didn't realize that one day, fun, effective, awesome workouts would come on the scene & forever change my mind about exercise. I've tried so many over the years but they just bored me to tears. I'm not bored anymore! I LOVE it. How much do I love it? Well, let me put it like this: I'm a life-long nite-owl. Never did mornings... but I'm up at 6 AM now days, to do my workout! Yeah... I know! Huh?

I discovered Beachbody® workouts!

I've missed a workout a couple times, for reasons I don't recall. What I do recall, however, is that I didn't feel as good as I did when I had worked out - maybe is was missing out on the endorphins. Not to mention the feeling you get for following through with a commitment you've made to yourself.

I've lost about 35 pounds & a number of inches of fat since I decided to start exercising. But I wasn't paying enough attention to my diet & I've been stuck in the mid 140's for SOOOO many months.

So, I started P90X on April 4TH. I started reading the Nutrition Guide that comes with it & realized I was way off on my diet.

I decided to do the P90X Lean because it has more cardio & that's where I'm weakest. But resistance is my favorite! I just started Phase Two of Lean on Monday, but I'm not seeing the results I'd like & I miss having more resistance training. So, I've decided to go and mess it all up by starting over with P90X Classic, beginning Monday. I'm excited! But I did FINALLY drop down to 141! I've been fluctuating between 140.5 and 141.5 for the last week, so that's encouraging!

The scale matters to me, but not a whole lot. I'm more concerned with the inches... seeing the fat disappear. I can feel all the muscle I've developed, now to get the fat out of the way so I can see it! I really don't have far to go now. I think I should be looking pretty darn good by July! Cheese-grin good!

Every July My Parents, Siblings, Kids, Grandkids, & other various family members gather here for our annual Family Gathering. I really want to make jaws drop. Two-fold reason: We all appreciate kudos, but mostly, I want them to want what I have... health & fitness! I'm hoping that if I look good enough, they'll say, "Wow! You look great! What are you doing? I want in! Can you help me?" Well, you know I can! I'd love to hear the happiness in their voices as they start seeing their bodies transform & discover how much younger they can feel when they're fit! It'd be amazing for us all to have health & fitness in common! *daydreaming*

I did Chest, Shoulders & Triceps yesterday. So sore today... love it! And I can't wait till Monday!

You know... I beginning to love my body!

Later Gators!

~Tina

For more information: TinaRandall.net

BOOK:
BRING IT!

The Revolutionary Fitness Plan for All Levels That Burns Fat, Builds Muscle, and Shreds Inches

Creator of the best-selling P90X® workout series, Tony Horton shows you how to Bring It! for the results you want. Over the past 25 years, Tony Horton has helped millions of people—from stay-at home moms to military personnel to A-list celebrities—transform their bodies and their lives with innovative workouts and cutting-edge advice. Now in his first book he shares the fundamentals of his fitness philosophy with millions more, revealing his secrets for getting fit and healthy and melting away pounds.

One-size-fits-all diets and exercise regimens just don’t work—that’s why Tony creates unique programs for each of his clients. In Bring It! he shows you how to build your own diet and fitness plan tailored to your individual lifestyle, preferences, and goals. With a Fitness Quotient (FQ) quiz designed to assess your likes, dislikes, and current fitness level, you can choose the program that’s right for you. In photographs and easy-to-follow instructions, Tony demonstrates his unique moves and exercise combinations that include cardio fat burners, lower body blitzers, core strengthening, plyometrics, yoga, and more. You’ll also discover Tony’s fat-blasting eating plan and detox tips, delicious recipes, and mental motivators. Whether you’ve never been to the gym before, are looking to get bikini ready, or simply want to take your workout to the next level, Tony Horton can give you the results you’ve been looking for. A better body—and future—is possible when you commit to change. Get ready to Bring It!

BOOK:

THE FEMALE BODY BREAKTHROUGH

The Revolutionary Strength-Training Plan for Losing Fat and Getting the Body You Want

The ultimate guide to strength training for sustainable fat-loss, increased energy, and healthy body image for women who want to be in great shape, look amazing, and feel sexy and empowered

The key to losing fat and getting a strong, sexy body can’t be found in the pages of some fancy diet book. It can’t be found in a magic pill. According to strength coach, Rachel Cosgrove, the key to shedding fat and keeping it off can only be found on the strength-training floor. After trying—and failing—diet after diet, hundreds of women have turned to Cosgrove and her revolutionary Fit Female strength training program to finally get the fit, strong, and healthy bodies they’ve always wanted. Her clients have lost up to 70 pounds, dropped up to six dress sizes, and drastically changed their body shapes and muscle-to-fat ratios. Now any woman can get the same results with The Female Body Breakthrough. A program for every female who is tired of starving herself, exercising for hours with no results, and feeling bad about it all, this revolutionary plan uses a combination of innovative strength training and sensible nutrition. The 16-week program includes:

A 2-week Bodyweight-Only Jumpstart Phase that will help women adjust to strength training while seeing results in just days
Over 100 fully illustrated warm-up moves and innovative strength-training exercises using everything from dumbbells and barbells to bands and straps
A comprehensive nutrition plan including nutrient-timing strategies that work with workouts, satisfying foods that promote optimum health and energy, and even an indulgent snack every day
A Do-It-Yourself guide to program design so women can craft a program that works toward her personal goals and with her schedule

The Female Body Breakthrough

About the Author

RACHEL COSGROVE is co-founder and co-owner of Results Fitness in Southern California. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, U.S. Olympic Weightlifting Coach, and a U.S Triathlon Coach. She has written for Women’s Health, Shape, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and many other fitness publications.

ARE YOU WHO YOU WANTED TO BE?

2011-04-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

We can look in the mirror at our bodies & see a reflection of what we eat, & whether or not we get any exercise.
We can listen to ourselves talk, in our heads, or out loud, & hear a reflection of what we feed our minds, & whether or not we exercise it.

All quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt;

"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility."

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility."

Our mind reflects what it is fed by it's environment, what we allow into it. What kind of entertainment we watch, the music we listen to, The books we read, or audio we listen to, the people we spend the most time with.

Are you who you wanted to be? Sadly, many of us are not. But it's never too late to begin the process of becoming that person, now. Even if you think your situation is too much a mess.

Many people stopped dreaming years ago. When you give up your dream, you have surrendered. We all have problems, big & small. Don't let them get in the way of who you wanted to be, & where you wanted to be.

"What you don't do can be a destructive force."

We need our dreams & we need to be who we were meant to be! Without that, we start dying off a bit at a time, until we don't even recognize our self. Remember that person you used to be! We all need to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

"When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die."

Never give up your dream. That's what drives us forward. It's what has us smiling, & eager to start each beautiful day, & puts that bounce in our step!

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

But if we are going to get that person back, if we are to grow, learn, change, we must be honest with our self. We must be brave enough to look at our self with an honest heart & an honest eye.

"People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built."

It's time to stop complaining about our lives & circumstances. It's time to DO something about it! And we can! Everything is learnable. Pick up a book!

"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."

Stop wishing. Pick up an excellent book & become who you were meant to be! There's always time. If you examine how you spend your time, I bet you have something you can trade in, for personal growth - reading.

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan."

I'm done wishing. I'm re-making my life. I had my dreams & I lost my dreams. But I've re-claimed them! I'm learning what I need to learn. I spend my time very differently now. And I like it! I feel so much better about myself. I'm regaining respect for myself! I'm beginning to like myself again! Join Me!

"Only a man's character is the real criterion of worth."

You are capable. You're not too dumb, or what ever self-defeating thought you may have about yourself.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Afraid? Who isn't?! Action cures fear.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.'"

Remember this:

"Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product."

We can listen to ourselves talk, in our heads, or out loud, & hear a reflection of what we feed our minds, & whether or not we exercise it.

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people."

It takes time. Of course. But that time's gonna pass either way. Right? So use that time to your advantage. Make it work for you, not against you.

Here's to your success, and mine!

...

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID TO TRY? (Take the First Step).

2011-04-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

You ever look at a task or venture and feel like it's too big, too overwhelming, too scary, too whatever? Me too.

I was in a situation a few years back, in April 2008, where I felt I needed to speak out about something I felt was very important. I decided the best way to do that was to start a blog. I'd never done that before and it was a scary venture to embark upon. "What would I say? Would I have enough to say? Could I say it well enough? Would anyone care enough to read it?"

I just took the first step. I found a place to blog. Wrote my first article and posted it. The rest is history. I picked up three guest authors, one became a regular and major contributor, and I made a new friend in the process.

The blog ran it's course and fulfilled it's purpose, meeting the needs of many people in a difficult place. But it was time to move on to a brighter place, as the blog dealt with some issues that you can be immersed in for only so long.

It's a wonderful feeling, and very rewarding to know that you started something that helped so many people. I'm now involved in another service to people in need. I decided to get involved in the Heath and Fitness industry and started my own business. And that was a scary first step for me as well because I've never had a business before and didn't have the slightest idea what I was doing. Fortunately, though, the company provides incredible training to help you get started and to keep going.

The thing is that sometimes I doubt myself. "Can I really pull this off?" "Am I capable, smart enough, strong enough, driven enough?"

I've hidden from life. I've stayed in the 'safe' place. You know, where nothing changes and you're comfortably familiar with the same ol' same 'ol. Well, I'm sick and tired of the same 'ol same 'ol. So here's what I do; I take the first step. That's a small enough commitment. Then I take the next step. Another small enough commitment. Then I take the next step, and the next, and the next. You get the picture.

I'll probably always have days when I doubt myself. But I'll just keep taking the next step. It's working out pretty well for me so far. I started with a lot of really good Personal-Development books, and I'm still reading. I'll be reading Personal-Development books for as long as I draw breath.

"When you're through learning, you're through." ~ Vernon Law (I think)

"Whatever you are be a good one. ~Abraham Lincoln

What is it you're avoiding, hiding from, or feel you aren't capable of? Try taking the first step. Then the next step, then the next, and so on. Don't look down. Just keep moving. I think you'll be pleased to find that you ARE doing it!

"Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." ~ Abraham Lincoln

"That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well." ~Abraham Lincoln

"In the end it's not the years in you life that count; it's the life in you years." ~Abraham Lincoln

So I ask you again; You ever look at a task or venture and feel like it's too big, too overwhelming, too scary, too whatever?

Me too.

A couple of books that can help you while you're taking that first step, and the second, and third, and...

WHY I'M HAPPY (What Changed?):

2011-04-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am a very happy person who is interested in helping others, but it was in 2010 that this came about for me.
I spent a LOT of years in a major depression, hated my life, felt like I had no purpose, I was over weight & unhealthy.

What changed? I stumbled upon something that I thought was going to help me lose weight. I had no idea that my life was about to change for the better. WAY better.
I got my workout & definitely started seeing great changes in my body, which made me feel better about myself & that was awesome, but that's only a portion of why my life has changed.

Have you heard this one? "Some people stumble over the truth, pick themselves up, & go on their merry way as if nothing had happened at all." Well, I recognized what I stumbled over & jumped on! I discovered that there was a business opportunity available and after looking into it thought, "This fits more perfectly than I could have imagined, with what I've been wanting for my life."
I've always wanted some way to help others... serve my community, but something that would fit with me. I had just never found anything until I stumbled upon this opportunity.

What I liked about it was that I'd be doing something that would impact the lives of others in such a meaningful way, that would change the way people see themselves & the way they feel about themselves by helping them with their journey to a healthier, fit life, & that they could then turn around and Pay It Forward!

What an incredible way to start an exponential, chain-reaction of life-changing events in the lives of so many people! And with a ready-made support system of like-minded people with the same concerns & issues and types of goals. Just what I was looking for. Only I didn't know that before this discovery.
But that's not the whole of it either!

I didn't realize that there was going to be another component that was right up my alley. Personal-Development. I've always wanted to be the best 'me' I could be, in all aspects. And I've always known that in order to do so, & that if you expect to grow & go somewhere in life, you must be willing to, first, be honest with yourself. If you can't do that, be prepared to stay put & to keep getting what you've always got!

Various family members have been commenting on how much I've changed, & how much they love it. Well, me too! I love it too! I am a totally different person! My life has changed for the better & I like the person I am continuing to grow & develop into.

So, yes, I love what I do. I'm a Team Beachbody Coach. That sounds a bit more entailed than it actually is. Basically, it means that I'm a Team Beachbody customer who signed on to motivate & encourage other people in their health & fitness journey, & I also help other Coaches to do the same! So, my work involves different aspects of helping people, but I think one of the first places it all starts is in Personal-Development, (in this case, body AND mind). And that sometimes entails jumping, & developing your wings on the way down. Which, with me, is the case. I jumped & my wings are still developing! I've even caught myself some good updrafts!

Personal-Development is a must! Because for things to change, I must change! For things to get better, I must get better! Go ahead. Say it out loud. "For things to change I must change! For things to get better, I must get better!"
So what are you waiting for? Let's DO this!

The Slight Edge is a great place to start!

Tony Horton is the creator of one the most popular home workouts, P90X.

For more information check out my site: http://TinaRandall.net

Also: http://teambeachbody.com/coach?referringRepId=51126

EXTREME MAKEOVER: "LIFE" EDITION - part 2:
Recommended Reading:

If you think you don't have time for reading, think again. How much time do you spend watching TV or playing computer games or surfing the net?
All you need is the time it takes to read10 pages a day! You can handle that! Here’s your second reading list:

3) Go For No by Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz (In the form of a short-ish story) Excellent! I've read it twice & will read it many more times!
Description:
In a world inundated with sales books on getting to yes, this book recommends just the opposite, focusing on how increasing your failure rate can greatly accelerate your movement toward ultimate success. Go for No! chronicles four days in the life of fictional character Eric Bratton, a call reluctant copier salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself in a strange house with no idea of how he got there. But this house doesn t belong to just anyone! It belongs to him... a wildly successful, ten years in the future version of the person he could become if he learns to overcome his self-limiting beliefs and overcome his fear of failure. Through the dialogue of the two main characters the authors have fashioned an entertaining story to present the key concepts essential to sales success. Readers learn... ...What it takes to outperform 92% of the world s salespeople ...That failing and failure are two very different things ... Why it s important to celebrate success and failure ... How to get past failures quickly and move on ...That the most empowering word in the world is not yes... it s NO! Written to be intentionally short and to the point, Go for No! is a quick, fun read with valuable lessons that can change the way you think, sell, and live!

4) Why Not You? by Valorie Burton (Christian based)
Description

Whatever your career goals…
Whatever your financial objectives…
Whatever your personal dreams…

You Can Do It!
This action-oriented, step-by-step guide helps you build the authentic self-confidence that comes from knowing who you are, what you want–and equips you to go get it.

With motivational expert Valorie Burton as your personal coach and a 28-day plan, Why Not You? provides the tools you need to …
·gain the assurance needed to transform your thinking
·focus on who you are, not what you do
·give yourself permission to be imperfect
·stop competing and comparing
·eliminate your confidence stealers
·learn how to achieve success by being authentic

Packed with unforgettable examples, pointers, and sparkplugs for ideas that work uniquely for you, Why Not You? reveals the secrets to building authentic personal confidence from the inside-out. Whatever your goal or your starting point, Valorie Burton equips you with proven experience to take the next steps to advance your career, finances, and relationships.

5) NO EXCUSES! The Power of Self-Discipline by Brian Tracy
Description

You don’t need to have been born under a lucky star, or with incredible wealth, or with terrific contacts and connections, or even special skills...but what you do need to succeed in any of your life goals is self-discipline. Unfortunately, most people give in to the two worst enemies of success: they take the path of least resistance (in other words, they’re lazy) and/or they want immediate gratification: they don’t consider the long-term consequences of the actions they take today. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life:
1. Your personal goals.
2. Your business and money goals.
3. Your overall happiness.
Each of the 21 chapters in this book shows you how to be more disciplined in one aspect of your life, with end-of-chapter exercises to help you apply the “no excuses” approach to your own life. With these guidelines, you can learn how to be more successful in everything you do—instead of wistfully envying others who you think are just “luckier” than you. A little self-discipline goes a long way...so stop making excuses and read this book!

EXTREME MAKEOVER: "LIFE" EDITION - part 1:

2011-01-22T10:48:00.001-08:00

Your age doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter how young you are or how old you are. It’s never too late to change your life! NEVER.

I know many people can't stand their lives. I know that at one point I couldn't. We're angry, or sad, or deeply depressed. Whatever the situation. However long it has been. Whatever choices or decisions we regret & wish we could do over. We hate our life & would rather have a completely different one.

If you lose a buck, you can go earn another one. If you waste a minute, it's gone forever. We can't go back & change the past. But we can draw a line, step over it, & choose to make changes now, that will change our future.

Do we want to remain tethered to the past, or would we rather be pulled forward by the future, a new future that more closely resembles what we wanted for ourselves? Do we want to continue making excuses because of our past, or would we rather draw that line & ask ourselves, "What can I do to change my life?"

At every moment, we stand at a fork in the road. Each one is a choice or decision we will make. Each & every fork produces a new fork, which produce more forks. That's our life, large branches of forks representing each & every choice & decision we have made & each one we will make.

You may ask, “What do I do with this information? How does it help my situation?“ Ask yourself at each moment; “How will this choice affect what I want for my future? Will it move me closer to, or further away from the future I envision for myself? Is it a good use of my time? After all, I can’t get this time back. Once it’s gone… it’s gone.” “How much time do I spend watching TV, reading novels, etc.? Do I make anytime to read books or listen to audios that can mentor me, teach me how to make better choices & create the life I really want for myself?”

Remember apprenticeship? There are books & audios that can give you that similar edge. Apprentice yourself to books & audios that will teach you what you want/need to know, about anything! Let them be your Mentor!

I'm getting a "Life" makeover. It’s changing who I am. How I think. How I talk. How I react. How I feel about things, situations & people. You can start your “Life” makeover right now!
You know that old saying that goes something like;

"If you keep doing the same thing, you'll keep getting the same thing."

Well, I have another one to add to that. And this is important. There is simply no way around it.

"For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better."

So let’s get started! I’m going to give you some steps to take, to begin your “Life” makeover. Of course, you only learn; it only works, if you DO it. Every bit of it. For example: Reading about how to eat healthy & actually eating healthy isn’t the same thing. If you want to be healthy, you actually have to eat the healthy food! So, follow these suggestions & you WILL witness results if you actually do all that’s required. Otherwise, you’re only cheating yourself. Not me, not someone else… unless, of course, you want to consider your family, whose lives ARE affected by your choices. Here are your:

FIRST STEPS:

Reading:

No time for reading? Are you sure? How much time to you watch TV or play computer games or surf the Net?

All you need to do is read10 pages a day! You can handle that! Here’s the first reading list:

(Now some of these books may talk about specific situations, but we all know how to take things & apply them to our own situations. Do that and you’ll be set.)

BOOK:
The Slight Edge - by Jeff Olson
Do you find yourself missing the one thing in life that would help you achieve a desired foal, realize a long-held dream, or push you up the ladder to success? Then this is the book for you!

The Slight Edge will teach you how to achieve success in all aspects of your life- in your health, your finances, your personal relationships, & your family life. You’ll learn:

How to tap into the power of daily discipline
How to identify habits that serve you & replace those that don’t
How to form powerful relationships with positive people
How to accelerate knowledge by finding mentors & modeling their behavior
How to recognize the everyday choices that will make the difference between failure & success

It’s all right here! Learn how you philosophy… creates your attitude… creates your actions… creates YOUR LIFE!

BOOK:
What To Say When You Talk To Yourself - by Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D.
Have you ever listened to how you talk about yourself, how you think about yourself? Not very nice, is it? How about how you think about things or situations, other people? Not so nice?

Changing the way we think, what we say about ourselves, etc. changes the way we feel, which changes our attitudes, which changes the way we act & react, which changes our lives!

There are years of that negative dialogue burned into our brains. To fix that you’re going to need some new script to overwrite the old, negative ones. You’ll learn how to do just that.

(I’ve been using this technique daily & have noticed the change in my attitude, & noticed that I have to correct my thinking less, because it’s becoming natural to think the right thoughts, positive thoughts!)

These are your first steps! The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Take the first step… then take the second… then the third. It’s just one step at a time, & you can do that! Say it. Say; “I can do that!” It takes just a single step to change the rest of your life.

Check back periodically for the next steps!