To live wholeheartedly is, to actively and sincerely devote yourself to living from a place of value, as part of community, a family, a relationship of any sort, even if it means risking great pain. It takes guts. It is as if, regardless of circumstances, you are truly, madly, deeply in love with the world and yourself. It means you show up in your life, in your work, fully. Sounds romantic, and it is, and like most romance it requires some elements to make it work.

Chiefly related to being wholehearted is your capacity to love and to be loved. This does not mean only romantic love, but can too be a love of humanity, a love of friends and family. This capacity to give and receive love is measured by the degree to which you value relationships with others marked by sustained deep feelings that provide happiness and foster healthy, respectful growth. As well as, how consistently you cultivate these relationships as a two-way venture. This capacity is a strength we each have to varying degrees and that can be fostered over time (M. Seligman, Authentic Happiness, 2002). If you can be loving and be loved you have a superb starting place to live wholeheartedly.

Wholeheartedness is a committed enthusiastic sustained series of choices and actions that unfold over time.  It is emotional, adventurous, mysterious and easily idealized. And it is worth the courage and effort it requires.

Being wholehearted you choose to let go of what is familiar and show up in your life. You just show up in life, you don’t run away and you don’t grandstand, and you don’t judge when you show up. You screw up your courage and show up. Showing up can be as noble as sitting quietly with a loved one who is gravely ill.  It can also be as simple as dancing as if no one is watching on a Tuesday afternoon in the yard with your kid.  It means taking a breath, collecting your thoughts and actually listening to the meaning behind an other person’s words.  It means doing (or trying to do) more set of reps at the gym than you believe you can.  It means being willing to tolerate the ambiguity that comes from trying something new.

Brene Brown, a leading scholar of wholeheartedness, notes people are wholehearted live and love as they are, in the circumstances they are in, even awful circumstances, without losing zest for life or self worth. They take the time to rest, practice gratitude, and to play. They own up to what freaks them out or mistakes made, so that shame does not take root.

Wholeheartedly Showing Up

Can you show up without judgment in your life and others?

When you do what happens? In my experience there is a greater sense of ease that allows you to find you way through a messy, tricky situation. It is easier to learn from mistakes, something generally easier said than done. Taking risk in the future is also more likely which is great because moving beyond the familiar is where growth happened. Where you get to keep building and stretching your strengths. It is where you get better and can find that fine and ever changing line between complacency and contentment.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, could almost be the tag line for being wholehearted. When you believe in your own merit- to know within yourself that you have potential, whether that potential has been expressed or not-  it is easier to take a step into the unknown. Stepping into the unknown makes you simultaneously vulnerable and courageous enough to live and love wholeheartedly.

Approach Your Work and Life Wholeheartedly

What might you be able to do with greater ease because you know there is some breathing room built in to your approach?

• Could you more easily engage with staff or colleagues in a way they need so you can lead them but that you have been avoiding?
• Would you be willing to take on a precious project that you have been waiting until the magical  “perfect time” arrives?
• Would quieting the yammering of your inner critic be easier?
• Would you be willing to confront the “pink elephant” in the room in order to get past it?
• Would you be able to more fully mentor someone who could really benefit from your wisdom?
• Would you just feel better? Happier? Be more likely to smile like a Cheshire cat at the end of the day?

Deirdre Danahar works with busy, creative, professionals who are looking to shift from what feels chaotic, disjointed or frustrating to a calm productive, spirited life.  People she works with come away knowing how to do their best work without sacrificing their quality of life. She is the owner of InMotion Consulting & Coaching, LLC, based in Jackson, MS. Reach her at deirdre@inmotioncc.com or 601-362-8288.

Deirdre Danahar
InMotion Consulting & Coaching, LLC
Website: http://inmotioncc.com/index.php
All rights reserved@2013

Over the last year or so I’ve become disillusioned and disenchanted with the institution of Church.

Don’t misunderstand me.  I am immersed in The Body that is church and believe strongly in the power of community and fellowship with other believers.  What I’m talking about here is the production that sometimes transpires, and the corporate feel that is sometimes present in today’s American church culture. It’s like the curtain has been pulled back and I’ve seen the man pulling levers and pushing buttons.

And I am by no means saying that these things are wrong or bad.

These feelings crept in and I’ve been at odds with attending church regularly.  And often times when I do, it brings more resentment.  As a result my passion for my spiritual growth has waned.  My heart just hasn’t been in it, and I’ve been “stuck”, probably even regressed a little.

I’m not trying to “bash” church as an institution, nor am I proud that I have been in this struggle over the past year or so.  I fully accept the responsibility for my indifference and place absolutely NO blame on the church.  This is just where I am right now.

My indifference is my issue, not the church.

This Can Happen On Any Journey In Life

This same thing can happen to us on our fitness journey.  We can get caught up in a certain style of workout or program only to become disenchanted with it or the institution that teaches/coaches the program, and thus lose the passion for fitness that we once had discovered and came to love.

When this occurs we gravitate toward looking at where to place the blame, or even try to find where the fault lies as long as it isn’t with us and the CHOICES we’ve made.  We find every reason to thwart responsibility, and the truth that helped us achieve the results we were looking for no longer has meaning to us.

This isn’t our intention.  It’s just the direction we tend to take when things aren’t going “our way”. No different than what I struggled through with church.

When this happens we can lose our passion for what we once loved doing and become disenchanted with the very place where that passion was bred.

The reality is, as I mentioned before, the issue has nothing to do with the “institution”.

What can we do when we feel passionless and indifferent?

• ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY – one of the biggest breakthroughs for me, just recently I might add, is that I realized I need to take responsibility for my own thoughts, feelings and actions.  What role do we play in the “drama” of our life? And how much of that drama do we create ourselves?  Don’t give so much power to other people or other things.  Avoid blame and criticism, they’ll eat your soul! Accepting responsibility for where we are in life is the greatest sign of maturity we can display.
• REVEAL, RECEIVE, and TRUST – a couple of weeks ago at a church retreat I openly shared my indifference and struggle with two of the church pastors.  I was honest and forthright with how I felt and with what I believed was at the root of those feelings.  I did this in the presence of other men that were in the room with us.  I brought it to “the floor” and allowed others to know where I was.The two pastors showed me grace and accepted me exactly where I was, as did the other men in the church.  They reassured me that it was okay, natural even, to find myself at this place.  Then they spoke some truth into my life that I desperately needed to hear, and I was able to receive it.  I trusted them enough to reveal my pain and struggle, as well as trust enough to know that their words were exactly what I needed for me to grow from this process.

  So when you find your self passionless and indifferent don’t be afraid to reveal your struggle and be ready to receive what others have to say, trusting that they have your best interests in mind.

• APPLY THE LESSON – I could have dismissed this struggle and the lesson to be learned from it.  I could have said, “I don’t need to go to church to grow spiritually”, when it might prove very difficult for me to do otherwise.  I accepted my part, listened to “experts” for advice, and started to apply everything I had learned.  In fact, I’m still in that process and I might be going through it for a while. There wasn’t any time table given to me for when I’d stop feeling this way.  But I re-committed myself to my spiritual growth.  And my passion is stirring in me once more.

Conclusion

Perhaps you’ve become disillusioned, indifferent even, toward your health and fitness.  Maybe your passion for fitness is waning.  It’s OKAY!  It happens in a lot of areas of our lives.  Recognize it.  Take responsibility for those feelings.  Push into the uncomfortableness of revealing that struggle with a professional who can guide you, and trust them enough to receive what they have for you.

Once you take the necessary steps to learn from hard lessons, as I’ve done with my struggle, you free yourself up to embark on an even bigger journey of personal growth that will have life long rewards and benefits.

You can regain your passion!  You will be able to put your “heart” into it once again!

—–

If you’d like the opportunity to discuss finding your passion for health and fitness again, take advantage of our complimentary consultation and speak with one of our certified fitness experts about how we can help you do just that.

Forget Balance Focus on Fulfillment

If work-life balance is on your mind you have a lot of company, 89% of American workers (StrategyOne 2010) say it is a concern for them.

We live in a world where the boundaries between work and home are increasingly becoming blurred.  You likely own a home computer or a smart phone or both. Access to the internet anywhere anytime is very real. As is it’s impact on your sense of work-life balance.

Now the norm is for people to do some work things at home. Like checking your email one more time before going to bed. Or polishing a report at home. If you are an entrepreneur and your phone rings while you are grocery shopping,  and could it be a potential client, do you answer? What if your company issued phone rings at 8 pm on Tuesday while you are helping your kids with homework?

We also do life things at work. You might do some on-line banking or shopping, during your lunch hour.

More people telecommute all or some of the time.

If you are worried about the stability of your job, are the boss, or if your income is directly tied to sales/commissions frankly it can seem miraculous to not focus on work all of the time.

Making a Life While Making a Living

We all wrestle with questions like:

“How do I make a satisfying life while I making a living?”

“If work is important, but it’s not everything, how do I make time for everything that is important?”

Ultimately what we all want to do is make a life, as well as a living.  You strive to do your best work, without sacrificing your quality of life, but some times you’re just not sure how to make that happen.

So what get sacrificed first when your work life-balance is off kilter? The very things you are likely working for, your family and then your own personal time.

Here’s the rub, you can’t be first rate at work if all you are is work.  Rest and recovery are crucial especially when they feel like exactly the thing you cannot do.  Think of it this way, you can’t keep driving a car without gas, or recharging a battery, or when you are falling asleep the wheel. People are not all that different. We need time too to receiver, recharge and refocus.

If you do not have the necessary resources to operate effectively and efficiently that is not good for business at work or at home.

How Do You Do This

To make a life while making a living must focus on fulfillment, not balance. Or certainly not balance as a static perfect equity of time and effort across all the sectors of your life, work, family, community and yourself. There are simply not enough hours in the day. Nor do the laws of physics allow for this- balance is a dynamic not static state.  Different situations at different times in your life require different combinations of what you do and not do.

To shift to a fulfillment focus, try incorporating the 5 strategies below in to your life.

Don’t get overwhelmed by assuming that you need to make big changes to bring more balance to your life. Start with 1 or 2, give it a week and see what starts to change. Small shifts can have a significant impact, like leaving the office on time or even better early one day next week.

• Create your list of non-negotiables for your personal life ( e.g.: time at the gym, play dates with your kids,  reading that book you have been meaning to, learning a language or new skill. . .) and then block out time for them in your calendar. You have to hold these times as sacred as you would a doctor’s appointment that you waited 6 months for or a meeting with the boss. Make setting aside time each day for something you enjoy a non-negotiable.

• Track your time and what you do with it for a week. See where you are spending your time in such a way you are efficient and getting a good return on your investment. See where you are not. Decide what is necessary and what satisfies you the most.

• Cut the things (or people) that do not satisfy you to the maximum degree that circumstances allow and delegate from there, which may mean giving up some control on some things. Embrace “The Power of a Positive No”. It is okay to respectfully say no. If you are the go to person for EVERYONE in your life, saying no to a request you normally or automatically would say yes to might feel hard, but it can be done.

• STOP multitasking on the important things. At first glance this seems like an efficient way to work. It is not.  Multitasking on complex task or things that require your full attention involves switching your “executive functions.”  This means  as you shift from one goal to and other (I am going to do this now) and  have to active the rules for the new goal (here are the rules for this). These little shifts of seconds really add up over the course of a day. Multitasking can cost up to 40% of your productive time (Meyer, Evens & Rubenstine, 2001). Focus on one thing at a time, putting your most important priorities first.

• Cut yourself some slack. You cannot do it all, and do it all well.

Deirdre Danahar works with busy, creative, professionals who are looking to shift from what feels chaotic, disjointed or frustrating to a calm productive, spirited life.  People she works with come away knowing how to do their best work without sacrificing their quality of life. She is the owner of InMotion Consulting & Coaching, LLC, based in Jackson, MS. Reach her at deirdre@inmotioncc.com or 601-362-8288.

Deirdre Danahar
InMotion Consulting & Coaching, LLC
Website: http://inmotioncc.com/index.php

Homemade Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients

3.5 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup crumbled feta (1 oz)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 c marinated artichoke hearts
16 thin lemon slice
2 whole wheat pizza crusts
1/2 c packed fresh baby spinach
8 quartered pitted kalamata olives

Directions

1. Prepare grill for medium-high heat.
2. Rinse and drain roasted red bell peppers and puree in blender with feta and red wine vinegar.
3. Rinse, drain, and halve marinated artichoke hearts.
4. Grill artichokes and lemon slices, turning, until marked, 2 minutes. Remove.
5. Unwrap whole wheat pizza crusts and lightly coat 1 side of each with olive oil spray.
6. Put crusts oil side down on grill and heat until bottoms are golden, 2 minutes
7. Flip crusts and spread evenly with red-pepper sauce.
8. Sprinkle evenly with baby spinach and kalamata olives.
9. Scatter artichokes and lemon evenly over top.
10. Grill until bottoms are golden, 2 minutes. Remove.
11. Top pizzas with black pepper.

Lemon Walnut Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons very finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons very finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 tablespoons diced shallots
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. In a small bowl, mix together the parsley, walnuts, and lemon zest. Season the chicken with the salt and black pepper.
2. In a very large skillet (or two medium-large skillets), heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until they begin to turn translucent, 1 minute. Push the shallots to one side of the pan, add the chicken breasts, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour the chicken broth and lemon juice into the pan. Cover, and let simmer over low heat until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced, 3 to 4 more minutes.
4. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a serving dish, leaving the liquid and shallots in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat and stir until thickened, 1 minute. Stir in the parsley mixture. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve!

Shrimp and Avocado Rice Bowl

Ingredients

16 medium cleaned, shelled, tail-on shrimp (about 3/4 pound), thawed if frozen
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Small pinch cayenne pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 cup shelled edamame, steamed
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 1/4 cups short-grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
1 ripe avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. In a medium ovenproof pan, toss the shrimp with 1 teaspoon each of the sesame oil and the honey. Add the cayenne.
2. Lay the shrimp flat. Broil for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil. Pour in the eggs. Cook undisturbed until set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until just set on the second side, 1 more minute. Transfer to a board and cut into strips.
4. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon honey.
5. Fold the edamame and sesame seeds into the rice. Serve the rice in bowls topped with the egg strips, shrimp, and avocado. Place the soy-vinegar mixture in a small bowl and use at the table for drizzling.

www.fitnessmagazine.com

Spicy Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of canned black beans, drained.
1 cup garbanzo bean flour or chickpea flour
1/2 cup rolled or instant oats
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder (reduce, for less heat)
1/2 cup minced savory herbs (like sage, oregano or thyme)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor, and process until grainy and still very textured.
2. Heat a cast-iron or non-stick skillet and spray lightly with oil.
3. Form two-inch discs with the burger batter and drop them into the skillet. The batter will be a little runnier than you’d expect, but it will set and form into firm patties as the burger cooks.
4. Flip over when the underside is golden-brown, and cook on the other side about 3-4 minutes.

www.holycowvegan.net

Almond Zucchini Saute

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini, whole
2 Tbsp Almond Butter
1 Tsp Coconut Aminos
1 Tsp Lime Juice
Water to thin
Roasted red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
Coconut Oil

Process:

1. Preheat your saute pan over medium heat
2. Using a potato peeler (or julienne peeler), hold your zucchini upright and make long strips pulling your peeler towards your counter
3. Rotate the zucchini with every strip so you can use as much of the zucchini as possible, you should be able to get down to where the zucchini is about 1/2 inch thick. (You can slice this part by hand if you’d like more)
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine your almond butter, coconut aminos, and lime juice and mix well. It will be kind of pasty which is why you are going to add water in SMALL amounts, NO MORE THAN 1 Tsp to slightly thin it out
5. Once its nice and mixed, add in as many red pepper flakes as you desire
6. Put some coconut oil in your preheated pan and add your zucchini paying close attention and stirring well often
7. After you have cooked for about 3-4 minutes, add in your bowl of almond butter sauce and stir well
8. Continue sauteing for about 2 minutes or until everything is coated well. If you like your zucchini and little crispier, you can leave it in longer
9. Remove your pan from the heat, season with salt and pepper if you so choose, and ENJOY.

Lemon Cucumber Noodles with Cumin

Ingredients

1 whole cucumber
1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions

1. To make the cucumber into noodles you can use a Spiral Slicer (Amazon), you could also use a Julienne Peeler, or just make this recipe with diced cucumbers
2. Once your cucumber is prepared how you like it, place it in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, sea salt, and cumin
3. Transfer to a bowl and garnish with lemon zest and enjoy!

www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

Creamy Zucchini Boats

Ingredients

3 zucchinis
1 cup tightly packed basil leaves
1/4 cup loosely packed parsley
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup (4 oz.) fat free ricotta cheese
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
2. Wash each zucchini thoroughly. Cut off the ends and then cut each one in half. Then cut each half lengthwise so you have 12 pieces of zucchini total.
3. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Place the zucchini boats on a lightly oiled cookie sheet.
4. Now you’re ready to make the filling. Chop the basil and the parsley and place it in a bowl with the garlic, grated carrot, ricotta, Parmesan, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix it thoroughly. Now fill each boat with the creamy mixture, pressing it down with the back of a spoon.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.
6. Serve warm and enjoy!

 Avocado Stuffed Burgers

Ingredients:

2 Lbs lean Ground Beef
2 Avocados
1 Cup Sun dried tomatoes, chopped NO OIL
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Zest of 1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Sea Salt

Process:

1. Preheat your grill to medium-medium high heat
2. Put your ground beef in a large mixing bowl with your black pepper, 1 Tbsp of your sea salt, and your zest of one lemon
3. Mix well and then using your hands form into thin patties all the same size, you need them thin because you will be using two of them to make one patty
4. In another mixing bowl combine your avocados, sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, and the remaining tbsp of sea salt and mash and mix well to get as smooth as you like
5. Place your avocado mixture on the bottoms of half of the burgers ensuring you leave room to seal the burgers without it leaking out
6. Put your other patty over the top of your mixture and pinch the edges of your burgers together to seal all the way around
7. Now go out and grill to your liking (6-8 Minutes per side) Ensure you cook evenly on both sides of the burger or you will end up with an undercooked and an overcooked side
8. When done grilling, allow your burgers to rest for 10 minutes and then serve. You can use the rest of your avocado mixture to top your burgers.
9. Enjoy

www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

Southwestern Burgers

Ingredients:

1 Lb lean ground beef
1/4 Cup Homemade Mayo (See directions below)
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Cumin
1/4 Tsp Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

1. If you haven’t made it already, make your homemade mayo, directions can be found below
2. Once your mayo is complete either preheat your grill or your grill pan on your stove, either is fine. Medium heat for both
3. In a mixing bowl combine all of your ingredients from above and mix well
4. Using your hands, make 4 burger patties, no more than 1/2 Inch thick
5. These are delicate burgers so just handle with care
6. Cook on grill pan or grill to your likeness
7. Enjoy, use your remaining homemade mayo to flavor as you wish!

To make the homemade mayo:

Ingredients:

2 Eggs yolks
1/4 Tsp Mustard Powder
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice, fresh
1 Cup coconut or macadamia oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:

1. Place Egg yolks, mustard powder, and lemon juice in blender or food processor and start running on low.
2. Once mixed slowly start dripping your oil in
3. I drip 1 Tbsp of oil at a time and let it mix for at least a minute
4. As you continue to add your oil, it will emulsify but continue to add slowly so you don’t break it
5. Once your mayo is done, then you can hand mix in any herbs or spices you need like cumin, rosemary, thyme or anything you can come up with

www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

Broccoli Fritters

Ingredients

6-7 broccoli stems, shredded (about 1.5-2 cups)
2 eggs, whisked
1 3/4 cup almond meal
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

Send your broccoli stems through a shredder. (Food processor with the shredding attachment works well)
Add your shredded broccoli to a large bowl along with all other ingredients and mix well.
Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of fat in it. Use a large spoon and your hands to ball up a fritter and add to a skillet. It doesn’t need to be flat, you’ll flatten it out after you flip it.
Cook the fritter for about 3-4 minutes, then use a spatula to flip, then flatten out with the spatula. Cook for another 4 minutes or so.
Once the fritters are crisp on both sides, they’re finished!

www.paleOMG.com

Oven Roasted Beet Chips

Ingredients:

2 Medium Beets
1 Tsp Coconut Oil

Process:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F
2. Peel your beets and slice 1/16th of an inch thick using a Mandoline
3. In a Mixing Bowl toss your Beets with Coconut Oil.
4. This step is where is pays to have 4 rimmed baking sheets, if you don’t you will just have to do 2 batches
5. Line two of your baking sheets with parchment paper and then arrange your beets in a single layer. Stack a baking sheet on top of your beets holding them flat
6. Bake them for about 20 Minutes or until the edges of your beets start to dry out
7. Remove the second baking sheets holding your beets down and rotate your baking sheets
8. Bake for an additional 10-20 minutes ensuring your remove the beets as they become lighter in color
9. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool, the chips will get crispy when cold

www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

Jalapeno Dijon Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

3 Lbs Chicken Thighs or Breasts
4 Jalapenos, diced (for more spice, keep seeds in)
2 Garlic Cloves, pressed
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil (if you don’t have any, EVOO will be fine)
4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Lemon

Directions:

1. Combine all of your ingredients, EXCEPT YOUR LEMON, in a bowl or dish to marinade your chicken
2. Marinade for at least a few hours, but 24 hours in the refrigerator is ideal
3. Once you’re ready to cook, preheat your grill to a medium/medium high heat or about 400-450 degrees F
4. Place your chicken on the grill and cook between 7-10 minutes per side
5. Use a meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked and at least 175 Degrees F
6. Once done place all your chicken thighs in aluminum foil, squeeze all your lemon juice over the chicken, and close the aluminum foil and let it steam with the lemon juice for about 10-15 minutes
7. Serve and enjoy!
www.civilizedcavemancooking.com

It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote to you here.

I made a few trips during the month of August that prevented me from writing as much as I like, limiting the number of workouts that I usually do and in doing so reducing the number of posts I enjoy sharing with you about my physical journey.

Most recently I traveled to Idaho as part of a Christian men’s group with 15 men where we spent 6 days floating the Salmon River Canyons of northern Idaho.

Spending six days on the river, sleeping under the stars, and experiencing the wonders, beauty and mystery of God was very healing for my spirit, not to mention a complete mental and emotional charging of my life battery.

Obviously, with the travel associated with this trip and the short weekend trip I made to Orlando in mid-August, I missed a few workouts the last half of the month.

But, as I learned, it’s okay to have some “down time” from working out occasionally.

There are times/moments in our journey that will force us to stray from our routine.

There will be instances in your life and my life where the environment we’re in prevents us from staying on track with reaching our goal.

And the river presents a strong metaphor for life. 

The River as a Metaphor for Life

Life is continually rushing by and you don’t know what is up around the next bend.

You can stand on the shoreline watching it go by in fear of risking more than you want to lose…

you can try to swim against the current in hopes of controlling how far you go…

OR, you can jump in and go with the flow!

Throughout my life I’ve done all three.  I’d venture to say that all of us have.  Some more in one category than the others.

Do you take risk or play it safe?

On the second day of my trip I decided to go down the river in a single manned craft known as a “Ducky” (a blow up raft/kayak).

As we approached our first rapid that day, called “Harvey Wall Banger”, the guides instructed us to stay left to avoid getting slammed into the rocks.  But if you got too far left you’d miss all the fun the rapid provides.  I went too far left, and I was disappointed.

I told myself that I needed to take more risk and trust what the guides taught me to get through the rapid.

So as we approached the second rapid, a class III, I decided to go against my default and take a bigger risk.  I saw that many of the rafts were going to the right of “Demon’s Drop”, so I decided to go right down the middle!

The second I cleared the drop I was immediately flipped out of the raft and into the raging waters. Interestingly enough I didn’t panic.  In fact, I was very calm and all I heard in my head was the voice of the guide that taught us self rescue technique.

I found myself following the exact steps outlined during our instruction.

I pulled my knees into my chest so I wouldn’t get a foot wedged under a rock and get held under the powerful water.

Then I found my raft and got a hand on it.  As I tried to bring my other hand over to grab the raft, which was holding my paddle, the rushing water ripped the paddle from my hand.

Once I was able to get on the raft, which was upside down, I worked on turning it back over.

I flipped over the raft and on my first attempt to get back in I failed, but I regathered my thoughts and finally pulled myself back into the raft after what felt like minutes spent in the raging river.  In reality it was only about 15-20 seconds.

The adrenaline was coursing through my body at that moment and I was thankful that I made it through that experience.

As I turned to the group I was met with cheers.  My fellow brothers applauded, not only my ability to get back in the ducky, but they were also cheering my willingness to take the line that I took and risk rather than play it safe.

As many of you know, I can be very calculated and risk isn’t something I do very often.  So for the guys to recognize, and affirm, my willingness to go beyond my default meant a lot to me.

Over the next four days on the river, it was amazing what that experience taught me.  I learned how to read the river and find the best lines that would not only provide the most fun, but also keep me from going through an area that might cost me dearly.

I learned that risk is an essential element to experience the best life has to offer.

I learned the importance of instruction from an expert and how crucial it is to navigating things that I don’t have experience in doing.

I learned that the river will continue to flow and sometimes there are raging rapids, and other times it flattens out and slows down giving you time to reflect, recover, rejuvenate, and recharge.

Life IS like a river…

Sometimes life is raging with waves of uncertainty, turmoil, and struggle.

Sometimes life is a 20 mph head wind that you can either allow to push you back or you can choose to “paddle” through and fight to keep moving forward.

Sometimes life is calm allowing you to recharge and reflect on the trials you’ve just gone through.

Whatever part of the “river” you find yourself in, it’s vital that you see risk as an opportunity to grow.

Clint jumping from a 20 foot cliff wall into the river below

Life is too short to make excuses, stand on the shore, or try to control every aspect and outcome.

Life was meant to be LIVED, not managed!

So if you’ve been standing on the shoreline watching the river flow by, it’s time to jump in.  You may need a “guide” to help you navigate the river and teach you the skills you need to be able to get the most out of the river.

The point is… GET IN THE RIVER!

Start living life.

Sure, you may fail if you take a risk as I did with the rapid.  But what you learn from the experience of taking that risk will propel you further than you thought imaginable.

It will equip you with the ability to live a fuller, more successful life.

Sincerely,
Clint Barr
Owner/President
Raising The Barr Fitness

P.S. The river of life has many facets.  Many of these life lessons can be applied to our health and fitness.  If you’re health and fitness have been holding you back from living a more rewarding life, and you’d like to do something about it, we’ve got the expert “guides” to help you navigate that facet of the river.  Schedule a FREE consultation to begin your journey down the river to a healthier and more fit you RIGHT NOW!

Six weeks ago I turned over a new leaf.

More importantly, I swallowed my pride and asked for help.

I came to the realization that I’m no different than any of you when it comes to sticking to an exercise routine.  I’m an extremely busy businessman, albeit in the fitness industry, that struggled to make my health a priority.

And therefore, I made the excuse of “I don’t have the time to exercise ‘like that’ most of the time”.

So I hired Daniel to train me three days a week.

Then I started a new nutrition program developed by a nutrition expert out in California so that I was being held accountable for what I was eating as well.

This week I completed week number six working with Daniel, and yesterday completed the 28 day nutrition program I’ve been following.  The changes to my strength and endurance has improved dramatically, as too has my body composition.

Remember my first workout when I couldn’t even complete negative pullup and had to stop before the workout was completed due to nausea.  A lot has changed in six weeks!

Monday’s workout:

Do a set of the following ON the minute for 12 minutes (so IF I completed the set in 30 seconds, I had 30 seconds of rest):

• 5 Pullups
• 10 Dumbbell Push Press
• 15 Pushups

I fell behind on about set number 5, and ended up completing 9 rounds in 12 minutes.  But my pullups never wavered.  Daniel even commented that he could see how far I’ve come just by how well I performed the pullups in this workout.

Wednesday’s workout:

• 5 sets of 5 Squat (185, 185, 195, 205, 225 respectively)
• Followed by 100 Pullups, 100 Pushups and 100 KB Swings in as few sets as possible.

Friday’s workout:

As many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes of the following:

• 5 Lunges (each leg)
• 5 Pistols (each leg)
• 5 Thrusters w/ 105 pounds
• 5 Deadlift w/ 105 pounds

I completed 7 rounds!

And as I mentioned, not only has my physical strength and endurance improved, but so has my body composition.  I’ve lost 14 pounds of body fat and gained 6 pounds of muscle over the past 6 weeks.

The past six weeks has taught me so much.  I’ve learned to appreciate the struggle that so many of you go through.  I’ve learned that it’s NOT easy.  That hard work IS the main ingredient and that it has to be sprinkled with some accountability and direction.

Last night I watched a 20/20 special on billionaires.  I love watching stuff like that because I can learn a lot about what those successful people did and use it in my own life, and in my business practices as well.

I was especially intrigued by the interview Barbara Walters did with John Paul Dejoria.

John Paul is the Paul Mitchell haircare guy, and the creator of Patron tequila.  Actually, he’s not THE Paul Mitchell.  Paul Mitchell was his partner, but he died of pancreatic cancer back in the 80′s.

John Paul was at one time homeless, living in a car (that didn’t run) given to him by a friend.  He worked his way out of poverty by what he calls “knocking on doors”.  That’s essentially how he was able to get his products into salon’s all across the country.

But it wasn’t easy!

John Paul said that rejection (failure) is a part of being successful, and then took it a step further even offering his key to success.

“If you knock on a door 50 times and it gets slammed in your face 50 times, be just as enthusiastic knocking on door 51 as you were on door number 1, because successful people DO all the things that unsuccessful people DON’T wan’t do.”

That statement resonated to my core.

I’ve thought about quitting so many times.

I’ve wanted to quit during the middle of my workouts these past 6 weeks, because the workouts are hard.  I’ve messed up a few times with my nutrition and could have easily said “to heck with it” and stopped following the plan.

I’ve even contemplated closing the studio before because owning (and operating) a business is HARD.

But if I hadn’t kept at it I wouldn’t be talking about the results I’ve been able to see over the past six weeks.  And what if I were to close the business I could miss out on what might grow into something amazing over the next 25 to 30 years.

The point of all this is to tell YOU to keep knocking.

Stay as enthusiastic about your goal as you were on day #1.  Yes, you’ll need some encouragement from time-to-time, and you’ll want to be reminded of how far you’ve already come.  But there will never be any success story if you stop knocking on those doors.

Your attitude, your ambition, and your persistence make up the staircase that leads to the open door of success.

As for me, I’m gonna keep knocking!  I ultimately want to reach a goal of gaining about 15 more pounds of muscle while losing another 20 pounds of body fat.  So I have a lot more steps to climb.

I want YOU to KEEP KNOCKING as well.

Stay enthusiastic! 

Reach out to others when you need a boost.

Remind yourself why you started this journey in the first place.

And don’t ever give up!

Until next time…

KEEP RAISING THE BARR!

Clint

I’ve just completed 5 weeks on my new training program and I continue to learn new things about my body.

This is great because a lot of what I am learning can be EXACTLY what I can share with you to help you along your journey.

Daniel continues to present new and challenging workouts that force me to both persevere physically and mentally.

At times during the workouts I catch myself wanting to quit, which is purely a mental breakdown not a physical one, because I always complete everything Daniel asks me to do.

On Monday I had a “simple” countdown workout of squats and pushups.  The hard part was that I was counting down from 20 reps, and my squat was with 115 pounds on the squat bar, not just body weight.  So, I did 20 squats, 20 pushups, 19 squats, 19 pushups, and so on all the way down to 1 rep of each to the finish.

That’s 200 squats and 200 pushups in case you wanted to know.

Needless to say, I was pretty sore on Tuesday… and Wednesday… AND THURSDAY.  But not painful sore, just tight.  I could tell that I did something outside of my comfort zone.

On Wednesday, Daniel was out of town so I did mostly upper body work:

• Dumbbell Incline Chest Press, 5 sets of 15 with 40 pound dumbbells
• Dumbbell Bent Over Row, 5 sets of 15 with 40 pound dumbbells
• Alternated 10 Pushups with 10 TRx Bodyweight Rows for 3 sets as fast as I could
• High resistance interval training on the Lifecycle for 4 rounds of 2 min recovery, 1 min high intensity

Yesterday’s (Friday) workout was probably one of the roughest ones yet.

Heavy Deadlift, 5 sets of 5 reps (185, 185, 185, 195, 200 pounds respectively)

1:00 of each exercise for 3 rounds of the following

• Hanging Toe to Bar
• Pushups
• Pullups
• Farmers Walk with 50 pound dumbbells using fat grips (thick rubber add-on that makes the handle 3x thicker = harder to grip)

The hardest part about this workout is that my grip strength was challenged with every single exercise, which limited my ability to perform more reps per set AND increased the energy requirement and metabolic output.

Let’s just say that the reason I’m typing this post on Saturday is because I couldn’t have typed Friday no matter how bad I wanted to.  My hands and forearms were gassed!

So that was my week.  Another challenging and productive week on my journey.

I’m seeing tremendous changes in my body, especially with the nutrition program I am following, which I will be releasing to all of you very shortly in the coming weeks.  My body composition has improved dramatically as well.

Each week I have to report my current body weight along with my nutrition journal to my nutrition coach in California.  At the end of last week the scale showed that I had gained 2 pounds.

I knew it wasn’t fat because I can see more muscle definition and I am noticeably bigger in my chest, back and shoulders.

After reviewing my journal with my nutrition coach she pointed out that I didn’t drink as much water this past week as I had in the previous weeks.  She reminded me that because I hadn’t taken in enough water that I could actually be retaining water.

When we don’t take in enough water it creates a higher sodium concentration in the cells.  This environment leads to the attraction of water into the cell causing water retention.

Therefore, if we drink enough water it lowers the sodium concentration in the cells allowing us to excrete excess water through urination.  In some cases this can be as much as 2-3 pounds difference on the scale.

Water has so many benefits.  Not only does it help us maintain a proper equilibrium in our cells, allowing for better function, it also improves our immune function, promotes better looking and healthier skin, and acts as a natural appetite suppressant leading to less over eating.

So ask yourself, am I drinking enough water throughout the day?

Don’t forget on the days we train/workout we have to increase our daily intake because of what we shed during perspiration (sweat) and increased respiration (heavy breathing).

Water is the most abundant resource on the planet.  We can’t live without it, literally.  And yet, we often choose to go with a far inferior substitute that is usually laden with excess calories and sugar.

So here’s a great success tip for you to start seeing better results, healthier skin, and an improved ability to maintain a balanced diet:

Get a reusable, refillable bottle with measuring lines that you can keep with you all day long and sip out of it continuously, like the one pictured here (that’s my water bottle on my desk here at RTB):

This will allow you to keep track of how much you’re drinking throughout the day, as well as serve as a constant reminder to drink your water.

It sounds like a “DUH” recommendation, but even I have to do this in order to drink enough water throughout the day.

And remember how I told you that I was 2 pounds heavier last week than the previous week before that?  Yesterday when I weighed I was 4 pounds down on the scale.  And I know I’m gaining muscle, so that means I was retaining some water, but I’m also burning a lot of fat!

You can’t under estimate the benefits of water.  There are so many, and we need to always be aware of the things we’re putting into our body.

Before I let you go for today, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind ALL OF US just how blessed we are to have an ABUNDANCE of clean drinking water at our disposal.  Unfortunately, not everyone does.

So would you consider making a donation to an organization that is working diligently to provide clean drinking water to those who don’t have access?

Please go to Compassion International’s website by clicking here and consider making a donation to help under privileged people get clean drinking water.

And never take for granted what you have right here in the greatest country in all the world.

Until next time…

KEEP RAISING THE BARR!

Clint