Appreciation, Focus & Perspective

In this economy, many people are frustrated.  This is the time that you should take a moment to appreciate the things you have and the people in your life.  There’s always something to appreciate.  Getting frustrated will get you nowhere.  Take a moment to focus on yourself and find a solution.  If you find that you’re going through a difficult situation, remember that there is always someone worse off than you.

In Vietnam, my family was very well off but that was all taken away during the Fall of Saigon (Vietnam War) and we lost everything we have.  It wasn’t easy but my mom worked and mange to pay my uncle $18,000 US dollar for the 6 of us including myself to flee the country by boat.  My uncle took the money and left us behind.  Full of determination, my mom later managed to pay a complete stranger the same and got us out of Vietnam.  We lived in a refugee camp in Singapore for 2 years until we were able to come to the US.  Life wasn’t easy but when you have nothing, there’s only one way to go…up! 

The fist time I remember seeing my mom was when I was 12 yrs old when she came over to the US and joined the rest of the family.  I remembered her still wanting to see my uncle even though he stole from her.  She told us all that we must forgive him for what he’s done.  Although I’ve learned to forgive, it doesn’t mean I’ll allow bad people into my life.

I learned a lot from my mom.  She was a beautiful, strong yet simple woman.  She didn’t know how to hate and didn’t hold any resentment with my uncle.  We didn’t have a lot for having to start our lives over but my mom always managed to send money back to Vietnam to help people that were worse off than we were.  Even at church, she would give a nickel even if that was all she could afford to give. 

My family couldn’t afford to send their kids to college but paid for one of my cousins’ education and I remembered asking her once, “Why do you give money to strangers and not your own family?”  She said, “You’ll do just fine, other people need it more”.  What my mom meant was that in America, we have the opportunity to achieve anything we desire.  You just have to work for it and sometimes you have to work really hard.

By American standards, we had nothing but compared to others we had an opportunity to make our lives better.  I basically had two choices:  I could be resentful or I could be independent on my own.  I chose to be independent and for years, I struggled with no help but it made me the strong person I am today. I learned early on that I can’t focus on the obstacles.  I forgive people who did me wrong and not live with any resentment.  I focus on my goals and I refuse to let the negativity get the best of me.

You can’t always control the situation like the economy, but you can control your response and action towards it.  If you think you’re having a bad day, think about the wounded Veterans coming back from the war.  When you feel badly about yourself, go help someone worse off than you. Times are tough right now, you may not able to change your immediate situation, but you can make a big difference in somebody else’s life and you’ll feel better about yourself.  A small gesture goes a long way.  Go visit the wounded soldiers, help the disabled or volunteer your time.  It’ll help you to put things in perspective. 

When life gets rough, buckle down.  Appreciate the little things you have.  Don’t feel sorry for yourself, don’t blame anyone for your misfortune.  Don’t focus on the things you can’t control.  Focus on yourself and find a solution.  Think, get organized and be responsible for yourself.  Fight for what you want.  Dream, believe and achieve!

Sense of Self

Do you see yourself the same as the world sees you?  How many of you take the time to write a bio about yourself?  How would you describe yourself?  Do you write the truth or you write to sound impressive?  Do you perceive yourself the same as how others perceive you?

Recently, I met a woman on line and on paper she said all the rights things.  Independent, intelligent, artistic, out going, adventurous and athletic, these descriptions always catch my attention because I’ve always been drawn to people with common characteristics.  After a few email ex-change, we met for lunch.  To my surprise she was nothing like the way she described herself on paper. 

She didn’t have a job and her fiancé supports her.   She was very conservative and I can tell she was high maintenance, as she would brag about the material things that her fiancé bought her.  Not long after meeting her, I could tell that she had a brain the size of a peanut and she’s nowhere near being athletic or adventurous.  Needless to say we had absolutely nothing in common and I found it to be a waste of time but I got through lunch and never saw her again.

I found myself wondering why she would describe herself with those characteristics?  Was she delusional?  If I had to describe her, it would be:  conservative, reserved, high- maintenance, boring, ordinary, materialistic and fake.  But I guess if she had used these actual descriptions, we probably would never have meet for lunch.  Then I thought, maybe she was that way a very long time ago or perhaps she is when compared to in her own circle.  She had no sense of self and doesn’t realize she’s not the person that she described.

It got me thinking about myself and how others perceive me.  The worst thing for me is being judged by my appearance.  Thinking that I have breast implants or being categorize as high maintenance.  There’s nothing wrong with it, but I’m not that type.  It doesn’t bother me too much because I have a sense of self and know exactly who I am.  It’s not always pleasant but I do straighten people out when I need to. 

Some people spend their whole life not knowing themselves.  The next time you write a description about yourself, think about who you really are now and look deep inside.  It’s good to have a realistic sense of self.  If you don’t, you may find yourself wearing a mask.  If you find you’re describing yourself as you used to be or want to be then maybe it’s time to take action to become the person you dream of being.

Broken Schedules & Managing Your Time

One of the top excuses I hear from people for not working out is finding the time.  Anyone that knows me well would never say such things because they know how much I multi-task and how dedicated I am to staying fit even while living on the road.  Being self-employed I have the freedom to make my own schedule, although it doesn’t make it any easier to find the time.  It still takes effort.

We all have to earn a living to provide for ourselves or for our family.  Working out is just as important.  You owe it to yourself to maintain a good health.  At the end of our lives, most people realize they should of taken better care of themselves and will grasp at anything to stay alive.

I don’t doubt that some of you do the best you can and that’s great but there’s always room for improvement.  People often ask me, “How do you find 2 hours or more in a day to work out?”  My schedule is constantly changing so I have to be flexible with my time to get my workouts in.

There’s 24 hours in a day, even if you used 16 hours between work and sleep, most people still have 8 hours of personal time.  How you choose to use that time is totally up to you.   Here are some tips I use to maximize my time in order to get my workouts in:

1)    I don’t watch TV unless I’m jogging on the treadmill. 

2)    I don’t spend hours on the phone just chatting. 

3)    I don’t spend hours at the hair or nail salon.

4)    I get ready quickly and don’t waste time looking in the mirror.

5)    Although social time is important but I don’t “hang out” on a daily basis.

I work around the clock until my mind needs a break. Some people take a break by having a smoke or calling a friend to gossip on the phone.  When I take a break, it’s only to workout.  Every time I take a break, I’ll either jog for 4 miles, swim for 30 minutes or do 45 minutes of ab training.  I believe in being productive and using every minute wisely.

What makes it harder for me to keep a consistent workout schedule is my traveling.  For people who travel for a living know all too well, it takes a lot out of your body whether you’re flying or driving.  After a full day of traveling, I’m wiped out.  I usually give my body a day to catch up before I exercise.  This is the only time I would skip a workout.  Nevertheless, I’ll still give my body a good stretch and try to get a good night sleep.

Most of us have complicated schedules but it’s important not to give up on your body. When you are as busy as I am, it’s even more critical to make the time to exercise.  This will allow your body and mind to be more energized.  While I was in college I had multiple jobs and sometimes I would do my exercises after midnight if that was my only option.  When someone tells me they don’t have any time to workout, I can only conclude that working out it’s not that important to them.

Lose Weight with Cardio Exercises

I can’t emphasis how great cardio is for your body and truly the best overall workout. Whether you choose to walk, jog, swim, cycle, aerobic, elliptical or participate in an active sport, all of these are great choices.  Cardio is truly the best especially if you’re trying to loose weight.  The more you do it, the better your results will be.  When you exercise your cardiovascular system not only will you burn off calories, your heart and lungs will get stronger.  This will improve the quality of your breathing because oxygen will be circulating better. 

A protein shake is an excellent pre-workout supplement if you are doing cardio exercise.  My choice of protein is soymilk.  Your muscle strives on protein so it’s good to consume protein approximately 30-60 minutes before doing cardio exercise. This will help increase your metabolism so that you loose more weights from fats.

My favorite cardio exercise is jogging.  As a warm up, I jog 4 miles before doing any exercises.  I used to do this daily but I had to cut down to every other day because I was burning too many calories and losing too much weight, which I know for most of you that is a good problem to have.  If you’re just starting out, I suggest you start slowly and work your way up.  Begin with a simple one-mile walk.  As long as you take that first step, you’re off to a great start! 

The best thing about jogging for me is the runner’s high that I get when I’m done and nothing gets my heart pumping more.  I feel alive and have the energy do anything. I’m often asked, “How can you stay on the treadmill for so long?”  For me, it helps to put on my ipod.  When doing cardio, I choose techno music because the fast beat really gets my body moving.  It’s during this time that I feel like I have no care in the world.

My advice is choose the music that you enjoy or have a TV in front of you to catch up on the news or your favorite program.  Some people may do better with a workout partner or being outdoors.  My technique is not for everyone, you’ll have to find what works best for you.  I enjoy jogging because that is when I’m truly alone and free of any thoughts or stress.   You need to make your exercises a priority, fun, and exciting.  That way it’s not a task but something to look forward to.  It’s this mentality that makes the difference between being fit or unhealthy.

If you are trying to loose weight, I recommend doing cardio exercises at least 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes to an hour.  If you need to, take a day to give your muscles a chance to recover by stretching, taking a nice bath, or getting a massage.  Cardio exercise is truly the best overall workout to maintain a healthy weight.