Keith JonesJanuary 7, 2016

It is easy for me to show empathy for people if I’ve gone through similar experiences. I grew up in a home where one of parents struggled with alcoholism so I can relate to how the disease impacts children. I’ve fell on hard times financially so I get how shame can make people hide their hardships. But when it comes to showing compassion for people who go through things I haven’t, I’ve been a no show for them.

I always viewed myself as someone who genuinely cared about others. I now know that hasn’t been true. A person who loves people unconditionally doesn’t judge them or make them wrong for choices they make or walk away when they need a friend. And they certainly don’t celebrate their misfortune. I have done all these things to varying degrees. I made a choice the last few years to end that disappointing behavior.

I projected blame onto anyone who didn’t show love and understanding to their fellow man. I found fault with those who stood around and did nothing while people suffered. I remember seeing photographs of people smiling for the camera at a lynching as men swung from trees. I couldn’t understand how they could do that. But when a celebrity fell from grace, I joined in on the gossip about them instead of wishing them a safe and positive recovery from what they were going through. How ironic and hypocritical!

I have learned a lot about compassion and empathy the last few years. Here’s what I know now. I don’t need to know someone’s story or walked a mile in their shoes to show them love and be a friend. I commit now to being a friend no matter what. I’m all in when it comes to supporting humanity powerfully and unconditionally. Join me!

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 5, 2016

Some of the wisest people I’ve ever known told me to let things go that I thought were a big deal. It didn’t matter what it was. Their advice was all the same and it applied to personal relationships, business and life. Let it go.

The human experience on the planet is finite so don’t waste it wrapped up in a disempowering story or someone else’s business. While I live by this truth now, I didn’t always. I invested time and energy in my childhood story that I had to be perfect to be successful and that I can’t let people get too close because they will abandon me. This false belief hurt me in many ways. I obsessed about getting things right, judged people who didn’t do things “the right way” and valued material things over relationships. When it came to other people’s affairs, I had an opinion on how they should live their lives all the while ignoring how I could improve my own. My self-righteousness was out of control.

As I got older, I realized how the grudges and judgments I carried were hurting me. I knew a change how to be made if I wanted to be happy inside and out. My life purpose is to make a difference in the world. I can’t do that when I don’t forgive myself and others and love unconditionally.

A change had to be made. So I chose to let it go. It would be great if I could take a deep breath in and exhale all the emotional toxins I’ve ingested for years. But it doesn’t work that way. Everyday I have to consciously make a choice to not take things personal. I have to choose to accept people instead of judging them. I have to give up self-righteousness and extend grace and empathy. And I have to see negative stories and feelings about people and getting into their business as distractions that keep me from focusing my purpose

This life is short. Spend it doing something that helps you grow and lifts people up. If there’s something that is stopping you from loving everyone unconditionally, let it go. You’re only hurting yourself and those around you by using your precious energy in a negative way. Use your awesome and dynamic energy to love and inspire. Life is so much more enjoyable when lived this way. You’ll be happy you did.

Keith

Amy FriendJanuary 4, 2016

Everyone can enjoy the many benefits of rolling. It is incredibly helpful in supporting muscle recovery and preventing injuries. Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique used by athletes and physical therapists to aid in the recovery of muscles that may be prone to overuse. Fascia is the soft tissue part of the connective tissue in the muscle that provides support. By rolling out the fascia we are relieving muscle tightness. Normal healthy muscles are elastic, long, smooth and ready to perform at a moment’s notice. Rolling aids in returning muscles to this optimal state.

A roller made out of foam is recommended for those just starting out, but as your muscles get use to the practice, you can just use a piece of PVC pipe (seen in the picture here) which can be purchased at Home Depot for as little as $10.

Daily rolling is best, ideally before a workout as part of a dynamic warm-up before any stretching. Just a couple minutes will increase blood flow to your muscles preparing them for a great workout in which you will have better movement and increased range of motion. A recent study found that using a foam roller before your workout can help to reduce muscle soreness afterward. And for your post workout cool down, rolling helps flush out blood that has pooled in the working muscles. This activates the healing process by allowing fresh nutrients and oxygen to come in. It has also been recommended to roll first thing in the morning on rest days. Carry your roller with you to workouts so that you never have an excuse to skip this important part of your routine. Benefits can be obtained by rolling for as little as two to five minutes.

The most important thing to remember when rolling is to take it slow and breathe. Deep breaths will help you through any discomfort you might feel. The picture above illustrates the basic starting position when rolling the IT band of the legs. To perform this exercise lay on your side with the roller under your lower thigh and the top leg bent in front with your foot planted on the floor. Shift your body forward and backward allowing the roller to move from the top of your hip down to your knee, being careful to not roll directly on bone or joints. You should vary the back and forth movement by leaning slightly forward and backward to maximize the area covered. Focus on one leg at a time. While rolling over tender spots hold for 20 to 30 seconds until the muscle releases. It can feel uncomfortable when just starting out, but you will get use to it.

Roller exercises are a gift to your muscles and a healthy you! I roll before and after every leg workout. This helps relieve soreness after an intense workout and speeds up recovery so I am ready for the next one. If you don’t already have a roller, get one and start today! Look for my next post on muscle recovery and injury prevention for quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Stay fit,

Amy

Keith JonesJanuary 3, 2016

As human beings, we are constantly telling people who we are by what we say. Sometimes it’s good and other times it’s not so good. In psychology, this theory is called Psychological Projection, also known as blame shifting. It’s when humans defend themselves against their own unpleasant impulses by denying their existence while attributing them to others.

The good in someone is expressed when they are being compassionate, unconditionally loving and supportive. The dark side of them comes out when they judge people, make them wrong and deny they have the same traits they accuse someone else of having. We all do this.

I have projected my good and bad traits on people. When I’ve seen people do acts of kindness for friends and strangers, it’s inspired me. And if a person empathizes with someone going through challenges, I am touched by their ability not to judge, but rather support them unconditionally. My ability to see their goodness is me projecting my good traits on to them. All the good I see in them is really the good within me.

The bad traits I’ve projected include blaming and judging. Every time I have found fault in other people, whether it’s how they look, act or live their lives, I projected my unclaimed negative traits onto them. When I’ve called people liars, cheaters or quitters, I have ignored times in which I’ve lied, cheated or quit. Most people who judge cheaters think they’re not one because they haven’t cheated on anyone in a relationship. They may have not cheated on their significant other, but if they look honestly, they may have cheated on their taxes or taken advantage of someone else to get ahead. They took money for a job they didn’t complete or didn’t give their best work to a project. If someone says I hate liars, they deny the lies they’ve told to their children or friends about their past or to themselves when it comes to keeping promises about being financially healthy, losing weight or being a great friend.

Projecting is less about the act. It’s really about the traits that drive the behavior. When you understand what a person might be experiencing to do what they do, you make it easy to have empathy for them and yourself. For example, when I see someone who gossips and talks negatively about other people, my first impulse is to judge them. I think, “How can they talk about people with all the mistakes they’ve made? How can they judge them when they’ve done something similar?” This is classic projection. It’s asking how could someone do something like this rather than what would drive a person to act this way? And when have I done this? The “how” is rooted in judgment and blame. The latter question is grounded in compassion and empathy. The answer to that question is a person who gossips and talks about others comes from a place of judgment and seeing how they think and act as the right way to behave and anyone who doesn’t conform is wrong at best, and evil at worst. Now, have I ever judged a person for how they acted or behaved and talked about them to others? I certainly have. Once I acknowledge this, I refrain from judging the person gossiping. I see myself in them and I extend them grace for being human.

Happiness comes with every positive projection. Anger, blame, guilt, shame and victimhood are on the other side of negative ones. I am clear that I want to experience joy and bliss so I work hard not to project my unclaimed traits on to people. If you want to live a happy life, acknowledge your projections both good and bad. Understand that when you see something you don’t like in someone else, it’s your stuff not theirs.

As human beings, we are imperfect. Know that your projections tell who you really are. Do good, project good.

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 2, 2016

Journaling is a powerful exercise that requires only a few resources to practice. All you need is You and something to record your thoughts. I journal each morning and write about everything from things I want to accomplish for the week, setting personal and professional goals and about my deepest thoughts and feelings.

Within 30 minutes of waking up each morning, I go through my Miracle Morning practice of silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading and scribing. This routine sets me up for an awesome day; with scribing being a key component of me connecting deeply with myself in an honest way. What I put on paper is not as important as how truthful I am about it. I list all the tasks I want to complete for the day so by bedtime I can say I am happy with how I performed my waking hours. I document my meals throughout the day to ensure I keep my commitment to optimal health. And I detail my intimate thoughts and feelings about where I am in my life practically and what I am feeling emotionally.

Journaling helps me track my progress and holds me accountable to my goals. Did I complete the project? Am I happy at this moment? If not, why? Have I created a story about myself or someone that is not loving, compassionate or empathetic? Did I honor myself or let myself and others down? How do I feel about myself? Am I on track or am I underachieving? Am I treating others with love and an forgiving heart or am I judging them? What am I most proud of myself for? Am I being of service to others? What am I committed to today that truly contributes to me living my purpose to make a difference in the world?

What makes journaling different than simply thinking deeply is that once the thoughts are written they become real and alive. My documented words are commitments, declarations and courageous expressions of vulnerability. It is as if I am sharing myself with another person even if I am the only one who will ever read it. And when I do this daily and follow up on fulfilled or unfulfilled commitments from the day before, I create powerful accountability with myself. There is no hiding out because I am watching when no one else is.

For years, I made little promises to myself to complete tasks and be a better person. Since I didn’t always share these goals with people, no one else knew if I did them or not because I never told anyone what I was up to. And if I did share a goal with someone, I could either avoid them or make excuses for why it didn’t happen. But when journaling is accompanied with daily follow-up, it’s impossible for me to lie to myself. I can’t look away.

I find journaling in the morning to be essential for me to be my personal best. I encourage you to do it this way too. It allows you to design your entire day before life shows up with obligations and distractions. Even if it’s solely with your positive attitude and intentions, you minimize the chances of being at the mercy of how the day unfolds. You create instead of react. From the healthy foods you will eat to how you will lovingly treat yourself and others throughout the day, you control it all. Simply write it all down and live into your purpose for the day.

Since adding journaling to my morning routine, I am more focused than ever. What I produce daily is incredible. And most importantly I am living in a more connected and honest way with myself. This has expanded my capacity to love. I encourage you to journal daily. It keeps you honest and on track with being your personal best.

Keith

Keith JonesJanuary 1, 2016

Happy New Year World!
Today is the first day of 2016! I am thrilled about all the opportunities available in the new year and grateful for the successes and lessons of last year. Every person and experience was a gift to my life.

When you reflect on the last 12 months, how do you feel about it? Did you celebrate your successes in a healthy way? Did you respond to the challenges or react to them? Was everyone you met treated like a new friend? If you or someone you know stumbled in their commitments, did you extend grace, empathy, forgiveness and unconditional love to them? There are no right or wrong answers. Only loving and “not so” loving ways to treat yourself and others.

This year, make a choice to lead with love, treat everyone as a friend and be healthy in your thoughts, words and actions. Let how you speak and treat people reflect how you want to be treated when you’re doing big things or taking a big tumble.

Make 2016 a year of optimal health. Grow mentally, emotionally and physically. And love yourself and others. It will be your best year ever!

Keith

I must’ve been a small kid watching a superhero movie the first time I ever heard the phrase, “for the greater good”. Back then I thought it meant sacrificing yourself so others might have a chance to have a better experience. It often meant the hero dying or losing in some way to make this happen.

As I grew up, I continued to be moved by people who put others first; especially if they did it with no expectation of something in return. They made me want to be like them. Their contributions changed lives and motivated me to do the same.

I thought real-life heroes who supported their families and communities with kindness and loving hearts were perfect. I felt I had to be too if I was going to live up to their example. Well, I haven’t been perfect. I’ve stumbled so many times. I’ve let people down. In years past, the way that I saw my moral collapses filled me with great disappointment, guilt and shame. This didn’t happen the last time I had a moment of being an imperfect human being. I didn’t get down on myself. Instead, I asked myself, “Were the people who inspire you perfect? Did they ever fail? If they so, was that the end of their story or did they grow from the situation and continue doing good?” I researched the people I looked up to and was thrilled to learn they were all flawed but didn’t let that stop them. They continued their efforts to make a difference in the world.

Today I stay focused on my life purpose to help people be their personal best so they can be happy and help others do the same. This has meant seeing the good in everyone and taking nothing personal. I extend compassion and grace to others and myself if promises are broken. And I work to silence both negative self-talk and ego so I keep an open heart to everyone. This is not easy but it’s necessary for the impact I want to make.

My heroes have figured it out. They’re not perfect and don’t pretend to be. They simply do what’s necessary for the greater good to win. And along they way, they win too. I am committed to following in their footsteps. I hope you’ll join me. It’s so much fun making a difference.

Amy FriendDecember 29, 2015

Warm lemon water is the perfect beverage to kickoff your day in a healthy way. It only requires two ingredients. And it’s an easy daily habit to form since it only takes a few minutes to make. 

How you make warm lemon water matters if you want to reap its full benefits. First, pour 12 to 16 ounces of warm purified water into a glass. Avoid ice cold water as it takes a lot of energy for the body to process. Next, use fresh organic lemons. If not available, lemon juice will work if it’s 100% pure and organic. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon (or 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice) into your glass of warm water. A healthy bonus would be adding freshly grated ginger or a shake of cayenne pepper. Drink it down first thing upon waking. Then allow your body to process it for about 30 minutes before eating. The following are some of the benefits of drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning.

• Digestion. Lemon juice helps to flush toxins from the digestive system, and the warm water helps to rehydrate your body after it’s been sleeping for several hours. This is a great way to get your body and your mind going.
• A natural flush. During sleep, your liver is actively helping your body to restore and regenerate. Drinking water in the morning helps your body perform these jobs most effectively. Research has shown that lemon juice can help stimulate proper stomach acid and bile production.
• Boosts the immune system. Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They also contain potassium.
• Cleaner skin. Vitamin C is needed for collagen production for smooth, healthy skin.
• Healthy weight. Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. There is evidence that drinking lemon water first thing in the morning, when combined with a healthy diet, can help maintain a healthy weight. This puts you on the road for making better nutrition choices throughout the day.

Personally, I feel rejuvenated and energized physically, mentally and emotionally. The fresh scent of lemons alone puts me in a great mood and I am ready for the day! This is an easy habit to establish and maintain. Get some lemons and start tomorrow!

Be healthy,

Amy

Keith JonesDecember 28, 2015

Every day I ask myself, “How can I be a contribution to humanity? How can I make a difference in the world today? How can I give to someone?” The answer always comes back to “be love, have loving thoughts, speak loving words and do loving deeds.” This simple answer guides me throughout my day.

I have come from a place of love for over 10 years now. Along the way, I’ve had big and small failures; learning from them all. In some cases, I’ve had to learn the same lesson multiple times. In every single situation I have a choice before me. I can choose to be loving to myself and others or withhold love. What brings me back to the loving side of each experience is a deep desire to do good for people. I truly care about people being their happiest and personal best.

I believe we can all win. And it’s quite simple how we do. Don’t allow fear, judgment, blame, shame or guilt to silence your goodness. If any of these emotions come up for you, question them vigorously. They only seek to hurt and cause pain to others and you. No one’s mistakes can undo the good they’ve done or are capable of. Always choose to see the good in people. If you see something else, you’re either projecting or judging. In both cases, what you see in them is really a reflection of you. And this is all the more reason to be loving.

I am thankful for the three questions that greet me each morning. And I am grateful for the answer. Because of it, I am not distracted by trivialities or matters that aren’t my business. I remain focused on making a difference in the world and being of service. Allowing love to dictate my thoughts, words and actions brings me happiness, joy and peace. And for those of you who also step to the same rhythm, thank you! Together, we form a powerful community.

Keith