In the last 20 years, I have spent thousands of hours in Physical Fitness facilities internationally.   The facilities have been pretty diverse, ranging from gyms on military bases, 24 Hour Fitness facilities, Gold’s Gym, Sport and Country club facilities, Orange Theory gyms, Spin Studios, Dance gyms, Boutique gyms, and more.  And what I recently realized is that I was never trained on etiquette until I attended ToBeRe… in Scottsdale, AZ.  Sure, there have been rules such as throw away your trash and wipe down your equipment posted on a few walls.  Yet, I never read a manual on the proper etiquette or what I could do to contribute to a stronger workout experience for me, the trainers and the others in the facility.

One of my friends that has also attended ToBeRe… recently told me she attended a class at a different gym.  With disappointment, she said, “I couldn’t believe it!  Nobody said hello or good-bye or thanked the trainer for his time.”  It’s interesting that us adults don’t always practice the simple manners we were taught as kids and try to teach our own children.

So, what is the proper etiquette to have in fitness facilities.  Following, is a list of simple ways we can contribute to better experience while working out.

1. Greet the facility staff, trainers and other exercise-goers (don’t worry about getting hellos back, that’s not what’s important).
2. Be at least a couple minutes early.
3. If you’re exercising with a partner, help each other.
   • Rack Weights
   • Get Feet in TRX Straps
   • Spot during Exercises, if needed
4. Nicely, correct improper form.
5. Say, “thank you,” for form corrections and coaching.
6. Encourage each other during exercises and sets.
7. Compliment others on good form and effort.
8. Show up with a positive attitude.
9. Work hard and be inspiring.
10. Do not pass judgement for the way people look or exercise.
11. Wipe down mats and equipment.
12. Thank the trainers for their time.
13. Say, “good-bye,” to facility staff, trainers and other exercise-goers.

My mom always told me, “Leave every place a little bit nicer than it was before you got there, and the world will be a better place.”  Think about how nice the world could be if everyone left each place a litter nicer than it was before.  Contributing to a richer workout experience is one way we can make a little difference in the world.

Love, Heather

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My purpose is at the forefront of my thoughts daily. I can’t say this was always the case before that. If it had been, I would have more to show for it. As a result, my successes have been inconsistent and my failures disappointing. I have worked hard to learn and implement new practices to help me fulfill on my purpose, realize the day’s goals and convert failures into valuable lessons.

How I start my day is key to ensuring my thoughts, actions and energy go directly to my goals and aren’t siphoned off towards things that are unproductive. Here is what I do:

1. Begin each day with my Miracle Morning practices. (See The Miracle Morning Changed Everything)
2. Review my prioritized list of all the things I want to accomplish for the day.
3. Take action on my list immediately. If exercise is on the list, I do it.
4. Eliminate all distractions during the time I have carved out to work. I engage in no social media like Facebook, internet surfing or texting until I have completed the items on my list.
5. Allow for no excuses. Just because  there may be an item on my list that’s challenging or something I don’t know how to do, doesn’t mean I can’t make progress. I carve out 20 minutes and give it my best effort. Oftentimes, I find a groove and make a ton of headway. This sets me up nicely the next time I work on the task.
6. Allow only things into my consciousness that contribute to my goal. Gossip, negative self talk, blame and victimization of myself or others are not contributions. They are distractions and prevent me for making progress.
7. Review my list at the end of the day to see how I performed. I strive for completion and measurable progress on all items. I make sure I complete my non-negotiables. And if something wasn’t finished, I commit to making progress on it the next day. I don’t beat myself up over it. I am after progress and results, not perfection.
8. Repeat steps 1-7 the next day.

Implement these daily practices today so you get where you want to be and realize your purpose in less time.

Keith

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In the past, I would not have looked forward to going through trials or encountering obstacles.  Today, I look at things through a much different lens.  I am excited when something challenging comes my way because I know there will be a pearl at the end.  I truly believe that through ever trial there is a growth opportunity, if we choose to see it that way.

One example of this, happened several months ago when my email account was hacked and messages were sent out appearing to be from me, but they weren’t.  The content was embarrassing.  I lost friends and relationships were damaged.  Luckily, I was on the path of personal growth and chose to double down and hit it hard.  I began to read books, listen to podcast and interviews and met with my accountability coaches.  I dug deep to clean up what I could control, made apologies and let go of resentments.  I gathered strength as I moved forward and I chipped away a little at a time.  It was very challenging, but I kept faith that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.

However, because of this trial and my choice to view it as an opportunity to learn and grow, I have a stronger bond and commitment with my significant other.  I have deeper friendships with people who extended me grace and compassion.  I have a heightened yearning for more wisdom and growth. I’m in better physical shape and am healthier.  I have more compassion and empathy for others.  I am more creative in my thoughts, actions and work.  I learned that there is infinite creativity for everyone in this universe.  And I wake up happier and more excited everyday because I know I will learn something new.

If we have nothing else, we always have the freedom of choice of how we perceive an event and how we respond to it.  We can choose the optimal way to view any situation and that can determine the extent of our growth.  “If it takes apparent misfortune to turn us into true philosophers and doers of good to receive good, then apparent misfortune is our greatest fortune”. – Vernon Howard.

We gather strength and grow during our journey.  Think back to a trial in your life and the growth and pearls that came out of it.  How did you perceive it, respond to it and grow from it?  How will you choose next time?

Love, Heather

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I served in the Marine Corps from 1988-92. During that time I didn’t fully appreciate what it meant to serve or the profound impact it would have on my life. It’s been 23 years since my last day in uniform and as times passes gratitude for the experience and the privilege to contribute to my country increases exponentially.

When people learn that I was a Marine, they often thank me for my service. I use to be uncomfortable accepting the acknowledgment because I didn’t think I did anything noteworthy. And I still don’t. What I do feel is humility for living in such a great country and being appreciated by my fellow citizens.

The armed forces taught me discipline, gave me structure and instilled in me a “don’t quit on the mission or your buddies” attitude. It has served me well and improved my life. Be clear on one thing. We live in the greatest country and people sacrifice daily to make it so. So to all those who served and continue to serve, “Happy Veteran Days” and Thank you.

Keith

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I define willpower as the strength of will to carry out one’s decisions, plans and dreams. We can increase our willpower and likelihood to carry out our decisions, plans and dreams by creating habits and following through with commitments. Building our willpower is like exercising a muscle. The more we work it, the stronger it will become. Consequently, this will increase our confidence that the decisions we make, the plans we set and the dreams we desire will come to fruition. It is said to be one of the best predictors of success in health, wealth, happiness and love. Kelly McGonigal, author of The Willpower Instinct, states that willpower is a mind-body response that can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity.

“Willpower is both physiological and psychological,” explains Michael Gervais, PhD, a sports psychologist to top athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB and U.S. Olympic Team. To help these world-class athletes perfect their mental game, it has to start from within, says Dr. Gervais. He describes the ability to prevail despite discomfort depends on how we fuel our body and how well we can focus our minds.

I have listed six ways we can increase our willpower so we can achieve a healthier, wealthier, happier life filled with more love.

One, we can increase our willpower through meditation. It builds neurons that help us stay focused and increases blood flow to the pre-frontal cortex. Hal Elrod, philosopher, author and coach, suggests incorporating meditation into our miracle morning routine. This is an essential piece of the formula to start our day off right and get our minds set.

Two, we can increase our willpower through breathing. Brian Johnson, of Optimize Your Life with Brian Johnson, suggests we slow our breathing to four to six breaths per minute. When we are stressed and in fight or flight mode, our willpower is reduced. Breathing helps us to leave this state, pause and choose more empowered responses.

Three, consistent exercise helps boost our willpower. Dr. Kelly McGonigal calls exercise the wonder drug. It helps us to think clearer, feel better and have the energy to make more purposeful plans and decisions.

Four, eating often and having proper nutrition helps us fuel our bodies. When we keep our glucose levels and hunger under control, we feel better, have more energy, can focus our minds and are able to make empowering decisions.

Five, decreasing the variability of our behavior helps to increase willpower. Creating routines that support our goals help us build a solid foundation to grow and closes the window for chaos and negative self-talk to come into our world.

Six, pre-committing helps us increase willpower. The key is that these commitments must be made ahead of time and non-negotiable, leaving no room for excuses or ambiguity.

We can use the six steps listed in this article to train ourselves to boost our willpower to the next level and live a healthier, wealthier, happier life filled with more love. Start increasing your willpower today by choosing one or all of these practices!

Love, Heather

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My friend Matt shared a great quote with me about the relationship between you and the people in your life. “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” I can honestly say I love my 5. They inspire me to grow, they challenge me to be better and they help me accomplish my goals. And because of the work I do on myself, we raise each other’s average.

I am a firm believer that we accomplish nothing great alone. Everything worth having is better when it’s a shared experience. And we grow exponentially when we partner with others to realize our purpose and theirs.

For people who want to be their personal best, create win wins for others, send love out into the world and make a difference, you need certain kind of people in your life to help you. Your circle should include people who have the following philosophy when it comes to themselves and others.

• Commitment to be their best. They are not obsessed with trying to be perfect. Instead, they commit to stretching themselves a little every day to be a better version of themselves than the day before. The thoughts they keep, the words they speak and the actions they take reflect this. Their mental and physical health and fitness commitments align with being their best. And when they break an agreement to themselves or others, they apologize and recommit.

• An open and forgiving heart. Empathy guides the way they treat everyone they know and come in contact with. They don’t judge, pass blame or make people feel guilty for broken promises, lapses in integrity or their failures. They meet them with grace and an open heart. They allow them an opportunity to be authentic and imperfect without judgment. And they give them and themselves an opportunity to reinvent themselves.

• An open mind and appreciation for accountability. They give permission to their circle to be a stand for them. They share their goals with them and request they be held accountable to working toward them diligently. They tell their circle to call them out when they’re not giving their best or playing small.

I have an extraordinary circle around me. My accountability partners have helped me produce results and grow in ways I never would have on my own. Who are your five? Do they extend love to everyone or judge and blame? Do they help you grow or feed a victimhood mentality? Is your purpose being fueled by them or are you stuck in the past with them?

You get one life to live. Surround yourself with people who play a big game. They love you, themselves and everyone. Their whole being – physical, mental and emotional is healthy. You bring out the best in each other.

Keith

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I ‘m always looking for natural ways to feel better, protect my health and have more energy so I can be my personal best and conquer my goals and purpose in life. My mother was the first to tell me about the health benefits of the “mother” in apple cider vinegar, and I have since researched the benefits and have made drinking it a part of my daily, morning routine. Thanks mom!

As reported in Medscape General Medicine, “The longer fermentation period allows for the accumulation of a non-toxic slime composed of yeast and acetic acid bacteria, known as the mother of vinegar.”

The “mother” of vinegar, a cobweb-like amino acid-based substance found in unprocessed, unfiltered vinegar, indicates your vinegar is of the best quality. This “murky” kind is best, especially if you’re consuming it.

There are no official guidelines concerning taking vinegar internally. I take one to two teaspoons a day, mixed in a glass of water, before meals or in the morning. The risk of taking small amounts of vinegar is low, and research suggests it has some real health benefits.

Diabetes/Lowering Blood Sugar

Vinegar is said to be anti-glycemic and has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels. It’s thought that the acetic acid lowers blood sugar and may inactivate some of the digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates into sugar, thus slowing the conversion of complex carbohydrate into sugar from a meal into your bloodstream. This gives your body more time to pull sugar out of your blood, preventing your sugar levels from spiking.

Heart Health

Vinegar supports heart health in multiple ways. As explained in the Journal of Food Science, “Polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid, which is present in high levels in apple cider vinegar, could inhibit oxidation of LDLs and improve health by preventing cardiovascular diseases.”

Weight loss

Research found that when volunteers consumed a small amount of vinegar along with a higher-carb meal, they consumed less food for the remainder of the day. The reduction equated to about 200 to 275 calories a day. This amount would result in a monthly weight loss of up to 1.5 pounds.

Sinus Congestion/Infections

Apple cider vinegar helps to break up and reduce mucous in your body and helps to clear your sinuses. It also has antibacterial properties, making it useful for fighting infections.

Sore Throat

The antibacterial properties in apple cider vinegar may be useful for sore throats as well. Gargle with a mixture of about one-third cup of apple cider vinegar mixed with warm water as needed.

Digestion/Acid Reflux

Acid reflux typically results from having too little acid in your stomach. You can easily improve the acid content of your stomach by taking one to two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a large glass of water daily. The pectin in apple cider vinegar may also help to soothe intestinal spasms.

Energy Boost

Apple cider vinegar contains potassium and enzymes to help banish fatigue. Plus, its amino acids may help prevent the buildup of lactic acid in your body, further preventing fatigue.

Drinking apple cider vinegar is a simple way to improve your health, feel better and have more energy so you can live the life you want to live. You may already have this item in your pantry. Make sure you have the organic, unprocessed, unfiltered kind with the “mother” so you can fully benefit from this amazing product. As I like to say to my friends, “One to two teaspoons a day, keeps the doctor away.”

Love, Heather

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Before you can determine what role your thoughts, choices and actions play in your ability to live your purpose, you must define what yours is. My purpose is to make a difference in the world by inspiring each person to be their personal best so they can inspire others. To realize this awesome possibility, I have to commit daily to being my best. Once I am clear on my purpose, it becomes all about choices that help me live into it or sabotage it.

When I look back over my life in an honest way, I see a pattern of how I have failed my purpose, those I love and myself. The trajectory of hard work and achievement have been sabotaged by negative self talk, impulsive behavior and choices that lacked integrity. The cost has been great. Everyone has a different pattern that undermines their purpose. Yours may be broken promises to eat healthy and exercise so you lose weight, perform better and feel amazing. Or it could be negative self talk and procrastination that keep you in a career where your passion and genius aren’t fully expressed.

This year I chose to end the cycle of sabotage once and for all. I developed 2 questions to ask myself when negativity or impulsiveness surface.

1. Negativity: Whether it’s negative self talk or someone telling me something about a situation or another person, I ask, “Does this thought or conversation move me closer to my goal or distract me from my purpose?” Usually at this point, it’s always a distraction but it’s not up for debate. Shut down the negative self talk or tell the person that you’re not interested in any conversation that is not loving about you or other people.

2. Impulsiveness: Ask yourself, “If I make this choice, will it help or hurt my cause?” I know it will feel good in the moment but don’t sacrifice what you want right now for what you want most. Far too many times I did this and the cost has been greater every time.

I have been asking myself these questions for six months now. The first five were a breeze. But then this last month, impulsiveness showed up. I went straight to question two and it got me out of a jam. I made a different choice than I ever had before. I chose to stick to my long term goal over what I wanted right now. And as soon as I did, I felt empowered. My purpose matters more than ever to me.

Your career goals and purpose are important. Eliminate all negativity, stand up to impulsiveness and surround yourself with people who are not are enablers but rather supportive and show love to you and all the imperfect beings among us.

Keith

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It took me most of my life to get two very important truths. The first one is the power of choice. If I was to live my purpose and live a life I love, I would have to choose wisely. The second truth is when something bad happens “it’s not done to me, it’s done for me”.

Choice is something we all have. To know it and practice it’s use in a loving way unleashes unfathomable power. To know that I can create my experience of life no matter what happens around me is empowering. I thought I exercised choice consciously and responsibly over the last 5 plus years. I am clear that I didn’t. I am finally thinking about how my choices can take me and others to great heights or cause great pain. This is top of mind for me every day. I am making very different choices today in regards to how I begin my day, spend my time, the thoughts I allow in my head and the people in my life. The results are astounding.

Earlier this year, I made a conscious choice to not be a victim ever again. Even when I have let others down, my ego can find a way for me to feel like the wronged party. The audacity, right? The power of choice combined with the deep belief that challenging things that happen are done for me brings peace. I know that I will benefit from the situation. And that’s exactly what’s happened. I’ve grown immensely this year.

I invite you to view every moment as an opportunity to make a choice that empowers you and expresses love and empathy for others. Instead of feeling like a victim or passing blame, ask questions that open you to personal growth.

Keith

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