For many, many years, since I was a kid, I’ve been a very positive and grateful individual. I was brought up in a very positive environment with my parents and my brother. They taught me gratitude, positivity and to be kind to others. Thankfully it rubbed off on me and I carried it on through my entire life.
Many years ago my positivity and health awareness reached new heights when my music career really started to take off. All the things I had learned throughout my life, like living a life of purpose, succeeding, being positive and being healthy/fit, made me realize how effective all these attributes could be for ‘anyone’. I decided to start sharing my own personal tips on succeeding, positivity and health with family, friends, then fans and anyone in general who took interest. I’ve seen it help so many people over the years. To give back, coach and see people get results from the same attributes that worked for me, is something I’m grateful for every day.
I wanted to take my desire to help others to the next step. That next step became live motivational speaking and starting my RVP Health, Body and Mind page. It’s a Facebook Page dedicated to the many principles I’ve used to become a happy, positive, healthy and successful individual. I essentially provide tips on Well Being, Health and Fitness to help motivate and inspire others on a daily basis. The majority of my posts are based off of my own experiences in life and what has and hasn’t worked for me over the years. I’m there daily answering questions, giving tips and even exercises to help make YOU a more positive, healthy, fit and most of all, HAPPY person.
My wish is that you can take the advice given on this page and incorporate it into your life, to live a life full of purpose. Whether it’s motivating you or inspiring you to become more positive, more successful, to get in shape, eat healthier or if it’s the push you need to simply take action and go for your dreams…. RVP Health, Body and Mind is my offering to you to help you become the best and happiest you can be.
In closing, we’re ALL 100% accountable for our lives…. We’re the creators of what our lives will be. So, let’s make the most of it!
Wishing you all the best always,
RVP
RVP Coffee Mug Memory of the Week:
Greece (Athens)
I have so many great memories from my Starbucks Collectors Mug Collection. The reason I tell these 'Mug Stories' is not just for the memory but for the positives I take from the stories related to each mug I've collected.
My take-away story today is about my 'Greece Mug'. The one thing I really took away from visiting Athens, Greece was reminding myself to take advantage of time as much as you possibly can. When we got to Greece we were tired from a big Video Shoot we did for the Blu-Ray we filmed in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. My initial thoughts were to chill at the hotel and maybe grab a bite to eat and get a good nights rest but my gut told me to get out there on this day off and take in as much as you can. That’s exactly what I did...
A bunch of us saw one of the biggest attractions of Athens in the distance…. Acropolis. It’s a very historic site and something I’ve wanted to see and visit for a long time. We planned a day trip around getting there and doing things on the way. First of all we wanted to have some Authentic Greek Food. We asked the hotel for a great place to go that was authentic. They sent us to a family owned restaurant that was absolutely fantastic. I was blown away and even the look of the restaurant made you feel like you were somewhere special. After a great lunch we walked for about an hour or so all the way up to Acropolis. We took the sites in for hours, took tons of pictures and had an overall great time. We then decided to hit a pub on the way back and have a beer and talk with some of the locals. Some great times and laughs were had there. Then my mission in every city I visit took place. Finding Starbucks! I found one pretty quick and picked up my Greece mug then and there. We went back to the hotel, freshened up, grabbed some dinner (which was just as amazing as lunch) and then topped the night off watching the sun go down at the hotel Roof Bar. Nothing like drinking a beer with great friends, taking in the views of Athens from the top floor of a hotel. It was an amazing day.
When I look back on that day, I smile. I also remember how important it is to make the most of the time you’re given each day. I did exactly that instead of wasting time sitting around the hotel. Live life to the max. Sometimes you’ll be tired like I was that day but that goes away fast when you start fulfilling your day with exciting and meaningful things to do. Make the most of every day!
“Be the best YOU can be EVERY DAY! Success has no time for lazy people. Put that extra effort into being the best version of yourself any chance you get. You will never regret it! ”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
A pic of me on my kit at Royal Albert Hall. A bucket list venue I wanted to play for decades. Anything can happen for you. How bad you want it ? It all depends on the action you take, perseverance and believing it can be done. Do it!!!
‘The 4 Fives’ One Year Anniversary
That’s right guys! It’s been one full year since the first ‘4 Fives’ blog was created and emailed out. It’s been quite a ride over the last year doing this Blog every single week. Knowing that I’ve inspired and helped people through this blog is the best feeling by far. I also want to thank you all for the support and all the wonderful emails and messages I’ve received the past year regarding this weekly blog. It’s heart warming and rewarding all in one. It’s inspiring to me to know that I made so many people smile and helped improve their lives via these blogs. For the one year anniversary blog I reiterated what I fell were some of the most important tips to living a life of purpose. I wrote about many things over the past year but these tips really stand out to me 🙂 I hope you enjoyed it.
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Thanks for all your support guys. I'd do these blogs no matter what because I love doing them, BUT your awesome support just make's it much more rewarding to do 🙂
THANK YOU!!!!
I'll leave you with this quote of mine about time...
“Time will come and go, but what you DO with that time is what will determine the quality of life you live. Don’t waste a second. Believe in yourself, take charge and never quit. Live your life to the max every day with no regrets!”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
Wishing you all the best always,
RVP
I completed my 6th and last Drumeo VIP Week Workshop of the year yesterday. It was another inspiring day of teaching and motivating 9 awesome students to be the best versions of themselves on the drums and in life. I taught my '9 Steps to Living a Life of Purpose' workshop and added a drumming into it. All 6 workshops from June to October went off perfectly. I've already been receiving a lot of DM's and emails back from various students saying how much they got from the workshop and how they've applied themselves to be a better drummer and live a purposeful life. Nothing makes me happier than to hear that after one of these workshops 🙂 Many great memories were made the past 5 months. It was an absolute honour for me to be invited to conduct workshops at Drumeo.
I would like to thank some truly incredible people. I have the greatest respect for Dave Atkinson, Jared Falk, Mike Michalkow Drum Lessons, Reuben Spyker and everyone else at Drumeo. They're all classy people who have created a top notch company doing the best job of teaching people to be the best drummer they can be, while being happy and enjoying the learning process to the max. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to teach 6 VIP Workshops over the past 5 months. It was an honour, I'm grateful for the experience and look forward to collaborating more with Drumeo in the future.
#Drumeo #Grateful #Teaching #VIPweek
Care
One thing I try to do often is care. Care for people, circumstances and my life. Caring can make another persons day that much better and in return you feel happy you made someone else feel better. It’s a win/win situation. On the flip side, we’ve all experienced someone not giving a shit about a certain situation you’re involved in or not caring for your feelings. Do you want to be associated with this person more ? Of course not! Unfortunately there are a lot of people in life like that. The good news is there are a lot of caring people in life too… people who think of others before making hurtful decisions. Caring matters a lot!
Sometimes caring can be a challenge, depending on the circumstances, BUT it can be so rewarding working through these challenges. Caring for others will always help you build strong and meaningful relationships. Friendships that will last. People who are in it for themselves 100% of the time usually don’t have a great support cast of close friends. They’ll have many acquaintances that care as much as they do, which isn’t a lot. If you genuinely care for someone, that care will most likely be retuned and a fruitful friendship will evolve. Showing you care can go a very long way in all our relationships.
Caring teaches important attributes such as loyalty, patience and understanding that benefit individuals in both their personal and professional lives. Being loyal and true in life garners trust and loyalty in return. Being patient with others will benefit both you and them in the long run. Some things take time. Patience will always be a great teacher and help you succeed in work and relationships in a efficient manner. Being understanding of someone else’s life means so much to that person. We all lead different lives. No one is the exact same. To understand someone and truly care about what’s happening in their life can be the biggest game changer in their day.
In short, be mindful of those you love. Your family, your friends, your workmates and to the people you have just met. To care about who they are, their situations and their feelings will give you the greatest chance at a strong relationship with them. Caring is infectious once you see the benefits of the act. It obviously works the other way too 🙂 The more caring of a person you are, the more people will care for you in return. Don’t expect it back, just care for others and let the universal energy of caring do its work from there. Lastly, self care is so important. Care about everything you do in your life. You only have this one life to live, the care you put into it will always shine through in positive ways.
In the end, caring benefits everyone. That’s something to look forward to every day!
What’s up with worrying ?
It’s interesting that we all worry. There isn’t one person that hasn’t worried about something at one point in their life. When you think back to those times, most of the time you’ll find it was pointless to worry about whatever subject was bugging you at the time. We can't foresee everything that will happen to us. Therefore, why not deal with circumstances as they happen ?
“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” - Bobby Mc Ferrin
Those lyrics are more powerful than a lot of people know!
The precursor of worrying can not only bring on unnecessary stress to future events… it can also manifest the event you’re worrying about! That’s a terrible fact that happens all the time. Sometimes we feel that worrying about something may help solve the problem. How can you solve something that hasn’t happened yet ? Do you see what I’m getting at ?
Being in a state of worry can feel comforting to some because they ‘feel’ that they care about the situation. What people don’t realize is that this is an excuse to worry! Excuses don’t bode for us very well. If you’re making excuses so you can worry, you’re only helping manifest what you don’t want in your life. There are other ways to show you care about a specific situation. Make caring a positive motive through other productive and present ways, not through worrying about the future which is a negative way.
Lastly, how can we be happy, inspired and motivated in life AND worry at the same time. They don’y play with each other very well at all. Worrying does not inspire confidence and taking action in a beneficial way. It can hinder your confidence and work ethic. Remember this every time you want to achieve something in your life.
Productive counteractions to worrying: I see no sense in worrying about the future. Let the future happen and then act accordingly. So here are some tips to counteract worrying:
Whenever you start to worry, remind yourself that you’re doing it. This is where you need to start first. Don’t let worrying consume you and ruin your day. Recognize when you start to worry and correct it.
Visualize or meditate. It calms your mind and outlook in life. If you see your future self happy and worry free, you WILL worry less and work towards that vision more than worry about not achieving it. You need to be in a positive state of mind and envision the life you want.
Face your fears. Don’t let fear rule you. When you face fear, it decreases rapidly. Most times it’s not as big a deal as you thought. You will worry less when facing your fears more often.
Lastly and most importantly, live in the now!!!! You can only deal with the present not the future. So make the most of each moment you are currently in. There is no point in worrying about something that hasn’t happened. Visualize a happy future instead of worrying about your future fears. Focus on what you can make happen now and what makes you happy. Worrying will then become more of an after thought and it will help diminish your fears.
“Opinions are everywhere. Everyone is entitled to one, but no one has to commit or listen to one. Be 100% yourself, love yourself and love what you do with your life. That’s what will always matter most!”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
Practice Patience
How many times have you been impatient only to make matters worse or even mess up the chance of succeeding at something ? We’ve all been there unfortunately. When you want something really bad, patience is one of the best attributes you can have by your side. To try and rush something can work out, but most times you will end up losing out or making mistakes. We don’t make haste decisions when we’re patient. We can overlook everything and make the most educated decisions to help us succeed. Patience is always worth the time! Here’s a few other reasons as to why practicing patience is so important...
Exhibiting patience means that you can be persistent and stay in something until you achieve success. The more patiently you work, the more positive results you’ll start seeing. Taking short cuts can have many consequences that you don’t need when trying to achieve your goals. Do what needs to be done, and make things happen in a productive full mannered way. Having patience will only help. This dedication to patience will not only be contagious to you, but others around you as well.
Being patient within your relationships is important on so many levels. Having the character to be empathetic towards other people and finding the time to do so, can go a long way in your relationships. If you’re a demanding person and not thinking of other peoples feelings and situations.... You could end up losing a lot of friends in the process. Family and friends, our relationships, are so important to every one of us. You will gain the respect of your friends and family if your patient with them. Being inconsiderate and focused on yourself all the time is not the way to have long lasting relationships. Be patient with those you love and have in your life.
Have you heard the term, “Great things take time.” Well, it’s very true. When you visualize your dream life and set goals for it, does it happen over night ? Nope. It takes time. The analogy would be a seed. A seed needs time to grow. It needs to be taken care of properly so it can flourish. This is how we should approach the life we want to live too. We need to nurture our actions towards our dream life so it can grow into something big.
Lastly, always remember that everything is not under your control. It’s important that we understand that life doesn’t always go our way. We need to be 100% responsible in how we react to the situations that happen to us on a daily basis. If we’re patient with our reactions, we will give ourselves a better chance at a great end result. You will find yourself solving the intangibles of life more often, which will make you a happier person.
About the picture: The photo below was take at Scarborough Beach in Perth, Australia while I was on tour a couple years ago. The reason I posted it today, is I remember being patient for the sun to be just above the horizon of the sea in order to take the pic I was looking for. I got it! I waited about 15 mins to take this pic. I saw the vision before it happened, but being patient was key in achieving my end result 😉
So practice patience, use it every day. With patience, great things, in many ways, will begin to happen before you know it 😉
Do more of what IS working and less of what ISN’T working.
So the term, ‘Beating a Dead Horse’ comes to mind. I think back to several times in my life where I would have been better off trying something new instead of putting all my eggs in one basket. It’s crucial to do more of what is working for you versus what isn’t working for you. Some people may say that’s quitting but that is definitely not the case. You’re focusing your attention on what is working for you instead of what isn’t. You have to look at all your angles and be smart when you’re working towards your dreams and goals in life. Play to your strengths. Time is valuable and it can go by so fast. Why would you spend countless hours, days, weeks, months or god forbid, years doing something that isn’t working for you? It makes no sense.
So what would be a good approach to making sure you’re doing more of what is working for you? I believe one of the most important things you can do is assess your overall life. I’m talking about your work ethic, your mental approaches, your habits and surroundings. Be aware and alert. When you stop and look at all you're doing and who you’re doing it with, you’ll find the positives and negatives pretty damn quick. Most of all, you need to be honest with yourself. Don’t lie to yourself. Self assessment can be one of the most difficult things for a person to face when things are not going your way. You need to be 100% responsible for your reactions and decisions in life. When you approach life with this responsible attitude, you’ll be sure to make the necessary changes to get on track and do more of what IS working for you. The non-productive ways will reveal themselves instantly. I have done it several times in my life and this method has taught me many great lessons that I have learned from. Honest self assessment and awareness is key.
Here’s a VERY helpful analogy that works!!! When you’re working towards something it’s always smart to work in several directions. My ‘Fishing Rod Analogy’ that I came up with (which I’ve used for years at all my seminars) is a great example.
The Fishing Rod Analogy
If you go fishing with your buddy on a week long fishing trip and he brings one fishing rod compared to your ten fishing rods, who do you think has a better chance at catching a fish first, each day? If you have ten lines with bobbers in the water versus your friends one line with a bobber, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll have the better chance of catching a fish. Work through life with 10 fishing rods at all times. Pay attention to them all, move on from the ones that are doing nothing, pay some attention to the ones that have nibbles and definitely concentrate your efforts on the ones that are bobbing like crazy! This is how you can let what is working for you, get you to your dreams and goals as efficiently as possible!
Keep physically active and avoid sitting.
Have you ever thought of how much you sit each day ? Have you ever thought of how bad sitting can be for you ? Have you ever thought of the importance of keeping physically active each day ? Well this is what this specific topic is all about. Throughout my life I’ve always tried to keep active for health and mentality reasons. One thing we all do every single day is sit at one point or another. Driving, work, watching TV, and the biggest killer… sitting at your computer desk!!! Here are some reasons to make sure you avoid sitting for long periods of time each and every day of your life!
They say sitting decreases your life span as a result. If you exercise, yes, that will help but sitting too long can even overshadow all that exercise you do. Even if you workout an hour every day but also sit for 6-8 hours a day, you can undo all that exercise. Don’t forget that sitting barely burns any calories versus standing or moving around throughout the day. The term ‘Couch Potato’ comes to mind. Don’t let being stagnant ruin your health. Sitting can lead to being overweight and obese for obvious reasons!
Sitting too much can be bad for your heart. It’s important to keep the most important organ in your body healthy. Even if you have a great diet but your constantly sitting it’s not good for your heart, you need to keep active to keep your heart healthy.
One thing I’ve battled with in the past is a bad back from sitting too long at my computer, from doing all my business emails and updates. My back accident in 1999 doesn't help either. It’s a killer and it really has an affect on your health and well being. It has even affected my drumming at times as a result. If you physically feel bad it can bleed into your thinking and moods. It’s all connected. Having an ergonomic chair can help you big time. My father, Jos Van Poederooyen actually sells a chair called ‘Capisco’ to help battle sitting disease. They’re amazing. If you’re interested in getting one of these chairs, email me or PM me on my social media and I can hook you up with my father and these chairs. They’re worth every penny, especially if you find you have a job that has you sitting a lot.
Here’s a scary one… People who sit too long can develop clots. If this happens and it breaks free and gets to your lungs, you could be in big trouble. People have developed blood clots on plane flights!!! That’s why they say it’s good to get up every couple of hours and move around on those long over sea flights or any flight in general. I’ve always done that with the many flights I’ve taken over my career. Blood clots are a serious thing, keep this in mind when you sit for too long, it can happen to anyone.
Lastly certain cancers like colon or lung cancer have been linked to sitting too long. Being active is very key. Vericose Veins can also be developed through long periods of sitting. All these things I’ve listed are some key points and there are many others….
This advice isn't to scare you, it's to help you, and make you realize how bad a lot of sitting can be for you.
So how do I deal with this ? Simply be mindful of how long you sit. I try to make sure I get up and walk around at least every hour of the day (if I’m not already active) until I go to bed. Just walking around for even 10-15 minutes will be a big help. Because I love exercise, I even do ab exercises and pushups throughout the day. It’s easy and can be done anywhere, any time! The point is stay active and don’t sit for too long. If it affects your health, it will affect your well being, your state of mind and more. Be mindful of the affects of sitting too long and you’re body and well being will thank you!
Memories through the physical realm
Memories are obviously stored within our mind and secondly, pictures. I’ve always tried to take it a step further throughout my life. Bring that memory into the physical realm. How ? For me, a great example is my Starbucks Mug Collection. Some people may think it’s a little overboard having 60+ mugs taking up cupboard space but, for me, These mugs resonate with me on so many levels. I can physically touch something related to a specific memory! It makes every cup of coffee I have, that much more enjoyable. I often grab a mug and think about the time I bought it and what was happening in my life. I’ll go into detail why I collect them and how they help enhance my memories…
First off, I was physically at that destination! One of my rules with buying Starbucks Collector Mugs around the world, is I have to physically be there in order to own the mug. Every mug I own, I can tell you a story that goes with it. Some may be boring to you, some would be great stories for you to hear, BUT, they are all great memories for me.
Second, they serve as reminders to people you were with. Our relationships in life are so important. We interact everyday with the people we choose to surround ourselves with. For example, thinking of the many times I would be walking with, Brian ‘Beav’ Waddell (DTP Bass Player) to kill some time, while on tour with the DTP and find a Starbucks, hoping they had a mug in stock, were some great memories. Brian didn’t collect them but he liked helping me find them! Haha. Most of the mugs in my collection are based off of touring the world and vacations…. All amazing memories with good friends and family.
Lastly, the main reason I collect these mugs is to add to my happiness… to truly enjoy the journey of life. We all go through tough times in life, and challenges. The question is, “How can we make each day the best it can be ?” The answer is:
Do things that make you happy!
Buying these mugs turned into an adventure many times. Taking buses, cabs, having a friend drive you, heck, there was one time I had our tour bus stop on a European Tour, so I could see if they had a mug in stock at a Starbucks we were passing by, which they did! That was my Münster, Germany mug. Even our bus driver, added to my memories. That’s a memory I’ll never forget. There are so many stories and examples to tell…
The point of this post is enjoy every day, enjoy the journey and make lasting memories not only through your mind and pictures but by introducing something physical to remind you of that memory. Lots of people do t-shirts, fridge magnets, pens and so many other things. I do mugs with the city names on them because they’ll last as long you take care of them and there can be a great story behind every one of them. 🙂
#starbucks #memories
RVP Health, Body and Mind added 2 new photos — with Jason Van Poederooyen and Jan Stone.
“Family is not an important thing, it’s EVERYTHING!”
- Michael J. Fox
As most of you know, I’m all about family. I talk about my family and how proud I am of them all the time. I grew up in a great household. Yes, we had tough times like all families do, BUT… we always stuck together, cared for each other and supported each other unconditionally. That is something you can’t put a price on.
I believe most of the greatest teachings in my life came from my parents, not school. I’m not discrediting the education system but there are some things you won’t learn in school that you will only learn from family. The deep stuff. I know I wouldn’t be a professional drummer, living my dream if my parents didn’t teach me to believe in myself, to shoot big, work hard and to keep going until you get there. Be kind to others. Society can trick many into worrying about money and going to school to do something you don’t love until your 65 and then retire wondering why you did what you did the past 45 years. My parents knew drumming was what I wanted to do, so they supported me to no end. They did the same with my brother, Jason. We’re both known professionals in the music industry to this very day. A fluke ? I think not. I know not. Thanks in large to my parents, and the way they brought us up. They gave us the knowledge and we made it happen!
Now, the beauty of your family is not just about teaching you specific things. A few small examples, it’s about Face Timing on weekends, it’s about the different holidays you spend together, it’s about the love, the laughter and the joy they can bring you on any given day. During tough times it’s the shoulder you can lend or the shoulder you can lean on that can make all the difference. It’s a two way road. A never ending support beam. That’s why it’s so important to keep your loved ones as close to you as you can throughout this life we live.
If there is one thing I can say whole heartedly….
“Never take family for granted.”
Spend as much time as you can with your family and loved ones... I understand that some people have gone through tough times and don't have a complete family. For those people, I'm talking about the loved ones you care about that ARE family to you! Family and loved ones will only be in your life for so long and you never know for how long. Make the most of the time you have with your family and the people you love... the amazing memories, laughs, love and happiness that my family has brought me throughout my life to this date, is the greatest gift of all and for that, I’m forever grateful. Wishing you the same 🙂
Photos by: ERICH SAIDE Photography
Planning on expanding RVP Health, Body and Mind to my YouTube page. I did my FB live feeds before and received a great response from you guys but feel I can categorize and present my content better on YouTube. What’s your thoughts or suggestions guys ? Comment below.....
If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube page, you can do it hear:
m.youtube.com/user/ryanvanpoederooyen
Money… Don’t let it rule you.
Here we go, this good old fashioned money topic. They say it makes the world go round, or does it ? It’s a necessity in life but definitely not everything. Money is part of happiness but not all about happiness. We’re so focused on money as a society. Now granted, we need money to buy our food, our clothes, the car, the house and you can’t forget about the vacations (like my happy pic in Cabo below)! It’s all about money, or is it ? The answer in my opinion is yes, and no. It’s how you deal with your money that can make it work for you and have it lend to your happiness. I’m not a millionaire…. yet 😉 But these are the ways that I have made my financial life work beautifully for me and I have a lot of pics to back these claims up 😉
Budget.
That’s right, the scary ‘budget’ word. I’ll tell you this right now. The reason I can go on 5 star resort vacations every year is because of my monthly budget and how I spend my money. When you know what your monthly nut is (Bills, Food, Mortgage, Etc…), it allows you to plan for what you can afford. It allows you to look at what could possibly be cut down in the budget or what you can add, depending on your monthly/yearly income. Are you living on the expensive side of things day to day ? Are you being too cheap and restricting yourself too much ? Will that restrict a vacation or two, or perhaps going to see a concert every couple of months ? These thoughtful decisions will help you live a happy life with money. A budget can tell you so much about how you can spend your money. Start a monthly budget if you don’t have one.
Don’t spend more than you have!
So many people spend more money than they have or get caught up in the credit card world. Credit is not FREE money!!! Yet, some people use credit cards or Line of Credit’s, as if it is free money. You will have to pay these debts off. Same goes for buying a new car or getting into the housing market. As soon as you start spending more than you make, all the extra curricular activities start to diminish, along with your day to day happiness. This ties in nicely with your monthly budget. Be aware of what you can afford. A Ferrari isn’t worth it, if it takes away from your overall well being…. your livelihood and day to day happiness.
Enjoy life and Money.
I don’t want to contradict myself but you have to live life. Just be responsible with your finances. Money does come and go. We all can be so pessimistic about money. So frugal at times. I always say that life is about experiences. There is no doubt that money can make a lot of these experiences you want to have in your life come true. So work towards them and do them when it’s the right time financially. In the meantime, create a list of things you love to do within your means on a daily basis, a weekly basis, a monthly basis and do it! For example, I like to jump into my Volkswagen GTI, drive to Starbucks and grab a coffee in the morning. Why ? It makes me happy. I can listen to tunes and enjoy a coffee as I go for a drive. It’s affordable to me and I love doing it daily. There may be times you just want to get out of town for the weekend, grab a hotel and experience another city or town. I love going to Whistler, BC. Sometimes I just go, throw it on the Credit Card and enjoy myself. I might not be able to afford it that particular weekend, but I may know money is coming in on the next pay-cheque or I may have to pay a little extra off the following week, but if I have the ‘time’ to enjoy myself, I’m going to do it within my realistic financial means. I’m going to live life!!! Just be responsible with your money and decisions. Maybe don’t book, Bora Bora instead of Whistler…. That could be a whole different story!
Money is important. No doubt about it. But it isn’t the most important thing in your life. Money makes us feel awesome when we have it and when we don’t, well, you know that feeling too. It’s truly all about balance. Balancing out the importance of money and making wise decisions along the way to make your life more enjoyable is absolutely key. Lastly, be rational with money, not emotional in your decision making. This way money will be in your life in a positive way and it will not rule you.
Be mindful of Complaining
Lets ask this question, “How does complaining benefit you ?”
The simple answer. It doesn’t. Not one iota. It’s important to recognize when you start complaining and overcome it. Lets get into the cons of complaining first…
Complaining usually means you are lacking something in life. It is not worth it to complain. Complaining is usually correlated with something you want, but don’t have, and are too scared to take the risk for. You have to take these risks to get to where you want to be in life. They’re worth taking. Why dwell from a place of lack ? How is that constructive ? If you’re thinking it, you’re believing it and therefore introducing it as a fact into your life. Complaining is introducing negativity into your life. Plain and simple. It’s a downward spiral and can affect your life in many ways.
What about complaining to others ? Complaining to others can influence or ruin their day and it definitely will help ruin your day. It’s not the best way of attracting friends. It can be draining and tiresome to listen to someone constantly complain. The funny thing is that many people complain to other people that can’t help them a lot of the time. Why ? Because it’s easy. You can literally complain to anyone. It’s that easy, BUT it’s far from beneficial. The flip side is, if you have courage and take action in asking for what you want, to the right people and stop complaining… you will get positive results in your life. It’s a win/win situation. You get rid of the negative that comes with complaining and start working in a positive way to what you do want in your life. Heck, you may even gain the respect of some great people as a result too.
Here’s a couple positive steps I recommend to overcome complaining…
First and foremost. Be attentive and realize when you start complaining! When you start paying attention to how often you complain, you’ll be more aware of it and can correct it. I also think it’s important to be honest and specific with your emotions when you start to complain. Once you zone in on what’s specifically bothering you, you can come up with strategies to deal with it, rather than complaining about it. Most of all, follow through on these strategies!! Take Action!!! You’re 100% responsible, whether you deal with it, or not 😉
So deal with complaining every time it happens, be mindful of it, correct it and create a positive and more complain-free life for yourself!
‘‘Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength.’’
- Theodore Roosevelt
This classic quote is so powerful to me. We have all been there before. You don’t have the strength or patience to carry on, so you quit, or vice-versa, we’re ready to quit but we dig deep down and find a way to persevere. It’s the toughest times we face and overcome, that can give us the greatest success in life.
I’ve had to face some pretty gnarly stuff in my life. Life changing times. We all have at some point, but if we take action against our fears, the obstacles and the intangibles of life head on…. We will persevere. We will build confidence. We WILL become stronger, mentally and physically. We will BELIEVE we can overcome adversity and succeed more often. Quitting will become a past thought, not an action.
When we get a taste of something we love in life, we naturally want more. We will do anything to attain more of what we enjoy. That alone is worth fighting for. That is worth putting the extra effort in when you are exhausted and ready to quit. Stand up for the life you want to live. Finding that extra strength to carry on will always be worth the effort.
I’ll leave you all with one of my favourite quotes to end this weeks blog. It compliments Theodore Roosevelt’s quote perfectly…
“A Winner never quits and a Quitter never wins.”
Vince Lombardi
