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
“Be the difference for the life you want, not an excuse for the life you don’t want.”
Ryan Van Poederooyen
Fitness Accountability…
So, I get asked a specific question a lot.
How can keep your fitness on track and not fall off of the wagon?
Here's my honest view on it and what has always worked for me…
1. How badly do you want it? Inspire yourself!!!
This really goes for anything in life. In the case of keeping in shape and being healthy, you need to inspire and motivate yourself daily. Put up pictures of how you would like to look... or pictures of how YOU use to look and you were happy with. Visualize your end result. Have a grocery list of healthy foods you'll buy on your next trip to the supermarket, that will help you get your results... WRITE IT DOWN! There are so many ways you can inspire and motivate yourself but in the end it will always be up to you. 100% responsibility!!!
2. Schedule
Always have a schedule, something you can stay committed to. I schedule things in my iPhone weekly and set reminder alerts. It keeps my health and business life in order and doesn't create chaos. Schedule your workouts.
For me I do the following:
Monday - Chest, Abs, Cardio
Tuesday - Legs
Wednesday - Back, Abs, Cardio
Thursday - Arms
Friday - Shoulders, Abs, Cardio
Saturday and Sunday - Off
I follow my workout schedule and anything I do in my life through my scheduling efforts. Write things down or like I said, schedule it in your smartphone with alerts to remind you to prepare for your task.
3. Commit
What I mean by commit, is buy the weights, buy the workout videos or better yet, go get a membership to a gym. If you're spending your hard earned money, you better use it properly. I recently signed up to a local Gym here in Vancouver for a couple reasons. I'm running out of room to purchase more weights and equipment for home! Haha. More importantly if I have a membership at a gym, it keeps me committed to going there to get my workouts done. I'm paying for it. I also love the versatility of the machines vs. free weights a gym has to offer. When it's workout time, don't procrastinate, START! Once you get going you'll be glad you did!!!!
4. Keep a progress log
I'm not just talking about your workout.... that's obvious, I'm talking about taking before and after pictures of yourself so you can SEE the difference. Inspire yourself through yourself. You can weigh yourself but a lot of times it's better to go off of how your clothes fit. Weighing yourself can be misleading depending on how you workout and what your goals are. How clothes fit will ALWAYS be telling you the truth. Keep an eye on the belt notches. All these ways can help you create a progress chart. When you see the differences you'll WANT to keep going.
5. Never Quit
I always talk about this step in my seminars. We never accomplish anything in life by quitting. The 4 steps before this step are useless, IF you quit. Trust me, you will not want to quit once you start seeing results but sometimes people don't have the patience at the start to keep going because they don't see immediate results. Focus on your end result and before you know it, you WILL see and FEEL the results. Trust me... I know first hand.
I hope all these steps help you guys and answer a question I get asked a lot. Our health is important not only for our body but our mental health. Stay on top of it. Be accountable, inspire yourselves, schedule, start and never quit!!!
New Years Resolution vs. Consistency
So, it’s the start of a new year. That usually means that it’s New Years Resolution time. Lots of people like to commit to a New Years Resolution. I did it for years and at times it worked and other times, it didn’t.
After paying attention to the times that my resolution didn’t work out, I started looking for the reasons why. In the end it came down to one big thing…. CONSISTENCY and discipline! Whenever I started a resolution and succeeded with it, I found it was all about consistency, perseverance, never quitting, whatever you want to name it along with discipline.
I started to look deeper into it and came up with my best solution. Forget about New Years Resolutions and just simply be consistent with your actions ALL YEAR ROUND! Why do you have to wait for a year to end or begin to make a big change in your life ? I think it’s crazy to live your life that way. The time you waste by saying, “I’ll get started on that goal in a month or even two months when New Years comes along”, is crazy to me!!!! Many years ago I decided to start being consistent all year round with the various goals and activities in my life. I left the New Years Resolution approach and adopted my ‘All Year Round’ consistency approach.
The Turning Point: I’ve been physically fit most of my life. That changed when I gained a whole bunch of weight due to a bad construction accident I had when I was 29 years old. After gaining over 45 pounds over a period of 6 years, I decided to make a New Years Resolution in January 2008 to lose the 45 pounds of weight. I started and simply fell off of the wagon a couple months later. It wasn’t characteristic of me to give up or fall off of the wagon. I’m not perfect by any means but I am determined, so this puzzled me. I let another year slip by and didn’t lose the weight or better my physical being.
Fast forward to the end of November 2008. I was about to get married in May 2009. I started planning my New Years Resolution, which was to lose my extra weight again and then I realized my problem. Consistency. Why the hell am I waiting for a new year to start to lose all this weight ? I started looking at all the things I succeeded at to date. The one key factor in every scenario was that I stayed consistent. Whether I had small failures or wins, I was disciplined and stayed on my path. I stayed consistent no matter what was going on in my life. It wasn’t about a New Years resolution to me, it was about being consistent and disciplined.
On December 1st, 2008, I started a new healthy diet and workout routine. I started a couple days after figuring out that a New Years Resolution wasn’t for me. I decided to be consistent with everything I want to achieve in my life, all year round. Forget setting a date, DO IT NOW!
By May 2009, I lost 47 pounds of weight to look great and most of all feel great for my wedding. It was a big turning point in my life. I was consistent with ‘a lot’ of things in my life but not everything. If you want to live a happy life you love, you gotta’ work for it and be consistent in everything you do.
Now, I’m not saying to not make a New Years Resolution. It can be fun to name something and try to accomplish it. What I am trying to say is:
“Take action and be consistent with any change you want in your life right away!!!”
Don’t wait for New Years Day, get started whenever the thought enters your mind and stick with it until you achieve it. I’ve had my most success by following this rule. It works. It’s simple and as always, it’s up to you to make it happen! Be consistent with your thoughts and actions.
RVP Health, Body and Mind added 2 new photos.
Happy New Year everyone!
The 1st picture below was my view from my drum kit a year ago on New Years Eve. It was the final show I played with the Devin Townsend Project on Dec 31st, 2017 in Columbus, OH opening for Clutch.
2018 was a very interesting year. There were many challenges along with many opportunities. My life had changed drastically. Some people freak out over scenarios like this, I welcome them. Remember this guys...
'Change is awesome!'
When a big change happens in your life you can do one of two things, worry about it or do something about it. I always choose to do something about it, to be proactive and most of all, continue doing what I love. You have to look for the good in any change that happens in your life. That's how you succeed and add to your happiness.
Imonolith (2nd picture below) was born in 2018 with my very good friends, Brian 'Beav' Waddell (DTP Bassist), Byron Stroud, Jon Howard and Kai Huppunen We have a bunch of music we believe in and love. We persevered, we found a way to make things happen and are now getting ready to fully launch the band in 2019.
My Opa always said, 'Life is what you make it.' He was spot on with that quote. I look back at 2018 as an accomplishment. A year that I helped make something out of nothing with a great group of guys. I'm very grateful for all the years I spent drumming for Devin Townsend. It was a great experience that I'll never forget. I'm just as grateful for Imonolith being born and where we're headed with it. You have to simply believe, work your ass off and persevere. We're doing exactly that.
As for all of you who follow me on this page.... I wish all of you an amazing 2019. Thank you for the years of support. You all inspire and motivate me to continue doing what I do with RVP Health, Body and Mind. I thank you endlessly for your contributions, support and kindness on this page 🙏🙏🙏
Remember, life is what you make it. Do what you love and love what you do, as much as you can EVERY SINGLE DAY! If you do these things consistently, change is never a big deal. If anything, 'change' will always be exciting and something to look forward to. Look forward to 2019 and all it has to offer. I personally can't wait for all that is planned in my life for 2019 😉
All the very best to you in 2019!
Wishing you all the best always,
RVP
With it being the last day of 2018... remember this quote below. It's been a powerful quote for me to remember throughout my life and with my career. Wishing you all the best with the time you have in your lifetime!
“Don’t focus on the amount of time you have or don’t have. Focus on what you can do with the time you’re given.”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! Wishing all of you and your families all the very best. Be merry, be safe and enjoy your day!
#MerryChristmas2018 #HappyHolidays #somewhatuglychristmassweater
Happy Holidays to all of you!
There is one thing that I see every year around this time… that’s people being happy and merry, uniting and being kind to one another, regardless of religion or belief. It’s amazing how every year the ‘kindness chart’ increases around this time, among many other things. Imagine if every month was like December 😉
With that being said, I’m very proud of the community we’ve built at RVP Health, Body and Mind. It’s like December every month for me. I see it in all of you as well. You’re all kind, caring, thoughtful people with open minds. That’s a beautiful thing to see on a daily basis. Thanks for the support and your contributions to this page. I’m very grateful to share this experience with you all and to see us all grow in a positive manner together.
Enjoy your time with friends and family over the holidays, there isn’t a better gift than family and friendship.
All the best you you all, always!
RVP
“Life isn’t always easy. It’s important to accept the good with the bad, but more important to look for the good in any situation.”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
Hey guys, once again, I'm sharing my passion and what I BELIEVE in with you all. This is a sneak peek clip of 'Hollow', the debut single from my new band, Imonolith. It's being released soon. Info below. Everything I teach and talk about through this page, I'm applying to this band. Lead by example 😉 I don't just share and teach what's worked for me, I apply it to my own life to this very day. Hope you guys like it, if so, share away!
"Dream it, Believe it, Achieve it!"
‘Hollow’ - Imonolith Debut Single and Video Teaser
Official Release Date: 01/18/2019.
Pre-Order now on iTunes and Google Play
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/album/id1444690928?ls=1&app=itunes
Google Play: play.google.com/store/music/album/Imonolith_Hollow?id=B3xossbjf2wjcxpyez2f3hkvfva&fbclid=IwAR1Ir96HASuZlW_d8-Vi5JtFm6hFmH_4sGd-KJ8VwVYpG1a5HIv7CifMRk4
Available world-wide on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and many other online distributors on 01/18/2019
Song produced by Brian Howes and Jason Van Poederooyen
Video produced by Square Egg Visions
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ7vofV0LSs
Imonolith - 'Hollow' Single/Video Teaser
‘Hollow’ - Imonolith Debut Single and Video Teaser Official Release Date: 01/18/2019. Pre-Order now on iTunes and Google Play iTunes: itunes.apple.co...
“If someone see’s something as impossible, it isn’t a fact, it’s simply someone else’s opinion. It’s up to you to decide what is possible or not. Become the possible in your own way.”
Ryan Van Poederooyen
Being positive with Self-Criticism
I can be on both sides of the fence when it comes to self-criticism. I’m not perfect and I’m always learning every day. There have been many times in the past where I viewed self-criticism as a negative. There is nothing wrong with that but it’s also important to see the positives in self-criticism.
Over the years I’ve actually made a point of being aware of the negatives but also focus on the positives of self- criticism equally. So many people find it easier to be negative. You have to catch yourself in that negative state and then look for the positives of what you’re being critical of…. How can this criticism help you ? Here’s my thought pattern on it and what works for me…
I find when I’m being self-critical, I’m also very self-aware. I seem to focus on what I need to improve on, which is crucial in continuing to grow and develop the different areas of my life. Being self aware allows you to be more critical on yourself in a productive and positive way. I’ve benefited from looking at criticism this way for years now. You don’t end up being scared of failing! Being self-critical is about learning all of the options available to you so you don't end up putting all your eggs in one basket. Being narrow minded and critical can lead to some bad outcomes. I’ve been there and it’s never fun. Always open your mind to the many different options around you. This way you know that you will always give whatever you’re attempting the best possible shot. It may not work out every time but you WILL know that you gave it your best and tried the many different options available to you. That’s a big positive because you will become better from learning from all these different experiences and outcomes.
I find being self-critical allows me to analyze every scenario, whether the outcome is positive or negative. People who are already content with themselves usually don’t try to be better than where they already are. You need to look at both sides of the coin. This is how you get better. We seem to always analyze the negative but can take the positive outcomes for granted. Analyze both, this is key advice. By analyzing both sides, you end up thinking things through more often. This will always work in your favour. You will be more prepared as a result. Being more prepared than normal is always much better that not being prepared or under-prepared.
Through all my learnings through self-criticism, I have become more outgoing with my choices and looked for bigger opportunities to succeed. You will too. I became more confident and began pushing myself outside my normal boundaries. This was a big turning point in my career and I had a better outlook on my life too. They say success lies just outside your comfort zone. I agree with this statement whole heartedly. Don’t be scared to be self critical. Just be sure to look at the positives and the negatives of self criticism…. This is how you will be able learn from both sides, gain more knowledge and have a better chance at succeeding with anything you do in your life!
I know this isn't a self development post per se, but it's the culmination of everything I teach on this page. A vision, hard work and perseverance. This is my new band that I helped build from scratch called, Imonolith. I'm very proud of it and am putting all my 'know how' and effort into it...
‘Hollow’ - Single by Imonolith - PRE-ORDER available on iTunes and Google Play STARTING: DEC 2nd, 2018 - Links below:
iTunes - itunes.apple.com/album/id1444690928?ls=1&app=itunes
Google Play - play.google.com/store/music/album/Imonolith_Hollow?id=B3xossbjf2wjcxpyez2f3hkvfva
'Hollow' will officially be released on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and many other world-wide online distributors on January 18th, 2019. You can not pre-order the song on streaming sites.
Song sample coming soon... stay posted
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OmwMD44zKs
Thanks as always for your support. Wishing you all the very best!
RVP
Hollow - Imonolith Debut Single (Teaser Video)
'Hollow' - Imonolith's Debut Single Pre-Orders start on Dec 2nd, 2018 via iTunes and Google Play. Release Date: Jan 18th, 2019 More announcements to be made ...
Hey everyone,
In 2 days my appearance on WhiiseCon will be available live! WhiiseCon is the only music conference to only invite musicians to speak. 20 successful musicians all over the world share their honest stories about success, failure, and lessons learned. WhiiseCon supports 50-50 gender split & donates all the proceeds to Women In Music, promoting gender equality in the music world. Come watch my interview! It will be online for 48 hrs. It's free to attend online from anywhere in the world. Hope you guys dig it and get some inspirational info from my interview and all the other wonderful people involved!
Click this link for a free ticket to watch 🙂
whiisecon.com/?from=RVP
Dealing with Stress
We all deal with it.... stress! It’s happened to every single person that has walked this earth. The thing about stress is you can let it happen to you or you can find ways to overcome and deal with it. I prefer the latter.
These are some of the ways I view dealing with stress and some of the things I do to overcome stress :
100% responsibility. Stress can cause people to blame other people or things on the way things turn out in their life. An accountable person knows that everything they do, from the time they start their day to the time they go to sleep, is a choice. We’re ultimately in control of our lives. No matter if we decide to do something or not to do something, it’s our choice in the end. No matter what way you choose, be 100% responsible for your actions and decisions and it will ease stress.
You must accept stress as a part of life. Mentally strong people know that negative situations, and problems are inevitable. When stressful situations happen, they do whatever it takes to make the situation better instead of focusing on the problem at hand and why you’ll fail. Even when they can't change the surrounding circumstances, they know they can always take steps to improve their situation. Be the optimist, not the pessimist and release stress.
Your health is so important in dealing with stress. You can’t battle stress if you're worn out and have no energy. Like I always say, a healthy body contributes and supports a healthy mind. Be sure to put healthy foods in your body and to get your exercise in. It naturally enhances a positive attitude when you feel good. You’ll be more optimistic and be ready for taking on any challenge and stress level that should arise.
Positive self talk. How many times have we done something and said, “I’m an idiot!” or “This’ll never work!”. There are so many examples we can use. It’s absolutely important to reaffirm that you can overcome stress. That there is a way out. We all need to dig deep whenever things go astray but it’s so important to back it up with positive self talk. Don’t just believe it, say it to yourself and move forward!
Be positive always. Smart, positive people are realistic and don’t see everything as unicorns and rainbows. There will be tough times, but even tough times can have a positive outcome. Positive people recognize that good things can come from stressful situations. Rather than allowing something negative to turn them into a negative person, they choose to use stressful situations to become stronger and better. Turn stress into a positive outcome by being as positive with your life as much as possible.
All these things help me deal with stress. I have as much stress in my life as the next person, but it’s the many positive ways how I deal with that stress that keeps me happy. I hope these things help you the next time you deal with a stressful situation in your life!
“Our passion is our personal guide to living the life of our dreams. Follow your passion, whatever it may be. Encompass it and don’t look back. ”
- Ryan Van Poederooyen
Photo by: LIM SANG Photography
