How many of your needs are met, right now. Think about it.

All of them? Some of them? Are you aware of all of your needs? Do you know what your needs are and which are most important?

Are you clear as to which order you need to sort them?

Are you forever “topping up” your needs or continuously “spinning plates”?

Last night I realised that I have been going through life without addressing various needs.

Abraham Maslow defined his “Hierarchy of Needs” and for the first time I considered that I haven’t been making sure that all my needs are met.

I had chosen to meet my needs from the most basic, physical needs first and then once they are sorted, move on to higher level needs. It doesn’t work like that though!

Life is moment by moment, by moment, by moment. It is in this moment where you and I can fulfil our needs. It is this moment that we can fulfil our need to give love, to gain stability, to increase our personal growth, to accept and to belong. We cannot plan this for next week or next month or even next year.

“Oh yeah, next year I plan to self actualise.” – It doesn’t work like that because the only moment is right now. If you set out, moment by moment to fulfil all your needs then you’ll be completely fulfilled, all the time! Amazing!

Humour me here … feel this moment. Go on … feeeeeeel it.

Delight in it … dance in it … embrace it … cuddle it … tickle it.

Isn’t that a wonderful feeling?

Every day we read more and hear more of the “Credit Crunch” and so forth. We read stories of predicted negative growth and no one knows when it may end.

It’s just a story. Tens of thousands of journalists are loving it, as it means we read and buy their papers and watch their daily news programmes.

So what happens to that story if we live “in this moment”, instead of thinking about their story; and choose to fulfil our needs and help others to fulfill their needs?

Well then we create a new story. A story that counteracts the “news”.

Come on Britain! Ignore the story. Enjoy this moment and delight in your very existence.

Warmest wishes,

Dan

A great friend of mine (who is also an excellent Personal Trainer), recommended that I visit “T-Nation”, a website devoted to developing your body. I have to admit, I was a little sceptical. I have, in the past, read copious amounts of material from other “Body Building” websites and found that it was all about supplements and overly complicated routines.

I like to keep things simple. I prefer a down to earth approach that works. So I was pleasantly surprised when I read an article on T-Nation about Reg Park. Three times “Mr Universe”, Reg was the guy Arnold Schwarzenegger looked up to, as a lad.

The approach that Reg had was strength of mind and confidence building.

“Confidence is critical for increased size and strength

According to Reg, an effective training program focuses on increasing confidence. You should feel strong, empowered, and ready to take on the world after each workout. If you feel weak and defeated, then you’re doing something wrong.”

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_reg_park_way_to_serious_size_and_strength

This approach can be used in all areas of our lives. Goal setting for example. Our initial goals need to be achievable, so that we can build on our success and feel comfortable in “raising the bar” to the next level. It is when we set ourselves too high a target that we consider our perceived limitations and neglect our goals, forcing ourselves to compromise needlessly.

The article went on to say …

“Reg was a big believer in self-analysis. You must take the time to find out who you are, and what you’re capable of. He stated that if you worry a lot, then you’ll find great benefit from training, as it’ll help remove stress, and help you get a better handle on your life.”

Now here is a man after my own heart. How can you develop yourself, without knowing who you are? It’s impossible. It’s like giving advice to someone, without asking them any questions!

If this wasn’t enough, it continued by saying …

“We learn the power of discipline, perseverance, patience, and hard work from training. Carry over these skills into your business or job, and you’ll benefit tremendously.”

I need not say anymore. There is so much value in training your body, not only in terms of shape and size increasing your “body confidence”, but also the lessons that are learned along the way.

Reading these “pearls of wisdom” made me reflect on my current training goals. At the end of August, I set myself the challenge of gaining 11lbs of lean muscle by October 4th. So far, I have fluctuated in weight. My size in the mirror gets bigger each week and I am definitely getting stronger. I have also lost body fat, so my overall weight is deceptive. I probably am gaining muscle, however losing fat at the same time is balancing my weight.

Now I plucked 11lbs out of the air, it impressed me to go for a large number. However, my ultimate goal is to have a strong, lean, athletic, muscular body and this is far more important that achieving a certain number of pounds by a certain time.

In every case, my ultimate goal has a higher priority than my initial goal and so it takes preference. To that end I have modified my goal in order to make sure I build solid foundations and do not cut corners.

My goal now is to increase my lean muscle mass weekly, building solid foundations, by doing core strength exercises. One to two pounds is enough to accumulate each week. Trying to put on more each week is pretty pointless as there is no rush!

Don’t be afraid to modify your goals so that you are on course for your ultimate goal.

Good luck!

Warmest wishes,

Dan

“Training is like life, you get your ups and downs, but if you think about your problems hard enough and logically enough, you’ll either solve them or reach a compromise.”
 
— Reg Park

I am two thirds of the way through reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. It is my second reading of this amazing piece of writing. To say that it has been life changing for me is an understatement.

The first time I read it, it took me perhaps a year to finish it. I’d pick it up and then after merely a few pages I’d have to put it down. My head would be spinning. I’d be so overwhelmed by what I had read, that I had to put it down, only picking it back up again once I had digested, considered and totally understood what had been said. This could be weeks! But then, I usually have several books “on the go”.

The basic premise of Napoleon’s muse is that desire can be turned into reality. Any desire. This is not simply confined to riches in monetary form, but any dream. This is what self and personal development is all about. Turning your dreams in to reality.

Think of an architect, designing his/her dream home. It’s exactly the home they dream of living in. Every detail is perfect for them. Once the dream home plan is ready, the architect will enlist the services of those who have construction experience and together they will turn the vision into plans. These plans will form the basis of the work to turn the dream into reality.

My 32nd Birthday is approaching (October 1st) and learning about making my dreams reality has inspired me to write down my desires for my 32nd year (33rd year for those who want to be picky!). Writing down that which you desire is the starting point for making your dreams reality. When was the last time you wrote down yours? In the last month?

To inspire you and your desires, here are a selection from my whole list, for my next year of life. I found that the process was like opening a tap. It flowed with the purest, strongest desires the more I wrote.

So here are a few …

I desire financial security and financial growth.
I desire fun.
I desire great holidays.
I desire a comfortable, warm, inviting home of my own.
I desire to create.
I desire to laugh.
I desire to write.
I desire to contribute.
I desire to help.
I desire to be of service.
I desire to acknowledge.
I desire to love.
I desire to be loved.

Anybody can turn their dreams into reality, if their desire is strong.

What do you desire the most?

Warmest wishes,

Dan
 

It’s been about twenty five minutes and I’m feeling more positive, more excited and more looking forward to the future. I am in fact, bullish.
 
Why?

Simple, I set myself a challenge …
 
Now I have been setting myself goals for years now. I am still learning about how to set them and how setting a goal actually works. I know that I have to put an end date on it. I know it needs to be clearly defined in what it is. It’s just … when I hear the word “goal” or say the word “goal“, it doesn’t inspire me. It doesn’t get me of my seat, feeling jubilated, carried away by the sheer force of positive emotion. No.
 
Thirty minutes ago I stumbled upon a way to inspire me and rev me up. I set myself a challenge.
 
I am motivated to grow bigger muscle and I am having results, finally! However, I challenged myself, to see if I can do it, by a certain time. I wanted to set myself a target date that is coming quickly, so that I will have to really push myself to achieve it. I want to see and experience my boundaries.
 
My challenge is to grow my muscles to certain point, by a certain time. I have challenged myself to gaining eleven pounds of muscle before my birthday on October 1st. I currently weigh eleven stone three (72kgs). I have never had any more muscle than I do now. It means so much to me to increase my muscle mass and develop my shape. As I learn I grow.  
 
If I manage to rise to this challenge then it will prove one thing … Anything is Possible.
 
I will go out on my birthday with my head held high. “Friendly bullish” that’ll be me.
 
I can’t wait!
 
Now … I need a plan … … Got it!
 
Warmest wishes,
 
Dan

Positive thinking is key to inspired living. It inspires confidence in your-self  and your circumstance. Without positive thinking, a mind can wander into a negative mind set, thinking the worst and believing the worst will happen. Yuchhh, nasty.

So how can we remain positive, confident and look forward to our lives?

This morning I tried out a new way …

While I casually munched on a ham and cheese baguette and sipped my mocha, I wrote down in my notebook, all the positives in my life right now. I wrote a list of ten things and surprisingly for me, they came out very quickly. I started with work positives as it was easier. After I had listed five positives at work, I felt a swirl of energy inside of me, positive energy. I then felt ready to delve into my personal life.

Five personal positives later and I had a full list, an impressive list. It was clear, I have a lot to be happy about right now.

So I looked at my list … and I thought …. “What will happen, if these positives remain positive and grow into bigger positives?

I’ll pick out one positive and I’ll share with you my thought process …

The positive was … “My training and nutritional regime is working. In the last two weeks I have gained muscle, dropped fat and feel fitter and healthier.”

I took this positive and imagined the process continuing and growing upwards, like a plant.

I will grow bigger, more shape across my back. I’ll have bigger stronger arms. My legs will be able to withstand football again. I could run a half marathon. I’ll get leaner and I’ll be able to see my six pack. My consciousness of my body will weaken to the point where I’ll enjoy looking at my body in the mirror and have no psychological problem stripping off my t-shirt on a hot summers day in front of friends.

My confidence will soar. I’ll get much more attention from women (and I’ll accept it). I’ll buy medium size mans clothes instead of small. I want to fill a larger t-shirt with muscle and I will.

This is all going to happen. It is the logical progression of what is happening today. All I have to do is keep doing what I am positively doing. It’s about focusing on the positive, so that it sparks all the inspiration you need.

I did this process with the remaining nine positives in my list. I felt great afterwards and I still do. Writing about it now has catapulted the process further and deeper. Focus on what you have and imagine how it can grow, with your continued effort and determination. Get excited and involved in your imagination. Let it run wild.

I’d love to hear about the positives in your life right now and the logical positive projection for that positive. Drop me an email at the address below or feel free to leave a reply comment to this blog.

Warmest wishes,

Dan

dan.elman@wellbeingnetwork.co.uk