One of the hardest things about creating one’s dream life is the need for faith. Faith is belief in something which is not seen , the unknown. Man has an inbred fear of the unknown so this sets up a conflict within self.

Attitude and belief are the factors that decide if one has faith. In this instance we are not talking about the faith of religion. The faith of religion is faith in someone, God or another divine being. It is faith in something outside of self.

The faith we cultivate in the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle is faith in self and life. We try to have faith in our God-like self and the goodness of the Universe. This is not to say that religious faith cannot be used to create a dream life, but this faith is usually limited by the dogma of religion.

If we maintain a positive attitude and believe that life is good it is much easier to manifest our desires. If we believe life is good we get good, if we don’t then we don’t get good. In other words we get what we believe.

When we want something, acting as if we already have it brings it to us faster. This requires some amount of discipline on our part. I have mentioned the tools to cultivate this discipline and strengthen our faith.

These tools are meditation, visualization, affirmations, and self talk. Practicing these daily will result in better focus and has positive ramifications in all areas of life.

Part of the problem is that we are told we must live in the now. This is the only place where we have some control. We can control our actions and reactions and guide our choices. The choices we make in the now determine our future.

Live in the now but make it a habit to project into your future daily. Set aside some time to do this. When you project, run a movie in your mind and see yourself acting as if you already have that which you desire. As you do this, with faith that it will be, the universe will come to your aid.

You can cultivate belief, therefore you can cultivate faith. The mind does not know the difference between that which is real and that which is imagined. If you imagine something long enough it will become real. This is how we create.

Remember everything begins in the mind. Make your mind your friend and use it to manifest your dream life. Whatever the mind can see and believe can become reality.

TODAY’S TIP: Believe in miracles and your life will be filled with miracles. See the miracles in your mind, believe in them and miracles will become a part of your reality.

Is your faith growing?

It is often hard to accomplish things when we feel we are alone. We may use this as an excuse not to attempt things. I spent several years of my life not doing the things I wanted and telling myself that I was waiting to meet someone that I could share them with.

I now realize that I was guilty of trying to find my satisfaction in someone else. I was simply giving in to my fears and using my being alone as an excuse. There is an art to relationships. It is said that love is two becoming one while remaining two.

It is also said that relationships are give and take. I submit that the perfect relationship is about giving. Not 50/50 but 100/100. The joy comes from doing what you can to make the other happy. Many will think that means giving up something, but it does not.

In the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we know that what you receive by giving is far more than the giving itself. The most successful people are those who give the most.

Having someone who has your best interests at heart makes life so much easier. Marriage is like heaven when it works and like hell when it does not. All relationship can be compared to marriage on some level.

Connecting with people who have the same or similar goals can make the accomplishment of those goals easier. Exercising with another makes it easier for both. They motivate each other and makes the other accountable. It is much harder to disappoint someone else than one’s self. Joining force creates a sense of responsibility.

For this to be it is not necessary that both do the same exercises only to work out at the same time or the same place. Of course if you are doing the same exercises it makes it all that much better. This principle can be used to work on any area of one’s life. By joining force with someone who has the same desires and goals make life easier for both.

The concept of combining force with someone to exercise with is the same as combining force with a spouse or loved one. All relationships must contain certain basic ingredients. Honesty is the most important. Openness is another, to the degree of what is being worked on.

The truth is that you are never really alone. The greatest relationship has to be with oneself. Once you have achieved balance with yourself all other relationships are easy. If you are at peace with yourself you do not need someone else to motivate you or make you accountable, you just are.

With that accountability within self it becomes second nature to achieve success in the way that is for you. It is at this point that you become the motivator of others and are able to be of service.

TODAY’S TIP: Take an honest look at your relationships. Determine which ones are true and based on love and respect. Also determine which are for dependency or some other reason that feeds your weaknesses.

How is your relationship with self?

Are you familiar with the book, “Zen and the Art of Archery?” For those who are not it is about a technique to improve the skills of archers in ancient Japan.

The targets were suspended and swung from side to side. The archer would stand the required distance from the target, but instead of shooting arrows at the target would visualize the process of shooting the arrows. He would see himself notch his arrow, draw his bow and release his arrow. In his mind he would see the arrow hit the target, dead center.

When I started to study archery this book was recommended to me. I was already familiar with visualization so knew it would work.

Some years ago this concept was taken to another level. A group of professional basketball players were divided into two groups. One group went to the gym every day and practiced the skills of the game. The other group did not set foot in a gym, they spent the same amount of time but practiced only in their minds.

At the end of the experiment both groups came together to see how each group had improved. To the surprise of all, the group that practiced only in their minds out performed the group that went to the gym everyday.

What does this mean? Well, it goes to show the awesome power of the mind. The mind cannot distinguish between what is real and what is not. The mind can be a powerful tool in manifesting our desires and for improving the skills we use daily.

We visualize all the time. For the untrained mind most of the visualizations are what we call daydreaming. If we train our mind so that we direct the visualizations, we can improve the quality of our lives and bring more joy and peace.

In the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we recognize this and know that visualization can be used to improve our sports skills, improve our health, bring us more money or improve any other area of life.

In order to use visualization to your best advantage you must become disciplined. The best way to do this is to practice meditation regularly. Meditation is of course not necessary to daydream but together, Meditation and visualization is one of the most powerful tools available to us to improve our lives.

Use the screen of your mind to project healthy, happy movies that will transform your reality into the life of your dreams.

TODAY’S TIP: If you want to improve a skill use visualization. Practice daily. You may surprise yourself.

Can you see it now?

Have you heard the expression, “it’s all in your mind?” This usually indicates disbelief of something someone has said. However it is always a true statement. It is all in the mind.

Everything we have ever done or had began in our mind. We see ourselves getting into the car before we actually do it. We see ourselves buying a new house before we actually buy it. First there is the idea then the creation of the idea.

In the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we recognize this fact and use it to mold and create our life. We do this with the power of visualization. Visualization is seeing the pictures in your mind. This is the first step to manifestation or creating our reality.

There is a saying, “If the mind can see and believe it, it can become reality.” This is how we create the life most will only dream of. Only the minority go beyond the dream to make it reality. This minority has the courage and faith to believe in miracles.

If you have the courage and faith to believe in miracles anything is possible. After all, each day is a miracle. Dare to dream and and set your intent to make those dreams come true. Yes, you can.

The first step is to determine what your dreams are and what you want out of life. Set your goals and desires on paper. Be clear and concise because you may get what you ask for. Ask yourself why you want the things you have written down. Do you want them because you think you should have them? Your parents or friends tell you that you need them? Is it because someone else has them?

None of the reasons mentioned are valid. The only reason should be because it will make your life and the life of those around you easier and more joyous. If that is your motivation you can make your dreams come true and your life will reflect the joy and sense of accomplishment.

If it is for other reasons, you may get what you seek but you will not find fulfillment, only a sense that something is missing. This will cause you to spend your life in endless pursuit of something that you are never quite sure of.

Once you have you goals and desires clear it is then time to start the manifestation process. Write out a script of how you will be, act, talk and feel when you have accomplished your goals. Rehearse your script daily as often as possible.

The next step is to formulate a plan, a step by step plan, as to how you are going to get what you desire. If you are unable to formulate a plan, give up the dream because it is not a dream it is a fantasy. That is the difference between a dream and a fantasy, the plan.

Once you have your plan you only have to follow the steps you have laid out. Once you start in earnest you will find that the Universe comes to your assistance.

TODAY’S TIP: Use visualization in all areas of your life, from health to finances. If you are consistent and follow your internal guidance, it will be.

Can you see it?

That which we call failure is a part of everyone’s life. It is your attitude that determines if failure is a deal breaker or simply an obstacle to overcome. Each day is a new day and the opportunity to begin again.

How do you view failure? How do you deal with it? Those who allow weakness and fear to control them turn in the rest of their life when faced with it. Those with courage start again and again until they achieve success.

We are the creators of our reality. In order to create the reality of our choice it is necessary to be able to see beyond the obstacles and barriers that appear along our path.

The greatest destructive force in life is fear. In the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we realize that fear is simply not knowing. We fear that which we do not know.

We are told that we must confront our fears but if we do our fear will win. Confrontation only adds to the conflict. We must work through our fear. We do this by accepting it and understanding it. Once we understand it, it becomes easy to work through it.

Also we must have clear intentions and precise goals. Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times in his attempt to invent the electric light. His intention and goal was strong enough to get him to the 10,001 attempt and success. How strong is your intent?

It is said that we are equipped to handle anything that life throws at us. We can as long as we stay connected to our spirit or source energy. After all life is our blessing and the world our oyster.

Start each day with a fresh attitude and the determination to not let life’s curves throw you for a loop. You are only defeated when you give up. As long as you are working towards your goal it really does not matter if you ever accomplish it.

The joy is in the journey. As long as you are on the path you can experience the joy and if life ends before you get to the goal, it’s alright. You were joyful and life was good. If you stop any place along the way you forfeit the rest of your life.

This is the attitude to start with each day. Failure is only to teach us. Each obstacle and barrier is the opportunity to learn a lesson and become better Human Beings. If there were no obstacles we would remain in a rut, never experiencing the joys of living.

TODAY’S TIP: when ever you feel that you have failed remind yourself that you still have time to start over. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and begin again.

Does your life contain failures or lessons?

Attitude, attitude, attitude, this is our most powerful tool in life. How we think and act is guided by our attitude. We attract what we give out. If we have a positive attitude we attract the positive, if negative we attract the negative.

Our attitude is mostly determined by our belief systems. If we belief that life is good then our attitude will reflect that and our life will be good. If we believe everyone is out to get us our attitude will reflect that and the people around us will cause us all kinds of problems that will seem as if they are out to get us.

In the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we learn that we control our attitude. We make the choice to believe that we are meant to be happy and enjoy life. Therefore we assume the attitude that our life is filled with joy and fulfillment.

Controlling our attitude so that it remains positive can be a daunting challenge. As we look around us we see so much negativity. The people around us seem to bring their negativity to us and expect us to indulge them. The majority of what we hear in our media is the worse of humanity.

It’s as if we need to cloak ourselves in a suit of armor to protect us from the world around us. That suit of armor is our attitude,combined with the courage to not allow others to sway us from our convictions.

There will be those who will accuse us of being cold and uncaring. We already realize that we are unable to help those who do because they are not at a place where they are willing and ready to help themselves. If we alienate them, perhaps we are better off.

Take a look at your day to day living. Do you wish it could be different? If so, how can it be different? Well it can be any way you want it to be. It is your choice, all you have to do is choose.

Start in the morning when you wake up. Set your intention that the day will be to your liking. Use visualization to see the day as you want it to be. Have the courage and faith to believe that it will be so and it will.

Before going to bed each night look back over your day. Give thanks for your day and pick out things to be grateful for. Relax and let go of all the stresses of the day and go to sleep with a smile on your face and a glow of gratitude in your heart.

This attitude along with making sure to maintain your health and wellness is the Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle. The peace and contentment of knowing we are doing our best to be the best human beings we can make our lives truly worth living. We are of the image and likeness of God. We are Gods in miniature. Lets act like it.

TODAY’S TIP: Believe in yourself and if you don’t, keep telling yourself you do until you do. There is greatness in each and every one of us.

Are you ready to be great?

Do you have a purpose or do you just live one day at a time? It has been shown that people with a purpose live longer and experience more joy and happiness. So, how does one discover their purpose?

Our main purpose is the same for all. It is to be of service and work to improve life here on earth. The expression of that service is unique to the individual. Some are meant to change the world and some are meant to help a single person.

The magnitude of one’s purpose is of no importance. They are all of equal value as everything is connected and we are each a part of the whole. Helping one person starts a chain of actions and events that may very well end in changing the world.

People often ask, “What is my purpose or my mission?” We do not have to worry about what our purpose is. We only have to live our lives with love and an attitude of giving. Doing for and helping others as the opportunity arises is fulfilling our purpose.

It is said that the full scope of our purpose is incomprehensible to the human mind. To know our purpose in detail is to know the meaning of life in detail. This of course we can not know. I have often thought that when the meaning of life becomes known to us, it will be something far, far from what we have been able to discern.

The best that we can do is live with the attitude that we will become the best human beings possible. That we will work to improve the quality of our lives, thereby improving the quality of life on planet Earth.

We must share ourselves with others whenever possible. Help those who are less fortunate than we. Add to life whenever we can and take as little from life as we can.

We have heard it asked, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The answer is, “Yes, if my brother needs keeping.”

However, with this attitude we must be careful and try to make sure our actions are meaningful. We need to remember that we can not help someone unless they want to be helped. To force our help on others is wasted effort.

The best and most effect way we can be of service is to be the role model. It is for this reason that we must always take care of ourselves first. By keeping ourselves strong and seriously working on improving ourselves we have more to give to others at less cost to ourselves.

There is an art to being selfish. An art that we all need to learn and practice.

As long as we live our lives in the spirit of love, gratitude and giving we will fulfill our purpose.

TODAY’S TIP: Make a habit of giving something to someone each day. It need not be something material. It could just be a word of encouragement to someone who is down. Remember is all comes back.

Is giving your purpose?

Why is it that so few of us are able to rejoice in life? Is it because we have become so used to a life of ease. I look at the kids growing up today and see that many are given things on a silver platter so to speak. They are not taught appreciation for what they have.

Many grow up expecting life to be like that. That they can have what they want without having to work for it. How the world would be different if we appreciated and rejoiced at the basics of life. If we felt that food to eat, a roof over our head and clothes on our back is something to be grateful for and beyond that is gravy.

In the United States of America we enjoy a standard of living that has allowed us to become very wasteful We  can too easily replace that which we throw away. We don’t think of those who do not have and could be helped with that which we discard.

I remember going to work in a large department store when I was a young adult. The department store had three restaurants. I started my day shortly after the store closed. I remember hearing the food coming down the garbage chute which connected all fourteen floors of the building. They would throw out everything that had been cooked and not sold that day.

I see that happening even today at restaurants where ever I go. I have always wondered why. I cannot see why that food is not at least given to the homeless and hungry which plague every city and state. What a waste when there is such a need.

I am sure you have heard talk about the “attitude of gratitude.” In the Ultimate healthy lifestyle we recognize that gratitude is a part of a healthy lifestyle. We cultivate that attitude in ourselves and try to instill that attitude of gratitude in our children and those around us.

Gratitude is also the cornerstone of manifesting our dreams and desires. You must be grateful for what you have to truly rejoice in life. With this attitude it is easier to get more.

I have have people say they know people who seem to have it all and are not grateful. That of course is true but what they are usually talking about is the outside trimmings, money and things.

If you really get to know these people you will often find that they do not have the one thing that makes them able to enjoy what they have. That is peace of mind. As the saying goes, what use is it to own the world when you have lost your soul.

Gratitude and appreciation brings peace of mind and joy in just being alive.

TODAY’S TIP: Reflect often on the thing you can be grateful for in your life. The more you do the more you will find to be grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

Stress is the number one cause of illness. Stress causes tension in the body which interferes with the normal flow of our life force energy. When the energy is impeded it can cause all types of dis-ease.

Stress happens when we are disconnected from our center or true self. It comes from worry and is totally wasted effort. It does not make things more likely to work out for the best. It increases the possibility of wrong action because with stress comes a lack of clarity. It clouds the mind and often does not allow one to see the whole picture.

In time, continued stress will cause mental or physical illness, or both. When our energy cannot flow freely or builds up in organs above their normal capacity, the body begins to break down. The ultimate result is death, such as a heart attack.

In an Ultimate Healthy Lifestyle we learn that stress control is a daily affair. However it seems in some situations stress is expected and if not present causes unreal expectations. For instance, when I was a manager for a major corporation I was accused of not caring about my job because nothing rattled me. I had to point out the productivity of my team before upper management would except my management techniques.

Stress serves no useful purpose and is counterproductive. The more relaxed and at ease you are the healthier you are. There are things that you can do to reduce or prevent stress in your life. First is to cultivate the attitude that you will not let things get to you. As one New Yorker stated, “I don’t let nothing rent space in my head.”

Recognize that you can only do what you can do. Everything works out better when approached with a clear and calm mind. When you feel stress coming on stop and take a few deep breaths. Tell yourself to relax.

Here is a little technique you can use anytime and anywhere to calm your mind and body. Whenever you start to feel stressed think of something in your past that made you feel extremely happy and elated. Concentrate on that event, it can be anything from achieving a goal to making love. Just keep the picture of the experience in your mind and relive it, see it happening; hear the sounds associated with it, smell the smells, feel the emotions.

Hold the experience in your mind for a few minutes. You will feel increasingly more relaxed the longer you hold the image. The more you practice this the easier it will become to remain calm, even in the most stressful situations.

TODAY’S TIP: This is a tip that will be repeated often because I believe that it is the best thing anyone and everyone can do to not only reduce stress but to improve the overall quality of one’s life. If you do not already practice meditation regularly, start now. I will do a post on meditation later but for now if you do not know where to start go to any bookstore and buy a guided meditation tape. Listen to it at least once a day, twice a day, morning and night is optimal.

What stresses you out?

There is a line of Shakespeare that goes,” to be or not to be, that is the question. I want to add a couple of words that phase. It goes like this, to be happy or not to be happy, that is your choice.

How can we live a happier life? First, what is happiness? People have differing views. Some think it’s a new car or a bigger house. Happiness is simply feeling good. That’s all it is.

True happiness doesn’t depend on things. Things can make you feel happy for the moment but that moment wears off and you need another thing.

Another definition is “Happiness is an attitude”. How many have heard the phrase “You are what you think”? In other words happiness is in the mind. If you think you are happy you are.

There are three considerations in choosing happiness; the first thing to consider is belief. Do you believe you can be happy, that you are worthy of happiness? If you believe that, then the next consideration is Perception.

How do you perceive life? Is it a joyous experience or is earth a penal colony and we are all inmates, sent here to suffer as punishment? I once had someone tell me that this was the case. Can you imagine life with that belief?

The last thing to consider, and the most important, is your attitude. Do you greet each day with positive expectations or with dread. How many have heard the saying that you are what you think, or what the mind can see and believe can become reality? People have more control over their lives than they realize.

Here are three tings you can do to bring more happiness into your life. The first thing to do is believe that good things will happen to you, and they will. Live with positive expectations.

Second, cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Most religions teach that if you are grateful you will be given more. Learn to appreciate what you have and not think so much of what you want. It might be a good idea to sit down each night before you go to bed and list 10 things that happened that day that you are grateful for. You will be surprised how much your attitude will change after doing this for a while.

The third is to use positive self talk to keep upbeat and positive. When you catch yourself feeling down in the dumps, choose to think good thoughts and you will feel better. It may seem like a hard thing to do at first, but life is a game so be persistent and practice. You will find yourself feeling good more and more as time goes on.

We will always have things happen that are negative. The key is not to react, but act in the best interest of all concerned.

TODAY’S TIP: Decide to be happy. Practice feeling good. Think thoughts that feel good.

Will you be happier tomorrow?