harmonious balance

The only thing I love more than being affected, is affecting others.
It comes down to sharing our stories, our gifts, our blessings and our challenges.
Listening to others, learning and growing.
Doing your best and then simply letting go.

peace & God bless
tom j deters

Contact: tomjdeters@gmail.com

permalink Sunday Morning - “Happy Mother’s Day” To be a Mother…   To carry a child, give birth and to be a mother,     A job with more dedication and unconditional love, there is no other.   There is no pay, no benefits and little recognition,     Simply to do her best, give all she could, was her only mission.   It seems that everyone realizes at some point in life,     It wasn’t just a job and it was much more than being a wife.   That this woman who raised you since you were a child,        Her one true gift was when you thought of her you smiled.   So, on this special day, remember all she did,     What it was like when you, were just a kid.   Thanking God for her and realizing there could never be another,     Today, tell her you love her and thank her for being your one     and only mother…     Enjoy your day, your family, your loved ones and Happy Mother’s Day :-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Happy Mother’s Day”

To be a Mother…

 

To carry a child, give birth and to be a mother,

    A job with more dedication and unconditional love, there is no other.

 

There is no pay, no benefits and little recognition,

    Simply to do her best, give all she could, was her only mission.

 

It seems that everyone realizes at some point in life,

    It wasn’t just a job and it was much more than being a wife.

 

That this woman who raised you since you were a child,   

    Her one true gift was when you thought of her you smiled.

 

So, on this special day, remember all she did,

    What it was like when you, were just a kid.

 

Thanking God for her and realizing there could never be another,

    Today, tell her you love her and thank her for being your one

    and only mother…

 

 

Enjoy your day, your family, your loved ones and Happy Mother’s Day :-)

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Being Open to Learn” I hope this finds you and all those in your circle of love healthy and happy on this post Cinco de Mayo Sunday ;-) I began my Martial Arts training in 1983 and I’m still kicking today. A question I was commonly asked was “What’s the best style of Martial Arts?” My answer has been always remained the consistently the same, “It is not the style that makes one great. It is the person and their pursuit that makes a Martial Artist become great.” To me, Martial Arts, Karate is like saying religion; there are many different styles and types but they all have the same goal in mind and execute with a similar intention. I believe Bruce Lee would have been excellent at any Martial Art. Find a school, an instructor you like and then begin. You will discover if it is the right fit. But whatever your goal is, you will achieve by your effort, discipline, consistency, not because you joined the most popular school. As in life, it is not the right home, spouse, car, neighborhood or job that makes someone feel joy, happiness and peace. Those come as a direct correlation to their personal pursuit, growth and the path they have chosen. As a Martial Artist I wanted to be open to others and what they did. Learn from anyone I cloud so I could improve as a fighter, no matter the style, school or anything. When I went to a tournament I studied the guys that were winning or who did kicks or combinations I liked. I would even observe the stretches they did to see if I could learn anything. If they were the ones winning, I wanted to do what they were doing. So, I stuck to that pursuit, practicing and training, working on the things I had learned, picked up or observed along the way. Eventually I came up with my own style of fighting and was successful at it. There was never one thing that made me into the fighter I was. It was my time, effort, pursuit and everyone I had learned from. Along my path I try to share what I have learned. I seek knowledge along with balance just as I did when I was competing in Martial Arts. I want to listen and learn from the people I admire and respect. I want to read what others have written that helps and guides me to become better and stronger. I love messengers of any kind shape or size. I have worked diligently on trying to keep my focus on the rewards of learning lessons; not the pains, trials and unknowing of when and how the lesson will be learned. I want to learn how to live, love, laugh as much as I can, as peacefully as I can with those that love me and I love as well. I cannot judge others. Blame a messenger. Stay angry because I made so many mistakes, over and over again in the past. When I am at balance, I am at peace. I am more open and more ready to receive and embrace, whatever it is, no matter how unfamiliar it may seem. Take the good, leave the bad and move forward. Enjoy :-)  peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Being Open to Learn”

I hope this finds you and all those in your circle of love healthy and happy on this post Cinco de Mayo Sunday ;-)

I began my Martial Arts training in 1983 and I’m still kicking today. A question I was commonly asked was “What’s the best style of Martial Arts?” My answer has been always remained the consistently the same, “It is not the style that makes one great. It is the person and their pursuit that makes a Martial Artist become great.” To me, Martial Arts, Karate is like saying religion; there are many different styles and types but they all have the same goal in mind and execute with a similar intention. I believe Bruce Lee would have been excellent at any Martial Art. Find a school, an instructor you like and then begin. You will discover if it is the right fit. But whatever your goal is, you will achieve by your effort, discipline, consistency, not because you joined the most popular school. As in life, it is not the right home, spouse, car, neighborhood or job that makes someone feel joy, happiness and peace. Those come as a direct correlation to their personal pursuit, growth and the path they have chosen.

As a Martial Artist I wanted to be open to others and what they did. Learn from anyone I cloud so I could improve as a fighter, no matter the style, school or anything. When I went to a tournament I studied the guys that were winning or who did kicks or combinations I liked. I would even observe the stretches they did to see if I could learn anything. If they were the ones winning, I wanted to do what they were doing. So, I stuck to that pursuit, practicing and training, working on the things I had learned, picked up or observed along the way. Eventually I came up with my own style of fighting and was successful at it. There was never one thing that made me into the fighter I was. It was my time, effort, pursuit and everyone I had learned from.

Along my path I try to share what I have learned. I seek knowledge along with balance just as I did when I was competing in Martial Arts. I want to listen and learn from the people I admire and respect. I want to read what others have written that helps and guides me to become better and stronger. I love messengers of any kind shape or size. I have worked diligently on trying to keep my focus on the rewards of learning lessons; not the pains, trials and unknowing of when and how the lesson will be learned. I want to learn how to live, love, laugh as much as I can, as peacefully as I can with those that love me and I love as well. I cannot judge others. Blame a messenger. Stay angry because I made so many mistakes, over and over again in the past. When I am at balance, I am at peace. I am more open and more ready to receive and embrace, whatever it is, no matter how unfamiliar it may seem.

Take the good, leave the bad and move forward. Enjoy :-) 

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Failure is Success” Good morning & happy Sunday! I use the phrase “Failure is Success” with all my clients. I tell them that if they do their best and keep proper form, that when they fail doing an exercise they have reached total success. If I say ten push-ups and they do seven perfect push-ups and then fail = total success. They can’t be bummed, disappointed or frustrated that they only did seven; that was their best. The two-part challenge is to first embrace that the effort put forth was their best (work diligently on owning that!) and the second is to let go of the ones they did not do, the ‘expected’ ones or the wanted/needed ones or the ones they were hoping for. This ‘embracing and letting go’ normally takes a client awhile to fully grasp and execute. We as humans, at our core, want to do well. Clients end up wanting to impress me and make their trainer proud or shoot for a number they think is a good number to attain. This is part of the de-cluttering I must do to start tweaking someone’s perspective when they start training. I repetitively tell them to focus on staying in the moment, the task at hand, the key things to remember to ensure proper form (the things they can control) then TRUST that the number they accomplished was their best. Then, work on feeling peacefully confident in that trust (or consistently put effort forth trying to do that). Once a client can do this, I truly never have to tell them how many repetitions to do because it never matters. They will go until I tell them to stop or they fail. Then we simply move on to the next exercise. This harmonious balance is what I strive for with all my clients, as well as along my own path. My client and I have a connection and an understanding as they have with their bodies; I am listening to them, they are listening to their bodies and me as I guide them forward. It is the same in life. When I am training someone I remind them of this analogy of comparing training to their individual path in life. If one puts forth the energy needed/desired to do their best, at the end of the day, no matter what did or didn’t happen, they should be success and then let the rest go. Work on feeling peacefully confident in that or consistently, diligently, passionately, persistently pursue getting better at: 1- Believing you know what your best effort is in all situations. 2- Trusting that in any given situation you have an ability to put forth your best. 3- No matter the outcome, knowing you did your best, let go of the rest. May you have peace, love and joy along your path and may you find faith, hope and clarity along the way :-) peace & God bless tjdtomjdeters.com

Sunday Morning - “Failure is Success”

Good morning & happy Sunday!

I use the phrase “Failure is Success” with all my clients. I tell them that if they do their best and keep proper form, that when they fail doing an exercise they have reached total success. If I say ten push-ups and they do seven perfect push-ups and then fail = total success. They can’t be bummed, disappointed or frustrated that they only did seven; that was their best. The two-part challenge is to first embrace that the effort put forth was their best (work diligently on owning that!) and the second is to let go of the ones they did not do, the ‘expected’ ones or the wanted/needed ones or the ones they were hoping for. This ‘embracing and letting go’ normally takes a client awhile to fully grasp and execute. We as humans, at our core, want to do well. Clients end up wanting to impress me and make their trainer proud or shoot for a number they think is a good number to attain. This is part of the de-cluttering I must do to start tweaking someone’s perspective when they start training. I repetitively tell them to focus on staying in the moment, the task at hand, the key things to remember to ensure proper form (the things they can control) then TRUST that the number they accomplished was their best. Then, work on feeling peacefully confident in that trust (or consistently put effort forth trying to do that). Once a client can do this, I truly never have to tell them how many repetitions to do because it never matters. They will go until I tell them to stop or they fail. Then we simply move on to the next exercise. This harmonious balance is what I strive for with all my clients, as well as along my own path. My client and I have a connection and an understanding as they have with their bodies; I am listening to them, they are listening to their bodies and me as I guide them forward.

It is the same in life. When I am training someone I remind them of this analogy of comparing training to their individual path in life. If one puts forth the energy needed/desired to do their best, at the end of the day, no matter what did or didn’t happen, they should be success and then let the rest go. Work on feeling peacefully confident in that or consistently, diligently, passionately, persistently pursue getting better at:

1- Believing you know what your best effort is in all situations.

2- Trusting that in any given situation you have an ability to put forth your best.

3- No matter the outcome, knowing you did your best, let go of the rest.

May you have peace, love and joy along your path and may you find faith, hope and clarity along the way :-)

peace & God bless

tjd
tomjdeters.com

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Consistency & Frequency” Simple enough. Easily stated. Now… just go do it. Let me know how it goes. But when what you did this past week (which was wonderfully empowering) is virtually impossible to duplicate next week, share your thoughts on consistency and frequency. Any measure of success is based on these two staples. But we all know how challenging it can be to do anything with consistency, frequency, balance, support, love, understanding and commitment needed. On the other side of it, when one has been able to achieve these along their path, it comes with great reward, clarity, insight and a true sense of belief in what is important. One thing I am positive of is that no one could pretend to imagine the impact a little consistency can have on one’s journey. I started my class last Tuesday with these words “I am not easily impressed but when I am I cannot hold it in.” Then I continued to explain that in my first class of the year I challenged everyone “Only 51 more classes left this year!” A few weeks later I asked who had made it to every class, only one person raised her hand. That’s how it started. I have been teaching for going on 15 years and I have seen the growth in many. I have seen the timid and shy leave the back row to become fearless in the front row. Every great success story from my class is based on consistency and frequency. It has been 4 months and 16 classes since the first one this year. I walked over to this gal in my class and put my hand on her shoulder and told the rest of the class that she had made every class, without fail, all 16 thus far. I then joked that I wasn’t sure she even liked me when she started attending class, but here she was, demonstrating sheer commitment and dedication, diligently pursuing a weekly goal, unknowing of her reward. Part of that reward was getting embarrassed in my class, but I know more than most how this has and will affect her path. I sent her a note on fb and she was most gracious of the accolades. Then she ended with “I know there are 2 Tuesdays I will miss but I’m shooting for the other 50.” Trust me, I k now where this one is headed! I started training a wonderful girl who we will call “E” about 4 years ago. She made an appointment to meet with me about training after a guy had broken up with her for the second time, both via email. Yes, that’s when she came to me. She had never been very active, never worked out and had not pursued any sports. With amazing consistency and frequency she made a turn in her life and never looked back. Four years later she is amazingly fit, flexible, strong and has achieved an amazing fitness level. One she could never imagined attaining. Not only has she made it to training with me twice a week for 4 years she has made it to Bikram Yoga twice a week/every week as well for the last year. If you know about Yoga you know that Bikram is a whole other level. In the beginning of April she told me for a challenge she was going to attend 3 Bikram classes a week as well as meet with me. She never had an idea, nor did I, where her commitment, her deeming herself worthy would bring her 4 years later. FYI- she also has a full-time job, a wonderful boyfriend, is crazy active creatively with writing, directing, shooting movies and playing in a band. Pick that which you are and be that… CONSISTENTLY and FREQUENTLY and… SEE WHAT HAPPENS! I dare ya ;-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Consistency & Frequency”

Simple enough. Easily stated. Now… just go do it.

Let me know how it goes. But when what you did this past week (which was wonderfully empowering) is virtually impossible to duplicate next week, share your thoughts on consistency and frequency. Any measure of success is based on these two staples. But we all know how challenging it can be to do anything with consistency, frequency, balance, support, love, understanding and commitment needed. On the other side of it, when one has been able to achieve these along their path, it comes with great reward, clarity, insight and a true sense of belief in what is important. One thing I am positive of is that no one could pretend to imagine the impact a little consistency can have on one’s journey.

I started my class last Tuesday with these words “I am not easily impressed but when I am I cannot hold it in.” Then I continued to explain that in my first class of the year I challenged everyone “Only 51 more classes left this year!” A few weeks later I asked who had made it to every class, only one person raised her hand. That’s how it started. I have been teaching for going on 15 years and I have seen the growth in many. I have seen the timid and shy leave the back row to become fearless in the front row. Every great success story from my class is based on consistency and frequency. It has been 4 months and 16 classes since the first one this year. I walked over to this gal in my class and put my hand on her shoulder and told the rest of the class that she had made every class, without fail, all 16 thus far. I then joked that I wasn’t sure she even liked me when she started attending class, but here she was, demonstrating sheer commitment and dedication, diligently pursuing a weekly goal, unknowing of her reward. Part of that reward was getting embarrassed in my class, but I know more than most how this has and will affect her path. I sent her a note on fb and she was most gracious of the accolades. Then she ended with “I know there are 2 Tuesdays I will miss but I’m shooting for the other 50.” Trust me, I k now where this one is headed!

I started training a wonderful girl who we will call “E” about 4 years ago. She made an appointment to meet with me about training after a guy had broken up with her for the second time, both via email. Yes, that’s when she came to me. She had never been very active, never worked out and had not pursued any sports. With amazing consistency and frequency she made a turn in her life and never looked back. Four years later she is amazingly fit, flexible, strong and has achieved an amazing fitness level. One she could never imagined attaining. Not only has she made it to training with me twice a week for 4 years she has made it to Bikram Yoga twice a week/every week as well for the last year. If you know about Yoga you know that Bikram is a whole other level. In the beginning of April she told me for a challenge she was going to attend 3 Bikram classes a week as well as meet with me. She never had an idea, nor did I, where her commitment, her deeming herself worthy would bring her 4 years later. FYI- she also has a full-time job, a wonderful boyfriend, is crazy active creatively with writing, directing, shooting movies and playing in a band.

Pick that which you are and be that… CONSISTENTLY and FREQUENTLY and…

SEE WHAT HAPPENS! I dare ya ;-)

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message | 1 note
permalink Sunday Morning - “Finding Happiness” “Happiness is complicated for humans. It is difficult experiencing happiness without being reminded of the things that could shatter it.”                                 - Deepok Chopra Good morning & happy Sunday! I developed the habit early on that if something worked I kept doing it. If I discovered that I didn’t enjoy, prosper, grow or learn from something I discontinued it. I knew I could learn from anything and anyone at any time. But the key is to embrace and remember the good and forget the bad. Even if there are 10 things you disliked about a moment, a job, a relationship, you still probably learned something from it. Take that knowledge, power and experience and move forward. Whether it was training or teaching I would keep what worked, what resonated with me, what affected me and carried on. While reading the book “Book of Secrets” I have done the same. One of the quotes that has affected me and I have embraced whole-heartedly is the one above. It is so very true. We work so very diligently to get this stuff or these things and then we feel accomplished successful and triumphant. Simultaneously we feel the pressure to sustain, maintain, keep up and control all of these things. The fear of losing any of them can become daunting. So as we walk our paths, pursue our goals, just have the clarity to know that which you truly want. Be mindful everyday and be thankful for your blessings. peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Finding Happiness”

“Happiness is complicated for humans. It is difficult experiencing happiness without being reminded of the things that could shatter it.”                                 - Deepok Chopra

Good morning & happy Sunday!

I developed the habit early on that if something worked I kept doing it. If I discovered that I didn’t enjoy, prosper, grow or learn from something I discontinued it. I knew I could learn from anything and anyone at any time. But the key is to embrace and remember the good and forget the bad. Even if there are 10 things you disliked about a moment, a job, a relationship, you still probably learned something from it. Take that knowledge, power and experience and move forward. Whether it was training or teaching I would keep what worked, what resonated with me, what affected me and carried on.

While reading the book “Book of Secrets” I have done the same. One of the quotes that has affected me and I have embraced whole-heartedly is the one above. It is so very true. We work so very diligently to get this stuff or these things and then we feel accomplished successful and triumphant. Simultaneously we feel the pressure to sustain, maintain, keep up and control all of these things. The fear of losing any of them can become daunting.

So as we walk our paths, pursue our goals, just have the clarity to know that which you truly want. Be mindful everyday and be thankful for your blessings.

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Being Mindful” Good morning, I hope this finds you rested and peaceful, smiling in this moment. Deepok Chopra defined the word mindful in “The Book of Secrets” as being aware of perfect moments. I loved how that sounded and decided to pursue being more mindful. I have been telling clients for years to be aware; aware of their bodies, when they need to stretch, take time off, get back on track – learn to listen to their bodies – be aware. But also be aware of one’s posture, environment, friends, family, your personal space and be aware of how others feel. What it takes to be more aware is to slow down and listen. There in lies the challenge. When I teach someone boxing technique the biggest challenge for everyone is going slow enough to do it correctly. Perfect practice makes perfect, not just practice. It truly matters how you do something. Therefore either approach with repetition will have an effect on you. I can explain this. Point it out and as soon as it’s go time, they let if fly forgetting what I had just shared. I then ask them why they thought they couldn’t just decide to go slower? Most, if not all were shocked. What I wanted was for them to think and grasp that we are at such a pace that is virtually impossible to be aware of all that we should be – exactly! Slow down, breathe, be aware. What if we were all a little more aware, more aware of everything? What if we were more aware of the perfect moments in our lives, along our paths, in the middle of our journey, that most miss everyday? And what if that… became our life’s pursuit? I wish you peace, strength and clarity on your path and may you find love, peace and joy along the way :-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Being Mindful”

Good morning, I hope this finds you rested and peaceful, smiling in this moment.

Deepok Chopra defined the word mindful in “The Book of Secrets” as being aware of perfect moments. I loved how that sounded and decided to pursue being more mindful. I have been telling clients for years to be aware; aware of their bodies, when they need to stretch, take time off, get back on track – learn to listen to their bodies – be aware. But also be aware of one’s posture, environment, friends, family, your personal space and be aware of how others feel.

What it takes to be more aware is to slow down and listen. There in lies the challenge. When I teach someone boxing technique the biggest challenge for everyone is going slow enough to do it correctly. Perfect practice makes perfect, not just practice. It truly matters how you do something. Therefore either approach with repetition will have an effect on you. I can explain this. Point it out and as soon as it’s go time, they let if fly forgetting what I had just shared. I then ask them why they thought they couldn’t just decide to go slower? Most, if not all were shocked. What I wanted was for them to think and grasp that we are at such a pace that is virtually impossible to be aware of all that we should be – exactly! Slow down, breathe, be aware.

What if we were all a little more aware, more aware of everything? What if we were more aware of the perfect moments in our lives, along our paths, in the middle of our journey, that most miss everyday? And what if that… became our life’s pursuit?

I wish you peace, strength and clarity on your path and may you find love, peace and joy along the way :-)

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Emptying the bucket” Good morning and happy Sunday :-) An analogy I have shared before is one that we all get up in the morning and place a bucket on our shoulders filled with our day ahead, our plans, our to-do list and start the day. During the day we experience difficulty in emptying the bucket and often end up adding to the weighted content with unexpected items that fell on our path that day. By the end of the day we are tired of carrying this bucket all day. Our back and neck hurt and we are tired and sore. We are disappointed that we were not successful in decreasing the weight of the bucket and we realize prior to bed, we will have the same heavy bucket to carry tomorrow. What if we woke up aware of this bucket, our to-do list and rid ourselves of these expectations and future frustrations? What if we focused on keeping the bucket that we carried lighter simply by chose? What if we planned on an exact time each day where we would actually focus on emptying the bucket? What if we woke up aware, spent a little time breathing and stretching then started the day? What if at lunchtime we went for a 15-minute walk? What if at each stop light we rolled our necks? What if we stopped at the gym before went home? What if we stretched and did the foam roller before bed? I could go on and on with the “what if’s” but my point would be the same; we will achieve success in any area that we direct our focus and our energy. Going through the day without the weight of the bucket or the contents, not adding to it during the day and actively spending time and energy making sure we are emptying it whenever we can, will allow us to travel lighter throughout the day and throughout our life’s path. Breathe deeper, stretch longer, walk slower, carry less and be thankful :-) peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Emptying the bucket”

Good morning and happy Sunday :-)

An analogy I have shared before is one that we all get up in the morning and place a bucket on our shoulders filled with our day ahead, our plans, our to-do list and start the day. During the day we experience difficulty in emptying the bucket and often end up adding to the weighted content with unexpected items that fell on our path that day. By the end of the day we are tired of carrying this bucket all day. Our back and neck hurt and we are tired and sore. We are disappointed that we were not successful in decreasing the weight of the bucket and we realize prior to bed, we will have the same heavy bucket to carry tomorrow.

What if we woke up aware of this bucket, our to-do list and rid ourselves of these expectations and future frustrations? What if we focused on keeping the bucket that we carried lighter simply by chose? What if we planned on an exact time each day where we would actually focus on emptying the bucket? What if we woke up aware, spent a little time breathing and stretching then started the day? What if at lunchtime we went for a 15-minute walk? What if at each stop light we rolled our necks? What if we stopped at the gym before went home? What if we stretched and did the foam roller before bed? I could go on and on with the “what if’s” but my point would be the same; we will achieve success in any area that we direct our focus and our energy.

Going through the day without the weight of the bucket or the contents, not adding to it during the day and actively spending time and energy making sure we are emptying it whenever we can, will allow us to travel lighter throughout the day and throughout our life’s path.

Breathe deeper, stretch longer, walk slower, carry less and be thankful :-)

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Filling up” Good morning & happy Sunday! I hope this finds you and all those in your circle of life healthy and happy. A few weeks ago I heard the analogy:Do you ever get really frustrated or disappointed when your car runs low on gas?“I can’t believe it! Again! Low on gas – what’s with this car? My life?” No we simply go to a gas station to fill up. Why is it so easy when it isn’t us? Why is it so difficult to admit we need rest, that we are tired, that we aren’t sure what to do, that we don’t feel that strong today, that we would rather not face that today? All that doubt, fear, restlessness, anxiousness, stress, that we may be feeling, might just be present because we are tired and we need to fill up. Challenge one is to be aware of our bodies, our minds and our path and admit/acknowledge when we are in need of damage control. Because we paid attention to the signs challenge two is to do something about what we are feeling. What it will take, how long it will take you is the third challenge. What I do know is exactly where you’re headed if you do not heed the warning signs, do not slow down, do not rest, do not stop and fill up without judgment and frustration and it ain’t pretty! Discovering that you were just tired, discovering new ways and things that bring you peace and awareness, which brings joy to your path, these are good things. It will take effort to discover them and why I always say, “Deem yourself worthy of the effort required!” As you realize you are in control, in areas that will add to the balance in your life, this way of thinking will become habitual. To have goals of refueling, refilling, rejuvenating, getting rest and feeling better – where’s the bad? There is none son! My wife is happiest when she gets to see and spend time with our daughter: happy wife, happy life. When we went to visit our daughter this past weekend, I knew it would be filling up time for them both, which in turn fills me. Find that which fills you, gives you rest and then get great at it! ;-) peace & God blesstjd

Sunday Morning - “Filling up”

Good morning & happy Sunday! I hope this finds you and all those in your circle of life healthy and happy.

A few weeks ago I heard the analogy:
Do you ever get really frustrated or disappointed when your car runs low on gas?
“I can’t believe it! Again! Low on gas – what’s with this car? My life?” No we simply go to a gas station to fill up. Why is it so easy when it isn’t us? Why is it so difficult to admit we need rest, that we are tired, that we aren’t sure what to do, that we don’t feel that strong today, that we would rather not face that today?

All that doubt, fear, restlessness, anxiousness, stress, that we may be feeling, might just be present because we are tired and we need to fill up. Challenge one is to be aware of our bodies, our minds and our path and admit/acknowledge when we are in need of damage control. Because we paid attention to the signs challenge two is to do something about what we are feeling. What it will take, how long it will take you is the third challenge. What I do know is exactly where you’re headed if you do not heed the warning signs, do not slow down, do not rest, do not stop and fill up without judgment and frustration and it ain’t pretty!

Discovering that you were just tired, discovering new ways and things that bring you peace and awareness, which brings joy to your path, these are good things. It will take effort to discover them and why I always say, “Deem yourself worthy of the effort required!” As you realize you are in control, in areas that will add to the balance in your life, this way of thinking will become habitual. To have goals of refueling, refilling, rejuvenating, getting rest and feeling better – where’s the bad? There is none son! My wife is happiest when she gets to see and spend time with our daughter: happy wife, happy life. When we went to visit our daughter this past weekend, I knew it would be filling up time for them both, which in turn fills me.

Find that which fills you, gives you rest and then get great at it! ;-)

peace & God bless
tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Peaceful Warrior” In Dan Millman’s book “The Peaceful Warrior” he describes a moment when his friend Socrates, a woman named Joy & himself were walking to a park to have a picnic when it started to rain. Dan became angry and very frustrated thinking the day was now ruined. Socrates and Joy began laughing. Socrates jumped into a wet pile of leaves and pretended to swim in them. Dan could not understand why they were having so much fun and he was so bummed. Socrates then commented that Dan wasn’t a Peaceful Warrior. My wife and I were driving back from San Francisco when we hit a few moments that made me think about this section in Dan’s book. The drive is around 6 ½ hours. We left at 9:45 am. It was a little cold in the jeep but I knew as we headed south and it got later in the day, it would warm up, so I thought. It did not warm up and soon it was raining. Both my wife and I laughed about it. Then I told her about Dan’s book, which she had read and we said, “We are Peaceful Warriors!”  A few hours later as we were driving on the I-5, we hit the base of the mountain about an hour out of LA. This is about 2 hours from our home and the ETA was 4:00 pm. When we hit the base of the mountain we discovered the I-5 was closed; another test for the happy peaceful warrior couple. We sat on the road for over an hour. People were out of their cars and walking around taking pictures. Finally we started moving only to find out we all had to make a u-turn and find another way over the mountain; another challenge. My GPS is awesome but every time I pushed the detour tab, it just kept giving me another way to get to the I-5 south, which was not an option. So, after a little bit of deliberating I decided to head west on 166. Not sure where this would take us, we finally stopped at a gas station in Taft (never heard of it!). The man told us to keep heading west on 166 and we would hit PCH – yay! Success – right? We soon realized we were headed through the mountains, snow covered mountains on 166. It was real cold. It started raining again and my wipers stopped working. We now had ice on our windshield. It was jet black while we drove and it took 1 ½ hours to get through the mountains to PCH. Once there we were pretty excited knowing we had made it “over the mountain” and could head home! I hit the home tab on the GPS and it said head east, which we did… to Santa Barbara. We discovered we did not travel south at all and we had to get back east to the 101 so we could get back on the 5 to head home. We arrived home at 11:00. We drove for 13 hours. Laughing and thinking the little cold we felt and the slight rain was our only test and how good we felt deeming ourselves peaceful warriors, only to discover our test had just begun. I think that is a great analogy for life and what I am always saying, “We don’t know what’s coming and we can’t stop it!” All we can do is our very best to handle each challenge, each test and each moment that we did not plan on. It was a true test for us and I am very thankful I was with my beautiful better half and so very glad we made it home – our bed never felt so good! peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Peaceful Warrior”

In Dan Millman’s book “The Peaceful Warrior” he describes a moment when his friend Socrates, a woman named Joy & himself were walking to a park to have a picnic when it started to rain. Dan became angry and very frustrated thinking the day was now ruined. Socrates and Joy began laughing. Socrates jumped into a wet pile of leaves and pretended to swim in them. Dan could not understand why they were having so much fun and he was so bummed. Socrates then commented that Dan wasn’t a Peaceful Warrior.

My wife and I were driving back from San Francisco when we hit a few moments that made me think about this section in Dan’s book. The drive is around 6 ½ hours. We left at 9:45 am. It was a little cold in the jeep but I knew as we headed south and it got later in the day, it would warm up, so I thought. It did not warm up and soon it was raining. Both my wife and I laughed about it. Then I told her about Dan’s book, which she had read and we said, “We are Peaceful Warriors!”  A few hours later as we were driving on the I-5, we hit the base of the mountain about an hour out of LA. This is about 2 hours from our home and the ETA was 4:00 pm. When we hit the base of the mountain we discovered the I-5 was closed; another test for the happy peaceful warrior couple. We sat on the road for over an hour. People were out of their cars and walking around taking pictures. Finally we started moving only to find out we all had to make a u-turn and find another way over the mountain; another challenge. My GPS is awesome but every time I pushed the detour tab, it just kept giving me another way to get to the I-5 south, which was not an option. So, after a little bit of deliberating I decided to head west on 166. Not sure where this would take us, we finally stopped at a gas station in Taft (never heard of it!). The man told us to keep heading west on 166 and we would hit PCH – yay! Success – right?

We soon realized we were headed through the mountains, snow covered mountains on 166. It was real cold. It started raining again and my wipers stopped working. We now had ice on our windshield. It was jet black while we drove and it took 1 ½ hours to get through the mountains to PCH. Once there we were pretty excited knowing we had made it “over the mountain” and could head home! I hit the home tab on the GPS and it said head east, which we did… to Santa Barbara. We discovered we did not travel south at all and we had to get back east to the 101 so we could get back on the 5 to head home. We arrived home at 11:00. We drove for 13 hours.

Laughing and thinking the little cold we felt and the slight rain was our only test and how good we felt deeming ourselves peaceful warriors, only to discover our test had just begun. I think that is a great analogy for life and what I am always saying, “We don’t know what’s coming and we can’t stop it!” All we can do is our very best to handle each challenge, each test and each moment that we did not plan on. It was a true test for us and I am very thankful I was with my beautiful better half and so very glad we made it home – our bed never felt so good!

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message
permalink Sunday Morning - “Get comfortable being uncomfortable” One of the many things I always yell in my class and share with anyone that I am speaking with, is that one MUST get comfortable being uncomfortable. Change is inevitable and uncomfortable. Thus, we should not be so thrown by it; rather we should be more ready for it! My personal training clients pay me to make them uncomfortable. Everyone in my class expects to be very uncomfortable rather quickly.  Yet they are willing to pursue these uncomfortable endeavors. Why? Because they know and believe in the upside: they will grow and become stronger, they will raise their pain tolerance and be more tolerable of what life may lay on their path. Change is evitable, especially if we want something better in our lives. One must go through growing pains, challenges, doubts and fears many times in life. This does not mean it is bad, it is just life and we must go through it. Anyone can accept what they are given, anyone can settle, anyone can make choices to ensure they won’t grow, learn or move forward. From the outside this may look like they are avoiding being uncomfortable, but at what price? If one is not growing, searching, learning, truly living life, embracing all that is on their path… what are they doing? If one wants and truly desires change, expect being uncomfortable. Just know it is okay. It is the truest sign of you being on course to something new and different. No one can want something new, pursue or strive for something different in their life, without expecting change. Thus, no one can expect any of these without being a little uncomfortable. So embrace the challenge, count on being uncomfortable, and with everything you have, know it will be okay; this too shall pass - nothing good or bad lasts forever. If you want change you must understand and embrace that discomfort or being uncomfortable will be your new friend. If you are uncomfortable, then you are on the pathway to change. If you are comfortable, you are doing what you are familiar with, what you have done before. This effort will reap exactly what you have sewn, exactly what you have gotten before, and make you feel exactly what you have felt before. It comes down to faith; faith in yourself, your path and that God is leading you to a much better place.  My clients and my Grasshoppers of Pain that take my class truly understand that they WILL benefit from being uncomfortable, that they will grow, become stronger and learn about how truly great they are by embracing being uncomfortable. We all need to have that same perspective when it comes to obstacles on our paths. peace & God bless tjd

Sunday Morning - “Get comfortable being uncomfortable”

One of the many things I always yell in my class and share with anyone that I am speaking with, is that one MUST get comfortable being uncomfortable. Change is inevitable and uncomfortable. Thus, we should not be so thrown by it; rather we should be more ready for it!

My personal training clients pay me to make them uncomfortable. Everyone in my class expects to be very uncomfortable rather quickly.  Yet they are willing to pursue these uncomfortable endeavors. Why? Because they know and believe in the upside: they will grow and become stronger, they will raise their pain tolerance and be more tolerable of what life may lay on their path.

Change is evitable, especially if we want something better in our lives. One must go through growing pains, challenges, doubts and fears many times in life. This does not mean it is bad, it is just life and we must go through it. Anyone can accept what they are given, anyone can settle, anyone can make choices to ensure they won’t grow, learn or move forward. From the outside this may look like they are avoiding being uncomfortable, but at what price? If one is not growing, searching, learning, truly living life, embracing all that is on their path… what are they doing?

If one wants and truly desires change, expect being uncomfortable. Just know it is okay. It is the truest sign of you being on course to something new and different. No one can want something new, pursue or strive for something different in their life, without expecting change. Thus, no one can expect any of these without being a little uncomfortable. So embrace the challenge, count on being uncomfortable, and with everything you have, know it will be okay; this too shall pass - nothing good or bad lasts forever.

If you want change you must understand and embrace that discomfort or being uncomfortable will be your new friend. If you are uncomfortable, then you are on the pathway to change. If you are comfortable, you are doing what you are familiar with, what you have done before. This effort will reap exactly what you have sewn, exactly what you have gotten before, and make you feel exactly what you have felt before.

It comes down to faith; faith in yourself, your path and that God is leading you to a much better place.  My clients and my Grasshoppers of Pain that take my class truly understand that they WILL benefit from being uncomfortable, that they will grow, become stronger and learn about how truly great they are by embracing being uncomfortable. We all need to have that same perspective when it comes to obstacles on our paths.

peace & God bless

tjd

Posted in Sunday Morning Message