Discipline releases Energy!

This morning I kept a commitment I had made to myself to be at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:15am to train with my buddy Sam; this discipline released an incredible amount of energy for me. Right now I'm flying!.

When I was working as a Personal Trainer, I would hit the gym, before training my clients, in the morning. I was doing a lot and I loved it. Over the past year I have gotten heavily into yoga and not as committed to resistance training. I have also fallen out of the regular habit of training in the morning.

Training in the morning works brilliantly for these reasons 1) you get it done! 2) you boost your metabolism for the day, especially when you do weights and 3) it increases your level of mental, emotional, physical and even spiritual energy.

Yesterday evening I was out at my weekly Toastmasters meeting and went out for another hour, after the meeting, to socialize with members of the group. I usually don't do this during the week, knowing that I have to wake the next day to hit the gym; but I did.

This morning at 4:30am my eyes slowly fluttered open, I hit the snooze once and these thoughts went through my head "You can hit the gym later" (knowing well I had a busy day and this likely would not happen), "Wake up at 6am and go for a short run, it will at least be something", "You're tired, you were at Toastmasters last night, you deserve this rest" and on and on it went - Excuses! I was making excuses and excuses are what have us not playing full out in so many aspects of our lives.

At 4:59am I leapt out of bed and was ready in about 8 minutes flat (that includes slicing an apple to fuel my workout - never train on an empty stomach!). I made it to the gym for 5:15am - I live 3 minutes away so this is incredible.

When I saw Sam this morning I was so grateful that I had gotten my butt out of bed. We had an incredible training session together. We trained shoulders and abs with jump squats in between sets. Just being there energized me. Sam always makes me laugh so we have a lot of fun, this energizes me (highly recommend getting a partner, someone who you enjoy being with and if they can make you laugh even better! They can also get on your case if you don't show up.). As I drove away I realised that another element was creating energy for me, discipline. The fact that I had been disciplined enough to stick to my commitment around my health. This caused a huge release in my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual energy. Mental energy - I was thinking great thoughts about myself and others, Emotional energy - I was feeling amazing, postive emotions, Physical energy - my body felt stronger and more alive and spiritual energy - I was feeling even more grateful for what I have in my life.

We might believe that discipline means too much structure and a lack of freedom. I am finding now that it creates the exact opposite. It opens up time, space and releases energy. As well, when you are disciplined you have less regrets - regrets zap your energy!

"The price of discipline is far less than the pain of regret" unknown

Enjoy this day...Get disciplined, get focused, release energy!

Angela

Begin your day with wisdom and wellness...

What I know for sure is that if my day begins well, my whole day has a higher possiblity of unfolding well. If I can begin my day with a great piece of reading, some stretching, a run and some moments of breathing or meditation, I find I am better able to handle whatever life wants to throw my way with a greater amount of energy and awareness.

Some mornings I may have time for only 2 minutes of reading from a book of wisdom, other mornings 15 or 20 minutes. Some mornings I allocate enough time for some yoga, a run or the gym and other mornings I may have time for my 5 famous stretch moves!

(go to http://www.coreperformance.com/ for some highly effective and efficient moves)

Some mornings I set the intention for a 20 minute meditation session and other mornings I may just sit still for 2 to 5 minutes.

I encourage my clients to get into a morning wellness and wisdom routine as well. Some find it difficult to get up earlier. Studies show it takes about 3 weeks to create a new habit and this one is well worth it. So often I hear "I don't have time for myself" or "My days are so crazy" If you get up even a half hour earlier, you will find that extra, amazing time for yourself. Your whole life will change; you will actually find it might just slow down a little. I love what Success Specialist Robin Sharma always says "Sleep less, Live more" .

I try and remember that when I want to press the snooze button one more time, it helps me get my butt out of a nice warm cozy bed. I don't know about you but I am all over "living more".

Enjoy this day...

Angela

(Sharma's Greatness Guides and Daily Inspirations, also by Sharma, are great to use for quick wisdom in the morning)

If you are breathing you can Lead

I am reading Robin Sharma's latest book "The Leader who had no Title"; it's amazing. Two keys points that are landing big time with me right now are:

1) If you breathe you are a leader and 2) You cannot lead others until you do the inner work to elevate and lead yourself.

These messages are brilliant and keys to thriving in today's turbulent environment.

"It is no longer an excuse to say you don't have a high rank so you don't need to take ownership for the results of an organization"--R. Sharma

Or I will add the results in your life. If you breathe, you can lead. We can lead in our homes, in our communities, in our work. Leaders do what's right. Leaders do the right things even when it is difficult. Leaders elevate others. Leaders create positive change wherever they go.

You can be at a party in a group of people who have decided to partake in gossip and negative talk; leaders have done the inner work to know that engaging in this type of energy magnifys it. A leader might set the intention to shift the conversation, shed a positive or different perspective or can choose to walk away to shift energies elsewhere.

I say this a lot but I find that it is so true, "the only work worth doing is the work on yourself - the inner work".

"You cannot elevate and champion another person until you do the inner work required to elevate and champion yourself" -- R Sharma

When you begin to do the inner work to elevate yourself often it is simply your energy that creates positive change in your environment. You are open to seeing the world from a different perspective. Doing inner work releases energy and this puts you in motion. It makes things happen and self leaders know this. Some might say leaders are born. I agree with Sharma, if you breathe you can lead but it will take work, it will take doing the difficult stuff - liking getting up early to do it. It will take doing what's right. It will take failing or falling off course many times and getting focused and energized to get back on course.

If you are breathing this is the only work worth doing...trust me on this. If you are not doing so yet, begin the inner work and go Lead somewhere right now.

Incredibly inspired and grateful to be alive right now,

Angela