Body Combat - Physical power, elegance and inspiration.

A core aspect of success is self discipline and often this particular personal characteristic is most obvious (either in its absence or in its presence) in the area of taking care of our physical well being.  And a key area of physical well being is........ yes you got it EXERCISE!  Not everyone's favorite "thing" and yet for others a pure addiction.  It is one area where dedication is obvious and the results often apparent - thus from this aspect it could be considered the easiest area of life to have self-discipline.  For others though, it's the toughest.

In my younger years I was incredibly active horse riding, dancing at least 7 times a week, swimming all day every weekend in the summer, generally giving everything a go.  As an adult I had allowed myself several years off any sort of organized exercise regime (I felt chasing 3 children under 5 and breaking in a brumby, combined with horse riding, gardening and taking care of a menagerie of other animals probably had me covered).  But something recently drove me back to a more organized form of exercise.  I'd found that I wanted more physical energy (needed it to keep up with the kids) and felt resuming the discipline might help to keep me on track.

So I joined my local gym and am LOVING IT!  Don't love all the classes and frankly for me, pumping iron or riding a bike to music hold very little appeal, if I want to ride my bike, the fresh air with my baby on the back seems like a much better option but, as expected LOVE Body Balance and Zumba!  The surprise for me was BODY COMBAT!

I must admit the first class I took I found a little weird and also amusing. As a pacifist, being told to "imagine I was holding my attacker down by the throat and breaking his jaw" really tickled my fancy.  I knew the instructor was pushing for everything we had - and generally gets it, but it's taken a few classes to get used to it, get the hang of some of the punching and kicking combinations and especially to remember to hold my hands up and protect my face!

But I have to say for physical power, inspiration and sheer elegance, as well as mind and body discipline, there's nothing much that I've found beats this form of exercise!  And the instructors at our wonderful local gym really know how to get the most out of us and TOTALLY inspire and engage all the participants. Love to see the power come out of all the women there!  Truly inspirational and empowering!

If you are not exercising at the moment - check this out!  It will do more that get your body fit, agile and poised!  It will give you a new zest for life that you wouldn't expect and that will energize your day as well as add to your self discipline in a really fun way!

Living NOW

If you are not getting the results you would like, chances are that you are engaged in a thinking process that is leading you to where you currently are but don't want to be.  A conscious and Present moment of awareness of where your thoughts are leading you will contribute to some of the most powerful and defining minutes of your life!

A commitment to yourself in writing on who you intend to be, what you intend to do and the mark you intend to leave is a powerful catalyst to achieving your dreams.  I often ask myself, how would I like my kids to describe me, my relationships, my thinking?  With that in hand, I note what type of daily thoughts are required to get the outcome I seek, to make the mark I want to make and leave the impression I want to leave in this world.  Living in the present is a deliberate act and choice. Many thoughts are habitual and like any habit, negative ones must systematically be removed from the mind.  It takes practice, dedication, and forgiveness (you will trip up), but it is worth the journey and the sense of achievement knowing that you are ever closer to being the best you you can be!

Tools such as seminars, books, audio programs and a personal journal can play a powerful role in installing the new empowering thoughts that lead to fulfilling results.  If you don't have any good tools for this let me know because I have some award winning personal development beauties! Hooking up with the right people of a like mind, also trying to achieve more from and for themselves is also crucial.  We are human with the associated frailties of that, support in the form of a like minded community can help significantly to keep us on track!

I read a good exercise recently, try it for yourself.  Put a note up on your wall that says NEVER COMPLAIN. NEVER EXPLAIN! and see how long it takes you to successfully get through a day without doing either!  When you succeed, take the note down.  If it's there for years, at least be comforted to know how drastically improved your life is, having the note there to remind you to complain and explain less.  No excuses, no one else's fault!
Keep me posted on your progress!