Create Your Own Valentines

               Like the Beattles say “All you need is love.” It can have other meanings and not just a day for people who have a spouse. Love can mean what you do that brings you joy and happiness, it can also mean a favorite thing to do among anything else and it can also mean how you share it with other people in a variety of ways. If you’re a strongman and you have love for strength, go lift something heavy today, bend some steel, rip a few decks of cards, have fun with what you want to do. If you’re a movie fan, go to a favorite movie or watch your favorites at home and enjoy yourself. Like I said, love has other meanings.

            My personal view of Valentines Day is not one always shares because today is suppose to be a celebration of love, hearts, candies, flowers and other things with couples. My way of looking at it is, it isn't really necessary; you don’t need one little day to share love for your spouse or whatever because love comes and goes everyday but it’s how you keep a special love for something or someone in a state of mind. I like to treat it any other day but just a tad different. I like to treat it as a day where I give thanks for the love I have for others, even when certain circumstances come into play and I do things I love to do like train and share my love for fitness to each and every one of you because it is my passion and my heart runs deep with it.

            If you have a spouse and you spend this day together; make it count and be happy and share things together. Are you by yourself? No problem, go out and do something that makes you happy, perk up just a little bit and smile for no apparent reason. Forget the roses, candies, box of chocolates, balloons or whatever; love what you have and do and grab a hold of it a little extra hard and be happy with yourself. Let your heart run a little more than usual. You don’t always need one day to share love; it’s a state of mind.

            I believe in self-love. If you can’t love who you are, then you haven’t really lived. Some people look at self-love as being selfish and don’t care about anyone else; I believe that’s called Narcissism. Granted some people are downright loathing of others and only care about themselves but real self-love is where you appreciate and enjoy life with who you are from the inside and bring universal strength and love for yourself. You can always love others or hate others that’s your choice but there’s only one of you and that makes you unique and something special. This isn't bragging about loving yourself and talking down to people, it’s about being true to who you are and spreading that energy to others in a beautiful and productive way.

            Happy Valentine’s Day guys and share the love you have with your loved ones or just with yourself and have fun with what you love to do. Be strong, smile and be a loving person.

Giving Thanks

            It’s that time of year again where we give thanks to what we have and what we have been given. As much as I love this powerful attitude, we don’t need a single day where we give our thanks to others. However I do believe it’s a powerful thought and a great attitude to have to be able to bring joy and happiness to others and being thankful for doing so.

            Within the universe, we are given strength inside and outside our physical bodies and our spirit within. I’m very thankful for the strength I've been given and the power to keep driving to be better and build my strength physically, emotionally and mentally one day at a time. Each one of us should not only be thankful for what our strength creates but to keep progressing not just from a fitness standpoint but also as a person and be open to give others a chance to learn.

            One of the greatest things you can do is to pass on your knowledge to a new generation. Some people keep their secrets hidden because it could fall into certain hands or believe their secret is just not worthy for others no matter who it is to see. I personally believe that there’s always one person to pass down your knowledge and wisdom but not for them to be like you but to become more of themselves. I’m thankful for what I've learned and I love passing that down to those who are willing to learn. Learning is a gift and giving that gift is a treasure. I do believe however you don’t have to pass on every single secret because the real secret is finding out for yourself and being thankful that you have done it.

            I want to thank those who have come before me and those that have used what I have to offer because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. You guys are awesome and are wonderful people. You give me a reason to do what I do and you've helped me grow in ways I can never describe. I salute you and I’m thankful for what you've given me. Have an awesome Thanksgiving everyone and Happy Holidays J. Have fun and be safe and for my sake, don’t trample each other on Friday.

Giving & Receiving Love

           We all strive to find what we love to do. Most of the time we end up doing things we end up hating like a certain job, a marriage that isn't going anywhere or being in business that just doesn't work for you. What you love is what makes you more successful. Doing what you love and making it effortless creates abundance of love in other aspects. Giving love whether it’s friendship, a relationship, comforting or just making someone’s day develops that energy of also receiving love.

            Being a loving person in just about any way without being egotistical or a kiss ass is showing how magnetic you can be when you step up to the plate and show your soft side, funny side or whatever. There are people out there that are very loving but don’t know how to use it because there’s a difference between being a loving person and having an agenda for your personal gain. Learn to love those that may not always deserve it no matter how much there’s tension and closed-minded individuals.

            To practice receiving love effortlessly is to be open to give it and letting the universe flow with your energy. It’s not easy and not everyone is going to love but with the right attitude things can change dramatically and for the better. I have much to learn from this as I’m being more open to a positive attitude, I may fall off the wagon every now and then but that’s what makes us human. “Why do we fall? So we can pick ourselves back up” is a great way to look at things. Learn to love and pick those who have fallen back up because sometimes it’s good to have an extra hand when you need it the most.

            To be honest, for those that never met me, I’m an affectionate and compassionate person, I do hug those I care for and I like holding hands and softly kissing the girl I’m in a relationship with but enough of being mushy yet my point is, some people come off as very intimidating and look tough and nothing but a dark and gloomy side to them but that’s where your assumptions can be very vulnerable as you never know who can be such a loving person. Affection and compassion give off energy to those around you and it’s fairly simple to balance out from being too much or too little, just takes practice.

            In the fitness world, there are a lot of egotistical people who never help those who want to achieve something great. I’m very fortunate to have the people who helped me in my life and I want to give that back by helping others achieve their dreams in the best way I can. See my point? If you see someone in the gym and they’re having trouble using an exercise, help them, ask them to show you how you can do it right. We all want love in our lives whether it’s a relationship, family, friends, business or even when you exercise around certain people. Be a great human being, help out, give tips or if you are in a relationship, comfort those whom you’re with and love them for who they are. It’s only a matter of time before something really awesome happens in your life when you least expect it, even for a split second or maybe a whole hour but it’s there and it’s yours when it’s right.