Why I believe You Should Get Commando Fit - The Aussie Steve Willis Way

When you commit to something of importance, you make what some call "sacrifices". In the pursuit of health and fitness, we make many. In Fact, more than most. But you need to adopt the mindset that these are not "sacrifices", you are not in fact giving away something. In the definition of the word I will remove religious connotations (For I do not refer to the spiritual aspect for the purpose.)

noun

1. an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity.

verb

2. give up (something valued) for the sake of other considerations.

When you decide to put your health and fitness and well-being first, some might think this is a sacrifice. Not everyone is born perfect, we did not all adopt healthy eating and nutrition from day one. We face challenges in life. When those challenges start to overwhelm us, we look inward. We decide to change, or we consider change. Those of us that are strong enough to face this, and no longer continue to reside in the comfort zone of life, choose to succeed. We want something better. We are tired of the things that have held us back. I wrote in my previous blog the motivational video that said:

Most people you know what they do? Most people go through life, quietly and safely, tip-toeing their way to an early grave. 

Now I get great displeasure from even writing that here, but sometimes truth is hard. Brutal truth is even harder, and those lines apply more to this topic than any other I can think of.
I have made every single sacrifice in my pursuit that I never believed I could ever dream of making, I have cut out foods and embraced challenges I never thought I could actually follow through, nor stick with, let alone Enjoy and embrace.
It has been the best and wisest choice I have made in the history of my 38 years on this earth.

I want to introduce a man many of us already know as a household name in Australia, Commando Steve - also known as Steve Willis, born the same year as me 1976.
His motto is There are No Excuses. He has been a major factor and involved in the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. He joined the army in the mid 1990s, hence the Commando term, He started off working Infantry before joining the special forces. He later studied Personal Training whilst working as a labourer. He has said in interviews that the military enabled or enforced a strict sense of discipline and motivation in him that transpired into his current mindset.
He is a beast and in the gym a powerful force beyond his years, I am certain he puts many a young hopeful to shame - even when they decide foolishly to test him.

I am spending alot of money on eating clean and my lifestyle, again, back to the sacrifices element. But I do not see this as any sort of sacrifice. I would rather look at it as an Investment.
Yesterday I needed to exercise serious budget restraint, I had the option of buying his latest book or to be more sensible and get it later when I had more money.
I decided to weigh up the options in the city as I walked toward Target. I listened to the inner voice that said you are not that bad you can invest in this.
It was only $16, a crazy price that I tweeted the other day, and Target replied which was most amusing I liked this - and the time they replied was around 7pm - On the ball for a company!

I love this book already so much. I must explain I am not promoting this book or person for any motivation of a financial nature or reward. This blog is free and public and I have no desire to change my methods of inspiring and helping others from my heart not from my wallet.
I am simply trying to get some of us to look at life from a different angle. The Commando angle - are you sick of your life? Are you unhappy with the weight around your mid-section?
Do you want to change but are not sure how to apply making or adopting these changes?
Are you tired of being tired? Do you want to live longer so you can live to see your children get older and grow into wonderful human beings?
Do you want to get rid of the worry you are dying slowly and cannot do anything about it?

The book impressed me highly with the recipes, The exercise guides with proper form and guidance I can refer to when needed.
The mindset shines through.

Worth every cent and I have a feeling it will reimburse me for the future in more than dollar value.
Here is a video for Commando Steve: and below it the cover picture of the book.
It is titled Get Commando Fit I will link Amazon for my international friends:

http://www.amazon.com.au/Get-Commando-Fit-Book-Series-ebook/dp/B00N1ZX7SS

Lastly, well done Steve a true Aussie champion dedicated to a cause and goal to inspire and help others - Bless you and shine the light forward.
Please consider coming down to Tasmania soon and do some book signings and promotions of health and fitness - get the Hobartians off the couch!
Respect.

Thankyou Louise Hay Positive Growth is Attainable by Anyone

Okay, I was planning to quote some Louise L. Hay material but after some online research it appears to be a copyright grey area... so I am just going to wing it myself with some thoughts based on her general wisdom that I have learned from her great work recently. I will put it entirely into my own words and express how I wish to share it - I will include an interview with the great lady at the bottom of this blog I found on YouTube if you choose you can listen to her, and watch her speak her insight.

A few months ago I purchased her CD 101 Power Thoughts from Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/101-Power-Thoughts-Louise-Hay/dp/1401903967/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422210908&sr=8-1&keywords=101+power+thoughts

I can now look back on this as the catalyst of rapid mindset change and growth.
It opened up a door that was already partially ajar, thanks in great part to my spiritual leader and friend the Australian well-being expert, Author and Meditation CD publisher, Dr. Gillian Ross. It led me to a new path that I am so grateful to walk upon each and every day.

One observation I have made from reading many countless stories from others who have experienced profound growth, is the initial event or the common theme that seems to trigger or inspire it. This to me seems to be created from change, or an event that prompts change. This can be a devastating life battle, or a shattering struggle or challenge. Or perhaps simply from one's own desire to improve a life they are unhappy with.

In my personal case, and many others, it was the decision to improve the body. A Nutrition upheaval or physical choice to lose weight and get healthy. Louise is a strong promoter of the simple facts of which we need to nourish our body, give it good quality nutrition, exercise and love ourselves. She actually encourages people to consult a nutritionist if they are unsure, or research how to eat better and live well.

Why would she promote this? I can sense some of you asking this, and you might respond with things such as... you are perfectly comfortable in your skin and happy in your current life without the need to adopt any dietary changes. If this is the case, why do you complain about your job, why do you worry the minute you wake up from a bad night's sleep, affected by alcohol from the night before? Perhaps you are nicotine reliant, or you smoked some dope last night, or popped prescription meds to get you through your crippling anxiety. Or you use anything you can to comfort the pain you just denied? Why do you say you want to lose that belly fat or get to the gym, but you do not have time for exercise? You have children and a busy life, you cannot fit it in ... and so on. Why do some of you say you do not worry and are mostly happy, but if you truly looked within you know you worry the minute you prepare to go to work; or you worry about the amount of time you overslept from lack of motivation or drug use.

The justifications or excuses you will hold onto...You might try and say you are happy doing drugs it gets you through the pain, you smoke cigarettes because you feel it relaxes you - you need to calm a busy life and reduce your stress. But at the same time you wish you could also quit. You want to quit drugs but you are stuck in the circle of friends and a place that makes it hard to consider moving away from... perhaps like me, you had this crazy romantic connection with drugs from the feelings they gave you when you experimented with them years earlier. Perhaps some of this was almost positive or at least you thought it was, so you hold onto the memory that drugs calmed you and gave you a happy time. Even if in reality they did the opposite and almost caused you death.
You may try and tell me in regard to nutrition - but you love your soda too much, you cannot give up your refined sugar and chocolate or fast food treats. The effort is too much, or that you tried in the past and failed. Or you are too heavy, it's too late. You have a medical condition that prevents you from exercise... or you are allergic to vegetables, you can only stomach french fries, and nothing else makes you feel full. Healthy people only eat rabbit food and those fit people look anorexic anyway. And gym guys & girls are all muscles and no brains - full of ego. You are too fat to walk into a gym the others would intimidate you - you would feel uncomfortable because the other members look better than you.

I am not judging, hell I have done ALL OF THE ABOVE at certain times earlier in my life, so believe me I cast no ill feeling toward whatever anyone else does.

Louise makes the point, to fully understand the reasons why others behave the way they do, we would need to walk a mile in their shoes. The world is a cauldron of interesting vibrant different combinations of unique souls. A person cannot be a blueprint of someone else. This is a theme I need to touch on, discover your uniqueness, embrace it. As soon as you find comfort in conforming; which is dictated to us by our parents and the education system from day one, we are paralysed and crippled by emotional restraint.

Like Louise says we are all born happy vibrant babies, it is the influence of others particularly during childhood that forces us into creating set patterns for our attitudes, our beliefs, our anger, our emotional responses, how we deal with relationships love and life as a whole.
I am not saying our Mothers and Fathers are particularly at fault, but some of them without even knowing it, are forcing their behaviours and lessons learned from their childhood onto their children.
This can have a great positive effect, or in stark contrast, have the potential to end a life. Or create a person so abused and crippled by negative experiences they serve no purpose to themselves, or to life.

Again, the concept of change..,the above is not a forced pyramid of power that confines us for the rest of our living days. I love a motivational video that has the quite profound statement that shocked me and might shock you as well:

Most people you know what they do? Most people go through life, quietly and safely, 
tip toeing their way to an early grave.

That might sound harsh and abrasive but I can tell you, when you used to do it, and then you learn to overcome it, you realise the truth in it.

I run into people in my life everyday that talk, and now I listen. I used to try and focus only on what I wanted to say. I got quite impatient at waiting for them to pause, so I could blurt my point of view or what I wanted to say. In fact I was so drawn into myself I sometimes did not even absorb what the other person said. Or just interrupted them whilst they spoke and blurted it anyway; which is the essence of rudeness and gains little respect or love. I hear them now talk about things, I pick up the general energy they feed out. I can sense the positive and the negative. Sadly in far too many people the latter is more prevalent.

I can see so many that want change, but they do not understand it's possible, or are just unwilling to even consider it at this point in their lives. Some are so negative they might just plain hate on the reasons other people have made positive changes and succeeded. They resent it and turn it against the person. Largely based on the fact they could not make the change themselves and want to try and knock the person down a peg or two.

I warn you, when you embrace change, people will love you for it, some will hate you for it. Even weight loss - you might get a friend or two that are so positive and encouraging, whilst you will get one or two that will tell you or remind you of the fact you might fail. Or you are doing it for a reason they disagree with. Please check this great link a article written by Ben Michaelis Ph.D. for the Huffington Post.
He is a clinical psychologist and author. If you want to succeed in life you need to address the "people pleasing" concept many of us are controlled by, and let it go.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-michaelis-phd/people-pleasing_b_3110073.html

I cannot understate how good it feels to not care for what anyone else thinks or says to me, particularly when it is negative. I will leave you all with one last train of thought - a train that is on the tracks of self-actualization and not headed down the NYC subway in the 1980s covered in graffiti (I say this in humour Respect to Cope 2 and all those street art legends you guys and girls started a revolution that many others love to Hate.)

You can find joy or gratitude in a compliment, but learn to Not seek it. You do not need any approval or acceptance from anyone but yourself. You do not need to constantly ask others if you are loved, or are beautiful. Or that you need to source unconditional love; that you need to earn it. Dismiss the mindset you are not worthy of love from others unless you have a career, a car or a Miranda Kerr body, or a Hugh Jackman physique. When you learn to love yourself first and foremost, this will be reflected in the people you meet and the people that are drawn into your life. Attract the right - and let go of the wrong and the feelings and mind that has controlled you to this point.

Skip to 9:12 in the YouTube video if you want a Louise Hay direct insight on this.

Shine the light, and walk around the darkness. If darkness comes in do not allow it to linger, open the curtain as soon as possible in your mind to shine the light back in. Replace the dark with light, instead of embracing the dark and allowing it to linger - choose the light instead. Overcome the barriers, and embrace challenge. Do not allow yourself to be held back ...life is in the Now - the present moment - the future can be changed, and the past cannot. Why continue to be held in the past when it is something that you can never change? Look to an idea, an ideal, a word, I like to use one in particular, Hope.

Hold onto that word, Hope.
Even if you do not embrace a single word or concept I have addressed above, if you hold onto Hope when things are beating you down - you will more than likely stand back up again. If you lose it, you may just remain on that canvas and never get back up, even after the final count.
What would this life have been for?
A fight you struggled with, a match that had great potential, but in the end the person who was more capable of greatness than anyone just got knocked out. Anyone and everyone is capable - it is not an esoteric illusion that is only attainable by a select few. The fighter above does not usually get remembered. The person that might have more potential to be is the champion with their victorious fist in the air. The person who helped inspire and create a better world for others. Not for himself or herself. But for others. And a true champion has character and the essence of lesser ego.

Be humble remain true and love, and love yourself as you will learn to draw the love from others.
Let go of all that negative garbage that has piled up, clean it out and learn to only look back when required and not for the shadows but the light. The negative it serves no useful purpose. It just makes the spirit of your place (mind and body) unclean, and makes you unhealthy and unhappy.

If you read this to the very end I applaud you, my blog writing is still in the early stages. I do this not for profit motivation I just want to help inspire others. Please comment and reshare to your hearts content. I always try and respond to each and everyone that takes the time to comment. My gratitude even for sharing your thoughts, you may disagree, agree or not believe a word but I accept and gain insight from everyone.

Namaste.

One word needed: Hope.

I was just made aware of this Google + post I made on December 5th, warmly welcomed, I will repeat it in a blog since I feel the theme is worthy. I will also add another song besides the Gary Jules Mad World (Official Clip) I will add another powerful song with an equally as powerful clip - Massive Attack - Angel (Official Clip).
Not many folks in the States are aware of this great British act.
The clip astonished me if you stick with it. 
As for the theme of this blog, when you are down and out, on bended knee in that shit-hole of emotions and pain; Lift your face and gently return the smile at that stranger walking past - it might be an Angel or a source of light. You may think you have nobody on your side, but life is shadowed by people and energy sources that radiate love, if you will be willing to receive it back.
The strange concept to consider is sometimes that Angel is yourself, all you need to do is look in that mirror and make changes to make you say and feel I love you. I am capable of believing Life can change for the better. Then the flow can start.

I dedicate this song to all the many countless people who have endured mental demons be it anxiety depression schizophrenia mental health or just general sadness and unhappiness in emotions like Stallone said:

Let me tell you something you already know...the world ain't all sunshine and rainbows, it's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life, but it ain't about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can GET hit, and KEEP moving forward, that's how winning is done.

Beauty from the Mind How to Study Life and the Essence of Learning

The physical form can exude beauty, but personally I am also strongly attracted to a beautiful mind. People have misconceptions, they love to judge. I sit at the shopping centre reading a spiritual book, or intently read a self-help book on the bus, and cannot help but occasionally ponder the thoughts of others.
A male may have a desire for fitness and a gym lifestyle, but does this automatically enforce parameters of ego or a sense of limitation?

Anyone adopting self-actualization behaviour quickly learns the benefits of dismissing approval seeking, so the above is just a mere thought. As fleeting as the stream flows down to the river below.
As Wayne W. Dyer says it is better to be low like that river, at the end of the flow, everything else can empty into it. Remain humble and learn to let go of the look at me notice me, I must be constantly pleased by expecting others to like me. And what others think of me is more important than what I think of myself.
He puts it in terms of the world almost works by the 50/50 please factor. If you can somehow please 50 percent of the people you are doing remarkably well, but the other 50 percent will disagree and express disapproval. Such is life, and in a way such is the beauty of life, it would be monotonous if everyone was created the same, and we all exhibited the same behaviours, actions, desire and purpose.

I love the work and mind of Leo from Actualized.org in particular, I wanted to learn how to apply the ability of studying to my current life, and maximise it. It's a different ballgame at 38 years of age than when I was 16 and at college. A much better one I can tell you.
I loved his strong emphasis on the concept of intrinsic motivation. When it is sourced from within you, from inside. The "Growth mindset". As opposed to the "Fixed mindset". The fixed mindset I once owned, and many do, says I am not as smart as others. I am not as good as others. My ability to learn is held back by a lack of intellect or IQ, Or a brain that was half demolished by the excess of teenage spirit has no capacity to learn anything new. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

He explains that just knowing some trivial facts will not serve you a great deal of purpose in life.
Understanding life is the key. Life is fascinating, observing it with the senses and applying it with the mind. Dissecting and analysing it. This is the foundation of all study. Every great mind in history has been generally curious and fascinated by more than one ideal. Get in touch with the fact life is deeply fascinating.

Here is the video that gave me some great insight, I hope it helps you.

The Art of Letting Go

This blog was inspired by a video I viewed last night by Giovanna Silvestre (ConfusedGirlLA). I have been blessed to have my path graced by her presence. Thankyou. I left a comment on her latest work Titled The Art Of Letting Go. I will include her video in this blog.

My comment revolved around how I was listening to Dr.Wayne W. Dyer only yesterday morning. I found an 8 disc edition of a work titled It's Never Crowded Along The Extra Mile (ten secrets for success and inner peace audio). 
He speaks of how he rarely gave endorsements, but when he heard a tape by Caroline Myss who was just starting on her journey, he was motivated to credit her. Her work was discussing Why People Don't Heal. 
Wayne's thoughts are that most people are too powerfully bonded to the wounds of their past.

I will use my crutches analogy, you can break a bone and recover - but why would you want to keep using the crutches long after the injury has gone?
Someone in my life did this, they actually wanted to keep using real crutches after the bone had mended because they felt comfort or some sense of safety in it.

Wayne says you can change anything in your life - In the now. Anything can be changed. One thing that cannot be changed is your history. Your past. He says about 80 percent of most people spend most mental energy on either trying to change or allowing the memory to upset them. It holds them back. It keeps them stuck and prevents future hope.

He mentions how you may meet someone, within about five minutes of talking to them, they tell you they are an alcoholic, or they were sexually abused. They had a Father who walked out on them. Or they lived in an orphanage, or came from a poor background. They suffer depression.
He explains this is all very well, they are not expected to shut this out and forget it or say it never happened. They are not expected to disregard it. But it is a calling card it keeps holding them back.

I am learning this myself, only recently I wrote about my history.
From what Wayne advises this is great, get it out and help other people with your story. But when you have moved on let it go. No need to discuss it constantly anymore.
So my blogs will not focus on some of my former past. I have moved on rapidly in recent times. I still found myself leaning ever slightly on those crutches. Now they have been returned to the hospital, in order for someone in true need to use them, in my mind.

This title of Giovanna's video made me think of my good friend Dr. Gillian Ross, she did the Relaxation or Meditation CD titled The Art Of Letting Go, which I discovered around six months ago. The benefits of Meditation in letting go are touched upon at the end of the video by Giovanna. If you would like to look into this CD, I must add, Giovanna was unaware of it - released by a wellbeing expert in Australia, but I urge anyone that needs some healing to look it up link:

https://shop.abc.net.au/products/gillian-ross-the-art-of-letting-go-cd

I will also include a song that touched me powerfully the other morning, it is my new theme song for personal development and I had never absorbed the lyrics before, It applies in every essence to this post. Please let me know if the video gets taken down, it is made by a fan and uses footage from movies if so I will edit and add another clip.
The song by Cat Power, aka Chan Marshall, is powerful because she has dealt with alcohol and prescription drug addiction. It nearly destroyed her and her entire career. There are some infamous stories of public on-stage meltdowns. She was crippled by demons and anxiety and has found a way to move on now. Her song was written during the time, I do not believe she was over this, but what you do reflects in what you create. I think her song represented what she hoped for. What was possible, but the title makes me think again of how people reject it. Maybe Not. I can change or I can dream of a better life - Maybe not?
You need to learn to change your mindset.

Mindset Growth and Development a Powerful Tool and Skill to Encompass

When I was 16 I was leaning toward the idea of thinking outside the square, or not like most other 16 year olds would choose to think, I delved into elements of Shamanism and Dream Meanings and Spiritual themes I joined a group at the time called The Circle of Destiny, well, I did not join it was a small group of older adult like minded people that shared insight.

I would love to go into The New Moon Book Store in the city and a newsreader at the time Tom Payne (or Paine) owned it, a staff member at times was a well known Hobart Psychic and enlightened lady I learned a few lessons and gained wisdom from her, and also from the regulars who mingled at the shop.

I lost focus of all of this for far too many years and turned my back on it and more importantly turned my back on myself. How you might ask do you turn your back on yourself?
You just become a person full of fear and driven to lead a mediocre existence that you are not happy with.  Until something, or rather the choice to change - turns the back which was turned around, and places a mirror before your face, and your heart tells you softly you need to look deep within.
I saw a Louise L. Hay doco or movie where a man with chronic life threatening illnesses lost and devoid of answers asked her in a large group of men, I do not know what to do? who to turn to? who to ask for help?
I found her next act quite profound she picked up a small vanity mirror took it up to him, placed it in front of his face and quizzed him do you really want to know who to turn to?
I do not need to explain or elaborate.

The last year has seen substantial changes in both body and mind.
Too much to detail and go into but I wanted to share a theme or thought on one thing I always struggled with. I think everyone struggles with this, and some people are profoundly hurt and crippled by it.
Ever since I was a boy, I had a dream, not a dream but a wish I thought would never come true.
It may seem odd - I wished I had thicker skin.
Thicker skin to handle the life and the people in it.
Thick skin to brush off negative comments and situations.
It would dominate me and got worse in adulthood when anxiety fuelled it.
The people pleaser or person in me that expected a life where I could be happy and not upset people, just cruise through and cause no trouble be a nice good hearted human and live life.
Does that really happen?
You know the answer.

To give an example of the magnitude of my "thin skin" so to speak, if someone, even a stranger, made a negative remark to me - I would allow myself to absorb it and then like a casserole - mix it in with all the other stuff - but we are talking one made by Ronald McDonald - so this casserole had basically lard and copious amounts of salt and refined sugar... some drainage from the McDonalds fat trays after a full days making delightful meals to help mankind and plenty of white carbohydrates... with some classic iced coca-cola mixed with diet coca-cola added for taste (sarcasm).
It enlarged my waistline but exploded my mind into this lethargic dying thing that was infected with so much garbage it was toxic enough to be giving me physical symptoms.
For a long time I was on heartburn or reflux meds and vomiting from anxiety and stress, and a mess of a weak human with no hope anything would ever fix it.
An Endoscopy didn't show much just a stomach lining under pressure.
Anyway lots of that led me to change.
Nutrition was the key that changed the ballgame completely.
Improve the body the mind follows is a mantra I love to use.

The stronger I became physically the stronger the mental growth began to develop.
Only because I allowed it.
You can gain confidence but to push things forward you can never stop at that.
To cut a long story short, this video I found contains the elements I discovered largely myself recently, but this person Leo has added a whole new dimension to it.
I knew the moment I saw his first video recently he was speaking like an enlightened intelligent man that has massive mind growth and awareness.
This is a YouTube Video on How To Stop Caring What People Think Of You, I will include the link to the video from his main website as well; because I was most pleased to find out the benefits of joining and I am not promoting this person at all for any other reason than this - he has the desire to help encourage people to consider positive change. I contacted him and asked if I could share this video, and outlined my intentions why, he agreed today and said okay.
I joined for free and cannot stop downloading the mp3 audio versions and listening to them on bus journeys for added insight, and learning so much I never thought was even possible.

Like he says in another video - do not think just watching and applying this one step will count and solve life and all it's problems you need to grow substantially. 
He explains himself he is barely at the level he wants to obtain and that staggered me - I thought isn't this enough? You are a powerhouse and I quickly realised No it is never enough. The moment you shut yourself off from further growth or development is the moment you raise a white flag - life flows and you never stop learning and growing with it.

You need to be open and ready to apply the concepts in the video it is very very long, in fact over 50 minutes, but in all honesty - how could he cut short a topic that requires so much depth?
Be mindful that life is not dictating terms to you, you are not controlled by any factors or trapped and hopeless.
You might think there is no hope or no way out, you may be unhappy, please always know - if you want anything badly enough - you can draw it to you and manifest whatever you choose.
That includes the people, success, happiness, wealth, abundance, career, family, relationships - peace of mind you name it you can have it.
I just made one more wise decision if you enjoyed the concept of this video I will add another profound slightly shorter one by a man who I discovered through Louise Hay.
Gregg Braden.
I only found this a few days ago when a female who decided to follow me on Twitter had this video linked to her profile description; in the simple words This video changed my life.
Enjoy any of this content be sure to plus or reshare and retweet to your heart's content - and when I say Heart I do mean the real HEART.



link to website: http://www.actualized.org/articles/how-to-stop-caring-what-people-think-of-you

My Personal Experience with Mental Health and Nutrition the Healthy Lifestyle benefits to alleviate it

I must say this is a special subject dear to my heart, many of you out there suffer the awful nightmare that is mental illness, mental health or anxiety... I have been there myself in some dark places in the past. This blog is personal it does not attempt to provide a blatant prospect of curing it or for you to suddenly find yourself without the torment your mind inflicts on you, it simply offers what worked for me and how there is one word that remains critical in life - that you must always hold onto, especially through the shadows when the darkness and cold trap you - the word is simply:

Hope.

For me I discovered the true power of Nutrition and exercise, two powerful elements. I know the meds probably make you feel strongly unmotivated, as they did to me, and you have difficulty getting from bed most mornings. But the latest science is saying that Nutrition is the next big therapy because eating and fuelling your body with proper food has so much benefit.

On November 5th 1981 in the Brisbane Courier Mail Australian Newspaper it was reported that this man, Dr Abram Hoffer a psychiatrist believed the consumption of junk foods over a long period of time can cause fatigue depression and sleeplessness. He believed it had led to a Western form of malnutrition. He said: 'About 90 percent of people who go to psychiatrists have conditions due, in varying degrees, to poor or inappropriate nutrition'.
Dr Hoffer believed 'A person who is really healthy from a nutritional point of view is seldom unable to deal with psychological problems.' The junk foods he mentioned included white bread non dairy creams made of chemicals commercial French fried potatoes all foods that had sugar added like peas pastries cakes and canned foods like soups.

As you might imagine he was laughed off the face of the planet for even suggesting this "crazy nonsense" at that point in history.

I had to edit the video and change it to a short version the old one failed to play audio on some mobile or cell devices, so enjoy this tribute or reference to Abram Hoffer and his specific reasoning on how the system gives a person little hope and that all schizophrenics and people with mental illness are most often led to believe recovery or living a normal productive life will never be possible.

Note the part in the video where he discusses some key elements that are sadly neglected by the mental health system - getting a person under a stable roof and comfort, then giving them the full support needed and also giving them the chance to eat all the nutritious food. This is something most people with mental illness are incapable of enjoying, due to many different factors.

I might add a positive story because I feel I need to offer a light:

Speaking of my experience - my second episode in my teens was a drug induced Psychosis, and I was discussing a story with someone who touched my heart more than the drugs or therapy ever did yesterday. Many of you would know the UK band The Stereo MCs?

It was 1993 I was in Psych, and in a hell of a place mentally, the darkest hell hole of shit stinking motivation sucking health damaging, soul destroying - a landscape littered with carcasses of people that some are no longer with us, many of them are dead from suicide or drug abuse or the illness just crippled them, broke them in half and eventually won.

Important note: I give FULL CREDIT to the wonderful nurses and doctors, most of them are so highly dedicated to the cause of helping us they sacrifice everything in their lives to pursue the gift of healing and trying to allow anyone to get better. They put their hearts into the patients they treat and take the pain back home with them to their families and loved ones some nights and days - bless you all!

There was this one nurse, a male nurse. He was super cool, like a strong good looking man that all the females admired (yay!) and he was into gym or athletic based sports stuff too I think from memory.

He sat down with me many times and in the midst of the haze tried to give some advice to me.

He suggested the drugs I had done like Lsd and mushrooms and marijuana were capable of destroying me, in fact he even said some people have never recovered fully from acid and it drove them to death, because when your brain is wired like mine, the drugs just do not suit it, they do not suit the best of minds at the best of times, but when you have certain tendency towards factors this is even worse.

But one-day early into the admission he did something most profound, he came up to me, he knew and understood we both shared a passion for music, he handed me a cassette tape and simply said You need to listen to this album.

It was a band I have never heard of and I loved hip hop as well as all kinds of music, I was a budding Graffiti artist and anyway I was drawn to it.

The Stereo MC's - Connected.

This album turned out to be therapy, the lead singer Rob commented yesterday on Twitter perhaps #alternative medicine in a light hearted manner to me which made me smile.

It kept me going through some dark times with the uplifting positive lyrics and message.

You listen to the album you can tell the lyrics are written by someone enlightened and a powerful mind - I have not heard anything quite like it ever since.

The nurse allowed me to duplicate a copy (Sorry Rob but this piracy was beneficial and I did end up buying multiple copies of your cd later lol)

I played that album quite a lot to death in fact and my dear Mother loved it more than me LOL, she actually told me and encouraged me to play it more !!!

So what I am saying is that certain things in life can give you a glimmer of light and hope.

I got off drugs and never took them again.

Never relapsed again. I am 38 years old now.

I battled some serious anxiety issues but with Nutrition and exercise/healthy lifestyle I have not endured an episode of that since the end of winter 2013.

I got back in touch recently with the professor of adolescent psychiatry who treated me in 1991 Prof Dr. Robert Kosky, a highly respected expert in Australian circles, he retired a month or two ago.

My story sent him into this a most happy man, he told me some things that stood out:

Colin, I believe firmly that if you stick to your strength training fitness nutrition and healthy lifestyle, you will never have another issue for as long as you live.

Also he added it may surprise me he leaned away from harsh meds in his later years and toward more natural holistic treatments, I only add this because one of the meds he prescribed me back in 1991 was subsequently banned worldwide, after it was eventually discovered it was causing instant death in some schizophrenic patients.

If you are on medication you ALWAYS NEED TO CONSULT your doctor and never consider ANY CHANGES WITHOUT speaking to them, this includes EXERCISE.

I got an ECG done a full health check up on my heart ... never throw yourself into fitness without getting the all clear and consulting the right people who know.

Anyway this is all I needed and wanted to say enjoy the video interview and I will add a Stereo MC's video also just for great memories and to Rob Birch - Respect! - I will add when I looked you up and discovered you are a fellow gym rat and healthy lifestyle/exercise advocate and lover - and not into the concept of abusing illegal drugs - it just made me contact you! Thanks for replying it made my day - as promised here is the blog I wrote that I told you I might consider sharing. Enjoy. and You may Retweet if you desire but a fave would be enough!

Edit I will add another video another great motivational Matuesz M from YouTube I think the concepts in this one apply to this blog

12 Months Is a Very Long Time

I just wanted to share and reflect upon the last 12 months, a year of change and growth. I watched a motivational video yesterday that mentioned a concept or word I will discuss in depth, and include it here because; at this time of year and for many many others, the concept prevents them from change and success. This blog is very short and succinct because it needs no excess saturation.

12 months ago I used the word But. (alot.) If you spoke to me this time last year and asked me if I could possibly achieve what I have done - I would say No and answer with the BUT. to justify the reasons why.
If you asked me - will you reach your weight goals this time? I more than likely would have had my doubts and replied maybe, But - I failed once. I might fail again.
If you asked me, would you consider giving up Coca-Cola? I would answer But water tastes like Shit. Can you cook? But I don't know how. Can you gain the skills to cook for yourself? But I do not have the skills and it will be too hard - cooking is for those elite tv chefs. 
If you asked Can I get fit and strong? answers: But I do not have the energy required. But I feel the gym would not be a place I would feel comfortable. But I might have a cardiac. But weights cause guys to get super huge like Arnold and I do not want that massive bulk. But I could not lift heavy. But I do not know if I can.

I used that word or concept in answer to everything in life because I felt there was no other choice, I allowed my weakness and lack of strength to reinforce it, and grew a strange sense of comfort from it.
That word was a crutch I used and held onto to support myself through an injury I did not have or need, all my life.
It kept me standing up, so I thought, when in fact it crippled me and kept me in rather poor posture and affected my stamina and health.

This time of year, people consider change, many fail to be honest. They use this word alot.
Watch this video if you can it is short less than 5 minutes and please allow yourself to consider one possibility or mindset change -

Use the word once more and discard it from your Vocabulary and your life moving forward.
consider:

But, What If?
What if I reached my goals?
What if I can?
What If I do?
What if I succeed?

I do Not need to state the rest you already have heard me ramble on about myself far too much.
I just want to offer a small gift of encouragement a light or glimmer, a flicker of a promise.
A principle can become a promise, and promises were made to be kept in my book.

Goodluck, and if you decide 2015 is your year to change, embrace it and YOU WILL.

Here is a picture of some cooking that my hero James Duigan retweeted on Twitter it had 900 plus views just to prove the theory that the above can be realised. He is author of the book that changed my life Clean and Lean Warrior I had dreams of oneday speaking or communicating with him on how his book helped me learn and I always thought a year ago: But, That will never happen.
Below it is the Video I spoke of so highly by the great Mateusz M.

Oh and lastly I was made aware recently, by someone that has no idea, that I am possibly driven by the desire to profit from my advice or make money from the misfortune of others - Dead wrong, this blog is FREE and NO advertising revenue is gained, I have no current plans at all to consider a blog career my goal is to work in a gym locally, my Google + profile promotes No advertising, No Products or anything useless that most other people try and sell you.
My Twitter intentions are simple - build a strong following of positive hope and encourage change and growth in others. 
Perhaps people like that who make false assumptions without even knowing any basic facts are the same people who sell those dodgy abdominal devices or gadgets that promise to give you instant abs?
Whatever the reason in life, if you discover things that help yourself to grow, allow this to help you to share it with others. 
excuse the water bottle and bag branding in the picture the above does not apply I simply enjoy the good things in life :-)