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.

Improve the Body the Mind Follows

Just one year ago I had no idea this person would be sitting here typing this. The person a year ago was a different version of myself, both in mind and in body, and in spirit.
He was fragmented, unhappy, lacked desire and heart, was trapped by a prison of self doubt loathing and dictated to; every minute of every day, by the fear of anxiety and consumed by worrying and negative thought patterns.

Just what on earth changed you may ask?
What could possibly turn a man at 37 years of age who was capable of getting upset by a negative remark from a stranger, into stewing on it emotionally, or who tortured himself for many years by allowing a particularly nasty neighbour to control his life by dominating the weakness factor?  (So much so he took her to court and applied for a Restraint order.)

If I recall this time last year, I just mentioned that fact because I was terrified of that person and the amount of stress and anxiety I allowed the situation to inflict on me physically as much as mentally.
Back to the old me he was vomiting and killing himself by obsessing about that person and what she was doing to him and to everyone around him.  It was taking such a bad toll.
If there was a measurement for Cortisol levels during the past few years, with the amount of police call outs from all the neighbours on his block, that cortisol level reading would have blown the scales.

He was also controlled by the worrying factor.  He laughs when he can think back many years ago, being directly told by two special people He needed to stop worrying!!!
Why on earth would he now laugh of this in retrospect?
Because at the time he was in denial.  He strongly argued to the people who suggested this, that the mere suggestion was false and that he did not worry.  He had no issues in his mind.
He did learn and grow to know a week or a month later they indeed had valid points, but it took those people to tell him to ask himself deep inside - what makes him the person he is? 
who does he want to be? Is he truly happy? is life all it can be?

I want to keep this short so I will explain the turn-around briefly and in short.
The things that lead to his turn around essentially came from one decision.
It was the decision to adopt a new way of thinking or rather a concept he had not considered:

CHANGE.

The eventual end result of the person typing this came from wanting to change, sticking to it through thick and thin - through dedication, discipline, and loving every second of the journey.
The person you read this from now is most happy to inform you he has the warrior proofed mind and body that he never thought in his wildest dreams he would ever be possible of attaining or manifesting.

He no longer cares what others think of him, that neighbour is still right next door but he gained the strength to dismiss her attacks - and learned what makes a person or mind behave like hers.
He is so happy some days he feels he is on cloud nine.  The anxiety was cured 100 percent he has not endured any symptoms or an episode since the end of winter early spring 2013.

The medication for reflux and heartburn ceased and the vomiting no longer an issue. The meds for the anxiety no longer prescribed and he has a life he always dreamed of. He went from sick and unhealthy and obese by BMI standards to super fit and strong and he cured himself of all health issues including high cholesterol and liver function issues, astigmatism was reversed in his vision and he now plans to give back to others what this change gave back to him.

It is great to understand yourself first, then to read and learn about the inner workings of the mind, in order to gain an understanding of what makes other people behave the way they do.

Improve the body the mind follows.

This picture is a striking face comparison of the time I was feeding my body toxic foods and feelings and only a few months later the difference when I started to love it and myself instead.

I speak of him in the first, second and third person in this for the reason being, I am now in little doubt I am in charge of my future and destiny and to illustrate the fact I am in charge of my life. He was not. That person was not, he was lost and confused.
Goodbye old me!

If you want to enjoy my journey or even if want to allow my healing to help you - follow or promote this and or the mission I am now on - Not for profit.  I help others because I care. I am not driven by any goal of making money from this, I do not sell or offer anything but messages of hope and inspiration.  (Although personally locally I am seeking work in a gym this year to apply the skills I feel I am strongest at.) I love the feeling of what being positive to others does in return and I love gratitude I want to live each day as if it were the last and inspire some people along the way if I can.

Namaste, love and light -
Colin.