Mentalsidewalk

Walked by an individual on his cell phone today.  He sounded so determined in closing that sale over the phone that it seemed like he was willing to do anything possible to make it work.

Many people will give everything they have to excel in business. 

They will put in extra hours and give up their lunch breaks, hence their health.  They will attend seminars and read articles.  They will spend hours analyzing their sales and then spend even more time redeveloping their approach.

This kind of dedication will often yield real results in the workplace.  However, too many of these people fail to put the same effort into other parts of their lives.

All relationships take the same dedication and persistence.  In order to maintain meaningful relationships, you have to be able to stay focused on your priority relationships.

Sad to see more people respect their professional relationships than their own loved ones. 

 We need to keep learning about the other person and dedicate our self to improving who we are as individuals.

Growing a business is important, but growing relationships is what really counts.

Always ask yourself, if you gave your loved ones and yourself the respect deserved?

What do you think is the most important thing in a relationship?

As some of you know I recently returned from a trip to Nicaragua.  What you may not know is that I came back with a bad concussion from trying to surf waves I had no business tackling.

Nicaragua was the perfect opportunity for me to get some work done and start my professional surfing career.  I only started surfing this year so it just made sense to me to go to a place that has surf conditions beyond my ability.  The intention being that it would force me to grow exponentially -- which I did, until the big bad wave put me in my place.

This post is not as much about my trip but more about the scary lesson and the awareness I gained -- something I hope will change how I live my life and impact yours as well.

First I’d like you to take a minute and check out this video – it’s a must watch!
I truly hope that I will be as childlike and young at heart 40 years from now.

This concussion has truly made me think about how we live our lives.

Most of us take pride in taking care of our bodies -- eating healthy and exercising.  Until now, I have not put much thought into how I keep my mind young, vibrant, alive…

Recovering from the concussion, I have had a hard time putting sentences together, connecting the dots, slow in speech and focus.  Quite frankly, it scares the shit out me.  Is this what it will be like for me 40 years from now?

That got me thinking – and I will ask you as well… what are we doing to keep our minds alive and young at heart?

Here are a few suggestions given to me by people like the couple in the video

1. Stop getting stressed about everything and anything.  I see people walking around looking like if you poked them they would pop – they are so full of things they worry about, things they cannot even control.

2. Grandparents play as hard as they can with their grandkids, wishing that they had more energy to play with them like children.  Do it now -- play, laugh, be a child.  In short, stop acting your age!

3. Keep challenging your mind -- I started using my left hand to do things.  Try brushing your teeth with the other hand and you will notice that everything around you slows down.  You start engaging your mind with intent instead of autopilot – kind of like how most of us live our lives and handle the relationships around us.

Now back to my nap -- if you’ve had a concussion you will know what I mean, you cannot get enough sleep and I am determined to heal as quickly as I can so I can get back to my surfing career.  Yes, I plan on going pro one day -- well, as long as they have a senior’s category by the time I get there.  Doubt me now -- I will see you on the beach when you come over for my autograph

With all seriousness, take care of your brain -- it’s the only one you’ve got and it needs to last you a lifetime.

Looking forward to reading your suggestions on how you keep your mind young and sharp -- please do share.

Do connect with me on FACEBOOK

I remember those words ringing in my ear for days.  No one had ever spoken to me as such.  Little did I know that from this day on I would never look at life situations the same way again.

As a child I never had the fortune to have mentors I could look up to and be guided with insightful dialogue.  So when I heard the magical words,

 Success is on the other side of failure,  it was an internal validation to what I always knew to be true.

This is an amazing 1 min. video that reminds us how all those people that succeed also at one point in their lives were exactly where we all have been and at times are.  Only difference is that we chose to quit.

How easily we quit on our dreams

We so easily look for reasons to give up on what we started.  Instead we need to look for inspiration from others that were not willing to give up on their dreams.

This is a great video little video- well worth the time.

Please share with us the dream that you never gave up on – would love to read those.

Fred Sarkari

Imagine this, a hand in a bucket of water.  As you pull the hand out the space it once occupied is filled instantly.  That my friends, is how fast most people “that space” can be replaced by their so called ‘loyal’ clients.

People want to connect to those they do business with.  If you do not create a human identity in your business there is nothing to connect to.  Marketing is nothing more then having the courage to reveal yourself to the world.

People want to connect to those they do business with.

After all, the entire point of marketing is to present your business to the masses. While many people know what return they want from their advertising campaigns or even who they want their marketing to appeal to, most forget to take the time to figure out exactly what it is they are marketing.

HINT** (Just incase you are having one of those days and missing out on the entire message) – If you keep marketing a product or service – you are no different from the rest.

Marketing is about putting your business out there–your business is a direct reflection of you, so essentially putting yourself out there–which means that you have to know yourself and your company first before you can try to sell it to others.

Ask yourself: How does my company look at its employees and its consumers? What does this mean you ask -

Change the way you look at people and the people you look at will change.

That’s it.  No fancy conclusion on this one.  Just take some time and figure out what your business stands for.  Once you do, your main competition will only be a bunch of fancy looking brochures most people send out.

What is the best marketing you have seen or done that represents a human identity?

For me life is a series of lessons put in front of us – our learning comes from looking back at how we reacted and responded to them.  It is very easy to blow things out of proportion in our daily lives.

As many of you know I just finished the launch of my new book “Courage to be Naked”. I didn’t just want to release it I wanted to release it with a purpose.  So because of all your support, we were able to put 25 new kids into supportive camps.

Anyway, back to what I was saying, life teaches us so many lessons and this book launch was full of them for me.  From how amazing people are by their support right to the other end of the spectrum of how easily people walk away from their committed word of support.

The postal strike was one of these challenges. All in all there weren’t that many books that were lost or didn’t reach their destination, but one in particular didn’t.  And yes, I was to be sued for $7.87.  ha ha – Yes, I myself had a good laugh.

We will leave her name anonymous as the intent of this post is not to embarrass anyone but more so to take this as a lesson for all of us on how easily we transfer our struggles we might be facing in life on to others.   I received a few e-mails that were escalating in severity from one lady who did not receive her free book and she was not impressed.

At first I was a little curious as to why someone would be so enraged about not receiving a free book. I took it as sort of a compliment, after all, she wanted my book so badly that she was angry at me for not having received it.

Being that there was a postal strike, I thought it was just delayed like a few others that had been sent. I sent a message back and told her I would look into it.  I had found out that books in her location was talking a little extra time.

While  I was sorting out the details with the distributor and Canada Post.  I got an angry e-mail back -

“I have requested a refund as i have still not receivede my order.  I have spoken to my lawyer and if I do not receive the refund in 10 business days you will receive a summons.”

- Her refund was for the cost of shipping a book.

A few things were going on in my mind.

1. The book was free and only shipping and handling was charged on the good faith that some of my recipients would donate to the cause.

2. She never even donated anything towards the children’s camps

3. What could cause someone to be so angry at such a small event in life.

4. This is a personal trainer where her main role is to help her clients feel good about themselves.  Be it the fitness industry or any other, if we focus on making people feel good and being compassionate it is amazing the peace we can spread in their lives and ours.

I must admit for a few minutes I was both angry and disillusioned. I was trying to raise money for children, and now I was being threatened with a potential lawsuit over shipping and handling?  I just felt I had better things to do.

Instead of the knee-jerk reaction of anger I responded with compassion. This person for whatever reason was going through something that I couldn’t possibly understand, and it made her lash out as a way of dealing with the feelings she was having.

By me reacting, I would be no better.  Worse yet, all I would be doing is spreading the anger and pain instead of compassion.

So my genuine reply to her was:

“Here you go XXXXXX – Your credit card has been refunded as of August 3rd 2011 – They took a screen capture for your records.

We also just got notification back that the book was shipped and dropped off – so someone at your gym actually has your book as well as it was shipped to a gym….

We might see each other at the Can-Fit-Pro conference.  Where I hope to have the opportunity to apologize for this inconvenience and stress all this has caused in your life.”

Yes, you read right – the book was actually shipped and delivered - probably being read by someone with sticky fingers even as I write this.

Here is the power of compassion.  I received a reply back from her and I had to wonder if this was the same person.

“I will definitely stop by at the conference and I would love to meet you in person as I continue to be a fan of your work”

So if I had reacted to my knee-jerk response of initial annoyance, not taking into consideration her feelings or what she may be going through, I would’ve turned a fan into an enemy.  And worse, spread anger instead of compassion.

In life we need to slow down enough to realize that we are all human and as human’s we at times need to vent our emotions onto others.  When we do not take this personally and honor the people for where they are at that moment in time, we in turn honor our self.

……. She never said if she was going to drop the lawsuit though? : )

Always remember to be nice to everyone, especially those that need it.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Do share below the times you struggled to be nice or humanly reacted

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A ZOROASTRIAN

I felt a tear flow down my face as I sat there in the second row of the Chan Center.

Vista Trethewey was singing Believe with a group of adorable Zoroastrian children as her back up singers.

It was not only the moment I realized what it meant to be a Zoroastrian, but more so, it was the moment I realized how proud I was to be a Zoroastrian.

Watching close to a 1000 Zoroastrians from all over the world connecting with one another, made me realize for the first time that we are part of a bigger calling than I ever realized.

Speaking on that stage was by far one of my greatest honors that I had the pleasure of experiencing.

We are more than a religion, a community, or simply a group of people.  I truly believe that we together can and will impact the lives of all those that cross our path in this world.

It is the essence of who we are

and all we have to do is have the courage to live out our destiny.

Standing there on stage, I could see and feel the glow of love that radiated in the audience.  Giving my heart and soul a sense of true belonging.

Being a Zoroastrian is more than placing the text – good words, good thoughts and good deeds upon our walls and saying our prayers every day.

Being a Zoroastrian is turning those words into our everyday reality.  It is truly finding the courage to live the essence of those words in our daily lives with anyone that crosses our path.

We have not only survived but thrived through centuries

because of our soul connections within each other.

Experiencing the World Congress made me realize that how we live our individual lives impacts us all as a whole.

Thank you to all the people that made the 5th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress possible.  It is more than just an event, it truly is an opportunity for us all to build bridges within our lives.

We can and will ignite true love in this world with

Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds.

I would love to know what your favorite part of the 4 days was and what you took away from it.

Please take the time to share your comments below.

CLICK HERE to connect on facebook.

Thank you to everyone for joining in and having fun with me on this contest.

The winner for the ipad 2 is below.  She is holding her brand new ipad 2.  Covering her face a little as she requested not to have her face plastered all over the internet.

Congratulations Sarah from the United States.

She did not waste time running to the Apple Store and picking up her new ipad.

Hope you enjoy ipad and find a lot of use in it.

*******THE MOST AMAZING THING******

Now for what I think is the most amazing part.  Cross read one of my readers blog post.  (which I have attached below) And was so touched by his awareness that they have decided to send him a very very very nice pen with his name engraved on it.

Here is the image of the pen.  Retailing for approx. $125.

Here is the post that he wrote: one of our readers wrote on the blog:

————————

I decided some time ago that I wanted an iPad but also that I didn´t want to take the money out of my budget to buy it since I don´t really need it….

When I saw the competition here I knew I would be going all in to win it and since then I have enjoyed writing here every day.
As with things I want to achieve in life I figure out what it takes and go for it consistently. Do what it takes to reach the goal.

But is it rational…? Naaah
The hours I have spend writing in this blog could easily have paid for an iPad if I had spend that time working or coaching.

So why to do it and what made me motivated…?
Well. I like to WIN. And when the iPad is being given I know that I did what I could to have the biggest chance to win it. Werther I get it or not I know I did what I could.
Winning it would be great and make my mission complete.
Not winning would mean that the universe will send it to me from somewhere else. I still had the joy of commenting here in this blog and it has been a great journey for me.

Actually writing here has motivated for restarting my own blog that has been closed down for a while.
Also I have enjoyed this so much that I will for sure keep interacting with Fred here in his blog.

So think about motivation….
Motivation very often doesnt make sense. I have seen that often in both my job as a swimming coach and as life coach.
For one client preparing the coffee machine in the evening was all it took to wake up 1 hour earlier in the mornings and go to the gym. Once he got used to preparing the coffee before going bed he got back in the shape he had when being a national team basket ball player.

Remember when there is something you want to motivate yourself or others to do that the tricker that start it all can be something very simple – and it will be different for all of us.

Lets keep enjoying Freds great blog!!

Mads

———

Mads, you have just proven that when you have pure intent to grow, connect, impact and just enjoy the journey – great things always come your way.

Thank you everyone.  We will be starting another contest.  Connect with us on facebook as there will be one give away after another.

Wow! is all I can say.  What a great experience it has been.  Working with so many partners in order to spread the word for this amazing charity.

I have learned so much and made some great friends along the way. For me, the most precious thing was how so many of you opened up your hearts in order to help with this cause.  I wish words could describe how I truly feel.

Impact You Helped Create

- Collectively we raised a little over $10,000.

- The most amazing thing is when it comes to creating awareness for the charity.  there were close to 250,000 emails that were sent out through partnerships like yours.

Exposure was the main impact we were trying to create with all your help.

- Because of all your support and exposure, we will be able to put 25 more children into full week camps.  These are kids that would have ever had the opportunity without your support.

iPad 2 Winner:

What everyone is waiting for – Who will get the ipad 2? – We will be giving that away in the next 7 days.  If you want to win, all you have to do is press ‘like’ on our facebook: www.facebook.com/fredsarkari -    Click here to press ‘Like’

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Video Of The Presentation – ‘Courage To Be Naked’

Here is the video from our closing presentation – “Courage To Be Naked” – A big thank you to Total Office for Sponsoring this event.  And the Chamber for hosting it.

Thanks to Carmen from Total Office and Frank Byl from Power Concepts for their surprise donation of $300 each to the ‘About Face’ Charity at the event.

There Are Only 6 Days Left

The book launch officially closes on June 30th.  If you still want to get your free copy, this will be your final chance.  CLICK HERE

Once again, thank you to everyone for all your generosity, your time and effort.

This would not have happened without everyone supporting each other. Thank you for all the impact you have made in the lives of these children.

Please do keep in touch over -  FACEBOOK

Fred Sarkari

Looking forward to your comments below, thanks for taking the time to do so.

One of the hardest things for us to do is to give something up.  Heck we have a hard time getting rid of things we do not even want or care for let alone the things we enjoy.

It was not easy to lock up my road bike and not ride at all this year.  It was actually a very hard thing for me to do and took some time to mentally be okay with it.  Probably as the last time I had to do that, it took almost 10 years to be able to get back on the bike.

This time around I am listening to my body a little more and being proactive so I can be back next year.

My physio did suggest I should try riding a mountain bike around the city as the geometry is a lot easier on my back and hips. He did make it very clear that they should be casual rides – I must have not been listening at that point in time.

I am so so so happy, as he was right.  I putter around town with the mountain bike and it feels good to be just on one.

Than it happened, the darn ego and the desire to have more kicked in.

Thought to myself, well I should try actual mountain biking.

I had no idea how hard this sport is – not just physically but more so mentally.  I have gone approximately 6 times onto the trails and 5 of those times came back with some blood on me.

The last one made me think about sticking to the roads and just enjoying the calm riding that I ‘should’ be doing.

What was amazing was that every fall I took, was not due to the lack of physical ability but all of it was a lack of mental belief that I can.

This was the start of the bruising.  And the lack of ability to take full breaths.

Going down the mountain and it just kept getting steeper and more rocks kept appearing.

The path went narrow and I lost focus for one second and thought to myself, if I were to fall those rocks would hurt and I could fall off the cliff.  Well guess what happened as soon as those thoughts entered my mind.

Those darn rocks hurt and lucking I did not go over the cliff but the bike did.

Doubt is one of the biggest killers that hinder our achievements in all aspects of our lives.

The only times I crashed was when there was a snippet of doubt that entered my mind and that gave enough of a belief for my body to think I could not do it – Leading to another crash.

Remember, your mind knows no difference from what is real and what you tell it.

If you tell it that you cannot do something and it cannot. If you tell it you can, than it will find a way to do it.  It is as simple as that.

So next time you are facing a mountain, either straight up or straight down, you just have to believe you can and it is amazing how many things we have the pleasure of achieving, feeling, experiencing in this beautiful thing we call life.

Our mental state that we face these moments in life determines whether we just existed as our years pass us by or did we truly live our lives by experiencing and cherishing every single one of these moments, the Good, Bad, and Ugly – All of them is what life is truly about.

Sorry to be so graphic – As I was standing there in yoga doing a Tree Pose, my stomach tensed as I felt my breakfast come up my throat, and as it hit the back of my mouth…

It all started last night when I was driving back from Vancouver after having a phenomenal session with Royal Bank.  What makes a session so phenomenal to me?  I had a lot of fun, the group walked away seeing their roles and relationships with a different perspective and everyone had a lot of laughs throughout the session.

I was feeling so good and on a natural high that I had the urge to drive straight into the gym that night.

That is a big thing as I really have not been doing much since I started yoga almost 2 months ago.

I had a great workout on my own hitting the punching bag.  On my way home I was talking to our local celebrity Sandy Pembroke. A Celebrity due to not just owning the stores, Your Gym Bag, but also his background as a professional fighter.

Well, he went on to say he just took on a fight that will be in 10 days and would I like to show up in the morning and be a sparring partner for him.

My best quality as a sparring partner is essentially a moving punching bag for these guys.  The beauty of this sport is when one has a fight others jump in and do what they can to help them succeed.  Imagine what this world would be like if we had that mentality in all aspects of our lives with those around us.

I show up this morning, still a little tired from last night and boy oh boy, did I walk into what you call the best and worst work out in a long time.

Sandy has a good 100 pounds on me and what an athlete.  I know as I have a sore rib, head and nose to prove it.

After I got my beating in the ring by him we went to the bag for another cardio workout.  Really, I have no idea what to say except of the fact that I truly wanted to throw up and just collapse – my body was not used to this at all.

As the coach kept yelling out – “its all in your mind, believe you can” Wow!  Just listening to such words we were able to muster up enough energy to keep going.

Let those words ring in your minds next time you think twice about what you are capable of doing.

“it’s all in your mind, believe you can”

Now comes the not so smart decision.  As some would say “Dumb ass, what were you thinking?”

I figured I would go straight from there to Moksha Yoga in order to stretch and loosen up. Ha ha – Dum ass!

As soon as I walked in and laid down for my Savasana (you lay down and let go of everything) – Well at that point in time I already felt like letting everything go – from my stomach out of my mouth.

As I am thinking about leaving the instructor walks in and guess what – I am in the furthest corner away from the exit.

Focus focus focus is all I kept telling myself.  It’s 60 minutes and you will be done.

ha ha – I can truly say I do not remember most of that class as I was in such a daze.  Sat through most of it as any movement made me feel like I was going to either pass out or throw up.

Time to do the Tree Pose – I thought to myself, “well that is an easier pose that requires balance but not to much strain on the muscles.”

As I went to raise my arms I felt my stomach spasm and there she came running up my throat.  As sick as it sounds it hit the back of my mouth and with everything I could muster up I pushed it right back down again – I know I know, sick.  Well better than throwing it up on the person beside me in a fully packed class.

The main thing that helped me through this class was what one of my readers, Louise, here on the blog once mentioned.

“letting go of expectations and just riding the wave”

Well, I survived, barely made it home and crashed for an hour.  Woke up, ate some food (fine, ate a lot of food) along with a few advil’s for my back due to the morning workout.

Once again, in the pursuit of wanting to get back into shape I have done nothing but shock my system, ached my body and slept the day away.

The funny part is, as I was typing this I got a call back from Sandy asking if we can go back to the gym tonight for another quick sparring session.

Sandy my man, you are an animal.

Can you guess what the answer to his question was?

I went to my first Moksha Yoga class here in Kelowna.  I am not too sure how I really liked it as yet compared to the hot bikrham yoga, but I am committed to going for the next 30 days.

I did find it not as uncomfortably hot as the Hot Bikhram Yoga.  When I finished I actually felt like I can continue my day instead of feeling like I needed a nap and starving to death.

Since the Moksha yoga circulates their hot air from the outside, you could feel a difference in the cleanliness of the heat. If that even makes sense.

Not that the change rooms were bad in any way at the Bikhram Yoga, but the ones at the Moksha were pretty fancy.  Even had shampoo and Conditioner in the showers that did not smell like the ones they use in hospitals.

I rushed to class and forgot my water bottle and when I got into class my stomach insisted on letting everyone know I was hungry from the beginning.

They do have a Yin class which I have never heard of.  It is all about stretching your hips and lower back so I am very excited to try that class on Sunday.

Over all, I like the fact that they have different kind of classes and different lengths as well. The 1.5 hours at hot Bikhram yoga was really difficult to make time for.  Over 2 hours by the time you get there, shower etc.

But, I did find that the Hot Bikhram yoga stretched me out more and for sure I felt like I had a harder workout.  Maybe the more intense classes at the Moksha will also make me feel like I was run over by a truck.

Oh one more thing, they actually played music which was awesome, other then the fact that I could not hear what the instructor was saying so I had not choice but to look around to see what I was suppose to do.  Which as you can imagine did not work too well as I kept forgetting the intent of why I was suppose to look around…

Yup, I went for sushi right after and just could not help myself with the pleasure of over eating.

Anyone out there can shed some experience when it comes Moksha and Bikhram yoga?

Thanks for sharing

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Yoga is truly testing my will of perseverance lately.

Today I had to leave class for a while and the instructor with a smile on her face said.  “Fred, if you are walking out for a break you better not come back without throwing up.”

To which I mentally responsed, “That will not be an issue.”

The last 5 classes have been a roller coaster.

The first class. I had to sit down for a few poses, as was feeling a little dizzy. Not a problem, as part of yoga for me is to help me keep my ego in check.

The second class, I was even worse.  How could I be getting worse?  I ate right, and I was hydrated and ready to take back my self-acclaimed title of Master Yogi Fred.

Leaving the class I realized that I was so determined to have a good class that as focused as I thought I was, I did nothing but distract the calmness of my mind – that is where your strength is.

Yoga, just like in life, is not to control our situation but more so to embrace where we are at during that moment in time, and cherish it.

Class number 3 – what a damn disaster.  All I can say is I was getting turned off this yoga crap, taking up my 2 hours, coming home hungry and dizzy and all I want to do is over eat and take a nap.  Really, what the heck am I doing this for?

Now I had 4 days left to my 30-day commitment.  Ah! What is 4 more days? I came this far, I have committed enough and another 4 days is not going to make a difference.

I woke up the next morning and realized:

Quitting now will not make a difference to anyone’s life.

Except the one that matter the most, mine!

How can we expect others to rely on us if we can’t even rely on our own commitments?

So I rechecked my attitude, I put all expectations aside and I went back to one more class.

My forth class turned out to be the best class I have ever had.  In my heart I had reclaimed my self-acclaimed title of Master Yogi Fred.

We too often quit inches away from the best experience of our lives.

How sad to think what else we have given up in our lives?

Today was my 5^th class and I was excited to see the progression.  Ah! Damn Yoga shit, playing with my emotions like a roller coaster relationship.  I have only been dating her for a month and already she is driving me crazy. – I almost threw up today and had the worst class I have ever had.

I have 2 more days left – guess what I am going to do with a smile on my face.

Thanks for listening and sharing

Have you got your ballot in for the free ipad 2?

http://www.mentalsidewalk.com/2011/04/ipad2-contest/

Today was my 8th class at the Bikram Yoga.

I think, I do say, I just think that today might have been the day.

I finally started feeling a sense of progression.  (In my mind this was the pose I was doing.  In reality you do not want to know.)

The amazing thing is not only physically but also mentally.

That being said, the physical acceleration might just have to do

with my mental progression.

I decided to take my mind to a different level -  before, during, and after the class.  I had one consistent focus no matter how my poses were progressing today.

I told myself,

“I will keep having a genuine internal smile throughout the entire class.”

For those that are missing out on my point – It is a way of saying relax and enjoy the moment.  Stop focusing on others, stop focusing on where you want to end up and how much better you want to be.  Just cherish, enjoy and fall in love with where you are at.

Today, Instead of ‘huffing’ my breathe when I could not finish a pose, I smiled and embraced the joy of the progression. It was amazing, I truly enjoyed the class today more then any other.

I also am starting to learn what my body needs as in nutrition to survive the 90 minutes of exercise in the heat.

Today’s Nutrition:

- 1 large glass of water 2 hours prior class

- Bowl of oatmeal with berries and dried cottage cheese, 2 hours prior

- A spoon of unpasteurized honey and hour prior class

It was great, I was not hungry or dehydrated.

3 Lessons for my yogi friends:

1. We too often give up to quickly on the things we want to do in life.  If I used my first few sessions as an indicator of Yoga, I would have quit and missed out on all physical benefits and mental awareness.

2. It is critical to know where you want to end up.  BUT, never at the cost of losing sight of the reason why.  It is the Why that will keep you going when most will give up.

3. Just enjoy where you are at.  We live in this fast paced, results oriented world we have all created for ourselves.  Slow down, and just enjoy the moment.

Thank you to all those that are supporting and guiding me with their experience.

The ipad 2 Contest has just started.  Many simple ways to get your name in a ballot.

CLICK HERE FOR Ipad 2 CONTEST

So today was my 3rd day at the Bikram Hot Yoga.

Yesterday I was a having a conversation with an individual that has been doing yoga for 10 years.  Wow! I can’t imagine doing this for 10 years, was my first thought.

All of a sudden the thought went through my head, WoW! wonder how I would feel if I was doing this for 10 years?

Rule #1 for taking on new adventures: As much as you want to have a focus of the future accomplishments.  Make sure most of your focus is on the present enjoyments of the journey.

I was actually excited to go to my 3rd class, and actually found myself looking forward to it.

This time I ate a small bowl of granola with almond milk 1 hour prior to class.

About 1 hour into the class, I started getting hungry again.    That is when I started thinking it would be a lot easier to survive the next 30 minutes if I had my ipod.

That is when it occurred to me. Fred, change your mindset -

“You are not here to survive the time – you are here to cherish the minutes that you are experiencing.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.”

As soon as I changed my mindset – it felt like an entirely new class.  I felt rejuvenated, excited and mentally focused.

LESSON LEARNED: Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.  That also reflects with the people that cross our paths – Change the way we look at people and the people we look at change.

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Today I went to my second class of Bikram Hot Yoga.  Wanted to try the 6:15 am class.  I must admit, I kicked and screamed my way out of bed.  Its amazing how many times I had to consciously talk myself into going.

I wonder at times how many things that we want to try and do in life that we talk ourselves out of without even realizing we keep doing it?

I was a little sore and tight from yesterday.  But knowing what to expect from the class it went a little easier.  What did not go easier are the hunger pains.  Due to the early rise of the class, all I ate was an apple.  My stomach actually started making noises in class.

It got me thinking about the progression of yoga.  Golfers always say that in the beginning, golf is a frustrating game.  Until the most amazing thing happens that gets you hooked for life.  Your first beautiful shot, lucky as it may be.

After that all you want is more.  Swimmers say the same about learning how to swim, one day it just clicks.

I have yet to experience that in either golf or swimming, but I will take their word for it.

So I wonder if that is the same for Yoga?

Watching some of these people with their postures and flexibility, it seems like it would take me a lifetime to achieve.

Could the secret be not to focus on the end goal and just enjoy the journey.  In doing so you can be more aware of the daily progression, mental and physical.

8:30 am – Did 90 minutes of hot yoga, showered, ate breakfast and just finished a post.  That alone is something to celebrate.

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Wow! Wow! Wow! – And I am not pertaining to the scenery.  Hot Yoga is difficult!  I was so exhausted, dizzy, and for sure starving half way through – But all of it was worth it in the end.  That being said, if I did not have food hiding in my car, I probably would not be typing this post.

I went for my first session today to Bikram Yoga Kelowna.  I had done it once or twice a few years ago but I do not recall it being so exhausting, physically and mentally, as it was today.

I think it was exhausting due to my shift in mind-set this time around.  I have committed to going 10 times this month.  For those that have done their 30 day challenge, relax with the thought of thinking only 10 times.

First, it was harder this time around due to my commitment of truly focus on proper form and concentration.  Second, why only 10 times? Purpose of doing this is to see if it helps some of my injuries, so I need to make sure I do not do more harm then good.

How do I feel right after?  As I type this all I can think of is taking a nap.  I could barely get through my shower as all I could think about is food.  Someone told me you can burn an average of 1000 calories in one class.

I do believe there is pleasure in pain – as I am feeling it right at this moment.

This was one pose I did not even come close to achieving, yet.

Few suggestions if you want to try it for the first time:

1. I think the session at Bikram Yoga Kelowna was amazing.  If you are in Kelowna, try that class.  The instructor was incredible in guiding a beginner like myself and at the same time supporting the advanced students.

2. You do burn a lot of calories.  As much as they say do not eat too close to the class, make sure you have enough calories to sustain yourself.  It truly becomes a test of the mind when you are dizzy due to starvation.

3. This leads to the 3rd advice.  As much as it might be an ill practice to have a small watch by your corner.  I found myself for the last 30 minutes losing my focus due to not knowing how much longer I was to mentally fight through my tiredness and hunger.

4. The rest are the norms – bring 2 towels, drink water few hours before the session and bring a large bottle of water for the class.

Anyone else just start doing yoga? How do you find it?

Those that are doing it for a while – I am open to any advice and more so support and encouragement.

Thanks for sharing.

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Thanks

This was a fun interview to do. The Stone Sisters are not only one of the most successful entrepreneurs in their industry but they have also figured out how to live a family balanced life.

In this video we talk about what the Stone Sisters do different in order to be successful in a market when most others are struggling.

We also talk about the importance of a partnership and how in the last 6 years they have never had any conflicts within it.

Please take the time to share what has worked for you and any lessons you can share.

Thanks for sharing

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE NEW BOOK

Fred Sarkari

One great thing about my career is that I get to talk to a lot of different people. One of those people is Sandy Pembroke. I met Sandy at the gym and he was pretty hard to miss.

Over time, Sandy and I have become friends and he let me sit down with him on camera to talk about his background as a Professional Fighter -- Professor and a Business Owner -- and his secrets to success in all of them

This video is really worth watching, especially because Sandy is such a fun guy to listen to. His history is diverse and powerful. He gave up some lucrative opportunities in order to pursue his dream as a business owner.

He found success as a World Titlist KickBoxer.  Beyond his history as a fighter, Sandy has also spent time as a University professor before turning his focus to business.

The interview is laid back, with plenty of banter between good friends. Our conversation covers a lot of different things, from Sandy’s time in the ring to the way he approaches all things in his life.

Sandy’s storytelling is compelling and personal, and his insights are helpful no matter what your goals are in life. With advice about the value of healthy living and the importance of never giving up, there’s a lot to learn from Sandy.

So, take time to watch it, and be entertained and inspired today.

Do take the time to share your takeaway and more so any insights you can share with other readers that will help them in the pursuit of their dreams.

Thanks for sharing

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE COPY OF THE NEW BOOK

(Video filmed and created by Ivan Sampson -- sampsonartistry@shaw.ca)

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone for helping me make this event a success.

We had almost 100 people in attendance, and we spent the entire day sharing and learning together about branding ourselves in the community and effective communication within our professional and personal lives.

Below are some of the critical takeaways.

1. How Did I Make Them Feel?: Every decision we make is based on emotion and then justified by logic. These emotions stem from past experiences. So often, we focus on communicating the right information to clients, but information is useless when it is not linked to their emotional language. Always ask yourself this question after every interaction: How did I make that person feel?

2. It’s about people: We need to care about people, not just as potential clients, but as actual people. I’ve learned this lesson firsthand from the wonderful people of Kelowna. When I moved here last year, countless people helped me without expecting anything in return. It has had such a powerful impact on me that I hope to be able to offer the same to the people I come across.

“People do not care what you know, until they know how much you care.”

3. What is Your Brand?: Before you can reach customers, you have to define yourself. You need to decide what you want your business to be known for and what you want customers to feel when they think of you and your business. Good business people will ask themselves the following questions:

What do I want to be known for?

How do I want people to describe me and my business?

Without having clear answers to these questions, all people can do is talk about what you sell.

4. Punch To The Gut: When defining your business, it’s important not to be safe. Get out of your comfort zone and be bold. The average person is bombarded by 40,000 pieces of advertising every day. If you want to stand out, create a brand that is simply unforgettable. I think Derrick said it best: good branding should be like a “punch to the gut.”

5. Be Authenticity: This event was so refreshing for me because the people there were genuine. People are tired of a world filled with facades. People will always gravitate toward people and businesses that are authentic. Therefore, always be yourself. When you are open and raw, connections come naturally and last longer.

Overall, I just want to thank everyone who attended; it was great to spend time with so many like-minded people! Thank you for being genuine and open, making this event a learning experience and more importantly a lot of fun.

I also want to take the time to mention the speakers, Derrick, Josh, and Margeaux. They were all excellent, and it was wonderful of them to spend the day with us, helping facilitate growth and learning.

Also, extra thanks to those who provided the awesome door prizes! And I can’t forget Montgomery and Miles for buying everyone drinks at the end of the event.

Last, but definitely not least, thank you to Total Office for my new chair! The gesture of thanks is above and beyond the call of duty, but I can promise you that it will get a lot of good use for years to come.

-

If you were at the event, I would love to hear what you took away for yourself that day.  Share share share share. Taking one minute to share can change a life.

Fred Sarkari

If you do any marketing in your business you need to learn from the “Get A Mac Campaign.”  Apple has always been known to be innovators in the electronics market.

Apple created an innovative campaign that would not only bring more attention to the Apple brand and its various products, but redefine its image and user demographic.

Get a Mac was launched 2006.  The brilliance behind Apple’s advertising was in how well it connected with its target audience.

Is your marketing and branding connecting with your target audience?

The two actors would enact a scenario that inevitably showed the pitfalls of using a PC while accentuating how the same issues were not problematic with a Mac. The genius behind this was that it put the target audience into the painful situations they go through on a daily basis using a computer.  Than Mac made you in-vision what it would be like if you did not have to deal with these daily frustrations.

These little skits had a humorous tone.  Apple stayed cool and calm, no matter what PC’s current mishap might have been. In this, Apple not only managed to demonstrate the quality of its products, but made the differences memorable. By relying on humor, Apple connected with its audience on a deeper level, making it more likely for them to remember the ads and the brand.

The Get a Mac campaign was so successful that Apple utilized it for nearly three years and even retooled the concept for marketing overseas. Both Japan and the UK had their own versions of the Get a Mac commercials, which helped Apple to redefine its role worldwide. During this campaign, Apple managed to boost its sales and overall market value dramatically.

4 Marketing Essentials

1. Niche Market: A good advertising campaign has to know its audience and market the product directly toward its niche demographic.

2. Connect To Daily Experience: For marketing to make an impact the audience needs to live and relate to your message by connecting to their daily experiences.

3. Give Your Product Life: A good marketing campaign should not only communicate why the product is superior, but give your product like making the consumers want to be a part of the brand.

4. Get Them To Feel: Most critical impact you can make is getting your audience to live strong emotions like humor, pain, frustration, calmness, inspiration…