Are You Tired Of Your Thighs Rubbing?

On and on you will hear people complaining about their weight. As a Personal Trainer I hear complaints way more than the regular Joe. Everyone knows someone that can't stop talking about their waistline. Even when you try and compliment them, they turn the compliment into something disparaging about themselves: "That skirt looks really nice on you!" Them: "Yeah, but I could stand to lose 10 lbs!" Awkward silence! Because seriously?! How does one respond to that? "Yup! you sure do Baby Cakes!" No one is ever going to say that. So this is what I have done as a Trainer, I have created the 'No Personal Attack Zone.' In my presence you are NOT allowed to physically or verbally attack yourself! If you start in on yourself, I pretend I didn't hear the remark and say something positive about you. Because the real deal is this: You and I both know that this negative self-talk is counterproductive to everything positive we are trying to accomplish. This negative vibe that you are putting out is bringing all of this negative energy right back to you. Do you like feeling bad? Are you not tired of your thighs rubbing? There was and is a reason why people hire Personal Trainers and it isn't to co-sign on all of your negative feelings, thoughts or actions. You are your own little personal terrorists against YOURSELF. Are my words a little too dramatic for you? I don't think so. Think about it: 1st Definition of Terror:  a frightening aspect. 2nd: a cause of anxiety. I came to realize, from my own experiences, how frightened I was to get rid of the weight. I would start, and then mentally, talk so negatively about what I was doing,how long it would take, etc. that I would eventually slow down to a skid. Done. The mind is an amazing thing! and when we don't take care as to how we think about Self, our actions will follow our thoughts and words. We,as Humans, are really good at moving and shaking for everyone else. It is a frightening aspect and we do become filled with anxiety when we must act on our own behalf. The question: "Are you tired of your thighs rubbing?" is not a rhetorical question. On my old business cards, on the back, I posed the question: "Are you ready for Change?" These questions are synonymous and you must answer, to yourself, honestly. Your actions will speak louder than your words. Then the complaining and self-deprecating remarks will end, because you have moved and taken action for yourself. Wishing you Love and Peace...but mostly Peace. 
Disclaimer: Excuse the different fonts...I never said I was tech savvy! http://www.rightfitpersonaltraining.com/personal-trainers/lake-forest/illinois/lake-forest-dawn-m/

The Music, The Love....Prince.

I am a true 80's kid, there is no denying it. The Generation-X'er's believed in our music and across the board, no matter what ethnicity, we pretty much all knew and could(and still can!)sing you a wide variety of songs from that era; from The Cure to Run DMC, we got it. But personally, there is that one that changed music for me and that one is Prince. I come from a musical family, Singers one and all. There wasn't one genre of music that at some point, wasn't played in our home. But when my older sister came home from college with Prince's Controversy album; stick a fork in me, cause I was done! It wasn't as if I hadn't heard Prince before. Sure, we had I feel for you, Soft and Wet(totally not supposed to listen to that song!), Nothing Compares To You, etc. but Controversy was different for me; maybe because I was a teenager and full of angst? And what speaks to a teenagers heart more than Rock and Roll? I listened to Annie Christian and HEARD it. The song Controversy in itself was a Controversy "Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Me?" I, at 14, fell undeniably in love with Prince. Not for the reasons most teenage girls fall in love with Rock and Roll Gods; no, I was too deep for that(and didn't we all think we were deep? :) I loved Prince for his rebellious nature, I loved him because my Mama didn't! for his thumbing his nose to anyone that said he had to dress a certain way (Prince encouraged us all to wear frilly blouses and brooches), Be a certain way, or play a certain type of music. Most of all I loved him for the music. With the passing of Natalie Cole and Maurice White, I felt the loss of my childhood. Their songs are attached to the memories of family parties, me and my sisters holding concerts in our house and most of all; my Mama. Prince's music helped change who I was as a teenager, yes! I blame him. That was my teenage self, after listening to the B-side of the 1999 album, going to THE best hairstylist in our town at the time, Mr. Bill Duncan, and saying with a very confident voice(confidence that I didn't really feel) "Cut it like Grace Jones!" and he DID! "Be glad that you are free! Free to change your mind. Free to go most anywhere, anytime." This is the song I had been listening to when I decided to cut my hair like Grace, this is the moment I decided that I was never going to be part of the "In" crowd.. nor did I want to be.  I was Free. So here is my love letter to you Mr. Rogers; that chunky teenager wearing the Doc Martens and sporting the Grace cut. Rocking the long earring and believing she will be part of The Revolution and The Hot Mix Five:) That Girl and this Woman thank you. Wishing all of you Love and Peace.. but mostly Peace. 

Ambition: The Dirty Word

I realized something late in life: I am an ambitious Woman. If you would have told me this years ago, I would have certainly argued with you. I know I would have said something like: " I don't have a competitive bone in my body!" or " People that have so much ambition are uptight and willing to step on people to get what they want." Oh yes, I would have said both of those things. You see, the people that I saw around me that seemed ambitious usually resembled what I just described: cut-throat, two faced and opportunistic, so to me the word ambition was a dirty word. I didn't realize that all of those bad characteristics are usually demonstrated in people that are so insecure that they MUST behave this way. Real ambitious people, for the most part, are very secure in their skill set. They know what it takes to get to the next level and are willing to work hard to get there. This doesn't make you a bad person, what it does make you is ambitious. To want the best in life and be willing to work for it, to do what it takes, within integrity to get it... that is a beautiful thing. To be honest with you, I never knew I had it in me! I was a Wife, a stay at home Mama( I still worked from home by the way) and I am not saying that I was unhappy; because I wasn't. But what I was was hungry! I was dissatisfied with myself because I knew there was something I wanted to do, I was just too afraid of success to go get it. I was trying to suppress my ambition, I was downright terrified of it! Then when I was backed into a corner( did you also just say the famous Dirty Dancing line? :) When I found my Calling( Personal Training) and I was surrounded by testosterone and raw ambition; all of a sudden the "Beast" was unleashed! I saw that Men are taught young to be ambitious and competitive, not so much Women, even in today's world.  I learned that I could be and WAS just as competitive and it was okay. That I could and CAN do all of this without being a horses backside even... Who Knew!? I always say "Face Forward With Focus!" and that is what ambition means to me: an all out, no holding back, kicking the door down, good time. It is YOUR time to shine! Be: Ambitious. Be: Credible. Be:Focused. Be: True. Wishing you Love and Peace, but mostly Peace.