Often life whispers to us to warn us of potential problems that may lie ahead, but frequently we are so busy with other things that we ignore these warning signs. One of the best ways to reduce the number of problems in your life is to learn to listen and act on life’s whispers.

Here’s a true story that illustrates the concept of life’s whispers:

David was an emergency physician who faced life and death situations on an almost daily basis. He worked long hours and lived his life in a high stress and high pressure environment.

One afternoon as he walked up the stairs to his car, David felt a tightness in his chest. As he was only 41, he dismissed it as heart burn. In the days that followed, the tightness returned but David was too busy to take much notice. Then he realised that life was whispering to him. He knew that if a patient came to him with the symptoms he was experiencing he would tell them to have some tests.

To cut a long story short, David booked himself in for a checkup and discovered that one of his coronary arteries was blocked. He had a stent inserted and was able to return to his normal activities within a few days.

By listening to life’s whisper and taking action, David avoided a life threatening situation.

Today I’d like to encourage you to take a step back from your daily routine, and find a quiet moment to stop and listen for life’s whispers.

Is there a health issue you should get checked out?

Is there someone you should touch base with?

Is there something you know you should do but haven’t got around to?

When you take the time to listen for life’s whispers you will discover that they are an incredibly valuable tool that will help you stay on track and avoid many of the pitfalls on the road to achieving your most important life goals.

Until Next Time,

Dare To Dream!

Anthony

This week I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine named Aaron Ferguson. Two years ago, Aaron’s life was not working out the way he had hoped. You see, he suffered from a condition called spondylolysis which was a defect in his lower spine.

Over time, Aaron’s condition had worsened to the point where he was in constant pain. He was also depressed, bitter and angry at the world around him.

He consulted a number of doctors and specialists and was told that his best option was to have a spinal fusion which involved having titanium screws inserted into his spine to hold his vertebrae together. The thought of facing major surgery scared Aaron, but he decided that it was better than doing nothing so he put his name down on the waiting list.

After 15 long months of waiting for his operation, Aaron received a phone call from the hospital advising him that the date for his operation had been pushed back another 6 months.

It was then that Aaron made a decision that would change his life forever. He decided to take responsibility for his own future and working with his doctor, he began to exercise gently in the hope that it might help stabilize his condition. The exercise did help and Aaron gradually began to pull himself out of his slump.

One day, Aaron heard about a competition being run by the EAS health company. The competition was called ‘Body For Life’ and involved following a training and diet program for 12 weeks and submitting a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo accompanied by an essay. The prize on offer in the 2005 competition was $1 Million Dollars.

Aaron saw the competition as a great way to focus on improving his fitness so he decided to take up the challenge and give it everything he had.

Twelve weeks later, Aaron had transformed his body beyond recognition. Here are Aaron’s before and after photos.

A few months later, Aaron found out that he had made it into the final of the international Body For Life competition. He was flown to Denver where a special dinner had been organized to announce the winner of the $1 million dollar prize.

The packed roon was silent as the MC opened the envelope and announced that the 2005 Body For Life champion was…Aaron Ferguson!

I met Aaron in 2005 and had the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him about his incredible success. He told me that the two major factors that contributed to his amazing transformation were:

(1) Focus

(2) Intensity

Focus: Aaron made the challenge his major focus for 12 weeks. He blocked out all distractions and concentrated on achieving the best possible transformation.

Intensity: Aaron’s second key to success was intensity. When he went to the gym, he didn’t stop and chat between every set like most people do. He worked at a high intensity and kept his momentum going to get the job done.

Today Aaron is enjoying his success as well as the joy of good health and the new perspective he has developed of himself and the world around him.

This week’s action steps:

(1) Whatever your most important life goal is at the moment, make the decision to commit yourself to making your dream a reality.

(2) Focus on the outcome you want to achieve and block out all distractions and thoughts of failure.

(3) When you work on your goal, work at a high intensity and build momentum to get the job done.

Note: Please consult your physician before beginning any new diet or exercise routine.

Until next time,

Dare To Dream!

Anthony

When you are faced with an illness or injury, it is very easy to become depressed and lose sight of your goals and dreams. No matter what obstacles you’re facing today, the first step on your road to recovery is to believe.

Here is a true story about the power of belief in overcoming physical limitations:

On June 23, 1940, a little girl was born in Clarksville, Tennessee. Her parents christened her Wilma Rudolph.

Having been born prematurely and weighing only 4.5 pounds, little Wilma was susceptible to illness and her mother spent several years nursing her through measles, mumps and scarlet fever.

One day her family noticed that Wilma’s left foot was becoming weak. Her mother took her to the doctor who informed them that Wilma had polio and would never walk.

Mrs. Rudolph refused to accept the diagnosis. She had something special in her heart – she had the power of belief and she told her young daughter that one day she would walk.

Mrs. Rudolph’s belief led her to take action and twice a week for the next two years, she took her daughter for treatment to a hospital that was over 50 miles away.

The doctors at the hospital taught Mrs. Rudolph how to perform the physical therapy exercises Wilma needed and every night she would massage her daughter’s legs late into the evening.

Wilma progressed slowly but steadily. By the time she was seven she could walk with the aid of metal leg braces. At school, Wilma sat and watched the other children running and told herself that one day she too would enjoy the freedom of being able to run.

In 1952, 12 year old Wilma finally threw away her metal leg braces and was able to walk without assistance for the first time. It was then that she made the decision to be an athlete.

She started to play basketball and also did some running in the off season to keep fit. As time progressed, Wilma became a basketball star, setting state records and leading her team to a state championship.

During one basketball match, Wilma was spotted by the Tennessee State track and field coach Edward Temple who was amazed by Wilma’s athletic ability.

With coach Temple’s help, Wilma turned her focus from basketball to running and she never looked back.

By the time she was 16, Wilma had earned a spot on the US Olympic track and field team and won a bronze medal in the 4×100m relay at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Four years later, Wilma Rudolph won three Olympic Gold medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics in the 100m, 200m and 4×100m relay. The little girl who was once crippled was now "The fastest woman in history."

 "I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense 
of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened." – Wilma Rudolph

This Week’s Action Steps

(1) If you are dealing with an illness or injury, make the decision today to believe in your recovery.

(2) Transform your belief into action and work with your health care team to figure out the steps you need to take in order to recover.

(3) Never lose sight of your goals and always believe that anything is possible.

Until next time,

Dare to Dream!

Anthony

As you work towards making your goals a reality, you will most likely have to deal with a certain amount of stress.

A useful way to think of stress is to imagine a beaker sitting on top of a tripod.

Your ability to handle stress depends on the quality of the three legs of your support tripod.
These legs are:

1. Sleep
2. Food
3. Exercise

If all three legs of your tripod are strong, you will be well equiped to cope with the stress that life brings your way. However, if you neglect any one of these legs, your overall capacity for dealing with stress will be affected.

If one of your support legs becomes too week, your tripod can collapse. This often leads to illness which is your body’s way of forcing you to rest and recover.

Here are ten tips for dealing with stress and maintaining a strong support base:

Ten Tips For Dealing With Stress

(1) If you know there’s a chance you might be working late, pack some fruit, nuts and yoghurt as alternatives to unhealthy snacks.

(2) Keep a bottle of water with you during the day and drink regularly to make sure you don’t get dehydrated.

(3) Wear loose fitting, comfortable clothes if appropriate to your workplace.

(4) Go for a brisk walk at lunchtime. The exercise and change of environment will help keep you fresh.

(5) Have a good stretch.

(6) Talk with those around you and if possible have a good laugh. It’s amazing how a shared laugh can reduce stress and tension.

(7) When you get a break, make the most of it by doing something special such as a getting a massage.

(8) Avoid drugs, caffine and alcohol. These can mask stress but don’t help you deal with the real problem.

(9) Before you go to sleep, prepare for the following day by writing down a To Do list. Once you have thought about everything you have to do and got it down on paper you can forget about it and go to sleep. This will help you avoid the endless tossing and turning that often occurs when you are unable to stop thinking about what you need to do.

(10) Ask for help early rather than trying to ’soldier on’ by yourself.

This Week’s Action Steps:

Be aware of your support tripod and the next time you are faced with a stressful situation, follow the ten tips above to help keep your support base strong.

Until next time,

Dare To Dream!

Anthony