Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “Just like in bodybuilding, failure is also a necessary experience for growth in our own lives, for if we're never tested to our limits, how will we know how strong we really are? How will we ever grow?” I am very fortunate to have been introduced to weightlifting and exercise at a very young age but I've dreaded training to failure because it made my muscles hurt and sore for days. Times have changed now and I've been incorporating training to failure on some days just to push the limit of what my body is capable off. Not so long ago, I was afraid to tell my stories of failure to my family and friends. I was embarrassed that I've experienced such events in my life. But come to think about it now, there were a lot of wonderful lessons to be learned after failing. I've watched a School of Greatness interview of Sara Blakely, the owner of Spanx. The vibe of that woman is very refreshing and inspiring. She sold fax machines door-to-door before for seven years and one day she thought that this wasn't going to be the story of her life forever that was why she pursued the idea she had before about a comfortable women's undergarment and the rest as they say is history. She is now running one of the most successful and well-recognized brands in the world. If you want to know more about her story then you should watch the full interview by Lewis Howes below. (her smile really captivated me to watch this interview) During their back and forth conversation, Lewis mentioned that he thought a movie, a couple of years ago was about her life. Sara said it almost was minus the dysfunctional family and they both had the laugh. The movie they were talking about was titled Joy. It was a biographical comedy-drama film, written and directed by David O. Russell and starring Jennifer Lawrence as Joy Mangano, about whom the story was loosely based as a self-made millionaire who created her own business empire. The movie was very inspirational because I could relate with the countless failures of the protagonist in the story. In the end, she also became successful after going through a lot of ups and downs in her life. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston Churchill I believe the common characteristic between Sara Blakely, Joy Mangano, and every successful person in this world is having the courage to get up after a defeat. That for me is one of the biggest lessons I've learned and I'd like to share it with everyone. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ I was feeling nostalgic yesterday. I didn't know why but one of my thoughts told me to watch the movie Watchmen again. For some reason I thought this was a Marvel movie but I was surprised to see the logo of DC Comics in the opening credits. I hadn't finished the 3 hour movie yet but I could tell that I understood the movie better now than when it was released before. When I was about to sleep, the chorus of Make Damn Sure by Taking Back Sunday kept playing in my head and I was quite surprised also that I still knew some of the lyrics. I rewatched the music video on YouTube this morning and I thought I'd take you on a trip down my memory lane. This blog post was inspired from the devotion I read today from The Power of Being Thankful by Joyce Meyer. She said: "It is easy for us to get caught up in looking at how far we have to go in reaching our goals instead of celebrating how far we have come." It really rang a bell inside me because I had been busy chasing my goals and checking every item on my never-ending to do list but I still felt unhappy to where I was now. This reminded me that sometimes, I just needed to look back from where I've started to see how much I've improved ever since. The music I've shared earlier was a reminder from my college days that I was a very emotional teenager. I've listened to emo songs, rock songs, and screaming loud songs because I didn't know how to express myself with everyone. I always felt different and needed to have my own space. Those songs were outlets of my anger that I couldn't explain back then. In 2009, I found K-pop (Korean pop music) and that opened up a new level of weirdness. Imagine listening to an upbeat and catchy song but you couldn't understand the lyrics because it was of different language. Despite the weirdness, I still listened to a lot of K-pop songs and since YouTube was blossoming also at that time, K-pop videos were easy to find. This was the period where I felt very accomplished because I did good since transferring to a culinary school and I was ready to take on the kitchen industry. Gee by Girls' Generation and My Heaven by Big Bang were two of my first K-pop music videos that I've listened to. If there's one song that could summarize my work experience from 2014 to 2015, it would be the song Love U More (RAC Remix) by Sunday Girl. It was very memorable for me because I remembered that most of us from Todd English Food Hall Manila would dance to that beat even though we were busy. (Your dance moves would never be forgotten Chef Ryan de Jesus!) This year, I can't think of a more fitting soundtrack of my life than the opening song of Attack on Titan Season 2. It depicts one's struggle in the song intro but you can tell that it will lift you as the song builds up through the chorus. Shinzou wo Sasageyo by Linked Horizon My life isn't perfect... it has a lot of ups and downs but despite that, I am glad I've encountered these trials because they helped me to become a better person. No matter where you are in life right now, it pays to look back to where you've started. Only then can you realize how far you've come in this wonderful journey called life. Thank you for joining me on a trip down my memory lane and the chance to share my life's music with you. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ I've got the inspiration of this blog from my previous post which was about the habit of exercising, exercising, and exercising more. I took a picture of my old fitness magazines and my first magazine really stood out for me. I remembered one of the articles inside was about building a strong foundation for teens. It was my very first workout program that I tried during my college days. I asked money from my parents so I could buy myself a set of 4 lbs vinyl dumbbells because the dumbbells that my dad used here were heavy for me at that time. I know it looks silly because a lot of people would think 4 lbs is a very light weight but we all have to start somewhere. The weight that is light for you may be heavy for some. I also requested for a yoga mat because there were some exercises that needed to be done on the floor. After getting all the equipment I needed, I followed the program religiously because I was in a hurry to build some muscle and have a six-pack abs. After a few months, I felt that I was not seeing the results I wanted. My younger self wasn't aware that it took time, progression, and a lot of patience to possibly attain the physique of those men in the fitness magazines. My frustration led me to do more research about fitness on the internet. I remembered during those years that fitness articles were still on its infancy stage not like today where we had vast amounts of information from both good and bad sources. I stumbled upon a workout program called P90X. It was a complete 90-day home fitness system designed to get you in the best shape of your life. Created by trainer Tony Horton, the program included 12 intense workouts that used resistance and body-weight training, cardio, plyometrics, ab work, martial arts and yoga, along with a nutrition plan, fitness guide and workout calendar. Source: Beachbody During that time, I didn't know that what I found out was gold. I just jumped right into it and I didn't take the time to read the fitness and nutrition guide. It took me several years to realize that P90X would be one of the keys to my body transformation that had eluded me ever since I started my fitness journey. Because of the beauty of a home fitness system, I start to find even more workout programs from Beachbody. They now have a vast array of workout programs ranging from beginner level to intermediate or advanced. My favorites are:
I started working out only 3 times a week, and then I added a day of workout every month that is why now, I have built the habit of working out every day**. I am by no means trying to be a freakish bodybuilder (no offense) but I'd like to achieve a balance between aesthetics and athleticism. I do strength training 3 times a week, cardio vascular training twice a week and yoga or stretching twice a week also. **It depends upon what my body is telling me (Eg. sick, very tired or sore. Bottom line: Listen to your body.) And that is where it all started. Remember, don't compare yourself with others, compare yourself with the person you were yesterday. I'd love to hear how you started with your fitness journey because that is the best story you can tell to motivate others. Until then, stay tuned!☺ Warning! This article contains items that some may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. Yesterday morning, I cleaned the drainage of our gutter because it was heavily clogged by fallen leaves. Even though it is summer, there have been quite a number of days when the rain torrentially pours from the sky so I must make sure those drainages are free from any debris. I went up the roof with hand gloves and plastic bags to store those fallen leaves. It was quite a difficult task because even though my forearms were thin, the size of our gutter leaves only a few centimeters to move around. Another thing is that I need to be constantly aware of where I place my center of gravity because one wrong move could send me tumbling down from our roof but I am sure it will only leave minor scratches because it isn't that high. Roof cleaning service could be one of my sidelines. LOL! ☺ As I finish one drainage after another, I couldn't help but to notice a couple of cat poops on our roof. Cats in our neighborhood can roam around freely because there is no strict law to seize them. I was faced with a dilemna of leaving the cat poops on the roof as they are or pick them up since I am wearing a glove on one hand. I chose to toughen up and remember the reason why I started to clean our roof that is why I picked them up one by one. At first it was a bit gross but as I picked one after another, I told myself that it wasn't that bad at all. After my wonderful experience with cat poops, I thought that I was done for the day with heart stopping activities but I was wrong. I saw a dead rat in one of the sections of our roof and it had been decaying for quite some time now. Admittedly, I am scared to cockroaches, rats, and other crawling insects. Just ask my mom how loud I scream when I encounter one of those creatures in the past. Nowadays, I still get to scream but not as loud as before. I learned how to manage my fears by acting upon a certain situation. Going back to the decaying carcass on our roof, I was once again faced with the options of leaving it as it is or pick it up and finish my task for the day. My heart was beating faster as I got hold of the carcass' tail and then a scene from the movie After Earth by Will and Jaden Smith flashed in front of me because it was one of the memorable lines from the movie. Here is the complete quote by Will Smith: “Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity Kitai. Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice. We are all telling ourselves a story and that day mine changed.” Will Smith couldn't have explained it any better. It is my choice to fear the rat's carcass because I have imagined a lot of things upon seeing it the first time but in reality a dead carcass wouldn't do me any harm. Replace the rat's carcass with a live cobra and the situation would be different because as we all know, the cobra is one of the deadliest animals in the world. Now that is some real danger for you and so does not looking on both sides while crossing the street or not holding on handrails when you ride a tricycle. In conclusion, many people today are held back by fear. I am no stranger from it also but I try my best to analyze if the situation is an imminent danger or something that I can control by taking a plan of action. I finished my task with my head held up high because I knew I did a good job. If I've let my fears consume me during my first challenge, I would have been having thoughts of what ifs and my day would probably be less than stellar. Thank you for your time in reading my not so appealing post. It may not be comfortable at first but my only point is sometimes we have to do the things that we fear in order to progress in life. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is probably on top of my list of favorite wrestlers. He is dubbed as the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and one of the most bankable male action stars to date. What makes me like Dwayne Johnson more is his character. I am not talking about his wrestling character "The Rock", but his character in life is very inspirational. I can probably talk on and on about it but here is the summary of it all from the man himself. After making the decision to be the best version of yourself in How to get out of Rock Bottom (Part. 1), it is time to invest in doing one good habit at a time. I've written a couple of them in my previous blog posts and I've list them all below. You can click on the title and you'll be directed to the full article. How to Create Goals, The S.M.A.R.T. Way The Habit of Creating a To-do List The Habit of Morning Gratitude The Habit of Keeping an Exercise Journal and Workout Schedule The Habit of Exercising, Exercising, and Exercising More I'll be adding a lot more good habits in my future posts. It has been fun sharing my personal experience with all of you. I've learned a lot and I will be a student of life as long as I am here on Earth. There may have been good and bad experiences that you've gone through but remember you'll never lose in life. You'll either win or learn! As I end this topic, let us savor one of the many funny moments of The Rock. Video Courtesy of NaturalOneNation Do you have a good habit that you would like to share? Let it be heard and we'll turn it into an article. I would definitely want to learn a few more good habits in life. Until then, stay tuned! ☺ Photo Source: http://foxs.pt/2pbMu1f I don't know about you but Rock Bottom to me is one of the finishing moves of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Me and my brother are hardcore wrestling fans up to this date. Our mom couldn't relate to what is happening when two buff guys are talking smack to each other one moment and then beating each other sensibly the next. That is just the equivalent of a drama series to guys like us. I won't argue with you if wrestling is real or fake in this blog post. What we are going to tackle is the meaning of rock bottom in real life and how to get out of it. For me, rock bottom is the feeling of being at the lowest level possible or point in life. This can be related to the job you are in, relationship, finance, and many other personal things. During my time at rock bottom, I could probably say, I was the most unhappy person in the world and you wouldn't want to be near me. My eyebrows were bunched together and you couldn't see a glimpse of smile in my face. I could probably make a plant wither just by uttering some negative words onto it. That's how bad I viewed things that time. What made me go to that place was caused by a mixture of factors. In the end, I am glad I got out of that situation and I am ready to share my experience to the world. -- Disclaimer: I am in no position to be recommending that these experiences are the only way to get out of a serious problem in life. These are merely my truths during my darkest time and If you know someone who is in deep trouble, you should really call for professional help. Time heals everything At this moment, I can probably say that I have developed a positive attitude because of the lessons I've learned from my past experiences but I am also gentle when it comes to the topics of depression or hitting rock bottom. Many positive people can probably say "Suck it up!" or "You're going to be fine, life has something better in store for you." These phrases can probably work, but a lot of times, a person who's undergoing through such hardships in life cannot simply turn the switch in an instant. Time really heals everything and in my book, it is alright for you to dwell in your pain for some time. You need to take even just the slightest of action There have been days that I haven't taken a bath, shaved, and brushed my teeth due to the pain I've been nursing. It's times like these that you can easily spot a person who has hit rock bottom because they have stopped taking care of themselves. I realized that the slightest action I could do during this time will create a domino effect that could help me get out of this situation. The best thing to do is one of the mentioned above, mine is brushing my teeth because that is the first thing I would do if I need to get myself ready to face the world. It can be taking a bath for you first or shaving if you're a man. Whatever it is that makes you ready to face the world, do it. Share your problems with someone whom you're close with but don't over do it I am very fortunate to have a very understanding best friend. We may have differences in life but that is what's good in it because we complement each other. If you have a lot of best friends, it is up to you if you want to tell them all that you are going through in life but I highly caution you with this one. I may be wrong with this but some of our friends, mostly online friends, do not care what happens in your life. They might listen to your problems but it's just for the sake of having something to gossip over with their other friends. That is why I don't recommend posting all your drama on Facebook, Twitter, or any social media sites because it's not a journal of all sorts. Write your experiences on an actual Journal or Journaling Apps Writing is very therapeutic especially when you are actually doing it on an actual journal. Our brain becomes cluttered with a lot of thoughts especially during our time on rock bottom that is why it is difficult for us to think straight which can eventually hurt us in the long run if we don't take action properly. With the modernization of our world today, smartphones have apps that are perfect for our journaling needs. They can be stored online which are very handy for those of us who are always on the go. Be the best version of yourself After you've finished dwelling in the pain you are carrying, you'll eventually realize two things: You can keep going like this in the next few months or you can become the best version of yourself. The second realization looks much more awesome to me that is why I focused on making one good habit at a time and it has now become second nature to me. Just as I expected, this is going to be one of my longer blog posts. But don't you worry, I will be coming out with How to get out of Rock Bottom (Part. 2) as soon as possible. I am just glad to share my experience with you because not a lot of people have the courage to get their voices be heard out there. I was once afraid but I figured, a lot of people might need motivation during this tough period in their lives. Until then, stay tuned! I have to caution you about reading this topic because it will hit you hard in your weak spots. I certainly did when I first encountered this phrase while reading a couple of books and articles regarding this topic. What is death? Death is the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism according to Wikipedia. It is the end of life in simple terms. No one knows the date or time when someone will die but we can surely do a lot of things when we know we are going to. After realizing the depth of this phrase, I begin to be more grateful for the opportunity to be on this earth today. I also see things clearly and I become present with myself because a lot of times, I still struggle with over-thinking that sometimes lead to inaction. That is where the term paralysis by analysis came from and it is not a pleasant situation to be in it ☺ I know I will die eventually so I am going to do things that I have been putting aside in the past. That means for me to spend more time with my family, my beloved pets, create new friendships and nurture existing ones, build a brand for myself that will inspire a lot of people to get out of their comfort zones, and finally LOVE myself even more because we only have ONE life to live. Become your number one FAN and not your number one hater. As I close this topic, I want you to take control of your life. You are more powerful than you've ever thought yourself to be. Don't let other people's opinion bring you down and never let them tell you what to do in life because at the end of the day, it is your personal fulfillment that matters. You will not fear death if you've lived a meaningful life that is why create the meaning of your life today! Do you know someone who needs a little boost in life? Share this topic with them and you'll see a change of outlook in their life. Until then, stay tuned! I never became an avid fan of anime after my school days because I've just outgrown it. But when two of my friends helped me make a decision to watch Attack on Titans because a new season was about to be released, I immediately binged watch the first season for two days and I didn't regret my decision at all.☺ Attack on Titan is an anime series adapted from the manga of the same title by Hajime Isayama. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to the Titans, gigantic humanoid beings who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story follows the adventures of Eren Jaeger, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackermann, and their friend Armin Arlert, whose lives are changed forever after a Colossal Titan breaches the wall of their home town. Vowing revenge and to reclaim the world from the Titans, Eren and his friends join the Scout Regiment, an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans. Source: http://bit.ly/2pv85BH This anime is rated-R because of violence, profanity, and frightening/intense scenes and I believe children under 17 should be accompanied by an adult but nonetheless, I have never watched an anime this good and I got really carried away with its melodramatic scenes. I also got an inspiration from one of the lines of Mike Zacharias, a Squad Leader and trusted member of the Survey Corps in the anime series. Near his dying moment when he chose to fight the titans in Episode 1 of Season 2, he said "Only when people stop fighting do they lose. As long as we continue to fight, we are not beaten!" "Only when people stop fighting do they lose. As long as we continue to fight, we are not beaten!" That line deserves to be read a couple of times and he couldn't have said it any better. Most of the time, we lose hope when things don't go our way. We forget everything completely and do nothing about it. We'll I am here to tell you that it is very noble to fight! Your story is going be better even if you've failed a couple of times because you've learn a lot from it rather than a story where you've quit early and put your sword down. There's no lesson to be learned from that! Are you currently going through a tough time in your life? You are not alone, there's always someone who's experiencing the same problem you are having, or even worse! Feel free to reach me if you need some butt-kicking motivation.☺ Or if you haven't watched this awesome anime, then I encourage you to do so. Until then, stay tuned! Recently, my best friend and I made our very first motivational video for this website. If you haven't checked it out yet, here's the video. Did the video inspire you? A like, share, and subscribe would be appreciated by us. :) I was awakened by my dog Chichi at four o'clock in the morning because it was her scheduled time to eat breakfast. My best friend and I were supposed to get up at five o'clock but since I am already awake, I did my morning rituals instead so that we could do a lot more things by the time I wake my best friend up We have planned this video shoot for days that is why he stayed over night at my house. We started shooting as soon as possible because we needed the effect of the morning sun that was about to rise. We've shot from the inside of my house and then outside for my jogging scene. It took us 3 hours to complete the video shooting along with countless cuts and retakes. The whole experience was fun because I got a chance to feel what it's like to be an actor. After the whole video shoot, my best friend got to editing at once. His estimated time for the end product was one minute and thirty seconds but the end result was at one minute and fifty seconds. It took him about three hours to carefully edit the video and he made sure to satisfy my additional requests for the video. Hence the title of my blog "A new found respect to those in the film industry" was made because I couldn't imagine what it's like to film a drama sitcom for that run of an hour or full-length movies that ranged from two to three hours. I believed Passion was really the driving force for people to pull it off. I had a vision for my website and so did my best friend that was why even though it consumed most of our time and effort, it was worth every ounce of it once we've seen the end result. Don't let setbacks in life stop you from achieving it! What are you most passionate about? Let me know them in the comments section. Until then, stay tuned! |
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My name is Gelo Amurao. I created the Habit Whisperer because of my desire to help people improve themselves, by creating one good habit at a time. Archives
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