APRIL 6, 2015

Two words to change your life Life is the sum of all your choices. Albert Camus 1913 – 1960 When I was young, I was fascinated by the magic words that storybook heroes could use to change things. All they had to do was say the magic words and their world would immediately change. Now that I’m older, I realize that those tales were simply fantasies. But there are a couple of words that really can change your life: they have near-magical power if you use them correctly. The words themselves are quite simple: “I choose.” The magic is in how you use them. I suggest you start each day by saying, “I choose _______________.” Fill in the blank with some positive goal you want to accomplish that day. For instance, “I choose to respond to what happens today rather than react.” So instead of a knee-jerk reaction to things that happen, you consciously consider the best way to respond to each event during the day. Another example would be, “I choose to greet everyone today with a smile.” Unfortunately, we often walk around with a frown on our faces, too caught up in our own thoughts to take the time to smile. Changing that frown to a smile will literally change your world; people will react differently, reflecting positive feelings back to you. Yet another example would be, “I choose to make today special.” It may sound like a platitude, but today is the only day you have. Make it count. Here are some other behaviors you can implement: choose to be more agreeable, more positive, more grateful, more productive, more accountable, more focused, or more aware of the consequences of your actions. When we start the day with “I choose,” we’re declaring our intentions. According to Peter Gollwitzer, an expert on the psychology of intention, forming intentions almost doubles the chance of actually following through. Deciding and declaring how you choose to behave goes a long way toward ensuring that it occurs. One of our strongest desires is for autonomy: to have control over our lives. No one has the power to control all the circumstances in their lives, but we always have control over how we respond to events in our lives. Becoming more conscious of your choices should help you make better decisions in any given situation. By taking control of your behavior, you can make better choices, and in time, that will change your life — just like magic. “Every human has four endowments—self-awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination.  These give us the ultimate human freedom…the power to choose, to respond, to change.  Stephen Covey  Lessons in Life is a weekly e-mail publication by John Chancellor. The purpose of Lessons in Life is to make you aware of everyday things that can change your life for the better. If you find value in these Lessons in Life, feel free to pass them on to your friends, or encourage them to sign up at TeachTheSoul.com.   JANUARY 19, 2015. WHAT STOPS 9 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE FROM GETTING FIT? Will you be the 9 or will you be the 1? 1. Activity is not at a convenient time for you. You’re too busy. 2. You won’t know anybody in the class. You’ll be an outsider. 3. You are out of shape. 4. You don’t want to pay long membership fees. 5. You don’t like exercising indoors. 6. Your ______ hurts. 7. You’ve never done it before.
	Every human has four endowments — self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change. Stephen Covey 1932 –
	To comment on this lesson or share it on Twitter or Facebook, go to http://teachthesoul.com/home/weekly-lessons/ If you enjoy John’s lessons, why not consider reading some of the books that have inspired him? He has a variety of recommendations for books about business and about life. Have a Kindle? For a small fee, Amazon.com will deliver John’s lessons directly to your Kindle each week. Sign up at Amazon.com. Lessons in Life is a weekly e-mail publication by John Chancellor. The purpose of Lessons in Life is to make you aware of everyday things that can change your life for the better. If you find value in these Lessons in Life, feel free to pass them on to your friends, or encourage them to sign up at TeachTheSoul.com.

JANUARY 19, 2015.

WHAT STOPS 9 OUT OF 10 PEOPLE FROM GETTING FIT?

Will you be the 9 or will you be the 1?

1. Activity is not at a convenient time for you. You’re too busy.
2. You won’t know anybody in the class. You’ll be an outsider.
3. You are out of shape.
4. You don’t want to pay long membership fees.
5. You don’t like exercising indoors.
6. Your ______ hurts.
7. You’ve never done it before.
8. You’re the wrong age.
9. You fear the exercise will be too hard for you.
10. You doubt your ability to learn something new.
11. You’ll hold the class back.
12. You’re independent and don’t want to be in a “group” of people.
13. You don’t have the right clothes.
14. You’re too heavy, too….
15. You scared of trying something new.
16. You’re bored: exercise…been there, done that.
17. You’re afraid it won’t work.
18. You’re afraid it will be too hard.
19. You’re afraid you will fail in some way.
20. Your comfort zone is too cozy.
21. Men/women don’t do this…
22. ….

Yikes! It was shockingly easy to make this list of excuses!

Did you see any of your favorite excuses in the list? What is YOUR favorite excuse? What stops you?

Don’t we all secretly envy that 1/10 person who is trim and fit? Don’t we immediately say, “”She’s so lucky to be fit. He’s so lucky to be fit.”

Alert the Media!!!
Luck has very little to do with fitness! From my position as a retired Olympic athlete, car accident survivor, and fitness instructor, I CAN TELL YOU THAT 100% OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE BATTLE WITH MOST OF THESE EXCUSES. The ones who get fit are the ones who want something more compelling that pulls them forward in spite of excuses and set-backs. The ones who get fit know that
“inch by inch, life’s a cinch!” They know that the hardest step is the first one! The ones who get fit are humble for all their bodies have been through. Most people have something worthwhile to live for ….and want to have lots of energy, mobility, endurance, and strength to do it. Personally I want to dance my young nephews’ legs off at the upcoming wedding this summer, then fit in my bath suit and swim with dolphins near the blue lagoon, then…

What 9 Out Of 10 People Need To Get Fit?
1. CONVENIENCE! Doing the exercise has to be convenient. You need to be able to do it the moment you have the time, in the location where you are.
2. DO-ABLE! Finding something that YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO in spite of all your physical foibles.
3. A SUCCESSFUL START. The right technique makes it easier.
4. EFFECTIVE! If you invest in it systematically, it has to pay off, and the quicker the better.
5. AFFORDABILITY.
6. THE RIGHT SOCIAL FORMULA FOR YOU! Do you like solitary, with a buddy, or in a group!
7. FEELS GOOD. Doing the exercise feels good. And you feel good later too.
8. IT’S ENDLESSLY FASCINATING. Not boring.
9. IT’S FUN!

What exercise fits all these criteria?

NORDIC POLE WALKING…

NORDIC POLE WALKING…
NORDIC POLE WALKING…

I have been teaching people how to pole walk since 2011.

It’s the most satisfying thing I have ever done

because I get to witness how most people love it,
for the 9 reasons stated above.

I want you!
Linda Schaumleffel
Olympian, Nordixx Canada Certified Master Pole Walk Instructor
and all round swell girl!

Copyright © 2015 Nordic Pole Walking Victoria / GEBO Enterprises, All rights reserved.
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JANUARY 12, 2015

Finding a sustainable fitness activity is one of your life responsibilities.

5 Things I Wish I knew about Fitness When I Was Your Age: 1.  Start Now.  When we are young we think we have lots of time, so it’s okay to put fitness off; when we are old we think we don’t have enough time to get fit so why bother.  STARTING TODAY GIVES YOU THE BEST CHANCE TO GET MAXIMUM FITNESS.  The body is always able to get fitter at every age.  By starting today, you give yourself the best possible chance to get fit. 2.  Sustainability.  Pick activities that you can do the rest of your life.  Pick activities and do them three times a week.  This gives you the lifelong foundation of fitness you seek. 3.   Not too hard!  Some activities are too hard for you.  Don’t do them.  You will quit in frustration or quit because of injury.  So don’t choose activities that are beyond your strength and fitness. 4.  Spread the eggs out.  In other words, don’t put all your fitness in just one activity.  Cross-training or complimentary activities are good.  For example I Nordic Pole Walk which is sustainable and not too hard and uses 90% of my muscles, and I do deep and shallow water Aqua Fitness which uses 90% of my muscles in a different way. 5.  Shake it up.  Look for ways you can add challenge, variety and change…or you will get physically stale and mentally bored.  Add friends to your activity, create adventures, rise to challenges. CONSIDER NORDIC POLE WALKING especially if you are 25 to 64.   You can start now. You can easily learn this skill. It is sustainable, convenient, time efficient, and effective. It creates big fitness but is not too hard. It’s easy to add cross-training to pole walking…dancing, golfing, karate, kayaking…pole walking will improve ALL your other activities. Shake up pole walking by exploring different trails (lots of Victoria books give you ideas and maps). Get into the fitness habit with GENTLE FITNESS program, or get into super fitness with ADVANCED FITNESS program Have a barrel of fun by meeting three new friends, forming a a NORDIC POLE WALKING QUAD TEAM Fast or slow, have an exciting challenge and adventure by participating in the first ever TC10KM and/or THE GODDESS 10KM as a single or quad team. VISIT http://nordicpolewalkingvictoria.ca  to learn more. CLICK ON   Event Calendar for specific details and registration. For a lively INTRODUCTION to the sport of Nordic Pole Walking featuring Olympian, and Nordixx Canada Master Pole Walk Instructor Linda Schaumleffel, ATTEND “2015 Kick-Off Seminar” Jan 29, 2015. Linda says… “I wish I knew about Nordic Pole walking when I was 27 to transition healthfully out of Olympic competition and to keep my fitness in a sustainable way.” “I wish I knew about Nordic Pole walking when I was 39 so that I could have recovered from the car accident in record time!” “I thank my lucky stars for learning about pole walking in 2009 because now I feel super strong and healthy and my physical life feels easy!”

Copyright © 2015 Nordic Pole Walking Victoria / GEBO Enterprises, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Add us to your address book by putting your name and email address in the box in the right hand column…and get all the newsletters fresh off the press and dropped in your mailbox.