The Failure of Optimism

"This year will be different," we tell ourselves. We will not eat two pieces of pumpkin pecan pie at Thanksgiving. We will not raid our children's plastic jack-o-lanterns for the KitKats. Our house will be clean, organized and our dining table will look like something out of a magazine spread. We will not spend $600 more than we budgeted on Christmas presents--and if we do, our friends and families will actually appreciate what we give them. Come January 1 we will lose weight, pay off our debts, begin a personal spiritual practice and be serene for 2009.

As a confirmed optimist who believes in the power of positive thinking, I make those same plans, state those same intentions and set those same goals. Often I fail to hit the mark--but then again, often I do.

What I've had to learn is that hope is lovely, but action is magic. It's not enough to "tell the universe" what you want to have happen, then sit back and wait for the fairy dust to sprinkle down.

Between the hope and the magic comes the plan. Whether you want to lose the clutter in your basement or the clutter on your butt, the same three stages apply: Dream it, plan it, create it.

Every self-help book on the shelves writes this same story (take a moment and check any one of them in your stack): Set a goal, make a step-by-step plan, and then follow the plan.

Some of you might gain a pound or two this holiday season. You might end up looking at your January credit card statement--then shoving it under the self-help book stack. If you do, don't say to yourself "I don't know what happened." That's untrue--and it's a waste of your time and energy.

Instead, tell yourself, "I know how to fix this." Then seek the help, the resources and support so that you can plan and create a great 2009.

P.S. The weekly motivator goes to a Holidaily beginning this Friday! If you want to be on the reminder list, send me a blank e-mail to optin@radiantfitness.com.

P.P.S. If you're local, Tuesday is the first night of the new belly dance classes. Register online now at www.RadiantFitness.com.

Your Genes and Your Jeans

"Our children are the future," says every political figure up for election this year. But in your heart and mine, we are sure the opposite is true: Our parents are the future.

You look at your mother's belly and think, "Why bother?" Then you open the next bag of Chips Ahoy. You remember sitting in the hospital during Dad's quadruple bypass last year and shrug. Bottoms up!

"It's in my genes," people tell me all the time. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, Alzheimers. "I might as well enjoy life, because we've all got a death sentence."

Well buck up, Ms. Pessimist! Your genetic code is a lot like your house's electrical wiring. You may be "wired" for certain conditions, but it's up to you whether you switch the genes on or off. Don't want Aunt Maybelle's diabetes? Take a walk. Research shows you'll switch on the gene that helps convert food to energy and prevent weight gain and insulin resistance. Don't want to sit for three years in a nursing home post-stroke like your Uncle Joe did? Put the dimmer switch on that LDL-building genetic code with some crazy dancing or a morning in the pool.

Physical activity turns on the genes that promote health and longevity. It turns off the genes that create inflammation, hardening of the arteries and a host of other conditions that diminish the quality and quantity of your life. Exercise is medicine (and a whole lot cheaper than your copay).

By the way . . . the Holidaily is coming! If you haven't already, send an e-mail to me now to optin@radiantfitness.com. If you don't "opt" you, I won't "opt" you. NEXT MONDAY will the LAST Monday Motivator until 2009.

And . . . Next Tuesday the final 2008 Belly Dance classes begin. Keep sane, upbeat and trim during the holidays--join us for class. The quickest way to sign up is to hit the paypal link at the Radiant Fitness website right now.

Finally . . . economic crisis got you down? Susan Unes has another take and some practical advice at the Radiant Fitness Yoga blog.

Radiant Fitness--Is This The End?

Lately the other personal fitness trainers on one of my e-mail loops have been unhappy. Business is down because the economy is down. While, as an industry, we've been making progress teaching people that fitness education is for everyone (not merely the wealthy elite), when times get hard people don't contract with trainers. Some of my colleagues are going back to school now. Some are looking for permanent, full-time jobs (of any kind). Even as Radiant Fitness has expanded in the last month, it leaves me wondering--will I need to "jump ship" too?

I'm not planning on leaving the field any time soon. Radiant Fitness has grown in the last few years because we serve so many people in so many ways--from corporate lunch-hour yoga programs to evening dance classes. We have individual yoga clients and teach workshops to dozens, even hundreds. Because of our diversity of services and our conviction to teach you where and as you are, I'm fairly sure we'll still be stretching, dancing and walking with you for years to come.

But what about you? As you wonder what the bank bailout will mean for your future, have you considered your health? Now, more than ever, it's time review whether you can continue to afford that cigarette. It costs you money, it costs you time, and it costs you productivity--that winter bronchitis you get counts against you when an employer is deciding whom to "downsize."

And what about that walk you avoid taking? Regular walkers save about $2100 a year in health care costs. Break the stat down even further, and each minute you walk is worth about 45 cents. You can go out (after you type in your comments on this blog entry) and "make" $9.00 by taking a 20-minute walk. Or you stay on your sofa and lose that money down in the cushions (only you won't get it back by digging through the lint).

Being overweight, and, what's worse, sedentary, costs you hundreds in the short-term. In the long-term, who knows? Heart bypass surgery is about $50,000. Skilled nursing care and attendants at a long-term care facility? Thousands of dollars a month.

You may never decide you need a yoga instructor to come to your home and teach you how to live an active, centered life. You may decide ten bucks a week is too much for a dance class. You may not even want to spend the gas money to get to a free yoga or senior fitness class.

But what you cannot afford is to sit still and do nothing. That will cost you more in money and pain than fitness instruction ever could. Take a walk. Put in an exercise video. Move the laundry off that Total Gym bench and pull on those handles.

The only time I want to find myself out of business is when all of you are active, healthy and radiant. Then I'll hold the biggest retirement party there ever was, and to heck with the cost.


UPDATES:
The HOLIDAILY is coming! If you want to receive the holidaily, send me a blank e-mail now. You must opt in! I will not transfer your address to the Holidaily list unless you choose it.

New belly dance classes begin 10/28! Keep your sanity up and your weight down through the holiday season with me!

Little "but," Big Butt

"But" is a dangerous word. It begins every excuse,
every barrier people create in order to avoid working out.

"But I don't have TIME to exercise," say the huddled masses.
"But it's uncomfortable," "But exercise makes no difference."

You can be different. You can treat "but" for what it is and brush
it aside. Now and forever, you can get rid of
your but.

First, however, you must take a long, hard look at your but.
What excuses do you use to keep from taking care of your body?

"But I don't have the time."

We each get 168 hours per week. If you work two full-time jobs and sleep eight hours each night, you
have 32 hours a week to schedule in what is important -- including some exercise.

"But I'm just too tired."

Exercise helps you sleep better and creates energy: People who exercise "zone out" less often and take
fewer, shorter naps. They concentrate better and are more productive. If you are frequently exhausted,
consult your doctor to eliminate medical problems. Then examine your lifestyle to see where you can fit
a couple of 10-minute walks each day.

"But exercise is uncomfortable -- and I hate sweat."

You will experience discomfort in life, but you have some say about which kinds. If your heart pounds too
hard while you are walking, slow down to keep going. After all, the discomfort of a fast heart rate is
easier to fix than the pain of a heart attack. As for sweat -- consider it bathing from the inside out. Sweat
is, at worst, a minor logistical problem, solved with showers, diaper wipes in a desk drawer, a tube of
foundation in a purse or a change of clothes in the trunk of your car.

"But I've tried everything to lose weight. I just don't see the point anymore."

The despair inherent in this excuse comes from a sense of losing control over our bodies and lives.
Instead of focusing on controlling and changing your body, it may be time to change your mind. When
you approach weight loss as a war, you battle yourself, and therefore can never win. Instead of starving,
melting or burning your body away, therefore, try giving it what it needs and deserves: Great food. Lots
of movement. Water. Sleep. Love.

Your enemy is not your butt, but your but. So get off it and honor, treat and bless yourself with exercise.

P.S. Have the best (and lightest) holiday season ever! Registration is now open for beginner belly dance classes (102 and Fitness) so shake off your but and shake your butt!