Can I get a hallelujah?! Here’s a great article about all the wonderful reasons women should lift heavier weights.
More fear fighting.
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 20th, 2012
Yes, I have been posting quotes about fear all week so I see no reason to stop now. Today’s post addresses a reason why I have failed to succeed in the past and that was fear of failure or the fear that I was not good enough. I always thought that the people who ran everything, all of the corporate attorneys, stock brokers, surgeons, entrepreneurs and CEO’s had some type of superhuman intellect or had brains that just operated on a totally different level than me. I couldn’t fathom how they could get up in the morning without being overcome by anxiety and self doubt. How could they be brave enough to lead people and to make such costly decisions?
Over the past week, I’m not even quite sure how it all happened, but I’ve had a logo designed for my company, I’ve designed an interactive website for my company, I’ve hired an attorney to cover my rear, I’ve negotiated deals with my independent contractors, I’ve decided upon a registered agent for my LLC, I’ve taken the first half of my personal trainer examination and scheduled my CPR/AE certification course. I have researched all of the tax ramifications and have determined what type of insurance I must carry to protect myself and my company. I have all of the filings for the Secretary of State printed out and ready to go and did I mention I started my own company?!
Point of this is that I think my desire to succeed and make my family and friends proud of me again has surpassed the fear I have of failing. Since I know I can’t sink down any further or disappoint anyone any more than I already have, there’s really not much to lose but there is so very much to gain. Now after all of that, here is the quote that touched me this morning.
”One of the commonest mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic – something or other which we do not possess. Success is generally due to holding on, and failure to letting go. You decide to learn a language, study music, take a course of reading, train yourself physically. Will it be success or failure? It depends upon how much pluck and perseverance that word “decide” contains. The decision that nothing can overrule, the grip that nothing can detach will bring success.” -Maltbie Davenport Babcock
From Ken, a devoted reader.
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 19th, 2012
I get messages and emails from many of my readers thanking me for sharing my story and my journey from darkness to light, but it’s rare that I have someone check in so frequently to make sure that I’m hanging in there. Ken took the time yesterday to share with me a Bible passage that he thought suited my situation and it couldn’t be more perfect. And no, it’s not Friday, but I’m going to share this inspirational passage anyways. Thank you Ken.
You can achieve the victorious life through living in deep dependence on Me. People usually associate victory with success; not falling or stumbling, not making mistakes. But those who are successful in their own strength tend to go their own way, forgetting about Me. It is through problems and failure, weakness and neediness that you learn to rely on Me.
True dependence is not simply asking Me to bless what you have decided to do. It is coming to Me with an open mind and heart, inviting Me to plan My desires within you. I may infuse within you a dream that seems far beyond your reach. you know that in yourself you cannot achieve such a goal. Thus begins your journey of profound reliance on Me. It is a faith-walk, taken one step at a time, leaning on Me as much as you need. This is not a path of continual success but multiple failures. However, each failure is followed by a growth spurt, nourished by increased reliance on Me. Enjoy the blessedness of a victorious life, through deepening your dependence on me.
Read: Psalm 34:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:7
I’m sick…blech!
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 18th, 2012
Well all the nuttiness of my life has caught up to me. I am just flat out sick. I really don’t even have the energy to blog let alone work out today so I’m just going to share with a you a link from the Mayo Clinic with guidelines of when it’s okay to push yourself physically and when you should just give it a rest…literally.
Because I’m scared.
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 17th, 2012
I know that no one is immune from fear (and yes it’s becoming a theme), not even the immortal Steve Jobs. Here is an incredible quote of his that I found today and keep reading over and over.
Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
Fear.
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 16th, 2012
It’s one of those pesky emotions that holds people back. It held me back for more than 30 years. I’ve played it safe or didn’t play at all for most of my adult life. I came home from college almost every weekend because I was so home sick and I took a job practicing law in Youngstown, Ohio because I was terrified of venturing out any further. I didn’t join groups or clubs because of my social anxiety. I avoided any situation where I thought I was at risk of letting someone down. And now, at age 38 I am finally realizing that I was feeling fear out of habit. I didn’t know of any other way to react to stressful situations. But recently I have been doing my best to feel the fear but keeping doing it any way. I’ve built up so much momentum and positivity by just ACTING every day. Not hoping, wishing, resolving or promising but actually getting my rear out of bed and knocking things off my to do list one terrifying thing at a time.
Here’s a great article I came across about how to live a bolder life.
Thank God.
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 13th, 2012
Literally. I don’t publicly speak about my faith or my religion that frequently. Shame on me. But trust me, he’s been on my mind. A little over three years ago I used to cry the entire hour on the way to work and the way back holding on to the steering wheel for dear life when I was so depressed and could barely make it into work to sit at my desk and stare blankly at my computer screen. Then came everything else, when I could barely dress myself to leave the house for a doctors appointment and finally when I checked myself into an inpatient program for professionals. I actually sat there jealous of all of the other depressed people who could still function at and would return to their jobs.
Three years ago I was begging and pleading with God to let me return to a normal functioning attorney. I kept asking him “Why me, God?” Why did you have to take my brain away from me? No matter what I did, my ability to practice was, at least temporarily, gone. At the time it felt like a punishment. But now I realize that was never what I was meant to do in the first place.
I now see that with all of the stress, uncertainty and craziness that comes with starting a business coupled with grueling diet and workouts with my new trainer Mike I am still utterly content with my life. It now seems that every setback and every struggle has led to all of this. God brought me through all of this and not only did he show me that I had talents I never knew existed he threw in so many incredibly inspiring and motivating people to help guide me to where I needed to be. He also blessed me with some very compelling before and after pictures that I think contribute to my success as a coach and a motivator. I’ve been there and done that. I know what it’s like to be big and fat and hopeless. I have been a big hot sloppy unmotivated incredibly depressed mess. And I now know that it was a state that I chose to be in. Unhappiness was optional.
Now three years later, I sit here blogging first thing in the morning because my day is packed full of workouts, meetings, carpooling, cooking and everything else. But I am almost euphoric despite the stress. I now realize that God closed the proverbial door and opened a big bright sunshiny window. And again three years later I find myself asking God, “Why me?”
Stressed out!
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 12th, 2012
I know it’s only Thursday but my life is so absolutely and wonderfully chaotic right now that I have to post some inspiration early.
“In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” Lee Iacocca
“If you build it…
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 11th, 2012
they will come.”
Well, that’s what I’m hoping happens. Today marks the start of the next part of my journey and the beginning of my new life. I have teamed up with a few other very trusted individuals including my trainers Jim and Dee aka Satan to provide interactive nutrition and exercise advice for people of all fitness levels. And if that weren’t enough, I hopefully will be adding on the lovely WNBF pro Ava Diamond from Yale University to add in some motivational, emotional and mental support with her program Excuse Busters.
This morning I will be speaking with Ava and then soon after I’ll be heading off to train with IFBB pro Mike Ely to get myself into top shape to not only compete but to head on down to the Arnold in a few months looking like a trainer so I can promote all of this. Right after the workout I’m heading off to see my web designer and he’ll be helping me with the beginning design stages of the site “Fit Resolutions: Not just a new year, a new life.” Catchy eh? Well I hope so because my heart and soul are being poured into this right now. So I’m going to build it and see who comes along for the ride.
Five pounds of what?
Posted by redheadlaw7 on January 9th, 2012
Nowadays everybody wants everything and they want it NOW. When it comes to losing weight or putting on muscle they want it even sooner. When people get impatient and expect to lose more than two pounds a week and will do anything just to see that scale wight drop they are setting themselves up for guaranteed long term failure. Why do I say that? Well here is an interesting statistic that people rarely talk about on the Biggest Loser or any of those infomercials that promise 30 pounds off in 30 days. It takes a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories to burn off a pound of fat but only 600 to burn off a pound of muscle. Or in other words, when your body decides to start breaking down your body to meet its energy needs it isn’t going to take much to eat up lean body mass. So how do you prevent this from happening? Easily. You need to keep a safe and healthy deficit which usually shouldn’t exceed 500-1000 calories per day depending on how much weight you have to lose. You MUST weight train. And you MUST eat adequate protein to prevent the muscles from breaking down. Here’s a great article that explains some of this in more detail.
