Here are two very positive messages that I’d like to share with everyone.  The first is from someone I admire very much, and he sends me e-mails everyday.  If you would like to be on this e-mail list, please send me a reply to this.  Each message is always well timed and inspirational, and he offers a bit of latin at the bottom of each one that I find interesting and always try to find out how to pronounce and what it means.  :-)  I’ll challenge you to find out what it means as well, today! 

STAYING POSITIVE

by Charles Chi 

 Happiness is a direction, not a place.”
              -– Sydney J. Harris, 1917-1986, American Journalist
If your get-up and go has gotten up and gone, then it’s time to start stirring up those positive vibes…

It’s a well-known fact that positive-minded people are more likely to achieve their life’s goals. When you’re upbeat, everything looks different; your day is brighter and full of potential.

What’s more, opportunities more readily come your way, and you’re able to face challenges with a sense of ease. In fact, being in an optimistic frame of mind can help you gain success and greater levels of happiness.

However, not everyone finds it easy to be super-positive. It requires a change in perspective and focused intentions to break away from redundant beliefs and negativity, but once you start changing your outlook, you’ll feel motivated, energized, and empowered.

To become super-positive so that you can achieve your goals and enjoy a fulfilling life, try the following:

1. When you get up in the morning, don’t allow any negative thoughts to surface — no matter your situation or circumstances. Stretch, breathe-in, and believe that you can make good things happen. Affirm to yourself, “I am happy and positive, and I’m going to have a wonderful day.” Believe it!

2. Have your own mantra to help you achieve your goals — it can be anything relevant to your needs and ambitions, such as “I can do it!” or “I will succeed!” If you’re feeling slightly out of kilter, repeat your mantra, either silently or out loud to yourself. Believe in the words. Trust in your mantra. You really can achieve your goals.

3. Smile even if you’re down and laugh at yourself and the world. Life is wonderful and multi-faceted. Whatever the problem, a little bit of humor will make everything seem easier to cope with. Besides, a little bit of laughter on a daily basis is good for your health and well-being.

When you laugh, your internal organs gain a workout, and laughter drives fresh oxygen around your body. So, take some time out to see the funny side of your world. Often, it’s never as bad as you think. Seek out the positive in every situation.

4. Reflect on all your achievements so far. You’ve come further than you think! Make a list of what you have gained in your life. Don’t just notch up the career or money successes. Think about the experiences that you have accumulated and the personal qualities that you have acquired. By focusing on these achievements, it will boost your self-esteem.

5. Remind yourself about what you’re trying to achieve. Are your goals still relevant? Sometimes, we have to reassess our direction because things change in our lives… we change too. What you once wanted and would give anything for might not be what you really want now.

When you’re on the wrong path, you’ll have a vague sense of being out of kilter with everything. Trust your inner wisdom and intuition. Note how your current circumstances make you feel.

Be prepared to change your life or jump out of your current comfort zones. Once you’re on the right path, you’ll start feeling more positive.

6. Walk out on a regular basis and get some fresh oxygen circulating through your blood. Take a stroll through the park. Climb a mountain! Awake those feel-good vibes.

Regular exercise will enhance your mood and make you feel super-positive.

7. Make sure your glass is always half-full rather than half-empty. To be super-positive, you must think on the positive side of everything. Eliminate any negative dialogue. Listen to your internal voice as well as your external one.

If you catch yourself saying or thinking something that is negative, stop, rewind and replace those words with a positive statement. It takes practice, time, and determination, but after a while, you’ll start eliminating those pesky negative vibes.

8. Create abundance in your life… believe in your ability to make things happen. Your positive state of mind will act like a magnet by attracting positive experiences.

Focus on what you want; be optimistic and be more abundant. You really can have the life you most desire!

9. Devote a bit of your time and energy to a good cause. If you’re able, always give something back! The world needs super-positive people like you to make it even better than what it is.

You can inject some of your positive energy into charitable ventures or simply by showing your kindness on a daily basis.

10. Don’t stress about the things you cannot change. Work on the things you can. By being positive about life and focusing on the things that you can transform, you’ll discover a world full of opportunities and potential waiting for you to explore.

Whether good or bad, you have choices in how you react to whatever comes your way.

Why be miserable when you can smile? Why dwell on sadness when you can choose happiness?

Life will always have its ups and downs, but if you focus on the positive and become super-positive, you will experience greater happiness and contentment.

So, don’t just sit around; make a decision to become that super-positive person that you have always wanted to be and make sure you live an astounding life!
“Ut humiliter opinor”

To Your Success
Charles R. Chi PhD.

Champions Master their Emotions!

by Kyoshi Steve Lavallee

 
All of us are 100% emotional beings. The better you are able to control and direct
your emotions, the healthier and happier you’ll be, and the better you will perform
in the Martial Arts and in life.
 
MASTER your EMOTIONS, or your EMOTIONS will become your MASTER.
 
Martial Arts training and daily exercise is absolutely the best way to destroy harmful stress and eliminate negative thinking patterns that can lead your emotions into a slump.
 
Negative emotions…such as anger, fear, depression and sadness are often magnified if
you allow tension to build up inside. Training eliminates stress!
 
Martial Arts training forces the negatives out of your mind, body and spirit…and allows you to breathe in the positives.
 
Another great way to influence your best emotions, is to purposely feed your mind and body the best information you can. Listen, read and watch things that motivate and inspire you. This helps to bring out your best emotions.
 
If you allow yourself to constantly absorb negatives, it’s like junk food for the brain. It can and will cause long term damage to your emotional well being, your mood and your overall state of mind.
 
Champions strive to master their emotions, by purposely programming themselves for success and achievement.
 
Everything you think, see, say, hear and do, influences your thoughts and emotions. Once you understand this, you may decide to be more aggressive on programming your thoughts everyday, by watching, listening and doing things that influence your emotions in a positive and empowering direction.
 
Positive programming leads you toward positive thoughts and emotions.
 
Positive emotions and energy will bring you greater health, happiness and optimism toward life and better prepare you to face your challenges head on.
 
Developing positive emotional control is similar to developing your confidence, it requires daily attention and regular conditioning.
 
*********************************************************************
I am currently in Syracuse NY, enjoying the tremendous energy and emotions of sixty Black Belt graduates, their family and support team members. The team is being lead by Master Jeff Sgarlata, being promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt after 28 years of dedicated training, teaching and growing in the Martial Arts.
 
Along with an awesome Power Weekend that is leading to tomorrow’s Black Belt Spectacular, it’s always a blast to see so many great people that I have not seen
in years.
 
This morning I was at Gold’s Gym, getting in my morning workout and I saw one of Hanshi Greg Tearney’s long time students, Renshi Dean Boucounis. He is a great guy, I remember his brother, Kyoshi Andy Boucounis came up through the ranks with me many years ago.
 
Immediately after seeing Dean, I ran into one of my favorite Black Belt Champion ladies, Rita Hinchman who is now looking awesome in her seventies. She looks the same as she did when she achieved her Black Belt well over ten years ago. Why do I share this?
 
Because when you see, speak, bond and surround yourself with so many great people, it  feels awesome and it feeds your emotions and strengthens your commitment to living with a Black Belt Spirit.
 
The Martial Arts is filled with so many fantastic people and brings out the best qualities in everyone that sets foot in the doors of the dojo. If you agree and appreciate this as much as I do, please join me in spreading the Black Belt Spirit every where you go and make these last three months of 2008, the best.
 
I hope your training is going well and your making positive progress in every area of life.
 
Train Hard…Work Hard…Enjoy the Rewards of your Success!
 
Osu,
 Kyoshi Steve LaVallee
Chief Master Instructor
[1] www.USABlackBeltChampions.com