| "Men and women are not prisoners of fate, but | | | | your mind to think only of what you DO want |
| only prisoners of their own minds." | | | | and NOT of what you DON'T want. |
| -- Franklin D. Roosevelt | | | | If you haven't realized this yet, then engrain this in |
| "When the ties that bind a human mind are | | | | your mind now: "Whatever the mind of man can |
| broken, A man is introduced to himself- the real | | | | conceive and believe, the mind of man can |
| self that has no limitations." -- Napoleon Hill | | | | achieve." If at the deepest level of your being |
| When I first started lifting I really underestimated | | | | you do not believe you can rapidly transform |
| the importance of a proper mindset. By proper | | | | your body, then that small ounce of doubt will find |
| mindset, I mean a mind that is calm, assertive, | | | | a way to sabotage your efforts and derail your |
| driven, optimistic, confident, persistent, disciplined, | | | | progress over and over. |
| and determined to realize the goals, dreams, and | | | | Know that it can be done and then do it, eliminate |
| purpose that it somehow conjures up, whatever | | | | fear and doubt and keep your mind focused only |
| they be. | | | | on your purpose. Take inspired action. This is vital! |
| In fact, when I first started lifting I was anything | | | | If you meet with undesired results, do not despair |
| but those things. Instead of calm I was angry, | | | | or lose heart. Simply, look for the hidden lesson |
| instead of assertive, I was passive-aggressive, | | | | that is to be found in any problem, failure, or |
| instead of driven I was lazy, instead of optimistic | | | | adversity that comes your way. Learn the lesson |
| I was pessimistic, instead of confident I was full | | | | and then make another attempt. Rinse and repeat |
| of doubt. Basically I wasn't a man, but a boy. | | | | until you succeed. Keep your eye on the prize! |
| Then again, I had a dream and a goal and that's | | | | You never fail until you quit trying. |
| more than some people ever have. | | | | Whenever you have conflicting or contradictory |
| However, this is largely the reason why I believe | | | | thoughts they immediately put a halt to any and |
| it took me over ten long years before I started | | | | all progress. How can you achieve the goals you |
| to really achieve the goals I set for myself. I | | | | want, if you secretly or subconsciously doubt that |
| could have achieved these goals a long time ago, | | | | you can obtain them or don't deserve to have |
| if I had a proper and focused mindset from the | | | | them? You cannot. And that is the point of these |
| beginning. Yet, the past is the past and I have no | | | | techniques; to make your thoughts, words, and |
| regrets... every mistake you make today yields a | | | | actions congruent with what you say you desire. |
| lesson for tomorrow. | | | | Without that congruency, success will always |
| What I failed to realize then is that your success | | | | elude you... always. |
| at rapidly transforming your body and/or your life | | | | The Spiritual Aspect of Training In addition to |
| is largely determined by your mindset and your | | | | these mental strategies, those who make the |
| adherence to several universal principles. It has | | | | most rapid transformations of all, also consider |
| taken me years to discover these values and | | | | the spiritual component to their training. Many do |
| principles and most importantly reprogram my | | | | this without even realizing that these are spiritual |
| mind to think in the proper way that produces | | | | concepts. They do this by learning to live in |
| success. To be honest, it is a process that is still | | | | accordance with certain universal laws and |
| underway, but one that I have made great | | | | principles. It is these laws that govern the very |
| strides in. I've come a long way, Bay-BEEE! | | | | interaction of all human civilizations on Earth, even |
| One of the greatest things about lifting weights | | | | the stars, planets, galaxies, and the universe itself |
| and martial arts is how these activities not only | | | | must obey. Now that's power! |
| change your body, but can alter your thinking and | | | | These laws are not new and on some level you |
| mindset as well. If you currently don't have the | | | | may even recognize them as they are |
| proper mindset, it is encouraging to know that this | | | | interwoven into the fabric of the world and taught |
| transformational journey can act as a stimulus to | | | | in many different ways, in many different forms, |
| reprogram your mind over time. If you make up | | | | and by many different people in many different |
| your mind that no matter what, you will not give | | | | cultures. And yet, the majority of humankind fails |
| up...EVER... even if you fail once, twice, a hundred | | | | to apply them directly and deliberately to their |
| times... I guarantee you that your body and your | | | | aims and purpose in life. Sad but true. |
| life will transform over the long haul. It may take | | | | Now, if you are courageous and conscious enough |
| years, decades even, but eventually you will | | | | to make this journey, you'll effectively become |
| succeed if you are persistent and never quit. It | | | | one of the five men out of a hundred that |
| also helps to have realistic, attainable goals, but | | | | achieves true success in life. |
| we'll talk about that later on. | | | | - One, they are stuck and deluded on the level of |
| Conditioning the Mind for Success Those who | | | | form or the physical dimension. In other words |
| make the fastest transformations are those rare | | | | they are concerned ONLY with materiality, the |
| individuals who in addition to their physical training, | | | | pursuit of pleasure and the avoidance of pain. |
| also incorporate strategies and techniques | | | | - Two, they underestimate the power and |
| designed to reprogram their minds and | | | | influence of the human mind to shape the creation |
| subconscious beliefs to achieve success. In other | | | | of their reality and experience of life. They do not |
| words, they take the time to develop the proper | | | | read, learn, or cultivate the human mind to its |
| mindset that is a necessity to achieving their | | | | fullest potential or to even a quarter of its |
| desired outcome. | | | | potential. |
| You must understand that your mind, thoughts, | | | | - And three, they have lost their inherent |
| beliefs, and imagination are the internal creative | | | | connection with nature and the divine intelligence |
| forces, which literally cause your external reality | | | | that allows all things to be. Further, many deny |
| to take shape around you. Read that again slowly! | | | | the existence of such a force altogether or |
| Most people get this backwards. They think that | | | | through years of various social, cultural and |
| something out there in the world is the cause of | | | | religious dogma (aka brainwashing) fail to grasp |
| their failure or undesired predicament. Whether | | | | the true nature of spirit. Although, I will tell you |
| they blame fate, bad luck, their parents, their | | | | this: those that master this truth and live in total |
| genetics, their spouse, their past mistakes, their | | | | harmony with the various universal laws go on to |
| country, government, age, lack of money, or | | | | achieve a level of transformation that is well |
| whatever the common excuse is today. They | | | | beyond the physical transformations of gaining |
| have an external locus of control. | | | | muscle or losing fat that we talk about on this |
| Those that have an internal locus of control realize | | | | website. Mastery at this level will allow you |
| something very profound; that we are in control | | | | transform the lives of thousands, and millions of |
| of our own lives and how they turn out. They | | | | people... not just your own. |
| realize that all of the responsibility is on us | | | | We're talking the likes of people like Jesus, |
| because ultimately, we become what we think | | | | Buddha, Ghandi, Lao Tzu, Morihei Ueshiba, and |
| about all day long. | | | | other enlightened beings, in other words, less than |
| "We become what we think about" - Napoleon Hill | | | | 1% of the population. |
| Take a quick look at everything around you. If | | | | However, mastery is not required to reap the |
| you're sitting at a desk you might contemplate | | | | benefits of universal laws. Even making small, |
| the desk, your computer, a pencil, pen, calculator, | | | | consistent changes in your daily habits that help |
| your chair, even the building that holds all of these | | | | bring you into alignment with these principles will |
| things. What do they all have in common? | | | | carry with them great changes into your life. |
| Well considering the list I gave you I'm sure you | | | | I can attest to that. I am by no means a master |
| could come up with a couple things they have in | | | | of living in such a way, but by embracing these |
| common... but the specific answer I'm looking for | | | | laws, little by little, my entire life has changed as a |
| is that before they were ever made, invented or | | | | result and continues to do so the more I align my |
| created... they all existed as a thought in | | | | thoughts, words, and actions with them. So I |
| someone's mind. Before they became tangible | | | | encourage you to learn more about them as well. |
| items that you could hold or use, they were first | | | | As we discuss the First Pillar of Body |
| intangible items that were simply an idea is | | | | Transformation over the next few weeks, I will |
| someone's head. In fact, everything in the world | | | | present more in depth information on the |
| was first a thought, before it became a thing. If | | | | following aspects of developing the proper |
| not in the mind of man, then in the mind of a | | | | mindset: |
| higher intelligence. | | | | 1. Character Values |
| Your life is also a product of your mind, it is the | | | | 2. Universal Laws |
| sum of every thought and experience you have | | | | 3. Goal Setting |
| ever had. Therefore, it is extremely important to | | | | 4. Meditation |
| get crystal clear about what you want your life to | | | | 5. Affirmations |
| be like. You are either creating your life | | | | 6. Visualizations |
| consciously or unconsciously, but either way your | | | | The first two topics cover more aspects of |
| thoughts are always creating. | | | | developing the proper mindset, while the remaining |
| In this blog, I will reveal the proven strategies and | | | | four topics are the strategies and techniques you |
| techniques that have been passed down by the | | | | can use to condition your mind for the realization |
| most successful leaders, business men, athletes, | | | | of your goals. |
| and philosophers in the world. If you use these | | | | It's important to realize that these techniques and |
| techniques daily, they will help you to attain the | | | | strategies alone will not bring you much success, |
| proper mindset that guarantees success and save | | | | unless that is, you combine them with inspired |
| you many years of wasted time. Yet, they will | | | | action. More specifically to our quest here, you |
| work only if you have the intelligence to use them | | | | cannot focus on the first pillar alone. You must |
| frequently, and to apply them and to believe in | | | | use the four pillars together in order to make a |
| them without doubt, through the sometimes | | | | rapid body transformation. It will do you little good |
| grueling transitional period that they require. | | | | to visualize the body you want to have, unless |
| You need to realize that I am not promising you a | | | | you also get to the gym, lift some weights, have |
| quick fix. The integration of these practices will | | | | a post workout shake, eat healthy meals, as well |
| not instantly transform your life and that's why | | | | as, get eight hours of sound, quality sleep. The |
| most people abandon them. You will also | | | | four pillars work together in a synchronistic |
| recognize that you may have heard of some of | | | | fashion, but each pillar brings with it its own |
| these strategies before. The key is to use these | | | | personal benefits. |
| methods over time to condition your mind to | | | | Hope you have a great week! |
| think in a positive, optimistic way. To condition | | | | |