Be Selfish

Be selfish with your time.  We only have a finite amount of time in every day to accomplish all that needs to be done, and often we neglect the most important person in our lives when we become too busy. 

That person is YOU. 

Especially, you moms out there.  Always running around trying to work, take care of the family, make dinner, do homework, volunteer, and then try to find time for yourself. 

We all know that when Mom breaks everyone breaks.  So, it's imperative that your find time for yourself.  To care and nourish your well being.  To try and eat right, exercise, and get the rest you need.  I know that sounds idealistic but what is the alternative. 

Anxiety, depression, unhappiness, sickness.  When you don't take care of yourself it leads to many other problems.  And if you don't care for yourself you won't be in any condition to care for others. 

I know it's goes against the Mom code but you need to be a little selfish with your time particularly when it comes for setting aside time that has do with your health.  You need to make time for eating right, exercising, sleeping, and relaxing. 

A night out or trip with the girls is important to recharge your batteries.  Your fitness is important especially as we age.  Carrying an extra 10, 20, or more pounds is like carrying your 3 year old on your back all day every day.  Those extra pounds sap your energy take a toll on your joints, bones, heart, and can lead to other complications.  

Restoring your health and fitness will help you feel years younger and also just as importantly reduce the stress, tension, and anxiety in your life. 

 Exercise is a wonder drug better than any pill. 

So be a little selfish when it comes to taking care of yourself, we all need you Moms to go right on being Super.

With Love,

Coach K

B.E.D

Better Every Day (B.E.D)

I know so many friends that put off their health because they are just so busy with family, work, and other commitments. We know there are important things we need to address but because of time and often energy we put them off.  We all know what we should do, we just need to start doing it!

A key step towards any goal is visualization and planning.  A terrific easy planning step is to simply write your goals down.  Writing it down brings it to life makes it real. When you visualize you see yourself already accomplishing your goal, look at pictures and people that have accomplished what you want to accomplish draw inspiration from them. If they can do it so can you. 

Our health is too important to put off any longer. Especially, as we age and our bodies have longer recovery times. Start today and just make the commitment to yourself that you will get healthy. Try not overwhelm yourself with aggressive exercise routines or restrictive eating plans. 

The key is to begin. Look for easy ways to incrementally improve your health daily.  Look to add things instead of taking away.  Adding some veggies instead of a taking away ice cream.  Think of creative things you can do to eat better, perhaps simply add a vitamin.  Look for the big offenders in your daily eating is it fatty foods, is it soda, pizza, or sweets and look to make incremental cuts. 

The more good things you add to your nutrition the less space there is for the unhealthy stuff. 

Maybe walking instead of the elevator or car. Think of an exercise you enjoy and get back to it.  Stretching or jumping jacks is an easy way to begin.  One of my favorite things to do is the exercise band it's easy, cheap, and convenient.  You can carry it with you wherever you go and always get a few reps of exercise that will build muscle tone and elevate your heart rate. The exercise band is a fantastic way to start strengthening your body today. 

Simply taking small steps to get Better Every Day including a good nights sleep will have you living a long healthy life. 

To Your Health,

Coach K

Attitudes Aren't Taught They're Caught

Attitudes

University of Pittsburgh Child Psychologist professor Margaret McFarland once said that, "Attitudes aren't taught, they're caught. " 

What a fantastic expression.  We often hear about attitude, and how a positive or negative attitude can impact your performance, work, health, and life.  Some of the greatest teachers, coaches, and motivators have all expounded on the benefits of a positive attitude.  

Professor McFarland noted that just like other traits enthusiasm can be caught.  A teacher that shows a student what they love instead of just teaching them rote from the textbook will have a far greater impact on imparting knowledge and inspiring the student. 

When trying to teach or pass on knowledge to the next generation which we all have a responsibility, show them your passion. Infuse them with your enthusiasm, love, and desire to learn and grow. 

The power of a positive enthusiastic attitude is infectious and can take us places we never dreamed of going.

With Love,

Coach K

The American Revolution - Liberty Experiment

Being somewhat of a rebel myself, I've always been attracted to the American Revolution.  The 13 colonies rebelled against the King of England for the right to govern themselves and lead an independent life guided by self governance and self determination.  

The beauty of America begins with our history and the tremendous sacrifices made by many to help establish a nation that would provide lasting contributions to the world. 


John Adams, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Sam Adams and so many other patriots placed their very lives on the line in the belief that America would be independent and charter its own destiny.  

These Founding Fathers were convicted of treason by King George and were to be hanged if the experiment in self governance and the revolution failed. Despite their different backgrounds, educations,  beliefs, and motivations they would have to find common ground  if America was to succeed. The witty Ben Franklin famously quipped, "We must hang to together, or we most assuredly will hang apart." 

Farmers, iron smiths, school teachers, carpenters, rich and poor many strangers to one another left their families and fortunes stood side-by-side on the many battlefields of the revolution, against the worlds greatest superpower England with a vastly superior navy and army, and gave their lives dying in the mud and freezing weather, starving and half naked for this American experiment called Freedom.  

How many of us would do such a thing today to defend America, to preserve our freedom, to preserve freedom and liberty for the individuals all over the world?

That a man would have the right to choose his own life and by his hard work and determination could create the life he desired was the essence of America.  Success was not just for royalty, elites, and based upon name and birth-right, but was open and available to any man that sets out on that path. 

One of the critical elements of America's past, present, and future is unity. While we all have different backgrounds, beliefs, and desires like the Founding Fathers, we also must have an understanding and belief in something bigger than ourselves. A belief that America with all her flaws is a country of liberty, freedom, goodness, sacrifice, and self determination.  

We all as fellow citizens have a duty, a sacred honor to preserve our American ideals and our founding principles. To be an American means we share a love of country.  A patriot is after all simply someone that loves their country. 

We have so many fine examples of patriots that exhibited self sacrifice, humility, and perseverance and that shared the common thread that bonds us throughout the years, and that is a love of country. Let us be good stewards of the American dream, let's share the history of our great nation, and teach our children that to whom much is given, much is required. 

We all have been given much as American citizens. 

With sincere thanks and gratitude for all those patriots that helped build America, and have shown us all a path to continue America's glory. 

God Bless America!


Coach K

The Spark

The Spark

What motivates us to be our best, to be the person we are meant to be? What is it that brings us joy and fulfillment?

When life becomes dull or routine, take a moment to think and look inward.  Think of the times you felt most alive, you were energized, moving toward a goal, and content in your life. Our passion is something we typically enjoy doing, comes naturally to us, is something we can share, and where we choose to spend our time. 

Nurturing that passion, using that talent is the spark to an enjoyable, satisfying life.  Spend your time there.  Let that spark create a burning desire inside you to create the life you want.  

The spark begins by doing.  Planning and learning is great, but we must begin now by acting. Whatever the endeavor take the small step of doing.  Write that first word, play the first note, take the first swing and build from there. 

My goal of wellness and health can include reading books, articles, and learning all about exercise and nutrition. But the path to optimal health requires doing, requires that first step called exercise, movement, beginning.  The power is in the doing. 

Give yourself that spark to reignite the fire and passion within you, it's there waiting to burn with desire.

With Love,

Coach K

Being A Dad - A Life Well Lived

Being A Dad

A good friend of mine's father passed away last week at the age of 82.  As we sat at the service and listened to his children speak about his life and accomplishments, it was really moving and I thought this should be required material for every person that wants to become a parent. 

Lee had served his country and raised multiple children, worked hard his entire life and gave back to his community.  He wasn't focused on big houses, fancy cars, or shiny new toys.  He had more important things to attend to, what are they you ask?  

Being a Dad.  Just being there day in and day out for his family. The daily grind is the hard part, the getting up every day to work, taking care of the house, taking care of the cars, teaching the children, meeting your responsibilities.  Being there for your wife and children when times get rough.  Picking them up when they fall down, disciplining them when they're wrong.  Showing them the right way to do things, and letting them see your flaws. 

Mundane perhaps, demanding at times, essential absolutely.  

Being without my father for much of my life, it really hit me how successful Lee truly was.  And now as father myself that has raised three children, you look back and think of all the things you may have accomplished in this life and nothing comes remotely close to raising independent, self sufficient, well adjusted children.  Simply good loving kids!

In our society today when it seems everything is so temporary and fleeting, fatherhood and motherhood seem to take on those characteristics at times also. 

Being a good father or good mother serves another extremely important role beyond that of one's own family, it helps other future parents understand what a good father or mother is supposed to be, how they carry themselves, how they act, how they live. 

Good families are the foundation of good societies.  

God Bless Lee! 

And thanks from all of us for showing us how to be an outstanding Dad.

With Love,

Coach K

Allergies - Cocunut Oil & Local Honey

Coconut Oil & Raw Honey - Allergies

It's that time of year again on the Eastern Coast of the United States, Spring is springing! For all you allergy sufferers out there, there is hope and a natural way to help beat the pollen. Many people have used saline nasal rinses with success, but few know about the power of coconut oil and local raw honey.

Coconut oil is an anti fungal and antibacterial.  Simply swabbing your nostrils with coconut oil will help with your allergies and stuffiness, try also massaging around your eyes since it makes a great moisturizer.  

Local raw honey is also supposed to help with the pollen.  Trying adding some to your diet, it's an excellent substitute for sugar and is packed with good nutrition. The thinking goes that since the bees pollinate the flowers and make the honey, that the local raw honey (unheated) acts as a antidote to the pollen. The honey should be local since it's made by the same bee that are pollinating your flower. 

So next time you want to reach for those allergy pills, stop and try a $5 jar of coconut oil and a good jar of local raw honey. 

To your health,

Coach K