Never Settle For Less

Yesterday a very powerful thought came to me.

• What would I want a child of mine to know if I wasn’t around to tell them?
• How would I speak to them if I weren’t alive to help mold them into the people they need to be?

I decided to write the following letter to my unborn child to answer those questions.
Marcus A. Smith

September 8, 2007

Dear Son or Daughter,

I apologize sincerely for not being around to raise you myself.  If this letter has reached you it is surely because I died (probably due to my own recklessness).  This letter is a collection of my thoughts.  It’s what I would tell you if I were alive.  Its a combination of what my father, grandmother, mother, and countless others taught me about the life we live and the choices we make.  A good portion of it represents things that I’ve learned from mistakes I’ve made or observed from watching others.  It may be a little long but you should read every single word and make use of it.

Fear is a part of Life

Why?  I believe its because we want to be told:

• Where not to go
• What not to do
• What behavior is safe
• Who to fear

I’d hate for you to live your life this way.  Being afraid to go places, being afraid to do things, being afraid to be yourself, and arbitrarily fearing a group of people because “they” advised you to do so.  Fear is a crippling disease.  It’s an epidemic that kills great ideas before they can hatch.  It’s an easy virus to catch and its even easier to pass along.  Living in fear will ruin you.  The livelihood that you possess will die slowly if you allow fear to control you.
I grew up in a small town called Cordele, GA.  The “Watermelon Capital of the World “. It’s approximately 9.5 square miles, 16,000 people (on a good day), and 10 traffic lights.  The place is really backwards.  A train track runs down the middle of the town.  Blacks live on one side and whites live on the other.  If I guessed I’d say the city is about…I don’t know…80 years behind the rest of the world .  I’d grown up there and become very attached to the southern country lifestyle.  In order to grow I had to leave so I decided to attend Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA.  Something changed in my life the day I was getting ready to leave.

I woke up that day and fear slapped me in the face.  All at once a wave of emotions fell on my head and I began to cry uncontrollably.  I was going to a place where I had no friends, no family, no connections, and no one to lean on.  The walls in my room closed in on me as I sulked in self pity.  For 3 hours I did nothing but cry.  Around noon my father picked me up to take me off to the big city.  I wanted to appear tough in front of him and that lasted all of about 15 seconds.  Suddenly, the tears began to stream down my face.  I was losing control of myself.  To my surprise my father was grinning ear to ear.  Almost as if he was enjoying it.  He let me cry for about 5 more minutes and then he turned to me.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked.

“Nothing…I’m just going to miss some people” I lied.

“Well who are you going to miss?  You never cry when you’re leaving me” he said.  I could tell he was enjoying the conversation because he was still smiling.

“My girlfriend, you, and my grandmother” I said.  I was making every attempt to keep the conversation short and sweet.

As if he could read my mind he said, “No that’s not it.  You know you’ll talk to us.  Are you afraid of Atlanta?”

Without hesitation I muttered a “no” but he knew better.  The next thing he said was one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned in life.  He turned the music down a bit and commanded me to look at him.

“Fear is a natural part of life.  If you’re afraid that means you are about to grow.  Don’t let this city take your spirit. I’ve seen it before and I’d hate to see you lose it.  Go into the city and get lost.  Find out where things are.  Go places you should go. Go to places that you’ll be ashamed to tell me you went to.  Gobble it all up and you’ll come out 100 times better.  Don’t let Fear dominate you.”
It took me about 3 years to really figure out what he meant.  Once I did things changed for the better.  I was able to release some of my inhibitions and be in touch with who I am.  When you lose fear you gain personal freedom.  So the choice is yours: FEAR or FREEDOM.

Create your own identity

The world is filled with people, ideas, and activities aimed at influencing others.  Too many people don’t have an identity of their own.  So they steal somebody else’s.  PLEASE DONT DO THIS.  Please don’t allow yourself to think so much of someone else’s lifestyle or identity that you make it your own.

In the short term you may be happy.  You may be excited about your new found identity and circle of friends.  The point will come when you’ll begin to hate it and everything that comes with it.  You can only pretend for so long before your mask falls off.  The true you always comes to the light.  Nobody is worth you abandoning who you are.

If you are low key be low key.  If you’re boisterous and loud be boisterous and loud.  If you like to paint pictures of trash cans then paint the best pictures of trash cans ever painted.  Don’t turn your back on yourself for anybody.  It’s not worth it.

Your father will roll over in his grave if you compromise yourself for the company of others.   Don’t be a carbon copy of someone else.  Formulate opinions for yourself and maintain them.

Most things on this earth have a price tag.  Your personal happiness and sanity is priceless.  You control it.  No one can take it from you unless you allow it to happen.  Be yourself and always strive to make yourself happy.  If you’re happy then the people who are meant to be in your life will be happy with you.

Maintain a Positive Environment

Radiate an aura of positivity.  Be upbeat.  Be excited about the things that are available to you.  You can waste a lot of valuable time groveling and complaining. Cries of “woe is me” and “life isn’t fair” aren’t going to help you very much for 2 reasons:

1. People have their own problems
2. Nobody wants to be around a whining negative person

I’m not saying life is always a field of daisies because it most definitely isn’t.  Remember this, you create your situations.  If you live beyond your means that was a decision YOU made.  If you stick around in relationships that bring you down that’s a decision YOU made.  If you make a bunch of enemies its because or YOUR behavior.  If you make a baby that you aren’t prepared for its because YOU did the horizontal boogie without properly protecting YOURSELF!  Life isn’t going to sit around and throw negative situations at YOU.

Create a positive environment.  Associate yourself with positive people.  Energy is contagious.
Ever gone to a party where the music selection is terrible?  It ruins the night for everybody.  Ever had a friend that can point out the negative in everything?  I bet they can spoil every group discussion you ever have.

On the reverse side.  Have you ever gone to a party where the music and mood where great?  I bet everyone had a good time.  Do you have a friend who brings happiness to the group?  I bet he or she gets invited to everything you do.

Without even paying it much attention you’re already attempting to create a positive environment for yourself.  That’s what you need.  There’s enough negativity, hate, and spite in the world.  You don’t need to create anymore.

Don’t Waste Your Time Starting Things You Don’t Plan to Finish

Time is by far your most valuable asset.  So many people waste theirs because they don’t believe theirs has any value to begin with.  You’ll never get a second, minute, or day back to do it over.  With that said don’t waste your time on things you don’t plan on seeing through to the end.

Leaving things half done is a despicable habit to pick up.  Don’t pick up a project at home, start doing it and leave it undone.  That’s a terrible waste of your valuable time.  Don’t get halfway into a diet and exercise program and just let it go.  See it through to the end.  Get the results that you want.

I have friends and family that i love dearly who started in network marketing.  They all tried to recruit me.  I felt like a star!  I’ve never joined and I never will for one simple reason.  I won’t see it through to the highest level because the system isn’t one I’m interested in.  I wish them all the best with their network marketing businesses but I’m still not going to participate.

Be Generous to Others with those things that MATTER

Today as I write this letter I have 10 people in my life who I can go to for anything.  The reason is simple.  I’ve been generous to them with the things that matter.

• I offer all the assistance that I can reasonably offer
• I value their time and resources
• I respect them
• We listen to each other

That group of 10 people is a combination of both business and personal associations.  That’s the statement I’m proud to make.  I have 10 people in my life that will do all they can to help me no matter the situation.

I’m even more proud of the way in which I went about it.  I was honest and forthright with them all and I didn’t have to buy them.
Avoid the notion that you have to buy things to make people like/love you.  When you buy something for someone they attach themselves to the object.  They aren’t attaching themselves to you.  By no means am I saying don’t give gifts.  I’m saying give the gifts that you want to give.

Recently, I started a practice that has yet to fail me.  I handwrite every card I gave for birthdays, christmas, father’s day, mother’s day, etc.  Guess what happens?  Out of a stack of 25 mine always manages to stick around.  A card that says “I love you and respect you for all you’ve done” outweighs the hallmark collectors series any day.  Give people things that really matter. You don’t have to BUY anybody.

Show People You Love them and Reiterate it Often

This world can be an extremely cold place.  These days people are so busy and robotic that emotions (especially in men) seem to be outlawed.  People even go so far as to label those who show their emotions weak.  That’s a complete lie!  It takes more strength to show someone love than to hide it.

Let people know how much you care.  You may be the only person in their life who says it!  That “L” word (when you mean it) can brighten a day.  Whenever I get off the phone with a family member I let them know I love them.  I have no reason to hide it and I want them to feel good.  I want them to feel wanted and needed in a world that can forget about you in the blink of an eye.

There’s an added bonus too.  They say it back to you.  As a result you feel better.  You feel wanted and needed.  Just that small gesture can take you very far with people.  Remember the world is all too often a very cold and frigid place lived in black and white.  Add color to someone’s life and yours by letting them know how much you care.

Learn to Control Yourself

If you’re anything like me, my father, his father, and his father you will experience strong emotions.  You can’t let it get the best of you.  Emotional decisions are the worst kind to make.  Making decisions in the “heat of the moment” at the height of an emotional fire will almost always backfire.

Keep a cool head.  Count backwards from 100.  Take a cold shower.  Go out for a jog.  Kick some pillows.  Find a way to get away from your stresses before making a big decision.  Once you sign a legal binding document (mortgage, car lease statement, marriage documents) its signed and can’t be reversed.  Once you blurt out something in the heat of an argument you can’t take it back.  Trust me I’ve blurted out plenty of things I’ve later regretted and signed up for some things I wish I didn’t.  I used those things as a learning experience for growth.  Do all you can to keep a cool level head so you can avoid those sticky situations.

Everyone is an Editor

People will always have something to say whether you love it or hate it.  You can’t please the entire crowd.  You can’t win everyone over.  Don’t try.  If you turn in a paper to 10 different English teachers guess what’s going to happen. You’re going to get 10 different papers back with 10 different sets of recommendations.  You know why?  Everybody looks at the world through their own lens.  Translation: You have no control over it so why worry with it.

I’ve learned this lesson the hard way through Toastmasters.  In case you don’t know how that goes I’ll explain it to you.  Toastmasters allows you to speak to a group of your peers and they evaluate you.  Once you’re done everybody writes down their evaluation and hands it to you.  I’ve had people say they were impressed with me and I really draw them in.  I’ve had the person next to the impressed people tell me they thought it was too much or just plain didn’t agree with it.  I take the feedback, do what I can with it, and move on with my life.

Everyone has their own unique set of experiences that affect their outlook on life.  If you go around trying to make everybody happy you’ll go crazy.

Never Turn Your Brain Off

Never ever stop learning.  There is much to learn in the world.  There are always many new situations to explore and new things to learn.  Most people make the mistake of turning their brain off after college.  I disagree with this mentality 110%.  Think about it.  People live on average 77 years (maybe longer now that you’re reading this).  You spend 17 years in school (K-College) and 60 years out of school.  Should you really stop learning when you’re 23?  I didn’t think so.

Once you enter the world you should continue to grow in both the mental and physical aspects of life.  Open your mind to all the possibilities the world has to offer.  Once your mind is open pick those things out that interest you and learn all you can about them.  Once you master those move on to something else.  Having many interests will make you an interesting person.  Mental stimulation keeps you  on your toes.

Stay sharp physically as well.  As I right this now 60% of Americans are overweight.  The worst part is that we’re expanding.  A new fast food joint opens up everyday.  Health and lifespan are directly tied to weight.  I don’t want yours to get out of control.   I’m not saying you have to be a bodybuilder and drop your body fat % down to 5%.  However, I do want you to take care of yourself.  Do something physical 2-3 times a week to at least.

Keep yourself open to mental and physical improvement.  Your brain and body are your 2 biggest tools.  Use them wisely.

Jealousy is the Weakest Emotion

Have you ever been really jealous of a friend?  Go ahead and admit it.  There is something a friend has, does, or is good at that you’ve envied before.  Maybe they make more money, run faster, dress better, or their dog gets more attention.  Whatever it is, it happens.  I’ve never really been the jealous type.  I did however catch the bug a few years ago.

It was my freshman year in college.  My friend Ronnie and I were watching an NBA playoff game.  He was cheering for the Los Angeles Lakers and I was supporting the Portland Trail Blazers.  As the game came to a close things intensified.  The lead changed hands several times as the teams exchanged baskets.  We both rode the emotional roller coaster associated with playoff lead changes.  I jumped out of my seat and mocked him on every Trail Blazers bucket, and he stared at me like I was an idiot.  I was acting like it so I deserved it.  He’d smirk or drop in a smart comment when the Lakers scored.  During the last minute of the game we both rose to our feet as the lead changed hands.  When the smoke cleared the Lakers won 92-91 and advanced to the conference semi-finals.

After the game we decided to go eat lunch.  Ronnie decided to change shirts before we headed out.  He took his shirt off and turned around to talk some more trash about the game. He looked like a greek sculpture.  He stood there running his mouth about the game but I wasn’t listening at all.  I was amazed by his physical definition.  His abs where ripped into 6 perfectly segmented slabs, his chest was well defined, and arms bulged with definition.  A wave of jealousy came over me.  He was standing there looking like a cover model while I was sitting in my seat feeling like a beached whale!    At the time I had no abs in sight and what I liked to call “relaxed muscle” on my arms and legs (I’ve since discovered that my relaxed muscle was actually just fat).

This experience was new for me.  I didn’t really know what to say or think.  I wasn’t necessarily sad or upset about it, but that feeling wouldn’t go away. Mentally I went through the checklist to figure out what it was:

• Disgrace?      Slightly
• Humiliation?      No
• Anxiety?      Somewhat
• Contempt?      Growing by the moment
• Depression?      Nope
• Ashamed?      Slightly
• Gloomy?      Not even close
• Surprised?      Definitely
• Indifferent?      I wished I could be
• Angry?      Y-E-S

Throughout our lunch I continued to wrestle with it.  Finally I realized that I was jealous.  It was one of the silliest feelings I’d ever had in my life.  There I was with a good friend in great shape and I’m  too  busy being jealous to appreciate what he has.

Don’t be jealous of what anybody else has or can do.  You have your own special set of talents and gifts.  You’ll forget about yours if you’re always worried about someone else’s.

Enjoy the Ride!

So many people dont enjoy themselves in this life.  For whatever reason people reach adulthood and take all the fun out of their lives with the exception of a week long summer vacation every year.  What kind of life is that?  I certainly don’t believe that once you reach adulthood the fun is over.

Find those things you love to do and pursue them.  Make sure that you have good friends and family around to enjoy it with.  Like I said before you get about 77 years to make it happen.

This idea has recently become much more important to me.  I’ve heard people talk about looking back on their lives and not liking what they see.  They talk about giving up on their dreams.  They talk about talking life too serious.  Worst of all they look back with regret on what their lives COULD HAVE BEEN.

Your life will be as enjoyable as you make it.  Pay attention to the world around you.  Skillfully avoid those things you don’t want and bring those things into your life that you desire.  I sincerely hope you create the best life you can possibly have.

Hi friends.  Thanks for stopping by and welcome.  Before we go any further let me introduce myself.  My name is Big.  That’s right BIG.  Don’t laugh at my name (its the one my mother gave me).  My last name is MONEY.  You got that right friends BIG MONEY.  My dear mother loved me so much and she wanted to make sure my focus in life was on the right things.

As a young boy I decided to live up to the name my mother gave me.  Initially, the task seemed very hard.  Not many people scoop up the big bucks.  Hey don’t shoot me I’m just the messenger!  I knew some honest people that made BIG MONEY but that seemed like a whole lot of work.  Those guys were just weird.  I just don’t understand how they could work so hard, care about their customers, and be honest even if it meant not making BIG MONEY.

I on the other hand am a little smarter than those guys.  As a young boy my dear mother taught me to work smart not hard.  So I began to use my brain.  BIG MONEY thought long and hard about what he could do to make it in this world.  It wasn’t an easy task by any means.  I tried my hand at singing.  I tried my hand and franchising.  I even tried my hand at playing football.  None of these worked out for me.

To tell you the truth BIG MONEY almost gave up.  One day while I was in the mall I wondered into the food court and saw an advertisement.  There were 2 absolutely GORGEOUS models on that ad.  The man was 100% ripped from head to toe (even his ankles had muscles).  The woman was the picture of fitness. This woman had a small waist, ripped abs, picture perfect breasts, and a great butt.

I noticed something else about this ad as well.  Everyone who walked by was amazed at what they say.  EVERYBODY WHO WALKED BY WANTED TO LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THAT AD!  Immediately, the wheels started turning in BIG MONEY’s head.  Finally, I’d found the path to freedom.

Ladies and gentleman that’s why I stand here before you today ready to guide you to the best fitness site ever.  Before I go on let me make some things perfectly clear.

1. BIG MONEY is overweight :-/
2. BIG MONEY flunked PE
3. BIG MONEY never uses his own products (they’re for you not me)
4. BIG MONEY isn’t about being a little “creative” in order to sell products

Now that we’ve got all that out of the way let’s jump into it.

How many of you know someone who is drop dead gorgeous?  How many of you know someone with rock hard steel abs?  How many of you know someone who is an absolute head turner at the beach?

Now, here’s the real question.  How many of you HATE THEIR GUTS?????

Just like I thought.  Let me tell you something about those idiots.  They probably work REALLY hard to keep that up.  Who really wants to go through the trouble of figuring out how to get in shape?  It’s really too confusing to think about if you ask me.  Look at this list of terms and tell me if you really know what they mean:

• Hypertrophy
• Overtraining
• Cardio
• Giant Sets
• Super Sets
• Protein
• Split Sets
• Complexes
• German Volume Training
• Supplementation
• High Intensity Interval Training
• Straight Sets
• Elliptical Machine
• Treadmill
• T-Bar
• Spin Cycling
• The list goes on and on and on for eternity

Do you really know or care what those words mean?  Of course not

Would you like to look as great as the idiots who go through all that trouble? Bet your bottom dollar!

Are you listening?  Good.  BIG MONEY has searched long and hard for the secret to uncovering those rock hard, beach body, LL Cool J abs. Since I’m such a generous person I’m going to allow you to purchase from my Extremely limited (only 30,000 units available) supply!

I hope you’re as excited as me because I’m about to change your life forever.  Imagine walking on the beach and getting all that attention you deserve.  Imagine slipping into that dress you wore to your high school prom or that tuxedo you wore to a friend’s wedding 10 years ago.  Imagine walking past an old friend and them not even recognizing the new you!  BIG MONEY is about to share some amazing equipment with you so make sure you’re ready.  Oh yeah you can go ahead and get your Visa ready.  These units usually don’t stick around long so I wouldn’t fool around if I were you.

Item #1 –> Ridiculously Overpriced Chair

BIG MONEY searched long and hard for this.  I traveled to all 10 continents to figure this one out!  As I traveled around the world I began to notice something marvelous.  EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT I SAW WITH A SIX PACK WAS SITTING ON THEIR BUTT.  That’s when it struck me.  The fit idiots in the US were doing it all wrong!  All you have to do to get in outstanding shape is sit in a chair.  Isn’t that great!  I mean really isn’t that just fantastic!

• No Pain!
• No Sweat!
• No Weights!
• No Commitment!
• No Work!

Do you LOVE BIG DADDY or what? I’ve found a way for you to strip away those unwanted lbs.  Get rid of those love handle obliques and shape those sexy abs!  Here are the instructions to using the Ridiculously Overpriced Chair.  Three easy steps are all it takes to get it done.  Ready?  Here we go!

1. Sit in the chair
2. Grab the magic handles
3. Twist from side to side

Now I know what you’re saying.   This looks  similar to something those idiots call the  oblique crunch.  This is true and not true.  They do the crunch standing up.  They’re stupid!  We do it SITTING DOWN in the comfort of our own home while watching TV and eating cheeze balls.  Really what’s better than that?

Hey! BIG MONEY isn’t done yet.  I know you’ve got your credit cards ready and you’re just dying to make a purchase.  If I were you I would be too.  Hold on to your hats.  We’re not done yet.  Listen to my next invention.

Item #2 –> Abdominal Accordion

This is my baby.  BIG MONEY is really proud of this one.  I didn’t even need to travel to think this one up.  I was watching TV one day and happened to pass a man playing an ACCORDION.  BIG MONEY’s brain started kicking into high gear!  Those abs have to be working to play that accordion.  Think about the motion.  Pressing inwards puts max pressure on the abs.  You tax those LOVE HANDLE OBLIQUES and work everything else to.

I love you guys so much that I’m going to cut you a special deal.  You see BIG MONEY was confused.  I wanted to simulate the accordion action.  Day and night I struggled with just how to pull it off.  Finally it hit me.  I could just sell you an ACCORDION!  This is even better than the RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED CHAIR.  You get an ab workout and a musical instrument.  There are only 2 super easy steps:

1. Pick Up the Ab Accordion
2. Play your favorite song!

This package is too much to pass on.  Get in shape and learn to play your favorite song.  What more can I say?  Where you ever really questioning BIG MONEY??  I seriously hope not!

Now here’s the kicker.  I’ve been called crazy for even offering this package at a rate less than $2,000.  Well call me crazy then because I’m a generous guy.  For today and today only you can get your Ridiculously Overpriced Chair and your AB ACCORDION for the low, low, low (did I mention low) price of $1799.99.

That’s it folks.  If you’re ready for beautiful abs, ripped triceps, huge chest, and boulder shoulders then grab my equipment.  If you’re sick and tired of being told you have to push yourself, be dedicated, and know what’s going on to be in shape then come shop with me.  If not…you’re stupid.

If you’re ready to make an easy, painless, sweat less, non committal, and not to mention musical change in your life come to me.  I can show you the light for the low low price of $1799.99

Let’s prove my mama was right.  You can order your package now at www.letmeripyouoff.com

Your friend and pal

$$$$BIG MONEY$$$$

Imagine being asked the same question over and over.  It may be phrased differently.  The tone used to ask may be different.  Someone new may be asking you.  It may be used to put you down or lift you up.  Either way the question remains the same.  It’s amazing to see how many ways one question can be asked.

• What’s wrong with you?
• Why don’t you take a day off?
• What drives you?
• Do you really think its necessary to put yourself through so much?
• Where do you get those goals from?
• Why are you afraid of being average?
• Why do you think you’re so special?

The questions may seem different to you, but to me they are all the same.  When I hear them they are processed the same.  If someone says “Why do you think you’re so special” I hear “What’s your Driving Force?”.  If someone in the gym leans over to me and says “You’re already big enough so why try to so hard” I hear “What’s your Driving Force?”.  When people see the whiteboard I scribble my thoughts on they often go “What’s wrong with you” and I hear “What’s your Driving Force?”.

Honestly, I used to think something was wrong with me.  People started to call me restless, overbearing, anxious, and crazy.  Being an out liar made me wonder to myself.

• Why was I never content?
• Why was good not good enough?
• Why push the extra mile?

After a good bit of thought the answer struck me like a bolt of lightning!  I’ve always enjoyed the journey to the top.  The pain, agony, embarrassment, and doubt make the pleasure, excitement, feelings of pride, and rewards that much better.  I LOVE  a good challenge.  Why not challenge myself every day?
About once or twice a week someone brings up my inner source of motivation.   Not knowing whether I’m being challenged or praised kept me off center.  I’d bounce between being ashamed and being proud of my inner drive.  Once I realized WHY I was doing things the feelings of shame disintegrated.

So I pose the exact same question to you.

• What’s your Driving Force?

Why do what you do the things you do?  It’s a DIFFICULT question to answer, but what you have the answer no one can take it away. Knowing WHY you do something is equally as important as knowing HOW you do something.  Figuring out why you do things provides a purpose.  Once you figure out why you do things you have no choice but to do them 100 times better.

So I ask again

• What’s your Driving Force?

P.S.  Please take a moment to leave a comment on this blog on the things you dislike or like.  Thanks!

We’ve all been there before.  The breaking point where working out begins to be a chore.  What was once refreshing, exciting, and rewarding has devolved into something boring, lethargic, and bordering on painful.  Boredom in the gym can easily ruin your workout and potentially the whole day.  Here are 4 tips to breathe life into your dying workout routine.

1- Switch Your Workout Style

Lack of variety in a workout quickly leads to boredom.  Working out is just like any other aspect of life.  If we get bored we quickly lose interest and sleep walk through the workout as a result.  It’s just like having a job.  If you go to work every single day and do the same thing every SINGLE day you quickly lose interest in what’s going on.

There are so many types of workout styles available.  Search on Superset, German Volume, Pyramid, Cable, Dumbbell, Circuit, Straight Set, Total Body Complexes, or Push/Pull and you’ll see just what I mean.

2-Increase weight 10-15% on each exercise

1. Comfort
2. Lack of Growth
3. BOREDOM

All of which are terrible for the drive and excitement needed to keep a dynamic workout in tact.  Adding more weight also allows you to refocus on what is going on.  You are forced to focus and push yourself to get that weight off your chest!

3-Add the element of surprise to your music selection

Music, music, music.  The music on my i pod can literally make our break my workout. I look so helpless in the gym when I don’t have it.  It’s like someone has run over my puppy or served me with an eviction notice.

While the i pod is great for your workout it can also be a curse.  In August I listened to the same 3 playlists for 6 days a week.  Needless to say I got bored…really, really, really bored.  Mixing up the music is a great way to get you rejuvenated and provide that extra spark.  When your music gets style try this:

1. Set the player to random
2. Switch musical genres (rap to rock, rock to rap, house to heavy metal, etc)
3. Find some old music you haven’t used in a while

Music is a powerful motivator in the gym.  Use it to your advantage.

4-Perform CHALLENGING exercises

These exercises are the most rewarding in the gym.  On top of that there is NEVER a long line of people climbing over each other to do pull ups.  These exercising are the most challenging but they are also the most rewarding.

Don’t let your workout die slowly in your arms.  Bring it back from the dead  by using these 4 tips.