North Star Mental Fitness Blog

Do You Know Why?

Have you ever wondered why people exercise?

Do you know why they continue to exercise?

In my last post, Do You Believe That Your Life Experiences Have Made You Mentally Fit, I emphasized that life experiences, although grueling at times, do not make us physically or mentally fit.

In order to become mentally or physically fit, it is necessary to go beyond the experiences of everyday living and perform exercises on a regular basis.

So what are the general benefits for becoming mentally and physically fit?

First of all, mental and physical fitness can make us healthier.  Don't we all want to be healthier?

Secondly, mental and physical fitness training makes us stronger for managing our everyday lives.  Mental and physical fitness training can make us stronger for coping with the stresses and demands of everyday living.

Successful managing of life experiences will not necessarily make us physically and mentally stronger.  In contrast, successful mental and physical fitness training will make us stronger in managing life experiences.

If you want to be physically stronger in coping with everyday life experiences, then commit to a physical fitness program.

If you want to be mentally and emotionally stronger for coping with everyday life experiences, then commit to a mental fitness program like The North Star Mental Fitness Program.

Remember, You Live within Environment Created by Your Choices!

Dr. Hal

Life and Mental Fitness Coach

There Is a Cure for Choking And Loss of Momentum

"Tonight I was playing in the finals of a local tournament and missed the nineball in two games. Due to these misses, I came in second place.

Is there a cure for this disease?"

 

This was the gut wrenching plea from a frustrated billiard player, who wrote "Choking nine balls? Help!

 

Is there a cure for choking and loss of momentum?

Choking and loss of momentum are seen on a daily basis in every sport.  Errors and mistakes are inevitable and part of amateur and professional sports. 

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune humorously wrote about choking by one of baseball's super stars, Soriano:

Play To Win; Not to Lose

The University of Michigan football team is undergoing a transition period.  There has been a coaching change.  Hopefully there will also be a change in motivation and psychology.

Lloyd Carr has a wonderful reputation as a coach.  He has been well-liked by his players, fellow coaches and most people he has met.  He has been a role model for running a football program with morals.

Unfortunately, Coach Carr appeared to motivate his team with the philosophy to not lose.  As a result the team game plans were entirely predictable, unimaginative and way too conservative.  His game plans built on the philosophy to not lose prevented his teams from beating teams who were motivated creatively and imaginatively to win.

Too often, people are like conservative coaches.  We play our lives not lose.  We do not play our lives to win!  We motivate ourselves to not make mistakes rather than taking the risk of going beyond our comfort zones.  We do not set goals for self-actualization, instead settling for its self-preservation.

The Importance of Mental Fitness

The APA Help Center has a wonderful Interactive drawings of the human body that show the effect of stress on our bodies.  Please visit Mind/Body Health: Interactive.

"Mental fitness is as important as physical fitness. Regularly exercising keeps your body fit with no ounce of extra fat to be seen anywhere.

Have you ever thought of how much extra, unnecessary thoughts, which are more harmful to you than bodily fat, keeps accumulating in your mind continuously, leading you towards all kinds of maladies and diseases? Yes, your unhealthy mind is a major factor behind even your most common cold, fever, stomach infections, etc.

I Empowered Myself!

Self-doubt and lacking confidence are often experienced by people, who reenter the world of employment after an illness or raising their children. 

Such was the mindset of this middle-aged women. She has raised her children.  Now, she has been successful in her job, but her perceptions of herself have lagged behind her accomplishments.  She struggled with accepting her success and the benefits of her success.

She thought she didn't deserve good things.  She felt she didn't deserve the accolades and consequences from being successful.

She realized that there was a golden ring in front of her.  She always has been ambivalent about reaching for the ring of opportunity and success. She knew it was there, but she just couldn't reach out for this ring of success.  She worried and was fearful she couldn't measure up.  So she remained in an inhibited and fearful comfort zone.

Why Quitting Smoking Doesn't Work

- Each day, nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking
- Nearly 2,000 will become regular smokers.
- Annually 800,000 new smokers join the ranks of the diseased.

Approximately 90 percent of smokers begin smoking before the age of 21. According to the latest smoking statistics in 2001, a national survey of high school students revealed that the overall prevalence of current cigarette use was 28 percent. Nearly 20 percent of 12th graders, 12 percent of 10th graders and 5.5 percent of 8th graders smoke cigarettes daily. These statistics provided by Credible Reviews.

For more statistics on smoking in the text of smoking, I refer you to Smoking Statistics provided by the World Health Organization.

All these statistics indicate the need for people to stop smoking.  The reality is clear.  Smoking is bad for health and the health of others.

Although it is realistically and practically important to stop smoking, motivating yourself to "quit" or "stop" smoking is likely to fail for the following reasons: 

THE NORTH STAR MENTAL FITNESS PROGRAM

ARE YOU HAPPY?

DO YOU FEEL FREE?

DO YOU HAVE PEACE OF MIND?

DO YOU HAVE POWER OVER YOUR LIFE?

SIMPLIFY AND REVITALIZE YOUR LIFE WITH I LIVE WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT CREATED BY MY CHOICES AND THE NORTH STAR MENTAL FITNESS PROGRAM!

Mental fitness training can take you from where you are now to where you want to go with your life.  Don't settle for where you are now, when mental fitness trainee can take you where you want to be.  You can be the best you can with these cognitive fitness programs.

You can have the life that you want with programs presented in the two e-books, I LIVE WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT CREATED BY MY CHOICES and THE NORTH STAR MENTAL FITNESS PROGRAM.  With this training you can better yourself and your life.  If you have a problem, we can provide the tools for you to find your solution.

Do you want a manual to help you remain focused in your life?

1-2-3, Here I Come!

1-2-3, Here I Come, Ready or Not! 

Remember the fun we had playing the childhood game, hide and go seek?  As I was talking to one of my clients yesterday, her dilemma reminded me of "1-2-3, Here I Come, Ready or Not"! 

Let me tell you briefly about her story. 

Sorting Out Brain, Cognitive and Mental Fitness

Today, I went to sort out different forms of fitness.  Sometimes it can become confusing in understanding fitness concepts.  Cognitive fitness has different meanings, depending on the orientation of the writer.

Physical Fitness is probably the most familiar and recognized form of fitness. 

Cognitive fitness has become very popular during the last 10 years due to the remarkable research on the neuroplasticity of the brain. 

Also the importance of cognition in changing feelings, behavior and coping with problems in everyday living has been the basis of many psychological forms of therapy and programs for change people's lives.   

Realizing, I am risking oversimplification, I would like to sort out the meaning of various forms of fitness. 

The Focus Point Generates The Benefits of Success

Do you want the benefits of success?

Do you want freedom, happiness, peace of mind and power over your life?  These are the psychological benefits of success and successful caring for yourself.

Do you know where to go to get the benefits of success?

You are right, if you said the Focus Point.  The Focus Point in the NOW is where you can make successful choices.

Living in the Now will provide you with the opportunity to make choices that will bring you freedom, happiness, peace of mind and power over your life!