Own Your Power

We all want to feel better about ourselves. The simplest and most effective way to improve on your overall well-being is to take care of your body with proper nutrition and exercise, which will jump-start even the slowest metabolism. Light exercise that can include the simple act of walking which can significantly increase the metabolism.

Something is better than nothing.
You just have to take the first step towards personal improvement. Just as little as 10 minutes a day can make a positive difference in your physical appearance. More importantly you will feel better. The small change can be doing some pushups, crunches, even jumping jacks or dips at some point in your day. Almost everyone makes excuses about not having the time to work out, but you have the choice to make time for things that you want including those coveted washboard abs. So the next time you watch TV, challenge yourself. See how many pushups you can do during a commercial break. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is the “perfect” body. Start small and be consistent. You will notice slight changes that will give you the encouragement you need to make some more time for exercise. There are many daily activities that, with simple adjustments, can vastly improve your physical health.
• Walk up and down the stairs instead of taking the elevator.
• Park your car further away from your office door.
• Ditch the cart, if able, and carry those grocery bags to the car.
• If you go to the mall, don’t park in front of the entrance where you know you’ll be shopping.
• Don’t wait until you go to the club. Put on your favorite song and dance around your home.
• Go out and indulge in physical activity with your friends, family or children instead of watching TV or a movie.
• Just get up and go.

Sadly, exercise is not enough. Changing the way you eat also makes a huge difference. Eat smaller portions 5-7 times a day. Remember that all of your small meals are not full meals. It consists of three main meals and two or more snacks. Your lifestyle and goals will determine the amount and types of food you will need to eat. A snack can consist of anything from granola to veggies and protein shakes. There are a lot of tasty things you can choose to eat for a snack. The goal is to make healthier choices. The more times that you eat a day, the more your body has to work to break down the food, thus increasing your metabolism to help you burn more calories at rest. Burning calories at rest is known as your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). Everyone has their own unique RMR which is determined by your height, weight, age and also your lifestyle. The RMR can be determined by an equation or a breathing test. The breathing test is the most accurate way to get your correct RMR, and the equation will give you a very close approximate. Knowing what your RMR is you can then figure out what your caloric intake for a day should be. If you want to maintain your weight then you need to eat within that caloric range. If you want to gain weight, you want to eat more and if you want to lose weight, you need to eat less. Your RMR can also be affected by the amount of exercise you do a day. The more you exercise, the more calories you burn which will affect the way you eat.

The smallest and simplest changes can make a world of difference in your health. All you have to do is set realistic goals and start small. You won’t see drastic changes overnight but a little exercise and healthy food will have you feeling ready to face tomorrow with both barrels blazing. Don’t give up. Don’t quit. And don’t forget to start.

Body Defining
Reggie Lamptey
Personal Trainer & Massage Therapist
973-885-8936
WWW.BODYDEFINING.COM

CLICK HERE: To stop on by Reggie’s page in our network and add him as a friend. Want your article here? Just join our family to get an opportunity to be selected. Have a fab Thanksgiving and spend this time to really reflect on what your grateful for. (You should do this everyday by the way. LOL ) Warmest,

Simone

Cynthia as been apart of the Own Your Power and Give ‘n Take family from our very early days of hosting events. She’s one of my favorite people and I’m very happy to showcase her today and her new business S.O.F.I.A.! Find out why she loves what she does and reach out to her.

What’s your main service?: To create a new life for young adults, ages 18-25, which are in situations that will lead to wrong decisions.

How long in business? In my thoughts for several years, although looking to officially launch in 2009.

What does your business do? Help young adults become successful by achieving a new lifestyle with support and guidance.

Any interesting fact(s) you can share about your industry? After years of personal interaction and research a good number of young adults fail or have hardships due to lack of knowledge and resources.

Most popular problem you help people solve? I have a strong desire to guide young people in the direction of a successful and productive lifestyle.


How do you stay motivated? What drives you? I have my ups and downs, depending on what is going on in my life.
Although, I can say my level of faith is 100%. My peers are my backbone (and you all know who you are). Knowing that I MUST help those in need of the S.O.F.I.A. program is what keeps me motivated.

What’s your favorite area on www.ownyourpower.biz? Networking, I enjoy checking out the new members and their bios.

It’s sadly time for your last meal on earth…what would it be? Crab cakes, corn salsa and hush puppies.

Have you used Social Networking to gain new contacts/business? If so, what have been any results? Seeing that I switched gears in industries and businesses I do not have any new contacts in my current project, although I have gained true down-to-earth friends since being a part of Own Your Power’s community.

If you could do it all over again, what is the biggest mistake you’d avoid next time around? Making sure I get guidance from people that have traveled the road that I am about to walk. It saves you a ton of time and effort.

Most exciting moment that you got your time to shine? Holding the position of Chairperson of the Ebony Fashion Fair 2006 for Newark New Jersey Fashion Show.

Have ideas or connections to help her with her new venture? Reach out here here:
Founder and C.E.O.
S.O.F.I.A.
973 783 7397 - ciewalk@yahoo.com

It’s been a very stressful few months for many people across the world. On top of all of the normal stressors we all face in our everyday lives, we’ve been exposed to the constant barrage of information about the weakening economy, the rising cost of living, declining stock prices and home values, and our nation’s unknown political outlook. All of this has created an environment of fear and uncertainty about the future. And this environment is likely to get worse before it gets better. That’s the really bad news.

The really good news is that, while we have little control over the external environment, we actually have a lot of control over how we respond to it. If you think about it, the future has always been uncertain. On September 10, 2001, things seemed pretty good overall. But the next day, the whole situation changed, and our nation experienced a significant surge of fear, panic, anger, depression, and confusion that would last for months.

Did everything change, or did it just seem that way? The threats were just as real the day before, but we didn’t perceive them, so we didn’t worry. Only once our attention was focused on uncertainty did we experience significant stress. I’m not advocating ignorance or denial at all. Just realize that there are always things that we could worry about if we choose to focus on them. Likewise, we can feel grateful when we choose to focus on positive things. And it definitely is a choice, whether or not we want to admit it.

READ ON HERE AND SEE SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE OWN YOUR POWER FAMILY:

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Can You Connect Again Like the Good Old Days?

Or are you stuck in the “Jetson’s Age” forever?

The other day my car had to be serviced due to a leaky part. While seated in the waiting room, I was told that the computers were down and it would be a little longer wait than they expected. The mechanics had to check on my part in their intranet, but of course, they couldn’t find out what parts were available, since the system was down.

The waiting room was peaceful with an imaginary aquarium full of colorful fish, floating high above our heads on the 60 inch screen TV. The soothing sounds of classical music playing in the background relaxed me. Who needs real fish? LOL (Gotta love technology eh?)

Which brings me to my point. The only other person in the room with me flipped through a magazine and looked up to say, “Isn’t it a shame how much we rely on technology? How we can’t do much without it?”

Joseph (I’d soon find out) was waiting for the computers to come back on so he could resume his work in the finance department of the Acura Dealership. We discussed how far we’ve come as a society with technology, yet thought about how much better off we might be without it. It’s one of those Catch 22 situations. Even though technology has made life quicker and easier for us, in many ways it hinders quality communication and building solid relationships from forming.

“We probably would not have even met if weren’t for the computers shutting off”, Joseph joked.

We thought back to the days way before the early 90’s when we were probably just a tad smarter as a society. Well, dare say a lot smarter.

Ponder this for a moment…

• How many people’s phone numbers do you actually know by heart as compared to before cell phones invaded our lives? (Or for those born before the 80’s…back to when we had to use payphones. ~Yuck, shivers at the thought.~ LOL)

• Or how about when spell check was something you did with a real live dictionary. Yes, the ones with pages.
I remember saying, “Mom, how do you spell…”
Even if she knew the answer, “Get the dictionary, Simone!,” she’d yell back.

I’d say, “Awh Ma, how can I look it up if I don’t know how to spell it?” …And that my friends made us smarter. We learned a lot from searching didn’t we? ☺

Come on, we must have used just a bit more brain power back then. Have we become lazy, because of technology? Today we’re living the push-button-and-go lifestyle. Are we the JETSONS OR WHAT? Aside from the flying cars, we pretty much have almost all the bells and whistles the cartoonists dreamed about when they created that cartoon from microwaves to video phones.

I Remember When…

• Remember when people took the time to write a heart-felt letter instead of a forwarded chain letter to tell you they loved you as a true friend?
• Or when you could drive on the road and the person next to you would be doing just that..DRIVING. Not obsessed multitasking mania: text messaging, putting on mascara, looking at their GPS or yapping on the phone!

• Remember when you would call around to a few friends to find a long lost buddy, instead of going to facebook or myspace. (Okay, okay… this one I gotta admit is a keeper. Found some college and elementary school friends this way! BTW…Add me as a friend! lol)

• Or get this, when you actually KNEW the people that lived next to you. I mean not just a wave, a head nod, but they might even come over for dinner once in a while.

Sorry to say, that gone are the days of quality connections…unless maybe you live in a small town that is. However, there’s still hope. There are a few folks out there holding on and trying to keep real communication going. Folks trying to inspire community in all that they do.

My hats off to you all who take the time to send a hand-written thank you card, who stop and talk to a neighbor for even five minutes. Those who actually call someone back when they call you instead of replying with a rushed text message. To those who call up family members to check up on them instead of waiting until they are on their death bed to pay a visit. ~Ouch! Yes, I went there!~ Hey..you know it’s true!

Sooooo, Mr. Buzzin’ BlackBerry and Ms. I’msoDarnBusy…I got a little test for you. Are you up for The Flintstone Challenge?

Try to take it back to the past. You might feel like you’re in the stone ages, but so what. It’s time to connect on a deeper level with your fellow man.
~ Sappy violin music starts.~ Awh man, somebody get me a Kleenex!

TRY FLINTSTONE CHALLENGE!

PICK AT LEAST ONE THING TO DO IN THE NEXT WEEK AND SEE HOW YOU FEEL!

1. Write a REAL letter (with a pen). Remember the ones that have stamps and envelopes? Let an old friend or significant other know how much you miss them. Give them an update on what’s need and exciting in your life. If you really want to take it back, throw in an old photo of you two together.
2. Be alone with yourself and really enjoy Numero Uno. Spend quiet time on a park bench, in the library, a museum, etc. Journal, read a good book, meditate. Enjoy being in the moment with your thoughts. (No cell phones or T.V. aloud)
3. Try a Mind Cleanse…No TV at ALL. See how long you can do. If you don’t have the shakes after day one, be a big shot and shoot for three. Lol In exchange…write more and read more. See how much you can actually learn without the boob tube on.
4. Here’s a big one…stop by and visit a neighbor or if you don’t know the neighbor’s name….say, “It’s a shame, we haven’t formally introduced ourselves. My name is Mr. BlackBerry, so good to meet you!”
5. Oh boy, I Iied,THIS is the big one especially for BlackBerry addicts. DON’T CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR ……………………wait for it…………..
an ENTIRE DAY! I know, devastating for some of you guys. I actually feel like I’m on vacation when I don’t check my email. LOL It’s great, try it!
6. Be a Goodie Two Shoes and help save the world! Volunteer to teach a class at a local community, help out at an animal shelter, assist the homeless, work in a domestic violence shelter, or help out at a church after school program.

Can you do it? Try and slow down for a few and reconnect with what’s truly important. ~Sappy violin music ends~

Come back here and post your results or your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!

Own Your Power! Yabba Dabba Doooooo!!!!

(Okay that was a bit much, but I couldn’t help myself!)
Simone

A job is suppose to be boring, hard, and a chore that just pays the bills … well, that’s what most of society thinks about their 9-5. I never agreed with that gloomy point of view. I remember when I worked for Corporate America seven years ago; I used to have a painful feeling of being dragged to the office each morning. It was like a ton of bricks on my shoulders weighing me down. It didn’t matter how high my position was or how much money I was raking in. I just didn’t feel right.

Even though I’ve had some pretty cool jobs in the past, I still dreaded the office environment, the politics, the commute, and being stifled from using my creativity. I’m a big believer in owning your own business. However, let’s face it — it’s not for everyone. And it surely isn’t as easy as you might think.

Joe Nunziata and I go several years back. I met him at one of his events and we did several events together since then and he always has a sold-out crowd. A best-selling author and a speaker who is in high demand, Joe is definitely one to watch!

He’s inspiring, funny, and he gives it to you straight. His advice ranges from small business to even spiritual. His strategies will help you boost your business and focus on your own energy as well. Find out why he loves what he does and why Own Your Power loves us some Joe

What’s your main service/product?:

My business is called; Top Notch Training and we focus on spiritual principles in business, training, programs, and products.

What does your business do?
Teaches people how to integrate spiritual energy principles in business and life.

Any interesting facts you can share about your industry?

This is a new wave of consciousness that will transform the world of business as we know it.

Most popular problem you help people solve?

Identify and clear the unconscious negative blocks that are holding them back.

What year did you kiss Corporate America goodbye and why do you hope to never go back?

In 2001. Corporate America was a very important part of my training for this work. I had to understand what people were experiencing to help them move forward. I never look back, I strive to live in the moment.

How do you stay motivated? What drives you?

My higher-self and soul always kept me motivated on the bigger picture. My mission is to heal as many people as I can … that really drives me.

What’s a bold move you took that turned your business around?

I went from a traditional business/sales trainer to a spiritual teacher and connected the two in business. This move completely shifted all of my energy and focus.

If you could do it all over again, what is the biggest mistake you’d avoid next time around?

I don’t see things as mistakes, only lessons. Everything I learned as the result of a so-called mistake has been much more valuable than anything I learned from success.

Most exciting moment that you got your time to shine?

I have been on many TV and radio shows, but nothing lights me up like a live audience. Every live event is a blessing.

Contact him directly:

joe@jnunziata.com or call 516-616-3914.

I hope these Love What You Do spotlights will serve up a big scoop of inspiration and a dash of reality to see if this is really what you want. Loving what you do is definitely a gift!

Own Your Power,

Simone