Rooting You On

FITNESS BOOT CAMPS

2010-04-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that the Transformation Boot Camp now has the following fitness boot camps across the U.S.A.:

Allen Boot Camp

Cedarburg Boot Camp

Dallas Boot Camp

Eugene Boot Camp

Marietta Boot Camp

North Ogden Boot Camp

Pensacola Boot Camp

Ruston Boot Camp

San Antonio Boot Camp (north)

San Antonio Boot Camp (Castle Hills)

Shelby Township Boot Camp

Stafford Boot Camp

Waking up to Your Wonderful Life

2010-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Just a thought...

What if ever day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life to be unburdened by natural disaster, muddy drinking water, and poverty?

What if ever day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life that allowed you the freedom to think what you want to think, to say what you want to say, and to act how you want to act?

What if ever day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life that is filled with all of the opportunities and possibilities that you could possibly imagine for yourself?

What if every day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life and reminded yourself just how fortunate you are to have all of these things?

Would it change how you approach the day? Would it change whether or not you gripe about work, the weather, or the game? Would it change the talk at the water cooler? Would it change anything at all?

Would you feel more zest for life? Would you go for more? Would you push yourself farther? Would you fear less? Would you count more blessings?

Would you be willing to smile more, laugh more, and focus on your happiness? Would you be willing to give more, share more, and treat people with respect?

What if every day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life, and you just let it pass you by? You think, "Just another blog post, just another day at the office, just another year of my life."

What if every day you woke up to another day in your wonderful life, and you lived it to the fullest? What if? What a wonderful day it would be.

Rooting you on,

Mike Thornton

Force the Good Stuff

2009-10-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

As I skillfully positioned the closet door halfway shut, I looked back over my shoulder to receive the word that I was allowing just enough light to fill the dark and shadowy room. My son Thomas gave me his approval, and I moved to the side of his bed to tuck him in. We had already finished his bedtime story and brushed his teeth. Now it was time for our nigh-time ritual.

"I love you, Thomas." "I wuv you, Daddy." "Sweet dreams." "Sweet dreams." "I'll see you tomorrow." "See you tomorrow." And with that, I kissed his forehead and made my way to the door.

As I looked back at him all tucked into his "big-boy bed," I wondered how many more of these moments I would get to have. It's not that they will be disappearing anytime soon, but I have to admit that time seems to be accelerating exponentially at a pace that I'm not okay with.

All I could think about was how the past 2 1/2 years could be broken up into different types of beds with each bed coming faster than the other. Bed 1 was his crib which he was in for quite some time. Next came the daybed with the rail, but shortly there after the rail was removed. And now within the blink of an eye, he lay there tucked into his "big-boy bed." I'll ask it even though I know you don't know the answer - how do you slow this down?

As I walked downstairs, I was extremely happy that I had forced myself to put Thomas to bed this night. I know it sounds funny to say "forced" when the ritual of tucking in your child is such a joyful and rewarding experience, but it's true. I had forced myself to do it.

I'm not saying that I didn't want to put my son to bed or that I don't enjoy tucking him in. Quite the opposite is true. It's at these moments that I feel that life and love have the most meaning, and I am more clear than ever on what is truly important in my life. These are the moments that I would choose to live in constantly if I could.

What I am saying is that these are also the moments that could have easily escaped me as well. And to be quite honest with you, sometimes they do. I don't get to put my son to bed every night; many nights his mommy does. While I always am sure to hug and kiss him and tell him that I love him, I sometimes miss out on the joy of bedtime stories and the gift of seeing him lay his head to his pillow. But when I do experience these, I wonder how I could ever let them escape me again.

I know I'm not alone, and that's why I'm sharing this with you now. We all have experiences in our lives that escape us. We all have treasured moments that we never get to realize because we let something else get in the way. Maybe it was the 50 e-mails you had to get to at the end of the day. Perhaps it was the stack of paperwork that you had to work through at lunch. It could have even been the groceries, the laundry, the dry cleaning, the meeting, the soccer practice, or the PTA.

And what suffers? What important moments in your life are you not getting to and how is that affecting you? I know I mentioned family, but there are so many moments that we never get to that demand the label "important" as well. Are you putting off your health, your finances, your relationships, your dreams? Is too much work taking the place of working out? Is your relationship with your busy schedule affecting your relationships with the people you love? Have you been pushing your dreams aside to keep pushing through all the other non-important clutter in your life?

I don't ask these questions to point a finger and say, "Just look what I've got figured out, and you don't!" No; I ask because I too have to force myself to do things that can easily escape me if I let them. I too am guilty of letting what's important suffer if I let the petty stuff dictate my life. But it's because I realize just how important these experiences are that I share this.

It's funny because we normally think that forcing ourselves to do something means that we must be doing something that we don't like. But that's not always the case. Sometimes it's these rewarding, life-improving experiences that make us feel on top of the world. While making time for your health and fitness may seem like a burden, I guarantee you that taking care of your body would make you feel at your best. Even though you may have been putting off your dreams, I guarantee that pursuing them would make you much happier than not.

I know...I know. But the day was long. You ran out of time. The boss called a meeting. The kids had soccer practice. You didn't have the energy. You had a million e-mails to answer. You will just have to get to it the next day, or the next day, or the day after that.

Let's not miss out on what's truly important in life whether it be a moment with a loved one, an opportunity to improve our health, or doing the things that make us the happiest. Sure it would be easy to let these things pass us by, but what would we miss? What would suffer?

We may have to force ourselves to say "no" every once in a while, or push away from the desk, or put the laundry on hold, but aren't these important and treasured moments worth forcing ourselves to do so? The answer is and will always remain "yes." And sometimes it takes being in that moment to completely understand just how important it is, but it's that exact moment that could have passed you by.

So how do we slow it down? We can't. We just have to choose wisely. The time will continue to move exponentially, the beds will continue to change, and the moments of our lives will continue to be experienced or lost. Let's just be sure to force the good stuff while we can.

Why don't you START acting like a child!

2009-09-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

As I sat perched like an over-sized toddler on the tiniest wooden chair known to mankind (I'm sure), I listened to the head teacher describe the everyday activities of the students in the "primary" room. I was attending open house at my son's Montessori school and was there to learn just exactly what my son would experience in his new classroom. You see he's a big boy now and will soon be making the transition from the "toddler" room to the "primary" room.

With my hands folded across my unusually high knees, I listened intently as each working station in the room was described. From reading and writing to mathematics and geography, the team of teachers described the activities of the children and more importantly how they would learn from these activities.

It was the practical life area that grabbed my attention the most, however. If your not familiar with the Montessori method of teaching, the practical life area is where they concentrate on learning everyday activities from pouring a drink of water on their own to developing strength for writing skills.

It wasn't so much the practical life area itself that grabbed my attention, it was how the teacher explained the learning method. She said, "We only teach them each skill once. After that, the continue to learn through application." She continued, "It's okay for them to mess up or not get it right away; that's how they learn. If they pour too much water in a glass and spill, it's no big deal. We don't make them feel bad. They simply understand that they need to tilt the glass a little less, pour a little slower, or stop a little earlier."

It was at that point that a question popped into my head - When do we stop doing this? When do we stop allowing ourselves the opportunity to try new things, develop new skills, and further our growth? More importantly, why do we stop doing this? Why is it that we think that we can't do it, we freeze in fear, or we turn and run? Why?

Could you imagine if a 3-year old decided that he might not be able to pour the glass of water and never tried? Or how about if he spilled some water on his first attempt and decided that he just wasn't going to get this down and quit trying? What kind person would he grow up to be? A thirsty one; that's what!

Of course it seems ridiculous to consider a 3-year old quitting and never developing a life skill just because he or she didn't get it on the first, second, or tenth time it was attempted. So why in the world do we do this as adults? Why do we ever let it creep into our heads that we can't do something? Why do we ever get to a point where we believe that something is not possible just because it has not happened yet? Why do we give ourselves such permanent labels such as "failed at" when "failure" is such a necessary stepping stone for success?

Did you learn to walk on your first attempt? No. You probably fell directly on your butt numerous times; but each time you got back up. How about learning to tie your shoes? Did you master this skill on your first attempt? Of course not. And thank goodness for that bunny ear trick or we would all be wearing Velcro.

Just think of all the examples in your life - saying your first words, learning to write, riding a bike, learning to read, swimming, adding, subtracting, multiplying, you name it. So many skills learned through the process of not getting it right the first time. My parents can attest to my not getting the bike thing right the first time. But 9 stitches and one emergency room trip later, I got back on my bike.

At some point, however, it seems as if we let other things dictate our attempts. We start to care too much about what other people might think or say about us. We build up the worst case scenario in our minds and let it play out as if it was actually happening. We fear public speaking because we couldn't bare the thought of thousands of opinions looking back at us. We throw in the towel with weight loss because the daily judgements are just too much. We can hear the venomous voices saying, "On another diet, huh? Well good luck this time!"

I'm not going to suggest that there aren't hateful people in this world that say cruel things or think negative thoughts. What I am going to suggest, however, is that you say, "Who gives a damn what they think?" Say it loudly and mean it! Who cares? Their opinions of you are not who you are. In fact, their opinions don't define you. They define them as people that have to give opinions.

Look...I'm talking about any area of your life. If you have failed at dieting and fitness time and time again, good! You have learned that much more to help you develop this skill. Use your knowledge and keep going. If you have tried something new, anything, and did not succeed at your first attempt, it's no big deal. Try it again and again and again. You will get it.

Do you want to exercise? Then exercise. Want to write? Write. Do you want to start your own business? Do it. Have dreams of being a circus clown? Then do it! No matter what is that you want to do, accomplish, learn, or attempt, don't let the opinions of others keep you down. Who cares if you think that others will think you are a freak. You know what I say? Let your freak flag fly and fly it high.

We really can learn from children. They haven't yet developed egos that get bruised, hurt, or walked on. They learn to accomplish something due to their pure desire to do so. They don't care about what other little kids are going to say if they struggle at tying their shoes, they just keep trying. They focus on their task with all of their energy until they get it down. That's how they learn and grow. That's how we all learn and grow.

Let me hear from you! Post your comments.

Perspective - How Tiny Transformations can have Enormous Impacts

2009-09-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Transformation - Is it a word reserved for milestone accomplishments that take enormous amounts of time and energy? It's true that my blog posts and e-mails often share testimonials and stories of the shrunken waistlines and stretched beliefs of those that have worked hard over time, but today I want to focus on one, simple transformation that can take place in just an instant. I want to talk about the power to transform your perspective.

We are all familiar with the word perspective. It's your point of view, how you perceive things, the meaning of an experience. We form our own personal perspectives on everything that we come across on a daily basis. And while we form these perspectives quite easily, are they always right? Do they serve us well? Are they ever challenged? If they aren't, why not?

The thought of sharing this with you today came to me just as I was concluding my morning camp this morning. The rain once again forced us down into the lower level of the parking garage for cover (an area lovingly known as the "dungeon"). This entire week has been damp, and the "dungeon" workouts really can be a test of one's will and grit.

As I recalled the efforts of this morning's class and the evening class the night before, the question hit me - How do my campers perceive this situation? What is there point of view? What meaning does this situation have to them?

Of course they could have been focused on being in the crummy ole garage again or how the rain just won't come to an end. I really don't know how they perceived the situation quite honestly, but I know what I saw. I saw grit, determination, and commitment in them, and I hope that they used this situation to recognize those as well.

You see, that's just it. We are faced with so many different situations in a day and there are so many different ways to perceive them. So often we just let the default program run in the background, and we never really take the opportunity to think about how our perceptions affect everything from our attitudes to how the day ends up. But what if we chose how we viewed things? On a more personal level, what if YOU chose how you viewed things?

Instead of looking at the rain as a nuisance, you looked at it as an opportunity to recognize your commitment to exercising or to spend a few hours playing board games with your kids?

Instead of feeling as if you failed at your last diet, you looked at it as a learning experience of areas you can still work on. You could even change your focus from, "I only lasted a week," to, "I proved that I can do a week."

How about in moments when the boss doesn't appreciate your work, or the jerk in front of you just cut you off? How different would your attitude and your day be if you chose to recognize these situations as an opportunity to prove that you have patience with people instead of getting angry? Pretty different. Right?

When we talk about our power to transform, it really does start here. Thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, and habits lead to lifestyles. It's not the circumstances in your life that dictate what you get; it's your perception of them. So how will you perceive them? Will you choose to let the default program run, or will you look for a better meaning and one that serves you in the situation? It's your choice.

You truly do have the power to make these tiny transformationson a daily basis. And while they do have the illusion of being tiny, they will will have an enormous impact on the actions you take, the habits you make, and the lifestyle that comes along with them. At least, that's my perspective.

Rooting you on,

Mike Thornton

P.S. Dallas camp - 8 spots left for morning and 7 for evening.

P.P.S. White Rock camp - save $10 by enrolling before tomorrow!

To enroll - http://www.TransformationBootCamp.com

A Fitness Awakening has Begun!

2009-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

Now hear this...a NEW STUDY in Time Magazine says that you have to watch what you eat if you want to lose weight! What? Are you serious? New? Come on! Haven't we had enough of these "new studies" telling us the same thing we've already heard time and time again? There is nothing new to this.

Time's twist...

I will give it to Time. They came up with a great sounding title and twist for their article. It's one that we would all want to read - "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin." I mean let's face it; we could all use just one more reason to keep us from doing something good for our bodies. Thank goodness that Time cleared this up for us. Now we all know that exercise is bad. What were we thinking? Sure...much later in the article they mention that you should keep exercising to keep your heart healthy and to prevent disease, but they bury that behind statements like "exercise could actually make you gain weight."

What's their point...

As you read through the article, the author lays out his vigorous workout routine - classes, trainers, ellipticals, and more. Then he exclaims (and I'm paraphrasing a bit), "But I still have a fat gut that hangs over my belt!" His conclusion is that exercise doesn't make you thin and then gives us the same "so you better take the stairs" or "park the car far away and walk" routine that we've been hearing for years. Don't get me wrong. Increasing your daily activity is important, but the stairs alone won't do it.

The problem with this logic...

The problem with this logic is that it's NOT LOGICAL! You can't say that action A (exercising) does not lead to result B (weight loss) if you forget to throw in that pesky action A 1/2 (overeating). That's like saying saving money throughout the week does not build your bank account if you forgot to mention your big spending spree. Oops!

Let's play a little game...

Humor me for just a minute; I'd like to play a little game with you. I don't know, let's call it "You've Got Common Sense!" Here is round 1 - If you budget for $100 worth of expenses each month but spend $150, would you really expect to stay on budget? Of course not; your spending exceeds your budget. You've got "common sense!"

Good; let's go to round 2 - We can thank grade school for this one. If train A leaves for Chicago going 80 miles per hour and train B leaves for Chicago at the very same time going 60 miles per hour and they are both the same distance away, which train will arrive first? Train A, of course, because it's speed exceeds that of train B. Congratulations, you've got (everybody) "COMMON SENSE!" Can you hear the studio audience screaming it out?

Final round, and it's the bonus round - If you burn 2,000 calories in a day and eat 2,500 calories in that very same day, will you burn body fat? No, of course not. Your calories coming in exceed the amount going out. Congratulations! Tell 'em what they have, Johnny! You've just used your "COMMON SENSE!" Don't you just love game shows?

Now here is where I agree...

The article does mention that performing vigorous exercise makes you hungry. In the industry, we call this a raised metabolism. It means you are burning calories; we think it's a good thing. The writer introduces studies that conclude that if you feel hungry, you are more likely to over-eat. He backs up this point even more by stating that because you have worked out, you are more likely to justify eating poorly. You feel entitled to that doughnut, that Ding Dong, or that sugary "sports" drink. And you know what? He's right! Many of us do this A WHOLE LOT. But we are smarter than this. We have more common sense than this. We have more control than this. And I'm not just talking about sheer will power. We have the power to plan, the power to choose the places that we frequent, the power to make a grocery list, and the power to think ahead and not get caught up in situations. We have these powers; we just have to use them.

Let's be fair here. It's not exercise that keeps you from losing or gaining weight. The title of this article shouldn't be, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin." It should be "Why Over-Eating Will Make You Fat." Let's be fair. I know, Time, that your title may get more readers, but it's simply not accurate. Why don't we try asking those that are in the shape that they want to be in how they got there. Ask those that were able to raise their metabolisms AND focus on their food at the same time, how they did it. Ask all the lean and fit spin instructors, personal trainers, and daily exercisers what their secret is. They will tell you that it's no secret at all - diet and exercise. Is this really a breaking news story? I don't think so; and you know it's not.

Get fed up...

I'm sorry, but I've had enough. Haven't you? Aren't you tired of this vicious cycle of "new studies" and "breaking stories" that really just try to dress up something that we all already know and pass it off as something "groundbreaking?" Aren't you tired of pill pushers and gimmicky gadgets? Haven't you had enough spin? Can't you see that there are actually those that want to make you believe that you are trapped, weak, and out of control? Hey...who doesn't want to believe that "it's not your fault?" Then you can blame someone other than you. We can blame our childhood, our work environment, or EXERCISE. Yeah...that's the culprit. Anyone or anything outside of ourselves.

Stand up...

If you can't see it, I promise you it's there. You have to stand up, pump your fist in the air, and declare your freedom. Every time you see a ridiculous story that will only bring you down, fight back. When you find that the circumstances are controlling you and not the other way around, fight back. When you find your own thoughts convincing you that you can't or that you are weak or full of fear, fight back. There are those that will try to put their thumbs on top of you and pin you down. Fight back!

I'm starting a movement right here, right now...

I am declaring a fitness awakening. No longer will we be influenced by commercials when it comes to how we view our bodies. No longer will we buy the hype, when we know deep down inside the truth. No longer will we let any publication discourage, demotivate, or dis-empower us when it comes to being healthy, fit, and strong. From now on, we operate on our own power. We create our own visions, utilize the abundance of resources inside of us all, and align ourselves with the truth. And what's the truth? You were born to be fit, healthy, strong, lean, and powerful. You are those things. We just have to wake them up! Will you join me?

I'm Rooting You On!

P.S. I'm not sure why Time did not include these people in their study - Exercise and Weight Loss. They lost weight, and they even did it with exercise.

P.P.S. Make sure you join my blog if you want to stay in touch and pass it on to others that might have an interest.

You Were Intended to Read this Post

2009-07-31T05:25:00.000-07:00

Would you believe me if I told you that you were intended to read these words right now? It's true. If you were not, would you be reading them at this moment? No...you wouldn't. Funny how that works, isn't it? So then there must be a reason for your reading them; let's find out why.

It's my belief that it is your intention to feel energized today, to tap into your creativity, and to have your day unfold exactly as you wish whether you realized it or not. When I sat down to type this very post, my intention was to get you to read it, provoke your thought, and inspire to act on the words to follow. Seeing as that you are here, it seems as if things are going as planned!

It's the very word "intention" that I want to focus on today. It's such an interesting word and not one that we use with all the power that we can on a daily basis. We use it sometimes in phrases like, "Oh...I'm sorry! That was not my intention," or "Well...he had the best intentions." We almost seem to use it as an afterthought, and that's just it. We use it as an AFTER-thought and not as a tool that we can use before we think and before we act.

Through your day, you are pretty much in a constant state of creation. It's true. You create your next step with every thought that you have. You thought about getting up this morning, you got up. You thought about getting on your computer, you got on. You thought about reading this blog post, you started reading. You create moment after moment, but that's not the question here. The question is this - what are you creating? An even more important question is this - is what you are creating what you intended? In other words was your creation deliberate, or did it just happen upon you?

It's funny, but so much of what we create on a daily basis is not in line with what we would intend if we took the time to think about it ahead of time. We go to work, we interact with people, we workout, we eat, we move, we play, and so often we do all of these things without thinking about our intention. Therefore we create many of our experiences unintentionally.

Would the thought of someone cutting you off in traffic really keep playing over and over again in your mind if you intended to feel happy? No, of course not. Would you really sit down and eat an entire basket of chips if you intended to eat the amount of food that was in line with your fitness goals ahead of time? No, you wouldn't. How about your workday? Is it your intention when you go to work to feel miserable? No way. But if you don't bring your intention to the front of your mind, your experience will be created by the random thoughts, opinions, and past experiences that are just randomly floating around in your mind. What will the next hour, day, week, and year look like if these get to determine your outcome?

So here is what I want you to do. Create intentionally. Get what you want by focusing on your intention ahead of time instead of letting it be an afterthought. Before you dive into your work today, lay out your intentions. Before you head to lunch, think about your intentions. Before you workout, talk to a friend, head into a meeting, or spend time with the kids, bring to mind your intentions. How do you want to feel? What do you want to experience? Where do you want it to lead? Ask and answer these questions ahead of time, and you will be shocked at the outcome.

When you take the time to lay out your intentions, you create your experiences in a very powerful way. Instead of letting the subconscious chaotic commotion determine your outcome, you become the creator. Just think...when you intend to experience happiness, you will be happy. When you intend to be giving, you will give. When you intend to have an amazing workout, eat healthy foods, and feel energized, you will experience those things. Who knows? If you intend it, you may even get someone to read your blog post down to the very last WORD!

Rooting you on!

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Every Day is a Miracle!

2009-07-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

Did you ever notice that every once in a while something comes along that makes you think, "Wow! Life is such a miracle!" You know what I'm talking about. You take pause. You think about how lucky you are to have what you have, do what you do, and experience what you experience every single day.

During that moment, that miraculous moment, you feel as if you are the luckiest person in the world. You are thankful. You are spirited. You are full of life. You feel it rush through you. It's an awesome feeling!

But why must we wait? Why must we wait for some event, some moment, some eye-opening experience to feel the miracle that is life every single day? Look around you. Look at how miraculous life really is. Look at the green grass that grows outside of your window. Feel the air you breathe passing through your lungs. Look at children, joy, and laughter. You are living a miracle every single day. I hope you can see that. This is something worth embracing. So embrace it.

Live every single day appreciative for the miracle that it is. Don't wait for reminders. This is your reminder today. Live life....today!

Rooting you on!

Feel Inspired in an Instant

2009-07-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's easy to do the same old thing all the time, isn't it? There I was at the gym today doing the same old thing listening to the same old music feeling the same old feelings. What feelings? You know the ones. The feelings of hot and cold, I want to but not really, trying to be inspired but not quite there. I wanted to feel inspired, lifted up, purposeful, and excited about my next move. The word inspired actually means in spirit - I wanted to feel THAT!

I switched from my usual playlist to something a little different. It's not a playlist that you would typically think of as a motivator, but it was something outside of my usual scope. And then there it was. A song that reminded me of the day that my son was born. In an instant, I...was....INSPIRED!

I remembered that day as if it was actually happening. I remembered the first time I ever touched the bottom of his foot - it was the closest I have ever been to something holy. I remembered the sound of his cry, his breathing, and every movement he made. I felt the love, the overwhelming joy, and the spirit of that very moment.

I was there in that moment. I was experiencing it as if it was actually happening right now, and I was in between sets at the gym. But I wasn't at the gym in my mind. I was in that moment. I felt it now. I was inspired!

Needless to say, my workout, my attitude, and my entire day has been changed by this one moment in my day today. This one thought changed everything. Even as I sit here typing these words now, I still feel it. It's wonderful. I knew I had to share it with you today.

We have that ability, that power. You have that power. You can change anything about what you are experiencing into anything that you want at right now. Please try it. Take a moment today when you don't feel inspired, and bring into your thoughts one of the most incredible moments of your life - the birth of a child, falling in love, the joy of helping others. Whatever it might be for you, bring it to the front of your thoughts, dwell on it, remember it exactly as it happened down to the tiniest detail, and feel inspired. It will change everything in an instant.

Rooting you on!

The Power of Connection

2009-07-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

Blogger, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and more - Why has social networking taken off so rapidly, and more than that how does it impact you? While there are a lot of opinions offered up as answers to both of these questions ranging from vanity to good networking skills, I'd like to share my opinion with you as well.

We are connected. Every "single" one of us is not really "single" at all. We all have hopes, dreams, aspirations, goals, emotions, and energy. We are all seeking to be a part of a community where we feel closer to others, related to their stories, and perhaps inspired to act by their actions. We want to share information, photos, opinions, and videos with those that share our passions, hobbies, and interests. We want to feel the connection that is already there, and these are the places that we come to do it.

Sure there will always be misuse of these tools just as there has been slander and libel before they existed, and there will be hatred and negativity posted in new forms of communication that we have not even fathomed yet. Should that stop us? No. Absolutely not. We need to connect.

It should raise the question, however, of what it is that you want to be connected to. How is what you are exposed to going to influence your mind, your energy, and your mood? Will it bring you down or lift you up? Will it cause worry or build belief? Will what you read, see, or hear add fear, stress, and anger or will it cause feelings of security, relaxation, and happiness?

You see we are products of what we spend most of our time thinking about. It's quite simple actually. If you want to feel worried and stressed, simply read about something that will cause worry and stress. If you want to feel anger, pay attention to something that makes you feel angry. If you want the personal belief that you are victim, then repeatedly listen to somebody tell you, "It's not your fault." If you want to feel inspired, energized, and powerful, however, then fill your mind with stories, images, and words that do just that.

This is the first post for "Rooting You On," and I think it only fitting that "connection" be the topic of discussion. Why? Because this blog is centered around positivity and connecting you with stories, images, and words that will lift you up. Here you will find opportunities to re-energize, stretch your belief, and support you, your goals, and your life.

Look. There are plenty of people, places, and circumstances in this world that will drag you down, drain your energy, and flat out make you feel powerless. Not here. You will never be treated like a victim here because I know that you are not. You are powerful. You will never be told that you can not do something because I know that you can. You are built for it. This blog will never aim to make you feel as if you are stuck in certain circumstances because I am rooting you on. You are meant to grow.

We are connected, and how we connect is of the most importance. If you already believe this, then jump on board and let's continue to grow. If you are a doubter, a naysayer, or perhaps someone who thinks this just sounds ridiculous, then let me challenge you to start filling your mind with new thoughts. You can start here. Doubt and negativity will only breed more doubt and negativity which will ultimately keep you down, stunt your growth, and diminish your abilities. Surround yourself with belief and positivity, however, and they too will grow. And what do you think? Will the growth be positive? You better believe it!

Rooting you on!