Changing the world. Changing yourself.

Change is an interesting thing, it seems simple but can be the hardest thing to achieve and maintain. We all have things about ourselves and our lives that we would like to change. I would like to share a couple of stories with you about a few changes that have occurred in my life and how these can be utilized in your life too so you can be a happy, positive, high on life, superhuman.

There was a time when I didn’t lead a very inspiring life. I was unfit, unhealthy and unhappy. I think back to those days now and am so grateful to be where I am now having been through some dark times. I believe it is those challenges that create us into the amazing people we are. The best thing about going through an eating disorder, chronic pain, addiction, depression and self-harm is the knowledge I now have to utilize to help other people with their challenges. The most important lesson I have learnt is – everyone goes through ‘stuff.’ Some people have a lot more ‘stuff’ go on in their lives, that doesn’t matter. What does matter is what you do after said stuff. Do you stay the same unhappy person blaming life/God/other people for what has happened to you? Or do you pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and MAKE SOMETHING OF YOUR LIFE!?!
For me, it took about 5 years before I gave myself a massive kick up the ass (with the help of my circle of influence) and changed my life. So change doesn’t happen instantly and don't expect it to happen immediately and smoothly.

I needed time to develop my beliefs and values to be able to ‘fire’ some people from my life and make some big changes. I moved from Tasmania to Brisbane with my then partner of 5 years. And once I started at Max (my fitness/business college) I learnt about circle of influence and how important it is to be surrounded by people with similar beliefs and values to you. I loved this period in my life, at college I was learning SO much, opening my mind and making a lot of new friends. Sadly, while I was learning all about health, fitness and creating your ideal life at the end of the day I was returning home to an unhappy relationship and a circle of influence who smoked, did drugs and drank alcohol everyday. I felt very unhappy and out of balance with this for a long time. I spent hours chatting to a couple of good friends of mine about how my partner and I had grown apart. But didn’t do anything about it. One day after hearing B-Huge chat about circle of influence and your personal beliefs and values and how important it is to be living in line with these I decided enough was enough! And I made some bloody big changes!!

And in the space of one week I had no job, no partner, no house and no car. Lucky for me I had an amazing circle of influence from Max. Amazing, goal driven people who helped me get back on my feet, fed me, let me stay at their houses and supported me through a massive time of change.

I learnt from this that the only person holding you back is yourself. If you want to change DO IT!! Think it through and if it is necessary and in line with your values and beliefs then kick yourself up the pants and take some action!! Recently I have had a few people discuss the issue of change with me and I thought that not enough of us really take enough action! What is stopping you from your ideal life? Is it you?

Finally, the best thing about change is once you have changed you can then improve not only your life but the lives of people around you.

I am only one person and I can’t change the world on my own. So I’m asking you to step up. If you know how great it is to be fit, happy, healthy and strong share that feeling to others. Inspire others to be the best they can be by being a better version of yourself; by constantly leaving a profit and improving the world just by being in it.

Love, impact and affection.

Never underestimate the impact you can have on another person’s life.
Everyone has the same ability to change someone’s life. It might be in a small way or a big way but we all have the given gift to impact on another person’s life. It might be one person it may be many; even if it you only help one person you have changed the world and made a positive impact and it may mean the world to that person! This became crystal clear to me this week. Sometimes you might not even know the person but through the internet they can read about you and gain strength from your strength, gain happiness from what you say or write. They could change their whole life because of YOU.

They might not say it out loud but someone might be dying to tell you how much you brighten their day.

You should try express your emotion in as many ways possible. Tell the retail assistant how easy they make your transaction, how their smile meant a lot to you or that they always are happy and put you in a good mood.

Valentine’s day has just been and is a day to appreciate and show love to those who mean most to us. It’s about showing appreciation and demonstrating that we don’t take the special people in our lives for granted. That we love them. Some people are hesitant to the Valentine’s Day idea. But perhaps we need a dedicated day every year to be reminded that we all need love and connection. A day to take a step back from our busy lives and just LOVE. Whether it is a girly night with tapas and cocktails, a romantic night with your partner or returning home to find your best friend has broken into your house and left chocolate roses, gifts and most importantly a letter detailing your adventures over the last ten years of friendship.

So, never underestimate the impact you have on someone. You could be the most important person in someone’s life without ever even meeting them. So make your impact on this world a positive one. Fill the internet; facebook, twitter, blogs, with positivity and love. Someone might be relying on your happiness to make their day.

A New Journey of Purpose

Live your purpose and you'll never have to work another day in your life.

Purpose is a very important thing. Many of us spend our lives searching for it but how do you know when you have found it? And is it always the same thing or is it something that evolves as we learn, live and grow?

My whole life I knew I wanted to help people - apart from being a fiend for recognition - all I really wanted to do was improve other people's lives. I never knew which path I could do this on though. I started out doing some volunteer work while at school and loved that. This continued while at Uni and I changed my path from Law to Criminology and Sociology. I had the intent of graduating and getting a job within an industry that helped rehabilitate people from jail to the outside world. But there were no jobs. So I continued my study and started my masters degree. I began to realise that I would have to work my way up in the industry and would probably spend most of my time sitting behind a desk trying to figure out why people did bad things... A long way from my original purpose. When I started fitness training, it changed my life. Completely and utterly. And I wanted to bring this absolute joy to other people's lives. I began to realise that over time our means of delivering our purpose may change.

Now I have graduated and am working in the fitness profession I believe I have found my calling. I spend most of my waking moments training, thinking about training, and chatting to people about how I can improve their lives. I am filled with love for my clients - the feeling of helping them become a better version of themselves is incredible.

Soon I am going to be marketing to a very specific target market - 20-35 year old women who have come from a background of addiction, like myself. Exercise has such a massive power on people's emotional health as well as physical health. It gives purpose and meaning to many people's lives. It gives them power when before they had none.

Watching the face of a young lady after she did 2 chin ups was mind blowing. A reason to get out of bed every morning.
A purpose filled life.

How to be Happy - Part One

Dearest friends,

Most of us spend our entire lives searching for happiness. Looking and planning for those magic moments when we will be 'happy.'

But when those moments appear are we too busy with life to notice that we should be happy?

What if you could find the joy, the happiness, the love in every moment that you had. In the hot and the cold days, in the supermarket, sitting in the car, at work, at play, morning, noon and night. Wouldn't that be incredible? I reckon that most of you would like to do that but some don't know how. "How am I supposed to find happiness when the kids are screaming and it's hot and we're stuck in the traffic and the air-con's broken?" How about REMOVING THE NEGATIVE?!

Turn each negative situation around - traffic is just cars on the road - feel blessed that we live in a country that is rich and people can afford to have cars - and remember that YOU ARE THE CARS ON THE ROAD!! Start today - turn the negative words around - say more positive happy and energetic words. Tell yourself YOU ARE INCREDIBLE. Tell OTHER PEOPLE THEY are AMAZING!! Enjoy seeing people's faces when you answer their questions with "AMAZING" "INCREDIBLE" "OUTSTANDING" Appreciate people for the amazing work they are doing. Say THANK YOU SINCERELY to the supermarket attendant, the cleaner, the retail assistant. They all need someone to brighten their day! And if you make them smile that is not only leaving a profit in their lives, but in your life, and in other's aswell.

APPRECIATE the everyday stuff! One of my latest joys is appreciating the place we live in. QUEENSLAND!! It's the best - instead of saying I live in Qld now I say "I live in a tropical paradise!" It's amazing how GREAT you feel when you are doing a quad stretch after your morning run and look up to the sky and say OUT LOUD in a nice loud happy voice "I LIVE IN A TROPICAL PARADISE!!"

And don't think that it is something you'll do when you have time. START NOW.

And please, let me know how you are going and if you have any amazing tips or hints or stories about how you are positively changing the world. :)

LOVE SMILES AND HAPPINESS

Moment times

There is much to be said about being ‘in’ the moment.

It is a phenomenon that has much written about it; books, and studies, and yet many people still struggle to live in the present. It is also something that cannot be completely achieved – that is the success of living in the moment cannot be a total immersion in the subject. You cannot live your entire life in the present moment or there would be no planning for future events or reminiscing about the past, both of which are very important in self development and personal enjoyment. Extremes in these ideas can lead to unhappiness – living too much in the past; like the man who blames his upbringing for his ‘unsuccessful’ life, or worrying too much about the future; or the woman who is forever worrying about upcoming bills. Neither of the people in these examples can live a life of complete happiness and fulfilment as they are constantly concerned with events that have either occurred or haven’t occurred yet – both of which are out of their control. We are all guilty of living out of the moment at particular points in our lives – and a certain amount of this is necessary. It is still important to plan ahead for some of life’s events; planning a holiday, planning for a wedding or birthday to a certain extent aids for a smoothly run day. However, over planning (which we are all guilty of at one point or another) can sometimes destroy the chance of the magic of the moment, and the surprise events which occur randomly. If a holiday is planned to the enth degree there is no room for discoveries, surprises, unplanned circumstances which are often the highlight of people’s lives. Some of the best days of my life can be described, at best, as loosely planned.

Personally, I have been an over-planner. I have worried too much about fitting everything into the day and creating magical experiences without actually enjoying the experience while it occurs. This can lead to remorse when the event is over. But being aware of this is half the challenge.

Time moves along so quickly – don’t ever underestimate that fact. People are here one minute and gone the next and while they are here enjoy every second of their company. When they are gone there should be nothing unsaid. Much of the melancholy felt in regards to death revolves around things unsaid.

Don’t hold anything back. Live in the moment. Live for now.

It’s Just Me.

This week I just wanted to post a little more about myself in general, I just feel like I should share a few things that I have come to my mind about the person I was and the person I want to be. There are a few stories that I still don’t want to think about – they are not my proudest moments, but I’m sure in time I will learn and grow to accept them as part of my past and then I may be able to share with you also.

Last week I was catching up with a friend that I hadn’t spoken to in a while, and she asked me how I was and… what drugs I was currently on for my back. It is so hard to describe the feeling I got when I could say; ‘well actually… none.’ She asked, ‘What? Not even tramadol?’ (For those of you who don’t know, tramadol is a strong pain killer which has some fairly nasty side effects that really took a toll on my body). And I could honestly tell her that no, I wasn’t on any pain killers; no steroids, no tram. The most I’ve been medicated in the last two or three months is a couple of panadol.

The last 6 years of my life have been filled with different drugs and it did affect both my body and my mind. It kind of feels like a haze which I have finally stepped out of. I read an article in Bmag (a Brisbane city publication) yesterday regarding addiction to prescription medication which is a real issue within our community and one that needs more attention. I was addicted to pain killers and it is a vicious cycle. I had pain so I took pain killers that the Doctor had prescribed. But, the doctors don’t stress just how addictive these drugs are. It astounds me now (as it did my mother at the time) the blasé attitude some doctors take to really strong medication. Like one physician in Hobart who prescribed steroids to me with a repeat on my first visit to him, without a second glance.
I was taking way more than the recommended amounts to just take me away from my body. To be in that haze and not be living what I perceived to be, to be honest, a crap life. I also on many occasions did stupid things like drinking alcohol which at one point lead me to believe that the bones in my arms were on fire. Which seems like a humorous anecdote now but was really dangerous for my health.

Please remember I will never write anything here for your feelings of pity. I just want to be honest and let other people know that you can turn your life around. You can go from depressed, addicted, sad, flat, lazy, upset. To AMAZING. WOW. WONDERFUL. OUTSTANDING. Try using some of these words in your everyday life. It’s super cool to see people’s reaction when they ask me “how are you” and I reply “Awesome thank you!”

If anyone wants a little inspiration in their life I would whole-heartedly recommend The Muscle Professionals Blog. The studio is located in Moray Street, New Farm for those Brisbane-ites wanting to check it out. Luke Archer, the director at the Muscle Professionals, is a professional body and lifestyle specialist. He has changed my life, and he can change yours too.

You can check out The Muscle Professionals blog at http://themuscleprofessionals.wordpress.com/blog/


Live and love every moment.

Hannah
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WHY???

(My goal for exercise at the moment... abs!!).

My thoughts are really jumbled at the moment - I must apologise for the messy-ness of this post - I have just finished a 6,000 word assignment and my brain is a little frazzled. I do have alot to share with everyone about all the things I have learnt in the last couple of weeks. I'll touch on a few:

The last couple of weeks have been an interesting journey. There has been tears, laughter, fun and change. All wrapped into a neat little package called LIFE. It's awesome isn't it? I have learnt so many new things - how to budget when things may be tough, that the pomelo came before the grapefruit and is delicious(!) and that when things change and uncertainty seems to be ruling your life, take a deep breathe, relax, take time out for yourself, and just ask for what you do want.

I've asked for a few things from the universe this past week - they may only be small things but I'm testing the 'ask and you shall receive' theory. Thus far, it has worked a charm!! Seriously, I begin my days now with a simple request. Sometimes it is for someone to bring me a coffee before my shift is over at work, other things are longer term goals that bring opportunity into my life (this week it was employment). It is incredible how it works!! I'm converted. You have to ask for what you want, put a specific idea in your head, a timeframe and believe!! But it has to be specific, so instead of saying 'I want more income' be specific. More income could be a dollar!! State exactly how much you want, when you want it by, the job title/position you desire. Put it out there and the universe will provide.

The second thing that I have really been itching to write about is one simple word...
WHY
How can we expect to achieve anything in life if we don't define exactly what it is we want? It's like an assignment... the very first thing you do is define the topic. And defining why is so important. If you think about it, why is the reason we do anything. And why is the most important thing to remember everyday. Whether it is your why for getting up at 5am on a Saturday morning to go and run up and down stairs, or why you need to finish an assignment, it is what drives you. It is why you want to loose weight, gain muscle, eat healthier - any change in your life. Your reason for doing something, your why will get you through the change. It's like quitting smoking. I used to smoke. It is a horrendous habit. But when I was at Uni I didn't have a why to give up. I know there are health risks but you can block them out because you think that won't happen to you. My grandfather died of emphysema but that still didn't stop me because I thought that he was old, had smoked for years and that I would quit one day before it damaged my health. My 'why' came about in the form of a fairly brutal wake-up call. My best-friend was in hospital, as she often is, and I was there visiting, as I often am, and she found a pack of smokes in my bag. She is one of the approximately 3,000 people in Australia with Cystic Fibrosis. She has no control over her lung function. Yet I do. And I was destroying the very thing that she was willing to spend her entire life fighting for, lungs. Once I had my why, it was so much easier. Things don't seem so hard to achieve when you have why. For example, remembering your why when you are working out will get you to push a bit more, go a bit further. Remembering why will get you through your tough times. And it is important to clearly define your why. Make sure you have it set out so you can refer to it throughout your day to get you through the moments that seem unachieveable.

Why is so important.

If you don't know it then you can loose focus, loose direction.

Think about what drives you today, write down some goals and rules for your life. Write down your why. And gain perspective.

"Worse than losing your sight is having no vision"

Love,
H
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