I was talking with Jordan Vogel from our Harrisburg location and he was asking about which books to read. As we were talking, a bunch came to mind and he wanted to have a list that he could pull from and read through. I figured this might be something others would be interested in, too.

It’s kind of weird for me to be recommending books. My main goal in school was to read as little as possible, because I thought it was boring. I remember buying the CliffsNotes for all of the books that were required reading in lit class.

One of the main questions I ask in interviews is “What book are you currently reading and what are some of your favorites?” Some reply that they hate reading. That person has decided that they know everything they need to know, and they are not willing to discipline themselves to learn more. They are either unteachable or undisciplined, two character qualities that are a huge negative. You are where you are based on what you have read, listened to and watched over your lifetime, whether good or bad. Reading and listening to teachings on different subjects has accelerated my personal growth more than anything else.

So here is a short list of some must reads:

1. The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews
2. 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell
3. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
4. The Go Giver and The Go Giver Sells More by Bob Burg and John David Mann
5. Three Feet from Gold by Sharon Lechter, Greg S. Reid, and Victor Hansen
6. The Noticer by Andy Andrews
7. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
8. Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
9. The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley
10. Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

There are many others, but this would be a great place to start. What you read is important. Books that just keep you entertained, like a TV show does, aren’t helping you to grow and develop. Discipline yourself to read at least one book per month. Some of you will be able to get through quicker than that and others will take a little longer. I guarantee you that your attitude will change as your perspective changes.

Now onto this hilarious video. It is in the top 5 on YouTube, so you have probably already seen it. It’s laugh out loud funny.

James Lemke demonstrates one of the many pieces of equipment we use at Tryon Gym to help our members get amazing results.

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The two main questions I always get asked are: What exercises should I be doing and what should I eat. The main question you should be asking is what should I think? You will always do what you believe so belief or should I say changing your beliefs should be the first thing you focus on. Worrying about what to eat and what exercises to do don’t matter if you don’t believe that you can be successful.

Here are 7 tips to help you out:

1.  Stop blaming your circumstances.

I guarantee there are other people with similar
or worse circumstances doing really, really well.
Follow their lead.

2.  Stop blaming other people.

As soon as you take responsibility for your success
you’re ahead of 95% of society.

3.  Be persistent.

Real success doesn’t come easily. If you stick with
something and work your plan you’ll get where
you want to be.

4.  Do what you should be doing.

Your actions are either moving you closer to or
further from your goals – be aware of how you’re
spending your time.

5.  Invest in others.

Spend time every day trying to add value to your
families, colleagues, friends and associates’
lives. It will come back to you 100 fold.

6.  Work on ‘you’ every day.

Seminars, books, audios,  coaching – you
can always improve.

7.  Focus on solutions – not problems.

No whining, griping or complaining.  Once you’ve
identified an obstacle devote all your energy on
overcoming it.

So take a few minutes and digest these 7 tips.  If you live
them, everything else will become much, much easier.

By Craig Ballantyne

I have to admit something…

I am going to upset a few people when I crush this nutrition myth.

But if I have to sacrifice myself in order to help you out, then that’s
what I have to do.

So here’s the most ridiculous nutrition myth…

The Myth – Fat Burning Foods Exist

This. Is. Wrong. Fat burning foods are the “unicorns” of the nutrition world.

They do not exist. And when you think about it, the term doesn’t make sense.

How can a food cause you to burn fat? It can’t. Foods GIVE you energy.

They don’t cause you to burn fat. When you eat food, the hormonal changes in your body

SLOW fat burning, they don’t speed it up – no matter what you eat!

Listen, the experts mean well.

They want to show you a list of foods that will help you
with fat loss, but it is a myth that “fat burning foods” exist.

And yes, they are right that whole, natural foods such as chicken

breasts, eggs, nuts, fruits, and vegetables all help you lose fat by

controlling your appetite and by not causing you to gain fat,

but NOT ONE of those ingredients actually burns fat.

Now some might argue that eating hot peppers or caffeine or

even green tea can burn fat, but do you seriously think that eating

those foods is even 1/100th as effective as a workout?

They aren’t.

Sorry.

I Lost 50 Pounds and Cut My Dress Size in Half!

“Personal commitment and dedication combined with the great resources at Tryon Gym equals success.  I continue to work with a personal trainer and attend classes; this provides variety to my workouts.  Nutrition is just as important as fitness and Tryon trainers have helped me with that.  Knowing what to eat and when to eat provides balance and boosts metabolism.

As I continue on my journey I encourage you to begin or stay on yours!”

~Deb Anderson, Sioux Falls, SD

By Judy M.

hy do we women insist on knowing the reasons why a problem exists before we do something about it?  Frankly, it doesn’t matter why we’re overweight or unhealthy, and it’s almost always self-indulgence spending time or energy exploring the cause.  As a woman and a psychotherapist, I can tell you that thinking can sometimes be a counterproductive waste of time.  Insight and understanding are fine, but they change nothing. Action does.

We should all be grateful that it’s not really necessary to find “the reason” in order to get the job done. Getting the job done consists, quite simply, of doing the job.  Knowing that there was some kind of trauma in your early life, or that you now are burdened with seemingly excessive demands day-to-day, and that those things may be the source of your frustration, inactivity and poor health is interesting, but it is not useful.  It illuminates the issue, but it does not change it.  Rather than having to unlock your psychological mysteries before you can lose weight, it is far more likely that by exercising and eating properly, you will begin to see improvement in your psychological state.  To fix your emotions, fix your body and your health first.

In truth, the strength and ability to reclaim your body and get physically fit come from actually doing it.  The power comes from the process.  It’s like anything else you undertake: the more you practice, the more proficient you become.  Once you initiate action, it tends to just keep on going. [Read more...]

Last Thursday morning I was on a plane getting ready to head for Dallas. It’s always exciting to travel even if it is for work.

I’m sitting there cleaning up old emails in my Blackberry minding my own business getting ready for the flight to take off at 7:45 am. As the flight attendant was preparing to close the door a lady jumps up out of her seat and heads for the exit. I figured out this lady was afraid to fly and the attendant was trying to calm her down by telling her everything is going to be fine. The lady finally came back and sat down. At this point I am telling my wife that I am going to try and calm her down because I am a “fixer”. My wife said to leave it alone, it’s none of my business.

A few minutes later the door was slammed shut and this lady couldn’t take it. She was back at the front immediately and she needed off now! They tried to talk her off the edge but she wasn’t hearing it. She came back, got her two kids and proceeded to get off the plane. In her mind the fear of flying outweighed what anyone thought of her delaying the flight. We had to sit there and wait for them to find her bags and get them off the plane.

I don’t know where their final destination was but let’s assume a couple of things. Let’s say her and the two kids were going to see some relatives down in Texas. The kids are excited to go on a trip and they get to fly in a plane and all the fun stuff that goes along with it. All of a sudden the trip is canceled and the fun is over. Not only do they not get to experience the good times, they will probably get some heat on the way home. If that had been me I would have been mad at myself and would have been snapping at my kids when they were asking why we weren’t going on this great vacation we had been talking about for weeks. [Read more...]

Afraid to fail?

Life = Risk.

Take chances and go after your dreams.

If you’re unhappy with your job or relationship, then get out of it.

If you want to start a business or new adventure, go for it.

If you want to take that dream vacation, do it now.

Don’t wait. Go after your goals and dreams.

It doesn’t matter if you fail…

You can persevere no matter how many times you’ve failed in the past.

Just remember, if you’ve never failed, you’ve never lived.

Check out this video of famous failures, and do something today that will stretch your limits a little bit to bring you closer to one of your goals or dreams.

I read this story this morning in a devotional and thought it was pretty cool.

Admiral Joe Fowler served in both world wars. As a naval architect he designed two of America’s largest aircraft carriers.  He retired from the Navy in 1948. Shortly after, Walt Disney asked him to head up the design and construction of his first theme park in California. Nothing like it had ever been done before.

Later when Disney wanted to build another theme park in Florida, he called Fowler to do it. When Fowler completed the project in 1971, he was seventy-one.

End of story? No, when Fowler was eighty-seven Disney called on him again to build a futuristic theme park called Epcot Center. When asked why he would take on such a project at eighty-seven Fowler replied, “You don’t have to die until you want to.”

In 1993 he completed the job and laid down his drawing board at the age of ninety-nine. Mission accomplished!

Keep climbing, you will make mistakes along the way. You’ll stumble on your way up to the top but stay with it, you’ll get there. The truth is your not defeated until your doubts and regrets take the place of your dreams.

Have a great day!

Make Small Commitments. Get Big Changes.

By Michael Dalton Johnson

Real and permanent change doesn’t happen by simply resolving to do something. That’s not enough. True change is a slower process. It takes time and self-reflection.

This simple, yet profoundly powerful, advice can gently help you change your life and accelerate your personal growth.

What’s this got to do with sales? Nothing and everything.

Taking Care of You
Drink plenty of water.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.
Eat more fruits and vegetables and eat less that is manufactured in processing plants.
Avoid eating food that is handed to you through a window.
Live the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
Play more games.
Read more books than you did in 2009.
Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Sleep for 7 hours.
Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Your Outlook
Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
Don’t have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
Don’t overdo. Keep your limits.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip.
Dream more while you are awake.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
Forget issues of the past. Don’t remind others of their past mistakes.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
Learn a new word every day.
Smile and laugh more.
You don’t have to win every argument.

Your Relationships
Call your family often.
Each day give something good to others.
Forgive everyone for everything.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Your Life
The worst promise you can break is one made to yourself.
Do the right thing!
Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
The best is yet to come.
When you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it.
Your Innermost Self is always happy. Follow it.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

Keep these rules handy and review them often. Follow them and small, almost imperceptible, changes will accumulate into something big. Your life will change.