New Thoughts for New Days

In his excellent book, On Becoming a Person, Dr. Carl Rogers spelled out some of the characteristics of the new, powerful person who is emerging in our culture today...and the vital, different set of values he both maintains and lives. "I stressed," he writes, "his hatred of phoniness, his opposition to all rigidly structured institutions, his desire for intimacy, closeness and community, his willingness to live by new and relatively moral and ethical standards, his searching quality, his openness to his own and others' feelings, his spontaneity, his activism and his determination to translate his ideals into reality. I am talking," he wrote, "about a relatively small number of people. But I believe that these people constitute the change agents of the future. When some part of a culture is decayed at the core, a small group with new views, new convictions, and a willingness to live in new ways, is a ferment that cannot be stopped."
Let's take a look at that new person emerging in our culture and see if you and I qualify.

First - his hatred of phoniness. Our new powerful person sees through facades and tinsel...outmoded and ridiculous customs and beliefs. Free of the tyranny of things and the opinions of others, he and his family...she and her family...live in a kind of solid serenity where true values count; where the verities, things like truth and justice, the family and work, take on real meaning. It is in the avoidance of phoniness that real freedom may be found...and one can drop off the rat race with a great sigh of relief. There are no inner circles to which these people need apply for membership; they are the centers of their own circles.

This person is opposed to all rigidly structured, closed institutions. Such institutions are saying, by the fact that they are rigidly structured and closed, "We have the answers...we need look no further...this is it." The new, powerful person knows that at this early stage of our development, such thinking is infantile. We do not have all the answers...about anything. And just as the maturing person is in a stage of growth, of becoming - so is a vital institution. It uses what it has and what it knows as springboards into the future...and assiduously avoids becoming closed and rigidly structured. A good and viable institution, like a self-actualizing person, is always in a state of growth of becoming.

He has a desire for intimacy...closeness and community, and a willingness to live by new and relatively moral and ethical standards. This person has a searching quality and openness to his own and others' feelings. He is spontaneous, unafraid of what others will say of his enthusiasms and ideas...and is determined to translate his ideas and ideals into reality.

Of course these people must constitute a relatively small number of people...a true inner circle, the most important and influential club of human beings on earth. The qualifications for membership are tough: To meet them takes work, thought and study...a willingness to find one self and be one self. But the perquisites of membership are great indeed! One of them is freedom...another is joy.

Earl Nightingale

Need I say more.

Jerry

Progress Not Perfection

Whenever I'm working with a client it seems that they think because they have a trainer all of their choices need to be perfect along with the results. I feel this is not the case. I'm only looking for continual progress along a path that leads to their goals.
I do think that a person should set their goals high but also realistic. One of the first things I feel person should do when setting goals is be honest with themselves. You may have to ask a friend, if there are good friend they'll be honest with you. Hire a trainer or coach if they're a good trainer or coach they'll be honest with you. Setting goals are one of the most important parts of a fitness, business or life plan. If you set your goals too high they may be so difficult to reach that you become frustrated along the way. If you set your goals to know you will not be challenged and know the satisfaction of accomplishment. If you never step outside your box you will not improve. Improvement is what setting goals are about. You see I think there is no such thing as a plateau, you're either improving or going backwards. In the next few days I want you all to make a list of a few of your goals and ask yourself which ones can be accomplished with ease and which ones will challenge you. I then want you to choose the ones that will challenge you and get after them. If you need help talk to a friend, coach, or trainer. And remember just strive for progress not perfection.
In Peace
Jerry

Happy New Year

Hey Everyone,
Welcome to the new year. I am always excited about the beginning of the year. Not because of the new years resolutions and all that stuff, but it just seems like you get to start fresh with some of the things that worked you over last year. People seem to have a renewed sense of energy and are ready to tackle the chores they put of for so long. I will definitely take advantage of this new energy. Everyone I deal with on a daily basis seams to let me push them a little harder. I also get calls from people that have fallen of the fitness map. This pleases me. I never judge why a person does what they do as long as they know the outcome and still make the decision to do it. I can respect an informed decision. If they think that a particular decision will not have any consequences, that is acting a fool, and not allowed. There are lots of things going on at the beginning of the year. Like lots of new laws, lots of new studies, and lots of new results of the new studies. The first one that comes to mind, as far as laws go is one that allows the sampling of beer in the state of California. It has been legal to sample wine here but not beer. This goes back to the Prohibition days. I guess the beer companies threw enough money at the politicians that they figured to give back. I know some of you out there will take advantage of this new law, just remember that drinking and driving is still against the law. I also would like to remind you that alcohol is poison to your body in any amount. Regardless of what the doctors are saying these days. I also have a little worry in the new Study the FDA just finished where the said that "CLONED ANIMALS WERE FIT FOR CONSUMPTION". I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. One scientist said "at six to eighteen months old the cloned animals are almost indistinguishable from the non cloned animals. What about before then. If nature would not eventually create the same animal then we shouldn't either. If we are speeding up what nature will do anyway, then maybe we can live with that. Would you rather eat a cloned organic free range chicken, or a noncloned chicken that was raised in a cage the size of a shoe box? Tough question. The word "noncloned", I'm not sure it's a real word, but it will be someday. I would like to say on a personal note that I have received a few e-mails from some friends that have been lost and I love hearing from you. For the ones that don't write, shame on you. You know how I love my friends and miss them greatly. On a daily basis I hear peopl say that they can't wait for the weekend, or thank god it's Friday. I enjoy the weekends as much as the next person does, or maybe even more sense I have the greatest wife and best friend in the world, but if you dislike your life so much that you want it to rush by, you need a new life. Time is running out. Don't let it pass you by. Enjoy the fresh year now, and embrace all that it brings to you. This is going to be GREAT!

In Peace
Jerry S.

As I see it, every day you do one of two things: build health or produce disease in yourself.
Adelle Davis

Happy Holidays

Hey everyone, especially you Reach,
It's the Holidays and we are all faced with challenges about what to eat, how are we going to get our workouts in, and when is it all going to be over with so we can rest. The best thing I can tell you is to treat yourself with respect and dignity. Workout when you can, rest when you are not moving, and eat what you want your body to be made of. When you wake up on January 1st don't you ask yourself what have I done. You know what you did, because you made those choices. Enjoy the Holidays the way they were supposed to be enjoyed. By giving love to the people that deserve it and need it. You know who they are. And if you need to have love shared with you just ask. The same people will give back what they can, and if they don't, call me, I'll always share. I am so blessed to have people who have touched my life in such a positive way that I will never run out of love to give. That is what I give thanks for everyday.

At Peace
Jerry

"You have not lived a perfect day, unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you."

Ruth Smeltzer
Author

Has the Bug got you?

Hey everyone, it's another installment of "As Jerry's World Turns". I have to remember to pace myself as I want to write about so many things. Let's start with something that is just around the corner, "FLU SEASON". Many of you will have the urge to run down to your doctor's office or local pharmacy and get the flu shot for this year's strain of influenza. Give me a moment of your time before you do. There are many things that happen this time of year, all of which can lead to one getting the flu. First, let's talk about the weather. Here in Southern California we will experience a loss of sunlight which leads to imbalances in our hormonal system and staying indoors a little more. We will also have an increase in stress due to the holidays. You know the inlaws, gift buying, lack of sleep, etc. Next, will be the food (or increase of I should say). Everyone will be out and about shopping and such and eating quick bites of all kinds of things. Needless to say our good eating habits and high quality of food seem to go right out the window. Even if we try to make smart choices, the restaurants will never take the care in preparing your meals the way you do. The increase in sugar that comes from holiday dishes will create a drop in your PH levels. A low PH allows viruses and bacteria to thrive in your body. Your extra stress and lack of sleep will suppress your immune system so your body can't fight off the bugs that are having a party in your body. So before you race down and shoot something new in your body, let's do all we can to help our body be ready. Put your body in the best possible environment for success. After all, if all your friends jumped off a bridge... You know the rest.

1) Make healthy meals and snacks that you can take with you when you are out and about.
2) Always have plenty of fresh clean water with you. Your body weight divided by 2 in ounces every day is the minimum.
3) Rest your mind and body so you don't get run down. One hour a day, one day a week, and two weeks a year.
4) Keep a smile on your face and laugh all you can to keep stress away.
5) Take a high quality probiotic like Garden of Life to build and maintain your own internal system working well.
6) Any gift you give with thought and care is perfect. (I wear a large shirt, 31 waist, and 10.5 shoes). HAHA!

At Peace,
Jerry S.

It's on now

Hey everyone. This is my first message. I will enjoy sending out my word over the globe. It will take me a little while to get used to putting ideas into text. If I could type as fast I think, everyone would be in trouble. This blog will be about fitness and life together. I have many things to talk about in both catagories. First it's about fitness then its about all the other things I want to share with you. We will be talking soon.
Jerry