Know yourself before making lifestyle changes

Fitness guru Bob Greene, former personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey, has advice for those who want to stick with a healthy lifestyle change.

The exercise physiologist spoke recently at the Biennial Conference for Women on the University of Illinois campus.

"A lot of people go into this process with either unrealistic expectations or at least unrealistic for what it takes to be successful," Greene said. "And everyone that I work with has been on a diet where they showed initial success, only to have that erode because they couldn't maintain whatever it was they were doing."

Making a personal change is a physical and psychological endeavor, he said.

"So the first thing that's really important to understand is really yourself," Greene said. "Why are you doing it? So many people do it for surface reasons, and those rarely hold up, and they're not in touch with the reasons they do it."

Losing 10 pounds or looking better in clothes are surface reasons, Greene said. Those who want to make a lifestyle change should look at areas of their life with which they are satisfied and unsatisfied and determine the types of changes they want to make, he advised. They should get to the root of why they are entering the process.

A second step is to understand that making a change is hard work.

"Whether that's the exercise or giving up your favorite foods, you're going to have to put something into it that you're most likely underestimating how hard that's going to be," Greene said.

He said those who journal are more likely to examine their strengths and weaknesses and, in his opinion, more likely to succeed. People who achieve success aren't obsessed with losing weight, eating certain foods or exercising, he said.

"That's not where the magic is," he said. "The magic is waking up each day and feeling real satisfaction taking a few small steps toward the best life for yourself."

Greene said he identified his great passion for helping people make these very personal changes in their lives during a shopping trip with Oprah Winfrey to help her get ready for her first half-marathon.

"There was a look in her eye that was like a child at Christmastime," he said. "This was a new experience for her, and there was an excitement and a willingness to look at her life completely differently."

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Bob Greene (fitness guru)

Bob Greene (born December 8, 1954) is an American exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism, and weight loss.

Born in Cherry Hill, NJ, he is a graduate of Cherry Hill High School East.[1] Greene studied physical education at the University of Delaware and then went on to get a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Arizona. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise.

Greene has authored over 10 books concerning weight-loss, diet and health, including two books co-authored by Oprah Winfrey. He is a frequent guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, has a radio show on the "Oprah and Friends" satellite radio network and is a contributor to O magazine. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife Urania and daughter Kylee (born October 17, 2006). Winfrey was the "best woman" at his 2005 wedding.

Best Life Diet, by Bob Greene, 2006; ISBN 1-4165-4066-0

Books.........

Best Life Diet Daily Journal, by Bob Greene,

Make the Connection : Ten Steps to a Better Body and a Better Life, by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey, 1999;

A Journal of Daily Renewal : The Companion to Make the Connection,

by Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey, 1996;

Keep the Connection: Choices for a Better and Healthier Life, by Bob Greene, 2004;

Get With the Program!: Getting Real About Your Weight, Health, and Emotional Well-Being, by Bob Greene, Sydny Miner (Editor), 2002;

Get With the Program! Daily Journal, by Bob Greene, 2002;

Get With the Program! Guide to Good Eating: Great Food for Good Health, by Bob Greene, Bonni Leon-Berman (Designed by), 2003;

The Get With The Program! Guide to Fast Food and Family Restaurants, by Bob Greene, 2003;

Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover: An Accelerated Program of Exercise and Nutrition for Maximum Results in Minimum Time, by Bob Greene, 2004;

Technorati : Fitness guru Bob Greene, fitness, human, life, lifestyle, men, mind

What was God's Purpose in Creating Humanity?

Why Did God Create Human Beings
Into a Universe Already Heavily Contaminated With Sin?
Why did God create the human race? The answer often given by Christians is that God "wanted friends." But God had millions and millions of "friends" when He created the angels. Why did He create an entirely different order of being: humanity?

And why did God create humanity into a universe already heavily contaminated with sin?

The human race is not responsible for sin. Sin was ALREADY present in the universe when God created Adam and Eve. Satan and his evil angels had been sinning for some period of time, maybe a very long time, before Adam and Eve were created.

Why didn't God solve the SIN problem with the angels? After all, that's where the sin problem started. Why was the human race drawn into this mess? We didn't ask to be here. Not a single one of us asked to be born. And we certainly didn't ask to be born sinners. I don't mean that babies are born sinning, I just mean that, as the Bible says, "ALL have sinned. . ." Romans 3:23.

Why did God create Adam and Eve perfect and then put Satan right in their neighborhood?

If God really didn't want Adam and Eve to sin, why did God place the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil right in their "living room" where they had to pass by it every day?

Also, why did God create a single tree that contained the knowledge of BOTH good and evil? In other words, why did God combine "good" and "evil" in the same tree?

Before Adam and Eve sinned, is there any Biblical record that they ever praised God? The answer is "No."

Before they sinned, did Adam and Eve understand what a magnificent garden God had given them for their home? How could they, they had never experienced anything else.

Before they sinned, did Adam and Eve understand what good health was? How could they, they had never been sick! They had never seen disease nor death in anything-not in humanity, not in animals, nor in plants.

Adam and Eve could not appreciate any of these things because they had never known anything other than perfection.

The fact is, it is impossible to know what good health is unless you've been sick or you have seen sickness in someone else. It's impossible to be appropriately grateful for all you have if you have never been without. It's impossible to know "good" unless you have known the opposite: "evil."

The only way we change is by going through difficult times. If everything is going well, we'll just keep right on doing what we're doing. The ONLY reason we change course, and begin to grow in maturity and spirituality, the ONLY way we build character, is by going through trials.

Jesus came to this earth for at least three reasons: a) to reveal the true character of God, b) to show His great love for us by dying on the Cross and, c) to do away with sin. The Bible says that "the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world" Revelation 13:8.

The Plan of Salvation obviously was in place BEFORE the earth was created. Something had to be done to provide salvation for sinners or all would have been lost. Satan and the evil angels were already sinners before any human being was created.

Again, why didn't God solve the "sin problem" with the angels, who were obviously the first sinners? Mankind, Adam and Eve, were initially novices in the "sin" business which had been going on for some time in the heavenly realms before their creation on earth.

God's plan was for Jesus to come as a "man" and die for the sins of the world. Why couldn't Jesus have come as an angel and died for the sinning angels? Why did God instead have to create the human race, the majority of whom would go through hell on earth, then die, only to be resurrected, judged and then annihilated or "burned," either forever, or "as long as they deserve"?

In order for Jesus to come in the form of an angel, to die for the sins of the evil angels, angels would have to be capable of dying.

Do Angels Die?

Jesus gives the answer Himself in Luke 20:36, when the Sadducees were telling Jesus the story of the woman who married a man who subsequently died. She then married each of his six brothers, one after another, as each of the brothers died. The Sadducees asked Jesus whose wife she would be in heaven.

This is Jesus' response, in His own words:

"The children of this world marry and are given in marriage, but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage;

"Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels. . ."

Jesus said it Himself. Angels don't die! Notice that Jesus did not say, "Good angels don't die." He said, "Angels (in general) don't die." If angels don't die then Jesus could NOT have come as an angel to die for the sins of the evil angels.

This created a major problem in the thinking of the righteous angels. Since sin entered the universe when Satan sinned, how could sin ever be eliminated from the universe if angels don't die?

A question we must ourselves ponder, is: If angels don't die, as Jesus Himself has told us, then how can the evil angels be "destroyed" from the earth and from the universe at the end?

And if they cannot be destroyed, then sin will remain in the universe for eternity!

Yet Jesus came to "do away with sin!" John 1:29.

So how does this all work out?

God created a new race of individuals, humanity, individuals with flesh and blood, individuals who were capable of dying, a necessity for the plan of salvation since Jesus' plan was to come in human form and DIE for the sins of the world. But human beings would be capable of dying ONLY if they sinned. Before sin there was no death, neither in Adam and Eve, nor in all of Creation. Even Satan and the evil angels had been sinning for a long time, yet they showed no signs of deterioration in their stamina. The same is true today. Satan and his evil angels are going strong! They have no flesh and blood, which is what deteriorates as a result of sin.

If neither Adam and Eve, nor their offspring, had sinned, there would be no death. In that case, there would be no need for Jesus to die for us, since no human being would have sinned. Adam and Eve still would have been as innocent as little children. They would not have known the difference between good and evil. They would have been incapable of purposely choosing God for His goodness because they knew nothing else. It would have been impossible for them to glory in God's fabulous creation because they had no opportunity to know anything else. It would have been impossible for Adam to Eve to appreciate God's boundless love for His children, whether perfect or sinful, because Adam and Eve knew nothing of sin, calamity or utter wickedness.

It was necessary for them to know evil in order for them eventually to choose "good," intelligently and willingly.

Therefore, sin was a necessary part of the plan of salvation. Without sin, there would be no death. Without sin, Adam and Eve would never have experienced the opposite of "good," which would allow them eventually to understand and abhor evil. Every human being had to be "dipped" in sin to be able to understand first hand the ruinous consequences of sin, to understand that sin leads to death. Sin was imperative because it introduced death to the human race, a prerequisite necessary for Jesus to come in human form and DIE to redeem mankind.

It is impossible to know good without knowing evil; it is impossible to learn right without understanding what is wrong, and that often takes personal experience in wrong-doing. It is impossible to build character without having trials and tribulations. The only way we change is by having trouble. If everything is going along fine, we will NEVER change. It takes troubles, catastrophes, illness, financial upsets, severe loneliness, heartbreak, to force us to change our direction, to turn us to God!

We now see that sin was a necessary part of the plan of salvation. That means that the lead sinner, Satan, had and still has, a specific purpose. His purpose was, and still is, to be the opponent, the antagonist, the Adversary against God. In fact, the name Satan actually means Adversary. God, Himself, provides opposition to truth in order to bring attention to truth, to clarify truth and to magnify the difference between truth and lies, between good and evil. That is still happening today.

Satan was designated to be the Adversary against Christ, just as Judas was designated to be the betrayer of Christ. After all, SOMEONE had to do it! John 17:12

"The troubles of the universe originated among the celestials, among the angels, long before man was created. Humanity was an entirely separate creation, made in the image and likeness of God to be the form in which God's own Son could come to give up His life for the universe, and remedy what had gone wrong in that higher sphere.

"Thus humanity is made the vehicle through which the reconciling of the universe is to be effected, even though all efforts of humanity itself are in vain and come to nothing, and it is left to God to provide, in the person of His Son, the one effectual means by which this reconciliation is to be accomplished." The Place of Humanity in God's Purpose, J.H.Essex, pg 45

"The real reason for the creation of humanity was that it would provide a form in which it would be possible for our Lord to come and give His life for the universe. That is why man was made in the image and likeness of God-that Jesus could come in human guise and still be recognized as the Son of God." Ibid pg 67.

The Lamb was slain "from the foundation of the world" Revelation 13:8. God's purpose in every facet and detail was planned from the outset, and in no sense whatever is any part of it an improvisation to meet an emergency. He is the One Who tells "from the beginning the hereafter, and from aforetime, what has not yet been done, saying, All My counsel shall be confirmed, and all My desire will I do" Isaiah 46:10. He is "the One Who is operating ALL in accord with the counsel of His own will" Ephesians 1:11, and Who has purposed "to head up all in the Christ, both in the heavens and that on earth," and "through Him, to reconcile ALL to Him. . . whether those on the earth or those in the heavens" Ephesians 1:10, Colossians 1:20.

"When the reconciliation of all is complete, the joy of the universe will be full. When the purpose of the All-sufficient God has reached its consummation, and He is All in all (1 Corinthians 15:28), every heart will be filled with the true laughter which accompanies the praise and adoration of Him Who is Supreme and Whose name is Love." Ibid pg 72.

God has not created one more person than required
for the completion of the Plan of Salvation.

God does NOT waste anything! When Jesus fed the 5,000 men plus women and children, with 5 loaves and 2 fish, there were scraps of bread left over, according to Matthew 14:13-21. Jesus instructed His disciples to gather up the fragments of bread that resulted in the collection of twelve baskets. The extra pieces of bread apparently were then taken home by members of the crowd. The scraps of bread were NOT thrown away. They were NOT wasted.

God does NOT waste anything! In nature, matter is never lost! The flowers die and return to the earth, but matter is not lost.

God does NOT waste anything! He knows every sparrow that falls but tells us that we're much more important than the sparrows. (Matthew 10:31)

So how could God throw away (permanently destroy or annihilate) billions of His children whom He has created? They are far more important than scraps of bread. We must learn about God's character from nature, from God's fabulous creation. Nature proves to us that God never throws anything away, even His errant children.

But He doesn't leave us in our sinful wretchedness. God tells us in His own words how He treats His erring children, including the evil angels who "don't die." Jesus says, "Behold, I make ALL NEW!" (Revelation 21:5) "I came not to destroy men's lives, but to SAVE them" Luke 9:56. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, WILL draw ALL unto Me" John 12:32.

God has a specific purpose for your life, a purpose that no one else can fulfill. But first He must draw you to Him through the trials and tribulations that we bring on ourselves-including disease! It's all for a specific purpose. Serious illness should turn us to the Great Physician who promises to "forgive all our sins and (THEN) heal ALL our diseases" Psalm 103:3. Through this experience He wants to change your life.

What a wonderful God we have. Who would want to struggle through life without Him!

So the question remains, does one have to be a Christian in order to get well? And if so, then why do so many "Christians" die of disease?

A true follower of Christ, a true Christian, will allow Jesus to make ALL of his or her decisions. When that happens, that Christian will no longer be sick. He will have given his mind and heart and body fully to Christ. You don't become well just by calling yourself a Christian. You must learn to trust Jesus completely, to go to Him with every problem and NOT to man.

This entire health plan is an exercise in obedience.

Simply put, the process of getting well is the process of getting to know God!

The process of getting well is the process of learning to trust God completely and depend on Him for everything.

Technorati : God's, Human Beings, Humanity, allah, lifestyle, love, men, news

Are you tired of the corporate jungle and "rat race"? Do you want to simplify your life? Now you can

Your Perfect LifeStyle

You're in your car on your way home from work. You are relieved, happy, and confident, because you just told your boss you're not coming back.

No more bosses, no more nine to five, no more lousy salary, and no more "Rat Race".

The ride home with bumper-to-bumper traffic surrounding you, and several stoplights, doesn't bother you one bit. Because you won't have to do it ever again-no more commuting!

The money and time you save will be put to much better use-starting a new life.

In a nearby smaller city, you found a condo close to everything you love. First thing Monday morning, you and your spouse will be working from home. Your spouse will be telecommuting working on the Internet helping people save and make money with an international discount program.

You will have your own business, as a Fitness/Wellness Coach to local businesses. You also work part time at a nearby spa, conducting classes and consultations.

A relaxed morning with breakfast together is appreciated while you discuss your day. You have appointments with a couple local companies who want to set up health programs for their employees, then a talk with a local spa manager to conduct some classes. Your spouse reminds you that both of you have a meeting with a local council member to starting fundraiser to build a playscape. Your spouse will be on the Internet working all morning.

That evening you're both invited to a neighbor's for a "welcome to the neighborhood" dinner. There you meet some new friends who are involved in the community theater group. You and spouse are very much interested.

You and your spouse's daily schedules are flexible to get involved in the community; social activities, arts, theater, and volunteering with the elderly and youth groups.

You are living your ideal life, close to home, just being together and planning for the future.

Yes, this scenario is possible. Hundreds of people are doing it.

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develop your own leadership style.

Best Leadership Advice: Business Success Secrets from 7 Top Leaders

Great advice comes from many sources - parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but develop your own leadership style.

Best Leadership Advice: Business Success Secrets from 7 Top Leaders"

Fortune magazine once published an article entitled "The Best Advice I Ever Got." It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership-Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.

Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen

If you want to make something happen with your life - in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead

Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today's dynamic business world

Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.

She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can't explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.

He was talking about four skills:

* The ability to develop an idea
* Effectively plan for its implementation
* Execute second-to-none
* Achieve superior results time after time.

With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.

5. Be curious

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization's future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument

The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors' rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men's Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote-"Preparation is the science of winning."

Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"

Great advice comes from many sources - parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.

Technorati : corporate jungle, health tips, life, lifenews, lifestyle, men, men's health, news, rat race, simplify