95% of the people we encounter everyday never accomplish their dreams and goals and it's a situation that can be easily remedied if they would just believe in themselves. Find someone in your life who can encourage, motivate and keep you accountable. It can make a big difference!
"If you believe it, you can achieve it."
The purpose of this page is to give you an idea of some of the books I've read that have helped me reach my goals. Reading feeds your mind, and it's a powerful catalyst in making you who you are.
Before we get into the books, there are a few things I'll like for you to keep in mind.
Things to keep in mind...
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Positive Mental Focus - Your brain treats good self-talk and bad self-talk the same way; it stores it. If you constantly feed your brain junk, it will eventually begin believing that junk, and it will manifest itself in your daily life. However, if you consistently immerse yourself in positive, reaffirming statements, what you say and think will ultimately come true. For example, statements like: "Every day and in every way I'm getting better and better." "Everyday and in every way I'm getting stronger and stronger." "I am doing today what others won't so I can be and live like others can't". I know it sounds hokey, but over time, statements like that can really make a difference.
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Read 10 pages out of a good book each day - I know reading a big book can be a chore (particularly if you're a busy person like me), however there is a way to make it enjoyable. If you just read 10 pages everyday, in a month you can read almost 300 pages. If you read a new book every month, that's over 3,650 pages you've read in a year (given that each book has 300 pages in it). That's significantly more pages than the average person reads in a year. Before you know it, you'll start thinking about things differently, you'll respond to situations in a more effective manner, and you'll actually develop better relationships with those around you.
I particularly like to read the biographies of successful people. All successful people had some challenge in their past they had to overcome. When you read their lifestory, not only will you be able to relate to some situation you've encountered in YOUR life, but it will give you the inspiration to work through your challenges. The ability to read and learn is a gift that most of us never truly appreciate. All it takes is a little discipline and commitment. It's easy to do, but easier NOT to do. So, hey...just do it. 8)
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Encourage, motivate and inspire those around you. - Being an encourager of the people around you helps a lot. You can't give love without getting some of it back on you. If you're always uplifting and supportive of those around you, not only will you develop a good reputation, but you're more likely to have others do the same for you. Young people can benefit the most from your behaviour in this regard. It's obvious that children are the future of our society. If we encourage and uplift the young people around us by supporting their dreams, and helping them develop their talents, you'll be amazed at the type of adult you'll have as a result.
So always encourage those around you; be they co-workers, your spouse, your kids, whomever. It's not only a good reflection on you, but it will give them the confidence and power to achieve the great things that deep in their heart they know they can achieve.
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Surround yourself with like-minded people - Fitness-wise there's no better place to be around people who have the same goals and aspirations as you do than at the gym. There's power in association. You are who you associate with. So it's logical to assume that if you spend time around people who are heading in the same direction you want to go, some of that will not only "rub off" and inspire you, but it'll give you friends with whom you can relate to, and possibly ask advice. Stuff like that you can't get using a "home gym".
"If a man's character is in question, observe who he's associating with and you'll know."
That statement may be a bit deep, but it basically sums it all up. Hang out with the guys and gals at your local gym who are making things happen and you're going to be inspired to achieve your goals.
No matter what your fitness level, don't be intimidated. I used to feel as if everyone was staring at me and commenting on what I looked like and saying things like "Hmmmph...why is HE here? He's too skinny to be in the gym." Sadly enough, that thinking held me back for several years at first. Once I realized that I was not the pre-occupation of everyone in the gym (because they were equally pre-occupied with everyone else's perception of THEM) my trips to the gym were much less stressful. Besides, how do thin people get muscular and heavy people get slimmer? They go to the gym! So, hey...you gotta start somewhere, so don't sweat the small stuff. Just go to the gym and have fun!
SLICED
- Bill Reynolds & Negrita Jayde 
The
Magic of Thinking Big - David Schwartz, PhD. 
Gold's
Gym Nutrition Bible - Peter Grymkowski, Bill Reynolds, Tim Kimber
& Ed Connors 
Practical
Fitness For Busy People - Karen Bram 
"Success
is easy to find. It's 'down the street' from Discipline and 'around the
corner' from Consistency."