Get Your Poop in a Group!

One of the things I have been passionate (other than my speaking and writing!) about has been this Body By Vi Challenge that I got into back in June.  If you are anything like me, I get excited about making a change then lose interest and slide back.  Then I get excited again and lose interest.  Then I repeat and do it all over again and again and again.  Well, you get the idea.

What I have discovered about myself is that I need inspiration to positively pull me in the right direction, as well as leverage to keep me from sliding back.  Inspiration is different for everyone.  Some want to look better in a bathing suit on the beach (by the way, spring break is in less than 50 days).  Others want to fit into that favorite outfit or pair of jeans.  Others what to get off the diabetes and heart medication or they just had a horrific scare from the doctor and are afraid that they will never see the birth of their grand children.  Still others want to provide for their family the way they know they should.

Me?  It is a little bit of all of them, but quite frankly, I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired and doing less than I could was eating me up inside.  On the outside, people might have looked at me and said, “He looks pretty good.  Why does he need to do the Body By Vi Challenge?”  But, I knew differently.  I knew that I was capable of being so much more than I had become, and it was eating me up inside.  And from a Godly perspective, my body was a gift from God that I was not keeping in “tip top” condition.  After I turned 40 I started losing some of my “zip” and I was determined to get that “zip” back.  I was NOT going down without a fight!

So, my 16 year old daughter Katie and I created a few motivational posters (aka INSPIRATION). They may be a bit corny, but what do I care?  They are for my “internal use only” and if it helps me achieve my bigger goal, why not use them?  They may hold no value to you and if that is the case, just hit “delete”.  But, if they stir something inside of you and spark an emotion to do something positive for yourself, your family, your customers and your community, then print it off and place it somewhere that you can see every day.

But, INSPIRATION wasn’t enough for me.  Sometimes I need that “Double Shot Espresso Grande Latte” that would get me fired up NO MATTER WHAT.  That extra something is called LEVERAGE.  I needed to get leverage on myself.  To put some skin in the game.  So, what I did was publicly declare my goal (ie to have a “6-pack” by Spring Break).  But, that just wasn’t quite enough, so I “upped the ante” and promised my girls that if I didn’t have that “6-pack” by spring break, I was wearing a Speedo on the beach.  That is called LEVERAGE!

Have fun with LEVERAGE.  Make a bet, sign up for something, run a 5k, do something outrageous, do whatever it takes for YOU to have leverage to hold your feet to the fire.  We all want to pull our feet out of the fire when it gets hot.  But, we can all stand the heat for a little while longer if our reason (ie leverage) for doing it is greater than the fire.

Keep the Faith.  Keep moving Forward.  Never Give Up.  Ever.

Let me know how I can help.  If you want a copy of the posters emailed to you send me a note to rjregan@ aol.com

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A good friend wrote me a letter and suggested that we ask questions for a number of reasons. 

We ask questions to learn in order to know more about a subject. 

We ask questions to test what is being said in order to know the truth. 

We ask questions to help teach a subject or an idea.

We even ask questions with the intent of embarassing the other person to make him look bad and thereby making us look good (i.e. the Presidential debates-UGH!).

Why you ask a question tells you a lot about yourself.  Are you asking questions with a good motive or a bad one? 

One motive comes from a heart of humility that leads to growth and fellowship, the other comes from a spirit of superiority and pride that leads to calcification of the heart and separation.

Here’s a question for you, why do you?

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Well, it has officially been one week into the New Year, like most Americans you have probably made some kind of resolution, or at least thought about changing something to improve your lot in life.

It is about this time where some have begun to make great strides, while others have begun to think “is this really worth it?”  If you have already ‘fallen off the wagon’, slid back or got a flat tire on your new journey, you have a critical decision to make. 

Do you fix the flat tire or do you go around and slash the other three?

There are 525,600 minutes each year and 31,536,000 seconds.  That means we each get over 31 MILLION ‘second’ chances this year.

Pulling out the jack to fix the flat tire may be embarrassing, seem more difficult and make you feel like a failure.  But, that one small decision to get ‘back on the horse’ and ride on will go a long way to building your confidence and self-respect.  And who knows, you may have a ‘Good Samaritan’ stop and help you get to your next destination.

Put the knife away, roll up your sleeves and change the tire.  Don’t let one bad result turn into three more.

Yes, YOU can do it.  Go for it, one more day.

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When Thomas J. Watson joined the Computer-Tabulating Recording Company — the forerunner of today’s IBM — in 1914, he brought with him the “Think” motto he coined when he managed the sales and advertising departments at the National Cash Register Company. “Thought,” he said, “has been the father of every advance since time began.  The phrase, ‘I didn’t think’ has cost the world millions of dollars.” Soon, the one-word slogan “THINK” appeared in large block-letter signs in offices and plants throughout the company.

I challenge myself to do that all the time.  Think.  I’ll ask, is it true?  Who says so?  Based on what evidence?  Think.  It’s so simple and straight forward, but it is not easy.  If it were, more of us would be doing it.  Or, like this cartoon illustrates, what are you thinking about!?

What you think about will have a bigger impact on your life than just about anything else that you do.  But, with all the distraction and siren calls for your attention from outside influences like people and the media (movies, tv, internet, testing, blogs J) how can you decipher it all and how then should you think?  Allow me to offer a suggestion shared with me this weekend.  When filtering your thoughts try to remember the following acronym for THINK.

ThoughtfulHonestIntelligentNecessaryKind

What do you think?

RJ Regan is the author of Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex. He is a resident of East Grand Rapids, MI, married to his sweetheart Julie, the father of four, an entrepreneur and speaker.  His website is www.getyourpoopinagroup.com

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I don’t like reading instructions. I like to just get right into it and figure it out on my own. It may be because I am anxious to get going, don’t have the patience to wait or I like the challenge of wanting to figure it out on my own. Whatever the reason I just don’t like reading instructions. That is one of the main reasons I love my Macintosh computer. Never once have I had to read instructions in order to get it to do what I want it to do. It is so intuitive and user friendly that I have never found the need to pull out or read the instructions. In fact, my father in law just received the new iPad from Apple, and true to form, there were no instructions in the box.

I must confess however, that my distaste for instructions and desire to jump headlong into a “some assembly required” project has left me a little exasperated, frustrated and I’ll admit it, left me with a few pieces left over; unsure of where they go or how to get it to operate the way the manufacturer intended it to.

So, I end up taking more time to disassemble, untangle the mess and start over so I can get it to function properly. Sometimes I have tried to make do without going back to the beginning and doing it the right way, and it sometimes works, some of the time. But, most often I am left with a dysfunctional item that does not do what it was created to do.

Although I may not always like it, I have found that taking a few moments to read the instructions actually saves time and improves functionality. The owner’s manual and instructions were given to help, not hinder, even though it may not appear that way when I am anxious to get going.

It is very similar to starting my day without taking the time to read the instructions for my life. The BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Taking a few extra minutes before I get going each day to read the “instructions” saves me time, frustration and improves my functionality to live a full and abundant life that God promises in His little instruction book.

The BIBLE is the “owner’s manual” for our life. It was given not to hinder, but to help and to prepare us for the future so that we may be able to live with skill and wisdom. God is the “manufacturer” who created us and He has given us the instructions in which to operate and “put all the pieces together.”

One of these days I may actually get it all figured out and put the pieces together but, until I do, I’ll keep on reading the instructions. I don’t have time to waste anymore!

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You may have wondered how detrimental your drinking habits really are on your muscle-building progress. Is it really that harmful to go out with the guys and have a few beers after work on a Friday? If you’re trying to get lean, does this mean you should forgo all alcohol for the next month or two? Or, if you are really diligent with the rest of your diet, can you indulge on the weekend with a few cold ones?

Many guys would rather have a few drinks on the weekend than cheat with food that’s not a part of their diet plan. While some struggle to cut out foods, for others, cutting out drinking is the real challenge.

So, what’s the answer to the correlation between alcohol and muscles? How does alcohol affect the muscle-building process?

By understanding what happens when you drink, you can make your own judgment calls as to whether or not alcohol should be included in your workout and muscle-building plan. Here’s what you need to know about alcohol and muscles.

Alcohol and growth hormones

One major issue with the consumption of alcohol has to do with its effects on the release of growth hormone. Growth hormone is the substance in the body that plays a very large role when it comes to building muscle, stimulating other cell growth and development and promoting optimal bone growth. When this hormone is low, you aren’t going to get the same amount of muscle development as you would when it’s at an optimal level.

Growth hormone is predominately secreted during the early sleeping hours of the night and because alcohol tends to disrupt natural sleep rhythms, it will decrease the amount of growth hormone released. This decrease can be up to as much as 70%, so it will really short-circuit the progress you are able to make.

Alcohol and testosterone

The next factor to consider is alcohol’s effect on testosterone. As you likely know, testosterone is another huge hormone associated with muscle growth and is the reason why men carry a great deal more muscle mass than women (since men have more testosterone flowing through their bodies).

When you consume alcohol, however, a substance is produced in the liver that is toxic to the release of testosterone. This substance decreases the concentration of testosterone in the body, resulting in lower muscles mass and definition. So, when you consider all the hard work you put in at the gym, also consider the affects derived from the combination of alcohol and muscles.

Alcohol and recovery

Another area that alcohol affects when it comes to muscle building is your ability to recover. Since alcohol is a toxin to the body, energy is going to have to be expended in order to remove it from the system and to recover from any negative effects it has had on the tissues.

Since this takes time and energy reserves, you won’t have as much energy in store to recover from your workouts, therefore, you will not be as fresh when you return for your next gym session.

Alcohol and muscles don’t usually get along, so consume with care…

Effects Of Alcohol On Muslces

Alcohol and dehydration

Dehydration is another issue you have to watch out for if you choose to drink alcohol while trying to build muscle and work out. Since alcohol acts as a diuretic in the body, unless you are sure to replace the extra fluid with water or another nonalcoholic beverage that doesn’t contain caffeine, your natural water balance will be disrupted.

Dehydration has a number of negative effects on the body, from inducing feelings of fatigue to causing low physical performance, making you feel hungrier (which is especially problematic while dieting), and disrupting the ability of the muscle cells to produce ATP — which is your primary source of muscular energy.

Alcohol and glycogen synthesis

Aside from ATP, the next source for muscular work is stored muscle glycogen. Unfortunately, though, when you consume alcoholic beverages, alcohol synthesis will take precedence over glycogen synthesis, resulting in decreased stores in the muscle cells.

When you go to do your next workout, your body will have less energy to run on, causing fatigue to set in early.

When your workouts end prematurely, you don’t derive as many benefits in terms of increases in strength since the necessary overloading stimulus (which is partly defined through volume of weights lifted) will not be increased.

Alcohol and aerobic ability

If you aren’t as concerned with your strength levels and figure this means alcohol is a safe bet for you, you may want to think again. Even when it comes to aerobic activities, alcohol affects performance.

In this scenario, alcohol can cause an increase in blood pressure throughout the body and a corresponding increase in heart rate.

Since your heart will already be working at an increased rate during aerobic activities, the additional stress from the alcohol will only amplify the heart rate and make the exercise feel harder than it should.

Alcohol and body fat

Finally, the last issue surrounding alcohol consumption is that it contains calories, and these do add up quickly. Typically, you’ll likely find yourself drinking beer, wine or hard liquors, which do contain fewer calories than the fancier, sweeter-tasting cocktails that women often drink, so at least that’s an advantage.

Still, at seven calories per gram, after three or four drinks, these calories would equal a good-sized meal. Unless you are going to cut down on food intake in order to make room for these calories (which is rare, as usually you’ll actually find yourself snacking on high-calorie items such as nuts, pizza, wings or nachos), fat gain will result.

booze builds bellies

So, next time you’re contemplating whether or not you should have that drink, keep these factors in mind. Definitely, alcohol and muscle building are not a good pair, as stated by all these points, but if you aren’t training for any major athletic event or getting ready to step on stage for a bodybuilding competition, chances are that you can afford yourself one or two drinks once in a while without having to worry too much.

Just keep moderation in mind and try your best to consume extra water with the alcohol, eat more vegetables during the rest of the day (to increase nutrient content in your diet while decreasing calories) and allow for a little extra sleep time if you can after you’ve had a few drinks.

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Written primarily to 13-18 year old young men, King Solomon’s book of Proverbs gives a recorded account of the wisdom of the ages.  Solomon is regarded as the most wise, most wealthy and most powerful man ever to live in history.  His words have encouraged and helped young men to live a life of purpose, on purpose, by using wisdom and counsel to live with skill.

I remember reading these first when I was about 12 years old and have read them regularly for the past 30 years.  Each year they seem to have a more deep and penetrating meaning that applies to all areas of my life.  There is no question that they work.  My challenge is consistently applying them.

The most effective way for me to read them has been to read one chapter each day, preferably in the morning.  There are 31 chapters and they only take a minute or two to read.  I can’t help but think that King Solomon wrote them this way for his own kids.  He probably had the “read one a day” idea in mind when he wrote them.  His purpose is to help a boy become a man by helping him turn chaos into order in his life.

The main points in Proverbs are as follows:

1.  A Call to Wisdom

2.  Sexual Immorality

3.  Lending Money

4.  Positive Personal Character Development

5.  The Fool

6.  Family Relationships

7.  Prosperity

8.  Significance of Words

9.  Value of Work and the Sin of Laziness

10.  Honesty and Integrity

11.  Discipline

12.  Sovereignty of God

13.  The Fear of God

14.  Happiness

15.  Pride and Humility

16.  Counsel/Advice

17.  Giving

18.  Anger, Hatred & Contentions

19.  Friends and Neighbors

20.  Drunkeness & Gluttony

21.  Revenge

22.  Description of an Excellent Wife

For a free .pdf copy of Proverbs send an email to rj@getyourpoopinagroup.com and put “Proverbs” in the subject.

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Contrary to popular belief the governor of Michigan knows how to create jobs. Yeah, yeah, I can hear you saying, “Michigan has the worst economy and the highest unemployment in the country for four years running!” Sadly, you would be correct. I even heard that Dave Ramsey told a recent caller on his radio show who was having trouble selling their house, “Well the first thing you need to do is get out of Michigan.”

But, for all of the faults of Jennifer Granholm, she understands how to create jobs because she has done it. In an attempt to encourage Hollywood to create movies in Michigan she provided big tax breaks for them. And guess what? You guessed it. Hollywood came to Michigan!

She understands perfectly how to create economic activity, which in turn creates jobs.

It makes perfect sense too. I mean after all, any self-respecting woman with style and flair knows the importance of a sale. The department stores know this as well. You want traffic in your store? Have a sale. The bigger the sale, the more traffic you will attract. It is that same idea that worked to get movies to Michigan. So, she understands it and knows that it works.

The question remains however, why does she not employ the same logic and successful plan to the entire state? Could it be her connection to the unions and special interests? I don’t know, maybe.

Regardless, here is a Job Creation Guarantee. Use the same tax cutting idea for the movie industry in the entire state and Michigan will have a job creation bonanza. As soon as businesses across the country see that Michigan has cut taxes & red tape and it is easier to make a profit here than in any other state, they will come. The tax revenue would go up due to all of the new economic activity and finally we could pay our schools and more importantly our teachers, what they are worth.

But, you can’t do any of that in a high tax, high fees, and mountains of red tape state. Business will stay away, and the people she is most trying to protect, families and children will be hurt the most. Because businesses are in business to make a profit, they will go wherever they can, to make it. Don’t fight it, work with it.

Right now she is like the CEO of Target charging Nordstrom prices. She wouldn’t shop there and that is why business stays away from Michigan.

RJ Regan is the author of “Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex”. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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How many times have you heard or said, “I’ll always have a car payment”? That’s the normal way of thinking. But normal is broke. We want to be WEIRD! To get new results, you have to try new things.

So think about this:

• What if you decided to stop messing with car payments?
• What if you invested that old car payment every month instead of giving it away to the bank?
• What if we showed you a six-year plan that would put you in free cars for the rest of your life?
• What if that plan also made you a millionaire?

Interested? Watch the video to learn how to drive free and retire rich!Drive Free & Retire Rich

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I guess I am a dreamer, or at least hopeful. But, all that has now changed after listening to a recent speech made by President Obama. As he calls them, “The Fortunate Few” referring to the “haves” in this country as though their position in life was based on luck or the lottery and having nothing to do with hard, hard work.

He is right of course, there are fewer rich than poor in this country, that is without debate. What I can’t see however is how instead of looking at behavior leading to result (ie hard work, saving & investing) President Obama views “fortune” like rubbing a crystal ball, becoming a movie or music star, marrying into it, hitting the lottery, lying, cheating stealing or taking advantage of someone. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

That is what is most disappointing with what he said. Instead of continuing to foster a false belief of wealth and the wealthy in this country why not speak the truth and really give Americans the hope and change that they were expecting when they voted him into office?

The truth is, if a high school student at age 16 takes the money he spends on pizza, cd’s and movies and invests it each and every month he will retire a multi-millionaire. That’s right a multi-millionaire. He actually would have almost $3.5M at age 65.

Anyone can do it if they have a mustard seed of discipline, a thimbleful of wisdom and the TRUTH. It is not rocket science. You don’t need to have Michael Jordan’s jump shot, William Buffet’s investment prowess or Brad Pitt’s screen appeal. In fact, over 80% of all millionaires are first generation rich. That’s right, you read that right. First generation. That means they were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth or a trust fund in the bank. They were born just regular lower and middle class Americans.

What is even more amazing is that LEGAL immigrants, the ones who LEGALLY came to the USA and followed the rules, are 4x more likely to become millionaires than those born in this country. These are people who knew nothing of the culture, language and education system of the United States and they succeed at a far higher rate than those born here. Would they be considered the “fortunate few” as well? Maybe, only if you considered them “fortunate” by being able to come to this great country. But, how do you explain the people who actually were born here?

Why don’t more people become financially secure? May I suggest that they are missing one key ingredient? The “fortunate few” had the same opportunities that everybody else had, but they did have one thing that all the others did not have. It is that one thing is what made all the difference in the world.

That one thing is a plan. They planned to be financially secure and took small baby steps early on and continued to compound that growth throughout their life. It was not about getting rich quick, it was about getting rich slowly. They planned to be disciplined and they knew that the only person that they could rely on here on Earth was themselves. They didn’t leave their future in the hands of government, a company or anyone else for that matter. That attitude is just plain weird in today’s culture, plus it is a lot of hard work.

That is the REAL reason why there are so few of the so called “rich.” It’s HARD WORK and it TAKES TIME. Two of the things that are repulsive in today’s fast pace, microwave it, easy does it, laid back, give me a handout, you owe me, I’m a victim, world of far too many Americans today.

Martin Luther King had a dream. His was a dream that someday people would be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. President Obama ran his campaign on a message of hope and change. May I humbly suggest that he stop blaming and pointing fingers and start giving hope where it belongs, to the individuals in this country and not in government. This is still the greatest country in the world. It is the land of opportunity and freedom and is still the place that individuals wish to live. After all, 30 Million illegal immigrants can’t be wrong, can they?

It got this way through limited government, private property rights and low taxes. A real message of hope and change would include those items. The President could help restore the dream by speaking truth and giving hope back to people again.

RJ Regan is the author of “Gambling for Life: Stacking the odds in your favor for more money and great sex”. He can be contacted at www.gamblingforlife.com

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