The monotony of monotony

Dang, I'm boring.

Alright, maybe I'm not that boring.

Humans are boring.

Humans are creatures of habit.

And this habit creates monotony.

It has been interesting to relate habits and personal development to eating and bodybuilding. I have had many friends not as knowledgeable about the fitness/health industry ask for dieting advice. I have read nine books to date out of my goal for 30 by December 31. I can safely say that at least 6/8 of them mention habits. This could be anything from the creation of habits, to bad habits to understanding habits and our development. After reading the book "Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength", and "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business", I feel more confident in giving advice on how to develop workout, eating and healthy lifestyle habits.

Some might not realize that our brains and thoughts are within our control. As one of my favorite leadership gurus and sales leaders once said:

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"You are what you are and you are where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You change what you are and you change where you are by changing what goes into your mind.” - Zig Ziglar



I think this goes along with our bodies. Our mind controls our bodies. If we control what goes into our minds, we control our health.

This is great! Form a habit, stick to that habit and it all becomes easy, right?

5 steps to meal prepping for beginners

Meal prep and GO! That's all it takes.

OK, in reality, it takes a bit more than that. I know from experience. However, like anything, you have to reach a point where you are willing to dive in, head first, and start. If you don't, you will keep telling yourself you either might not have time, don't have money for healthy foods or you are doing OK at selecting healthy foods or resisting temptations on your own.

It has been nearly one year since I began focusing on meal preparations and dieting, specifically for my body building shows. Whether you are training for a contest or not, I still think meal prep has aided tremendously in how much time I save. It has helped me better budget grocery expenses on a weekly and monthly basis. It has heightened my awareness about nutrition, serving sizes and food labels. All of these takeaways and more have maintained my interest and investment into the meal prep ideology.

Forewarning: it might feel weird or unnatural when you start making adjustments for meal preparations. However, do not let that set you back or scare you. I have had many friends reach out to me about my health and how to begin. I'd now like to share five steps to meal prepping for beginners.
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Worth a shot at Heartland Shooting Park

Rural Ohio and rural Nebraska are different but also share some similarities. In the fall, you will often see many bright, neon orange hats, sweatshirts and other outerwear across the country side. Why, you might ask?

Hunting season.

Whether it was for deer, rabbits, water fowl (duck, geese, other), pheasants or Elmer Fudd, gun enthusiasts and hunters alike can be found across the midwest. My dad, uncles, cousins and many friends participate. For some reason, I did not. Now, I'm attempting to join. My dad taught me basic fundamentals of gun safety and I have used shotguns and pistols in the past. 4-H shooting sports are offered to youth across the country, but I never got involved. I also never made target practice or going with my family members to hunt a frequent thing. I want to.
To start, I bought a hand gun.

When in doubt, Try Wine!

How often do you get the opportunity to taste high class, top quality wines from around the globe, with the push of a button and swipe of a card? Not many for me. Last week, I was blessed to do so.

I love wine. I have always been intrigued by viticulture and the science behind it. Whenever I get the chance to travel, especially internationally, I try to experience wineries or vineyards. Last week, I went to St. Petersburg, Florida with some customers on a trip. Even though the weather was less than desirable in the mid-50s, we did not let that get us down. We Try Wine.

Thankful 30 - Day 17, food

Mmmmmmm, FOOD! Who does not like food? Seriously? It is funny because I have grown up surrounded by food options my entire life. Dang, I'm lucky. I'm so very thankful for food.

It nourishes my body. It comforts me. It brings people together. God has blessed me with it.

But guess what else? It causes wars. It creates food fights, miscommunication and manipulation. It causes gluttony and unhealthy choices. It could destroy us.