Friday, December 19, 2008

Getting Lost...

"Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves." - Henry David Thoreau

Ever get lost while driving? Unfamiliar roads, towns, bypasses. Sometimes I like to get lost, because then you tend to see things that you may have not seen before or maybe experience something that you may never get to experience.

When my wife and I were dating, we would go on day trips, just pick a direction and go. We visited wineries, old country stores, even checked out a little drive-in diner that was way-y-y-y-y-y out there. Discovering, learning, growing.

Sometimes you need to just get lost...

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." - Nelson Mandela


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Goals...

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." - Henry Ford

So 2008 is coming to a close. Time to start looking at goals for 2009. Will it be a better year? What to you want to accomplish this next year that will bring you to a new level?

Some of my personal goals:

- run 5mi 3 times a week
- learn the guitar
- learn spanish
- speak to at least 3 groups a quarter
- lose these last 80lbs


Write down your goals, commit them to paper. Goals not written down are just wishes...


"If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else." - Lawrence J. Peter


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, December 05, 2008

Belief...

"Some things have to be believed to be seen." - Ralph Hodgson

I believed I could do it. I knew deep down I could. It's been 9 months. But that little voice, that wee little voice kept hounding me, "You can't do it. You can't. It's been too long. You're a fat tub and always will be..."

I focused. I focused hard. My legs ached. My body wanted to quit. But I focused. That blinking red light. That blinking red light coming closer, closer. Relief, exhaustion, fatigue, elation. I made it. I did it. I knew I could do it. I ran a mile without stopping...

"This is how humans are: we question all our beliefs, except for the ones we really believe, and those we never think to question." - Orson Scott Card


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, November 21, 2008

Resistance...

"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it." - Olin Miller


It's been snowing here. I like it when it snows because it makes my noon walks more productive. You see, the snow provides resistance when I walk. The more resistance, the more my legs and lower torso have to work, the stronger they get.

Some resistance is good, but not all. Resisting change is one thing that we all tend to battle with from time to time. But if we defeat that resistance and breakthrough - it's there that our beings become stronger.

Don't be closed-minded and resistant to change. Look at the positives and not just the negatives to every change...

"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." - Author Unknown

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Freedom...

"Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide." - Napoleon Bonaparte

We have the freedom to chose in EVERY situation whether or not we think we have the freedom to do so. Some may say, "Well, if I am robbed at gunpoint I have no freedom to chose." This is true but you can make the choice of giving up your stuff willingly and without crying or you can choose to try and be the hero and possibly get shot.

We make choices everyday, some good and some bad. We need to remember that in EVERY situation we have a choice. If there is a situation where there is no obvious choice we need to dig a little deeper as the choices are not always crystal clear.

Choose today to do the best you can, be the best you can in ALL situations...

"Freedom is that instant between when someone tells you to do something and when you decide how to respond." - Jeffrey Borenstein


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

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Thursday, November 06, 2008

Attitude...

"If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want." - Oscar Wilde

Attitude does affect all aspects of your life. Discouragement, apathy, uselessness - all are culprits that can get us off track. When these attitudes creep into your life, you need to reach deep down inside and find the strength to change your outlook. Think of accomplishments, think of your future.

You have control over your actions AND your attitudes...


"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." - William James


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Differences...

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." - Victor Frankl

We're all different, that's what makes each one of us unique and interesting. I look around at all the different ways to lose weight. Many it seems are geared towards a "cookie cutter" mentality - meaning that one particular path will work for everyone. I find this to be rather untrue. For example, I tried Weight Watchers back in the day and found that the lack of accountability for myself (I was the only guy in a group of middle-age to elderly women) was one of the major setbacks for this path for me. Others may not be able to do without starches or meats for the rest of their lives.

My particular plan draws on several different methods that I had researched. I fit together my weight loss plan through modifying these methods to fit my personality/ability/mentality.

What fits you? Frustrated with your plan? Do research and modify the plan to fit you.

"Change always comes bearing gifts." - Price Pritchett


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Time

"Time is what we want most, but... what we use worst." - Willaim Penn



Time is everything. We are given 168 hours each week, no more, no less. It's up to us to figure out how to wisely use that time. We can waste it in front of the television, or we can use it to better our lives.



Successful people have found ways to use their time wisely. How are you spending your time?





"Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them." - Dion Boucicault





MattyV

http://www.iweighedmorethanjared.com/

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Small steps

"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown

After a lot of procrastination and false-starts, I finally think I am getting back on track with my weight loss regimine. At first I felt overwhelmed, I mean last year at this time I was jogging 5 times a week, biking 5 times a week, and doing 45min/day of exercise on top of walking and other things.

I've heard an old African proverb again and again and it's true - "How do you eat an elephant?" "One bite at a time."

I may not be back to where I was a year ago, but I am doing something. Eventually I will get back on par to where I was and then some.

Don't procrastinate any longer. So you can't jog or even walk without problems. Do chair exercises, bicep curls with soup cans.

You can do something...


"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." - John Wooden


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Adversity...

"Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." - M. Kathleen Casey

With the economy heading towards a depression not seen since the later 1920's, it's easy to panic and react adversely and irrationally.

When we have adversity in our lives, whether it be finances, work, relationships, whatever it is that causes a little panic inside of us - we make poor choices.

Adversity will come, no one is immune. I'm sure the monks that live high in the Himalayas have their share of adversity. We need to remember to be pro-active when it comes to adversity rather than reactive.


"You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far." - Uncle Remus


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Effort...

"All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do." - Author Unknown

I spoke at my Toastmasters club today. I shared a speech that was previously given by General Douglas MacArthur back in 1962. In that speech he talks about not substituting words for actions nor choosing the path of comfort. That stirs something in me. To many times I spend in "lip-service" or "do as I say, not as I do" or don't put forth the effort to make changes.

Success takes effort. Effort takes determination. Determination takes responsibility. Responsibility begins with you (or me).

"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success." - Swami Sivananda


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Clutter

"You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy." - Eric Hoffer

Had a garage sale this past weekend, cleared out some junk that we felt we needed at the time but ended up in the basement/garage/closet. Made a little cash, pennies on the dollar, but still cash and actually restrained ourselves from visiting other sales and buying more crap to replace the crap we just got rid of.

Do you have clutter? I don't mean just physical clutter, but mental clutter. How do you spend your week? Do you look at the end of the week and wonder where your time went? I suggest sitting down and mapping out your week. You get 168 hours, no more, no less. Successes have used their time wisely, finding ways to increase their success in all areas of life.

How's your time map looking? Spending time on 'clutter'? Change it!

"He who buys what he does not need steals from himself." ~Author Unknown


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The Future...

"The course of life is unpredictable... no one can write his autobiography in advance." - Abraham Joshua Heschel

I recall a scene from the movie "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" where John Connor is having a conversation with his terminator protector about something his mother carved onto a picnic table - "The future's not set. There's no fate but what we make for ourselves..."

We often resign ourselves to our own self-imposed prisons by telling ourselves that it's our fate - we are where we are and that's all. Our minds have been conditioned over the years to a thinking pattern that keeps us from our true potential.

The statement above is true, the future isn't set. We have the ability to change our lives, our careers, our health (to some extent), we have the ability to act and not react to what comes our way.

Choose your own fate, follow your dream...

"The past can't see you, but the future is listening." - Destin Figuier


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Faith...

"To me faith means not worrying." - John Dewey

Take it the way you wish, but miracles & blessings happen all the time. Some go unnoticed, while others end up being newsworthy. When you look for them, you will find them. Maybe it's that parking spot in a busy parking lot that opens up right in front of the store you need to visit. Maybe it's finding the exact change needed to purchase an item or finding a $20 bill when you thought you only had a $5 bill.

I had a noticeable blessing today. I have been belly-aching about this for quite a long time. I am a member of a local Toastmasters club, a group of people training and practicing to become better public speakers. I fell into this group when I lost weight and wanted to tell my story. It has helped me hone my public speaking skills and speaking style. I've met a lot of people and there is a core group of people that are there each week to support each other.

I've advanced in the group and I believe currently I am the highest ranking person with the designations of Advanced Communicator Silver and Advanced Leader Bronze. I am also currently serving to the best of my ability as president of the club.

Dues for the next semester are coming up on October1st and with Bren without a job and our emergency fund getting dangerously low - I was going to have to step away from the group. It was a hard choice to make, but we didn't/don't have the $40 to continue the membership. I let the officers know last week of our situation and that it may be time for me to step down until our finances got back to normal.

After the pastor's sermon on Sunday, I began to think about my decision to quit the club. I was going to let the group know today (Tuesday) at the meeting that I would be unable to continue in the club after October 1st. Instead I decided to let God lead, if He wanted me to continue my training as a public speaker, He would provide the money to do so. I was leaving it up to Him and trusting his direction.

I talked to the treasurer after the meeting and asked about possibly making payments or working out some sort of arrangement so that I could continue leading the club. He told me that the other officers had discussed the situation and felt led to pay my dues for the next semester out of the club treasury.

So, there was my answer. I guess I need to continue leading and training. I would have been a little bummed if it didn't work out, but if it did happen that I couldn't continue - I know deep down that there is somewhere else that I needed to be at that point in my life.
Keep the faith and let God lead. You never know where you'll go, but where you end up is where He wants you to be...

"Faith makes things possible, not easy." - Author Unknown

MattyV
http://iweighedmorethanjared.com/dead.aspx

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Shortcomings...

"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again. Because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, he who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat". - Theodore Roosevelt

Feeling like a failure today? At least you tried. Think of those that don't try, stay in the shadows of the "comfortable and familiar" and get up to try again!

I've failed time and time again. I've failed as a father, a husband, a friend, a co-worker, a leader. But I continue on knowing that my destiny is much greater than my weaknesses suggest.


"Be true. STAND!" - Mother Abigail, "The Stand"

MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Communication

"People love chopping wood. In this activity one immediately sees results." - Albert Einstein

I was thinking communication recently. My youngest son turns 3 months today and we are beginning to understand his way of communicating with us. We have determined different cries mean different things. One cry means "I'm bored!" while another cry means "I'm in need of changing!". It took a little bit to understand what he wanted through this rudimentary form of communication but now that we understant him - we see instant results once we alay whatever the need is.

Communicating with yourself is important. Learning what makes you hungry, what hunger is for you, even what triggers you have for overeating or non-exercising are all important things to know in order to lose weight.

I kind of think we've been lulled into some sort of Pavlovian sense of having to eat meals at certain times of the day - even when we might not be hungry. Try this some time - fast for an entire day, drinking just water for a 24 hour period. Whenever you get a hunger pang - drink some water and wait to see if it goes away. If after 15 minutes or so it doesn't, take another glass of water. You will soon get to understand what a "false hunger" and "real hunger" pang feels like so you can better understand your body's need.

You may not need to eat until 9am or 10am or can go until 2pm to eat lunch. Once you understand your body, you will begin to see better results because you will be eating only when truly hungry and not when you're "supposed to"...

"The sculptor produces the beautiful statue by chipping away such parts of the marble block as are not needed - it is a process of elimination." - Elbert Hubbard


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Mistakes...

Won a speech contest today. Based the speech on the topic of making mistakes. I've made plenty and expect to make many more over my lifetime. I learned a few things about mistakes:

1 - Everybody makes them (don't kid yourself)

2 - You need to learn from them (see examples below)

3 - Don't dwell on them (probably THE most important thing to remember)

The Apple LISA was a commercial flop. What did Apple learn? Enter the Apple Macintosh & Apple's OS X software (both have roots in the LISA computer)

The Ford Edsel was also a commercial flop. What did Ford learn? Enter 2 of the most popular Ford lines, the Mustang & the Taurus

Wilson Greatbatch developed the implantable pacemaker (including it's corrosion-resistant battery) years after he put in the wrong part into an external heart monitor.


I love speaking. I can't explain it. It was envigorating being up there and sharing the speech I had prepared. I need to develop this talent...


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Courage

"Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

This past weekend I was watching some episodes of a television show and happened upon a little nugget that was hidden in amongst one of them.

In an exchange with two characters, one was telling the other that they had more courage than the other. They had the courage to be themselves. They had the courage getting out of bed knowing that they had to be themselves.

Of course the entire exchange was meant to be comedic in its intent, but there is a lot of truth in that exchange. Most of us are scared of being who we truly are. Afraid of what others think of us, conforming to what we think they find "acceptible".

Do you have the courage to be who you are? Or are you conforming to what the "world" wants?


"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." - Edward Vernon Rickenbacker


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Fear...

"Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." - Brendan Francis

Fear can motivate. Fear can immobilize. We need to have a healthy respect for fear ONLY when it deserves such. I have been and still am afraid of many things - failure, abandonment, etc. but these fears do not deserve the respect that I give them. We need to grow past our fears in order to move towards where we want to be. One person was quoted that in order to succeed we need to double our failure rate. Those are interesting and yet true words. How can we achieve success if we do not fail?

Figure out what you are afraid of and see which ones deserve the respect and which ones are "paper-thin" that can be broken through to access the next level in your life.

"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them." - Andre Gide


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Assistance...

"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little - do what you can." - Sydney Smith

I asked my oldest son if he would like to go to Home Depot with me to pick up some weedkiller. His response melted my heart and made me laugh at the same time, "I would be glad to assist you at the store..."

It was sweet, but also very poigniant at the same time. I know he couldn't do much but be company on the trip but at least he was willing to do that little part. Look around you today, how can you be of help to someone? Giving up your seat on the bus or subway. Help someone load their groceries into their vehicle. A tiny act of kindness can not only help others but also makes you feel good and uplifts your spirits. What kind of assistance can you give today??


"Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something." - Author Unknown


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Words

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." - Proverbs


I whispered into my new son's ear last night. I try to do this every night. What do I whisper? Words of encouragement, words of strength, positive words. I grew up on negative words. Words like, "stupid", or "idiot", or "worthless". Those words were planted deep into my mind and the fruit from those words was bitter and hurtful.

I told my son that he was going to grow up strong and handsome and smart. I told him that both he and his brother were going to do far greater things than myself. I tell my older son that he can do anything he puts his mind to. I am planting positive seeds in the hopes of seeing better things come to fruition in both my children's lives.

What words are you planting in your daily life? Words of hope or words of despair?



MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Inner Strength

"When the world says, "Give up,"Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."" - Author Unknown


Sitting here looking at a photo that someone had taken last October of me running my first 8k race. That was a grueling time for me, there I was 34 years old and 280lbs running up and down hills around the city of Zeeland. Many racers were "professionals" looking for a quick win and accolades from the crowd. Others were teens that ran track or cross-country. There were even moms, looking for a time to chat and get a t-shirt (one pair of moms had matching shirts that said "Incredi-Moms" a play on the Disney/Pixar movie "The Incredibles").

Looking back on that time, I never quit. I was tired and suffering from "side-stitch" (dehydration causing pain in your sides) but I never quit. I knew if I had quit, I would not start again and I would be done. Teens that passed me, soon I passed as they had stopped and began to walk. They may have caught up and passed me - but I didn't stop to walk, they did.I am gathering strength from remembering that time. I didn't quit then, and I sure as hell am not going to quit now.

"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running." - Author Unknown


MattyV
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

An Update & Today's Thought

Just an update, took some time off after the birth of my second son. Gave me some time to think about the weekly blogging and how I want to press forward. I've decided that I am changing the weekly blogs to Tuesdays because Fridays are already hectic with trying to post an audio Podcast and a webshow on YouTube. I think I will also break that up by posting the audio Podcasts on Wednesdays and leave the YouTube show to Fridays. Trying to do too much packed into one day has worn me out a bit. So, stay tuned each Tuesday for a new thought for the day...


"An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied. " - Arnold Glasow


There is another old saying that goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions..." which is true for the most part. We can talk all we want about what we plan to do with our lives, but it's when we actually sit down and put things to action that causes change to happen.

What is in your craw, deep down that you wished you could change? Write it down and then execute it.

"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned." - Peter Marshall


Matty V
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 16, 2008

Freedom...

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you." - Dick Cheney

Freedom isn't free. It's not a right that everyone is entitled to. It's something that was fought for, died for, and unfortunately we as a country have taken much of it for granted. We have the freedom of choice of what to eat at any time of the day or night. From the fridge to the corner store, to even fast food restaurants open at all hours of the day or night. Freedom of choice, but it's up to us to make the right choices as far as our eating habits.

The more processed and preserved food we choose over making something from scratch, the more we perpetuate the cycle of obesity in our country and what we pass down to our children.

I am going to try harder to make better choices in what I eat and what I feed my family. Join with me to break this cycle in America!

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 09, 2008

Setbacks...

"Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves as we really are." - Arthur Golden

I've had some setbacks the past few weeks. Boy, can really bring you down, down to the ground and have you begging for mercy. But sometimes that's when break-throughs occur, some sort of enlightenment happens. Thomas Edison failed at creating a lightbulb over 10,000 times. But each time he was able to get back up and try again.

Reminds me of the movie, "Real Genius" starring Val Kilmer. His character's laser project failed spectacularly and thought he was at his absolute lowest. Then he had a break-through moment where everything seemed to click. He went back and solved the problems and succeeded (although to dire consequences - which were later rectified).

Setbacks are times to step back and maybe take new look at an old problem...

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." - Walt Disney


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, May 02, 2008

Boredom...

"Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health; nothing is worse for your health than boredom." - Mignon McLaughlin


I struggle with boredom and have been falling into old habits of eating when I am not hungry and just bored. There are plenty of things I could be doing, but rather don't have the gumption or energy to do them.

That's when I (and possibly yourself) need to take a stand and just find something to do. Something that engages our brains and our bodies, something that takes our pre-programmed synapses of eating mindlessly and transfers that energy to something more productive.

Join with me, won't you? Let's try hard to re-program our brains to better ourselves when we are bored...

"Boredom is an emptiness filled with insistence." - Leo Stein


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 25, 2008

Gratitude...

"If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get." - Frank A. Clark

I was reading in the book, "A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul" and in it was a section on obstacles. One of the stories caught my attention and made me think. The gist of the story was that of a man walking down the street and noticing a friend with a forlorn look on his face. The man greeted his friend and ask how things were and instead of a quick dialogue it ended up to be a long diatribe of problems.

The friend said that he would donate $5k to the man's favorite charity if he knew of a place that he could go without problems. The man took his friend up on the offer and walked him down to the local cemetary. The dead, you see, have no problems.

Whatever problems or adversities you are facing today, be thankful for them. I know that sounds weird, but really - if you had no problems, then you wouldn't be growing. Problems prepare and stretch us...

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude." - Cynthia Ozick


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

The Past...

"The one charm of the past is that it is the past." - Oscar Wilde

I love that quote. It's true, the past is the past. Although nothing can change it, we can learn from it and start from now to change the future.

I still get haunted by the past from time to time but when that happens I try to remember that whatever happened then cannot be changed. I can only deal with the here and now. Each day is a new day to learn from the past and press forward with that knowledge.


"What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now." - Author Unknown


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 11, 2008

Strength...

"The shortest answer is doing." - Lord Herbert

Where do you derive your strength? Is it in the accolade of others? In your abilities? In your desires? When the chips are down, the race is only half over, defeat is on the horizon - where do you find the strength to press on?

The accolades of others wane. Your abilities can be robbed of you in an instant. Your desires can often be false to what you really want. Is your strength in your sense of self-worth?

No one can rob you of your self-worth unless you give them the opportunity.

"All know the way; few actually walk it." - Bodhidharma


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, April 04, 2008

Boldness...

"Put a grain of boldness into everything you do." - Baltasar Gracian

Ever dare to be bold? Dare to try something new even though you might fail? On this weight loss journey I have been bold plenty of times and I am always looking for more things to try. Some things stuck with me like running races while others weren't cohesive to my personality or interests.

You need to break out of your mold, step out of your comfort zone and dare to try things. I started with donating blood. Something simple. And it grew from there, 5k races, charity walks, chili cook-offs, speaking in public.

Try something different. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. How will you know if you don't try?

"Freedom lies in being bold." - Robert Frost



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, March 28, 2008

Passion...

"Chase down your passion like it's the last bus of the night." - Glade Byron Addams


I've found that when it comes to doing something that matters, you need passion. You have to believe in what you are accomplishing. I think that's why so many people fail at losing weight, they don't have that passion that helps them to carry on through the stumbling blocks that are inevitable.

I recall a story that has been shared by both Dave Ramsey & Dan Miller about a study that was done in the 1960's. A group of men were paid a good wage to dig a ditch then asked to fill the ditch back in. This was all they were told to do. The next day, 40% of the workers didn't show up. The wage was doubled and they were told to dig a ditch and fill it back in. The next day, another 40% didn't show up. This comes to the conclusion that you have to have passion in what you are doing, otherwise your efforts are futile and in vain.

Come with me, join with me. Let's encourage one another and stoke the fire of passion in eachother's soul. You can succeed, I can succeed. We will overcome and become the victors we know we are!

"Follow your passion, and success will follow you." - Arthur Buddhold


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, March 07, 2008

Appearance...

"Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem. Most things are judged by their jackets." - Baltasar Gracian


Too many times do we judge books by their covers. I find myself guilty of this time and time again. Many times I find that I have grossly mis-judged someone, thinking one thing and finding out something totally different.

Out on my walks I like to people-watch. It has become one of my favorite pastimes. Once I even sat and wrote down descriptions of people that I saw, hoping that the descriptions would one day make it into a fiction novel I will write.

I've seen many, many overweight people in my journies. And every time I catch myself with some sort of "air" about them - some deep-seated disgust. I don't know them. I don't know their life. They could have health issues that caused the weight gain. They could have some problems at home that they thought food could solve. But I stand there, thinking like some others may think - "laziness, slovenly laziness".

That's one thing I still struggle with, self-loathing. I hate being overweight and yet this hate is not motivation to keep going. I need to find focus on something else. Self-loathing behavior is not healthy or a self-esteem builder.

I will try harder...

"Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration." - Niccolo Machiavelli


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 29, 2008

Impact Resistance...

"It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." - Author Unknown

This week I found a pair of sunglasses on the side of the road. They looked like they were alright so I picked them up. The arms of the sunglasses fell apart in my hands, someone had run them over with their car. All that was left intact was the lenses themselves. Neither was scratched, only one lens had a couple of chips around the rim.

Impact resistance. Something I wished I had. It's easy to get off-track when the perils and problems of life rear their ugly heads. I felt that way this month when I got in the car accident and was unable to exercise for a few weeks. The impact of that accident impacted more than my spine, it impacted who I was and the goal I was striving for.

I was angry and depressed, I used food as a stress-reliever. It had taken 30 years of training to develop that stress-coping skill, it won't unravel overnight. But I will continue to strive for impact resistance, reminding myself of that pair of sunglasses...


"Whether you think you can or think you can't - you are right." - Henry Ford


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 22, 2008

Blame...

"Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions." - Author Unknown

A few weeks ago I was in a car accident. A head-on collision with another vehicle that totalled my van. It also totalled my back & neck in terms of muscle/nerve strain ("whiplash"), which in turn totalled my exercise program.

I've been reluctant to get back on the exercise journey, partially because I had fallen into old habits and had been using the car accident as an excuse. I checked the scale and it said I had gained 8lbs over the past few weeks. This is inaccurate, I couldn't have conceivably done so unless I stayed in bed all the time and ate 10,000 calories a day. I chalk most of the gain to salt, but I do believe that I had gained back at least 3lbs due to the lack of exercise.

Last night I finally looked in the mirror and said, "Dude, you need to get back on track. Stop using the car accident as a crutch or excuse. You need to do this not only for yourself, but for your supporters as well." So I did, although I am sore - it felt good to get back out on the road again. Today was my first full exercise/walking day, jogged 3.5mi walked 3.5mi and exercised for 30min.

It's easy to place the blame on something. I think that is the reason we are such a "sue-happy" society. We refuse to put the blame where it belongs - squarely on our shoulders.

Don't play the blame game. Go out and do something about it!

"Stubborness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow." - Glen Beaman


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 15, 2008

Remembering...

"Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us." - Oscar Wilde

On the way to work I passed a marker on at street corner that marks the spot where someone had died. You see them all over the country now, little roadside altars to remind people of tragedies. Even in the bible people had created altars from rocks to mark special places, piles of rocks & whatnot so that others that passed by it would see it and remember the reason for it being there.

I kept a pair of my old jeans and an old shirt. I keep them as reminders of what once was and (God-willing) will not happen again. I keep them to refresh my memory, to remember when I used to be over 500lbs. Sometimes I put the stuff on and it really hits me on how big I really was.

We all need reminders in our lives, reminders of where we have been and also reminders of where we are headed. My mom and also a friend of mine had mentioned the recent Oprah episode with the author of the book "The Secret". I need to check on the concepts talked about the book about a "dream board" or something where you put together all the things you want in/from your life. Not a bad idea, kind of like a road map of where you want to go in your life...


"The existence of forgetting has never been proved: We only know that some things don't come to mind when we want them." - Friedrich Nietzsche



Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 08, 2008

Experience...

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." - Auguste Rodin


Got into a car accident earlier this week. I'm a little sore yet and am not ready to resume exercise yet, but I am going to start slow next week and build myself back up again. Whether a car accident, job loss, family problem, or whatever - we can use these events to gain experience.

I am gaining experience through this accident as far as how insurance claims work. What forms need to be filed, who needs to be contacted for what, lots of little behind-the-scenes details that I was not privy to before. Sure it's a downer to be in an accident or have some other bad event happen. But it's our attitudes that will either make or break us. We can wallow and refuse to learn from it, or take a deep breath and look at the event with an outsider's eye and try to gain some nugget of wisdom from it...

"Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't. " - Pete Seeger


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, February 01, 2008

Raw Materials

"Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life." - Jewish prayer


Each one of us has been blessed with the "raw materials" needed to change our lives. It's up to us to decide what to build with those materials. We can use what we have an dig a dank dungeon, devoid of light or happiness - or we can build a castle tower that stretches into the sky.

I read over that prayer and also think about an email someone sent to me that touches on the subject of having the tools to change our lives. We need to step back and lay out a plan, just as a builder draws up blueprints before he begins building. Only when we can see the finished product can we know what "raw materials" are needed to complete the project.


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 25, 2008

Vices...

"How like herrings and onions our vices are in the morning after we have committed them."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Have your bad habits gotten the best of you? Have you given up on your lifestyle change (or New Year's resolution) because it became too difficult? Experts say that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit or form a good habit. I keep trying to pound this one truth home - falling off the wagon is not failure - failure is not even trying.

I have fallen time and time again, gone over in calories - refused to exercise or jog, and I have beaten myself up over it. Then I get right back onto the plan and start over again. Each day is a new day to start over. Why beat yourself up over past mistakes? Start with a clean slate and positive state of mind!

"It is good to be without vices, but it is not good to be without temptations." - Walter Bagehot


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 18, 2008

Hope

"You've gotta have hope. Without hope life is meaningless. Without hope life is meaning less and less." - Author Unknown

Hope. It all comes down to hope. Hope is one of the things that drives us. Drives our passions, drives our motivation, drives our being. If we have no hope, depression & gloominess, despair & lonliness invades our very soul.

Sure things come into our lives that cause pain and depression - but we should all have that hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, a rope or ladder reaching down into the depths of our depression waiting to lift us out.

How is your hope today? Are you hoping for a better future? Set your eyes on the prize and Go For It!


"Hope is grief's best music." - Author Unknown

Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 11, 2008

Nowhere...

"Gotta get away from the day-to-day, everybody knows this is nowhere..." - Neil Young


So, how's the new lifestyle change coming for 2008? First full week is behind us with another 51 weeks ahead. Are you going to be in that 20% that sticks with it, or the 80% that gives up by January 31st? Dan Miller often talks about the definition of insanity being doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. Are you in a rut? Make a change, any change, however small, to get yourself out of that day-to-day grind.

So, come on. Are you gonna make this year the best ever? Or are you going to flounder in your rut, wishing and hoping?

"It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to." - Annie Gottlier


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com

Friday, January 04, 2008

Self-Discovery...

"Every one of us has in him a continent of undiscovered character. Blessed is he who acts the Columbus to his own soul." - Author Unknown


http://www.madison.com/wsj/topstories/index.php?ntid=263791

A neat story of self-discovery. A pastor in Ohio challenged his congregation with the parable of the talents from the book of Matthew. Adults were given $50 each, children were given $10 each and had 7 weeks to double the money in some way.

Elderly people rediscovered old talents like woodworking & knitting, little kids used their creativity of origami, others were inventive by offering motorcycle & plane rides, one lady may end up parlaying her creative talent into a business (she decorated flip-flops & sold them).
Not only is this a story revolving around a biblical story with a purpose - it can be grasped by the non-religious as well. Discovering what you can offer the world through your talents, that each person has something unique about them.

I may not be the most talented singer or painter, but I like to write and produce audio/visual material. Go on your own road to self-discovery. Find out what you have to offer the world. You may be surprised at what you find!


"Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it." - Buddha


Matty
www.iweighedmorethanjared.com