MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!

MY INTRO

ALOHA AND WELCOME TO MY PERSONAL BLOG!!! I THOUGHT WHY NOT SHARE MY PERSONAL GAINS & STRUGGLES THAT LIFE PUTS OUT TO EACH AND ONE OF US. I FEEL THAT THROUGH THE GIFT OF "GIVING & SHARING", THERE IS NO WAY BETTER THAN START THIS BLOG WHICH IS ALL ABOUT ME, MY OHANA (FAMILY), HOALOHA (FRIENDS), AND EVEN ENEMIES WHICH ARE THE VERY ONES I NEED TO LOVE AND ACCEPT.


I'LL SAY THIS STRAIGHT UP, I DON'T HOLD BACK MY FEELINGS FOR ANYONE AND IT'LL COME OUT OF MY MOUTH ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT YOU AND OTHERS. I DON'T GO BEHIND ANYONE'S BACK AND START RUMOURS WITH HOPES THAT IT WILL CIRCLE AROUND AND FINALLY HIT ITS TARGET. WHY TAKE THE LONG ROUTE WHEN I CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. PERSONALLY, I THINK THAT IS THE "REAL" WAY OF LIVING LIFE, "BE REAL" AT ALL TIMES EVEN WHEN THE WORLD IS WATCHING.


ON THE OTHER NOTE, "I AM" THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE FROM THE WAY "I SEE IT". I AM NOT SPEAKING FROM OTHER PEOPLE'S FEEDBACK OR "CONCEITEDNESS". "THIS IS" WHAT I CHOOSE TO SEE MYSELF EVERYDAY WHEN I WAKE UP FROM MY BED AND THANK "AKUA" (GOD) FOR GIVING ME ONE MORE DAY TO LIVE, REGARDLESS OF REGRETS FROM THE "YESTERDAYS" TO THE FEARS OF "TOMMOROWS".


IN MY EYES, LIVING A "BEAUTIFUL LIFE" CAN ONLY BE ATTAINED BY "CHOICE" AND IT REQUIRES "INTEGRITY", "HONESTY", "UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE", "FORGIVENESS" AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, "LOVE".


AS MY BEAUTIFUL ANCESTORS HAVED ALWAYS BELIEVED:


'Ike aku, 'ike mai, kokua aku kokua mai; pela iho la ka nohana 'ohana.


WHICH MEANS, RECOGNIZE OTHERS, BE RECOGNIZED, HELP OTHERS, BE HELPED; SUCH IS A FAMILY RELATIONSHIP.


SO ONCE AGAIN, "WELCOME TO MY BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!"


AWWWRITE!!!


WAIPA



LIVE VIEWERS

TOTAL "AWWWRITE!!!" VIEWS

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

A CLOSER LOOK AT MOTHER EARTH... FROM ALASKA TO HAWAI'I NEI.

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

AFTER MY LAST POST...  I'M FREE FOR MOST OF THE DAY BEFORE I HEAD TO WORK...  IN THE MEAN TIME I DECIDED TO ENJOY THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY IN BETHEL, ALASKA!!!

I DECIDED TO WALK TO THE POST OFFICE AND THEN DOWN TO THE KUSKOKWIM RIVER BUT INSTEAD I TOOK A DETOUR TO MY FRIEND'S PLACE TO GO VISIT HIM UNANNOUNCED AND GO SEE HIS DOGS.  MY GOOD & WONDERFUL FRIEND, JOHN SIMON APPROACHED ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ABOUT WANTING TO TRAIN ME TO DOG MUSH AND EVENTUALLY RACE AN EVENT.  

MY FIRST REACTION HAD ME IN SHOCK AND SCARED...  LOL!!!  BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WAS FLATTERED TOO, BECAUSE DOG MUSHING IN ALASKA IS A HUGE PART OF THE NATIVE ESKIMO LIFESTYLE.  I WAS TELLING MYSELF, "IS HE FOR REAL???"  BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND THIS IS DEFINITELY OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND "WHY NOT???"  HECK...  I MIGHT BE THE FIRST "HAWAIIAN, CHINESE, SAMOAN, PORTUGUESE" MAN EVER TO MUSH DOGS IN RURAL ALASKA!!!  AGAIN...  "WHY NOT???"

SO TODAY I DECIDED TO GO CHECK HIS DOGS...





 

 




MY FRIEND JOHN SIMON IS A VETERAN DOG MUSHER AND HAS COMPETED IN NUMEROUS DOG RACES AND HE STILL CONTINUES TO COMPETE.  I PROMISED HIM THAT I WILL GIVE HIM MY BEST...  EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE IN ME TO WIN!!!.

AFTER MY VISIT WITH JOHN I HEADED OVER TO THE POST OFFICE AND TOOK MORE PICTURES!!!








ALTHOUGH MY WALK WAS VERY SHORT, THE BEAUTY OF THESE PICS MADE IT VERY WORTHY OF BEING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE PLUS THE BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!!


2854 MILES AWAY SOUTH OF BETHEL, ALASKA IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS WHERE MY HOME IS.  AND THE LATEST NEWS IS THE CURRENT LAVA FLOW FROM KILAUEA VOLCANO LOCATED ON THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAI'I HAS DEFINITELY MADE HEADLINES AROUND THE WORLD.

THE PEOPLE OF PUNA, HAWAI'I HAS HAD NUMEROUS MEETINGS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT WITH THIS DIFFICULT STRUGGLES...  NONETHELESS...  I ALSO SUPPORT MY PEOPLE OF HAWAI'I ON THERE BELIEFS AND THEIR TRADITIONS...  WATCH THIS VIDEO:











MY PRAYERS GOES OUT TO EVERYONE INVOLVE WITH THIS EVENT...  PELE IS PROCREATING...  SIMPLY SAID...  DON'T EVEN TRY TO ARGUE.

AWWWRITE!!!

WAIPA

HAPPY ALOHA TUESDAY EVERYONE!!!

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

TODAY IS "AEROBICS" & "STRENGTH TRAINING" DAY...  BACK TO BACK!!!

YOU GOTTA LOVE IT WHEN YOU START YOUR MORNING OFF AT 6:00AM AND BY 9:00AM...  YOU ARE DONE AND THE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY...  ITS MINE TO CONQUER!!!


GOT MY CARDIO FOR THE DAY DONE!!!

MY STATS:

AS SOON AS I GOT HOME...  I KILLED ANOTHER SESSION OF "STRENGTH TRAINING".

MY STATS:

AND THIS IS HOW I FELT AFTERWARDS...  LOL!!!



I FELT LIKE MESSING AROUND AND GOOFING OFF...  LOL!!!




SO NOW I WILL VENTURE OUT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY AND MAKE THE BEST OUT OF IT!!!

I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS...  ENJOY!!!



5 Yoga Poses To Strengthen Your Lower Back


According to leading Yoga experts around the world, there are five yoga postures that should regularly be practiced by both men and women who frequently experience weakness or aches in the lower back region. Because the back forms the support of the whole body, it is crucial to strengthen it with the help of the correct practices in order to prevent the development of harmful conditions related to joints and bones later in life.  5 of the most important yoga poses to achieve ideal strength and integrity of the lower back include:


The Chair Posture




Created especially for the lower back, this pose is frequently seen in conventional workout routines as well because it focuses on strengthening and building all lower back muscles. Gradually increasing the duration of this pose allows offers the body a new challenge every day, providing strength to the lower back progressively.



The Cow & Cat Posture



Although this particular exercise involves the practice of two yoga poses (the cat and the cow) simultaneously, is has been named one of the finest, most beneficial daily exercise postures for both men and women. Now only does this step adequately strengthen the lower back, it also stretches all muscles of the back preventing stress related pain. The pose basically involves inward and outward arching of the back periodically.



 Reclining Twist



The reclining twist offers both, strength and relaxation simultaneously and should essentially be included in all lower back yoga.


Downward Dog


This pose is ideal for maintaining great posture and also for strengthening all muscles of the back in a single exercise.


Spinal Twist


As indicated by the name, this particular posture focuses on the spinal cord and the lower back. This posture is ideal for individuals having hectic, exhausting daily schedules because it relieves tensed muscles allowing them to repair themselves.


Namaste


AND FOR THE "IN YOUR FACE...  I DON'T BUY YOUR EXCUSES" ATTITUDE...  HERE'S SOME CLEAR & DIRECT QUOTES FOR THE POWER HUNGRY PEOPLE WHO DEMANDS TO LIVE BY THE SWORD OF HONOR & COMMITMENT.

WORDS OF WISDOMS FROM MY FRIEND, TEE-BROWN:

Never underestimate the power of a kind word, an unselfish deed, or a smile, remember we are all fighting some sort of battle. Understanding this won't be easy because we live in a sick society; we still must dare to be extraordinary human beings. Hold up the light of peace, honor, forgiveness, understanding, compassion, hope, love, and respect. Be the change you want to see in the world.




When you are a person who tries to uplift people and be about something more than ignorance, violence, stupidity, and hate, people will always question your motives. Because there's so much evil in the world it's hard believe that there's still good hearted people in the world, but they still exist.

To often the good hearted people are the ones who get hurt, they're mistreated, and misunderstood for being who they are. They're the friend that pray for you: they look out for a job for you, they comfort you when you are sick, they speak highly of you in the company of others. They are the true definition of a friend.
So if you are one of the good hearted, don't stop being who you are. The world needs more people like you in it. Having a pure heart is a gift from God; so don't allow hateful people to put out your light, let it shine. 





AWWWRITE!!!

WAIPA


Monday, September 15, 2014

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL "ALOHA MONDAY"... AWWWRITE!!!

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

TODAY I WOKE UP WITH A PURPOSE!!!  I SENT MY POSITIVE ENERGY TO THE UNIVERSE AND BEGAN MY DAY...


MY "AWWWESOME" PRE-WORKOUT MEAL!!!  YEAH BABY!!!

45 MINUTES LATER...  I WENT AND KILLED MY WORKOUTS!!!

MY STATS:

"HA'AHEO"


THE LOOK OF "ACCOMPLISHED!!!" MIND THE BUSHY HAIR AND THE SCRUFFY BEARD...  LOL!!!

NEXT...


MY POST WORKOUT MEAL...  3 EGGS OMELETTE WITH FISHCAKE & GREEN ONIONS...  PLUS MY "WHEY PROTEIN & CREATINE"...  I GOTTA HAVE THEM BAD BOYS AFTER ANY HARD WORKOUTS!!!

AND MY REWARD FOR ALL OF THIS...


THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY IN BETHEL, ALASKA VIEW TAKEN RIGHT OUT OF MY WINDOW...  FALL IS APPROACHING AND THE FROST ARE HERE IN THE EARLY MORNINGS AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT...  WINTER IS HERE!!!


I SPOKE TO MY DAUGHTER KAHEALANI LAST NIGHT AND WE TALKED ABOUT HER SCHOOL AND OTHER THINGS...  SHE'S GROWN AND SPEAKS VERY MATURELY NOWADAYS AND THAT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO ACCEPT AS I MISS THOSE BABY YEARS.  I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THOSE YEARS OF GROWING.

WITH THAT BEING SAID...  I CAME ACROSS THIS WONDERFUL VIDEO...


ALTHOUGH I'VE NEVER DONE THIS WITH KAHEALANI...  I DO PLAN ON THIS WITH HER VERY SOON...  ON MY NEXT TRIP HOME!!!



NOW ONTO MY HEALTH & FITNESS NOTES...  I'VE  BEEN ASKED MY MANY FANS OF MY BLOG, "WHAT PROGRAM ARE YOU ON?" AND "DO I HAVE A PERSONAL TRAINER?"

I CAN ON AND ON  ABOUT HOW MY TRANSFORMATION BEGAN AND HOW I KEEP IMPROVING AND ACHIEVING SUCCESS.  BUT I'LL KEEP IT VERY SHORT WITH THESE 2 SHORT VIDEOS.

MY COACH IS TOM VENUTO THE FOUNDER OF "BURN THE FAT, FEED THE MUSCLES" PROGRAM.  FOR MORE INFO, CHECKOUT:

I MET TOM BACK IN 2004 IN O'AHU, HAWAI'I!!!  WE MET AT AN INTERSECTION CROSSWALK NEAR THE ALA MOANA SHOPPING CENTER WAITING ON THE LIGHTS TO ALLOW US TO CROSS.  KAHEALANI WAS A YEAR OLD AND I'M CARRY HER, WHEN A MAN CAME UP AND ASK ME FOR DIRECTIONS ON WHICH BUS TO TAKE TO GO SEE THE "USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL" AT PEARL HARBOR.  I POINTED THE DIRECTION AND GIVE HIM SEVERAL MORE ADVICE AND DETAILS AND ALSO MAKING SURE HE DOESN'T GET LOST WHEN HE RETURNS BACK TO HOTEL.  HE WAS VERY GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE FOR MY EFFORTS AND GAVE ME HIS BUSINESS CARD AND ENCOURAGED ME TO CHECK IT OUT WHEN I HAVE SOME FREE TIME AND THE REST WAS HISTORY!!!

SO BACK TO WHERE TO YOUR QUESTIONS...  THESE 2 SHORT VIDEOS IS AN INTRODUCTION TO MY COACH, TOM VENUTO!!!

ENJOY AND TAKE IT FROM THERE!!!



TOM IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT "SUCCESS" IN THE HEALTH FIELD AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HIM AS MY FRIEND TOO.


THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME AND KAHEALANI ON THE SAME DAY I MET TOM IN HAWAI'I BACK IN JUNE 2004 - 350LBS...  WOW!!!


MAN...  I GET A KICK OUT OF THIS PICTURE...  LOL!!!


MAYBE THAT'S WHY TOM GAVE ME HIS BUSINESS CARD...  HE HAD A "PURPOSE" AND SAW A "NEED" AND HE "OFFERED" HIS SERVICES BECAUSE "HE BELIEVED" IN ME... AND NOW I PAY IT FORWARD AND WILL ALWAYS DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS!!!


10 YEARS LATER...  MAY 2014 - 240LBS!!!

KEEP LIVING!!!



10 Things to Remember When You’re Feeling Stuck


01.  Feeling stuck is a FEELING, not a fact. – When we feel stuck, typically our first instinct is to look outside of ourselves for someone or something to blame.  In reality, we ought to be looking at how we’re feeling, what we’re thinking, and how we plan to respond.  Your life is your responsibility.  While you can’t always change what’s outside of you, you can certainly change your perception of it.  And the funny thing is, when you change the way you look at things, the things themselves change.

02.  Yesterday’s bad news is not worth reliving. – You can’t have a better today if you’re still thinking and worrying about yesterday.  Whatever could have been or should have been, doesn’t matter.  Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you have one foot on the brakes when you’re thinking about the past.  In order to free yourself, you must learn how to let go of whatever old news is keeping you stuck.  Release your regrets.  Discard yesterday’s frustrations.  Refuse to entertain old pain.  The energy it takes to hang onto these things is holding you back from a new beginning.  What is it you want to let go of today?  Do it!

03.  Feeling stuck is a sign that it’s time to make a change. – It could be a change of heart, a change in your perspective, or a change in your habits.  But the point in any case is that the way you are doing things is no longer working.  Imagine yourself as a river, flowing into a great ocean.  Oftentimes a river grows narrower and appears on the surface to lack movement just before it breaks through to the larger body of water.  The same thing happens to us as we prepare for a breakthrough in life.  Our flow must contract before it can expand.  And the contraction is equally important to the expansion.

04.  What you need to do won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. – If you’ve been asking the same questions for a long time, yet you’re still stuck, it’s probably not that you haven’t been given the answers, but that you don’t like the answers you were given.  Remember, it takes a great deal of courage to admit that something needs to change, and a lot more courage still, to accept the responsibility for making the change happen.  Growth and change may be painful sometimes, but nothing in life is as painful as staying stuck where you don’t belong.

05.  An excuse is standing somewhere between you and the next step you need to take. – If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way.  If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.  This may be tough to accept, but it’s the truth.  Stop making excuses for why you can’t get it done and start focusing on all the reasons why you must make it happen.  The only person who can truly hold you back is you.  So no more excuses – it’s time to change.  It’s time to choose what’s best for YOU.  Oftentimes when we feel stuck, we are waiting for something magical to happen.  We wonder when the winds will change in our favor.  We do this instead of embracing the present and admitting the change we need to make.  What is keeping you from stepping forward?  If not fear of failure, then what?  Insecurity?  Laziness?  What is your excuse?  We all have one.  And when we focus on our excuses more than our steps forward, we walk in a circle and fall into the familiar pit we call “Stuck.”

06.  Other people’s opinions can only stop you if you let them. – If you find yourself constantly trying to prove your worth to someone else, you’ve already forgotten your value.  Don’t do this to yourself.  Care too much about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.  Your freedom lies not in the physical space around you, but in your mind.  As long as you cling to other people’s definitions of your truth, your beauty, and your happiness, you will always be chained.  Thoughts that begin with, “I have to…” or “I really should…” reveal where we feel most obligated to direct our energy.  Redefine things for yourself.  Write your own definitions.  Finish your own sentences.  Find your own way.  And most importantly, listen to your intuition.  It already knows what you truly need.

07.  Authenticity is liberating. – By allowing yourself to be yourself, you allow others to be themselves around you too.  This creates an honest, liberating environment in which to live.  In a society where people love to point fingers and poke fun, you can only fight social judgment with naked honesty.  When you speak up about your challenges and open yourself up to receiving care and support, you allow others to do the same.  The truth is, we’re all in this together, undergoing the same learning process and internal struggles.  We’re all equally perfect in our imperfections.  There’s no reason to hide behind lies.

08.  Real growth happens from the inside out. – If the conditions are right, it’s easy to grow horizontally by acquiring more money, newer cars, bigger homes, etc.  Vertical growth, on the other hand, is when you stay in the same place with the same things, but grow deeper and deeper into yourself.  It’s when you can say, “Five years ago I would lose my temper in a few seconds, but now it takes all week.”  This kind of growth is more rare, but it’s the only true growth there is.  Sadly, many of us feel stuck, and we age much faster than we grow, because we focus exclusively on horizontal achievements.  We spend so much of our lives going through the external motions of what society tells us ‘maturity’ is – getting married, buying houses, working our way up the corporate ladder, etc. – that we fail to concentrate on our own inner growth and goals.  We never allocate enough time just for us.

09.  Life is a journey, not a destination. – Detach from the results of your efforts.  A lot of internal change comes about from letting go of ingrained social fears, superstitions, and doubts about what is “normal.”  By letting go of what “should” happen or what “could” happen, you free up your life to various little surprises and joys.  You may not lead the exact life you want, but you will lead a meaningful, miraculous existence, guaranteed.  Life is sometimes difficult, but it’s not a chore.  Make it an adventure.  Make it fun.  Make the choice to feel good about yourself, about your world, about your possibilities and the step you’re taking right now.

10.  You’re way stronger and a lot less stuck than you think. – Take heart, and remember that the biggest breakthroughs often come after a long period of being stuck.  Which is why feeling stuck for a while is necessary.  Embrace this.  When things seem to be at their worst is the ideal time for you to be at your best.  If you can’t take a big step forward, take a little one.  Tip-toe if you must.  Just keep reminding yourself that you are strong enough to take the next tiniest step, and that this step is the only step that matters right now.




AWWWRITE!!!

WAIPA

Sunday, September 14, 2014

HAPPY "ALOHA SUNDAY" EVERYONE!!! - "THE HARD TRUTH!!!"

ALOHA EVERYONE!!!

I'D LIKE TO ALSO ADD ONE MORE THING ABOUT YESTERDAY'S "AWWWESOME" SATURDAY!!!  AS YOU CAN SEE I LIVED IT UP TO THE FULLEST AND THAT IS MY INTENTION FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE...  LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST!!!

JUST A SHORT RECAP FROM YESTERDAY...

8:00AM - HYPERTROPHY STRENGTH TRAINING- LOWER BODY & ABS MUSCLES - 45 MINUTES.
10:00AM - JUMP ROPE CONDITIONING CLASS - 35 MINUTES.
TIRE TRAINING - 11:15AM.

WITH ALL THIS "AWWWESOME" WORKOUTS ALL IN ONE DAY...  MY ENDORPHINS WAS RUNNING SUPER HIGH AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT SMILE AND JUST GO OUT AND DO MORE!!!!  AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DID!!!

I WENT TO WORK THAT SAME DAY AND...



I JUMP ROPES AGAIN WITH MY CLIENTS AND IT VERY WELL WORTH IT!!!  IT ONLY MOTIVATED & INSPIRED ME MORE TO PUSH FORWARD!!!


I JUST COULDN'T SIT THERE AND RELAX... AND SATURDAY IS MY "CHEAT DAY!!!"

MY STEP COUNTER FOR SATURDAY SHOWED THAT I DID 14473 STEPS...  EQUIVALENT TO 8.6 MILES!!!  BURNING 2934 CALORIES!!!

AND FOR DINNER...


CHINESE COLD GINGER CHICKEN!!!



NOT EXACTLY A CHEAT MEAL, BUT IT WAS "ONOLICIOUS!!!"  MAYBE I NEED TO ADD SOME "LIQUID ALOHA" TO THIS...  LOL!!!

AND THAT IS HOW I ENDED MY SATURDAY!!!


SO TRUE!!!


AND NOW ON TO MY "ALOHA SUNDAY"...

TODAY IS MY "REST DAY"...  LITERALLY MEANS THAT I DO NOTHING AND JUST LET MY BODY REST AND RECOVER FROM MY "AWWWESOME" WEEK BEFORE AND AT THE SAME TIME PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE NEXT "AWWWESOME" WEEK AHEAD!!!

SINCE I DIDN'T REALLY REWARD MYSELF TO A A "CHEAT MEAL" THE DAY BEFORE...  I DID SOMETHING DIFFERENT TODAY...

I MADE A HIGH PROTEIN BREAKFAST...


BROILED RIBEYE AND EGGS WHITES!!!


TO BE HONEST...  IT DIDN'T TASTE ALL THAT GREAT...  I KINDA MISS MY "WHEY PROTEIN"...  LOL!!!  GUESS I'LL JUST STICK TO MY SALMONS!!!



THINGS HAS BEEN LOOKING UP FOR ME AFTER A VERY STRESSFUL AND CHALLENGING SUMMER.

DURING THE SUMMER...  2 OF MY BEST FRIENDS WERE AFFECTED BY PERSONAL EVENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED.

I LOST ONE FRIEND AND HURT ANOTHER FRIEND THAT I DEEPLY REGRET.  MY ATTITUDE AND FEELINGS WAS ALL MESSED UP.  I WAS CONFUSED, SCARED, EMBARRASSED, GUILTY, AND I COULD ON AND ON.  AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.

SEVERAL WEEKS AGO I REFOCUSED MYSELF AND WENT INTO A DEEP PROCESS OF BEING "HONEST" WITHIN MYSELF AS TO HOW I VALUE MYSELF... AND WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS VERY UNPLEASANT AND I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED.  I BLAMED THE ENVIRONMENT AND MY SURROUNDINGS FOR MY SHORTCOMINGS AND UNHAPPINESS WHEN THE TRUTH IS "I ALLOWED" ALL OF THESE NEGATIVE ENERGY INTO MY LIFE AND WHAT THAT DID WAS ALLOW MYSELF TO HIDE MY TRUE SELF AND I'VE BECAME A DESTRUCTIVE PERSON TOWARDS MYSELF AND OTHERS AROUND ME...  ESPECIALLY TOWARDS MY FAMILY AND MY DEAREST FRIENDS THAT LOVED ME VERY MUCH.

IT WAS A VERY HARSH REALITY AND I KNEW IF I DIDN'T MAKE IMMEDIATE CHANGES...  I WAS ON A PATH TO DESTRUCTION AND HARM TO EVERYONE AROUND ME.

AND NOW...  THE MOMENT "I ACCEPTED" MYSELF AND MADE THE COMMITMENT AND DESIRE TO LIVE AN HONEST AND PASSIONATE LIFESTYLE AND BE TRUTHFUL AT ALL TIMES TO MYSELF WILL REFLECT UPON OTHERS AROUND ME AND I NOW "ACCEPT CHANGE" IN MY LIFE.

ITS BEEN 3 WEEKS NOW AND AMAZING THINGS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ME.  MY HEALTH AND FITNESS, MY RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS, MY FINANCES, MY KAHEALANI, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...  MYSELF!!!

AS MOST OF YOU ALL KNOW...  KAHEALANI IS DOING VERY WELL IN HER SCHOOL, I'VE INVOLVED MYSELF WITH MORE HEALTH & FITNESS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS AEROBICS, JUMP ROPES, CROSSFIT, THE UPCOMING SPARTAN RACE, VOLUNTEERING AS A EMS FOR THE UPCOMING "IRONMAN TRIATHLON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RACE IN KONA, HAWAI'I THIS OCTOBER, AS FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS...  I MAKE EFFORTS TO EXPRESS MYSELF HONESTLY WITH NO REGRETS, AS FOR MY FINANCE...  I PAY MY TITHES TO MY CHURCH, AND MORE ME...  I START EVERYDAY WITH GRATEFULNESS AND BE OF SERVICE TO MY SURROUNDINGS.

AS THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING!!!  I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE AT PEACE WITHIN MYSELF!!!

AS I RECENTLY SAID TO SOMEONE...

"DO NOT JUDGE ME BY MY WORDS, BUT JUDGE ME BY MY ACTIONS AND MY BEHAVIORS"

TO BE CONTINUED...



AND I SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF YOU...

1. Take Responsibility for Resentments

If you haven’t told the person that you’ve been upset with them for a chronic pattern, you need to take responsibility for that — that’s on you.

Telling them about the past year of wrongs they’ve committed is not likely to go anywhere good, especially if the history of things you’re upset about involve conversations that are more than a month old.

At that point, you’re putting someone in a position of trying to remember what was said.
After more than a few weeks, be honest: No one can remember exactly who said what with 100 percent accuracy, much less the intonation of how it was said or the context in which it was said.

You’ve got to focus on one recent issue, and you’ve got to ease into talking about it, not hit them over the head with the five things they said or did wrong.


2. Take Responsibility for Your Feelings

“Just because you feel it, doesn’t mean they did it.”

This is a mantra that has made all the difference in my relationships, especially in my marriage.

You might be convinced that someone’s behavior means X, Y or Z.

You also might be taking it personally. Even if it seems that this must be impossible, this warrants deep, deep consideration, because while I can’t say this with scientific accuracy, I’m guessing that 90 percent of conflicts are about people taking things personally.
The quickly written email? The voicemail someone forgot to return? Your husband’s seeming disinterest in the magazine article you want to talk about? Your friend sending the birthday card a week late?

These are the things that people get angry about, and it’s not personal. People are busy. People forget things. People aren’t interested in the same things.

Stop making it mean something — especially something about how much they do or don’t love you. Consider how it might feel if you were on the other side of this. What compassion would you want when you do something in haste? When you forget?

If you walk into a conversation with accusations, without first taking responsibility for where you’re taking things personally, then you’re walking into the conversation with blame. That’s not a meeting of two equals who respect one another.

If you’re not respecting someone else, it’s hard to expect the same in return.



3. Use a Common Language

For years, I couldn’t understand how or why it was that I’d use all the respectful “I” 
messages in the world, and then someone would accuse me of “reading from a script” when I was talking with them about an area of conflict.

Wasn’t using “I” statements taking total ownership for my part? Wasn’t phrasing everything as a request instead of demand supposed to promote more connection?

It does, but for people who are not versed in this style of speaking, it sounds distant. Arrogant. Perhaps even a little bit manipulative. You don’t sound like your normal, everyday, conversational self. They can tell, and they wonder what’s up.

Find ways to communicate your needs and requests in such a way that it truly sounds like you. Again, you’re throwing the ball so that they can catch it, because that’s the only way that two people can truly communicate.



4. Give People Time to Respond

Many of us have grown up with parents who, when they wanted us to stop a behavior, said something like, “If you don’t stop that right now, you’re going to be put in time out!”

The consequences of our behavior were made immediately clear to us. You do X? You’re going to get Y.

It can be tempting to go to that place when sorting through a conflict, and it’s not uncommon in a society infused with self-help messages to find someone distorting those messages, getting just a tad bit high-minded.

“If she doesn’t stop doing that, then she’s being a toxic friend and thus I must not associate with her any longer!”

Problem: Bringing that energy into a conversation is not helpful.

Now, when someone’s yelling at you, doing something dangerous or has impulse control issues, then yes, you’ve got to let people know the impact of their behavior and what your boundary is.

It’s critical that you say in such cases, “I feel disrespected when you _______, and if that doesn’t stop, I’m going to get off the phone.”

But when the conflict is about everyday life and living? Be open to negotiation, a response from the other person, rather than throwing up a pre-emptive boundary.

Give people space to take your thoughts in, breathe with them and feel like the two of you are mutually working out options— not like they’re going to get a consequence if they don’t do things your way.

Good communication actually promotes connection, not one person’s agenda. Ask yourself before speaking or sending that email: If I heard someone say this to me, would I feel closer and more connected?



5. Come to Difficult Conversations with Several Solutions

Most people think mostly about how to tell someone that they are upset.

Less attention is given to how to find mutually-agreeable solutions.

Let’s say that a friend forgot your birthday. You know that a part of you is taking it personally — of course she still loves you and forgetting your birthday was totally unintentional.

At the same time, you notice that some distance has cropped up between you. You notice that when she forgot this birthday, you suddenly remembered every other time that she forgot something important to you.

It occurs to you that perhaps this is a pattern, one that you’d like to stop, because it’s causing disconnection in the relationship.

This is all great content to notice.

Now, before you have the conversation, dial down into what your desired outcomes are. You want connection, right? She probably wants that, too.

Take the emphasis away from getting an apology from her. That makes you the wronged party and her the bad guy.

Instead, put emphasis on how you can bring more connection into your relationship. Brainstorm solutions. What are some ways that all parties involved can get their connection needs met?

That might mean that one solution is acceptance. Sometimes we need to love people where they are at, rather than wanting them to show up differently.

You might need to get over it when it comes to her forgetting things. Other times, there’s an opportunity for humor. Maybe you two can strike a deal, keeping it light-hearted: “New friendship rule: She who forgets birthdays springs for a fancy restaurant!”

By all means, go into the conversation prepared to respectfully share your feelings and be honest. At the same time, when the focus of the conversation is that someone needs to apologize and change their behavior for you to be happy, most people are going to feel a sort of grudging resentment at being called to task.


At the end of the day, throwing the ball so that someone else can catch it is about showing up with love.


When the desire for connection between equals is at the forefront of the conversation, it’s likely to feel less charged, and there’s a greater likelihood that everyone involved will get their needs met.




AWWWRITE!!!

WAIPA