Perseverance and Motivation

Everyone who starts P90X should watch this YouTube.

Perseverance.

How do you climb Mt. Everst? One step at a time.
How do you succeed? You don't stop... EVER!

Another source of motivational quotes.

Cattitude.

[X]
David

This guy "catman" on the beachbody.com site I linked above has alot of good stuff. 1883 Cat Principles. If I copied one here every single day, it would still take over five years to see them all. Here is a real quick sampling.

Fueling your Body, Feeding Your Mind, and Achieving Life Balance

{edit 1/22/11: found out that catman's first name is Brad. His words about his "Cat Principles"

quote:
"Cattitude is for sharing!! The further the ripple goes out in the pond, the bigger the circle...."
--Brad (catman on beachbody.com)

} 

Cat Principle #1

quote: The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become.
--Jim Rohn

Cat Principle #3 - Move TOWARDS GOOD

I have found for myself that if I concentrate on GOING TO the good foods,
I don't have concentrate on STAYING AWAY FROM the bad foods.
Works the same with good people vs. bad people.
You get your fill of the good and have no time/energy for the bad. And with activities.... Reading, TV, etc.

"TOWARDS" is a DEFINITE DIRECTION, it has a DESTINATION, an AIM.
"AWAY FROM" has no definite aim, it has an infinite number of (unfocused, indefinite, obscure) destinations.

MOVE TOWARDS GOOD!!!

quote: “I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.”
-- Nadia Comaneci

“You will always move toward anyone who increases you and away from anyone who makes you less.”
-- Mike Murdock

Cat Principle #6 Most valuable things take some time to achieve.

Some call this The Law of the Farm. A farmer cannot put off his planting, and then expect to "cram" and do his whole crop in one "all nighter." Similarly, you can't expect to get fit overnight, nor would you want to. If we could, everyone would be working out 24/7 in the days before the swimming pool opens, the days before that big social event, or the days after the doctor (or their significant other) told them they have to lose some weight. You think repetitive strain injuries are a problem now??

Just beware any quick fixes.
Incidentally, long term change also develops positive habits, discipline and confidence. Positive habits, discipline and confidence are tools that can be applied in other areas....

Remember, from an earlier lesson, it's not what you get, it's what you become that matters....

quote: “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
--Beverly Sills

“Champions know there are no shortcuts to the top. They climb the mountain one step at a time. They have no use for helicopters!”
--Judi Adler
 

Cat Principle 11: LIFE REWARDS ACTION

You can do all the thinking about and talking about something that you want, but it is the DOING that gets it done.

When you see a result you want, remember LIFE REWARDS ACTION. Get in gear!!

quote:
Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“In the arena of human life the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action”
Aristotle

“Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.”
Ralph Waldo

Cat Principle #27 PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH PREACH WHAT YOU PRACTICE

The best way to hold yourself accountable is to tell someone what you are doing. That is preaching what you practice. THEN you will have to practice what you preach....

Find someone who is genuinely interested in seeing you reach your goals, someone who is supportive of your trek, someone who will encourage you...

quote:
“An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”
Mahatma Gandhi

“He does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches.”
Confucius

Cat Principle #28 Don't curse the darkness--light a candle."

Remember, there are things you can change. You can make a difference.

quote:
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
Buddha

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
Edith Wharton

Cat Principle #29 REMEMBER YOUR FRIEND "MO"

Remember Mo? Mr. Mentum??

Momentum can be your best friend in life. Keeping up just a little momentum, and remembering what things keep up your momentum, can take you FAR.

Remember MO!!!!!

quote:
“The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.”
Frances E. Willard

“If your position is everywhere, your momentum is zero.”
William N. Lipscomb

“One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.”
Michael Korda

Cat Principle #31 BE AN INVESTOR, NOT A GAMBLER

Are you throwing the dice in your life, hoping for quick fixes, big gains without any investment in proven ways?
OR, are you doing what you know will pay off.

Remember, you have to GIVE, UP FRONT, and you can be ASSURED of receiving results.

quote:
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
Colin Powell

“If you want to be truly successful invest in yourself to get the knowledge you need to find your unique factor. When you find it and focus on it and persevere your success will blossom.”
Sidney Madwed

Cat Principle #33 DON'T LOOK WHERE YOU FELL (LOOK WHERE YOU SLIPPED)

We often look at the site of the crash--whether it be a missed workout, eating binge, or whatever. But, it didn't just happen. It likely was a slip much earlier, one that may have been avoided. Avoided by things like food preparation, having healthy fuel on hand, or having your workout clothes ready.
FACILITATE your path to your goals!

quote:
“Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.”
Chinese Proverb

“God, help me up; I can fall down by myself”
Unknown 

{I posted these elsewhere in the groups, Thought I'd copy them here so they don't get lost. [X] David}

Cat Principle #10: Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Life is not "all or nothing."
There are various degrees of progress.
Cleaner eating is better than poor eating, even if it isn't perfect eating.
Being half-"buffed" is better than giving up because you can't be buffed.

You can always make incremental changes, and they all work together....

quote: “Improvement begins with I.”
--Arnold H. Glasgow

“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
--Benjamin Franklin

Cat Principle #20 FUEL THE RIGHT FIRES

If you were riding on a steam engine (that burns coal) and there was a fire on board, would you add coal to that fire?
Or would you fuel the fire that runs the engine?
Find what works, and fuel that fire! If it's accountability, ensure accountability. If it's setting goals and tracking that, ensure goals and tracking. If it's rewards for milestones, do that. FUEL THE RIGHT FIRES!!!

quote:
“I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”
--Charles R. Swindoll

“I am building a fire, and everyday I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match.”
--Mia Hamm

Cat Principle #35: THIS IS YOUR LIFE

Changes in lifestyle CHANGE YOUR LIFE. Think about this--the effects of just one workout and one healthy meal can carry through your whole life!!!
Not saying that one workout is good enough nor that one good meal is enough, but think of this--you are what you eat, and healthy building blocks carry on much longer than the time they are laid down.

A healthy meal and a healthy workout can also change the attitude you have towards yourself. And they can help you gain momentum, by making you feel better, which sets up a great POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP.
Feel better<>take care of yourself<>feel better...

quote:
“The name of the game is taking care of yourself, because you're going to live long enough to wish you had.”
Grace Mirabella

“Effective health care depends on self-care; this fact is currently heralded as if it were a discovery . . .”
Ivan Illich

Cat Principle #36 WHAT'S GOING RIGHT??

There's a method of positive change called Appreciative Inquiry. Basically, it looks at "what's going right" and what is in place when a person or an organization or a system is working well and showing the most life and growth. Then, it focuses on MAKING MORE OF THE GOOD STUFF. By default, avoiding the bad stuff takes care of itself.

So, today, what went right?
How can I continue that?
What took me towards my goal?
How can I improve that or bring more of that?

quote:
“Persons are judged to be great because of the positive qualities they possess, not because of the absence of faults”
Unknown

“Delete the negative;Accentuate the positive!”
Donna Karan

Cat Principle #38 BETTER TO WEAR OUT THAN TO RUST OUT!

What's better, weighing your ideal weight and not being fit, or weighing your ideal weight and working out? There are so many more benefits to exercise than losing weight--feelings of well-being, feelings of confidence, strength, flexibility, performance...too many to mention in a short post.

Get moving, keep moving, remember your friend Mo....

quote:
“Exercise: you don't have time not to”
Unknown

“Exercise is the chief source of improvement in our faculties”
Hugh Blair

“Once I was a forty pound weakling. Now I am two separate gorillas.”
Vivian Stanshall

Cat Principle #39 CREATE YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

Our thoughts create our circumstances, and we are respsonsible for our thoughts, so....
WE CREATE OUR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Take charge of what is within your grasp. Create your life as you go.
Don't worry if you can't see ahead far enough. As you get a little further, you will see a little further....

quote:
“Instead of saying that man is the creature of circumstance, it would be nearer the mark to say that man is the architect of circumstance. It is character which builds an existence out of circumstance.”
Thomas Carlyle

“Man is not the creature of circumstances, circumstances are the creatures of men. We are free agents, and man is more powerful than matter.”
Benjamin Disraeli

Cat Principle #40 I CAN CREATE

If I can create a bad mood, I can create a GOOD MOOD. Plant good thoughts (seeds), reap good results (harvest.)
Don't underestmimate your own ability to create your own life!!

quote:
“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
George Bernard Shaw

“Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact”
William James

Cat Principle #41 SHINE!!! GROW!!!

Identify the parts of you that shine, and polish them, and make them even brighter. They will help focus you in a positive direction and working on "what's right."
"What's wrong" just might not get the attention it requires to survive.

quote:
“All work is a seed sown; it grows and spreads and sows itself anew”
Unknown

“Do not only harvest the fruit, but also the seeds for next year”
Proverb

Cat Principle #42 TIP THE SCALES IN YOUR FAVOR

How great is the impact of an increase in lean muscle tissue on our numbers? Recent studies show that one pound of lean muscle tissue can burn between 35-50 calories per day. A pound of fat only burns 2 or 3 calories per day.

Look at the significant number of calories expended by building lean muscle tissue through strength and resistance training:
Add one pound of lean muscle tissue through strength training, you will burn an additional 50 calories a day.
50 calories per day for 365 days=18,250 calories per year.
18,250 calories, divided by 3,500 calories (one pound of body fat)= 5.2 pound of weight loss a year.

Or consider the impact of five additional pounds of lean muscle tissue:
Add five pounds of lean muscle tissue through strength training, you will burn an addition 250 calories a day.
250 calories a day for 365 days = 91,250 calories a year.
91,250 calories, divided by 3,500 calories (one pound of body fat) = 26.07 pounds of weight loss a year.

So, when you are not losing "weight", you can still be losing fat and gaining muscle. Notice the shape changes and when people tell you they see you are losing weight even though the scale isn't noticing, YOU ARE TIPPING THE SCALES IN YOUR FAVOR.

quote:
"Use your thoughts, use your words, and use the actions you take each day to put yourself squarely on your own side. And you'll be well on the way toward whatever you choose to achieve."
-- Ralph Marston

“I got kicked out of ballet class because I pulled a groin muscle. It wasn't mine.”
Rita Rudner

Cat Principle #43 FUEL YOUR HABITS AND MAKE YOUR FUELING A HABIT

When you pull up to the pumps at the filling station, do you say, "Hmmmm, should I have regular, premium, DIESEL????" No, the choice is clear....it's a habit!
Similarly, we can make our fueling of ourselves A HABIT. What does your body run smoothly on?
Lean protein? Fruits and vegetables? Plenty of healthy fluids??

Notice how that fuel makes you feel, and how it adds ZIP to your workouts. That will help fuel the habit....

quote:
“We must make automatic and habitual, as early as possible, as many useful actions as we can...in the acquisition of a new habit, we must take care to launch ourselves with as strong and decided initiative as possible. Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life.”
William James (American Philosopher and Psychologist

“Never suffer an exception to occur till the new habit is securely rooted in your life. Each lapse is like the letting fall of a ball of string which one is carefully winding up; a single slip undoes more than a great many turns will wind again.”
William James

Cat Principle #44 FEED YOUR FRIEND MO

What does it take to keep Mo (Mo Mentum) going?
Just observe what gets Mo going, and what gives him a boost, and feed Mo with that.
Reward yourself with some super snazzy workout clothes, even if you work out in your home. Feel GOOD about working out. Build great feelings around your workout.
Write down pleasant compliments that people give you so you can review them.
(My personal favorite is one of the following:
-How much weight DID you lose?
-How much weight did you LOSE?)
Find the people that are truly happy for your progress. Find people whose "boats float in similar waters" and build momentum with them.
I have buddies who phone a whole group for tennis, buddies who email a whole group for racquetball. A big packet of MOMENTUM.
FEED MO!!!!

quote:
“I must put myself in a train of doing... and thereby keep the machine in motion.”
John James Audubon

“Growth, in some curious way, I suspect, depends on being always in motion just a little bit, one way or another.”
Norman Mailer

“Once in motion, a pattern tends to stay in motion.”
J. G. Gallimore

Cat Principle #45 SEEK CHALLENGE

Following the path of least resistance gives very little results. Rivers naturally follow these paths, and they meander a long way before meeting their (unchosen) destination.
Going with the flow all the time takes you to where the masses are, to the Land of Mediocre.
SEEK CHALLENGE--it will BUILD YOU UP!!

quote:
"When you seek challenge what you get is achievement. By welcoming each
challenge you're expressing and expanding your own confidence in a way that is truly genuine and enduring."
-- Ralph Marston

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”
Bernice Johnson Reagon

Cat Principle #46 LOOK BACK, BUT DON'T STARE

It's okay, in fact, it's good, to look back, and learn from the past. But remember, your progress starts where you ARE, not where you WERE. And the direction you want to move is FORWARD. TOWARDS YOUR GOALS!!!

quote:
“May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, The foresight to know where you are going, And the insight to know when you have gone too far”
Irish Blessing

“It doesn't matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.”
Brian Tracy

“Someday we'll look back on this moment and plow into a parked car.”
Evan Davis

Cat Principle #47 MAKE PRIOR DECISIONS

Wayne Gretzky decided very early in his life that he wanted to be a great hockey player. He made decisions to make that possible. One was that he would get up at 5 in the morning to practice hockey. He didn't make that decision every day--he made it once and stuck to it.
Prior decisions have a lot of power. They become the choices that become YOU!!!

quote:
“It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped”
Anthony Robbins

“Man shapes himself through decisions that shape his environment.”
Rene Dubois

Cat Principle #48: ONCE YOU HAVE DEFINED YOURSELF, BE YOURSELF.

Earlier, I alluded to defining yourself.
"I exercise." "I fuel clean." Those are a couple of my definitions of myself.

Once you define yourself, go about BEING YOURSELF! Reinforce it!!!

quote:
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
Dolly Parton

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cat Principle #49 HOLDING YOUR GROUND HAS VALUE

There will be times when progress is not apparent. Through these times, "FORGING ON" will forge your determination.
Often, we fail to see the invisible progress. Anyone measuring their blood pressure and blood lipids every day? Not quite as easy as hopping on the scale....
Anyone measure their body composition regularly?
Anyone know the effects they are having on others as a healthy example??

quote:
"Being defeated is often only a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
--Marilyn vos Savant

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
George Bernard Shaw

Cat Principle #50 TEACH THAT WHICH YOU WISH TO MASTER

If others ask you what you are doing to get your results, take the opportunity to share with them what you are doing.
It can help your accountability. Accountability is good for you!!
It can be good to strive to live your life as an example, if you are aimed at right results for the right reasons.
I won't speak for you, but I don't want to be the person referred to in one of my friend's favorite quotes:

quote:
"It may be that your sole purpose of your life is simply to serve as a warning to others."

It HAS to get better than that....

quote:
“Example isn't another way to teach, it is the only way to teach”
Albert Einstein

Cat Principle #51 CHANNEL YOUR ENERGY

The energy from a bad mood--grumpiness, anger, frustration--can be channeled through your workout. The neat thing is that the bad energy is often TRANSFORMED by the workout.  Often, not only will you feel better--sometimes your incredible mind can even come up with solutions while you are working out!!

quote:
“My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: "Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed.

"If you run your race, you'll win... channel your energy. Focus.”
Carl Lewis

“When mental energy is allowed to follow the line of least resistance and to fall into easy channels, it is called weakness”
James Allen

“Goals help you channel your energy into action.”
Les Brown (American Songwriter, 1912-2001)

Cat Principle #52 THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF CONDITONING

The positive changes we see in our bodies are due to positive changes in our minds. You'll see it when you believe it!!

quote:
"You cannot attain and maintain physical condition unless you are morally and mentally conditioned. And it is impossible to be in moral condition unless you are spiritually conditioned. I always told my players that our team condition depended on two factors / how hard they worked on the floor during practice and how well they behaved between practices."
John Wooden (US , b.1910)

“More than anything else, I believe it's our decisions, not the conditions of our lives, that determine our destiny.”
Anthony Robbins

Cat Principle #53 I EAT WHAT I WANT!!!

Yes, I realized that I do eat what I want.
But, I have done considerable work on REFINING MY WANTS.
I want:

•Clean fuel

•Plenty of Fiber

•Nutrient Dense Fuel

•Less Refined Foods -- NATURAL FOODS

Fits in with the earlier bit on PRIOR DECISIONS!!
I WANT HEALTH AND WELLNESS and that is WHY I want clean fuel!!!

quote:
“Thoughts lead on to purpose, purpose leads on to actions, actions form habits, habits decide character, and character fixes our destiny”
Tryon Edwards

“Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.”
Bob Marley (Jamaican Singer, Composer and Guitarist. 1945-1981)

Cat Principle #54 I WORK WITH WHAT I HAVE

The two main things I have to work with are:

•Right HERE

•Right NOW

Use those two ingredients to their max!!!

quote:
"We get old too soon, and smart too late." --my adopted Granny, 96 years old, still lives in her own home." 

Cat Principle #55 Routine WORKS!!!

Find a routine that works. Routine has gotten a bad rap, but it's part of consistency and persistence!!! Routine can include variety, too. Find the CORE of what makes a routine work, and stick to that core.

By sticking to a routine, you can make some very tough stuff LOOK routine. Boosts in athletic performance and coordination go far to help everyday performance.

quote:
“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
Anthony Robbins (American advisor to leaders)

“Chance can allow you to accomplish a goal every once in a while, but consistent achievement happens only if you love what you are doing.” Bart Conner

“For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and consistent.”
Anthony Robbins

Cat Principle #56 PLAN AHEAD!!

Easy ways to plan ahead:

•Chisel out a time in your schedule well into the next week. Make that COME FIRST

•Set out your workout clothes ahead of time, where you are bound to see them

•Make a grocery list

•Buy healthy snacks so you are not caught with poor fuel

•Prepare food ahead of time in quantity and freeze some

A little planning goes a LONG WAY!!

quote:
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”
Stephen A. Brennan

“An intelligent plan is the first step to success. The man who plans knows where he is going, knows what progress he is making and has a pretty good idea when he will arrive.”
Basil S. Walsh

“Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.”
Tennessee Williams

Cat Principle #57 WORK ON YOUR CORE!

There is great value in core musculature--your abs, your back muscles, the muscles that make a great base for all of your performance.

There is another important core, less tangible, but more important. There is the CORE OF YOUR LIFE. Your core values--the things most important to you, the things that MAKE YOU TICK. They lead your thoughts and attitudes, and guide your decisions.

Decisions shape your life.

DEFINE YOUR CORE, and when you meet the challenges meet them head on and FLEX THE CORE!

quote:
“People can't live with change if there's not a changeless core inside them. The key to the ability to change is a changeless sense of who you are, what you are about and what you value.”
Stephen R. Covey

“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt.”
Max Lerner (American Politician and Columnist, 1902-1992)

Cat Principle #58: INVEST!

It has been said that many people spend the early part of their lives making money and sacrificing their health, then their later life trying to buy back their health.

INVEST in your wellness! It's simple.  3 good ingredients--Exercise, healthy fuel, and a healthy attitude!!

If you PAY UP FRONT rather than borrowing from your health, you make an investment in your health. Investments pay off, over and over.
I believe that YESTERDAY'S workout still affects me today, and actually will affect my whole life, if I keep building on it.

The biggest rolling snowball has a snowflake for a core.

quote:

“Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret.

Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is.”
Mary Anne Radmacher

“Take time to gather up the past so that you will be able to draw from your experience and invest them in the future.”
Jim Rohn (American Speaker and Author)

Cat Principle #59: EAT TO LIVE!

Many of us want to live to eat, but how about EATING TO LIVE.
Maybe live to work out!
The more you see food as FUEL, the more it can be easier to eat in proper amounts and to CHOOSE FINE FUEL.

quote:
“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.”
Socrates (Ancient Greek Philosopher, 470 BC-399 BC)

“I eat to live, to serve, and also, if it so happens, to enjoy, but I do not eat for the sake of enjoyment.”
Mahatma Gandhi (Indian Philosopher, internationally esteemed for his doctrine of nonviolent protest, 1869-1948)

Cat Principle #60: CELEBRATE VICTORIES

Celebrating victories reinforces your resolve in the direction you want to go. It acknowledges progress, and it invites more effort towards the larger goals!

quote:
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Oprah Winfrey

“Celebrate your success and stand strong when adversity hits, for when the storm clouds come in, the eagles soar while the small birds take cover” --Unknown

“Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, "Here is an opportunity for you to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary.”
Anthony Robbins

“Celebrate the happiness that friends are always giving, make every day a holiday and celebrate just living!”
Amanda Bradley

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.”
Thomas J. Peters (American Author and Consultant, b.1942)

Cat Principle #61: WEEDS HAVE SEEDS

What are the weeds in your life? Anything that takes away from your life, and sucks that life out of you, without giving much back, is a weed.
And WEEDS HAVE SEEDS, so it is important to pick the weeds!!!  This will plant the seed of self-discipline!!!

quote:
“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”
Lao Tzu

“Even the richest soil, if left uncultivated will produce the rankest weeds.”
Leonardo da Vinci

Cat Principle #62 DON'T BE NEED MINDED, BE SEED MINDED

Don't always look for what you can get. Look for what you can plant, that will keep on giving. Make an investment!!!

quote:
“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.”
Napoleon Hill (American author, 1883-1970)

“If you're still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a new dream to grow today”
Joyce Chapman

“The first principle of success is desire - knowing what you want. Desire is the planting of your seed.”
Robert Collier (American motivational author, 1885-1950)

Cat Principle #63 GO WHERE THE REWARDS ARE

Find what areas of your life are paying off, and figure out how to make them pay even more. It's all a learning process, but work at it.
Exercise and clean fueling have MANY rewards.

quote:
“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
Napoleon Hill (American author, 1883-1970)

“It takes time to succeed because success is merely the natural reward of taking time to do anything well.”
Joseph Ross

Cat Principle #64 DECIDE!

The quality of your life will reflect the quality of your decisions.
And they are in YOUR power. No one can make them for you, and no one can reap the learning and benefits of them like YOU can.
Even deciding not to make a decision is a decision itself.

quote:
“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson quote (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)

“As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around.”
Oprah Winfrey

Cat Principle #65 PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELF

Your body and your mind give you great feedback. They can tell you when you want more, and they can tell you when you are overdoing it.
You know what's good for you!
You know what you have to do!
All you have to do is do it!!!

quote:
“Do not consider painful what is good for you.”
Euripides (Greek playwright, c. 480-406 BC)

“Learn to let your intuition—gut instinct—tell you when the food, the relationship, the job isn’t good for you (and conversely, when what you’re doing is just right).”
Oprah Winfrey

Cat Principle #66 DECIDE

The root of the word DECIDE means to CUT OFF.
So, you choose what you choose, and you cut off what you cut off. Makes what you have that much better, because it isn't clouded by what you decided you don't want.
Decisions have power, and THEY SHAPE YOUR LIFE!!
Make your choices and reap the benefits!!!

quote:
“You are your choices.”
Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)

“Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”
Alfred A. Montapert (American motivational Author)

“Your life is the sum result of all the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously. If you can control the process of choosing, you can take control of all aspects of your life. You can find the freedom that comes from being in charge of yourself.”
Robert F. Bennett

Cat Principle #67 USE FREEDOM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

Being free doesn't mean that you are free to do whatever you want. You can go ahead and do that, and you can reap the results of that. Being able to do whatever you WANT to do, and just doing what you FEEL LIKE is being a slave to your feelings.
We are given FREE WILL, which is the ability to choose above our feelings!!

quote:
“The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage.”
Thucydides (Ancient Greek historians and author, 460-404bc)

“Freedom is the will to be responsible to ourselves”
Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)

“Whoever will be free must make himself free. Freedom is no fairy gift to fall into a man's lap. What is freedom? To have the will to be responsible for one's self.”
Max Stirner

Cat Principle #68 KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

Keep faith through trials and disappointments and be assured that you are where you are supposed to be on the way to where you need to be.

quote:
“Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience and we soon shall see them in their proper figures.” Joseph Addison

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

Cat Principle #69 USE ADVERSITY!

Our muscles grow with opposition. So we grow in response to challenges. If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger (but that doesn't mean to go looking for trouble--you don't even have to meet trouble halfway--it is perfectly capable of making the entire trip!)

Challenge can show us what we are made of, and can help us grow. If your challenges are huge, don't be too proud--get some help. There are professionals who can help with all kinds of problems--eating disorders, stress, you name it!

quote:
"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant."
--Horace (65-8 BC) Roman Poet

“The man who looks for security, even in the mind, is like a man who would chop off his limbs in order to have artificial ones which will give him no pain or trouble.”
Henry Miller (American Author and Writer, 1891-1980)

“Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”
Bernice Johnson Reagon (merican Historian and Musician. b.1942)

“When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Viktor Frankl Austrian psychiatrist and psychotherapist. 1905-1997)

Cat Principle #70 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE QUESTION IS

Exercise is the answer!!
To the blues! To boredom! To ill health! To many things!!
How great when it can be not only be medicine for your ills, but also protection from potential ills.
For stress, for anger, exercise is the answer, and the question doesn't matter!!!

quote:
“In general, any form of exercise, if pursued continuously, will help train us in perseverance. Long-distance running is particularly good training in perseverance.”
Mao Tse-Tung (Chinese stateman, the key figure in China in the 20th century, 1893-1976)

“People who believe they have the power to exercise some measure of control over their lives are healthier, more effective and more successful than those who lack faith in their ability to effect changes in their lives.”
Albert Bandura

“Those who think they have no time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness”
Edward Stanley

Cat Principle #71: MOVE FROM YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Expand yourself! Get out of your comfort zone, and you will increase the zone where you can be effective and powerful in. Try something new, believe in yourself!!
Had you never gone out of your comfort zone when you were a baby, you would have never risked walking!!!

quote:
"You have to learn how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable."
Lou Piniella

“To the degree we're not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.”
Peter McWilliams

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”
Brian Tracy

“Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.”
Peter McWilliams

Cat Principle #72 TRUST YOURSELF

Part of knowing you are worthy and being your own best friend is trusting yourself to take care of yourself!!!

quote:
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”
Ernest Hemingway (American novelist and short-story writer, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954, 1899-1961)

“The name of the game is taking care of yourself, because you're going to live long enough to wish you had.”
Grace Mirabella

“Take care of yourself, be healthy, and always believe you can be successful in anything you truly want.”
Alessandra Ambrosio

Cat Principle #73 KEEP MOVING

One of the worst enemies can be paralysis--whether by boredom, fear, or indecision.
One of my enemies that slows me is overthinking, "paralysis by analysis."
Don't worry about making the right move--make a move and make that move right!! After one move, you can see further, and make another. Once you trust yourself, and see results, you can adjust accordingly and move more.

quote:
"To me, if life boils down to one thing, it's movement. To live is to keep moving." Jerry Seinfeld

“If you are going through hell, keep going.”
Winston Churchill

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.”
--Unknown

Cat Principle #74 TRAIN YOUR MIND

Your mind is the most YOU that you have. Your mind runs the show. But, you run your mind, so, might as well latch onto the controls of your mind. If you don't, somebody else will. Seek your destiny, or someone else will seek it for you!

quote:
"Ninety percent of the game is half mental.
Yogi Berra

"You have to train your mind like you train your body."
Bruce Jenner

Cat Principle #75 HAVE FAITH

Have faith. We already have a lot of faith. If we didn't have any faith, we wouldn't even put our feet on the floor in the morning. WE HAVE FAITH, it's just a matter of WHERE WE PUT IT!!!

quote:
“Your persistence is your measure of faith in yourself.”
--Unknown

“There are no miracles for those that have no faith in them.”
--French Proverb

“The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible.”
--David Viscott

Cat Principle #76 DEFINE YOURSELF FROM YOUR STRENGTH

Healthy strong people sometimes struggle and stumble, but they are not stopped by such experiences. They do not let such experiences define them. They do not identify themselves with their doubts or their pain, just as, if they got sick, they would not identify themselves with their sickness. They do not see suffering as the essence of life.
"I am strong. I am helathy! I CAN!!!"

quote:
“If I have to, I can do anything. I am strong, I am invincible, I am Woman.”
--Helen Reddy

“May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.”
--Unknown

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.”
--Peter Marshall

“Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.”
--Francesca Reigler

“The two important things I did learn were that you are as powerful and strong as you allow yourself to be, and that the most difficult part of any endeavour is taking the first step, making the first decision.”
--Robyn Davidson

Cat Principle #77 DESERVE IT

Live like someone who has it and deserves it and you can have it!

You want a 6 pack? How would someone with a 6 pack act? You want a healthy weight? Flat tummy? How would someone who has that act?
WORK TOWARDS THAT!!

Too often we want what others have without wanting to do what they did to get it. It comes down to self-discipline!

quote:
“Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.”
--Napoleon Hill (American author, 1883-1970)

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
--Jim Rohn

“There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.”
--Buddha

“We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.”
--Jesse Owens (American Athlete, 4 time Gold Medalist in Track and Field at the 1936 Olympic Games, 1913-1980)

Cat Principle # 78 EXPECT

Expect mediocrity, and get mediocrity. Expect great things from yourself, and you will attain them. Expectancy breeds achievement!!

quote:
“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
--Buddha

“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that”
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

Cat Principle #79 BREAK FREE

Don't be ruled by yesterday's choices. Each day is a day for new choices!  Each new day is a gift, given to us only once, to do as we please. You are responsible for how you use that day. You are responsible for your life. Once you realize that and apply it, you are going to have some REAL growth!

quote:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
--Charles R. Swindoll (American Writer and Clergyman, b.1934)

“Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.”
--Unknown

“As long as we are persistence in our pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time.”
--Denis Waitley (American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help books. b.1933)

Cat Principle #80 PICK WORTHY CONQUESTS

There IS one conquest, one thing that you could conquer, that would make you able to do a lot more!!! Think about it....

quote:
"The only conquests that are permanent and leave no regrets are our conquests over ourselves."
--- Napoleon

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
Buddha

“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.”
Buddha

“Victory is always possible for the person who refuses to stop fighting.”
Napoleon Hill

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. "
Edmund Hillary, New Zealand Mountaineer and Explorer (known for the first successful climb of Mount Everest)

Cat Principle #81 REMEMBER THE EASY RULE!

The Easy Rule:
Always do what is easy and life becomes difficult.
Do what is difficult, and life becomes easy.

quote:
“There is no failure except in no longer trying.”
Elbert Hubbard (American editor, publisher and writer, 1856-1915)

The easiest thing to be in the world is you. The most difficult thing to be is what other people want you to be. Don't let them put you in that position.”
Leo F. Buscaglia (American guru, tireless advocate of the power of love, 1924-1998)

“There is only one success -to be able to spend your life in your own way.”
Christopher Morley (American writer and editor 1890-1957)

“Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

Cat Principle #82 CLIMB THE LADDER

Every ladder that leads to improvement has many rungs in it. In fact, you can CHOOSE where to put the rungs and can take LASTING baby steps towards your goal.
Most things are not just black and white-there are many shades of grey: Not just exercise or not exercise; not just eat healthy or not eat healthy--everything is on a CONTINUUM.
And remember, slow and steady, changes made over time are more lasting. A pendulum that swings hard one way swings BACK hard, too.

quote:
“For changes to be of any true value, they've got to be lasting and consistent.”
Anthony Robbins

“All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Albert Einstein (German born American Physicist who developed the special and general theories of relativity. Nobel Prize for Physics in 1921. 1879-1955)

Cat Principle #84 WHAT'S INSIDE COUNTS!!

Pay attention to what's going on inside you. Build a force that the outside events cannot shake! You are more than your situation!

quote:
"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."
--Albert Camus (1913-1960) French Writer

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own.
And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go.”
--- Dr. Seuss (American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children's books. 1904-1991

Cat Principle #85 KEEP THE DREAM ALIVE

Stick to your goals, even when it seems dim.
Just keeping them in mind, holding your ground and then being able to press forward at another time is an accomplishment!!

quote:
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”
Gail Devers

“Determination today leads to success tomorrow."
Unknown

“The difference between the possible and the impossible lies in a person's determination.”
Tommy Lasorda

Cat Principle #86 VICTIM OR VICTOR?

Are you victim of your circumstance, of your past, of your environment?? Or are you VICTOR, choosing to win over these things???

It's your choice, and it can also be your choice to get help in that victory!!!

Take hold of your circumstance, own it, AUTHOR IT. Become the VICTOR!!!

quote:
“No victor believes in chance”
Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)

“History is written by the victors.”
Winston Churchill (British Orator, Author and Prime Minister during World War II. 1874-1965)

“Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but it is to the one who endures that the final victory comes.”
Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

Cat Principle #87 ESTEEM YOURSELF

Believe yourself, trust yourself, challenge and reward yourself. If you make yourself realistic promises, and follow through on them, you can increase your trust in yourself. YOU are the only person that you have with you 24/7, and having someone reliable with you ALL THE TIME is valuable. Be a good friend to yourself, build yourself up. Get to know yourself. Get to like yourself. Be your own best buddy!!!

quote:
“To establish true self-esteem we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.”
Denis Waitley (American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help books. b.1933)

“Self-esteem isn't everything; it's just that there's nothing without it”
Gloria Steinem

“Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”
Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian and Essayist, leading figure in the Victorian era. 1795-1881)

Cat Principle #88 BUILD PATIENCE

Things that come about quickly are not as reliable and valuable as those that occur over time, with sustained effort.
Consider the making of a diamond. If it were an "overnight sensation," how valuable would it be??
And, some things just require timing....

quote:
“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success”
Napoleon Hill (American author, 1883-1970)

“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It's all about timing.”
Stacey Charter

Cat Priniciple #89 RESPONSIBILITY INVITES POWER

Taking responsibility for your life gives you incredible power in that life. When you take Life by the horns you get power!!!
Every battle we walk away from has power over us. Every one we go THROUGH, we CONQUER!!

Facing things rather than running from them takes their RULE over us AWAY from them.

The phrase “With Great Power comes Great Responsibility” is almost cliche, but WITH GREAT RESPONSIBILITY COMES GREAT POWER!!

quote:
“Whenever we seek to avoid the responsibility for our own behavior, we do so by attempting to give that responsibility to some other individual or organization or entity. But this means we then give away our power to that entity.”
M. Scott Peck

“Responsibility walks hand in hand with capacity and power.”
Josiah Gilbert

Cat Principle #90 YOU HAVE THE POWER

You are in the best position of anyone to have power over your life.
An example....Who has the power over the direction of a vehicle?? Backseat driver? No. Passenger? Nope. Traffic signs?? Not even. The person behind the wheel is in the best position to determine the path of the vehicle, with his judgement and actions.

Who is behind the wheel in your life?

quote:
“People who believe they have the power to exercise some measure of control over their lives are healthier, more effective and more successful than those who lack faith in their ability to effect changes in their lives.”
Albert Bandura (Canadian psychologist, b.1925)

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
Susan Polis Schutz

“I've continued to recognize the power individuals have to change virtually anything and everything in their lives in an instant. I've learned that the resources we need to turn our dreams into reality are within us, merely waiting for the day when we decide to wake up and claim our birthright.”
Anthony Robbins

Cat Principle #91 BE A LEADER

Set your targets out IN FRONT of you, and LEAD your life THE WAY YOU CHOOSE.
FORWARD!!! (Remember from earlier principle, look back to learn, but don't stare. GO FORWARD!!!!)

Who is the best to lead you?? YOU!!!
DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE!!!

quote:
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
Dr. Seuss quotes (American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children's books. 1904-1991)

“Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us.”
John N. Mitchell

“Sooner or later comes a crisis in our affairs, and how we meet it determines our future happiness and success. Since the beginning of time, every form of life has been called upon to meet such crisis.”
Robert Collier quotes (American motivational author, 1885-1950)

“The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives”
Anthony Robbins (American advisor to leaders)

Cat Principle #92 REFLECT

Reflect! Reflect on your accomplishments! Reflect on your progress, on what's working and what's not. Reflect the light and kindness that is shone your way. Your relationships are also mirrors for you too, so they are another thing to reflect on. Remember, what you see isn't final--you are A WORK IN PROGRESS!! Reflect positively! Look out, look up, look forward!!!
There's a new day every day, waiting to shine light on you. Sieze it!!!

quote:
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”
Edith Wharton (American Novelist and short-story writer, 1862-1937)

“Friends are the mirror reflecting the truth of who we are”
Unknown

“The outer conditions of a person's life will always be found to reflect their inner beliefs”
James Allen (New Zealander Statesman. Minister of defense (1912-20), 1855-1942)

“Life is a mirror and will reflect back to the thinker what he thinks into it.”
Ernest Holmes

“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”
Unknown

Cat Principle #93 LEARN FROM EXPERIENCE

Learn from your experience. There are good lessons and not so good lessons. But if we take the lessons, we win!

For example, you lost $2000 by a bad decision. There are many ways to look at that. One way is to learn the lesson and call the $2000 "tuition." It would be silly to pay tuition and not learn the lesson.

Life's lessons may not get you a diploma to hang on your wall, but if you are willing to learn from them, you can gain something much richer--experience, patience, wisdom and strength. Sometimes it may seem that all you got from a lesson is a whole lot of hurt, but remember, THE FINAL CHAPTER ISN'T WRITTEN YET!! (You know why?? YOU'RE WRITING IT!!)

quote:
“There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience.”
Archibald MacLeish American Poet and Critic. 1892-1982

“We Learn . . .

10% of what we read

20% of what we hear

30% of what we see

50% of what we see and hear

70% of what we discuss

80% of what we experience

95% of what we teach others.”
William Glasser ( , b.1925)

Cat Principle #94 STRETCH!

Flexibility adds to performance, both physically and mentally. Loss of range of motion in joints is a major contributor to loss of function in later life, so staying limber is important.

Mental flexibility--challenging ourselves to stretch and grow--is important to staving off a stale life!! Challenge your mind, find someone who is good to have some healthy sparring with. Discuss REAL things. Imagine, dream, GROW!!

quote:
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes (American Physician, Poet, Writer, Humorist and Professor at Harvard, 1809-1894)

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live.”
Mortimer Adler (American Philosopher, Educator and Editor, 1902-2001)

Cat Principle #95 PARTICIPATE

Are you a spectator, waiting for life to happen to you? Is your life like watching the TV, surfing the channels, waiting for something to happen, for something to come your way??

Go out and meet life!! Be a DOER!
Life is not a spectator sport. Get out there and experience it, participate, and enjoy it.

Give it your all. Think of nature, does the mighty oak say, "I think i'll grow half as tall as I could"? Now wayyyyy. It goes all the way!! Everything in its season....

quote:
“Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
William Arthur Ward (American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)

“It is through being wounded that power grows and can, in the end, become tremendous”
Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)

“Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.”
Samuel Johnson (English Poet, Critic and Writer. 1709-1784)

Cat Principle #96 BUILD YOUR JOY FROM THE INSIDE

Build your joy and preserve that joy.
Our problems do not steal our joy. It's our ATTITUDE towards our problems that steals our joy. Happiness is an INSIDE job!!
Be a FOUNTAIN, not a drain.

quote:
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
Hugh Downs

“Those who have easy, cheerful attitudes tend to be happier than those with less pleasant temperaments, regardless of money, 'making it', or success.”
Dr. Joyce Brothers (American Psychologist, Columnist and Author, b.1928)

“Happiness is an attitude of mind, born of the simple determination to be happy under all outward circumstances.”
J. Donald Walters (Romanian author, lecturer, and composer)

Cat Principle #97 KEEP DRAWING WATER FROM GOOD WELLS

When you find a good well, a good source, for encouragment, knowledge, friendship, kindness, ANYTHING good, KEEP THAT PUMP PRIMED and keep going BACK TO THAT WELL.

Wells that are not used go dry. Wells that you dump dirt or rocks into don't work so well either, so think about that too....

quote:
“Some people drink from the fountain of knowledge, others just gargle.”
Dr. Robert Anthony

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”
Lao Tzu (Chinese taoist Philosopher, founder of Taoism, wrote "Tao Te Ching" (also "The Book of the Way"). 600 BC-531 BC)

Cat Principle #98 DO THE TOUGH STUFF

The things that are good for you are not always the easiest to do. It takes discipline to get yourself to do the tough things, but once you have done them, the rewards are YOURS.

While going through it, you can CHOOSE your attitude. It determines how you see things, which is YOUR WORLD.

Sometimes they are tough, sometimes painful, sometimes fearful.
On the other side of your fear is a warm place. Sometimes all you have to do is confront the fear, the pain, the resistance, and it disappears.

quote:
“For every disciplined effort there is a multiple reward.”
Jim Rohn (American Speaker and Author. He is famous for motivational audio programs for Business and Life. )

“You get out of fashion what you put into it, just as you do out of life. If you want only its rewards, and reject its disciplines, you're stuck where you start.”
Loretta Young (American Actress, 1913-2000)

“I learned that a great leader is a man who has the ability to get other people to do what they don't want to do and like it”
Harry S Truman

Cat Principle #99 CONFRONT YOURSELF

A good friend will confront you with something you need to be confronted about. You might not like it at the time, because, face it, the truth can hurt. But, what is another cliche about truth. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

Who can be your best friend? YOU CAN. Who knows you well, has been with you all your life? YOU HAVE. Who then would be best to know what you need to be confronted on??
YOU WOULD!!!

quote:
“Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.”
August Wilson (American Writer, 1945-2005)

“Self-acceptance comes from meeting life's challenges vigorously. Don't numb yourself to your trials and difficulties, nor build mental walls to exclude pain from your life. You will find peace not by trying to escape your problems, but by confronting them courageously. You will find peace not in denial, but in victory.”
J. Donald Walters (Romanian author, lecturer, and composer)

“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.”
Carol Lynn Pearson (American Writer and Poet, b.1944)

CAT PRINCIPLE #100 LET IT SINK IN

We learn new things every day. If we take the time to let them sink in, we increase the value of that lesson.

Some lessons can be tough. Leave the pain and take the lesson!! It's yours to keep!! The pain is yours to leave!! Tomorrow is another day, and TIME WILL TELL what can happen with a new start!!!

quote:
“God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. The way we learn those lessons is not to deny the feelings but to find the meanings underlying them.”
Stanley Lindquist

“We only think when we are confronted with a problem”
John Dewey (American Philosopher, Psychologist and Educator, 1859-1952)

“There are no mistakes or failures, only lessons.”
Denis Waitley (American motivational Speaker and Author of self-help books. b.1933)

“If I were asked to give what I consider the single most useful bit of advice for all humanity it would be this: Expect trouble as an inevitable part of life and when it comes, hold you head high, look it squarely in eye and say, 'I will be bigger than you. You cannot defeat me.'”
Ann Landers

“Nobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.”
Ann Landers

Cat Principle #101 IT'S A NEW DAY

It's a new day. You can choose your path, your next step, your goals, your attitude!!!

quote:
“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it.”
Groucho Marx (American Comedian, Actor and Singer, 1890-1977)

“This life is yours. Take the power to choose what you want to do and do it well. Take the power to love what you want in life and love it honestly. Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature. Take the power to control your own life. No one else can do it for you. Take the power to make your life happy.”
Susan Polis Schutz

“The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose.”
J. Martin Kohe

“Every man builds his world in his own image. He has the power to choose, but no power to escape the necessity of choice.”
Ayn Rand (Russian born American Writer and Novelist, 1905-1982)

“Every human has four endowments; self awareness, conscience, independent will, and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.”
Stephen R. Covey

“From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling sister-in-law, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead. Take control and choose to focus on what is important in your life. Those who cannot live fully often become destroyers of life.”
Anais Nin (French born American Author of novels and short stories, 1903-1977)

“Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it.”
Ella Wheeler Wilcox (American poet and writer 1850-1919)

Cat Principle #102 FIND RELEVANT FACTS THEN USE THEM AS LEVERAGE

Here's a good one: one pound of muscle, just by existing, not even exercising, can use up enough energy in a year to take care of 5 pounds of fat.

How can you use this?

I think you know the answer to that....

quote:
“You're entitled to your own opinions. Your are not entitled to your own facts.”
--Patrick Moynihan quotes

“"Think simple" as my old master used to say - meaning reduce the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to first principles.”
--Frank Lloyd Wright (American Architect and Writer, the most abundantly creative genius of American architecture. His Prairie style became the basis of 20th century residential design in the United States, 1867-1959)

Cat Principle #103 HEALING IS GROWTH

Your muscles are broken down when you work them out, and then they grow by healing. Any muscle growth is a result of breaking down and healing.
Many areas of our life are that way. We grow through trials and tribulations. The same Force that gives growth gives healing.

USE THE FORCE!!

quote:
“How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?”
William Shakespeare

“We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.”
Unknown

Cat Principle #104 WHAT IS... IS

Accept reality. This doesn't mean that you never want to see change. It just means that you acknowledge where you are, on the way to where you are going. Knowing where you are can be a vital part of helping you figure out how you have to get where you want to be. It can also be a powerful WHY.
Maps on signs usually say, "You are HERE." They assume that you don't necessarily want to stay there, but it is important to know where you are.

A couple of Joyce Meyer lines:

"I'm okay and I'm on my way" is okay to say.

"I'm not where I need to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be."

quote:
"Experience suggests it doesn't matter so much how you got here, as what you do after you arrive."
Lois McMaster Bujold

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way.”
Dr. Seuss (American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children's books. 1904-1991)

“Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation”
Oscar Wilde (Irish Poet, Novelist, Dramatist and Critic, 1854-1900)

“Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”
Unknown

Cat Principle #105 REST HELPS PROGRESS TOO

Well-timed rest helps progress. Conisder it a re-charge.
When you chop wood, you take time to sharpen your axe. Similarly, when you work out, you take time to rest and "sharpen" yourself, which increases your capacity.
Rest gives healing, clarity, and restoration.
At the right time, it can increase your effectiveness.

quote:
“It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes”
--St. Thomas Aquinas (Scholastic philosopher and theologian, 1225-1274)

“ Laughter relaxes. And relaxation is spiritual.”
--Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (Indian Spiritual leader, 1931-1990)

Cat Principle #106 BEGIN!

The energy to start, the spark, is the same energy that it takes to go on, to sustain. IGNITE!!!

This quote says it all....

quote:
"If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed."
--David Viscott

Cat Principle #107 BASE YOUR CHOICES

A good WHY for your choices gives them a good basis to work in your life.

quote:
"We need to teach the next generation of children from day one that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear. "
--Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

“The acorn becomes an oak by means of automatic growth; no commitment is necessary. The kitten similarly becomes a cat on the basis of instinct. Nature and being are identical in creatures like them. But a man or woman becomes fully human only by his or her choices and his or her commitment to them. People attain worth and dignity by the multitude of decisions they make from day by day. These decisions require courage.”
--Rollo May quotes

Cat Principle #108 CHISEL YOURSELF OUT

You are constantly BECOMING the person you choose to be. Make good choices, and chip away what you don't want!!!

quote:
"In the long run, we shape our lives, and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility."
--Eleanor Roosevelt

“In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.”
--Anthony Robbins

“Life... It tends to respond to our outlook, to shape itself to meet our expectations.”
--Richard M. DeVos

Cat Principle #109 SEEDS MULTIPLY

By their very nature, seeds multiply, if they are planted in a suitable environment. And since they multiply, what you plant, you get back, plus more! Sure, there is some risk, but there is a great potential benefit.
What types of seeds do we have?

•Thoughts

•Attitudes

•Habits

•Words

 Remember, they multiply, so make your seeds good ones!!!!

quote:
“Thoughts are the seed of action.”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson (American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882)

“All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday”
--Proverb

“Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.”
--Napoleon Hill (American author, 1883-1970)

“To see things in the seed, that is genius.”
--Lao Tzu

“Faith sees a beautiful blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn.”
--William Arthur Ward (American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)

Cat Principle #110 YOU GOTTA BITE YOUR OWN BULLET

You have to bite your own bullet--no one should have to bite it for you.
You have to row your own boat, no one should have to row it for you.
Everyone has a row to hoe, but no one should have to hoe for you.

BUT, when you bite it, you row it, you hoe it, YOU REAP THE BENEFITS.
Remember your friend Mo?? Mo MENTUM! He visits when you bite it, row it, or hoe it.
He visits YOU.

What does it take to get you going? Setting a reasonable goal? Take a first step (as small as putting on your workout clothes, or calling a workout buddy?)
BITE IT!!!

quote:
“The person rowing the boat seldom has time to rock it”
--Unknown

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
--Maria Robinson

Cat Principle #111 IT'S YOUR BOAT

Steering and rowing are up to you. You can find some currents and winds to help, and you can even go against them, when necessary.

It's your boat, it's your journey!!

quote:
“A lot of people go through life like they are rowing a boat. They look at where they have been (the PAST) rather than where they are going (the FUTURE).”
--Unknown

“You can't row a boat in two directions at the same time”
--Unknown

“There are those who pass like ships in the night, who meet for a moment, then sail out of sight with never a backward glance of regret; folks we know briefly then quickly forget. Then there are friends who sail together, through quiet waters and stormy weather, helping eachother though joy and through strife. And they are the kind who give meaning to life.”
--Unknown

“I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship.”
--Louisa May Alcott

Cat Principle #112 REPLACE BAD WITH GOOD

If you give up something bad, you have to replace it with something good, or you leave a vaccuum spot that can be filled by whatever gets sucked in, most likely to be what just left that spot.
Conversely, if you pump good stuff into your life, your life gets full, and you get to make choices on what to keep. What is the value of choice?? If it doesn't come to you right away, maybe go up to the top of the page and start reading....

And please don't take this as preaching--Cattitude is as much a reminder to myself as it is to anyone....

quote:
“The only proper way to eliminate bad habits is to replace them with good ones.”
--Jerome Hines

“Sometimes I think that a vacuum is a ... lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with”
--Tennessee Williams quotes (American playwright. 1911-1983)

“People do not mind their faults being spread out before them, but they become impatient if called on to give them up.”
--Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (German Playwright, Poet, Novelist and Dramatist. 1749-1832)

Cat Principle # 113 GIVE MO DIRECTIONS

Power and momentum need direction to be effective. Think of how effective a powerful engine would be in a carnival bumper car....
Now think of the aeronautics of a rocket, and how tremendous power can be channeled to a very precise goal. Hitting the moon is the equivalent in accuracy of sinking a REALLY long putt in golf. (I mean REALLY long.)
Get your friend Mo, Mo Mentum, and give him some directions. You will be pleasantly pleased at where he can take you.

quote:
“If your position is everywhere, your momentum is zero.”
--William N. Lipscomb, Jr.

“When you're that successful, things have a momentum, and at a certain point you can't really tell whether you have created the momentum or it's creating you.”
--Annie Lennox (American Singer, Songwriter and Composer, b.1954)

“One way to keep momentum going is to have constantly greater goals.”
--Michael Korda

“Enthusiasm is the energy and force that builds literal momentum of the human soul and mind.”
--Bryant H. McGill

Cat Principle #114 UN-Lean!

Not talking about fat loss here, talking about the habit of leaning on others. The less we lean, the stronger we get. Support is good, but not when it lets our own powers wither....

quote:
“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”
--Bob Moawad

“In solitude the mind gains strength and learns to lean upon itself.”
--Laurence Sterne (Irish born English Writer, 1713-1768)