Jesus, Family, Church, Friends, Fitness

Jesus is placed first in my life, because he simply helps me put all the other people/activities in their rightful places. He's the only individual that can help me release my stress that comes from everyday life. Every person needs someone they can go to for advice, support, and guidance when life hits us the hardest. If I need perfect guidance, complete peace when I feel I have no direction in life, Jesus is the only person that I've received help from 100% of the time. My church, family, and friends, unfortunately can help when they have time, or feel that they have something helpful to say. I can honestly say that a human's advice is always clouded by their personal experience, or what they've been told by someone else. If I don't have answers for my clients, I always have Jesus to help me find exactly what my client needs are. I'm constantly in prayer so that I can provide the correct words and advice that my clients are seeking. About 80% of the time, it's always a non-fitness related incident that will hurt my clients success with their fitness goals. For example, I'm always hearing about divorces, financial problems, deaths in their families, and of course there are always relationship problems. If we can't take care of our daily lives, I promise we won't be able to find time to accomplish our fitness goals! Jesus is the only personal trainer that I need in my life. Since I'm only human, God knows that I strive to be important, and feel important to other human beings in my life.

My immediate family comes next in the pecking order of who needs to be important in my life. My wife and children need my attention, because it's my job to raise them in a godly manner according to what I believe God's word directs me to. My daughters need me to help them become Godly wives one day, and my wife needs me to be the Godly husband that loves her like Christ loves the Church. Without my family, I definitely would not have the life I do now. My life is so much better when my family and I are walking closely with Jesus daily. My family does interfere with my personal fitness goals, and clients fitness goals, because my children and wife do deserve personal time from me because of how much I love them. I still consider family more important than fitness accomplishments, because when it's my time to leave this world, the only thing you can take with you is people! Six pack abs, and huge biceps, will only burn to dust like the rest of the world one day.

My church family comes next in my life. My church family's role is to help me stay consistent with the direction that I feel God has for my life. As a christian, if you hold yourself accountable to others, you'll see a lot more spiritual growth with Jesus than if you keep everything bundled up inside you. God created humans to build relationships, and be in communication with other people that will help us in our pursuit of building a closer daily relationship with Jesus. If fitness goals are important to you, you'll find yourself in relationships with people that share the same fitness mindset. It's important that people build personal relationships that will aid them in pursuing what they feel is most important in life.

Next in line are my personal friends, the people that I choose to share important aspects of my life with. My personal friends are the people that God usually will use to help guide me in my life. Just like the individuals in my church family, my close personal friends help confirm what my priorities in life should be. For example, I personally choose friends that have similar relationships with Jesus, hobbies, perspectives, etc... I also go to personal friends when maybe I'm not focusing on Jesus as much as I need to daily. With the right friends in life, a person can share fitness goals, personal struggles, and also accomplishments in many areas of life. A correct goal or priority will confirm itself when you can verify it through Jesus and your personal friends.

Last but not least would be my fitness priorities in life. If I achieve a desired level of personal fitness, it can change my self-esteem, personal confidence, and spiritual growth. If I'm not confident in my body's performance, it can hinder my personal relationships with friends, and family. For example, since I'm a personal trainer, I know that people need me to be a "walking billboard" exemplifying what fitness health should mean to a person. I need to eat, sleep, and live the part so that I can be utilized fully by God. The only things in life that I believe that are more important than personal fitness, are people. Again, when it's my time to leave this world, God will not care a single ounce about what I achieved regarding my fitness, but what lives he used me to change eternally!

In conclusion, I believe that God wants me and all humans to put several types of people before our personal fitness goals. I've mentioned some important attributes that fitness goals can bring, but personal lives should be harnessed and cradled much closer than your personal fitness goals. When life comes to a close on this Earth for you and me, nobody will be talking about our abs, or bench press maximum, they'll be talking about what kind of person you were and what kind of example you were for your kids and spouse.

I'm currently a personal trainer at the ymca in Albany, OR. I've been a personal trainer for the past 13 years, and truly believe it's my calling in life. Daily I try to share the love of Jesus Christ through my personal training efforts! My online store website can be found at http://www.thebosuball.com. My articles will simply be about the topics that I feel God is laying on my heart to share with others. Fitness success is an awesome thing, but never let it control your life and become an idol. If and when you ever achieve the body of your dreams, don't use it as a weapon, but simply a tool for God to use for reaching others with his love.

Poop Colors - Every Color Indicates Something

Poop sometime has varying colors and every single color indicates something and this should not be ignored at all. In this piece, I am going to provide you with vital information in this regard which would be useful for you.

• Green Poop Color

Green happens to be one of the most general colors among the unusual colors. It is primarily an outcome of specific food items consumptions like vegetables that are iron enriched then this is not something worrying. On the other hand, if you are coming across green feces then it can be because of various other factors and as a result you should immediately see your physician.

• Black Poop

In case you are having evenness of black colored poop is normally tarry and it nearly always has an intense odor. Moreover, it is generally the result of an individual's diet and eating habits, but it is always not necessary. You need to make sure that you need to include such food items that are rich in fiber could be useful in increasing the chances of black stool; however, there could be several other factors like digestive system diseases and hormonal disorders can be a reason for it too.

• Red Colored Poop

This is not something that occurs commonly, but it does happen to some people. It is mainly a result of rectal bleeding, and this refers to the channel of blood that is mixed with stool via the anus. You need to figure out the reasons that have caused the problem of Rectal bleeding as there are a diversity of different factors like tumors, anal fissures as well as hemorrhoids.

• Orange Colored Poop

If you have been consuming food items that are enriched with industrial dyes and beta carotene, you will be having orange colored poop. The mainly include vegetables and fruits such as pumpkin, mangoes, kale, carrots, however some of the preserved food items like jellies, soft drinks along with other similar food items that include any kind of artificial dyes.

• White Colored Poop

If you are having white colored poop then you need to consider the fact that it can be an exceedingly alarming sign. It basically indicates that any of your body part is not functioning properly especially your digestive system. Furthermore, the initial thought is the liver as it plays an extremely considerable role in making the color of your feces darker. Moreover, if you are taking some kind of medications, it can also make your poop white, although it is pretty rare. However, you need to make sure that you are consulting your physician immediately in such case.

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Manufacturing Mental Illness

The American Psychiatric Association is now working on the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, otherwise known as the DSM. There will be some new categories as well as some possible exclusions of what is considered a "mental illness."

Next time you hear that an estimated 54 million Americans suffer from some form of mental disorder, (approximately 1 out of every 6 people) don't panic! If you do, you will be in danger of raising the stats to 1 out of every 5 people. And if 25 years ago homosexuality was not eliminated from the list of DSM diseases, the percentage of Americans who would have been labeled mentally ill would've been substantially higher. (A 2011 Gallup poll claims that 25% of Americans are gay.)

If we keep thinking of every "different" way of living as "mental illness," we just might be on the road to making a mentally healthy person a quaint relic of the past. And what will that do to our standing as the leader of the free world? Other countries already look down on us for being obese and living unhealthy lifestyles. Will they then think of us as a "nation of nuts?"

If the amount of people "suffering" from "mental disorders" seems a bit "crazy" to you, here's what you need to know. It's not that mental illnesses don't exist. Of course they do. But the pain and struggles and difficulties that people experience as they try to cope with the many ups and downs of life are not necessarily "disorders." We should not expect life to be so easy that people's reactions will always be "ordered." So, if you are feeling anxious, stressed, depressed or simply out of sorts, don't let anybody convince you that you have a "mental disorder." It's probably not true.

Today, there are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Why the proliferation of these diseases? Follow the money folks. Get a diagnosis and major medical insurance companies must pay for treatment. In addition, you or your child, may well qualify for special services and special education. In other words, getting a diagnosis pays off.

Now, I'm not a trailblazer who is attempting to take on the entire mental illness industry. It's way too entrenched for me to do that. And though I sometimes cooperate with the system by filling out forms for people's insurance coverage, I'd like you to know that I DO NOT TREAT DISEASES. I leave that to the physicians. What I do, as a psychologist, is to TREAT PEOPLE who are having a tough time in life. How do I do this?

I encourage people to tell their stories.
I listen to people who have never been listened to before.
I provide people with comfort.
I provide people with hope.
I show people how to expand their options.
I show people how to reduce their stress.
I help people discover new roads.
I help people clarify confusion.
I help people free themselves from their prisons.

Some people who come to me need to vent.
Some need direction.
Some need to be held.
Some need to be respected.
Some need to think.
Some need to feel.
Some need to take a break.
Some need to get moving.
Some need to mourn.
Some need to rejoice.
Some need to know that they are important.
Some need to know that others are important.
Some need it all.

And I'm there to help. And I do.

But I do not treat their disease. I treat them.

© 2012

Linda Sapadin, Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice who specializes in helping people enrich their lives, enhance their relationships and overcome self-defeating patterns of behavior. To subscribe to her FREE E-newsletter, go to http://www.PsychWisdom.com. Contact her atLSapadin@DrSapadin.com. Follow her on twitter @DrSapadin or Facebook Linda Sapadin, PhD.

If you are finding that procrastination is hindering you from reaching your goals, there is help. Dr. Sapadin's book, "How to Beat Procrastination in the Digital Age" describes 6 personality styles (perfectionist, dreamer, worrier, crisis-maker, defier and pleaser), then provides a tailor-made change program for each style. Go to http://www.SixStylesofProcrastination.com for more info. Or, check out the book at Amazon, Kindle and Nook. i-Phone and i-Pad users, download the Kindle app.