Steps to #OwnTHISDay

So, if you have been following me for a while now, you know that one of the phrases I use on a regular basis is “Own THIS Day”.

I came up with this as a way to honor DDP’s “Own Your Life” and “Live Life @ 90%” catchphrases, of course.

But, more importantly, it is also a reminder that Owning Your Life is not a Part Time Decision.  It is something that has to be done every single day.

This thought came to me pretty early in my journey, when Jake “The Snake” Roberts was just coming into the Accountability Crib (Dallas’s home, for those of you that haven’t see The Resurrection of Jake “The Snake” Roberts, yet).  As Jake was battling Alcohol & Drug addiction, after a few weeks he thought he could get away with just having  1 or 2 beers.  He found out that this was not the case.  So, he took steps to make sure that he can stay on task.  He also had bumps in the road that he didn’t have control over (food prepared with alcohol is one of the examples that sticks in my mind).

What I have noticed, whether it is looking back on my journey or talking to people about theirs, is that when we Fall, we are inclined to tense up and create drama around it.  When that happens, it takes a lot longer for us to get back up and move towards where we want to go, especially if it is something that we don’t have direct control over!

The other thing I notice is tensing up at the thought of making it a Day-To-Day effort.  That Addiction To Nothing gets really strong, particularly when we wake up in the morning!

So, what are the steps to Owning This Day?

1.       Breathe.  It’s the first thing we learn in DDPYOGA.  Dallas says (and everyone else agrees) that it’s the Most Important Thing We Do.  It gives us Life.  It is also what we can control right now!  Since getting control over whatever the Chaos of Life throws at us is Game of Moments, it makes sense to start by controlling what you can right now… the air going in & out of your body.

If you focus on your breath and know that no matter what else is happening… you have control over that one thing… then great things will happen.  Your Body will relax.  Your Mind will calm down, since you are focusing on the one simple thing.  Think of this as your Safety Zone.

2.       Engage.  Now that you’ve given yourself a base, you can start building on that foundation.  You do that by Engaging Your Body & Your Mind.  Dallas talks about Changing Your State In An Instant, which he got from Tony Robbins..  

You Engage Your Body by standing or sitting up straight,pulling your shoulders back and laughing. If you’re shoulders are slumped forward and you are looking down, your are restricting your air and your your circulation.  Plus, your focus is down at one spot. When you straighten your back, stand up and pull your shoulders back, you are not only making it easier for you to Breathe easier, but you are Looking Forward

Then, you Engage Your Mind.  This can be by Changing The Story You Tell Yourself or just getting yourself into a Positive Mindset. Instead of thinking about what’s wrong with right now or thinking about why things can’t work for you (in other words, looking down), think about what you can do to move things in the right direction (in other words, Look Forward).  Thinking about the Possible is what’s going to help you make the Previously Impossible Happen!

3. Move With Purpose.  When we do DDPYOGA, there is very little wasted motion.  Every move has a Purpose, whether that is to get to the next Position or to to Work Your Body in a certain way.  

Now that you are Breathing & Engaging Your Body & Mind by Looking Forward, you put the work in by taking those Positive Steps you were just thinking about.  Positive Energy does not stand still, but is always Moving Towards an objective… no matter how big or small that is. You can’t go anywhere until you move towards it.     

4. Achieve.  In other words, keep moving toward your Objectives and looking at new Goals.

Whether you talking about getting through the next week, day, hour or minute, keep looking at achieving better things for yourself.  That can be from doing a Psycho Push-Up to just getting up off the ground without assistance. This can be running a marathon or being able take a walk to the end of the block and back.

Achieving means not just wishing that something would happen, but using all of the things we talked about to get where you want to go.  If you fall down along the way, it doesn’t mean you are starting all over.  It means you are willing to find out where the ground is solid and where you can take that next step forward to where you want to go.  

As the t-shirt say “NEVER GIVE UP.”  No matter what you encounter in your life, you have the tools and the strength to…

#OwnTHISDay

Travis “Midwest Strong” Roberts

The Thanksgiving DDPYOGA Post: 3 years & Running

Today is a very Special Day! Today marks 3 years of deciding to Own My Life using DDPYOGA.

For a review of where I started, check out last year's post:

The Thanksgiving Thursday Post: My Thanksgiving 2014 & 1st Day of Year 3

                                                               November 26th, 2015

By this time tomorrow, I will also be celebrating my first year as a Level 1 DDPYOGA Instructor.  

So, what has happened with Year 3 of the DDPYOGA Journey?  

I've got a couple of DDPYOGA Classes going, spanning three days out of the week.  The classes are small, ranging from 3-5 per session.  This is good because I get to give each person attention to help them improve.  

I have also been continuing my Silver Bullet Express Online Workouts.  I do this as a way to give back to my DDPYOGA Family, providing new challenges and getting people to think about what they are doing and improving their overall worouts.

More importantly, I have also been Mentoring other people to become Great Certified DDPYOGA Instructors.  I have come across some great people in my journey, so far.  They have, in turn, become DDPYOGA Instructors and are spreading Inspiration every day.  People like Mary Callicoat, Kristin Pasquill, Jerry Loewe, Jesse Rugierre & Bryan Durran... all of them prime examples of what DDPYOGA Instuctors and friends should be. I've been able to do some Live Events and inspire people.   

The year has not been without some disappointments.  But, it wouldn't be Real Life without some Downs.  I choose not to focus on those Down Times.  Not because they are not important, mind you.  Its the Down Times that make the Up Times that much better.  They help define the Good Things we have.  However, I choose not to focus on those Down Times because doing so gives them gravity and do not help me Move Forward.  

So, what is in store for Year 4 of my DDPYOGA Journey?  

First of all, I am going to continue Mentoring other Certified DDPYOGA Instructors. One of my greatest joys is seeing people not only improve what they do, but then take what they learn and spread it to other people.  Along with this, I will be going for my Level 2 DDPYOGA Certification, so I can improve what I do and make an impact with as many people as possible!

Secondly, I will be making my way to the DDPYOGA Performance Center  I know a lot of  people over the past few months have been to the PC.  I would be lying if I said that there wasn't a little bit o jealousy.  

At the first part of last year, I was at work on a slow weekend and chatting with a few fellow DDPYOGA family members.  I made a comment that my Pie In The Sky Dream was to work at the Performance Center.  Not more than two minutes later, Dallas comments about Manifesting Dreams Into Reality.  You can see my blog about that by clicking here. 

To get to that point, I need to make my way to Smyrna, GA.  I've seen the pictures, talked to people that have been there.  But, in order to see this happen, I need to Move With Purpose and be there... workout there... maybe be allowed to teach there.  

Since flying is at tad on the spendy side to most places from Sioux Falls, SD, the plan is to drive down there sometime in the next six months.  This will allow me to visit family in Maryville, TN on the way down there & maybe even be able to visit another great DDPYOGA Instructor... Nolan Bobbitt.

In the meantime, I will also be continuing to do Live DDPYOGA classes here in Sioux Falls.  I have some great students here and want to see them enjoy the same things that DDPYOGA has done for me and so many others!

Physically, I'm still whittling away at my core.  Last year, I said that I wanted to get Superhero Push-Ups as a conquest.  I'm still working on this, but it is not a priority for me.  I would rather improve the things that I can help others with.  The Advance Moves will get there,in time.

Over the next few months, you will also see me define more on what it means to me to Own THIS Day.  For those that have done workouts with me before,I have talked about it briefly.  But, with more people starting to use it, I want to develop it so that you can do whatever you can to Own YOUR Life!

Finally, I want to thank everyone that has helped me on this journey! 

To Diamond Dallas Page & The Yoga Doc (Dr, Craig Aaron) - Thank you for not just putting out a great program, but for Being The Inspiration in everything you do with your Lives (the Highs & the Lows). I'm looking forward seeing you in person again soon!

To  Brad Walker & my Dakota Budokan Family - Your Dojo was the catalyst for my DDPYOGA Transformation.  Without your Friendship & Support, none of this would have happened.  Thank you for everything you do for Morgan & me.

To Mike & Kim Stroeh  - You two have done done a lot for me in getting started as a DDPYOGA Instructor.  You're friendship & your down to earth attitude are invaluable! Thank you for giving me the building blocks to be the DDPYOGA Instructor I am today.

To Nolan Bobbitt - The master of Choosing 2 Change!  Your wisdom & support has done so much for me!  Thank You for taking the time to talk with me and being a source of personal Inspiration.

To Christina Russell & Liz Collins (The HardCore Sisters):  We have all started roughly around the same time.  It is amazing to see where we are now from where we were 3 years ago!  Thank you for your kindness, your insight and the Inspiration of your Hard Work!

To The DDPYOGA Facebook Admin Group:  Thank you for letting me contribute to making the DDPYOGA the place to for encouragement & support for everyone.  

To Mary Callicoat, Kristin Pasquill, Jesse Rugierre, Kevin Tankersley, Jerry Loewe, Bryan Durran, Faron Tbo, Allan Craig, David Orth, Roger Sararas, Audrey Lee, Cat & Ava Arnett, Stacey Morris, Audrey Lee, Garett Sakahara, Stevie Richards, Roger Lowery, Nakia Natali, Cliff Able, Frank Schlegel, Kelly Barta, Lexy Daniels, Brad Brown & Beverly Bouma (in no particular order) - I have met so many people over the years and have the privilege to call them Friends & Family.  You are the reason that I do what I do.  There's a lot more I can put on this list, but to do so would having me typing all night!

Well, on to Year 4 of the DDPYOGA Journey!  May this year be even better & brighter than then last!  I hope to continue to help you Breathe, Engage, Move With Purpose & Achieve!

Or, in other words....'

Own THIS Day & Own YOUR Life!

Travis "Midwest Strong" Roberts

A.K.A: Tenacious T

What Counts

The above picture is me after a few months of doing DDPYOGA.

I've been seeing a theme over the past few weeks from some people in their DDPYOGA Journey. 

This spans from people just starting things up to those that have been doing this for awhile.  I have even seen it in myself.  

What I'm talking about is getting frustrated and not seeing what they are doing as something that means something or "counts" towards their goal.

Maybe you're not hitting a certain DDPYOGA position the way its supposed to be done.  

It could be that you were doing good eating the last few days, then had a few days that you fell down.

Or you are working on Certification, but the workouts have not been where you think they should be.

Or even a case where you were doing really good for long time, but then something happens that shakes your confidence & makes you question yourself.  

The thing to remember that the journey you are on is not required to be perfect (and rarely ever is)! 

Remember what Diamond Dallas Page has said time & again: "Life is 10% of what happens to you... and 90% how you react to it!"

The 10% does not wipe out the good things that you have done up to this point.  That means that you are not defined by the 10%.  You are not defined by the mistakes that you made, the criticisms you receive or the bad things that happen in your life.  

You are defined by how you handle that 10%.   

Wherever you are at right now, stand up and look down at the ground. 

Now start walking forward.  Feel how you are moving right now.

Now..... look straight in front of you and pull your shoulders back.  Then, start walking forward again.

Do you feel the difference?  Did you move faster and feel more confident looking & moving forward then looking down & trying to walk?

You can do the same thing when you are on the ground. Try looking down as you get up, then try looking up as you get on your feet.  Which feels stronger?

What counts is that you Get Up one more time than you fall down. 

What counts is that you are Breathing, Engaging Your Mind & Body, Moving With Purpose to where you want to go and Achieving Your Goals!

What counts is that you take Today, no matter what happens, and....

#OwnTHISDay

Travis "Midwest Strong" Roberts

Tips From The Midwest Strong: Silver Bullet Caviar

When I was down in Des Moines a couple of weeks ago, my sister-in-law made this salad to go with the salmon that she called Cowboy Caviar.

The thing I liked about it was that it was kinda like DDPYOGA, in that you could really Make It Your Own.

Therefore, I give your..... Silver Bullet Caviar!

Here is what I used:

1 Red or Orange Pepper

1/2 Red Onion

1 Cup of Chopped Mushrooms

1 Avacado

1 Can or 2 Cups of Black-Eyed Peas

1 Can or 2 Cups of Black Beans

1 Can or 2 Cups of Garbanzo Beans

1 Cup Chopped Cilantro 

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

1 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

4 or more Cloves of Garlic

Tablespoon of Sage

2tbsp of Pepper Flakes

This makes 12 servings and can be easily converted into several other meals (Spinach Salad, Egg Scramble, Gluten Free Pizza, Chili... you name it)!

Use this as a great tool to Own the way you eat, and........

#OwnTHISDay

Travis "Midwest Strong" Roberts

Face to Face w/ The Midwest Strong: Bullying

     I did a video on Sunday on a subject that was rattling around in my brain all day yesterday.

The subject was Bullying.

     The reason it was in my head was from a video from someone I consider a Friend & Mentor, Nolan Bobbit.

I'll let the video speak for itself:

You'll note here that the video is not just about people that have been Bullied and having the strength to get past it, but about what makes a Bully.  Lisa Flores, a DDPYOGA, pointed this video out to me as a response.  (WARNING:  This video contains some very graphic scenes!)

Of course, being a Bully isn't just about violence.   It can be as simple has how people try to win an argument or reacting to something that you don't agree with.  You can be the smartest person in the world with walls filled with Diplomas.  If you are trying to get the upper hand on a conversation by name calling, belittling & aggression (passive or active).... you pulled the Bully Card.  

And, you haven't proven that you're right.  All that you've shown is that you can stop an argument by making the other side feel like crap or beat them into submission.  

All over the need to be Right At Any Cost & let your Ego pull the rope.

Remember:  No one is perfect in this world.  

Not me. 

Not you.

No one. 

Period.

The only thing we have in this world is our own strengths and the capacity to help others get past their weaknesses.

Why waste time on something that doesn't Lift People Up?

#LiftUp2Uplift

#OwnTHISDay

Travis "Tenacious T" Roberts
Midwest Strong Fitness

Midwest Strong Fitness T-Shirt

For everyone who enjoys my DDPYOGA Workouts (Live or Online) or gets something out of my ocassional Blog Musings on Owning THIS Day, now you have a wsy to show your support by getting a Midwest Strong Fitness T-Shirt!

This is definitely the shirt you can throw on ready to Sweat It Out on the mat or on the street!  

You can find more info on getting your own Midwest Strong Fitness T-Shirt here:

http://www.tfund.com/MWSFitness

The Midwest Strong Post: Addiction to Nothing

Addiction to Nothing

If I could have my Wasted Days back

Would I use them to get back on track

Stop to Warn that Karma’s Burning

A Look Ahead

But Keeps On Turning….

-          James Hetfield - Metallica

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you:

You start an exercise program.

You are really excited about it because it’s the hottest thing out there!  You’ve heard great things about it & it is going to be the one that will FINALLY get you back in the shape you want to be!

You start on said Hot Shot Program fresh out of the gate!  You do REALLY GOOD for the first week!  You are sweating, eating clean, Feeling GREAT!

But then…. You miss a day of working out.  That day becomes two days, then three.   

A week later, you haven’t done any workouts.  Then two or three.  Before you know it, you are back where you started or worse.

Welcome to the experience of every normal person that thinks about making a change to their life & the driving force behind why the Self Help Book Industry is in business today!

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Now, let’s take that scenario and go from doing a week of work to doing a year of work or longer.  You’ve reached your goals and are feeling great!  You are a legitimate success story for changing your body & improving your health!

Then, something happens.  It could be anything from a traumatic life event to a simple thought of “Hey! I’ve worked hard to get here!  I can take a few days off!  I’ve got this!”

The next time you turn around, a few months have gone by and you haven’t worked out.  All of the smaller clothes that you got because you got yourself down to your goal weight are too small again.  You keep telling yourself  “I did it before.  I can do it again!”

But, it doesn’t happen.

The Big Question here is… Why?

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I contend that both of these scenarios have the same answer:  Addiction to Nothing.

Or, more accurately, the Addiction to Doing Nothing.

The Addiction to Doing Nothing could be one of the most insidious, potentially damaging addictions out there, in my opinion.

It has several different names: Procrastination, Lethargy, Laziness are just a few.

Everyone is At Risk when it comes to this problem. It does not discriminate when it comes to race, gender, religion or social status.   It can cover several different areas of your life.  It lures you in with the promise of Rest, telling you that one more skipped workout, treat or missed event isn’t going to kill you.  It gives you the empty promise that you can most certainly make it up “the next time”.

For some people, it comes not in the form of missing things altogether, but waiting until the last possible moment, then rushing to cram everything in at the last second.  This causes sleepless nights and untold amounts of stress.  It makes you feel like you are constantly on the edge, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.   There is a constant sense of self-loathing, depression and anxiety that just can’t seem to be put down.

This also makes it easier to reach for that “next time” fix.

My wife (who gave me permission to use her as an example, by the way), has issues had issues with this.She has been living with depression for years.  There’s a lot of anxiety that goes with it, and a lot of days, especially if she’s feeling  stressed or tired, it’s easier for her to put off small tasks like grocery shoppingor the article she planned to write until she’s “feeling better.” 

 But then the next day, she gets up, and those tasks she puts off are still there waiting, along with whatever it is she needed to do today.  So that makes her feel even more stressed and anxious, and it’s easier to put off what she had planned. It’s kind of a joke with her, most of the time.  

She calls herself the “Procrastination Queen” and laughs about times in college where she wrote a whole semester’s worth of papers in a week, right before finals. But it can be very serious, too.  When we were first married, she was stressed and anxious after the wedding with adjusting to the changes in our lives, and it was easier to “put off” pretty much everything, until after a while, she became so overwhelmed that simply leaving the house was too much for her and she’d have panic attacks if she had to go out in public.  She felt ashamed about commitments she’d put off, guilty about friends she hadn’t seen, and she became totally paralyzed.  Her depression reared up and we had to have medical help to get her out of the cycle.  But that cycle began with the easy fix of “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

A lot of people get so deep into this sort of addiction, that doing something about it seems overwhelming, making all of those feelings that…. much…  worse.

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So… what do you do about it?

Just like any addiction, the First Step to get through this is to recognize that you have a problem.  Be Honest with yourself and the people you talk to about what’s happening.  Then make sure that each step forward to take is an honest one.

Second Step: Look for Forgiveness, both from other people, but more importantly… from yourself.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean it never happened.  It does mean that you are not going to let your lack of effort weigh you down or define you anymore!

Third Step: Stop Looking for Perfection.  A lot of people that I know that deal with this issue (myself included), get into the mindset that if it can’t be done perfectly or better than anyone else, then why bother doing it.   It’s the Fear of Failure we perceive that we have.   We are afraid that if we do something and we’re not instantaneously successful in doing it, we’re not worthy of it…. So why bother trying!

Another important thing that pairs up with Looking for Perfection is Comparing Yourself to Others. This is something I see with new people and seasoned veterans alike. I

This is, by far, one of the hardest things to get over.  In this day & age of extremes, we are conditioned that if we do not have Extraordinary Results, we’re not doing it right and are going to be laughed at.  Or, we somehow expect that after 30-60-90 days, we’ll see magical results that will solve all of our problems.   

Fourth Step:  Find ways to keep yourself Accountable.  Some people plaster Post-It notes everywhere or lists on the things that need to be do.  Others reach out to your family & friends to help you to help keep you Accountable.  If you happen to be reading this and are a member of Team DDPYOGA, the Good News here is that you have growing number of both.  This is an Invaluable Step to conquering this Addiction, building that environment of people around you that Steer You when you need it &  Cheer You when you earn it!  This is definitely where you find out who your friends are, because they recognize and love you, imperfections & all!

Fifth Step: Keep Moving Forward Every Day.  This doesn’t mean that you are not going to Fall.  As any Addict of anything will tell you, you’re never “cured” of an Addiction.

Take a most recent example: Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon – The Bad Guy).  Here is someone that has made some Amazing Strides in his addictions and getting healthy.  Then, one bad day happened & we hear about it on TMZ.  By absolutely no means does this negate all of the progress that he has made over the past 2 years!  It just proves that this is an Every Day process.  Some days are going to be Better or Worse than others.  With all of the great friends around Scott, I know that he will get through this!

The Every Day Process is especially important with the Addiction of Doing Nothing because it is so accessible.    All it takes it a shift in focus. That one day where we disengage from everything around us. Before you know it, hours/days/weeks have gone by where we’ve occupied ourselves with empty activity that.  Small things that do nothing but distract from taking those positive steps to our goal.

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So, if any of this rings a bell with you or someone that you know, understand that you are not alone.  

Also know that you can this is a battle that you can get ahead of.

With Effort... With Understanding.... and with taking everyday that you take air in your lungs and.....

#OwnTHISDay

Travis "Midwest Strong" Roberts