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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Life can be very confusing with all the stimulus our mind has to deal with each day. We have bills to pay, family to make happy, work to do, bosses/clients to satisfy, dreams of a better life, and reality standing in our way.

All of this stimulus can really throw a wrench in our ability to prioritize what is really important, and what appears important on a daily basis. There is so much going on that we don’t know what we should focus on. Instead, we try to focus on it all.

I experienced the same type of situation while gaining rank in Jiu Jitsu. When I was a white belt, there was so much going on that I tried to pay attention to, my mind was unable to keep up with more experienced and athletic opponents. Everything my opponent did seemed like a battle for life or death.

Over time, as I got more comfortable, I learned to relax my mind and only pay attention to what is important. You see, all of the stuff I was paying attention to seemed important when I was a white belt. That is why every time my opponent moved, I reacted, or more likely, over reacted. This is because I did not understand what was, and was not important. Since I was not sure, I had to fight every battle as if it was my last.

Now that I am a purple belt (before brown) and carry five years of real experience, I do not react to my opponent’s every move. Each situation I get into, I am able to focus on what is important and disregard what used to appear important. So if my opponent is threatening a move, I know whether or not to take it seriously because I understand my priorities in each position I have experience in. In simple terms, I carefully pick my battles.

Life is much the same, though we don’t gain rank with colored belts. Instead, we gain rank in happiness. Much like any martial art, achieving happiness takes hard work. It is not easy to be happy. In order to truly be at peace with ourselves, we need to understand what we want in life.

On this Earth, no matter who we are, there is one thing we all have in common. That is time. Time is all any of us really have. If every government in the world toppled, and money no longer existed, time would still march on. There is no stopping it. The only thing you can do is roll with it. You can not save time. You have to spend it. So the question is, what do you invest your daily time in?

Valuing your time is a great way to prioritize your focus and motivate yourself. Remember, there is no choice on whether you spend your time or not. You are spending it regardless. Might as well get the most value out of it, no? If you look at the world from the view point of your time’s value, it becomes much easier to deal with the daily negativity and dilemmas we all face.

Here are some examples from my life:

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Someone says something bad about me.

In the past, I might try to confront them. To be honest, I probably wouldn’t be able to sleep until I did confront them. But now, I think of it in terms of my time’s value. Is it worth my time to deal with something somebody said? Or is it better to just move on and focus on my dreams?

I need to pay my bills, but I also have to grow my business.

My bills tell me I should get a job to pay them now. However, time tells me I need to invest as much of it as possible in my business to be successful. This helps me realize that, for me, growing my business takes priority over paying my monthly bills because it is my dream to earn a living doing what I love. It may suck for a little while, but in the end, I will be enjoying the time I spend working, and easily paying my bills.

Which job should I take?

Many of us look at one thing when it comes to work: the salary. We judge each job opportunity by the size of the salary and benefits package. However, when you take time into consideration, the salary does not seem so important. If I am going to spend the MAJORITY of my time doing something, I better be happy while I am doing it, or getting something equal to it’s investment.

If I am going to be miserable, even if the pay is good, it is not worth the time. On the same note, if I am going to spend my time to pay my bills each month, only to leave the job years later and have to immediately find another to pay my bills because I was unable to save, what is the point? I’d rather invest my time to help me climb up the financial ladder, then to just spend all my time moving laterally.

I can’t do that.

No matter what it is, this right here is the biggest bunch of baloney in the entire English language. This phrase should be banned for its lunacy. If all we have is time, then we certainly can do anything we put our mind to. We may not want to do something, or we may be afraid to do something, but saying we can’t do anything is just ludicrous. If we invest the time, anything is possible.

I really want to reach this goal, but I don’t have the time.

Well, if you’ve read this far you certainly understand that you do have the time. In fact, that is all we have. Now, your time may be tied up with other things, but the question is, what is more important to you: Spending your time doing other things that appear important, or taking the initiative to spend your time do what you always dreamed?

I’ll tell you this: No one ever accidentally lived a dream life.

How much do you value your time?

Are you spending the majority of your time doing what you love? Does getting up in the morning feel good, or is it the first of a long series of dreaded events in your day?

Remember, time is all we really have. We get to decide how we spend it and just like money, it is an investment. What are you investing your time in? Is the end result really worth it, or are you just delaying the inevitable?

Only time will tell.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

It took only one human to invent electricity, one to discover the theory of relativity, one doctor to cure polio, and one man to lead the civil rights movement of the 60s. Albert Einstein had a problem, Jonas Salk had a mission, Martin Luther King had a dream, Thomas Edison had a goal, and hundreds like them had the same courage to live out their dreams no matter what that entailed.

Albert Einstein once said ‘It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.’

Martin Luther King had a dream that many were afraid to listen to, yet he told the world about it.

Jonas Salk tested the initial polio vaccine on his wife, daughter, and himself.

Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he revolutionized the world by inventing the incandescent light bulb.

All of these men were not afraid to be themselves, and trust in who they were, especially when times were rough. They knew the obstacles they faced caused everyone else to run in the opposite direction, however they stayed the course because they believed in themselves, no matter what that meant.

The question is, are you afraid to be yourself and live out your dreams?

This is not a challenging question, but rather one to be contemplated for a bit. You see, I can admit that I was very afraid to be myself for a long time. If you would have asked me then, I would have told you you were crazy, and probably tried to fight you (ooooh, to be young again).

Finding ourselves

Being who we are can be very difficult at times, especially when it conflicts with those around us. That is why there are so many mean people in the world. They are mean because they are afraid to be themselves, and some, rightfully so. Being themselves has caused others to mock, pick on, or worse, even physically hurt them. The world can be a tough place when you try to walk your own path. However, the end result is you wind up where no one else has before.

Being honest with ourself is another daily challenge we all face. Are we really listening to ourselves, or are we listening to our own excuses? It is the complexity of our mind that can make self honesty such a challenge. Yet, if we can truly be honest with ourselves, our life intelligence will grow at a rapid pace.

It took major surgery and a year of being stricken with a severe case of Crohn’s disease for me to see the importance of being myself. I was 18 years old, and faced with the prospect of never living a normal life again. After that experience, I started to chase what I love in life. There have been some bumps in the road since then, but somehow, I always wind up back on the same course toward my dreams. Sometimes a tragic experience can have an effect where suddenly, everything you thought was important means nothing now. In another words, your mind is cleared from all the bullshit we encounter in our lives, so it can see what really is important in our life.

Just Go Do It

Being yourself is not as easy as we might think. It takes hard, consistent work. Our brains are extremely adept at rationalization. So you may want to be that baseball player, but your brain will rationalize whether or not you can before you even try. You may think you are not big enough, or fast enough, or strong enough, or athletic enough, or even lucky enough. Whatever rationalization works best, your brain will find to avoid failure.

However, if we were never told such things, and wanted to be a ball player, we would simply just go out and do it.

What I have found is that being yourself is a challenge worth undertaking. It is like an individual revolution all inside your head. Suddenly, the straps are off, and you are free to roam the world fueled by your passion, without the chains of other’s judgement and/or opinion to hold you down. Every decision you make is actually decided internally, and not through three phone conversations and your Facebook friends list.

Standing Out is a Superpower

Being yourself is the only true way to stand out from the crowd, and conquer your dreams. You may think and feel like everyone else, but we are all unique in certain ways. It can be our passions, dreams, goals, or simply confidence that we can go where no one else has gone before, that separates us from the pack. Whatever it is, it is certainly worth pursuing.

Becoming an individual is like having a superpower, and not the crap super powers you see on twitter either. It is a superpower of individuality. No longer will you have to have others think for you. No longer will you accept the spoken word as fact. No longer will you live an ordinary life. It will become extraordinary, because it becomes your own.

Life in pursuit of your dreams is a sacrifice many of us are unwilling to undertake. There is much bark, but little bite when it comes down to the moment of truth. I think this is because the first, and hardest step, is going out on our own and simply being who we are, no matter what that means. People may not admit it, but there is a certain respect we have for someone who does their own thing, even if it’s not our thing. If we were to dig deeper in our psyche, I bet we would find that that respect is based on a hint of jealousy we have not done the same.

Everyday I work on being myself. I discover new things, work on my weaknesses, and continue to grow. We all do, whether we realize it or not. Some days are better than others. I can safely say that it is not a steady climb up the mountain. Some days we climb up, and some days we fall down. However, if we keep pursuing that goal, there is only one possible destination.

If you need a reminder stronger than this, check out the stories of Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., Jonas Salk, and Thomas Edison. Believe it or not, they were not that much different than you.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

The secret of success is actually quite simple if you think about it. Success is just about those people who keep on going when everybody else would have stopped.

For those of you that read Yin vs Yang regularly, you have definitely heard me mention Fallout Shelter before. I have chronicled their story a few times to show how persistence, patience, and perseverance can take you anywhere you want to go.

Recently, they have achieved a small success and their future is looking brighter then a new pair of 20 inch rims. URB Magazine has a big contest every year, and Haylo’s song ‘Don’t Let Her Go’ was one of the songs personally selected to enter the contest. Since then things have taken off. Fallout Shelter has been selling clothing, meeting new fans, and even was contacted by a big time Artist looking for beats. It’s a small step, but quite a motivating taste of the possibilities that lie ahead.

This just goes to show, that once again, no matter what anyone says, or how road the rough may seem, one day, if you keep on pushing, all the sweat and tears will seem worth it.  In fact, you will treasure them forever.  It’s tough times like these where we are reminded the value of everyday things we take for granted. It’s tough times like these that make moments like being selected for a major contest so exciting.

Success is an ongoing battle we all take part in daily. Most times we fail, but sometimes we triumph. It’s those of us reaching for the stars that benefit the most from these small moments of triumph, for they can carry us through the rest of our life.

So here is a Yin vs Yang tribute to Fallout Shelter for continuing to attack their dream with relentless passion. If you are interested, you can help them out by voting here.

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Fallout Shelter Interview from Reimagine New Media on Vimeo.

WARNING: PG rating for this video due to some use of bad language.

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

For this week’s Video Friday, I wanted to show an interview I shot over the last year and a half as an inspiration to anyone pursuing their lifelong dream against all odds. It involves a small Brooklyn record label called ‘FallOut Shelter‘. I was lucky enough to meet these engaging young men before they exploded on the NY music scene. I even wrote a post about their incredible journey a little while back. I suggest reading that post to get an idea of their inspirational story.

Many people like to think that all rappers are wanna-be gangsters, criminals, and ego-maniacs. I can safely say that nothing can be further from the truth with the soldiers of Fallout. They are humble, family oriented people with an incredible love for making music. They have battled through odds most of us can never dream of dealing with, and are still doing what they love to this very day. They convey the term LOYALTY more than anything else, having stuck together through the unthinkable over the last 7 years.

The Video is something I threw together after taking footage (in diff formats no less) over the years. It was not planned out, or even discussed with them. I simply took the footage I had, inspired by what I had witnessed, and came up with this compilation. The intro was done by my partner, and co-Fallout founder Chris Perilli. I hope anyone interested in pursuing their life long dreams can take a lesson from Fallout. I certainly learned that…

…no matter what, if you just keep on pushing, your dream can never die.

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The social interactions between human beings on a daily basis are quite interesting to me, especially when a funny wrinkle is tossed into everyone’s monotonous day.   But what amazes me most about this video is the inspirational effect a small, simple sign can have on such a large crowd.  It definitely made me smile.

Enjoy….

Tony Robbins is one of my favorite Orators.  He really emphasizes many of the points I strongly believe in, especially the idea of pursuing what you love.  Nothing is more important to our well being than doing something we love each day.

Enjoy your weekend.

In Jiu Jitsu, life is all made pretty clear right on the mat.  You can always tell if a new guy is going to last by the way they handle competition.  Those who thrive on winning, and throw temper tantrums when they lose, never last too long.  Instead of learning the most consistent ways to be effective, they spend the entire time trying to find cheap, lucky ways to win.

The people who last in Jiu Jitsu typically react to winning and losing exactly the same.  If you looked at their face right after a match, you wouldn’t be able to tell the outcome.  They lose, they move on.  They win, they move on.  Either way, they are just happy to be competing.

The same goes for life.  Don’t let the ups and downs of life define who you are.  You define who you are, this way the ups and downs in life are all just a part of one big ride.

Since I have started this blog, I have displayed videos about a blind painter, an armless guitar player, and a crippled musician born with no eyes.  All have achieved unparalleled success by hurdling obstacles no one thought were possible to clear.  The one universal theme in these inspirational stories: the individuals did not let their situations in life define them.

They defined their own life simply by being themselves.

For many people, their life is sadly defined by things like a prestigious job, a wonderful car, good looks, or a big bank account. However, to quote an old proverb, ‘there are good times and there are bad times.‘  Life’s only constant is change.  You should never feel too good when you are up, or too bad when you are down because it is inevitable that you will be both.

If you are going to go through ups & downs anyway, why be mad about it?  You should enjoy the journey rather than fighting it. Besides, the down times produce invaluable lessons, and the good times leave you with lasting memories.  So either way it’s a win.  Just because life changes, does not mean we have to.  We should be the same person no matter what.

Our situations in life do not define who we are.  Only we do.  So says the definition of life itself…

Life: the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms, being manifested by growth through metabolism, reproduction, and the power of adaptation to environment through changes originating internally.

Whether it is an ‘up’ or a ‘down’ time, it is all just one part of a long journey called life.  Try to remember this when approaching the highs and lows of your own life. Face them both with the same demeanor.  It is a valuable lesson that can take a lifetime to learn.

Luckily for me, Jiu Jitsu is a much quicker teacher.

He dares to be a fool, and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom.  ~James Gibbons Huneker

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.  ~Elbert Hubbard

In today’s rough economy, every expense can be a burden.  It can be tough choosing which expenses to cut.  One of the toughest expenses to decide on can be your gym membership.  Staying in shape is good for your health, and that can make your gym membership feel like a necessity.  However, in actuality, your membership is really a luxury because there are countless ways to work out without ever going to a gym.

When it comes to staying fit, money should never be an issue.

On that note, I’ve come up with 7 ways to stay in shape and save that monthly gym membership fee.  Not only that, but mixing all 7 ways into your workout routine will actually be 100x better for your body than a continued routine at the gym.  Now, some of my suggestions cost some minor money, but it is nothing compared with a monthly membership.  For example, you can’t do a kettle bell routine without kettle bells.  Therefore, I’ve also broken it down by cost.

Free

1. Run, Run, Run – Everyone knows this one, or at least thinks they do.  But you see, I am not talking about just running around the block.  I am talking about mixing it up with jogging, sprinting, high-knee runs, and walking, as well as mixing up distances and surfaces (street, sand, dirt, tracks).  Sprint a 40 yard dash one day, then sprint a block on another.  Jog a mile one day, then jog three miles another day.  You get the idea.  This will help lower the wear & tear on the body while keeping you in excellent shape.  I would say running 2-3 times per week is a nice start, and all you will ever really need to do.

2.  Go to a local park – Local parks can be the most fun to workout at.  I like to do crossfit training there.  This means you come up with a series of exercises you will do one after the other, than rest for 45 seconds, and do the entire set again.  An example would be doing 30 second intervals of pull-ups on the monkey bars, than push-ups in the sand, then box jumps on a bench, then sit-ups on a decline bench or slide, and finish with body squats.  Doing a mix like this builds up your stamina and wind.  It also helps the body get a complete workout.

3. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Dips – These three exercises are all you will need to stay in shape besides your cardio.  I remember when I was younger my Father had a Bike store in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn.  It was a very Russian neighborhood at the time, and still is.  My Father hired a mammoth Russian man to help him clean the store.  This guy lifted three racks of Bikes with his legs and back, as well as bear-hugging a Soda Machine and moving it.  I have never seen such brute power before.  The guy told my Father all he did was 1,000 push-ups, sit-ups and dips every day.

A Little Pocket Change

4.  Exercise Videos – Some exercise videos are great to use, especially for women.  My wife loves Amy Dixon’s videos.  The benefit to these videos is they are cheap, fun, fast, and easy to use.  You can do them on your own time schedule, and they are filled with aerobic movements that really build up your core. Not all videos are good, so do your research, but they are definitely a great way to mix up your weekly workouts.  Cost: $10 – $15 each video.

5.  Exercise Ball – Have you ever seen the big rubber, air filled balls at the local gym?  These are exercise balls.  You can do all sorts of exercises with them.  They can completely replace a flat bench on most exercises.  Plus, they add all sorts of balancing to the exercise, making it more beneficial.  You can buy these balls online, or in a local store.  Some even come with a video of exercises you can do with just the ball!  Cost: $30

Small Investment

6. Kettle Bells – You may have heard of these as they are the new rage these days.  Kettle bells are weights shaped like a kettle bell (hence the name I believe).  I have a guy who comes by my Jiu Jitsu school every Wednesday night to give a seminar on them.  They are excellent for getting your entire body in shape.  They are used a little differently than normal dumbbells, as you utilize your entire body during the routines.  This is an excellent way to stay in tip top shape by just having two kettle bells in your house.  Cost: About $70 – $80 for two.

7. Play a sport – The cost on this can vary from nothing to however much equipment you need.  However, playing any sport that keeps your body active will have a wonderful effect on your condtioning.  The thing about Sports is they are fun.  So it is a great way to have a good time and still stay in shape.  The competition among your peers also pushes you to push yourself.  Playing any sport is good for the body.  Even Golf is, as long as you stay off the cart!  Cost:  Obviously, it depends on the sport.

These 7 ways are just the beginning.  To keep this list going though, I am going to need your help.  Please comment on any other ways that you stay in shape without going to a gym.  I’m sure we could all use some fresh ideas!

I read an article on Yahoo the other day about how another 100 brand new species were discovered recently. I was intrigued that so many new species could be discovered in today’s technologically advanced world. Doing some further research, I learned a shocking piece of news:

In real life, nearly 15,000 to 20,000 new species are discovered each year. According to a recent report from IISE and its partners, 2006 saw 16,969 species named-the first time in scientific literature. (from here)

Think about it. In 2008, even after the invention of all this modern technology that is rapidly shrinking the world, over 15,000 new species are discovered each year. That’s right, over 15,000 and I’m not just talking about some remote, hidden species. This includes frogs, bats, plants, insects, fish, dinosaurs and more. Last year, a brand new species of mushrooms were discovered on Imperial College’s campus in London, right under everyone’s nose!

You may be wondering why this news is so intriguing to me. Well you have to look at it from a YinVsYang perspective. If there are tens of thousands of new species all throughout the world waiting to be discovered each year, think about how many opportunities there must be. Think about how many ideas people have not thought of. Think about how many exciting solutions to problems that people have not yet discovered. Think about how you can discover them.

If you see the world through this point of view, opportunities will open up right before your eyes. I know I sometimes feel there are limited opportunities out there as I’m sure some of you do. It can be tough to keep a positive outlook, especially in today’s economy, where even Las Vegas Casinos are struggling to keep their doors open. However, the opportunities out there are endless, I promise you. You just have to open up your eyes and keep looking.

Someone out there today is going to capitalize on opportunities that help them achieve all of their wildest dreams. Someone is going to believe enough in themselves to start the ball rolling on an idea they have always had. Someone is going to see opportunities where no one else has before.

The question I’m asking is: Why can’t it be us?

Sometimes we can forget what’s really important in life.

It’s meeting people like John Challis that helps put things back into perspective.  His message is Courage + Believe= Life.  It is a message we should all live by every day of our lives.  So go ahead and watch the video, but be forewarned:

Meeting John Challis will definitely change your perspective on life.