Regardless of your religious or spiritual beliefs, you only have one chance to make the best of the life you’re currently living. If you fail to address the many challenges that modern life poses to our health, you may find yourself physically or mentally incapable of living the type of life that you’d like to live. In short, you have the choice of dealing with discomfort now or increasing your chances of having to endure misery later.

Why You Should Think Like a World Class Athlete

Many of the world’s best athletes talk about their determination and how they do everything they can each day to improve themselves. They’re willing to overcome the immediate discomfort of training in favor of avoiding the misery of performing poorly when it matters most. They also realize that overcoming the temporary discomfort of training will greatly increase their chances of enjoying the fulfilling experience of accomplishment. Instead of a gold medal, the goal you’re training for is the good health that will allow you to more thoroughly enjoy every moment of your life.

I pride myself on being very determined, and in regard to my tennis game, I’d much rather experience the discomfort of training in the gym than the disappointment of performing poorly on the court. In fact, this incentive can even make the discomfort of training pleasurable, and it’s something that I apply to all aspects of my life, especially my health. I’m motivated to be disciplined with my lifestyle choices because I know it will result in a better quality of life that’s characterized by higher levels of energy, mental clarity, and emotional stability. For me, the fatigue, irritability, and depression that often results from unhealthy habits simply isn’t worth the temporary and superficial enjoyment that indulgence or laziness may bring.

You have the choice right now to stop making excuses and start addressing your health related challenges. Having the determination to do so can very easily be the difference between living a vibrant and happy life and succumbing to illness and regret.

Will You Be a Statistic?

Most experts agree that many of today’s most prevalent and debilitating health conditions are very much related to lifestyle choices. Some of the more obvious examples include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, lupus, thyroid disease, and multiple sclerosis. These conditions weren’t nearly as common just a century ago as they are today, and if you read the work of Dr. Weston A. Price, you’ll see that the primitive cultures he studied were virtually free of these illnesses and enjoyed vibrant health. Where did we go wrong?

Over the course of just a few generations, the quality of our food has become significantly worse and the amount of stress, chemical toxins, and electromagnetic radiation that we’re continuously exposed to has dramatically increased. These factors have become such common aspects of modern life that the thought of living any other way seems drastic and uncomfortable. For example, it should be obvious that natural whole foods are the best source of nutrition, and the people who realize this and live by it typically have vibrant health to show for it. However, many people instead opt for the ease and comfort of continuing to eat unhealthy processed foods that are high in sugar and contain potentially harmful chemicals. When they encounter poor health, many of them will be quick to blame their genetics or other factors that are out of their control instead of taking accountability for themselves and considering their negligence as a possible cause.

Embracing change and living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t guarantee happiness or the avoidance of disease, but it greatly improves the odds. Even if you do encounter poor health despite your efforts to live a healthy lifestyle, you can at least spare yourself from regret by knowing that you did your best and that without your effort, your health may have declined sooner and more severely. Besides, by already knowing what it takes to implement healthy habits, you’d be in a better position to regain good health. No matter how you look at it, taking good care of yourself puts you in a better position to get the most out of your life.

Even Blindness and Amputation isn’t Enough to Motivate Some People

Type 2 diabetes is a common disease that is very much related to lifestyle choices. It can often be reversed or easily kept under control by minimizing the consumption of foods that are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, or starch. Failure to properly control diabetes can lead to kidney failure, blindness, and amputation, but the prospect of making significant dietary changes is so undesirable or overwhelming to some people that they’d rather not do it. Instead, they’d prefer to risk losing their eyesight or their feet in favor of avoiding the discomfort of change.

How to Overcome the Discomfort of Change

In most cases, change is not nearly as difficult or painful as it’s originally perceived to be, and if it’s a change worth making, the benefits will often outweigh the difficulty by a significant margin. One of the most common reasons why change seems so difficult is the panic of not knowing what to do or how to do it. Fortunately, the solution to this is simple. Read! It can truly change your life. Chances are that many people have been through the same challenges that you’re experiencing and have taken the time to write about it. By taking advantage of this opportunity to learn from others, you’ll acquire the knowledge you need to take action, and once you do, the prospect of change will seem much less daunting. In fact, you may even come to enjoy the challenge.

Even with the appropriate knowledge, change can still be intimidating, especially if it’s one that will require a lot of work. One of the best ways to alleviate this is to break it up into smaller steps and pursue only one change at a time. Make the change as simple and easy as you need it to be, and once it becomes a routine and thoughtless part of your life, move on to the next one.

Most importantly, you need to have a strong source of motivation. Without this, there’s little hope. If the changes you’re looking to make are associated with something that you value deeply, then motivation will come more naturally. However, sometimes it takes a bit of creative thinking to make this connection. For example, it wasn’t until he realized that he could use his athletic ability to help others that Andre Agassi fully dedicated himself to tennis. For me, simply knowing that I want to be mentally sharp and physically active well into my old age is more than enough. It also helps that I’ve experienced what poor health is like and want no part of experiencing it again. I’ve come to realize that optimal health maximizes my enjoyment of life, and this is something I’m not willing to sacrifice.

Perhaps you don’t understand yourself well enough to know what truly inspires you, or perhaps you simply take your health for granted and don’t realize what you’re missing. Given today’s poor standard of “normal” health, nearly everyone has room to improve their lives by improving their health, and you at least owe it to yourself to try.

For more information on living a healthy lifestyle, sign up for my free course 7 Simple Steps to a Leaner, Happier and Healthier You.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

I was looking forward to reading Andre’s autobiography because he slowly won me over as a fan towards the end of his career, and of course, because I love tennis. I greatly respect how he reinvented both his attitude and career, but what I really wanted to learn more about was how he trained and developed his game. Although the book didn’t offer much in this regard, I was still glued to it because of Andre’s fascinating story and his inspiring perspective on life in general. As such, this isn’t only a great book for tennis fans, but also for athletes or anyone else looking to find more meaning in their lives.

Talented But Tortured

While some people are lucky enough to have known from an early age what they want from life, it seems that most people don’t think about it much and passively accept whatever circumstances are dealt to them. They rarely make an attempt to improve upon these circumstances no matter how bad they are, and instead of controlling their lives, they allow those they’re surrounded by to do it for them. Then there are the tortured individuals who are full of ambition and are eager to take control of their future but don’t know what they want from life and don’t know how to direct their motivation. Andre Agassi seems to have identified with this at an early age. He also realized that he didn’t have much of a choice even if he knew what he wanted because his future had already been chosen for him.

As the son of a father determined to produce the world’s best tennis player and had already failed with his three older children, Andre was the fourth and final chance. Having more talent and a stronger will to win than his siblings, he was also the best chance. Starting at a very young age, he was forced to spend hours and hours drilling against a ball machine that he resentfully referred to as “the dragon.” According to Andre, his only choices were to defend himself against the wrath of the dragon or the wrath of his father, and the former was apparently a much lesser evil.

As Andre began playing tournaments, he discovered his intense hatred for losing which he perceived to be an unpleasant reminder of his father. However, this competitiveness also brought some purpose to the sport that he deeply resented. At the age of 13, Andre’s father sent him off to live full time at a tennis academy in Florida. Despite his talent earning him a full scholarship, he wanted nothing more than to be back home in Las Vegas and rebelled in every way he could to help make it happen. This included playing in a tournament with eye mascara on his face, his long hair dyed pink, and wearing jeans. He basically violated as many of the rules at the academy as he possibly could. He eventually leveraged his talent to escape life at the academy by demanding that he be allowed to drop out of school and focus on becoming a professional tennis player.

From Flashy to Classy

Andre found early success on the pro tennis tour much more easily than most emerging players do, especially at the young age of 16. However, his lack of discipline and inspiration resulted in many difficult ups and downs that on numerous occasions left him wanting to quit tennis before he even solidified the start of his career. But without having completed high school and having no other skills to rely on other than tennis, he believed he had no other choice, even if he knew what he wanted to do instead. He felt trapped.

As he so clearly proclaimed in his book numerous times, Andre Agassi hated tennis. Although shocking and sad, especially to those of us who truly love the game, it’s understandable considering his circumstances. With his big hair, bright clothes, and imposing tennis game, he forged ahead despite his hatred for what he was doing and quickly earned a reputation for being a flashy and rebellious kid. Although he took a lot of heat from fans and the media, especially for the “Image is Everything” ad campaign that he did for Cannon, he was ironically and painfully very aware of a need for more meaning in his life.

By 1999, 13 years into his professional career, Andre had discovered within himself a passion for helping others and was beginning to realize that he was much more motivated to play tennis when it was associated with an inspiring goal. He had accumulated several close friends that were part of his team and was inspired to dig deep and play well as a form of appreciation for their help. He was also inspired by his plans to establish a charter school for underprivileged children in Las Vegas. With this newfound inspiration on his side, he reached the final of the 1999 French Open, one of the 4 “grand slam” tournaments of the year, and realized that it would likely be his last chance to win it. Being that this was the same tournament where he lost his first two grand slam finals, he badly wanted to redeem himself. In addition, winning the French Open would make him only the 5th player to win all 4 grand slam tournaments.

Being inspired by a new perspective on life that was continuing to grow more and more clear, Andre won the 1999 French Open and was shocked by how good it felt considering his hatred for tennis. He realized that he was doing more than just playing tennis and that winning meant more than having a trophy and a spot in the record books. By playing for his team and his charitable foundation, he suddenly had meaningful reasons to appreciate tennis and the opportunities that it has and would continue to provide. At the age of 29, when most tennis players are thinking about retirement, Andre felt as if he was just getting started.

It’s All About the Pursuit

Although he doesn’t explicitly say it in his book, I’ve heard Andre say on numerous occasions that it’s “all about the process.” He didn’t have to say it in his book because his story implies it. Life is great when you’re in a focused pursuit of your dreams, and it’s even better when you sense the accomplishments of your dedication and hard work. This is what I think Andre discovered towards the end of his career and is why I think he treasured his 1999 French Open victory so much.

While most other tennis players are probably more inspired by the game itself, Andre needed his inspiration to come from a different source. He found it in the form of his friends, his charter school, and his family, and it gave him the motivation to consistently train hard for the last 6 or 7 years of his career which was something he was certainly not doing years prior. This leaves us with two great lessons. First, motivation and happiness largely depend on thoroughly understanding your personal values. Andre wasn’t happy playing tennis or fully committed to his success until he developed a better understanding of his. Second, if what you’re doing doesn’t align with your values, stop what you’re doing or find a way to make it align. Andre didn’t want to be a professional tennis player, but he found a way to appreciate it by associating it with the things he cares about most.

While Andre Agassi may have never been a professional tennis player if he wasn’t pushed into it, I think it’s safe to say that he’s experienced tremendous fulfillment from using his talent on the tennis court to discover himself and improve the lives of others. Few of us have the tremendous tennis talent of Andre Agassi, but we all have the ability to experience deep fulfillment by understanding our personal values, living life in agreement with them, and being proactive about pursuing goals that are based on them.

Critics Suggest Andre’s Story is Self Serving

Throughout the first half of Andre’s book, I have to admit that I was disappointed by the unfavorable details that he shared about other people. I think it’s inconsiderate and indicative of poor character to speak negatively of others in such a public manner unless there’s a good reason for it. However, by the end of the book, I realized that his story would have been incomplete without this information, and I felt that the inspiration provided by his story easily qualifies as a good reason.

Besides, Andre claims that his intentions were to focus on his own flaws more so than anyone else’s. I find this easy to believe considering that he reveals far more damaging information about himself than anyone else. For example, he talks about being a poorly behaved adolescent, not having completed high school, playing tennis in a hair piece to hide his receding hair line, and he even admits to having used crystal meth in 1997 to escape a troubling time in his life. He also admits that he lied to the governing body of professional tennis to avoid suspension after failing a drug test. Throughout the book, Andre talks about the trouble he had dealing with negative media attention, and by knowing that some of the information in his book would surely draw much more, he must have had a good reason for it. While he claims it’s guilt, others think it’s greed.

Andre’s admission of using crystal meth created quite a stir in the tennis community with even highly players like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal expressing disappointment. One player even suggested that Andre’s trophies and prize money be revoked despite the fact that crystal meth is not considered to be a performance enhancing drug.

Based on what’s said in the book, it seems clear to me that Andre’s use of crystal meth really didn’t hurt anyone but himself and that he clearly regretted it afterward. Despite the fact that he violated the rules of the game and caused a stir by talking about it years later, I still think he fully deserves everything he’s earned. While some argue that he’s tarnished the credibility of tennis’ governing body, and therefore the sport itself, he gives no evidence whatsoever of the ATP knowing that he lied to them in regard to his failed drug test. Furthermore, as someone who loves the game of tennis and values truth and sincerity, I see Andre Agassi as someone who has contributed greatly to the sport regardless of this distraction. More importantly, he has made great contributions to society as well. This is something that few of his critics can say for themselves.

Andre’s Inspiring Farewell to Tennis

Along with twenty plus thousand other people sitting in Arther Ashe stadium, I watched one of the last matches of Andre’s career at the 2006 US Open. He drew such a tremendous amount of applause, cheering, and outright screaming from the crowd that it gave me chills. A few days later, during his final match, I watched on television as he fought away his tears while getting ready to return serve. He knew he was just a few points away from the end of his incredible journey as a professional tennis player which he started as a confused and unhappy kid and was now ending as a grateful, mature, and inspired man. At the conclusion of the match, he gave the most tearful, appreciative, and thoughtful farewell to the fans that a tennis player has probably ever given.

For those of us who appreciate Andre Agassi as a great tennis player as well as an inspiring individual, the last chapter gives some refreshing evidence that he actually does enjoy the game of tennis and that it was really the circumstances under which he played that he hated. Either way, he will always be one of tennis’ greatest, both on and off the court.

Inspiration for Life

Whether you’re a fan of Andre’s or just want to gain some inspiration from his story, I highly recommend reading Open. If you appreciate Andre’s struggle to discover himself, then I especially recommend reading Man’s Search for Meaning by Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl which is a much more serious story about the meaning of life but also a natural progression from Andre’s story. If you’re not inspired to live a life that’s filled with meaning after reading these two books, then you may never be!

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

Original photo by Outsanity Photos

Although Christmas decorations seem to appear earlier each year, even before most people buy their Thanksgiving turkeys, Black Friday is the unofficial start of the Christmas season. Some people have made a tradition of shopping on Black Friday while others deal with the insanity just to save money. Either way, I just don’t see it being worthwhile.

Holidays are Special

Many of us overindulge on holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Between the abundance of appetizers, the enormous turkey dinner, a variety of desserts, more than a few too many drinks, and socializing well past bedtime, it’s quite an insult to the body. However, contrary to what you might expect me to say, if you’re going to indulge, a holiday like Thanksgiving is the time to do it. In addition to all of the great food, it’s a chance to spend time with family and friends which for some of us is an opportunity that exists less frequently than we’d like. As long as you don’t get carried away and ruin the occasion for yourself of anyone else, holidays are an excellent time to take full advantage of indulging in reasonable moderation without worrying about anything other than creating great memories. Just don’t let a day of indulgence turn into a full month that results in a list of New Year’s resolutions.

What I don’t understand is why anyone would want to follow up an enjoyable but taxing occasion like Thanksgiving with insufficient sleep and the stress of waiting in long lines, driving through major traffic, and fighting massive crowds of frenzied people. Since most people hate waking up early for work, why not take advantage of the day off by getting a full night of sleep and having a relaxing morning with your family? Your body could certainly use the rest after the Thanksgiving festivities and we could all stand to enjoy more time with our families.

My First and Last Black Friday Experience

Two years ago, my wife and I decided that it was time to get our first flat screen television. Even though I rarely watch television, the thought of watching tennis on a big screen in high definition was appealing enough for me to wake up in the middle of the night and brave the crowds. Just hours after Thanksgiving had passed, there we were waiting outside of a department store well before 5 AM in the freezing cold with a bunch of people that I would’ve called crazy if I wasn’t one of them. To add a little excitement to the occasion, a manager came out to inform the crowd that the store had limited stock of the television that we wanted, and the subsequent grumbling made it obvious that most people were there for the same thing. As if waiting in the cold at 4 AM wasn’t enough punishment, minutes suddenly seemed like hours.

When the doors finally opened, I was dumbfounded to see full grown adults sprinting from the back of the line through the store to get ahead of us. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t want to tackle them and that it wouldn’t have been more satisfying than getting a great deal on a television. After finally making it to the electronics department and managing to stay calm, my suspicion was confirmed that about 99% of the people there were wanting televisions, and as a result, we ended up waiting on another long line. Since the store has multiple entrances, this line was at least twice as long as the one outside. The entire ordeal lasted about 5 or 6 hours, but we were fortunate enough to get one of the last televisions.

Although my experience with Black Friday was enough to make it my last, it was apparently a mild one. Some people actually camp out in front of stores overnight to be at the front of the line when the doors open in the morning, but even this is nothing in comparison to what happened last year. In my own state, one woman was killed and a pregnant woman was hospitalized during a stampede to get into Wal-Mart, and two other people were shot to death over an argument at a Toys-R-Us in California. Nothing like a little Christmas spirit to warm your heart!

Some Black Friday Bargains are Nothing But Scams

We ended up getting a nice television for a great price. However, I’d been watching prices for a while and what we paid wasn’t much cheaper than a few of the deals I’d seen weeks before Thanksgiving. There was one television in particular from Best Buy that I was keeping a close eye on. As Thanksgiving approached, the price increased considerably, and to my surprise, the Black Friday sale price for the same television was actually more expensive than the price from a few weeks prior.

Black Friday is one of the busiest and most profitable days of the year for most retailers and they rely heavily on their marketing to keep it that way. As is commonly seen in furniture stores throughout the year, the people who plan the Black Friday sales have apparently embraced the tactic of making ordinary prices seem like great deals. The truly great deals are often loss leaders which means that the store is willing to take a loss on these products to get you out of bed and into the store. They wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t anticipate earning their money back and then some with their other “great deals.” If you think you’re too smart to fall for this, keep in mind that everyone else is thinking the same thing, and if the retailers are still embracing these tactics, then most of these people must be wrong. It’s something to think about before you choose to brave the chaos and insanity of Black Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If nothing else, I hope that you found my rant about Black Friday to be amusing and in good natured humor. Some people are fanatical about Black Friday and will participate in the madness no matter what. There’s nothing wrong with this, but if you’re one of them and you sprint through stores to cut in front of people, don’t be surprised if you get tackled.

If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope that you have some delicious turkey, that you benefit from all of it’s mood boosting tryptophan, and most importantly, that you thoroughly enjoy your time with family and friends. Since Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, I’d like to thank all of you for making the effort that I put into this website extremely rewarding.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

Some people simply expect others to provide them with the answers to all of their concerns, and when this doesn’t happen, they fail to consider themselves as part of the problem. Although this type of mentality may not do much harm when applied to small tasks, it can have disastrous effects on your health, your happiness, and even your family life. As such, whenever faced with a problem or challenge, it’s essential that you recognize yourself as a significant part of the solution and take full responsibility for the outcome. An important but sometimes uncomfortable part of this is enabling yourself to draw your own conclusions and make informed decisions based on them.

The Confusion and Frustration of Conflicting Information

Many of life’s challenges are surrounded by numerous solutions that are often ineffective and contradictory. A common reason for this is the complexity of the many challenges that we face and that possibility that a proven solution may simply not exist. In other cases, the most sensible and reliable information is buried by the marketing and popularity of inferior ideas. In addition, the resolution of one problem often leads to new questions and concerns that will need to be addressed. This is simply a fact of life and it’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever have all of the answers. As such, you can’t always expect that the answers you’re searching for will be readily available and clearly defined.

Despite their urgency, health problems are often surrounded by more uncertainty and conflicting opinion than most other aspects of life, and this can obviously be quite unsettling. Human function is extremely complex and science is likely a far way off from having discovered everything that there is to understand. As a result, a lot of health advice is based on educated opinions, and because everyone thinks a little differently, it’s common for such opinions to conflict. The people who are most successful at resolving the problems they encounter are those who are willing to work with this uncertainty, develop their own opinions, and hold themselves accountable for their decisions. In contrast, those who don’t succeed are often the people who blame others for giving them the wrong answers.

Government Isn’t Always Trustworthy

Although general skepticism of government is becoming more common, many people still believe that any information published by a government agency is undisputed truth. However, government officials aren’t any more or less human than the rest of us and are just as likely to make mistakes or be dishonest. Anyone who follows politics closely knows that such problems are a common reality within most governments.

When it comes to health, it can be very upsetting to realize that government often creates more cause for concern than safety. In America, the poor integrity of the FDA is perhaps the most prominent example of this. With the considerable amount of funding that they receive from drug companies, they’re more interested in quickly approving new drugs then their primary responsibility of protecting public health. This was clearly the case with the questionable approval of the painkiller Vioxx that killed more Americans than the Vietnam War.

Heart disease is another alarming example. The government has been telling us for decades that saturated fat and cholesterol are bad for us and cause heart disease. However, a closer look at the research has led many experts to regard this as a myth. In fact, many well respected nutrition experts have been saying for a while that saturated fat is essential to our health as is cholesterol. Despite this, the USDA still promotes a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol and high in unnatural foods.

This creates quite a problem. Do you believe your well established government, or the conflicting opinion of someone you’ve never heard of? Unfortunately, there’s no correct answer, and both opinions may be equally wrong. This is precisely why you have to be willing to dig for the truth and develop your own opinions.

Doctors and Other Experts Aren’t Always Right

It wasn’t until my twenties that I had the shocking realization that doctors don’t know everything there is to know about maintaining good health. Through my experience with chronic fatigue syndrome, it was even more shocking to realize how much they sometimes don’t know. Many people still have the misconception that doctors always know best and are unaware of how heavily doctors are influenced by the drug industry and how likely they are to prescribe treatments that do nothing more than mask symptoms. Even doctors who practice holistic and natural medicine are sometimes guilty of chasing symptoms. Although they use natural substances instead of drugs, they’re not getting any closer to resolving the underlying causes of compromised health.

Registered dietitians are another group of health care professionals that many people trust blindly. Unfortunately, many of them are trained according to the flawed dietary principles that are promoted by the USDA and the American Dietetic Association, both of which are influenced by the very same companies that produce the unhealthy processed foods that we should be avoiding. In addition, some dietitians are still embracing the flawed idea that good health and weight loss are as simple as balancing calorie intake with calorie expenditure. I’ve even been told by a registered dietitian that health problems and weight gain can’t be attributed to a single ingredient, not even sugar.

Fitness professionals aren’t any better. Many of them are pushing their clients beyond their capacity and are recommending exercise programs that sacrifice health for appearance. This is evident with extreme programs like the P90X which push many people well beyond their limits and and are unlikely to be effective long term.

Once again, this creates an uncomfortable scenario. Do you trust the recommendations of a doctor, dietitian, or any other health professional simply because of their credentials? This is a choice that only you can make, but at the least, you should take a closer look at what the credentials really represent.

Scientific Research Isn’t Always Reliable

Even if they’re aware of the concerns related to the integrity of government and health care professionals, many people think that scientific research is the equivalent of indisputable truth. However, research faces the same challenges as government and the health care profession.

In his book The Cholesterol Myths, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov points out how a number of heart disease studies provide conclusions that completely contradict the research data in order to support popular thinking. The research done by drug companies to prove the safety and effectiveness of their drugs is even worse because the “supporting” data is rarely even published.

These issues are compounded by the pressure that’s put on scientists to find funding. In order to make a living and avoid being defamed and ruining their careers, they often have to restrict themselves to research that supports modern dogma. In his book The Body Electric, Dr. Robert Becker has clearly articulated this unfortunate challenge with his research on the health effects of electromagnetic radiation. Dr. Candace Pert also discusses her encounters with the politics and corruption of modern research in her book Molecules of Emotion.

There is certainly tremendous value in scientific research, but the simple fact that a study is published in a prestigious journal by a host of people with impressive credentials doesn’t automatically mean that the information presented is accurate and reliable. In fact, the names listed on the study may not have had any part in the research, and even if they did, they may have financial ties to the subject of the study which makes the research biased. Once again, this leaves you with the uncomfortable but necessary responsibility of critically evaluating your sources of information.

The One Person You Can Always Trust

Although I may seem to have a negative bias against the people and agencies mentioned above, I don’t automatically discount all information from these sources, and I don’t blame them for any of my problems. I could have easily blamed the medical professionals that I worked with throughout my experience with chronic fatigue syndrome, but if I did that, I’d probably still be struggling to get through each day. Besides, most of these people had good intentions and were genuinely interested in helping me. It was ultimately my perseverance to find answers and my willingness to make my own decisions that allowed me to get better.

The resource I’ve trusted most is my own ability to evaluate different resources and draw my own conclusions which is what enabled me to decide that taking 60 pills per day wasn’t the best way for me to recover from chronic fatigue syndrome. If you want to maximize your chances of achieving excellent health and living a successful and rewarding life, you too have to trust your ability to develop your own opinions and make informed decisions. It may require some work to obtain the necessary information, but you don’t have to become an expert, and neglecting to make this effort can result in a lot of regret and a severely compromised quality of life.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

Because our shortcomings tend to draw the most attention and frustration, it’s easy to focus on them more so than our strengths. As such, many people work diligently on improving their weaknesses to balance their strengths, but this may be one case where balance isn’t necessarily a good thing.

The Inspiring Story of Rudy

Chances are that you’ve seen the movie Rudy or are at least familiar with the story. The main character had always dreamed of playing football for Notre Dame, and despite being much too small to play college football at this high of a level, he was determined to do it anyway. Through sheer persistence, he was able to gain acceptance into Notre Dame and earn a spot on the football team’s practice squad. After four years of brutal and physically punishing effort, Rudy was given the opportunity to suit up for the final game of his senior year and watch from the sideline. The coach even put him in the game for the last two plays. During the second and final play of his college career, Rudy sacked the quarterback and became one of only two Notre Dame players to ever be carried off the field in celebration.

It’s a truly great story and one that reinforces the concept of chasing a dream regardless of how unfavorable the odds may be. However, it’s also a case of following the path of the most resistance and raises a compelling question. Is less than a minute of glory worth years of brutally hard work and the constant frustration of being limited by your shortcomings? Perhaps in some cases it is, but there’s definitely a better and more enjoyable way to live life that can lead to just as much glory, if not more.

Do You Enjoy Your Job?

Unfortunately, the majority of the population is unhappy with their job and dreads returning to work each Monday. According to Gallup polls that surveyed more than 10 million people worldwide, only one third of those questioned strongly agreed that their job provides them with daily opportunity to do what they’re best at. Out of 1,000 of remaining people who felt that they lacked this opportunity, not a single one of them was emotionally engaged in their job. According to Gallup, people who have the opportunity to exercise their strengths every day are 6 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than 3 times as likely to describe their quality of life as excellent. That’s a significant difference!

Life is certainly about more than just your job, but because you spend a significant portion of your waking hours at work, being engaged in a job that you enjoy can make a significant difference in your life. The ideal situation is to earn an income by doing something that you’re passionate about and would be involved with even if money weren’t involved, but this isn’t always possible, and when it’s not, the next best scenario is to find a job that allows you to focus on your strengths as much as possible. Even if you do have a job that you’re passionate about, it may frustrate you more than you realize if it doesn’t align with your strengths.

Why Strengths are More Important than Weaknesses

As in Rudy’s case, it’s possible to be passionate about something that you’re not well suited for, or in contrast, have no interest in doing something that you have a tremendous talent for. However, we all have multiple strengths and multiple interests, and as such, it’s almost always possible to identify something that you excel at and also enjoy.

Imagine if Rudy had a talent for soccer that he never discovered. If he applied his incredible work ethic to this talent, perhaps he could have been a star player in college and a successful professional athlete with a rewarding and exciting career. Even if his passion for soccer wasn’t quite as strong as it was for football, it would be hard to think that this isn’t a much nicer scenario.

Hard work is often essential to the enjoyment of pursuing and accomplishing challenging goals, and when applied through a natural strength, it tends to be much less frustrating and much more rewarding.

Identifying Your Strengths

Although sports are a convenient example of how important talent is, understanding your strengths goes much deeper than physical ability. In many cases, our strengths are part of what defines our personalities, and as such, they have an impact on almost everything we do.

StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath is an interesting book that helps you to identify your strengths and provides you with suggestions for developing each one. The StrengthsFinder assessment is based on 34 “themes” which are the most common strengths and talents that were identified from Gallup’s 40 year study on this subject. Buying the book entitles you to take the online StrengthsFinder assessment which identifies your top 5 themes.

My Strengths

To give you a better idea of how the system works, and for the sake of discussion, I’ll describe my top 5 themes which are Learner, Achiever, Relator, Analytical, and Deliberative.

Whenever you take an assessment like StrengthsFinder, it can be fascinating to read results that describe you so well and even make you realize things about yourself that you weren’t aware of. As someone who is very introspective and has done assessments like this in the past, I wasn’t very surprised by my StrengthsFinder results, but they did inspire me to change my perspective on several of my natural tendencies.

Learner: It’s unmistakably evident that I love to learn. If I have a strong interest in something, I’ll devour every bit of information that I can find about it. I absolutely love the excitement of learning something new, the challenge of putting it to use, and the anticipation of how it might improve my life. In fact, this appetite for new information, along with my desire to share it, is much of my inspiration for this website.

Achiever: I’ve always been a hard worker, and when I really want something, I’ll work tirelessly to accomplish it, sometimes to the point of it being a detriment. Although this is something that I’ve known for a long time, StrengthsFinder presented it in a way that I never considered. Now I realize why I prefer small projects and why I get frustrated if the end of the day approaches without any real sense of accomplishment.

Relator: I tend to approach new relationships with caution and prefer to have a small number of close friends than a large number of acquaintances. Although I originally disagreed with this being one of the 5 themes that defines me most, it does make some sense after giving it more thought. My initial reaction was probably based on my perception of this behavior as being more of a weakness than a strength. Ironically, this emphasizes the most important aspect of StrengthsFinder which is to embrace natural tendencies instead of resisting them.

Analytical: I’ve known since high school that I prefer to work with numbers and scientific concepts. Since then, I’ve realized that I also have a persistent desire to determine the root cause of a problem and that I have a preference for objective data and logical thinking. I also enjoy identifying patterns and relationships between concepts and facts. I suppose that a Mechanical Engineering degree, 11 years as a Software Engineer, a fascination with the workings of the human body, and a life changing passion for identifying the root causes of poor health make it pretty obvious that I value this strength and am proud of it.

Deliberative: I tend to be a reserved and somewhat private person who prefers to work alone, and although I thoroughly enjoy simple and innocent humor, I typically approach problems and challenges with a very serious attitude. I also like to plan ahead and be prepared for any difficulties that are likely to arise and have a high regard for honesty and sincerity. Prior to taking the StrengthsFinder assessment, I never appreciated these characteristics as something that I should favor and pay close attention to.

There’s another theme called Intellection which is used to describe people who are thinkers. I’m quite surprised that this wasn’t one of my top 5 themes. I’m almost always in deep thought. In fact, it sometimes makes me completely oblivious to my surroundings and even makes it a challenge for me to focus on mundane but important tasks like driving. I wonder if I might be missing something or if this is small sign of inaccuracy in the assessment. It would be interesting to know if Intellection would be my 6th strength.

It’s About Much More than Your Job

One of the things I don’t like about StrengthsFinder 2.0 is that it’s clearly geared for business professionals. In the grand scheme of life, business is just one small part, and I think the principle of embracing strengths has much more potential when applied to life in general. By doing so, the benefits should not only improve work life, but also family life, social life, and even the time spent enjoying hobbies and interests.

I think StrengthsFinder applies particularly well to family. After all, family is all about strong relationships and a strong sense of understanding, support, and acceptance for one another. Learning about the natural tendencies of your family members is an excellent way to foster this. I had my wife take the StrengthsFinder assessment and it made me realize a few things that will allow me to more easily relate to her when our perspectives differ.

Unfortunately, if you’d like to have your family take the StrengthsFinder assessment, you’ll have to buy a separate book for each person. If you read the StrengthsFinders message board, you’ll see that Gallup has received some well deserved criticism for this.

What About You?

I’d love to hear about your experiences with StrengthsFinder 2.0 or any other similar type of assessment that you’ve tried.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

A full time employee dedicates nearly half of their wakeful hours to their job each week, and in many cases, it’s even more than that. With the typical retirement age being 65, most people spend more than 40 years of their lives doing this! When you spend this much time doing something, it will undoubtedly have a significant impact on your mood, energy level, quality of life, and overall sense of wellbeing. It can even influence your health, especially if there’s a lot of stress involved.

Although it’s unfortunately rare, some people do genuinely love their jobs. For these people, the workweek is just as enjoyable and rewarding, if not more so, than the weekend. Imagine how much different your life could be if this were the case for you.

What’s Your Ideal Job?

If you don’t thoroughly enjoy your job, you’re merely trading your precious time for money. Although this is sometimes a necessity, it’s clearly not the most rewarding way to live your life. The following are some tips that should help you identify the type of job that will bring you more fulfillment and perhaps even cause you to anticipate Mondays with eagerness.

Focus on Your Passions

Your passions are the activities that you anticipate with excitement. They help you to wake up each morning full of happiness and ambition, they bring enjoyment to your life, and if applied correctly, they’re a valuable source of fulfillment. As such, having a job that relates to one or more of your passions can make all the difference between enjoying your job or dreading it.

We all have different passions and it doesn’t matter how impressive or noble they are, but rather that you’re aware of them and are able to pursue them. An easy way to be sure that you know what you’re passions are is to consider what your ideal day would be like. If you had no obligations whatsoever and money were not a concern, how would you want to spend your typical day?

Once you have a clear understanding of what your passions are, the next step is to make them purposeful and identify how you can achieve fulfillment from them. In other words, you need to determine how to apply your passions in a way that makes your time seem worth while and rewarding. Most people accomplish this by using their passion as a way to help others, but this certainly isn’t the only way.

Identify Your Values

Although many of us don’t realize it, we all have a set of values that we live by on a daily basis. They directly influence our decisions, our interactions with others, and in turn, our lives. Your values help to define you as a person and represent what you stand for and what you believe in. As with passions, it doesn’t matter how impressive they are to others, but rather that you’re aware of them and are living by them.

If your job challenges your ability to live by your values, it will likely create a lot of internal conflict and make it difficult to truly dedicate yourself. For example, if you value honesty, you’ll find it difficult to work for a company that uses deceptive advertising. Likewise, if you value nature, you’ll have a hard time dedicating yourself to work that pollutes the environment.

Know Your Personality

The more aware you are of your personality and it’s finer qualities, the more able you’ll be to put yourself in favorable situations that are rewarding, enjoyable, and fulfilling. Some people are energized by being around others and thrive in situations requiring a lot of personal interaction while others would much rather work by themselves, perhaps at home, and be free to focus deeply without interruption. If you work in an environment that’s not well suited to your personality, it will likely become a persistent source of stress and frustration.

If you’d like to look deeper into your personality and gain a better understanding of it, I highly recommend reading Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence by David Keirsey to help you get started.

Earning a Living through Passion

It can take a lot of determination to accurately identify your passions and values, gain a deeper understanding of your personality, and find a fulfilling way to apply all of it. Unfortunately, it can be even more difficult to apply this knowledge in a way that will support you financially, especially if your ambitions require that you run your own business. It requires that you be creative in identifying a market for what you have to offer.

Career Renegade: How to Make a Great Living Doing What You Love by Jonathan Fields is an excellent book about this exact topic. With a little creativity, just about any passion can be turned into a career, and the book provides a number of inspiring examples to prove it.

Be Happy with What You Have

Unfortunately, the profound and exciting moment of finally realizing what you really want to do with your career is often followed by the disappointment of it seeming unrealistic or too difficult to achieve. While it’s certainly in your best interest to aggressively pursue a more rewarding and enjoyable career, it’s also important to avoid unnecessary disappointment by making the best of your current job and focusing on the value it adds to your life.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

Many of us tend to grow hopeful for some kind of change in our lives and gradually become dependent on the expectation of how happy it will make us. If the change doesn’t happen, we tend to perceive it as failure, and the resulting disappointment often leaves us feeling cheated and unhappy. With a different perspective, the same situation could instead be perceived as a positive and valuable experience.

Although this applies to any aspect of life, it’s especially pertinent to your health and the associated prospect of life altering changes. Fortunately, with the right perspective, it’s possible to aggressively pursue such changes while also minimizing the risk of disappointment and the unhealthy emotions that it brings.

A Different Perspective on Disappointment

I recently read a thought provoking article by Stephen Mills of The Rat Race Trap called When Wonder Replaces Hope. The article describes how hopes, wishes, and expectations promote a mentality that invites disappointment.

Being an extremely determined individual with very high expectations, I immediately found myself at odds with what I was reading. I had always considered hope and expectation to be important drivers of motivation, and I also considered disappointment to be a valuable opportunity for growth. However, my perspective on hope, expectation, and disappointment began to change as I gave this more thought.

What Matters Most is Your Perception of the Outcome

Hope creates an emotional bias towards a particular outcome, and in turn, encourages all other outcomes to be perceived as a failure. If the desired outcome is not achieved and failure is perceived, the resulting disappointment often invokes ugly emotions such as frustration, anger, and depression.

In Stephen’s article, he discusses the concept of wondering what the future will bring rather than hoping for a specific outcome. With the impartial nature of this approach, disappointment will be much less of a possibility. I initially had trouble accepting this idea because I think the impartiality implies a lack of passion.

Perhaps I simply don’t understand the concept well enough to see it’s full value, but after giving it more thought, I came up with a different perspective that made it easier to embrace. Regardless of whether you wonder or hope, what’s most important is how you perceive the outcome. If you’re prepared to make the best of whatever happens, I think it’s possible to have a passionate bias towards a particular outcome without inviting unnecessary disappointment.

Lemonade Keeps the Disappointment Away

When life gives you a lemon, you make lemonade. Most of us have probably heard this expression many times without giving it much thought. It means that you should embrace the positive aspects of your current situation regardless of how bad it may seem. If you’re able to do this consistently, happiness will be easy to find.

Most of us go through life wanting what we don’t have. We fool ourselves into thinking that we’ll be happy once we get it, but when we do, it quickly loses it’s appeal and we move on to wanting something else. This often leads to depression and makes happiness seem much more elusive than it really is. In contrast, those of us who can passionately pursue change while maintaining a strong appreciation for what we already have are much more likely to live a rewarding life.

We all have the unique human ability to change reality by choosing how we perceive it. The stories of two incredible individuals exemplify how powerful this ability can be. Viktor Frankl endured years of horrendous treatment as a prisoner of several Nazi concentration camps, but was still able to find meaning in his misfortune. Nick Vujicic was born without arms or legs, and despite his initially miserable outlook on life, he eventually chose to be happy by embracing what he did have instead of dwelling on what he was missing. He has since found an abundance of happiness and fulfillment by inspiring others to do the same.

If Viktor Frankl and Nick Vujicic can overcome such unfortunate circumstances, then we can certainly overcome the much more trivial matters that often overwhelm us with disappointment.

How Hopes and Expectations Have Effected My Life

Expectations are a level beyond hope in terms of committing yourself to an outcome and inviting disappointment. I’ve always held very high expectations for myself and am also a perfectionist. Although this has given me the courage to take on big challenges and the determination to accomplish a lot of great things, it’s is a dangerous combination. On many occasions, I’ve pushed myself too hard and have been too critical of my progress. By doing so, I ultimately invited disappointment by perceiving failure.

Fortunately, I now realize that I could have chosen to perceive the same situations as positive experiences rather than failures. Doing so hasn’t taken anything away from my determination, and in fact, it allows me to pursue my passions and goals in a more enjoyable and effective manner. I can’t say that I’ve mastered this ability, or that I’ve even come close, but I’ve made valuable progress that’s improved my life and I encourage you to do the same.

Your Hope for Better Health

We all know that too much stress is bad for your health, and as I pointed out, becoming too attached to hopes and expectations can be a significant source of it. Because of how important our health is, it’s an aspect of life that can inspire wild expectations. As I describe in my story of poor health, I became extremely determined after realizing my potential for a much better life. However, I also established very high expectations which led to some major frustration and disappointment that was tough to endure. Although I did make tremendous progress and am extremely grateful for it, I now realize that I could have approached the process in a much more balanced way and probably have saved myself a lot of grief.

I’m definitely not suggesting that you should surrender to the limitations of poor health and accept a compromised quality of life. I fully encourage you to let your imagination run wild with possibilities and to put forth your best effort to make them a reality. However, it’s important that you find happiness in your current situation and come to terms with the possibility that you may not achieve your goals. Whether you consider this “wondering”, “hoping”, or a combination of the two, what’s important is that you stay positive and maintain your enthusiasm for life.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that their efforts to improve their appearance may ultimately be compromising their quality of life. In addition, the physical improvements they seek rarely lead to the satisfaction that they expect. Although an attractive appearance can be a great source of satisfaction, it’s certainly not worth compromising your health, and in turn, your ability to live a fulfilling life.

The following are some of the more common ways that people are undermining their health in order to improve their appearance.

Restricting Calories to Lose Weight

It’s well known that most prisoners of Nazi concentration camps were barely fed enough food to stay alive. Today, many people who are desperate to lose weight are willingly subjecting themselves to a similarly restricted diet.

Although a reasonable amount of calorie restriction can indeed facilitate weight loss, doing so in a successful and healthy manner involves much more than simply counting calories. As is typical with modern society, most people embrace the mentality that more is better and restrict their calorie consumption excessively. This promotes nutrient deficiencies that can lead to poor health and disease, especially if the calories consumed are not from highly nutritious foods. Furthermore, the body naturally slows down it’s metabolism to conserve energy when calorie consumption is low which makes it more difficult to lose weight and is likely to cause fatigue and moodiness.

Exercising Excessively to Lose Weight

It’s not uncommon for people to restrict their calorie consumption and still have trouble losing weight. Not realizing the flaws in the oversimplified approach of calorie counting, many of these people try to make up the difference with excessive exercise. In many cases, the additional exercise is merely compensating for excessive consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

People who are having trouble losing weight will often spend up to an hour nearly every day doing intense aerobic exercise. Aerobics classes or spin classes are notorious choices and anyone who’s participated in either of them can attest to their high level of intensity. This type of activity is a tremendous burden to the body, and when it’s done on a regular basis, it promotes a chronic state of stress and breakdown. In addition, the calorie restriction that often accompanies this type of exercise makes the physiological burden even harder to recover from. Not only does a chronic state of stress make it harder to lose weight, it can also promote health problems such as adrenal fatigue.

Using Artificial Methods to Lose Weight

Whether it be because of laziness or desperation, many people turn to artificial measures such as diet pills or surgery to lose weight.

In some cases, diet pills are a complete waste of money, and in others, they’re downright dangerous. In fact, some previously common ingredients of weight loss supplements, such as phenylpropanolamine and ephedra, are now regulated by the FDA because of their respective association with strokes and heart attacks. The typical means through which weight loss supplements work are by increasing metabolic rate, suppressing appetite, or blocking fat absorption. In addition to the risks associated with consuming unnatural ingredients, stimulating supplements that increase the metabolic rate tend to also invoke a physiological stress response, and the suppression of appetite and blockage of fat absorption promotes nutritional deficiencies that can lead to poor health and disease.

Surgery is by far the most drastic way of losing weight, and in my opinion, is one of the most blatant examples of modern medicine’s arrogance in thinking that nature can be outsmarted. Most weight loss procedures are designed to either limit overeating by reducing the size of the stomach or restrict fat absorption by bypassing part of the intestines. Both methods alter the natural function of the digestive tract, and in turn, promote nutrient deficiencies and the development of poor health and disease. Evidence is already indicating that people who’ve had weight loss surgery are more likely to experience bone fractures, and this is just one of the many possible outcomes of impaired digestion.

Using Artificial Methods to Increase Muscle Mass

Although it’s not as common of a goal as weight loss, there are many people who are desperate to improve their appearance by developing a significant amount of muscle. Like diet pills, there’s an abundance of supplements available that are intended to increase muscular development, and many of them contain questionable ingredients. Furthermore, most people who are looking to build muscle tend to rely on processed powders to meet exaggerated protein and calorie requirements.

The intense strength training required to promote significant muscular development puts a tremendous demand on the body and greatly increases it’s need for high quality nutrition. Protein powders, protein bars, and meal replacement powders are an inferior source of nutrition for anyone, especially someone who is lifting heavy weights and has an increased need for nutrients. As top powerlifter Eric Talmant agrees in this interview, these synthetic and convenience based forms of nutrition are over hyped and unnecessary.

The most drastic and unhealthy method of increasing muscle mass is through the use of anabolic steroids. Despite the dramatic side effects, steroid usage is more common than most people realize, even outside of sports and professional bodybuilding. Anabolic steroids can cause liver damage, heart damage, heart disease, high blood pressure, hormone imbalance, and aggression based mood disorders that sometimes lead to suicide.

Using Chemicals to Alter Appearance

There are hundreds of thousands of synthetic chemicals in circulation today and we’re exposed to many of them on a daily basis. The human body is not evolved to handle such a significant exposure to such chemicals and is sometimes incapable of properly eliminating them. When the detoxification system becomes overloaded, many of these chemical toxins are stored throughout the body including the most critical organs and glands where they can cause major dysfunction. Despite this, many people dramatically increase their exposure to such toxins through the frequent use of products such as cosmetics and hair dye that have no purpose other than temporarily improving appearance.

Over the past decade, Botox has become a popular option to eliminate wrinkles. Botox, formally known as botulinum toxin, is a strong toxin that paralyzes muscle. The potential consequences of using Botox include headaches, flu like symptoms, allergic reactions, and the unintentional paralysis of eye and jaw muscles which can inhibit blinking and chewing respectively. In my opinion, using such a toxin for something as trivial as removing wrinkles is an indication of an unhealthy obsession with appearance.

Wearing Dysfunctional Shoes to Be Fashionable

Despite the sedentary lifestyle that many of us live, walking is still something that we still do on a regular basis. Complex movement patterns like walking are made possible by a network of adjoined bones and muscles. Through this system, the condition and action of one joint can have a significant impact on that of an adjacent joint, and this influence can spread throughout the body. As such, the repetition of improper walking mechanics can cause problems in a variety of places.

Most modern shoes, especially those which are stiff, narrow, or have elevated heels, can easily alter walking mechanics. Although wearing such shoes on occasion is unlikely to do much harm, wearing them on a regular basis can cause muscle imbalances and joint dysfunction that may lead to pain and injury. An easy way to prevent this is to walk barefoot as often as possible and wear shoes that promote a natural gait.

A More Attractive Outlook

Ironically, many of the physical characteristics that society is so obsessed with, such as excess body fat and premature aging, are often the result of unhealthy lifestyle habits. Although there are a variety of unnatural ways to address these issues, nothing can replace the vibrancy and longevity provided by optimal health.

While there’s nothing wrong with making an effort to improve your appearance, it shouldn’t be driven by self hate or unrealistic expectations. Most importantly, such an effort should be balanced with pride and a healthy appreciation for the unique physical attributes that you were born with.

A truly attractive person is one who has a balanced and grounded perspective on life that builds admirable character, is based more on emotional fulfillment than materialism, and motivates them to pursue the optimal health that will fuel their passions and promote a youthful appearance. Health is a significant aspect of beauty, and in short, the longer you’re able to remain healthy, the longer you’ll be able to remain attractive, both physically and mentally.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

I’m an avid tennis player and play in a very competitive and organized nationwide league that’s run by the United States Tennis Association. The league is divided into 17 sections throughout the country and each section is divided into regions. Each region has a number of teams at each skill level that compete throughout the year for a spot at their sectional tournament. The winner of each section then advances to a national tournament.

I belong to the Eastern section, which consists of 6 regions including all of New York state and the northern portion of New Jersey. This past season, my team won our region, and for the first time, I had the chance to play in a sectional tournament this past weekend. In addition to having a great time, the weekend was an excellent representation of the value that competing can provide.

I’ve been a competitive athlete throughout most of my life, and to this day, it continues to be an important source of fulfillment for me. The following are 5 of the more significant reasons why I think competition adds value to my life and why it can add value to yours as well.

Competition Builds Motivation

Although winning isn’t everything, it’s certainly nice and is one of the primary objectives of competing. The desire to win often inspires a unique and intense source of motivation to improve your abilities. In regard to sports, most elite and professional athletes would have never achieved their level of ability without the desire that motivated them to practice and train regularly. This type of drive applies to anything in life and is often what separates the people who’ve achieved impressive goals from those who haven’t.

I regularly work at improving my tennis game, but recently increased my training efforts for this past weekend’s tournament. Having added incentive like this is likely to make you work harder towards your goals and will greatly increase your chances of achieving them.

Competition is an Opportunity to Challenge Yourself

I get a lot of satisfaction from intense physical and mental challenges. I find it to be invigorating and have plenty of opportunity to engage in such challenges through tennis, especially through my participation in such a competitive league.

At the sectional tournament this past weekend, I played 5 matches in 3 days. The competition was very tough and I lost the first 4. After each match, I became more disappointed and fatigued, but also more determined. Winning the 5th match was extremely satisfying and the high level of competition I encountered throughout the tournament will undoubtedly increase my inspiration to improve. Outside of such a competitive atmosphere, it’s highly unlikely that I would have had this experience and gained the resulting inspiration.

Competition is Expression of Passion and a Source of Fulfillment

Many of us have at least one favorite activity that we’re passionate about. Competition can bring the enjoyment of such an activity to a new level. One of the most exciting things in life is having a significant goal to chase aggressively. This sense of engagement that competition can promote is often referred to as “the process” and is often a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience.

Andre Agassi is well known among serious tennis fans for saying that his love for the sport is fueled by the process of becoming the best player he can be. In order to be successful, most athletes, including tennis players, must be physically fit, mentally tough, strategical, and obviously, highly skilled at the mechanics of their sport. The increased emphasis that competition puts on these attributes makes them even more enjoyable to improve upon and makes the resulting progress more fulfilling. Although tennis is only one of my several passions, it has never failed to provide me with challenging goals to chase.

Competition Adds Excitement to Exercising

A lack of sufficient physical activity is a common problem for many people, even those who occasionally participate in recreational sports. Participating in an organized league will likely encourage you to spend more time doing an activity that you already enjoy, and as such, will result in you being more physically active. In addition, the competition may inspire you work on your fitness which will improve your performance, health, and resistance to pain and injury all at once.

Competition Builds Friendship

Participating in competition usually involves being a member of a team and will likely introduce you to new people who share your interest. Furthermore, the sense of struggle and challenge that is often a part of competition tends to promote bonding between teammates. In some cases, such as my trip to the sectional tournament, competing can create fun travel opportunities which will likely strengthen friendships among teammates even further. Many of the friendships I enjoy today are a direct result of my involvement with competitive tennis.

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.

The Definition of a True Athlete

Ironically, many athletes, even at the professional level, are unhealthy. While they may run fast, jump high, and have an amazing physique, the inside of their body could very well be in disastrous shape. Because of the extreme physiological burden that athletes put on their body, they have even more of a need to follow healthy lifestyle habits than the average person, but very few of them do. The excessive amount of activity coupled with inadequate rest and nutrition amounts to a body that is being gradually destroyed from the inside.

To sustain long term peak performance, a smart athlete realizes that optimal health is the foundation of their longevity. This is what I consider to be a true athlete, and likewise, I consider true athleticism to be an expression of vibrant health. True athletes get plenty of rest instead of buying into the hype of recovery supplements, they eat real food instead of the latest and greatest meal replacement powders, they avoid overtraining by respecting their physical limits, and they maintain a strong and positive perspective without the drama that has become so common in professional sports.

The Sport of Life

To be successful, an athlete must have energy, strength, resilience, skill, mental sharpness, determination, and self confidence. These are all basic characteristics of a well rounded individual who is well suited to vigorously pursue their aspirations and is more likely to live a fulfilling life. As such, it’s in your best interest to adapt the mentality of a high performance athlete and embrace the importance of peak mental and physiological function. Before you write this off as nonsense, consider the following reasons why.

Everything Requires Energy

No matter how talented, skilled, and well trained an athlete is, all of these advantages are pretty much worthless without the energy required to fully utilize them. Throughout my struggle with chronic fatigue, I spent many hours on the tennis court forcing my body to chase after balls when I clearly didn’t have the energy I needed to do so. I can promise you that it’s not effective and it’s certainly not much fun. In fact, it was down right infuriating and depressing.

Whether your aspirations in life are sports related or not, fatigue will reduce your desire and capacity to pursue them. As such, the healthy lifestyle habits that cultivate long lasting energy are just as important to you as they are to the world’s top athletes.

Your Brain Needs to Rest and Recover Too

If you know anything about weightlifting, you know that eating and sleeping are two very important factors for developing strength. This is because a strength training workout causes a considerable amount of tissue breakdown. The food you eat provides the nutrients needed to repair the damaged tissue and make it stronger, and adequate sleep provides the optimal environment for this to happen. The physical demands of a sport are no different, and in fact, most athletes lift weights to improve their performance which dramatically increases their need for quality food and adequate rest.

Aside from the obvious reasons why everyone needs good nutrition and adequate sleep, don’t think for a minute that the scenario above doesn’t apply to you. If you’re aggressively pursuing any meaningful achievements, which you absolutely should be, it undoubtedly requires hard work. Even though you may not be running around a playing field, the many hours of deep thinking and intense problem solving associated with your pursuit are still a physiological burden that increase the need for recovery. As such, excellent diet and sleep habits are just as critical to sustaining your mental focus as they are to repairing tissue damage.

Life is Physically Demanding

Although some athletes need more strength and physical ability then others, they all need it to some extent. For most athletes, improving their strength is a critical part of maximizing their performance and increasing their resistance to injury.

Many of the basic movements that are the foundation of most sports are based on the basic physical capabilities of the human body. While smart athletes train to improve these capabilities, the average person spends most of their life sitting and gradually loses their ability to perform them. As a result, they often develop physical limitations, pain, and susceptibility to injury.

Every time you get out of your car, you’re lifting all of your body weight with only one leg and are simultaneously twisting your body as you stand. The simple act of getting out of a car is more physically complex and demanding than most people realize, except for those who’ve lost the ability to do it with ease. Although it’s easier than ever for people to live a sedentary lifestyle, daily life still requires a full and healthy range of physical function. Even if it didn’t, a loss of physical function will still likely lead to pain and injury.

Lifting heavy objects and maintaining your balance during a fall are two other common situations in every day life that require healthy physical function. Unless you do something to maintain your full range of physical function, such as strength and mobility training, you will eventually become physically challenged and it will interfere with your life in one way or another.

Talent is Worthless Without Determination

Was Roger Federer born with enough tennis ability to be the dominant player that he is today? Absolutely not! In fact, it took him more than 5 years as a professional to reach number one and a lifetime of hard work to even become a professional. Although talent is a prerequisite for a professional athlete, a tremendous amount of determination, hard work, and perseverance are required to make something of it.

Day in and day out, athletes put in the hard work that will make them a better performer. Unless you want to live a life of mediocrity, you too need this type of determination to maximize your accomplishments. This includes a good understanding of what you want to achieve in life and the strong desire to make it happen.

The Mental Side of Sports

If you’ve ever watched a major sporting event, you’re probably familiar with the term “choke.” It refers to the failure of an athlete to perform at their potential when under pressure. Anyone who’s played a sport knows just how common and awful of an experience it is. Some professional athletes have so much trouble handling pressure that it ruins their career. In fact, mental strength is such an important component of athletic performance that the entire branch of sports psychology has been dedicated to it and it’s not uncommon for professional athletes to work with a sports psychologist on a regular basis.

To overcome pressure, athletes do everything they can to build their confidence and develop the ability to clear their mind. Ironically, this often gets more attention in sports than it does in daily life where it’s much more important. While it would certainly be unfortunate to lose an important game for your team by crumbling under pressure, this is nothing in comparison to misfortune of living an unrewarding life because you don’t have the confidence to chase your ambitions. Just as an athlete needs the confidence to go for their best shot when the game is on the line, you need the confidence and courage to aggressively pursue the life you want.

Training Camp Starts Now!

As you can see, nearly all of the foundational elements of being a successful athlete are also the foundational elements of a healthy lifestyle. Although you certainly don’t need to be as physically active as an athlete to achieve optimal health and support your pursuit and enjoyment of a fulfilling life, you can certainly benefit from their guided and intense focus. Start becoming an athlete of life right now by signing up for my free course, 7 Simple Steps to a Leaner, Happier, and Healthier You!

Written by Vin Miller for NaturalBias.com.