PASSION = PAYCHECK

I saw a tweet by somebody on Twitter the other day which made me actually think deep about what is meant by “Follow Your Passion” – I’m simply going to rephrase the tweet: “People think that some of us who are in Universities studying trying to get our degrees, we’re not following our passion.” And then a comment underneath that said “it’s easy for them to say that because they are models, actors, musicians, etc.” And that actually got me thinking, ‘what is passion?’

“I like to use the word passion interchangeably with words like determination, conviction and love. Passion is a strong desire that can get you to do amazing things. Passion is an emotion to be acted upon… It is the fuel in the fire of action. When you have passion for some thing, you love it even when you hate it” 

(This is a quote I stumbled upon🔝)

This is what I actually think passion is about… turning your passion in to a profession. Hence the familiar phrase: If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. Being passionate about something is to love doing that particular thing. You feel more lively, enthusiastic, more energetic, and generally just happy when doing it. 

Let’s take for example a person who loves skateboarding. I once tried it and fell off my butt and busted my elbow. Till to this day I hate skateboards, although I am fascinated by professional skateboarders, I don’t see myself being on top of a skateboard EVER AGAIN! However, a person who’s passionate about this sport doesn’t mind the injuries and risks associated with it. Injury after injury they just want to see themselves at the skateboard park, skating. And some of them have turned that passion in to a profession. One individual that comes to mind is pro skater, Tony Hawk. He is considered as one of the pioneers of modern day skateboarding. He has been skateboarding ever since he was young and now considered a legend, he has a net worth of $120m. I can bet you now that when he initially started, he went through a lot of physical injuries but that didn’t stop him because he was passionate about skateboarding.

Some people genuinely have passion for teaching, being in a police force, nursing or whatever profession because it’s what they love to do. If sewing is what you love to do then by all means do that and find a way to make money out of it. My grandmother loved sewing she actually turned that as a side business. Sometimes I wonder how far she would’ve gotten had she pursued it professionally – she probably could’ve been a fashion designer because I remember when I was young I used to wear clothes that she sewed and after church she would showcase the clothes to potential customers. 

So I think it’s actually false to say that the “follow your passion” statement only applies to actors, models, singers, etc. If you’re in University gunning for that qualification to be a prominent public figure, then by all means if it is something that you’ve always wanted to do, goal for it* (go for it)

Each person has their own definition of what is meant by “follow your passion.” I think however, we can all come to a conclusion that if you’re passionate about something, it should be something that makes you happy and can hopefully turn that passion in to a paycheck.

#SWisdom 

I would like to also hear what is your definition of “follow your passion.” Kindly have your say on the comment section below. Thanks 

Resting Is Acceptable – Quitting Is Not

We’re all human beings, we get tired and exhausted. We’d like to just sit back and do nothing and just simply rest. However, one does get carried away at times and take the resting phase much longer than planned, especially when you’re on your path to reaching their goals; But I’m not referring to the “whoa, I’ve been running for 5km straight now I just need to rest for 10, 15 min then I’ll continue.” I’m talking about when you’re on the journey to reaching your ultimate goal. Whether the goal is fitness, business, writing a book or whatever it is, if you feel overworked it is okay to rest and take things slow. 

People however, tend to rest for a long period that whenever they they’re ready to get back at it again they’re not as motivated physically and mentally as they were before they initially started on their journey. So be careful of not taking a long break from achieving your goals.

Quitting is completely unacceptable. Keep on pushing and moving forward no matter what! 

“A year from now you’d wish you had already started” 

#SWisdom 

The Importance Of Stretching

Stretching is very important for flexibility, range of motion and injury prevention. Incorporating stretches into your daily workout is a given but including them in your day routine is just as important to health and body functioning as regular exercise. It relaxes your muscles and increases blood flow and nutrients to your muscles.

For me personally, I used to think that stretch exercises were a waste of time. And a lot of people feel the same way too because of only one reason… One cannot see the tangible results of stretching unlike when you’re doing weight training or squats. However, one has to change that mentality because there are great benefits for stretching. Then there’s this question of “should I stretch before or after a workout session?” 

Well, personally I like to stretch after my workouts because by then my muscles and joints are not as tight and stiff as before I started working out. You risk getting an injury or tearing your muscles when you stretch them while they’re still tight. After a workout the muscles and joints feel warm and are pliable to change which makes it easier to stretch. 

BENEFITS OF STRETCHING: 

• Decreases risk of injury
• Enables flexibility 
• Promotes blood circulation 
• Reduces soreness in the muscles
• Reduces cholesterol 
• Improves athletic performance 
• Improves posture 
• And regular stretching just keeps your muscles flexible, strong and healthy and we need flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints.

There are actually a lot benefits for stretching. I just named a few above. Stretching is also great at relieving stress and it also encourages the release of endorphins, providing a sense of tranquility and euphoria.
Hold a stretch for 30 seconds. Don’t bounce, which can cause injury. You’ll feel tension during a stretch, but you should not feel pain. If you do, there may be an injury or damage in the tissue. Stop stretching that muscle, and talk to your doctor.
Instead of thinking, “Stretching is agony and boring,” change your mindest and say “This is just what my body needs” and “I’m getting more flexible each time I stretch.” #PostiveMindset BOOM lol 

#SWisdom #PosivelFitness 

Let Your Light Shine

I remember I had this one friend who came to me really upset at himself for being too humble, as he had put it. I asked him what does he mean by saying he was being “too humble”? He told me that he is upset because he felt he was too modest when speaking of his accomplishments with his fellow colleagues. He said even if he had done a better job at a project or if he’s the one who came up with an idea, he would just let other people gloat and brag about their work and he would just only congratulate them and leave it at that. And so I asked him why doesn’t he do the same thing and brag and out his own work? He said it just doesn’t feel morally right for him to brag and he doesn’t like making people feel small , so he prefers to refrain from bragging in order for other individuals to feel good and confident about themselves. 

As he was busy talking, this quote by Marianne Williamson suddenly came in to mind: 

It made me realise that there are people out there who are frightened by their own success. Frightened that they are powerful beyond measure. 

As my friend had put it, I guess his logic of why he was being too modest whilst others were loud and proud about their achievements, is that he didn’t want to break those individuals’ confidence or sense of achievement.  

He thought he was doing the right and respectable thing but in essence he was just putting himself down and not allowing his light to shine.

I believe when you let your light shine, you’re unconsciously letting others shine as well because they’ll be inspired and motivated. Playing small doesn’t serve the world. We are all meant to be great. ”

“There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in all of us” 

#SWisdom 

Discipline and Commitment

These are two things one has to master when in pursuit of greatness. It’s not always easy to stay focused on your goals and there a lot of distractions along the way. You sometimes feel like quitting but if you have been able to master these two, no matter what’s happening or how you’re feeling, you will continue on your path. 

“Once you have commitment, you need discipline and hard work to help get you there” 

Have you ever realised that when you’re just chilling and not doing anything you naturally just feel physically and mentally energetic, however, if you start telling yourself that you need to do something that will contribute to reaching your goal all of a sudden you start feeling lazy and lose so much energy that you actually feel like taking a nap…? Yeah we’ve all been there – Although that’s what we all go through, yet there are people out there who accomplish their goal and reach for greater heights. And how do they do it; they are disciplined and they stay committed to their goals, no matter what! 

It’s okay to rest but it is completely unacceptable to quit. No matter what you are going through / how slow you are going, never stop pursuing your dreams. Remember, slow progress is better than no progress at all. 

Staying committed and disciplined is just finding a way to overcome distractions and excuses. Passion alone cannot sustain you in the long run – Sheer determination and focus is needed to complement the passion. #SWM 

Failure is inevitable

Nobody sets out to do a task and plan to fail at the end. We all want to be winners and not losers. However, we cannot always control the end-result of the tasks that we undertake.

Talking about failure… I can actually relate to this. Last year I attempted to start a business enterprise with my friends. There were four of us, 3 guys and 1 lady. The prospect of finally being a Director of a business enterprise was really exciting – growing up I’ve always wanted to be a business owner. So I was excited that finally I get a chance to make my dream come true.

However, a few months down the line the business sunk… Even though I realised this week’s before, I kept on believing that if we continued working hard, perhaps the company might survive, somehow. But eventually the inevitable happened –  failure. I was crushed. After I’ve quit my job in order to devote my time to the business, after sleepless nights, being broke almost the whole time, after putting so much hard work, the business goes under, just like that. I was quite devastated honestly. 

I quickly learned that feeling helpless and feeling sorry for myself isn’t going to change the outcome any better, in fact it would make it worse. That’s when I came across this quote “Failure defeats losers – Failure inspires winners” 

I actually felt inspired to soldier on instead of sitting in a corner somewhere feeling sorry for myself. I used that experience to learn so as to not repeat the same mistakes. And currently I am busy fighting for my dream of becoming an Entrepreneur because I can’t let failure stop me. I am not oblivious to fact that I might encounter some more failure in the future, however, I also know that failure isn’t the opposite of success but a part of it. 

You are not a loser or a quitter unless you stop trying completely. If there’s still some fight left within you then soldier on and fight for your dreams! #SWisdom 

FORGIVENESS

I’ve recently discovered that indeed forgiveness is for one’s own benefit and not anyone else. I am saying “recently” because my whole life I’ve always had this thing of if a person does me wrong or there’s a fallout between us, I will never speak to that person anymore; not that I hate them but I just cut them off completely from my life. The logic I was using in my mind is that ‘I am just avoiding further damage to our relationship by distancing myself from them.’

“I never knew how strong I was until I had to forgive someone who wasn’t sorry, and accept an apology I never received” 

Now this mindset seemed to predominantly apply only to the girls I’ve been involved with romanticly. Whenever the other person would ask for forgiveness with the hopes of reconciliation, I would just dismiss them like I didn’t even know them – Pride also played it’s part when I refused to forgive them. In my mind I was thinking that I was punishing them but in actual fact, unknowingly, I was punishing myself.

I’ve recently came to discover how important forgiveness actually is. It came at a time where I was told in order not to let the other person have control over me, I have to forgive them so I can have peace in my heart. Now this person whom they said I should forgive is a family member. There I was waiting for him to ask for forgiveness or at least to show regret of the bad things that he put me through. Mind you, this person is so prideful it’s actually annoying, and I was thinking if I try to make peace with him he’ll think I’m sucking up to him, and in addition to that his ego is just going to grow bigger and he might not be interested in a truce. Then the day came when I had to finally speak to him. 

Honestly speaking, if I had my own way I was going to try by all means to postpone or simply just avoid the peace talks just as I have been avoiding them all my life before; but because there was a mediator, who’s also family, I couldn’t. I said a little prayer, surpressed my pride and summoned extra confidence, took a deep breath and approached him and said what I needed to say. To my surprise, it didn’t  go as bad as I had imagined all this time. It was such a great feeling and I honestly felt at peace whilst I was still talking to him. At that moment I realised that it didn’t actually matter if he wanted to make peace with me or not, all I felt was the weight of resentment and anger being lifted off my shoulders and peace was being restored in my heart. It was really a great feeling! 

After I was able to cross that bridge, after forgiving someone whom I thought I would never be able to forgive… I contacted all my previous partners and apologised to them. Again, after I said my apologies, all of them were cool with me, in fact, most of them said they actually never held a grudge against me. This proved even further that it is better to let peace prevail than holding on to a grudge. This is not for them but for yourself. Live hate-free and cleanse your heart. I promise you, you won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll be glad you did. Trust me, I know (1st hand experience) #SWisdom 

Working Out At The Comfort Of Your Own Home

I used to always see this line (above) in the advertisement and think to myself “these people are actually liars. How can you think of working out in your own home when you don’t have the equipments that they’ve got at the gym?” Then while I was still puzzled about that I saw another advert, I realised that they still used this line but this time they had an equipment that can be used to target a particular muscle. I actually remember even my dad had a machine which basically worked the core and abs – even so, however, I was still not convinced. 

Eventually I was able to join the gym and used every equipment that I knew how to use, working every muscle in my body. I remember thinking “yeah this is what I’m talking about… This is what they should advertise instead of exaggerating about working out at your own home” while looking at myself in the gym mirror flexing my pectoral muscles. A few months later I had to relocate and where I was now situated there was no gym around. “Damn, I can’t afford to lose all these gains. Girls love these muscles man” I thought. So I bought two dumbbells and one barbell so that I can continue to gym at home. It went well for a couple of weeks but then I got lazy and didn’t workout as much as I used to. In fact, I had given my equipments to some guy because he realised I wasn’t using them, so he asked me for them. As time went on, I realised that I had lost my gains and I needed to workout again. But there was no gym around and I had given my dumbbells away… That’s when it hit me that I need to consider working out at my own place with no equipments. 

I started off by doing push ups on a daily and in no time I suddenly noticed a difference in my body. From there onwards I started doing ab workouts, planks, squats, burpees, shoulder push ups, etc and I started seeing definite change in my body, so that’s why I continued with home workouts. I took it a step further and Googled exercises that can be done at home with no equipments and to my surprise there were a lot of them! I even watched videos on YouTube to see tutorials on how these exercises were properly executed. That’s when I came across guys like Mike Chang, @AnabolicAlienz, a beautiful lady by the name of Vicky Justiz… OMG VICKY JUSTIZ… Lawd have mercy!! – I wrote most of the stuff down so that I can do these exercises at any time that I wanted to. And so far it is going very well and I workout almost everyday. 

Although when comparing progression, it seems like working out with gym equipments the body develops quicker than when you are not. But I have learnt to discipline myself not to be eager with seeing quick results. I should just learn to enjoy the process in the meantime because slow progress… IS still progress. The most important thing is to develop and keep pushing regardless of the pace. I just told myself that even if I join a gym today, I won’t cease working out at home. But for now I’m still enjoying home workouts and I want to take it further to a point where I will make my own video tutorials! #SWisdom 

Finding Your Passion

Each and everyone us were born with a God-given purpose to fulfil. However, many people just go through their lives without finding that purpose. No wonder why some/most people are unhappy in their jobs because they are working just to survive and get through life.

This is why it is so important for one to discover their purpose and live to fulfil their destiny. Which is why I just love this quote “when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life” – when you do what you love you work efficiently, with more enthusiasm and you stay committed – Turn your passion and into a profession – One should actually pay attention and be aware of the things that they’re attracted to… Be it sports, cars, fashion, fitness or whatever it is that ignites their passion, that’s the path they should follow.

I’ve discovered my passion and I know which path to follow, hence I started this blog. I am passionate about inspiring people, amongst other things. I may not appear as a great writer or not a great Motivational Speaker… yet lol But I’ve already started taking steps on being one of the greatest! 

“Even the master was once a student”

So I hope everyone will develop the courage to follow their passion and fulfil their God-given destiny. Let’s Do It! #GoalForIt #SWisdom 

Pride – The Spiritual Cancer

“There are two kinds of people, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ deadly sin of superiority that reeks conceit and arrogance” – John C. Maxwell 

Now this here is what I had to get rid of myself because it is indeed a spiritual cancer. It slowly destroys you inside but then because your ego is so colossal you don’t want to admit it even though you are aware of it. I am speaking from experience so I know how destructive it is.

“A man’s pride can be his downfall, and he needs to learn when to turn to others for support and guidance” – Bear Grylls

But honestly, I am thankful to God that I had realised this demonic spirit at an early age in my life unlike people who still suffer from this spiritual cancer even in their old age. I promise you, if you could just sit down with them and ask if did they honestly enjoy life, they might say yes (cause of pride) but deep down they know that they didn’t. Pride causes a rift between two people, which ultimately pushes the other one away. As a people we need each other. No person on earth can live alone in an island and honestly say they’re happy. You can have all the money, cars and mansions but if you are all alone with those things you will not fully enjoy them. But that’s what pride does when the other one who has it keeps pushing people away. They eventually feel alone because no one wants to be around someone who puts them down at every opportunity they get because they feel they are better than everyone. Even so, though the person realises the situation at hand, because of their pride, they will not even have the humility to apologise.

I have been in relationships with people who have been great partners, however, I have lost them all due pride. My pride stemmed from me thinking too much of myself. I mean hey, I do look deliciously handsome. So I used to say to myself “I’m actually doing this girl a favor by dating me. A lot of girls would want to have this piece of Black Forest cake but I let her have the whole damn thing! So in actually fact, she should be grateful to me.” Yeah I know man… I was just bad! Whenever one of my relationships would end, I was never bothered because I would get and date another girl. But I’m not the only one to be blamed for this because most of these girls used to come back and want to date me again. So I got used to that cycle hence my ego used to grow bigger and bigger whenever that happened. Be that may be though, I do take full blame for everything. Thank goodness I was able to recognise this destructive behaviour before it did any more damage and was able to get rid of it. 

Now I have become a better person when it comes to romantic relationships and a better person as a whole. Now I am able to detect it at an early stage and choose humility instead of acting on it. And let me tell you it is a great feeling, over all! I hope and encourage people who suffer from this spiritual cancer can actually get rid of it and lead a happy, loving life. It will be hard at first but as time goes on if you choose humility over ego, you will eventually get rid of it. #Self_Improvement #SWisdom