“We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” -The Dalai Lama

This week on the Champ Up Chat Sarah and I are following up with our Quality of Life series with a chat on the importance of improving your social arena. 

The social arena relates back to Abraham Maslow’s, Hierarchy of Needs, which states that…humans need social connection feelings of belongingness. 

Belongingness, refers to a human emotional need for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, and being part of a group.

This is one arena is where I am super aware and proactive in developing, especially over the past 2 years of evolving through the pandemic. Moving away from the city that I was born and raised, closing down our gym, and learning how to thrive in a new environment, has been a test of my social skills. 

As with the theme of our last few episodes, awareness of this arena, how we can develop and improve, is a crucial component to an "anabolic" quality of life.

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

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#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

 

 

"The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves."

Khalil Gibran   If our mental arena involves how we think and process our thoughts, our emotional arena is where/how we express our wide array of feelings that we experience on a daily basis. And experiencing emotional wellness doesn't mean that you are always happy. It means that you choose to navigate through the emotions because you are better prepared to handle the stress, disappointment and hardships of life.   Sarah and I talk about the next area in our lives that has a direct influence on our quality of life, the emotional arena. This is a topic that a majority of people do their best to suppress. Facing certain kinds of emotions in our lives can feel undesirable because of the pain that we experience along with it. Being scared, sad, angry and stressed are all a part of this journey we call life. But just like a fight, you are not going to be able to avoid all the shots that come your way. What is important is acknowledging and understanding these emotions so that you are better equipped for the next time that they come around.    Listen in as we chat about some foundational thoughts and concepts that help us to move through the ebb and flow of the fight.  

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

 

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“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.” -Buddha

Today, Sarah and I chat about the 3rd crucial arena that can be enhanced to improve your QoL, the mental arena. The key concept we talk about is being aware of your intake. What you absorb is what you reflect to your own environment. Being mindful of the types of stimulus that your brain is exposed to is crucial, not only in your own mental strength, but also in how you approach tasks, activities and situations in regards to your well-being. 

Sarah also explains how nutritional intake is absolutely vital in regards to how your mental capacity can be affected.

The key here in this episode is not to tell you "what" to think but sharing with you the "how" to think when it comes to your journey of health and well-being. 

So listen in, then ask yourself, "what are some ways that I can evolve in my mental arena?"

Chris & Sarah

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#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

 

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"Building your spiritual fortitude involves committing to something that has existed before you and will exist after you."

In this week's follow-up on quality of life, we dive into the spiritual arena and how crucial of a role it plays in our lives. No matter what you consider your higher power, it's what gives you the energy to persevere when times get rough. Enhancing your spiritual arena is not only synonymous with religion, it encompasses finding the core purpose of why you're on this planet. This is a concept that many don't take the time to sit down and state what that means for them, which leads to lack of drive, fulfillment and feelings of apathy. Sarah and I chat about the 2 ways that you can start moving in the direction of being a spiritual person. By finding that "bigger than you" ambition.

Here are a few common ambitions of purpose that people commit to:

-Family

-Career

-Health

-Talents/abilities

-Faith/religion

-Service to others

-Promoting equality

These ambitions will guide you to answering that one question we pose in this episode.

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#allittakesisheart #F7S8

 

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“All human beings seek the happy life, but many confuse the means — for example, wealth and status — with that life itself. This misguided focus on the means to a good life makes people get further from the happy life.” — Epictetus

Quality of life is a term we've all heard and understand to some degree. It is human nature to want to improve your quality of life for yourself and your loved ones. But what tends to happen is that we focus too much on the things outside of us (external) to bring on the QoL. While it is crucial to have a stable place to live, a secure job/career to pay the bills and other material items to validate our success we forget about the other areas that deserve our attention to ensure an overall sense of "happiness". 

In this week's episode Sarah and I chat about 1 of the 6 areas of our lives that embody this concept of QoL. You might have your own criteria to assess your level of well-being so what we deem vital is not written in stone. You might have a completely different interpretation of how you measure your own happiness. Our intention is to invite you to explore and become aware of other possibilities. 

With that said, today's chat is about the first factor that affects our energy, stress, engagement, aka quality of life is our environment. Optimizing this area of our life can determine how capable we become overall.

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This week Sarah and I discuss how in general, fighters are known to have massive amounts of grit to endure, not only what happens in the ring, in the cage or on the mats; but to endure the days, weeks, months and years of training to prepare for whats going to happen in the scrap. It is honorable and noble to exhibit grit through these challenges, but what most people aren't talking about is the "grace" that a fighter wants to possess as well.

We are all "fighters" in this journey that we call life. It is a daily campaign to experience this journey in the most conscious way possible. Since Sarah and I have met we have done everything in our power to show our grit in the tough times. As we grow and evolve as parents and as a couple, it's becoming more and more apparent that showing grace is just as important as showing grit. It's like the yin/yang concept of masculine/feminine energy. There is no such thing as light without the dark. There are no peaks without valleys. Or as Bruce Lee once put it, “water can crash or it can flow, be water my friend.” One only exists because of the other. 

It's not always about "toughing it out" on your health and wellness journey. But it also not about accepting what is and doing nothing about it. It is about acknowledging where you are and deciding that you want from yourself and being willing to take the next step.

 

Champ Up 

 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8

 

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Einstein once said, “Everything Is Energy and That’s All There Is To It.” 

 

If you dive a little bit into the study of energy you will find that what Einstein has stated is undeniable. In today’s chat, Sarah and I talk about the concept of energy, the levels of it and how it applies to us directly when it come to life and the pursuit of health and well-being. 

 

These are concepts I’ve been exposed to through my own journey of self-development and since Sarah and I are implementing them into our lives and the way we coach our clients, we were excited to chat about it with the intention of opening it up to your own awareness. 

 

Through my experience working towards my ICF certification with iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching) and the energy concepts, I’ve only scratched the surface on what is possible. 

 

Check this out if you want to dive a little deeper into how you can further perceive “energy” to champion any endeavor that is at the top of your list. Whether it’s to be a high level parent, partner, employee, employer or an all-around world class human being.

 

Here is a quick breakdown of the energy levels that we all experience: 

 

-Level 1: Feeling lost. Stuck. Lack of choice. I can’t. I have to. Fearful. 

 

-Level 2: Anger. Combativeness. Resisting or fighting energy. 

 

-Level 3: Rationalizing. Fine. Coping. 

 

-Level 4: Care. Compassion. Service to others. 

 

-Level 5: Reconciliation. Win-win. Solution-focused. 

 

-Level 6: Intuition. Creative genius. Visionary. 

 

-Level 7: Absolute Passion. Non-judgment. Oneness.

 

Remember, we experience all these levels within various scenarios in our lives. Attaching yourself to one specific level and saying "that's me" will keep you from moving forward. 

"Each moment describes who you are and gives you the opportunity to decide if that's who you want to be."

-B. Schneider

 

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In this week's episode we chat about the benefits of having, planning and implementing a wake up (morning) routine. Instead of jumping (or falling) out of bed half asleep and running face first into the hecticness of your day, developing a daily routine to "warm up" is absolutely vital. 

Championing a life of health, fitness and well-being (aka physical culture) takes intentional habits and actions that will keep you on the mission. Not to say that life won't knock you off course, but having purposeful actions, 9 times out of 10, will put you back on the straight and narrow path towards the quality of life you seek.    Listen in and find out how you start building your own plan for winning the day.  

Champ Up 

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Here is a great resource for more on "tapping":   https://www.marieforleo.com/2020/04/nick-ortner-tapping/   For meditation...the FitMind app is what I've been using:   https://apps.apple.com/us/app/fitmind-mind-training/id1474170096   **These are not sponsors, just choice resources that have benefited us**

This week we chat about the 2 concepts to take into your new year, whether you've fallen off track during the holidays or not. These are the two ways to distinguish or look at your habits. Impact based vs identity based habits. They should be established independently but they can also work together to accomplish short/mid or mid/long term goals. 

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As with any new year you're probably thinking about all the things that didn't go well this year. Disappointment and hardships hit us all and they will change our lives, no doubt.

But what happens when you are not able to extract the lessons, insights and wisdom of those situations, events and circumstances?  You dwell, blame and give up on the opportunity to move forward. 

Focusing on what you want vs. focusing on what you DON'T want is always the battle.

In this episode Sarah and I chat about 4 ways that you can step into your 2022. By adding these 4 concepts to your life, you won't avoid challenges and set-backs but you will have a solid foundation to move through whatever comes your way. 

When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude towards it.  It’s not the things that disturb us, but our interpretation of their significance.   Things and people are not what we wish them to be, nor are they what they seem to be.  They are what they are.-Epictitus

Happy New Year to you and yours!! 

Champ Up #allittakesisheart #F7S8

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