Here we go again, comrades!

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Oscar from FreeStyleMind


Exercise is one of the most important activities to integrate into our lifestyle. Aside for the almost infinite list of health benefits you get by exercising, something that probably not everyone knows is that exercise is also one of the best ways to do a mental workout.

The reason is that your brain loves movement, and it performs better when you are in a good shape. Thus, the more you exercise, the more you’ll be able to learn, and the more successful you’ll become.

It doesn’t matter what your goal is, you’ll get there faster if you are in a good shape.

There’s a strong scientific background behind this claim. Scientists have proven that children who do physical activities perform better at school, and when the same students stop to exercise, their scores drops as well.

The relationship between exercise and success is even greater as you become an adult. Especially if you do a sedentary job, starting to exercise regularly will sharpen your mind, which in turn will help you to generate new ideas.

The good news is that even if you did not do any kind of exercise until yesterday, it’s not too late. We know from science that you can boost your mental performances in a matter of weeks or months, regardless of your age.

It takes nothing to do a ten minutes run, yet is enough to get you started. And it turns out that getting started is indeed the biggest obstacle people find, usually because they think they’re not good enough, but the truth is that is through exercise that you’ll eventually become good enough, not the other way around.

Below are some tips that will get you started with physical exercise.

* Start slowly. You need less than 30 minutes per day to be in a good shape. If you are just starting out, some jogging, pushups and squats is a good workout to do. You can start with 10 minutes three days per week, and then upgrade until 30 minutes per session when you feel comfortable.

* Don’t buy anything. You may be tempted to buy some expensive equipment which promises to assist you in your endeavor. Don’t. You really don’t need anything except your body, and you can save the money for later.

* Expect results, but don’t be obsessed. Beginners especially, will see faster improvements, however don’t be obsessed by them. For example it will take only a few weeks to move from 10 to 30 minutes of running, but don’t be obsessed by it. Goals are important, but having fun is more.

* Notice small improvements. Be happy when you reach a new result. If you can run just for just 5 minutes or less initially, be grateful when you’ll be able to run 10 minutes. These small achievements are a signal that your body is growing.

* Take a challenge. If what you need is motivation, perhaps a 30 days challenge is the best way to start. Commit yourself for exercising 3 days a week for 30 days no matter what. After these 30 days, you can then decide if it’s worth continuing or not, but at least you tried.

What if you don’t have time? I have heard this question a lot of times. If you really can’t find 30 minutes three or four times per week, then there’s something wrong in your lifestyle. Exercising is important and if you really don’t have time, you have to make it. Maybe you can avoid watching television in the evening, or maybe you can wake up 30 minutes earlier, you decide.


The time you spend exercising is nothing compared to the benefits you’ll get from it, and it’s your choice if you want to switch your habits or continue with your old lifestyle. Remember, you don’t have to train a lot, 3 times per week will do. Have fun.

Author’s bio. Oscar Del Ben writes about personal development and lifestyle design. He’s always trying new things and he blogs about his experiences at FreestyleMind.com.

My Running Theme Music

Remember the Boat Chase scene of the MW2 video game that I posted in one of my earlier entries? This is their original soundtrack that I listen to on my runs. The Favela and the Gulag music are great too. Enjoy!

Imagination

Ever heard of the saying "Imagination is more powerful than knowledge"?

Thats because you are whatever you want to believe you are. The mind is a powerful tool which is responsible for virtually everything about you.

If you say you are not able to do something, then for sure you are gonna PHAIL.

If you say I'm gonna do my best and take whatever comes, then for sure your chances are better, but not GREAT.

If you say I'm gonna DO this, cuz I OWN this game. I've done this many times before and nothing's gettin in the way! Then you're fired up! Your chances of success is GREATER.

But nothing is greater if you come PREPARED.

If its not difficult for you to BELIEVE that you are destined for GREAT THINGS, then why not come PREPARED while you're trashtalking it.

Why not use your IMAGINATION and CONDITIONED SKILLS to take you to the game? That will up your chances even more.

Why just a pretty face when you can have a pretty face with a hot body? I'm just saying :p

Imagination is a powerful thing that can influence the heavier things like charm, confidence and poise. Some things cannot be explained by a manual, it just grows on to you with TIME and TRAINING. If you know are good at something and you KNOW it, no one can tell you otherwise. The game is in your hands!

And even if you fail, it doesn't matter. This is the kind of failure that breeds success. You come prepared but you failed. You're only gonna come out better.

PERFECT practice makes PERFECT.

The kind of failures that don't make the cut, are the ones that you deliberately LET UP. And won't make you successful in any way. You know something isn't right yet you do it for the thrill.

An example would be shoplifting.

Comrades, people who make mistakes... and people who deliberately look for trouble, are two entirely different things. One is discipline while the other isn't.



No one is perfect. People makes mistakes. But while the latter is PERFECTING a craft, the other is doing something that is SOCIALLY FROWNED upon.

Which mistakes would you rather make?

MISTAKES that would discipline you not DESTROY you. Yes?

If you can easily BELIEVE yourself into thinking that you could do something, then what better way to MOTIVATE your beliefs than by taking ACTION as well? Its all about what you BELIEVE in, not necessarily what you CAN or CAN'T do.

You need to FACILITATE your imagination and make it into REALITY.

Give it a shot, comrades! Just keep believing that you CAN!

Inspiring

Every morning on the way to work, I would see this lady pulling her trolley collecting card boxes and other materials she could use for recycling. I walked behind her and decided to snap one. It was inspiring to watch someone work so hard at that age. She was walking ahead of me and was walking faster than me despite the load she is pulling.

This just goes to show that you're only as old as you feel. You have to take good care of yourself in order to BELIEVE that you are in good health. If you don't take care of your health, its harder to believe that. You believe you are plagued with diseases and injuries so much that it becomes true, and you limit yourself to what you can do. You feel old faster as a result and the more you stay in your comfort zone as you get older the more injuries and sickness you are prone to have.

Moral of this entry is you have to build your defense system as soon as possible. One baby step at a time. A small injury with enough time to heal will yield better results at the next step. Dun be afraid of injuries. Dun be afraid to step out of comfort zone. The body needs to feel some pressure then repair itself to grow.

Never say quit.

What you do for your body will psychologically heal your mind. This builds self confidence, self esteem and positivity. What your mind gives back to your body is your soul. Health, well-being and life in general.

Body. Mind. Soul.

Love life. Love your body. A healthy mind and body doesn't end until you have reach the end, comrades.

Have you started yet?

For the women :) (and guys!)

Zuzana may have a killer bod... but those workouts are not easy to do. Check out more of her other videos at Youtube. She's a true inspiration if I don't say so myself! I'm a guy and I'm jealous :p

Rolemodel & Theme Song

Good afternoon, comrades!

So you've finally decided on your rolemodel, eh?

Today I'm going to share with you just one of my rolemodels I've been looking up to lately. It could be anyone at any time but they all FIT you. And they all have the same quality.

My personal preference in my rolemodel is that it has to be a guy (of course!) and he has to be either rebellious or disciplined, but respectable. He can be a hero or a villain but he has to do something of a great cause. He is not about popularity as long as he does his job well.

Enter Soap McTavish of Modern Warefare 2



"Soap" begins his SAS career hours before the six-day global war begins. He starts out as a Sergeant, unusual in that newcomers to the SAS are usually demoted to Trooper so that they must learn from the ground up (Soap is likely a replacement for a recently deceased Sergeant and has transferred from another unit). He is given a quick training session in weapons and techniques by Gaz, before being introduced to Captain Price and the rest of Bravo Team.

MacTavish's final mission in the Russian civil war saw him infiltrating Russia as part of the joint task force of US Marines and SAS operators in order to eliminate Imran Zakhaev's nuclear capability.

A heavily wounded John Price slides Soap his M1911 pistol, which enables him to personally kill Imran Zakhaev and two of his bodyguards. Moments later, Loyalist forces flood the scene and Kamarov comes to Soap's aid by helping him onto a stretcher, assuring him that he will be alright. Soap passes out during the middle of extraction and is revealed to have survived as the events of Modern Warfare 2 begin.

After the events of the civil war, MacTavish is promoted to Captain and is a squad leader of Task Force 141 alongside Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley and Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson.

But lets not get too in depth into the character's bio. Captain McTavish is a symbol, along with his mohawk hairstyle and a dying need to get their mission objectives done. His articulation of command under pressure from gunfire earns him his rank and respect. And the game's ending where once again, he was almost BEATEN when he was stabbed with a knife after straggling out of a collision at the mouth of a waterfall. But his fighting spirit kept him alive, as he took that knife out of him with unimaginable pain and threw it back to the enemy. A precise hit to the head.

A man with a lot of HEART.

A symbol that I've carved out from a videogame character at the back of my mind. As long as it works, you could use it as a rolemodel to motivate you to push harder in whatever things you want to do. It reminds you to not be afraid of discomfort or pain, and just keep pushing to improve.

I hope this gives you an idea of what a rolemodel's quality that you should be looking out for.

But what good is a rolemodel if you don't have his theme song? :)

I have chosen a theme song from the game's ending... which is composed by Hans Zimmer. He also composed the Gladiator movie soundtrack which I grew to like. The theme song brings out Captain McTavish's last golden moments very well. And I put it on during my night runs :)

Here is a youtube video from MW2's endings. If you're still completing the game, don't watch it yet cuz it contains spoilers. The rest of you... enjoy!