This video by Rick Mereki and his 2 man team is just so awesome! From his vimeo page:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

Don't you just want to get out there and LEARN??

Inspired.

So, my birthday was not too long ago (more on that coming soon :D) and guess what time it was? You betcha! Reassessment time! OOh yeah! Exciting! LOL!

It was time I sat myself down and gave me and evaluation (yes, I'm a little obsessed about 'how I am doing'). I did my Life Chart.

The Method

My life chart. Sorry for the bad quality photo!It's simple really, I write down 10 things that are important to me and that I want in my life. Then I rate each thing on the list between 1 - 10. My total score would be 100, but I've never gotten a 100 - obviously. It's all very logical and methodical, but the thing is I usually never take my total score 100% seriously. Sure, it's nice to see where I 'stand' but usually it's one aspect or another in my life that is dragging my score down, so I just use it to assess where I should be focusing my energies or where I know to maintain what I am doing now.

My 10 things:

1. Purpose + Satisfaction + Passion
2. Experience
3. Growth
4. Mind, Body, Health
5. Love
6. Family
7. Friends
8. Creativity
9. Money
10. Spirituality

Anyway, the point of this article...

I realised that I scored highest on things that I had fully committed to. Experience is always one of those things that I score highest in. My motto is I'll always try something once at least. Last year I made a commitment to love and now it is also one of those things that I score really high in.

Anyway, I looked at certain areas of my life, things where I said I wanted to do / be / experience and checked to see if I was being half hearted about it or really committed to it. And guess what? Almost everything I was being half hearted about, I wasn't excelling in / doing / experiencing etc.

So I decided to drop all the things or at least put on hold things that I wasn't fully committed to doing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is..

Do it or don't do it, but don't be half arsed about it! If you're in a relationship, be in it fully, or don't be in it. If you're doing a job, give it your best or don't bother - If you hate the job, leave. If you want to quit smoking, give it all you've got. If you want to get some money, commit to doing so, not say you want to but as soon as your pay check comes you blow it up on some toy you don't need. You get what I'm trying to say here?

It won't be easy

I'm not saying do or die. Well, I guess I kinda am. We humans are champions of sitting on the fence. But when you commit yourself to something, magic happens. And as with any commitment, it won't be easy. No bird learnt to fly by just falling off a tree, you need to commit to flapping those wings. You'll fall off the wagon, you'll have to reassess, you might change your mind, you'll need support and family and/or friends but when you reap the rewards - BOOYAH!

Action step

Create your own Life Chart and rate yourself. Figure out where you stand in your life. 

And then commit to at least one (just ONE!) thing and give it your all :)

Good luck!

And let me know how it goes in the comments :)

Man with Hoe by Vincent Van Gogh

The book put a lot of things in perspective for me and introduced me to the concept of Resistance. Something I felt (constantly) but never thought of calling resistance (in fact i called it everything else!).

Resistance stops me from:

• Updating Blisscipline daily
• Working on my other project
• Editing and publishing more videos
• Taking dance lessons in Barcelona
• Speaking better Spanish
• Losing my last 3 kilos.
• Everything and anything that is important in my life.

Now Steven Pressfield has just released his new book Do the Work through the Domino Project (Seth Godin's baby). I've just read it and it feels like my mothers voice telling me to do the work. That might sound weird, but what I mean is that it feels familiar, it's that trusted common sense telling you to just get up and do, and stop making things complicated. 

My mum always said it won't be easy, but you've got to do it anyway. Just to make things clear, Steven Pressfield isn't my mum, nor did my mum write this book but I'd like to thank Mr Pressfield for writing it.

A nice short read, took me about an hour or two to finish it. If you'd like a more detailed explanation of what the book is about, check out this article that Steven wrote on his blog here. 

I will say this though, if you're looking for a book which will give you a strategic, step by step explanation of what you have to do, this book isn't it. This book flows in concepts and one constant message which is "sit yourself down and work". If you think you won't get it because you're more of a 'left brain' kinda person, don't worry, you will. 

And if you think "I already know this" then this book will come as a sweet reminder that the important things in life are worth repeating - and repeating often.

Whatever your excuses are for not getting out there and taking control of your life, your dreams, your blisscipline, know that this is not a fight that you fight alone. Everyone fights this battle in their individual reality. Don't be part of the losing team :)

Action Step:

Links to click on:

• Buy "Do the Work" by Steven Pressfield here for only $9.89

• OR Download the Kindle version for FREEE here!! (that's right! Thank you the Domino Project and Amazon) 

• Don't have Kindle? Then download for Free (Mac) here or (PC) here! 

• Visit Steven Pressfield on his website.

• Visit the Domino Project.

What is your dream and what resistance have you faced? Leave me a comment below!

About the Book Shelf:

I'm officially giving my book obsession a name. My obsession over books and reading started ever since I could read and before I left for my travels (and subsequently my move to Spain) I had to sell my books. I had over 500 books. It broke my heart but it had to be done.

Now after 6 months of having no books, I have started purchasing real books again (as opposed to kindle versions for my iPod) on Amazon (thank you Amazon UK for your Free delivery!! Spain doesn't carry many English books) and I am ecstatic! Whenever I read a good book I love giving it to friends to read as well, hoping that they get as much out of it as I did. 

So here I share my 'book shelf' online for everyone who reads Blisscipline. I hope you get the same enjoyment as I did from these books! 

So how does breathing correctly help with our energy levels and focus?

When you breathe deeply you help to oxygenate the blood in your body better, thus removing all the accumulated toxins in your cells that were making you sluggish and lack focus. Your body relaxes and settles and comes out of flight or fight mode. While you may think that will actually make you less focused and lower your energy levels, it actually does the opposite!

Clearing out the system is like giving the toilet a good flush! LOL! Now your body has more oxygen and more energy!

So how do I breathe then?

Check out the short clip below of Gay Hendriks from his Breathing Box DVD. I've been practicing this for a few weeks now and I spend 10 minutes (I set a timer) each morning just breathing. It's part of my morning routine.

Using the Life Stream breathing I have:

• Increased my energy levels (this is part of my routine, so after I'm done with my morning routine, i am raring to go!)
• Become more focused (by focused I mean I work in sets of 50 minutes at a time. And I am able to complete chunks of work better ever since I started this breathing. And during breaks I also do short 1-2 minute breathing sessions)
• Become more productive (relative to the amount of work I used to do before I began Life Stream Breathing).
• I use this breathing when I need to be creative. Breathing this way while thinking about an 'issue' just allows me to come up with more creative solutions.
• I just feel better!

So I would like to invite you begin breathing into yourself. To breathe deeply and nourish your body so that it can serve you better.

Let me know what kind of changes you see in yourself by using the breathing technique above (or any breathing technique - Tony Robbins also advocates good breathing in order to empty the lymph nodes - message me if you'd like to know his technique)

Action Step:

Take 2 minutes (just 120 seconds of your life) right now, and practice the breathing method above. And let me know how you feel in the comment section below!

All you need to begin is 2 minutes... :)

Talk about determination and living a dream!

Now what about you?

It's never too late :D

So this little note is on my bedside table, held up by Cow and supported by Penguin :)

It says:

The Art Of Living

• Feel all your feelings deeply
• Seek your true self
• Let go of the uncontrollable
• We are all made of the same thing
• Life is fullest when we are most true to ourselves

These 5 little 'rules' aren't mine of course. It's from Gay Hendriks from his book Conscious Living. I have also read Gay and Kathy's book Conscious Loving which I loved and I am looking forward to meeting them both one day.

Anyway, this isn't about the Hendriks. I was wondering what was the first thing you see when you wake up? Are they things that make you swell with happiness? That inspire you? Or are they things that bring worry to your mind? That make you annoyed. 

How is that going to shape the rest of your day? 

I know I keep harping on morning routines and such, but I do believe that how you treat your morning shapes the rest of your day! And if you're set on taking action on your life, this little step is a great place to start!

Action step:

So, what's the first thing you see when you wake up? And if it's something negative, how are you going to change that?

Let me know in the comment section! 

Have a great day!

Video: 10 minutes.

Poor detox, it never had a chance! :P

Some of the benefits I got off my detox:

1. Feel lighter, not so bloated
2. Have more energy
3. I can concentrate more
4. Lost weight!! Yeehaa! Total of 1.2kg and 0.9kg of that was purree fat! Oh yeah! (I know I said 0.9% in the video - I was wrong. What the hell is 0.9% anyway??)
5. Sleep more deeply and more restful.
6. Feel more in control of what I eat.
7. Wish to carry on eating healthy and taking care of my body!

I'd like to thank Johanna Voss for sharing her awesome tips! A little bit about Johanna:

Johanna Voss is a yogi, food lover, adventure seeker, cook, runner, dog lover, 32 year old, spanish speaking Holistic Health Coach. Her feet have touched ground on 5 of the 7 continents and she is currently scheming on how to reach those last two, Africa and Antarctica. Passionate, enthusiastic and convincing are just 3 words that come to mind when thinking of her!

I am super excited about completing my first goal for this year (lol) and am well on way on completing my second goal (and third) - which is to lose 5 kgs and to speak some conversational Spanish by April 21st !

Check out the rest of my goals in a post I wrote a little while back here!

Before I leave I'd like to remind you that you can get some awesome recipes from my facebook page. Just click like and check out the recipes!

And a GREAT offer from Johanna herself! Check it out:

As a Holistic Health Coach she is trained to support YOU reach your maximum level of health and happiness-- be it reducing stress, eating healthier or finding balance. Johanna gets it. Similar to you, she juggles lots of balls at once, always looking to add more into the mix and get better at life while trying to have fun doing it.

If you have always dreamed about how your life could be different, now is the time to put those dreams into action. As a valued reader of the Blisscipline blog, she is offering YOU a free wellness consultation—a chance for you to talk about your goals and your life while at the same time learning about Johanna's holistic approach to life and wellness. Don't hesitate to get in touch with her via her website www.johannavoss.com or johanna@johannavoss.com. Here's to a beautiful life!

Have questions about detox? Or just did one? So tell me about you detox experience in the comments!

Source: Jason Randal: Learn how to strech your memory and focus (http://the99percent.com/videos/6125/Jason-Randal-Learn-How-to-Stretch-Your-Memory-Focus) by Behance Team

Video: 6min - So yeah, I know while you're committed to pursuing your bliss, there are days that you just feel like you don't want to get out of bed. I get them, you get them, even the self help guru who can do no wrong and has passion up to his/her armpit get them. Inevitable. So, for days like that I've created a short video on 5 steps to give your happiness a boost!

source: backintheworld (via flickr)Some facts from this video was taken from the book 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot (Borzoi Books) (click link to purchase) which is a wonderful book on one man's search for a proven scientific method of achieving happiness and how to apply it to your life in 59 seconds.

I would love to know if these steps worked for you and also what you do to give yourself a happiness boost! Leave me an answer in the comments! 

:)

shine on!

Source: gogobabyzblog

I'm always on the fence with this 'routine' stuff. On one hand I know a little bit of a routine is good, on the other hand I hate the feeling of repetition. However, that said, I do admit to having a morning routine that helps me get pumped for the day.

Whenever I do these things it just sets the tone of the day for me and I get excited to work! So I've written down 8 morning routines that you could do to get pumped up for the day! Check it out:

Source: the best juicer review1) Make and have breakfast

I'm one of those people that have to have breakfast in the morning or I feel incomplete. My favourite thing to do is to juice in the mornings. I like having that little time of the day just to myself, cutting up fruits and vegetables, just knowing my body is going to thank me for it while listening to my audio books. Which brings me to point number…

Source: cosmicsoda2) Listen to uplifting / positive talks

I have a whole collection of audio books that I listen to as I go about juicing in the morning. I make sure that they're uplifting and positive and that helps keep me in a great frame of mind. Not only that I'm also learning something new every morning - which is one of my daily goals. You can check out Audacity if you want to buy audio books.

3) Meditate

I must admit, there are days I skip this. But the days that I do meditate I feel awesome! I find that meditating tells me that I am in control and I am actively choosing and creating my day. If you really don't have the time, even a short 10 minute meditation is better than nothing.

4) Rise early

Lucky for me I work at home, so I can get up anytime I want, but I find that the days that I wake up early (and by early I mean like 7am - 8am he he..) I feel a lot better about myself. I have the rest of the day to be productive and that feels good. Instead of waking up at 11 or 12 and having half the day (and sun) gone.

Source: Popularmechanics5) Make your bed

OK, ok, so a lot of people will not want to make this into a routine. But I love it! When I make my bed I feel like I'm clearing off the old energy of yesterday and preparing myself for today. Also I LOVE crawling into a fresh bed at night! Yum~

6) Pump up the (happy) music

This isn't something I usually do, but I know enough people who listen to happy music in the morning to get them pumped up for the day. It's important though to listen to uplifting, happy music (no I don't mean woo-woo spiritual, wafty music) that makes you feel good instead of intense, not so happy music (so, Black metal is a no-no i guess).

Source: Popgadget7) Brew tea

Some people like a cuppa in the mornings. Brewing tea has become a bit of an art form really. And if you're not into tea, you can also brew other herbal drinks.

Clipartheaven8) Movement

Whether it be yoga, jogging, dancing, hitting the gym, going for a walk or whatever other form of movement you choose, exercise is a great way to feel good. Even doing simple sun salutations can make a difference.

What is your morning routine? Do you have one? Is your routine actually bringing you down? Let me know in the comments :D