The nature of my business allows me to be in tuned with behavioral sciences. I am constantly asking how my clients are and what is new. Their reply and body language helps me determine what kind of day/night they’ve had, what kind of work out they will have and how far I can push them. With my questions, and the various levels of fitness & lifestyles, advice I’ve given along the way, and ideologies I’ve followed for myself; I have developed these 8 pillars that I sincerely believe comes full circle.
In my experience if these 8 pillars are filled, you will be balanced. As a result your energy and endorphins will be higher. Most importantly, you will gravitate towards others that have this same positive energy and lifestyle.
What is a pillar? A tall vertical structure used as support for a building or monument. Think of yourself as a monument. What are your support beams? Your secure foundation? What is holding you up????? Wellllll you need to get some of these 8 pillars in your life. To help keep you lifted. If one of your pillars is empty or down, overfilled or overwhelmed, it will affect all the other pillars. You’ll be unbalanced and easy to tip over.
8 Pillars
1. Fitness and Health regimen: Having a routine in your life where you are strengthening your body, feeding yourself nutrients. Lifting heavy shit, being active, eating healthy foods that your body needs to survive, is the perfect start to ignite that energy. So the rest of the pillars can feed off of that.
2. Self Grooming: Hair did, nails did, everything did. Love yourself enough to take time to look your very best. That feeling after a good haircut or when your make up looks on point. Guys gettting their hair lined up with a fresh shave. For girls when we get our mani-pedi. Means you pay attention to detail and take time to present things properly….including yourself first. Note: It takes 8 seconds to make a first impression and it’s usually right.
3. Work Ethic and Career Growth: EVERYONE NEEDS TO WORK….YES EVERYONE. Get those critical thinking skills working. If you don’t use it….you lose it. I may piss people off but it’s ok, I stand by my conviction. I don’t think any one should be a stay at home anything. There is more to you than just poppin’ out kids and supplying sperm. Let your kids see you can be a bad ass in MANY things. It nourishes your soul and brain.
4. Creative Pillar: get your brain working differently. There is something out there for you on the creative side, dive in! An art class, creative writing, dancing, music lesson??? Redoing rooms in your house, shopping???? Do it!
5. Social Networking: This can be an add on for the Creative Pillar. It’s important to put yourself in a situation where you are kind of, for lack of better words, forced to talk to people unfamiliar than your usual circle. This is where healthy debates and introductions to new thoughts and beliefs occur. You know the vintage concept: Learning through social activity. Over some fancy drinks and fancy clothes !! (sorry that’s like my ideal night).
Personal Relationships
6. Friends: Having a great friend that you confide in or even better, a circle of really close friends, that has grown with you. Where you guys know each others deepest darkest… stuff. The ones you don’t have to talk to everyday to know all you have to do is make a phone call. Friends will give you the advice and constructive criticism you need to hear. Probably to help you make some tough decisions in your life, even if you don’t really want to hear them, you will. Girls night out and guys night out is definitely a must.
7. Family: Coming from a big huge Chicago Puerto Rican family, that is loud and obnoxious. In your business and gives you unwanted advice. And at times super embarrassing…..I wouldn’t change them for the world. They’re going to love you no matter how ‘effed up you are. They’ll tell you how ‘effed up you are though. Good sense of family upbringing is crucial in this big confused world. Foundation is necessary for survival.
8. Love: The most searched emotion one could ever desire. The yearn for a “perfect” love. You know the one in fairy tales and such. Actually, comes from YOU. You have to love yourself the most before you can love someone else. Meaning you hold yourself high and build your character to the best of your vision. Using all the pillars in this read will help you, marinate you, in some good stuff. You can not serve from an empty vessel. Fill yourself up, your brain, your body, you soul…. nourish it. Then Then then! When you have reached where you should be. Where you feel happy and complete (all on your own). Great things will happen. That ” You complete me,” bs, well ‘imma ‘kinda need you to come complete already.
The thing is when you have worked so hard on being a better, fuller you, you won’t let anyone or anything compromise that. No one has time for pity parties or to let negative people bring cloudiness to your sunny day. Every one is going through some stuff. How well have you armed yourself for the battlefield?