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Some Ideas for Changing Your Daily Routine

 It begins with movement

This was written in July 2020. Today, January 16, 2022, it remains relevant. I hope this finds you easing in to the pace of the year. Keep on going. You got this!

Coach Carlos

Time to get up and start with the good vibes to help motivate your mind, body, and soul! 

We are all being challenged by COVID-19 and the rest of the trials and tribulations that we are meeting daily. It is very important to find your daily routines. 

Physical movement is important. Whether it is walking/running, going to a gym, lifting weights, or doing yoga it is important part of your daily and/or weekly routine. The blood is flowing, the body warms up, the negative thoughts are harder to hear when the blood is pumping and the endorphins are released.

If you are a prayer person or a spiritual person, spend some time each day in prayer. Ask for the things that you want to attain.

Positive affirmations are a must. Create these affirmations according to your beliefs.  I am exercising and my body is getting stronger. I am strengthening my connection with a higher power. I feel good about the work that I am doing. 

Just get moving. If you are looking for a job make that your intention. Look for new job ads. Talk to people that are doing what you would like to do and ask questions. What training do I need? What experience is needed? How do I start?

Finally, be patient through the process. Remember that we are in a pandemic and it might take a longer time to find what you are looking for. Stay positive, focused, and believe in yourself!!

Just Dance

Sometimes things can be difficult, and sometimes some things can be easy. This morning was difficult because I wanted to come up with something spectacular. It didn’t work. I was trying too hard to do something that would be great. However, the actual answer came from hearing the song Walk Like a Man by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons on my daily walk. To be sure, I don’t usually sing outside, but there was not a lot of noise, and I thought it would be fun, and it was.  What was more interesting is that I felt a lot of serotonin release, which I have not had in a long time. Have you danced lately? Many people don’t like to go to clubs, but you can dance in your house and with friends or family. It doesn’t matter as long as you have fun. You can exercise and burn the carbs you recently ate. You don’t have to step out of your house. All you need is the will and the way. Have a great time!

New Year on the Way

Another year goes by and we have survived and thrived. It may not be what we wanted to be, but if you are alive and you are seeing the Holidays and the New Year then you are where you should be. 2022 is around the corner beckoning to you with all your talents and the unique way that you live that is you. 

I hope to be posting more in the new year…See you soon!

The Beginning of the Ending of 2021

We are coming close to the end of the year. Have you done all the things that you wished this year, or are you missing things that you thought you were going to do? There is still time to do what you wanted to accomplish but you need to get on it. You can do this as long as you just keep on going. 

All you need is whatever will charge you up to get ready for going into what is about to start.

The holidays are upon us and they will be there for the next couple of months. This is the time to charge your engine before Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, Hanukkah and the New Year.

So remember that this is the end of the year—a time that is wonderful but also very difficult. Remember to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Measure yourself for you have time but you also have to remember that you need to keep your strength up and still do the best that you can do!

Time Goes Fast, Don’t Waste It…

It is interesting when you see the other side of the mountain. Does it make you feel accomplished or just older? To me, you have to look at where you’re at and where you want to be. There are many things that I want to do but I can’t just get up and go anywhere. I used to go where I wanted to go and I would just get up and go. I can’t do that anymore because my children need help as one is going to college next year and the other one starts high school. It makes me think about what I have wanted for my family and I think it’s going well. 

However, I never really thought I would need to talk about the future and what it would bring. I thought that this part of life would be easier. My dad used to say little kids have little problems and big kids have bigger problems. I should’ve listened to what he said because it is coming true. For a person who was a second language learner my dad made sense with what he said. The old time teaching still is pertinent. 

I am realizing how quickly time comes and goes. I hope that there is time for us to still have memories while our boys are with us. I feel like our time is going like Cat Stevens’ immortal song Cat’s in the Cradle. If you have never heard it you are missing out. Time goes before you know it. Just like life. Don’t waste your time.

Have a good week!

Fall is Here and We Need to Hear What it is Saying

When you hear your body telling you that it is time for a new regimen, listen. We are going into the fall and have to listen to our bodies. It is essential to know what we need to eat to help our bodies with vegetables and fruits. This morning I had a wake-up from my body telling me to spend more time stretching. Yesterday, I was not wise, and I pulled a back muscle. I didn’t listen to my back, so I am spending more time relaxing from this morning.

These are some of the issues that we encounter. We need to take enough time to do things right. Taking enough time to do things right is going to help you in the long run. If you are a person that gets up early, then you are ahead, and that will make it easier for you. If you are behind, see what you can do to help you get started. Find ways to get yourself motivated. It can be a reward at the end of the week or whatever you feel is appropriate for you. 

In the end, it is all about you. Again, believe in yourself and what you want to do for yourself. Nobody should be telling you what to do. Remember, it is all about you and what you want. You are the only power in your life. Have a good week!

A Small Nugget Where My Dad Showed He Cared

Cherish the Fleeting Moments before they Pass

My father is 93 years old, and he has had a good life. Sadly, he is now suffering from forgetting names and seeing people that are not around anymore. He forgets our names at times, and it is somewhat disturbing when he calls you and it is not your name. That happens as well with my brothers. He is a different person from the tough guy that he was when I was younger. I have to say that I wish that guy would show himself before he goes and not forget our names. 

I remember one time, and it was only one time that my dad let go of some tears in front of me as a child. My brothers were at summer camp, and I was too young to go. That morning my dad decided to play games with him that day (chess, board games, even shooting hoops). I knew that my dad had to work that day, and I was crying because he had to go to work. I looked up, and I could see through the window that he was crying too but not as much as me. I never forgot that day. That day was the only time where my dad opened up.

I know that his time is coming soon, whether it is now or later. None of us are perfect in terms of our children. However, on that particular day, it was something that I have always remembered. It is important to remember our friends and families. Those moments are like precious diamonds. It is important to cherish those moments because they disappear in a blink of an eye.

Have you had your MRI Tonight?

I Have

What are you doing tonight? Is it a dinner and a movie or something different? For me, I am getting a MRI. This has been coming since June and tonight it is finally here. This is not what I would like to do this evening, however, it is important. I need to know what is going on in my head. It seems like aphasia but it might be something else. In any case, I am hoping that there will be a diagnosis in September. 

The good part is that I hope to get more information about what is going on and what can be done. In a situation like this I had a MRI about three years ago and it was a rather incomplete. I hope that this is better because I will be taking something before and during that will help me relax and find what is going on in my body. 

After the MRI

I decided to finish what I started about the MRI. The MRI center was very professional and I felt a lot better about the procedure. Yes, there were loud noises during the MRI but it goes with the territory. Now it will take about a month to get the report. So when we left the hospital we did what many people often do we went to In and Out and then went home.

How are you normalizing a difficult experience in your life? Want to talk about it with someone? I would love to hear from you.

On the Positive Side

What can you appreciate?

It is time to do things that you want to do. We have been cooped up for a long time and that has to change. Yes, we know that we have seen more movement in terms of being outside and doing activities with friends that you haven’t seen in a while. As an example, yesterday my family and I went to visit our close friends that we had not seen in about a year and a half. It was so interesting because both of our families had major growth (both physical and emotional) and it was astonishing. Of course it was a good thing but it also reminded all of us of what we had missed for more than a year. We all have to adjust to this new reality. 

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, it is hard to tell. However, I would put this in the good category. Yes, we lost some time from being with them, but it was really exciting to see their two boys that have grown so much and ours have grown as well. It was a restorative time and I’m glad that we could connect with them. It made me think that it was ok to be away for a while because both families were more mature and more able to talk about issues and express themselves. 

So now I am seeing one positive side of this pandemic. I know that it is perhaps sad to say that we did not see our dear friends and family for the last year or more. However, it was wonderful to finally connect with them and have great conversations. I know that this has been a difficult time but see if you can find that thing that you appreciated during this time.

Share what you appreciated with me in the comments. I would love to hear about it.

Learning Restraint

How will you use restraint?

I learned the word restraint one night when I was going to pick up my girlfriend at the time. The year was 1982 and my car was a Corolla 74. I remember that I was speeding and suddenly I had police car behind me using his loud speaker telling me to stop and not to move — look forward, keep my hands on the steering wheel, and don’t move. I was in Inglewood and I had never been pulled over by the police. The officer kept saying not to move. He had his gun out and cocked on me. That was when restraint became a word that I would never forget. 

It is interesting how some words just stay with you for a life time especially when they have an extra story to go with it. I am sure that many of you have words that mean much more because they remind you of situations that you loved and others that you hated. This was one I hated. The officer got to the front of the car and he saw that I was just a 19 year old kid that was late for a date. Yes, I was cited for driving too fast. Yes, I was cited many times. And yes, I always used restraint. I had to because as a male Latino you don’t get much sympathy from the LAPD. 

In life we are always put into situations that can be difficult. It is important that we remember that restraint is hopefully an option that you can use. There are too many people that  are getting hurt. We need people who can help others. Perhaps you can be one of those people that can help others. Think about it.