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5 One-Move Workouts That Will Help You Lose Weight Faster

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

“Transformation is not five minutes from now; it’s a present activity. In this moment you can make a different choice, and it’s these small choices and successes that build up over time to help cultivate a healthy self-image and self-esteem.” – Jillian Michaels

Time and lack of knowledge are two of the biggest obstacles faced when it comes to fitness – if we even think about fitness at all. Tack on additional responsibilities and the need for some R&R, and all of a sudden fitness takes a seat somewhere in the far back.

Busy people require an effective, time-efficient way to get fit. We’ve seen the proliferation of “get fit quick” schemes that serve no other purpose than to pad the pockets of companies. Unfortunately, too many people have fallen for these gimmicks with nothing to show for it.

Then there is the HIIT methodology of fitness. HIIT is the acronym for High Intensity Interval Training, and is applicable to any workout that alternates between intense bursts of activity and fixed periods of rest. Many HIIT programs have become extraordinarily popular, as they are both effective and time-efficient.

In a way, the fitness techniques that we describe in this article are similar to HIIT, although they’re broken down and simplified. Though the techniques described are simple, they’re excellent for building some muscle, burning fat, and strengthening the mind. And they don’t require more than 5, 10 or 15 minutes of your time.

We’re not talking about a bunch of different exercises either, which is the case for 99 percent of the fitness routines out there (e.g. circuit training, weightlifting). We’re not even talking about a few exercises (though you can mix them up).

We’re talking about a workout that involves one move. Let’s talk about that a bit then we’ll get into some exercise ideas.

General Steps

(Please note: you must know your overall health and fitness level as an initial benchmark.)

1. Set rep rate

For most of the moves described below, a good rep (repetition) number is 10-20 per minute. It may be more or less depending on your current fitness level.

2. Set your rounds

A “round” is a minute – a minute of exercise, of course. It’s a good idea to complete at least 5 rounds of a one-move exercise, but you may feel free to add more. (For example, 5 rounds of goblet squats and 5 rounds of sprinter pushups.) It’s best to use a clock or stopwatch to accurately time your rounds.

3. Understand the ‘rest’ period

Remember, this is similar to HIIT. As such, the activity will be fast-paced (as your health and fitness level allows, of course). When you hit your rep rate target, rest for the remaining minute and continue to the next round. The more reps that you complete in the round, the more time you have to rest.

4. Make progress

Making progress is an essential component of any exercise or fitness regimen. The one-move workout system is no different in this respect. As you become more fit, you’ll undoubtedly find that your previous rep rate becomes too easy. This is the mark of progress. Increase your reps and keep pushing yourself.

Also, don’t forget to give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back (or an emphatic fist pump) for a job well done!

One-Move Workout List

Now for the fun part. We’re going to describe five of the best one-move exercises that will allow you to get fit quick.

Technique is more important than repetition. You’ll get much better results if you execute every move correctly, every time. If your rep rate dips, so be it.

That said, here are instructions for five of the most effective one-move exercises (in no particular order):

1. Goblet Squat and Thrust

(a) Grab a lightweight kettlebell or dumbbell and hold it in front of your chest

(b) Slowly lower your butt into a squat until legs are parallel with the floor (try to keep your back as straight as possible)

2. Dumbbell “ski swing”

(a) Hold a dumbbell in each hand, feet hip-width apart

(b) Lean slightly forward while swinging the dumbbells back (knees bent, back bent naturally)

(c) In kickback motion, keep arms straight and squeeze your buttocks. Thrust hips forward naturally and swing dumbbells to front at chest level (arms straight).

3. Dumbbell “shot put”

(a) Hold lightweight dumbbell in front of right shoulder, feet staggered (right in front of left)

(b) Slightly bend forward at hips and lower torso to a 45-degree angle with floor (knees bent, back straight)

(c) In one fast motion, pivot both feet 180 degrees while raising the dumbbell to a 45 degree angle above your shoulder right shoulder

(d) Switch sides and repeat, if desired.

4. Plank jacks

(a) Begin from a pushup or plank position – arms straight, legs together and parallel

(b) While keeping pushup position, “jump” both legs until feet are slightly wider than shoulder-width apart

5. “Sprinter” pushups

(a) Begin from low pushup or plank position – arms straight, legs together and slightly staggered or parallel

(b) Keeping lower back in place, bend the knees and push the hips back as far as possible

Researchers Reveal How A Lack of Sunlight Affects Your Mental Health

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

“These (study) findings suggest the need for institutions and public health entities to plan for intervention and prevention resources and strategies during periods of reduced sun time.” – Journal of Affective Disorders

We’ve instinctively known that the sun affects mood for some time, haven’t we? Of course, one of the first things most people do in the morning is glimpse outside. And, when it’s raining, we feel kind of bummed out. However, when the sun shines? Then, we just feel good.

There is a scientifically-proven explanation for why we think differently depending on the weather. In numerous studies, scientists have linked reduced sunlight with increased levels of depressive symptoms. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is an excellent example of this link. Per the Mayo Clinic:

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons…most people with SAD (have) symptoms (that) start in the fall and continue into the winter months, sapping your energy and making you feel moody. Less often, SAD causes depression in the early spring or early summer.

Other studies have linked events like Daylight Saving Time to increased rates of depression. In fact, weather conditions link to increased risk of sleep disturbances, stroke, and even erratic driving behavior.

So…all sorts of research studies have been done linking weather to changes in mental health.

However, a 2016 study undertaken by professors at Brigham Young University (BYU) may be the most convincing one yet. Turns out that sunlight affects our emotional and mental health more than any other factor in the environment.

Studies Reveal How Sunlight Affects Your Mental Health

Dr. Mark Beecher, clinical professor of psychology at BYU, was determined to discover the degree to which sunlight duration (i.e. sunrise to sunset) affects mental health. Moreover, it raised new queries. Questions asked: Is sunlight more impactful than rain? Clouds? Pollution? Temperature? How much of an impact? Can any other environmental factor be attributed to an adverse mental health condition?

According to the research, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the research team elaborates on the study’s purpose. In it, they noted the inconclusive results derived from similar studies:

“The current study aimed to examine a range of weather and atmospheric phenomena and their association with time-bound mental health data.”

To examine this association, Dr. Beecher and his team researched and analyzed the following information and data from BYU’s Counseling and Psychological Services Center:

– Archived self-reported mental health therapy data of 16,452 student adults

– 6 years of “therapy distress measures” across 19 weather/pollution variables (the “range of weather and atmospheric phenomena”)

– Weather condition data during each of the 16,000-plus visits

Perhaps the most important information used in the study were the mental health questionnaires that each student was required to fill out before every visit.

The questionnaires were designed to gauge the student’s mental state on that particular day.

To this end, Beecher and his team compared the dates of each questionnaire with detailed weather data from the time and date of each student’s visit. For example, if a student visited a therapist at noon on Monday the 15^th, Beecher extracted detailed weather data for noon on Monday the 15^th.

With help from his colleagues, Dr. Beecher was able to include the all-important weather-related statistics (e.g. pollution levels, temperature). And, all of the data collected for each of the 19 weather variables were analyzed for a potential correlation with emotional distress.

The final analyses led to some interesting conclusions. Indeed, some outcomes surprised even Dr. Beecher himself.

Study Findings

The team made several key observations during the study. And, each of which confirmed the analyzed data. Among the data analyzed were the 19 environmental factors. That includes those variables that, anecdotally, we often chalk up to changes in temperament:

rainfall
temperature
wind chill
cloud cover (overcast).

First, seasonal changes in sun time (i.e. sunrise to sunset) strongly correlated with the students self-reported emotional and mental states. Second, the relationship between sun time and adverse mental health conditions (e.g. anxiety and depression) is stronger than any other weather or pollution variable.

The Conclusion

One conclusion reached by the study that rebuffs common perception is the idea that gloomier conditions are more likely to induce a more depressive state. “That’s one of the surprising pieces of our research,” Dr. Beecher states. “On a rainy day or a more polluted day, people assume that they’d have more distress (harmful stress). But we didn’t see that.”

Finally – of all the 19 environmental factors studied – none showed any notable correlation with increased levels of emotional distress. This trend remained consistent throughout the study, provided that adequate sunlight time was present.

In addition, Dr. Beecher elaborates a bit on this somewhat surprising observation: “One way to interpret the finding that the other weather and pollution variables did not have a significant impact on mental health is that people and clients are resilient and adaptive.”

Still, Dr. Beecher believes that we must pay more attention to the weather’s ability to affect mental health adversely. He cites the fact that Seasonal Affective Disorder can cause severe depression to illustrate this need.

References:
Beecher, M. E., Eggett, D., Erekson, D., Rees, L. B., Bingham, J., Klundt, J., . . . Boardman, R. (2016). Sunshine on my shoulders: Weather, pollution, and emotional distress. Journal of Affective Disorders, 205, 234-238. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.021
MacMillan, A. (2016, November 7). The End of Daylight Saving Time Really Can Trigger Depression. Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.realsimple.com/health/mind-mood/daylight-saving-time-depression-risk
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). (2014, September 12). Retrieved December 21, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/definition/con-20021047

10 Behaviors of an Egomaniac (And How to Avoid Having Them)

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

Do you know the telltale signs that reveal an egomaniac?

Egomania is closely related to another abnormal personality type that you are also probably familiar with: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). There are, however, some significant differences between egotism (also called egomania), NPD, and other conditions. Why is this important to mention? Because mislabeling someone can cause serious harm, especially to individuals already in pain.

For example, an individual experiencing clinical depression may appear overly self-involved. Still, this behavior is rooted in a different neurobiological cause (they can’t escape hopeless thoughts, speaking out in desperation, hoping someone will help.) Depression, in any form, is a severe condition that demands treatment.

Egotism, on the other hand, often entails unabashedly vocal self-centeredness; NPD often fits this description, as well. Furthermore, it’s incredibly rare for this type of person to seek help.

Just become you like to take selfies doesn’t make you an egomaniac – a true egomaniac has a psychological disorder that makes him believe he is the greatest, most important person in the world. You can also use the word to describe someone you know who’s a self-centered jerk, though. Egomaniac, coined in the early 19^th century, combines ego, “the self,” and maniac, from the Greek mania, “madness or frenzy.”– vocabulary.com

With that in mind, we present ten common behaviors of an egomaniac:

1. Egomaniacs have extreme self-centeredness

Unsurprisingly, egomaniacs are highly self-absorbed individuals. They care for no one else’s wants or needs – the notion simply never crosses their mind.

Most people are “selfish” to a degree, in that they seek to first take care of themselves, but this is a natural way of thinking. An inability to look after oneself – or at least meet one’s basic needs – makes it tough to help anyone else.

Egotists never seek to help anyone, regardless of their circumstances.

2. Intense cruelty

The history books are full of megalomaniacal egotists who exhibited extreme cruelty: Hitler, Stalin, Hussein, and so on. Granted, few if any egotists will ever reach such extreme levels of inhumanity.

That said, egotists aren’t particularly concerned with the welfare (much less the feelings) of others. As such, it’s quite commonplace for them to exhibit irrational malice.

3. Egomaniacs are naive in their self-confidence

Charles Darwin, who infamously discovered the evolutionary theory, once said: “Ignorance frequently begets more confidence than does knowledge.”

Self-confidence is a beautiful attribute, lest such confidence originates from some misplaced sense of superiority rather than earned – which is often the case with egomaniacs.

4. Lack of empathy

As mentioned, egotists aren’t known for being considerate towards the feelings of others. Likewise, egotists do not contemplate others’ thoughts or opinions at odds with theirs. An egotist will demonstrate this absence of empathy in conversation, where they’ll disengage at the slightest notion of opposition and without explanation.

5. Sense of entitlement

An egomaniac has a sense of entitlement that falls in line with that of a narcissist. Egomaniacal narcissists misguidedly believe that their needs and wants require “favorable treatment;” any other reaction – or in some cases, non-reaction – from those involved are met with scorn and rage.

6. Egomaniacs have a complete lack of maturity

Sigmund Freud, in addition to most psychologists and psychiatrists, believes that humans are born in a state of egomania. One expert states, “Infants are primarily concerned with having their own needs met, and very young babies may not be aware of others (i.e. omnipotence) …(young) children eventually develop empathy and interest in others gradually over time.”

Egotists do not appear to undergo these (and other) psychological developments, which seems to correlate with their immature mindset.

7. Calculating and cold

Most egomaniacs possess traits similar to those with NPD. One particular attribute stands out: deliberate and calculated manipulation. Egomaniacs that fit his description perceive others as a means to an end. They’ll utilize whatever is at their disposal to get what they “deserve” before quickly discarding the person without remorse.

8. Ill temperament

Because of the egomaniac’s immature mindset, they generally possess undeveloped emotional intelligence. Their impulsivity, in conjunction with a limited capability to manage or adjust their emotions, often manifests into verbal fits and tirades. Egotists may become very aggressive, even physically.

9. Always alone

Egotists have such a high sense of self-importance that they perceive others as a waste of time. If one were to browse the Facebook page of a suspected egomaniac, there’d likely be very few (if any) photos with other people. At the workplace, it’s common to see these folks distance themselves using whatever means necessary.

10. A lust for extravagance

Not everyone who basks in luxury is an egomaniac – but a good number are. The strange thing about an egotist’s affinity for the extravagant is that they get less thrill from the actual item than from the attention it garners.

Final Thoughts on Revealing an Egomaniac

The characteristics and behaviors of egomaniacs are unmistakably distinct, creating a portrait of individuals consumed by their extreme self-centeredness. Their unwavering self-absorption, intense cruelty, and misguided self-confidence set them apart from the ordinary spectrum of human behavior. Egomaniacs lack empathy and exhibit a sense of entitlement, which further isolates them from the empathetic connections that bind society. Their perpetual immaturity and calculated manipulation tactics only deepen their alienation from the world around them.

With their ill-tempered outbursts and a preference for solitude, egomaniacs perpetually exist on the fringes of social circles, seemingly unable or unwilling to connect with others in meaningful ways. Their lust for extravagance is driven not by genuine enjoyment but by a desire for attention, highlighting their fixation on their own image.

In studying the traits of egomaniacs, we gain insight into a unique and challenging personality type, one that, thankfully, exists in a minority. While not all egotistical individuals may reach the extreme levels of historical figures like Hitler or Stalin, their consistent patterns of behavior and attitude underscore the importance of recognizing and understanding the complexities of human personality.

How Coffee Affects Your Body (And Brain) In Just 6 Hours

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

Besides water, people around the world drink coffee more than any other beverage. Plants from which coffee beans are derived are refined in more than 70 countries. Drank as a morning “eye-opener” or burn the midnight oil lamp, billions of people around the world enjoy this dark and tasty beverage.

Ever wondered what happens to the body after drinking coffee? Well, we know it provides a much-needed jolt in the early hours – but why? Well, this article will provide these answers and more.

We’ll take a look at coffee’s effect on the brain and body, the time window of its effects, and the proven health benefits.

So grab a fresh cup of Joe and let’s go!

How Coffee affects the Brain

The main reasons people drink coffee are for its alertness, focus, and mood-boosting properties. Here’s the science behind these properties:

Certain chemicals within the coffee cross the blood-brain barrier.
Chemicals effectively block the activity of adenosine, the neurotransmitter that makes us drowsy.
The transmission of dopamine increases, which elevates and improves our mood, and increases alertness.
The levels of acetylcholine increase as well, which increases muscle activity.
It raises serotonin levels, creating an energetic yet relaxed feeling.

Researchers continue to study the potential long-term benefits of coffee on the brain, including improved memory, protection against age and disease-related brain degeneration, and the reduced risk of depression.

How Coffee Affects the Body

Most people consume java for its neurological benefits. However, the drink also possesses certain properties that improve other functions of the body. Here are some of those benefits:

Coffee boosts our metabolic rate, which accelerates the burning of fat.
Chemicals within coffee can significantly improve physical performance and strength.
Coffee is the single-largest source of antioxidants (disease-fighting compounds) in the world.
One cup of coffee contains 11%, 2%, and 6% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins B2, B3, and B5, respectively.
Properties within coffee appear to have a protective effect on the liver.
Coffee helps to support blood vessel health.

The Time Window of Coffee’s Effects

Let’s put all of this information together and explain what happens from the moment you take your first sip of coffee to the time it exits the body:

Within 10 minutes: The caffeine from coffee enters your bloodstream, causing your blood pressure and heart rate to rise.
Within 20 minutes: Two of the above-described neurochemical reactions take place. First, caffeine binds to the brain’s chemical adenosine, which neutralizes fatigue while increasing our energy. Dopamine levels then increase, which provides an alert and focused feeling.
Within 30 minutes: The adrenal glands kick into high gear and produce more hormones. As a result, our pupils dilate and may sharpen vision for a short time.
Within 40 minutes: The body produces more serotonin, which improves the functioning of neurons within the spinal cord called motoneurons. This leads to improved muscle strength and coordination.
Within 4 hours: Cellular metabolism increases. Thus, it initiates the expedited burning of energy. The body will break down stored fats as a result. Levels of acid within the stomach increase.
Within 6 hours: Caffeine produces a diuretic effect, promoting the act of urination. During this time, approximately half of the caffeine consumed earlier leaves the body. (This is called a drug’s half-life – or the amount of time needed for its chemical presence in the blood to drop to 50%.)

Final Thoughts on the Impact of Coffee

As you can see, coffee possesses many powerful health benefits. Effectively, it improves our mood and relieves boredom. Cognitively, it enhances alertness and focus, and helps with decision-making. Physically, coffee promotes fat-burning and improves muscle coordination and strength.

Perhaps more exciting than the short-term benefits of coffee are the potential benefits in the long run. Accumulating amounts of research continue to demonstrate and espouse the benefits of coffee against cancer, depression, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and other serious ailments.

Furthermore, it’s important to understand that the properties of coffee beans provide most of the abovementioned benefits. Energy drinks, energy “shots,” and many other caffeine-laden products on the market come with high levels of sugar, unnatural chemicals, and preservatives. Additionally, the same applies to canned or bottled coffee.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends limiting caffeine intake to four hundred milligrams (mg) or less per day, or the equivalent of about 4 cups (the average adult consumes about 200 mg.) Also, make sure to supplement your java with plenty of water and a healthy diet to mitigate the notorious side effects (e.g. jitters, crashing out, or heartburn.)

Let’s get brewin’!

5 Critical Sentences To Avoid If You Want to Lose Weight

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

As you might already know by now, losing weight is mostly a mental game. Our minds give out much faster than our bodies ever will, so we must be mindful of our self-talk so that we don’t sabotage our own weight loss efforts before we even begin. With that said, there are certain things you should never tell yourself on your weight loss journey, simply because you’ll psyche yourself out before you have even tried to lose weight.

Here are 5 things to never tell yourself if you want to lose weight:

1. I’ll never be able to get down to my ideal weight

If you want to lose weight, never say never. This sentence is so easy to say, because if you are still struggling to lose weight, then it feels true. However, this sentence is only true, because you believe it is true. Restate this sentence more positively instead – for example ‘Even though I haven’t yet achieved my ideal weight of ____ pounds, I know that I am capable of anything that I really put my heart and mind to.’

In other words, if losing weight was the most important thing in the world to you, you’d be doing it. It is possible that in the future you will achieve your ideal weight, so if you want to lose weight, never say that you’ll never get there.

2. I don’t have time to exercise.

This sentence is about a failure to prioritize your time more than it is about not being able to exercise. Again, if you make it a priority and discipline yourself, you will make the time to exercise. Find the optimal time to do it, or add it to your routine. Do glute squeezes while commuting. Do leg lifts while brushing your teeth.

3. My slow metabolism is what keeps me from losing weight

Be totally honest with yourself now, is this sentence helping you lose weight? Challenge this belief by saying this sentence as a question: “What is keeping me from losing weight?” Blaming your body, or a diagnosis that you or a medical ‘professional’ gave you might be keeping you from losing weight.

In other words, a diagnosis of ‘slow metabolism,’ no matter where it came from, is the excuse that you can use to assign blame for not losing weight. Ask yourself if you are using this as an excuse. Do you regularly eat healthy, nourishing, organic foods in balanced nutrition and exercise regularly and long enough to increase your heart rate and oxygen consumption? If not, then metabolism is not your problem.

4. Other people are sabotaging my weight loss efforts.

No one is forcing you to eat the Doritos that they bought in bulk. No one put your hand in the bag and put it in your mouth. Yes, the fact that you, and you alone, are the only person responsible for your weight gain or loss is a hard fact to swallow, but it is true.

Researchers studying the role of social support or sabotage for weight loss found that the perception of support is helpful for weight loss. Blaming another person for your inability to lose weight doesn’t help your situation at all. Likely, it also makes someone else resent that you blame them for your inability to control yourself around foods that you crave. Assume that your friends have the best intentions, which is to help you lose weight.

5. I don’t have the energy to exercise.

It is definitely possible to feel this way after a long day of work or your average running-around. However, people who are successful at losing weight know that they have to know themselves first. For example, the author knows that her energy is highest in the morning up to 10:00am. Know your own ‘best’ time of day and plan your exercise around that.

Get plenty of sleep to avoid exhaustion if you want to lose weight. Research shows that sleep deprivation can lead us to make poor choices about food and our health, which can lead to weight gain. A study published by the National Academy of Sciences found “that increased food intake during insufficient sleep is a physiological adaptation to provide energy needed to sustain additional wakefulness; yet when food is easily accessible, intake surpasses that needed.” Researchers also found that when people were able to get a good night’s sleep, they reduced intake of fat and carbohydrates and lost weight.

Sources:
National Academy of Sciences http://www.pnas.org/content/110/14/5695.full
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42536-8_15

How To Tell If Someone Is Being Authentic

May 29, 2017 by Power of Positivity

It’s probably accurate to state the majority of us value the quality of authenticity in people. It’s also accurate to state the majority of us disapprove of people who obscure their true nature by putting up a façade. How do we tell the difference? Who determines if a person is “authentic” or, well, “fake?” We’ll get to that later on.

Let’s try a quick two-part experiment. First, try to think of the most authentic person you’ve ever met. Take as much time as needed. Ready? Okay, let’s continue.

What do you value about this person? In other words, what makes them authentic in your eyes? Okay, let’s continue.

Psychologists correlate the attractiveness of authenticity to three things:

(1) We believe that people who are authentic are more trustworthy; in part because they’re truer to themselves.

(2) Genuine people often possess a sense of individualism and firmness, which we admire.

(3) Remaining true to oneself requires courage, strength and tenacity – all qualities that we find appealing.

How does the person you thought of measure up the above three observations? Probably quite well.

“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” – Brené Brown

The truth about authenticity

Not one person in the history of mankind has ever been 100 percent authentic, genuine, real – whichever term you prefer. We’re all fallible – and there is nothing wrong with this.

But there are some people who’ve exemplified authenticity much more often than not. Odds are that the person you thought of in the “experiment” above is one such person.

The “answer” lies in self-discovery, continued self-improvement, and self-discipline – a journey made possible through the acquisition and application of knowledge. Fortunately, we possess plenty of the latter.

With that in mind, here are ten signs of authentic people:

1. They Speak Their Mind

Authentic people are confident about their opinions and perspectives – and share them with confidence. Their thoughts are also well-constructed and, when prompted, are conveyed with both firmness and civility.

2. They Realize the Unimportance of Material Things

While authentic people may enjoy certain things, they certain do not base their happiness off of them. Furthermore, they do not judge an individual by what they have and do not have. Authentic people focus on a person’s character, not their bank account.

3. They Relish in Experiences

Genuine people realize the impermanence of life and try to live it fully. This means experiencing what people and the world has to offer – and they make every attempt to do so.

4. They Set Their Own Expectations

As apparent by now, authentic people are highly individualistic; they do not seek the “approval of others” and never will. Their beliefs, ideals, morals, and value are self-acquired and applied.

5. They Are Active Listeners

Genuine people exemplify the “two ears, one mouth” axiom. Active listening is listening without anticipating one’s response. 100 percent of their focus is on the speaker and nothing else. (Was the person you thought of earlier an active listener? Please share!)

6. They Acknowledge Their Faults and Mistakes

It takes tremendous fortitude to admit to your failures – and authentic people have plenty in reserve. They know their weaknesses and mistakes; but what really differentiates a genuine person is they take necessary action to correct them.

7. They Take Personal Responsibility

This one really doesn’t need to be said, but here it is. Authentic people are hold themselves accountable to what they do and don’t do. They are very responsible for many reasons, including the self-empowerment and pride that comes from being answerable to themselves.

8. They Make Their Own Way

Genuine people are not a “sit back and wait” group. They find a way to make things happen, regardless of the sweat, blood and tears required. Further, the path they set for is their own – something that requires grit, determination, and…

9. They Aren’t Scared of Failure

How many of us would love to say, “I’m not scared to fail”? (Raises hand and nods head.) Part of being a truly authentic person is acknowledging the possibility of failure, looking it in the face and not blinking. Whew…easier said than done.

10. They Aren’t At All Judgmental

Perhaps of all the wonderful traits listed, this last one may be the most admirable. Genuine people can wholeheartedly and honestly accept individuality precisely because they are different. Authentic people are often very smart – and are able to see right through the pointlessness of preconceived expectations and human stereotyping.

References:
Twardowski, J. (2016, March 16). 11 Signs of a Truly Authentic Person. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-twardowski/11-signs-of-a-truly-authentic-person_b_9462220.html
Winch, G., Ph.D. (2015, March 18). The 7 Habits of Truly Genuine People. Retrieved May 27, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201503/the-7-habits-truly-genuine-people
https://tinybuddha.com/wisdom-quotes/authenticity-daily-practice-letting-go-think-supposed-embracing/

The Community

Our Free Community of Positively Powerful SuperFans

Every day is a day to shine. Shine on!

General Steps

1. Set rep rate

2. Set your rounds

3. Understand the ‘rest’ period

4. Make progress

One-Move Workout List

1. Goblet Squat and Thrust

2. Dumbbell “ski swing”

3. Dumbbell “shot put”

4. Plank jacks

5. “Sprinter” pushups

So…all sorts of research studies have been done linking weather to changes in mental health.

Studies Reveal How Sunlight Affects Your Mental Health

Perhaps the most important information used in the study were the mental health questionnaires that each student was required to fill out before every visit.

Study Findings

The Conclusion

With that in mind, we present ten common behaviors of an egomaniac:

1. Egomaniacs have extreme self-centeredness

2. Intense cruelty

3. Egomaniacs are naive in their self-confidence

4. Lack of empathy

5. Sense of entitlement

6. Egomaniacs have a complete lack of maturity

7. Calculating and cold

8. Ill temperament

9. Always alone

10. A lust for extravagance

Final Thoughts on Revealing an Egomaniac

How Coffee affects the Brain

How Coffee Affects the Body

The Time Window of Coffee’s Effects

Final Thoughts on the Impact of Coffee

Here are 5 things to never tell yourself if you want to lose weight:

1. I’ll never be able to get down to my ideal weight

2. I don’t have time to exercise.

3. My slow metabolism is what keeps me from losing weight

4. Other people are sabotaging my weight loss efforts.

5. I don’t have the energy to exercise.

Sources: National Academy of Sciences http://www.pnas.org/content/110/14/5695.full http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42536-8_15

With that in mind, here are ten signs of authentic people:

1. They Speak Their Mind

2. They Realize the Unimportance of Material Things

3. They Relish in Experiences

4. They Set Their Own Expectations

5. They Are Active Listeners

6. They Acknowledge Their Faults and Mistakes

7. They Take Personal Responsibility

8. They Make Their Own Way

9. They Aren’t Scared of Failure

10. They Aren’t At All Judgmental

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Sources:
National Academy of Sciences http://www.pnas.org/content/110/14/5695.full
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42536-8_15

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Master Your Day with the Ultimate Positive Morning Guide + Checklist