Fighting Obesity (Teaching Yoga to Youth)

10 simple ideas to renew yourself for the fall:

1. Write a letter to yourself and re-commit our purpose and passion in life.  The letter does not have to be long, but it has to be meaningful.  Mail it to yourself.

2. Detox the body ( see what Michelle Obama has to say Michelle Obama\’s \’cleanse\’ )

3. Let go three things that you feel are holding you back

4. Write, review or edit  your vision statement

5. Meditate daily for peace and balance

6. Do something that is new (i.e ice fishing)

7. Forgive someone

8. Develop a 90-day challenge (develop your personal brand)

9. Love yourself

10. Do yoga daily

Who is the Torch Community? The Torch Community is for those who want to exchange more than just business cards and want to experience genuine and authentic friendships within the

context of community. What does their community look like? It looks like living: realizing their professional potential, leading civically engaged lives, embracing the beauty of diversity, and broadening themselves with the arts.

Their events are large enough to feel natural, yet inviting and interactive enough to believe you left after meeting some wonderful people.

How did I get invited? I was referred by Dr. Kristen Lempke, (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kristen-lemke/19/315/315) who has a chiropractor practice in St. Paul on Grand Ave., to be a table leader host for the Torch event.  She did not have all the details, but she knew where to get the information.  So she sent sent me a link to (http://www.torchcommunity.com/main/Home.html) the Torch Community and asked me to email Katie Imholte.  I sent an email and within a few hours Katie confirming me as a table leader.

Name of the event? BYOB: Build Your Own Brand.  The keynote speaker was Judy Zimmer, a certified effectiveness coach. She is a business coach, motivational speaker, small business owner and author. Judy is passionate about connecting individuals for personal and professional growth.

So what happened at the event? I got to the event at about 5:00pm for the volunteer meeting to be a table leader, to discuss the role.  The meeting was with Katie Imholte, (http://www.linkedin.com/in/katieimholte).  Her meeting was short and to the point.  We received our table assignments and guidelines to work from…in a nutshell, we had to make sure the group introduced themselves, exchange business cards, and everyone had a chance to participate.

Over 300 people attended, each table had about 8 people and there were a mix of companies from various industries…I would say, emerging young talent.

We had some very exciting and successful people at our table.  Trey and Sam have an branding agency (www.lastcallstudios.com), Jennifer is at Capella University in human resources, Marie is a recruiting coordinator, Lindsey is an  account manager for a S&T office products, and a few more.  The group was very engaged and not afraid to share their questions, thoughts, and advice.  I was very blessed to be in such a dynamic group.

Overall, Judy Zimmer’s speech was very informative and engaging.  She gets to know her audience at the pre-reception and finds interesting tidbits of information from the various people she meets, which makes the audience feel connected when speaking.

I really liked Judy’s attitude, she was confident, well dressed, and used names of people from the audience and gave you specific things you could do to build your brand.

Here’s Judy’s 10 Ways to Build Your Own Brand:

10 identify your natural born talent

9 grow what you don’t have (i.e. I am a superb writer, but know nothing about accounting, so I will hire that expertise)

8 become a connector

7 know your GQ

6 develop an abundance

5 one area you want to develop

4 inspire nad be inspired

3 ask for feedback

2 develop a farmers mentality

1 give back

To get more information contact Judy on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/judyzimmer).

Overall, I thought the event was put together well.  I am sure as the organization grows the more creative they will get in hosting events.

Until next time.

www.baroncarr.com

After I left corporate life I had a grandiose idea of how I am going to start a brand marketing firm and I will work with several of the fortune 500 companies, but then something happened.  I got stuck, I had all these ideas, but didn’t know how to move forward.  So I thought and wrote and thought and brainstorm, but nothing was getting accomplished – - I was the world’s greatest thinker.  I had done this before, but one problem I had a job that supported my lifestyle, so this was not the time to just think about it and let it die.

I had to do something, so to relieve the stress I started doing yoga 2-3 times a day and learned to stay in the present and look from within.  Boy why did I do that?  It opened up a can of worms and I became confused and afraid.  I started to shut down and started thinking to myself, what have I done.  Did I make the right decision leaving my corporate life?  How long can I do this? Where is this going? My old way of thinking would be to jump back into corporate without giving myself a chance to grow, but I tightened up the belt and continued practicing yoga.  Then something happened, I learned to let go of the past and focus on the present, so I can create my future.  I became more confident and the universe opened doors because I believed in me.

We all have it in us to create our own, but it’s up to us to make a decision and follow through.  Think about this.  What would happen if you found something you were really passionate about and believed you could be successful, no matter if it took a month or several years. One, I believe you would be happy because it is something you loved and two, you would be successful because we all have our own unique story.  Just think you could be inspiring someone you don’t even know to follow their heart and dreams.  I am not saying these things are easy, because they are not.  I am just saying let’s stop letting fear get the best of us and just take action.  I believe we must continue on our  journey…Life is not just about completing goals, it’s about being authentic and true to who you are, sometimes we let family, friends, society dictate who we should be instead of who we are.

So with that being said, get un-stuck by believing in yourself.  Let go fear and see what happens.

Check out this clip:

Click here to view the embedded video.

1. Start from within (i.e. ask yourself why do I feel this way? what would happen if I do the opposite of what I always do? Can I see myself doing this even when I can’t see ahead? …you get the point)
2. Develop a vision of where you want to go  (i.e. vision statement, vision board, journal, make lists)
3. Workout (Yoga, Jog, Lift weights, etc…)

Try these suggestions for 5-10 minutes each day and go at it with no-judgment.

So what should I blog about?  For starters I will make a list of things I want to develop a deeper understanding;

Yoga, Coaching, Photography, Inspiration.

Why do these topics attract me?  I like serving others.  Yoga, connects me to my mind, body, and soul.  Coaching, allows me to help others seek clarity, build confidence, and create action in their lives. Photography, is an expression that freezes time.  Inspiration, is a feeling that allows me to keep motivated and be creative.  I believe whatever we are passionate about we should seek to find the answers.