Champ Up Chat

"Trust that the universe is unfolding as it should."-Max Ehrmann

Today Sarah and I chat about how labeling situtations in our lives can keep us from truly appreciating the moment. Life is never just a clear distinction of good vs bad and when we can be aware of that we can acknowledge and accept each and every moment as part of the journey. 

I came across the story of the Chinese farmer again recently to remind me of the how the grand overall design of life is what truly matters. All the, seemingly, isolated events are part of our individual paths and what could seem "bad" always has a seed of "good" and vice versa. 

A farmer and his son had a beloved horse who helped the family earn a living. One day, the horse ran away and their neighbours exclaimed, “Your horse ran away, what bad news!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”

A few days later, the horse returned home, leading a few wild horses back to the farm as well. The neighbours shouted out, “Your horse has returned, and brought several horses home with him. What good news!” The farmer replied, “Maybe so, maybe not.”...

Listen in for the rest of the story.

 

 

- Pablo Picasso

Finding your purpose is so elusive that you could spend your entire life looking for it. But on the flip side you never find what you are NOT looking for. 

Some people live with the attitude, "I'm just waiting to die." To hear that from someone who is battling a life threatening condition that has ravaged their mind, body and spirit is understandable. But to hear that from someone who is fully capable of making a decision to change their world is completely incomprehensible to me. Yes, we all have our own interpretation of what life has done to us but when you haven't even made an attempt to leave this world a little bit better that when you came in, you live WITHOUT purpose.

If connecting with a passion in your life has eluded you for any amount of time, here are few questions that will help you reconnect or live on purpose. (only if you choose to answer them from your heart.

What makes you tear up (in a good way)? Something you eat, sleep, dream and talk about.

What makes you angry and annoyed?    Anger is passion going in the other direction.

What are you better at than anyone else you know?                                                          You probably lose track of time when doing it.

What is it that people know they can count on you for?                                                      Ask someone close to you because they know.

Who or what would you die for?          Knowing what you would die for also gifts you the wisdom of knowing what to live for.

How do you want to be remembered? This is what people are going to say about you after you lived it all out.

What gift will you share with the world?  Service.

Thanks for tuning in...

#champup #allittakesisheart #f7s8 #graceandgrit

Exercise is King. Nutrition is Queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom- Jack Lalane (The Godfather of fitness)

Sarah has dealt with inflammation and gut health issues for most of here life and only recently has she decided to take a stance and change her world. 

Today we talk about how she has inspired me to walk side by side with her to evolve on my path of health, wellness and quality of life. 

Inflammation was only a term that I associated with being injured (too many times in my life), swollen eyes, cauliflower ears, and busted shins. And the way to treat it was with an ice pack. But learning that inflammation is an issue than runs much deeper and can lead to so much more, it made so much sense to address it wholeheartedly. 

We love working out and exercising out our stresses and anxieties just like you. But proper nourishment has been a gray area for the both of us. With an open mind and heart, this journey of eating differently has benefited us in so many ways. 

How is the way that you eat/nourish building  or breaking down your own health, well-being and longevity?

Click here  to enroll for the upcoming 2 Day G&G Anti-inflammatory Workshop on March 30 & 31 at 7pm EST!

#champup #allittakesisheart #F7S8

While discipline is thought of as the most vital component to achieving anything in life, discipline thrives when it's backed by a few other essential components. 

Listen in and open your awareness or even question the concepts that we chat about. Either way, to move forward in life is always about the decisions you make to Champ Up...or not. 

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

Any and every great physical endeavour started out just like a plant in a garden. A seed planted in the ground, cultivated and nourished daily until maturity. Wherever we are in regards to our physical health is a result of our choices, decisions and beliefs.

I'm not just talking about what the scale says or what you see in the mirror. I'm talking about our capabilities and usefulness as human beings.

In this last episode in our QoL series, Sarah and I chat about the arena that is most tangible to living a sustained quality of life. But to do that, it requires a deep dive into our thoughts. Most commonly, when we talk about our physical arena, we look at how we eat, sleep and move. While those are absolutely crucial when it comes to developing our physical fortitude, because they can be tracked and quantified. What ultimately dictates how we function on a daily basis is the seed that we plant, nourish and cultivate...our thoughts.

The body is the vehicle and the mind is the driver.

How long are you going to wait before you choose, decide and believe in the best for yourself?

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

“We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others’ actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others’ activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others.” -The Dalai Lama

This week on the Champ Up Chat Sarah and I are following up with our Quality of Life series with a chat on the importance of improving your social arena. 

The social arena relates back to Abraham Maslow’s, Hierarchy of Needs, which states that…humans need social connection feelings of belongingness. 

Belongingness, refers to a human emotional need for interpersonal relationships, affiliating, and being part of a group.

This is one arena is where I am super aware and proactive in developing, especially over the past 2 years of evolving through the pandemic. Moving away from the city that I was born and raised, closing down our gym, and learning how to thrive in a new environment, has been a test of my social skills. 

As with the theme of our last few episodes, awareness of this arena, how we can develop and improve, is a crucial component to an "anabolic" quality of life.

Enjoy the episode!!

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

"The appearance of things changes according to the emotions; and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty are really in ourselves."

“Your worst enemy cannot harm you as much as your own unguarded thoughts.” -Buddha

Today, Sarah and I chat about the 3rd crucial arena that can be enhanced to improve your QoL, the mental arena. The key concept we talk about is being aware of your intake. What you absorb is what you reflect to your own environment. Being mindful of the types of stimulus that your brain is exposed to is crucial, not only in your own mental strength, but also in how you approach tasks, activities and situations in regards to your well-being. 

Sarah also explains how nutritional intake is absolutely vital in regards to how your mental capacity can be affected.

The key here in this episode is not to tell you "what" to think but sharing with you the "how" to think when it comes to your journey of health and well-being. 

So listen in, then ask yourself, "what are some ways that I can evolve in my mental arena?"

Chris & Sarah

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8 #graceandgrit

Got a few Champ Up tees left, hit us up: [email protected]

"Building your spiritual fortitude involves committing to something that has existed before you and will exist after you."

In this week's follow-up on quality of life, we dive into the spiritual arena and how crucial of a role it plays in our lives. No matter what you consider your higher power, it's what gives you the energy to persevere when times get rough. Enhancing your spiritual arena is not only synonymous with religion, it encompasses finding the core purpose of why you're on this planet. This is a concept that many don't take the time to sit down and state what that means for them, which leads to lack of drive, fulfillment and feelings of apathy. Sarah and I chat about the 2 ways that you can start moving in the direction of being a spiritual person. By finding that "bigger than you" ambition.

Here are a few common ambitions of purpose that people commit to:

-Family

-Career

-Health

-Talents/abilities

-Faith/religion

-Service to others

-Promoting equality

These ambitions will guide you to answering that one question we pose in this episode.

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8

Got a few Champ Up tees left, hit us up: [email protected]

This week Sarah and I discuss how in general, fighters are known to have massive amounts of grit to endure, not only what happens in the ring, in the cage or on the mats; but to endure the days, weeks, months and years of training to prepare for whats going to happen in the scrap. It is honorable and noble to exhibit grit through these challenges, but what most people aren't talking about is the "grace" that a fighter wants to possess as well.

We are all "fighters" in this journey that we call life. It is a daily campaign to experience this journey in the most conscious way possible. Since Sarah and I have met we have done everything in our power to show our grit in the tough times. As we grow and evolve as parents and as a couple, it's becoming more and more apparent that showing grace is just as important as showing grit. It's like the yin/yang concept of masculine/feminine energy. There is no such thing as light without the dark. There are no peaks without valleys. Or as Bruce Lee once put it, “water can crash or it can flow, be water my friend.” One only exists because of the other. 

It's not always about "toughing it out" on your health and wellness journey. But it also not about accepting what is and doing nothing about it. It is about acknowledging where you are and deciding that you want from yourself and being willing to take the next step.

Champ Up 

#allittakesisheart #F7S8

Got a few Champ Up tees left, hit us up: [email protected]