What will you learn?

• What stress is, what causes it, and how can you better manage it
• The elements of a healthy support system
• Self-care and self-management skills
• Relaxation skills
• How to develop a personal stress care plan

What are some of the signs?

• Irritability
• Feelings of anger or frustration
• Increased tobacco or alcohol use
• Disrupted eating patterns
• Communication Difficulties
• Black and White thinking

How Does Stress Impact Common Medical Conditions?

• Fight or Flight responses create physical changes, even if the stressor is psychological
• Evolutionary response
• Physical changes

§         Increased heart rate

§         Rapid breathing

§         Pupil dilation

§         Digestion slows or stops

§         Vasoconstriction

Hypertension and Stress

• Due to sympathetic nervous system activation
• Chronic stress leads to:

§         Neuroendocrine changes

§         Cardiovascular changes

§         Peripheral vasoconstriction

• Mild hypertension found to be reduced by meditation and relaxation

Diabetes and Stress

• Norepinephrine alters glucose levels, especially for Type 2
• The body attempts to make more energy to manage the stressor by dumping glucose into the system.
• People make less healthy choices when stressed.  This makes the consequences of other medical conditions more acute.

Migraines and Stress

• Can actually be a causal or aggravating factor
• Stressor often occurs hours to days before the migraine
• Decreasing reactions to minor daily hassles decreases number and intensity of migraines

Back Pain and Stress

• People with psychological distress are 3 times more likely to develop back pain than others
• One prospective study discovered that psychological stress was actually found to be a better predictor of developing back pain than some physical methods

What can cause stress?

• Negative and positive life events
• Personal relationships
• Financial commitments
• Work
• Lack of sleep
• Illness

How do you know when you are over-stressed?

• Change from baseline

§         In reactions to events

§         In ability to think through solutions

§         In physical health

§         In coping behaviors

§         In thought patterns

• Immobilization
• Loss of joie de vivre (joy of life)

How can you manage stress?

• You don’t have to become a yogi!
• Develop support systems
• Take care of yourself
• Take charge of your time
• Change your mind
• Resolve conflict
• Know how to manage change

Develop support systems

Supportive people are those who:

• Listen
• Provide honest feedback
• Support
• Nurture
• Respect

Take charge of your time

• Plan/prioritize daily
• Focus on one project at a time
• Know your peak time
• Don’t procrastinate/set deadlines
• Reward yourself
• Organize
• Delegate

Take care of yourself

• Avoid perfectionism
• Engage in positive self-talk
• Assess effects of workaholism
• Vary work and play activities
• Relax
• Exercise
• Eat well

Resolve Conflict

• Learn to be assertive
• Identify unresolved or displaced anger
• Create win/win solutions

Change Your Mind

• Changing the way you think can change the way you feel
• Learn your ABC’s
  • Antecedent
  • Behavior
  • Consequence (emotional)

Relax

• Schedule decompression time
• Laugh
• Avoid the “happy hour trap”
• Practice relaxation techniques

Know how to manage change

• Do one thing differently
• Plan changes thoughtfully
• Make easy changes first
• Practice change for 3 weeks
• Assess enjoyment levels and results
• Keep or drop change
• Be patient

How Do I Start My Stress Management Plan?

• Inventory past solutions
• Tell someone about it
• Pick one thing
• Schedule the change
• Pick a time to check in
• Dig deeper into ABC’s if needed
• View it as an experiment

§         Give interventions a try

§         Keep the ones that work, throw out the ones that flop

When Is It Time for Professional Help?

• Any medical conditions
• Thoughts of harming self or others
• Inability to perform your usual roles
• Symptoms of anxiety disorders or panic attacks
• Exhaustion of your options – what you’ve tried hasn’t worked
• Unavailable or inadequate support system

Special thanks to Courtney Aberle, Licensed Psychologist, Ph.D.

February is National Heart Month. This makes perfect sense due to the fact that valentines falls on this month. There are so many different meanings for the word heart. For example if someone says he showed a lot of heart, they are implying that the person had a strong will to achieve or succeed. He has a big heart suggests that the person is generous or sensitive. He has no heart may mean he is shallow or unsympathetic. The symbol of a heart represents love. Saying someone is heartless may actually suggest that they are evil. One of my all time favorite uses of the word is in the movie Rocky 1 where Sylvester Stallone (Rocky) says if you want to win “Ya Gotta Have Heart”.

I have spent the last 25 years attempting to help people learn how to look and feel their very best through exercise and good nutrition often forgetting about my larger and much bigger purpose in life and that is to help them discover the joy of living a healthier lifestyle as opposed to the results from it.

When I was 15 I was on the thin and flabby side and have the pictures to prove it. When we settled down in Texas, it was a monumental transition moving from the east coast to a huge Dallas High School. My early indoctrination and inspiration to lift weights and exercise came from the school running back on the football team. Ironically he was relatively new to the area himself but he was an athlete, had a build way beyond his age and model good looks. His name was Dave Lucas and he would later become one of the best friends of my life. His father had played professional football for the New York Giants and while I was far from an athlete, which you had to be to use the school weight room, David would sneak me in after school and on the weekends and show me how to lift weights properly. This was 1978 and I can tell you now he was light years ahead of his time on exercise and nutrition.  The guy studied this stuff way before the age of the internet. He would read everything on the subject he could get his hands on. In time I learned he had a good reason to be passionate about his body and his health. He had congenital heart disease and his own father had died of a heart attack at age 36. David was the oldest son of six children. I really took to the weights and before long my own body started responding.

One day David said he wanted to share something with me but no one could ever find out. I said sure and he said I mean it! No one can ever find out and you can never share this information with anyone ever at anytime. I’m like Ok, what could be so important? He said his cholesterol is over 450 and they are going to have to run a number of tests on him over a long period of time in an effort to arrest the problem. He was adamant that this never get repeated or in all likelihood he would not be aloud to play football and his family had agreed to keep it under raps, they knew sports were everything to him. Then he said I don’t want this to come across like I’m negative but as my best friend I want you to know that I am not going to live a long life unless there is a scientific break through. As I started to talk he said please don’t say a word. I am prepared to become as fit and healthy as I can and live my life to the fullest and have long accepted my potential fate.

The guy was such a passionate person and truly was my first trainer and inspired me in so many ways. He was one of the most popular guys in school yet chose me as I chose him to be best friends with. Unlike many high school friendships that grow apart quickly after graduation, David and I remained in close contact and continued to speak on a regular basis for many years to come. To this day no one could make me laugh as hard as he could. I would literally be sore the next day in my abs from laughing so hard. Among many of his passions from his family, dog and friends, he was crazy about sports. I was very instrumental in getting him his own radio show on the station where I broadcast my “Weekend workout” show. I really loved this guy and just writing about him makes me smile, brings a tear to my eye and warms my “Heart”.

David jogged 5 miles everyday rain or shine and often took his golden retriever with him. I wasn’t sure if David was the marring type but then one day he informed me he had met the love of his life. I was happy for him and knew she had to be a special person. David died of a massive heart attack 3 days after proposing to his beloved girlfriend. He was jogging with his dog at the time of his death. He was only 36. He died the same week, month and age of his father before him. His family while prepared were devastated and his friends in utter shock.

Last year I called his mom and took her to lunch. It had been over ten years since David’s passing and I guess a parent never really gets over the loss of a child. It was good to see her nonetheless and I knew David would appreciate the fact that we continue to stay in touch. For the first time I shared the secret that David shared with me over 30 years ago. I never ever told anyone until that day! She looked at me like she had seen a ghost. While she of course knew his condition she had no idea he knew his own fate.

I still think about David from time to time. He would be proud of what I have accomplished and even prouder to know he help start it all. He taught me much more than pumping weights. He believed in me in spite of my academic challenges and lack of athleticism. In spite of knowing his own fate he went above and beyond to learn about health and fitness in the small hope that medical science might catch up to his unique situation. Today we now know that early symptoms such as David’s aren’t the only answer. Heart disease is still one of the biggest killers on this planet. Now it is your turn to have a healthier and happier heart. Maybe the bigger reason David came into my life is for me to become the voice to help guide others to a healthier existence. Now it is your turn!

Have a very happy Valentines!

Yours truly,
Larry North

The winter holiday season is a wonderful time of year. Just not for everyone. I tend to go through a spiral of emotions during this time of year. I volunteer at a toy drive in an urban area of Dallas, and I help hand out toys to over ten thousand kids who would otherwise not receive a toy this year. Needless to say, it is a humbling experience for people on both sides of the line.

To many people’s surprise, I was often on the other side of the line growing up, so I know all too well the feelings of emptiness during the holidays. I guess when I get right down to it.  I’m not all that crazy about the holidays.

I’m not a scrooge.  I’m far from it! This is a great time of year!  However, I know that this can be a very stressful time of year for many people.  I believe my feelings stem from my childhood, and I know that I am not alone in those stressful feelings during the holidays.  There is a monumental amount of stress that many people and families go through this time of year. The stress develops due to lack of funds, old feelings resurfacing, property taxes due, relatives, and apparently much more.

Did I forget the unwanted weight gain? Oh! Many people attribute it to the overeating when I know it has more to do with dealing with real life than the food itself.

My Background
I was an only child up until age 10. I grew up in a household with a father that never worked a legitimate job until he drove a cab in Las Vegas at age 60 for the last 3 years of his life. My Dad was a degenerate compulsive gambler from Brooklyn, New York. My Mom, who has a heart as big as Texas, was an overeater who suffered from low self-esteem due to her negative self-image, which was exasperated by an abusive husband.

I was very much loved by both parents. I wasn’t physically abused, but the environment I was forced to live in was abusive itself. We were forced to move repeatedly because my Dad was always avoiding bookies, loan sharks, or local and federal authorities, and often it was in the middle of the night with just the clothes on our backs.

With bowl games, playoffs and basketball, the holiday season for a compulsive gambler is comparable to toys under the tree to an 8 year old. The outcome was always the same, and as hard as I try, I cannot recall one single holiday during that period of my life that did not end in mayhem. The fondest memory I have is when I was about 6 or 7 and my Dad had about six bucks and some change. They were raffling off free turkeys.  Our family won the turkey, and then my father let me buy as much candy as his money would allow. I was happy for as long as there was no fighting in the house, as short lived as that was.

Please don’t get me wrong. I LOVE spending time with loved ones and close friends, and I am blessed to have many in my life. But my background reminds me that the holidays can be as stressful as they are wonderful.

Emotional Soup
I know that the soup lines will be full in December, so I have to prepare my organization for a different kind of soup line. I call it emotional soup. Having been in the fitness business for almost 30 years, I am well versed at helping distribute the single best stress buster on this planet. It is exercise, healthy food and a mountain of positive energy.

In the past, I just survived the holidays and held on for dear life, hoping to get through it. I’m now a 10th degree black belt in thriving during the holidays. I have mastered getting leaner, or should I say my leanest, in the month of December. I practically am standing outside of Wal-Mart like the Salvation Army jingling my bell.  Instead of looking for a donation, I’m handing out buckets of healthy information.

What I Have Learned
Looking back, it was what it was and I’m somewhat glad I came from humble beginnings.  I realize that, as bad as it might have been, there are many people who have it much worse.

I am now approaching age 50, and I realize that regardless of their upbringing, many people have skeletons that tend to resurface this time of year. I know some people that get completely knotted up at the thought of having to visit certain relatives over the next few weeks. I also know people that refuse to visit their relatives.

So just how do I always find a way to thrive during the holiday season?

I start with a goal, and that leads into a mindset that says I can and will get leaner in the next 30 days while also enjoying all the food I want.  I know that I can be successful in this because I know just how much to eat and when to stop. I know that if I eat 5 times a day, which is 35 times per week, that it is not only OK to have a bad food choice. It is actually preferred. I slowly ramp up my cardio to a full hour and never miss a workout. I lift weights with an idea of how I am going to look headed into the New Year. I stock my refrigerator with plenty of healthy food. I even get a manicure, pedicure, massage and start taking better care of my skin. I give myself permission to eat whatever I want, and the good news for me is I usually want the better choice foods. I catch up on my reading and the first person I buy a gift for is me. That’s right me.

I have learned the most valuable secret in the world and that is if I am going to be able to love and take care of all the people that are important in my life, I must also learn to be selfish to the point of taking care of myself to the highest level. If I don’t love me, I certainly can’t love you! If I don’t take care of me, I certainly can’t take care of you.

Therefore, my gift to you this holiday season is the gift of understanding that YOU and YOU alone are the most important person in your life! To neglect yourself for the sake of others may appear noble.  However, if you really love the ones you love, you will know that they want you to be healthy, positive and most of all happy. If you take this approach and revitalize your efforts, you will start to feel the stress you normally feel this time of year slowly evaporating.

I want to thank all of you for such a wonderful experience and for allowing me to be your Voice of Wellness. The best gift you can give me is the gift of success. If you or someone you know has benefited from our wellness initiatives, please send a brief story of your success to larry@larrynorth.com and to wellness@acs-inc.com.  Also, don’t be afraid to share those wonderful before and after photos.  And congratulations on making the decision to make your health a priority in your life for the New Year!

Happy Holidays,

Larry North

My Mom Beverly has struggled her entire life with weight control issues. Even as a child she was often referred to as fat Bevy. As a result it did not take long for her to become extremely self conscious of her weight. She never wore a swimsuit, rarely would allow for her picture to be taken, did not eat fattening foods in public, etc… I will never forget going out as a child and someone making a rude or snide remark about my mom’s weight. She always would have the same reaction of pretending like she didn’t hear it or doing a fake laugh or giggle as to show it did not hurt or bother her. Trust me when I tell you, people can be down right cruel! However when we would return home she could barely hide back the tears until we reached the front door and then the emotions would overflow like a water fall. She was always on a diet or the latest “Fitness Fad fraud” gimmick in an effort to lose weight. I remember her wearing thick rubber gloves when handling fatty meats because she believed the fat could absorb through her skin. As a boy I was so perplexed at how such a warm hearted and beautiful person could feel so horrible about herself and her weight. I was as confused as she was and knew I never wanted to live my life like that. The sensitivity training I developed from the love I had and still have for my mom would turn out to be a very valuable gift later on in my life for my chosen occupation and career. I knew all to well what people went through who struggled with their weight. Unfortunately it did not stop outside the home, it was worse inside. Why? Because people with low self esteem tend to attract a certain kind of person in their life and in my mom’s case she hit the jackpot with my father. At any given moment he could and often would push what I call her fat buttons. It could be subtle as insinuating that she would never stick to a “new” diet or as cruel as a very derogatory name.

The operative word for my mom is struggle. She like many people from her generation struggled with their inability to achieve a normal or publicly acceptable weight. They were easy pray for marketers as they still are today. Will power has never had anything to do with success as most dieters would like to believe. For decades most people have and continue to use useless and bad technology. Plain and simply put, DIETS DON’T WORK! Along with sensitivity training I also have developed a gift for seeing beauty in most everyone I meet. However the sensitivity training I acquired, was as result of the fact that people were actually doing something about there situation, as opposed to nothing at all.

Today there is something very terrible going on in our society. Obesity is by far the single worst problem this country faces today. More than terrorism, the financial crisis, crime and anything else you can think of. It becomes more perpetuated when huge celebrities like Oprah suggest that you should accept being obese as if someone should accept being poor. The media isn’t much better by taking advantage of reality shows such as “Biggest Loser” and the over weight bachelor or bachelorette. Globally foreigners can spot an American by how fat they are. To me this is plain sad.

Did you know that when our parents received a physical in their early 20’s or 30’s they were classified into 1 of 3 categories, thin, average and overweight. In the 80’s the medical community added obese and today 2 more categories have been added severely obese and morbidly obese. What is next monumentally obese? This leads me to “Obese is the new thin”. The other day my fiance Brenda needed to run into Target to pick up a few things and I decided to wait in the car. I started watching people exit out the front doors and chose to count how many overweight deconditioned people were leaving the store before I saw a fit person. I lost count at about 2 dozen before a fit person walked out and it was Brenda. She is a person who chose to do something about her own weight issues. She very successfully has gone from a size 10 to a size 2 and remained that way for over 5 years (www.larrynorth.com and check out testimonials). Many people past and present have experienced a feeling of hopelessness regarding their weight issues. The feeling of hopelessness is the feeling that there is no solution to your problem. Today there is a solution. I know this to be a fact, I see and experience it first hand every single day of my life!

In an effort to help you address the potential problem with obesity I am going to provide you with a sarcastic satire of suggestions that will help you become obese at a much more rapid rate than you ever thought possible. It might only take you to follow one suggestion to accomplish this task or if you want guaranteed results follow all of them. If you wish to prevent obesity in your life and in your loved ones lives all you have to do is the opposite of what I’m suggesting.

1) Drink sugary sodas and lots of them. There are a whopping 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12 oz can, so drink the 32 oz bottle every day and you will have close to 30 teaspoons of the all time number one fat nourishing ingredient called corn syrup. In fact drink as many high calorie beverages that you can get your hands on, from soda to juice, beer, high calorie coffee drinks, etc… Do this and you are on your way to obesity.

2) Fried food. Eat anything that’s fried and when you cook don’t bake broil or grill, FRY it, if possible deep fry it. Foods that are healthy for you such as chicken, fish and veggies throw in the fryer because why eat something that is good for you when you can grease it up. If you want to get real creative on your quest to obesity fry stuff that is already fattening like Oreos, Twinkies and ice cream. Special note; if you fry chicken keep the skin on because it is virtually all saturated fat.

3) DON’T EXERCISE! Keep all activity too a minimum. Always stand instead of walk, sit instead of stand and lye down instead of sit. Another useful tip is to drive endlessly in the parking lot to find a space closer to the door instead of parking further away to cause you to have to walk. Never take the stairs when there is an escalator or elevator close by. If you join a gym, game over.

4) Make all fast food establishments a staple in your diet. Always use coupons and discounts such as 2 whoppers for $4.00 and then eat both at one sitting. If you order a large French fry and a milk shake you will have consumer enough fat and sodium to last for 5 days. Why wait 5 days when you can accomplish this task in 1 meal? When ordering pizza delivery always orders fatty meats such as pepperoni and sausage with extra cheese. When you get a second pizza free or half price eat it first as an appetizer before you finish off the big brother pizza.

5) Eat till the wee hours of the night preferably foods that are salty, crunchy and sweet. Be creative and find foods that are all 3 in one. Ideally bring in as much processed junk food into the house as you can fit into your cupboards so it is there when you have the urge to splurge. Better to be prepared when that urge hits you.

6) Starve yourself!!! I know what you’re thinking. How can you ever reach the goal of obesity if you starve yourself? I’m not really meaning for you to “diet”, just miss breakfast, skip lunch and let your hunger slowly build to the point that you would eat your own arm if you could. Then when you get home you will literally rip the refrigerator door right off the refrigerator. When you starve yourself you will become so ravenous that you will literally become a bottomless pit. By now you should be way on your way to having a larger waist line than you ever thought possible. However order your cloths quickly on HSN or QVC because did you know that XXXXL and XXXL are the first sizes to run out?

7) Above all have a self defeating attitude. Tell yourself convincingly that you have tried everything known to mankind and nothing has ever worked for you and nothing ever will. Blame it on your parents or anyone else you can think of. Use works like NO and can’t freely when discussing the subject of health, wellness and vitality. The way to measure your success with obesity is if your habits have spilled over to your kids. The minute you see that they have followed the path of the person they look up to the most, you have arrived. The good news depending on how you look at it is it won’t take long!!!!!!

In all honesty I’m physically exhausted writing in such a sarcastic and negative style. I’m almost tempted to push delete and not send this because it is so not me. I love and care for people just like you and never in recorded history have I ever written such negative advice. The current state of affairs with this subject truly saddens me. Maybe this wasn’t the best approach to convey my message but currently I just am at a loss to get into some of your heads and am willing to try just about anything. I could have gone on and on and on but I just had to stop.

In closing my mom is beautiful and arrested her weight issues many years ago. There is hope out there but you must believe in yourself, the messenger and above all the message. I am here for you as is our entire wellness team. If anyone was offended by this article it wasn’t my intention and if you feel you fit into the obese or one of the other obese categories I will personally see to it that you receive priority treatment.

LOVE and PEACE,

Larry North

To Larry and Staff at Larry North Fitness,

This is my annual birthday letter to all of you. For those of you who have come on board at Larry North Fitness during the past year, this is my 14^th letter of thanks to Larry for saving the quality of my life.

It has not been an easy year due to our business challenges in our country and to my chronic shoulder problems and spinal stenosis. But it has been far better than it would have been if not for Larry.

Fourteen years ago my life took a radical turn in less than 24 hours. I woke up on July 4^th, 1995 and all hell broke loose physically with no prior warning.

Within 24 hours, I was totally paralyzed, could not close my eyes, had double vision (2 years), could not swallow or speak, was on a respirator, and was on morphine – detached from the real world. When I finally left Baylor Hospital many months later, I still had a food tube in my stomach and could not raise my arms.

I had never heard of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, much less the Miller-Figher variant, and my morphined mind did not grasp it for months.

I almost died twice – once from pneumonia and once while on morphine, when I pulled at the trache in my throat and ruptured the major blood vessel.

When I was released from Baylor Hospital, I was skeletal for the first time in my life. All of my years of conditioning was gone.

I survived the 6 month ordeal due to the 13 hours a day that my beautiful Beverly was there with me, the support of our children and my mother, and without question, the personal involvement of Jesus Christ.

As I was going through outpatient rehabilitation, Larry North came to see me to ask me to let him rebuild my body and strength. He worked out a transition plan with my doctors.

I have been here ever since. If not for my foolishness in doing far too many pushups and ruining my shoulder two years ago, I would still be in the best shape of my after football life.

I particularly want to thank Tyler Herrin, my trainer for the past four years and Hash Raja for his work on my very bad shoulder.

I want each of you to know the debt I owe Larry. Jesus Christ and my family, and my doctors, and the staff at Baylor Hospital saved my life. Larry helped me get back my quality of life. You each work for a great man.

Sincerely,

Charles T.

Early on it was evident that I was a dreamer. My first grade teacher and many teachers that followed wrote on my report cards that I have a tendency to drift off and day dream during class. I guess I am who I am and I don’t think I will ever change. I actually visualize so hard sometimes that I actually believe I can see the future or should I say I have the ability to think and focus on certain ideas until they become my reality. Over the years I’m sure I have caused some frustration to many people that I am close to such as family or friends. For example when I was a bodybuilding bouncer in the late 70’s to the early 80’s I would practically tell anyone who would listen to me that I was going to have my own gym. Not just any gym but the best gym, in the best area, with the best staff and the best equipment. It would be so clean that you could eat off the floor. I had such a clear vision in my head yet at the time I was relying on rides to work because I couldn’t afford to have my broken down car fixed. Eventually people either would roll their eyes or I would stop sharing my dreams with those who I didn’t think cared one way or the other. Go to www.larrynorth.com to check out my gyms.

In the 80’s talk radio started to become very popular. I loved talk radio because I love to learn and be informed and was fascinated by the live interaction. I was a fan and much preferred talk over music radio and still do to this day. One day I woke up and decided I was going to get my own talk show. I had a vision for a show where I would share my wisdom and help encourage those folks who tended to struggle with weight control issues. I would be driving down the road and imagine that I was taking calls on my “Weekend Workout Show” (I even had a name for it). Then I built up the courage to walk in unannounced to the # 1 talk station in the 7th largest media market in the country. I asked if I could speak to the program director. The next thing I know I’m sitting in the boss’s office and he says; I’m very busy, what do you want? In less than 60 seconds I shared my thoughts, passion and vision and explained why I was the perfect guy for this new kind of show. I had never even talked into a Mr. Microphone yet alone done any form of media. The following week I was booked as a guest on a popular show. The week after that, I was offered my own show at the worst time slot on the worst day, 7:00 am on Sunday morning. I get chills of just reflecting back on the biggest game changer of my life at that time in my life!!! WOW my own show! At this point my gym buddies and friends were starting to believe I just might do what I say I will do. Within 3 short months I was on weekend primetime doing a show from noon-2:00 both Saturday and Sunday. Very similar scenarios have played out with my books, infomercials and even in my personal life. The reason for this is that I am a believer in myself and have mastered the art and power of visualization and so can you.

Now it is your turn. When it comes to you and your health nothing is more important that learning to visualize your success and most of all believing in yourself. From this day forward no more negative self talk. No more saying that you are fat and out of shape, no more saying you don’t have time or will power, no more self deprecating comments regarding your body or your health. I have been blessed with a wonderful gift and I see beauty in each and every person I meet. This isn’t brain surgery and I have never met a person that couldn’t go to a higher level if they chose to. Visualizing your success is more important than nutrition, vitamins, exercise, etc. Above all no more ridiculous excuses, after doing over 1000 radio shows and taking tens of thousands of calls I hear your excuses as if they are playing in my head like a tape recording going over and over and over again. I’m not listening and neither is anyone else. I tend to be empathetic with a sincere face but what I’m really thinking is: You have got to be KIDDING ME!!!

Mastering the art of visualization isn’t hard but it does take practice. First get a mental picture of what you want to achieve. Next write it down and then start to verbalize your thoughts and dreams. Follow this up with a series of smaller and more specific goals that are like tiny little steps leading to the top of a stairwell. Fist I wanted my own talk show. I then imagined what the show would be like and who exactly would benefit from it. I then wrote an outline of what the show would look like on paper. I then started telling people of my new endeavor. I also knew I would need to be knowledgeable so I started studying and seeking out higher authorities on every subject from nutrition-rehab. The final thing I did was create the opportunity as opposed to waiting for it to come to me.

Over the 25 years on radio I received hundreds of testimonials from listeners, book readers and those who have attended my seminars. There is one testimonial that stands out in particular that I would like to share with you. It touched my heart then and still stands out as a nice memory of what positive words can do for and open minded person.

I was well into my second year on the radio and my show was developing a grass roots following. The year was 1986 and I received a letter from a man I did not know and have never met. His letter started off explaining he had hit a real low point in his life. He lost his job, his family and as a result of drugs and alcohol addiction became homeless and lived on the streets. The money he made while panhandling all went for booze and junk food. One of the few possessions he owned was a battery operated AM radio. One day he stumbled across my show. Initially he was uninspired but he enjoyed the way I treated people whom he felt asked rather stupid questions (his words not mine). He soon became a regular listener and before he knew it he was following the advice I was giving to other listeners. He went down to the Salvation Army and obtained a pair of tennis shows. Before long he started walking and soon after that would go to the park and started doing push ups, crunches and stretches. He started eating canned tuna and chicken, canned veggies and instant rice. He entered a rehab program and gave up the drugs and booze. Within 4 months he lost 30 lbs he didn’t even know he had to lose.

His physical appearance changed dramatically but he never really noticed it but others did. What he did notice and why he chose to share his story with me is the changes he felt psychologically. He went from fat to thin, from jobless to employed and homeless to having a roof over his head. All his words not mine! His heart felt thank you will stay in my heart for the rest of my life. He had no excuses and no regrets. He chose to make a difference in his life and I would like to believe that because I chose to go and pursue my dream of having my own show that I made a difference in his.

It really is your turn and even the fact that I am your voice of wellness can be attributed to a vision and deep rooted relationship I have had with ACS that spawns over 18 years. I hope you have a spectacular year and remember I am hear for you along with the entire wellness team to help guide you to your desired higher level.

Larry

In 1986 my Mom, twin brothers and I were finally starting to get on our feet. Mom was getting steady work at the temp agency, my 16 year old brothers were typical teenagers but overall well adjusted and my personal training business was moving right along. Overall for the first time since I could ever remember we were happy. Then I received a phone call I will never forget. Mom called me and the first thing she said in a very deliberate tone of voice: Larry I don’t want you to worry. I knew my Mom all to well, we had been through much adversity together, as a boy I was a little man stuck in side a young little body. My heart immediately sank to my stomach. A tear began to roll down my cheek before she had even uttered another word. I just knew and she knew that I knew. She said; Son the Doctor says I have breast Cancer. While we didn’t have much we most certainly had each other. My Mom had been through hell and back. Like many single parents, she threw her life on the railroad tracks for the sake of her kids. Now this! To make matters worse we had no health insurance no money and no family or friends to turn to for help. She had always looked at me for strength and this was no time to show weakness.

Ironically Beverly ( Mom ) had baby sat for an entire month for a women named Nancy Brinker. This woman was and is truly a remarkable person. She started the Komen foundation which has raised millions of dollars, used to help cause major advances in breast cancer and breast cancer awareness. Remember this was over 23 years ago and so much has happened since then. Mrs. Brinker helped my mom get admitted into the city hospital. She then followed up daily pre and post surgery. With all she has done in her life she probably doesn’t remember her life saving generosity but I will never forget her.  When my mom went in for her mastectomy I had experienced an emotional breakdown. To this day I never shared that with anyone. The thought of losing her literally brought me to my knees.

I’m more than happy to share with you that she is a 23 year survivor who hardly a day ever goes by that we don’t speak to each other and end each conversation with an I love you. She is also one of the most positive and appreciative person I have ever known. She probably has never earned more than 30K in a given year sometimes working 2 and 3 jobs just to put food on the table yet in my eyes she is a massive success. In another strange twist of fate I ended up becoming close with Norm Brinker, who is an iconic figure in business and in the restaurant industry. He was a role model and mentor. He recently passed but will forever be remembered for all his great work and generosity.

My father was a different story. He smoked from morning till night, as an adult he ate like a child. His diet consisted of candy, hot dogs and junk food. His behavior and lifestyle led him to have migraine headaches, bleeding ulcers, high blood pressure and swallowing hand fulls of narcotics and barbiturates daily. As he would say other than that he was in good health. He never learned to swim or ride a bike. The only time I ever saw him run was if we were parked outside the horse racing track and the announcer said just 1 minute, 1 minute left until post time. He flew like a rocket to go place his bet. In the early years I spent much time with my father Irv. After all I was a boy and he was my dad. No one will ever question his love for me and visa versa. However as I grew older and wiser and when the time came to make the “Great escape” at age 16, I didn’t hesitate to help uproot our lives, leave him for good and start a new life. A better life, a life that we deserved and were determined to have. As a father and son we became estranged out of necessity and as time when on we eventually became communicative. He settled down in a town he was once banned from, Las Vegas. He had a legitimate job driving a cab and for the first time in his life appeared to be OK.

On a summer day in 1992 he called me and with his thick deep Brooklyn accent and said; Kid the ball game is finally over for me. I have prostate cancer! I’m like dad that is treatable with a huge success rate. He says Kid it has already spread to my bones, its over, I’m done! Finished! He waited so long before going to the Doctor that the cancer had spread throughout his body. He was apparently in much pain. He had attempted suicide in the past. I actually wondered if this delay in seeking help was actually purposeful. However when a person is denied something they then want it more than ever. My lack of trust in him even had me contemplating that he was seeking sympathy and planning on hitting me up for money to gamble with. That notion quickly evaporated because like my mom I knew him all to well. This was serious. My brother and I went to Vegas to bring him back to Dallas. His biggest fear in life was to die broke and alone. Neither of which would end up happening. His Doctor gave him less than a month to live and he ended up living for another 11 months. He was stronger than anyone gave him credit for including me. For the first time in his adult life he actually wanted to live. Those 11 month allowed for much emotional heeling, much forgiveness and allowed for Irv to maintain his dignity as a man and a father. Even my mom along with her loving heart helped tremendously through the process. At 63 he felt he was dieing prematurely. He was. His cancer was very treatable but he waited to long to seek help. As I look back I only wished he could have lived long enough to see the success and happiness his sons have achieved.

This was a very personal story to share. It is the first time I have ever put this story to print. I now have a huge favor to ask. Don’t be like Irv North and wait before it’s too late. Do something good for yourself and don’t put it off another day!!!

Live life with as few regrets as possible!

Love and peace,

Larry North

In the “new” economy, stress levels appear to be at an all time high. This certainly applies to most people under the age of 38. The truth is stress is stress regardless of what generation you were born but lets face it our parents for the most part had it much more difficult than us. In my organization young people make up the norm of my employee population. They have been raised in a new generation much different than generations before them. They cannot remember life before cell phones, laptops, internet, high def and high tech video games. They also have been brought up in a society with abundance. My father use to say that life at its best was still a struggle. I never have agreed with that statement but he did have a hard life. Most of that hard life was brought upon himself. Now his father was murdered, he grew up dirt poor but such is life. He chose to be a victim and as a result lived his entire life feeling sorry for himself and as if the world owed him something.

Lately everywhere you turn there seems to be a report in bad news. For example the stock market, housing, unemployment, layoffs, war, natural disasters and much more. Face it bad news sells! Everybody processes this information differently from person to person. We all handle the stress in our lives differently from person to person. I personally have witnessed a person completely coming unglued because they gained a few pounds or had a small fender bender, yet the very same person stayed calm while being informed of very tragic news such as a layoff or even a death of a loved one. I’m not a therapist and I do comprehend why this would be the case but I have also witnessed the complete opposite.

I took my first CPR training course in 1983 and will never forget lesion number 1 as long as I live. I have even applied this lesson to my personal and professional life. Lesson 1- In an EMERGENCY always remain calm and clear the room of people who are not! Irrational and frantic behavior only makes the situation worse. This is not to say I haven’t popped my own cork occasionally, after all I am a rather large and intense man but when my back is up against the wall I tend to stay calm and relaxed. When I do catch myself starting to feel sorry for myself I generally realize that there are many more people suffering at a much greater degree than me. There is a very old famous quote by an unnamed author ” I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I came upon a man with no feet”

With much practice I have learned to stop stressing over things that are completely out of my control such as all the things reported in the news or other peoples behavior or actions. I also know that doubling my efforts on the very things I can control will help minimize any potential setbacks or damage that surrounds me. By exercising, eating healthy, setting new goals, managing my time better and most importantly working on maintaining a positive attitude and staying happy is the true secret in handling stress. There is no question that we are all wired differently. Some people appear to not be able to be anything but pessimistic and negative. In all honesty I’m glad my CFO is that way but in spite of the way she is wired she chooses to be a happy person. Being HAPPY is a choice. It takes a lot of work to be happy and positive each and every day. I don’t want to sugar coat the fact that true happiness takes vision and hard work. It is a routine and a process that you talk yourself through on a daily basis. The reason it takes hard work and commitment to be happy is because when you take 2 steps forward it is easy to get knocked backwards on any give day I believe it may be difficult for some of you. It may take more work than you ever imagined with a huge payoff for you and your loved ones GREATER than you ever thought possible. Now it is your turn to stretch your emotional muscles farther than ever before and truly no longer sweat the small stuff.

Remember that your smile, laughter, confidence and tone of voice set the stage around you…

Have a wonderful June!

Larry North

The best year of my life was in 1977. I was 16 years old. When school started, I got a job working as a stock boy at a women’s shoe store on weekends and afternoons. The general manager did not allow music to be played in the stock room. Instead, Zig Zigler tapes were played. Zig was a pioneer in sales, motivation and inspiration.

At first, I wasn’t very receptive to the tapes. However, after several months, I had gotten used to them. Eventually, I could recite each and every word on the 10 tapes. It became an ongoing joke, because I learned to imitate the voice so well. To this day, I can still hear Zig saying, “Money can buy you a house, but it won’t buy you a home; money can by you a bed, but it won’t buy you a good night’s sleep.”  Little did I know that someday I would produce my own self-help tapes, which have sold more than a million copies.

Saturdays were always the busiest days in retail. On one particular Saturday, five sales people chose to not show up for work. The general manager freaked out, and in a moment of haste, insisted that I get on the floor and start selling shoes. I told him I couldn’t do it, that I had never sold a thing in life. Besides, I was wearing a dirty t-shirt and jeans. He dragged me down to the mall and bought me a shirt and a slip-on tie, and the next thing I knew I was on the shoe floor.

I will never forget that day— from my first sale to the most beautiful women I had ever seen to the nine pairs of shoes and boots sold to the woman from Mexico City. Throughout it all, I was calculating how much money I was going to earn that day. I went from minimum wage (US$4 an hour) to a 10-percent-commissioned salesman. I earned approximately US$1,300 that day.

After that first sale, I was unstoppable. I could not help but feel that the Zig Ziglar tapes had made a big impression on me. This was a big turning point in my life and career. That night, when the final numbers were tallied at the register, the general manager turned to me and said, “You just crushed the largest single sales day by an employee in this store’s twenty-year history.”

The feeling of elation at that moment has rarely been duplicated in my life, but it is that feeling of unbelievable accomplishment that keeps me motivated to this day. I went on to sell ladies’ shoes for several more years. I learned to love selling, and more importantly, I realized the power of words, dreams and vision.

In my opinion there is there is no single thing a person can do that is more important than the decision to do something good for themselves pertaining to their health. Even doing something simple like adding a healthy meal, going for a 10 minute walk or doing a few simple muscle building exercises will have a positive effect on your program. In fact, many times it’s these simple and easy things you do that lead to much more significant changes such as major weight reduction, stop smoking or a journey to a healthier living lifestyle. One of the best ways to approach your wellness program is to realize that it is a journey. You will never finish this journey; you will just continue to get better at it.

I remember embarking on what would eventually become the most important journey of my life. It was in 1977 and I was 16 years of age. As a family we were going through some very difficult times. Looking back I hate to think what might have been had my mom not worked up the courage to dream the impossible. She mustered up as much needed strength as she could and loaded me and my twin brothers age six into an old beat up Chevy as we looked to start a brand new life leaving New York and headed for all places Las Vegas. There was a very good reason for Vegas and that was because my father was banned from there at this time. (He wasn’t part of the problem. He was the problem) She felt it would be a safe place to go. We no sooner arrived in New Jersey and our car broke down. I knew she was scared but you would have never known it. She had a keen sense of focus that prevented me from being scared and her from showing any fear what so ever. The lesson I learned was that fear can often be a driving force in helping us achieve our goals. She was after all a determined woman. The car eventually was fixed but broke down three more times before we finally hit Vegas. The other valuable lesson I learned is that every Journey will have mechanical breakdowns, road detours, bad weather, road construction and other unique unexpected surprises.

When we finally arrived in Las Vegas we ended up packing the car once again due to the fact that my mom had made a quick decision not to raise her family in Vegas. We then continued on our journey to Houston, a place where we knew not a soul, a place where we could start a brand new life. The car had other plans because it blew the entire engine while passing through Dallas, TX. There we were in a strange town, penniless, no car and no one to turn to. What we did have was a clear idea of the kind of life we wanted for ourselves. Most of all we had HOPE. Let’s face it, many decisions we must make on our own personal journey are much harder than adding a healthy meal. The secret is regardless how hard life try’s to knock you off your path; you must always maintain your focus regardless of the circumstances.

We are all on a path and journey. There are many obstacles that can and will get in way. Many times its things that are completely out of our control such as the economy, bad weather or decisions that are completely within our control. In contrast it can be as simple as choosing door number one or door number two. When it comes to our health just like in life perfection doesn’t exist. I often say food is rarely the problem when sticking to your program. Dealing with life is generally the problem when it comes to being flung off the railroad tracks. A small example is that even the best workout intentions can evaporate with a call that you have to pick up the kids from school, work late or you left your workout clothes at home by the door.

As your appointed voice of wellness I ask that you join me on my quest to help as many people as I can to continue to reach their goals and above all keep their focus regardless of how many obstacles appear to be in your way. It is not about perfection it is about progress. Many years ago as I was beginning my career a mentor gave me metaphor I would like to pass onto you. At the time I was graveling that I wasn’t seeing the results with my business and he told me to imagine a 10 gallon bucket. Now visualize placing just a few bb’s in it each day. In the beginning the bucket will appear to be empty but as time goes on the bucket will start to fill up. This is exactly the way I would like for you to visualize your wellness program. It is the little things that will continue to have a major residual effect for years to come.

Keep your focus at all costs. We all get side tracked from time to time. The shortest workout I do is better than the workout I missed. The other valuable lesson I have learned is that in my own personal journey I have had much guidance and many mentors to help me move along to the next level. I believe that the current  wellness program is designed to do just that. If you have taken the time to read this article then I believe your journey is on the path to the greater good.

Keeping your focus tips

1. Always maintain a positive attitude.
2. Fear can be a positive in helping us achieve our goals.
3. The journey never ends.
4. Look for guidance and good mentors.
5. Have written goals.
6. If you fall off the wagon, pick yourself up and get right back on.
7. Don’t dwell on the past.
8. Set backs are a given.
9. Hopelessness means there is no solution to your problem. There is HOPE

Because there is always a solution to your problem.

Larry North