By Keith Jones

Springtime brings incredible opportunity for rebirth, rejuvenation, and all things new and fresh. By evaluating behaviors and attitudes that no longer serve others, or me I welcome the approaching spring season as a chance to make a bigger difference in the world. This commitment to contributing to others is what calls me into action. It is the ultimate pledge to ensure that the team wins on a grand scale.

For many years, I felt that if I made the effort to “do good,” then that was all that mattered. I recently learned that I was “playing small” with that attitude. Several months ago, a close friend inspired me to become a bone marrow donor. She said someone would contact me on how to proceed, so I waited patiently for instructions on how to help someone in need. Weeks and weeks passed without receiving any correspondence. My friend could not believe I had not been contacted. I was not terribly disappointed because I was proud of myself for making the choice to be a donor. I was totally playing small.

A few weeks later, I met someone suffering from leukemia. She was waiting for a bone marrow transplant. It was during our conversation that I realized how stopping at the good intentions—I called it “being right”—was preventing someone from living life powerfully. Yes, I did make the effort to be a donor by expressing my interest. But when someone’s life is at stake, a person who loves others does not stop there. It was at this time I chose a different path. I committed to walking the talk so that others could win. It was important they be happy and live life fully. Within one day of making this paradigm shift, I had a conversation with the National Registry and a donor kit was mailed to me. I am now on track to becoming a bone marrow donor. I am playing big and it feels amazing.

I encourage you to make your intention your first step and take the talk-walk as well. This is the ultimate definition of team. We all have to win. Realize that not following up on good intentions rarely allows you to be happy.

By Keith Jones

Most agree that our economy is experiencing challenges on several fronts. This is not especially good news during the holiday season. With so much uncertainty about our economic future, you can still do something special for yourself. You can give yourself the gift of health and fitness.

With Americans dealing with a volatile stock market that has impacted their investments and a housing market that has lost value, it is important not to add poor health to the list of concerns. A health issue can devastate a person both financially and physically. With the stakes so high, taking charge of your health is something each person should take seriously.

Let’s talk about nutrition. I believe nutrition is 65 percent of the way you feel and look. Concentrating on nutrition is the most effective way to improve your health. If your goal is to lose weight, add muscle or tone your body, good nutrition is essential. Please consider the following tips:

•    Consume five to six small meals per day that are appropriately balanced with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Be sure to consult your doctor.
•    Eat foods that support your health and fitness goals. Consider eliminating fatty foods. Your heart will love you.
•    View eating healthy not as deprivation but rather as an act of self-love.

When it comes to fitness, get in motion. I recommend the following:
•    Perform cardio exercise for at least 30 minutes, three days per week.
•    Wear a heart-rate monitor when performing any fitness activity to ensure you are exercising safely.
•    Incorporate resistance training into your fitness routine. This will promote muscle growth, shape, and tone.

Great health is the most valuable gift you can give yourself and your family.

By Keith Jones

Arizona is known for its sunny weather, unique desert appeal, great resorts, and healthy lifestyle. Summer is a great time of year to take advantage of these features. Arizona’s world-class resorts offer getaways for both the mind and body, and at awesome rates.

The top resorts in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Paradise Valley have incredible amenities at unbelievable prices. For overnight stays that can be as much as 50 percent off the winter rate, you can indulge in activities for the mind and body. Begin your morning with a hike or yoga class to clear your mind and be present in your environment. Follow this with a swim in the resort pool before experiencing a five-star massage that sweeps you away from the cares of the world.

Camelback Inn, Sanctuary, Princess, Royal Palms, Four Seasons, and The Boulders are some of the luxurious Arizona resorts that offer sizzling rates this time of year. Indulge yourself by making a reservation for an overnight stay or weekend getaway. Your mind and body will thank you.

Finding Love and Forgiveness for My Father

By Keith Jones

Fitness has been an amazing gateway to meeting extraordinary people. These fellow health-conscious people have helped me transform important areas of my life. The biggest impact was in the area of personal relationships—with my stepfather, in particular.

My stepfather was by far the most prominent male figure in my childhood. I had long dismissed our relationship as a painful part of my past that didn’t affect me as an adult. I was so wrong. My fitness friends helped me see how important it was to achieve closure on that part of my past so that other relationships could flourish.

Before getting to that point, I had to revisit my youth. My stepfather was someone I resented. I viewed his alcoholism as weakness. The abuse we suffered at his hand created hatred for him within me. As I matured, I pushed those painful years deep inside and was sure I would never deal with them again. I was wrong.

My story about how awful my childhood unconsciously manifested in almost every area of my life. My vow to be everything my stepfather was not turned me into a perfectionist. I judged everyone through this prism. Feeling alone and unloved caused me to withhold love and authenticity in my relationships. I never fully committed to anyone.

My primary channel for my feelings was conversing with people I met during exercise. Through their unconditional love, I developed the courage to take on my past. I came to realize that my stepfather did the best he could with what he knew. I called him and shared my true feelings. I told him how the events of my childhood had hurt me; how I interpreted his actions as abusive, harmful, and destructive to my spirit; and what my interpretation of those times had cost me—happiness in my life. By blaming him for everything, I was choosing to be right about resenting him rather than being happy. I apologized for the bitterness I carried for him, and thanked him for adopting me when my biological father chose not to be in my life. We created a new possibility for peace in our relationship.

I have my fitness friends to thank for this. This Father’s Day, have an authentic conversation with your father in which you do not place blame, but instead create a new possibility for a real relationship.

By Keith Jones

One of the greatest challenges that healthy and fit people face in maintaining their nutrition and fitness routines occurs when traveling. For many of us, eating properly and exercising is easy when we are home. The gym is close by, which allows us to work out often. At home, our refrigerator is stocked with nutritious items, and our favorite restaurants feature delicious and healthy dishes on their menus. All is healthy, until we travel. Here are a few tips on how to stay true to your nutrition and fitness while traveling from Arizona to New York to Paris, and everywhere in between.

Like everything in life, a bit of preparation goes a long way, and it goes even further when you are trying to eat right while away from your usual environment. First, call ahead to determine if there will be anything healthy on the menu. Call the hotel or your friends and family to see if breakfast will consist of oatmeal and fruit, or eggs benedict and pastries. Will lunch be a pastrami sandwich or a grilled chicken breast over a salad rich in green, leafy vegetables? If it sounds good but not good for you, pack plenty of rice cakes, organic bars, or other healthy snacks to tide yourself over until you hit the local market. I believe nutrition contributes 65 percent to the way we feel and look physically, and every meal counts.

Calling ahead is also a good idea when planning your travel exercise schedule. Find out if the hotel has a fitness center. Ask for the hotel’s Web site so you can take a virtual tour of the workout room to ensure that it has the equipment you will need. If staying with family or friends, check to see if there is a gym nearby. If there is not, go straight to Plan B and invest in resistance bands and a jump rope. Both are portable and small enough to fit in your carry-on luggage. The resistance bands should come with instructions for performing exercises that target the upper and lower body and the core muscles. The jump rope can be used indoors or outdoors. I suggest jumping rope for thirty to forty-five minutes. If that is beyond your fitness level, try a jump rope-abs exercise interval. Jump rope for two minutes and follow it with a one-minute increment of an abs exercise, and repeat for at least thirty minutes.

Make the commitment to stay healthy and fit whether at home or away. Stay true to You, wherever You may be!

By Keith Jones

Dance your way into each other’s hearts and lives. Consider taking ballroom dancing lessons before your wedding. This is an amazing activity that will bring any couple closer over the weeks or months that lead up to their big day. Waltz, tango, and salsa are my favorites; each dance is a perfect way for the gentleman to showcase his bride and pay tribute to her with each step. The dance you choose to perform at your wedding will bring you closer together and dazzle everyone in attendance.

Physically, ballroom dancing is great exercise. It requires good posture and lightness of step for each person. With the man’s frame set, the lady gracefully and elegantly finds an intimate place in his arms. The cardio exercise and closeness of ballroom dancing are sure to get you in shape for your wedding and make your heart race—if it isn’t already racing!

Mentally, you are required to be present and in the moment so that you can grasp the steps. The male must learn to lead. His energy and frame must communicate messages that are both clear and loving to his potential bride. In return, she must be as attentive and responsive to his direction as she is lovely. When both parties are focused on listening to each other’s bodies, they make the dance look beautiful.

And emotionally, ballroom dancing moves you from your soul. You feel alive. If you relax and make it an absolute priority that each movement you make on the floor is a symbol of a step you are taking for your partner, it will translate into a waltz or tango that is perfect because it is performed with love.

So if you are looking of a way to celebrate your commitment before, during, and after your wedding, consider ballroom dancing. It will make you dance inside forever.

By Keith Jones

The holiday season is upon us, and the New Year is just around the bend. Will the new you be there to greet them both?

Take a moment to reflect on the promises you made to yourself at the beginning of the year. Did you vow to be your best and happiest self in all that you do? Was freeing yourself of negative people and energy among your goals? Or were your goals more specific, like losing weight or being a better person in relationships? If you did not meet your expectations, here are a few ways to remedy this.

Spiritually
Make a point to begin each day with clear intentions of what you want to create in your life. Before you get out of bed in the morning, take sixty seconds to say, “Today is going to be a great day. Everything I wish for and moves me forward is already done.” Then, list those things one by one. Over the course of your day, you will observe events that are evidence of your intentions being realized.

Mentally
Speak and act in a way that is positive and loving. Since reality is subjective, choose to create your own by the things you say and do. Thoughts become words and words turn to actions. If your thoughts and words are positive, so will be your actions. If being positive is a challenge for you at this time, take a small step by simply greeting everyone you see with a warm hello and a smile. You will be moved by the love that flows back to you.

Emotionally
Take responsibility for what you feel. If you feel hurt, betrayed, disappointed, or dishonored, do not blame the other person. Life-balancing coach Bonnie Moehle-Goldberg believes that when we pass blame, we are avoiding the source of our discomfort. It is not the other person. Rather, something within us is surfacing for healing. How do we restore our emotional balance? A couple of the things I do are write in a personal journal and surround myself with people who support instead of enable me. Welcome these kinds of happy, healthy people into your life.

Physically
Be strong, be beautiful, and be healthy. Write down your goals today. What does your ideal body feel and look like? With this body, what exciting adventures will you embark upon? Print out your list and place it somewhere that you will see it daily. Now, surround yourself with positive people who are working on what you want to be. Your commitment to these to things will result in your own perfect body.

Don’t wait until the New Year. Start today!

By Keith Jones

We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the United States. In the Southwest, sunshine greets us almost every day. Whatever the season, there is beauty to be found in it. Spring brings rebirth and warm temperatures. Summer brings longer days for us to enjoy. Fall smiles on us with its cool breezes. And winter reminds us why we love Arizona so much more than we love the colder climates that many of us moved away from.

We are fortunate to live in a place that affords so many opportunities to enjoy nature. Here, we can plan family activities, outings with friends, and exercise, with little concern over Mother Nature’s cooperation. I invite you to take full advantage of this special gift.

A great activity that you can do almost anytime in Arizona is hiking. It is incredible for the body and amazing for the mind. This adventure allows mind and body to become one. At least twice a month, arise early in the morning to go on a hike. You will enjoy the cooler temperature in the mountains, and you can witness the sun as it blesses our Valley. Be sure to enjoy the adventure, and experience each moment and each step along the trail. Your day will be positive and special. Some great hiking trails include Pinnacle Peak in North Scottsdale for everyone, and Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale for the more athletic hiker.

And at the end of the day, allow yourself to wind down as the sun sets. Quietly relax, breathe, and feel. Allow the oneness of your mind and body to rest for a moment. Marvel at the sunset. And in between breaths, have a quiet conversation with yourself. Consider all the things that you wish for yourself and others. Then, close your eyes and express faith and gratitude that these thoughts usher those things your way. As sure as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, you will realize your happiest and best self with every loving act you do.

By Keith Jones

Ahh, luxury —the state of great comfort and living well. Although this term often describes external and material comfort, there is another type of luxury that comes from within. It’s a richness that you possess in your innermost being, and that you will treasure more deeply. But, as with many luxury purchases, you will have to work diligently to earn, acquire, and enjoy it.

Honoring yourself and loving those around you will bring a sensation of not only extreme comfort, but also generosity. Take a moment to think of how you are when you are being your best self. What promises have you made to yourself that you have not kept? Take each pledge separately and ask why it has gone unfulfilled. If you told yourself that you want to surround yourself with people who honor and love you unconditionally, are you being that kind of partner and friend to others? Remember, we teach others how to love and treat us by the way we treat ourselves.

If you promised yourself you’d get in shape so you can feel and look amazing, are you eating and exercising in a way that moves you toward that goal? I suggest you view eating healthy not as deprivation, but rather as an act of self-love. Embrace exercise as an opportunity to rediscover a body that allows you to participate in all of life’s many adventures.

And when it comes to loving our family and friends, are you being generous in expending the time we spend with them, and is it quality time? Do they enjoy your full attention? Quality time is the hard-to-get luxury item that loved ones want most—a fully engaged you. Make every word you speak positive, whether at home, at work, or out and about. And love those close to you as if nothing else matters.

This lavish approach to honoring yourself and those around you is about loving from the inside out. It has nothing to do with material things. And, while this most luxurious part of you cannot be purchased with currency, it is indeed priceless. Be exquisite and passionate about sharing your inner beauty with others.