Motivation Monday

Confidence: The Ali Way!

Sole Searching

For the Ladies: Alexander McQueen: 

Black wedge peep-toe sandal with large grosgrain ribbon bow

Dolce & Gabbana Mens Shoes - Fall - Winter 2011/12

For the ladies: Ruthie Davis

The Spike/Dark Gaga

Beer Budget Living; Champagne Lifestyle Dreaming

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
Price Tag: $550k

Porsche Design P'9981 Blackberry
Price Tag: $2k

Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Offshore, Baguette
Price Tag: $1 million

For the Ladies:
Dior VIII Grand Bal Plumetis
Price Tag: $39k

Mercedes SLS AMG - gullwing
Price Tag: $300k

The Rose that Grew from Concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? 

Proving nature's law is wrong

 it learned to walk without having feet. 

Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams, 

it learned to breathe fresh air. 

Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared.

By Tupac Shakur

Fitness Friday

Firstly I apologize, I realize that there are some of you who read this blog regularly and this week I forgot to update fitness Friday on time.  *awkward* hmmm um okay let's get into it then. We'll call it Strength Saturdays lol nuh it's still Fitness Friday but on a Saturday morning.

Personal Perspective: This week I reached a personal milestone on Wednesday 24th October 2011. It was the 100th day!!! where I take a jog on a daily basis!! So 100 days continuously every single day whether it rained, stormed, hailed I laced up and took a jog because I want to reach my goal as bad as I would wanna breath if someone held me under water (Video reference). It feels unreal that I got this far, but I'm still very far from my goal. I'm not on a diet I've decided to make this my lifestyle, living healthy that is. 

In case you were wondering how I did it, I got some help along the way. Every single day I'd read motivational posters to remind me why I need to take a run today. Below I've shared some of these posters:

The first one is my favorite and I used it on Wednesday. Sometimes when we reach a  goal we feel like we deserve a reward. So after I completed a 5km run on Wednesday, I rewarded by body with an extra 5km run

. 

Exercise has never been the enemy.

Movie Quote of the Week

The only thing greater than the power of the mind is the courage of the heart.

Tagline from 'Beautiful Mind' 

Please Like my Facebook Page

Click Here to Visit my Facebook Page

Never Forget

I remember receiving an email from a good friend of mine I went to high school (St Dominic's College in Welkom, South Africa) with his name is Theo, a really wise brother. We had been emailing back and forth and I had started to look to him as a mentor getting all sorts of advice and just having the opportunity to pick his brain from overseas. Oh daaamn this is crazy!!! (I'm not gonna edit this because all my posts are conversational anyway but,)  I just checked my email and I haven't heard from Theo in quite a while and I just received an email from him RIGHT NOW!! lol crazy huh?? Call it what you wanna call it...

Anyway all his emails had a profound effect on me. I still re-read some of them till this day. The thoughts and ideas in those emails are just timeless. I want to share one particular theme that was constant in all his emails and that was the idea that regardless of what happens, Life is Good and we thank God that it will get better. He touched on the fact that it's easy to be humble when things aren't going so well.... 

My gifts, talents I regard as seeds planted by Him which are meant to be shared and to benefit others... My purpose is becoming bigger than I am, it's not about me anymore, I used to think it was...

I'm grateful that I am still standing but by the grace of God...

Please enjoy the video below:

The song is by David Crowder

Title: Glory of it all.

Video: Travis Corey (an artist not evolved but touched by God)

P.S. Always stay true to yourself.

(damn I got a lump in my throat)

Motivation Monday

Why settle for Second Place:

"Maybe you like second place, maybe you like that 'you gave it your best better luck next time' malarkey. They spoon feed runner ups! Let me put it another way, if you think second place ain't such a bad deal why don't you ask Napoleon how he felt about coming in second at Waterloo. Not so good! And you can spare me it's not whether you win or lose or how you play the game bullshit, I guarantee whoever said that, Lost the game! Moral of the story  ALWAYS COME IN FIRST! ALWAYS!!"*

This Video says it all:

*Text taken from motivational internet clip author unknown

Sole Searching

For the Ladies: Christian Louboutin: Look 43

For the Fellas: Nike Lebron 9

For the Ladies: Gianmarco Lorenzi: 

Multicolor Rhinestone Embellished Pumps

The Magic Pill

One of my pet peeves is switching the TV late at night and finding a majority of the channels trying to sell me something I don't need. They ask the most vague questions and if you answer yes to all of them you might just need this product:

Do you ever wake up in the morning and feel unmotivated?
Do you want to change your life for good?
Do you sometimes feel you're working hard but see no results?

Immediately I think pause... everyone feels like this from time to time but okay let me see where this is going. A minute later they introduce a miraculous new product that is gonna change your life for good. It's gonna give you the body you've always wanted, it's gonna increase your school marks etc etc the list goes on. Essentially they advertise a product that promises you big results from small efforts.

I call it Magic Pill Syndrome.

How many times have you watched commercials and come across messages like these about scientists who have created a pill that helps you lose weight quick or authors that promise to change your life in one minute (59 seconds to be exact)? Everywhere you turn people are offering you a quick fix but here let me save you time lol :

Face facts you’re not going to achieve greatness, find your life’s purpose or become a much happier person over night. It’s a process, and great souls are grown through struggles, storms and seasons of suffering as Rick Warren puts it. So ‘don’t try get out of anything prematurely [do the work] so you become mature and well developed.’ Avoid the quick fix. There's not much else to say on this topic: Stay deaf, dumb and blind to these magic pills which offer you a quick fix. It took Einstein years of consistent effort before he was recognized as one the greatest thinkers of our time and the father of modern physics.

Personal Perspective: I’ve explained in my fitness Friday posts how I battled with my weight. To say I battled with my weight gives the impression that I was overweight but this isn’t the case. I used to research numerous methods, diets, master cleanses, workouts etc anything that guaranteed the biggest results but required the least amount of effort. From personal experience I can tell you none of these things were effective in the long term. Take a look at my before and after pictures under ‘Fitness Fridays’ and you will notice that once I put in the effort that was required the results became long lasting.

"I've always believed that if you put in work, the results will come' - Michael Jordan

We live in a time where things are available instantly. You can buy movie tickets without leaving your house, pay your bills from your couch; check the weather, news, sports, and even local events all online. We have instant noodles, instant messenger, instant results from every second product advertised on TV, we basically have instant access to the whole world from the comfort of our homes. So we have become accustomed to the lazy lifestyle where we can get more than what we put in. 

Unfortunately we expect the same formula when it comes to reaching our goals. We want to achieve big, with minimal effort. We fall victim to the late night infomercials that promise us life changing results with little or no work needed. We sleep more than we work; party more than we study, dream more than we strive and then become disappointed when we get poor results. 

The ones who do succeed however, are the ones who look past the short cuts, work through the pain, sacrifice big to succeed even bigger, commit to short term pain for long term gain, they become blind to the magic pill because they understand one fundamental idea that rings true today as it did in AD 200 when it was first uttered and that is: 

No Great Thing is ever created Suddenly - Epictetus

Beer Budget Living; Champagne Lifestyle Dreaming

Lexus LFA Roadster
Price Tag: $375k

Ladies: Chopard: Happy Sport, La Vie en Rose
Price Tag: $12k

Audemars Piguet: Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
Price Tag: $28k

k

History Supreme gold-plated Yacht by Stuart Hughes
Price Tag: $4.5 Billion

Looking at some of these toys makes me think of one of my favorite quotes:

"I never said it would be easy, I said it would be worth it."

Movie Quote of the Week

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Timo Cruz in 'Coach Carter'

Fitness Friday

You're right it's easier to eat pizza than to run on the treadmill.It's easier to turn to ice cream rather than people for supporters. It's easier to say 'fuck it, I give up' than to say 'fuck it I can do this'. So you know what? I'm not gonna sit here and tell you day after day you can do this. If you don't believe you can then you can't. That's the honest truth. You need to do this for you! and if you don't want it enough then you sure as hell won't achieve it. So take the easy way out and remain unhealthy, and continue to gain weight because you can't realize you're the only one hurting yourself. I didn't say it would be easy, I said it would be worth it.*

*Quote from the internet.

Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat

Last week Friday I was invited to Government house by the Governor of South Australia. Sometimes when you put a lot of time and effort into your passion without seeing results you start to lose heart, but the inner fire keeps burning and you keep pushing, hoping, praying that success, no matter how small, will be around the next bend.

I rock up to Government house and it's an award ceremony. Long story short, I was awarded a 'Highly Commended Award' by the Governor of South Australia for my work in the arts. So some people asked me whether I was studying performance arts or did the arts at university and the answer is no. So the next question is so why did you receive an award for the arts: With a shaky voice I respond 'Hip Hop I guess' (I still don't get why I can't shake off my shyness)

Anyway for those who may not know I'll summarize a few of my achievements with my group Thee Immaculate. With no CD/mixtape release to date (20 October 2011) we have managed to support some of these artists:

• Montel Jordan
• Jessica Mauboy
• Young Twinn
• Scribe
• Bone Thugs & Harmony
• K-Rino
• Tila Tequila
• Juice McCain (Blackwall Street)
• The Game
• Nas

We are still very far from our goal but Thanks to the Highest some of these victories along the way give us confidence to keep heading in the right direction.

I have also been involved in other Hip Hop projects which I will talk about in another post. To say I'm ecstatic would be an understatement. For a long time Hip Hop has been described as being anti-establishment, but I just received an award from the governor for my efforts in hip hop? To be honest I am a bit confused at the moment lol 

I'm still very grateful though so thanks to everyone who keeps believing in me.

* I did not personally take any pictures at this event I was so nervous I was texting my way through the whole ceremony lol Don't judge a brother.

The journey of a thousand miles begins with One step...

Catch Thee Immaculate Supporting CASSIDY at Heaven Night Club

Motivation Monday

Listen 80% of the time talk 20% But if someone is down-talking your ambitions, you better switch that equation around or play deaf

Motivation Monday: The Oscar Pistorious Way

Sole Searching

For the Fellas: Nike Air Yeezy - Glow in the Dark

For the Ladies: Gianmarco Lorenzi (Glass Fibre Boot)

Beer Budget Living; Champagne Lifestyle Dreaming

Jacob and Co - Global 3
Price Tag: $11k

2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Convertible
Price Tag: N/A

Girard- Perregaux Cat's Eye Tourbillon Haute Joaillerie Watch
Price Tag: $500k

Diadema Diamante (Champagne)
Price Tag (per bottle): 10k -15k (magnum version)

Can you Get Rich? Part 2

Transcript of a Felix Dennis Video

You have to have a clear understanding of what it is you are trying to do and you must understand step by step how you are going to do it. I’m gonna do this if that fails I’m gonna fall back and do that or I gotta do this I gotta get that. You have to have a clear methodology in front of you, that does not mean you’re creating a business and the ridiculous things I receive about 40 a week of you know business plans telling me how we’re all gonna become multi-billionaires, never mind all that. You have gotta have a clear understanding of what it is you’re gonna do and the steps you’re gonna take to do it then you have to I don’t know if you’re going with a partner or just entirely on your own. Go to a place, go to a place on your own I don’t care where it is, I don’t care if it’s in front of your chimney or you go out in the middle of the new forest I don’t care go to a place. Swear to yourself, I will not give in until they bankrupt me! While you never give in on your goal, you know where you’re trying to reach what you’re trying to do i.e. make more money than your neighbor; you might have to change the methodology. If something isn’t working (yeah) then what sorts the man and woman that is gonna be rich from the man and woman that is just gonna have tried it once failed and dream about it is the ability, as with all human activity, to adapt. So you’re gonna say okay this isn't working we’ve gotta change our methodology. 

We gotta change direction we gotta try something else that is gonna make this damn thing work. And if you’re willing to do that and keep trying you know listening to everybody that you know who’s got any kind of sense whatever that you trust within this particular industry or whatever and if you’re willing to change until it starts working then they cannot stop you for the very simple reason that in the end you will get it right and I had to do that many many times. Many of the magazines I started we’re complete dobs absolutely useless and we all got together and we talked about it and we started to listen to our readers and we realized that what we were doing was completely wrong. And it’s amazing how often entrepreneurs get the right idea and the wrong methodology, just go about it completely wrong. 

So can you get rich? Can you build your own business empire? Is it a delusion to believe that so called ordinary men and women can within not so many years do what I did? And what did i do? I WENT from being a failed blues musician and an arts student living in a crummy bed set without the price of a pint of beer in my pocket let alone the money to pay my landlady the rent into becoming one of the richest men in Britain or so the Sunday Times rich list tells us. I went from being a high school drop out without a penny of capital or the benefit of a university education to owning my own business, flying around in private jets, purchasing massive homes and estates with thousands of acres of land around the world, being chauffeured in a fleet of rolls royces and Maybachs and drinking the finest wine that money can buy from my own cellars. 

In the end if you want too much money then make a decision that you DO want it and go out there and get it! And nothing can stop you I swear that to you, nothing in this earth can stop you apart from death, Nothing! MOST of the people that got fantastically rich in the western world in the last couple of hundred years were not very clever they don’t have to be clever.

*To find Can you get Rich Pt 1. Click Late Night thoughts under the Labels.

Fitness Friday

So last week I uploaded the results of my changed lifestyle and till today people don't believe it's possible. All it requires is a change of lifestyle a bit of discipline. Take a look at this picture below:

Like I said at the start of this series I'm not a fitness guru but experience has taught me many things one of which is this, appeal in terms of body image is made in the kitchen not the gym. There's no use hitting the gym and then eating everything you've always eaten because that's counterproductive. Your meals should complement the work you're putting in at the gym. Don't starve yourself just eat more of the right foods.

It's really that simple. Just remember:

Movie Quote of the week

Life's this game of inches... the margin for error is so small. [O]ne half  step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when you add up all those inches, that's gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing!  Between living and dying! I'll tell you this, in any fight it's the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I'm gonna have any life anymore it's because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that's what living is, the six inches in front of your face.

Tony D'Amato in 'Any Given Sunday'

Sole Searching

For the Ladies:  Alexander McQueen (Faithful Boot)

Magnolia/Old White/Electrum

For the Fellas: Lanvin Sneakers Limited Edition 

(Fall/Winter Collection)

Motivation Monday

Motivation to give back to the community, the Narayanan Krishnan way.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

*apologies to all mobile users; you are not able to view the video as yet on a mobile device.

Beer Budget Living; Champagne Lifestyle Dreaming

2012 Bentley Continental GT
Price Tag: $190k

Clarity: Ladies bracelet (18ct gold 17 ct diamond)
Price Tag: $11.9k

Ladies: Gucci patterned cuff watch
Price Tag: $1.2k

Hublot Big Bang Black Caviar
Price Tag: $1 million

24 Ct Gold Macbook Air
Price Tag: $8.6k