Motivational Message

Spend Wisely - Shop Healthy

“So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health” ~A.J. Reb Materi 

Why do most of us spend our money to enhance our lives in every way possible – from jewelry, to clothes, electronics, makeup, shoes, cars, bigger houses, worthless material possessions, etc… but when it comes to our health, we neglect the one thing that everything else depends on.

Sure, new golf clubs or an ipad2 would be nice, but…

This holiday season why not support the health of those on your shopping list while also supporting local, small businesses? Give those you love a healthy gift – such as a gift certificate from a local health food store like Living Waters. Make this holiday season stress-free and relaxing with yoga sessions at Hot House Yoga. Organic produce delivery from Front Porch Pickings can be a healthy weekly or monthly reminder of how much you care. For your relatives or friends who are full of sh*t – a colonic from Logical Therapy and Wellness makes a perfectly logical gift! When you’re happy, you’re usually healthy - deliver a monthly smile with ‘flowers for a year’ from The Flower Market. A health food supplement like Chews4Health will create the priceless gift of energy and vitality.

Whether young or old, short or tall, everyone could use a little more "Health and Happiness" in their lives.

Merry Christmas and have a healthy, Happy New You!

Ho, Ho, Holy Sh*t - Christmas is Almost Here!

Are you one of the many that haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet? Has procrastination or lack of time left you stressfully counting the days until Christmas? Do you hate shopping or crowded malls and stores? Are you looking for the perfect universal gift that would benefit everyone on your shopping list? Is it your mission to support local, small businesses this holiday season? If so, you’re in luck – here’s the perfect solution for your gift giving pleasure this year.

Give the gift of "Health and Happiness"!

Local Daytona Beach author Sean Donovan’s book "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" is the perfect solution for spreading holiday cheer to all who are dear for the rest of the year.

This easy, interesting, and educational book is a life-changing gift that is sure to enhance the life of anyone who reads it – now and for many healthy, happy years to come.

The title really says it all, but Sean says a lot more about life in his common sense, content-rich, change-inducing creation. It is truly a must-read for anyone who is alive and wants to stay that way!

An easy, meaningful gift solution for under $20 is really rare to find.

“Health and Happiness” is available in hardback, paperback, e-book and newly revised personalized paperback version. All versions are fantastic and can be bought easily and quickly online – they even ship direct right to the recipient – so you can keep your sleigh and reindeer in the garage!

Reduce your holiday stress, finish your shopping HERE and kick back, relax and have a healthy, happy holiday season.

“Ho, Ho, Healthy New You”

The Perfect Gift

If you’re like most people, then you probably have several individuals on your Christmas shopping list who are extremely difficult to shop for. Either they have everything they need, or they are extremely picky, or their tastes vary dramatically from yours (I cringe every time my mother buys me clothes). Of course there are always those ungrateful present recipients who will invariably return or re-gift whatever you get them. It’s time for change.

Why not give a gift that is personalized, practical, and potentially life-changing? How about giving something that everyone has in common and always needs more of? Wouldn’t it be nice to find an all-encompassing gift that really demonstrated how much you cared about someone? What if you could support two local businesses with your purchase? And wouldn’t it be a nice bonus for your budget if it could be bought online for only $20 and shipped direct?

Give the gift of "Health and Happiness" this holiday season to everyone you care about. Even those who you aren’t that fond of may become more appreciative and pleasant after receiving this awesome gift!

"Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body" is a life-changing book written by Sean Donovan. Although the title is self explanatory, there are many underlying themes revealed that contribute directly to everyone’s well-being. Written for people who don’t normally read and those who have limited time, "Health and Happiness" is a quick, easy read that is packed full of common sense advice and enjoyable analogies and stories.

Whether your friend, family member, neighbor, co-worker or employee needs to shed a few pounds from the holiday season, put a smile on their face, prevent disease, slow down aging, prioritize their life, set goals, manage their time, or improve their overall lifestyle – this book has something for everyone who is alive. Rich in tangible takeaways that are easily implemented, economic, and highly effective, "Health and Happiness" is sure to ignite a burning desire for positive change in anyone who reads it.

The best part is… this unique paperback book is now available in personalize print version. When you click HERE to order, you will be prompted during the purchase process to enter the first name of the person for whom you are purchasing the book (make sure you capitalize the first letter in their name). Next you will see a proof of the book cover. On the proof, you will notice that instead of the title reading “Health and Happiness: an owner’s manual for the mind and body”, it will now read “Health and Happiness: Joe’s (or whoever’s) manual for the mind and body.” It gets better…

When your gift arrives and the recipient opens up the cover, they will first see a personalized signature page addressed directly to them. Then as they begin reading, they will notice that the book addresses them by name throughout the text. This personalized print version is a meaningful and powerful tool designed especially to elicit… well, "Health and Happiness" for everyone.

Simply click HERE and buy one as a stocking stuffer for everyone on your list too!

Have a healthy, happy holiday season however you decide to celebrate it!

"Meet" Vegetarianism

This month I celebrate 17 years as a vegetarian. My mother laughs at me now, because when I was a child, she remembers cooking delicious meals and casseroles only to watch me pick out all of the spinach, broccoli, celery, and anything else green.  I would have a pile of ‘green stuff’ on the side of my plate that I would refuse to eat for the first twenty years of my life. Now, my whole refrigerator is filled with everything green. What made me give up my Standard American Diet (SAD) of predominantly red meat and potatoes? Several things – and am I glad that they did!

It was partly my mother’s influence, but it wasn’t her cooking that prompted my change. My mother and both of her parents developed colon cancer during a short period of time. In fact, my grandmother lived the last decade or so of her life with no colon at all. Talk about a reason to change my ways – I didn’t ever want to have to endure what she went through. A colostomy bag is not for me. My mother and grandfather were luckier as they only lost very small portions of their colons. When my mom beat colon cancer only to have cancer return in the form of lymphoma a couple of years later – and then beat that too, I knew I had some strong “fighting genes” in my gene pool, but I also realized I have some genetic predispositions to contend with as well. Thankfully, I discovered that although our genes load the metaphorical gun, it’s our lifestyle that pulls the trigger.

I was also influenced by a good friend of mine who was raised by vegan parents. He had never consumed meat or dairy his entire life. He was also a phenomenal athlete who was a star on his collegiate cross-country track team. He made running marathons look easy and he never seemed to lack energy, stamina or strength. I was so intrigued by his physical ability and absence of past medical problems that I quickly accepted his challenge to “go raw” for 21 days and only eat fruits and veggies. I was already in pretty good shape and had yet to suffer any health problems, but nonetheless my transformation was remarkable.  The increased energy alone was enough to make me never crave animal products again.

It’s undeniable that humans were designed to be vegetarians. The physiological proof starts with the alkaline saliva in our mouths. Also in regards to our mouths, the shape of our teeth (flat molars for grinding) and the movement of our jaw (up and down and side to side also for grinding) indicate that of a vegetarian. Compare our mouths to that of a carnivorous dog and you will find acidic saliva, sharp incisors and pointed molars designed for ripping and tearing flesh as well as a jaw that only moves up and down (no need to grind the meat side to side). The next clue is the dexterity of our magnificent hands - complete with opposable thumbs for grasping and picking fruits and veggies – as opposed to a carnivore like a bear that has massive claws for holding live prey and tearing its flesh from the bones. Human digestive tracts are very long and curvaceous so they can extract all of the nutrients from the living fruits and veggies -while true carnivores (such as lions) have very short and relatively straight digestive tracts to expel the rotting flesh and it’s toxic digestion by-products from their bowels as quickly and easily as possible.

If that physiological evidence isn’t enough to convince you that vegetarianism should be the way of humanity, then try this test. Put a pile of berries and a rabbit in a playpen with a four year old child and observe what happens. Then try the same experiment with a four year old lion cub in a cage. My guess is that the child will eat the berries and pet the rabbit. And in the lion cub’s cage there will be a bloody mess and a pile of untouched berries. Instincts don’t lie. And by the way, anyone who thinks that humans are at the top of the food chain is dead wrong. I invite them to spend the night in the wilderness full of lions, bears, mosquitoes and snakes – or take a swim in shark infested waters. In reality, decomposers such as bacteria and fungi are the ones on top of the food chain.

If most people in modern society had to raise, kill, clean, prep and cook their own meat, there would be a whole lot more vegetarians. Thank God for our modern food production industry – right? Wrong! If slaughterhouses and meat packing plants had windows or an open-door policy, my guess is that everyone would be a vegetarian!

Animal cruelty is a travesty and is prevalent in almost every aspect of the carnivorous side of the food industry, but I’ve found that most people simply don’t care – they don’t want to think about it – they just want their meat neatly packaged or prepared and cooked for them. They don’t even want to know what went into the process. If they only knew or thought about what went into the “meat process” and how it goes straight into their bodies, then they would realize that “we are what we eat” – right?

Maybe the chronic diseases suffered by many people in today’s modern society are simply nature’s revenge for the cruelty that mankind’s carnivorous population is exacting on the rest of the animal kingdom. For scientific proof that animal consumption is linked to chronic disease, I would be happy to direct you to Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s book "The China Study".

Recently I was having dinner with a colleague who seemed quite perplexed when they discovered I was a vegetarian. Their immediate reaction was “Oh, you don’t eat meat? What do you eat?” My simple response was “Plants and living foods”. Simple and to the point – when you eat a plant based diet of fruits and veggies, you are eating living foods and thus ingesting life into your body. When you eat meat, it is dead and so you are ingesting death into your body. Plus, the higher up the food chain we eat, the farther we move away from the natural source energy of the sun, the mineral nutrients of the soil and water, and the purity and oxygen from the air.

Look, I’m here to tell you that if I can make the “cold-turkey” conversion from the typical male American meat-and-potatoes diet to vegetarianism, anyone can do it. Having made the transition and having lived on ‘both sides of the food chain’ – I can honestly say without a doubt or reservation that vegetarianism is an exponentially far superior lifestyle to that of an American carnivore. Forget all the macho B.S. - you don’t need meat or dairy to get protein – I work out harder and longer than most of my meat eating friends and never lack energy, stamina or strength. In addition, I’ve never had a tooth cavity or a broken bone – and that means a lot considering my active lifestyle!

Think about it – better yet, try a vegetarian, raw food diet and experience the awesome benefits for yourself. You’ll be happy you did.

For more on my vegetarian lifestyle read my book: "Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body"

Written by Sean Donovan - Founder of Grassroots Reform Organization (GRO), author, speaker, life coach, health advocate

I Once Cried the Blues

You may have heard the saying “I once cried the blues because I had no shoes – then on the street, I met a man with no feet.” This simple saying has great implications as to the appreciation we should all have for the simple treasures that we DO have in our lives. For me, this saying brings with it a memory and a true story of greater meaning.

It was a hectic weekday and I was in the midst of a typical workday in my former career as a Realtor/Contractor. It was already 2pm and I had not had time to enjoy a moment of rest – let alone a lunch break. I recall thinking “where’d the day go?” as I contemplated how I was possibly going to finish all of the tasks on my ‘to-do’ list for the day. I also came to the realization that I wouldn’t have time to sneak in an afternoon run and would have to wait until the evening to do a quick gym workout. I had a dozen or so people in my employ working on multiple projects and contracts. Their productivity fueled the success of the company which required my constant attention and focus. My phone was blowing up as usual with one situation after another that demanded my attention and energy. I was texting a client to let them know I would be late to a meeting due to a previous meeting that ran over because that client was late. My day was reeling out of control.

Then suddenly I had the realization that I had no idea how I had just driven the last couple of miles or so. I pulled up to a three-way intersection - and as I heeded the stop sign in front of me, I wondered if I had done the same through the last few (dozen) intersections. Wow – I realized that I was absolutely in no state of mind to be driving. I might as well have been drunk. My mind was way too convoluted to focus on any one particular thing – especially something as important as driving. I put the phone down and returned my focus to the steering wheel and the intersection in front of me. My only option was to make a left on Cary Street - the one-way street at which the road I was on dead-ended into. Before I checked to see if there were any cars coming to my right, I experienced a life-changing sight on the other side of the street.

There is a homeless man who lives in Richmond, VA. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see a homeless person on a city street in Richmond; however, this individual is different. He is an African-American male probably in his fifties with long dreadlocked hair. He has no legs from the knees down and lives in a wheelchair along with all of his possessions. I’d seen him many times before, but today’s encounter was different. In the instant in which I looked across the street, he looked up from folding some clothes in his lap and made eye contact with me – and then smiled – from ear to ear.

The previous waking hours of that day had flown by in a chaotic whirlwind, but that few seconds of eye contact and smile from the legless homeless man lasted from that moment years ago until now – and will continue to stay fresh in my mind for many more years to come. In an instant, that man changed my mindset and my course of action that day – and for thousands of days to come.

I put on my blinker, checked for oncoming traffic, made my left turn and glanced over my right shoulder one more time to give a smile back to him. I then made another left, circled the block and headed home instead of to my next meeting and jobsite. When I got home, I sent one group text to my other appointments and cancelled the rest of my meetings that day. I then sent a text to my project managers and foremen and told them I would be unavailable the rest of the day and to conduct business accordingly. I then turned off my phone. I changed into my favorite pair of shorts and t-shirt and then strapped on my running shoes.

I ran for miles down Monument Avenue that beautiful early fall day. I easily exceeded my usual 3.5 mile route without even breaking a sweat, so I kept going. When I finally got back home, I estimated I had run 8 to 10 miles at an extraordinary pace, but was hardly out of breath. I then treated myself to an afternoon dip in my back yard hot tub. As I soaked in the hot, bubbly water, I reached down and massaged my legs. I wiggled my toes and flexed my feet. A great sense of appreciation filled my entire body as I thanked the Universe for my legs and my ability to run, walk, wear shoes and all of the simple treasures that come with a healthy, normal body.

You see, my rationale is that the homeless man saved my legs – and possibly my life. Had I not seen him for that moment and had he not caught my attention with his smile, I may not have changed my course that day. In my haste and stressful state I may have run a stop sign and hurt or killed someone – or myself. I could have easily been the legless one.

As I sat relaxing in the hot tub, I reflected on my experience and lesson that day. I resolved to never let stress or other peoples’ demands and agendas dominate my life. By turning my attention and focus to myself, I have lived a happier, healthier, more successful life and now have more energy, vitality, love and experiences to share with the rest of the world.

For months and months, I looked for the homeless man so that I could stop and thank him for the experience he gave me. I have since moved to Florida, but the memory of that man and my life-changing moment has stuck with me. It is amazing how much one moment and one complete stranger can impact your life. Now, I strive to return the favor by positively impacting the lives of many other people.

So you see, that's why I once cried the blues, but no longer.

A Stressful Marathon

It’s no secret or surprise that in today’s society most of us encounter a profound amount of stress on a daily basis. Sources range from: our wallets to Wall Street, our businesses, careers, families, relationships, physique, age, responsibility, and bills – all of which cause a multitude of stress within our lives.

Prolonged stress in any form is a great detriment to our health both mentally and physically and I believe stress to be the underlying cause of almost all disease. Stress creates chemical imbalances in our body that can wreak havoc on every aspect of our health and wellbeing. Stress is also a great contributor to heart disease which is the #1 killer in our country today – claiming the lives of about 3000 Americans daily.

I was asked after one of my “Have a Heart” events “if stress elevates the pulse, then why isn’t it good for the cardiovascular system – after all, that’s what exercise does and that’s good for you, right?”

I explained to her that unless hampered by a physical handicap or limitation, most of us have enough ‘reserve in the tank’ to be able to get out of bed in the morning or flee the house in the event of a fire. Our ‘fight or flight’ mechanism kicks in and floods us with adrenaline, our heart springs to action and elevates its rate and our breathing changes to bring in more oxygen and eliminate more toxins. Conversely, most of us lack the athletic ability to run a marathon – and if we tried to do so without proper training, we would most likely drop dead or suffer injury before the finish line. With practice and training, we can gradually build up our level of tolerance to added physical stress and have the strength and ‘reserve in the tank’ to accomplish anything.

However, stress is often encountered or induced too rapidly to have time to build up immunity. One rapid change in your employment or relationship status and you could be instantly sent reeling into a state of ‘stressure’. Now your pulse is racing at an elevated rate for hours, days or even weeks – continuously running a marathon of stress without any warning, training or preparedness. To add insult to injury, the body is now continuously releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline into the body, which leads to toxicity and acidity in the body. This toxic environment can become a breeding ground for cancer and other disease.

Almost immediately we begin to feel the effects of the stress on our level of energy, concentration, focus, and attitudes. These negative emotions have an adverse effect on our level of productivity, profitability, self confidence, and pride - which inhibit us from performing at our best at the very times when we need to be at our best. The worst part is that the very thing we are probably stressing over is far less detrimental than the harm the stress is doing to our body.

The good news is that the effects of stress can be naturally counteracted easily, effectively and economically. The only catch is, you must be willing to think differently and act accordingly. Are you ready to defeat stress and create success? If so, come to my "Stress Less" event - Tuesday, October 11th from 5:30 to 7:00 - MG on the Halifax - 231 Riverside Dr, Holly Hill, FL. Register online.

Stress Less

Stress is the greatest detriment to the mind and body. Stress can be directly linked to cancer, heart disease, depression, anxiety and a whole host of other mental and physical ailments. In our modern society, it is almost impossible to escape stress – in fact; most of us encounter it on a daily basis.

What causes stress in your life?

Statistical evidence suggests that when our country enters into an economic recession, health problems increase. I think this is due to two factors. First, the mental stress caused by financial problems translates into chemical imbalances and physical stresses that can wreak havoc on the mind and body. And second, people are forced to make sacrifices due to lack of money and usually one of the top sacrifices is the quality of food which they purchase. The dollar menu at a fast food restaurant becomes the best option instead of healthy, fresh organic foods. The lack of anti-oxidant intake from no longer consuming healthy foods further contributes to the "stress effect" as the body lacks defenses. Trying to save money by eating cheap food will usually result in greater expense later in medical bills or reduced income from time lost at work due to illness.

Stressful times are the very times when we need to be most diligent in our efforts to maintain health and combat the effects of stress. If we let stress take control of our bodies, we will lose our health and cause a much higher level of stress. Exercising, eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of mineral rich water, smiling, stretching, yoga, meditation, walking, talking to loved ones and restful sleep are some ways to fight stress.

How do you cope with stress?

Often, many people turn to alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals or other drugs to ease their stress - only to add to the chemical imbalances in their bodies caused by the very stress they are trying to cope with. Not that there is ever a good time to drink, smoke or do drugs, but  it would certainly NOT be during stressful times.

My best advice - put your stresses into perspective relative to your life as a whole. Usually you will discover that whatever you are stressing about is far less detrimental to your health, happiness and success than the actual effects of the internal stresses you are creating by stressing. Make sense?

For more info...

The Fire-Walk

Sometimes in life we have to be willing to do things that we don’t necessarily want to do. Often we have to walk down paths that are not always paved in gold, but sometimes the roughest paths lead to the best destinations. One such destination occurred for me over ten years ago at a Tony Robbins Unlimited Power Workshop.

I’ve always considered myself an adventurous “daredevil” and I had been geared up for years to do a fire-walk.  I had visited the South Pacific and seen natives perform the ritual in ceremony, but I did not have the opportunity to join them. A few years later at age 25 I finally was afforded the opportunity to cross the goal off of my ‘bucket list’.

Fire-walking for the first time with Tony Robbins just made the experience that much more profound. So I had no fear when it came to pulling off my shoes, rolling up my pants and walking through 40 feet of hot, burning, flaming coals. The most powerful moment for me, however, was watching the transformation that took place in the woman who sat next to me during the entire event.

Debbie and I connected as we sat down side by side on the first day before the event even began. She expressed to me that she was going through a mid-life crisis of epic proportion. Her husband had suddenly divorced her with no warning, she was laid off from her job for no reason – and to top it off, she had a dying mother that she had to provide care for. “Could it get any worse?” she asked. To which I replied “Imagine having to cope with all of that, but from the comfort of a wheelchair which you are relegated to for the rest of your life because you lost your legs in an accident.” She nodded in approval as she glanced down at her feet in appreciation. “Have you been here (to a Tony Robbins event) before? It seems like you have” she questioned.

I hadn’t been to an event before, but I was a huge fan of Tony as I had read all of his books and shared his mindset. Debbie expressed her doubts about “motivational speaker types” and commented that she was only there because her friends had paid for her ticket and urged her to go. She came only out of guilt that her friends had spent a lot of money for her to come. She was so despondent that she had already made up her mind that she wasn’t going to benefit or see any change no matter what Tony said. Boy was she wrong.

The three day workshop started on a Friday afternoon. Tony came out and pumped up the crowd and spoke about the power of the mind and its ability to adapt and change. Then all 2500 of the attendees took a break and walked outside into the parking lot where there was a huge pile of firewood accompanied by two fire trucks. Tony got on a platform next to the pile of wood and talked about fire and how hot the wood burned and how hot the resulting coals would be. He talked about fire-walking rituals and how they were a rite of passage for boys to become men in some cultures. Debbie was quick to announce to me that she was not going to do the fire-walk. Coincidentally, Tony went on to say that it was okay not to do it if you weren’t ready. He then explained what percentage of people would get burned and out of those people who got burned how many would be burned bad enough to require medical attention.

Interestingly enough, according to him, most people got burned after they had exited the coals and broken their state of mind. The coals were so hot that they would often fuse to the feet during the walk. A quick shot of water at the finish line would knock the coals off and insure that you weren’t burned when you ‘broke state’. As the crew lit the bonfire, we returned to the auditorium for more of Tony’s training.

The master motivator demonstrated how to change your thoughts and how your thoughts controlled your physiology. He explained how the body is capable of doing amazing things when the mind believes it can. He cited examples of people lifting cars to save trapped loved ones after accidents. He taught us to enter a “state” and in this state the mind could alter perception. For instance, he demonstrated that repeating a simple mantra like “cool moss” could make the feet think that they were walking on cool moss rather than hot fire. I couldn’t wait to test the theory and I was determined to not let Debbie’s constant and incessant negativity and refusal to do the fire-walk hinder my experience in the least.

Finally, the time had come – the pinnacle of the workshop was about to happen on the first night. We all took our shoes off, rolled up our pants and then filed out of the auditorium and back into the parking lot. What had been an enormous pile of wood only a couple of hours prior had been reduced to a flaming pile of cinders. Debbie walked out behind me, but reconfirmed that she was not going to do the walk – in fact, she had not removed her shoes in the auditorium.

Adjacent to the bonfire, there were about a dozen lanes roped off in the parking lot that were laden with tightly packed flaming coals. The group divided and we lined up single file in front of our designated lane. At Tony’s direction, we began to enter our “state” and repeat our mantra. Debbie was about to exit the line and go wait in the “coward section” for observation only. I grabbed her by the arm and said “If you get burned, the wounds will heal quickly in comparison to the pain of a lifetime of ‘What if… I had done it’.” She remained in line behind me and said “Ok, let me watch you go first”. Then, in a surprise move, she took off her shoes and tossed them to the side.

I entered my state and found my clarity, focus and power. I wasn’t nervous in the slightest - aside from the adrenaline produced from my pure excitement. I remained focused as Tony’s affiliate coaches walked up and down the lines making sure that each participant was mentally focused and ready for the feat. A few people were pulled from the line and put into a ‘focus group’ to get them into state before they were allowed to do the fire-walk. Surprisingly, Debbie was not pulled.

I forgot about her and set my focus on the fire in front of me. I wanted to take in the moment to the max, for I knew this would be a powerful event in my life. One after another, the participants in line in front of me walked through the coals – some fast, some slow, but all made it to the finish and were greeted with a shot of water on the feet to keep them from getting burned as they broke mental state to celebrate.

My turn was next and I was focused and ready to go, but before I took my first step, the line coach stopped me. He told me to stay in state for a moment. What was wrong? I was sure I was ready. But apparently I was so ready that the fire was not hot enough for me. They had stopped my line to bring over a wheel-barrel full of fresh coals. I watched (in state) as the workers raked fresh burning embers onto the path in front of me. “Bring it on” I thought to myself. When the raking was done, my coach called me to his attention, looked into my eyes to determine my readiness and then gave me the nod.

And I was off. One foot in front of the other I walked slowly and methodically through the hot, burning coals as flames lapped up in front of me. I repeated my mental mantra “wet sand… wet sand… wet sand…” as I walked fearlessly through the fire. It was a short, slow walk that would create a long, profound memory. I felt the warmth beneath me, but I held my mental state until I felt the water hit my feet. The water signified that it was time to celebrate and I high-fived the other participants who had already finished. Before I could turn around to check on Debbie, I felt someone’s arms wrap around my waist as if to tackle me. It was Debbie and she was rejoicing at the completion of her fire-walk. I believe her excitement trumped everyone else’s (including mine) combined. She remained at the finish line and danced and hi-fived everyone who finished – whooping and hollering with excitement each time someone crossed the line. One forty foot fire-walk changed the course of that woman’s life.

We all celebrated as Tony took the podium and congratulated everyone on their accomplishment before we returned to the auditorium to wrap up the session for the evening. As we walked back across the parking lot, I noticed that the ambulance and EMS workers had a few customers, but none seemed seriously injured. A few ice packs and bandages were issued and that seemed to be the extent of it. Debbie was now like a kid on Christmas morning – continuously replaying her experience and her gratitude to me for helping motivate her to do it.

Back in the auditorium, a few announcements were made and the itinerary and agenda for the next day were revealed. Debbie was exuberant with excitement and couldn’t wait for the next day. I was betting that she wouldn’t sleep a wink that night. She transformed from doubting to doing, coward to courageous, powerless to empowered right before my eyes that night. She thanked me repeatedly for giving her the extra encouragement to overcome her fears. Debbie remained on the edge of her seat, soaking in every word that Tony said for the duration of the workshop. My own sense of accomplishment was belittled by the pride I felt from helping her accomplish something that she never imagined possible. That was my greatest takeaway. I knew that one day I would follow my passion and ultimately help people transform themselves as Tony Robbins did.

As I put my socks and shoes back on, I noticed that the tiny hairs on my toes had not even been singed from the heat. How was this possible? On multiple past occasions, I had burned every hair off of my fingers, hand and arm just from lighting a kerosene heater or gas grill. How had the searing heat from the coals not burned my toe hairs less than an inch above the flames? I didn’t question the inexplicable; rather I embraced the power of my mind to overcome that which seems impossible.  

Eleven years later I was walking my dog outside on a very hot summer day in Florida. We navigated our usual course as we followed the sidewalk to the wooden boardwalk/bridge that led to the community pool. I had taken the same walk with my dog hundreds of times, but today I did it barefooted in the noon sun and heat of the day. I immediately felt the heat on my feet as we transitioned from the coolness of the white sidewalk to the wooden planks, but I kept walking. Exactly half way down the bridge my feet felt like they were going to spontaneously combust from the immense heat. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had 2 options – jump the railing and land in a sand-spur infested patch of undergrowth 8 feet below – or take off running. I chose to run in spite of the searing pain in my feet. I made it to the end of the bridge quickly, although it seemed like an eternity.

I instantly found the first spot of shade and stepped into it. I looked down at my feet and expected to see smoke rising from my soles. I hobbled over to a picnic table under a canopy and sat in the shade for a while as my feet cooled off and my dog “did his business”. The incident caused my Tony Robbins fire-walk experience to be recalled from my memory banks. I wondered if I still possessed the ability to enter ‘state’.

I closed my eyes and recalled Tony’s words and the entire experience as if it were yesterday. I began to utter the phrase “wet sand… wet sand… wet sand…” to myself over and over again. Magically, my feet no longer burned. I glanced over and spotted my dog who seemed perplexed at my actions and demeanor. I breathed deep and continued to repeat my mantra as I stood up to walk back home. As I approached the wooden bridge, I breathed deeper and stated with authority “wet sand”!

I then stepped from the cool concrete to the hot wood, but this time I felt no heat. I walked the distance of the bridge slowly and methodically while repeating my mantra “wet sand… wet sand…” until I reached the other side. The distance of the bridge was much farther than the distance I had walked through the coals ten years ago - and although the wooden bridge was visibly not on fire; nonetheless, it had nearly set my feet ablaze only ten minutes prior. This time I walked the entire distance with absolutely no pain or sensation of heat. It was an amazing feat that reconfirmed the power of my mind and mental ‘state’.

Here’s the tangible takeaway that I want to share with you: anything is possible if you truly believe you can achieve it. One of Tony Robbins’ most popular quotes is borrowed from Napoleon Hill:  “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”  The power of the mind/body connection is profound!

Your Level or Mine?

I have discovered one limiting factor that keeps people from engaging with a life coach or health advocate like me is the misconception and fear that I am going to beat them over the head and tell them that everything they are doing is wrong. Sorry to disappoint, but that notion is simply wrong.

First, allow me to explain that an effective life coach meets you where you are - your current level of thinking and state of being. Then through strategic questioning and discussion, a life coach is able to help you identify your own challenges and their underlying causes. Some of these challenges may be obvious to you and others may be right in front of your face, yet unrecognizable due to your pre-programming or belief system. While working with a life coach many simple shifts and small changes are revealed that can make profound changes in your present and future life. The greatest successes of a life coaching program are when you have your own “Ah-ha!” moments. When YOU create the change you want to see in your life and your world – the results are much more profound.

On the health advocate side, I would never insult the intelligence of my clients by telling them that smoking is bad for their health. Anyone smart enough to pick up the phone and call me already knows that. And I know from experience that until someone is truly ready to quit smoking, it is a futile effort for me to engage in such a battle with them. The route I choose to take is to introduce positive practices to counteract the negative effects of a bad habit. What I’ve found is that the good feelings from the positives quickly begin to outweigh the interest in the negatives, thus leading to voluntary cessation of the bad habit. My philosophy is that if you are going to do something bad, then do several REALLY good things to counteract it. Simple breathing exercises, hydration, nutrition and movement can help counteract the negative effects of the 10¹⁶ amount of free radicals inhaled in one cigarette.

Vegetarianism – Often we ridicule, deny or question that which we do not understand. I’ve found that people are extremely defensive when it comes to their eating habits. The first comment I often hear when people discover that I’m a vegetarian is “I can’t do that…” First of all, there is no place for the word ‘can’t’ in anyone’s language. Secondly, what people don’t know is that I spent the first 21 years of my life as a staunch “meat-and-potatoes” guy who refused to eat anything green! It took some drastic signs (both positive and negative) to shift my mindset and make me commit to a lifetime of vegetarianism. I’m here to tell you that if I CAN do it, you CAN too! But once again, I refuse to enter into a ‘battle’ with a client who is not ready to make the change.

If eating meat is where you’re at and you’re not ready to change, then I implore you to focus on the quality of meat you consume. Is it healthy? Is it organic? Is it free range? Is it free from toxins, drugs, steroids and un-natural feed? If you followed it from the plate back to the farm would you feel good about the process? The first objection and limitation for many is simply the price of buying organic, healthy foods. Do you know why organic costs more? Because it’s worth it!!! Quality costs more – plain and simple. Focus on quality and not quantity - for it’s the quantity that also gets many of us in trouble! When you eat healthy foods, they contain more nutrients per serving unit – therefore, you don’t have to eat (or buy) as much, thus equaling out the price! It’s an interesting concept – try it on for ‘size’ (no pun intended)!

Another misconception about life coaches is that they are counselors who want to re-hash the past and delve into the source of previous problems. While history and experience are often the best educators and predictors of the future, it is not usually productive to live in the past. We are all products of our past, but the future will be a product of what we do right now. A good life coach will help you understand where you are right now and where you want to be in the future - and then help you pave the road to success, your goals and your dreams.

If you want a better life, then understand you may have to make changes – some may be simple shifts, other may be massive mindset adjustments. I cite Einstein’s definition of insanity: “To continue doing the same things the same way, but expect different results.” I say, don’t be insane – make change! I’m here to help you.

What the Health?! Why is America so friggin FAT?!

Q: Why is America so friggin FAT?

A: That’s a BIG observation, and statistically 64% of Americans are overweight. Here’s why:

• We have become a “fast food” nation of people who crave convenience. Our technologies and systems cater to laziness. From the drive-thru meal to the TV, remote controls, conveyor belt assisted movement in airports, microwaves, computers, cars… the list goes on. We hardly have to think or even move on our own anymore.  

• The food production industry cares more about the $ than your health. Bigger, faster, cheaper is how they turn profits - and their profitable products turn people into unhealthy, nutrient deprived, energy drained, diseased, semblances of what “life” and vitality should be. Processed, preserved, fast, cheap, enriched, fortified, “low fat”, no carbs, boxed, canned, frozen crap = our health crisis. Nature and natural = life and health.
• Trust – we trust the FDA and government regulatory agencies to protect us. Wearing a seat belt protects your safety while driving, but it doesn’t give you license to drive drunk or fall asleep behind the wheel. We need to wake up and take personal responsibility for our health. You can control what goes into your mouth and body. Don’t ever rely on a label or government approval. Do you believe lobbyists have power over politicians? If so, refer back to the previous bullet point.

• Hormones, steroids, antibiotics, fertilizers, and other un-natural ingredients that go into our fruits, veggies and animals to make them grow bigger and faster – guess what? – They have the same affect on the people who eat those products – surprising? Common sense calls for organic everything! 
• No sweat – modern living in the USA revolves around comfort. Air condition in our homes, cars, offices and public places provide perfect ambient temperature – and thus, no perspiration. Lack of exercise and movement further eliminates sweat from our lives. Dehydration and the intake of “water substitutes” such as coffee, soda, energy drinks, and other toxic “sugar water” beverages insure that no toxins escape our bodies through the pores of our skin. Inflammation results, blockages occur and the fat and toxins build up.
• Brainwashing. This one really pisses me off. TV and media have done a great job changing our perception about what is “healthy” through creative advertising. Pharmaceuticals, “lite” beers, diet sodas and many more commercials do a great job of depicting bikini-clad models, athletes and other people who are “healthy” and happy in appearance. Really? Why don’t they depict the sick, fat, diseased and side-effect ridden 64% of Americans who are REALLY consuming their products? Get a clue people – if it’s on TV or in an ad, the company is out to make $ first and foremost. How often do you see a commercial or ad that simply promotes tomatoes, apples, water from a mountain stream, fresh air or sunshine? Business is business, I know. But YOUR health is YOUR primary business! Ignore the ads and pay attention to how you spend your $. We have a voice in the marketplace. Maybe one day the ads will change based on consumer demand (or the death of all of their customers).

• Perception. “It can’t happen to me. I won’t get fat, or have a heart attack, or a cancer diagnosis. And if I do, there will be a drug, magic bullet, or surgery to fix me.” I implore you to Google our nation’s pathetic health stats. If the food industry, medical professions, diets, etc… were working, wouldn’t our health stats be improving, not declining? If stats are not enough to convince you, go park your car outside of a WalMart, McDonalds, 7-11, or other place where at least 64% of America shops – sit there for an hour or so and observe what’s going on in our country – then resolve to do something about it – first and foremost – PERSONALLY.

Health Reform in the USA starts with US – We the People - and the choices and decisions we make on a daily basis. Choose to GRO in the right direction!

What the Health?! Part 1

An interview with myself - based on many previous questions I’ve been asked.

Q: What does a ‘health advocate’ or a life coach really do anyway?

A: Quite simply, as a life coach and health advocate, I help people live better lives. I believe that everyone should be happy and healthy and it is my mission and passion to help them discover happiness or improve their current state of health. I believe that the greatest source of happiness should be from a healthy mind and body. A health advocate promotes healthy lifestyles and educates people on what a healthy lifestyle REALLY is. A life coach empowers and motivates people to take control of their health, vitality, energy, concentration, focus, stress level, time, priorities and other areas in their life through the daily choices and decisions they make. If you don’t think health is a source of happiness, try losing it! A life coach helps people understand where they are now, but focuses them on the future and the achievement of their goals. Grassroots reform is my method of helping people "GRO".

Q: A lot of the information you give is not new and is not rocket science – in fact, I remember my grandmother telling me the same things when I was a kid. Also, there is a great deal of information out on the internet for free. So why should someone hire you to tell them what they can get for free?

A: All good points. Here are a few more to add to your list: We all know that eating broccoli and drinking water is good for us, but most of us don't. The sunshine and fresh air are free, yet many of us never get outside to enjoy it. Most of us have a perfectly good pair of legs that work well, yet we never walk or exercise and use them to their full capability. I bought and paid for a one year gym membership as a gift for a friend of mine who was constantly complaining about being out of shape – only to learn that she did not grace the doorstep of the gym even once – because she felt “too out of shape to go to the gym.” I learned that what is “free” often lacks value. I also learned that most people need a higher level of accountability than what they (or even their loved ones) can summon for themselves. In working with people of all shapes, sizes, ages and types – I’ve learned to meet people on their current level and then develop a plan for them that works within their own parameters while continually expanding their limits and belief systems by implementing positive, measurable change and constant improvement. I’ve also tried to meet people on their current financial levels too by offering some simple, free advice on my blog to get them started. My book Health and Happiness: an owner's manual for the mind and body is packed full of great advice and ranges in price from $11.95 to $20 depending on the version, format and binding they choose. I try to make my events, seminars and workshops affordable and beneficial for everyone too. For those who need extra attention or one-on-one interaction, I have developed coaching programs that can be delivered face to face, by phone or by email. The goal is to have something for everyone in my program. What some may consider common-sense, obvious advice, others may find to be profound, life-changing enlightenment. Some of my information may be universal and some of it may be very specific for the particular person I'm working with. The impact of my delivery and the follow-up and accountability is what really makes my coaching effective and information most valuable.

To be continued...

Stay n' Play Giveaway

WOW – “Stay n’ Play Giveaway” at MG on the Halifax

Register online for SeanDon’s entire 8-part Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series prior to 5pm on Sunday, July 10^th and you will be registered to win a 4 day, 3 night “Stay n’ Play” at the best kept secret in Daytona – the magnificent MG on the Halifax!
Experience healthy, happy living with a picturesque view of the Halifax River, Daytona Beachfront or a scenic sunset from your private balcony. The luxurious “Stay n’ Play” suites at MG on the Halifax are fully furnished and ‘dressed to impress’.


You'ill feel as if you’ve been swept away to paradise – without leaving your own community.

Drawing will be held at the last “WOW” series event on Tuesday, August 23^rd.  You must be a Volusia or Flagler County resident to qualify. Odds of winning are approximately only 1 in 45 because space is limited.



Advance purchase of $150 Words of Wisdom “WOW” Summer Series is required to qualify. 

Visit the calendar of events page on www.SeanDon.com to secure your spot now. Direct all questions to Lea@SeanDon.com  

Special bonus from SeanDon: The first ten people who register online will also get a free, unique, PERSONALIZED copy of Sean’s book “Health and Happiness: YOUR owner’s manual for the mind and body”.

Let us “WOW you NOW” – and all summer long!