Week 7 Challenge - 12 Steps to Fitness

Hi everyone! Forgive me, I just realized that I forgot to post this week's challenge. Just remember you can always go to my YouTube Channel and get the weekly post, too. I'm also posting them to the Cinderella Pact thread on the P90X ® Programs Message Boards at Team Beachbody. Ok, now to catch up. This week's challenge is going to take some thinking outside of the box, but it is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect to ones personal growth, as well as our health and fitness. This week we are going to be working on our "spiritual" health. I'm not going to suggest that you devote yourself to any particular religious power. I believe our beliefs are of personal choice. I'm just asking that you at least consider and explore the following concept.

Spirituality is the part of the equation that gives our lives meaning and purpose. It is the most basic of the senses that a person develops with themselves and their inner thoughts. It is the relationship between oneself and their state of mind.

We all live in a world that is filled with "to-do" list and just the hussle and bussle of having to get things done. There will always be one more phone call to make, one more errand to run, one more email to get out and so on. Life is like that...it's a neverending array of things to do, people to see and places to go. But somewhere in the midst of all the organized chaos, and in some cases not so organized, we have to have time to "recharge."

So what I am going to ask you to do is simply set aside 10 minutes everyday to do just that. More if you need it, but 10 minutes at minimum. Find a location, whether it be your car, your bedroom, your living room, the garden...wherever you can feel most serene.This 10 minutes is for total calm...no cell phone, no iPod, no radio...just you and your thoughts.

At first it might feel a little awkward, especially if you have never done this sort of exercise. But keep with it, your creating a new way to channel your energy. And just like everything else we have learned on this journey, change is sometimes difficult.

During this 10 minutes I want you to think about yourself and what it is that you can do to become a better person. What is it that will allow you to be the best possible person you can become?

Some people will use this exercise for prayer or meditation. Calling on a higher power to feel more connected. Or perhaps reading scripture and putting it into perspective with their daily lives.

Others may use this as a time to reflect or journal about their own lives. Sometimes reading previous entries gives us new perspective in our own journey. It can be empowering to see where we have come from and how we have grown.

Others may use this as a time to practice gratitude. It's funny how much we take for granted. Our homes, our food, our jobs...sometimes just the act of being 'thankful' is freeing in itself and allows us to see we are not as bad off as we sometimes believe ourselves to be.

And others may simple use this time to find peace with their thoughts - freeing and clearing the mind. Such as with yoga. Creating inner piece can be a very spiritual release.

Spirituality can help you develop a better sense of self and purpose. It is very important to your emotional wellbeing and mental wellbeing. We all want purpose in our lives. To know that what we do matters and that we aren't just living for the mere existence of living. Though it is a very personal exploration, in the end it provides a sense of connectedness with others as well.

If you are working to become a better person it tends to overflow in the life you create around you and other people. While you are developing your sense of purpose, most likely you will also be creating positive thoughts that will bring you inner happiness. A calm within the storm...truly winning not just at your weight loss of fitness success, but winning at life.

So 10 minutes each day to work on your spiritual health is this week's challenge!

Hope you are all getting better with our challenges and are developing some really good lifelong habits to carry you forward!

Keep Bringing It!