APRIL POWER BLAST!

APRIL POWERSSSS Happy APRIL!  This month is about POWER… Aries are known for their FIRE their drive, and their passion. I should know… April 17th is my BIRTHDAY   Hip HIP HOORRAAYY, lets celebrate all month long with GREAT workouts and FIREY power plays in and outside of the gym. WATCH out World! * BOOTYCamp! – May, June, July! Camp is about taking 1 month out of your life to work on being “your” best… Not only physically but mentally. Together as a Team we carve out 2 days a week to have ROCKStar Workouts outside in the summer sun… I make it my mission to keep on top of all 28 participants with Bi-Weekly emails and constant support. If you’ve been looking for something that will SPARK you, change the way you feel about yourself and your body… BOOTYCamp! is the answer. I run this camp as a stand for all people looking to unleash their inner AWESOME. At this time May is Full but there’re still spots left in June. AND you can begin signing up for July Today.  I believe in BC! 100%… It’s a real deal workout with REAL DEAL Results. If you’d like to sign up for June or July shoot me an email atlacey@laceystonefitness.com I’ll hook ya up!  Spots are limited so get to me ASAP For more info log onto http://www.laceystonefitness.com/camp/index.htm *INSPIRATION – “DREAMERS” I’m a dreamer. I can’t help it. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t because BIG dreams can bring BIG drama… Lots of hard work, rejection, majoooorrr checks on patience, and the dreaded word … failure. If you want to be amazing, to be the BEST at something, failure is part of the equation. I had a big “a’ha moment” about a week ago… I realized I was so afraid of failing that I wasn’t taking any chances. I wasn’t really going for it because I didn’t want to mess up. I was caught up in being so perfect that I wasn’t taking the risks necessary to differentiate myself from the pack. I forgot what had gotten me where I am in the first place, me. I’m different, I’m a little bonkers, a risk taker, yes a little crazy at times but that’s what makes me, me. We all have our inner core of who we are. The thing that no one else can copy or take away from us because it’s our essence. Why am I telling you this… Because I feel free. I realized my fear of failing or making mistakes was getting in the way of my true potential. To be great, to be unstoppable is to fail. There can be no light without darkness, just as there can be no wins without losses. Making mistakes is what we learn from, what makes us grow into the people we were born to be. This month I’m going to focus on not just staying in the game… I’m focusing on dominating the game, maybe losing sometimes but knowing in my heart that I SWUNG for the rafters… Because I’m a home run hitter, I’m a dreamer. Do you hear me, do you get what I’m saying? Are you a dreamer? Then DOMINATE… Play to win. *Lacey & Jessica Talk LOVE Have you ever had a CRUSH on a lady or a fella and you didn’t know how to handle it? Gay or Straight we’ve all had them… Jessica & I will share the good, the bad, and the embarrassing http://sweatcity.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/straight-girl-crushes/ * NEWS CNN – I got the Shout OUT on CNN’s American Morning with John Roberts, my name drop is right at the end. Thank you John for being my angel man last month - http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/16/study-working-out-harder-for-less-time-effective/?hpt=Mid John takes my Monday spin at Columbus circle on a regular… the man wakes up at 3am in the morning and still ROCKS it out with a smile. He is a perfect example of NO EXCUSES baby. You inspire me… Regina you know I love you. VOGUE – My favorite quote from this article is “Tight Abs with a side of LOVE… Sign me up!”  http://www.vogue.co.uk/blogs/the-vogue-beauty-blog/articles/100316-american-fitness.aspx – Thank you Charlotte and Jen!! IVILLAGE – If you’re looking for fresh ways to start a fitness routine check out this article, I gave 3 helpful hints a long with a couple other top fitness pros! Thank you Jill http://www.ivillage.com/step-3-have-fun-it/121183#content http://www.ivillage.com/step-5-set-realistic-goals/121183#content http://www.ivillage.com/step-4-exercise-your-options/121183#content * MUSIC – March Top10! Download this month’s playlist! – Just clickhttp://www.laceystonefitness.com/playlist.htm to get The March’s Top10! GOOD Tunes! 1.  Remember (La Di Da) [Giuseppe D. Tune Adiks Mix] – Lucas Prata 2.  Fireflies (CPR Dance Remix) – Top 40 Hits Remixed, Vol. 9 3.  Undertow (feat. the Fray & Esthero) – Timbaland 4.  Scream My Name – LMFAO 5.  Sweet Little Thing (A. Viale, DJ Ross & Paul Sander Mix) – Alessandro Viale 6.  Imma Be (Workout Mix) – Chani 7.  Solo – Iyaz 8.  Live Your Life (DJ Godfather Detroit Ghetto Tek Mix) – DJ Godfather 9.   The Promise – When in Rome 10.  Sex On Fire – D’Mixmasters * TRAVEL I will be out of the office for TWO Weddings… Summer lovin happened so ffasssttttt. 4.9 – 6.30am TheBigGAME! Greenwich – sub-a-licousness 4.13 – 6.40pm TheBigGAME! Greenwich -sub 4.23 – 6.30am – TheBigGAME! – Greenwich – sub 4.26 – 6.30am – SPIN – Greenwich – sub 4.26 – 12.30 – SPIN – Columbus Circle – sub * QUOTE-tastic “Strive to be of value rather than success.”  This famous quote comes from Mr. Albert Einstein. What is success any way… Money, Fame? If you strive to be of value you win every time. Thank YOU, Lacey Passion.Patience.Persistence=EXCELLENCE LACEY STONE Fitness Professional Founder of Lacey Stone Fitness, LLC www.laceystonefitness.com

LACEY STONE TV REEL

Check out my Fitness Television Reel!!!

This is years of contact making, hard work… And never giving up on myself no matter what people say. Keep dreaming, working hard, and anything is possible… I believe that.

“Top New York City Trainer Lacey Stone’s proven methods of Fitness & Sweat have inspired people to change their bodies and lives forever. Do you want to be your BEST? For more info log onto laceystonefitness.com”

Not Goodbye… Just see you later :)

(Thank YOU!)

BIG NEWS!  Over the Weekend Jessica and I made a decision… We mutually decided to take a break from posting on SWEATCity! It was a very hard decision because we’ve gotten so much joy out of sharing our lives with you. BUT this is not the end it’s just the beginning… Over the next couple of months Jessica and I are going to put all of our energies into developing our version of THE BEST FITNESS BOOK eevvveeerrrrr!   YES, You heard it here first  :)

If you want to stay in touch join our RSS feed in the upper right hand corner of the SWEATCity! homepage (The little Orange Box).  We’ll keep you in the know as to all of our exciting happenings…  :)  Also, don’t forget right now there’s already an archive of over 100 posts if you ever stuck on anything.  Aaannnddddd if you need to get in touch… Jessica will be launching her own website in the upcoming months and you can also get in touch with me through http://www.laceystonefitness.com .

Throughout SWEATCity! Jessica and I dug deep in every post we wrote.  We were as honest as possible.  We showed our faults and strengths in hopes they would inspire you.  We wanted you to understand that in order to be the best version of yourself there’s no shortcut.  Changing your life is a process that can only begin once you’ve decided you’ll do whatever it takes.

Being your best isn’t about being a size 6 or having 10 million dollars in the bank.  Being your best is about how you feel on the inside.  What makes it hard sometimes is that how you feel on the  inside changes everyday.  WE are all a work in progress… no one has all the answers.  The only thing we have control over is right NOW.  How are you feeling right now?

The answer to happiness is simple.  It’s being ok with no answer.  Being ok with your life right now.  If you want to change your life you can, anyone can… BUT here’s the biggest truth I’m going to share with you.  It takes courage to change.  YOU will be faced with many obstacles… but your biggest obstacle will be yourself.  Your doubts your fears… One of my favorite quotes is this.

“To see what few have seen you must go where few have gone.”

You have all inspired us with your comments and your emails, Thank you.  A special thank you to Rebecca, and Rachel JW you were there from the start and Jessica and I are so happy we got to know through our blog

If we leave you with anything it’s this;  No one knows the power you have inside you… Don’t let anyone get in the way of your dreams.  If you can dream it, you can make it so.

“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 frightens us most.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a higher power.  Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.  There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We were born to make manifest the glory within us.  It is not just in some of us; it’s in everyone.  And, as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

 Thank You ALL! 

Lacey  &  Jessica 

 

HUNT it DOWN!

Being Fearful of change, getting scared when you’re about to do something new, having doubts that you aren’t making the “right” decision… These are challenges every human being faces.

We can’t avoid it… It happens.  It’s the cycle of life.  Some days we feel on top of the world and other days we feel like nothing’s working.  BUT if we stay in the game long enough we realize that everything always comes full circle.  If we play by the rules and keep reaching for it… GOOD things will come our way eventually. It’s a law of nature.  If we break the rules and treat people like dirt some thing is going to come our way too.  Karma can be a REAL BI*$%#@ so watch out  :)

These are MY Top 3 Tools For Battling Doubt

1.    I think every Individual on this planet should have their own personal Mission Statement.  What do you stand for as a human being?  When times get tough and I start doubting myself I know I can always go back to my personal statement to bring me strength. 

My Mission Statement – I stand for hope and possibility in my life and everyone else’s life.

So when a friend comes to me and is looking for advice I always know how to respond.  I never doubt it… I’m there to support them in whatever they want to become.  When I doubt myself, I go back to my mission statement and I remember I can’t doubt myself because I stand for hope and possibility.  If I can remember to never lose hope than I can be, do, or have anything.

2.    After you know what you stand for I think it’s important to write down what it is you want out of life. What do you want? What are you goals?  It’s important to make a list of crazy goals, goals you have trouble writing down because they’re so BIG. Goals that you have to whisper at first because they make you blush   After you write those goals down I believe it’s KEY to write down WWHHHYYYYYYYY you want them?

I was talking to my friend the other day and she kept repeating the phrase… “I want to be rich, I want millions.”  And I was like… yeah, get in line sistah!   No no, I said why do you want to be rich?  And she said then I could spend more time with my husband.  And I said… you don’t need to be rich to spend more time with your husband you can do that now?  Then she said I want to travel more… And I said… You don’t have to be rich to travel more you can travel right now? 

Once you figure out your dreams/goals it’s important to have an understanding of why you want them. People think that being Rich is the answer to their prayers.  But having lots of money doesn’t always make you “rich.” 

Here’s one of my favorite quotes – “No man is a failure who is enjoying his life.” Being RICH is a feeling; you can be rich without lots of money.  I feel like I’m rich and I’m by no means a millionaire, yet    But what I’m saying is that just because you have lots of money in the bank you won’t automatically be happy.  BE RICH NOW.  Travel now, figure out what you want to do if you have millions of dollars and start doing it now!  That will make you feel rich I promise.  It will bring back the passion in your life and a smile to your face.

For me one of my big goals is to make MILLIONS but it’s a secondary goal and my reasoning is this.  I would like more freedom to do whatever I want to do… And if I have more money I know that I will be able to work with even more people.  Working with people is what I love to do. AND working with People is what I do right now.  Ironically I’ve personally discovered that the more invested I get in doing what I love the more money I’ve made.  It’s like the Law of Attraction or something?  It’s like when you follow what you’re meant to do the money comes. Do what you would do even if you didn’t get paid for it, do it now.  Do you get what I’m saying?

3.    Here’s MY all time favorite way of handling the doubt that comes with achieving my goals/dreams. Everyone that‘s come over to my house knows I do this.  I Love to make LISTS.  I will break it down for ya  :)

For 2009 make a list of your Top 10-20 Short Term Attainable goals.  Here’s what I like to do… Divide the YEAR up into 3month segments, 4 TOTAL. Soooo

1.    Jan, Feb, March

2.    April, May, June

3.    July, Aug, Sept

4.    Oct, Nov, Dec

Then you take your list of 10-20 goals and you put them into the months you think you can realistically achieve them.  Once you’ve done that you go for it for the next 365 days Every day, every moment you work towards achieving your Top 10-20 Short Term Attainable Goals.

So now on your wall YOU have the big list of 10-20 goals and the 3 Month List of which goals you are going to work towards in those months.  In the January, February, March SECTION write down all the Major Goals and Minor Goals you want to attain.  BUT do more than write it down! You need to make it a must that you will find a way to complete all the tasks on that Months list in the 31-28days.  ATTACK THEM baby… HUNT them down!  A dream, is a dream, is a dream.  YOU gotta go after it. That’s where the magic comes from.  The path and the choices you make every single day is what’s going to get you where you want to be.

Finally – Every week I make a list of what I am going to achieve on that day… The musts.  So this is the 3^rd List for Goal Setting.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday… AND OTHER in case there’s anything left over that I could maybe squeeze in.  You may think this sounds crazy but what’s CRAZY is how well it works

FIIINNNAAALLLYYYY the 4th and final list– Everyday I make a list that I carry around with me on a piece of paper so I don’t forget my objectives of the day.  I’m very old school I like to write it down, but this can all be done on the Blackberry or Iphone too.

Here’s an Example of my Day Tomorrow.

Monday January 12th, 2009

^{1.    Wake up 5.18am -Walk the Dog, mail bills}

2.    6.30am Spin Class Greenwich

3.    Make Sure Amy’s on the guest list for Lunchtime Spin

4.    8.30-10.30 Meetings

5.    Lift weights from 11-12

6.    12.30 Spin Greenwich

7.    Home – lunch – Office work Emails/ call Con Ed – walk the dog

8.    4.30-7.30pm Meetings

9.    Plan out Tuesday, rest, dinner walk the Dog

If I can’t fit some “Other” stuff in there like calling Con Edison I’ll tack it onto Tuesday, no biggie.  I always know what my Major Objectives are for the day because they are written down.  I know exactly what I need to do.  There’s NO ROOM for Doubt in my world because it’s organized in the way I want my life to go.  And I never lose sight of what I stand for: Mission Statement of Hope and Possibility.   Everyday I carry that badge with me wherever I go – In my classes of 30-40 peeps and with every individual I encounter. 

When you know who you are.  When you know what you stand for.  When you know what you want… that’s a very powerful place to be.  It takes away the distractions because you are on a direct path to “YOUR” goals… You see BS for what it is, because frankly when you’re excited about where you’re headed you don’t want anything to get in your way.

Like I said in the beginning, Trust your journey.  If you’re truly working towards something that you know in your heart is right for you… YOU never need to doubt yourself.  Believe in it BABY!

This is a good prayer/affirmation to repeat to yourself when all else fails…

“God grant me the SERENITY to accept the things I cannot change, the COURAGE to change the things I can, and the WISDOM to know the difference.”

May all your hopes and dreams come true.

 

 

Yes We Can!

The United States of America has elected a new President, Barack Hussein Obama.

Sweat City is not a political blog and it does not intend to become one, but I will admit that as I saw the visual of the new First Family walk out onto the stage last night, a tear slid down my cheek.  Because whatever our political views may be, and wherever in the world you are reading this post, to me this represents a moment of limitless possibility. 

Yes, for the world. But also for each and everyone of us in our own lives

A junior senator with limited experience; a black man, a man of modest origin, the son of a Muslim, just became the new President of the USA.  Obama, and those around him had what may have seemed to many like an impossible dream.  I am sure that people laughed, they rolled their eyes, or just dismissed him.  But he believed in what he was capable of and just as importantly he surrounded himself with people that believed in him and who supported him every step of the way.

What the election last night illustrates for me is that no dream is too big; the goals and hopes and dreams that we all have for ourselves can be achieved IF we choose to believe in ourselves and our capabilities and self-worth.  It doesn’t mean that if we just decide we want our own successful company, or to climb Mount Kilimanjaro; to have an album in the Top 40, become a pilot, or get healthier and stronger when we feel powerless over our body and food choices: that it just happens.  President Obama didn’t just snap his fingers and get elected.  He had a dream, a goal, and just like we all must; he and his advisors had to break the BIG Goal down into little goals. And every little goal that was achieved took them a step closer to the White House. And committed step by committed step; the journey was made.

Your BIG Goal, your dream: What is one small step that you could take TODAY that will take you just a tiny bit closer to where your heart wants to be?  Is it to email your ex-colleague who now runs their own company and ask them how they got started?  Is it to take the money you were going to spend on new jeans and sign up for singing lessons instead? Is it to commit to going to the gym tonight?

It may even be to take 30 minutes tonight and brainstorm your craziest, biggest dreams.  Don’t limit yourself, go BIG, but try to focus on what makes your heart sing: on what you would do even if it didn’t pay you money.  Because I firmly believe that if can find your passion and are prepared to work your ass off to accomplish that passion, then the money will follow

And finally: the work of living a healthy, fulfilling, loving life is never done.  When the goal is accomplished, the next one is there waiting.  Barack Obama did it! He accomplished his dream of becoming the first black President in HISTORY. Guess what?  Now his goal has to be to lead the USA well, to work tirelessly to bring it back to a state of power and positivity and strength. The work isn’t over; the goal is just different.

When we have lost the weight, or have met the person we want to spend our life with it might seem as though the work is over, but in truth the goal is then to maintain that healthy, sexy body by eating clean, by working out.  The goal is to try every day to be the best girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife possible, to be honest and open and loving even when you’re exhausted and they’re driving you crazy!

But it can be done. We can all be who ever we choose to be, if we are prepared to do the work and believe in ourselves and just take that next right step every day.

Yes We Can

What do you really want in your life?

Have you ever thought about what you really want out of your life?  I mean really want? I find that so many of us have never really thought about it beyond the remnants of our childhood fantasies of astronaut, ballerina, or professional athlete.  When asked, a lot of us will mumble something about wanting to make more money, or losing some weight.  I’ve been just as guilty of this as anyone else; and if I’m honest about why that was…..and I always try to be honest on SweatCity! a lot of that seeming indecisiveness stemmed from embarrassment. 

On some level I was unwilling to say out loud what it was that I really wanted because I was afraid that other people would laugh, or roll their eyes or think that I was ‘big-headed’ because I wanted something more from my life than I already had.  I want to figure out a way to use everything that I have learnt over the last 5 years of my life, of my journey towards a more healthful and happy self to help other people and build a company around that philosophy. There. I said it   And guess what?  Now it’s actually starting to happen!

So why was I embarrassed (and even typing that was still a teeny bit tough for me!)?  Because part of my brain still had that little voice inside saying “Who are you to want that?  Who are you to think that you can help anybody else?  You are not good enough.”  And I find that there are so many other people who have placed similar limitations on themselves, often without even realizing it.  We don’t dare say out loud that we want to set up our own business or get a promotion in the career that we’re so good at and dedicated too; we keep the fact that we’d love to fall in love to ourselves; we don’t tell our friends that secretly we’d love to run a triathlon or take a spin class incase they laugh at us and tell us that we hate exercise and will never be able to do it, and why not come over and eat chips in front of the TV instead!

We’re so used to “being modest”, to keeping these things to ourselves that we never really think about the impact of never saying what it is we really want.  There’s been a lot of research on this over the last few years (if you check back in to SweatCity this Friday I’m going to post a couple of books about this that I’ve found really inspiring), and what is revealed time and time again is that if a dream is kept inside our heads then the probability is that it will only EVER live inside our heads.  BUT; if we get into the habit of saying it out loud, to ourselves and to other people, and even more powerful WRITING IT DOWN, then these seemingly tiny acts already greatly increase the likelihood of us bringing that dream into our reality and actually living it.

It seems silly I know but it works!  I’ve only come to this realization in the last few years but Lacey has been instinctively practicing it her whole life. The first time I was invited back to her family home (big moment ) I saw in her childhood bedroom a big long, fantastical list of ‘Things I want to do in my life”. I loved seeing it then because it showed me that she really tries to live her life authentically and to be true to herself, but even more amazing was that just last month she was home getting a little mom and dad time and she told me later that she read through that big long list of dreams and realized that she had already experienced or created most of them! 

It was really hard the first time I tried to say my dreams to another real-life person, I was so tongue-tied that I couldn’t even say it (and I’m a chatterbox usually ).  But I practiced by writing my life goals and dreams down in private and saying them out loud to myself (oh ok, and to my dog ).  It helped, it really did.  So I’d love for us to start practicing here at SweatCity!  You are totally anonymous but at the same time, a lot of other hardworking, inspiring people are going to be reading your goals on this blog.  That’s a lot of positive energy being put out there around what it is you truly want in life.

One more thing; the evidence shows that just thinking of needing to make more money or lose weight are not the most constructive goals; if one of those is your first thought just take a minute and think WHY you want to have more money; what would you do with that money?  THAT’S your goal, not the money but the action you would take if you had it. Same with the weight: WHY do you want to lose it?  What would you be doing if you lost the weight? THAT’S the goal

Want to take a risk and tell us what you really truly want?  Go on, I dare you!