Ok this was sort of weird. This video was actually sent to my inbox by You Tube. I'm sure it's because I watch all of the Sidewalk Prophets videos, but this one is not about music, but rather about weight loss. Please take a moment to watch. Click here to watch the video. If you're short on time, fast forward to about 7 minutes. This one almost brought tears (but you gotta watch the whole thing).
Thursday, January 31, 2013
SWP Weight Loss Story
Ok this was sort of weird. This video was actually sent to my inbox by You Tube. I'm sure it's because I watch all of the Sidewalk Prophets videos, but this one is not about music, but rather about weight loss. Please take a moment to watch. Click here to watch the video. If you're short on time, fast forward to about 7 minutes. This one almost brought tears (but you gotta watch the whole thing).
Do Something
How many of you have seen the homeless girl that rides (or pushes) her bike around town? The one that I believe has a little black dog with her. Have you seen her? Have you ever stopped to talk to her? How about offer her something? I haven't.
It bugs me that I haven't even attempted to offer her anything. I think about it every time I see her, but in this case, "it's the thought that counts" just doesn't cut it. Do you ever wonder if God puts these people in front of us to see what we will do? Do we step up and do something, or do we just go about our happy and content lives? I'm guessing for the most of us it's the latter.
I read the news on my phone every morning (I know, it's pathetic). I read Fox, I read NBC, I even read the Wall Street Journal if I can find the time. Lately though, I can barely even force myself to read any of them. I'm so tired of all the bad news. All the shootings, all the politics, the hate, the anger, it's almost an epidemic of sorts. Then after complaining about it to someone or anyone who will listen, I can't help but ask myself, "what are you doing to change it?" For the most part, absolutely nothing. I try to smile and I try to makes those around me smile, but that's about it. I pray alot and I mean a whole LOT!! But is this enough? I don't think so.
I think I mentioned this last month, but after the Sandy Hook shootings, our pastor said something that really made me think. If you're like me, you asked or wondered, where was God when all this was taking place? The one big responsibility that God has given us is that of free will. We're free to screw up, we're free to try and follow in Christs steps, we're free to believe in whatever we want to believe in, and we're even free to deny that there even is a God. The question isn't where was God, the question is where were YOU?
There's a song by Matthew West that really describes what is expected of us. Here's the story behind the song "Do Something". Or you can click here to listen to the song.
We all bitch and complain (and I'm guilty big time) about everything going around us, yet what do we do to change it? We all want a better world, we all want peace, we all want happiness, yet I think we all get stuck in our own little lives so much that we forget about everything that's going on around us. Do we fear stepping out of our comfort zone? Do we fear what others may think? Do we fear the outcome? We live in an unbelievably selfish world. As Americans we are so blessed yet we still always seem to want more. What the heck!!!!!! Gonna get on my soap box for a second. Remember when the economy was great? During that time, at least around here, everyone one had toy haulers, every one had quads, people were buying houses, toys, cars like they were going out of style. Then whammo, the economy tanks. We give a whole new meaning to "keeping up with the Jones". Why do we do it? Because we think "I worked hard, I deserve it!" Uh I don't think so. I know lots of people that work their butts off, but barely have a pot to pee in. Don't they deserve luxuries too? Wanna know something, we are all blessed with a lot, but we are also expected to something positive with what we are given. I do believe that if we fail to do something with our gifts, they will be taken away. I believe that I have been blessed with an amazing company. An amazing chance to make a difference in the lives of so many. Sure I would love to one day have a Ferrari in my drive way, but I just don't think that's in the plan (unless one of you friendly souls buys it for me:) ). We are all give far greater responsibilities then just ourselves. We are all given just one human experience to make a huge difference, shouldn't we all make the most of it?
I guess what I'm saying is that instead of a take take take mentality, shouldn't we focus on more of a give give give mentality? Do we really need all the "stuff" that we have? Only in America could the storage unit business be so successful. We have so much crap that we need to rent storage units to put it all in. I'm guilty of that very thing (though we're working on changing that, anyone what a brand new Sleigh Bed (I think it's a queen, email me and it's yours). How many of you use your garages for your cars:) ? Or is it full of stuff?
Ok I'm getting way off track. The point I'm trying to make is, quit complaining and talking and start doing. Help someone in need, pay it forward! Expect nothing in return and tell nobody about it. Give something away. Give your time (this is something I really need to work on). The blessings will be returned ten fold. I have no doubt of that.
I'm on call tonight, so I best call it a night. Hope you all have super day tomorrow. It's Friday!!!
My wife asked me tonight, "who's in the Super Bowl" and ya know what, I had no clue!!! What kind of guy has no idea who is in the Super Bowl? I honestly haven't watched one game this year. I can tell you though who is fighting this Saturday Night on pay per view:) .
It bugs me that I haven't even attempted to offer her anything. I think about it every time I see her, but in this case, "it's the thought that counts" just doesn't cut it. Do you ever wonder if God puts these people in front of us to see what we will do? Do we step up and do something, or do we just go about our happy and content lives? I'm guessing for the most of us it's the latter.
I read the news on my phone every morning (I know, it's pathetic). I read Fox, I read NBC, I even read the Wall Street Journal if I can find the time. Lately though, I can barely even force myself to read any of them. I'm so tired of all the bad news. All the shootings, all the politics, the hate, the anger, it's almost an epidemic of sorts. Then after complaining about it to someone or anyone who will listen, I can't help but ask myself, "what are you doing to change it?" For the most part, absolutely nothing. I try to smile and I try to makes those around me smile, but that's about it. I pray alot and I mean a whole LOT!! But is this enough? I don't think so.
I think I mentioned this last month, but after the Sandy Hook shootings, our pastor said something that really made me think. If you're like me, you asked or wondered, where was God when all this was taking place? The one big responsibility that God has given us is that of free will. We're free to screw up, we're free to try and follow in Christs steps, we're free to believe in whatever we want to believe in, and we're even free to deny that there even is a God. The question isn't where was God, the question is where were YOU?
There's a song by Matthew West that really describes what is expected of us. Here's the story behind the song "Do Something". Or you can click here to listen to the song.
We all bitch and complain (and I'm guilty big time) about everything going around us, yet what do we do to change it? We all want a better world, we all want peace, we all want happiness, yet I think we all get stuck in our own little lives so much that we forget about everything that's going on around us. Do we fear stepping out of our comfort zone? Do we fear what others may think? Do we fear the outcome? We live in an unbelievably selfish world. As Americans we are so blessed yet we still always seem to want more. What the heck!!!!!! Gonna get on my soap box for a second. Remember when the economy was great? During that time, at least around here, everyone one had toy haulers, every one had quads, people were buying houses, toys, cars like they were going out of style. Then whammo, the economy tanks. We give a whole new meaning to "keeping up with the Jones". Why do we do it? Because we think "I worked hard, I deserve it!" Uh I don't think so. I know lots of people that work their butts off, but barely have a pot to pee in. Don't they deserve luxuries too? Wanna know something, we are all blessed with a lot, but we are also expected to something positive with what we are given. I do believe that if we fail to do something with our gifts, they will be taken away. I believe that I have been blessed with an amazing company. An amazing chance to make a difference in the lives of so many. Sure I would love to one day have a Ferrari in my drive way, but I just don't think that's in the plan (unless one of you friendly souls buys it for me:) ). We are all give far greater responsibilities then just ourselves. We are all given just one human experience to make a huge difference, shouldn't we all make the most of it?
I guess what I'm saying is that instead of a take take take mentality, shouldn't we focus on more of a give give give mentality? Do we really need all the "stuff" that we have? Only in America could the storage unit business be so successful. We have so much crap that we need to rent storage units to put it all in. I'm guilty of that very thing (though we're working on changing that, anyone what a brand new Sleigh Bed (I think it's a queen, email me and it's yours). How many of you use your garages for your cars:) ? Or is it full of stuff?
Ok I'm getting way off track. The point I'm trying to make is, quit complaining and talking and start doing. Help someone in need, pay it forward! Expect nothing in return and tell nobody about it. Give something away. Give your time (this is something I really need to work on). The blessings will be returned ten fold. I have no doubt of that.
I'm on call tonight, so I best call it a night. Hope you all have super day tomorrow. It's Friday!!!
My wife asked me tonight, "who's in the Super Bowl" and ya know what, I had no clue!!! What kind of guy has no idea who is in the Super Bowl? I honestly haven't watched one game this year. I can tell you though who is fighting this Saturday Night on pay per view:) .
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Jump some rope
I think I've posted this before, but if you like jumping rope, try this: Gotta love the music:) Reminds me of the music from "Breakin". Love those 80's!! :)
Motivational Video
I'm sure most of you are not boxing fans, but I love this video. Just for a second, look past the brutality of the sport and notice the art, notice the work, notice the focus and intensity. Look at the speed in which they can move their hands, their skills with a jump rope. My dad watched boxing every dang Thursday night when I was a kid and I couldn't stand it. Now I look at it in a totally different light. These guys work their butts off. Just take a moment and watch and listen (the music is good). It sounds crazy, but just watch their hands. It's incredible.
Need a little sleep.
I am beyond tired this evening. I'm not on call very often, but last night was my night. I had been told that Whiteriver ER was busy so I was prepared to be called at anytime. Going to bed, I had laid out all my clothes, even had my coffee cup ready. As expected, at 1am the phone rings. Only it wasn't Whiteriver, it was Summit. I live less then two miles from Summit so you would think this would be a quick set up. Well it would be had I driven a work vehicle home, but nooooo I drove my truck home. So because I wasn't thinking, I now had to drive up to the office, load my truck with tanks and a concentrator, then drive back to the hospital. All of this at 1:00 in the morning. It's our policy to always try and be at the hospital within 30 minutes of the phone call. I was close, but didn't quite make it. I think it took me 40 minutes. Fortunately the patient and his wife were both asleep, plus he still had his IV in so they weren't necessarily waiting on me. They were such a nice family. Had a great time talking and getting to know them. Kudos to the ER doc as well. Very personable, both with me and the patient.
I mentioned getting my butt kicked yesterday...........well the bruises started showing up last night. A bruised nose (even after wearing headgear), and bruises on each side of my forehead. I'm actually amazed at how sore my nose is. Needless to say, I was super frustrated after yesterdays workout. I just felt like I couldn't do anything right. It does motivate me though to work harder and I have to give it to Jay, even after beating the heck out of me, after were done, he broke things down and went over all the things I need to work on. Right now, speed and follow through seem to be my biggest issue. I'm old and slow so I've got lots of work to do. I really have no goals to speak of except to improve. I told Jay today that my goal is to beat him by the time he is 70 years old:) . Get this, the guy is 51 years old and he bench presses 300 pounds!! He's no runt.
I decided yesterday to take some online classes. I'll be working on my Elite Training Certificate. This will include a personal training certificate (at the moment this doesn't really appeal to me), a sports nutrition certificate and a rehab training certificate. I decided to this mostly because of where I want to take the company. As I said before, I want to do more then just deliver wheelchairs, set up oxygen, or anything of the sort. I really want the company to focus on helping people improve their lives. If I can be a bigger part of that, then by all means that's the role I want to play. I've reviewed some of the material already and I'm hoping it's not going to be too difficult. My degree is in biology with an emphasis in human physiology so most of the info should be a review for me at least I hope so. As I move forward with the studies, I'll keep you informed as to my progress.
I weighed in at 175 pounds today. I feel really good (except for being tired) and I'm looking forward to seeing 170 real soon. I haven't been struggling at all with the diet. Typically FAGE yogurt for breakfast, a grilled chicken breast for lunch and this week has been either a porkchop or salad for dinner. Maybe a handful of my sons M&M's for a snack:) . Other than that, I haven't really strayed too far. Hoping to get some good sleep tonight then start again fresh tomorrow.
Well I'm pooped out, so I'm going to call it a night. Sorry for the boring post, but it's all I've got tonight.
I mentioned getting my butt kicked yesterday...........well the bruises started showing up last night. A bruised nose (even after wearing headgear), and bruises on each side of my forehead. I'm actually amazed at how sore my nose is. Needless to say, I was super frustrated after yesterdays workout. I just felt like I couldn't do anything right. It does motivate me though to work harder and I have to give it to Jay, even after beating the heck out of me, after were done, he broke things down and went over all the things I need to work on. Right now, speed and follow through seem to be my biggest issue. I'm old and slow so I've got lots of work to do. I really have no goals to speak of except to improve. I told Jay today that my goal is to beat him by the time he is 70 years old:) . Get this, the guy is 51 years old and he bench presses 300 pounds!! He's no runt.
I decided yesterday to take some online classes. I'll be working on my Elite Training Certificate. This will include a personal training certificate (at the moment this doesn't really appeal to me), a sports nutrition certificate and a rehab training certificate. I decided to this mostly because of where I want to take the company. As I said before, I want to do more then just deliver wheelchairs, set up oxygen, or anything of the sort. I really want the company to focus on helping people improve their lives. If I can be a bigger part of that, then by all means that's the role I want to play. I've reviewed some of the material already and I'm hoping it's not going to be too difficult. My degree is in biology with an emphasis in human physiology so most of the info should be a review for me at least I hope so. As I move forward with the studies, I'll keep you informed as to my progress.
I weighed in at 175 pounds today. I feel really good (except for being tired) and I'm looking forward to seeing 170 real soon. I haven't been struggling at all with the diet. Typically FAGE yogurt for breakfast, a grilled chicken breast for lunch and this week has been either a porkchop or salad for dinner. Maybe a handful of my sons M&M's for a snack:) . Other than that, I haven't really strayed too far. Hoping to get some good sleep tonight then start again fresh tomorrow.
Well I'm pooped out, so I'm going to call it a night. Sorry for the boring post, but it's all I've got tonight.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Some changes going on!!!!
Hey, we set a record this month. Almost 1400 hundred people have taken a peek at the blog so far this month. I realize that's not much compared to lots of other blogs, but for this small town blog, that's pretty darn good. Thanks to all of you who apparently have nothing better to do then to read this boring darn thing. :)
Well, we started fighting again last Friday. Jay hurt his knee in October so it's been that long since we've really did any sparring. I knew I would be out of shape, but holy cow, it was on the edge of pathetic. Thankfully we were both struggling for air, otherwise I would have been pounded on. Our first day back on the mats went very well. No blood, no black eyes, and really not very sore the next day.
Today..........well today was a completely different story. I know no better way to put it then I had my ass handed to me today. By the time we were finished, I felt like a human punching bag. We had headgear on, but even with the protection, my face is pretty sore this evening. My only excuse is that before we started, I worked my chest and triceps so I was a bit tired from that, but really I have no excuse for not getting my face out of the way. I think I may have landed one punch for every 10 that Jay landed. Had anyone been watching, they would have thrown in the towel, it was that bad.
Then came the ground game. I enjoy the grappling (wrestling) much more than the boxing, but today, I couldn't even get a shot in, yet Jay seemed to land plenty. I had to tap out 3 times where as Jay only tapped out once. Today just really sucked as far as fighting is concerned. I would love to use the age excuse, but Jay is 10 years my senior so I can't even go there.
I've been doing great with my diet, but haven't weighed in yet. I'm going to stay on track and hope for a great weigh in on Wednesday. I'm blown away by the numbers some of you have sent in. Slow and steady is what it's all about. It's getting past that "stagnant" period that is really important. Just stick with it and don't get frustrated.
Aerobic, Aerobic, Aerobic!!! If you want to see continued success, you have to got to find some sort of program where you can keep your heart rate up (at least 70% of max) for at least 30 minutes. Need a heart rate monitor? I've got one left. First one of you to send me your weight loss goals and how you plan to reach them will win the last monitor. Email me at mail@alphaoxymed.com.
So, we've got some changes going on at Alpha Oxy-Med. From customer service, to marketing, to our long term goals, we have got our work cut out for us, but I have no doubts we're going to help a lot people. First is our customer service. Our competitors have call centers that call their patients. Basically, someone super far away who really doesn't know anything about the patient, calls to see if they need anything. Our goal is to build relationships with our patients. Relationships that will allow us to get to know our patients on a much more personal level. I think this will give us the opportunity to really make a difference in the way we care for and treat our patients. We have a program that allows anyone on our staff to spend up to $25.00 each month, however they may choose as long as it's connected to either helping a patient or building those relationships. This may involve bringing them lunch, paying a light bill, whatever they may choose.
We have managed to stay caught up with our work while utilizing only 2 delivery drivers. This too is changing. In an effort to allow our drivers to spend more time with their patients, we have just recently added a 3rd driver. Our goal is to never have a patient have to call us for supplies. It is up to our drivers to be sure each and every patient on their route is taken care of. We call them before they call us. Also, unlike our competitors who travel outside our local area only a few times a month, we are in each service area at least once a week. This means patients only need to keep a weeks worth of tanks in their homes instead of having to make room for a months worth.
As far as marketing is concerned, as some of you have noticed already, I hope to make more appearances at your offices (I promise not to take much of your time). I'll be doing my best this year to establish relationships with each and every doctors office and clinic. I truly believe that with your help and if we can all work together, we can really make a difference in the lives of our patients.
The biggest change though and the one I'm most excited about, is were going to add a wellness program to our plans of care for our patients. Again, this is going to be contrary to the way things are usually done. Our competitors have "quota's" they try to meet every month. We're going to take a totally different approach. We're going to try and get our patients healthy and off of our services. We are currently in the process of adding a wellness program to the care we give our patients. Instead of meeting quotas, we're going to try and make it possible for our patients to improve their health. Our major goal will be to get them off of the therapy they are receiving (ie, oxygen, cpap, bipap), but if this isn't possible, our goal will be to minimize whatever therapy they are receiving. We've already started working with a few doctors on this and I'm excited to get more involved. We will be utilizing nutritionist and wellness trainers as part of this program. This is something I've always wanted to do, but never really took the initiative. I believe we have been blessed with the opportunity to help a lot of people and I'm looking forward to helping our patients improve their lives. Our focus will be on treating the entire patient, not only their diagnosis.
That's our changes in a nutshell. I'll keep you all up to date as to our progress. Looking forward to it.
Ok I think it's time to go help with homework and dishes. Hope you all have a great evening.
Well, we started fighting again last Friday. Jay hurt his knee in October so it's been that long since we've really did any sparring. I knew I would be out of shape, but holy cow, it was on the edge of pathetic. Thankfully we were both struggling for air, otherwise I would have been pounded on. Our first day back on the mats went very well. No blood, no black eyes, and really not very sore the next day.
Today..........well today was a completely different story. I know no better way to put it then I had my ass handed to me today. By the time we were finished, I felt like a human punching bag. We had headgear on, but even with the protection, my face is pretty sore this evening. My only excuse is that before we started, I worked my chest and triceps so I was a bit tired from that, but really I have no excuse for not getting my face out of the way. I think I may have landed one punch for every 10 that Jay landed. Had anyone been watching, they would have thrown in the towel, it was that bad.
Then came the ground game. I enjoy the grappling (wrestling) much more than the boxing, but today, I couldn't even get a shot in, yet Jay seemed to land plenty. I had to tap out 3 times where as Jay only tapped out once. Today just really sucked as far as fighting is concerned. I would love to use the age excuse, but Jay is 10 years my senior so I can't even go there.
I've been doing great with my diet, but haven't weighed in yet. I'm going to stay on track and hope for a great weigh in on Wednesday. I'm blown away by the numbers some of you have sent in. Slow and steady is what it's all about. It's getting past that "stagnant" period that is really important. Just stick with it and don't get frustrated.
Aerobic, Aerobic, Aerobic!!! If you want to see continued success, you have to got to find some sort of program where you can keep your heart rate up (at least 70% of max) for at least 30 minutes. Need a heart rate monitor? I've got one left. First one of you to send me your weight loss goals and how you plan to reach them will win the last monitor. Email me at mail@alphaoxymed.com.
So, we've got some changes going on at Alpha Oxy-Med. From customer service, to marketing, to our long term goals, we have got our work cut out for us, but I have no doubts we're going to help a lot people. First is our customer service. Our competitors have call centers that call their patients. Basically, someone super far away who really doesn't know anything about the patient, calls to see if they need anything. Our goal is to build relationships with our patients. Relationships that will allow us to get to know our patients on a much more personal level. I think this will give us the opportunity to really make a difference in the way we care for and treat our patients. We have a program that allows anyone on our staff to spend up to $25.00 each month, however they may choose as long as it's connected to either helping a patient or building those relationships. This may involve bringing them lunch, paying a light bill, whatever they may choose.
We have managed to stay caught up with our work while utilizing only 2 delivery drivers. This too is changing. In an effort to allow our drivers to spend more time with their patients, we have just recently added a 3rd driver. Our goal is to never have a patient have to call us for supplies. It is up to our drivers to be sure each and every patient on their route is taken care of. We call them before they call us. Also, unlike our competitors who travel outside our local area only a few times a month, we are in each service area at least once a week. This means patients only need to keep a weeks worth of tanks in their homes instead of having to make room for a months worth.
As far as marketing is concerned, as some of you have noticed already, I hope to make more appearances at your offices (I promise not to take much of your time). I'll be doing my best this year to establish relationships with each and every doctors office and clinic. I truly believe that with your help and if we can all work together, we can really make a difference in the lives of our patients.
The biggest change though and the one I'm most excited about, is were going to add a wellness program to our plans of care for our patients. Again, this is going to be contrary to the way things are usually done. Our competitors have "quota's" they try to meet every month. We're going to take a totally different approach. We're going to try and get our patients healthy and off of our services. We are currently in the process of adding a wellness program to the care we give our patients. Instead of meeting quotas, we're going to try and make it possible for our patients to improve their health. Our major goal will be to get them off of the therapy they are receiving (ie, oxygen, cpap, bipap), but if this isn't possible, our goal will be to minimize whatever therapy they are receiving. We've already started working with a few doctors on this and I'm excited to get more involved. We will be utilizing nutritionist and wellness trainers as part of this program. This is something I've always wanted to do, but never really took the initiative. I believe we have been blessed with the opportunity to help a lot of people and I'm looking forward to helping our patients improve their lives. Our focus will be on treating the entire patient, not only their diagnosis.
That's our changes in a nutshell. I'll keep you all up to date as to our progress. Looking forward to it.
Ok I think it's time to go help with homework and dishes. Hope you all have a great evening.
Cherish the time
Do you remember when your oldest child was your only child? How scared you were when you realized you had no formal instruction on how to raise a child. Do you remember that feeling of love and warmth when he/she would fall asleep in your arms and the peace/joy you felt when nobody else was around?
Then your second child came. Maybe he/she was the complete opposite of your first. You knew you would make less mistakes because you made them all with your first one. As your older child became more independent, you were able to focus more time on your youngest.
Then comes child 3 and/or 4. These are a piece of cake because 1 and 2 have made you a pro. You're not as strict on 3 and 4 because you have realized that some things just aren't worth the hassle. Maybe they are easier to raise or maybe they are the tyrants, either way, the family is complete. Now you just hope and pray that you can raise them to be smart and responsible young adults.
As I sit hear and I hear my oldest drag his body to the shower, I realize that one day soon, he will be graduating and hopefully off to some source of higher education. Then the others will follow. Before long, my wife and I will be wondering where all that time went.
My point is, teenager or not, little kid or not.....cherish the time you have. When you look at your oldest, don't forget that little child they once were. All that you have been through together. With each of your kids today, remember those times when they were so little and all you wanted to do was cuddle with them. Time passes people!! It passes us by before we know it. Hug those kids! Take time to talk to them. Even if you have no interest in what they want to talk about, listen! Whether they admit it or not, they want that relationship with you.
So as your teenagers are rushing out the door, remember not too long ago how little they were. Cherish the time you have together. Make the most of it. More importantly, MAKE THE TIME!!! It is something you will never regret.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
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