Last week, I got to go on The Daily Burn, a fitness show based here in New York, as their guest celebrity. I did the morning workout with them, and we did a really cool exercise about “reaching new heights” on a trampoline. You can still catch the interview, and if you’re looking for a fun, challenging workout to do every day, you can stream the workouts free for a month – check it out!
During the workout – it was about a half hour of cardio and strength-training – Greg, the instructor, said something that really struck me.
“If you’re thinking ‘I can’t do this’ – remember, that ‘I can’t’ is just an interpretation of a feeling. It’s not a reality,” he said. “Breathe into it, stay calm. Keep going.”
How profound! And it’s true in several ways – not just about exercise, but about life. Self-talk is a hot topic these days, and it’s continually...
The other day I went to this fundraiser for a friend of mine, where we played poker with the Poker Divas. This was the first lesson – you have to play to win. If you just play not to lose, you will almost definitely lose.
I thought, what an applicable lesson to life. It made me think of a time I was at a conference, where they asked you to put a number on a ping pong ball at registration. And then throughout the conference, sporadically, they’d come out with this big box full of ping pong balls, like a lottery, and they’d call a number and give out some pretty significant prizes.
One time when they were calling out numbers, I was out in the hallway, and a guy who worked at the conference asked me, ”How come you’re not in there? They’re giving away prizes.”
I said, “I know, but I never put my number on a ping pong ball, so, I’m not going to win.”
And he said, “Hm, that’s interesting. I wonder where else...
Last week, I had the honor of co-hosting a fitness talk show with my good friend Eraldo Maglara on WMCN TV. It was such a thrill to be on set, talking about fitness and lifestyle and mindset (all my favorite things!)—but you can bet, I was nervous.
Backstage, after having my make-up and hair done, I had a few minutes before the cameras started rolling. And in those moments of waiting, nervousness crept in: my hands were sweating, my shoulders were tight. I tried to relax, but I only succeeded in getting more and more worked up. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, tried a little meditation—but it didn’t work.
After a minute, I thought, this is stupid. Let me just get up and do something. So I went out into the hallway, and did jumping jacks and boxing moves, trying to disperse all that nervous energy. I made a fist and jumped up, like my team had just scored a goal, like “Yes! I did it!” And I got so excited!
Then, since...
We’ve all been there. You come out of an interview, a meeting, a phone call – something you really wanted to go well– and it sucked. You feel lousy. You feel like nothing will ever make up for how horrible it went, and you believe it was all your fault.
What do you do, after a setback like that?
That feeling was no stranger to me during my years of auditions in L.A. and here in New York. (Heck, it’s still not a stranger to me. It’s part of life.) I remember one particularly horrible audition—I just bombed it—and after, I walked out onto the street, wanting to curl up in a hole. My brain was spinning in a loop of “Why can’t I do this?” “Why does this happen to me?” “Why am I not good/pretty/talented/exceptional enough?”
And you know what? My brain had no problem giving me the answers. Everything I asked it, it answered; it provided me with more reasons for why I sucked. I was positive I was a loser. I...
The other day, I took my kids to see the new Pixar movie Inside Out. It looked like fun, so I was looking forward to it, but I had no idea it would have such big life lessons in it—like, how sadness is an essential part of a happy life.
f you haven’t seen it, Inside Out takes place mostly inside the head of an 11-year-old girl, Riley. The main characters are 5 of her emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear. In the beginning, Joy is the driver, and therefore joy is the main focus of her actions and memories.
When Joy gets pulled from the ‘leader seat,’ she and Sadness have to work together to find their way back to Headquarters.
In the journey, Joy realizes that she needs Sadness to get back to where she was. The reflection and introspection, induced by Sadness, are ultimately what repairs the relationship between Riley and her family. Joy learns that Sadness helps you connect, rebuild and bring things together – if...
If you know me, you probably know I’m passionate about visualization. I’ve used it for almost every important goal in my life – and, as long as I’ve done it right, it’s always worked.
Which means that I’ve had times it didn’t work—and that I’ve found one crucial aspect that makes all the difference.
Back when I was on soaps, I had an audition for a role in the reprise of Bonanza: The Next Generation. The character sounded perfect for me—except that she was an expert equestrian. I barely qualified as an amateur.
Still, I went to the audition. My plan was to fudge through the part on horseback by riding English style, not Western. Just a few minutes after I mounted the horse, though, it started pouring. The director called me back before I even made it once across the field. It was over so quickly, I was sure I wouldn’t get the part.
But maybe because it was over so quickly, they didn’t have...
As I was shopping for school supplies with my kids the other day, it started to feel real that fall is coming. It may still be hot and sunny out, but it sure feels like a change is in the air – do you feel it too?
Every September, even before the leaves turn into their beautiful golds and reds, I get the feeling that it’s time to start something new, something substantial – almost like a New Year’s resolution.
It’s exciting – for me, there’s a certain readiness. It’s this new, fresh energy that things are changing, things are happening. I feel it in the big areas of my life – family, fitness, my business.
For one thing, my kids and I are just getting back from summer vacations – we’ve had an amazing time working with my husband as he films in Romania; we went to LA for the Emmys; we’ve also been taking hiking trips around New York and New Jersey. They’re starting school this week, so we’re...
It happens to us all—you’re going along on a new diet or nutrition plan, doing well, and then, BAM. You get a craving.
What do you do?
Here’s one technique to get around those nasty cravings.
First, satisfy it. That’s right. Not with cake or donuts, if it’s sugar you’re craving. Be creative—think of some healthy alternatives, like watermelon. Indulge in it, if you want—have lots! Watermelon has some sugar, but it’s natural sugar, and a whole lot of water, plus nutrients like vitamins A, B1, B6, C, and lycopene, which is fantastic for your heart. (In fact, watermelon has been called one of the healthiest foods in the world—read more here). So, you’re getting that sweetness, and you’re not putting processed or empty calories in your body.
Then, examine what it was your body wanted. Was your body really, physically craving sugar? Or were you emotionally craving it?
What would you be covering up right now if...
When Walt Disney first had the idea of Disneyland, everyone thought he was crazy. People said it was impossible to build this theme park, because it was astronomically expensive, and completely new, like nothing that had been built before. So one of the first things he had the workers build was the castle.
His reasoning was, if you have this big beautiful castle that people can see, it’s going to galvanize them. They’re going to see it and get excited; they’re going to wonder what else he could do. It spreads magic. It spreads excitement, intrigue, energy, momentum—it gets people to see the potential. It also kept the workers motivated, because they saw how incredible this one aspect of his vision was. Brilliant!
I love that concept, so when I started creating Moticise, I kept thinking, what is my castle... and how can I build that first?
Well, Moticise isn’t just an exercise program. It’s a lifestyle in which you get really, really...
Have you ever taken the time to envision your ideal life? Where you’re happy, successful, fulfilled, at peace, around the people you want to be around, where you’re fit enough to enjoy it? Where you have enough energy?
I’ve always been passionate about visualizing. One day last winter, I was on a treadmill, and watching some really bad morning television, when it hit me—I could be using this time better.
I wanted to bring in my vision board and prop it up on the treadmill, so I could look at that while I ran. It’s huge, though—I store it under my bed—so I didn’t think it was really appropriate to carry it to the gym with me. So instead, I imagined it—all the inspiring images I’d put on it, all the places I wanted to go and the things I wanted to do. And you know what? It was incredibly motivating!
That’s how I got the idea for Moticise – Motivational Exercise. It’s a fitness program that integrates mindset...
50% Complete
Every morning for 10 days, you’ll get an email from me with a special (and short) activity that focuses on one important aspect of manifesting your true desires.
Sign up now and join others committed to REAL CHANGE, NOW