Dear PB Readers,

My wife says I am the most positive person she has ever met. Each morning when I open my eyes I take 20 seconds to consciously activate my attitude. This is an important concept. I choose to get excited to have the chance to live and experience another day. Today might be the day that I meet a new sponsor who wants to support my athletes or another coach who wants to get involved with my club. Today might be the day that my wife and I go for a long walk in the cold snow together or the day my god-child will call with the news about her basketball team winning their first game. The first thing I do at my weekly group workouts is "set a tone" for the session. Some of my clients show up frustrated by a day of heavy responsibilities. Some may be dealing with overactive kids or bosses who are too demanding. I take 5 minutes to encourage them to place their negative energy into a box at the side of the track or pool and focus on enjoying the hour workout with my wife and I. Live in the moment!

Active choice is a very important concept. Most of us have health problems, family problems and money challenges. If we don't have them now, our time will come. I don't personally believe that I am entitled to have a life without challenges, setbacks or frustrations. Earlier this week my good friend Stan Cameron sent me the following story.

A doctor gave a 92-year-old man a physical exam. A few days later he happened to notice the man walking down the street with his arm around a gorgeous young woman and grinning from ear to ear. The next time he encountered the man, the doctor said, "You are really doing great, aren't you?" "Just doing what you said, Doc," the man agreed. "You said, 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'" "I didn't say that," replied the doctor. "I said you've got a heart murmur. And be careful." I wonder if the advice to be cheerful may actually do him more good than being careful?! There is no shortage of self-help books and articles about taking care of yourself physically - from watching your diet to getting proper exercise. In other words, "Be careful!" But just as necessary is learning how to care for your mind and spirit. And cultivating a cheerful attitude can be an important part of the treatment. Do you tend to focus on what is wrong with your life, or what is right? Are you known as an angry person, or are you known more for being up-beat and positive?

Today you can be careful or perhaps cheerful!

Welcome to our new readers of this our 270th consecutive Personal Best Weekly Update. My personal belief is you get more of what you think about. To maximize this concept, it's important that you surround yourself with positive people, books, radio and television shows. Each of us has a favourite relative or friend that we always feel better after we have spent some time with them. Our goal each week is to simply be one of those positive sources in your life. Please keep signing up your friends for our free weekly newsletter. Check out our website for on-going stories at www.personalbest.ca and send your ideas/stories to barrie@personalbest.ca. Have a great week.

DEC 12th PB HIGHLIGHTS

* GEORGE ALLEN QUOTE ON WASTING TIME
* A CHRISTMAS TRADITION YOU SHOULD CONSIDER
* PB EMAIL #1 OF THE WEEK
* DINA LIBERMAN COMMITTED TO HELPING HEAVY CHILDREN
* PB EMAIL #2 OF THE WEEK
* BARRIE'S TWO HEALTHY HOLIDAY GIFT SUGGESTIONS

GEORGE ALLEN QUOTE ON WASTING A DAY

"A day you waste is one you can never make up."

A CHRISTMAS STORY YOU NEED TO READ

(re-printed from an earlier Christmas)

It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas---oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it-overspending. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat. Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them." Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition---one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.

The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn't end there. You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

PB EMAIL OF THE WEEK #1

Barrie, as always great inspiration. I especially connected with Holiday Weight Challenges - it went right to my own goals, motivation and waist line! You may know that I'm not a big guy at 5' 6". My goal was to be at 145 lbs by December 25th - down from 152 lbs. Just this morning I got on the scale at 148 lbs - well on my way to my goal. A little less eating and a little more walking, skating and exercise - a great formula. I also subscribe to the theory of earning your next meal with a little exercise, as opposed to having to work it off because I ate too much. Why not encourage your readers to put the caloric expenditure in first - so they can then go to parties and eat without any guilt knowing they have already burned the calories in advance! Enjoy the holidays and all the best to your family this holiday season. K.R.

COMMITTED TO HELPING CHILDREN

For nearly three decades Dina Lieberman has raised millions of dollars for Toronto area hospitals. Need new equipment for your hospital and Dina was the person you called to run a black-tie-supper or fundraiser. After three decades of fund-raising, Dina started to see a larger number of inactive-heavy kids in the hospitals that she was volunteering in. For the last twelve months Dina has met with parents, doctors and children to create a program to help heavy kids become healthier. The outcome of Dina's extensive research is the start of a company called Mobilize Change Inc. The program is scheduled to start in January 2006, and includes group exercise, personal goal setting, work with a nutritionist and motivational seminars designed to help change the way the children see the world. My colleagues at Personal Best have been very involved with this important pilot project and believe it has the potential to help improve the lives of many thousands of over-weight, under-confident children. If you are interested in helping Dina, or having your own children get involved in this fantastic GTA program contact her at
416-294-4356 or email dinalieberman@tcn.net

PB EMAIL OF THE WEEK # 2

Hello Barrie, I just wanted to extend a kind word to you. Last year when I left a job that I had been in for 15 years I thought things would never be the same. Your words to me were "everyone I know that has been in your position has ended up in a better situation". I took a couple of jobs to pay the bills and continued to teach in my chosen profession. I have also continued to pursue my Masters degree in hopes of landing "my dream job". My dream job all along was to teach at a University.

Today I was offered a position for the January semester. I will now have time to re-focus on fitness again. Thank you again for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to "be present" and make a huge impact on my ability to look at what I really want to do for the last 20 years of my career. Many times you have said in your newsletter...if you don't like your situation...change it...work to change it. Your words have been helpful.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I do many corporate talks for companies and the first thing I tell the HR person when I meet with them is that a few of the people in the audience are likely to quit your company within the month. Rarely does a talk go by, that 1-2 employees don't leave the company within the first few weeks after my talk. My philosophy is if you are not happy in you situation - change it. When you find the right relationship/job/project you will be so motivated that you will never look at you watch to find out when the day ends. Life is short, so I encourage you to find a job or volunteer organization that you are motivated to be involved with.

2 HEALTHY CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO CONSIDER FOR 2005

CARON SHEPLEY'S HARD CORE CONDITIONING DVD: On the shelves just this weekend, Caron's 40 minute total core strength DVD is a must have for anyone who wants to strengthen (or maintain) their core strength. Filmed in Florida last April, the easy to follow DVD is guaranteed to improve your core strength while reducing back problems. Still time to have it shipped to your house before the Holidays. www.bluedogyoga.com

BARRIE'S MARCH BREAK AND APRIL WARM WEATHER TRAINING CAMP: Imagine one full week of warm-weather coaching and instruction in Clermont Florida. PB coaches run daily organized swim-bike-run-yoga classes for people of all levels. Each day you choose how much training (and how much laying by the pool) you want to do. Then the PB coaches develop a day of training or relaxing that meets your needs. With a heated outdoor 50m pool, a 400m track, a 50,000 square foot fitness and yoga centre, and endless miles to run/bike Clermont (think 30 minutes north of Orlando) is the perfect warm weather location. Why not consider purchasing a gift certificate for a week for our 2006 Warm-Weather camp for the active person in your life? This camp is perfect for first timer and teenagers. For more information contact Barrie@personalbest.ca.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON!