Good morning to you!
I want you to know that I wish you the greatest of joy and the deepest of love, which (to me) is the deepest of success. I also want you to know that you are not an a**hole for saying "no." You are not a bad person for standing up for your rights, your space or what you believe in but that isn't a license to continually confront the world. Always remember that thinking of self first is not selfish but thinking of self only is. Never be afraid to take time to focus on self, for without filling our own cup how can we pour out for others? Above all remember hate, anger & pain may seem to propel you at the start of a new journey but know they don't serve you best. Love does. And it endures, gives joy, peace & will never fail. Love makes failure impossible. Without love as your fuel you will not make it to where you desire to be.
I wish you the greatest of joy and the deepest of Love on your adventures.
Bless,
Mark Sparks
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Mark's Monday Morning Fitness Newsletter (Sept 17th 2012) Courtesy of S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
-Mike Tyson.
Good Monday morning! Hope that you were blessed to fully enjoy your weekend and are ready to tackle another week and all the challenges it will bring!
You know, this month has been one that has see a few challenges thrown my way and I've noticed the same for many of the people who's fitness journey's I am trusted and blessed to navigate. While studying the champ (yes Tyson!) I came across the quote that opened today's newsletter:
With fitness goals it is easy to say "I don't have time!" or "It's too hard!" or "I just can't do it!" If that is your habit you need to change it because that habit is no longer serving you! As children, when we learned to walk we couldn't do it but we took one step at a time over and over. We'd fall and sometimes even cry but we'd get back up and continue stepping. Now walking is something we all do without even a second thought (something I took for granted until I temporarily lost that ability and had to re learn it - but that's a story for another time).
Bottom line, create habits that serve you which will become instincts that serve you which will be what you rely on to stay the course when life punches you in the face. And believe me it will! And believe me you'll overcome it with the right instincts built one step at a time.
This week, make it a habit to devote 15mins of every day to physical activity. No matter what, NO MATTER WHAT!
Here's a quick circuit you can do:
10 push ups
20 Squats
30 second plank
40 second wall sit
50 jumping jacks
Repeat as many times as you can for 4 mins. Take a 1 minute break and repeat!
Now that's a habit that'll serve towards building the body you desire & deserve.
Have a wonderful week,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
--
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @MarkSparksInc
Facebook - TheRealMarkSparks
-Mike Tyson.
Good Monday morning! Hope that you were blessed to fully enjoy your weekend and are ready to tackle another week and all the challenges it will bring!
You know, this month has been one that has see a few challenges thrown my way and I've noticed the same for many of the people who's fitness journey's I am trusted and blessed to navigate. While studying the champ (yes Tyson!) I came across the quote that opened today's newsletter:
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
It is easy, when life throws challenges in our way to divert and then
completely abandon certain goals. Challenges seem to make reaching our
goals harder or impossible but it's those challenges that make us strong
enough to reach our goals! Life without challenges would be like a gym
without weights - how would you get stronger?! Exactly. (Ps body weight
is just as effective at creating a challenge for us as you'll see in
this week's fitness challenge).
So what happens when life punches us in the face? Well then instinct
kicks in. And instinct is built from repetition, from habit.
With fitness goals it is easy to say "I don't have time!" or "It's too hard!" or "I just can't do it!" If that is your habit you need to change it because that habit is no longer serving you! As children, when we learned to walk we couldn't do it but we took one step at a time over and over. We'd fall and sometimes even cry but we'd get back up and continue stepping. Now walking is something we all do without even a second thought (something I took for granted until I temporarily lost that ability and had to re learn it - but that's a story for another time).
Bottom line, create habits that serve you which will become instincts that serve you which will be what you rely on to stay the course when life punches you in the face. And believe me it will! And believe me you'll overcome it with the right instincts built one step at a time.
This week, make it a habit to devote 15mins of every day to physical activity. No matter what, NO MATTER WHAT!
Here's a quick circuit you can do:
10 push ups
20 Squats
30 second plank
40 second wall sit
50 jumping jacks
Repeat as many times as you can for 4 mins. Take a 1 minute break and repeat!
Now that's a habit that'll serve towards building the body you desire & deserve.
Have a wonderful week,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
--
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @MarkSparksInc
Facebook - TheRealMarkSparks
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
A Woman's Worth. Wasted. ©
The darkest nights
Endured with the wrong friends
Doing the unthinkable
Just trying to be relevant
Spending
Time with another one
Who don't deserve the investment
Giving up her best
For a taste of that green blessing
Hoping that it'll materialize
Into material things that'll ease the pain
A feeling born from making
The intimate a familiar thing
And though she ain't dancing on a stage
She may as well be
Cause the way she's treats herself
Has stripped away her self love and dignity
And she don't believe
That she deserves more
So she pretends to be comfortable
With being labeled a whore
She acts cool
With being 'that bitch'
But that creates half a whole
No amount of money can fix
And though she rarely alone
She's always lonely
Cause the 'I love that ass'
Is a love that's so phony
And besides that
They only call when they horny
And with none of 'em
Can she plan her life
Cause most of the dudes she with
Already have wives
So they go once they come
And she's left alone at night
Clinging to her pillow
Knowing something ain't right
And not being able
To stand the sight
Of what not who
She see's in the mirror every night
A woman she remembers
She use to knew
Who dreamed that love came with affection
And not a "G'bye" after each screw
And as she thinks about it more
It twists her up inside
'Til she can no longer hide
All those tears inside
And they stream down her face
One by one like a race...
And I wish she could see
How special she truly is
But even with that full figure
She's really just a kid
And she really needs help
But she can't see that for herself
And she just can't seem to grow
So she stays killing herself slow
Until one day
She decides to hit the gas
No more being 'that chick'
No more trading stuff for ass
So she takes a bottle of pills
And then lays lifeless on the floor
She use to think she had it all
But deep inside she wanted more
She wants to be loved
But she thinks she can't find it on earth
So her light is wasted
Snuffed out
Cause she never knew her worth
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
Endured with the wrong friends
Doing the unthinkable
Just trying to be relevant
Spending
Time with another one
Who don't deserve the investment
Giving up her best
For a taste of that green blessing
Hoping that it'll materialize
Into material things that'll ease the pain
A feeling born from making
The intimate a familiar thing
And though she ain't dancing on a stage
She may as well be
Cause the way she's treats herself
Has stripped away her self love and dignity
And she don't believe
That she deserves more
So she pretends to be comfortable
With being labeled a whore
She acts cool
With being 'that bitch'
But that creates half a whole
No amount of money can fix
And though she rarely alone
She's always lonely
Cause the 'I love that ass'
Is a love that's so phony
And besides that
They only call when they horny
And with none of 'em
Can she plan her life
Cause most of the dudes she with
Already have wives
So they go once they come
And she's left alone at night
Clinging to her pillow
Knowing something ain't right
And not being able
To stand the sight
Of what not who
She see's in the mirror every night
A woman she remembers
She use to knew
Who dreamed that love came with affection
And not a "G'bye" after each screw
And as she thinks about it more
It twists her up inside
'Til she can no longer hide
All those tears inside
And they stream down her face
One by one like a race...
And I wish she could see
How special she truly is
But even with that full figure
She's really just a kid
And she really needs help
But she can't see that for herself
And she just can't seem to grow
So she stays killing herself slow
Until one day
She decides to hit the gas
No more being 'that chick'
No more trading stuff for ass
So she takes a bottle of pills
And then lays lifeless on the floor
She use to think she had it all
But deep inside she wanted more
She wants to be loved
But she thinks she can't find it on earth
So her light is wasted
Snuffed out
Cause she never knew her worth
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
Monday, September 10, 2012
Mark's Monday Morning Fitness Newsletter (Sept 10th 2012) Courtesy of S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning
Good Monday Morning!
I pray that you enjoyed an incredible weekend filled with exactly what you needed.
Today's topic is the power of habits.
This weekend I was at an event with people I haven't seen in years. Some five years, some even more. The one thing that kept coming up was how I'd built my body. As I answered this question each time it was brought to me, or as I gave out my "secrets" when asked one answer kept coming out: consistency.
There is no one exercise that I did over time that created my body but a habit that I'd formed over more than a decade. My body is the product of specific thinking and specific habits I've chosen. Few people know that I've had some serious health challenges in my life. I decided at one point that they were not going to limit my ability to do the things I desired to do. And in an instant my life changed.
You cannot have a new body with old thinking. And you cannot build a body you deserve and desire with the same habits that have built the body you desire to change. First step in changing your body is choosing to change your thinking and then your habits. Step number two is to figure out what habits are no longer serving you and find ones that do en route to physical change. This isn't a cerebral exercise either - you've got to feel it as emotion will super charge your ability to change. With 12 years doing what I do I've seen it over and over - change in thought + change in habit = change in body.
Here's something you should aim for every day this week perform 2 sets of abdominal plank exercises (remember to pull that belly button in!). Complete one set holding for 15 seconds to 3 minutes, rest for as long as you held it and then repeat. Do this twice per day and record how long you stay up each time. Each day this week hold the plank for a second longer than you did the set before. At the end of the week look at your times and you'll notice something spectacular that comes with habit - and that's just one week!
Habits, either they serve you or they don't, your choice.
Have a wonderful week.
Bless,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
I pray that you enjoyed an incredible weekend filled with exactly what you needed.
Today's topic is the power of habits.
This weekend I was at an event with people I haven't seen in years. Some five years, some even more. The one thing that kept coming up was how I'd built my body. As I answered this question each time it was brought to me, or as I gave out my "secrets" when asked one answer kept coming out: consistency.
There is no one exercise that I did over time that created my body but a habit that I'd formed over more than a decade. My body is the product of specific thinking and specific habits I've chosen. Few people know that I've had some serious health challenges in my life. I decided at one point that they were not going to limit my ability to do the things I desired to do. And in an instant my life changed.
You cannot have a new body with old thinking. And you cannot build a body you deserve and desire with the same habits that have built the body you desire to change. First step in changing your body is choosing to change your thinking and then your habits. Step number two is to figure out what habits are no longer serving you and find ones that do en route to physical change. This isn't a cerebral exercise either - you've got to feel it as emotion will super charge your ability to change. With 12 years doing what I do I've seen it over and over - change in thought + change in habit = change in body.
Here's something you should aim for every day this week perform 2 sets of abdominal plank exercises (remember to pull that belly button in!). Complete one set holding for 15 seconds to 3 minutes, rest for as long as you held it and then repeat. Do this twice per day and record how long you stay up each time. Each day this week hold the plank for a second longer than you did the set before. At the end of the week look at your times and you'll notice something spectacular that comes with habit - and that's just one week!
Habits, either they serve you or they don't, your choice.
Have a wonderful week.
Bless,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Mark Sparks. Acapella. © (Music Video Clip)
Thank you for pressing play and listening.
Bless,
M.
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Official Facebook Page
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Mark's Monday (okay Tuesday) Morning Fitness Newsletter (Sept 4th 2012) Courtesy of S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning. ©
Good morning!
Hope you enjoyed an incredible weekend (and long weekend to all my Canadian & American readers)!
September has this amazing feel of "new start" to it - even for those of us who aren't in school & haven't been for years! What better time than during a time of "new start" to really get focused en route to getting the body you desire & deserve?! Two powerful tools we have on our fitness journey are awareness & creating a clear cut destination to aim for.
If you've "just been going to the gym" or have found yourself simply going through the motion join me and the S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning members for 'Serious September'! What is Serious September you ask? Well it's a time to get Serious! Step one: outlining & detailing your fitness goals. Step two is creating a map for you to achieve those goals - but that's for another time! For now, let's focus on step one.
When setting your goal you've got to know 3 things:
1. Exactly where you're at
2. Exactly where you want to go.
3. Why you MUST attain them.
"I want to loose some weight" isn't very motivating or inspiring.
"I want to loose 10lbs" is better.
"I MUST loose 10lbs because it'll make me feel stronger, more confident & able to perform better!" -->Now that has some traction!
So to kick off Serious September get those goals written down & make them specific & measurable!
And feel free to share 'em with me, I'd love to read them! (Post them under this newsletter at www.MarkSparksWrites.com)
Bless,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter @MarkSparksInc
Hope you enjoyed an incredible weekend (and long weekend to all my Canadian & American readers)!
September has this amazing feel of "new start" to it - even for those of us who aren't in school & haven't been for years! What better time than during a time of "new start" to really get focused en route to getting the body you desire & deserve?! Two powerful tools we have on our fitness journey are awareness & creating a clear cut destination to aim for.
If you've "just been going to the gym" or have found yourself simply going through the motion join me and the S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning members for 'Serious September'! What is Serious September you ask? Well it's a time to get Serious! Step one: outlining & detailing your fitness goals. Step two is creating a map for you to achieve those goals - but that's for another time! For now, let's focus on step one.
When setting your goal you've got to know 3 things:
1. Exactly where you're at
2. Exactly where you want to go.
3. Why you MUST attain them.
"I want to loose some weight" isn't very motivating or inspiring.
"I want to loose 10lbs" is better.
"I MUST loose 10lbs because it'll make me feel stronger, more confident & able to perform better!" -->Now that has some traction!
So to kick off Serious September get those goals written down & make them specific & measurable!
And feel free to share 'em with me, I'd love to read them! (Post them under this newsletter at www.MarkSparksWrites.com)
Bless,
Mark Sparks
*Owner of S.P.A.R.K.S. Conditioning - Getting You The Body You Desire & Deserve!
*Fitness & Conditioning Specialist
*Former Calvin Klein Man Of Steel
*Former National Champion
*Entertainment Tonight's #4 Sexiest Bachelor
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter @MarkSparksInc
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Blind Pain. ©
It hurts how perfect you are
And yet You don't see it
I mean it
I mean it's
Crazy to me
That You can't see
All the beauty that lays inside
And shines outside
That You're able to hide
That light You shine
From Your own eyes
It's like You're blind
To the wonder
And I wonder
How You could be
How You don't see
That You're a star
And it hurts my heart
That You don't know
How perfect You are
And yet You don't see it
I mean it
I mean it's
Crazy to me
That You can't see
All the beauty that lays inside
And shines outside
That You're able to hide
That light You shine
From Your own eyes
It's like You're blind
To the wonder
And I wonder
How You could be
How You don't see
That You're a star
And it hurts my heart
That You don't know
How perfect You are
www.MarkSparksWrites.com
Twitter - @marksparksinc
Facebook - therealMarkSparks
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