Active Doesn't Make Us Productive. Purpose Does.

Activity and productivity are not the same thing. For example, many folks have gym memberships and go to the gym on a regular basis - activity - but few people actually make the progress they desire from their workouts.

What separates the two people? Purpose. With a definite purpose we can focus our energy on the things that move us towards that purpose while ridding ourselves of the superfluous, which steal away our time and energy while providing little or no progress.

What is your purpose? Again, let's use the gym example - why do you go to the gym? When coming up with this answer be specific, think big and ahve a reason why this purpose is important to you. If there is no excitement from the thought of working towards and achieving your purpose, you will be hard pressed to find the passion needed to fulfill it.

This weekend, challenge yourself to spend some time thinking about and writing down your purpose - for your workouts, your business, your relationships, you life! After all, what good is to be busy working towards nothing?

Find purpose, be productive.

Happy Friday Y'all,
Mark Sparks

www.MarkSparks.com

Find me on instagram @marksparkswrites or @sparksconditioning for fitness tips, information & motivation.

Self Love And It's Conditional Rationing.

Working out works best when our fuel is self love, not self hate.

If you haven't watched the Ronda Rousey interview on The Ellen Show, here is a link to a quick clip and a great reminder for us all (click here), thanks Ms. Rousey.

Have you ever found yourself, during the highs of celebrating a goal reached, feeling great about who you are? Have you found yourself, during the lows that come with defeat or loss, feeling like you are nothing? That's the danger of accomplishment based conditional love - it never lasts. And, I'd dare to say that it isn't even real.

It is so very dangerous for us to become our accomplishments.

We are not the sum of the things we achieve but of what we habitually do, particularly when no one is watching.We all lose at some point but being a loser is something entirely different than losing. Losing is inevitable but being a loser is a choice.

Too often we, myself so very included, judge ourselves on our results rather than our character. "Do I have a sixpack yet?" "Did I land that movie role yet?" "Have I reached my goal weight?" We say we are "good enough" when we achieve something and "we suck" when we don't.

The problem with accolade based self love is that when it comes, it is temporary and it can never be sustained. Too often I have people write me or approach me for coaching and physical training because they hate their bodies and think that changing their shape will make them love themselves. It never does.

We must find a purpose, passion and love that cannot be affected by external factors we don't control.
Do your best. Give your all. But most importantly, love who you are as you work towards whatever goal you have.

M.

www.MarkSparks.com

Find me on instagram @marksparkswrites or @sparksconditioning for fitness tips, information & motivation.

Be Kind - to Others and to Yourself.

As we grow up we're taught to be kind to others yet the emphasis to be kind to ourselves is rarely made.

We call ourselves names, we hold ourselves to impossible deadlines, we don't cheer for ourselves or believe in ourselves, we are not honest with ourselves and sometimes we even tell ourselves we are stupid for going after our biggest dreams. Is it any wonder that we fail time and time again? Or worse become too scared to take any steps in a new forward direction towards what we desire and deserve?

This week, I urge you to treat yourself as you would someone you deeply care about. This isn't a call to be dishonest to you about you but rather to look at yourself through honest eyes and recognize the miracle that you are and all the amazing things that you, with faith and habitual work, are capable of achieving.

Learn to like yourself en route to learning to love yourself all over again.
How? Well that's up to you, but find many ways to show yourself.

Be kind to others, but remember to also be kind to yourself.
Happy Monday Y'all!
M.

www.MarkSparks.com




Find me on instagram @marksparkswrites or @sparksconditioning for fitness tips, information motivation.

Stop Suffering. Start Getting Results.

"Fear is the path to the dark side.

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."

-Yoda.

(click to see video)

Are you stuck in suffering? The pain that comes from being stuck in failure?

You know, you keep working to change your body, to build the body you desire but

"no matter what exercises or crazy diet you do nothing seems to work,"?

Perhaps it is time to change your thoughts.

Perhaps your problem isn't what you know, or even what you do but what you think.

Maybe you are caught up in suffering because, deep down inside you don't believe that you can change. Maybe you've been overweight or underweight for so long in your life that you believe that you can be nothing else for the rest of your life.

Maybe that fear is holding you hostage and making you angry.
Maybe you really hate they way you feel and they way you look and that just makes you hate the way you feel even more.

That is the dark side of life indeed - to be stuck in a cycle where the result of your habits brings more and more of what you don't want.
You can change.
You can transform.
Let me help
mark@sparksconditioning.com
‪#‎ItsBiggerThanFitness‬
‪#‎WhatAreYouChasing‬?
www.SPARKSconditioning.com

@sparksconditioning on instagram.

Perspective & Thank You (The Birthday Edition).

It has been a little while since my last post. Early October if memory serves me well. First let me say thank you for continuing to read these blog posts, thank you for continuing to subscribe to this blog, to helping me reach over 40 000 readers (wow!) and for following my journey on instagram (@sparksconditioning & @marksparkswrites).

As another year passes and I begin a new chapter in the journey of my life, I am grateful as I look back at all the challenges that have made me stronger and the moments that have made me smile, laugh, cry & grow.

Some people view birthdays with dread, some with delight and others with a sort of indifference. Which of the views do you hold?

For me, birthdays have a great significance though outwardly people around me would think otherwise. From a young age I learned that material gifts, though fun, meant little to me and as I got older their value decreased - partly because I could buy my own "toys" and partly because I valued time and effort so much more. Gifts, to me, became a way that I could share with people that they were on my mind and in my thoughts. I viewed gifts I received in the same way. When people got me something that meant much to me because of moments or stories we had shared, I would love the gift. When it was simply a material possession to own however - though thankful, the gift seemed to hold less value. Perspective.

As I get older I realize that people have different perspectives and that birthdays, and gift giving, is seen in different ways by different people as well. As I get older (yes I am enjoying saying that) I realize that perspective has more to do with joy and peace than most any other variable. How I, we, view things gives them meaning. And that meaning creates in us a feeling. And that feeling creates actions and habits.

So, as another chapter in the book of my life begins, I look forward to viewing the world with a perspective that allows me to find peace, to be productive and to continue to passionately chase my dream.

I hope that whatever perspective you choose as you experience life, enhance your level of joy, peace and self defined success.
Bless,
Mark Sparks

Ps thank you to all of you who sent birthday wishes, letters and notes. I truly appreciate it.

Instagram @sparksconditioning
Instagram @marksparkswrites
www.MarkSparks.com
www.MarkSparksWrites.com

Our lives are our message to the world.

Our lives, and the way we choose to live each day is our message to the world.
It is our chance to share what we truly believe inside ourselves.
Today, what is your message going to be?

Each day we build upon, what will one day be our legacy.
Today, how will you build your legacy?

Each day, the interactions that we have, the relationships we foster and the light we share create who we are to others, what we are known for and what we will be remembered for.
Today, what memory are you building?
When we pass onto the next life, when our time - our short time - on earth is comes to an end all that will be left with others is what we have left with others. Heck, when we physically leave someone's life as our paths on earth head in different directions, all that will remain is what we have built with them, what we have given them of ourselves.
Today, what will you give?

Life is joy filled and peaceful when we decide to commit to our purpose and commit to living in a way that brings joy and peace to ourselves and to those around us.
Today, through the pursuit of your purpose, how will you manifest joy and peace?

Our lives, and the way we choose to live each day is our message to the world.
Today, what will you decide your message will be?

Mark Sparks
www.MarkSparks.com
Instagram @marksparkswrites

Photographs and life lesson.

Recently a talented photographer, who I also call Friend, shared an incredible picture of a North Atlantic port as the sun begins to break the horizon, kissing the sails of the boats sailing in and out of the harbor waters. The photo is captivating, and a capture that I thought must've taken a great set of equipment and set up. When I commented on the picture my Friend replied simply with "sometimes the best camera you have is the one that's with you," before telling me that it was taken with a blackberry phone. Imagine my surprise! And then it hit me - sometimes what We have is the best thing We need to have to create something incredible. Sometimes, while we waste time looking for something better, we miss that we've got the very best already with us and that very best is us.

M.


www.MarkSparks.com
Instagram: sparksconditioning
Instagram: marksparkswrites