What’s The Source Of Your Validation?

Are you Extrinsically driven?

• Extrinsic: not part of the essential nature of someone or something, coming from outside

Or Intrinsically driven?

• Intrinsic: essential, internal

I’m willing to bet that you would describe yourself as a giver?

But I’m also willing to bet you probably don’t identify as a receiver…

Here’s the deal…receiving is the beginning of giving!

NOT receiving is blocking the flow THROUGH you and TO you.

You have to follow before you can lead.

As Jesus said, follow me...

We are to love our neighbors AS we love ourselves.

So we can’t truly love others until we love ourselves first!

I’m not talking about the foofy self-love mumbo jumbo you hear today, and I’m not talking about looking out for your own well-being.

Let me ask you a tough question:

Would you have friends if you talked to them the way you talk to yourself?

If you answered no, or maybe HECK NO, then congrats…

We have some work to do!!!

We must receive love before we can truly give it!!

Remember, the same measure you give with will be given back to you.

Givers are the Gainers.

But giving starts with receiving…

And sadly today, most people don’t think much of themselves...

They secure their identity by who they are externally (extrinsically).

They evaluate their achievement by what they’ve collected versus by the character they have cultivated.

They compare themselves to the orchestrated (and sometimes fake) highlight reels presented by the people they follow, and on social media.

They measure their self-worth by their net worth.

By not taking thoughts captive, 80% of them will be negative in the natural.

If you’ve been to a wedding, you’ve probably heard this verse, but I want to challenge you to read it through the lens of “I must receive FIRST, in order to truly give”.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭13:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Love cures a multitude of wrongs.

So is your motivation Extrinsic or Intrinsic?

It will be extrinsic until you intrinsically know that you are loved!!!

Love flows from our Heavenly Father, and THEN we can give it to the world.

But by NOT receiving first, you are building a dam that is blocking the flow to your life.

We are to live with open hands, because a closed hand is keeping you from what you desire.

So receive God’s love first.

Then get present.

And pray for love.

Love comes down, and then we can love others because we received His love.

We are conduits of this flow.

So I want to challenge you with my 1% Challenge:

• Get 1% better at receiving today.

Will accept my challenge and be a conduit of the Father’s light?

Respond below if you will.

Ask for love my friend.

It covers a multitude of wrongs.

Your friend,

Nate

The Father Pursued Me...

I was raised in a Christian home, attended church every week, and even went to a Christian elementary school; but it took years to develop a real relationship with my Creator.

I prayed “the prayer” as a kid, but it was more out of fear of going to hell, than from the heart, and I knew I wasn’t right with the Father. 

About age 15, the pastor of our church was found to be living a double life and had a separate family on the side. 

This crushed me, and really distorted my view of God, because he was basically “on a pedestal” next to God in our home and church.

Not only was his word supposed to be gold, but all the adults in my life thought, and spoke, the same way about him.

So when he fell from grace, this not only split up our church family, but our actual family split, moving to separate areas and new churches.

I related this experience to the Father, which made me question whether God was real.

Even though I had felt his presence as a kid, I thought “How could God’s word be true if everything our pastor said wasn’t true?”

In addition to that, I thought being a Christian meant that I had to be some weird, preaching from a soap box, giving all I had to the poor, ugly-clothes wearing person that couldn’t relate to society.

Honestly, I didn’t think I was “bad enough” to need a savior either. 

God was just something I needed “after I lived how I wanted to live” to get into heaven. 

I remember actually thinking: “I’ll give my life to Jesus when I’m 70 something…”, not knowing that what the Father really had for me was a full life of peace, joy, and freedom.

The church environment we grew up in was very legalistic and fear-based, and some of the teaching I received was flawed. 

I was taught that I could “miss the salvation boat” and be damned forever. 

My view of God, the Trinity, was that the Father was angry all the time, Jesus was the meek and mild one who sacrificed himself for the world, and the Holy Spirit was the weird one that floated around.

But God pursued me…

I was super insecure as a kid, and I thought everything about me was ugly...my height, my red hair, my freckles, my big ears, my Christian roots...it was all a reinforcement that “I wasn’t good enough”.

Or so I thought...

I remember being embarrassed that my parents weren’t “normal”, and this was about the time I started changing who I was to be cool and blend in with different circles of people.

Sports was my safe haven, and the only place I felt like I actually fit in.

I pursued this with all my heart and sports was the #1 priority in my life.

It was also my way to gain acceptance and love, which was tied into my view of God, as a god that demands my effort, works, and sacrifice.

Throughout my college football career, I lived how everyone around me was living...aka partying my face off. 

I wanted God to bless me when on the football field, but I wanted to live how I wanted to off the field. 

But even then, God was pursuing me...

I remember being in a club one night, drunk and high, and hearing the Holy Spirit say (in almost an audible voice above the thumping music), “You’re not supposed to be here”.

It wasn’t judgmental, it was just a sense that I was designed for more than the life I was living. 

So I followed that up by pounding shots to drown out the voice…

I thought life was all about me.

I would take coaching personally, not looking at it as a growth opportunity, and lived with a massive chip on my shoulder. 

I even contemplated getting the tattoo “On My Own”, because I was going to make it on my own!

I was so ungrateful and compared myself to everyone, and everything, around me.

Even when I succeeded, I still found ways to pull myself down with my internal dialogue.

I was building the personal jail cell of my mind bigger and bigger.

Yet, God still pursued me…

After college, I was out of football and found work as a car salesman.

I hated it so bad, I went and coached girl’s high school basketball to be around sports, and thankfully got an opportunity to play football again.

I had a girlfriend at this time, and my intention was to be the best boyfriend I could be, not like a lot of the guys around me.

I was staying on a teammate’s futon and we all went out to get drinks. 

Well, I ended up having way too much to drink that night, and when the guys brought some girls home, I ended up messing around with one of them. 

I woke up in the morning with a pit in my stomach, because I had tried to be good and failed. It was proof that I wasn’t good enough “on my own”.

After confessing to my girlfriend, I couldn’t shake the feeling I had, so I decided to go for a walk and stopped on the edge of a baseball field and sat under a tree.

Holy Spirit showed up again and I had this sense of His presence. 

I remember feeling this sense of a sheet, or film, in front of me, and it was the thinnest membrane imaginable. 

He was saying “Accept Me”, and all I had to do was intend to cross that membrane...not break it, or move towards it, just intend to move towards it, and I would be right with my Creator.

But I was stubborn, and I told God in that moment: “I’m going to do this on my own”.

And I got up from that tree and walked back to my apartment.

So over the next few years, I looked like a Christian.

I went to church every week, and even read the Bible occasionally, but I knew I wasn’t right with God.

Every 3 or 6 months I would feel His presence come back on me, usually when I was alone, and I would literally flex to fight off the Spirit.

So one day I was riding to practice, with a carload of teammates, and I felt His presence come on me harder, and more intense than any time before.

This time was different though...after I “fought off” the Spirit, I felt like He left, like He removed His presence from me for a bit.

Shortly after that, I was attacked by something dark…

I woke up in my room early in the morning and my room was like an ice box, even though it was about 90 degrees that day.

I grabbed my Bible and kept shouting “JESUS, JESUS, JESUS…” but couldn’t get whatever it was to leave.

I even went outside in the heat but still was freezing cold!

It was crazy…

Shortly after that, I developed my first major injury (a sports hernia) and was forced to miss the rest of the season.

The day after my injury, I was told that the Miami Dolphins were going to sign me, which would have been the fulfillment of my football dream.

The crazy thing is that my injury came from overworking my body from my flawed mentality to do everything “on my own”.

I still played football the next 3 years and the injuries racked up…

But still God pursued me…

Every 3-6 months I would feel His presence and I would stay up all hours of the night on my phone to avoid being idle, because I would hear his voice when things were quiet. 

I ended up playing for my last team in Chicago, IL and only played 7 games before getting cut. 

My body hadn’t healed and I wasn’t near the same player I had been, but God had a plan…

I had met a friend, at a church event, and since I knew no one in the city, I asked if I could stay on his couch.

He thankfully said yes, and I ended up finding a job as a waiter, and started training people on the weekends when I wasn’t working at the restaurant.

My friend was leading a life group and he decided to take communion one night for the group.

I had never taken communion before, because I knew that was for people who were saved, and I racked my brain for excuses to miss the meeting.

Thankfully I found none, and in a quiet moment with myself and God, I stopped running from Him, doing things “on my own”, and I gave my life to Him.

Growing up I thought that moment meant my life wouldn’t drastically change in an instant, but it was more like the beginning for me.

I got baptized a few weeks later to proclaim my faith publicly, and now it was my turn to pursue God.

I started to create habits, like daily reading my Bible, prayer, and developing a real relationship with Him.

I wish I could tell you that things changed overnight, but in my experience, God is more like the gym than a genie.

Most people want God to just snap His fingers and solve all their problems, but the truth is that we grow through discomfort. 

The Bible says: “God disciplines the children He loves…”.

The Greek origin of Discipline is: “To train”.

So what it’s really saying is that “God trains the children He loves.”

And the training was just beginning for me. 

I’ve seen God do some really amazing things in my life, and He has ALWAYS provided for me.

I’ve seen a man gain his sight back after being blind for years, and I’ve seen miraculous healings that could only be a miracle.

But the biggest miracle is how God never left me and kept pursuing me, and how He never gave up (and never will). 

It’s no secret that life has its ups, and downs, but the thing that blows me away is that we have a Daddy who loves us so much, wants the best for us, and is always there!

He’s always close, never far. 

No matter how it feels in the moment.

My adventure with the Father is just starting, and I’m so grateful for all He’s blessed me with!

Because EVERY good and perfect gift comes from above.

My prayer for you (if you’ve read this far) is that you find a personal relationship with your Creator, or find a closer relationship with Him.

He’s a good, good Daddy and has great plans for you! 

Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans for hope and a future…

So if you’re running right now, please take a lesson from my journey and stop. 

It’s a much better adventure when you have “the friend that sticks closer than a brother” with you through this life ;)

Your Friend,

Nate

THE MANANA PRINCIPLE

Do you look at a challenge as an OPPORTUNITY or an OBSTACLE?

Obviously, this is a challenging time.

I won’t diminish that, or be callous to anyone who’s going through a tough time.

But I WILL encourage you!

The things that you've been putting off, that you didn’t "have time” for before, you now have TIME to do!

Time is the most valuable resource we have, and we all have the same amount of it, whether your name is Warren Buffet, or a homeless person.

“Success” comes down to how we use that time each day.

So what have you been putting off?

Is it your fitness, your health, starting a business, a relationship, time with your kids?

Or…

Perhaps you’re on this flip side and you are going through an extremely tough time from losing income, your 401k, or maybe lost a loved one?

You STILL have an OPPORTUNITY because now you have time.

The challenge is FOCUS.

Are you focusing on what the news media is telling you? 

Or…

Are you focusing on what we need to do to evolve and capitalize on this OPPORTUNITY?

I promise you, WHAT YOU FOCUS ON WILL EXPAND!

However, a positive attitude doesn’t guarantee success.

We need tools in order to TAKE ACTION to change an outcome, and I want to give you a tool that you can IMPLEMENT immediately.

It’s called: THE MANANA PRINCIPLE.

The way you use it tool is simple.

The next time you feel stress (aka the achiever’s word for fear), I want you to take that stress and put it on tomorrow.

THEN, you’re going to take what you’ve been putting off to tomorrow (mañana), and do that today!

And then tomorrow, you’re going to repeat that again.

And again.

And again…

IF you do this, you WILL start to see results!

I’ve been using this myself and it’s amazing how it shifts your focus.

In complete transparency, all my “guaranteed income” is drying up in a couple weeks.

So I’m in the same boat as you!

Will you IMPLEMENT the MANANA PRINCIPLE with me?

If you're in for this challenge, I want you to send me a message and say: “I’M IN NATE” and/or connect with me here.

I’d love to support you in this time!

Remember we have an OPPORTUNITY.

Even though it is a challenging time for us…

Be Strong and Be Courageous.

Have an amazing day!

Love you!

Nate

The Three Levels of Self-Talk

What's up legend?

I want to talk to you about Self-Talk.

This is a cliche topic nowadays, and there is so much hyperbole out there about it, but it’s UNDENIABLE, and much research has shown, that it’s a vital part of ANY change in life.

Remember what happens on the INSIDE is going to be evident on the OUTSIDE.

So if you want to change your outer world (your results), you must first change what's on the inside.

Aka your Self-Talk.

The Bible says: Life and death is in the power of the tongue.

Make no mistake that you speak will come into existence!

The challenge is that most of our self-talk is unconscious and studies have shown that 80% of it is negative!

So in order to create positive change in life, we must change our self-talk, and the first step of change is AWARENESS.

There are 3 Levels of Self-Talk, and I’ll start from the bottom to top…

Level 3 is the MOST damaging and the first one we must eliminate!

We call this the “Rule of the NT's”.

Essentially, we need to eliminate ANY word that that has an “NT” in it; like can’t, won’t, cannot, etc.

Henry Ford said: “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.”

So when you say: “I can't get fit.”, or “I can’t find any good men/women.”, etc…guess what? 

YOU’RE RIGHT!

In addition, your unconscious mind CANNOT differentiate between a positive and negative.

Like when your mom told you: “Don’t put your hand in the cookie jar”, all your young mind (or adult mind lol) heard was “cookie jar”.

So eliminate the words can’t, won’t, cannot, etc. from your vocabulary completely!

Level 2 is using future paced language like “I should do _____”, or “I'm going to “try” to _____.”

Remember, saying: “I'll try…” is just a nice way of saying NO!

Like the great Jedi Master Yoda said: “Do or do not, there is no try.”

This language is less damaging than saying you can’t do something, but it’s still weak and won't empower you to change your self-talk.

My challenge to you it to eliminate the words “I’ll try” from your vocabulary COMPLETELY.

I’ve found that high achievers/perfectionists tend to have the hardest time with this.

We want to have everyone be happy and to like us, and therefore say YES to everything, and/or “I’ll try to make it”, etc….

The challenge with this is that IF you say YES to everything, you're not going to be able to show up powerfully in every interaction!

One thing that radically changed my perspective was realizing that if I say YES to everything, I was actually being selfish, because I couldn’t show up 100% for that interaction.

And this is where most of the “I’ll try” language would come up.

Learning to say NO is part of eliminating Level 2 language from your vocabulary.

If you only commit to things that you know you can show up a 100% for, “I’ll try” or “should” will naturally be eliminated.

Remember if we should, we will end “shoulding” all over ourselves.

Which brings us to Level 1 and the MOST POWERFUL language.

This is saying things in the PRESENT TENSE by using an “I AM” statement.

This works is Positively or Negatively.

So if you say, “I am not enough.” or, “I am not able to do ____”, you won’t be able to.

Remember what Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can't or you think you can you're right.”

So therefore, everything that comes after an “I AM” statement needs to be your true self, your identity, and who you were designed and created to be!!!

My encouragement to you is to be very cautious of what language you use!

Catch your language that doesn’t empower you to make the necessary changes.

Of course we will have challenges and areas that we will feel “stuck”. 

Next time a challenge arises (which is confirmation you’re on the right track!!!), instead of saying “I can’t do _____”, change that to “I am currently challenged by _____”.

Remember the Three Levels of Self-Talk:

Level 3: Eliminate the “Rule the NT’s”.

Level 2: Eliminate future paced language like “I’ll try”, or you “should”.

Level 1: Utilize empowering “I AM” statements in the present tense.

So please SHARE this with someone who needs to hear this.

And if you need help adjusting your Self-Talk I’d be honored to jump on a Clarity Call with you and help you create empowering Self-Talk!

Remember what you speak, will come into existence WILL change your life!

Life and death is in the power of the tongue.

You’re designed and destined for greatness, and that's why you were created!

I hope this encourages you have a EPIC day!!!

Your Friend,

Nate

FAT LOSS 101

When setting a FITNESS goal, it comes down to 20% your training, and 80% your mindset and nutrition.

The good news is that fitness is a KEYSTONE HABIT that motivates you to improve your mindset AND nutrition.

But for now, let’s just talk nutrition.

Unfortunately there's a lot of myths about which diet is the best for you…

Remember, the BEST nutrition plan you can do is the one you actually COMMIT to.

Every diet comes down to three basic things:

1. HOW much to eat. 

2. WHAT foods to eat. 

3. WHEN to eat.

Let's start with HOW much to eat.

You need to understand your Basal Metabolic Rate, which is the bare minimum calories your body needs to function on a daily basis.

Once you know that, you need to add in your activity level:

• How many calories are you burning while working out? 

• How many steps are getting daily?  

• Are you trying to burn fat or gain muscle?

To gain muscle, you need to be in a caloric surplus.

To burn fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit.

It’s that simple. 

Here's the caveat…if you go too far in a deficit you're going to trigger what's called starvation mode (or metabolic adaption).

This is the body's natural response to long-term calorie restriction. It involves a reduction in the number of calories your body burns, which can slow weight loss.

So your body says, I can live longer on this fat than I can live on proteins or carbs.

WHAT foods to eat.

You need to know the correct % of proteins, fats, and carbs your body actually needs. Again based on your body type and activity levels.

Personally, I respond best to a high protein/high fat nutrition plan.

Some people are respond better to a high carb diet.

Point being, you need to gain an understanding of how foods make you feel. 

Once you're aware of how foods make you feel, you're then going to be able to pick the right foods.

If you really want to be scientific, go get a food allergy and food intolerance test done to tell you exactly what foods your body needs.

WHEN to eat.

A lot of people try intermittent fasting or other fasts.

I intermittent fast almost every day, and go through periods where I eat breakfast daily too.

BUT if you don't understand HOW much to eat, you won’t hit your fat loss goal…

You MUST understand (in this order):

#1 HOW much eat.

#2 WHAT foods to eat.

#3 WHEN to eat.

If you need help with this, download my Game Ready Playbook, which is my Nutrition Manual of how the basics of how to conquer your nutrition challenges.

I know nutrition can be super confusing with all the crap information out there, but if you focus on those three rules, you will GET RESULTS!!!

If you need help with this, PLEASE reach out to me here.

I would be honored to be a resource to you!

Share this with someone who needs to conquer their nutrition goals.

Have an amazing, awesome, blessed day!

Your Friend,

Nate

The Carrot vs. The Whip

What up, Legend? 

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “Nate, how do I get to the next level?” 

This next level can be anything from Fitness, Nutrition, Mindset, Business, Relationships, Managing Money, etc…

These areas of opportunity are our metaphorical “push-ups”, meaning it’s going to take effort, intention, and a plan to achieve the result we desire.

Remember, you can outsource everything but the pushups!

YOU must do the work.

And this journey starts internally before it is expressed externally.

Change is inevitable, but growth is a choice.

We are motivated by two things: pain and pleasure.

Some say that pain is a greater motivator than pleasure, and it may be at a certain time in your life.

However, if we ONLY focus on pain it will eventually lead to exhaustion because we get what we focus on.

Since we ALL desire to become the best version of ourselves, how do we make the changes to accomplish that? 

It’s through harnessing the Pain vs. Pleasure Principle.

This states that people will stay the same UNTIL the pain of staying the outweighs the pain of change.

The pain of staying the same will get you off the couch, but once you that happens, what’s next?

You must have a direction to move towards with intention.

This is what I mean by “The carrot is more powerful than the whip”.

Have the direction you are moving towards and focus on that.

Because if I’m just focused on what I don’t want, I get more of that.

Let me break this down…

Your mind is comprised of two parts: the conscious mind and unconscious mind.

Think of your conscious mind as the “goal-setter” and your unconscious is the “goal-getter”.

Meaning you consciously set a goal, but you unconsciously accomplish it.

Sometimes this is why we stay stuck after setting a goal, because there are things in our past (traumas, old programming, etc.) holding us back.

Your unconscious is designed to protect you, so sometimes these traumas can be repressed.

So be encouraged because when these challenges (push-ups) come up, you HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CONQUER THE CHALLENGE!

Otherwise it wouldn’t even be in your consciousness!

Another one of the core functions of your unconscious mind is that it CANNOT process a negative.

What did you think about when your mom told you: “Honey don’t put your hand in the cookie jar”?

THE COOKIE JAR!!!

So when you say “I don't want to be stressed anymore”, or “I don’t want to be fat”, or “I don’t want to be broke”, all your unconscious mind only hears stress, fat, and broke.

The carrot is more powerful than the whip.

What are we moving towards, not just away from?

Here’s my four step process in order to do that:

#1: Have a Clearly Defined Goal.

My favorite Tony Robbins quote is: “The purpose of a goal isn't to achieve it, it's who you need to become in the process of achieving it.”

Meaning your goal gives you the direction, but in order to achieve the outcome, we must focus on the process and be flexible in how this will be accomplished.

Joy is found in the process, never the outcome.

#2: Have an Unstoppable Why.

Your unstoppable why is your purpose, and this is found through the people around you.

It takes time.

Have patience.

It’s not a microwave process.

This is where we depend on the Holy Spirit (our intuition) to guide us.

When you reach your Unstoppable Why, emotions like peace, love, joy, hope, freedom etc. will come up.

These are the highest vibration emotions and usually tears will accompany come along with this too.

And that’s a GREAT SIGN!

***if you haven’t arrived at these emotions yet, KEEP GOING!!!***

#3: Have a System, Strategy, and/or Playbook.

You need to have a playbook to follow, which a proven system that get results.

This is the shortest path to success, because the person that created the playbook has taken some arrows in their back and learned from experience.

You can try to do this on your own, but be prepared to take the arrows in YOUR back.

This is where we focus on the PROCESS, and what we need to do on a daily basis.

Focus on no more than THREE things to do on a daily basis.

Any more than three will lead to a feeling of overwhelm (and I’m speaking from personal experience).

I call these my First Downs.

In football the team that averages the most first downs, averages the most points because they focus on the process.

#4: Have Community and Accountability.

It must be bigger than yourself.

You will let yourself down before you let other people down.

This is Psychology 101.

Parents will do anything for their children and neglect themselves.

But, when you have that community around you that challenges you to be the best version of yourself, success is inevitable!

Remember you're the product of the five closest people to you.

The good news is that community and accountability can come in many forms like coaching, online groups, or apps.

Join our community here!

The only excuse is the one you create.

My hope is that this encourages you!

If you need help in this process, reach out to me right now!

I would love to do a complimentary Clarity Call with you to help you conquer this process because guess what?

MY purpose and Unstoppable Why is for to you say: “Because of you Nate, I was able to conquer my push-ups!”

Have a fantastic day and please share this with someone who needs to hear this and would be encouraged by it.

LET’S BE GREAT!!!

Your Friend,

Nate

The Miracle Morning

Did you know that only 5% of people will ever reach financial freedom?

Crazy right!

In my high school class of 273, this sadly means ONLY 16-17 of us will achieve financial freedom when we retire.

So what’s the difference?

The 5% are willing to do things that the 95% aren’t willing to… 

Here’s the thing, no one in the 95% sets out with the intention of being mediocre, broke, overweight, or not to achieve their goals. 

The 95% lives by what they “feel” like doing and the 5% lives by their principles. 

The great Zig Ziglar said:

“You will achieve only to the level of success in life that your personal development is.”

The more value you put out into the world, the more you're going to receive in return. 

One of the things I realized this past year was that I was working to survive and wasn't actually building the life I want.

Things needed to change to get a different result.

One of those areas I identified to change was my morning routine, which had fallen off because of work.

Remember to always start here, and I’ll explain more below.

With new information, comes the opportunity for new action, and that information came in the form of a book I’d highly recommend called the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. 

The main point of the book is to change your morning, and ultimately your life.

Did you know that we have triggers for certain emotions and behaviors?

For example, when you hear a song and it immediately puts you in a good mood.

That's a trigger, and they can be positive or negative.

Also, triggers can be set intentionally or unintentionally.

One of the best intentional triggers to create is in the morning because there are multiple things to “set” in your unconscious mind; like the sound of your alarm clock, or the smell of coffee or tea.

Once these triggers are set, and the good habit created, the positive actions of your morning will be on autopilot!

In addition, creating an empowering morning routine incorporates the Biblical principle of “First Fruits”, which means that the blessing resides in the FIRST part of your money, your time, your year, your day, etc…

Read more about it here.

This is why the ancient Israelites gave God the first part of their crops, their wealth, and dedicated their offspring to Him because the blessing resides there.

So whether you are a Christian or not, this principle applies to your life and is still true today!

In order to create positive change, start in the morning. 

The Miracle Morning is great because it's a simple system to change your life by prioritizing your personal development, in order to put more value out into the world.

I’d HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to read it, but in case you don’t, the main principle in the book is the acronym S.A.V.E.R.S. which stands for:

• Silence. 

• Affirmations. 

• Visualization. 

• Exercise.

• Reading.

• Scribing (writing or journaling).

You do these six things every morning to create that positive change.

Even if you only have one minute for each of them, the point is to actually do it!

Remember if you do what you've always done, you’ll get the same result you've always had.

I’ve implemented this and it’s radically changed my energy, and has removed the lost feeling I had last year.

Losing the practice of my morning routine, left me feeling far from God and I’ll never let myself get back to that place.

So I challenge you to prioritize your mornings. 

Will you participate in the Miracle Morning with with me?

If so, join the Team Forse Community Facebook page and post your Miracle Morning routine there!

I can’t wait to hear how you increase your energy, boost your focus, and radically change your results too!!

Remember, you are never going to change something in life unless you take different action!!!

and…

If your health is an area you need to change this year, then TAKE ACTION and apply to be personally coached by me as part of the Transform in Twelve Game Plan to effortlessly create the lifestyle of fitness you’ve been craving.

I believe in you!

Have a best day ever!!

Your Friend,

Nate

Manifest Goals or Co-Create Them?

Do we manifest our goals or do we co-create them? 

I've been thinking about this lately because in the past I've said affirmations, I've written out my SMART goals, I've set the BHAG goals (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)…

I've done ALL the things. 

I’ve even put myself in a state of gratitude daily, receiving what I want. 

But here's the thing, I haven't yet achieved some of these goals because number one, I've had a result based goals.

Because I’ve set result based goals, I’ve been focused on the outcome. 

And the challenge is that we NEVER have control over the outcome.

When you’re outcome focused, you AREN’T focused on what you need to do on a daily basis. 

Now I’m telling you NOT to set outcome goals…what I’m saying is that you need to set PROCESS GOALS and OUTCOME GOALS.

My favorite Tony Robbins quote is:

“The purpose of a goal isn’t to achieve it, it’s who you need to become in the process of achieving it.”

This means we need to set goals, to have a roadmap to follow, but we must focus on the daily actions to accomplish them.

Get really, really, REALLY specific on what you want, but remember, your life is never going to change without your actions changing! 

And remember, it starts small. 

One of the biggest shifts I've had this year is instead of focusing on the result (that I have no control over), like how many clients I get, how much money I make, what my body fat percentage is…

I've shifted to what I need to do in the PROCESS. 

The process of what I need to do on a daily basis as opposed to focusing on the outcome. 

When we focus solely on the outcome, frustration comes because you’re vision is too far in the future.

Instead focus on the small, daily wins.

These will compound and eventually equal massive results!

So I want to encourage you, what are the process goals that you could focus on in order to get the outcome (the result) that you want? 

What's are the things that you can DO on a daily basis to accomplish your goals? 

For me, I've set the PROCESS business goals of posting valuable content that speaks to my dream clients, reading every single day, and doing interviews with potential dream clients. 

My fitness process goals are to track all my food, get to the gym four-six times a week, drink enough water, and to be in that state of gratitude every single day. 

So I want to challenge you right now:

What are the PROCESS goals that you are committed to this year?

When you set these, it will not only bring you a sense of satisfaction, but will help you build momentum to achieve those goals in 2020. 

Remember this, if this is the one thing you get from this post…

You will never change a RESULT in your life if you don’t change SOMETHING YOU DO ON A DAILY BASIS.

Remember, small wins compound and equal, big, massive results. 

I hope this encourages you!

Remember you're designed and destined for a purpose and there's greatness in you!!

Your Friend,

Nate

Take the FORSE LIFESTYLE QUIZ here!

My Holiday ENERGY Cheat Sheet

Energy is the highest currency we have, and optimizing your energy is the first step to getting your game-ready body back.

The challenge is that it’s very hard to have unstoppable energy if you’re carrying around extra body fat.

Did you know that the average person will gain at least one pound of body fat over the holidays?

This may not seem like much, but most people NEVER lose that fat throughout the year. 

Multiply that over 20, 30 or 40 years, and you see why 70% of Americans are considered obese today.

Just think about taking a backpack and putting a 25 pound plate into it and having to carry that all day…

Then imagine how amazing it will feel taking that backpack off PERMANENTLY!!!

If one of your goals is to optimize your energy (and break the fat gain pattern), then I have five tips for you this holiday season.

First, you must have clearly defined goals. 

This may seem like it has nothing to do with losing body fat, but it is actually the piece that most people are missing. 

If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.

People go through life not knowing what they want, so they get exactly that!

Remember what we focus on expands, so decide what you truly want, and be very specific in what that goal is.

Second holiday tip is to lift something four to six times a week.

And when I say lift something, I specifically mean strength training. 

It’s great to go for a run and build your cardiovascular strength, but you won’t change your body without strength training.

Please don’t think I’m bashing someone who loves to run, or do cardio; I’m simply saying the most effective way to change your body is with a form of strength training.

If you train like an athlete, you're going to look like an athlete.

Look at Olympic sprinters. 

I’ve never seen a chubby sprinter, but I have seen quite a few overweight distance runners.

Point being, if you want a certain aesthetic look, follow the people that have the look you want and do what they do.

Success leaves clues in every aspect of life!

My third holiday tip is to eat the proper amount of food for your body. 

Most people that say they're “eating clean” have no idea how much they are eating. 

Fat doesn’t make you fat. 

Excess calories do.

If your calories are out of whack, it’s going to be hard to achieve your fat loss goals, and to optimize your energy. 

Focus on amount of food you need to eat, then what kind of foods to eat, then the timing of meals (like intermittent fasting).

Make sure you follow this order.

My fourth holiday tip is to get at least 10,000 steps a day. 

If you sit in a chair at a desk for eight hours a day, you are probably only getting about 2,000-3,000 steps. 

Sitting for that long has the same negative effects that smoking cigarettes has on your cardiovascular health.

So get up and take your calls as you walk, go for a walk with your friends and/or significant other, and BE intentional about tracking your steps.

My fifth tip is to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night.

Every hour less that 8 hours of sleep increases your chances of getting sick by 10%.

Disease comes from a weakened immune system, so being proactive in your sleep is your first level of defense.

Obviously, there are many more ways to optimize your energy this holiday season, but your life won’t change without taking action.

If you’re challenged by where to start, I have a final tip for you…

JUST PICK ONE!
Information without implementation will never lead to transformation.

So start small and a couple months from now you will be amazed at how far you’ve come!

I hope these holiday energy tips help you create an action plan to optimize your energy and you decide to IMPLEMENT one of these.

If you need help on this journey please don’t hesitate to reach out and also download my FREE Game-Ready Nutrition Playbook here.

Let’s sprint into the new decade with purpose and intention!

Your Friend,

Nate

My Story

Hey team!

I’ve never done this, so I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself:

My name is Nate Forse (in case you were wondering, I was born with this last name. I didn’t change it when I joined the fitness industry lol).

I am originally from Uniontown, PA. Growing up as a kid, I was SHY as heck! I hated being tall, having freckles, and big ears.

So, I gravitated to sports because it was the only place where I felt like I fit in.

My dream was to play Division 1 sports and I accomplished that by walking-on the football team at West Virginia University.

I was promised my scholarship after my first spring game, but that scholarship never came. This led me to a very dark place because my whole identity and self-worth was wrapped up in my success on the field.

I contemplated quitting for two weeks, but decided that transferring schools was the better option.

I decided to attend California University of Pennsylvania because they were on the verge of turning the program around. 

We had a solid run at Cal and I’m honored to now be in their Athletic Hall of Fame! 

In the three years I started in high school, we only won 6 games. 

At Cal, we only lost 6 games in the three years I was a starter!

Pretty cool how life comes full circle.

My next dream was to play in the NFL. Looking back, I realize I didn’t believe I could play in the league the same way I believed I would play Division 1 football.

But I digress...

I wasn’t drafted or invited to an NFL camp and was living at home selling cars and doing workouts for different teams.

Selling cars sucked so bad that I took a job coaching girls basketball just to be around sports again.

Still, I had a burning desire to play football and knew I needed to play at least one more season.

The only contract on the table was one in the Arena 2 football league for $200 a week with a $50 win bonus.

I’m not joking.

That was my first “pro” contract.

I was just so grateful to be playing football again that I had one of my best seasons!

I set the single season receiving records for the Green Bay Blizzard and was named First Team All Conference.

The success from that season earned me a workout with my hometown Pittsburgh Steelers!

That was the closest I got to the NFL.

The next season I signed with the Milwaukee Iron and doubled my contract!!

In case you needed to do the math, that is $400 a week!

We had a great team. I was leading the league in catches and yards going into Week 12 when I developed a sports hernia, which is a tear of the low abdomen and requires surgery.

This was the first major injury of my career and was extremely frustrating because I could do everything on the field except sprint full speed.

Basically, the injury stemmed from me overworking myself.

Once I learned that I was leading the league in receiving, I tried to change my routine and force the NFL happen.

I was still getting my validation and self-worth by what I accomplished, and not in being who I am created to be.

All I needed to do was be patient, stay consistent, keep working, and instead I got anxious and tried to do more than I needed to.

Funny thing is, that the week I got my sports hernia, I heard that the Miami Dolphins were looking at me…

But the good news is that life is ALWAYS happening for us, not to us.

These lessons made me who I am today!

The following season I broke my left ankle.

I remember crying in the locker on the phone with my dad realizing that my NFL dream was done.

The year after, I separated my right shoulder. But I still didn’t know what else to do with my life outside of football.

I started selling life insurance on the side because it gave me a flexible schedule and because arena ball didn’t pay great.

My plan was to play until I was 36 or 37, build my insurance business, and live happily ever after. But that changed quickly.

The team in Milwaukee folded because of financial challenges. My quarterback suggested that we go play in Chicago because it was only an hour-and-a-half away.

So, we both signed with the Chicago Rush in 2013.

Two days before camp, he got a job coaching quarterbacks at Central Michigan University. Since the quarterback/receiver relationship is so essential, I thought about calling it quits. 

Instead, I decided to play simply because I needed the paycheck.

I had been one of the top players in the league but, because of my injuries, I was now just a role player which was incredibly hard to swallow.

I knew my football career had a shelf life and I was searching for what was next.

About that time, I scheduled a meeting with a friend, who was an ex-NFL player, with the intention of selling insurance to him.

During that meeting he asked me what I passionate about and I answered that it was training, nutrition, and helping people.

Remember this: when you make a decision to change your life, you will be tested!

And boy was I tested!!!

On Monday May 13, 2013, I decided to join his online nutrition business, because selling insurance didn’t align with my passions.

On Wednesday, I got a voicemail telling me that I was cut -- A.K.A. fired.

On Thursday, I came home to find that there was no more furniture in the team housing because the team hadn’t paid the bill and it was repoed.

I only knew one person in Chicago that wasn’t affiliated with the team. Thankfully, he offered to let me stay on his couch.

That afternoon, my car’s muffler fell off and, to put the icing on the cake, that evening I was attacked by a rottweiler…

I promise you I couldn’t make this up if I tried!

But, like I said, I was being tested...

The easy route of moving home was pretty attractive at that point. However, something told me to stay in Chicago and figure it out.

I found a job as a server while also training clients on the weekends for extra cash.

I love this quote: 

“Life moves at the speed of your relationships.”

— Chris Carmona

I had an interview set with a technology company to be a recruiter. On the way to the interview, I scheduled coffee with a guy that could potentially help me out.

His name is Ritchie and he is an incredibly successful entrepreneur.

We connected because he had been a high level athlete too. In that meeting, he asked me why I was going to an interview when I already had a business.

I remember starting to answer, but he cut me off in his Australian accent: “Mate, you’re going for Plan B and you’re going to wake up ten years from now and still be on Plan B.”

Truth was, he was right. 

I was scared.

I thought I needed to find a job to pay the bills, but I needed to shift my mindset.

He became my first personal training client and I’m so blessed that I got to be around him and share my gift with him while, at the same time, he shared his gift with me.

“Your gift makes room for you...”

— Proverbs 18:16

Forse Lifestyle Coaching was launched in June of 2013. Over the next five-and-a-half years I built the company up focusing on personal training, group fitness, and corporate wellness.

Circa 2015, I started to see a trend in my business: some clients got amazing results, but once they stopped training with me they went back to their old habits and lost their progress.

This frustrated me because my goal is to transform lives. Not to get temporary results.

What I realized was that I was helping people change their behaviors (like going to the gym, or eating better foods), yet wasn’t helping them change the underlying cause of their negative behaviors.

So, I started to dive into the mind and what specifically makes us do what we do.

Since then, I’ve attended over 50 events and workshops to learn about mindset, fitness, and nutrition. 

My obsession with empowering people to be the best version of themselves has grown since then. On July 1, 2018, I launched my first online program, called the Transform in Twelve Game Plan, which focusses on lifestyle transformation using the pillars of mindset, fitness, nutrition, and community.

On September 1, 2018, I decided to follow my heart and “Go west young man”, and moved to Los Angeles, CA.

I now reside in Marina Del Rey, CA and fulfill my mission of helping ex-athletes get their game-ready bodies back. 

I use my 12 years+ experience as a coach and trainer to help them maximize their lives, master their bodies, and ultimately find their true purpose.

I couldn’t be more excited for the next chapters of this book and I hope this inspires and encourages you!

If this resonates with you, please share it with someone who is in the middle of the valley.

Remember, there’s always blue sky above the clouds!

I believe in you!

Your Friend,

Nate