How Blessings In Disguise Can Alter Your Life.

Recently I have set out on my journey to embark on a new chapter of my life.  My dad and I went to Florida to check out where I wanted to live.  My heart was set on Miami or Tampa.  The first night we drove about 1,000 miles from the Detroit area to a small town just south of the Georgia Florida line to a small town called Madison.  

We drove for nearly 23 hours and needed  place to stay and rest for the night.  The room ended up being messy (we didn't even want to walk without our sandals on. But at least we were in Florida).  

Now I was in such a rush to get to Miami, but my dad and I were both tired and he suggested we stay in Southwest Florida for the night so we have less driving time the next couple days and to have a day where we can rest a little bit after driving for so long the first night.

I was pretty against it because I just wanted to get to Miami as fast as possible.  But we ended up staying in Bonita Springs, and this would be the point that changed it all for me.

We booked a small but very nice luxury beach themed Airbnb called Latitude 26, I believe.  The location was on a canal and only a 3 minute drive to Bonita Beach.  So of course I had to go see the breathtaking Florida sunset and spend some time at the beach. 

When we got back to the Airbnb I believe I was looking for places to stay in Miami but ended up just wasting time and not finding anything, so my dad and I went to sleep and just said "we would find something tomorrow before we go".

When we woke up I had coffee and my dad had breakfast and ended up talking to an older couple (mostly the wife) from Ocala I believe, for about an hour.

After talking for a while I decided that I wanted to stay in the area for one more night and we talked to the host of the building and she said she had another room available.  We went around and explored the Naples area for a few hours while they were preparing our new room and went down to the docks to look at some boats and the water.

Another blessing in disguise happened when I was looking for places again in Miami.  At this point I was still a little mad because I wanted to get to Miami still.  The blessing was that it was a Friday night (I believe) and the weekend prices in Miami were higher than I wanted to pay for the places I wanted to book, or the place I wanted to stay were all booked up.

We decided to wait over the weekend and spend a couple nights in Naples.  I found a shared house for an amazing deal.  I believe with all the fees and everything for 2 nights it was under $150!  It was in a little bit dumpier part of Naples but it didn't feel unsafe by any means, and the home inside was basically brand new!

Side note:  Talk to the locals and hosts of  where ever you are staying.  While we were in Naples I found most people to be very open and friendly when talking to strangers.  I would ask people how they liked living in Naples, and a few people actually shared they lived in Miami but they would rather live in Naples.  But from everyone I talked to they all seemed like happy people.  Like I said they were all pretty open and friendly as well.  Our Airbnb host had a great perspective, he told me that Naples is great because its laid back but you can get to Miami or Tampa for the weekend in just a couple of hours.

Over the weekend we went and explored some of Naples including walking 5th Ave.  We didn't go into any of the shops or restaurants on 5th but decided to eat at a delicious low key Spanish restaurant about a half mile away.  I believe it is rated as one of Naples seven hidden gems to eat at.

I also found my favorite healthy place to eat at, The Bowl.  They offer a selection of smoothies, açaí bowls, kombucha, and even fresh Thai coconut.  I went here 5-6 times throughout my stay and had almost every bowl on the menu, the cacao being my favorite.  Oh and it is only a 3 minute drive to Naples beach!

Miami

On our way to Miami we took I75 across Florida through Big Cypress National Preserve.  Which happens to be an interesting part of I75, after about 5-10 minutes after getting on the highway you enter the preserve which is basically a massive swamp (which makes sense since its basically the north Everglades).

The cool thing about it is that there are multiple exits where you can get off the highway and actually go fishing or watch gators if you choose to!

When we arrived in Miami, it felt like a different country.  The lockdown was overbearing, most people were wearing masks outside and to be honest, the city was kind of a ghost town.  Although I still love Miami, I realized within about 10 minutes that right now isn't the right time to live there for me as it felt like I was in a really nice prison.

I even wanted to leave the night we got there and just go back to Naples.

Keep in mind, I had first planned a 2 week stay in Miami a couple months back, then the day after I booked the Airbnb it was cancelled as the Miami-Dade mayor put a ban on all short term rentals. (Looking back this was another blessing in disguise)  I remember being pissed at the time this happened, but it ended up being for the better.

Now I wanted to touch on masks being worn in public, as this this something that I see no one talking about when visiting Miami.  

There is enforcement that will go around and fine you, supposedly.  I brought a mask with me but never wore it unless I saw one of the enforcement people.  A couple of them saw me with it off, and when I saw them I put it on for a minute, but both of them didn't say anything or even give me a ticket, and one of them even said "hello" to us as he passed by.  So really for Miami at the time I wouldn't recommend going unless you don't mind wearing a mask, but if you are like me, and don't like wearing one, then I would avoid it all together until it gets better.  In my opinion the mayor's seem to be control freaks.

Back to our stay in Miami.  We really only went outside to walk a couple of times (because of the mask mandate).  But when we did I wanted to do some photography of the skyline and the area just because of how beautiful it looks.  I am a big fan of how the city blends so perfectly with the water.  You get a big city and a nature feel in one place, and with it being like a ghost town, I think it really helped for the nature feel.

Other than that we ate at a smoothie bar down the street from us, and ate at our Cuban food spot in South Beach.  Sadly at the time we went Ocean Dr was blocked off for cars so we didn't get to drive along the beach.  But we did go and take a look at Key Biscayne, and spent some time at a small beach, where we saw a couple of iguanas in the parking lot.

The bottom line

After visiting Miami I still had some money left on the budget I wanted to spend on my trip, and I did want to visit and explore the Naples area some more.  We booked 4 more nights at a beautiful one story airbnb with a mango tree (sadly the mango season just ended).  

At this point I pretty much knew I wanted to move to this area, but also wanted to spend the time I had planned to spend in Florida.

All that being said, I am someone who always "needs" things to go as planned and I'm in a hurry for the things I am excited for, like going to check out Miami.  I had my heart set on Miami, but what I learned is to not rush things.  If our plan of going straight to Miami wasn't changed I never would've considered Naples, and wouldn't have had meet the people I did in SWFL.

Everything had to line up perfectly for all of this to happen.  I truly think this is a blessing in disguise.  I will be living in an area of abundance (just like I would in Miami, probably even more since Naples doesn't have that many dangerous areas), the ocean, nice people, good food, pretty women, warm weather etc.  The only thing really missing from Naples is the skyline that Miami has, but the quality of life in general seems to be better than Miami.

So when things don't go exactly as planned, remember God / The Universe has something even better for you in your future!

Make the best of today,

Brian

The Absolute Best Mindset Book To Read During The Corona Lockdown

Hi it's Brian from GaniFit and today I want to share with you a few amazing tips/lessons from the book How to Stop Worrying & Start Living by Dale Carnegie.

This is going to be of serious benefit to you if you are stressing out from your day to day life, something serious, or the lockdown.

Persoanlly the lockdown has gotten me to feel a little more on edge and I believe that I read this book at the perfect time.  I am pissed off at how the government is handling the situation and honestly have been letting it get to me (one could argue more than I should).  After reading this book I have been able to take a step back and really reflect on how I was responding, and it has helped me tremoundously.  Although I will admit I still have a long way to go.

Anyways lets jump into the 6 best lessons from How to Stop Worrying & Start Living!

1. concentrate on today's work

Why this is a massive impact is because in today's world many of us (at least in the US) are always active and trying to do the most we can.  I know for myself that whenever I have a bunch of things planned out for my day, I find myself trying to do every task at once.  Obviously this isn't possible, and until I sit down and focus at the one task at hand, my day feels hectic.

Trying to live in the future at this moment is not possible and will only cause stress and tension.  By focussing on the moment you not only get more done, but you also aren't worrying about the future and instead you are creating your own future the best that you can.

2. For any situation that is causing you anxiety
a) Ask yourself what is that worst than can happen
b) Prepare to accept it if you have to
c) Then calmly proceed to improve on the worst

There are some things we can control and some things that we cannot.  That being said, we can always be proactive and analyze the situation and act accordingly.

"Be willing to have it so.  Acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune" -William James

3.  Just for today 

This goes back to lesson 1.  In the book Carnegie has 10 points on the "just for today" concept.  You can apply it to any area of your life but for this blog post lets use it in terms of worry or the things that cause worry and fear in your life.

For example: Maybe you are someone that always has the news on all day long 365 days per year.  Most likely that is something that will cause fear in your mind and cause you to be stressed.  Now what if one day you tell yourself "just for today I am going to do something different from watching the news all day" and decided not to turn the news on?  Most likely your life will have a little less fear and you can take a breathe of fresh air.

Or maybe you usually look at the bad side of everything, but instead "just for today" you look at the good that can come out of everything?

4. Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw the mud, the other saw the stars.

It has been said that our attitude will determine our future.  Believe me I know how easy it is to see the bad in things, I think this is human nature.  One of the biggest steps I have recently taken in my life is starting to look on the good side of things.  Earlier in the beginning of this blog I stated that the way the government is handling the lockdown pisses me off.  However the good side is that their actions are causing a big wake up, meaning more and more people are taking the "red pill" each and everyday.

Long story short, you can literally make your life a living hell by focusing on everything wrong in your life.  Or you can take a step back and be grateful for everything that is going right.

Disclaimer: I am not saying to ignore your problems., that can be one of the worst thing you can do for your health.  If you are someone who always looks at the negative, take some time to be grateful and look at the positive in your life

5.  With God in charge, I believe that everything will work out for the best in the end, so what is there to worry about? -Henry Ford

This quote really stuck with me, because there are many things that are beyond our control.  Life will always be this way.  I like to take control of the things I can in my life.  As for the things I cannot, I have been learning more and more lately to trust what God has planned.  This lesson will help you take a breathe of fresh air and allow you to trust the process of life more than "needing" a certain outcome.

6. Take a one hour nap during the day, sleep six hours at night. (you will add one hour per day to your life)

This is a tip that I am working on implementing more into my life.  I have found that getting 6 hours of sleep at night actually works good for me to wake up refreshed and ready for the day, however I will need a nap sometime throughout the day.

Whenever I have practiced this tactic so far it has seemed to help me actually be more productive than usual despite the mid day nap.  I also don't have the guilt feeling of taking nap in the day if I only sleep 6 hours at night.

Give it a try yourself and let me know how it works for you!

Closing thoughts.

I hope you gained massive value from these 6 tips.  This book alone has so many golden nuggets.  I literally spend 2-3 hours just narrowing down notes from the book to use as lessons in this blog.  Obviously the How to Stop Worrying & Start Living shares way more and I would urge you to purchase your own copy.  This is probably the best mindset book I would recommend to read to get through lockdown and come out in your own way on top.

Make the best of today,

Brian

How You Can Make The Best Out Of The Coronavirus!

All the talk and news right now is around the Coronavirus.  This is the big thing that, at this moment in time is creating havoc throughout the entire world.

We are currently at the point of testing people for Coronavirus and finding the number multiplying daily.

I recored a video on this a few weeks back (which I will link below for you to view).  Since I recorded that video, the world has completely changed.  Basically everyone is on some sort of lockdown or another.  My mindset and thoughts have changed since then as well.


Here in Michigan the number of recorded cases since then has multiplied about 50x.  And New York is at nearly 60,000 recorded cases .

In my opinion this is getting more serious than I had expected.  The virus isn't just affecting people in terms of being sick but is creating negative mental and economic circumstances for most people (a big majority coming from the news and the way most governments are handling the situation).  Which is why I would also like to share some ways that you can use this time to hopefully come out ahead as well as feels good when everyone else is stressing out.

Some ways to help yourself during this time.

I know during these times it is very easy to get into a rut or even get depressed.  Spending most of our days inside (although it may help us prevent getting the virus) can actually make us unhealthy.  Sunlight and fresh air is something that is essential for humans to live our best lives.

In this section I am going to share with you a few ways you can continue to still live your life to the fullest during this time, Although I am cooped up in the house as well as you probably are, I am still finding ways to grow during this time.

Taking Walks

As you already know if you have been reading these blogs or watching my videos for some time, I am a big believer in walking.  I would usually go out somewhere in nature or to a close by city to walk around.  Obviously right now I am not able to do that as much.

So what I have been doing is taking a walk or two around my neighborhood every day.

This is beneficial because you will not only be getting some exercise in, but you will also be getting fresh air and vitamin D as well as getting out of the house.  For your sanity and overall basic health, this is what I would recommend doing the most.

Workout

With most of the gyms being closed down, you are probably having difficulty working out.  Believe me, I am right there with you!  When I heard that the gyms would be closed I was pissed.  However I am lucky enough to have some weights at my house but I still cannot get the same workout that I could at the gym.

I just looked up some home workouts I could do with the equipment I have and chose one.  Which is what I would urge you to do as well.  If you currently have no weights I would highly suggest buying at least a good pair of dumbbells so you can have a pretty balanced workout.

If you didn't already do any workout routine, well now is the time to start.  Since you have more time than ever before, I would say to start out with just 100 pushups per day depending on your athletic level.  If you can do more, do more, if you have to do less that is also fine.  Building the healthy routine into your lifestyle is the most important principle.

I know that a home workout isn't the same as going to the gym, but I still highly recommend it as a way to stay active and healthy during this time.

Yoga / Stretch

With most of us not working, having a good healthy routine is actually easier than ever.  Since you literally need no equipment except for a yoga mat (if you choose to use one) anyone can get started with a yoga or stretching routine.

Since most people are sitting at their jobs almost all day yoga is a great way to get your body back to where it should be, and what not a better time than now to start!

Study inspiring people

Personally I have been studying people that inspire me for the past few years.  Right now, however is one of the most beneficial times to study the great thinkers of the world, or whoever inspires you.

When everyone is stressing out, the stress of the world can easily be put onto you.  By studying the greats of the world, it will help you to be more calm during this time, and who knows you may just get an idea that can change your life for the better.

I like to listen to recordings of Earl Nightingale upon waking in the morning most mornings, as well as reading for 30 minutes to an hour per day.

Find a way that works best for you and start to implement it into your morning routine, and see how much better your life becomes during this time!

Recommended resources.

Right now is a tough time for a lot of people out there.  Today I also wanted to share a couple thing with you that I would recommend buying at this time.

With many stores limiting products or not carrying certain things, it can make shopping difficult if you are trying to feed yourself and your family.  About a month and a half ago I ended up buying a massive container of grass fed whey protein, I think it has something like 75 servings, and the best part is that the only ingredient is whey protein.  So not only will you be avoiding the unhealthy ingredients found in most protein powders but you will also have enough protein powder to last you a couple months!

I also want to recommend you get the book Think & Grow Rich as the mindset you will achieve from reading that book alone will help you tremendously during this time.

Lastly I would urge you to check out the video at the bottom of this page from Earl Nightingale for your mindset as well.


Closing Thoughts

Today I just wanted to share with you what I am currently doing in hopes that these tips will help you during these times.  I have found that these tips can help you stay sane as well as come away a new improved person, instead of going in a downward spiral.

It is easy to get lost in the negativity and bad news in times like these, but I think that by focusing on things that really matter to you, as well as learning, you can come out stronger!

Make the best of today,

Brian

5 Lessons You Can Learn By Taking An Extended Vacation.

Today I want to share with you how taking an extended vacation can actually be beneficial to your life and what I learned from taking an extended travel of my own.

Last year at this time I was in Florida, and what really inspired me to go was to spend the winter in Florida with my grandparents as well as see if Florida was a place I actually wanted to live.

Upon taking 3 months to visit Florida I learned about myself and thought that sharing these 5 points with you may be help / inspiration for you, if you are thinking of taking travel time.

1. In preparing you learn the art of discipline.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my extended vacation was actually in the preparation of saving up the money for it.  To save up the money I needed for my travel I learned the art of not spending too much money on "useless" items.  

Six out of seven days per week I would eat on around $10 per day.  I still allowed myself one day per week to spend as much money on food as I pleased, but other than that I ate as healthy as I could as cheap as I could.

This taught me to be disciplined in what I spent my money on.  I love luxuries in life, and sure I could've bought some nice clothes, gadgets, or a cool car, but I knew trying out an extended vacation would be far more worth it for me.

2. I learned that the warm weather and sun had an impact on my happiness.

This is one topic that everyone differs on, but living in a climate we love can greatly improve our lives and happiness.

Personally I love to get fresh air and take daily walks, as well as get sunlight.  In the cold, dark Michigan winter, I easily neglect this part of my life.

I personally find myself more productive and happy during the summer or warm months.  Being in Florida for the winter, almost every day was basically summer, which meant I was taking walks or swimming every single day, as well and getting fresh air as much as I could.

If you want to visit somewhere that you think would help improve your happiness, going their for an extended stay is a must!


3. Expansion of your mind.

Travel can be a great experience to open your mind up to a new way of seeing things.  When I did my extended travel, I saw new places I never saw before.  My favorite being a quick 2 day trip to Miami.  

After our stay in Miami my dad and I drove all the way to the end of Key Largo and back up to Winter Haven in one day.  During this day, I got to see not only 1 Pagani Huayra (my dream car) but 3 of them at Prestige Imports.  From there we went through Brickell and decided to drive down US1 to the Keys.

This was an experience we both never got to have before.

I would say Miami was the biggest eye opener personally.  Over the past 10 years or so I have always been looking into Miami.  I would consider it my dream city to live in, in the future.  Seeing the skyline, the yachts, walking South Beach, and the mansions in general is magnificent!

I believe experiences such as this one, can have a massive impact on how you see the world as you move forward in your life.


4. You will learn which type of lifestyle you enjoy most.

Another big reason for me taking this vacation was to learn if I really wanted to live the type of life I thought I wanted to live.

Everyone has different views of how they would like their life to look, however I would say that everyone can figure out FOR SURE the type of life they would like to live by doing an extended vacation.

It gives you enough time to live a life more on "your own terms", and when you go come back from your vacation you will know for sure if your old life was the one you want to continue the path on, or if you would like to "start" life a new way. 

5. When and if you do come back, you will be able to set goals more true to yourself.

Since the vacation I have learned a lot more about myself and where I want to go in life.  Although I don't have it all figured out, I would say that I have more clarity than I did before on the goals I have set for myself.

For you, extended vacation time will help give your mind clarity and open you up to find out where you really want to go in life.

Closing thoughts.

I hope that these tips have been useful to you and inspire you to travel somewhere that you feel that you need to go to.  Maybe you want to get one of these experiences or all 5.  Whatever you feel you need in terms of travel, give it a shot and see where it takes you!