Hal Elrod’s Original “Quotes”…

September 25, 2009

Original Quotes from “Yo Pal” Hal Elrod:

Visit www.YoPalHal.com

HalPic_Check out my quotes

Love the life U have while you create the life of your dreams.

The moment U take responsibility for EVERYTHING in your life, is the moment U can change ANYTHING in your life.

“Give up being perfect for being authentic.”

Trust that U are always exactly where U are supposed to be… experiencing what U need to experience… so that U can learn what U must learn… to become the person U are destined to become.”

“To be truly happy, we must embrace that we are already perfect as we are, and everything else is just a story we tell ourselves.”

Every time U help someone else, not only are U helping that person, but U are helping every person they touch, AND U are helping yourself – because we are all ONE.

“Happiness is a choice. Allow yourself to choose to be happy.”

“When U are consciously aware of all that U have to be grateful for, your life is in perfect harmony.”

“The more value U add to the lives of others, the more valuable U become.”

“Be grateful for adversity. Be grateful for chaos. Be grateful for inconvenience. Be grateful for the unexpected. Be grateful for all of it, because ALL of it is contributing to your personal growth and to U becoming the person U need to be to create the life you truly want.”

Say it, then you shall become it. Not the other way around.

Replace judgment with empathy, upgrade complaining to gratitude, and trade in fear for love.

“Although actions speak louder than words, it is our intentions that reveal our soul.

“People don’t care what U look like, how much money U make, or how successful U are. More than anything else, people care about how U make them feel.”

“Make sure to answer these 3 empowering questions everyday (preferably in writing): Q1-What are U grateful for? Q2-What are U proud of? Q3-What are U excited about? –> Start today!”

“Success is a process. As long as U are making consistent progress towards your goals – and giving your best effort more often than not – then U are already successful and deserve to feel proud of yourself.”

“The purpose of setting goals is not to hit them as much as it is to develop your character through the unwavering pursuit of your goal.  It is who U become that matters.”

“The secret to success is to remain unconditionally committed to the (daily) process without being emotionally attached to the (day-to-day) results.”

“Your problems disappear when you get off SELF, and on PURPOSE. Define your purpose in life – a purpose that serves the greater good – and devote the majority of your time, energy, and attention everyday toward living your purpose. This is the secret to a life of fulfillment.”

“If U want more energy, put yourself in situations where energy is required. Your body will always rise to the occasion and produce the energy U need, but not if you’re just sitting around complaining about not having enough energy.”

“Those who do what they feel like… don’t do much. To be a success U must take action even when U don’t feel like it, knowing that the action itself will produce the motivation U need to follow through.”

“If U can imagine it, U can feel it… When U feel it, U experience it… And if U can experience it, then U have the ability to create it.”

“By accepting life before it happens and letting go of our inner resistance to all things U cannot change–this is the key to unlocking true emotional freedom… freedom from all of your self-imposed emotional pain.”

“No matter what U want in life, if someone else has done, become, or achieved something, so can U. Just find out what they did, do the same things, and U will get the same or similar results.”

“When it comes to achieving your dreams, the excuse “I don’t know how” is no longer valid. Between the countless books available on Amazon.com and the limitless supply of articles found through Google, everything U need is just a click away. It’s time U go figure it out!”

“Being productive and doing work in and of itself is not difficult, but is in fact satisfying and is usually followed by a sense of pride & accomplishment. However, thinking about the work U should be doing and not doing it is tough, as it leaves U feeling guilty and unsatisfied. The solution: Stop thinking and get to work!”

“No extraordinary result ever came from mediocre effort.”

“Average people obtain average results and lead average lives, always feeling unfulfilled. Is that who U want to be?”

“The pot of gold is always attainable, but only after you take your first step toward the rainbow.”

U can’t be a champion until U think like a champion, and U can’t think like a champion until U talk like a champion. Start talking like the champion U could be, and your thoughts and actions will follow.”

“Forever be happy, never be content, and always know the difference.”

“When U put forth extraordinary effort toward your goals and maintain unwavering faith in your dreams, that’s how U create MIRACLES in your life.”

“Unconditional love is the only true love. Anything else is a compromise.”

Visit www.YoPalHal.com

Hal and Ursula Elrod’s “Authentic and FUN” Wedding!

April 29, 2009

Hello Friends!


As always, thank you for sharing your valuable time, energy, and attention with me.  Last month, on March 26th I was blessed to be married to my soulmate – Ursula Gorski – and people keep telling us that our wedding ceremony was one of the most “authentic” and personal that they have ever seen! With the help of Reverend Jon Berghoff (who is one of my closest friends) Ursula and I collaborated to design our ceremony so that everything would be as authentic, fun, and reflective of both of our unique personalities and our special relationship as possible.


(Part 1 of 3)

Thank you again for being a part of our lives.  Ursula and I are truly grateful for you!  If there is anything we can do to contribute, support, or add value to your life in any way, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Always with Love, Gratitude, and Inspiring Possibilities…

“Yo Pal” Hal + “My Gal” Ursula Elrod


P.S. If you haven’t yet learned about “The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret That Is Guaranteed To Change Your Entire Life… (Before 8am!)” ~ (which is based on the new book I’m writing) ~ I highly recommend that you go now and download my fr*ee audio at www.MiracleMorning.com.

No matter where you are in your life and where you want to go, The Miracle Morning® can quite literally be the “one” thing that will change your entire life, starting today.

Are Your “Unlucky” Friends Holding You Back??

March 17, 2009

You may know some individuals that seem to get lucky in life.  These people have an inexplicable abundance of good fortune and are successful in matters of love, in their careers, with their finances, and in leading happy and meaningful lives—they are the lucky ones, right?

dumb-and-dumber

Yeah, yeah, yeah – good for them, but what about youHow can you begin attracting good fortune and creating luck consistently in the most important areas of your life – starting NOW?


The Luck Factor

Dr. Richard Wisemen, bestselling author of the new book, The Luck Factor: Changing Your Luck, Changing Your Life, has spent the last eight years studying what makes some people lucky and others not.  After conducting hundreds of experiments and thousands of interviews, he has concluded that luck is not a matter of chance, but that lucky folks—often without even knowing it—consistently think in ways that create good fortune in their lives.

The Luck Factor

The Luck Factor

HOT TIP: Download your free ebooklet “The Complete Guide to Luck” – it’s worth the quick 20 minute read!

Are Your Thoughts Hurting, Or Helping?

The average person thinks somewhere around 30,000 thoughts every single day.  (Of course, women verbalize significantly more of their thoughts than men do, speaking an average of 15,000 words compared to the average man’s meager 2,000 words, but that’s separate topic for another post).  Most of us realize that our thoughts affect our feelings, our feelings influence our behavior, and our behavior, or “actions” determine the results we create and experience for our lives.  This remains true whether your results are positive or negative, and whether you consider yourself lucky in life, or unlucky.  In other words, your luck, or lack there of, begins with and is created by your thoughts.

What kind of thoughts do you think, most of the time?  Does your thinking tend to naturally lean more toward “negative thoughts” than positive ones?  Do you ever find that it’s easier to think negatively than it is to think positively?  Maybe you can relate to negative thinking more easily than positive thinking.  Maybe that’s the way you were raised, or maybe you are surrounded by people in your life, such friends, family, spouse, co-workers, etc., who are always negative. Do you ever find that you get down on yourself or beat yourself up for making mistakes or for not being perfect?

Do You Suffer From “Stinkin’ Thinkin'”?

I was recently talking with a coaching client who was expressing that he truly and deeply desired to think positively, but that he found himself consumed with negative thoughts, such as fear, worry, discouragement, and worst of all—he beat himself up because of it.  He made himself wrong and criticized himself because he couldn’t seem to think positively.  He was desperate for a solution that would empower him to change his negative thinking into thinking and living a positive, joyful life.

I realized that what may have been keeping him stuck in his negative thinking was that he was owning his negative thoughts as thought they were who he is, and not just something that he was habitually doing.  The reality is that most of what we do, from our thoughts to our feelings, to our behavior—are all out of habit.  My client’s negative thinking was something he had done for so long (approximately 49 years) that he, like most of us, owned it as a part of him, which caused him to feel bad about himself.

Maybe Your “Old Friends” Are Actually The Problem??

A better way to look at your thoughts is to think of them as “old friends’ – some of which you may not want to hang around anymore, but none of them that you need to be mean to, or heaven forbid, that you would ever beat yourself up because they were negative.

As for your old friends (negative thoughts), they will likely stop by and want to hang out with you, but you get to choose whether you let them in and spend your days witih you, or you can choose to acknowledge them briefly, thank them for stopping by, and politely send them on their way.  If they show up again tomorrow (and they probably will), you don’t need to feel bad about them visiting, just accept them for who they are, and politely send them on their way…  “Thanks for stopping by old friend (negative thought).  I know we’ve been friends for a long time, but I’m really committed to cleaning up my life by hanging out with positive thoughts, so you’re always welcome to stop by and visit, but I will not be able to spend any significant amount of time with you.  Thanks for visiting though, I wish you well and I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”


Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Luck

When you accept your negative thoughts as old friends, you are able to separate them from your identity and let them be who they are, while consciously choosing not to spend time with them.  Once you do, you can choose to spend more of your time with optimistic thoughts that produce good feelings, feelings that empower you to take proactive actions, which will consistently create positive results.  Thus, you will come to know yourself and be known by others as, one of the lucky ones.

Always with Love, Gratitude, and Inspiring Possibilities…

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod
www.YoPalHal.com

——> P.S. Be sure to scroll down to my last blog post Integral Life Practice to download your (2) FR*EE chapters of the life-changing book I’m currently reading, “Integral Life Practice.”  You’ll be glad you did!

Integral Life Practice

February 28, 2009


Integral Life Practice - The Book

Integral Life Practice - The Book

As your friend, I am committed to sharing resources with you that I believe can enhance and even transform your life and business.  Today, it is the extraordinary book: Integral Life Practice (ILP) – and I’d like to give you a website where you can download the first two chapters absolutely FREE.  Go to www.Integral-Life-Practice.com to get your free chapters now.

I originally began reading ILP as research for the new book: The Miracle Morning, which I’m co-authoring with my good friend and world-renowned Results Coach, Jon Vroman.  ILP is kind of like The Miracle Morning on steroids, and it has deepened and enhanced many aspects of my daily Miracle Morning.

If you are yet to listen to my 60-minute teleseminar audio on The Miracle Morning, you can download it now by clicking here.


I believe Integral Life Practice can truly make a powerful impact in your life, and if there is ever anything I can do to help you continue creating an extraordinary life… please let me know.

Always with Love and Gratitude,

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod

www.YoPalHal.com

Global Hug Tour – (This is AMAZING!!)

February 9, 2009


My friend Gail Goodwin, founder of InspireMeToday.com, is playing a pretty BIG game in her life and doing some truly amazing, inspiring things!


I don’t know about you, but after reading the blog post from Gail (below) and learning about the Global Hug Tour (which I’m committed to being a part of of as much as Gail will let me!), this really challenged me to take an honest look at how big the game is that I’m playing in my life, and it inspired me to think outside the box about what’s really possible for me… for you… and for all of us.


I’d love to hear what thoughts, ideas, and inspirations this stirs up for you… Please let me know by posting a Comment below the blog.


Thanks for reading!

Always Grateful,

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod
www.YoPalHal.com

P.S. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included the link for you to listen to my 30-minute interview with Gail Goodwin!

Announcing the Global Hug Tour

Original Post: January 3rd, 2009 from Gail Goodwin’s Bloghuglogo-blue1

Two regular people on a mission to make a difference, will take off in a small prop plane from Colorado in the fall of 2009 to fly 25,000 miles to circumnavigate the globe and literally hug the world, stopping at 50 locations in 5 months, gathering the best wisdom to share with others and giving more than 100,000 hugs – literally reaching our arms around the world, to demonstrate the oneness of us all and show just how small the world really is…

The Global Hug Tour Airplane

The Global Hug Tour Airplane

Crazy? That’s a big goal with a big mission. This idea came to us last week and we’ve spent every waking minute since then dreaming this dream. After a week of intense focus…..

WE’RE NOW READY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE’RE MAKING THIS DREAM A REALITY!

Do we know HOW we’re going to make this happen? No, but most importantly, we know that this WILL this happen! We’re staying committed to the dream, focusing on why we’re doing this and the pieces are already showing up.

Each day we’re moving forward to make this a reality. We’ve assembled a team of great friends, each an amazing professional in their own field, to come together to make the world a better place. By joining together, anything can happen!

As you can imagine, there are a lot of questions and a mountain of details yet to be resolved, but we wanted to share the vision with you right up front and take you along for the ride. It’s a big enough vision that there’s plenty of room for everyone to play and get involved, if you choose to do so.

This all started in a visioning session with my husband, Darryl. We were inspired to gather inspiration from the far corners of the globe and literally hug the world. Darryl, a veteran commercial pilot with NetJets, is uniquely qualified to help me launch a world tour to deliver 100,000 hugs.

Why are we doing this?

We believe that what we focus on grows. In a time where fear, doom and gloom seem to be the topic of the day, we choose to change the focus to something positive. Through opening our hearts and celebrating our global connectivity, bridges can be built between us.

See What Bob Proctor, Les Brown, and Marcia Weider Say about the Global Hugs Tour:

We will create opportunities to connect people from all walks of life, from different religions, cultures, ethnicity, and create friendships that extend from one continent to another.

Realizing that there is a wealth of wisdom throughout the world, we will gather the best inspiration from different countries to be featured on InspireMeToday.com.

The approximately 25,000 miles around the world will be covered in fifty legs of 300-1000 miles each. Media will be invited to fly on select legs between cities and report on the event first hand, to share this experience up close and personal with the world.

How can you be a part of this adventure?

Everyone will have the opportunity to “Hug The World”. For just ten bucks, you can become a “Hug Ambassador” and sponsor the delivery of a real live hug to another country- and you get to choose which of the 50 countries you want your hug delivered to. You can be a part of history in making this project happen. And here’s the really cool part.

Your hug will make a difference! Your hug recipient will be given a sticker with the number of their hug, a unique code and website. By logging on to InspireMeToday.com, givers and receivers – people from all around the world- will have the opportunity to connect with one another. You’ll know that your hug went to Johan in Sweden, Sujatmi in Indonesia or Naresh in India and have the opportunity to connect and build friendships.

As an official Hug Ambassador, you will also receive a numbered certificate of appreciation and an invitation to email unlimited virtual hugs sharing the love with your friends and family.

We’ll take you with us every step of the way. I’ll be doing a written and a video blog, outlining the experience, along with Twitter updates, as Internet access is available.

Links will be provided to schools to follow our journey to learn and celebrate our unique geographical, political, religious, cultural and climate differences along the way. We even have an interactive “Indiana Jones” style adventure map being developed that will allow you to watch our little plane fly from one country to another and track the progress of the trek.

We want to leave smiles and love in our path. Working with Inspirational Luminaries in each country, we plan to give back by donating 100% of our profits to needy causes identified throughout the trip.

Current Inspirational Luminaries on InspireMeToday.com and members of our extended family community will be invited to participate along the tour throughout the world.

Corporations can also get involved and “Help Us Go the Extra Mile”, by sponsoring the cost of x number of miles of the 25,000 mile trip.

We need team leaders in all of the countries that we’ll be visiting in this global adventure. Please feel free to pass this on to your international friends!

At this time our list includes Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Moscow, Russia, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Portugal, Ireland, UK, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Austria, Greece, Kosovo, Romania, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Tajikistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan and more. If you’re interested in hosting us- please contact me now as we’re finalizing the route of the trip very soon.

You Can Spread the Love Today. Although we’re still working on the additions to the website, you can register NOW, and pay later, to sponsor your hugs for only $10 each! Please help us to reach 100,000 hugs! We’re certain this is the perfect holiday gift for someone on your list.

Thank you for your support! Now that you know what we’re doing, you know why we’ve been so busy lately. This dream came to us and has taken over. It seems to have a life of its own, as most BIG dreams do. We’re staying true to the WHY, knowing and trusting that the HOW will show up. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to join us and be a part of the HOW.

I promise to keep you posted with regular updates on our tour. In the meantime, help us hold this vision by sharing your thoughts for improvement and any ideas you have to help the HOW unfold. We greatly appreciate you!

Know that your love and support mean the world to us. You are what keeps us going each day and allows us to think bigger dreams that can touch the whole world. Thank you for being a part of our community and for helping us make the world a more loving place for all of humanity. I can’t wait to hear from you. Great big hugs to you today and always.

With love, gratitude and hugs,

Gail Goodwin
InspireMeToday.com


P.S. Click Below Listen To Hal’s 30-minute Interview with Gail

IMT Luminary Photo

When you register, please remember to use my referral code:

CL5NBWHRZ7

On January 9th, 2009 I was the featured Inspirational Luminary on InspireMeToday.com, a website that provides the best inspiration daily in the areas of empowerment, health, business, family, loving relationships and more.    You’ll enjoy reading my “Today’s Brilliance”, my personal 500-word text of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in life.  The 30-minute interview with me and Gail Goodwin is amazing!  As my gift to you, just use the affiliate code provided on this invitation to access the free inspiration!  Please stop by, check out the site and help us inspire the world, starting with you!  Thank you for your support.  We greatly appreciate you!

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/index.php?affil=CL5NBWHRZ7

The A-B-C’s of Living Life’s Purpose: How To Love the Life You Have While…

January 29, 2009

*This is an exerpt from the concepts I teach in my keynote speech, The ABC’s of Living Life’s Purpose: How To Love the Life You Have While Creating the Life of Your Dreams!

(Link to download tele-training audio is below)


The ABC‘s of Living Life’s Purpose:

How To Love the Life You Have While Creating the Life of Your Dreams

To Love & Create—this is the essence of life. But to be able to create the life you want, you must first be able to love the life you have. When you do, you are then able to enjoy a true sense of freedom and inspiration while engaged in the exciting process of creating the life of your dreams.


Accept Responsibility (For Everything)

From the economy to that difficult person in your life, to the speed of traffic during your daily commute—the external events and circumstances of life are often out of our control. Although we can’t always control what happens to us, what we choose to think & do about it is our responsibility.

This is a profound truth, that it is not what happens to us that determines our quality of life, but it is how we choose to respond to what happens that creates our experience of life—good or bad. Even if a circumstance is not your fault, how you deal with it is always your responsibility.

The moment you Accept Responsibility for everything in your life, is the moment you have the power to create anything for your life.


Be Grateful (For Everything)

People often defend their negative attitude by claiming, “I’m not negative, I’m just realistic. Consider this: How is it any more “realistic” to focus on, think and talk about all that is wrong in your life, than it is to focus on, think, talk and Be Grateful for everything that is right in your life? Hmm…

When you choose to focus on the positive in your life and Be Grateful for everything, you have the power to create happiness at any moment of your life.


Commit To The Process (Without Being Emotionally Attached To Your Results)

Every result (goal/dream/etc.) that you desire is preceded by a process. If you desire improved health, it must be preceded by a process of healthy eating and exercise. If you desire financial independence, it must be preceded by a process of accumulating, saving, and investing your money.

Most of us are emotionally attached to our results, and we base our level of commitment to each of our processes on how we feel or how things are going. Poor results usually lead to feeling discouraged or frustrated, both which hinder our desire and confidence to keep working towards our dreams.

The secret is to define the process required for each of your goals, then live everyday committed to those processes, and don’t worry about your short term results. The process always eventually produces the result, you just have to stay committed and never give up!

You can learn to truly, authentically and unconditionally love the life that you have, and once you do you will find a sense of true joy and fulfillment in creating the life of your dreams. Your pursuit of a better life will no longer be out of fear of not having or being enough. You will be free from the stress and pressures that may have weighed on you in the past, so that you can begin genuinely loving the life you have while you are engaged in the exciting process of creating the life of your dreams!

*To Listen to or Download Hal’s recent Tele-training audio, The A-B-C’s of Living Life’s Purpose, please click on the following link: http://www.box.net/shared/nlh2z7un66

Always with unconditional Love and authentic Gratitude,

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod


To learn more about Hal’s Speaking and Coaching services,
Visit www.YoPalHal.com


To discover The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret That Will Change Your Entire Life… (Before 8am!),  and Download your FREE audio,
Visit www.TheMiracleMorning.com

Is it true… “Yo Pal Hal” is pregnant?

January 15, 2009
Ursula Gorski + Hal Elrod

Ursula Gorski + Hal Elrod

Well no, I’m not actually pregnant, but… my fiancee, Ursula is!!  Our wedding is in March, and our baby is due to arrive in August. We feel truly blessed and both agree that our lives couldn’t be more perfect.

As for baby-names though, we could use your help. We’ve got one picked out if it’s a boy, his first name will be ‘Marek’ (after Ursula’s dad) and his middle name ‘Austin’ (after my middle name). But if it’s a girl, we’re not sure yet. So…

Maybe you can help us decide on a girl’s name?  Please post a reply to this blog if you have any ideas for a girl’s name that are unique.  Ursula and I would love to hear your suggestions!

Thank you for being a part of our lives, and if there is anything I can do to support your goals and dreams, or add value to YOUR life, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Always with unconditional Love and authentic Gratitude,

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod
www.YoPalHal.com

P.S. I think you’ll really like my last blog entry “What Price Would YOU Pay For Freedom”, which you can read below…

What Price Would YOU Pay For Freedom?

January 10, 2009

James Hill, Alicia Anderer, Hal Elrod, and Favian Valencia after running 52 (consecutive) miles to raise money for Front Row Foundation!

James Hill, Alicia Anderer, Hal Elrod, and Favian Valencia after running 52 (consecutive) miles to raise money for Front Row Foundation!

***Hal’s TV Interview (Video) at the bottom***

52 Miles To Freedom

By “Yo Pal” Hal Elrod

“…I’m not a runner though.  In fact, I hate running!  There’s no way I could do it.”

“Come on, Hal-it’s to raise money for the Front Row Foundation,” Jon responded.  “Look, I didn’t think I could do a marathon either, but once you commit to it, you just kind of find a way to make it happen.  And I’m telling you, it is truly a life changing experience!”

“I’ll think about it.”

Telling Jon I would think about it was really just my way of getting him off my back.  I mean, sure, I absolutely supported and believed in the life-changing work done by the Front Row Foundation.  I mean, I had been donating money to their organization for years, but writing a check was a heck of a lot easier then running a marathon.  Unless I was being chased, I hadn’t intentionally run so much as a block in the 10 years since I graduated high school.  And even back then it was only so I didn’t fail P.E. class.

Besides, ever since breaking my femur and pelvis in a car accident when I was 20, and having to learn how to walk again, I was always afraid of what might happen if I put too much pressure on my leg.  I always had the vision of me tripping and taking a hard fall, and having the metal rod in my leg break through the skin of my thigh.  I know it’s a gruesome thought, but breaking your limbs and being told you may never walk again can do that to you.

A week later, Katie, one of my life-coaching clients, completed her second marathon.  “Hal, it’s so amazing… I feel like I can do anything now!”  Hmm, between Jon and Katie’s enthusiastic testimonies for marathon running, I was starting to think that maybe I should overcome my limiting belief about not being a runner and just start running.  Like everything else, if they could do it, then so could I.  So I did.

The next morning, intent on completing my first mile on my journey to complete a marathon, I put on my running shoes (that I had never run in) and headed out the front door of my house.  I was actually looking forward to it!  Down the driveway I hustled-motivated and inspired-onto the sidewalk I ran, and as I attempted to transition from the sidewalk to the neighborhood street, my ankle twisted on the curb and I collapsed.  Lying on the pavement, writhing in paid and gripping my ankle, I thought to myself, everything happens for a reason, so I guess today wasn’t the day for me to start running… I’ll try again tomorrow.  So I did.

That day I began my training.  I soon after purchased a book on ‘marathon training for non-runners’ and stuck to a plan, logging my miles each day, totaling my mileage at the end of each week.  I was overcoming my limiting belief that I couldn’t run, and I was becoming what I would have never imagined in a million years… I was becoming a runner.

One month and 50 miles into my training, I finished my first 6-mile run and called Jon to celebrate.  He was excited for me, and always looking to help me raise my own standards, he presented me with a challenge.  Jon knew me well enough to know that in the peak emotional state that I was in, I would likely accept any challenge given to me.  “Hal, why don’t you run an ultra-marathon?  If you’re going to run 26 miles, you might as well run 52…” Only Jon would suggest such logic.

“I’ll think about it.”

This time, when I told Jon I would think about it, I actually meant it.  I was intrigued by the idea of pushing myself even further and running 52 consecutive miles.  And maybe Jon was right, that if I was going to run 26, I might as well run 52.  I mean, shoot, if I could go from running zero miles to being able to run 6 consecutive miles in just four weeks, and I still had six months until the Front Row Foundation’s annual Run for the Front charity run, why not set the bar a little higher and go for 52?  So I did.  I was even somehow able to talk one friend and two of my life-coaching clients into doing it with me!

Six months later I had logged 475 miles, including three 20-mile runs, and had traveled across the country to meet up with James, Favian, and Alicia so that the four of us could attempt to run 52 miles during the Atlantic City Marathon.  Jon even flew out to show his support.  There was just one logistical challenge though: Atlantic City wasn’t set up for any “ultra” marathon runners.  So, we improvised.

We met on the Boardwalk at 3:30am, and our goal was to finish our first 26 miles before the official marathon began, then complete the second half with the regular marathon runners.  The moment seemed almost surreal.  The energy between the four of us was a blend of excitement, fear, adrenaline and disbelief…  Were we really going to do this?!

We might have been able to see our breath in the chill October air had the moonlight been brighter.  Nevertheless, our path was well enough lit, and so we began.  One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, we moved forward.  We all agreed that that was the key to our success that day-keep moving forward.  So long as we didn’t stop putting one foot in front of the other, as long as we kept moving forward, we would eventually reach our destination.

Six hours and five minutes later, largely due to the collective support and accountability of our group working together as one unit, we completed our first 26 miles.  This became a profound defining moment for each of us.  Not because of the twenty-six miles we had behind us, but because of the mental fortitude it was going to take to get ourselves to run the twenty-six miles we had ahead of us.

The excitement that was permeating every fiber of our being just six hours earlier had been replaced with excruciating pain, fatigue, and mental exhaustion.  Considering the physical and mental state we were in, we just didn’t know if we had it in us to duplicate what we had just done.  But we did.

A total of 15 ½ hours from the time we started, James, Favian, Alicia, and I completed our 52-mile quest… together.  One foot in front of the other, and one-step at a time, we ran, jogged, walked, limped and crawled (literally) across the finish line.

On the other side of that line was freedom-the kind of freedom that can never be taken away from a person-freedom from our self-imposed limitations.  Although through our training we had grown to believe that running 52 consecutive miles was possible, none of us believed in our heart of hearts that it was probable for ourselves.  As individuals, each of us was fighting a seemingly insurmountable internal struggle with our own fear and self-doubt.  But the moment we crossed that finish line, we had given ourselves the gift of freedom from our fear, our self-doubt, and our self-imposed limitations.

It was in that moment I realized that this gift of freedom is not reserved for the chosen few, but one that is available to each and every one of us the moment we make the choice to take on challenges that will force us to grow-to be and do more than we have been and done in the past.  This is true freedom.

To learn more about Hal and his Speaking & Coaching services, visit www.YoPalHal.com

To learn more about the Front Row Foundation, visit www.frontrowfoundation.org

Watch Hal’s Inspiring TV Interview on Good Day Sacramento (6 min.)


4 Questions To Guarantee 2009 is Your Best Year Yet…

January 3, 2009

What if there were 4 simple questions you could ask yourself, and the answers could help guarantee that this year is your best yet – for your life, for your career, for your family… would you invest the time to answer those 4 questions?


I hope you are feeling authentically grateful for your life and excited for your future as the New Year approaches.  More specifically, I hope you are ready to make 2009 the best year of your life… literally!  However, my experience has been that most people aren’t really “ready”.  Most of us go into each New Year with goals or resolutions and with good intentions, but usually without a well thought out strategy for achieving our goals and resolutions.  In fact, most people seem to rely on the strategy of “hope”, which isn’t really a strategy at all, and usually leads to more frustration and disappointment.


While I don’t believe that there is any “perfect” strategy to guarantee that 2009 is the best year of your life — since different approaches work for different people — I’d love to share with you what I did the last few days to close out my 2008 in an empowering way so that I can begin my 2009 READY to make it my best year yet.


4 “Empowering” Questions to Get Ready for 2009!

There are 4 Empowering Questions you can ask yourself today that can help you guarantee that 2009 is better than 2008, and could even be the best year of your life!  In fact, these four questions are SO valuable, that I began answering them the day after Christmas and the answers I came up with inspired me to spend the next two days reflecting on my answers to these four questions. (Note: you can answer these questions in 10 minutes or 10 hours, so you don’t have to spend the whole day on them like I did… 😉


I can’t take all of the credit for these questions though, as they were inspired by a powerful book I read, titled: Your Best Year Yet, and a Life Coaching program that I am fortunate to be leading again in January with two of the world’s best life & business coaches – Jon Berghoff & Jon Vroman – to give people everything they need to guarantee that 2009 is the best year of their life… literally.  (Note: more info can be found at www.YourBestLifeEveryday.com)


Here are the 4 Questions, followed by a few specific action steps that you can take in the next few days, that will help you ensure that your 2009 is  infinitely better than your 2008:

  1. What did I accomplish?
  2. What were my biggest disappointments?
  3. What valuable lessons can I learn from each?
  4. What are my “Top 3” Guidelines for 2009?

Q1 – What did I accomplish?

Most of us find it easier to spend more time and energy dwelling on our failures and disappointments than we do acknowledging our successes and accomplishments.  But all of us have both, and dwelling on our failures and what we ‘didn’t get accomplished’ only disempowers us and hurts our self confidence.  It is only by acknowledging our accomplishments that we improve our self image, raise our self esteem, increase our self confidence and empower ourselves to accomplish more in the future.


When I was writing down as many of my accomplishments as I could think of (big ones & small ones), the perception I had of my 2008 started to change.  I realized that I wasn’t such a failure after all, and I gave myself permission to actually feel good about all that I accomplished in 2008.  I actually closed my eyes, smiled, and said to myself over and over, “You did great this year, Hal… You did great this year, Hal!” This may sound funny, but it felt so good to simply spend time acknowledging myself for all that I accomplished!  Try it, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results!


Here is a partial list of the (42) accomplishments I wrote down:

  1. Proposed to Ursula and got engage!
  2. Ran my first 52-mile ultra-marathon and raised money for the Front Row Foundation.
  3. Got up at 4am and lived the Miracle Morning more days than not.
  4. Donated more money to charity than ever before.
  5. Read more books than ever before.
  6. Wrote in my journal daily (for the first  time in my life!).
  7. Enhanced my relationship with my dad.

Q2 – What were my biggest disappointments?

While it is neither necessary nor particularly healthy to beat ourselves up about our disappointments, it IS important and healthy to acknowledge our disappointments so that we can learn from them and let them go.  How did we let ourselves or others down last year?  What goals did we fail to achieve?  What bad habits did we continue?

Disappointments are a part of life, and we all have them.  As long as we learn from our disappointments, we can use them to help us grow and improve so that we don’t continue to make the in the future.


Q3 – What valuable lessons can I learn from each?

One lesson I have implemented that continues to empower me to improve every area of my life was taught to me by good friend Jon Berghoff.  Jon always say, “Learn something from everything.” When it comes to learning from our ‘accomplishments’ we can take away valuable lessons related to what it was that motivated, inspired, or allowed us to accomplish what we accomplished.  As for learning from our disappointments, we can internalize valuable lessons about which thoughts, behaviors, actions, emotions, or habits prompted us to create or to not create that which disappointed us. Usually it is our biggest disappointments that can provide us with our most life-changing lessons.


Q4 – What are my “Top 3” Guidelines for 2009?

One you have acknowledged your accomplishments and your disappointments, and extracted the most valuable, life-enhancing LESSONS from each, what may benefit you the most is choosing your “Top 3” guidelines to keep you on track during the coming year.  You can simply copy and paste your 3 most empowering lessons, and post these up somewhere that you will look at them everyday to stay focused on that which will make the biggest impact on improving your life in 2009 and beyond.

Here are the Top 3 Guidelines that I came up with for this year:

  1. Focus on one project (or task) at a time and complete it, before moving onto the next.
  2. Delegate all tasks that don’t compliment my natural gifts and unique areas of brilliance.
  3. Make everything I do FUN and done with unconditional LOVE and authentic GRATITUDE.

I hope you make the empowering choice to invest the time into yourself by answering the above 4 Questions.  If there is anything I can do to support and contribute to YOUR life and making this your best year ever, please don’t hesitate to let me know.  In the meantime, continue to love your life and live your dreams…


Always with Unconditional Love and Authentic Gratitude,

“Yo Pal” Hal Elrod

America’s Empowerment Coach

www.YoPalHal.com

I am life. I am love. I am grateful. (Hal’s first blog post ever!)

December 28, 2008

The Miracle Morning

Today, I took a walk to watch the sunrise.  Mesmerized and inspired by the  vibrant colors that permeated the morning sky, I was reminded of my first affirmation, which I scribbled down a few years ago while riding on a public bus in Seattle on my way to visit my family for the holidays.

Here’s my first affirmation, which still reflects my values and serves as an important reminder of my general view of life.  I hope this adds value and inspiration to YOUR life… =)

I am life. I am love. I am grateful.

To give anything less than my best today would be wrong, so I will not.  I will live today in the grandest vision that I hold to be true for myself. I am totally present in the NOW, and to the perfection of my life.

All that can be seen and felt is beauty.  All that can be found is perfection…  God’s perfection.

I appreciate this day, taking nothing for granted and experiencing absolute joy in every moment, for this is always my opportunity.  If it is to be, it is up to me.  I am the creator of my life.  I am special and I am divine, but no more so than the homeless man sitting across from me on the bus.  So I will be humble.  And for the answers, I will search within.  I am more than my body and mind; I am my SOUL.  My soul is my life.  This pursuit of material things is nothing more than fun!  Just a game, never to be the cause of any pain, for the soul lacks nothing.  The soul need not pursue, for it already is.

I accept all and resist nothing, for resistance is the source of all pain.  I choose to want and need for nothing, for only then am I free.

I enjoy this moment, enjoy this day, and I am selfless in all that I do, for my greatest joy is found in giving joy to another.  Amen.

Written by: Hal Elrod